Havlicek Stole the Pod NBA Basketball Podcast

The landscape of the East might look radically different come fall, and there's so many moving parts it can get dizzying at times. With the Toronto Raptors in the Finals, will Kawhi stay? Will Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris stay with the Philadelphia 76ers? Could another East team steal away Kyrie Irving or trade for Anthony Davis? Will ANYONE be able to trade for Anthony Davis? And could supermax...

The offseason is finally, mercifully upon us, and taking stock of the Boston Celtics' future is in order. Join Mark Allison and Justin Quinn as they make sense of the results of the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery in relation to summer trade and signing opportunities, as well as team-building options more generally. They also give individual grades to the entire organization based on last season's performa...

For those few optimists among us, you may want to skip this pod. The Boston Celtics are on the brink of elimination by the Milwaukee Bucks, down three games to one, and there's plenty of blame to go around. Kyrie Irving has justifiably earned the ire of many a Cs fan in this series and season, and coach Brad Stevens certainly not without at least some blame. But who else has led us to this dark an...

The first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs are nearly in the books, and the Boston Celtics are slated to face the league-best Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Semifinals after a sweep of the Indiana Pacers. How will Boston contain (or at least slow) Giannis Antetokounmpo? What kinds of matchups and rotations will we see? Will Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon be able to return in time to impact the ser...

With every series in the 2019 NBA Playoffs underway, we take a look at the landscape along the Boston Celtics path to the Finals. We also talk about injuries, from Marcus Smart's recovery timeline to Aron Baynes evident lack of one, and even touch on the coaching search (and dumpster fire) going on with the Los Angeles Lakers organization, and how it could affect Boston's summer plans. So, join Ma...

We're entering the final stretch of the 2018-19 NBA season, and for Boston Celtics fans, the playoffs cannot get here soon enough. With hopes for a blockbuster regular season long ago left behind in the hopes that the team has been keeping the powder dry for the postseason, Mark Allison and Justin Quinn try to divine what the team will look like on the court in a few weeks, as well as a quick look...

For the slow month of March, the Boston Celtics are finding ways to stay busy, and not all of the results are so great. But the fundamentals of play missing at the start of the season are becoming more consistent despite the unfavorable results over the last few games, which should give fans a shred of hope as the regular season winds down. And with that winding down comes some clarity regarding w...

The Boston Celtics are finally flirting with playing like the team most of us expected at the start of the season, with something resembling chemistry producing a much better version of the team on the court. They have struggled significantly as they have sought to cement a consistent identity as much as they have a consistent approach to games, but recent off-court activity on the now-complete we...

This Boston Celtics squad continues to find ways to disappoint, and we fans are starting to check out. As we begin to move on from the underwhelming regular season performances we're regularly being given, Topher Lane and Justin Quinn have it out, voicing their frustrations in the hopes that it either brings catharsis, or makes us look like the cretins we probably are in a few months. We somehow f...

The dust has settled on the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline, and Anthony Davis is NOT a Los Angeles Laker. That's far from the only thing that (didn't) happen, however, as multiple East teams improved their rosters for the playoffs, and teams in the Western Conference made moves that may impact the Boston Celtics incoming draft picks this summer. The Cs even made a minor but potentially impactful move by...

We'll excuse you if you feel like you're not sure if you're coming or going after the onslaught of Silly SZN, the as the week before the NBA Trade Deadline is sometimes called. We hear from cold-blooded killers to stay calm and things will be OK, but have the devil in our ear telling us not only the megastar we've been after for years is slipping from our grasp, but that he might take our current...

After very-public fissures appeared in the Boston Celtics after yet ANOTHER regression to sub-standard play, and an even more public leadership epiphany from star point guard Kyrie Irving, the Celtics continue to win. Is it a change in mindset that's making the difference? Communication? Style of play? Join Cam Tabatabaie and Justin Quinn as they gingerly tip-toe around whether the change is for r...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, all in a little over a week. The Boston Celtics have played world-beater and whimperer as their best selves gave us a look at what they can do to teams like the Indiana Pacers, while also showing how little they can give each other against teams like the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets. What's the deal? Who will be seeing come April, and will th...

A new year has arrived, and with it, a chance for the Boston Celtics to put early struggles behind them. Join Topher Lane and Justin Quinn as they talk about the improved team play overall in recent weeks, as well as breakout performances from Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, and more. We even debut our locally-sourced, recently-updated Celtics drinking game for those of you in need of...

Banged up and undermanned, the Boston Celtics are dealing with another unpleasant losing streak. After dropping a game to the Milwaukee Bucks, the team had an extended meeting to address the recent spate of losses. Is there light at the end of the tunnel? How long IS this tunnel going to be? What needs to happen to turn things around, and how soon can we expect to see results? Join Mark Allison an...

After opening the season something of a mess on the offensive end of the court, the Boston Celtics have turned the ship around, with gusto. Not only have they gone from one of the league's worst teams in terms of putting points up, but have morphed into one of the league's most elite offensive units over the last five games. Even when missing multiple key players due to minor injuries and illness,...

The Boston Celtics had themselves a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the offense clicking after some much-overdue starting lineup tinkering. Does that single game show us enough positive things that we can relax about the team's 10-10 start? Should we even worry about the start at all? Plenty of teams have done as bad or worse and made the postseason, some even as far as the finals. Join Lui...

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from the CelticsLife crew. There's not a whole lot to be thankful for lately as a Celtics fan, but Topher Lane and Justin Quinn try their best to take the long view yet again, looking at Boston's rough start and the options out there that might be a solution. We had some technical issues, so apologies about the subpar audio, and we recorded this be...

This week, things are changing in the Atlantic Division, with Jimmy Butler heading to the Philadelphia 76ers. How will it affect the Boston Celtics? Will it work out? Who's the "winner" of this deal, if anyone? The slate of games for the Cs finally relaxes a bit after a murder's row to start the season, and there's other movement of note around the league to take into consideration. Join...

This week, Topher Lane and Mark Allison try to make sense of the rumors swirling around a one Terry Rozier, as well as the lingering rust the Boston Celtics are slowly shaking off early in the season. They break down the team's recent games, including whether Jayson tatum might need to re-evaluate his shot selection, and even take a look at how some former Celts we'll see playing against their for...

The Boston Celtics are back on their game, and while they have some kinks left to work out, the team we expected to be watching this season is showing up, and it's noticeable. And it's not just the Celtics who are looking good, with the Boston Red Sox having just won a World Series, and the Celts will face the league's last remaining undefeated team, the Milwaukee Bucks, on Thursday for what will...

With week one of the 2018-19 NBA regular season behind us, we have a very small sample of games to give us an early idea about what the coming weeks, months, and season may look like. While it might be far too small a sample size for any definitive takes, we are already beginning to see some of the issues concerning depth and roles having an impact on games, and player recovery is still clearly an...

Less than 24 hours from when you listen to this podcast, it will be the first day of the NBA's regular season, and the Boston Celtics will be suiting up to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Join Topher Lane and Justin Quinn as they look at Tuesday night's home opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, Friday's tilt with the new-look Toronto Raptors, Saturday's game with the New York Knicks, all the way...

This week, we talk expectations as the Boston Celtics preseason winds down, and preparations for the 2018-19 NBA Regular Season begins. We discuss whether the Celt's 1-3 preseason record is cause for concern, as well as some of the bright spots from an otherwise-lackluster showing in what we HOPE is a tuneup for the games that count. We also talk expectations for the team and individual players, u...

With training camp looming just over the horizon, most of us would like to be turning our attention to the goings-on of the Boston Celtics with renewed fervor given the lofty expectations for this year's squad. Leave it to life to make that a fraught proposition, however, with news of Jabari Bird's arrest on domestic violence charges, putting the Boston Celtics (and the NBA) into unchartered terri...