Category: .Analysis

Celtics’ Jaylen Brown names Boston’s 23rd most influential person

A regular presence on this list from year to year, the Georgia native has seen his profile continually rise in the city he now calls home.

Star Boston Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown has been named the 23rd most influential person in the City of Boston by Boston Magazine for their annual “150 Most Influential Bostonians” article. A regular presence on this list from year to year, the Georgia native has seen his profile continually rise in the city that he now calls home.

And Brown is so high on this list not just because of his success with the Celtics, but what he does with the platform that brings him in Boston. “When Brown inked his new $304 million contract last summer, he made it clear that Bostonians would share in the bounty,” writes Boston Magazine.

“His 7uice Foundation focuses on tackling the city’s opportunity gap, primarily through his Bridge Program with MIT, and he has his sights set on the wealth gap, too,” they add.

“In other words, he’s spreading optimism and opportunity all over the city—and all the while, proving on the court that he’s worth every penny,” they suggest — and we agree.

There’s nothing wrong with showing up and earning the paycheck, and letting that be the four walls of your influence. But the Cal alum has a drive to leave things better than he found them, and walks in the footsteps of giants.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Should we worry about the Boston Celtics’ Game 2 loss to the Miami Heat?

What will the Celtics do to right the ship in Game 3?

In the 2023-24 NBA regular season, the Boston Celtics dominated their opponents at historic levels, thanks in large part to devastating attacks from beyond the arc. But in Game 2 of their series with the Miami Heat in the 2024 Eastern Conference NBA Playoffs, the Celtics went cold from deep while Miami flipped the 3-point script on them.

How much is hot shooting luck on the part of the Heat? And how much should we blame Boston’s poor perimeter defense? And what will the Celtics do to right the ship in Game 3 of the series, played at Miami’s Kasey Center?

CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning welcomes Brian Barrett from The Ringer to discuss Celtics vs. Heat Game 2 and how Miami dominated Boston from behind the 3-point line. Check it out below!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Kristaps Porzingis: Miami Heat gave Boston Celtics analysis paralysis in Game 2

“They make us think,” explained Porzingis.

What is it about the Miami Heat that can trip up the Boston Celtics, as they did in Game 2 of their first round 2024 East playoffs series this past (April 24) Wednesday night? According to star Boston big man Kristaps Porzingis, it’s because the Heat are good at inducing paralyzing over-analysis in Boston.

“They make us think,” explained Porzingis via CLNS Media after a recent practice. “They do this on one possession, then they do another thing on another possession, then they switch, then they don’t. So that can freeze you a little bit, because you start to think a little bit, then you rush.”

How should the Celtics respond to this in Game 3 to avoid a repeat performance and all the angst that might bring Boston fans?

“We on the other hand maybe felt a little bit like, ‘We’re the number one seed against Miami at home,'” said the Lithuanian center.

“That can maybe get you a little bit, so we just have to make sure that we still play basketball, it’s still basketball, it’s still just reads and go, and not overthinking stuff, and we’ll be fine.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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How the Boston Celtics’ terrible perimeter defense cost them Game 2 to the Miami Heat

This simply cannot happen again in this series if Boston wants to get to the 2024 NBA Finals with legs under them.

The Boston Celtics’ terrible perimeter defense cost them Game 2 to the Miami Heat due to the team rigidly adhering to the scheme that won them Game 1 in a blowout.

While it remains unclear why the Celtics did not adjust, and whether that decision was the fault of Joe Mazzulla and the rest of the team’s coaching staff or the players simply freelancing, one thing is unambiguous. And that is that it simply cannot happen again in this series if Boston wants to get to the 2024 NBA Finals with legs under them able to have a shot at competing.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took a microscope to the loss and shared their thoughts on what needs to change. Check it out below!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Are the coaches or the players to blame in the Boston Celtics’ Game 2 loss to the Miami Heat?

No matter how you slice the blame pie, the team’s angry fans will erupt online and call for blood if we see the same results in Game 3.

By now, it has become clear that the driving force behind the Boston Celtics’ Game 2 loss to the Miami Heat in the 2024 NBA Eastern Conference first round playoffs was due to the Celtics rolling out exactly the same strategy as in their Game 1 blowout victory, and then not adjusting when it was abundantly clear that it was not working.

Was this failure more the fault of the players, or of head coach Joe Mazzulla and his staff of assistants? No matter how you slice the blame pie, the team’s angry fans will erupt online and call for blood if we see the same results in Game 3.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report After Dark” podcast, Bobby Manning and Josue Pavon weighed in on how they see the blame pie being divided. Check it out below.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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How did the Miami Heat outshoot the Boston Celtics in Game 2?

How much of this was luck, and how much of this was a failure of the Celtics plan to win the game?

How did the Miami Heat outshoot the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs first round series this past Wednesday (April 24) night?

The Celtics have baked in letting some of the Heat’s less lethal shooters have open looks, but Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra took advantage of this approach to the extreme, and Boston failed to adjust. But how much of this was luck, and how much of this was a failure of the Celtics plan to win the game? The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” and “Talkin’ Cs” podcasts, Jack Simone, Sam LaFrance, and Bobby Krivitsky, weighed in on how they see Boston having messed up in Game 2.

Check it out for yourself in the clip embedded below.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Why did the Boston Celtics fail to adjust to the Miami Heat in Game 2?

The Heat (and their elite head coach Erik Spoelstra) did an excellent job of using Boston’s tendencies against them.

Why did the Boston Celtics fail to adjust to the Miami Heat in Game 2? The Heat (and their elite head coach Erik Spoelstra) did an excellent job of using Boston’s tendencies against them in the second tilt of the 2024 Eastern Conference first round series.

“It was a very good response,” said Spoelstra to the media postgame via the Associated Press. “And then we also made some shots. It always looks better when you make shots.” So many, in fact, that it was the fourth-most ever shot from beyond the arc in an NBA playoff game. the hosts of the CLNS Media “First to the Floor” podcast, Jake Issenberg, Ben Vallis, and Wayne Spooney, weighed in on the debacle postgame on a recent episode.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Why did the Boston Celtics respond so poorly to the Miami Heat’s Game 2 adjustments?

Will the Celtics be more ready for curveballs from the Heat in Game 3?

The Boston Celtics had little need to adjust their tactics from their Game 1 won over the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference first round series with a blowout win to their credit. But the Heat changed things up in a major way for Game 2, and the Celtics failed to respond to what Miami was doing during the game, and lost as a result.

Will the Celtics be more ready for curveballs from the Heat in Game 3? Can they have some counters ready to likely changes in what Miami brings to the table in the next game of the series? Or do we officially need to start worrying about how long this series will go — or even if Boston will win?

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast, Bobby Manning, Josue Pavon, Jimmy Toscano, A. Sherrod Blakely and John Zannis, took a deep dive on the loss on a recent episode. Check it out below.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Bob Ryan is happy Los Angeles Lakers legend is headed to the Hall of Fame

Boston’s greatness can’t be appreciated without him!

While he may be an all-time great of the Boston Celtics‘ oldest and greatest rivals, Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper was a critical part of the Celtics’ battles with Los Angeles in the 1980s. And Boston’s greatness can’t be appreciated without him!

So it ought to come as no surprise that Celtics beat writer emeritus Bob Ryan of the CLNS Media “Bob Ryan, Jeff Goodman, and Gary Tanguay” podcast was happy to see Cooper finally get the nod for the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame for this year’s induction class.

Cooper, the host of his own CLNS Media pod, was the topic of a recent clip on the “CLNS Media History and Storytellers” YouTube channel. Check it out below!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics Lab 253: What went wrong for Boston in Game 2, and how the Celtics can adjust for Game 3

Rather than dwell (too much) on the loss, we convened postgame to talk through what Boston can do better in Game 3.

The Boston Celtics let their fans down with a mediocre effort against the Miami Heat in Game 2 of their first round series, the level of urgency reminiscent of a mid-December tilt of little consequence.

Attacking the Celtics with a relentless assault from deep on one end, and denying the use of Kristaps Porzingis as a ‘safety valve’ on the other, Boston has given Miami life by not understanding the gravity of the moment yet again. But rather than dwell (too much) on the loss, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast convened postgame to talk through what Boston can do better in Game 3.

From specific adjustments to the overall approach to the game, we shared our thoughts on what we want to see from the Celtics in the first home game for the Heat of the series.


The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by Prize Picks.


If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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