Tag: 2023-24 nba season

Celtics Lab 216: Exploring the best- and worst-case scenarios for Boston this season with Bobby Krivitsky

Depending on who you ask, the new-look Boston Celtics are either NBA title favorites or a lower body injury away from existential disaster.

Depending on who you ask, the new-look Boston Celtics are either NBA title favorites or a lower body injury away from existential disaster.

The trade that swapped veteran floor general Marcus Smart for star big man Krisstaps Porzingis is one of several polarizing aspects of this franchise that is dividing opinions on what this Schrodinger’s Cat of a contender will be come next offseason.

Injury and aging concerns. A shift away from a successful defensive identity under a (even now) still unproven head coach. A potential pressure cooker of assistants behind him. A potential vacuum of leadership. Adding a bona fide star with novel skills to apply in high-leverage moments and a better roster for the style of play coach Joe Mazzulla prefers.

There’s a lot to unpack with the version of the Celtics we’re pinning our hopes on in the season to come, so the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with Sports Illustrated’s Bobby Krivitsky to break down what the best- and worst-case scenarios might look like for the Celtics.

We also get caught up on all the news of the past week, from a potentially irked Malcolm Brogdon to the potential of new two way big man Neemias Queta, and more.

This episode of the Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel and AG1.

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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Who are the top 10 shooting guards in the NBA for 2023-23?

More importantly, where do we find Jaylen Brown among them?

With each day that passes this offseason, we get a little closer to the NBA’s 2023-24 regular season, but while we wait for news of consequence, league analysts have been busy putting together the annual ranking exercises that comprise #RankingSeason.

And as they have been, the folks at the “Through The Wire” podcast have given us another installment for such a moment, their ranking of the Association’s best shooting guards for the season soon to arrive. The Boston Celtics have a player in the mix, and as one might guess, it’s All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown who makes the cut in their estimation.

But if you want to hear where the crew put the Georgia native compared to his peers who play the 2 guard often enough to be included, you will have to take a look at the clip embedded below.

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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Power ranking the Boston Celtics roster for the NBA’s 2023-24 season

Ranking season is here, and so is power ranking the Celtics’ roster for next season.

Each NBA offseason, the news cycle tends to dry up as the month of September approaches, with the league’s analysts turning to projecting the order of the league, its players, and even the internal rosters themselves in the yearly exercise we call Ranking Season.

And in just such an exercise, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley revealed his own power ranking of the players on the roster of the new-look Boston Celtics after Boston’s front office elected to shake things up in a big way to kick off the summer. In this power ranking analysis, the 14 players on regular NBA contracts are evaluated based on their abilities, projected production, and overall value to the team.

Let’s see where Buckley rates each member of the team vs. their peers — but you’ll have to check his analysis for the thinking behind them.

Ranking 2023-24’s best NBA small forwards

Boston’s Jayson Tatum does quite well in this assessment.

Even though we have already shared Hoops Reference’s attempt at ranking the top 10 small forwards in the NBA for the 2023-24 season, we are deep into the part of the league calendar where such exercises proliferate like wildfire. The folks over at the “Through The Wire” podcast put out their own top 10 small forward list in the spirit of #RankingSeason.

Unlike Hoops Reference’s version — a fairly succinct affair — the hosts of this podcast go deep, spending more than two hours talking through the best 3 men in the Association for the season soon to arrive.

The hosts also spend time catching up on the news, touching on Team USA’s FIBA flop, the league’s new player participation policy to combat load management and even a bit of NFL chatter.

Check out the clip embedded above to get a detailed look at who are the best small forwards for next season, at least per the “Through The Wire” crew.

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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Do the Boston Celtics have a serious candidate to win the NBA’s 2023 Most Improved Player award?

“Malcolm Brogdon earned his Sixth Man of the Year award last season, but playing for a winner obviously helps,” writes B/R.

Do the Boston Celtics have a serious candidate to win the NBA’s 2023 Most Improved Player award this season?

According to one Bleacher Report analyst, they very well could. Per B/R’s Greg Swartz, newly minted starting Celtics floor general Derrick White has the right tells to his game and new role to put him in position to take home that particular piece of end-of-season hardware.

“White is … going to be faced with increased playmaking, scoring and defensive duties now that … Smart has been traded, as he becomes the full-time starting point guard,” writes Swartz. “In his 70 starts last season, White averaged 12.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and shot 39.4% from 3.”

“His chances of winning the award could be assisted by the Celtics’ success, especially if Boston leads the NBA in wins and secures the No. 1 seed,” suggests the B/R analyst.

“Malcolm Brogdon earned his Sixth Man of the Year award last season, but playing for a winner obviously helps,” relates Swartz.

“A part-time starter for the majority of his career, White should have his best year as the starting point guard for a loaded Celtics team with championship aspirations.”

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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What can we expect from the Boston Celtics next season?

With all Boston has been through this offseason, what can we expect from them?

Boston Celtics All-NBA forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are focused on developing their games as they hope to return to the 2024 NBA Finals in search of their long-coveted 18th title.

Around them, there has been something of a seismic shift to the Celtics’ roster. Veteran point guard Marcus Smart, reserve forward Grant Williams and deep rotation big man Mike Muscala are among those no longer with the team. Injury-prone star big man Kristaps Porzingis has joining the club.

With all Boston has been through this offseason, what can we expect from them?

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what the crew at ESPN’s “NBA Today” show had to say about their expectations for the Celtics in the season ahead.

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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Boston’s Robert Williams III one of CBS Sports’ top fallers for 2023-24 top 100 NBA player list

Why is Timelord getting no love?

Kristaps Porzingis is the member of the Boston Celtics’ 2023-24 roster who received the biggest year-to-year boost in CBS Sports top 100 player list.

But another Celtics big man is on the opposite end of that equation. Robert Williams III had one of the list’s largest drops, according to CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbush. He fell 38 spots on what is one of the crown jewels of the annual late offseason exercise that has become #RankingSeason.

“When Williams is fully healthy, he’s proven to be among the best rim protectors in the league, as evidenced from his 2.2 blocks a game during the 2021-22 season,” Wimbish wrote.

“He’s an aggressive offensive rebounder and is an effective cutter which often creates lob opportunities for the big man. But in a game that is always evolving, it’s extremely important to evolve with it.”

“Outside of catching lobs or rolling to the rim for a bucket, Williams’ offensive game is rather limited, and on a team with championship aspirations like the Celtics, you constantly have to prove you’re valuable to that goal,” they note. “There’s also the matter of his health, which has always been a sticking point.”

“If he’s hampered again this season or doesn’t seamlessly fit into a Boston offense that is clearly signaling toward spacing the floor even more with its trade to land Porzingis, then he could be a potential trade target.”

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 new-look Boston Celtics running out of options?

Not everyone is bullish about Boston.

The Boston Celtics, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, have been consistent contenders in the NBA for several seasons. However, they made a high-risk move by trading Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis. While Tatum and Brown’s presence is an advantage, the team has lost depth.

Smart was more than a leader; he was crucial to the team’s defense and playmaking. The loss of Grant Williams and the uncertain future of the draft picks acquired in the trade further weaken the Celtics’ depth. Additionally, injuries have been a concern: Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III have missed time in previous seasons. Despite this, Porzingis has the potential to be a star addition to the team, providing scoring and rim protection.

The Celtics face financial constraints with Tatum’s impending supermax extension, limiting their ability to add star-quality players.

The folks at “The Score” YouTube channel put together a clip investigating how much risk Boston is taking on — and their thoughts on the wisdom of it — in the video embedded above.

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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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the league’s new player participation policy

The new policy, developed collaboratively with input from various stakeholders including team owners, management, coaches, the National Basketball Players Association, and players, focuses on ensuring that healthy star players are available to play and that teams do not engage in prolonged player shutdowns.

The NBA is implementing a new player participation policy to start with the 2023-24 season. The goal is to address the spread of load management moves around the league.

Speaking to the media soon after the formal adoption of the policy, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized this change is driven by a desire to prioritize the fans’ experience and maintain the integrity of the league’s 82-game schedule.

The new policy, developed collaboratively with team owners, management, coaches, the National Basketball Players Association and players, focuses on ensuring healthy stars play and teams do not engage in prolonged player shutdowns.

To hear more about the new policy and what went into it yourself, take a look at the clip embedded below courtesy of the folks at the Bleacher Report YouTube channel.

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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What is the No. 1 thing to get excited about for each of the Boston Celtics’ players next season?

There are a host of areas where we could find aspects of the season to come to be excited about next season.

What is the No. 1 thing to get excited about for each of the Boston Celtics’ players next season?

Will star players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown take another step up in the league hierarchy? Which players on the team will pick up the slack in the club’s defensive rotations in the absence of 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart?

What about veteran leadership? Smart’s departure along with National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Vice President Grant Williams has created a vocal leadership deficit on the team. Can the club’s new additions from Kristaps Porzingis all the way down to rookie Jordan Walsh make a mark with their new team?

There are a host of areas where we could find aspects of the season to come to be excited about next season.

And that’s exactly what the hosts of the CLNS Media “First To The Floor” podcast did on a recent episode — take a look above to hear it for yourself.

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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