Tag: 2023-24 nba season

What is the real reason the Boston Celtics can’t seem to close out tight games?

We have heard a litany of reasonable (and less so) excuses as to why the Celtics struggle to win close contests over the years.

We have heard a litany of reasonable (and less so) excuses as to why the Boston Celtics struggle to win close contests over the years. But what is the real reason the Celtics can’t seem to close out tight games in the era of star forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum?

Is it a roster construction issue? An effort or focus issue? Or is it something utterly intangible to the mortal mind? At least one group of NBA analysts think they know the real reason the Celtics have struggles to win close games — and for them, it is offensive rebounding. 

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, put together a clip to break down their theory that boards (or a lack of them) are the source of this issue. 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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Report: San Antonio to shut down Devin Vassell, Jeremey Sochan for season due to injury

The news likely signals an end to truly competitive basketball for San Antonio for the rest of 2023-24.

Fans of the San Antonio Spurs who were hoping to catch Devin Vassell or Jeremy Sochan live before the end of the NBA’s 2023-24 campaign will be disappointed to hear that both are being shut down for the rest of the season due to injuries.

According to recent reporting from the AP, Vassell and Sochan will spend the rest of this season healing up, with Vassell’s MRI today revealing that he has a stress reaction in the third metatarsal head of his right foot. Sochan reportedly is dealing with an ankle impingement in his left foot that will require arthroscopic surgery.

The news likely signals an end to truly competitive basketball for San Antonio for the rest of 2023-24, though expect plenty of interesting wrinkles from coach Gregg Popovich and Co. as they use what games remain to tinker.

The Spurs play the Denver Nuggets on the road this coming Tuesday night, and still have another tilt vs. Denver, the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the New Orleans Pelicans left on the schedule.

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Can the San Antonio Spurs reach 20 or more wins to wrap up the season?

Can the Spurs keep it up to finish out the current season on a high note?

Can the San Antonio Spurs reach 20 or more wins to wrap up the NBA’s 202324 season? Such a question might have seen as an easy ‘yes’ ahead of the Spurs’ current campaign, but San Antonio got off to a slow start as star rookie forward Victor Wembanyama found his legs in the league.

Now, such an outcome seems like it could be back on the table, as Wemby and Co. have started to win games at an increased clip in the last few weeks. Can the Spurs keep it up to finish out the current season on a high note? Or will we see a renewed emphasis on player development to ensure a good lottery pick comes with it?

The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, took a moment on a recent episode of his show to break down his thoughts on how San Antonio is going to close out their 2023-24 campaign, including how many wins he thinks the Spurs will finish with.

Check it out above!

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Were expectations set too high for the San Antonio Spurs this season?

Did we all collectively set those expectations a bit higher than we should?

At the start of the NBA’s 2023-24 season, expectations for the San Antonio Spurs were understandably high. And after having drafted French rookie forward Phenom Victor Wembanyama with the top overall draft pick of the 2023 NBA draft, it is easy to understand why that was.

But did we all collectively set those expectations a bit higher than we should have, given the fact that the Spurs had stripped down the roster fairly heavily of star talent ahead of the star of the 2023-24 campaign? Or did people have the potential impact of Wemby pegged right, only to miss the potential impact on wins and losses of what is being called “player development” (cough, cough, tanking) these days?

The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, took a closer look at what our expectations were ahead of the start of San Antonio’s 2023-24 season, and if they might have been too high in a recent clip.

Check it out above!

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San Antonio Spurs rise a spot in latest Bleacher Report weekly NBA power rankings

Wemby is ‘putting together one of the best rookie seasons we’ve ever seen.’

The San Antonio Spurs have risen a spot in the latest Bleacher Report weekly NBA power rankings, now finding themselves ranked at No. 25 overall by B/R’s Andy Bailey after having been slotted a spot lower last week. With wins over the Phoenix Suns (without star big man Victor Wembanyama, we might add), Utah Jazz, and New York Knicks, it was one of the best weeks of play for the Spurs this season.

That San Antonio also dropped a tilt to the Suns that week hardly even seems to matter. “Wembanyama isn’t just running away with the Rookie of the Year award (you can’t even get odds on it … anymore),” writes Bailey.

“He’s putting together one of the best rookie seasons we’ve ever seen.”

“After going for 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks in Wednesday’s win over the Utah Jazz, Wemby is now averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3.5 blocks and 1.2 steals,” recalls the B/R analyst.

“Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who did it twice) are the only players in NBA history who matched or exceeded all five of those averages for an entire season.”

That’s some rare air indeed to find oneself in as a rookie — never mind at any stage of one’s career.

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Celtics projected to finish 2023-24 NBA season with more than 60 wins

Impressive, given the Celtics don’t actually NEED to keep their foot on the gas.

The Boston Celtics were widely seen as one of the most likely contending teams heading into the NBA’s 2023-24 season, but few people saw them winning north of 60 games with ease. But the Celtics are currently on pace to win well over that total, with Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley projecting a 64-18 overall record for Boston this campaign.

Noting that the Celtics don’t actually NEED to keep their foot on the gas with the East’s top seed and likely the top overall seed as well, Buckley writes that Boston “shouldn’t down-shift too dramatically, as they’ll want to maintain momentum for what they hope will be a championship trek through the playoffs.”

“They clinched their conference before anyone else secured a playoff spot, which might be the best testament yet to their wire-to-wire dominance this season,” he adds.

“Yet, due to previous stumbles on the big stage, Boston still has plenty to prove about its ability to perform under the brightest lights,” recalls Buckley.

“The Celtics won’t be able to answer those questions until the postseason, but this lingering skepticism may help fuel them toward the finish line.” 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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Dissecting the Boston Celtics’ latest hot streak

What can the Celtics’ regular season dominance tell us about their postseason potential?

The Boston Celtics are by all accounts the best team in the NBA as we approach the end of the NBA’s 2023-24 season. With a double-digit lead over the next-closest ball club in the league’s Eastern Conference standings, and an insurmountable lead over the West contenders as well, there is no debate as to which team rules the regular season.

But what can the Celtics’ regular season dominance tell us about their postseason potential? Are they truly good enough to win it all? Or do they still need to go through the Denver Nuggets to prove it (or whatever other ball club comes out of the West)?

The hosts of the ESPN “Hoop Collective podcast Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon were joined by guest Ryan Ruocco to talk it over on a recent episode.

Check it out 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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San Antonio Spurs rise in Athletic weekly NBA power rankings despite losses

Generally speaking, it is pretty hard to go up in a popular weekly NBA power ranking when your team loses three games in a week.

Generally speaking, it is pretty hard to go up in a popular weekly NBA power ranking when your team loses three games in a week. But when you’re already near the bottom after having been eliminated from playoff contention, and you beat an ostensible contender without your best player for your team’s sole win that week, it can happen.

And it did, from Nos. 27 to 26 as the Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns sans Victor Wembanyama the same week they lost to the Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, and that same Suns squad (in a blowout, at that!). “The Spurs are a much different team when Wemby is on the floor,” writes the Athletic’s Zach Harper, and while very, very true, the core around Wembanyama has shown it can play some ball on occasion.

“Now that they’ve had their feel-out season with the young guys, we’ll see what their approach is this summer,” adds Harper.

“However, the Spurs have a very bright future despite being on pace for first sub-20 win season in franchise history.”

As much as that little factoid may sting — just think of San Antonio’s future with Wemby.

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Boston Celtics currently projected to win 65 games, most since 2007-08

Their net rating may have taken a hit vs. the Atlanta Hawks, but we’re pretty sure the kids are all right.

The Boston Celtics are currently projected to win 65 games this season, the most they have been on track to win since the NBA’s 2007-08 season in a recent article by The Athletic’ Zach Harper. Remind us again, how did that season end? Ah, yes — Banner 17 and duck boats!

But, alas, the games still need to be played — both now and in the postseason — before we can truly get that excited about how good this team is. But it is a fact that Boston is currently “almost on pace to match the 2007-08 Celtics, who won the title thanks to Kevin Garnett and company, for the third-best record in team history,” which happens to be 66-16.

“Boston has already surpassed its over/under projection, could likely lose the rest of its games and still end up with the best record in the East,” adds Harper, underscoring how much of a wagon this ball club is, 30-point collapses or no. “That’s how far ahead of the field the Celtics are.”

“They’re still winning when they throw Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser into the starting lineup,” writes the Athletic analyst. “The Celtics are a machine right now and have increased their pace from 63 wins to 65 wins since mid-January.”

Their net rating may have taken a hit vs. the Atlanta Hawks, but we’re pretty sure the kids are all right, as it were.

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 the Boston Celtics start resting players more?

Is Boston going to make a run at a historic win total, or do they value their health?

The Boston Celtics have a double-digit lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings, and an insurmountable lead in the overall league standings. With fewer games left than they have banked over the Bucks to play, when will it be time to start resting key players more often? Is Boston going to make a run at a historic win total, or do they value their health?

This question came up recently, with the hosts of the CLNS Media “The Big Three NBA” podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely, Gary Washburn, and Kwani Lunis, sharing their thoughts on when the Celtics ought to put some of their key players on ice more.

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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