Tag: 2023 nba championship

‘None of this means anything if we don’t hang a banner,’ says Celtics’ Jayson Tatum of Suns blowout

‘We realize that we’ve got the best record; we’re 21-5; with that comes the decision every night to play the right way, to play as hard as we can on both ends,’ explained Tatum.

The Boston Celtics flattened the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, but if revenge was a factor for the team, it was less so than simply a part of a greater goal according to star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum even as he acknowledged the sting of previous losses to the Suns as a factor.

“Honestly, they kicked our (expletive) the last two times we were here, and we remembered,” he related via CLNS Media after Boston’s 125-98 blowout victory. “That was fresh in our mind, and we wanted to have a different outcome.”

The St. Louis native kept the win in context, however.

“I think everybody in the locker room understands what we’re trying to do,” explained Tatum. “We realize that we’ve got the best record; we’re 21-5. With that comes the decision every night to play the right way, to play as hard as we can on both ends.”

“I wouldn’t say we’re playing angry, we’re having a lot of fun. But the goal is still the same — to get back to the finals and get over that hump.”

“So while we’re having fun and happy with the way we’re playing, nobody in that locker room is celebrating or satisfied,” added Tatum. “None of this means anything if we don’t hang a banner. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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

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

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

[mm-video type=video id=01gkj4kdb7tz4syys76r playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gkj4kdb7tz4syys76r/01gkj4kdb7tz4syys76r-9edb50d8c92fb985c50d96741c4358f6.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=113670]

[lawrence-related id=113448,113441,113446,113658,113656,113653]

[listicle id=113669]

[listicle id=113642]

[listicle id=113638]

[listicle id=113414]

Anonymous rival NBA exec thinks the Boston Celtics are not contenders without Robert Williams III

“They still should be better on defense than they are now, but I don’t think people realize how much Robert Williams means to them,” they explained.

There has been more than a little guesswork about how good of a team the Boston Celtics can be without their Defensive Player of the Year-caliber big man Robert Williams III. In some circles, the step down for the Celtics is seen as minimal, and that camp would point to Boston’s solid start without the Texas A&M alum.

But others suggest that Boston might have started even stronger with him available to play, and still other great basketball minds can’t see the Celtics as a bonafide title contender in his absence. Among such persons, we can include an anonymous executive of an opposing ball club who recently spoke with Heavy’s Steve Bulpett about such a prospect.

“They still should be better on defense than they are now, but I don’t think people realize how much Robert Williams means to them,” they explained.

Chasing Banner 18 with Boston Celtics alumnus Tony Allen

Celtics defensive specialist Tony Allen knows a thing or two about winning a title in Boston.

Champion Boston Celtics defensive specialist Tony Allen knows a thing or two about winning a title in Boston, and to kick off a season where his former team is the early favorite to win the 2023 NBA Championship, the Celtics alum had plenty to say about what this iteration of his former team needs to do in order to hang the long-elusive Banner 18.

With a fellow Oklahoma State alumnus (and defensive specialist, for that matter) in Marcus Smart, wings perhaps as deadly as Ray Allen and Paul Pierce in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and a frontcourt with skills approximating Big Baby Davis and Kevin Garnett, this really might be the year for the Celtics.

Watch the clip embedded below to hear what the host of the CLNS Media “Celtics Beat” podcast said in conversation with the Grindfather about the Boston of today’s title odds.

[pickup_prop id=”25985″]

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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

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

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

[mm-video type=video id=01gfnrn1n3n3t4j9vw0j playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gfnrn1n3n3t4j9vw0j/01gfnrn1n3n3t4j9vw0j-e667f3ffd1adf924e0c67deb2c4291a4.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=111370]

[lawrence-related id=111276,111274,111233,111363,111217,111326]

[listicle id=111234]

[listicle id=111369]

[listicle id=111368]

[listicle id=111356]

Who has the best chance to win the NBA title this season?

Could it be the analysts’ preseason favorite, the Philadelphia 76ers? Might the Brooklyn Nets finally put things together with their star-studded roster? Or is it time for Banner 18?

Who has the best chance to win the NBA title this season? Could it be the analysts’ preseason favorite, the Philadelphia 76ers? Might the Brooklyn Nets finally put things together with their star-studded roster? The Miami Heat are a perennial threat to be in the mix for a title, and the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer the middling teams they have been in the recent past.

What about the Golden State Warriors repeating? Or maybe some new blood in the form of the Memphis Grizzlies? And then, of course, the Boston Celtics have at times looked like world-beaters early in the 2022-23 season. Could it finally be time to hang the elusive Banner 18 in Boston?

This question was the topic du jour of the hosts of the ESPN “NBA Crosscourt” show, and host Kevin Pelton offered his rationale for why each will or will not win it all.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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

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

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

[mm-video type=video id=01gfnrn1n3n3t4j9vw0j playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gfnrn1n3n3t4j9vw0j/01gfnrn1n3n3t4j9vw0j-e667f3ffd1adf924e0c67deb2c4291a4.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=111249]

[lawrence-related id=111217,111198,111213,111189,111326,111287]

[listicle id=111130]

[listicle id=111250]

[listicle id=111079]

[listicle id=111193]

Boston Celtics make solid showing in NBA’s annual GM survey

The results, written up by the NBA’s John Schuhmann, were created from a total of 50 questions sent to GMs around the league.

The league’s annual “NBA app” survey of all 30 ball clubs’ general managers has been published, and as you might expect for the Boston Celtics‘ current status as serious contenders for an NBA title, the favorite team of many of you reading this has a substantial presence among the included questions’ replies.

The results, written up by the NBA’s John Schuhmann, were created from a total of 50 questions sent to GMs around the league, with the caveat included that those general managers were not allowed to answer any questions about their own team or the players on their rosters.

Let’s dive into where the Celtics stand in the results.

Boston Celtics picked to win East, fall short of 2023 NBA Finals by ESPN panel

Boston is the favorite to emerge victorious from the East in the 2023 NBA Playoffs per the panel, but opinions are more divided when it comes to the Finals.

While it might seem a bit early to be thinking about the 2023 conference and NBA Finals, that doesn’t mean the NBA media agrees.

The dog days of summer have long been the time of the league calendar for media outlets to speculate, rank and project where individual players and teams will stand relative to one another in the season to come. Such is the case during this year’s summer doldrums. And with the Boston Celtics the odds-on favorites to win it all in many corners, the team figures to be at or near the top of most such assessments heading into the 2022-23 season.

Such is the case in a recent panel assessment by ESPN, who see the Celtics in the mix for the next title as well — let’s take a look at their conclusions.

Veteran Boston Celtics big man Al Horford is key to the team’s 2023 title hopes

Can they find him enough rest in the regular season to keep him fresh for the playoffs?

Just how important is veteran Boston Celtics big man Al Horford to the Celtics 2023 NBA title aspirations? In some circles, utterly essential for what the Boston swingman can bring to bear on both ends of the court, but particularly the defensive end. Horford’s elite defensive IQ, size, and vet wiles combine to make him a potent part of what has driven the Celtics success, even as the Domincan center enters his age 36 season.

For the present, that’s an excellent situation to be in so long as the additional depth Boston brought on can get the UF product the rest he’ll need to be at the top of his game in the postseason. But the Celtics will one day need to replace him, and it is unclear if there are players on the roster who can duplicate even a facsimile of what he brings to the team.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Beat” podcast got together with veteran reporter Steve Bulpett to discuss just how much Horford means to Boston.

Check out the clip embedded above to get their takes on his contributions ot the Celtics’ potential title hopes.

Check out the Celtics Lab podcast on:

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

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

[mm-video type=video id=01g9cx4c488mznbghpd5 playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g9cx4c488mznbghpd5/01g9cx4c488mznbghpd5-b3edbb12019594c2c8b4b5c4aacc7fb3.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=106557,106552,106537,106533,106527,106486]

[listicle id=106554]

[listicle id=106540]

[listicle id=106531]

[listicle id=106482]

Where do the Boston Celtics rate among contenders after the Malcolm Brogdon trade?

Are they the odds-on favorite?

With the rest of the NBA currently in a holding position while the Brooklyn Nets try to find new homes for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Boston Celtics pulled off something of a minor coup in landing Indiana Pacers point guard Malcolm Brogdon for a protected first-round pick and five non-rotation players.

Now, the team that represented the league’s Eastern Conference in the 2022 NBA Finals is even stronger with the addition while other teams stood still in the East or even got worse. Only the Milwaukee Bucks ought to be better than they were when last season ended through the improved state of Khris Middleton’s health.

Given the situation in the West isn’t any clearer, does that make the Celtics clear title favorites in the wake of the Brogdon trade?

The hosts of the CLNS Media “A-List” podcast took stock of the league’s likely contenders in their most recent episode — check out the clip embedded above to see what they think about the league hierarchy heading into the 2022-23 season.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire.

Follow us on Facebook and check out the Celtics Lab podcast on:

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

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

[mm-video type=video id=01g78cypass9nbm255z1 playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g78cypass9nbm255z1/01g78cypass9nbm255z1-c8cf3333544571c3eba9e8dd95857e98.jpg]

[listicle id=105266]

[listicle id=105212]

[listicle id=105169]