Tag: Eastern Conference

Celtics Lab 275: Sussing out the second-best team in the East with Bobby Krivitsky

So who IS the second-best team in the East?

While there has been plenty of excitement over the moves that other ball clubs in the NBA’s Eastern Conference arms race, by and large the Boston Celtics are seen as a cut above the rest of their peers in the league’s weaker conference. But those moves could make for a tougher regular season path to the 2025 NBA Playoffs, especially among teams like the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, and maybe even the once mighty Milwaukee Bucks.

So who IS the second-best team in the East? The hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with Sports Illustrated’s Bobby Krivitsky to break down the likely candidates on a recent episode of their show. They also get you up to speed on Celtics in Paris for the Olympics and plenty more.

Check out this week’s latest pod and scratch your Boston basketball itch while we wait for preseason to get here in the fall.


The Celtics Lab is brought to you by Prize Picks and Gametime.


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

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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Where would the Boston Celtics be seeded if they played in the NBA’s Western Conference?

We don’t just mean if they happened to have the same commanding record they have now, just out West.

Where would the Boston Celtics be seeded if they played in the NBA’s Western Conference? We don’t just mean if they happened to have the same commanding record they have now, just out West, but if they had to play the same murderer’s row of ball clubs the rest of the Western Conference does.

With ball clubs as good as the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and the Los Angeles Lakers barely even in the range for the play-in tournament, there is a case that the mighty Celtics might get knocked down a peg or two if they had such tough competition on a more regular basis.

The hosts of the popular ESPN “NBA Countdown” show weighed in on this very question on a recent episode.

Check it out above to hear what they had to say about it.

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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Brandon Miller named as Eastern Conference Rookie of the month for the second time

Former Alabama superstar Brandon Miller named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month

At 15-46 on the year, and third to last in the Eastern Conference, not many eyes are on the Charlotte Hornets right now. However, don’t let that take away from the fact that former [autotag]Alabama[/autotag] superstar [autotag]Brandon Miller[/autotag] has been absolutely sensational this year.

Miller has started 48 games for the Hornets in 54 appearances averaging nearly 32 minutes a game. He’s been insanely efficient averaging 16.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 2.4 apg and is shooting 44% from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc. However, the month of February was Miller’s coming out party as he averaged 20.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.5 apg. His efforts earned him an Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month accolade, Miller’s second of his rookie campaign.

Any other year, and Miller be running away with the Rookie of the Year award, unfortunately though, he just happened to be in the same class as [autotag]Victor Wembanyama[/autotag] who was widely regarded as the best prospect ever – and so far has lived up to the billing.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Power ranking the top threats to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference

Which teams in the Eastern Conference are the biggest threats to the Boston Celtics now?

The Boston Celtics bulked up their deep rotation with the additions of Xavier Tillman, Sr. and Jaden Springer. But they were not the only ball club in the league’s Eastern Conference who made moves ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline to get better.

The New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers all made medium-sized to minor moves ahead of the ’24 deadline. And some of those moves may have a bigger impact on the East standings at the end of the season than others likely will. Which teams in the Eastern Conference are the biggest threats to the Boston Celtics now?

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” sat down to examine the new order of the Eastern Conference on a recent episode.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear they think Boston ought to be looking out for.

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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Will Doc Rivers or Terry Rozier change the balance of power in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

Will either of these moves help the Bucks or Heat beat Boston?

The Boston Celtics have a commanding lead over the rest of the NBA’s Eastern Conference at more than halfway through the league’s 2023-24 season. And their dominance is such that their competitors are starting to look to a number of Celtics alumni to help them sort out their current lack of oomph in the East.

The Miami Heat just traded for former Celtics Terry Rozier, sending Kyle Lowry to purgatory that is the Charlotte Hornets. That went poorly in the early going, but perhaps there might be more there in the postseason. The Milwaukee Bucks just hired head coach Doc Rivers to replace another Boston alum (as a player), outgoing Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin.

Will either of these moves help the Bucks or Heat beat Boston? The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Talkin’ Them Celtics!” podcast took a closer look at both on a recent episode.

Check out the clip above to hear what they had to say.

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 do recent trades mean for the Boston Celtics outlook in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

Could other teams like the Philadelphia 76ers end up joining them in this trade market arms race?

What do recent trades mean for the Boston Celtics outlook in the NBA’s Eastern Conference? With the Indiana Pacers having dealt for Pascal Siakam, the New York Knicks for OG Anunoby and the Miami Heat for Terry Rozier, it is clear that the rest of the East sees the Celtics as a team they need to get better to have a shot against.

Are they right about their assessment of the East? Are those three clubs done making moves? Could others like the Philadelphia 76ers end up joining them in this trade market arms race? And what about the Celtics — should they stand pat, or does the roster still need some tweaking to have Boston well-positioned for the postseason?

The hosts of the WEEI “Slammed: A Boston Celtics podcast” show recently convened to talk it over; check out the clip below to hear their thoughts.

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 Boston Celtics driving a pre-NBA trade deadline arms race in the league’s Eastern Conference?

Which teams are more likely to have unfinished trade business they hope to complete in the next few weeks?

Are the Boston Celtics driving a pre-NBA trade deadline arms race in the league’s Eastern Conference? The New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat have all pulled the trigger on major trades well ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline to pick up OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Terry Rozier.

Could more moves in the East be coming soon? Are the Celtics in a position where they can stand pat at the deadline? Which teams are more likely to have unfinished trade business they hope to complete in the next few weeks? And how is the East being seen in the eyes of national NBA analysts when it comes to trades?

All of these questions were on the docket in some form on a recent episode of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” following the Celtics’ drubbing of the Heat.

Check out the clip above to hear what they had to say.

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 229: Assessing the East at the 2023-24 NBA season’s quarter-mark with Ky Carlin

How real is the sizzling start of the Orlando Magic, and will the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to flirt with being a lottery team?

Now that the 2023-24 NBA season is roughly a quarter over with, we can see some rough outlines of what each of the league’s Eastern Conference teams will look like by the time the 2024 NBA Playoffs roll around. Some teams have surprised us in terms of their record and play, a handful have disappointed their fans with how they have performed on the court so far — and several are exactly the ball clubs we thought they were.

The Boston Celtics, for their part, have hit the ground running faster than many have expected, but also have shown some weaknesses in need of addressing. But how real is the sizzling start of the Orlando Magic, and will the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to flirt with being a lottery team?

What about the new-look Philadelphia 76ers, who Boston plays on Friday? To answer all of the above — and the last question in particular — the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin to assess the state of the East at the season’s quarter mark.

We also settle our differences on the merits of the in-season tournament, whether Boston has more moves to make, and more, so hit play on the clip embedded below to get your bearings on how the East is shaking out so far.

The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel.

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 Boston Celtics still the team to beat in the East?

Although the Celtics have been touted as having the best starting five or six in the NBA, there are still concerns about relying too heavily on just two players.

In a recent episode of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown”, the question of whether the Boston Celtics are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference was raised. While senior ESPN writer Brian Windhorst believed that the Celtics are the team to beat, former Boston big man and current-day broadcaster Kendrick Perkins disagreed. Perk argued that although the Celtics had a good win against the Brooklyn Nets, they still need to improve their bench depth and limit careless turnovers to compete with top contenders.

On the other hand, Windhorst highlighted the Celtics’ impressive play so far, with a top-10 ranking in both offense and defense. He also mentioned Jaylen Brown’s improvement and the team’s professionalism.

Although the Celtics have been touted as having the best starting five or six in the NBA, there are still concerns about relying too heavily on just two players to carry the team.

To hear their debate about Boston for yourself, check out the clip 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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Who will rule the Eastern Conference in 2023-24 after the Boston Celtics traded for Jrue Holiday?

Did the Holiday trade push Boston up to the top of the East?

Who will rule the Eastern Conference in the NBA’s 2023-24 season after the Boston Celtics traded for All-NBA floor general Jrue Holiday? A recent episode of The Athletic’s “Game Theory” podcast discussed the recent, seismic trade of Holiday to the Celtics and its implications for the Eastern Conference this season.

The Portland Trailblazers acquired star big man Deandre Ayton, 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, fan-favorite big man Robert Williams III, and multiple first round picks in exchange for Holiday. Was this a good move for the Trail Blazers given the potential of the assets they received?

Host Sam Vecenie was joined by guest Bryce Simon of Motor City Hoops to talk over all of the above this Sunday.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear their thoughts on the order of the league’s Eastern Conference for the Celtics’ campaign 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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