Havlicek Stole the Pod NBA Basketball Podcast

We are now two weeks into the 2026-27 NBA regular season, and with that, have some rough outlines on who this Boston Celtics ball club might be. We are seeing some positive signs from the Jaylen Brown trade for Paul George, the latter looking like a real difference-maker for Boston. Star forward Jayson Tatum is playing like an MVP candidate, and reserve center Luka Garza is playing his way into a bigger role with the team.

But there are some concerning signs to taker into account as well. Mitchell Robinson, chief among them, has not been playing up to the standards expected of him. And the lack of secondary scoring alongside Tatum (and the lack of clear steps forward from Boston's young wings) are also issues of concern. 

The hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over, as well as what they hope to see in response. Check it out below!

The first full week of the 2026-27 NBA regular season has come and gone for the Boston Celtics, and it has been a busy one for the storied franchise. The Celtics notched their first three wins of the season against the reigning champion New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls, and Brooklyn Nets after dropping their season opener to the Detroit Pistons the week prior, for starters.

The beef (or lamb chops and gravy or whatever we want to call it) between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown not only took on new life, but picked up new combatants. Around the rest of the league, a number of teams have surprised early, others disappointed, and injuries are running rampant across the Association before we hit the month of November. To talk it all over and then some, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" linked up with Nets Wire editor Sharif Phillips-Keaton.

Take a look to hear what they had to say about a bumpy but mostly good start to the 2026-27 season.

Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com

The Boston Celtics dropped the first game of the Jayson Tatum era to the Detroit Pistons 121-113 in an all-too-familiar fourth-quarter collapse after running up a big lead earlier in the game. And while there were certainly plenty of familiar complaints (and some new ones, while we are at it) in the Game 1 of 82 loss, there were also some promising silver linings to be had.

Still, with their next game against the reigning NBA champions in the New York Knicks and a brutal November schedule not too far beyond that, Boston does not exactly have a long runway to get their kinks worked out. What did the loss tell us about this version of the Celtics, and what do we want to see from Boston moving forward?

The hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" took a deep dive into the Opening Night loss, with an eye to what can be addressed in the short term. Join us as we work that bad taste out of our mouths as we try to find what the Celtics need to be the team we're expecting them to be this 2026-27 NBA regular season.

Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com

The future of the Boston Celtics is starting to come into focus as the team gets its sea legs in preseason play and the front office lines up their cap sheet with timely extensions. And the potential of their own and opposing players for some full-season hardware is starting to become clearer as well, with all 30 teams having settled for the most part on which players to hang onto for the season soon to arrive.To talk through what we've seen from the Celtics in preseason play, what we think of Payton Pritchard's new extension, and who we think is in line to get All-Defense and All-Rookie nods, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with WEEI's Justin Turpin for this week's pod.Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about the Celtics preseason, who might be in line for some heady hardware, and whether Fast PP's next paycheck is a fair one.

Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com

Exhibitions, extensions, and expansions share more than alliteration in shaping the future of the Boston Celtics. Preseason, of course, is upon us, and we will get our first look at how this iteration of the Celtics look on the court, as well as a glimpse at what we might be able to see with Boston's opponents in the 2026-27 NBA regular season coming from that handful of exhibition tilts.Extensions have plenty to tell us about what the Celtics and the teams they are trying to outmaneuver have planned in terms of roster building, hinting at expectations and potential needs of the medium-term future. And NBA expansion is no longer a distant whisper but an increasingly concrete practice that could very well change the longer-term future of Boston's roster and the foes they take on in future seasons.To dive deep into how these forces are shaping the Celtics, the East, and the NBA beyond it, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with "Third Apron" cohost and CBS Sports senior contributor Sam Quinn to talk us through all of the above and then some. Check it out below!Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com