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19 April 2024

• Keys to Banner 18: Celtics have to nail the playoff hype video

  Shout out to Greenie for leading the charge on this one.

  The NBA Playoffs are known for the sheer amount of energy and electric moments that come along with them. Home crowds are more juiced than ever with fans hoping to see their team raise the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.

  Boston, of course, is no different. TD Garden is home to one of the loudest, most energized crowds in the league and there’s no better way to get them engaged than nailing all of the pregame in-arena festivities.

  That starts with the playoff hype video.

  Before I start, I want to shout outDan Greenberg of Barstool Sports, who usually puts together a compilation of fan-made hype videos before the playoffs. That is a man that knows ball and understands the value of a good montage.

  Whether you want to point to the video that plays as the seconds tick down during warmups or the one that rolls before the Celtics starters are introduced, the production team has to nail it.

  This piece of content can make or break a playoff run.

  Just take a look at last season’s.

  Now, I’m not sure if the team has ever embarrassed me to a larger degree. Say what you want about the music choice, highlight packages, and whatnot. But, it is completely shameful that the production team thought it was a good idea to roll out a bunch of Larry O’Brien Trophies that this group hadn’t won.

  The Cs used this video from the beginning of the season on, so the trophies weren’t an addition to add some juice for the playoffs.

  Who thought this was a good idea????

  I understand the premise. It felt like they were so close to finishing the job in 2022 and they entered last season with their eyes set on Banner 18 as the exclusive goal. That doesn’t mean having them stand with trophies they didn’t win.

  Just look what the fumble here did to this team throughout the playoffs. They had a home record of 5-6, including a 3-5 record after the first round. Do we really think that happens if they roll out an absolute hoss of a hype video like 2008’s?

  Not a shot.

  There’s a reason why that championship team only lost one game at the Garden throughout the entire run to Banner 17.

  It would be pretty unfair to hold the production team to a standard where we expect them to top what you just watched above. However, I don’t think anyone would be mad if they did a reboot (as they say out in Hollywood) and remade it featuring this season’s roster.

  The music rocks, the quotes rock, and of course the screams from Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are enough to make me want to run out there and suit up for the Cs.

  Well Sam, oh enlightened one, what would you do for the video?

  I’m glad you asked.

  Let’s take a look at what our boys have been rolling with all year.

  Right off the bat, you can tell that they learned from last season. Not a hint of any sort of trophy throughout the thing. Great work.

  As for the actual quality of the montage, it’s fine. We’re looking at some pretty standard stuff here. Media Day video, some highlights spliced in, with a super-cool pyramid as the centerpiece.

  If you ask me, the 2023-24 Celtics are worthy of something greater.

  Option No. 1: Literally remake the 2008 video, no one would complain.

  Option No. 2: Make something new, but make it mean something.

  One thing that is completely absent in the 2023-24 pregame video is any sort of storytelling. This team is special. They’ve put together the best regular season in 16 years, and they did it all while integrating new stars into the roster.

  How about we throw in some news clippings of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday being traded to Boston? This would be a great way to highlight the major changes that had to be made after the shortcomings of last spring.

  This video below from NBC Sports Boston does an excellent job of doing just that. You get a full recap of what had to be sacrificed in order for the Cs to be where they are.

  Who ever made this 2024 Postseason hype video for @NBCSCeltics deserves a raise
  
  https://t.co/wxw2hqzbGN

  — Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) April 15, 2024

  What I’m about to point at next is a MUST-INCLUDE piece of media. If the production team leaves this out, then the entire thing is a failure and I want to disown the hype video.

  They have to include Mike Gorman ending his farewell ceremony by telling the team to go and win the title.

  “To the team, I just want to say go win this thing, will you please? Just go win it.”

  A lot of tears in this building as Mike Gorman closes his halftime farewell with the perfect final line.
  
  “To the team, I just want to say: go win this thing.” pic.twitter.com/hrZS15KVaV

  — Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) April 14, 2024

  The Celtics have the actual feed of this saved somewhere and can easily end the video with Gorman issuing the challenge to this group, the same way that a father who expects more of his brilliant child would do it.

  It was an absolute mic (Mike) drop of a moment and it needs to be used to its full potential.

  There would be no better way to tip off Game 1 against either the Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls than a rewind on this team’s journey followed by Gorman essentially telling them to cut the crap.

  Bonus: Tip-off song

  I’ll keep this section pretty short. The Celtics need to get back to playing “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses before tip off. It’s a classic. Every time I hear the song, I think of KG beating his chest to pump up the crowd.

  If you want to get creative, roll out the version that starts with Kevin James kicking off the Daytona 500 — the only edit I could find was audio only.
• Payton Pritchard: Preeminent Penetrator

  How an early March game was the turning point to Payton Pritchard’s season

  It was a couple weeks before the trade deadline when Bill Simmons declared on his podcast (and I’m paraphrasing) that Payton Pritchard was too small to be an effective NBA player, that Celtics needed to upgrade his rotation spot. While it might have been a knee-jerk reaction, there was some truth to the simplicity of the statement.

  It wasn’t only that the 6’2” Pritchard is small for an NBA player, but he played small. Jalen Brunson, TJ McConnell, and Terry Rozier are roughly the same height, but their longer wingspans and stronger frames mitigate the obstacles of playing against guys who are, let’s say, more vertically privileged. For a majority of the season, Pritchard was tentative about driving to the hoop and routinely looked overmatched against taller, longer, and more athletic players.

  To his credit, he performed admirably in his “designated three-point shooter” role. From October through February, 68 percent of his shots came from beyond the arc, and he connected on a solid 37.9 percent. But looking at his shot charts from the last two games of the season, he’s a completely different player:

  Pritchard followed his 31-point, 11-assist, 64 FG% game against the Hornets with 38 points, 12 assists, and 71 FG% versus the Wizards. And yes, it’s against the 60-loss Hornets and Wizards, but playing with mostly minimum-salary guys, Pritchard showcased his multi-level scoring, something we didn’t see earlier in the season.

  The final two games were the exclamation point to a remarkable in-season improvement as a penetrator. In my mind, Pritchard’s turning point came during a March 3rd game against the Warriors. To refresh your memory, this was a Sunday matinee game at home. Golden State had won 11 of 13, seemingly overcoming their early-season Draymond Green-induced drama. But that afternoon was an annihilation, with the Celtics winning 140-88, leading by as many as 56, and Pritchard shined, scoring 19 points on 9/12 shooting.

  Before I show you his highlights from that game, here are some examples of Pritchard as an ineffective penetrator, where his drives didn’t lead to scores:

  Despite the opportunities to finish at the rim, too often, Pritchard opted to pass or dribble it out to the perimeter. He was getting into the paint but hesitant to attempt a shot over the bigger bodies. But in that March 3rd game against the Warriors, a switch flipped, and he started attacking the rim with a decisiveness that we hadn’t seen all season:

  Maybe the Celtics having a massive lead allowed Pritchard to play more freely, without fear of making a mistake. Maybe with Golden State’s lack of size, he entered the game with an aggressive mindset. Whatever it was, Pritchard looked like a different guy. He had a (at the time) season-high 10 points in the paint, and this initiated a 22-game stretch where Pritchard morphed into a reliable multi-level scorer, graduating from his previous role as an undersized designated three-point shooter.

  Before this game, he’d often get swatted into oblivion:

  Instead of attacking the big man’s chest, he’s trying to finesse a shot before the defender can get to him, only to get emphatically rejected. He also struggled in transition:

  He doesn’t use his body to shield the ball from the defender, resulting in a pair of return to senders. But after March 3rd, he started driving with greater purpose:

  Something shifted in Pritchard’s mindset. In December, he averaged 6.4 drives per 36 minutes. That number jumped to 11.0 in March, then 17.6 in April, an astounding late-season improvement. But it’s less surprising considering his increased physicality on drives. Despite his diminutive stature, he’s gotten comfortable initiating contact to create space:

  In eight April regular season games, he had 115 drives, which is more than he had in 29 combined November and December games. The physical mindset has extended to areas away from the rim. He’s lowering his shoulder to dislodge defenders and open up space for pull-up midrange attempts:

  Before the March 3rd Warriors game, only nine percent of his shots were pull up 2’s, but that number ballooned to 20 percent in the twenty-two games since, and he’s connecting at an absurd 58 percent. Obviously, this isn’t a sustainable rate, but his assertiveness getting to the lane is giving him the freedom and confidence to expand his offensive arsenal beyond spot-up threes.

  Seventy-one percent of his field goals are unassisted since the Warriors blowout, up from 41 percent before. Nonetheless, his field goal percentage has increased from 43.6% before March 3rd to 51.8% after. Bottom line: he’s taking tougher shots, but scoring more efficiently, and that’s because of his prowess as a downhill player.

  I didn’t even mention how he’s nearly doubled his per game assist totals because I don’t want to inundate you with more video clips and stats. But on the most basic level, as defenses increasingly respect him as a driver, it creates opportunities to find open teammates. I also must acknowledge that he’s the only Celtic to have earned a spot in the highly exclusive Club 82.

  When Payton Pritchard signed his four-year $30 million extension before the season, it seemed like he’s certainly outplay that salary. Across the first three quarters of the season, while he might have matched the value of the contract, it felt like his forward trajectory had stagnated. His lack of size and indecisive off-the-dribble game made you wonder whether he could survive a playoff series.

  His progression as a penetrator has been a refreshing development in a regular season that got boring over the past few weeks because the Celtics were so far ahead in the standings. After last Friday’s game, Pritchard spoke about his increased comfort level with consistent playing time. Now he’s gearing up to be a key rotation player on Boston’s quest for Banner 18.

• The fate and fortune of the Boston Celtics

  The beginnings and ends of one of the greatest teams in Celtics history aren’t clear just yet. But this team has left little up to the imagination.

  This season didn’t start on October 26.

  It didn’t start on October 1 with the acquisition of Jrue Holiday nor when the Celtics traded Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis on June 23. It wasn’t the moment Jaylen Brown inked his extension, and it wasn’t when the final buzzer sounded in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

  No, the 2023-2024 Celtics’ season—along with their dreams of revenge, immortality, and Banner 18—started on May 21, 2017.

  The 2017 playoffs are the watershed moment for the modern Celtics juggernaut. Captained by the heroic 5’9” Isaiah Thomas nursing a hip injury, the 2016-2017 Celtics clawed their way through the Bulls in round one and ended the only good Wizards season in almost 50 years with a Kelly Olynyk Game 7 eruption in round two.

  But then fate took away Thomas, ending his playoff run—and ultimately his Celtics tenure—with a hip injury. The Celtics then waltzed into the Eastern Conference Finals facing a Cleveland Cavaliers team stacked to the nines with All-Stars, future and former champions and probably three Hall of Famers. But somehow, they stood as one of the four best teams in the league for the first time since 2012.

  Twenty-nine fan bases will remember that series as an unceremonious gentleman’s sweep, and for four games it was that. But Celtics fans will remember that series for Game 3, Boston’s lone victory and for the legitimate Black Swan event needed to achieve it. No one but me calls it this, but that was “The Avery Bradley Shot Game."

  In the first frame lies the first set of time-travel oddities. Marcus Smart sizes up LeBron James, wholly convinced that he has this completely under control. This mindset, usually in the face of often overwhelming odds, would come to define the next six years of Smart’s career, for better and for worse. Eventually, it would be no small part of why he was traded before he could get to the promised land.

  And who’s that in the corner? Is that… Kristaps Porzi—no, it’s Jonas Jerebko! The Swedish wonder played an oddly similar role—and has an oddly similar haircut—to Porzingis, who currently dons the #8 jersey. Granted, Jerebko only played like Porzingis in the same way a Toyota Corolla and a Maserati are both cars, but it remains eerie to look at.

  There’s Al Horford, a consistent character throughout recent Celtics history, and over there on the bench… is that Jaylen Brown? The wide-eyed rookie with a high top only logged 12 minutes and missed all three of his attempted shots. But there he was, and no Celtics fan, no matter how plugged in, could have predicted in that moment what he would become.

  Next to Horford is the man of the hour: Avery Bradley, the second to last man in Boston Celtics history to wear the #0. His jersey still occupies a high seat of honor in my closet, and after Bradley’s departure, I would still wear it to games for six more years. I’m sure most who only saw the front merely assumed it was Jayson Tatum and moved on, but the real ones knew Adidas from Nike.

  Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

  Bradley’s shot is beautiful, not for its purity but for its temporal perfection. Had Bradley laced a perfect swish, the Cavaliers would have been afforded plenty of time to retaliate with a game winner of their own. But Bradley fluffed the shot just enough to get one of the great shooter’s rolls in NBA history, painstakingly bleeding every possible second off the clock until the Cavaliers had nothing but a sarcastic 0.1 to work with.

  That first-frame image showed the future of the Celtics, and the shot showed that fate was at least intrigued by what this team would be going forward. Today’s Celtics are the direct descendants of that moment, and the ensuing cascade of moves, changes, and evolutions would come to define the dream that all fans share today.

  Today, that dream is as distilled as it will ever be. The Celtics will either fulfill it or they will not, and the stakes are higher than ever. It’s either the opportunity of a lifetime—the best chance they’ll ever have of etching their names in history—or a crushing burden of expectation and demand, heavy enough to sink even the sturdiest of ships.

  Or maybe it’s both at the same time, left entirely up to the team to decide which will define their latest shot for the moon. In either case, we’re clean out of time for safety checks. It’s all systems go for liftoff.

  ---

  Depending on who you ask, this season is either a righting of the ship or a revenge tour.

  One could easily argue that a 64-win Celtics team has helped restore balance to the universe. The NBA season had plenty of fireworks, complete with bizarre coaching changes, shocking injuries, and playoff quagmires. But the Celtics led the Eastern Conference wire-to-wire while enduring about as much drama as a guy in an East German mailroom sealing letters for the Stasi. Yeah, there’s protests and walls falling around him, but he’s got his Walkman and his steely determination to do his job until there’s no more job left to do. Nothing to see here.

  And even after winning so many games, there really is still nothing to see here. The whole NBA world—Celtics fans most of all—understands that no regular season achievement is cause for celebration nor even all that impressive. Boston is loaded, boasting the best starting five since the 2018 Golden State Warriors and depth pieces that continue to outperform expectations. Anything less than a convincing one seed finish would have raised an eyebrow or two.

  That doesn’t mean fans don’t deserve a moment to revel in the team’s success. But they must do so with a modicum of care, understanding that the Celtics are, at any point from here on in, at most only 192 minutes away from going home, no matter how well things may have gone in the regular season.

  Three hours and twelve minutes. The ship may be sailing straight as an arrow for the time being, but it only has to steer off course for one showing of The Godfather: Part II for it all to be over.

  The sailors among us will surely want to keep the ship as steady as possible through the ensuing storms. That would mean finding calmer waters, and rooting for the scariest opponents to lose before they can even reach Boston. Root against Miami and Philly in the Play-In, try to avoid the Bucks if possible, and pray to the Gods above that Denver isn’t waiting in the Finals. Does that sound good to everyone?

  Certainly not, since that forgets the season’s other alias: a revenge tour.

  Finding the calmest waters may seem like the way to go, but that mindset is arguably what made last season’s loss so demoralizing. Perhaps it’d be better if they puffed their chest out and asked impolitely for the league to bring it on.

  Before last year’s playoffs began, it was an open question which out of the Celtics, 76ers and Bucks would make it out of the East, but very few thought Miami—with their historically mediocre 2022-2023 regular season—would actually challenge the triumvirate.

  Then Jimmy Butler left his body for the better part of a week, and sent the Bucks home to rethink their lives. The Celtics rejoiced at seeing the lowly Atlanta Hawks in the first round, though they proved more complicated than expected. Then they fought a total war against the 76ers in the trenches of the second round, only emerging on the back of Major General Jayson Tatum’s heroics.

  But the Bucks were gone, so the worst was already over, right? Facing the Miami Heat, the ESPN Basketball Power Index gave the Celtics a 97 percent chance of winning the series, a number that appalled me before the series even began.

  “This is a preposterous number. Get this number out of my face.” I wrote just days before the disaster began. “I do not care what advanced-algorithmic-true-shooting-percentage-offensive/defensive-win-share-based wizardry this number is based on. Get it out of my face.”

  Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

  Nobody plugged into the league truly thought Miami had that small of a chance, though the Celtics were definitely favorites. But they were tepid favorites, not overwhelming ones. And then they lost, but somehow managed to stem the worst criticism by valiantly fighting back from 3-0 down to force a Game 7. Even simpler, they had a built-in excuse in Tatum’s first-minute ankle sprain.

  This year’s playoff run has the chance to be the Celtics’ revenge for what must have felt like a biblical test of their patience. But it’s also revenge for the excuses, since the Celtics are clean out of them. And with such crushing expectations, it’s hard to know if they’ve been dealt a good hand or a bad one.

  For the optimist, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Boston to win Banner 18 and exorcise their demons in one fell swoop. If that comes to pass, the fruits of their success would be boundless. They will have etched their names in history and opened up personal and professional doors many of them never imagined.

  Additionally, the ever-present questioning of the Tatum-Brown core would cease forever. Fans—Celtics or otherwise—far and wide would be free to enjoy the duo for its undeniable greatness, and look back on it without reservation or even the slightest hint of sadness. And perhaps that’s how this all ends, only fate and fortune know for sure.

  ---

  Fortune has followed this team wherever it happens to go, so long as they don’t try to book any duck boats and close down Tremont Street. They’ve enjoyed an almost unheard of measure of consistency since 2017, with often outgunned and outmanned squads finding their way to the Eastern Conference Finals five times in the last seven years.

  Of course, the degradation of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward’s catastrophic injury aren’t exactly strokes of luck, but fate has always afforded the Celtics a puncher’s chance, even if they were fighting with a broken jaw or one arm tied behind their back.

  Most of the Celtics’ playoff success until last year felt ahead of schedule, rather than just the natural progression of NBA history. Tatum and Brown were in their early 20s for much of their initial playoff success, and when the Celtics finally did make the Finals in 2022, it felt like a lot had broken right for them to get there.

  Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

  Almost nobody thought the 2021-2022 Celtics were one of the favorites in the East until they executed one of the great in-season turnarounds in NBA history, barely staying above .500 before ripping off a historic second half to end the season as the number two seed.

  But plenty of fans and pundits alike saw the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks as the prohibitive favorite. If not them, the number one seeded Heat would be next on the list, with Kevin Durant and Irving’s Brooklyn Nets looming as an ever-dangerous seven seed.

  But the Celtics made it out of the East, and fell to the dynastic Golden State Warriors in the Finals. But the sentiment after the fact was simple: the Celtics were still a work in progress, while the Warriors were a work of art. Nobody had a reason to believe that this team would take a step back, and—save for the year-long suspension of former head coach Ime Udoka—they didn’t.

  Many fans will say “championship or bust” every year (as if teams like the Hornets wouldn’t like to just make the playoffs once in a while), but this season and the last have been certified championship-or-failure campaigns. In 2022, these Celtics had finally gotten over the hump on their fourth try, and now they just had to close the deal.

  Then, in 2023, all hell broke loose on attempt number five, with the Heat defying the laws of physics and logic to oust the Celtics with one of the most statistically improbable shooting performances of the century. They were back to square one once again, and faced the ever-torturous question of teams that can taste greatness but not quite grasp it:

  Be aggressive or stand pat?

  It’s easy to cry apocalypse and demand radical changes, but even harder to keep calm and accept the less-dramatic future. Even down 3-0 to Miami, with Boston looking broken and ready for it all to be over, some level heads understood the cold, calculated reality.

  “The Celtics… they actually are going to be one of the favorites to win the East next year. They just are,” said Ryen Russillo on the Bill Simmons Podcast the night the Celtics had just lost their third straight game to Miami.

  “If they do nothing?,” replied Simmons. “If they just hire an expensive bench coach and keep Joe Mazz? You might be right.”

  And Russillo was right. Had the Celtics just done nothing, the Bucks would still be an uncoordinated mess, Miami would still be worse, and James Harden still would have sabotaged Philadelphia with yet another trade demand. Had the Celtics kept Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon, and Marcus Smart, they would still be on the short list of teams with a chance to win it all.

  Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

  But President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens waited exactly 12 days to answer that question. Before the Denver Nuggets had even finished their beers from the parade, Stevens shipped Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers in a three-team deal to acquire Kristaps Porzingis, who he saw as the missing big man to unlock the Celtics’ true potential.

  And then, roughly one sip of beer later, that trade fell through, and Stevens was forced to deal Smart instead of Brogdon, shattering the hearts of many fans who had seen Smart grow and become a pillar of the team and greater Boston community. But this is a business, and Stevens had found his guy.

  “This was risky,” Stevens said to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “But as Jay Larranaga used to tell me, ‘If we’re not trying to improve, we’ll stop being good.’”

  ---

  This simple reality—that success is never assured—has come to define Celtics excellence for over a decade. Complacency has been the enemy of progress ever since the Championship-winning core from 2008 hit its expiration date. And the rabid fight against stagnation has the Celtics ready to compete for a title, this time without any built-in excuses.

  Stevens had big shoes to fill when legendary President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge left Boston to go fix the Utah Jazz. Ainge had a history of aggressiveness in the face of often emotionally complex situations, such as his decision to deal Celtics legends Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett when it had become clear they were further down the tracks than the Celtics could stomach.

  That trade—which netted Boston roughly the entire Brooklyn Nets draft future—has come to define the last seven years of Celtics basketball, with those picks resulting in two All-NBA caliber wings in Brown and Tatum. And Tatum is only a Celtic today because of another bold trade with Philadelphia to swap the first pick for the third.

  Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images

  Stevens’ brilliance as Ainge’s successor has come through this same mindset, though it’s important to note that he was dealt pocket aces with Tatum and Brown. Within the NBA’s salary cap structure, by far the biggest advantage a team can get is to draft a championship-level core and then resign them with Bird rights, essentially affording the team much wider flexibility to build around them.

  For most teams in the NBA, making “aggressive” moves usually means clearing their ledger of draft picks to bring in stars to support or in lieu of a homegrown alpha. This strategy hit its apex with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, vaulting them to a championship just one year after trading the farm for Anthony Davis. But the same mindset also finds the Brooklyn Nets in NBA purgatory, without any top-flight talent and without their own first-round draft pick until 2028.

  Because of their unprecedented luck with Tatum and Brown arriving in back-to-back years on teams already good enough to support them, the Celtics have been able to consistently compete without clearing their ledger of first round draft picks. The Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker eras came and went, but the Celtics had enough young talent in the bank that they never could justify looking to trade it for something more “surefire.”

  Because ultimately, after the flameouts of Irving, Hayward, and Walker, the Celtics knew nothing could be more secure than what they had in the building. After making the 2022 Finals, this conviction only grew.

  “Some said split.” Marcus Smart tweeted, alongside a picture of himself with his two brothers in arms. “We said family.”

  Some said a split.
  We said a family.
  4 more to go. @jaytatum0 @FCHWPO pic.twitter.com/1GB4CBFLvI

  — marcus smart (@smart_MS3) May 30, 2022

  Stevens bought into that family, and let them run things with only the minor introduction of super sixth man Malcolm Brogdon off the bench for the following run. But the loss to Miami exposed that something with that infrastructure was broken, off-kilter, or perhaps had just reached its limit.

  And Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck could feel it during Game 7.

  “I sat there probably the whole second half of that game starting to think about it. And then I took two days to let everything settle down and then went and met with Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla,” Grousbeck said to WEEI in October. “I just said, ‘We’re not bringing back the same team.’”

  How involved Grousbeck actually was in the decisions to move Smart, Williams III and Brogdon cannot and will not be known. But he and Stevens clearly understood what NBA history was telling them: you can never assume success will just continue.

  Just ask the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder, historically stacked with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden all entering their physical prime. They lost the 2012 NBA Finals to LeBron James and the super team Miami Heat, but the Western Conference looked like it was about to run through OKC for the foreseeable future.

  And then the wheels of history turned faster than the Thunder were ready for. Harden’s contract negotiations broke down and they traded him to Houston, where he would go on to become one of the great scorers in league history and win the 2018 MVP award. OKC would fail to make it back to the Finals, and could never have expected a Warriors dynasty would emerge to steal their future and their superstar in Durant.

  You never know when your window is going to close. Stars can sense organizational apathy and will run for the hills, so Stevens went out and supercharged the roster with a salvo of hyper-aggressive moves that turned the Celtics into the odds-on favorites. They weren’t about to be passed by.

  Some say process over product, but in the NBA that thinking hits a wall after a while. Boston has been a well-oiled organizational machine since the mid-2000s, but the lack of recent championship results is eventually going to make touting the process impossible. Before any books are written on the Celtics’ brilliant front office strategy, they’ll have to their own book.

  The buck stops with rings. No matter how abhorrent that culture may be, it’s the one we live in. Historically, nobody will take this team seriously unless they win it all, which introduces the cold world of expectations and consequences:

  To not win the NBA Finals would be a failure. And the fallout may be even worse.

  ---

  Pressure and time creates diamonds, but it can also cause extinction-level events if we aren’t careful.

  No team even approaches the level of pressure the Celtics are under to succeed, but you wouldn’t know it just by looking at everyone’s accounting books. The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers both have significantly more future draft capital invested in winning it all, and don’t have the recent success of other all-in teams like the Lakers or Bucks to fall back on.

  But pressure is the sum of a team’s stakes and expectations, not merely a measure of how many chips they’ve pushed to the center of the table. The Celtics have comparatively little future assets tied up in this playoff run, a testament to their tremendous fortune and organizational competence.

  Yet infinitely more is expected of them. Despite their commitments, nobody expects the Clippers to topple Denver nor have the Suns looked like anything close to an actual contender for months now. The Celtics, on the other hand, have offered nothing but reasons to believe for five months, with advanced and simple metrics showing that they are one of the best regular-season teams of all time.

  Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

  They are expected to win the title, and while their draft capital stakes aren’t too high, the narrative investment is through the roof. Should the Celtics fail once again, off-season discourse would no longer be ruling on the proceeding season.

  It would be ruling on eternity.

  This is how it works. A team, usually with a top-5-ish player in the league knocks on the door year after year but can never finish the job. Then, after three or four years of this, the questions change tenor. It’s not about last season or even next season anymore. It’s about forever.

  No longer is Steven A. Smith doing an off-season segment on First Take about whether the Celtics are going to win the title next year; he’s doing a segment wondering if this team will ever win it all. Charles Barkley wonders on Inside the NBA if Jayson Tatum can truly be a bus driver. The Athletic makes a list of the worst contracts in the league with both Brown and Holiday making the cut. Bleacher Report produces six articles with fake trades involving Kristaps Porzingis or Derrick White, and someone—maybe me—writes an article wondering if the Celtics should blow it up.

  (I promise I won’t do that.)

  Deep breath. That would all be hysterical and divorced from reality, given that the Celtics would still be extremely well-positioned in the East next year regardless of what happens. But the energy will shift downwards.

  As with every season, there will be degrees of success and failure, as a first round exit to Miami would be uniquely catastrophic while a seven-game Finals loss to Denver wouldn’t be nearly as futuristically problematic. It would be crushing, but wouldn’t invite as many questions about eternity.

  Bostonians are generally uninterested in eternity. The Red Sox did their dance with it for 86 years, and once people start wondering if the team will win again in their lifetime, things can get dark. If the Celtics don’t at least make it out of the East with this team, it’s going to be a hard summer.

  But that’s the kind of risk you have to accept with a team this talented. Being out of excuses is scary, but it also means they’ve done everything right thus far. Ultimately, the Celtics will have to live and die with the choices they’ve made, which—at least right now—look like great ones.

  Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images

  The 2023-2024 Celtics had the best offensive rating and the third-best net rating in NBA history. They were 37-4 at home. They won the Eastern Conference by 14 games. They had more 30-point leads than 10-point deficits. They never lost three games in a row.

  And they did it all for 82 straight games. There was never a significant hiccup, never a moment where they seemed to falter for more than a moment. And each time they did, they came back with a vengeance. This team didn’t spiral out of control, didn’t indulge in any personal antics and steered clear of injuries and drama from Game 1 to Game 82.

  In truth, they only risk the biggest letdown in recent history because they are so unimpeachably great. Tepid optimism would be disingenuous, since this team has done nothing but destroy people since late October. They have all the tools, and they’ve provided plenty of evidence that they can win Banner 18.

  ---

  So, will they?

  If you ask the statisticians, probably. The Celtics are first in the ESPN Basketball Power Index by a considerable margin, and have by far the easiest path to the Finals on paper of any team. This is reflected in two more calculations, with Basketball Reference’s model giving the Celtics a 59.4 percent chance of winning the Finals and The Ringer’s NBA Odds Machine ratcheting that up to 63 percent.

  What about betting markets? Well, DraftKings gives the Celtics +160 odds of winning the title and -175 odds to win the Eastern Conference, meaning they are more likely than not making it out of the East and have a solid 8:5 chance of winning the Finals. Not quite the 60 percent that the math world was offering, but not too shabby either.

  But basketball isn’t played on a spreadsheet, and eventually all these numbers will wither away in the face of actually having to get it done. In the week leading up to the first round, crunched numbers can have their time to shine, but at some point, fans just have to believe.

  Belief is a hard thing to do without a proof of concept. It’s Charlie Brown running up to kick the football over and over again hoping that — this time for sure — Lucy isn’t going to pull it away. It’s crawling through a tunnel without knowing how far away the other side is, even when those around you say there is no other side.

  Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

  But believing is also an expression of gratitude, and these Celtics have earned at least that much. Last season, it took until the last two minutes of Game 6 against Philly for me to truly believe, and until the Celtics fought back in Game 4 against Miami to believe again. They hadn’t yet earned my trust, but they grabbed it when they had to.

  This year’s team has offered no such doubt. They’ve held my faith since the opening tip, and have drawn on their history dating all the way back to Avery Bradley’s shot in 2017 to show that these Celtics are the final form of that team. It’s been a long, windy road, but now it’s a drag race to the finish line, and to the conclusion of that story.

  I believe they are the ones who will write the last chapter. And if now isn’t the time to believe, will it ever be?

• Boston Celtics Daily Links 4/18/24

  All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place.

  Herald Celtics leaning on Jrue Holiday’s championship experience

  Globe NBA Playoffs: Celtics prepare to face Heat or Bulls in first round

  The inside story on how the Celtics landed Sam Hauser

  Celtics’ path gets less and less daunting, and other pre-playoff thoughts

  CelticsBlog Keys to Banner 18: it is time for the Celtics to get back to winning home playoff games again

  Jontay Porter does not deserve a lifetime ban from the NBA for abusing sports betting

  ESPN Zach Lowe’s final selections for NBA MVP, ROY and other awards

  Celtics .com Celtics Take ‘0-0’ Mindset into Playoffs

  NBC Sports Boston NBC Sports Boston announces comprehensive coverage of Celtics’ 2024 playoff run

  Jaylen Brown ready for ‘war’ in NBA playoffs: ‘It’s gonna be a battle’

  ‘Mazzulla’ docuseries: How Celtics coach developed his competitive spirit

  Derrick White, Celtics ready to prove they can thrive in playoff crunch time

  NESN Three Random Celtics Pre-Playoff Thoughts Before First Round

  What Blake Griffin Told Celtics’ Brad Stevens Before Retirement

  CBS News Celtics will face either Miami or Chicago in first round of NBA playoffs

  The Athletic Let’s salute Celtics, Bruins while we can … before fans’ playoff angst takes over

  Celtics Wire Celtics president Brad Stevens on a potential Derrick White extension

  Celtics history: Boston wins fifth title vs. Lakers in 196, Smart DPOY

  Whose 1st Team All-NBA case is better: Jayson Tatum or Jalen Brunson?

  Did the decision to extend Jrue Holiday shut the door on Derrick White?

  More than luxury: Kristaps Porzingis’ love for Mercedes-Benz runs deep

  Celtics’ 2024 NBA Playoffs first round schedule revealed

  Mass Live Celtics to face Heat or Bulls in first round playoff series

  Celtics playoff path takes favorable turn amid Heat turmoil

  Sixers wanted Knicks over Celtics in NBA Playoffs, big man says

  Boston Sports Journal Celtics playoff notebook: A new training camp, learning from the past, and Team USA surprises

  Heat, Bulls to play for eighth and matchup with Celtics, but both teams suffer key injuries

  Hardwood Houdini Jayson Tatum heavily favored to capture Eastern Conference Finals MVP award

  Blake Griffin explains timeline of decision to retire instead of return to Celtics

  CLNS Media/YouTube Celtics WILL PLAY Heat or Bulls in First Round of Playoffs | Still Poddable

  LIVE: Celtics Playoff Preview | Garden Report

  Rotoballer Time To Hang It Up: Top-Four NBA Forwards Who Should Retire After the 2023-24 Season

  Sportskeeda Drew Hanlen on Jayson Tatum and how he motivates the Celtics star: “Always tell him to be the nicest a**hole” (Exclusive)

  Luke Kornet’s Contract Breakdown, Salary Cap Details, Bonuses, Terms & More

  Sports Grid 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team Players Ranked

  Is Jayson Tatum Facing the Most Pressure in the NBA Playoffs?

  Audacy Which Celtics will be honored with individual NBA awards?

  The Sports Hub Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla Joins Zolak & Bertrand

  Bleacher Report Celtics’ Early 2024 Free Agent Targets

  Beale Street Bears Grizzlies predicted to steal towering center from title favorites this summer

  Sir Charles in Charge NBA Playoffs: 1 Crucial series-changing X-Factor for every playoff team

  NBA: 8 Stars facing enormous pressure to make a deep run in the 2024 playoffs

  Fansided Why Jrue Holiday’s extension could make things hard for Klay Thompson and Warriors

  Heavy Here’s Why the Playoffs Will Be Different for the Celtics This Year

  MSN Referee assignments inspire conspiracy theories about NBA play-in game

  The Sports Bank Exclusive: Tim Donaghy Details How NBA Officials Fix Games

  CBS Sports Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday were personally delivered their Team USA jerseys by Grant Hill

  The Cold Wire Video Shows Jayson Tatum Receiving Team USA Jersey

  Essentially Sports NBA Legend Grant Hill & Team USA Use Jrue Holiday’s 8YO Daughter to Surprise Celtics Star With Paris Olympics News

  USA Today Olympics: Joel Embiid has great reason why he will play for Team USA

  Olympics 2024: Team USA men’s basketball roster packed with NBA stars

  NBA Analysis NBA News: Celtics Exec Speaks Out On Jrue Holiday Extension

  AP News The Celtics have been the NBA’s most dominant team. Only a championship will make season complete

• Jontay Porter does not deserve a lifetime ban from the NBA 

  The Raptors center made some terrible decisions, but in a league that has preached second chances when it comes to domestic violence — all while spamming sports betting promotions — Jontay Porter is not solely to blame.

  On Wednesday, the NBA announced that Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter was banned for life from the NBA after a league investigation found that he violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors. He was also found guilty of limiting his own participation in at least one game for betting purposes, and of betting on NBA games himself – all strictly prohibited actions.

  Perhaps most damning, the investigation found that on March 20th, Porter played only three minutes — claiming that he felt ill — after previously sharing medical information with a bettor. That better subsequently placed an $80,000 bet with an online sportsbook to win $1.1 million, which ultimately spurred the league investigation.

  It’s a brutal set of allegations that has been likened by some to insider trading. Last week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver characterized Porter’s behavior as a “cardinal sin.” And most people agree that an example had to be made out of Porter in order to send the unequivocal message that the league won’t tolerate any sort of betting misconduct, all in the name of preserving “the integrity of the game.”

  The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/h2TIkaE7xs

  — NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 17, 2024

  In a press release, Silver drove home this point: “There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams, and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishments.”

  But, Jontay Porter still doesn’t deserve a lifetime ban from the NBA, and here’s why.

  Until now, the NBA has operated under the premise that a lifetime ban is not a tool to address wrongdoing.

  When players have made truly awful decisions, like committing domestic assault, Silver opted not to lay down the law in a permanent way. Last summer, Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges was accused of beating the mother of his children in front of them. The victim, Mychelle Johnson, in a since-deleted post on her Instagram, posted a photo of her bruised face and body, along with a caption that read, in part, “Adult victim of physical abuse by male partner; Assault by strangulation; Brain concussion; closed fracture of nasal bone; Contusion of rib; Multiple bruises; Strain of neck muscle.”

  When Charles Barkley asked Adam Silver about the domestic violence issues within the league, his response was vague.

  “We have state-of-the-art counselors dealing with our players, but of course, if it crosses the line, the consequences are going to be enormous,” Silver said.

  "Enormous," he said – but certainly not a permanent ban. It’s not language the commissioner has ever evoked on the topic of domestic violence.

  It’s been years since the league has laid the hammer down on a player like this – the last multi-year suspension being O.J. Mayo’s in 2016, a two-year suspension for drug abuse. Mayo is the only other player since 2000 to be banned from the league.

  Over the past 25 years, we’ve seen players beat their wives, break restraining orders, and commit a whole suite of violent offenses. I won’t detail them all here, but you can read my earlier piecesummarizing just some of the heinous behavior perpetrated by former and current NBA players and coaches — a substantial amount of which remains unaddressed.

  Silver has had the discretion to completely disqualify a player from the NBA dozens of times. Each time, he’s opted not to do so. To date, Miles Bridges’s 30-game suspension is one of the largest domestic violence suspensions in league history.

  Critics of this comparison will say that domestic violence should be dealt with through the court of law, and that the NBA has to prioritize punishing actions that directly impact the game, like doping and betting. But the court of law has routinely failed survivors of domestic violence, and so has the NBA.

  The league’s decision-making is rooted in the concept that if consumers start to believe the league is rigged, that notion will severely hurt the league’s bottom line. It’s a fair point. Consumers have already shown that they don’t actually care about the off-court behavior of players, about whether they’ve perpetrated violence, about whether they’ve laid their hands on women, about whether they’ve committed sexual assault. It’s that reality that’s at the root of the discrepancy in responses.

  Sure, people appreciate hearing about their favorite player doing a good deed off the court, but that’s a distant second priority compared to the player’s on-court impact. The Charlotte Hornets fan base welcomed Miles Bridges back with fervent enthusiasm because he’s one of the most talented players on the roster, regardless of his past wrongdoings.

  Hornets fans get in their feet and cheer as Miles Bridges enters the game for the first time this season
  
  (via @JerryDonatien) pic.twitter.com/6kL6cDBgth

  — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 18, 2023

  Adam Silver is concerned about the “integrity” of the game — but “integrity” extends beyond the basketball court. “Integrity” means you don’t make the decision to promote sports betting on League Pass when millions of your viewers already grappling with gambling addiction.

  “Integrity” also means that if you maintain that a person deserves a second chance after hitting the mother of their kids, they also probably deserve a second chance for abusing sports betting – particularly in the context that it has become part of the fabric of the NBA seemingly overnight, with little training or support for players.

  The uninhibited rise of sports betting made this outcome inevitable

  If you’re a consumer of professional sports, you have no way to escape from online gambling. I don’t need to tell you that – there’s probably an ad on this very page, directing you to place a bet on Pelicans vs. Kings. And if you turn on tonight’s game, you’ll be further encouraged to spend on parlays and money lines — all throughout pregame shows, halftime, and postgame analysis.

  Players themselves have said time and again that they are constantly harassed by fans about parlays, both in-game and online. Jayson Tatum said at a Celtics practice last month that during games, he regularly hears players yelling at him about his stats.

  Jayson Tatum on sports betting in the NBA:
  
  “Fans yell shit all the time, shoot one more three, get one more rebound, get 25 before the half is over… I guess I do feel bad when I don't hit people's parlays. I dont want to them lose money.” pic.twitter.com/k6CHnL6CDF

  — Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) March 27, 2024

  The constant heckling is only going to get more prevalent as more states legalize online gambling and the league continues its incessant promotions. Most recently, the NBA announced that League Pass will have the option for fans to wager on games in real time through FanDuel and DraftKings sportsbooks (in states where online sports gambling is legal).

  Making sports betting this accessible is harmful to the millions who have already become addicted to it. The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling reported a 91 percent spike in calls in 2022, the year Connecticut legalized gambling. New Jersey’s Council on Compulsive Gambling similarly found that hotline calls have tripled since gambling in the state was legalized in 2019.

  You can be an alcoholic and see an ad for beer on TV, but you can’t then access that beer on demand. But if you’re addicted to gambling, all it takes is five seconds and you’re down another thousand dollars.

  As a member of the media, I don’t have all the answers. It’d be nearly impossible to avoid creating content for sites and channels completely devoid of sports betting, and as the sports journalism industry continues to struggle, making the choice to completely depart from all media platforms that advertise online gambling would effectively be making the decision to terminate a career in this field.

  And yes, sports betting has helped make the league a boatload of money. It will be a crucial component of the NBA’s upcoming TV deals, and it’s a big part of why players have the exorbitant salaries that they have. To date, 38 states and Washington DC have legalized sports betting, and more will soon follow suit. We’re in the early days of this whole thing completely inundating society.

  So within the context of our current climate around sports betting, putting all the blame on Porter — and giving him no pathway toward rehabilitation — is short-sighted. As it currently stands, the only delineated stipulation related to gambling prevention is requiring players to participate in a singular yearly anti-gambling session conducted by their team or the NBA, per the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. That’s it.

  Regardless of the proliferation of this industry, Jontay Porter should have known better.

  It would be disingenuous to say that Porter’s behavior can be completely chalked up to the promotion of sports betting. But it’s also very possible that like so many, he was struggling with his own addiction, and in turn, the 24-year-old made a really, really idiotic mistake. All in all, Porter made less than $22,000 betting, an amount that is laughable in the context of his NBA earnings, which equal $2.7 million to date, and likely lots more left on the table.

  In turn, Jontay Porter’s professional basketball career, at least in this country, will permanently come to an end. He’ll go down in history as the first NBA player to receive a lifetime ban for sports gambling, and most people will forever admonish him for that terrible choice. Even if the NBA hadn’t enacted the sweeping ban, teams likely would have shied away from a two-way guy embroiled in controversy.

  At the same time, people who have committed far graver offenses — with actions reaping far more serious consequences — will continue to sign contracts worth millions. Some won’t mind that, maintaining that the domestic violence comparison is a false equivalency.

  But Adam Silver called Porter’s behavior a “cardinal sin.” He used language we haven’t heard him use in reference to far more morally reprehensible acts.

  Jontay Porter never should have gambled on NBA games, nor should he have disclosed his medical status to sports bettors ahead of games. That much is obvious.

  But his actions reflect a society that churns out and promotes sports gambling in an unfettered way. And the decision to give him a lifetime ban reflects a society that cares much more about bottom line than morality.

  If perpetrators of domestic violence get a second chance, so should Jontay Porter. And while we’re at it, let’s reconsider the ongoing proliferation of sports betting ads, partnerships, and promotions, all with limited guardrails in place.

• Keys to Banner 18: it is time for the Celtics to get back to winning home playoff games again

  The results of the past two postseasons just isn’t going to cut it.

  The Boston Celtics will begin their climb towards Banner 18 on Sunday afternoon when they host a mystery opponent (thanks a lot, Play-In Tournament) at 1 p.m.

  Regardless if it’s the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, or Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics have to get their $#@% together and start the series off with a win at home.

  Wins at TD Garden have eluded the Cs over the past two postseasons. In their 2022 NBA Finals run, they went a combined 6-6 at home. A year later, they managed to regress, winning just five of 11 games in Boston. If you neglect first-round games, their record over that two-year span is 7-11 on the parquet.

  Of the teams that have played more than 10 home playoff games since 2022, Boston stands alone having a losing record.

  The Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Heat, and even the Sixers have a positive record in their own building.

  Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images

  To make matters worse, many of those losses have come in huge spots. The Celtics dropped the following key games while playing on their home floor:

  • 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 1 vs. Milwaukee (fell behind 0-1)
  • 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 5 vs. Milwaukee (fell behind 2-3)
  • 2022 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 vs. Miami (fell behind 1-2)
  • 2022 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 vs. Miami (failed to close out Heat)
  • 2022 NBA Finals vs. Golden State Game 4 (failed to take 3-1 lead)
  • 2022 NBA Finals vs. Golden State Game 6 (lose Finals 2-4)
  • 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 1 vs. Philadelphia (fell behind 0-1 to Joel Embiid-less 76ers)
  • 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 5 vs. Philadelphia (fell behind 2-3)
  • 2023 Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 vs. Miami (fell behind 0-1)
  • 2023 Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 vs. Miami (fell behind 0-2)
  • 2023 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 vs Miami (Lose series 3-4)

  Playing at home isn’t going to guarantee victory in the playoffs. But, the fact that the list of brutal losses at TD Garden is that long in just a two-year span is unacceptable.

  In a year where the expectations are higher than ever, Boston can’t afford to let teams come into their building and win anymore, they just can’t.

  Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

  They’ve done a tremendous job of protecting home court throughout the 2023-24 season, losing only four games at TD Garden all year. Only one of those losses (April 11 against the New York Knicks, where many have speculated that the Cs weren’t engaged in the slightest) came against an Eastern Conference opponent.

  Not only has Boston won their home games, but they’ve dominated. Their average point differential at the Garden this year is +15.2.

  To put that in perspective, they had a +10 point differential last season when they went 32-9 at home, and a +7 in 2022, where they logged a 28-13 record on the parquet.

  Despite their atrocious, borderline embarrassing, postseason record in front of the Garden faithful, the Celtics have still managed to make runs deep into the playoffs.

  Had they just won their home games, they could very well be looking at an opportunity to three-peat this season.

  Again, this season’s team has been unbelievably good, not only at home but overall. If there’s any group that can make TD Garden a postseason fortress again, it’s them.

• Boston Celtics Daily Links 4/17/24

  All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place.

  Herald Celtics set tone for playoffs with intense practice: ‘Harder than any training camp practice’

  Globe Joe Mazzulla says he’ll never forget this moment with Blake Griffin

  What Brad Stevens said about Joe Mazzulla’s growth in year two

  What Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday said about Grant Hill visit

  NBA bans Jontay Porter after gambling probe shows he shared information, bet on games

  CelticsBlog Brad Stevens: Celtics want to keep Derrick White after Jrue Holiday extension

  Jrue Holiday and Derrick White should be All-Defensive players. Please?

  Jrue Holiday and Derrick White should be All-Defensive players. Please?

  Celtics’ first round schedule announced

  The Celtics are built for the playoffs, just ask our usual tropes (part 1)

  CLNS Media Brad Stevens Previews Celtics NBA Playoffs Run

  Celtics .com Maine Celtics Have a Lot to Be Proud of After 1st G League Finals Run

  NESN How Celtics’ Al Horford Reacted To Blake Griffin Retirement News

  Celtics Should Hope To Not See This Team To Open NBA Playoffs

  The Athletic Brad Stevens knows Celtics’ season doesn’t guarantee playoff success. But there’s reason for hope

  G League Finals: Balancing NBA minutes, middle-seat misery and roadside meals -

  Celtics Wire On this day: Red names Bill Russell head coach; Sam Jones drafted

  Celtics get hig marks in new assessment of NBA’s ’23-24 regular season

  The Celtics’ path to hanging Banner 18 starts now

  
  Should the Celtics want the 76ers or Heat more in the first round?

  Trading Dalano Banton to Blazers seen as Celtics’ biggest ’23-24 regret

  What does the Celtics’ 2024 NBA Playoffs path look like?

  Could the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Celtics in the 2024 NBA Playoffs?

  Max Lederman, Nick Gelso laud Mike Gorman’s charisma and charm

  Mass Live Celtics react to beloved former teammate retiring: ‘We love Blake’

  Watch Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday get Team USA jerseys for Olympics

  Blake Griffin had standing Celtics offer to return before retiring

  NBA bans Raptors forward for life for violating gambling policies

  Hardwood Houdini Blake Griffin retires after several attempts from Boston Celtics to bring him back

  Analyst claims Celtics’ biggest regret is trading unheralded offseason signee

  Boston Celtics Big Three teardown possible for Warriors after Play-In embarrassment

  Boston Celtics could actually be underrated heading into playoffs: Analyst

  CLNS Media/YouTube Derrick White Explains Why Celtics Are Better This Year | Playoffs Practice

  Joe Mazzulla: Celtics Resetting Habits Entering NBA Playoffs | Practice Interview

  Al Horford Reacts to Blake Griffin Retirement | Celtics Practice

  Jayson Tatum Reacts to Wearing Kobe Bryant Number for Olympics | Celtics Practice

  Jrue Holiday Describes CRAZY Joe Mazzulla Drills | Celtics Practice

  All U Can Heat Outlining the Miami Heat’s potential path to another miracle NBA Finals run

  Fadeaway World Ranking 30 NBA Stars By Cost Per Point For The 2023-24 Season

  Bleacher Report B/R Staff Roundtable: Final Picks for 2024 NBA Awards

  Audacy Celtics Notebook: Brad Stevens end-of-regular-season presser

  USA Today NBA awards: 14 stars to miss out on awards because of injury policy

  NBC DFW What Lillard, Tatum and Embiid have to prove in NBA playoffs

  Clutch Points The case for Jaylen Brown to earn final Team USA Olympic roster spot

  Basketball Network Ric Bucher questions Jayson Tatum’s playoff performance

  Essentially Sports Celtics Could Risk Hefty NBA Penalty With $123 Million Decision on Derrick White, Hints GM Brad Stevens

• Blake Griffin had standing offer from Celtics all season before retiring, is rooting for them this spring

  Boston was the only team he would’ve suited up for.

  Blake Griffin announced his retirement from basketball on Tuesday afternoon. The 35-year-old spent his final season as a pro with the Boston Celtics last year.

  Fans had hoped that Griffin may have come back to the team for another championship push with their final roster spot open for the majority of the year.

  According to the former No. 1 overall pick, the fans weren’t the only ones who hoped he’d come back.

  During an appearance on “Pardon My Take,” Griffin revealed that he had a standing offer to return to the Celtics throughout the season.

  “I kind of left it open, for a while,” he said. “I did have sort of a standing offer to go back to Boston. I remember the end of December hit and I called Brad Stevens and I was like, ‘man, I really appreciate it.’ I had communication with him the whole time. I just wasn’t there, man. Something changed and I knew when something changed like that it was time to be done.”

  Unfortunately, it just sounds like Griffin had had enough of the travel and strenuous schedule that comes with the NBA, otherwise, the Celtics, and their fans, would’ve gotten their wish.

  “Yeah, I mean if I had gone anywhere, I would’ve gone back to Boston,” Griffin explained. “I love those guys and I’m pulling for them and they’ve got a great shot. But, it was just time for me to be done. I wouldn’t have been able to give what I should be able to give to a team if my heart wasn’t in it.”

  Griffin was a key member of last season’s Celtics squad. Though he didn’t log a ton of minutes, he was well-liked by all of his teammates and was simply, great for the vibes. He also did a solid job of stepping in when Al Horford or Robert Williams III needed the night off.

  “Great teammate,” Horford told reporters at Tuesday’s Celtics practice, (h/t NBCS Sports Boston). “Everybody here, we love Blake. The year that he was here, he made it enjoyable for me. It was fun to come into work with him every day and getting to talk to him and getting to know him with some of the things off the court and him as a person. Just a great guy.”

  Griffin wrapped his chat about the Cs but voicing his appreciation for Stevens and the organization.

  “I’m super appreciative of Boston and all of those guys, Brad and all of those guys, but it was time.”