Celtics Stuff Live | The Original Boston Celtics Podcast

The Boston Celtics gave their fans an incredible Christmas gift with a nice win over the Sixers during a entertaining Christmas Day contest. We can only hope this win, coupled with the blowout over the Hornets serves as the turning point after a dispiriting 3 game losing streak... bottoming out in a home loss to the league worst Suns. Justin and Jon talked about the Celtics performance and whether there are building blocks of better days ahead. Has Tatum figured it out?   In the show's second half, the CSL boys looked at Gordon Hayward's struggles. What does he need to do to get back to the form he showed early this month? Is playing him at power forward an opportunity to unlock his play?   Last up, Jon and Justin gave their predictions on the week ahead as the team goes on the road to Houston, Memphis, and San Antonio. A trip like this solidified the 2008 Celtics... will it do the same for the 2019 team? We'll find out. Our Presenting Sponsor: One in 100- Score a Pair of Celtics, Patriots Bruins or Red Sox T

Michael Jackson sang about the Man In The Mirror, but Celtics Stuff Live this week talked about the Men In The Middle. The injury to Al Horford opened the door for Aron Baynes, Daniel Theis, and the Timelord, Robert Williams. How each player's strength augments the Celtics' attack and how each help the Celtics use more rim running in their offense as key pieces through the Celtics 3-1 week. In the show's second half, Justin and Jon looked at Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown as they return from illness and continue to bolster a second unit. A hat tip to The Athletic's Jared Weiss for an outstanding breakdown of Brown's improved form.   To wrap, the guys predicted the week upcoming, including a key matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.   Our Presenting Sponsor: One in 100- Score a Pair of Celtics, Patriots Bruins or Red Sox Tickets for LESS than a Pizza or Beer! Go to http://bit.ly/2OKvuIA for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two absolutely dominating efforts against the Knicks and Bulls have the Celtics not only as winners of their last 5 games, but as the league's leader in Net Rating over their last 10 contests. Jon and Justin discussed why the team has not only continued to succeed with the Marcus Brothers (thanks Kevin McHale!) in the starting lineup, but now with Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier finding their footing. How long will the team stay with this lineup? Do they even need to go back to the lineup they had intended to start the season?   In the show's second half, Justin and Jon talked about the recent injuries to Celtics big men Aron Baynes, Yabu, Al Horford, and the excused absence of Robert Williams. With Daniel Theis as the last man standing after the Chicago game, questions abound if good health doesn't return to the big man rotation. Lastly, the guys looked at the week ahead and whether the good times should keep rolling along.  Plus another bonus clip after the show on the potential of making a deal for Anthony D

On this week's edition of Celtics Stuff Live, Jon and Justin seem to think so after a 3-0 week and, more importantly, the team playing the brand of basketball everyone expected of them entering this season. The CSL guys looked at the additions of the Marcuses (Morris and Smart) into the starting lineup as a catalyst for the improved play. But looking ahead, Jon and Justin discussed how to fit Jaylen Brown back into a train rolling down the tracks and does the emergence of Gordon Hayward force Brad to get him back in the starting group?   Last up, Jon and Justin looked ahead to a quieter week with only a pair of games but also several days of practice. Justin really liked the opportunity the break provided players who haven't received a lot of playing time and Jon concurred with a focus on one player.. the Timelord, Robert Williams. Our Presenting Sponsor: One in 100- Score a Pair of Celtics, Patriots Bruins or Red Sox Tickets for LESS than a Pizza or Beer! Go to http://bit.ly/2OKvuIA for more information. Lea

The woes continue for the Celtics and the questions are beginning to pile up as everyone tries to understand how this team continues to disappoint. The word of this week is clearly "Purpose." The team seems to play without it, particularly offensively, as the team seems to sleepwalk through its aimless efforts in scoring the ball. But that isn't meant to mask the highly flammable nature of the team's pick and roll defense after J.J. Barea joined an ever growing list of players killing the C's from that set. Jon mentioned Al Horford seemed tired two weeks ago and Justin wondered if Horford's health is impacting the team's poor efforts defensively. In the show's second half, Jon and Justin looked at the latest Anthony Davis rumors from Chris Sheridan whose source suggests the Celtics are an even money bet to get the MVP candidate in the trade market.    Last up... Justin and Jon poured over the strange schedule this coming week and Justin is not a fan. Our Presenting Sponsor: One in 100- Score a Pair of Celtic

Despite a fantastic overtime win over the Raptors, the Celtics are once again struggling for consistency and an identity. Jon and Justin went in deep on what ails the Celtics and which prescription Mad Brad could cook up to get the team back to full health. Jon sees the issues as dependent on a change in the starting lineup and accompanying rotations. Justin is willing to go so far as to cue up significant roster moves... even after agreeing, to his chagrin, with Jon's preseason call for Baynes to start. It's been a uncomfortable first month of the season for everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Celtics have stunk for far too long. The painful slog of watching the C's after staying up to watch them finish a 1-4 roadtrip had Jon and Justin ready for changes in the team's approach. The oft discussed starting lineup got most of the attention with Hayward and Jaylen struggling the most of the team's starters. As for who to replace them in the starting lineup... you'll have to listen to find out.   In the show's second half, the Sixers acquisition of Jimmy Butler came into focus. Jon predictably hated the spacing Butler's arrival would create for the Sixer offense, while Justin channeled his neighbors enthusiasm for the deal... or at least that's what Jon said.   Make sure to listen to the end... things get weird. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps the Celtics haven't yet found their groove, but the path remains cloudy. After arguably playing their best game of season against the previously undefeated Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics offense again ground to a halt in Indiana Saturday night. Inconsistency from the Celtics starters has created issues for Brad Stevens as he tries to build chemistry and offensive flow, but building that consistency has been an issue. Jon and Justin took a closer look at Jaylen Brown as the canary in the coal mine as to why the Celtics offense has struggled. Justin has his ideas how to fix what ails the Celtics... will it work on a tough west coast trip this week? Our Presenting Sponsor: One in 100- Score a Pair of Celtics, Patriots Bruins or Red Sox Tickets for LESS than a Pizza or Beer! Go to http://bit.ly/2OKvuIA for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Celtics finally becoming the Celtics again, in winning their last three games, Jon and Justin were feeling the Kyrie's #becool mantra. Kyrie's return to form against the Pistons on Tuesday night, following a haircut the previous day, had the guys feeling optimistic about Kyrie's return to his pre-injury form. Thanks to some questions from Twitter, the CSL guys weighed in on a variety of topics from Robert Williams role after the Theis injury to starting lineup changes (Brown for Smart?) to the production needs from Kyrie. Our Presenting Sponsor: One in 100- Score a Pair of Celtics, Patriots Bruins or Red Sox Tickets for LESS than a Pizza or Beer! Go to http://bit.ly/2OKvuIA for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The start to the Celtics season has be a solid one, but the obvious slow starts from Kyrie, Gordon, and Theis have left the team looking less than supernatural. Jon and Justin broke down some of the icy numbers from Kyrie's shooting and where his performance thus far was surprisingly effective. In the show's second half, the guys gave the same treatment to Gordon Hayward after Gordon unthawed his shooting form in Toronto.   Jon and Justin wrapped the show by looking at the CP3 - Rondo spit take and giving their predictions for the week ahead. Our Presenting Sponsor: One in 100- Score a Pair of Celtics, Patriots Bruins or Red Sox Tickets for LESS than a Pizza or Beer! Go to http://bit.ly/2OKvuIA for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight the Celtics kick off the 2019 NBA season and Celtics Stuff Live has a preview of the opening night matchup with the despised Philadelphia 76ers. Can the Celtics rebound from a lackluster preseason to face Ben "The Coward" Simmons?   Then, Jon and Justin took a look into the crystal ball and handed out preseason predictions on Celtics MVP, DPOY, 6th Man, and Most Improved. Then looking at a league wide perspective, guessed the number of Celtics wins, the top 4 in the East and West, who the Final 4 playoff teams will be, and how the NBA Finals will play out.   This was a return to the longer shows of CSL Past... but it's worth it.   Our Presenting Sponsor: One in 100- Score a Pair of Celtics, Patriots Bruins or Red Sox Tickets for LESS than a Pizza or Beer! Go to http://bit.ly/2OKvuIA for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Kyrie Irving dropped the bomb at last Thursday night's season ticket holder event that he intends on re-signing with the Celtics next summer, it settles so much of the Celtics future. Jon and Justin looked at what Kyrie's commitment does for the team and how it specifically impacts two players: Terry Rozier and Anthony Davis.   In the show's second half, the Celtics' abysmal preseason effort was in the cross-hairs. Listless play on the defensive end, the ball sticking on offense and few paint touches has everyone, including Brad Stevens, looking for a better result. Justin thinks some of Hayward's slow start is related to regaining his strength and endurance, while Jon saw an issue of cohesion with so many players seemingly trying to show all they've added to their games in the summer.    Before wrapping, Justin and Jon talked about Marcus Smart electing to bring justice to J.R. Smith on Saturday night. Smith has been easy with the cheap shots against the Celtics in years past but Smart was having none o

A 1-1 exhibition record seems appropriate given the inconsistency of the Celtics' start, but the trendlines are there for an incredibly successful season. Justin and Jon looked at the end of the Celtics bench's role in closing out both games and the play of Guershon Yabusele, Robert Williams, and the rest of the Yabu Tang Clan.    Then the point guards came into focus from Terry Rozier's white hot start to Kyrie Irving's attempts to find his form following injury. While Gordon Hayward had a promising chase down block, he, Kyrie, and the rest of his teammates seeking flow to their games faced significant roadblocks in the form of NBA officials points of emphasis. The points of emphasis are meant to reduce physical play, but all they seem to do is make a view physically ill from the constant stoppages of play.   Wrapping up, Jon and Justin looked at the start of the season and gave some brief predictions on the ability for the C's to get off to a good start. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/

We have something very special to share with you. Thanks to Audioboom, we are giving you an early sneak preview of their newest show, Dead Man Talking. Dead Man Talking investigates the death row confessions of the famous Railroad Killer to see if he was lying in order to slow down his journey to the execution chamber or if was he even more sinister than anyone could have imagined. Enjoy the sneak preview and subscribe now wherever you find your favorite podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Media Day is always filled with optimism, but the manner in which Kyrie Irving put to bed his desire to leave via free agency has greatly fed into that good ship lollipop vibe. Jon and Justin broke down Kyrie's comments and tried to figure out exactly how excited to be.   In more somber news, Marcus Smart talked about the recent passing of his mom and how basketball is often the calm in the metaphorical storm around him. Jon and Justin gave their condolences on Mrs. Smart's passing, and talked about how the Celtics culture has handled the all too frequent passing of members of the franchise family.   To wrap up, Scary Terry's boastful praise of Jayson Tatum's play in pre-camp scrimmages kicked off some lineup talk. Coupling this with Brad's concerns about putting in the work, rather than allowing the team to be anointed as great, could impact how the team's lineups are structured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celtics Stuff Live came back to the podcast airwaves as Celtics media day sits just 7 days away! Gordon Hayward's return to full health led Jon and Justin into a wide ranging discussion on the starting lineup choices for Brad Stevens for Opening Night against the Sixers and beyond. Jon refuses move off his stance that Aron Baynes will be starting to keep Horford fresh. Justin ain't buying it... at all.   In the show's second half, the guys discussed reprehensible details of Jabari Bird's alleged assault on his girlfriend. Though many details are still to be released, the episode spurred a conversation on how the league can handle mental health issues in the face of criminal acts by the players under their care.   Thankfully, real live Celtics games are just days away... can't wait! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We finally have a starting point for the 2019 NBA season... and our Boston Celtics will kick it all off for the NBA against the Philadelphia 76ers opening night. Justin and Jon extensively looked at that matchup and tried to determine how the Celtics might start that game... Horford and going small or Horford and Baynes and one of the C's talented wings sitting.   One of those talented wings, Jaylen Brown, told CJ McCollum's podcast that he expects the Celtics to make the NBA Finals. In a Lebron-less Eastern Conference, Jaylen's prediction isn't nearly as controversial as one typically would expect.   To wrap up the show, Justin and Jon looked at the ongoing debate following Cedric Maxwell's visit to Celtics Beat on Sunday. Max suggested that Kevin Garnett was a better all-around player as a former Celtic, and then the hot takes flowed. Justin careful in showing his appreciation for KG, but Jon was ready to spill blood in his defense of Larry Joe Bird. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc

After a brief vacation break Celtics Stuff Live returned to a flurry of late July NBA news, including the signing of Marcus Smart to a four year contract at a cool $52 million. Smart has a pair of fans in Jon and Justin, who were overjoyed at his re-signing. Not only does it keep a crucial piece of the Celtics run to Banner 18 in 2019, but it also provides a mid tiered contract that is easily dealt for bigger fish. The guys also talked about Isaiah Thomas reaching out to Danny Ainge about the Celtics interest in signing him this summer. While the pieces didn't fit at this time, it's great for karmic reasons.   In the show's second half, Justin and Jon recapped the release of Abdel Nader and the signing of Jabari Bird to become the team's new 15th player. Then the CSL guys broke down the Raptors acquisition of Kawhi Leonard; how the deal helps Toronto and San Antonio and creates a tougher hurdle to the Finals, at least in the short term.   Look out for the CLNS Media YouTube channel and CSL's latest video tal

The Summer League Hospital Celtics may have only gotten 5 minutes from Robert Williams and have shut down the Ojeleye Factory and Jabari Bird for rest, but it seems the team has seen all it needs to see from Semi and Jabari. While the Summer League has been remarkably unremarkable, the amount of news from Vegas hasn't been voluminous but CelticsBlog's Keith Smith put out a comprehensive post with plenty of nuggets for Jon and Justin to discuss. In particular, the news of Guerschon Yabusele's less than helpful year in China setting back his defensive habits was particularly noteworthy.   In the show's second half, Jon and Justin poured over the Kyrie Irving situation and Smith's source's belief that Kyrie wants to return to Boston. There may be some concern a recruiting effort with Kevin Durant could lead Kyrie to New York, but is that really a better situation than in Boston with Tatum, Brown, Hayward, Horford, and on and on....???  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jon and Justin kicked off the show looking at the rocky, though still brief, tenure of Robert Williams. To say this kid has a lot of growing to do is only half true, with reports from Summer League practice that he is dunking with his elbows and swatting shots like he's on the beaches of Rio.   Moving ahead, the continued restricted free agency of Marcus Smart again reared its head, as most of the money on the market is spent.  Clearly today's report by Mark Murphy shows that Smart's representation isn't keen their belief he would receive a giant contract offer hasn't materialized.    In the show's second half, Jon and Justin looked at the ongoing Kawhi Leonard discussion. While thankful he hasn't yet been dealt to a competitor, there are real questions as to what exactly Kawhi wants and how the Spurs can end up with anything resembling the type of trade package deserving of a player of his caliber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices