The Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday night in their preseason debut. Kristaps Porzingis looked pretty good in his debut, but it was Payton Pritchard who stole the headlines (on a day where he signed a $30 million extension) by getting the crowd rocking with a monster fourth quarter. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal explains why that was important for more than just the game, and then goes over how Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and others played in their somewhat limited time.

We're still trying to process the Jrue Holiday trade to the Celtics, and one of the criticisms we've heard is that we focused maybe a little too much on the negative like how it impacts the depth and makes the Celtics very expensive and unsustainable for more than a year or two. So John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal brought on former blogging partner Chuck McKenney to get a little bit more of a fan's perspective and look at the trade in ways we might have missed the first time around.

The Boston Celtics introduced Jrue Holiday, which is to say they gushed over him relentlessly as he held up his new jersey. The Celtics are clearly thrilled to have him, and while Holiday is getting over the sting of being traded, he's on a path to teach the Celtics some championship lesson. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss that before getting into THREE things Joe Mazzulla said in a recent podcast that are worth celebrating.

The Milwaukee Bucks got Damian Lillard, but they let Jrue Holiday go to their biggest rival, which begs the question: Are the Milwaukee Bucks better off by getting Lillard while letting Holiday get to Boston? Should they have kept Holiday and rolled the dice and leave Boston to deal with Malcolm Brogdon and roll with Robert Williams? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal brings on Locked On Bucks host Kane Pitman to discuss. And also, John talks about Kristaps Porzingis first full official practice and how his post up game can really be a massive help to the Celtics.

The Boston Celtics held media day on Monday and Brad Stevens talked about getting Jrue Holiday and the price they had to pay for him. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses that, Joe Mazzulla talking about reinventing himself, Jayson Tatum's wrist, and Kristaps Porzingis' plantar fasciitis.

The Celtics have acquired Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trailblazers in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams, along with two first round picks (Golden State's 2024 pick and Boston's unprotected 2029 pick). John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm break down the trade and try to answer the question "did Boston get better?" while also looking at the depth Boston gave up and the financial situation they're now in.

The Boston Celtics are reportedly among the teams inquiring about Jrue Holiday after he was sent to Portland as part of the Damian Lillard trade. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal looks at the numbers and explains everything we need to know about trading for Holiday, all the little tricks that people suggested but actually aren't allowed, and whether Boston should pull the trigger. Also, Porzingis scrimmaged on Thursday, but is that enough to make us feel okay about his plantar fasciitis?

Damian Lillard has been traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss the deal, how it helps (and hurts) Milwaukee, how it impacts the matchup with the Celtics (and why the Celtics still match up well against the Bucks), and where this leaves Miami, including one move Miami can make that might be better than getting Lillard.

Brad Stevens spoke to the Boston Globe and says he's had several conversations with Malcolm Brogdon and that he's healthy and ready to go for camp. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses that, the high expectations for the Celtics and why this year is their best chance at a championship, and what motivation Jayson Tatum should take from the new ESPN preseason survey.

With training camp starting in a week, we take a look at which teams in the Eastern Conference pose the biggest threats to the Boston Celtics. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm run through the list, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, and New York Knicks ... with some mentions of a few other teams that could throw a wrench into Boston's championship hopes.

It's Mailbag Monday, and today we're getting into some hate for Joe Mazzulla , Celtics enforcers , Bradley Beal helping the C's out (11:25), Victor Wembanyama's impact , and Brian Scalabrine's job as the Boston color guy . John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal gets into all of that, an idea for a new city edition jersey , his favorite dunk of all time , the best players of each decade and more.

A bunch of Celtics are streaming into the Auerbach Center early to get going for the upcoming season (not Malcolm Brogdon yet), which is part of a summer where the Celtics seem to be taking things, maybe, a little more seriously. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal talks about that, whether the Celtics should consider trading for Buddy Hield, and then he gives us a primer on good and bad arenas around the league, and what to look for if you're going to the Garden this season.

Even though we haven't heard from Malcolm Brogdon, that hasn't stopped the discussion about him, especially after an ESPN report that his injury is an issue. Along with that, in the same report, it was mentioned that Jayson Tatum may be expected to play more point guard. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss all that (and disagree with any plan to make Tatum more of a point guard), and then look ahead to Kristaps Porzingis and potential fit issues with the Celtics.

After the Tuesday conversation regarding minutes, a closer look at the full minute distribution reveals that the 8th-12th guys are going to be fighting for precious few minutes. What does that mean for Payton Pritchard, who has been talked about as getting a lot more opportunity. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses that, Sam Cassell connecting Paul Pierce and Jayson Tatum (a stroke of genius), and whether there should be actual concern over Malcolm Brogdon's relationship with the team.

The Celtics head into the season with a lot of questions, and many of them have to with playing time. Which of Robert Williams and Al Horford will start next to Kristaps Porzingis. How will Porzingis actually play next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown? Can the Celtics actually keep Tatum and Brown's minutes down to a reasonable level early in the season. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Jay King of The Athletic discuss all that as they try to hammer out some of the minutes distribution.

It's a Mailbag Monday, and today we start off with a few questions from last week's show about eliminating the corner 3-pointer (including widening the court). The, we get into Brad Stevens future and when he might start wondering if there's something else for him. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses all that, teams that might get slept on, writing a script for the Celtics this upcoming season, and re-tooling the All-Star game. Plus, a few ideas for rules changes that will never happen and why the WNBA is a lot of fun.

With the season about a month away, it's time to look at what the oddsmakers have projected out for the Celtics. Fanduel Sportsbook has set the over/under for Celtics wins at 54.5. Will they get more, or less? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss that, Jayson Tatum's odds of repeating a 30 point/8 rebound per game season, and his chances of getting the MVP. Plus, they discuss the NBA's new resting policy and why not much is actually going to change.

Corner 3-pointer is a staple of all NBA offenses (especially the Boston Celtics offense), but has it become too important? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal says it's time to eliminate the corner 3 and keep the line at 23 feet, 9 inches so 3-pointers can be a special shot instead of something everyone is doing. Karalis and Tom Westerholm debate whether getting rid of corner 3-pointers will fix the problem or create new ones.

Maibag Monday returns with a variety of questions, including who would win a game between the US and the world, whether Daniel Theis should come back, the ideal Kristaps Porzingis season, post playing careers for the current Celtics, and the path a player takes getting to the NBA. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal answers all those questions, plus he tries to figure out which Celtics are strongest with the force, and who would go to the dark side.

Jayson Tatum was interviewed by Jeff Goodman and he talked about how he has embraced Boston as a second home and how he wants to win a title to become a part of the Celtics Mt. Rushmore. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss all that, and his leadership style, which John says needs to evolve, especially with Marcus Smart gone.

Brad Stevens seems to have rounded out the end of his bench, but his creativity with some of these contracts shows how the Celtics are ready to pivot if someone better comes along without hurting themselves in this new CBA environment. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss the impact of that creativity, then get into the Jayson Tatum/Paul Pierce workouts and why this could be the beginning of something special for Tatum in Boston.

It's Mailbag Monday time and today's episode brings us questions about Atlantic Division rivals getting better, how the Malcolm Brogdon version of the Kristaps Porzingis trade would have gone, a "what if?" about Danny Ainge actually trading for Jimmy Butler, and rewriting history where one player makes a different decision to change the league. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses all of that, tries to fix the game operations and presentation of home games, and explains how he watches a basketball game to see more of the action. Questions can be submitted at JohnKaralis.com/mailbag.

The Celtics have signed Svi Mykhailiuk to add some depth to the wing spot behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss that, Tatum trying to recruit Damian Lillard to come to Boston, and Brad Stevens saying Tatum and Brown need to step up in the locker room after the Marcus Smart trade.

Comedian Josh Gondelman (Desus & Mero, Last Week Tonight) talks about growing up in Massachusetts, his love for the Boston Celtics, still reeling from the Marcus Smart trade, and more with John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal. They get into his career, carving out his own path to success, and then trying to craft the perfect Celtics joke.

It's Mailbag Monday, and today we're getting into Payton Pritchard's new playing time, the race to Banner 18 between the Celtics and Lakers, and breaking down what Jayson Tatum's next contract will be. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal has all that, plus who gets the last shot, a potential Malcolm Brogdon trade, whether Blake Griffin will return, and Drew Hanlen's reptuation as a trainer.