Derrick White's breakout season is part of what made Marcus Smart expendable. Now that Smart has been traded, White is set to step into that starting point guard role. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss White's best year yet, the challenges of being the point guard, whether he can handle that job, and whether he's ready to take on a bigger role and more minutes and responsibility than ever.

Grant Williams is a restricted free agent and he is drawing plenty of interest. He's obviously a very good basketball player, but he's also going to be a relatively expensive one as well. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal breaks down the reasons to keep him, the reasons to let him walk, and ultimately, what the Celtics should do with him this summer.

Jordan Walsh was in Boston for a community event and met the media for his first ever introduction to life as a Celtic. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss the rookie's refreshing attitude, what he brings to the table as a basketball player, and what the first year plan should be.

It's Mailbag Monday (we'll be doing this all offseason), and today we've got a ton of questions about Marcus Smart being traded, the new start it gives Boston, Kristaps Porgzingis fitting in with the Celtics and being a 3rd option, Payton Pritchard's opportunity, Grant Williams staying or going, and more.

The Celtics entered the NBA draft with the 25th overall pick. They came out of it with one player and four future second round picks. John Karalis breaks down what the Celtics did, what they came away with, and what Jordan Walsh might someday bring to Boston. Plus, Brad Stevens discusses the Marcus Smart trade.

The Boston Celtics looked like they had a deal to send out Malcolm Brogdon and get Kristaps Porzingis. That fell apart, and suddenly the trade became a deal to send Marcus Smart out. The Celtics ultimately added Porzingis and two first round picks, making the deal a good value. John Karalis breaks down the deal, how Porzingis fits, and the sting of losing Smart.

With the draft on Thursday, there are all kinds of rumors floating out there. The Celtics have been linked to a lot of teams, but how much of this is just Brad Stevens doing his job? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses a lot of the rumors floating out there about Malcolm Brogdon, Jaylen Brown, and Grant Williams. Is John Collins a target? Will Payton Pritchard be used to trade up in the draft?

Robert Williams had a tough season, missing half of it due to knee surgery and then coming back to find a new playing style. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston discuss Rob's year, how he was used, and why he was hurt more than most by the by Ime Udoka situation. How will he be used moving forward? Can he come back healthy and stay healthy? Should he start?

Bradley Beal is being traded to the Phoenix Suns, and not the Miami Heat. That changes a few things for the Celtics, including one of the trades they were hoping to make. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal talks about that, analyzes the trade, gets into Boston being active ahead of the draft and what that might mean, and the possibility of Grant Williams going out in a sign and trade.

Marcus Smart managed to have both a great and not great season all at the same time, and once again, how he was used did him no favors. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss Smart's ups and downs, how his role changed over the course of the season, and why his future depends on what kind of plan Joe Mazzulla is putting together.

Bradley Beal is rumored to be, potentially, on the trade block. Do the Celtics have what it takes to get him if they want him? Do they even want him? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses that and then gets into Jaylen Brown's season and what he needs to do to reach yet another level.

The Denver Nuggets won the NBA championship, beating the Miami Heat 4-1 in the NBA Finals. What was it about their style of play that allowed them to do what Boston couldn't? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss how the Nuggets were able to win without making a bunch of 3-pointers, and how they were able to score enough while keeping Miami's offense in check. Plus, how they were able to build their roster in a way that made it all work so well (and yes, getting lucky with Nikola Jokic helps).

Jayson Tatum had a very good season by most measures, but there is still a lot he can do to be better. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss his strengths and weaknesses, and the things he can do to join the Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the true MVP contenders in the NBA. That includes a focus on attacking, a couple less 3-pointers, and maybe even adding a post game.

We begin our true reflection on the 2023-24 Celtics season with a simple overview. How will this season be judged? How did Joe Mazzulla really do? Can he be the guy who helps Boston win a title? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and national NBA expert Howard Beck discuss all that and the new additions of Sam Cassell and former Milwaukee associate head coach Charles Lee.

The mailbag questions came pouring in this week, starting with Jaylen Brown trade questions. Should he be traded for Karl Anthony Towns? Should he be traded this summer? Should he be traded at all? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses those scenarios and then looks at some of the possible CBA side effects on middle class players, guys on rookie deals, and more. Plus, some other trade targets, including Kelly Olynyk.

The Miami Heat lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but they could have won it. They continue to do things to other teams that forces uncharacteristic mistakes. Does that take some of the edge off the ECF loss? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal discusses that and then runs down whether Boston could (or should) grab Chris Paul if he's let go by Phoenix. Also, an early dive into the mailbag for your CBA questions.

The new collective bargaining agreement will cause a lot of teams to rethink their rosters, and the Celtics will have to do the same. Does that mean Malcolm Brogdon is on his way out? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Keith Smith of Spotrac finish their discussion of the new CBA with an in-depth look at what Boston might specifically do with Brogdon, Payton Pritchard, Grant Williams, Jaylen Brown, and more.

The new collective bargaining agreement is going to make life very difficult for Boston. In part 2 of their discussion, John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Keith Smith of Spotrac discuss the worst place to be in the draft, how quickly rosters will turn over, why fans should stay invested in their teams, and the stark financial reality of Boston's situation.

The Celtics promised to bring someone in to join Joe Mazzulla's staff with a lot of NBA experience, and they delivered with Sam Cassell. John Karalis explains why this is the exact right move and why it shows the front office has a pulse on what this team needs. Plus, Keith Smith of Spotrac joins the podcast to begin our in-depth look at what the new CBA brings (and why John hates it)

Brad Stevens spoke to the media on Thursday, touching on a lot of subjects. But the biggest stories are keeping Joe Mazzulla as head coach, and why the team believes in him, they way the team played versus how he envisioned it looking, and how the new collective bargaining agreement will impact him. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal was there asking questions and shares what Stevens said, and also explains why it's what he didn't say that you have to listen to.

The inbox was full, so it was a good time to empty out the mailbag after a tough end to the playoffs. Should Jaylen Brown get less than the supermax? Can the role players get the job done? Who might be gone? What about Joe Mazzulla's coaching staff ... how should that be assembled? John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal answers all those questions and more.

The Celtics are now in their offseason, and the new collective bargaining agreement will have them making a lot of decisions over the next few months. But before they can do that, Brad Stevens, Joe Mazzulla, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the team have to get together to figure out who they are and what their priorities are moving forward. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm discuss it all, from the offensive strategy, to getting back to a defense-first mentality.

The Celtics started the game strong enough, but the shots never really fell for them. Meanwhile, Miami bounced back from a slow start, gained confidence, and ran away with it at the end. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal looks at the game, some of the particularly rough performances, and why the Celtics might regret missing out on this opportunity.

The Celtics are still glowing afte the Game 6 win but it didn't have to be this close. Jaylen Brown admitted to TNT that the Celtics get apprehensive down the stretch, and admitting it could be the first step to fixing it. Plus, why Game 7 should go very well for Boston, even if you have a fear that it won't. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal and Tom Westerholm get into that and Jayson Tatum's growth and his Paul Pierce turn.

It looked like the Celtics were on their way to a crushing collapse and the end of their season when Derrick White swooped in to put back a Marcus Smart miss to beat the buzzer and win Game 6. It was a shocking play that sent another home Game 6 crowd out of the arena wondering what the hell just happened. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal runs through the final play and how they got there, while also quickly taking a look ahead to Game 7