Celtics Beat | Covering The Nba & Boston Celtics | Clns Media Network

They’re still alive - it’s the first week of April and the Boston Celtics remain in the thick of the Eastern Conference race for the final spot in the 2015 NBA Playoffs.   LHR will be joined by Gary Tanguay, host of the Arbella Early Edition on Comcast Sports Net New England.  In LHR’s mind - it is safe to call this season a success for the Celts no matter what happens from here on out.  What does Gary think? And do the Celtics still need to make a transformative move or can they let this current roster grow will adding bits and pieces along the way? Should the Celtics go all in on a move for say, DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Rose, or (gasp!) Kevin Durant?   LHR will also wrap the show up by going Around the NBA in 5. So tune in this Sunday for another edition of Celtics Beat, presented by lynda.com/clns and audiblepodcast.com/celtics  Available for download on iTunes and Stitcher Sunday, April 5, 2015.  Powered by CLNS Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now the real fun begins as this is judgment week for the Boston Celtics.  Five games in the next days starting with the Doc Rivers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and the Los Angeles Clippers in Boston Sunday night.  Then of course three critical contests await the Celtics starting with a trip down to Charlotte tomorrow to face the Hornets, then some home games with the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks, before a trip north of the border to finish the week against the Toronto Raptors.  The NBA Playoffs may very well be on the line for the Celtics this week.   Boston concluded the last full week of March by sweeping two New York foes in the Nets and Knicks, but dropped some winnable games at home against the Pistons and Heat.  Are there some signs of fatigue that could be setting in? Were those games a warning sign? LHR will discuss this topic and more with new Celtics beat reporter for the Boston Globe, Adam Himmelsbach.   LHR will also wrap the show up by going Around the NBA in 5. So tune i

Spring is here and so is the sprint to the finish line for the Boston Celtics and the rest of the NBA.  The green team finds themselves right in the midst of the chase for the final two spots in the Eastern Conference NBA Playoffs.  Larry H. Russell will break down the week that was for the Celtics.  Was it a successful week? Two tough, but somewhat expected losses against two elite Western Conference foes in the Oklahoma City Thunder and the World Champion San Antonio Spurs followed the end of the Celts’ five game winning streak.   Whatever one makes of it, it’s in the books.  LHR will look ahead to what could very well be a make-or-break week for Boston’s playoff hopes with huge games against foes like the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat.  Let’s not get ahead of ourselves either, as Boston has their hands full tonight when Greg Monroe comes to town with the rest of the Detroit Pistons.   And of course, the guest: LHR will be privileged to be joined by Basketball Hall of Famer Jackie MacMullan of ESPN B

The Ides of March are upon us: A major checkpoint in the NBA season.  The sprint to the finish line now begins.  Who knew as late as mid January that the Boston Celtics would play a major factor in the outlook of the 2015 NBA campaign?   The playoff chase is officially on.  It was a busy, but successful week for the Celtics with a real highlight win over the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Wednesday.  Plus the team picked up some solid victories against the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.  Fans are thrilled, and host Larry H. Russell is one of them.   LHR will be joined by Ian Thomsen, now of NBA.com.  Ian wrote a feature on Danny Ainge and the Celtics rebuilding project back on February 17th titled “Danny Ainge’s Balancing Act.”  LHR will discuss that feature with Ian, and will dive into further detail with where Ian thinks the Celtics stand in all of this.  How does Boston’s rebuilding plan stack up? Particularly against the rival New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers?   LHR will also

Busy week for the Boston Celtics - I mean real busy.  Plenty of games to talk about, both good and bad.  And plenty of news to talk about, which has been mostly good.   There’s a lot of talk of who the Celts will sign this off-season, and there was even a possible transaction this week with Javale McGee.  Alas, it fell through.  Host LHR will be sure to touch upon that as well as the possibilities this summer as he did in today’s column.   The Celts stayed busy on the court as well with a slew of games this week.  LHR will react on the week that was and look ahead to tonight’s game with former Orlando Magic player Jeff Turner, now serving as the Magic’s color man on FOX Sports Florida.  After a respectable start, Orlando was really fizzled out.  What went wrong? And how can the Celtics exploit some of Orlando’s weaknesses if they want to get this much needed road win?   That’s not all - there’s plenty to talk about around the league as well.  Boston fans saw first hand the greatness of Steph Curry and t

So long February.  Another week in the bag for the Boston Celtics.  And now here comes March and the BOSTON CELTICS PLAYOFF PUSH!   Kyle Draper returns to Celtics Beat to square things away once and for all with LHR.  Does he still feel the Celtics should’ve done more at the deadline? Will Isaiah Thomas live up to the billing? And oh, the game tonight.  Kyle is the host of Celtics Pre and Post Game Live and he’ll give his take on tonight’s huge matchup in Boston against the Golden State Warriors.  And there may be some Rajon Rondo discussion in there too.   Celtics Beat will also welcome Josh Planos of the Wall Street Journal to the show.  Much of the NBA’s top teams are from small markets and/or franchises that are not familiar to success.  All while the Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks are down.  Is this good for the NBA? And could such success lead to the NBA putting franchises in more flyover states?   LHR will also wrap the show up by going Around the NBA in 5. So tune in this Sund

The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone for the NBA and for the Boston Celtics.  To say we don’t have plenty to talk about on Celtics Beat would be an understatement.   First up, Sean Deveney of Sporting News drops by the show once again to recap the wild, wild deadline in the NBA.  The Celtics are seemingly being lauded as the biggest winners after scoring flashy point guard Isaiah Thomas.  How does Sean feel about the newest Celtic? What does that mean for the future? And what in the world are the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers doing?   Speaking of the Lakers, the Celts are in LA Sunday to face their arch-rivals at the Staples Center.  It may not be the classic matchup its known to be, but tonight is a key game for the Celtics in their case for the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed.  We’ll chat with Corey Hansford of LakersNation.com about the game as well as the state of the NBA’s glamour franchise.   Plus - a special trade deadline edition of Around the NBA in 5.   So tune in this S

NBA All Star Weekend is finally upon us and the Boston Celtics are off until next Friday night when they resume action out West against George Karl and the Sacramento Kings.   The Celtics head into the break on a high note, winning their lone game of the week -- a buzzer-beating win against the NBA’s best team, the Atlanta Hawks.  Larry H. Russell is becoming ever more so pleased with the development and improvement of certain individuals on the Boston roster as well as the positive steps the team seems to be taking.  The Celtics may not be there yet, but there should be some serious intrigue in this team the second half of the season which some would’ve considered a feat in itself just a month ago.   And as intriguing as these Celtics are, the NBA may be as interesting as it has ever been.  Longtime NBA veteran, two-time NBA World Champion, 1996 Slam Dunk King and current NBAtv analyst Brent Barry will hop back on the show.  There’s a lot to talk about at the NBA All Star break.  Are these Hawks truly fo

Busy week for the Boston Celtics, and a fairly successful week at that.  Boston dropped a tough contest last night to the Milwaukee Bucks, ending their three-game winning streak.  But are we now seeing some noticeable improvement from certain individuals as well as the team?   Host Larry H. Russell seems to think so.  The team has made marked improvements in three key areas since the beginning of the season, and that’s a very positive development for the Boston Celtics.  LHR also spoke with Wyc Grousbeck and Rich Gotham regarding how they feel about the team in a feature piece that is available on clnsradio.com.  LHR will further discuss the piece and how he personally currently feels about the team now and going forward on the show.   And that’s not all.  Longtime Boston Celtics beat reporter for the Boston Herald, Steve Bulpett, will join Celtics Beat once again and provide the latest buzz surrounding the Celts.  Is there still a possibility for more moves? Is LHR’s optimism justified? Can this team rea

The Celtics returned home from a 6 game road trip and square off against old rival the Miami Heat on Super Bowl Sunday.  The team is showing signs of life with their first 3 wins on the road in the Western Conference in a couple of years but still can't get over the hump against the iron teams. Celtics Beat hosts Rich Conte and Dr. Andre Snellings of Rotowire talk about today's game, the recent roadtrip and reminisce about the Celtics - Heat rivalry.  We also welcome guest RealGM.com's Shams Charania to talk about the rapidly approaching NBA Trade Deadline as well as some players called up from the NBA Developmental League making surprising impacts. All this and Rich and Dre go around the NBA in 5.  You won't want to miss it. So tune in this Sunday for another edition of Celtics Beat, presented by lynda.com/clns.  Available for download on iTunes and Stitcher Sunday, February 1st 2015.  Powered by CLNS Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So far, so good. The Boston Celtics are rolling out West.   Well, sort of. But two wins in a row is a start, particularly on a back-to-back beating the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets. What does this mean? Can the Celtics make a run at the Eastern Conference’s final playoff berth?   LHR doesn’t seem to think so. While there are a lot of positives that have come out of the Celtics continued-inspired play despite all the adversity and the challenges of this season, reality is still reality.  The Detroit Pistons seem to be a step ahead, and the continued drama with trades will prove to be too much to overcome for these ever-so-gritty 2015 Celtics.  However, this may be something they can build upon.   Despite the recent success of the Celtics, it’s still ever-so important for fans to keep an eye on the 2015 NBA Draft.  And who better to talk to than Jeff Goodman of ESPN and ESPN.com, who has made a living off knowing college basketball prospects over this last decade.  LHR and Jeff will get into

Championship Sunday in the NFL is not championship sunday for the Boston Celtics.  In fact, it’s a bloody Sunday.  Two Eastern Conference juggernauts - the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls - humbled the Celts on their home floor in two contests this week.  And now the Celtics go out West.   Boston’s first stop will be in Los Angeles to face Doc Rivers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers.  Who better to talk to to talk Clippers basketball than the best color commentator in the NBA - FOX Sports West/Prime Ticket - Michael Smith.  Mike and LHR will reunite and the conversation will be sure to provide insight about the Celts first stop in their West Coast guantlet.   LHR will also chat with Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe.  Dan is the author of an array of books including Ever Green, one of the definitive accounts of the Celtics and their illustrious history.  Dan and LHR will talk about Larry’s author debut, Fall of the Boston Celtics, as Celtics Beat continues to relive the Dark Ages

These are dark times for the Boston Celtics.  The losses are piling up and fans are depressed.  But is this as bad as what it once was?   Esteemed Celtics historian Larry H. Russell will re-live the infamous Dark Ages in this special edition episode of Celtics Beat.  LHR will speak with realGM’s Elrod Enchilada and they’ll discuss Larry’s landmark author debut Fall of the Boston Celtics: How Bad Luck, Bad Decisions Brought the Mighty Celtics Empire to Its Knees and Ushered in the Dark Ages.   This show is not faint-hearted.  Those were certainly some dreary times.  LHR will talk with Elrod for the full 60 minutes and they’ll dissect what went wrong, who was most to blame, and what were the primary factors for the team’s full and ensuing stagnation.  And how do the Celtics struggle of today compare to yesterday? Are they going down that path again?   So tune in to find out.  A special Fall of the Boston Celtics edition of Celtics Beat. Powered by CLNS Radio.  Available for download on iTunes and Stitcher

The Boston Celtics haven’t kicked off the New Year right but you can count on Celtics Beat too.  Rich Conte and Dr. Andre Snellings return for 2015 and will bring in Bob Ryan for an extended conversation on ... everything. Rajon Rondo’s successful return to Boston with the Dallas Mavericks - we got that.  Current state of the team? Check.  A trip down memory lane discussing Bob’s best selling memoirs, “Scribe: My Life in Sports” ? Check...mate. Celtics Beat Executive Producer Larry H. Russell’s author debut “Fall of the Boston Celtics: How Bad Luck, Bad Decisions Brought the Mighty Celtics Empire to Its Knees and Ushered in the Dark Ages” is set to hit shelves tomorrow.  And what better person than Bob Ryan to discuss that as well? Tune into the last 2014 show of Celtics Beat -- available for download in iTunes and Stitcher this Sunday.  Powered by CLNS Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our last show of 2014 is a special one.  ‘The Baseline’ team of Cal “Gameface” Lee and Warren Shaw are back to wrap up the year.  And fittingly, the past week was pretty much the same as it was all 2014: loss after loss after loss with some trade talk thrown in.   We’ll get a different perspective this week.  Two stalwarts of the Celtics-blogosphere, Mark Vandeusen and Mike Dyer of CelticsLife will stop by to give their thoughts on what is becoming an increasingly depressing situation.  Is there any light at the end of the tunnel for the Celtics or is there a long rebuild ahead?   Speaking of dark days for the Boston Celtics: There were none darker than following the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis and the bad Celtics basketball which ensued.  Cal and Warren will talk about Larry H. Russell’s debut book, “Fall of the Boston Celtics” -- which is scheduled for release on January 5th.  Stay tuned to CLNS Radio or follow @CLNS_LHR on Twitter for updates.   Cal and Warren will also go Around the NBA in 5

It finally happened.  Rajon Rondo is a Celtic no more.  The Boston Celtics sent their starting point to the Dallas Mavericks for Brandan Wright...ah, you know the rest.   Hosts Jared Weiss and “Stats” Adam Lowenstein will be joined by two guests.  Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports and Tim McMahon of ESPN Dallas.  It will be all Rajon Rondo talk, all the time.  Oh, and there is a game tonight too, against the Miami Heat.   Jared and Adam will also squeeze in Around the NBA in 5. So tune into this special edition Celtics Beat -- available for download in iTunes and Stitcher this Sunday.  Powered by CLNS Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An early Christmas gift for Boston Celtics fans this holiday season: A bonus special edition episode of Celtics Beat.  Rich Conte and “Stats” Adam Lowenstein are back together to preview tonight’s game in Boston against the up-and-coming Orlando Magic, as well as primer you up for the NBA’s trade season.   Rich and “Stats” Adam will be joined by radio voice of the Boston Celtics, the one and only, Sean Grande.  There’s certainly a lot to talk about with the Celts, including tonight’s contest in Boston against the Orlando Magic.  But the Celtics are coming off a big win against the Philadelphia 76ers.  Is there any hope at salvaging this season? And regardless of what does happen, what is the future for many of the players on the current roster as the NBA’s trade season is officially underway?   Rich and Adam also go Around the NBA in 5.   So tune into this special edition Celtics Beat -- available for download in iTunes and Stitcher this Wednesday.  Powered by CLNS Radio. Learn more about your ad choice

So much for the Boston Celtics turning things around.  After three wins in a row, the Celts would give it all back including losing two to the NBA’s bottom feeders in the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks.  Boston now sits a full seven games under .500 as the New Year approaches.  Are changes inevitable? Hosts Rich Conte and Dr. Andre Snellings will discuss all the latest NBA trade buzz, as well as the possible Celtics involvement.  Rich will chat with one of the most connected insiders in the business -- Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling.  Jared was just recently in Boston and is set to release a feature story on these Celtics.  What’s going on with the Celtics? And who could possibly be on the move? Rich and Andre also go Around the NBA in 5. So tune into Celtics Beat -- available for download in iTunes and Stitcher this Sunday.  Powered by CLNS Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

December 7th -- what better way to kick off the big move to Sunday afternoons for the Celtics Beat podcast than to have our return to Sundays than Larry Bird's birthday.  It was another jammed packed week in the world of Boston Celtics basketball.  There were downs, such as another catastropic collapse Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks, but there were ups as well.  Two wins in a row! And oh yeah, didn't Rajon Rondo and Kobe Bryant have breakfast? Larry H. Russell is the host for the show, which promises to be a good one.  Two very special guests will be bringing their knowledge and expertise to the show.  The first is legendary scribe of all things Los Angeles sports, Mark Heisler.  Mark has been covering the Lakers for over 30 years and is currently writing for Forbes.  Mark and LHR will discuss Friday night's Lakers-Celtics matchup at the Garden, as well as all things Lakers.  Is it really that bad out in Lakerland? Is Jim Buss as bad as they say he is? And what do Lakers fans think of the overall st

It’s our last show on Saturday before the big move to Sunday afternoons.  Unfortunately, it was another demoralizing week for the Boston Celtics and their fans.  There was nothing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend.  It was same old, same old.  More losses and more blown leads.  The Baseline crew of Cal Lee and Warren Shaw are here to make sense of it.   Cal and Warren will be joined by SB Nation and About.com’s Kevin O’Connor.  Kevin is most noted for his work over at Celtics Blog, including his most recent column today about Rajon Rondo needing a sports psychologist.  Will that clear Rondo’s woes? And what about Avery Bradley? We know Kevin is a big fan. And do the Celtics have a snowball's chance in hell against San Antonio tomorrow?   Cal and Warren also go Around the NBA in 5.   So tune into Celtics Beat -- available for download in iTunes and Stitcher this Saturday..  Powered by CLNS Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices