Havlicek Stole the Pod: How the Celtics can contend again by hitting singles vs. home runs

Under the current NBA collective bargaining agreement (CBA), what a contender looks like has started to change – and how contenders play in the postseason as well. As the Boston Celtics begin the process of shifting their team from a contender under the former regime to the present one, fans of the team might be expecting moves that may never come to pass.

To be clearer, the days of spending deep into the tax for multiple seasons as franchises pile on talent to a talented core are likely gone for the foreseeable future. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks have instead leaned into depth and flexibility in ways it looks like the Celtics could already be emulating. What does this look like in practice? How will the way the players play and the coaches coach change? And how are we seeing current contenders like the Spurs and Knicks play out this new model of contention in the 2026 NBA FInals?

To get a better idea of what this might look like in practice, the hosts of “Havlicek Stole the Pod” linked up with cohost of the “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast, Jack Simone, to break down what we’re seeing unfold, and what we think might be coming. We also get caught up on the news still emerging this deep int a longer-than-usual offseason, so be sure to tune in.

Listen to “Havlicek Stole the Pod” on:

Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp

iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47

YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: How the Celtics can contend again by hitting singles over home runs