Latest news with #GaryWashburn
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What lessons can the Boston Celtics learn from the 2025 NBA Finals?
What lessons can the Boston Celtics learn from the 2025 NBA Finals? What lessons can the Boston Celtics learn from the 2025 NBA Finals? The Celtics find themselves in a position they are not often in over the course of the last several years, watching the postseason unfold after an early exit in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals second round at the hands of the New York Knicks. In their stead, we have the Indiana Pacers taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finals, with the Pacers having shocked the world by beating the Thunder in Game 1 of the series. What lessons are there for Boston to take away from this series, the teams that are playing in it, and the decisions and style of play that got them both there? The hosts of the CLNS Media "The Big Three NBA" podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely, Gary Washburn, and Kwani Lunis, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What can the Boston Celtics learn from the Oklahoma City Thunder?
What can the Boston Celtics learn from the Oklahoma City Thunder? What can the Boston Celtics learn from the Oklahoma City Thunder? The Thunder are about to face off against the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and with a veritable haul of assets and a host of young players already on the roster, looking poised to contend for the short- and medium-term future. The Celtics, on the other hand, find themselves pondering major changes to their top-heavy roster in an offseason that arrived much earlier than expected, knocked out of the postseason in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals second round series they lost to the New York Knicks. The hosts of the CLNS Media "The Big Three NBA" podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely, Gary Washburn, and Kwani Lunis, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
Hans India
7 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
NBA finals spotlights parity as Thunder, Pacers prove small markets can win big
The 2025 NBA Finals will see the Oklahoma City Thunder face off against the Indiana Pacers—two small-market teams that defy traditional NBA success models. With OKC ranking as the league's third-smallest media market and Indiana the ninth, this matchup showcases how smart team-building, youth development, and chemistry can rival the old playbook of max contracts and superteams. According to the Boston Globe, this series lacks the glitz of legacy markets like Los Angeles or New York but features the best teams from each conference. Both franchises avoided luxury tax spending and built their rosters without flashy free agent signings. 'Prepare for an entertaining and intriguing Finals,' writes Gary Washburn, even if casual fans might need a quick intro to some lesser-known names. The Indianapolis Star noted how the Pacers and Thunder took alternate but organic paths to success—prioritizing internal growth over high-stakes trades. While stars like Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came via trades, their teams cultivated chemistry quickly. Pacers center Myles Turner called it 'a new blueprint' and suggested the era of superteams may be fading. emphasized that this Finals may test the NBA's embrace of parity, even if the league might have preferred a higher-profile team like the Knicks for marketing purposes. But in the era of League Pass and deep rosters, fans have greater access to great basketball from every corner of the league. 'Good basketball and good stories' may prove to be the real draw. Still, as The Athletic points out, revenue implications are real. Merchandise and ticket sales may be lower than if major-market teams had advanced. But because of fixed TV deals, ratings won't hurt the league's short-term finances. With last year's Finals posting the lowest ratings since 2007, expectations are modest—but the quality of play may surprise many. This year's Finals is more than a championship—it's a signal that the NBA's path to success is changing, and small-market dreams are now very much alive.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why the Warriors must avoid Game 7 vs. the Rockets
Why the Warriors must avoid Game 7 vs. the Rockets Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn to discuss Golden State's poor performance in Game 5 against Houston and how the squad could be in trouble if it blows another 3-1 series lead. Hear the full conversation on 'Good Word with Goodwill' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript It would behoove the Golden State Warriors to get this series done with on Friday. Advertisement You do not want to go back to Houston for a game seven where any damn thing can happen. For a veteran team, I was extremely disappointed with how they came out. I think we, they fell behind like 46, 24, and it was just, it was one of those like, come on guys. Like, you generally don't benefit by giving games away. If you're the Warriors, you do not want to go back to Toyota Center for Game 7, you do not want to have that environment, you know, you, you've got them where you want them. Like, Houston's gonna have to go into a tough environment as a young team and try to grind out a road win under the most dire. Advertisement circumstances like with their butts on the line. Can they do that? Houston, they don't have a closer. Jalen Green was on the bench the last minute to game 4, and Fred Van Vleet was the one trying to carry him. They are a fraudulent second seed. The Oklahoma City is looking at them and going, that's the 2nd best team in the West? Oh, OK. But They can sneak out a win in, in, in, in San Francisco and bring it on home, and then that becomes anything goes. And, and at this point for the Warriors to blow a 3-1 lead in the first round and lose that series, they're right back in the category as the Lakers of, OK, what do we do now? Advertisement Steph, Draymond, this is the, the final days. And if you, you know, you would, there's gonna be a lot of questions if they bought a 3-1 lead, and a lot of questions about the future if they can't overcome this and win this series.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Suns are a 'mess' that front office changes may not fix
Suns are a 'mess' that front office changes may not fix | Good Word with Goodwill Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn to discuss Phoenix's promotion of Brian Gregory to general manager, demoting GM James Jones to a senior adviser role and the problems the club still faces heading into the offseason. Hear the full conversation on 'Good Word with Goodwill' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
