Jack Simone
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Celtics reporter: @BostonSportsBSJ | Co-Host: @HowBoutThemCs podcast
Articles by Jack Simone
NBA set Knicks up to show LeBron James what could have been
The New York Knicks got the job done last year. Finally. They won an NBA Championship. They proved that their current group is good enough to hang with the NBA’s immortals. Had they not, LeBron James might be suiting up in blue and orange right now. He effectively said as much. But now, the league has set the Knicks up to show James what he missed out on.
BSJ Live Coverage: Celtics at Pistons 3:00 p.m. - Opening Day in the NBA
BOSTON CELTICS at DETROIT PISTONS Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI Game time: 3:00 p.m. TV: NBC Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub Preview: The preseason was a perfect appetizer. A chance to dip your toes back into basketball. But now, it's time to dive into the deep end. Basketball is fully back. In the first game of the NBA season, the Boston Celtics will take on the Detroit Pistons at 3:00 p.m. on a Tuesday. Why isn't the first game of the year in a primetime slot? No idea. But here we are.
Jaden McDaniels shows the Knicks exactly what to do with OG Anunoby
Jaden McDaniels and the Minnesota Timberwolves just tacked on a one-year, $40 million contract extension to the end of his deal. It’s a big-time sum of money for one of the best defensive forwards in the NBA. It helps set the market. And OG Anunoby is absolutely part of that market. So, when the time comes, the New York Knicks should be willing to pay a premium price. Getting guys like McDaniels and Anunoby is not easy. Those types of players are extremely rare.
Derrick White helps spearhead Celtics' Curbside Care event
For Derrick White, it’s always been a no-brainer. He’s been a Curbside Care constant for years now. So, when the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, Tufts Health Plan (a Point23Health company), and Boston Medical Center hosted the event this year, he was there. White sat amongst BMC patient families as they celebrated the program’s success over the years. They split off into tables, creating different school lunches based on a variety of prompts. Peanut allergy — no peanuts allowed.
Predicting the 2026-27 Celtics: Proving themselves right, crucial depth, and rotation outsiders
DETROIT — Every outlet you can name is putting out season predictions right now. What are this team's biggest strengths? Weaknesses? Will they make the playoffs? The conference finals? The NBA Finals? All that and more. It's a part of the new-season ritual. Predictions are truly impossible, but they're a foundational part of sports. The media's job is to tell the team's story, but reporters are also an outlet for the fanbase. A place to turn to for discussion. For analysis. For thoughts.
JB Bickerstaff's latest claim is music to Ebuka Okorie's ears
The Detroit Pistons undoubtedly have high hopes heading into this season. They want to win a championship. Plain and simple. And one of the biggest assets the Pistons will have in their cabinet is their depth. The Pistons have a lot of depth. It will be up to JB Bickerstaff to use it, and he's well aware of what a challenge that could end up being.
Blazers' latest hint is setting up to be exactly what Ja Morant needs
Micah Nori is going to have some tough decisions to make this season when it comes to picking the right players to be on the floor. The Portland Trail Blazers have solid depth, but only five guys can be on the court at the same time. That said, it appears as though Nori has decided on the group he’s going to start games with.
Thunder's Cason Wallace extension is exactly what everyone needed right now
The Oklahoma City Thunder needed to extend Cason Wallace ASAP, and they finally got the deal done. ByJack Simone|Oct 19, 2026, 9:08 AM EDT Oct 13, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) runs onto the court during introductions before a game against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center.
The rest of the NBA clearly still doesn't understand Erik Spoelstra's powers
The Miami Heat made one of the biggest moves of the summer. If it weren’t for the Philadelphia 76ers trading for Jaylen Brown and landing LeBron James in free agency, it would have been the biggest move. Now, they should be a real threat to make some noise in the East. But the NBA’s GM survey doesn’t necessarily think so. According to that poll, nobody believes the Heat will be a top-two team in the Eastern Conference. Not one person.
76ers need Joel Embiid to lean into his best role player abilities
The Philadelphia 76ers are going to be one of the most interesting teams in the NBA to follow this year. They have an unbelievable amount of talent on their roster. LeBron James. Jaylen Brown. Tyrese Maxey. And then, there’s Joel Embiid. He’s going to have to lean into a lot of his best role-player skills this year to best help his teammates. In his prime, Embiid was one of the best big men in NBA history. And if he can stay healthy this year, perhaps there’s a chance he could return to that form.
JB Bickerstaff's latest claim is music to Ebuka Okorie's ears
The Detroit Pistons undoubtedly have high hopes heading into this season. They want to win a championship. Plain and simple. And one of the biggest assets the Pistons will have in their cabinet is their depth. The Pistons have a lot of depth. It will be up to JB Bickerstaff to use it, and he’s well aware of what a challenge that could end up being.
Simone: Balance is the word of the season for the Celtics
BRIGHTON -- The season is finally here. Perhaps one of the most anticipated Boston Celtics seasons in a while. But not for the same reasons as in the past. There was buzz when Boston acquired Kevin Garnett. Buzz when Brad Stevens took over as head coach. Buzz when they landed Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in the same offseason. This buzz is different. If you had taken a poll two months ago, you probably would have gotten the most negatively slanted view of the Celtics in years.
Hawks have given Jalen Johnson exactly what he needs this season
The Atlanta Hawks have a clear goal: Help Jalen Johnson. He's their best player. The guy who has the best chance at leading them to their next championship. Maybe he'll need a co-star at some point down the line (it seems likely), but in the meantime, they need to put good supporting pieces around him. And they've sneakily done a good job putting three-point floor-spacing around him heading into this season. It's only been a few preseason games, and you can't learn everything from the preseason.
Zyon Pullin already earning Timberwolves speculation without even making threes
The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to need guard depth this season. Losing Donte DiVincenzo in the playoffs last year is going to be a brutal pill to swallow all year, even though LaMelo Ball is going to play the bulk of the point guard minutes. Luckily for Minnesota, Zyon Pullin has looked great, and he didn't even need to make his shots on Friday night to prove that the Wolves need to keep him in mind this season. Pullin was a Summer League standout for the Wolves.
Matt Ishbia wasn't actually trying to call out Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant has been in the news again. Same with Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia. During a recent interview, a quote from Ishbia went viral: "I kind of just threw money at the problem... Bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn't necessarily lead to championships." Durant responded on Twitter, effectively calling Ishbia out for blaming him for the Suns’ lack of success. However, I don’t think Ishbia meant to blame Durant for anything.
NBA Notebook: New Celtics defense, Spanish inquisition, and Seattle's latest scare
After the Boston Celtics' preseason contest against the Charlotte Hornets, I wrote a column about the defense. About how the Celtics are going to be employing a new style this season. It's a style they tried to play last year. But they didn't have the personnel. Jaylen Brown is a point-of-attack defender. Neither Anfernee Simone nor Nikola Vucevic was suited to play a high-octane style of defense. Now, the Celtics do have the personnel.
Hawks have given Jalen Johnson exactly what he needs this season
The Atlanta Hawks have a clear goal: Help Jalen Johnson. He’s their best player. The guy who has the best chance at leading them to their next championship. Maybe he’ll need a co-star at some point down the line (it seems likely), but in the meantime, they need to put good supporting pieces around him. And they’ve sneakily done a good job putting three-point floor-spacing around him heading into this season. It’s only been a few preseason games, and you can’t learn everything from the preseason.
Zyon Pullin already earning Timberwolves speculation without even making threes
The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to need guard depth this season. Losing Donte DiVincenzo in the playoffs last year is going to be a brutal pill to swallow all year, even though LaMelo Ball is going to play the bulk of the point guard minutes. Luckily for Minnesota, Zyon Pullin has looked great, and he didn’t even need to make his shots on Friday night to prove that the Wolves need to keep him in mind this season. Pullin was a Summer League standout for the Wolves.
Brayden Burries hasn't been perfect but the Bucks need to prioritize him
It’s early. Preseason just wrapped up, and the preseason only matters so much. There’s only so much you can glean from preseason games. But Brayden Burries looks good. He looks really good. The rookie guard already looks like someone the Milwaukee Bucks need to prioritize moving forward. He should be a huge part of their future. Burries has been cooking this preseason. He’s been scoring well, passing well, and handling the ball well.
LeBron didn't care about the 76ers' last preseason game, because obviously
The Philadelphia 76ers rolled out most of their stars on Friday night for their preseason game against the Boston Celtics. It was their final preseason game of the year, and the Celtics didn’t take it too seriously. They sat all their regulars and started four training-camp guys and rookie Chris Cenac. From the jump, it looked like LeBron James didn’t really feel like playing basketball that night. And that’s okay. James was lollygagging up and down the court.
Celtics sign Devin Carter to two-way contract
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Boston Celtics have signed Devin Carter to a two-way contract. He spent training camp on an Exhibit 10 deal with the team. Carter will join Dillon Mitchell and Amari Williams as the Celtics' third and final two-way player heading into the season. Boston will be his second NBA team since getting drafted in 2023. This summer, the Sacramento Kings traded Carter -- the No. 13 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft -- to the Atlanta Hawks in an effective salary dump.
Thunder give great Aday Mara news after contract dispute flare-up
There’s been some drama surrounding the Oklahoma City Thunder’s rookie center, Aday Mara. Spanish club Basket Zaragoza is reportedly trying to challenge his NBA eligibility for this season, maintaining that Mara is still under contract with them for the 2026-27 season, and that they haven’t received any transfer requests (which they would oppose anyway). However, there is some good news.
Ausar Thompson just gave the Pistons a sign of life for his development
The Detroit Pistons are going to need some serious juice from Ausar Thompson this season. Utilizing him as a ball-handler will be essential, and the Pistons have certainly been trying to do that more during the preseason. But in the Pistons’ final preseason game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, Thompson showed a glimpse of something else: A jumper. With the shot clock winding down early in the third quarter, Thompson was left in the corner. Left to create something for himself.
Simone: Preseason is for learning, but you can't learn much
Friday night was odd. It almost felt like the Boston Celtics were playing games with the Philadelphia 76ers. Getting in their heads. But the Sixers did the same in Boston. When Philadelphia traveled to TD Garden, Jaylen Brown didn't play. And when the Celtics went down to Xfinity Mobile Arena, Jayson Tatum didn't play. The only star who played in both matchups was Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers played Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in Boston.
BSJ Game Report: Celtics 125, 76ers 120 - An undefeated preseason
In their fourth and final preseason game, the Boston Celtics traveled south to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. But the starting lineups looked weird. Very weird. Philadelphia played most of its top stars. Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid were all active. But with Sam Cassell leading the way as head coach, Boston played its training camp guys. It was Milos Uzan, Hayden Gray, Tucker DeVries, Gabe McGlothan, and Chris Cenac. Those were the players the Celtics started with.
BSJ Live Coverage: Celtics at 76ers preseason 7:00 p.m. - Last preseason contest
BOSTON CELTICS at PHILADELPHIA 76ERS Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA Game time: 7:00 p.m. TV: NBC Sports Boston Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub Preview: Just one more game to go before they begin to count. The Boston Celtics will be on the road on Friday night, taking on the Philadelphia 76ers for the second time this preseason. Last time out, the Celtics played their regulars, but the Sixers kept LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid on the pine.
Simone Fontecchio will have ultimate Heat opportunity with Giannis
If the Miami Heat want to cement their place as one of the league’s top title contenders this upcoming season, they need to ensure they have the best-fitting lineups around Giannis Antetokounmpo at all times. And three-point shooting will be one of the most important traits to look for. That’s why Simone Fontecchio has the chance to quickly emerge as one of their most essential depth pieces. Fontecchio may not seem like a crucial guy in the grand scheme of the Heat’s rotation.
Simone: Big things coming for Boston's bigs
BOSTON -- On paper, offense shouldn't be too hard to come by for the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum is one of the best creators in the league. Payton Pritchard is a wizard with the ball in his hands. Paul George is liable to light it up, and Derrick White is an underappreciated ball-handler. But with Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Pritchard, and White last year, the Celtics still failed to get past 100 points when it mattered most. They sputtered out in the postseason. The offensive well dried up.
BSJ Game Report: Celtics 114, Hornets 93 - Boston surges ahead in fourth
BOSTON -- For the second straight preseason game, the Boston Celtics rolled out their regulars. This time around, though, the game wasn't a blowout. So, a lot of the big-minute guys played the whole game. After an impressive first half, the Charlotte Hornets slowly caught up. Bit by bit, they chewed into the Celtics' lead. Yet when it came time to close, the Celtics delivered. A Payton Pritchard-led offensive group eventually closed the deal.
BSJ Live Coverage: Celtics vs. Hornets preseason 7:30 p.m. - Another chance to get warm
BOSTON CELTICS vs. CHARLOTTE HORNETS Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA Game time: 7:30 p.m. TV: NBC Sports Boston Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub Preview: This will be the Boston Celtics' third of four preseason games. In the first, they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers without playing any of their regulars. In the second, they demolished the Philadelphia 76ers with almost everyone active. That leaves some question marks ahead of Wednesday night's contest. Who will play?
Jalen Duren and John Collins lineups can unlock secret sauce for Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are heading into the season as a team looking to make another leap. They were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last year, but they got bounced in the second round of the playoffs. Now, after a few small summer moves, they want more. And the combination of John Collins and Jalen Duren will be an interesting one to watch as they attempt to get more. Detroit added Collins in free agency, and they managed to re-sign Duren in the dying moments of the summer.
Inside the world of Celtics shooting school
BRIGHTON -- If you ask Joe Mazzulla himself, he was never a great basketball player. By NBA standards, that may be true. But from a normal person's perspective, it's anything but. Mazzulla was a regular rotation piece at West Virginia for five years (four plus an injury-ended junior campaign). He earned 2009-10 All-Region honors. He even helped the Mountaineers take down John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. By all accounts, Mazzulla was a phenomenal basketball player.
Thunder can copy Celtics to turn Josh Dix into Sam Hauser
The Oklahoma City Thunder might have found another hidden gem. Josh Dix is on a two-way contract with the Thunder heading into this year, and he already looks like a very interesting developmental piece. They could copy the same path the Boston Celtics took with Sam Hauser – an undrafted free agent who developed into an elite three-point option. Dix and Hauser aren’t exactly the same, but they have very similar builds. Both are tall wings who can shoot lights out when given the chance.
Payton Pritchard inks two-year extension with Celtics
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Boston Celtics have signed a two-year, $44.2 million contract extension. The deal will tack onto his current contract and includes a mutual option for the 2029-30 campaign. The 29-year-old guard still has two years left on his current deal at $7.8 million for the 2026-27 season and $8.3 million for the 2027-28 season. Then, the first year of his new, two-year contract kicks in (at around $22.1 million in average annual value).
BSJ Live Q&A: Simone on Celtics/NBA, 5:00 p.m. Tuesday 10.13.2026
A trip to Charleston, South Carolina, two preseason games, and plenty of media opportunities have come and gone. The new-look Boston Celtics are here. How are they going to play on defense? How did Jayson Tatum look in his first game of the year? What about Paul George and Mitchell Robinson? For the first time in months, basketball is back. So, let's hear all the questions you can possibly think of.
Simone: Celtics basketball (all basketball) is full of uncertainty
BRIGHTON -- This time last year, the Boston Celtics wanted to be more chaotic. They wanted to run around on defense, force steals, and pivot from the standstill, one-on-one defensive style they had employed in years past. It was a welcome change for both the players and the public. Fans were excited to watch the Celtics play physical and pressure the ball more than normal. But after a few months, everything shifted. They abandoned the turnover-creating, run-around defense in favor of the old style.
Hawks need Aaron Wiggins to bring exactly what the preseason has showed
The Atlanta Hawks are one of the more interesting teams heading into next season. They made the playoffs – and made a little bit of noise in the first round – but now they have to improve even more. CJ McCollum is back, and they also added guys like Lu Dort and rookie Kingston Flemings. But perhaps the most important addition the Hawks made this summer was Aaron Wiggins.
Simone: Defense is already this Celtics team's calling card
BOSTON -- For years, the Boston Celtics were all about defense. Throughout the Doc Rivers and Brad Stevens years, Boston was always one of the best defensive teams in the league. Ime Udoka's single season produced a Marcus Smart Defensive Player of the Year. Since Joe Mazzulla took over, the public perception has shifted. It's all about the threes. And in a way, that's fair. Mazzulla Ball has been widely associated with 3-pointers (and a lot of them).
BSJ Game Report: Celtics 144, 76ers 106 - Boston bullies its rival
BOSTON -- Jaylen Brown was back at TD Garden, but he didn't suit up. In fact, Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid were all out for the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. It was the Boston Celtics' second preseason game after they took down the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. Everyone but Devin Carter and Ron Harper Jr. was active. And Boston's stars came to play. Jayson Tatum looked like the best version of himself. He was scoring the ball at will.
BSJ Live Coverage: Celtics vs. 76ers preseason 8:00 p.m. - Jaylen Brown is back at TD Garden
BOSTON CELTICS vs. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA Game time: 8f:00 p.m. TV: NBC Sports Boston Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub Preview: Just two preseason games into the Boston Celtics' slate, and Jaylen Brown is already back at TD Garden. He and the Philadelphia 76ers are in town for a preseason contest. Boston beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first preseason game, and Philadelphia has already played two. The Sixers beat the New York Knicks, then lost to the Brooklyn Nets.
Yang Hansen's Blazers minutes are already off to a rough start
The Portland Trail Blazers quietly have a pretty stacked center rotation. Most people look to the guards – Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, and Jrue Holiday – or even the wings, with Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Shaedon Sharpe. But with how many solid centers they have on the roster, second-year big man Yang Hansen might not get much playing time. Head coach Micah Nori said as much. Portland is happy with how Yang has looked good.
Heat got close look at trade target ideas in preseason Pelicans game
The Miami Heat just wrapped up their second game of the preseason, and they were able to get a first-hand look at some potential trade targets for later in the season. The New Orleans Pelicans may end up being a seller at this year’s deadline, and guys like Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and Saddiq Bey could potentially be intriguing targets for the Heat to go after. This season, the Heat have championship aspirations. In a way, anything less would be a disappointment.
Simone: The preseason was made for overreactions
CLEVELAND -- Preseason is preseason. At the end of the day, these games mean nothing. In a couple of weeks, every team's slate will be wiped clean, and the real season will begin. It's also impossible to know how teams will prepare. Will your opponent play their top guys? Will they be going all-out? Are they hiding strategies until the regular season? It's the land of the unknown.
BSJ Game Report: Celtics 124, Cavaliers 113 - Boston's rotation downs Cleveland regulars
CLEVELAND -- It was the first taste of Boston Celtics basketball in months, and Joe Mazzulla wasn't even on the sideline. Tony Dobbins and DJ MacLeay led what ended up being a back-and-forth affair between the Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. James Harden didn't play, but otherwise the Cavaliers rolled with their regulars. Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen all started. Boston didn't go into the night with the same game plan.
Knicks can say goodbye to Mikal Bridges if Karl-Anthony Towns drama gets worse
It seems like things haven’t been going too well for Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks. Towns clearly wants to stick around in New York and help the Knicks keep their team together, but considering the two sides haven’t agreed on an extension, it doesn’t seem like the Knicks want to pay him too much. James Dolan has gone on the record saying he will not go into the second apron.
BSJ Live Coverage: Celtics at Cavaliers preseason 7:00 p.m. - First taste of Boston basketball
BOSTON CELTICS at CLEVELAND CAVALIERS Location: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH Game time: 7:00 p.m. TV: NBC Sports Boston Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub Celtics injury report: Cavaliers injury report: Preview: For the first time in months, the Boston Celtics will take the court yet again. Last time around, their season ended in devastating fashion. On Thursday night, the stakes will be much lower. They'll be taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game of the preseason.
Joe Mazzulla won't coach Celtics' first preseason game -- enter Tony Dobbins and DJ MacLeay
CLEVELAND -- It's been more than five months since the Boston Celtics last played basketball. Obviously, as they get set to lace up on Thursday night, the stakes will be much lower. Instead of playing for their season in a Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers, they'll take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game of the preseason. A new team ready to begin a new season. But one person will be missing. At least, missing on the sideline.
Simone's Training Camp Notebook: Simulating the unpredictable
CHARLESTON -- Every team has a chance. Technically speaking, any team could win the NBA Championship this season. Any team could make the playoffs. Any team could take a major jump. That's why everyone is happy during training camp. Barring disaster, teams should be eager. Excited to see what the new campaign can bring them. So, can vibes really be the story? Can that be the big takeaway from training camp every year? In some cases, yes.
Ariel Hukporti injury has moved the spotlight onto Adem Boma
Not much can go wrong in the preseason. Realistically speaking, the only bad thing that can happen is an injury. And unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to the Philadelphia 76ers in their preseason contest. Ariel Hukporti went down with a non-contact injury, and it looks like it could be an Achilles rupture. That would make Adem Bona more important than he was going to be. The 76ers were already heading into the season with some pretty rough center depth.
It's time for Anthony Davis to let the Lakers' center drama go
For the last few years of Anthony Davis’ tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, most of the noise surrounded his desire to play with a center. But before they ever landed a center for him to play with, they shipped him out, trading him for Luka Doncic in one of the most infamous (or famous, if you’re the Lakers) deals in the history of basketball. Fast forward to the present day, a year and a half later, and Davis is still talking about how the Lakers never traded for a center for him to play with.
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