Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 I wrote on this subject in the middle of the 2019-20 season. Celtics boss, Danny Ainge , voiced his concern about his team having "equal depth" and no ":clear hierarchy"  That issue was partially solved through the disappearance of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward from the Celtics landscape. The two stars clashed, with each wanting a top role in the team's fate.  Some analysts argue that Jaylen Brown should be traded since he and Jayson Tatum on the same is redundant, that is, they have similar skills and size . I disagree . The only real issue here is the question of who leads this team. Brown is a year older than Tatum and has an extra year under his belt in the League and with the Celtics. But thus far, it seems quite certain that Jaylen is the Alpha-best-player. That is the only dilemma. Ainge saw no drastic signs of any power struggle among his comrades in the 80's, with Larry Bird the top dog. Not so with the 2008 Championship crew. Paul Pierce h

 When his body was still in Boston (but most-likely not his spirit), Kyrie Irving stated that he experienced no racism in Boston . Now, prior to his return to TD Garden on Friday night for Game 3, we hear differently. Which is it bud pic.twitter.com/gmVRrIttGv — Jayson Tatum’s Advocate. (@HoopsWLegend) May 26, 2021 Yes, Which is it, Bud? This is a mindless, desperate attempt by Kyrie Irving to divert attention from his unwelcome return to a TD Garden venue (almost) filled with fans I hope will not abandon their own team, but will loudly - and peacefully - voice their displeasure at his abrupt departure. Irving is telling Celtics fans not to boo him, or he will be labeling the crowd reaction as racism. I personally don't care if a player is purple with diagonal clashing stripes. If they play hard & can be placed into a shrinking population of decent individuals, I love them. Kyrie checked the first box. Maybe not the second. Attention-diverting tactic. https://t.co/cakJlmp7S3

 If you are gloom and doom about the Boston Celtics, stop reading. I won't change your mind. But here are some enlightening facts from a 6-decade fan of The Green that tend to evade negativity and focus on the real picture. The Celtics have won roughly 25% of all available Titles in the past 60 years. The Green took 9-out-of-10 Championships in the 60's, 2-of-10 in the 70's, 3-of-10 in the 80's., and the final one (for now) in 2008. Granted, with only nine teams in the 60's, and Bill Russell on board, taking the trophy 90% of the time was easier. Much harder now with 30 teams. Celtics fans may be a bit spoiled. Red Auerbach's rule of his team was close to that of a dictator Sam Jones said it. "Red treated everyone the same -- badly." Not totally true. Auerbach was brutal with Tommy Heinsohn but handled Russell "with kid gloves". All others were recipients of Red's wrath. It is now a player's League. That type of team rule won't fl

 The Celtics fell to the Nets, 104-93 in Game One of the series, and in the end, it was one superstar for Boston versus three superstuds for Brooklyn. The Celtics sorely missed Jaylen Brown , particularly on the defensive end. But the story of the night was the super-athletic Robert Williams III coming away with a near triple-double of 11 points, nine boards and a record-setting nine blocked shots . Rob set a Celtics record for most blocks in a playoff game and an NBA record for most blocks by a bench playe r in the post-season. Rob Williams' near-triple double was THE record-setting story from Celtics 104-93 loss to Nets. Article to follow. Robert Williams III R1G1 Highlights vs Brooklyn Nets (11 pts, 9 reb, 9 blk) https://t.co/eIe3BZOei3 via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) May 23, 2021 Williams was all over the floor and, for the most-part, in control. He not only goes to the rafters on his jumps - he is  a quick leaper . He gets into the air rapidly and repeatedly.

 The optimists in Beantown are hoping for one or two wins over the Nets in the upcoming matchup. Regardless of the outcome, what happens in this series will go a long way to defining the following season. Danny Ainge has stated fans can expect he, Brad Stevens, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will all be back for the 2021-22 campaign . The rest is in Limbo. Danny Ainge told @Dan_Shaughnessy that he, Brad Stevens, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown will all still be part of the #Celtics next season. This shouldn't surprise (or disappoint) you, but in case you were curious... https://t.co/8orO0upg5S — Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) May 17, 2021 Much of the hope for a hard-fought series lies in the hands of Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Evan Fournier . Beyond that foursome, I find it interesting that at least one Brooklyn sports writer feels the center matchup featuring the Nets DeAndre Jordan and the Celtics Tristan Thompson is critical, basing the slant on Thompson'

 I apologize for labeling Jayson Tatum as a "commodity" , but the NBA is in the business of buying, selling and trading their players in order to improve themselves. Here's my view. The boxes to be checked to determine a franchise player include age (young, hopefully), skills, durability, leadership. and savvy. In short, who would you build your team around? Jayson recently turned 23 and probably won't reach his peak for another four or five years. His skills are undeniable. He no longer has any significant weaknesses . He rarely is out of action for very long due to injuries, and he often takes over games now - while getting his comrades involved. Brian Scalabrine once told me that Tatum has his head on straight, and I agree. He had added craftiness to his game, and it shows. Totally agree, and if @jaytatum0 stays healthy his raw numbers will be better than Bird’s when it’s time to put a ribbon on Tatum’s career. We’re blessed that he’s a Celtic. The rings are com