Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

Don't expect to read about any outrageous Celtics moves in this blog. I am not saying they won't happen because, after all, we are talking Trader Danny here. But bringing bruising center, Aron Baynes, back into the Celtics fold is doable and may be one of the roster tweaks that brings success. Aron is an unrestricted free agent and had a decent season with the Phoenix Suns in 2019-20. In 22.2 minutes per game, he averaged 11.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.6 APG while hitting 48% of his field goals and 59-of-168 (35%) from beyond the arc. With all of the talent on the present Boston roster, the team still lacks strength and physicality . Baynes possesses both of those qualities. Heading back in time to the 2007-08 Championship season, the Celtics did very well with Kendrick Perkins at the center spot, despite Perkins' weakness as a scorer from any distance. But Kendrick was tough and fit nicely alongside Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. Baynes can do likewise partne

There is no question that the present Celtics corps is extremely skilled, but they are mostly a finesse team. What they generally lack are physical strength and the will and ability to manhandle opposing players. I long for the days when Kareem Abdul Jabbar used to complain about being physically abused by Celtics center, Dave Cowens, with allegedly little notice by officials. Marcus Smart is the exception here. He is a darker, shorter version of Big Red, and Marcus takes no nonsense, physical or otherwise, from any member of the opposition. Bumping and grinding to gain position on offense or defense can be exhausting. Bill Russell once commented that repeatedly jumping for an elusive rebound tired him more than any other task on the hardwood. Cowens could quickly cover the guards on the perimeter, and get back to his man to battle underneath. Marcus Smart does the same, and the height, weight and toughness of his opponent makes no difference. The Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler and the

Rajon Rondo has been pegged by many as a future NBA coach since his early years with the Boston Celtics. The two-time Champion has won Titles with both Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers and has four All-Star appearances to his credit. If he chooses free agency, coming back to Boston - first as a member of the rotation - and finally as an assistant coach makes a lot of sense. Rondo will turn 35 years old in February, so a 2-year deal with a player option for year #2 might be sufficient bait if a promise of a coaching position is attached. The Louisville product is expected to opt out of his 2020-21 deal with the Lakers for $2.6 million and head into unrestricted free agency.  In the 2020 playoffs, the 6'1" point guard produced 8.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.6 APG and 1.4 SPG in an average of 25 minutes of action. Long gone are the days when defenders would back off from him when he had the ball at any distance from the hoop. In the post-season, he hit 20-of-50 3-pointers for 40% accuracy.

 This is not to say that many skilled ball-handlers and wings have come to Boston and helped bring 17 Championships, but over the past six decades, the main difference-makers have been big men.  Bill Russell In the 1956 NBA draft, Red Auerbach came away with an absolute haul of talent in 6'9.5"   Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn and K C Jones. But it was Russell who ended his career with the most Titles, racking up 11 of them - all with the Celtics. If you mentally exclude Russ from the equation, there would have been Championships in the late-50's and sixties for Boston, but certainly not 11 of them.  Dave Cowens Auerbach knew that, following Russell's retirement, the center trio of  7' Hank Finkel, 6'7" Rich Johnson and 6'8" Jim Barnes was not the answer for the loss of Big Bill. So in the 1970 draft, he took 6'8.5" Dave Cowens, a board-eating center with a ferocious style and amazing quickness for a big white guy. Red's decision was m

The Miami Heat are not the epitome of what is viewed as the ultimate, modern NBA team. They are not especially quick or athletic, but they took over last night's Game Five versus the Los Angeles Lakers to close the gap to 3-2 in favor of the Lakers. It starts with Jimmy Butler . Many Boston fans remember him as the guy they did not want to see in Boston. Well, he chose to go to Miami in free agency, and it looks like a fine decision on bis part. Butler doesn't get the job done with upper-level athleticism, but he is so fundamentally sound. His footwork, passing and mid-range game were all on display  Jimmy played all-but-one minute in the 111-108 victory, scoring 35 points, while adding 12 boards, 11 assists, five steals, one block and only three turnovers. And he only committed two personal fouls while tending to Lebron James for much of the game. Butler attempted 19 field goals (making 11 of them), and only three of those 19 attempts were 3-pointers. He just seemed to be maki

Aaron Nesmith stands at 6'6" and weighs in at 215 pounds, with an impressive wingspan of 6'10". But most of all, he is a dead-eye shooter whose accuracy from deep should translate well to the NBA (per NBADraft.net's Nick Mazone ): He can catch and shoot as well as anybody in this year’s class, and excels in his off-ball movement … Understands the importance of movement to free himself for looks … Very effective when catching and shooting off-ball screens and uses constant motion to get open … Muscle memory. Has a pretty quick and high release with consistent form which allows him to get his shot off in tight windows  Nesmith hit 52% of his 3-pointers this past season, and his constant-motion offense is a weapon sorely lacking in recent Celtics lineups. And his height and wingspan seem tailor-made for Brad Stevens' systems. Nesmith may just be a player that can step right into the Boston lineup coming off the bench for 10-12 minutes per game. He just reeks &qu

Allow me at first to state that possibly inking free agent, DeMarcus Cousins, to a vet-minimum deal for the upcoming season would be a major risk for for even Riverboat Gambler, Danny Ainge. Boogie has never been accused of possessing a stable demeanor, and his recent injury history (ACL tear being the most-recent) poses more questions. But the 6'11", 270 pound center is big, strong and athletic. Although never known for his defensive prowess, the shot at getting his first Championship ring with the right team might just be the inspiration he needs. And although it may seem like Cousins is ready for the rocking chair, he turned 30 years old over the summer.  In 30 games with the Golden State Warriors during the 2018-19 season, in only 25.7 MPG, Cousins produced 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Boston desperately needs some size and strength in the middle for certain match-ups. If Boogie is fully-recovered and bent on finally wearing a

You know what I am talking about. The Rip Hamilton type of player. Or Reggie Miller. The Celtics had one way back, and his name was John Havlicek. How about Klay Thompson? Same deal. Boston sorely needs a player that never stops moving on offense and can score on the move or in a stop-and-pop situation. The Miami Heat have a current version in that mold in rookie Tyler Herro, and while on the subject, second-year man, Duncan Robinson, does pretty well also. This type of player simply demands constant attention on the perimeter and opens up situations for teammates to score down low. Fourteen-year veteran JJ Redick has spent his career moving and scoring for various teams. Now with the Pelicans, the 36-year-old swingman has never been known for his in-your-shirt defense, but he has endured regardless. In a Brad Stevens-coached team, no defense means little playing time, but the Celtics need for this type of motion-driven scoring may supersede that thinking. Danny Ainge could attempt to