Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  Tonight the Celtics honor the only man to be a part of every championship banner that hangs in the rafters. The great player, coach and announcer Tommy Heinsohn, a man we all miss on the broadcast. A man we all considered family because he was the voice of our beloved Celtics. A man who if you had the chance to meet him as I did, was an even better person than all his basketball achievements. The man we all remember swearing on air at a bad call vs Jordans Bulls. The man we here at the Sentinel honor with our award based on his Tommy point system. I could go on and on about him.  1st Quarter Refs are already making a negative impact on the game in favor of Miami. Lowry is already starting his childish antics and flailing about. JB seems to be locked in from the start. He tends to be our lightning out of the bottle at the starts of game. His game is very smooth out there. What we need to see from him now is the ability to get guys involved like JT does.  JTs ability to use his body to

 With the knee injury to Rob Williams , Celtics fans need to remember that this was labeled as a "bridge season" with low expectation - that recently turned into a season of real hope for an extended playoff run. The word on the supremely-athletic center is that he is out of action indefinitely with a meniscus tear. It is concerning that Williams III can't remember any specific play that may have caused the injury, possibly indicating that the damage occurred over a number of games. Any plan that works for Rob also works for the Celtics in the long haul. Rushing back a player with a knee issue that relies on quick movements and elevation to thrive could be a disaster, for both RWill and the team.  Caution should reign here, and Boston sports fans - including myself - need to hope for the best - but prepare for the worst , at least in the short term. Rob has been an exciting breakout player this season and provides virtually everything but shooting from distance. There

  1st Quarter So no RWill for at least a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. That's a huge loss to this team, especially given how dominate this group has been. With that said tonight's game will not have our studs, JB and JT. What does that mean overall, does the seeding in the playoffs matter?! Is this a good thing that the Jays are getting this break tonight?! Any thoughts Celtics fans?  Will tonight be a coming out party for 3Smith? Given the lack of healthy guys we should get to see him play and expect him to play well. One thing we learned last season is given play he can ball. It would be nice to see him and PP get some time out there together. Nothing about tonight is ideal but fully expect this group to play hard on both ends.  Celtics are holding their own so far tonight, gotta say the effort is there! They came to compete and shock the Raptors! This shows to the heart of this team, despite injury and time to heal for the Jays they want to win. Tonight's offensive execution

  What's not to love about this team right now?! I'll tell you RWill getting hurt, makes all Celtics fans want to SCREAM! With that said it's time for other guys to step up and perform, thank goodness for Al and DTheis. Maybe even the Green Kornet!!!!  Expect to see more Aaron Nesmith which I feel deepens the bench come playoffs. So heck of a game last night and we love giving out awards! Our guy had 15 points on 4 of 6 shooting, 2 of 4 from three and perfection from the line. He also had 2 rebounds and 6 assists. Any guesses Celtics fans?!  Congrats to DWhite on winning the Celtics Sentinel Citation Award! He's going to need to be huge this postseason! Bleed Green Celtics Fans! 

 Pre-season, the Boston Celtics were pegged as having mediocre talent - being borderline-boring on the court - and having slim chances of being any serious Title threat . That has all changed with their re-invigoration since New Years Day and their current ranking at N umber-1 in the East . Here's why! (A)DAPTION: "The measure of intelligence is the ability to change." -- Albert Einstein What caused the awakening in a Celtics team that started the season looking as though they were half-asleep?It starts with Marcus Smart . He has gone from fireball defender to more-than-able point guard who has become a scoring threat and skilled facilitator - while still maintaining that defensive fire . Both members of the Jay Team are now trusting their teammates and getting them the ball. Grant Williams has transformed into a reliable 6th-or-7th man with his outside shooting and determined defense . The list goes on, but the adaption by most of the Celtics crew has been phenom

    1st Quarter Boston welcomes KAT and the Wolves,  another challenging opponent. A team that earlier in the year beat us and all their key players were out. They are playing just as good as anyone. Expect the Celtics to try to shut KAT down and force other guys to beat them. It always comes down to D, and we know this group takes pride on the defensive end. Let's Go C's and grab the bull by the horns. Didn't they say the game starts at 6, by my watch it's past 6.  Garden sounds like it's rocking already! The Wolverine can have his way getting to the rack tonight. He's off from three right now, but his passing looks crisp. JB for THREE! Right now he's trucking, going 3 for 3 early one. He's the spark that's lighting the fire tonight. Tatum getting inside using his physique to get two! Love Tatum's D on KAt right there! RWill clearing up the rebound with the JAM! Celtics D is leading to offensive joy, keep this rolling guys!  Side note KAT is 100

 If you want the unfiltered, unadulterated lowdown on a future NBA player, just ask a seasoned, but anonymous, pro basketball scout. That is what CelticsBlog did when they inquired about Celtics stashes, Yam Madar and Juhann Begarin ., The following quotes are are via Keith P. Smith: Yam Madar on offense : His biggest flaw remains an aversion to contact. He’s a good free throw shooter, but he does everything he can to avoid contact still. Maybe that will change, but he needs to get stronger. Still loses the ball when he drives too much for my liking. Madar on defense: In a team scheme, like Boston’s, he’ll probably hold up ok. But Payton Pritchard is their weakest defender, right? Madar is miles behind Pritchard as a defender. He’s not as quick and he doesn’t have the strong base Pritchard has. Overall on Madar: Now, I think he can be a solid third point guard. Maybe a change-of-pace guy. Brad Stevens loved those guys and got a lot out of Shane Larkin, Brad Wanamaker and Phil Pressey.

 Jaylen Brown as a "version of (Michael) Jordan". Jayson Tatum as "Kevin Durant-ish" and "flirting with First Team All-NBA". The following is from my interview of Brian Scalabrine several years ago, before The Jay Team had reached their current level of stardom.  "It'll be determined on Championships. Jayson can be Kevin Durant-ish. Jaylen can be - gosh - I hate using Michael Jordan, because I don't think he can be Michael Jordan -but the way he plays, and moves - and see how he jumps in the air - ever remember when Jordan would jump and and elevate, kind of float, keep the ball high in the air. Jaylen does that a lot. I hate doing that (Jordan comparison) - Jordan - best player ever - he (Jaylen) can be more of his version of Jordan - more catch-and-shoot - he has that defensive mentality - watch the way they both get in that defensive stance - both those guys (Jay-Team) have a tremendous upside - tremendous - more than anything, it's how

  As things sit right now, the Brooklyn Nets would take on the Toronto Raptors (in Toronto) in the first game of the Play-in Tournament, as the 7th and 8th seeds , respectively. So, what's the glitch? Toronto is the only NBA city where the still-unvaccinated Kyrie Irving can't play. Irving has been on a tear since the All-Star Break , and his absence could lower the Net's chances at making the final eight teams in the East - although a loss to the Raptors would still give Brooklyn a second game in which to remain the the playoff picture. Here are Kyrie's post-All-Star stats : Post All-Star break stats:  38.7 ppg | 4.0 rpg | 5.7 apg | 2.0 spg It is obvious that Irving would be sorely missed if this scenario comes to fruition. A loss in Toronto would mean a second game versus the winner of the Atlanta-Charlotte Play-In contest and a win would move Brooklyn to the 8th seed against the Miami Heat. A loss to Charlotte or Atlanta would remove them from the post-season . We

 The Celtics Jayson Tatum sits barely outside of the Kia MVP Ladder's Top-5, currently ranked at number-6. But he occupies space in the NBA.com's "Five impressive players since the All-Star Break" ( per NBA.com's Michael C. Wright ): On the verge of cracking the top five in the  Kia Race to the MVP Ladder  after blessing us with 30-plus points in three consecutive games recently, including a 36-point performance against Oklahoma City that included seven rebounds, six assists, a block and two steals. Before the All-Star break, Tatum averaged 25.7 points. He raised that to 32.1 ppg in the 14 games after as Boston has won 10 of its last 11 outings after Wednesday’s victory against Utah. The shooting percentages have gone up, too. Tatum hit 43.4% on field goals before the break and 50.7% after, while increasing his 3-point percentage to 43.8% from 32.9%. If Boston can continue their winning ways from the past few months, Tatum should rise up in the MVP Ladder . Figu

  What a game last night Celtics fans, one of the best western conference teams came in and you CRUSHED EM! Your calling card as a team is DEFENSE!  Let me give ya some numbers 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 13 yes 13 assists! How about some more numbers  12 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists. These numbers come from two very special players. They to me are a two headed defensive Monster! Both players deserve consideration for Defensive Player of the Year!  With that said we have two Celtics Sentinel Citation Award Winners!  Marcus the Wolverine Smart!  And........ Robert The Eraser Williams!  We here at the Sentinel love defense and love these two hardworking studs!  Bleed Green! 

  Utah's Rudy Gobert is always in the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year ladder, but the Celtics Rob Williams is gaining some ground. Last night's Celtics 125-97 victory over the Jazz was representative of that. Not only did Boston get the convincing win, but Williams III fared nicely against Gobert. Gobert: 30 minutes, 14 points, 11 rebounds - 1 assist - 1 steal - 0 blocks - 67% FG - plus/minus -10 Williams III: - 25 minutes - 12 points - 10 rebounds - 2 assists - 2 steals - 4 blocks - 86% FG - plus/minus +20 Celtics opponents, out of necessity are starting to pay a lot of attention to where the hell Rob is, both on offense and defense. Offensively, he is a threat close to the hoop, and on defense, he can guard any piece of the floor. He has been a major part of Boston's surge since the holidays .

    1st Quarter    Last time the Celtics played the Jazz I recall the Jazz going off offensively. One of those early games when we were just out of sync. I fully expect the Celtics to come out with their best effort. Each game lately has been better than the last. Almost like the Celtics grow each and every game. There is an amazing thing going on right now. Each time they take the floor they are looking to prove that they are for real!  Celtics ball movement has been spectacular so far today. Early on they are crisp and the ball is dancing out there! Talk about visually stunning basketball lately for this group. We all know how tough the Defense is, yet the offense is coming around! The way they trust one another and make the extra pass is going to benefit them in the playoffs. Each player on this team knows their place and are working like a smooth engine! Their are no egos right now it's amazing to see!     2nd Quarter Jazz are 6 and 1 vs the Celtics in the last seven games. Yet

    Every team needs a hero, someone who out of the ashes rises to the challenge! A truly selfless hero willing to do anything necessary to win! Does this sound like anyone to Celtics fans?!  Well our hero from last night's game had 20 points and 10 rebounds with a team high plus/minus! A guy who has proven his worth since the start of the season! A bench guy with the sharp shot from Deep! He's a heady player but with good skills all around. Defensively he makes plays not only with his body but his high basketball IQ!  Any guesses?!....  That's right it's Batman!!!!!!!  Congrats to GWill our Celtics Sentinel Citation Award Winner! 

 For the most part, the Boston Celtics bench consists of Derrick White, Grant Williams (aka BATMAN), Payton Pritchard and Daniel Theis . We can expect this scrappy foursome to do most of the dirty work off the bench down the stretch and into the post-season. For the last 15 games, the Boston subs rank third in the NBA in plus /minus with a +3.6 . Only Minnesota's and Denver's bench ranks higher.  Boston fans seem to be seeing more of GWILL's  combative BATMAN rather than the mild-mannered Bruce Wayne this season. Derrick White may be having some shooting woes, but he never stops trying. Pritchard has turned into a reliable bench scorer , pretty much what Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka were looking for.  And Theis is only seeing about 12 minutes of floor time per game, but the scrappy German has more value than simply as insurance against injuries to Rob Williams or Al Horford . He is a hustler. The Celtics are 12-3 in those last 15 games , and the bench production has pl

  1st Quarter If we were in the early portion of the season, I would suggest this could be a trap game. With how this team has been playing lately I fully expect to see their best despite being shorthanded. No Wolverine or RWill but I feel other guys will step up. I would focus in on PP tonight.  PP is guy who now knows his role, and he is truly flourishing! His three point shot is LIGHTS OUT! His passing skills are growing, and he isn't afraid to get into the paint either. Defensively despite his size he's ready to step up against anyone. What's crazy is he didn't get much run early on yet look at him seize the moment he's been given lately.  2nd Quarter  What is the Jays ceiling, can they win multiple rings? I've always felt they can have a Jordan/Pippen affect on the league. Maybe not 6 titles, but at least a few! Each of them can become not only Celtic greats, but HOFs! Wouldn't it be nice to see their numbers in the rafters? Absolutely! I've been lu

    We know that our starting five when healthy is unbeatable for the most part! With that said every team needs a solid bench!     Given what we saw last night the bench stepped up in a huge way. A few guys stood out in my mind.      One guy who had grown all season is GWill, not only is he deadly from outside but he's now become more confident offensively. He's driving and even posting up!     We also can look at old friend DTheis dude is selfless out there! Nailing threes, getting boards, protecting the rim and unafraid to D up anyone!     Let's not forget about PP, dude has been balling since they traded away certain guys. PP and DWhite have a nice relationship budding on the floor!  So I guess you can say we have a three headed monster as our Celtics Sentinel Citation Award Winners!   

  Payton Pritchard has not missed a shot from the field or beyond the arc in his last two games, so to get a broader view of his performance of late, I looked at his last five games, expanding his numbers to per-36-minutes status. 21.6 PPG - 4.3 RPG - 5.3 APG - 1.2 SPG - 66% FG - 62% 3s - 100% FT - plus/minus +26.1 Pretty good, right? Ime Udoka actually had Payton out there for an average of 17.6 minutes per game during that 5-game span, but that number was elevated to 20.0 MPG in the last two contests . Ime may be seeing more value in having the undersized guard out there. By the way, that plus/ minus number (+26.1) ranks 12th in the NBA over that span, and that rank soars to 1st place for players also playing all five games in that same time frame. We know that wins and losses are the real indicator of team success, and the Celtics are 4-1 over that span .  As I have already indicated, Pritchard only fulfills half of the "shooting with size" wish expressed by Brad Steve

    1st Quarter      JB step back for three! Nice start fire the Good guys! JT with the pull up in the Joker's face! These two studs are becoming unstoppable, offensively they both possess incredible skills. This entire team lately has been fun and exciting to watch. They play with a purpose and want to win every play! This team has a very special feel to me personally.      It's been a long time since we have witnessed such greatness on the defensive end. Those teams with KG at the helm were stout and worth watching on D. It's so good to see an NBA team value defense as this group does! Kudos to Coach Ime Udoka for getting this group to buy in to the defensive end!    2nd Quarter    Celtics getting everything they want offensively, with that said they still left points out there! Great job in the first let's see if it keeps rolling into the second. How about Ime getting Daniel Theis in the game early and guess what our old friend has made an impact. Theis has always be

    Overall great team win last night, the Celtics moved the ball very well. Ever since the Celtics have made trades this guy has become a huge piece off the bench. He plays with absolutely no fear and has that swagger needed to be a winner! He shoots with confidence, and gets to the rim with ease.     Let's look at 14 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Perfect shooting percentage, and was only second to JT in plus minus. He fits so well with the second unit but also when JT is on the floor. He and DWhite have built a nice flow on the floor.    In college he played as if he was the best player on the floor, gotta love a guy with that belief in himself. He played like that in his rookie year, as well as in the summer league. We were all waiting for him to get his shot this season. Early on it was a struggle but now he's becoming invaluable to this team.    So for our Celtics Sentinel Citation Award Winner you guessed it's.....    Payton Pritchard aka PRabbit! Congrats! 

    1st Quarter      After getting out to a nice 11-0 start the Kings have fought back to make it a game. Celtics need to ramp up the D, they have missed a few assignments already. JB is using his body to get to the rack I love when he does that. JB just shoved Sabonis off him legally and drained the step back. Celtics three point shooting not very good at the start while the Kings are on fire.        GWILL stepping up on D drawing the charge. Offensively his shot has been off lately, but he's still doing the little things to make an impact on the court. Gotta love his progression this season. He went from a guy who I thought might get dealt, yet has shown hes a huge piece off the bench.      2nd Quarter    JT coming out hot, knocking down a three. He liked it so much he did it again! Why not three in a row! Nothing but net! TaTuM is a stud! All those radio guys saying he should be traded are eating their words now! We here at the Sentinel have always been on the Tatum train! This

 Celtics center, Rob Williams gives the team what they badly needed - easy baskets and rim protection . His post-game shot charts look like a congested intersection with all the green lights in at once . He is a menace for opponents with his offensive boards (3 last night), put backs, lob finishes and blocks (4 last night). Opposing defenders can't even leave him alone at the top of the key even though he doesn't even attempt 3-pointers. Williams III has become a reliable facilitator from the high post. Rob is not yet a volume scorer. He had only eight points in Boston's 110-88 win over Golden State, but he hit on 4-of-5 from in close. This was a battle between 2-of-the-top-3 defensive teams in the League, and it was obvious that Golden State was trying to pay a lot of attention to Williams III. There were at least two lob opportunities that never got off the ground because of the Warriors focus on the superbly-athletic Rob Williams.The announcers commented on Rob's q

 This one had it all - The Jay Team combining for 52 points - Marcus Smart taking Impact-Player-of-the-Game Award - Rob Williams with four blocks - sightings of Nik Stauskas and Sam Hauser - a spectacular, last-second 3-point heave from Nik that hit nothing but net. The Celtics came away with the 110-88 victory, and the win over Golden State had (almost) all of the excitement of a Finals matchup. Steph Curry had to leave the game following an ankle injury and never returned, the result of Marcus Smart inadvertently landing on Steph's leg while diving for a loose ball. But there was no asterix attached to Boston's win. The Warriors had their Big-3 of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on board, and The Green were able to lock down the fast-paced Golden State offensive attack. Always a chance we could see this rematch in the Finals.

    1st Quarter Now this game tonight would be a nice matchup in the playoffs. Matchup to zone in on is how can the Wolverine keep up with the great Steph Curry. Al knocking down his first shot is a great sign! They have already shot way to many threes for my taste. Get to the damn hoop tonight, make the Warriors work on D!  This Warriors D is very tough, Celtics have their hands full on both ends! Klay has five early, you don't want him getting hot. Love seeing JT jump the passing lane and getting the steal! Nice steal by the Wolverine and getting two on the other end. It's going to take a monumental defensive effort for the Celtics to win tonight.     2nd Quarter  Choppy offense towards the end of the first cost the Celtics some points. On the other hand their D held up well against this potent Warriors offense. Need to see more aggression on the offensive end by taking the ball strong to the rack! Need to get some points out of the bench.  DWhite is cold as ice lately. Nice

  Daniel Theis has never averaged more than 25 minutes per game in the NBA, but back in Boston, he is logging less-than-half (12;0 MPG) of that. In eight games his far with the Celtics, he is producing 3.6 points, 3.8 boards, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game.   The German import will earn $8.3 million this season and is signed through the 24-25 season, although the final year is a club option. The question is - was he brought back merely as insurance against injuries to Al Horford or Rob Williams , or will Ime Udoka use him as a significant part of the playoff rotation? Theis contributes what Udoka needs on the defensive end , always hustling, moving and crashing the boards. His rebounding and rim-protection may be his main assets. But he is not a 3-point threat and has never been a volume scorer. Let's face it! Daniel was not brought back into the Celtics fold to be a savior, or even a major contributor. He is in Beantown to do what he has always done - meaning a lot of the

      1st Quarter Celtics and Mavs trading blows to start, love seeing the Celtics attack Luka because he's a liability on D. Both Jays nailing threes, here we go on KG night! Celtics are forcing other Mavs players to beat them, wise defensive strategy. Celtics are looking sloppy on offense. Tatum nailing a three in Lukas face is Nasty! Celtics are attacking Luka on both ends, that's the way you go at a star. Tire him out on both ends! Get at him physically, which could wear at him mentally. He's a great player but can be beat by this Celtics strategy. Anyone else excited to see KGs number going into the rafters! How I always wished he was a Celtic from day one of his career. With that said, he came in here and changed the culture of the Celtics. He was a guy who understands what it means to be and embrace being a Celtic! ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! I just LOVE KG! I may even shed a tear seeing his number go up.        2nd Quarter Luka gets the calls he doesn't deserve, while

 It's Fantasy Time in Boston. Pick an Elite Eight, all-time Celtics players to win one game in the current NBA landscape.  We are talking only eight players, so versatility plays a major role. My selections are also based on size, quickness, athleticism, scoring, rebounding, defense, rim protection, passing skills, ball handling, intensity and desire. Not asking much - right? I looked for Season MVP and Finals MVP Awards. Feel free to disagree (courteously please). There are no right or wrong answers here. Bill Russell: 5X MVP Bill checks all of the above boxes, with the exception of "scoring". He always had more rebounds than points, and he was a 5X MVP. Any questions?  Dave Cowens: 1X MVP As Russell's substitute, Dave wasn't quite the rebounder or rim protector that Bill was, but Big Red was a better scorer, and was quicker and more-athletic than most younger fans would know. His fire and intensity are rarely matched in Celtics history.  Larry Bird: 3X MVP, 2X F