Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

It wasn't just the fact that the Celtics lost to the Bucks last night, 98-97. Boston was without Gordon Hayward and Aron Baynes , but still came close to victory over a strong Bucks team. My point is that virtually all of the bench production came from Jaylen Brown , and he still only logged 23 minutes . Jaylen scored 15 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc - while adding five boards, three assists, one steal and one block . His four second-unit mates accounted for a combined six points on 3-of-12 on field goals and 0-of-5 on threes. JAYLEN BROWN 💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/rQ7mM2QncH — Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) February 22, 2019 Despite the fine marksmanship, Brown was taken out at the 7:29 mark of the fourth quarter and never returned. Hindsight is always easy, but Brad Stevens often chooses to go away from the player with the hot hand. Beyond scoring, one other stat stands out from last night - Jaylen's three assists . That is one part o...

I am only half-kidding here. I wrote recently on Al Horford's promotion of ordinary, every-day chocolate milk for post-workout recovery. Well, something has ignited a fire under the 32-year-old vet. He is playing like a young superstar in his prime . Al Horford's last 3 games: ☘️ 61 PTS ☘️ 39 REB (14 OREB) ☘️ 18 AST ☘️ 7 STL ☘️ 3 BLK ☘️ 1 TOV ☘️ +40 — Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) February 22, 2019 Despite the Celtics 98-97 loss last night to the Bucks, they were able to hang in there right to the end against a very good team. Al was on the floor for 37 minutes and collected 21 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, two steals, three blocks and a team-high plus/minus of +12 . He did it all, and he did it well. Al Horford 🛑 ( @AAANe_MAnews ) #AAANortheast pic.twitter.com/tOaipwEls7 — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) February 22, 2019 I don't often write about Al Horford, maybe because like many of us - I take him for granted. Plus, Al is a very low-...

How strong is this guy, anyway? Zion Williamson is Power Personified, and it showed only 36 seconds into a game last night. It was Duke versus North Carolina - Zion was on the move with the ball, when his left shoe disintegrated . His foot literally came through the bottom of the shoe, causing that traction-less foot to slide. He was forced to leave the game with what is currently listed as a right knee sprain. Make no mistake! This young man is an endorsement goldmine . He defies comparison. He is the prize in the upcoming draft, and there is no close second. Nike will take a serious hit on this one, but looking past the obvious shoe defects, Williamson's combined power and weight may have played a role in the mishap. We await further info on his injury - which hopefully is what it appears to be - a minor knee sprain. 😳😳😳 Any Zion comp is wrong haha we’ve never ever ever seen a player like him https://t.co/7ugSQCRLUR — Simon Rath (@HawksDraftNerd) February 20, 2019 ...

It isn't merely the fact that Jayson Tatum dominated the Rising Stars Challenge, and then won the Skills Competition during the NBA's All-Star Weekend. It was the WAY he accomplished both. For a 20-year-old only in his second year in the League, this kid has star written all over him. He has extreme confidence and poise, with the talent and skills to back it all up. Jayson Tatum became the first Celtics player in franchise history to win the NBA Skills Challenge. pic.twitter.com/9VbN1QuYD7 — Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 17, 2019 There is a an almost-certainty that Celtics boss, Danny Ainge, will take a serious look this summer at trading for the Pelicans Anthony Davis. And if that does happen, it is just as probable that the Pels will be looking to acquire Tatum in any deal. That should be off the table for the Celtics. JAYSON TATUM COLD BLOODED pic.twitter.com/ErkPwUomli — Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 17, 2019 As the Barstool Sports tweet shows,...

The Lakers Kyle Kuzma came away with the MVP award, as Team USA defeated Team World in the Rising Stars Challenge - but Jayson Tatum absolutely dominated - scoring 30 points, hauling down nine rebounds and handing off for three assists. The final score was 161-144 in favor of Jayson's Team USA, and the score clearly indicates that defense was not a major priority in the game. Tatum was clearly having fun out there. Team USA wins 🇺🇸 @jaytatum0 finishes with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SoenKlS18r — Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 16, 2019 JT got the moves 🔥 Jayson Tatum | #MTNDEWICERisingStars pic.twitter.com/wKNjAWD4Hx — Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 16, 2019 In his second year in the League, Jayson keeps improving his game. He has become a solid rebounder at the small forward position, and his drives to the hoop are stronger and more successful. He will be a true star in this League shortly. . @jaytatum0 tells me the highligh...

I always had a hiring rule as a supervisor in various venues. Do not hire the guy that is always out sick or injured! He is either fragile and injury-prone - has a low immunity or he is a malingerer . It doesn't matter . In any case, he won't be coming into work often . Is that what we see with the Pelicans Anthony Davis ? Davis left the game last night against the Thunder with a shoulder injury and did not return . Initial reports are that it is merely a shoulder contusion , but further tests may reveal otherwise. Anthony Davis will not return to the game due to a left shoulder injury, according to the Pelicans. — Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 15, 2019 AD has missed 14 of New Orleans' 59 games so far this season, and his first four years in the League showed 60, 67, 68 and 61 games-played . He has missed a hell of a lot of games. And he may miss more. Pels Coach Alvin Gentry has truly had it. He called the entire AD saga a "dumpster fire" . ...

There are only 24 regular season games remaining in the Celtics regular season schedule. In last night's win over the Detroit Pistons, Gordon Hayward was back in the starting-5 , replacing the injured Kyrie Irving . Jayson Tatum moved back to his somewhat-familiar shooting guard slot, and almost everything seemed to work well. In 34 minutes of action last night, Hayward garnered 18 points, five rebounds and eight assists (with only two turnovers) . Over the last three games , he has averaged 21 points on 63%/69%/89% from the field, beyond the arc and from the charity stripe, respectively. You might say that Gordon is back! I see Al Horford, Kyrie Irving (when healthy) and Gordon as mainstays in the starting-5 . The Marcus Smart-as-starter experiment has worked nicely, and that may stay the same. He gets his team energized right out of the gate. But this is the way I see it. Gordon Hayward is out here tossing defenders like children lets goooooooooooo pic.twitter.com/k0...

Former Celtics star, Isaiah Thomas , had a successful debut with his new team, the Denver Nuggets. He entered the game to a thunderous standing ovation and ended up with eight points in 13 minutes of play - hitting 3-of-6 on field goals and 2-of-5 from 3-point land. But most of all, he looked healthy for the first time in memory. 11 months after hip surgery, Isaiah Thomas is back on the court and scores his first points 🙏 pic.twitter.com/6dt0yqSCEk — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 14, 2019 Isaiah also passed off for two assists in the 120-118 Denver win ( per NBA's Pat Graham ): Thomas proclaimed his surgically repaired hip good to go prior to the game and was anxious to step back onto the court. He received a standing ovation when he entered the game late in the first quarter. The 30-year-old Thomas showed flashes of his talent in shaking off some rust. He played 13 minutes and scored eight points - all in the third quarter - in his first NBA game since March 22 w...

This is the second installment of my new series, Opposing View . It is always interesting to see what the rivals , or at least the press that covers them, have to say about a Celtics win over their team. Philly.com's David Murphy feels that the 76'ers main issue facing the Celtics is a lack of depth . All block quotes are via Murphy. There are two ways to look at it. The first one is that the Sixers are not there yet, and that the smartest-looking people in the room are currently those who offered even the mildest of qualifications to their recent coronation. When the dust from the trade deadline settled, many assumed there would be another shoe to drop. If there is, it is still very much suspended. By the end of a 112-109 loss to a Celtics on Tuesday night, you couldn’t help but steal a glance up. The personnel is what it is. The Celtics knew it beforehand, and the Sixers knew it afterward. The 76'ers certainly look good on paper. Their Big-4 of Joel Embiid, Ben S...

The Celtics road win over the Phildelphia 76'ers was much-needed . The game was close all the way, and here are some interesting tidbits from the matchup against one of Boston's major rivals. 1.) Boston seems to have Philly's number no matter who the 76'ers put on the floor The Celtics have been victorious in all three games versus the 76'ers this season - with an average margin of roughly nine points. This game was in Philadelphia, and the Sixers have added Tobias Harris to their roster. Didn't matter. Another win for the Celtics. 2.) Kyrie Irving's teammates are forced to ramp up their games without him The Celtics are now 28-19 (.596) when Kyrie Irving plays - and 8-2 (.800) when he doesn't. Last night, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris and Gordon Hayward all came through with big games to cinch the win. The Celtics played tough and physical against Philly, and it worked. The players seem to step up when they can't rely on Kyrie's...

My first question relative to the Unknown Warrior that called Gordon Hayward a liability to his team? Who is that Masked Man? Come forward and let's hear you tell us just how fast you would recover from a foot cocked to the side at a grotesque angle . But with that aside, Gordon looked spry and athletic in last night's win versus the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Hayward's sprint down-court and subsequent jam off the lob from Terry Rozier was great to see. He out-distanced everybody - Terry's lob was perfect - and Gordon put a little bit extra into the jam . It was picture-perfect. GORDON. HAYWARD. pic.twitter.com/0FEvY4YXQb — Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 2, 2019 For the game, Gordon played 21 minutes and scored 14 points on 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3-point land . He added three rebounds, two assists and two blocks with zero turnovers . GORDON. HAYWARD. pic.twitter.com/0FEvY4YXQb — Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 2, 2019 Hayward...

It took a while, but Jaylen Brown is looking like the 2018 post-season version of himself. Actually, he has been even better than that. He is telling his critics that they may have been wrong about him . In last years playoffs, Jaylen played in 18 games and averaged 32.4 MPG, 18.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG - while shooting 47%/39%/64% on field goals, threes and foul shots, respectively. For the last seven games - playing only 25.4 minutes per game, his numbers are 15.7 PPG and 5.4 RPG - while shooting 50%/43%/85% . Brown has hit 17 of his last 20 free throws . And Boston holds a 6-1 record during that 7-game span. GET JAYLEN BROWN INTO THE DUNK CONTEST pic.twitter.com/LpYJdemIao — Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) January 31, 2019 In last night's 126-94 blowout of the Charlotte Hornets, Jaylen played a team-high 29 minutes (tied with Marcus Smart) - scored a team-high 24 points - and was also the top board man with ten rebounds . He looks relaxed and comfortable out there, and he seem...

The trade deadline is February 7th , and things will get crazy in the next nine days with the Anthony Davis saga ongoing. But what can't be ignored for playoff-bound teams is the March 1st date . Any players waived prior to that date can be signed by any team and participate in the 2019 post-season . Teams heading to the lottery often buy out veteran players to give the younger guys more floor time - and frankly, to tank - hoping for a higher draft pick. Jabari Bird is still on the Celtics roster as he awaits trial on kidnapping and assault charges. Although I wish him well in life and in his basketball career, I would hate to ever see him in a Celtics uniform again. If Boston's roster remains the same after the February 7th trade deadline, Danny may need that roster spot if the right buyout candidate becomes available. Who might those be? For the Celtics purposes, the player needs to be on an expiring contract . Zach Randolph of the Sacramento Kings would be a dece...

Earlier in the season, the Celtics Jaylen Brown wasn't exactly lighting up the parquet with his production. His move from the starting lineup to the bench at the start of the season didn't seem to work well for him. That seems to be changing. Jaylen's November stats were not reminiscent of his solid play in last year's post-season. His averages of 27.5 MPG, 11.3 PPG and 4.1 RPG were disappointing. And his accuracy fell to 42% on field goals and 21% on 3-pointers. That has changed over the past five games where Boston holds a 4-1 record. Brown has averaged 14.8 PPG on 47% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, while adding 4.4 RPG and 1.2 SPG. He has shed some of that hesitation I saw in his game earlier in the season. He is taking the shot when it presents, and he has definitely become more aggressive going to the hoop. It isn’t always pretty, but Jaylen made it a priority to work on his mid-post and they’ve been pretty good when he gets his feet under him. ...

As my readers know well, I have repeatedly broached the Marcus Smart-as-starter argument . The 124-107 win over the Pelicans last night was only one game, but it was a delight. Marcus started the game - played a team-high 39 minutes - and was absolutely instrumental in the victory. My argument was always that Smart ignites his team right out of the gate . He is not a scorer and may never be. Doesn't matter! The other starters, Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris all scored 19 or more points . Marcus notched eight points on 3-of-8 from the field and 2-of-5 on treys. He handed out five assists with only one turnover and played stellar defense. Marcus Smart has directly or indirectly caused like all of the Pels’ turnovers and mistakes — Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) November 27, 2018 It doesn't get any better than this block by Marcus Smart. Wow. pic.twitter.com/Pdm3ft4zFN — Dime (@DimeUPROXX) November 27, 2018 Will this starting lineup...

Most Boston Celtics fans know the story. It was prior to a deciding Game Seven of the 1984 NBA Finals - Celtics versus Lakers - Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson . Bird had already questioned his team about playing like sissies and having no heart in Game Six. Always-playful Danny Ainge had his stethoscope ready for action prior to the game. He did a heart-check on various teammates. He may need it once again! The 1984 Celtics troops had true hearts after all. They took the game and the 1984 Title . Larry Bird was the unquestioned leader of that squad, and he challenged his team to victory by questioning their determination and effort. "No heart"? "Sissies"? True or not, it worked. So where is that stethoscope, Danny? It may be needed again. This so-far-underachieving group sits at 10-10 record-wise and needs tonight's game against the also-10-and-10 Pelicans. Does this team lack heart? Could be! Does it lack effort? Unquestionably, yes! Are the play...

Is it a coincidence that most of the top-rated teams in the NBA have a dominant big man? Maybe not. In the East, top-ranked Toronto has Serge Ibaka , not terribly dominant on his own, but ably assisted by two potential MVP candidates, Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry . The Milwaukee Bucks are second in the East and boast the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo . Philadelphia starts Joel Embiid in the front-court and Indiana has Myles Turner . Detroit's Andre Drummond completes the East's top-5, all with winning records . The 60's Celtics Championship teams had Bill Russell . The 70's teams had Dave Cowens . In the 80's, it was Robert Parish - and add in 6'10", freakish-wingspan Kevin McHale and 6'9" Swiss-Army-Knife Larry Bird if you wish. Kevin Garnett was just the addition the Celtics needed after a long Title drought. Those four dominant bigs and their teammates accounted for 15 Championships . Particularly if focused on this season, Al...

The Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings are not cooperating with Danny Ainge's plans in the 2019 NBA draft. All three teams are outperforming expectations in the early-going this season. Here are the picks currently owned by the Boston Celtics in the first round: Philadelphia/Sacramento: top-1 protected Memphis: top-8 protected LA Clippers: top-14 protected Boston: their own pick The Clippers are rebuilding - have no stars on the roster - and have the best record in the Western Division. The Grizzlies sit just behind the Clips, and neither team was expected to be nearly this successful . The Celtics were originally lusting after Sacramento's pick which was projected to end up high in the lottery . If the draft were held today, Boston would get the Clippers pick at roughly #27 in the first round - the Memphis pick at #26 - the Sacramento pick at #18 - and their own at #13 . It is early in the season, but few would have predicted any of...

Celtics fans are asking two questions about rookie Rob Williams - why is he not playing more minutes , and how would he fare if given those minutes? No one knows the answers for sure, but I was frankly surprised to see how his per-36-minutes numbers projected . Rob Williams already making an impact with rebounding and blocks. Why doesn’t he play more🤔 — Kam (@KAMMY__99) November 24, 2018 When all the Boston players' stats are projected to per-36-minutes, Rob leads them all in four key categories . He is first in rebounds per game at 11.0 RPG . How about blocks? You must be kidding! How do 6.3 blocks/game sound? He leads in that one too. And now to field goal percentage . He hasn't missed a shot yet , so at 100% on field goals, he leads in that stat. Turnovers? He has none . So he leads in that category also. And he ends up 9th in scoring at 14.1 PPG . Full @rob_williamsIII highlights from last night: https://t.co/WXXc0DN4CU — Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) No...

In the wilds of Boston, the Celtics have gone from predator to prey in a single season . Last year, even with a slew of injuries, the Celtics were the talk of the NBA for the grit the team displayed and their against-all-odds record. Other teams feared them. Not any more. Boston's recent 3-game losing streak told us a lot. The Celtics couldn't handle the Jazz (14 in West) , Hornets (7th in East) or Knicks (12th in East) , They trounced the 3-16, last-in-East Hawks and then lost to the Mavericks (11th in West) . Marcus Smart on what’s ailing the Celtics: "Lack of fear. Like, we don’t impose our fear and will on other teams. Last year, teams when they came in and played the Celtics, they knew they were in for a fight. This year, teams can’t wait to play us. And that’s a problem." — Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) November 25, 2018 I had previously written that the Celtics needed to figure this all out prior to the 25-30 game mark of the season . They have pl...