Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Their games are similar. Both Sam Hauser and former-Celtic (now Pacer) Aaron Nesmith are wings that can shoot the ball and work hard on both ends of the floor. For this season, their per-36-minutes stats are very close:' Nesmith: 14.4 PPG - 5.8 RPG - 1.8 APG - 43% FG - 38% 3s Hauser: 14.6 PPG - 5.7 RPG - 1.5 APG - 46% FG - 42% 3s In the 117-112 loss to Indiana last night, Aaron started the game and logged 28 minutes . He finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sam came off the bench - played 17 minutes - and supplied 10 points, six boards and two steals . He shot 50% from both the field and 3-point range, while Nesmith hit 46% of his field goal attempts and 20% from 3-point territory. Brad Stevens obviously saw that Hauser could fill Nesmith's role with Boston and sent Aaron to Indiana as part of the summer deal that brought Malcolm Brogdon to Beantown. Thus far, the transaction seems to be working for all parties involved,

 From the Celtics trio of Payton Pritchard, Aron Nesmith and Sam Hauser , only Pritchard saw significant floor time in the 24-game run of the NBA Finals. But in 12.9 MPG, he averaged only 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists . Nesmith and Hauser averaged only 3.5 and 2.1 MPG, respectively. Ime Udoka went with a 9-man rotation , as did the Champion Golden State Warriors - while both teams show four players with double-digits in points scored in the post-season. In the end, the Celtics didn't have quite enough to conquer the 2022 Champs, and the question now is - does Boston trade any of the young guys, including Grant Williams - or do they lean towards developing them . Hauser is set to earn $1.6 million in the coming season, with a team option . Brad Stevens should end up securing the youngster for 2022-23. Nesmith is signed for $3.8 million, and Pritchard for $2.2 million. Payton has shown he can contribute, even in the post-season, but his size (6'1") is not what ...

 If Boston's 135-87 rout of the 76'ers was any indication, Celtics boss, Brad Stevens , may have repaired what had been one of the weakest benches in the NBA . For the season, The Green's bench was ranked 26th in point production (28.9 PPG) and dead-last in rebounds (13.0 RPG) . That all changed, at least for one game. The Celtics subs racked up a combined 53 points , led by none other by little-used Aaron Nesmith ,with 18 points, followed by newly-acquired Derrick White with 11 and newly-anointed full-timer, Sam Hauser.  The bench also did well in the rebound department, hauling down 19 boards and led by recently-returned Daniel Theis with nine boards , followed by 3-Smith with 3 . How about bench assists , you may ask. Celtics subs rank 27th (5.7 APG) for the season, but handed out 15 last night , led by Payton Pritchard - yes PP . And Sam Hauser followed with three dimes of his own. So how did the guys-off-the-bench shoot? Ranked 25th in field goal accuracy for the...

 I go on record as not agreeing with the idea that "playing the kids" was not such a good idea in the first place, particularly in the case of sophomore, Aaron Nesmith. Nesmith was my one-and-only proposed candidate to be taken by the Celtics in the 2020 NBA draft .. He seemed to be tailor-made to bring some much-needed motion offense to TD Garden . Here is some pre-draft analysis on Aaron: "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" Notice there is no mention of "catch and shoot after lolling in the corner ". But there is mention of "movement to free himself" ,"catching and shooting off ball...

 Where does Celtics sophomore, Aaron Nesmith , fit with Boston - or does he at all. Has his shot deserted him , or is it just diminished minutes that have caused his accuracy to fade this season? We know what we have with the other youngsters. Grant Williams worked hard on his body and his game and has earned in spot in the regular rotation. Payton Pritchard also belongs in that rotation and may get there if Dennis Schroder is dealt prior to the deadline and Coach Udoka doesn't keep Payton glued to the bench. Romeo Langford? I have placed him in the "fragile" category until he proves otherwise . He just can't seem to remain on the court and has a massive injury history dating back to his college days. Back to ThreeSmith . His minutes have faded from 14.5 MPG in his rookie season to 10.8 MPG this year. His stats have also taken a hit, but the drop in shooting percentages is glaring. Aaron shot 44% on field goals and 37% on 3-pointers last season, and those numbers...

       1st Quarter       Jayson Tatum Hot Start        Starting where he left off the last few games. Jayson Tatum has been nothing but the best player we have. He hit a fall away which is hard to defend. He went to the hole looking for contact . Nailed his step away - how can you block that? He doing himself for a nice dunk off an Al feed. Found himself at the line again. Keep going to the paint!       Defense Was Stout  - Offense hit or miss        Defense started out very strong, they blocked shots, collapsed on the ball when it hit the paint . There were plenty of active hands and contested shots. They had a few lapses, but overall solid defense. Offense was good and bad . A few nice moments where the ball was moving but some of the shot selection was terrible. Celtics lead 22-21 , need to see a better flow on offense, and better shot selection.      2nd Quarter  ...

Some pertinent, quick insights by Ty Ray on the Celtics season thus far. Little needs to be added, but I will inject a few of my own thoughts.  Celtics Monday Thoughts: 1. I miss Jaylen 2. JT's shooting will come around 3. Team needs another scorer 4. Schroeder is a steal 5. Schroeder's a great trade chip 6. Richardson is coming around 7. Smart doing Smart 8. Celts game ending o sucks 9. Beat Cle 10. I miss PP — Ty Ray (@coug88) November 15, 2021 1.) So do I. Jaylen seems to have added some additional quickness and trickery to his dribble work over the summer. This team needs him back to accomplish anything major this season. 2.) It didn't happen last night vs. Cavs (35% FG, 7-of-20), but the shooting slump will end for Jayson . And he played a team game in the Celtics win (5 assists, 8 boards). 3.) I believe there is another scorer on the bench. Brown's return will help, but one-of Pritchard, Nesmith, Langford, JRich or GWill may step into the role and take the added...

       The Celtics come away with their best win of the year, a 95-78 defeat of the favored Miami Heat. . Playing great D most of the night led to what winning looks like. Defense first,, A hard nosed D can always shut down a good offense.         In 18 minutes Aaron Nesmith who finally got the minutes he deserves scored 13 points, had 3 rebounds and 1 assist . What doesn't show up in the stat line is crashing the boards, active hands on D, blocking a shot out of bounds, and just all out heart and hustle . Last season when this young man had time on the floor, he was successful. We here at the Sentinel love how hard he plays . That's why after last night's game, he is the Sentinel Citation Award winner!      Clearly he took advantage and seized the moment last night. Going forward, he deserves plenty of minutes. He allows for spacing on the floor because he can nail threes! This kid just oozes Celtic Green, leaving it all on the...

 Here's some revelations from Boston's convincing victory over Miami last night - all from a guy that has seen it all over more than six decades following The Green. Easy Hoops Nothing I haven't broached before. The Celtics work too hard for most of their scores. Not last night . A lot of that had to do with Rob Williams . You can call him a "basket hanger" , but that's where he gets his offensive boards, tip-ins, follow-up jams and rejections . His four points came from a tip-in of a Tatum miss and a Tatum-to-RWILL jam. And of his 10 rebounds, five were offensive . RWILL's Defensive Havoc It pays to have long arms, quickness and leaping ability . Rob Williams has all three qualities, and he gets a lot of deflections, steals, blocks and loose balls. He had two steals last night, and as a defender of Ime Udoka's two-big lineup , I want that experiment to continue. Dennis Schroder's Change of Pace DS can walk the ball up court like he is taking a str...

    Random thoughts on Celtics 103-102 loss to Orlando in pre-season play        It seems that lulls in offense are something this team will need to improve on. Too many turnovers are also leading to this lack of offense. When the extra passes are made, it usually ends up with the Celtics scoring. It creates open shots and the motion on offense is something to look at next game.       Before getting hit in the nose we are seeing what Payton Pritchard can do. Knocking down threes, getting the ball to his teammates, and hitting the mid range jumpers. He can legitimately be one of your bench scorers. Kid has no fear and up in basketball heaven Tommy Heinsohn is pleased .             Rob Williams hustle and moto r are huge to this teams success. He worked hard on all ends of the floor tonight. His passing was efficient, and he hit some shots tonight. Wait till he and The Wolverine get their alley oops g...

          First quarter thoughts , Jaylen Brown looks slimmer yet his shot is just as sweet. No fear going to the hoop. Jayson Tatum looks bigger, ready to go at his opponents. We saw some good ball movement. Good effort on the defensive end. Juancho isn't afraid to bang . We saw some fight on going after the ball and extra passes. Shroeder and Al Horford have a nice connection and good pick and roll. J Rich getting a block, a reminder of his defensive pedigree. The Wolverine showed his willingness to be the facilitator. There were some defensive breakdowns and a few bad turnovers.        Second quarter thoughts , JT used his new frame and massive shoulders to post up and get buckets. We see that P ayton Pritchard has no fear, willing to take and make 3s. The Wolverine showing us he can get to the hoop with his strength, plus the ability to drive. We saw more of Juancho's energy on that offensive rebound. Al making plays, setting screens...

 Here I go again! I truly miss the run-the-opposition-into-the-ground, fast-paced basketball we saw from the Celtics in the 60's and 70's. Coaches Red Auerbach and (later) Tommy Heinsohn demanded it. Few centers could match Bill Russell and Dave Cowens at ripping the ball off the boards and starting the fast break. Bob Cousy preferred the long outlet pass, while his replacement, K C Jones , would drive the ball down court before passing off to the open man. Cowens, JoJo White and John Havlicek were just born to run . That tradition carried on in the early 90's with former-Celtic, Don Nelson , and his RUN TMC  Warriors trio of  Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin . . Nellie was an integral part of that  70's Celtics crew as a player under Tommy Heinsohn.  Now, back to today. We might expect a little more running game from the projected starters for Boston, but more-likely we may see it from the bench, possibly from A aron Nesmith, B r uno Fernando...

      Who is the X Factor off the Celtics bench this season ? Is there that bona fide come-in-the-game, lead-the-second-unit- bucket maker? Will it be PP, Aaron, or newly acquired JRich? Who do Celtics fans want to see be that sixth man. Historically the Celtics have always found that player. Hondo or McHale anyone!      We saw last season Payton Pritchard had the ability to make plays off the bench. Now with a year under his belt, can new Coach Ime Udoka give him the Green light?! With that being asked of him Celtics fans know he can score at will. He did it in summer league and the Pro Am! Time will tell for PP!       Then there's Aaron who showed plenty of promise in his first year. Willing to drive to the hoop, run the break, and knock down threes! He also showed flashes of lightning in the summer league. He could be instant offense for this year's Celtics team .      What about JRich,a guy fans saw as an opponent co...

 Lately, nothing seems to generate heated discussions among Celtics fans as the question of who starts for Boston - who is the sixth man - who comes off the bench - and who finishes critical games . Take it or leave it, here my take : At the center spot, Rob Williams needs to start games, at least as an early experiment . The reason? The Celtics from last season had trouble scoring easy baskets , and Rob is surely Boston's main Lob Guy . And his per-36-minutes numbers show 12.3 rebounds per game, 4.3 of which are off the offensive glass . His putbacks are easy hoops . Ditto for Enes Kanter at the five off the bench . He is a capable scorer down low, and like Williams III, he is a strong rebounder , including ones of the offensive variety . Did I mention easy hoops ? I put Al Horford into the starting-5 because he deserves to be there in a season when he will be trying to resurrect his career after disappointing stints with Philadelphia and Oklahoma City. Fans can recall his ef...

 Celtics fans know that Marcus Smart and the Jay Team will be out there to start the games this season, and I think Al Horford makes for a solid choice as the fourth guy. I also tend to think Ime Udoka will at least experiment with Rob Williams as the starting center - but if that fifth choice comes down to either Aaron Nesmith or Josh Richardson , I am going with CelticsBlog's Adam Taylor : "However, I would rather distribute that experience between both first and second units. Nesmith would be inexperienced, no doubt, but he would be able to lean on guys like Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown." "By having Richardson on the second unit, he can not only lead the line (on both sides of the floor) but he can also provide a steady hand for guys like Romeo Langford and Payton Pritchard. I would rather “hide” Nesmith among the starters, to add value across the rotation."  I had broached the Nesmith-as-starter argument back in December of 2020. His con...

      Aaron ThreeSmith came out of college with that reputation of a knock down, bullseye hitting, stone cold shooter! What Celtics fans saw was this dude has all the tools, and works hard in practice to be out there - and now with new Coach Ime Udoka , he could get some decent consistent minutes.       Last season Aaron started up a bit slow, catching up on everything. Granted, that could have been because of Brad's sometimes calculus type offense and defense. Yet when he finally had a grasp of everything, he was ready and able to be a contributing member to the Celtics. He could knock down threes - get to the hoop - crash the boards with reckless abandon and become a dawg on D.      During Summer League his progress looked like it was on the same path and his trajectory was on target. If he can continue to work and progress, there are regular minutes for him alongside the Jays. Imagine him just doing his thing as JB and JT drive and k...

       Romeo Langford! Is he ever going to be healthy? Ever since he was drafted there has been talk about the upside in what he offers on the floor, and in flashes he shows why the Celtics drafted him so high. Defensively he can stay with anyone. He has length and quickness. He's a very smart player. Offensively he can knock down threes and as fans saw he brought the hammer down on that dunk in summer league.         Yet he's never healthy. It seems there's usually something physical going on and when your not on the floor, your value starts to decrease. Not to mention when your team brings in guys who are similar in your skill set like a Josh Richardson . What does that say? Plus you drafted a guy like Nesmith who honestly has higher upside than you do. Let's also look at a guy like Sam Hauser who can shoot the lights out, and imagine him being left open when the Jays are doubled. If Romeo isn't healthy than where does that leave him?...

 NBA fans don't usually get excited by anything that happens in Summer League, but the Boston Celtics have a few things going on that inject hope into the upcoming season . First of all, undrafted rookie marksman, Sam Hauser may be better that his 2021 non-draft status indicated. Getting a strong Duncan Robinson vibe from Sam Hauser. — Mike Dynon ☘️🏀 (@MikeDynon) August 13, 2021 We won't be hearing any Larry Bird comparisons , and even the Duncan Robinson mention may be over-enthusiastic, but I like the 23-year-old's size (6'8"), hands, decisions and, yes, marksmanship . In the Celtics 108-71 pummeling of the Orlando Magic last night, Hauser scored 21 points in 26 minutes on 7-of-12 from the field and 6-of-10 on 3s. He can get his shot off, at least at the Summer League level, and his four boards and seven assists attest that he could eventually land a roster spot. Sam Hauser had a game-high 21 points (7-12 FG, 6-10 3PT), 7 assists, and 4 rebounds in the Celtics...

      Celtics fans did you catch the show put on by Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard the other night during the game or did Romeo's dunk take the cake for you? Will what they did last night translate into actual reality come the NBA season?! Or is this just summer ballin?        Over the years plenty of guys have been summer league standouts, yet they didn't amount to much in the NBA. With Payton and Aaron, it just feels different. Given what they were able to do in limited moments this past season in a very dysfunctional year they both showed they can be NBA players.        Both guys play with no fear! This year is huge for both of them because they can be extremely valuable to new Coach Ime Udoka . They can also show that when on the floor with the Jays they can hold their own and succeed! The rest of these summer games should prove that both of these guys are solid Celtics and if Tommy Heinsohn were still here he'd have given...

 There was no sophomore slump evident with Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith last night.. Boston took the game from the Nuggets with a final score of 107-82. Aaron "ThreeSmith" lived up to his nickname by hitting 78% (7-of-9) on 3-pointers and 72% overall from the field. He had a game-high 33 points and collected seven boards. The 14th pick in the 2020 NBA draft  was absolutely on fire. Aaron "ThreeSmith" lived up to his nickname with 33 points and 7-of-9 on 3-pointers. He was on fire. Aaron Nesmith IGNITES For 33 PTS! 🔥 https://t.co/MduCIWMFNg via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) August 11, 2021 Fellow second-year man, Pritchard, taken with the 26th pick in the same draft, scored 21 points on 60% shooting from the field and 80% from beyond the arc. And his eight rebounds and 12 assists are an indicator that we may be looking at a solid second-unit point guard that does more than score the ball. Pritchard's ability to quickly push the ball upcourt and...