Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 One of the NBA's truest adages is, A team's weaknesses get exposed in the post-season . The Celtics struggles against the Miami Heat made it quite evident that lack of a dominant center and a shallow, non-playoff-worthy bench  made the Boston's Celtics vulnerable. Miami's third-year center, Bam Adebayo gave Boston trouble all series long. In the Heat's 125-113 closeout of Boston last night in Game Six, Bam's line included 32 points, 14 rebounds and five assist s. He shot 75% from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw line. All he lacks is a 3-point shot. The line supplied by Boston's center quartet of Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, Rob Williams and Grant Williams (combined 41 minutes)? 11 points, 16 boards, one assist . It must be added for those that think the Celtics would have fared better against the Lakers Anthony Davis have to be delusional. Now to the benches. The Heat had both rookie Tyler Herro and veteran  Andre Iguodala coming off the pine....

The Celtics-rival Miami Heat were already performing well beyond pre-season expectations, currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 34-16 record. They have now undoubtedly improved by adding Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill to the fold via a trade that sent Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to the Memphis Grizzlies. Miami has agreed to trade Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to Memphis for Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder, league sources tell ESPN. No picks in the deal. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020 Iguodala's addition gives the Heat a former Finals MVP that brings veteran leadership, playoff savvy and versatility. He will make a positive difference. The acquisition of Crowder can not be minimized. In 29.4 minutes per game, he is averaging 9.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.0 SPG. He brings much-needed toughness and further depth at Miami's wing position. This trade moved the needle in a pos...

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Miami Heat are about to get stronger, and that is not good news for the Boston Celtics. The latest news on a 3-team deal has Pat Riley's Heat acquiring Andre Iguodala and OKC's Danilo Gallinari in exchange for Justise Winslow, Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk. Memphis has agreed to a deal to send Andre Iguodala to Miami, league source tells ESPN. Iguodala agreed to trade and has agreed to a two-year, $30M extension with Miami. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020 Oklahoma City is trading Danilo Gallinari to Miami for Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk, sources tell ESPN. Miami also gets two second round picks. — Adrian Wojnarowski 💿 (@tioshaq) February 6, 2020 Miami currently sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 34-16 record, just behind Boston at 35-15. There is little doubt that adding Iggy and Gallinari strengthens an already-solid roster. And Memphis is effectively sending away an inactive player (Igu...

Danny Ainge has learned patience as an NBA Executive, but after going through an 11-year Title drought, he may break his habit of not trading at the February deadline. The Celtics bench gets mighty thin when injuries strike. With both Jayson Tatum and Enes Kanter out of action for the last few games, Brad Stevens has had to rely on Semi Ojeleye and Grant Williams to fill the void . There is simply no doubt that Boston needs to add a seasoned veteran to the fold. The only current Celtics core players that can be defined as seasoned vets are Kemba Walker and Gordon Hayward, with Marcus Smart barely missing the designation. I have previously broached Jamal Crawford as a free agent addition and Andre Iguodala as a trade-or-buyout pickup. Boston's last Title was in 2008, and you can bet Ainge is getting antsy. With the possibility of injuries always lurking in the background, the Celtics bench is not sufficient to withstand the rigors and intensity of the post-season. The trade dea...

Andre Iguodala doesn't play or practice with the Memphis Grizzlies, but he remains under contract with them. Memphis has failed to find a trade partner willing to give up assets for the 6'6" wing, and the trade deadline is set for February 6. It appears that a number of NBA teams still have their sights set on a buyout of Andre's contract. Iguodala may still have affection for his former team, the Golden State Warriors. In a recent interview, he indicated that Steph Curry should take the rest of the season off and come back next season "on a wrath". His mention of his view as being "selfish" might indicate he is leaning towards returning to Golden State alongside a rejuvenated Steph Curry. Andre Iguodala on Steph Curry: "He's gonna comeback on a wrath next year." 😈 pic.twitter.com/Pl0yiNZHvq — Chris Montano (@gswchris) January 24, 2020 Time is running out on Memphis' bid to trade Iguodala. He will earn $17.2 million this seas...

The Boston Celtics currently go 12-deep for players averaging double-digit minutes. But the 7-man bench includes two rookies (Grant Williams and Romeo Langford), two second-year men (Brad Wanamaker and Robert Williams) and one player in his third season (Semi Ojeleye). Veterans Marcus Smart and Enes Kanter round out the bench corps. Inject the facts that most successful playoff teams go 8-10 deep, and the reality of injuries usually rears its ugly head - and it quickly becomes apparent that this Celtics crew does not appear playoff-ready. Danny Ainge has until February 6, 2020 (trade deadline) to determine if Gordon Hayward has his mind set on remaining with The Green - and also whether a compatible deal can be reached with Gordon having a player option for next season. Once we look past Smart and Kanter, outlooks get a bit shaky for the post-season. We haven't seen enough of Langford to make any solid evaluations, and although Grant Williams has shown poise and savvy on the co...

With the Boston Celtics on a 3-game losing streak, there is panic in the seats - those seats being the ones occupied by fans at TD Garden, private homes and drinking establishments. Hey, no one said this 2019-20 version of The Green is perfect. The players are relatively young, and many lack the seasoning and fortitude to withstand the rigors of an 82-game season, not including playoffs. The clincher was Boston's 109-98 loss to the Joel Embiid-less, Al Horford-led 76'ers on Thursday night. Al took control of the center position in Embiid's absence and throttled his former teammates. Boston's 3-game losing streak is bad enough, but being win-less (0-3) this season versus the Sixers is worrisome. The Guys in Green can't seem to beat Philly either with or without 76'ers' star big man, Joel Embiid. The season is approaching the mid-point, and Boston is in the midst of a tough schedule this month. But we can't assume the dominant play Boston fans saw earl...

Andre Iguodala is currently under contract with the Memphis Grizzlies for roughly $17.2 million this season. The soon-to-be 36-year old wing has sat out the season while the Grizz seek a trade. Memphis would love to have their upcoming first-round draft pick back from the Boston Celtics, but I truly doubt that will happen. But that is not the only issue negating Iggy's potential trade to Boston. Dollar-matching would certainly get in the way of any deal. Danny Ainge is not about to send Marcus Smart, Kemba Walker or Gordon Hayward to Memphis, and any other deal would involve sending four or five younger players to the Grizzlies. That is not about to happen either. Despite the years of toiling on the hardwood, Andre can still play. He has always been a 2-way player with a locker room-friendly manner. The 3-time Champion and Finals MVP would fit into virtually any situation, and Ainge would love to have him on board. But the money doesn't add up, and a buyout seems unlikely a...

The Celtics 15th-and-final roster spot remains open, and the addition of a battle-tested veteran to that slot must be somewhere in Danny Ainge's mind. Andre Iguodala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies by the Warriors this past summer. The Grizzlies are in rebuild-mode and have little use for Iguodala or his $17.2 million salary. The 6'6", 215-pound wing will be 36 years old in January. He has three Championships under his belt and a Finals MVP trophy to his credit. According to SI's Charlotte Carroll , Andre has been excused by the team from training camp and Grizzlies Media Day while the team seeks a suitable trade for him. The $17.2 million salary for a soon-to-be 36-year-old may be a turn-off for potential suitors, and a buyout is always a possibility. The Grizzlies would love to have their 2020 draft pick (top-6 protected) back in their hands. The Celtics currently own that pick which becomes totally unprotected in 2021 if it does not convey next year. Ainge ...

Danny Ainge is moving his chess pieces around like there's no tomorrow. That's just the way he thinks. Boston has just rescinded its qualifying offer to Daniel Theis, making him an unrestricted free agent. This is all about cap space, tax territory and timing. Things can change, but right now it looks like the intention is to sign Theis via early Bird rights. As part of the procedure to maximize their remaining cap space, the Boston Celtics have rescinded the qualifying offer for Daniel Theis. Theis is now an unrestricted free agent. Theis will ultimately re-sign with Boston using his Early Bird rights. — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 15, 2019 The numbers for European star, Vincent Poirier, have just been announced and we are looking at a 2-year/$5.1 million deal. The original deal for Daniel was reportedly two years at $10 million. As an UFA, the better chance is that he ends up in Boston, but he is free to go wherever he wishes. So how about that 15th roster slot...