Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 With free-agent centers such as Andre Drummond and Daniel Theis , recently signed by other NBA teams, the Boston Celtics may be content with their present center quintet of Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta.  Horford has shown he is not ready for the rocking chair quite yet. Porzingis may be fragile, but he is a positive difference maker when healthy . Simply stated, he does everything out there. Kornet gives the team size, rebounding and rim protection. Ditto for Queta . Tillman adds muscle and defense, particularly against opposing brutes. That all adds up to a ton of versatility at the 5-spot . Brad Stevens was intent on keeping the entire 2023-24 unit intact as much as possible, and he has done that. Add me to the list of fans concerned with Horford's age and Porzingis' fragility. But the three backups at the 5-spot have proven they are up to the task.

Celtics center, Kristaps Porzingis , has recently undergone foot/ankle surgery, and is not expected back on the floor until late November or early December. I have already broached Daniel Theis as a viable free agent option for Boston who might sign on for a vet-minimum deal , and there are a few other possibilities out there ( per Yahoo Sports Morten Stig Jensen ): 4.  Andre Drummond ,  Chicago Bulls Andre Drummond C - CHI - #3 2023 - 2024 SEASON 8.4 Pts 9 Reb 0.9 Stl 0.6 Blk 17:06 Min Status: unrestricted free agent 2023-24 salary: $3,360,000 2023-24 digits: 8.4 points, 9 rebound and 0.5 assists In recent years, Drummond has come off the bench. He's made the pivot that Valančiūnas is on the threshold of. However, Drummond's impact could be viewed as starting caliber-worthy through the proper lens. As his generation's best rebounder and one of the best of all time in that department, Drummond is elite on the offensive glass (3.4 in 17.1 minutes this year), whi...

  Could Daniel Theis return to the Celtics this season for a third stint in Boston? It may be more-likely that he heads overseas, but Brad Stevens may be thinking of bringing the German C/F free agent back into the fold on a vet-minimum deal . In the 2020-21 season in Beantown , Theis averaged 9.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.0 BPG in 24.4 minutes per contest . He is an active and willing defender and a solid guy on the boards . Daniel may be looking for significant minutes with any NBA team he eventually chooses, and with Kristaps Porzingis being uncertain for the start of the season after ankle surgery - in addition to Al Horford turning 38 this coming season - Theis could see those kind of minutes.  At 6'8" and 245 pounds , the German import may be somewhat undersized for the center spot, but he has a lot of experience at Five-spot and won't turn 33 until April. He may have enough left in the tank for Brad Stevens to give him another shot - if indeed Theis wants to ...

 We can make a strong argument that Boston's starting-5 of Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, Holiday and White is tops in the League. But after six games, production drops off precipitously after that. The starting quintet are all logging 30-minures-or-more , and the next three off the bench (Horford, Pritchard and Hauser) are averaging 24, 19 and 19 minutes, respectively . The alarm comes with the bench scoring. The starters all average double-digits in points , with Jrue Holiday putting up the fewest at 13.7 PPG. Sam Hauser is the 6th-leading point guy at 7.3 PPG , followed by Al Horford at 5.3 PPG and Payton Pritchard at 3.7 PPG. That ain't going to cut it, either in the regular season and certainly not in the post-season. Unless there is a little-used gem on the bench just waiting for his shot, Brad Stevens may have to acquire another proven veteran, perhaps from the buyout market. I ndiana's (and former Celtic) Daniel Theis would be a decent addition. Stay tuned.

 I only post a few items about possible trades involving the Boston Celtics, but Daniel Theis-back-to--Boston could happen. He didn't see the floor in Boston's win over the Pacers, and he could end up being traded - or possibly a buyout candidate . This is the German C/Fs last guaranteed season with Indiana since next season is a team team option. It is doubtful if the Celtics could work a trade due to the $9.1 million owed to Theis for 2023-24.   The return of Daniel to Beantown is an intriguing idea, and the team could certainly use his services at the right price. The chances of that happening are not great, but stay tuned.

 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...

  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 o...

 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...

 Will the Celtics handle the Sixers and show them we are for real! They damn well better! Keep the win streak rolling!         1st Quarter            Celtics coming out hot, a nice 7-0 run to start up tonight. So far the ball is moving nicely for the guys in White with Green trim. Need to continue with the tight D, show these Sixers that defensively we are a machine. If you can hold Embid and this Sixers team down, ain't no one gonna want to face us.        Daniel Theis has made it back onto the court as a Celtic! A sight for sore eyes if you ask me. What a fast break, Marcus the Wolverine Smart getting down for two! I could hear Tommy Heinsohn saying RUN, as he went to the hoop. For all the struggles this season, watching this team tonight shows that hard work and sticking together is paying off.       Refs are trying to get Philly back into the game with some poor calls. TNT broadcasts ...

 Celtics 9-1 last 10 games, right up there with League-leading Phoenix Suns, also 9-1. After a disappointing early season, the Celtics have balanced the performance equation over a 10-game span:                      Celtics team = Sum of its parts That's a lot better than what we saw in the past few months : Celtics team < (less than) Sum of its parts The Green have won seven in a row , even better than the Suns' five in a row . And the Celts did that with basically the same crew that started the season.  Now they have jettisoned a number of players that were not seeing a lot of floor time, or in the case of Josh Richardson and Dennis Schroder , were not seen as long-term pieces of the Boston puzzle. In their place, the team has 6'8" German center/forward, Daniel Theis , and 6'4", do-everything combo guard, Derrick White . It will be interesting to see if the additions and newly-found energy can yield the following eq...

 The Boston Celtics, over the last six games , are not the same crew we saw earlier in the season. They are undefeated in that span - hold the top spot in the League in Defensive Rating - and they just got better minutes before the Trade Deadline. That 6-game Defensive Rating is an astounding 95.4, and no team is even close. The Miami Heat sit in second place at 105.4. Adding defensive whiz, Derrick White , and bringing back their mobile, hustling German import, Daniel Theis , checks most boxes for maintaining - or even improving - that smothering defense. Sending Enes Freedom packing clearly indicates that both Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka want medium sized, mobile defenders out there , and no slow-footed big men need apply. The two guys in charge also don't seem to have an affinity for little guys and the threat of mismatches. Payton Pritchard will need to show effectiveness against larger opponents. So opposing teams that dreaded facing Boston's defensive stalwarts won...

 The bigger question is, who calls unrestricted free agent, Evan Fournier ? With Fournier's strong play for Team France, he will most-likely command a salary that the Boston Celtics won't want (be able?) to shell out. Lonzo Ball remains a viable target for the Celtics Brad Stevens as he would make an interesting addition to Boston's back court. Ball would be capable of playing three positions under coach Ime Udoka, and his size (6'6") and defense would fit as well. Lonzo will most-likely command a salary somewhat above $20 million . That would mean creative financial maneuvering for Stevens.  The buzz on former-Celtic, Daniel Theis , is that he may be heading to the Rockets for roughly $8-9 million per season. I always felt the center/forward was a good fit in Boston with his size (6'8"), defense and rebounding. His return to Beantown appears improbable - but can't be totally discounted. With the recent additions of Kris Dunn and Josh Richardson -...

I know what you're thinking! But no, it's not about Theis' 15 points and 5-of-8 beyond the arc in the Celtics 122-108 loss to the Utah Jazz last night. He simply fits this Celtics team like a glove. At 6'8", he may be undersized at the center spot on most teams, but not with The Green. Currently at the age of 28, he will never be a stud in the NBA, but on a team that already has two young stars, he doesn't need to be. This season, he is averaging 9.3 PPG and 5.1 RPG in only 23.5 minutes per game, down slightly from 24.1 MPG last season. He is hitting 60% of his field goals and 42% of his 3-pointers. He leads fellow-big, Tristan Thompson, in points, assists, steals, blocks, FG%, 3-point% and FT%. One of my many hopes is Celtics center, Daniel Theis keeps getting better. Despite the benefits for him & his team, his last name just fits: "Theis is Ice", "Theis Tea" "Roll the dice on Theis", "Theis Iced the game", "Th...

Prior to the season, the Celtics Rob Williams projected that he would take a "great jump" in his third season with Boston. But it appears that coach Brad Stevens may be holding him back. Rob Williams has always been known as a leaper, but this season he plans to take a different type of jump on the court. https://t.co/efEX5HdEG5 — Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 8, 2020 In last night's 110-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Rob saw only 13 minutes of floor time. How did he do? He scored  six points on 3-of-3 from the field, while hauling down seven (7) rebounds, four of which were of the offensive glass.  He added one assist, one steal and one block, while committing only one turnover and racking up a single foul. I took the time to project what that may have meant had he been on the floor for 36 minutes: 17 points - 19 boards - 3 assists - 3 steals, 3 blocks - 3 turnovers - 3 fouls Yes, I know my 36-minute projection is pure fantasy! Or is it? Here are Williams III...

Upon Jayson Tatum's return from COVID protocols, he and Jaylen Brown combined for 50 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the Celtics 119-103 win over the Chicago Bulls. But it was the supporting cast consisting of Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis that assisted their star duo seal the victory. Smart and Theis shared team-high honors with plus/minuses of +21. Marcus had a double-double in 26 minutes (13 points, 11 assists), while Daniel garnered a line of 19 points, and three-each of rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in 28 minutes of action. Jaylen Brown is 7th in the NBA in scoring. Nearly half his assists have come from Marcus Smart. And the duo leads the league in field goals and points generated by any combo. “Me and Jaylen have had lots of talks about this year.” https://t.co/8V4uJApPTu — Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) January 25, 2021 With Kemba Walker out to start this season, Marcus has really focused on his facilitation, and it shows. One of Smart's main targets...

The game was always winnable for the Boston Celtics, but Philadelphia walked away with the 117-109 win. Without Jayson Tatum, both Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis stepped up with 25 and 23 points, respectively, but it was Theis' performance that was a pleasant surprise. Theis versus 76'ers showed nice movement and toughness against Embiid. Had 23 points, 10 boards. Plus he was getting good position and perfect feeds from the guards. Daniel theis highlights vs Philadelphia 76ers! ( Jan 20, 2021) https://t.co/wxzwftLFHF via @YouTube pic.twitter.com/sLTf1vPHZe — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) January 21, 2021 His 23 points came on 10-of-11 from the field and 1-of-1 on treys. His 10 rebounds gave him a double-double in only 27 minutes of action. Daniel gives up four inches and 40 pounds to Embiid, but he handled it well this time. Joel is big, strong and has a light shooting touch for someone of his size. To say he is a tough cover is an understatement. Daniel and former-Celtics star...

Celtics backup center, Rob Williams III , is out of action right now due to COVID-19 protocol, but upon his return he needs more time on the floor. We see glimpses of stardom in him, but even with what he has shown in limited minutes, he may end up as Boston's best choice at the center slot. His field goal percentage ranks second in the NBA (8 games or more, 16 MPG or more) at 77.4% , just behind DeAndre Jordan at 78.4% . His per-36-minutes stats show: 14.8 PPG, 14.3 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 3.3 BPG, 3.0 turnovers/game, 2.7 fouls/game A quick look at the NBA Defensive Dashboard numbers shows that he holds the top diff% (percentage points difference) of the Celtics' three major weapons at the 5-spot, Tristan Thompson, Daniel Theis and Williams III. Thompson has the worst diff% of the three with a differential of 10.2. Meaning in effect, Thompson allows opponents to shoot with much more accuracy than he does. Theis has a diff% of 2.9% , meaning he still allows opponents to shoot a high...

You know who they are. Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis will all be starters at many points in the upcoming season, and their contracts are real bargains in today's NBA. Their total salaries add up to $30.8 million for this year. Think of that!.Theis is relatively poverty-stricken, earning a mere $5M for the season, while Smart will pick up $12.9M and Brown"s $22.9M, despite the "overpaid" screams from his critics, now  looks like a steal. Many Celtics fans feel that there is little "talent-gap" between Jaylen and his Jay Team partner, Jayson Tatum. Yet Tatum is set to earn roughly that 3-man total (30.4M) in the second year (2022-23) of his contract extension.  There is little doubt that Marcus will be looking for a raise, as he is slated to make $13.8M for the final season (2021-22) of his present deal, and Daniel will be a free agent next season barring the expected moves from the Celtics to retain him.  If newly-acquired Tristan Thompson or o...

I go on record as being a major Daniel Theis fan - no superstar, but one of the top production-per-dollar players in the NBA. Now comes new acquisition, Tristan Thompson. Does he come to Boston as a starter at the center slot in place of Theis, or are the two viable together in the front court? I believe they are a workable combo when the opposing center is of the larger - and stronger - variety. Thompson at center and Theis at the PF spot just might work in that situation. Daniel has sufficient quickness to cover opposing wings, and my feeling is that Tristan has less of a chance to get bullied and manhandled by the brute centers. As accomplished a coach as Brad Stevens is, the start of this season should hopefully see him do more experimentation, and show more flexibility, in his lineups and substitutions. Enes Kanter is gone, and I doubt we will see Vincent Poirier on the roster after mid-season. That leaves Rob Williams and Grant Williams as substitutes at the 5-spot.  I believ...

 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....