Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 In the history of the Boston Celtics, Red Auerbach's acquisition of Bill Russell and Larry Bird have to rank at the very-top of "The Green's" major moves. Add in maneuvering to get Robert Parish and Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge's dealing to get The Jay Team. But I still can't believe how Brad Stevens quickly rebuilt his team when forced to shed the roster of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Luke Kornet - while working to lessen the damage of losing his beast player, Jayson Tatum , to injury. If Stevens is not in serious conversation as Exec of The Year , I will continue to feel the Celtics tend to be ignored at award time. And frankly, his belief in Joe Mazzulla to orchestrate the regular season with a ravaged roster enters into this discussion.  The Russell, Bird, Parish, McHale and Jay Team acquisitions were successful, long-term moves . Ditto on Stevens' masterful maneuvering to cutting costs drastically, while maintaining a trul...

 Now it starts. It is NBA All-Star weekend as I write this, and some inferior teams have their focus on losing enough games to "earn" a high lottery pick . Danny Ainge , never one to previously tank as Head Honcho of the Boston Celtics, and his Utah Jazz took a half-million-dollar  hit for failing to play his stars in the final period of two close games. Unnecessarily resting star players has been a major issue in the League this season, and Adam Silver has decided to make teams pay for such a practice. Silver stated that such behavior "undermines the foundation of NBA compeition" . That may be so, but what may eventually be undermined might be the popularity of the League itself - and the massive amount of money it acquires.  The blatent "losing to gain a high draft position" needs to stop , but large fines are hardly felt by the offending teams. Resting star players to avoid injuries is one thing, but benching them after overstating the seriousness ...

 As the saying goes - The most stress is caused by things over which we have no control. Well, that is what Celtics GM, Brad Stevens is experiencing, after being forced by ownership to cut monetary costs by stripping the once-Championship roster considerably. Stevens came to Boston as Celtics coach prior to the 2013-14 season . Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, all members of the 2008 Title team , had been traded, and the roster had youngsters such as Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and Jordan Crawford vying for playing time. The Green ended the 2013-14 regular season with a 25-57 record , obviously missing the playoffs. In the following years, GM Danny Ainge left for Utah and Brad Stevens took his place as Head Honcho, eventually winning the 2024 NBA Championship with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way. Back to the present. The ravaged roster , now minus Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Luke Kornet (all lost to trades or free a...

 I have been a devoted Celtics fan for 65 seasons , and as such - I feel we have been spoiled . many Boston fans generally think anything less than another Title is failure for "The Green" . I am not one of those! There are 30 teams in the League - and perhaps more to come. Numerically at least, that means expecting more than a Championship every 30 years - particularly with the player movement of the last decade - just may be fantasy. The 60's, with Bill Russell manning the center spot, saw eight Championships landing in Beantown. The 70's saw two more with Dave Cowens taking over the 5-spot from Russ. The Larry Bird-led Celtics nailed three more Titles in the 80's - followed by another in 2008 - and yet another in 2024.  The Celtics have won more Championships (18) than any other NBA squad, and there will be more. Barring an absolute meltdown by Boston in the upcoming season, I doubt I will be disappointed in the outcome for the 2025-26 campaign. The los...

 Let's face it! The late Red Auerbach was not beloved by many in the NBA community - in large part because he was smarter and more-successful than most of them. Photos courtesy of Mary N. Thawley and Lisa Lane McCarty Bird was plucked from the 1978 draft as a "junior eligible" with the sixth-overall pick . Mychal Thompson, Phil Ford, Rick Robey (more on him later), Michael Ray Richardson and Purvis Short went with the first-through-fifth picks, respectively. Larry not only led Boston to three Championships - but also helped lift the League from hard times . By the way, the NBA changed the  draft rules after Auerbach had masterminded this specific heist. Robert Parish and Kevin McHale came to Boston in another Red sting operation . In the 1980 draft, Auerbach traded the first-overall pick (which became Joe Barry Carroll - who went to the Warriors) for the third-overall pick and Robert Parish . The feisty Auerbach with yet another lopsided (in his favor) deal. On to Red...

 It was almost three years ago that (then) Celtics Head Honcho, Danny Ainge , voiced the need for his team to have a shooter at the big position . Well, Kristaps Porzingis certainly has the size at 7'2". And the guy can shoot - and hit - from anywhere on the court. With Danny Ainge off to Utah, present Celtics honcho, Brad Stevens made the move to acquire the Latvian big man when he became available. His height alone makes it difficult for defenders to block his shot attempts, and he gets his shots off fast - VERY fast . This season, he sits behind only the Jay Team duo in scoring at 19.7 PPG . Danny Ainge on 98.5 on what @Celtics need.... "I would say maybe shooting, with size. ... We could use shooting, we could use passing. But you always need defense. ... I think that shooting at the big position is something we haven't had." — Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) February 4, 2021 How about accuracy, you may ask. On that note, he is third on the team on accuracy fr...

  Danny Ainge was generally a willing disciple of Red Auerbach , but Danny veered away from Red's practice of retaining stars well-past their prime. Auerbach traded Ainge in his prime but kept Larry Bird and Kevin McHale in the Celtics fold even when age and injuries were stifling their production. Not so Danny. It was his trade of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett that brought Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to Boston. The pair were taken with the third-overall draft picks in successive years. It took a while, but the Jay Team improved every season - learned to play team ball - and finally ended the season earning Banner 18 for TD Garden. #Celtics brothers and sisters how about a big shout-out to #44 Danny Ainge. Danny's hands are all over #banner18 . He brought us Tatum/Brown, Brad Stevens, and I could go on! pic.twitter.com/R9o68ZmImD — Ty Ray (@coug88) June 18, 2024   The general feeling around the League is that this present Celtics crew may not be done in their Champions...

  Red Auerbach may be "dead-and-gone" but his undeniable mark remains . Danny Ainge learned much from the the Celtics Patriarch and used that knowledge and experience to  wheel-deal-and-construct Celtics teams that were almost always in the fight.  And now we have Brad Stevens at the helm . He is more subdued than either of his predecessors, but he is damn  clever - and outright smart. His present crew sits at 3-1 in the NBA Finals following a disastrous loss in Game-4 of the series . But Brad's team does not consist of robots. Their Game-4 performance versus Dallas made them look like an overmatched YMCA assemblage. They went from dominant to vulnerable. But don't be fooled. This current version of The Green was masterfully put together to win Banner 18. They are good - very good. And seasoned to withstand one lousy performance . Tomorrow night they will be back home at TD Garden and out to prove just how good they are. I refuse to use the metaphor of Red smiling d...

 My followers are aware that one of my passions is the study, and practice, of survival skills . As a cop, I battled fists, clubs, knives, guns and personal attacks by (supposed) friends and foes alike. And cursed by horrible genetics, I still am into my eighth decade on planet earth . Now to the 2023-24 Boston Celtics, who just eliminated a nemesis in the form of the Miami Heat. This Boston crew was assembled by the the newly-anointed NBA Exec-of-the-Year, Brad Stevens . The additions of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White were masterful moves.  With Porzingis out of action with a calf ailment, Al Horford stepped into the starting lineup and 12 Celtics players saw action in the victory. Injuries happen, but unless The Green see an injury plague descend, they should weather every storm in this post-season . T hey should survive, and Banner 18 is within their grasp. It seems that Red Auerbach's team-construction talents were passed down to (first) Danny Ainge ...

  Danny Ainge's buddy - and former teammate - Kevin McHale once called the past head honcho for Boston "one cold-blooded character" . Certainly, at least a portion of that tag was earned when Ainge traded Antoine Walker, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Isaiah Thomas in three separate transactions. But bringing Leon Powe back to the team in the front office showed a warmer side of "Trader Danny" - and now we see that he has signed Isaiah Thomas to the Utah Jazz G-League affiliate , Salt Lake City Stars. The now-35-year-old point guard is still desperately trying to latch onto a roster spot with an NBA team, and his stint with the Stars may be the showcase he needs. IT's size (generously listed at 5'9") and age are against him . But he can still score the ball in bunches - and is an able passer. In the past, he has used his lack of size to his advantage , going under-and-around defenders to hit from anywhere on the court. He scored 32 points in h...

 Don't expect Payton Pritchard to share All-Star status with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown , but the 6'1" combo guard seems to have solidified his role for the Boston Celtics. He is averaging 7.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 3.1 APG - while experiencing a career-low 0.5 turnovers per game this season . In Boston's close loss to the Thunder last night, he was on the floor for all of the fourth quarter . Coach Joe Mazzulla credited Pritchard with applying " good ball pressure" and a "level of physicality defensively" - further adding that Payton "helped us get back into the game" . Whether Pritchard's career-high 20.6 minutes per game indicate increased trust in his game - or are indicative of a trade prior to the deadline remains in question. Danny Ainge previously spoke of the importance of having "shooting with size" (a big man that can shoot the ball) . Brad Stevens filled the need by bringing Kristaps Porzingis to Boston.  And ...

  Danny Ainge once (at least once) called teammate, Kevin McHale "The Black Hole" because once the ball was passed into McHale in the pivot - it never came back out . Kevin's compadres knew they would not see the ball again once the 6'10" forward caught their pass, but he had great inside moves and had a career .554 on field goals. His career assist average was 2.0 APG. Now to Jaylen Brown . Jaylen has a career assist average of 2.8 APG , and his number this season is at 3.6 APG. But rightly so, his field goal career percentage is at .475 - not bad, but not up to McHale standards. It is well-known among NBA analysts that Brown is known for sometimes forcing his offense, but if he can continue his synergy with teammate, Kristaps Porzingis , that may change. Getting it to the big Latvian for easy hoops may win a number of games for Boston this season. So, for now, there is little danger of Jaylen Brown playing second fiddle to Kevin McHale as Boston's ...

 In his past role as Celtics head honcho, Danny Ainge lamented that his team lacked a clear hierarchy.  Most Celtics fans would agree that Jayson Tatum is the Alpha Dog with respect to talent in Boston's structure, but can he be the on-court leader in the mold of Bill Russell, Larry Bird or Paul Pierce?  As much as many fans hated to see Marcus Smart traded away, and I include myself in that bunch - in many ways he was the most-vocal member of the team, and probably the main driver of what took place on the hardwood. Smart's departure may clarify the leadership role in the upcoming season. So it may come down to the best player (Tatum) assuming the leadership role and running with it. Jaylen Brown, with one more year in the NBA than Jayson, may have an issue with that, and we may see a Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett leadership replay with both members of The Jay team sharing control duties. Stay tuned.

 Celtics Head-Honcho, Danny Ainge had the 15th, 24th and 25th picks in the 2004 NBA draft - and initially appeared to have done quite well.  He took C/PF Al Jefferson at #15, and that worked out fairly well. Jefferson had the foot-work and inside moves to make a statement in the NBA - and eventually became the major trade piece that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston. In the latter portion of the first round, Danny went with toughness , taking Delonte West and Tony Allen. West showed promise but mental instability intervened, and the point guard moved around the NBA and (then-called) D-League - finally ending up as a homeless man on the streets. Tony had a decent career as a Celtic but became disenchanted with his role behind Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett - finally deciding to move on to Memphis in free agency - where he became known as the "Grindfather" for his dedicated defensive ability. Now recently, "The Grindfather" was sentenced to community service and su...

  Danilo Gallinari at 6'10", was supposed to  fill that "shooting with size"  role voiced by Danny Ainge two years ago. That is, until the Italian import tore his ACL prior to ever taking the court for Boston. Danny Ainge on 98.5 on what @Celtics need.... "I would say maybe shooting, with size. ... We could use shooting, we could use passing. But you always need defense. ... I think that shooting at the big position is something we haven't had." — Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) February 4, 2021 Now comes  7'3" Kristaps Porzingis to Beantown. Make no mistake, this guy can shoot the ball from anywhere - under the hoop, mid-range, beyond the arc - and from the charity stripe .  I vividly recall Dirk Nowitski's performance in the 2011 Finals versus Lebron James and the Miami Heat. No member of the Heat could stop the 7-foot German . He seemed to hit almost every shot, despite an injured hand. The Mavericks took the series, and Dirk took the Fi...

  So did anyone else catch what Danny Ainge had to say?!?! Here ya go.... Danny was a player I always loved to watch even when he wasn't on the Cs. I also thought he was a pretty good coach and a good GM. His teams underachieved and he hoarded draft picks but that doesn't take away my love for Danny. I know he had a relationship with Joe but Ime brought this team to the Finals. Joe did not. So how are you making this assessment Danny? Is it because there's something more....  I believe Danny - in his own way - may have supported the rumors that the woman Ime reportedly had a relationship with was married to a minority owner , and like Ainge, is also a Mormon. Why else would Danny be so quick to say Joe is the better Coach?! Clearly the results are in favor of Ime. Are Danny's feeling warranted because he knows Joe or because of anger towards Ime. I'm going to say it's because Danny knows Joe and loves him. But.... there is more to the story. Of which we will ne...

 Call it "hierarchy" or "pecking order" , but Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla have achieved what Danny Ainge wished for the Celtics when he played the role of "Head Honcho" in Beantown.  It starts at the top, and Jayson Tatum has clearly worked his way into "king of the hill" as the Alpha-One , followed by Jaylen Brown as Alpha-Two . Marcus Smart takes spot #3 , followed by a cluster of Al Horford, Grant Williams, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon at 4, 5, 6 and 7. Thus far, injuries and limited minutes have Rob Williams at #8, but that mediocre rating doesn't do justice to what he offers and his overall importance to the team's success. Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Blake Griffin, Mike Muscala and Luke Kornet all have averaged douible-digit minutes and bring the Celtics' usable depth to 13 players . The minutes for these 13 players tell most of the story. Ainge once lamented the fact that his team-at-the-time had "equal dep...

 Don't get me wrong. Kevin Durant's trade to Phoenix makes the Suns a worrisome foe - for now. The "Fearsome Foursome" of Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Durant is damn potent. But Durant will be 35 years old prior to the start of next season - has a 4-year deal worth $194 million - and has a significant injury history. Phoenix will be good if KD is healthy, but for how long? That return, with those unprotected picks, is an amazing haul for an unhappy player. — Josh (@poundcoyne) February 9, 2023 The Nets get three players back from Phoenix (Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson) and a gold mine of unprotected draft picks (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029) and a pick swap in 2028 . That haul dwarf's what Danny Ainge got when he sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn.  This move makes Phoenix maybe the top contender for the NBA 2023 Title - if the stars remain healthy (and happy). Durant has moved around the League like a gypsy. He can't be cou...

 In the 2022 NBA Finals versus the Warriors , the Boston Celtics went 9-deep with players logging double-digit minutes. That ninth man, Daniel Theis is no longer on the roster, and Malcolm Brogdon has been added.. Golden State went 8-deep (double-digit minutes), and this season they without one-of-the-eight, Gary Payton II . Assuming The Green are back in the post-season fight once again, how does their playoff rotation look?  Jayson Tatum Jaylen Brown Marcus Smart Rob Williams Al Horford Derrick White Malcolm Brogdon After these seven players, things get murky for the Celtics. Trade rumors centered on Boston often involve an additional big man, and that makes sense right now - but it would have to be a big that will get to play significant minutes in the post season. The trend thus far has been that Payton Pritchard either plays few minutes - or never sees the floor - if Smart, White and Brogdon are all healthy. Grant Williams? He only averaged 17 minutes, 4.2 points a...

 And maybe they shouldn't perish. I consider Kelly Olynyk as a "poor man's Nikola Jokic", a skilled, big  import that that can do most things well on the court. Olynyk will never be a star in the NBA, but he has size (6'11") - can score in close and from distance (11.5 PPG) - rebound the ball (5.0 RPG) - and get the ball to his teammates (3.3 APG) .\ In last night's loss to Phoenix, Boston had trouble containing the Suns' "big 3" of DeAndre Ayuton, Jock Landale and Dario Saric down low. The shot charts from the game san be seen in the tweet: Shot chart on the left is via Suns' Ayton (6'11") Landale (6'11") & Saric (6'10"). On the right, Celtics' Horford, Williams III and Kornet. Rebounds? Suns' "big" 3- 30, Celtics "big" 3 - 17. Size mattered in Boston's loss. pic.twitter.com/VZbHVv5IR1 — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) February 4, 2023  The Canadian center/forward may neve...