Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Yes, I know the odds of The Suns' Chris Paul ending up with the Boston Celtics after possibly being waived by Phoenix are quite slim, but I honestly think that offering CP3 a second shot as the initiator of Lob City - and possibly his first Championship. Picture it. That would mean putting Chris back with Blake Griffin - and r eplacing the Dunk Machine, Deandre Jordan, with Rob Williams . Blake and Chris are not the same players fans watched with the Clippers, but both can still operate at a fairly-high level in somewhat-restricted minutes. CP3’s market, at least for a short-money deal, will be strong. Memphis, which should be aggressive. Both LA teams. Boston, which could be on the hunt for more playmaking. Miami, even. Lot of possibilities. — Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) June 7, 2023 Let me continue. Two of the several issues that cost the Celtics from competing in the Finals this past season careless passes and turnovers . Chris Paul averaged 7.9 assists per game this past...

 The Celtics Robert Williams III is currently top-7-or better in three NBA statistical categories. None of the achievements are a surprise. For players involved in at least five games thus far, here is where the supremely-athletic C/F sits: First in blocks with 3.2 rejections per game Rob holds the lead comfortably ahead of Myles Turner, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mo Bamba and Giannis Antetokounmpo.  Second in FG% (players scoring in double digits) at 72,4% Williams III sits only behind Jarrett Allen in this category. Seventh in offensive rebounds at 3.4 per game Another reason Rob needs to man the center spot for Boston. He has the nose for timing his amazing leaps to corral missed shots by his comrades - often laying the ball in or sending it home with a thundering jam. I previously wrote that Rob Williams' ceiling would be at least that of Deandre Jordan , and that seems to be happening. Without boring my readers with the numbers, in a 4th-season comparison for bo...

 The optimists in Beantown are hoping for one or two wins over the Nets in the upcoming matchup. Regardless of the outcome, what happens in this series will go a long way to defining the following season. Danny Ainge has stated fans can expect he, Brad Stevens, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will all be back for the 2021-22 campaign . The rest is in Limbo. Danny Ainge told @Dan_Shaughnessy that he, Brad Stevens, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown will all still be part of the #Celtics next season. This shouldn't surprise (or disappoint) you, but in case you were curious... https://t.co/8orO0upg5S — Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) May 17, 2021 Much of the hope for a hard-fought series lies in the hands of Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Evan Fournier . Beyond that foursome, I find it interesting that at least one Brooklyn sports writer feels the center matchup featuring the Nets DeAndre Jordan and the Celtics Tristan Thompson is critical, basing the slant on Thompson'...

The Celtics' Rob Williams is heading into his third season in the NBA, and no one is sure of his ceiling. Injuries and restricted playing time have produced uncertainty. But I do envision him as a shorter, lighter version of DeAndre Jordan , and my numerical comparison between the two players may show promise for Williams III. Jordan, at 6'11" and 265 pounds was the 45th pick in the 2008 NBA draft. Rob is listed at 6'8" and 237 pounds and slid to the Celtics at #27 in the 2018 draft. DeAndre averaged 14.4 minutes per game in his sophomore season, while Rob averaged 13.4 MPG . Their second-year points per game were close with Jordan at 4.8 PPG and Williams putting up 5.2 PPG . Rebounds were also close ( DeAndre/5.0 RPG - Rob/4.4 RPG ). While playing fewer minutes, Rob had a significant lead on assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. With Jordan later earning All-Star and All-NBA First Team honors (once each), in addition to 2-ti...

If you are thinking my piece on Kyrie Irving and the Nets is a total Kyrie-bashing, read elsewhere. As I have previously written, I am a bit like him, and the blame for the Celtics disappointing 2018-19 season is shared by many within the organization. Any player that leaves the Boston Celtics of their own volition will be scourged by fans for decades. But the rumblings surrounding Irving in Brookline have already started according to ESPN's Jackie MacMullan , and frankly, I am not surprised. It all started this past summer (per Jackie Mac): THE NETS WERE delighted when their new power trio (Irving, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan) organized summer workouts for the team at a Los Angeles middle school in July and August. The aim was to develop chemistry and learn each other's tendencies on the court. It was going swimmingly until Brooklyn dispatched its performance team to Santa Monica for an annual two-day minicamp with the players, which involved, among other things, gathering ...