Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 After four games, the Boston Celtics are tied with the Dallas Mavericks for best record at 4-0 . Here's part of the reason why. Average Points Per Game: 1st -127.0 points Point differential: 1st - +20.5 points Rebounds: 1st - 52.3 rebounds Field Goal Percentage: 2nd - 50.7% 3-Point Percentage: 5th - 40.4% Free Throw Percentage: 3rd - 83.8% So this season's version of The Green scores a lot of points , and does so with efficiency . And their work on the boards is topnotch with almost every player involved. How about the defense? The Celtics are ranked 9th - allowing 105.7 points per game. And they still attempt a lot of 3-pointers (ranked 4th at 41.5 attempts per game) - but thus far are hitting them at a good clip (see above). Only four games, but a promising start to the season. And I love watching this crew play the game. "Are you not entertained?"

 Numbers may not tell the whole story, but they don't lie. Here are four areas that may need attention by the 3-2 Boston Celtics after five games into the season: Defensive Rating: No surprise here. The Green are in 26th place in the League, giving up 117.9 points per game. Steals: Boston is ranked 24th in the NBA with only 6.2 thefts per contest. Rebounding: A rotten 28th-place for the Celtics with 39.0 caroms/game. Offensive rebounding: They are slotted in the 26th spot at 8.8 offensive boards per game. As stated, this is not the whole story, but a good start. The defense and rebounding - two chores that require hard work and dedication-to-the-task - are some of the worst in the NBA for a team that came close to a Title last season. This is fixable. The 3-0 start to the 2022-23 season was exhilarating, but the two-losses-in-a-row were disappointing. Plenty of time to right the ship.

      We are doing things a tad different for last night's award. Let's think about the word HUSTLE. There is one player over this month who exemplifies this word.       Defensively he's getting rebounds, manning up his defender, blocking shots, and getting steals. Not to many of his opponents have gotten the best of him.              He's scoring, making sweet passes, and hitting his free throws. What's most amazing is how he keeps offensive possessions alive not only by rebounding on that end but also keeping the ball alive.       His game has improved every year, and he part of a new Big Three along with the Jay Team.      Heres our MR HUSTLE, Celtics Sentinel Award Winner for the Month RWill! Dude is becoming a Big that can change the game! He will be a huge piece 🧩 in winning Banner 18 alongside the Jays!       Bleed Green Readers and Fans! Celtic Pride...

 NBA analyst, and former superstar, Isiah Thomas called it. On the NBA TV broadcast last night featuring the Boston Celtics versus a depleted Miami Heat lineup, Thomas praised the "on-ball defense" , "defensive discipline" and "defensive rhythm" displayed by The Green. Granted, there were still lapses, but they didn't last. For the month of January , Boston leads the NBA in Defensive Rating ((102.9 ) and Opponent Points in the Paint (38.8) . In that span, they are second in blocks per game (7.8) , largely due to Rob Williams and Al Horford being ranked 5th and 20th, respectively, in blocks per game. For the month of January, the Celtics also rank 3rd in both defensive rebounds/game and opponents points off fast breaks . The Beantown Boy s may be coming out of their slump, at least on the defensive end. Not blessed yet with a cadre of sharpshooters , this Celtics crew needs to rely on their defense to make any noise in the post-season.  Boston rema...

 For an NBA team known historically as a defense-first crew , Boston fans could hardly tell that by the 2-5 start to the Celtics season . Where did the defense go, or was it ever going to be there this season? In the first 7 games, the Celtics went 2-5 while being 25th in defensive rating, at 110.3 Over the last 4 games, the Celtics are 3-1 with a league best 93.9 defensive rating (more than 4 points better than the next best team). This teams identity is on the defensive end. pic.twitter.com/u5k0Cs5d4Q — HOOPS EMPIRE (@HoopsEmpire_) November 11, 2021 We may be seeing a return of the hallowed Boston defense . It is true. Over the last four games, the team is 3-1, with the top Defensive Rating in the League . They are also tops in preventing Second-Chance Points by opposing teams - and fourth in Opponent Points in the Paint .  Since Boston only ranks 16th in Defensive Boards, it can be inferred that their interior defense, aka protecting the paint, has returned - at least for ...