Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Derrick White's recent block party versus the Utah Jazz brought back memories of Dennis Johnson - and not only because the two players are tied for most blocks by a non-center (7 blocks) . Both players hover(ed) around 6'4" - play(ed) both PG and SG - and excel(led) at both ends of the court. Below are stats for White this season and DJ from his final Championship season with Boston (1986): White: 18.3 PPG - 4.3 RPG - 5.2 APG - 1.4 SPG - 1.5 BPG - .398 FG - .344 3s - .875 FT Johnson: 15.6 PPG - 3.4 RPG - 5.8 APG - 1.4 SPG - 0.4 BPG - .455 FG - .143 3s - .818 FT I personally hold the late Dennis Johnson in high esteem and have been delighted to see Derrick White step in so well in the absence of Jayson Tatum . And another thing I like about the comparison is that neither player showboats out on the court. They are known for making winning plays without the celibratory flashes seen too often in the NBA.

 I have menbtally penciled in Dennis Johnson as my choice for all-time Celtics point guard playing in today's NBA game . John Havlicek joins him in the back court. Bill Russell takes center spot. And Larry Bird takes one of the forward positions. The fifth slot is somewhat up for grabs, with Jayson Tatum (yes, Jayson Tatum), Kevin Garnett, Dave Cowens and Kevin McHale in the running as either power forward or small forward. So, why Dennis Johnson. Why not Bob Cousy, JoJo White or Rajon Rondo? Although not being a 3-point marksman, DJ had it all - athleticism, defense, scoring, distributing, rebounding . But most of all, he was adaptable to what his team needed to win ( per Wikipedia ): "During this period (with Seattle) Johnson played  shooting guard  and was known for his aggressive  slam dunking , in contrast to the more cerebral roles he played later in his career." But Johnson clashed with Coach Lenny Wilkins and was traded to the Phoenix Suns . By now, Denn...

 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...

The late KC Jones was definitely the right coach for Larry Bird and his cohorts in the mid-1980's. KC's fine manner and ability to handle men made him the right man to lead one of the most-talented, veteran teams in NBA history to success. Here is one interchange between Larry Bird and Jones - as told by KC himself - that illustrates the synergy between the two: (K C Jones): "Larry shooting a 3-pointer and then I call a timeout - and they didn't count the 3-pointer." "So he's pretty upset. So I (KC) diagrammed the play, and he (Larry) says "Heck with the play, Case, give me the ball and tell the rest of the guys to get out of the way." So I say, "shut up Larry, I'm the coach here." (KC than lays out the play)): "Okay, Dennis, you take the ball out - get it to Kevin - then throw it to Larry and everybody, get the Hell out of the way." K.C. Jones explains two Larry Bird stories . https://t.co/f6zSXWJnbx via @YouTube — ...

  Yes, I know it's too early in the process , but this kid is going to end up on my All-Time Celtics Top-10. Jayson Tatum, if he maintains his present production and play all season, he can't be left off. Let me make this clear (I sound like Joe Biden) , this is my team that would t ake on opponents from the past and present in TODAY's GAME . To start, here are the 7th-season stats for Larry Bird, Jayson Tatum (10 games) and Paul Pierce: BIRD: 25.8 PPG - 9.8 RPG - 6.8 APG - 2.0 SPG - .496 FG - .423 3s TATUM: 28.4 PPG - 8.9 RPG - 3.9 APG - 1.2 SPG - .526 FG - .398 3s PIERCE: 21.6 PPG - 6.6 RPG - 4.2 APG - 1.6 SPG - .455 FG - .370 3s Here's my Top-4 since I remain torn on the 5th starter: Bill Russell (C) Larry Bird (SF) Dennis Johnson (PG) John Havlicek (SG) All three of the following are in the Top-7 . Pick one as a starter. Dave Cowens (PF, C)) Kevin Garnett (PF) Kevin McHale (PF, C) So I need three more . Here they are: JoJo White (PG) Jayson Tatum (SG, SF, PF) Paul...

 His stats may not smash you in the face, but his value is undeniable. I am talking about 6'4", do-everything guard, Jrue Holiday. After nine games - and a 7-2 record - Holiday comes in second to Jayson Tatum in minutes at 33.7 MPG . His stats are below: 12.8 MPG - 7.3 RPG - 5.9 APG - 1.1 BPG His points are down from last season when he played for the Bucks. In 2022-23, he logged slightly more minutes (32.6 MPG) that Giannis Antetokounmpo and was second in scoring to The Greek Freak at 19.3 PPG.   "The Jruth", like Dennis Johnson before him, has sacrificed his point production for the good of his present team, the Boston Celtics. And it is working. So if floor time is at least a significant indicator of a player's value, Holiday was much-needed by The Green in their quest for Banner 18. I honestly didn't think Boston had a shot at acquiring him, but Brad Stevens found a way. He seems to have that Red Auerbach/Danny Ainge knack for petty (grand?) theft in...

 It would come down to the size/savvy/skills/synergy of the 1986 crew against the youth/athleticism/quickness/talent of the current version of The Green. Imagine this! Al Horford facing Robert Parish Rob Williams versus Kevin McHale Jayson Tatum confronting Larry Bird Jaylen Brown covering Dennis Johnson Marcus Smart vs. Danny Ainge Then come the benches: Luke Kornet against Bill Walton Grant Williams facing Scott Wedman Derrick White covering Jerry Sichting Horford would have trouble with Robert's size and strength - and that unstoppable rainbow jumper . McHale's inside moves and tremendous wingspan would give Rob fits. But Kevin gave all defenders fits. Larry would be a bit slow in trying to contain Jayson's speed and handles but would out-clever Tatum as he did with most opponents. Jaylen Brown's quickness and size advantage would give DJ a few headaches, but that matchup overall would be fairly even Smart versus Danny? Ainge was known as the "quickness w...

  Tommy Heinsohn followed Red Auerbach's cue in preparing his troops for a fast-pace, run-your-opponents-into-the-ground type of offense. And now, Head Coach Joe Mazzulla is doing likewise. In the Celtics 131-112 win over the Nuggets , it all started in the first quarter with a rebound by Jaylen Brown - who whipped a long outlet pass to a streaking Jayson Tatum for the slam. Fans were then treated to a Dennis-Johnson-to-Larry-Bird recreati on when Brown found Grant Williams open under the hoop. Less than a minute later, it was J aylen-to-Jayson-Tatum for an easy one.  There was little iso play. Just a lot of rebounding, quick outlet passes and running downcourt. It could have been Russell/Cousy/Heinsohn - or Cowens/Hondo/White . But this time it was Horford, Tatum and Brown. And how about Payton Pritch ard. He racked up 11 points, five boards and one Hell of a steal and hoop at 9:19 of the second period. Only seconds earlier, the 6'1" guard grabbed an offensive board...

 It's a legitimate question. Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have many seasons left in them and have already reached stardom. In my recent article , I presented my top-5 - kind of: Bill Russell (C) Larry Bird (SF) John Havlicek (SG) Dennis Johnson (PG) PF is still up in the air, with Kevin McHale, Kevin Garnett and Dave Cowens in contention. To make the grade, Jayson may unseat Bird (unlikely) or one of my power forward candidates. Jaylen would have to overtake either Hondo at SG or Bird at SF. Right now, it would seem to me that Tatum might have the greater shot at entering that Fab Five at the power forward slot. Still, that's tough competition against Herman Munster (Ainge's moniker for McHale), The Big Ticket and Big Red. What think you? Does either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown have a shot at making the Celtics All-Time Starting-5? Tatum may make the grade at the PF slot if he can eventually oust McHale, Garnett or Cowens (depending on your choice). Who do you now p...

 The Celtics Marcus Smart may go his entire NBA career without getting his accomplishments to the  forefront. The recent Sports Illustrated cover may be the start of a turnaround. Let's start with a comparison with the late Dennis Johnson , a player that was so damn good I place him at the starting point guard on my All-Time Celtics squad . By the way, DJ is accompanied on that Fab Five by John Havlicek (SG), Bill Russell (C), Larry Bird (SF) - and one of the following at PF: Kevin McHale, Kevin Garnett or Dave Cowens - I just can't make up my mind. I don't place Marcus at DJ's level - not quite. Dennis was a superb defender (6X All-Defensive First team) but was never able to cop that DPOY Trophy that Smart was able to earn. Dennis was also Finals MVP (1979) 3-Time Champion and 5-Time All-Star - all awards that have eluded Marcus thus far. Stats? Here are the 8th-season stats for both players : Marcus: 12.1 PPG - 3.8 RPG - 5.9 APG - 1.7 SPG - .418 FG - .331 3s DJ: 13...

 It's Fantasy Time in Boston. Pick an Elite Eight, all-time Celtics players to win one game in the current NBA landscape.  We are talking only eight players, so versatility plays a major role. My selections are also based on size, quickness, athleticism, scoring, rebounding, defense, rim protection, passing skills, ball handling, intensity and desire. Not asking much - right? I looked for Season MVP and Finals MVP Awards. Feel free to disagree (courteously please). There are no right or wrong answers here. Bill Russell: 5X MVP Bill checks all of the above boxes, with the exception of "scoring". He always had more rebounds than points, and he was a 5X MVP. Any questions?  Dave Cowens: 1X MVP As Russell's substitute, Dave wasn't quite the rebounder or rim protector that Bill was, but Big Red was a better scorer, and was quicker and more-athletic than most younger fans would know. His fire and intensity are rarely matched in Celtics history.  Larry Bird: 3X MVP, 2X F...

      75 Years, that's a decent amount of time to look at your top 15 players. When in all reality the Celtics could have done 25 if not more. But I get why they limited it to 15. Group 1 gives us Larry Bird who had it all, his shooting was pin point, passing was lazer focused, could bang for boards and defend. Trash talking supreme, and IMO should be in the GOAT Convo.        KG, brought Boston that grit and balls it was lacking. He understood the Celtics brother hood and culture and played that way. Another guy who really could do it all on the floor. If he's healthy we should have had a three peat. He also spoke to Larry about Boston which to me says a lot!       Kevin McHale , was the Swiss army knife of offensive moves. When the ball made it's way into the post, just put two points on the board for the C's. If he doesn't have injuries the Celtics repeat in 87. The best guest on Cheers in my opinion!       Sam Jones ...

  Quickly, how many rebounds and assists did Larry Bird have in his 60-point explosion versus the Hawks? The answer is "less than Tatum" in both categories. Here's the breakdown. Bird:    42 minutes - 60 points -  7 rebounds - 3 assists - 61% FG - 25% 3s - 94% FT Tatum: 33 minutes - 51 points - 10 rebounds - 7 assists - 64% FG - 64% 3s - 100% FT Surprised? In the Hawks game, Dennis Johnson racked up 17 assists and Danny Ainge had 13 dimes . We can only guess how many of those feeds went in Larry's direction. This is in no way meant to demean the feat of a player I place top-5, all-time NBA, Larry Bird . But rather to point out that the negative comments aimed towards Jayson have to do with his "point padding", selfishness and unwillingness to pass the ball. For Jayson Tatum to put up these numbers in 33 minutes with such shooting efficiency while still garnering 10 boards and seven assists is extraordinary . I believe that is what I meant when I labeled h...

 I am not saying any past Celtics wing pairing is better or worse than what we see from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. I simply can not find a clear match based on size, skills, athleticism, intensity, desire and savvy. But here we go! For the 60's, the best match may be John Havlicek and Sam Jones . They share 18 Title rings, and it is almost impossible that Jaylen and Jayson can ever achieve that, but this is the closest I could come from the 60's crew. In the 70's, it has to be Hondo again - this time paired with Dave Cowens . Yes, I know that "Big Red" played center, but his quickness and athleticism make him comfortable at the wing position next to "Jarrin' John". The 80's is easy for me. Put Larry Bird next to Dennis Johnson . This duo gets my vote. They lack nothing, and their synergy on the floor is close-to unmatched in Celtics lore. But as much as I love this pairing, it remains an imperfect match for the Jay team. Let me lump the 90...

 Both the late Dennis Johnson and Marcus Smart are not generally thought of as elite athletes, but both have shown Celtics glimpses of vertical leaps and quick moves that seemed off the scale. There are other comparisons. DJ was such an astounding defender, Magic Johnson labeled him as one of his toughest opponent s. And no present NBA player wants to be guarded by The Wolverine. But now that the buzz of possible Marcus Smart trades have faded, he may want to watch some footage of Dennis in action. Red Auerbach was right. You can't turn a poor-to-mediocre shooter into a dead-eye marksman, K. C. Jones and Don Chaney being Exhibits A and B. Exhibit C would be Marcus . His 38% career shooting from the field and 33% on three-pointers needs to rise.   DJ shot 44% on field goals - but also a putrid 17% on treys - but to his credit, he rarely took the long shot. On point production, Johnson averaged 14.1 PPG, while Smart is at 13.1 PPG. They both show up with three or four board...

 Building the 1986 Champion Celtics team was Red Auerbach at his very best. Grabbing Larry Bird as a junior-eligible out of Indiana State in the 1978 NBA draft meant Larry would not be coming to Boston for a year - but the wait proved worth the move. The Robert Parish/Kevin McHale heist from the Warriors in 1980 stands in the top-3 exploits by the Redhead, in contention with acquiring Bill Russell and Bird . Effectively bringing in Parish and McHale for a guy that earned the name, Joe Barely Cares (Joe Barry Carroll) tells the tale . Danny Ainge came on board via the 1981 draft, where Red chose him with the 31st overall pick . Dennis Johnson joined the Celtics when he was brought in via a trade of Bird's drinking buddy, Rick Robey , to the Phoenix Suns. They were so good they often toyed with opponents. They had it all - talent, size, rebounding, shooting, fast breaks, defense, team play, character, facilitation, synergy. https://t.co/r2cNiQDdlI — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel...

      Dennis Johnson was a late bloomer in regards to his NBA career. Early on in his career he was known as a scorer and dunke r. Later in his career he was know as a defensive stopper and some say the most underrated player of all time. No matter where he played he left an impact on that organization.       Early on in his career he was coached by the great Bill Russell . Things didn't work out and eventually DJ was coached by Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkins who was able to maximize DJ and they went on to win the 1979 NBA title where he won the NBA Finals MVP . After maximizing his time in Seattle he ended up with the Suns where he never reached that title glory.       Then Red Auerbach came calling and traded for DJ. When asked about the trade DJ said " Dream Come True" and when asked about Red he said " living history" . When he came to the Celtics he was established as their point guard and boy did he flourish. He became the ...

Imagine it! Ten dearly-departed, former Celtics returning as a small-ball team to compete. And why not bring back John Kiley at the organ and Johnny Most "high above courtside" .Hell, put Red Auerbach on the sidelines to coach and berate the refs. Starting at center, we have 6'7" Tommy Heinsohn . At the point, 6'3" JoJo White will run the show alongside defensive ace, 6'4" Dennis Johnson . At the small forward slot, 6'5" John Havlicek will start and be partnered with the bruising, 6'5" Jim Loscutoff . "Loscy" will handle many of the "drudgery" chores and play the role of enforcer should the need arise. Coming off the bench as backup point guard is 6'1" Bill Sharman . We can expect him to see minutes at the shooting guard spot next to DJ at times during the game. Also coming off the pine will be 6'5" "Pistol Pete" Maravich at both back court spots, but not at the same time. Sorry...

I just finished watching a rerun of the 1986 NBA Finals contest that resulted in Boston's 16th Banner. It was June 8, 1986 at Boston Garden, and this Game-6 pitted Houston's Twin-Tower front court of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson against the Celtics Big-3 of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Larry Bird. The lessons from the contest follow: Try to draft as many Larry Birds as you can during your tenure as GM.  Larry outplayed both Hakeem and Ralph in this one. He had a triple-double of 29pts., 11 boards, 12 assists and three steals. He looked totally exhausted at the finish. He gave it eveerything he had. The Celtics game was all about ball-movement. Despite having the Big-3, there was no concerted push to get the ball inside to Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. And there was no running to the corners begging for the ball to launch a 3-pointer. As a matter of fact, at least once, Bird ran WITH the ball out to the corner to nail a trey. But he MOVED out there. Even Danny Ainge, a no...

Smart's value just got bigger with Kemba Walker's knee woes I am amazed that Marcus Smart still has critics in Boston. He may come in second to Larry Bird as the Celtic who most-used the qualities that God or nature bestowed on him. So we need to change the photo wording "on the departure Kyrie Irving & Al Horford" to "on the worrisome knee issues of Kemba Walker". Flash back to the 2020 post-season. Still not known as the second coming of Sam Jones, Marcus only hit 39.4% of his field goal attempts, but in the playoffs he averaged 38.1 MPG, 14.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 1.2 SPG. He was vital to The Green's making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. For those who weren't around, I see Smart as a hybrid combo of the Jones Boys, Sam and K. C. Sam attempted more than twice as many shots as his back-court partner, K. C., and for good reason. Sam's career FG% was .456, while K. C. hit .387 from the field. Once Bob Cousy retired, K. C. Jones took...