Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 The Boston Celtics have gone 8-deep over the last 12 games (20-or-more minutes per game), and they are 9-3 in that span . But the (most-likely) soon-to-be-departed Dennis Schroder , is part of the "Elite Eight". A 7-man rotation just won't fly in the post-season , so where does that 8th man come from - the present bench or an addition to the roster? Ime Udoka has relied heavily on Grant Williams and Josh Richardson off the bench, but below them in minutes are Enes Freedom, Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard, none of whom seem to be in favor by Coach Udoka. In comparison, The Champion Milwaukee Bucks went 8-deep (18-or-more MPG) to take the Title last season. The point is that Udoka is defining his rotations, and it looks like - assuming Schroder is gone - that 8th slot needs to be filled by an acquisition prior to this Thursday . Trades prior to the deadline almost always seem to take place minutes before the bell rings. That happens at 3:00 EST, Thu...

  If you read my previous article , you already know the Celtics are ranked towards the bottom of the NBA (27th place) in win/loss record in "clutch time" . Here's the good and bad from the Celtics players in the final five minutes of a close game (score differential five or less) . Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Dennis Schroder, Josh Richardson, Marcus Smart and Rob Williams all have averaged four minutes-or-more in crunch time this season. They are followed by Al Horford, Romeo langford and Grant Williams logging two-or-more minutes. Points   Tatum and Brown average a combined 6.7 PPG in those critical final five minutes. The point production drops off precipitously after that. Field Goal Attempts Ditto. Its the Jay team once again attempting a combined 5.6 shots per game . Field goal percentage Enes Freedom hits a perfect 100% of his field goals in crunch time, but his minutes are limited . He is followed by RWill (64%) and Dennis Schroder (51.5%) . Brown hits a respe...

 I am a numbers guy, but I fully admit to not be totally NBA-Salary-Cap savvy - but with the wording and changes due to Covid, I doubt there are few that do fully understand it. I did a review of the Hernangomez/Bol/Dozier trade, and here is my somewhat-rough analysis. The Celtics sent out $6.2 million (Hernangomez) in the deal and took back $4.1 million (Bol and Dozier) , so they gained some cap room (approx. $2.1 million) . According to Spotrac.Com , , Boston now has a total cap of $139.4 million, roughly $2.8 million over the Luxury Tax Threshold of $136.6 million . Dennis Schroder was signed with the taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.9 million . If they signed Dennis to a non-taxpayer mid-level deal (which they could not), they would be hard-capped (which they are not) , requiring The Green to keep below the luxury tax apron of $143 million. It seems doubtful if Bol Bol and P J Dozier fit into the Celtics present (both are out with major injuries) or future plans, and sinc...

       1st Quarter       Celtics wearing their Green uniforms and I gotta say it looks good. Celtics playing hard so far on D, now it's time for the offense to start! While the ball movement has been solid, the points are not coming. When DS starts, it seems he plays his best. Some guys just do their best when they can start cooking early in the game.        Crashing the glass as a unit, on several possessions the Celtics are hitting the glass with effort. With no RWill, we are seeing other guys keep offensive sets alive by going after the rock on misses. If more NBA guys followed their shots that would make a big difference in games. I was always taught to follow your shot. JT giving up threes to drive to the hoop, is magical to see! Ball movement has been crisp so far.       2nd Quarter      Coming off a tight first, what should we look for at the start of the second. Hopefully a nice Celtics run...

      We here at the Sentinel love seeing wins because that means we get to give out awards! Every game we should see one if not multiple Celtics players make their mark on the game. Last night we saw a nice team effort.       With that said, "DS the Pest", Dennis Schroder is our award winner - 16 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 steal. When he starts, he's a huge asset. He's also becoming a true trade chip. If I'm Brad I'm showcasing him to bring a piece in. I'm also holding onto JRich because he could be a key piece on a winner.       Last night was a good win because they could have melted in the fourth, yet they came back! Bleed Green!

Nba.Com just came out with their mid-season report , and despite their recent 3-game winning streak, the Celtics still have a few issues to deal with ( per Nba.Com's Steve Aschburner ): ...the Celtics have won more than two in a row only once so far, saddled with fourth-quarter failings and what Udoka labeled a lack of toughness. Tatum and Brown have maintained their numbers but haven’t lifted the team. Udoka is starting to get scrutinized. Dennis Schroder looks like a trade-deadline goner. A bright spot: Robert Williams III is a hustling fixture in the middle. I have written about the Celtics lack of toughness prior to this season. Here's an excerpt:  NBA teams can never drift to a Championship. Talent, skills and finesse alone don't produce Titles. Call the issue what you will, but this version of the Boston Celtics lacks it (toughness). Udoka sees it. Horford sees it. Maybe a few direct words from Larry Bird, Kevin Garnett, Dave Cowens and Paul Pierce may turn the ship ...

       Anytime the Celtics play the Pacers I can't but help think about the battles we would have against them towards the Original Big Threes end run together.  Especially that playoff series in 91 - an epic five game series. Followed by 92 where the Celtics swept them under the rug. Despite age and injury Bird, McHale and Parish always left it on the floor.       1st Quarter        My hope for tonight, I want solid, good basketball on both ends of the floor. I want to see ball movement, screens being set, pick and rolls, and DRIVING TO THE HOOP! On D I expect active hands, crisp switches, and hustle. We need to see Ime get plays where they Jays can play off of each other. Time to get back to 500, then we can watch this team make a run and show they can be a force to reckon with.       JT hits his 700th three, while I'm not big on the three, it's pretty impressive. Love seeing JT kicking to JB for three ...

      1st Quarter            Ball Movement Ball Movement  so far we are getting to see some very nice ball movement. Leading to a three from Dennis Schroder, and watching JB get to the hoop untouched. On yet another possession, we see the offense end in a Jaylen Brown nothing-but-nylon three. Imagine this Celtics fans, What if we moved the ball this well every game. Hmmm the possibilities could be endless.        Can a run to start the new year save this roster, let's play hypothetical, if the Celtics reel off five games in a row or more, get themselves into a top 4 seed, what are we asking Brad to do? Stick with this group or make some upgrades that can result in a nice lengthy playoff run? Interesting to think about as we move forward.        Movement away from the hoop? As we near the end of the quarter, a lot of our offensive screens and plays are for threes!? Ime tell me why, get these guys go...

  What does Payton Pritchard have to do to get consistent floor time this season. As a rookie last season, he played with the confidence and poise of a veteran , but this year his minutes have been limited - partially by the addition of Dennis Schroder . Things should change fast heading towards the NBA Trade Deadline date of February 10, 2022. Schroder has proven himself. averaging 16.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 4.7 APG this season . Trading him prior to the deadline seems close to a certainty. In the last four games, P-Squared has seen elevated minutes (25.3 MPG), and his production has risen. In that span, he is averaging 13.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.8 APG. Per-36 minutes, those numbers rise to 18.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 4.0 APG - all while hitting 52% from the field and 48% beyond the arc.   Let the rabbit run. Set him free! Who doesn't think that this intense and active sharpshooter can't help the cause with more floor time?

 With the Celtics mired in mediocrity with a 13-14 record ( roughly one-third of the regular season in the rear-view mirror ), something needs to change. That's a 27-game sample , enough to know that this team, as it stands roster-wise and strategy-wise, is not a Title contender .  So what happens going forward? Purposeful tanking didn't work on Philadelphia , and the same goes for Boston. Besides, Beantown fans are spoiled. E ven hope for landing a future star in the June draft would not offer enough compensation for sinking into the abyss . But an argument can be made that - if the Celtics are going to lose more games than they win - play the kids. See what they can accomplish with consistent floor time . The Suns took care of the Celtics last night, sending them to a 13-14 record. @JakeLFischer tells @BGeltzNBA and @SamMitchellNBA why he thinks some big roster changes could be on the way in Boston. pic.twitter.com/uY2usjgT7K — SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) December ...

       Will the Celtics Blaze to a win? Let's hope they do! They are missing JB, Amazing Al, and Romeo where out thou Romeo. Will Ime get a win in his homecoming? Let's say Bleed Green, and we win! Celtic Pride for life!        1st Quarter        Who Steps Up In Al's Absence       Given how well Al played last night, and all season. Who will be the guy to fill that role? Will RWill be that guy? He's shown all year how valuable he is to this Celtics team. He keeps possessions alive with his effort, gets big rebounds, big blocks, and some hardcore hammer oops. Or could it be Freedom?! Now when I hear his name I think of the George Michael song!        Great First Say What?!      We saw a very well played first for this team, crisp passing, finding the open man and just making shots. Defensively they brought what they did last night into tonight's first. Giving effort and just...

     A game after enjoying a healthy full roster, we are missing Jaylen Brown . It being Star Wars night in Utah, Do or do not - there is no try. Do it tonight fellas, the force is with you!        1st Quarter        Where's the Defense?       In a very slow start, as per usual for this team, the defensive intensity was not there . The Jazz were making sweet music to start hitting threes all over. When you play upper tier teams you can't come out lazy on D . Let's see if they can remember how they win, and that's with intense hard working D.        Al Horford Is the ultimate pro        Al is the ultimate pro, and he's keeping the Celtics in the game . Whether he's making a key rebound or nailing his shots, he's always ahead of the curve. Even his screen game is spot on. His play tonight shows how truly special he is to the Celtics success. He may be 35 but he's playing lik...

      1st Quarter     Injury Report-   No RWill or JRich         Not The Best Start on O or D         Ice cold shooting to start offensively for the Celtics, they moved the ball but just couldn't hit their shots in the early going. On the defensive end, does anyone remember that Patty Mills is a shooter?! Midway through the quarter the Celtics ability to drive and score was a template to success. Seeing the Great Bill Russell in the crowd is a joy. It also begs the question how does he feel about today's game?       The Wolverine is on the prowl       Marcus Smart has found a hole in the Nets defense , and no, it's not jacking up three s. His ability to drive and score can be a key to victory. Dennis Schroder came in and followed suit . Smarts passing also had an impact on the over the shoulder to JT. Then he found a cutting Al for two. When Marcus drives and distributes...

        One if the best surprises of this season has been the play of Dennis Schroder . He's lighting quick at getting to the hoop - changes speed and direction like a squirrel - nails threes, and can hit a jumper or floater when hes got it going. His defensive intensity truly annoys and frustrates other teams. Next to star JT last night, he came to ball out.        DS shot 59.1 from the field, and shot 42.9 from deep . Talk about some beautiful numbers on offense. He scored 29 points, had 4 rebounds, and added 6 assists . With that effort and skill he's is the Celtics Sentinel Citation Award winner for the game vs the Thunder.   

        1st Quarter       Team was flowing on offense       On offense in the first we saw some well flowing offense. Ball movement was key to their success. Smart was distributing, Horford was his Amazing Al self . DS is so sneaky quick, getting a runner and multiple jumpers. GWill continued his sharp shooting. We even saw Romeo get a bucket .        Tatum Came To Play         JT was getting the rock to his teammates . Finding Smart for a three, then to DS for an open shot. The scorer he is found the cup hitting some pure jumpers . When he had the open three it was smooth as butter. Talk about his D - he stuffed Dort like a turkey.  Celtics lead 30-23 off a offensive driven first .       2nd Quarter       Offense continues it's flow like a smooth river .        Offensively they continued their pure passing, we saw Kanter get involved . JR...

 The Celtics owned the paint on offense in their 130-108 victory over the Lakers, and German import, Dennis Schroder , played a major role in that ownership. He and Marcus Smart, manning the backcourt for Boston, combined for 43 points on 63% from the field, 33% on 3s and 78% from the foul line. The pair also collected 14 rebounds, six of which were off the offensive glas s. Dennis and Marcus also shared assist honors with six apiece . At 6'3", they controlled much of what went on in the paint. Schroder has been criticized for his penchant for turning he ball over, But frankly, where would the team be without him? He is the Celtics third-leading scorer at 17.3 PPG and is logging a career-high 33.0 minutes per game in Boston.  Granted, he also turns the ball over more than any other Celtics (3.0 per game) , but he is not much more turnover-prone than Jaylen Brown (2.9 TOs/game) and Jayson Tatum (2.7 TOs/game) . He will never be a long-range marksman, but his ability to drive...

      1st Quarter          Tatum Needs To Be The Catalyst       JT came out nailing his first three point shot. He used his quickness to get to the hoop but just couldn't finish. He did look to distribute during the first, on a nice offensive set found Al for a sweet three. Tatum's ability to pass is very underrated. His shot still isn't falling as regularly as it should. He will need to carry this team tonight.      Defense played by Celtics equals fouls?      Early on the Celtics seemed to be very aggressive on defense, yet for some reason the whistles didn't stop, it was a conga line of Laker free throws . Midway through the first, the D didn't look very good and the Lakers went on a run. The calls were not as plentiful for the Celtics on offense.  Celtics trail 38-30 , J osh Richardson came in and was a spark plug, getting into the paint , and nailing a huge three from the corner. Defense nee...

        1st Quarter        Defensively Hawks Lit Up Celtics     Trae Young was able to thwart what the Celtics did trying to trap him . While the Celtics did get a few steals, the Hawks had way too many open threes . Huerter looked like a HOF in the first. Knocking down everything he took. The D did force a 24 second clock violation but way to many open looks for the Hawks.       GWill The Starter Stepped Up       GWill received the call to start, and he didn't disappoin t. He hit threes from both corners , it seems he's found his stroke again. He had a nice cut while the Wolverine drove and got a deuce. Then he found the basket once again.       Jayson Tatum did not disappoint      JT came to play this quarter despite missing his first shot. He found his teammates distributing the rock. He got to the line off of going to the hoop! He had a few easy dunks, and he naile...

Some pertinent, quick insights by Ty Ray on the Celtics season thus far. Little needs to be added, but I will inject a few of my own thoughts.  Celtics Monday Thoughts: 1. I miss Jaylen 2. JT's shooting will come around 3. Team needs another scorer 4. Schroeder is a steal 5. Schroeder's a great trade chip 6. Richardson is coming around 7. Smart doing Smart 8. Celts game ending o sucks 9. Beat Cle 10. I miss PP — Ty Ray (@coug88) November 15, 2021 1.) So do I. Jaylen seems to have added some additional quickness and trickery to his dribble work over the summer. This team needs him back to accomplish anything major this season. 2.) It didn't happen last night vs. Cavs (35% FG, 7-of-20), but the shooting slump will end for Jayson . And he played a team game in the Celtics win (5 assists, 8 boards). 3.) I believe there is another scorer on the bench. Brown's return will help, but one-of Pritchard, Nesmith, Langford, JRich or GWill may step into the role and take the added...

      1st Quarter       Team Wise Thoughts from the First       We saw some pretty good ball movement in spurts, but no consistency . If we aren't executing on each offensive set to perfection, we aren't scoring. These slow offensive starts need to subside as well. Watching this quarter, Celtics fans saw some terrible turnovers . Defensively the heart and effort were not in it early which led to easy points for the Cavs. They eventually got their defense right and finished the quarter very well . Defense wins games!       Marcus Smart has value but with less shots.         When your point guard is over shooting there's a problem . Marcus misses more than he makes and that's what we saw this quarter. He did have an excellent steal which led to Tatum getting an easy hammer dunk. When Marcus over shoots, it's a sign that he's really doing way too much. If we get the Wolverine-who-passes as the distributor...