Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Yes, we're talking about Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier . The New York Knicks are are in a 4-way tie for first place in the East with a 5-1 record. It is also notable that the Wizards join the Knicks in that top quartet, also somewhat of a surprise. The two former Celtics are averaging a combined 32.5 PPG on 48% accuracy from the field and a strong 51% on 3-pointers . They also combine for 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game .  Where does Boston sit in the standings after eight games? They are in the 12th slot with a 2-4 record , with three of those losses coming at the hands of the Knicks (one loss) and Wizards (two losses). Two losses came after double-overtimes, and one resulted from a single-overtime. Wins in all three contests would have placed the Celtics with a 5-1 record. Josh Richardson thinks the #Celtics are close to figuring things out. presented by your New England Ford Dealers pic.twitter.com/O4Uk8d2fV2 — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCelti...

 The bigger question is, who calls unrestricted free agent, Evan Fournier ? With Fournier's strong play for Team France, he will most-likely command a salary that the Boston Celtics won't want (be able?) to shell out. Lonzo Ball remains a viable target for the Celtics Brad Stevens as he would make an interesting addition to Boston's back court. Ball would be capable of playing three positions under coach Ime Udoka, and his size (6'6") and defense would fit as well. Lonzo will most-likely command a salary somewhat above $20 million . That would mean creative financial maneuvering for Stevens.  The buzz on former-Celtic, Daniel Theis , is that he may be heading to the Rockets for roughly $8-9 million per season. I always felt the center/forward was a good fit in Boston with his size (6'8"), defense and rebounding. His return to Beantown appears improbable - but can't be totally discounted. With the recent additions of Kris Dunn and Josh Richardson -...

 CelticsBlog's Jeremy Stevens writes about the Celtics having a clean slate and benefiting from adding some solid veterans .  A soft reset could benefit the Celtics, who could seriously use some bench depth this offseason. Nothing dramatic, but some solid veteran signings would go a long way. I won't disagree with that, but I might add that The Green already have some solid vets that can help set the tone in the regular season and playoffs. Marcus Smart , at 27 years of age, is the longest-tenured Celtic, and Al Horford , at 35 years, will be rejoining The Wolverine on the parquet. Add in Evan Fournier, age 29, if he and Brad Stevens can reach an agreement, and possibly Tristan Thompson , (age 30) if the Celtics retain him. It is likely that Jayson Tatum rises to the level of team leader this season, but veteran stability is always needed for any valid Title hopes. I constantly bring up the current Phoenix Suns roster, and the only "greybeard" in the mix is 36-year...

 A number of analysts around the NBA believe Marcus Smart is not the right guy to be relied upon as the primary point guard. But aside from his questionable shot selection , he may be near-perfect in that role, particularly with Al Horford back in Boston. Possibly the greatest NBA team ever assembled , the 1985-86 Champion Celtics, had Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge sharing duties at the point, and nether was considered a "pure" point guard. In the regular season, Larry Bird led his team with 6.8 assists/game from the forward position , followed by DJ with 5.8 APG and Ainge with 5.1 APG . The facilitation dropped off tremendously after that. Smart was high man in assists for Boston last season with 5.7 APG , followed by Kemba Walker with 4.9 APG - Jayson Tatum with 4.3 APG - Jaylen Brown with 3.4 APG - and Evan Fournier with 3.1 APG. If the Jay Team can boost their assist numbers slightly - and if Fournier sticks in Beantown, Horford's re-addition could result in...

 Apparently, 33 All-Star appearances and two MVP awards shared by four members of the Brooklyn Nets wasn't sufficient to prevent their take down by the Milwaukee Bucks in the deciding Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Granted, injuries, particularly the recent ankle mishap suffered by former-Celtic, Kyrie Irving , played a large role in ending the Nets' quest for the 2021 NBA Championship, but fate - good or bad - always comes into play in the post-season. The moment Kyrie stomped on the Leprechaun the Nets were doomed…. — Coach Mantia (@KenMantia) June 14, 2021  I take no pleasure in injuries to opposing players, but I always felt that James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving conspiring to assemble in Brooklyn was overkill. Many analysts had them pegged for this year's Title. Adding Blake Griffin to the mix seemed to sweeten their pot, but in the end, it just didn't work. Boston just doesn't seem to hold the charm for NBA stars that the warm st...

 My personal quote, used often, is "A brain can get you through almost anything" . Well, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens have brain power in abundance, but it sure as Hell has not been evident this season. Exhibit A is NBA analyst Jalen Rose stating, "The Boston Celtics look like a first-round exit this year." I agree. I would not be shocked to see them swept out of the play-in tournament and head home. Hard to believe I am writing about a team that came back from a 32-point deficit versus the Spurs to take a 143-140 victory, with Jayson Tatum exploding for 60 points . So what's the good news. I'll start with rookie Aaron Nesmith, alias "ThreeSmith". Where has he been all season? It has become apparent this this hard-nosed kid is part of the solution for some of the Celtics shortcomings. Except the Celtics are 12th in 3 point attempts, right in the middle of the NBA team rankings behind some really good teams. What's actually concerning is 21...

 Celtics boss, Danny Ainge , said it a while back - that the Celtics needed some "shooting with size" . Well, he may have accomplished that goal by trading for 6'7" Evan Fournier . 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 In last night's runaway 132-96 win over the Orlando Magic ,  the French import contributed 18 points, five boards, four assists and two steals in 29 minutes of action . Evan started the game at the forward spot in place of the ailing Jaylen Brown. .  Fournier hit 8-of-14 shots from the field and 2-of-5 beyond the arc. His shooting and scoring were expected. But his other contributions are a bonus .  His size allows him to play at least two positions on the court and makes him effective de...

 Few expect the Boston Celtics to walk away with the NBA Championship and Banner #18 this season, but here is what things look like right now. The Green's odds to win the 2021 Title stand at +5000. There is little more to say here. Feel free to read my first sentence. Celtics currently the 7th seed in the East with 34-31 record. If the Play-In tournament started today, Boston would be in it and taking on the Charlotte Hornets . The good news is that Boston will most-likely finish the regular season in the top-10 in the East. The bad news is that they really need to avoid the Play-In tournament and reacquire at least the 6th seed . Moving up to #4 or #5 would be a really tough road, but a better situation for a still-inconsistent crew. The 76'ers, Nets & Bucks have all clinched playoff spots and would be heavly favored to take out Boston in a 7-game series. Nothing to add here. The West presents a much-tougher challenge for Celtics The Suns, Jazz, Clippers and Nuggets have ...

 The 129-119 loss to the Blazers last night was a tough one, but three newcomers to Boston lit up the score board, despite not having the "Green Light" mentioned by NBA analyst, Candace Parker. Rookies Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard, in league with newly acquired French import, Evan Fournier , supplied 39% of the Celtics points on 78% shooting from the field and 75% from 3-point-land. In reference to Parker's "Green Light" comment, a guest had broached a supposed sign Doc Rivers had posted in the locker room for the 2007-08 season , reading "No Dancing With The Ball" - obviously meaning that he didn't want to see iso-ball on the floor. Candace responded that the game had changed - Paul Pierce and Ray Allen had the green light to isolate at any point in the game - and that practice has become more common. Well, Payton, Aaron and Evan had no such liberty, but in the flow of the game, they put up 50 points on the board, hitting on 18-of-2...

After shooting a miserable  0-of-10 from the field  in his debut game with the Boston Celtics,  Evan Fournier  has averaged 30.2 MPG, 14.5 PPG and 2.5 RPG in his last two contests. He hit on 58% on field goals and 54% on treys in those two contests. Those significant minutes need to continue, and it would be to the team's advantage to have him in the lineup with Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Rob Williams - simply to see how he fits and what he can accomplish. Brad Stevens needs to find out if the French import can help ease the Celtics out of the doldrums in which they are now entrenched. Evan has size (6'7") and is an accomplished shooter. Being partnered with Marcus in the back court is important, with Smart leading the team in assists - and the added benefit that Marcus can get back to ferocious defense and facilitation duties, with fewer long-range bombs. Some may say the downside is putting Kemba Walke r in the second unit, but as a shoot-first ...

Celtics boss, Danny Ainge , had hinted about what could happen around the trade deadline. He told us that the team needed "shooting with size" and that fans may see "new faces if it comes to that" . Both wishes may have come true with the arrival of French import, 6'7" Evan Fournier . Might be the "shooter with size" Ainge was looking for. https://t.co/nYxU30AB3J — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) April 3, 2021 Last night, in Boston's decisive victory over the Houston Rockets, Fournier poured in 23 points in 30 minutes of action, hitting 8-of-13 from the field and 7-of-11 on 3-pointers . Such a win over the pitiful Rockets is nothing to cheer about, but this "new face" could become a fixture in Beantown if  he can repeat this type of performance with some level of regularity. Fournier came to the Celtics via Danny Ainge's TPE with little fanfare - and frankly, disappointment among some of the Celtics faithful hoping for a hero to resc...