Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Boston Celtics fans keep seeing it! Their team may be the best in the League, but t hey lose their poise at the end of close games. It happened once again in Boston's  OT loss (121-118) to the Charlotte Hornets . The Green were ahead by 11 points (100-89) at the 6:07 mark of the fourth quarter - and then the misses and miscues followed. Over the next six minutes, Kristaps Porzingis racked up three points, one rebound, one steal and one block - and was quickly yanked in favor of Oshae Brissett . Three seconds later, LaMelo Ball evened the score at 108-108 on a driving layup - assisted by former Celtic, Gordon Hayward . We can only speculate what may have happened if the "Lengthy Latvian" had remained in the game. As good at this Beantown group is, they still get ratted in the clutch , and that won't work in the post-season. The cure? A stabilizing influence (Horford?) and/or a last-second hero (White?) may have helped, but both were out of action. On to the next ga...

 This attains (degrades to?) the level of absurd. Hardwood Houdini's Josh Cornelissen has broached the possibility of the Celtics signing Kyrie Irving in free agency. Danny Ainge's additions of Irving and Gordon Hayward  proved a disaster. Hayward had a season-ending injury minutes into his Celtics career, and Kyrie was a disruptive influence. The Celtics may still be recovering from that debacle. In Cornelissen's proposal, Brad Stevens picks up Irving on a sign-and-trade and sends Derrick White and Grant Williams (S&T). I am feeling ill! Let me see if I have this right. Boston picks up the "Logo Stomper" and all of his mental baggage - and sends away one of the most-likeable (and capable) Celtics players (White) - in addition to a guy that has the toughness lacking in some of his teammates (Grant). So Kyrie me no Irvings. Out of the question. Can't somebody just launch Kyrie into outer space with enough supplies to last past the trade deadline so h...

  Most Celtics fans remember the play very well back in January, 2019 . With two-plus seconds left - and down two points - the Celtics Gordon Hayward inbounded the ball to Jayson Tatum , who missed the shot attempt. Kyrie Irving , a member of The Green at that time, wasn't pleased with Hayward's decision, and made it clear for all to see. Tatum-as-closer apparently wasn't what Irving had in mind . Fast-forward to last night - with Boston down 114-113 in the last few seconds of Game One versus the Nets. JAYSON TATUM FOR THE WIN!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/WUr4UsaURk — Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 17, 2022 That's true irony, folks! Marcus Smart with that ball fakes and then gets a perfectly-placed pass to Jayson for the "spin-and-win". It was thing of beauty . So the guy that Kyrie didn't trust two years ago to hit a last-second shot attempt sent Irving into the streets of Boston with a tough loss . You just can't make this stuff up.     

 When his body was still in Boston (but most-likely not his spirit), Kyrie Irving stated that he experienced no racism in Boston . Now, prior to his return to TD Garden on Friday night for Game 3, we hear differently. Which is it bud pic.twitter.com/gmVRrIttGv — Jayson Tatum’s Advocate. (@HoopsWLegend) May 26, 2021 Yes, Which is it, Bud? This is a mindless, desperate attempt by Kyrie Irving to divert attention from his unwelcome return to a TD Garden venue (almost) filled with fans I hope will not abandon their own team, but will loudly - and peacefully - voice their displeasure at his abrupt departure. Irving is telling Celtics fans not to boo him, or he will be labeling the crowd reaction as racism. I personally don't care if a player is purple with diagonal clashing stripes. If they play hard & can be placed into a shrinking population of decent individuals, I love them. Kyrie checked the first box. Maybe not the second. Attention-diverting tactic. https://t.co/cakJlmp7S3...

 I apologize for labeling Jayson Tatum as a "commodity" , but the NBA is in the business of buying, selling and trading their players in order to improve themselves. Here's my view. The boxes to be checked to determine a franchise player include age (young, hopefully), skills, durability, leadership. and savvy. In short, who would you build your team around? Jayson recently turned 23 and probably won't reach his peak for another four or five years. His skills are undeniable. He no longer has any significant weaknesses . He rarely is out of action for very long due to injuries, and he often takes over games now - while getting his comrades involved. Brian Scalabrine once told me that Tatum has his head on straight, and I agree. He had added craftiness to his game, and it shows. Totally agree, and if @jaytatum0 stays healthy his raw numbers will be better than Bird’s when it’s time to put a ribbon on Tatum’s career. We’re blessed that he’s a Celtic. The rings are com...

Charles Barkley rarely holds back on his analysis on what is going on in the NBA. His commentary is as flamboyant as his former play in the League. And this time, he squarely put the blame for the Celtics lackluster season on boss, Danny Ainge, and coach Brad Stevens . “Danny Ainge is a good friend of mine, but he’s not done a good job with all those draft picks he had,” Barkley said. “He hasn’t done a good job because he made a mistake with Kyrie Irving, I think he made a mistake with Kemba Walker, and, um, that team is not very good at all.” That's Sir Charles' take. Here's mine: Kyrie Irving - Right player, wrong person, wrong outcome Danny Ainge and his multitude of front-office folks were privy  to a lot more inside info than fans and media with regards to the level of arrogance possessed by Irving. No one can deny his superior skills on the court, but he comes up short as a model citizen in the NBA. He wanted to be "The Guy" in Beantown, and that may hav...

 This is difficult to write. Kemba Walker is a fine citizen of the world and a cherished teammate in Boston, but his stay in Beantown has not worked out as planned. He is an undersized shooting guard who relies on speed and quickness to make an impact. But injuries and age have limited his ability to do that. Pegged as a big-minutes starter, Kemba has only participated in 39 games thus far this season. His average points (18.2 PPG), rebounds (RPG), field goal percentage (40.9%) and 3-point accuracy (34.8%) are all lows since his 2015-16 season with the Charlotte Hornets . Next season will be his third with the Celtics, and he is slated to earn $36 million . He has a player option in 2022-23 at $37.6 million .  Walker is the fourth major acquisition by Danny Ainge that has not worked out. Al Horford, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward all chose to head elsewhere, and rumors abound that Danny Ainge desperately tried to shed Kemba's large contract in the past off-season. As ski...

The Boston Celtics signing of Al Horford as a free agent in 2016 was a positive more for The Green. He came to the young team as a quiet mentor through which much of the offense and defense was directed. The acquisition of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward the following season, however, proved to be a near-disaster . Injuries and friction followed, and soon all three All-Stars were off to pastures allegedly greener than those in Beantown. Well, how did all that work out? The Celtics are struggling with a .500 record - Horford is sitting out the rest of the season with the Thunder - and Hayward is out once again for an extended period of time with an injury. Kyrie Irving? Doing just fine, thank you - currently leading his Brooklyn Nets to the top ranking in the East with a 36-16 record. The turmoil that surrounded the petulant point guard in Boston appears to be non-existent in Brooklyn ( per USA Today's Mike D. Sykes II )  Wic Grousbeck:  "... And that change (Kyrie irvin...

I broached the idea one year ago - Semi Ojeleye-as-starter in place of Gordon Hayward . Well, it took a while, but Brad Stevens has been doing just that over the past several games. The original idea was to transfer some of the scoring from the top-heavy starting-5 to the bench. Even with Hayward gonzo, that still applies. Semi has always been a solid defender right out of the gate, and over the past five games his minutes and offensive production have risen significantly. Over the five-game stretch , his minutes are up to 27.6 MPG - his points show 10.6 PPG - and his rebounding has improved to 4.4 boards per contest. In that same span, he has hit 14-of-36 from 3-point land (46.7%) and his field goals are at 46.2%.  Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are combining for almost 52 points per game this season, and the only other players averaging double-digit points are Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart . Well, Ojeleye, with increased minutes over the last five games, has moved into that ...

We can be sure that Gordon Hayward will not be walking through that door, but it is time to admit he is missed in Boston. More than anything, Gordon added a stability to the Celtics that is sorely missing this season. A tweet prior to this season expresses a part of the missing piece. I know this will create some controversy but: if Gordon Hayward leaves, Celtics are going to take a step back. Unless he's replaced with an ELITE playmaker out there. Who I'm not sure exists. — Frosty Bias (@frostybias) November 9, 2020 The Green simply can not maintain any sort of winning streak, and a solid win is often followed by a disappointing loss, exhibited by Friday's win over the Clippers and the loss to the Suns two days later.  Some fans viwed Hayward as excess baggage on a team next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Why would the Celtics need a third volume scorer when the team has the Jay Team? Let me throw out the term "stability" once more, while adding the incredibl...

 Despite the fact that the Celtics have the second-best record in the NBA (7-3, behind the Lakers), I still wonder what might have been if Boston had been able, and inclined, to retain Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier. In my December article, after the Charlotte Hornets upset the Brooklyn Nets, I cynically asked the question, "Why can't the Celtics get (and keep) players (Hayward and Rozier) like that?" Now I mean it. Charlotte sits in sixth place in the East with a 6-5 record and have won their last four games, including last night's 109-88 win over the Knicks. Gordon had 34 points in that one, hitting 11-of-17 from the field, 2-of-2 on treys and 10-of-10 from the foul line. Hayward is averaging All-Star-like numbers this season: 21.4 PPG (49&/38%/91%), 5.4 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.5 SPG   Rozier is not that far behind this year: 20.3 PPG (47%/44%/77%), 3.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.5 SPG Admittedly, if the Celtics had been able to retain both players, it is possible that they may ...

After the 96-93 loss last night to the Detroit Pistons, the Celtics remain immersed in mediocrity with a record of 3-3. It is obvious that they miss Gordon Hayward - lost to free agency - but it is Kemba Walker's lingering knee injury that is keeping them from a consistent winning record. Let's face it, the present Celtics squad needs to play more team ball. They ranked 25th last season with 23.0 assists per game. This year, The Green rank 22nd at 22.5 APG . Thus far, they lost a combined nine APG from Hayward and Walker, but Marcus Smart has ably picked up facilitation duties, and Jeff Teagues addition has helped in that category. Two of the main culprits keeping Boston from winning more games are the teams inability (or unwillingness) to hit the boards and its ineffectiveness in putting points on the board. They ranked 8th in the NBA last season in rebounds/game , averaging 46.1 RPG. They are mired at 24th place this year, pulling down only 42.3 RPG . The team misses En...

Is Rozier returning to Boston? Could happen . Yes, it happened last night! The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 106-104 with former Celtics, Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier, leading the way with a combined  47 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. The question really has to be asked. Why can't the Celtics acquire and retain star players? Granted, Terry was traded to Charlotte in order to bring in Kemba Walker. Gordon simply walked away in free agency. But we may also add the Nets Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant into this conversation. To many Boston fans, Kyrie's departure in free agency was a blessing, but Durant choosing the Warriors over the Celtics in 2016 was a blow to the Beantown faithful. And Al Horford leaving town took Boston locals by surprise.  Boston's often-crummy weather can't be totally to blame. We can understand when players might head to warmer climes, such as Los Angeles or Miami - but Horford to Philadelphia? Charlotte is somewhat warmer th...

It's only been two regular-season games, but it is obvious the Boston Celtics are struggling to replace the combined 39 points and nine assists produced by Kemba Walker and Gordon Hayward last season. Kemba's knee injury and Gordon's departure are taking a toll. Granted, the sample ( two games) is mighty small, but Boston ranks 23rd in the League in points per game (108.5 PPG) and 26th in field goal percentage (42.7%). Last year's version of The Green had five players scoring in double-digits. This season, there are only three in that category with newly-acquired, Tristan Thompson, barely making the cut at 10.0 points/game. The Jay Team has supplied a combined 55.0 PPG thus far. On the assist front, last year saw three players (Smart, Walker and Hayward) with 4-or-more dimes per contest. This season shows only one, Marcus Smart, filling in at Kemba's role as distributor with 6.5 assists per game. The dimes are woefully short in supply after that. Let's face it. ...

As skilled as he is, Gordon Hayward is a walking disaster. He picks up injuries quickly and often. First, a severe ankle injury only five minutes into his inaugural season (2017-18) with the Boston Celtics. Then in November, 2019, he fractured his left hand, and during the first-round of the 2020 playoffs, he suffered a grade 3 right ankle sprain. Gordon Hayward Plans to Play for Hornets vs. Cavaliers After Finger Injury Chris Carlson/Associated PressCharlotte ... https://t.co/7mc9zeVgcT pic.twitter.com/fKxZv0LDnU — Morning News 24/7 (@morning_news24h) December 22, 2020 Now with the Charlotte Hornets, Gordon came up with an avulsion fracture of the fifth metacarpal on his right hand one week ago in exhibition play. And he's ready for regular-season action against the Cavaliers tonight? Really? Avulsion: The action of pulling or tearing away. An avulsion fracture means a piece of bone is pulled away from the main portion of bone by a tendon or ligament. Take a look at the above ...

There are two major questions related to Gordon Hayward's latest injury, diagnosed as an avulsion fracture of the fifth metacarpal in his right hand. Why is he listed day-to-day by the Charlotte Hornets? And is Gordon simply unlucky, or is he truly fragile? The Hornets will be very careful bringing Hayward back from his finger injury. They want to make sure that their $30 million dollar man is healthy for the playoffs. — Celtics ☘️Canada🇨🇦 🏀 (@CelticsCanada) December 16, 2020 As a member of the Boston Celtics, Gordon suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain and was projected to be back in action in four weeks , even though all information I researched gave 8-10 weeks as the proper recovery time. He WAS back on the court in roughly four weeks and appeared to be far-less than 100%.  Here we go again. Hayward's recent hand injury appears to require 6-8 weeks recovery time . So why is he listed as day-to-day? Some analysts believe Gordon was rushed back into action in Boston far too soon...

Until now, I have taken the middle road in my analysis of former-Celtic, Kyrie Irving . I just left that road. If Kyrie continues on this path, wanting his way with teammates, coaches and media, he will never be content in any venue, including the one (Brooklyn) he's in now. He played with the media when it worked for him, but now he says, "No". https://t.co/poa39LyLv9 — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) December 11, 2020 Yes, I played Irving's game shortly after his arrival in Boston. I wrote about his "Flat Earth Theory" , hoping that he was toying with the media to gain attention. And I had no issue with that.  Even when he chose to depart Boston as a free agent, I viewed, and wrote, that the inner-team turmoil that existed was on a number of participants, not simply just Irving. What I din't like, when he was in Boston, was his on-court explosion at Gordon Hayward for not passing him the ball on an inbounds play.  Now Kyrie Irving has been fined $25.000 f...

I'm feeling much better about the loss of Gordon Hayward this morning. The Celtics have finalized a sign-and-trade deal with the Charlotte Hornets with Boston picking up a trade exception north of $27 million. Celtics secure TPE for sign-and-trade of Hayward to Hornets, biggest ever https://t.co/bW5RYXMBaY — The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 29, 2020 Although most TPEs are never used, my feeling is Danny Ainge will use all of part of that exception to improve his team. For the best (and clearest) analysis on the transaction, read Chris Forsberg's (NBC Sports)  excellent breakdown : It's basically all about creating cap space to possibly acquire a player or players without having to match salaries. It is mostly about FLEXIBILITY. Consider the TPE as another tool in Danny's arsenal of weapons in his quest for Banner #18. To simplify, looking at the current salary cap ($109,140,000) and luxury tax level ($132,627,000), according to Forsberg , the Celtics will hav...

 Irving, Horford & Hayward didn't work out. Barring a trade-of-the-decade, look for roster tweaks . How did Kyrie Irving work out for the Boston Celtics? Frankly, not very well. Injuries, team turmoil and no Banner #18! He walked away. Al Horford? It looked like Al just didn't want to be here any more. And when it looked like Gordon Hayward was re-upping with Boston or heading back home to Indiana, he bolted to Charlotte. We can only guess why.  The addition of Kemba Walker has been positive thus far. He's supplies volume scoring - is a willing facilitator - and a great teammate. But now we are looking at some persistent knee issues for Kemba that may limit his production this season. With the Jay Team, Marcus and Kemba on board, Danny Ainge may see no need for any home-run moves to acquire a superstar, unless (there's always an "unless" with Danny) an Anthony Davis-level star becomes available. NBA stars peak in their mid-to-late 20's, and Jaylen Brow...

The quick answer to my title question is, "Not totally". Danny Ainge taking Aaron Nesmith with the 14th pick in the first round doesn't necessarily indicate Gordon Hayward will be buying his ticket out of town some time today.  First of all, I still lean in favor of Hayward remaining in Boston, and my hope is that Nesmith will not be part of a package in a trade to send Gordon elsewhere. Granted, Aaron fills the same SG/SF position as Hayward and can step in right away, but the 6'6" rookie has no shot at filling Hayward's slot in Boston - at least not this year. We know Brad Stevens has an aversion to playing the kids , but the Vanderbilt product has the wing size Brad leans on . I see him as a complement to what Gordon supplies, not as a down-the-road substitute. I really hope to see both Hayward and Nesmith on this season's Green Squad. We should know today whether Hayward is departing - or not. Danny and Gordon extended the decision date post-draft fo...