Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Five (5) ex-Celtics players are not having a great week. It starts with the Big One! Adrian Griffin: The Milwaukee Bucks just fired Adrian Griffin . Griffin was hired as Head Coach by the Bucks this past summer, and despite the team's 30-13 record (2nd in East) , management apparently wants a veteran presence on the bench, and former Celtics Coach, Doc Rivers , may be that guy to take over. Rob Williams: Williams III was sent packing to Portland this past summer and was quickly out of action for the remainder with another injury. Rob's injury history does not bode well for a long, productive NBA career. And he may be on the trading block once again. Malcolm Brogdon: Brogdon was also traded by Boston to the Trailblazers this summer, He is having a fairly-productive season thus far - when he plays. But he has already missed nine of Portland's 43 games due to recurring injuries. And his team sits only behind the Spurs in the West with a 12-31 record. Marcus Smart: Since ...

  The Athletics "Bouncies" Awards are out for this season, and the Boston Celtics are tied to two of the awards.  Kristaps Porzingis: Runner-up for "Best Acquisition". That's the good news for Celtics fans. The bad news is that he lost the top award in this category to the Clippers James Harden . But Harden has apparently found his place in LA. The Clips are on a roll. But so are the Celtics, and Kristaps Porzingis has a lot to do with that.  Grant Williams: Runner-up for "Worst Acquisition" Being runner-up for Grant in this category is actually a good thing since no player wishes to be tagged as the "WORST' anything . The Wizards Jordan Poole takes top (bottom) place in this category.  The trade for Porzingis and the deal that sent Williams packing had their share of critics, but at the mid-point of the 2023-24 season, Brad Stevens' moves are looking damn good.

 Grant Williams has been traded Celtics fans. How does everyone feel? To me it's a cost cutting move because all you get in return are second round picks. What you are losing is a guy who has balls. A guy who wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with Jimmy Butler. Not the smartest move, but ballsy. He was also a guy who wasn't afraid to bang with Giannis on the block. He was a defender willing to guard anyone. On offense he could knock down threes pretty damn well. He killed the Bucks in game seven as we all remember.  Unfortunately trades happen because this is a business. It's not about winning, it's about Wyc saving himself money. He has Brad say I'm willing to spend, but in the dark shadows that's bull. We all know Wycs objective, money and hosting Prince Harry and his wife. Wyc to me is content with one ring in twenty years. That's a loser mentality, at least Robert Kraft won six before his true cheapness kicked in.  Back to Grant, personally I've had...

 First to go was Marcus Smart . Now it appears the turmoil surrounding Grant Williams' future has ended with his reported trade to the Dallas Mavericks . Sources: The Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics are finalizing a three-team trade: - Mavs: Grant Williams - Spurs: Reggie Bullock and an unprotected Dallas pick swap in 2030 - Celtics: Multiple second-round picks pic.twitter.com/7Bi6Dykydf — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2023 For many Celtics fans, this means the loss of two likeable, tough members of The Green . The two deals are intertwined since the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingas (for Smart) meant that Grant was going to be too expensive to retain. To be clear here… • I understand the new CBA • I understand the 2nd tax apron • I understand the potential value of a TPE (if used) and 2nd round picks (if useful) That said, the Celtics losing both Marcus Smart & Grant Williams the same summer is very disappointing to me. https://t.co/OkTlmHjUgB ...

 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...

 The issue with the Boston Celtics that is not often discussed is - how much longer can the team rely on a 3-headed big man at the center spot? T he Green really have not seen that since the 1969-70 season when Red Auerbach and Tommy Heinsohn were forced to go with Rich Johnson, Jim Barnes and Hank Finkle sharing the 5-spot. The 6'7" Johnson jumped center - Barnes came in when muscle was needed - and Finkel racked up the most minutes (23.3 MPG) following the retirement of Bill Russell . Boston fans now see the aging Al Horford, the undersized Grant Williams and the oft-injured Rob Williams filling that role .  We read about Boston having a plethora of guys at the guard position and needing another wing to hopefully cut the minutes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown . But not much is seen or heard on finding a long-term remedy at the center slot.  There is general agreement that Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets could very well have another two or three Titles in their ...

  Grant Williams didn't score a point as all three of his shot attempts missed the mark, but he made his presence known. In his 23 minutes of floor time, he bellied up to Joel Embiid and - despite the Philly big man's 30 points, 13 boards and four blocks - made life difficult for the reigning MVP. Marcus Smart did put some points on the board (15 of them), adding three rebounds, four assists and three steals, and he was everywhere on the court at both ends. The Wolverine also spent time in the ditch guarding Embiid and fared well, despite the height disparity. Celtics Grant Williams gets face stomped by Joel Embiid 😳 https://t.co/lD1ov8PoiG via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) May 6, 2023 I have been verbal in the past about the Boston Celtics lacking mental and physical toughness . That has changed. Smart has always delivered in that category, but he is now joined by Grant Williams . Grant getting "curb stomped" by Joel was tough to watch. But the 6'...

  We are talking Grant Williams here . You remember him - the Boston Celtics first-round pick (#22 overall) from the 2019 NBA draft. The 6'6" do-everything center/forward has made an appearance in five-of-Boston's eight playoff games thus far, averaging 13.8 minutes per game . Known for his 3-point accuracy, Grant has connected on 56.3% of his treys over that post-season span - but for some rerason, Joe Mazzulla has chosen to not call his name on a number of occasions. He has been called on to take those long-range shots, and he has become very adept - particularly from the corner. Williams has the weight and strength to guard the big men such as Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo , and surprisingly, appears capable of handling the smaller, quicker oppnents on the perimeter. Williams will be a Restricted Free Agent this summer , and the question remains whether he will end up in Boston. In the past, the Celtics lost two quality players to free agency , in part becaus...

 Joe Mazzulla stuck with eight guys in the Celtics Game-1 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. At least for this series, we can expect Derrick White (24 points, 5 boards, 7 assists, 2 blocks) to continue in his starting role - with Rob Williams and Malcolm Brogdon coming off the bench. Sam Hauser saw11 minutes as the 8th-player, while Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet, Mike Muscala, Blake Griffin and newly-acquired Justin Champagnie were all "DNP_CDs" . It appears that Mazzulla is content to test the post-season waters with Hauser to determine if he can be useful in this - and subsequent - series.  Grant Williams is the question mark. His minutes had dwindled in the last several regular season contests, and he never saw the floor in Game-1 versus Atlanta.  Limiting Al Horford's minutes during the regular season may not be repeated in the playoffs. He was third in minutes (38 minutes) yesterday, behind only Jayson Tatum and Derrick White.  This is Joe Ma...

  Grant Williams didn't take the floor at all last night in the Celtics win over the Cavaliers, picking up yet anothyer DNP-CD. He has participated in only nine-of-the-last-15 Celtics contests .  His floor time in those nine games has been significant (19.9 MPG) - but not his production. In that span, he has averaged: 4.6 points 3.8 rebounds 1.4 assists 29.3% FG 25.8 3s plus/minus of -4.3 This doesn't bode well for the post-season. Boston essentially went 7-deep with Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon coming off the pine. That won't work in the playoffs. Sam Hauser and Mike Muscala also saw limited action, but Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet and Blake Griffin rode the bench the entire game Hopefully, Grant's stats lately are simply a limited slump, but his effectiveness as a rotation guy appears to be in question.

 In the 2022 NBA Finals versus the Warriors , the Boston Celtics went 9-deep with players logging double-digit minutes. That ninth man, Daniel Theis is no longer on the roster, and Malcolm Brogdon has been added.. Golden State went 8-deep (double-digit minutes), and this season they without one-of-the-eight, Gary Payton II . Assuming The Green are back in the post-season fight once again, how does their playoff rotation look?  Jayson Tatum Jaylen Brown Marcus Smart Rob Williams Al Horford Derrick White Malcolm Brogdon After these seven players, things get murky for the Celtics. Trade rumors centered on Boston often involve an additional big man, and that makes sense right now - but it would have to be a big that will get to play significant minutes in the post season. The trend thus far has been that Payton Pritchard either plays few minutes - or never sees the floor - if Smart, White and Brogdon are all healthy. Grant Williams? He only averaged 17 minutes, 4.2 points a...

  Mettle: (Definition) "A person's (team's) ability to cope well with difficulties or to face a demanding situation in a spirited and resilient way." That about sums it up relative to the Celtics 106-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors . With their best player (Jayson Tatum) out of action with a sore wrist - and losing both Marcus Smart and Rob Williams to injuries in the first half - a number of players dug in and produced what was needed. It starts with Jaylen Brown . His team-high 27 points were just the beginning. Eight rebounds, six assists and three steals were the frosting. Grant Williams put up a career-high 25 points , making 4-of-6 from the hinterlands. Then came Malcolm Brogdon with 23 points and seven boards . And Payton Pritchard showed once again why trading him may be a bad move . He produced all of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, hitting 4-of-7 from deep. But perhaps Brown said it best following the game: ''To win in the NBA is hard eno...

 Good question! Let's take a look at what Celtics player's stepped up to supply Jaylen Brown's 27 points and seven rebounds per game in Boston's victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. It turns out six Celtics ( Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, Derrick White, Luke Kornet, Payton Pritchard and Malcolm Brogdon)   all surpassed their season averages to supply 27 extra points . The sextet did even better on rebounds, supplying an extra, combined 12 boards. It was Smart (16 points), White (15 points, 7 boards) and Kornet (11 points) who really stood out. You may notice I omitted assists in this discussion. Jaylen is only averaging roughly three assists per game so no fill-in was required in that category. However, Marcus filled that category by himself with 10 assists versus Brooklyn, campared to his 7 APG season average . So the answer to the title question may be "everybody". That's the way it should be.

 Here's the latest proposal that would send Lakers C/F, Anthony Davis, to the Boston Celtics . Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F/C Al Horford, F Grant Williams, 2025 First-Round Pick (BOS), 2027 First-Round Pick (Swap – BOS)  Boston Celtics Receive: F/C Anthony Davis The writer of this piece must think that cold-hearted Danny Ainge is still in charge of the Celtics. Head Honcho, Brad Stevens would have to think long-and-hard before sending the Dominican Gentleman, Al Horford,   to a west coast team going nowhere this season. Granted, AD is still only 39 years old and is having one terrific season, averaging 24.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG and 1.8 BPG. But his team sits at #14 in the West with a 3-10 record. A pairing of Davis with soon-to-return Rob Williams would seem enticing, but I doubt Boston fans would ever see this deal go down. The Boston Celtics under new Head Coach, Joe Mazzulla , are cruising, and Horford is playing a significant role in that success. The...

 The Boston Celtics are not simply a deep team, they exhibited "quality" depth off the bench in last night's 117-108 win over Detroit .   Let's start with Grant Williams, usually a pine guy for Boston. He started the game at the forward spot with Jaylen Brown sitting this one out - logged 45 minutes - racked up 19 points on 58% from the field and 50% on treys - grabbed 10 boards - and passed off for four assists with only one turnover.  Blake Griffin , normally another Pine Presence, started in place of Al Horford and supplied seven points ands six rebounds. Noah Vonleh showed what he does best - rebounding and defending. He supplied only two points, but brought down seven rebounds and added two assists.  Payton Pritchard got into the action once again, logging 15 minutes with a line of 5P/2R/2A but managed to come away with a team-high plus/minus of +16 . With Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon sitting this one out - and Rob Williams on target to re...

 Post game, Marcus Smart said that he felt the Celtics took their foot off the gas , resulting in a 120-102 loss to the Bulls . That's a fine synopsis. Here are some specifics. I'll start with the Celtics shot chart .  How about 48 3-point attempts from Boston and only 21 by the Bulls . Looks like the reincarnation of a past bad habit by The Green. Here's the shot chart for Chicago: Rebounding is mostly just effort . How did the Celtics fare there? Not good - 45 boards for Boston, 60 for the Bulls. How about free throw attempts? Looks like 12 (yes, 12) for the Celtics, 29 for Chicago . Lack of effort, once again. "This is a good test for us. We've just got to respond." Marcus Smart on #Celtics 120-102 loss to the #Bulls pic.twitter.com/MD46YJeppL — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 25, 2022 Marcus got it right. After the first quarter, the Boston Celtics didn't run out of gas - they took their foot off it! The discussion will be abo...

 Boston Head Coach, Joe Mazzulla , had to feel great after his Celtics took out the Philadelphia 76'ers in convincing fashion, 126-117. Here are my 10 takeaways from the contest: 1.) PACE: It is clear that Mazzulla is telling his troops to push the ball on offense. Boston outscored Philly 24-to-2 in fast break points. 2.) MALCOLM BROGDON: Boston's recent acquisition takes it to the hoop with authority and precision. He uses his body control to finish well at the rim. Malcolm finished with 16 points on 7-of-11 from the field. His shot chart for the game is below: 3.) GRANT WILLIAMS: Grant only missed one shot, and that was from the free throw line. He totaled 15 points in 24 minutes, while shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 on treys.  4.) PAYTON PRITCHARD: Payton saw a DNP-CD for the game. It is unknown if this will continue into the season - or Coach Mazzulla felt it necessary to keep the little guy on the bench due to the size on the court for Philadelphi...

 Boston Celtics Training Camp is weeks away, and a number of big men will clash to land roster spots behind Al Horford and Rob Williams .  Al and Rob Have proven themselves, and Grant Williams , at 6'6", has shown himself to be a reliable small-ball five. But Grant and four other "bigs" will be vying for minutes as the third and fourth centers.  Noah Vonleh, Luke Kornet and Bruno Coboclo are all on non-or-partially-guaranteed contracts and will need to prove themselves starting next month in order to make the cut. Mfiondu Kabengele is on a two-way contract, but he will also be battling for significant time at the 5-spot. One thing is guaranteed. Assuming Grant remains in Boston, we will almost certainly not see all three of Vonleh, Kornet and Coboclo on the 2022-23 Celtics roster. And there is always the chance that Kabengele may be promoted to the regular roster at some point should he outplay his competitors.  Expect an exciting Training Camp!

 From the Celtics trio of Payton Pritchard, Aron Nesmith and Sam Hauser , only Pritchard saw significant floor time in the 24-game run of the NBA Finals. But in 12.9 MPG, he averaged only 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists . Nesmith and Hauser averaged only 3.5 and 2.1 MPG, respectively. Ime Udoka went with a 9-man rotation , as did the Champion Golden State Warriors - while both teams show four players with double-digits in points scored in the post-season. In the end, the Celtics didn't have quite enough to conquer the 2022 Champs, and the question now is - does Boston trade any of the young guys, including Grant Williams - or do they lean towards developing them . Hauser is set to earn $1.6 million in the coming season, with a team option . Brad Stevens should end up securing the youngster for 2022-23. Nesmith is signed for $3.8 million, and Pritchard for $2.2 million. Payton has shown he can contribute, even in the post-season, but his size (6'1") is not what ...

 The Boston Celtics sorely missed both Marcus Smart (foot) and Al Horford (COVID protocols) in their 118-107 loss to the Heat in Game 1. Sure, Jimmy Butler was a culprit if the defeat , but the Miami brain trust of Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra were also focused on the two missing Celtics stars. The Celtics let this one slip away , starting in the third quarter. Smart and Horford are not merely starters for Boston - they supply the stability on both ends of the court, and Miami took advantage of their absence. The starting replacements simply didn't have it in this contest . Grant Williams notched seven points and one rebound in 35 minutes, while Derrick White registered three points and four assists in 25 minutes of action. But more important, neither has the tenure with The Jay Team that Smart and Horford have. We await the news on the availability of Marcus and Al for Game 2. The Green need at least of of the duo back - preferably both. Stay tuned.