Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Things just keep getting worse for former Celtics guard, Marcus Smart. Initially, in June of last year, he learned via social media that he had been traded to the Memphis Grizzlies . His would-be backcourt partner, Ja Morant , was suspended for 25 games to begin the 2023-24 season for displaying a gun (once again) on social media, and Memphis center, Steven Adams , was expected to be out of action for the entire season due to injury.  Now, Morant is gone for the remainder of the season and facing shoulder surgery, while Smart is also once again on the injured list. Things are not looking good for the Memphis Grizzlies, Morant or Smart. The Boston Celtics made out quite well in the deal that sent Smart to Memphis and brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston , but the former Celtics crowd favorite may be on the trade block prior to the deadline.  Memphis presently has a 14-23 record and is going nowhere without three main cogs. There are often casualties in the wake of NB...

 The development and recent performance of Robert Williams III is changing the way I think about the current "poorly-constructed" Celtics roster and what changes are needed. This from CelticsBlog's Adam Taylor: For all the talk of a Big Three and trading for the team's next star player, we would all do well to remember that Williams’ star is still rising, and he could well be the third prong in a potent offensive trident. And if the Celtics believe that to be the case, and Williams continues to prove his health is on the up, then any potential move in the coming weeks should focus on a ball-handler to help expedite the next steps in his development. Taylor got it right.   Flash back to the 1973-74 Celtics crew. Don Chaney's primary role was defensive stopper, and that is what Marcus Smart does best . What the Celtics should look for is a pass-first point guard that thrives on penetration and facilitation - but can't be left alone on the perimeter. Sounds l...

Jaylen with career-best 42 poiints in 29 minutes The Memphis Grizzlies were without their star point guard, Ja Morant (injury), and the Boston Celtics cruised to an easy 126-107 victory. Boston had a star of their own, and his name is Jaylen Brown. Jaylen could do nothing wrong in this one, pouring in a career-best 42 points in only 29 minutes of action. He shot 15-of-21 from the field, 5-of-6 on threes and 5-of-6 from the foul line. His balanced stat line included five rebounds and four assists. Jaylen Brown with a spectacular showing versus Memphis. The work he has put into his game is showing. Jaylen Brown Highlights vs Memphis Grizzlies (42 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) https://t.co/VmOcHly4Tf via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) December 31, 2020 Brown simply looked quietly dominant out there. We didn't see his superior athleticism on display. Instead, Jaylen smartly settled for solid fundamentals, and almost everything he did just worked. Layups, turnaround jumpers, 3-pointers - ...

The Memphis grizzlies are not cooperating! Before the start of the season, they were slated to be high-lottery bound by the end of this year's campaign. That's not happening - at least not yet. They are currently sitting in the 8th spot in the Western Conference with a 19-22 record. They are looking at the playoffs rather than acquiring a high-lottery pick. The Boston Celtics own the Grizzlies first rounder this year, top-6 protected. Most Celtics fans were hoping for Memphis to falter this season and walk away with one of the top-6 picks in the draft, thereby allowing Boston to acquire the Grizzlies first round pick, totally unprotected, in 2021. JA MORANT x JAREN JACKSON JR... OH MY! 😳✨💥 📺: @NBATV pic.twitter.com/VtXey3nt4x — NBA (@NBA) January 15, 2020 Danny Ainge can blame super-rookie, Ja Morant, veteran center Jonas Valanciunas and former-Celtic, Jae Crowder for much of the disappointment. Crowder leads the Grizzlies in minutes with 30.2 MPG, averaging 10.4 PPG...