Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 🍀       Nice to see JB back on the floor, he brings a level of intensity second to none. JB gets himself on the board as he gets in the paint and scores. The way he I'd able to use his body is blunt force trauma to whoever gets in his way. Ever since he's been in the league he has improved at whatever short comings his game has. Cs look like a team coming off a back to back. Very sloppy play early on and it needs to be cleaned up.       Cs have been excellent on the road this season. Which bodes well since it they get to the ECF and Finals they will be on the road. It could set up winning those series at home in six games. To be honest I would not be surprised if the Cavs get upset in the playoffs. OKC I'm thinking should win the west unless a team like the Nuggets takes it to them. I don't see any other western team beating them. Especially not those frauds in LA.       Cs owe this Kings team some payback, last time we met t...

  I'm a little late to the game. Seems like a close one right now! Initial thoughts, Embid flops like no other big man in the league. You would think he was tough, but he's soft as Charmin. C's look like they have a shot in the fourth.  C's coming out with some excellent defensive intensity. Guys like Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon are hitting their shots. Blake Griffin is diving on the floor and earning all the Tommy Points! C's are making a nice little run while Marshmallow Man Embid is on the bench.  Cs come out of the timeout and are lax on the defensive end. The game is all tied up. GWill with the dubstep and scores! DWhite with a HUGE BLOCK! Telling James Harden to get that weak stuff outta here! C's need to keep the pressure up, and these Sixers will crack . DWhite gets downhill and scores easily! Love the way he plays!  DWhite for THREEEEEEEEE!!! Marcus Smart with the rope a dope and scores on Embid. Embid flops yet again and gets to the line. NBA ref...

First Quarter Moments JT opens things up by passing on a three and getting to the rim. That's what I love to see! Any player passing up an open three to get to the rim is my kinda player. These past few games we are truly seeing how great JT is getting to the rack! JB decides to shoot and nail a three! Now as much as I don't like the three, it was very pretty! Pacers and C's are trading body shots like two boxers. Personally want to see the C's with a knockout blow!  As Mike Gorman just said, Haliburton with the funny looking shot! I'm with ya Mike! It's odd to say the least, yet he makes a good portion of those shots. Hopefully not tonight though, let's throw multiple defenders at him and not let him get any open looks. On the offensive end we should definitely attack him! Celtics D looks locked in right now, their rotations have been pretty crisp. Defense wins championships, I hope they always remember that. Last season their defense was elite. That's ...

Keys to the game cut the head off the snake, meaning shut Cryrie down! Defend, move the ball, and play Celtics basketball! As Tommy would say RUN!   1st Quarter ☘️ How good is it to hear Mike Gorman's voice! Why do ESPN games take sooooooo long to start?! Finally the tip off is here, and the fans are already booing the logo stomper. Excellent first possession as RWill breaks the rim! JT follows up and gets to the hoop! JB for THREEEEEEEEE!!! Let's Gooooooooo! C's are en FUEGO to start this game! I feel rest has done wonders for this team! C's are running off misses and DWhite gets an easy dunk! That's how you play the game of basketball! Rob has been a huge influence on tonight game! JT for THREEEEEEEEE!!! Please keep this up and kick the Nets back to Brooklyn. Al for THREEEEEEEEE!!! JT for THREEEEEEEEE!!! This has been an epic start! JT for yet another THREEEEEEEEE!!! JB for THREEEEEEEEE!!! What are we watching!!! What a freaking start! Pardon my French! JT for THR...

 After following the Russell-era Celtics of the 60's - the Cowens/Hondo/JoJo crew of the 70's - the Bird-era team of the 80's - and the Big-3 Title crew of 2008 , I had to give some thought to what the current Celtics troops could accomplish down the road. Since I rate the 1985-86 Green Team as perhaps the best NBA roster ever assembled, we start there. The two main stars were Larry Bird and Kevin McHale , but some fans may forget that Dennis Johnson already had four All-Star apperarences prior to coming to Boston in addition to a Title and Finals MVP Award. Robert Parish and Danny Ainge rounded out the starting five. And how about the bench. Scott Wedman had two All-Star stints under his belt prior to joining the Celtics, and Bill Walton had a prior Championship, MVP Award and Finals MVP with the Trail Blazers. Jerry Sichting rounded out the bench crew. That is an "Elite Eight" that would be hard to beat. So can the Jay Team and their comrades take over ...

 I am not saying any past Celtics wing pairing is better or worse than what we see from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. I simply can not find a clear match based on size, skills, athleticism, intensity, desire and savvy. But here we go! For the 60's, the best match may be John Havlicek and Sam Jones . They share 18 Title rings, and it is almost impossible that Jaylen and Jayson can ever achieve that, but this is the closest I could come from the 60's crew. In the 70's, it has to be Hondo again - this time paired with Dave Cowens . Yes, I know that "Big Red" played center, but his quickness and athleticism make him comfortable at the wing position next to "Jarrin' John". The 80's is easy for me. Put Larry Bird next to Dennis Johnson . This duo gets my vote. They lack nothing, and their synergy on the floor is close-to unmatched in Celtics lore. But as much as I love this pairing, it remains an imperfect match for the Jay team. Let me lump the 90...

 No, I'm not writing this because of the Celtics' loss to the Nets last night. The buzz around the League has been that Boston has two paths to get back to solid contention for Banner #18 . Either The Green have to land a third star to complement Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown , admittedly a long shot - or the Jay Team needs to "assist" a current teammate into that role. From NbaAnalysis.net : This team will go as far as Brown and Jayson Tatum take it. To get to that next level, they need to step up their game, and according to one NBA executive, they are just not doing it right now. “Jaylen and Jayson aren’t making anyone better,”  a Western Conference scout said . “I put that on them.” Note the emphasis on "assist" above! Jayson Tatum's assist numbers have dropped from 4.3 APG last season to 3.5 APG for 2021-22. Brown's numbers have dropped even more - from 3.4 APG in 2.0 APG this season. The two Boston stars have also seen their potential assists ...

      Celtics fans, we have heard the moves this off-season are leading to a big trade? Names of guys like KAT, Bradley Beal, and Dame Time , just to name a few. Is there a sleeper out there? Honestly you have a great duo in The Jay Team! From this writers perspective, I'm only looking at wanting to add a player of their caliber but not looking to ship JB out. I mean other teams like the Fakers rip off most teams for their stars.       Now the question is which star best fits with what the Celtics have? I'd say KAT does . He's a modern big, but has the skills to post up or stretch the floor. Having him along side Tatum and Brown would scare both the Fakers and Nets. Offensively they could kill you inside or out!        Not that Beal or Dame wouldn't fit either because they could run your point of a three headed scoring monster alongside JB and JT. Not to mention both are offensive juggernauts!       Or is there ...

Who are the projected starters for the 2021-22 season? Will we see a starting five of  Rob Williams, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart? Does Marcus have the skill set to embrace the point guard role? Or are the Celtics in the market for a pure point guard in free agency or a trade? My stand is The Green definitely needs a facilitator who can maximize Udoka's team play mentality!  In regards to Boston's bench, should Brad Stevens resign Evan Fournier because his impact off the bench given a full season with us could be special. With new Coach Ime Udoka , will we witness growth in Payton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford ? Where does Moses Brown fit into all of this? Can he earn minutes with the Jay Team?  Other questions that arise include - is it time to move on from Semi Ojeleye or Grant Williams - or possibly both? Which one would you keep? I feel Carsen Edwards may not work out here given his lack of playing time. He hustles and giv...

The 120-106 Celtics win over the Raptors was welcome, and the scoring explosion by Semi Ojeleye and Payton Pritchard was not anticipated, but damn exciting. But it was what led to both outcomes that sticks out. The only rookies in Celtics history to make 6+ threes in a game: ☘️ Marcus Smart ☘️ J.R. Bremer ☘️ And now, Payton Pritchard 🎥 @NBA pic.twitter.com/1yLVznEGq2 — The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) February 12, 2021 Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had bad shooting nights, combining for 29 points on 8-of-27 from the field and 1-of-7 on treys . Conversely, their passing skills were on display. Brown passed off for a team-high 10 assists, closely followed by Tatum with nine dimes. No other Celtic had more than three assists. Attribute the victory over Toronto and the eruption by Ojeleye and Pritchard as a direct result of both members of the Jay Team digging deep into their bag of skills to get the ball to their open teammates. If either, or both, Tatum and Brown aspire to Al...

Rookies don't usually start games unless their names happened to be Larry Bird or Magic Johnson. And Brad Stevens is not high on major playing time for first-year guys anyway, so why broach this? Because the Celtics have needed a constant-motion shooting wing for a long time. I mean someone with reasonable size and mobility that never stops moving without the ball and has the capacity to handle the pass for a stop-and-pop or move to the basket.  That is what Nesmith is known for. Can he handle a starting assignment? I don't know, but it needs to be tried. Newly-acquired Jeff Teague has been projected by some to start in place of the injured Kemba Walker at the PG spot, but my choice is Marcus Smart, alongside the Jay Team and Daniel Theis or Tristan Thompson.  Brad Stevens may be a brilliant coach, but he can never be labeled as bold or remarkably innovative. Put Aaron at the SF spot - keep him in there despite miscues that may occur - and run some plays for him to see what he...

If Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown remain relatively healthy, they have a solid shot at overtaking Lebron James and Anthony Davis (and a few other combos) as the NBA's top duo. Davis, at 27 years of age, is most-likely at the peak of his game, and it seems doubtful that he can improve significantly. Lebron will turn 36 years old in several weeks - recently signed an $85 million deal with the Lakers - and is hinting he may end up playing in the NBA with his son, Bronny, in the 2022-23 season.  Conversely, Tatum is only 22 years old, and Brown recently turned 24. It is not out of the question to see Jayson mentioned as a candidate for 2020-21 NBA MVP. And Jaylen just keeps improving, and adding to, his game every off-season. There was a lot of speculation relative to the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard and Paul George leading their team to a Title this season, but that dream fizzled. The Claw is 29 years old, and PG-13 is 30. Both may see their play head south soon. Age takes a toll on...

The Boston Celtics took seven games to defeat the Raptors, - weren't able to get by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, - and would certainly have had everything they could handle versus the Lakers. Well, the Celtics improved ever-so-slightly, but the Lakers got significantly stronger in the last several days. So is it safe to say at this point the Lakers won the NBA offseason (still a few weeks left)? Rundown: Montrezl Harrell (reigning 6th Man of the Yr) Dennis Schroder (6th Man runner up) Wesley Matthews (3 & D) KCP (re-signed) Marc Gasol (1x champ & 1x Defensive Player of the Yr) — Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) November 23, 2020 Designated 6th-Man-of-the-Year, Montrezl Harrell, apparently didn't feel totally cherished in Clipper-Land and bolted to the Lakers with a 2-year deal totaling $19 million. The 6'7", 240-pound bruiser may be LA's most-valuable pickup.  Savvy veteran, Marc Gasol, also heads to the Lakers and allows his new team to play ei...

We should know in a few days if Gordon Hayward has decided to leave for greener fields or complete his unfinished business with The Green Team. It's his choice - or should I say it comes down to what he and his family (and Danny Ainge) can agree on. Using the "empathy test", can any of us place ourselves in Gordon's place and honestly say we would have endured that compost pile of misfortune as well as he did? Gordon Hayward embraced Boston. He's had terrible luck. He's still their biggest free agent signing of all time (sorry Nique and X, you guys were past your prime).  I hope he sticks around and tries to finish what he started. I will be bummed if he leaves. pic.twitter.com/CRM3b7UJXV — Frosty Bias (@frostybias) November 13, 2020 Hayward has the option of picking up final year priced at $34.2 million or leaving it on the table and heading into free agency. With regards to Gordon's value in Boston, there are two sides: Celtics don't need a 4th volu...

Red Auerbach was a wheeler-dealer extraordinaire. But his protege, Danny Ainge, made one bold move that may end up rivaling Red's dealings. If the Jay Team of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (both products of Ainge's deal with the Nets) continue to improve, the acquisitions of Bill Russell, JoJo White, Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish may soon have competition. Admittedly, Red's maneuvering to draft Russell in 1956 was brave and masterful. Eleven Championships later, the deal of Ed Macauley, Cliff Hagan and the Ice Capades for Russ looks borderline-brilliant. How about JoJo? Auerbach took him with the 9th pick in the 1969 NBA draft as other NBA GM's passed because of White's 2-year military commitment. Red somehow got that stint shortened, and that is a story in itself. JoJo helped bring two more Titles to Boston. Auerbach drafted Bird as a junior-eligible out of Indiana State. Fans got to see Larry's final college seas...

If the Boston Celtics maintain their .706 winning percentage for the remaining 31 games, they are projected to finish the 2019-20 season at 58 wins and 24 losses - much better than most analysts predicted. The loss of two All-Star starters, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, many felt would lead to a repeat of last season's 49 wins - or possibly a minor boost to the 50-win level. It’s a #Celtics game day pic.twitter.com/2YKpo3hsND — CelticsContent (@CelticsContent) February 9, 2020 But as it turns out, the addition of Kemba Walker, coupled with the dual emergence of the Jay Team, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, has turned Boston's fortunes in a positive direction. But with the Celtics taking on the Thunder, Rockets and Clippers prior to All-Star Weekend, and a never-ending surge in injuries, things could head south fairly quickly. Injuries aside, there is a whole new vibe this season. The Guys in Green seem to like each other, and they are having fun. Kyrie has dealt with injur...

Last night's 116-95 drubbing of the Philadelphia 76'ers by the Boston Celtics revealed a lot about both teams. Here are some takeaways from the game, with views from both sides of the fence. Daniel Theis going from afterthought to indispensable Where would would the Celtics be with Theis? With the aftereffects of his meniscus injury behind him, he has become a defensive presence and rim protector for Boston. His defensive work on Joel Embiid was masterful. Joel managed a mere 11 points for the game on 1-of-11 from the field and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc, finishing with a team-low plus/minus of -25. The rap against Embiid has been that he doesn't play hard enough, and it showed last night. He was manhandled by the undersized duo of Theis and Grant Williams. Is every Celtics fan watching Theis play defence on Embiid? If you’re not.....you should be. — Celtics ☘️Canada🇨🇦 🏀 (@CelticsCanada) February 2, 2020 Daniel Theis is one of the most improved players in the NBA....

NBA fans, media and players have spoken, and Celtics point guard, Kemba Walker, will be a starter for the 2020 NBA All-Star game in Chicago on February 16. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, and Trey Young will also be in the starting lineup. The final rosters will be determined in a draft by the two team captains, Giannis and Lebron James. The Greek Freak and The King will choose their teams regardless of Conference. A total of 14 reserves will be chosen by a vote of the NBA coaches, with seven from each Conference. Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are in the mix among the seven Eastern Conference reserves possibly heading to Chicago. Starters joining Lebron from the Western Conference are Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. In addition to Brown and Tatum, other players from the East vying for a spot on the roster include Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Bradley Beal, Ben Simmons, Domantas Sabonis and Kyle Lowry. From the West, Nikola Jokic...

The Boston Celtics current makeup may not require drastic alterations, but a change in the starting-5 may be in order. Among the current first-stringers, Jaylen brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker are all capable of scoring 20-plus points in any given game. Last season, one of the negative issues was the fact there were too many mouths to feed. We may have a replay of that this season. One member of that high-scoring quintet may need to transfer to the second unit, and the best choice may be Gordon Hayward. Kemba needs to stay where he is, and neither member of the Jay team would take kindly to becoming substitutes. We are not talking demotion for Hayward here, but rather a shot at using his many skills to better advantage. Gordon Hayward being Gordon Hayward 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/cnxzxFPCN1 — CelticsContent (@CelticsContent) January 12, 2020 So who gets added to the starting-5? Enes Kanter does. Kanter at center and Daniel Theis at power forward needs a look....

The Boston Celtics broke their 3-game skid with a convincing 140-105 victory over the injury-depleted New Orleans Pelicans last night. Here are some lessons-learned from that one game. A day off is just what the team needed After losing all three its last three games, Celtics coach Brad Stevens gave the boys a day off. They needed it, and the break was well-timed. The Pels were without three key players. Don't get too high on the win. Jrue Holiday, Derrick Favors and JJ Redick were among the missing (injuries) for New Orleans. Just as the Guys in Green shouldn't have sunk too low on the 3-game losing streak, getting too high on this victory would be a mistake. Ball movement wins games for Boston This was just too pretty. That's the ball movement that's been missing these last few games pic.twitter.com/z8qiRols61 — Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) January 12, 2020 When the ball moves like it did last night, it seems that the Celtics are close to unbeatable. Call it yout...