Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  Where is the drama in this season's version of the Boston Celtics? Hell, the major story may be the lingering Kristaps Porzingis injury , but fans are (sadly) getting used to that. The past drama of Payton Pritchard wanting more playing time or a trade has faded - with the 6'1" combo guard proving he was right all along . Despite starting zero games this season, he places fifth in minutes per game (28.6 MPG) on the team. He is having a great season. The Celtics have no one whining about wanting (demanding?) a trade a la the Heat's Jimmy Butler . And there is zero chance of Joe Mazzulla getting canned early in the season - as did the King's Mike Brown. Boston was slated to have a fine season, and they now sit with the third-best record in the League. Despite a dip to mediocrity over the past 10 games (6-4 record) , they are 3-0 in their last three contests. But today, they face the team with the second-best record - the Oklahoma City Thunder, winners of their...

 We read and hear repeatedly that this Celtics team is not what Boston fans saw last season - meaning not only are their new important additions - but this version of T he Green is not expected to wilt against the once-again eighth-seeded Miami Heat. The addition of Kristaps Porzingis gives Boston a third major piece on offense and defense. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White add toughness on the defensive end, coupled with the ability to score big points on any given night. Last night, the Heat - minus Jimmy "Playoff Machine" Butler and "Scary" Terry Rozier - eliminated the Chicago Bulls from the post-season. The Miami crew are major underdogs versus Boston, but as the Celtics saw last year, anything can happen in the playoffs . It all starts tomorrow (Sunday, 1:00 PM ET) in Beantown. Butler is not expected back for a couple of weeks, but any thoughts by The Green that this will be a cakewalk could be disastrous. Owner, Wic Grousbeck , chastised his boys when they...

 After Miami's 116-99 loss to Boston in Game-4 of the East Finals, Jimmy Butler was asked how his team would respond in Game-5 in Boston. He mentioned "going back to our habits" . Well, what got the Celtics the win in Game-4 was getting away from some of their bad habits fans have witnessed of late. Boston was intense from the start and their defense forced Miami into 15 turnovers for the game - and kept their own total to 10 miscues . The Celtics also got into their passing game, "outassisting" their opponent 28-to-18. In this contest, Boston continued to throw up a lot of treys (45 of them) , but they were falling (40% on 3-pointers) . But The Green decided to play tough "D, resulting in eight (8) steals and eight (8) blocks, to Miami's 5-and-2, respectively. And it didn't hurt that Al Horford and Grant Williams stepped up, supplying a combined 26 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks.   And for those fans down on Jayson Tatum, he ...

 The current version of the Boston Celtics has few weaknesses, but they certainly seem to have trouble winning close games.  "Clutch Time" is defined as minutes when the scoring margin is within five (5) points with 5-or-fewer minutes remaining in a game. Thus far, The Green have not done well in Clutch Time   (CT) during this year's playoffs. As a team, Boston ranks ninth (9th) recordwise with a winning percentage of 44.4% (4-5 record in games involving "Clutch Time"). Not surprising is that the Celtics current opponent, the Miami Heat, hold top place with a 71.4% winning percentage (5-2). Jayson Tatum's four turnovers in Boston's loss in Game-1 of the East Finals may have some fans pointing fingers at the youngster, but he has only turned the ball over only 0.1 times per game during those five critical minutes in the post-season, while also hitting 61.5% of his field goals and 62.5% of his 3-point attempts. In Crunch Time, Marcus Smart turns the b...

 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.

 My readers already know one of the suspects in Boston's loss to Miami. Yes, "The Butler" did it - to the tune of 41 points, nine boards, five assists, four steals and three blocks . And if you want a top-notch on-court leader, they don't get much better than Jimmy. Second suspect? That has to be Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra who has been with the Heat for a quarter century. And he has two Championships to his credit. He knows the ins and outs of playoff basketball, and it showed last night. Number three? That would be a 77-year-old relic by the name of Pat Riley , President of the Miami Heat.. "Riley" rhymes with "wiley" , and that may fit the guy that has been a head coach in the NBA since 1981. Wiley (definition): sly, cunning, crafty, wily, tricky, foxy, artful, slick mean  attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means . Now we come to Suspect #4. If you have ever watched either version of the movie, War of the Wor...

 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 coach, Brad Stevens must be asking the same question about the Miami Heat players. "Who are those guys?" Butch Cassidy (played by Paul Newman) asked that question of the Sundance Kid (portrayed by Robert Redford) in the 1969 western flick. In the film, the two outlaws were being pursued by a relentless posse that just would not quit. It starts with 3rd-year, All-Star center with a first name seemingly snatched from a Batman cartoon, Bam Adebayo . The 14th pick in the 2017 NBA draft was never supposed to be this good - at least not so soon. The starter at shooting guard for Miami, Duncan Robinson , went undrafted in the 2018 draft and has worked hard (a requirement for Pat Riley's teams) to earn a spot on this Title contender. Robinson avoids 2-point shots (less than one per game) and does his damage from beyond the arc at 7.3 attempts/game and making 41% of them. Forward, and Ex-Celtic, Jae Crowder , has found a niche in Miami - at least for now. The Heat are his...

The Celtics are set to kick off the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Miami Heat tomorrow night, and the series may well go the full seven games. The Heat rely on Jimmy Butler for everything but 3-point shots, and he is definitely a key for Miami. But the Celtics have no one in the mold of second-year center, Bam Adebayo. Bam is another non-distance shooter, but he has put up 16.2 points per game in the postseason on 54% from the field. He sits behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo in rebounds pulled down in the playoffs (11.7 RPG - 7 or more games played). Oh - yes, and he is a decent assist man, passing off for 4.8 assists/game in the playoffs. He is a handful down low, on both ends of the floor. He is strong and versatile. He will be a tough assignment for Daniel Theis and Rob Williams. Bam Adebayo in his first year as a full time starter: • Youngest player in NBA history to average 15+ PTS, 10+ REB, 5+ AST, 50% FG • All-Star • All-NBA Defender pic.twitter.com/CPysb704z3 — ...

The Celtics no longer have a hold on the number-2 standing in the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat have taken over that slot after winning their last two games, while Boston has racked up two losses in a row. The Heat's record is now 27-10, just ahead of the Celtics at 25-10. Great team win vs @Pacers . Let’s go @MiamiHEAT !!! #TheDragon 🐲🔥 Good night pic.twitter.com/NToldzKrnv — Goran Dragić (@Goran_Dragic) January 9, 2020 Miami goes 11-deep with players logging double-digit minutes. Seven Miami players are putting up double-digits in points, and two of them, Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro, are rookies. Nunn averages 15.4 PPG and 4.5 APG, while Herro averages 13.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 2.1 APG. The Heat's 6'9" center, Bam Adebayo, and Jimmy Walker are both having All-Star-level seasons. Bam is producing 15.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.3 SPG and 1.2 BPG. Butler is the team's top scorer at 20.2 Points/game, while also adding 6.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.0 st...