Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Let's get rid of the bad stuff first! After being waived by the Spurs, Kemba Walker possibly coming on board in Boston would mean Payton Pritchard will either end up with more DNP-CDs or he will be part of a trade . Secondly, Kemba has an injury history that needs to be considered. With that out of the way, signing Walker would be a no-brainer. While no longer having responsibility as the starting point guard, he would be instant, and reliable, offense off the bench with a lesser chance of suffering an injury. He can pass the ball and, at only 6', he gets his share of rebounds. He is still only 32 years old and is known as a true professional and a great teammate . And the idea that the Celtics best player may want him back also comes into play: 👀☘️☘️ https://t.co/kijXsvlpd2 — Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) January 6, 2023 So stand by. Celtics fans may see this 4-time All-Star and well-liked former teammate back in the fold . Oh, and one more positive - Kemba possibly getting...

  Payton Pritchard's minutes have almost been cut in half from the 19.2 MPG he saw in his rookie campaign. I have been among the many Celtics fans wondering why, after such a promising start to his NBA career, the 6'1" point guard has only averaged 10.1 minutes per game this season . But with Boston facing the Knicks with a COVID-ravaged crew , Pritchard was released from captivity and made the most of it. He was on the floor for 28 minutes - scored 16 points on 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 on treys - added three rebounds, three assists and one block . He was also active on defense, often covering the red-hot Kemba Walker full-court in an attempt to slow him down. On offense, we know Payton can hit from anywhere, but it was his bank shot that brought back memories of the superb marksman, Sam Jones. With Boston needing more scoring from the bench, both Josh Richardson (team-high 27 points, 64% FG) and Pritchard may need to see more time on the floor. Both subs push ...

           Start spreading the news! The Celtics are winning today! I've got to be a part of it! In Boston Garden!        1st Quarter        We saw both JB and JT get going early nailing some triples, each player missed one. Well you know that they did next possession, they drove to the HOOP! While today's NBA player gets fixated on the three, credit is due to these two young fellas for maturing and getting to the basket. Why basketball has moved farther away from the hoop makes no sense to me.      JRich is just a very smooth player out there on the floor. His ability to make plays look effortless are a huge asset. He's a tweener guy who not only gets to the hoop, but took some midrange shots as well with ease. His defensive effort is second to none when he's locked in. JRich can be an x factor come playoff time. Expect him to come up big the rest of the game. Celtics lead 32-18 plus we had the pleas...

 Yes, we're talking about Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier . The New York Knicks are are in a 4-way tie for first place in the East with a 5-1 record. It is also notable that the Wizards join the Knicks in that top quartet, also somewhat of a surprise. The two former Celtics are averaging a combined 32.5 PPG on 48% accuracy from the field and a strong 51% on 3-pointers . They also combine for 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game .  Where does Boston sit in the standings after eight games? They are in the 12th slot with a 2-4 record , with three of those losses coming at the hands of the Knicks (one loss) and Wizards (two losses). Two losses came after double-overtimes, and one resulted from a single-overtime. Wins in all three contests would have placed the Celtics with a 5-1 record. Josh Richardson thinks the #Celtics are close to figuring things out. presented by your New England Ford Dealers pic.twitter.com/O4Uk8d2fV2 — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCelti...

  Kemba Walker is going home! The Big Apple is getting a class act on and off the floor ( per New York Post's Zach Braziller ): “You get people from New York who are diehard Knicks fans and you get people who are fans of him (Kemba) because of him being from New York and the special player, person he is,” said Pratt, now an NBA agent. “Now those Knicks fans get to root for him on their team. It’s amazing.” Basketball fans know his big game moments at MSG in college.  As a Celtic Kemba always gave 100 percent while he was out there. When he signed here it was for money of course but also the legacy the Celtics organization has. From the start he knew his role of coming here to bring positivity and play the role of helping the Jays develop.       From his college career to the pros Kemba has been a winner and big time player. Throughout his career in Charlotte he was their go to player and leader. As Celtics fans remember, he always killed the Celtics and us...

     Remember when Al Horford chose to sign with the Boston Celtics all those years ago. The excitement of finally getting that big name free agent. What he brought with his skill set on both ends of the floor. He could post you up, knock down the midrange shot or even hit some threes. Defensively he anchored those Celtics teams. He was the leader of that team when they nearly knocked the Cavaliers out.       Then Al decided to go and sign with the Sixers. Was there ever an offer or attempt to bring him back? Did Philly over pay? Philly was the favorite with Al and Embid in the front court yet it didn't work out that way. Eventually Al would be dealt to OKC where when he played and looked pretty good, until he was shut down.       Then the news broke that Al was coming back to Boston in a trade for Kemba Walker.   Al may be a little longer in the tooth but he has some unfinished business in Boston. Will his return bring that v...

 I wrote in February of bringing Al Horford back to Boston , and count me as thrilled that it finally happened. Many NBA analysts are not giving the Celtics sky-high grades for the move, but Al checks most of the boxes for the boost needed by a team that under-performed last season. The Celtics are trading Kemba Walker, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft and a 2025 second-round draft pick to Oklahoma City for Al Horford, Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 18, 2021 The move made by current Celtics GM, Brad Stevens , was quick and decisive. The fact that it happened before the arrival of a new head coach is revealing. Horford, at 35 years of age, can still play. The stats from his stint with Oklahoma City last season show it: 28 MPG - 14.2 PPG - 6.7 RPG - 3.4 APG - .9 SPG - .9 BPG - 45% FG - 37% 3s - 82% FT Al could be looking at similar minutes, and probably similar stats, this coming season with the Celtics. Hor...

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...

 Celtics boss, Danny Ainge , said it a while back - that the Celtics needed some "shooting with size" . Well, he may have accomplished that goal by trading for 6'7" Evan Fournier . Danny Ainge on 98.5 on what @Celtics need.... "I would say maybe shooting, with size. ... We could use shooting, we could use passing. But you always need defense. ... I think that shooting at the big position is something we haven't had." — Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) February 4, 2021 In last night's runaway 132-96 win over the Orlando Magic ,  the French import contributed 18 points, five boards, four assists and two steals in 29 minutes of action . Evan started the game at the forward spot in place of the ailing Jaylen Brown. .  Fournier hit 8-of-14 shots from the field and 2-of-5 beyond the arc. His shooting and scoring were expected. But his other contributions are a bonus .  His size allows him to play at least two positions on the court and makes him effective de...

 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...

Are we surprised that the Boston Celtics are dead-last in the NBA for point-margin in the fourth quarter? Yes, dead-last! That is 30th out of 30 teams! It became evident once again in Boston's 117-109 loss to the Utah Jazz. View NBA.com's Kyle Hightower's article headline below : Jazz pull away from Celtics in fourth The Celtics average point-margin in the fourth quarter thus far stands at minus-2.1 . The Suns, Lakers and Raptors share the number-one spot at plus-2.1.  How about last night , you may ask. The Green had a 4th-quarter margin of minus-8.0. They scored 30 4th-quarter points to Utah's 38. This trend does not bode well for the Celtics post-season. What are the Celtics missing? I will keep this simple. Part of the answer is that they are obviously missing Mister Fourth Quarter, otherwise known as Isaiah Thomas . Yes, I realize IT is not the complete cure , but why do we not see him back on the parquet ( per Boston.com's Brian Robb from the 2016-17 season...

We are not talking about broken bones here, but rather damage to muscles, tendons and ligaments. This concerns the soft-tissue injuries plaguing not only the Boston Celtics , but the entire NBA this season. All of the quotes are from a revealing article by uproxx.com's Katie Heindl The "bodies" referred to in the quote below are the numerous NBA players going down with soft tissue injuries. Why? @CelticsSentinel article to follow. "...the league (NBA) is a structure only as strong as the bodies supporting it, like tendons fixed to bone until it breaks." https://t.co/A1mX03BxKR — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) March 13, 2021 Marcus Smart just returned from such an injury - a grade one calf sprain. On the surface, that doesn't sound serious, but it can be. That type of sprain involves actual tearing of muscle tissue. And Brad Stevens has gone on record as hoping Jaylen Brown's knee soreness is "not something long-term" .  And then we have Kemba ...

  This year's iteration of the Boston Celtics have been an enigma at best. From their thrilling opening night victory vs Eastern Conference favorite Milwaukee, to the epic collapse vs New Orleans, the green have had as many highs and lows as any team in the league. Now, sitting at 4th in the conference, the question is - where do we go from here? The second half of this season should be quite interesting, with fans clamoring for a variety of different things. From my perspective, there are 3 distinct paths the green can follow, each with their own compelling argument Path 1 - Status Quo  If we've learned anything from the first half of the season, it's that we really don't know what this team is quite yet. The core four of Kemba, Smart, Tatum, and Brown have played 28 minutes together, and we have yet to see former lottery pick Romeo Langford. So, what's the rush? While I doubt that this roster is currently a championship contender, anything is possible in the year ...

It wasn't just the Celtics 117-win over the Claw-less Clippers last night, but we should be seeing a lot more of the 9-man rotation that Brad Stevens put out there. There were no major surprises. Brad went with his two-big starting lineup featuring Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson, putting them alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker . Tatum had another off shooting night, but the four subs filled in nicely, with Payton Pritchard, Rob Williams, Jeff Teague and Semi Ojeleye combining for 38 points on 65% from the field and 64% on treys. Add do-everything dynamo back to the mix post-All-Star Break and acquire another player or two that Danny Ainge tells us probably won't happen - and this crew, aided by good health and good fortune,  can do some damage in the playoffs. “I can fix that” https://t.co/mctX81UcRb pic.twitter.com/4jOBAFsYSI — Anna Horford (@AnnaHorford) March 2, 2021 Yes I am still plugging to see Al Horford back in Boston. Meanwhile, Kemba's r...

  The Good Kemba Walker was on target. He was high-scorer for Boston with 32 points on 53% shooting from the field. And he did more than just hit his shots, coming away with six boards and three assists. He, and the team, needed this game from him. The bench came through. Payton Pritchard (30 minutes, nine points, four rebounds, team-high plus/minus of + 13), Jeff Teague (14 points) and Rob Williams (see next paragraph) all contributed to the victory. Adjusting Rob Williams minutes to the 37 played by Myles Turner , TIMELORD's numbers project to 27 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and five blocks . Turner had 17 points, 10 boards, one steal and three blocks. Make what you wish from that.  The Bad Marcus Smart remains out of action with a calf tear/sprain. It is uplifting for fans that the Celtics took the win from an Eastern Conference rival without The Wolverine on the court, but this injury worries me. His grade 1 sprain tore some micro muscle fibers. If ...

CelticsSentinel's Erich Ryan broached the Kemba Walker conundrum back on February 10, and the issue remains in question.  Danny Ainge shipped Isaiah Thomas out of town in damaged condition after the diminutive guard had literally saved Boston's 2016-17 season with his heroic play.  The latest questions surround another undersized point guard, Kemba Walker. On a recent Colin Cowherd Podcast , NBA analyst Ric Bucher stated that Celtics boss, Danny Ainge "tried like Hell to move Kemba at the beginning of the season" . Bucher added that Walker's knee injury and lack of size are one of the reasons "they (Celtics) are not a Championship contending team" .  I share these concerns for the Boston Celtics. Like IT, Kemba's lack of size is magnified when significant injuries hamper the quick, evasive movements shared by both players.  Walker was given stem cell therapy for his knee issue in the off-season, and it just may be that the treatment was really a ...

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 ...

  Boston, we have a problem. As many know, the sequel to the greatest basketball movie ever made - Space Jam  - is set to release this coming summer. As any film aficionado knows, the premise of the first movie involves a group of aliens who steal the talents of NBA stars such as Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing in order to beat the Looney Tunes in a game of basketball. With the second film imminent, it seems likely that the Monstars are on the hunt for talent again, and they may have already gotten to Kemba Walker. All joking aside, Kemba's performance of late has been concerning at best, and catastrophic at worst. And, even if Lebron is able to save the day and return his powers, I'm not convinced how much help he'd offer the Cs anyways. To be effective, Kemba needs to have the ball in his hands. While he competes defensively, his size will always make him a liability on that end. Likewise, he is not a maestro floor general like Chris Paul or Steve Nash, so looking for b...

Kyle Lowry is 34 years old on the last year of his contract in Toronto. He’s a bulldog. He’s a leader. He’s a different version of Marcus Smart. Lowry also may be exactly what the Boston Celtics are missing: a point guard who doesn’t always need the ball in his hands to be effective.  Compare usage rates: Lowry 21% vs Kemba 29% Yes Kemba is having a serious off year. Do I believe that he will figure it out? Absolutely. But it still doesn’t change the equation: Kemba Walker isn’t the missing piece to a title. Given his size it’s obvious that he never was.  At 34 years old I believe that Lowry still at least has 3 solid years left. He’s never been a high percentage shooter. He’s never been the quickest player on the floor. Lowry is savvy and tough. Those qualities tend age very well. And as far  as resigning him in the offseason...why would he leave Tatum, Brown & Smart.  Is Lowry enough to get us a title? Nope. Danny would still need to use the TPE to get us a via...

  Last night's loss in San Antonio was another typical, unnecessary Celtics loss. This team has the potential to compete for an NBA Finals, but there are some recurring issues that must be addressed if they want to achieve at the highest levels. This most recent defeat serves as a tidy microcosm for what the green must address Lack of Competitive Spirit Underwhelming losses have become a trademark of the Celtics in recent years. They routinely lose games for no reason other than a lack of execution and competitive spirit, and it's becoming a concerning pattern. While this team has plenty of talent, their ability to "flip the switch" is not there, and it's a cause for concern. Too often  they allow lesser teams to hang around, and are unable to finish them off. Championship level teams know when to engage that next gear, but the Celtics have yet to find that. They are still young and growing, but this has been a repeated theme since the ECF vs Miami. The Medium 3 (...