Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  Remember Larry Siegfried? He was a star on the Ohio State team with John Havlicek - played in the ABA, until it folded - and then was brought on board by the Celtics Red Auerbach at the suggestion of Havlicek. "Siggy" became an important fixture with Boston, winning five Title rings with the Celtics. Now comes Chris Boucher to Beantown, formerly a team mate of Payton Pritchard at Oregon. Boucher was in the starting lineup (with his buddy, Payton) in Boston's exhibition win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. In less than 11 minutes, he hit 2-of-3 on his 3-point attempts - took down two rebounds - and made one steal. At 6'9" and 200 pounds , he may struggle against larger opponents at the center spot, but time at the PF slot would be another option. I doubt he will have the same impact that Larry had in his time in Boston, but the 32-year-old Boucher may be a keeper for a coach (Joe Mazzulla) that adores tough defense - and the ability to stretch the floor on...

 Ten-time Celtics Champion, Sam Jones , was expected to retire after the 1968-69 season, but Bill Russell calling it quits was a bit of a shocker . Sam was going to be sorely missed, but John Havlicek, JoJo White and Larry Siegfried were still arouind to pick up some of the slack. But who was going to replace the seemingly-irreplaceable Russell? Well, it wasn't going to be 7-footer, Hank Finkel , traded to Boston prior to the 1969-70 season. Finkel had his best statistical season in his first stint in Beantown, but he was not Russ - not even close . As Hank's wife, Kathy, said at the time - she knew her husband was not Bill Russell every time she saw his paycheck. Then came "The Savior". 6'8.5", 130 pound Dave Cowens, taken at number-4 in the 1970 NBA draft.. "Too small to play center in the NBA" is what many critics uttered, but "Big Red" proved them wrong. He never lived-and-breathed basketball, but once on the court, he gave you eve...

 There are 3 major questions that will be debated on Causeway Street until the end of time "What would have happened if Len Bias lived?" "How can anybody possibly root for the Lakers?" "What is your All-time Celtics starting 5?" John Karalis's new book "The Boston Celtics All-Time All-Stars" attempts to answer #3, as he chronicles the history of the franchise through each position, and attempts to make a team of 12 players for the All-Time Celtics. This is a wonderful exercise, as Celtics history is littered with incredible players, making for a lively argument with any C's fan. In the spirit of this, I decided to look back and create a Celtics "B-List" starting 5. You likely won't find any of these guys in any books, as none of them could ever be considered among the greats. They all did, however, play in Boston and make an impact, so their place in Celtics history is solidified.  Point Guard - Brian Shaw Best Season in Bos...

Chatter remains relative to the potential retirement of Ray Allen's Celtics jersey #20. I won't chatter about it. I will simply say, "no" - not because of Ray leaving the Celtics for Miami - or any other negative thoughts about him. Here's why: Ray spent seven years with the Milwaukee Bucks and only five in Boston.  He only earned two Title rings, one of which was with the Heat after departing Beantown. Paul Silas won three Championships, two of them in Boston. His number was never retired. Absolutely. Retiring #20 in Ray's honor should not happen. That never happened with another #20, Larry Siegfried. Nothing against Ray, but this would amount to a "mending fences" move. And how about Silas. https://t.co/mUxawiwm9D pic.twitter.com/uCpv6nsl4W — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) December 7, 2020 The late Larry Siegfried is the forgotten Celtic. "Ziggy" spent seven years with the Celtics and won five rings here. His #20 never got to the rafters, a...

I have placed 32 Celtics players into eight seedings and came away with what I feel is the best crew to win a crucial contest. Larry Bird over Bill Russell was a tough call, but I went with Larry's versatility. There is nothing he does not do well. Dave Cowens over Kevin McHale was difficult, but I went with Dave's blue-collar, lunch bucket mentality. Dennis Johnson at #3 was my choice - and a controversial one. He was simply a fabulous 2-way player, and his synergy with Bird made the decision. I went with Marcus Smart and Larry Siegfried because of their toughness in the back court. And Rajon Rondo? I needed another floor general out there, and he fits the bill. Al Horford is in there to add more size, playmaking and defense. My 8-man rotation. What's yours? 1- Bird 2- Cowens 3- DJ 4-Reggie 5-Rondo 6-Horford 7-Smart 8-Siegfried — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) March 31, 2020 You will most-certainly disagree with my seedings and 8-man rotation - and you should. There ar...

Former Boston Celtics guard, Larry Siegfried was a 5-Time NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics in the 1960's, and like Gordon Hayward, he wore #20. I was always a fan of Siggy for his toughness and relentless defense. I never thought I would meet him in person, but that happened in the spring of 1972. I had recently walked away from my career as a Research Engineer at National Research Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where my scientist partner and I developed the disposable foam ear plugs that are so common today. I took a temporary job as a Game Warden patrolling the banks of the rivers and streams of central Massachusetts. While walking the along the banks of the Squannacook River in Townsend, I spotted a fly-fisherman mid-stream at a distance and recognized him immediately as Larry Siegfried. His fishing license was visible on his vest, so I told him he did not have to come out of the water. But he did anyway - he wanted to talk. He had just retired from the NBA a...

There are times when a video speaks for itself, and Max Carlin's mixtape does just that. It is not just Marcus Smart's winning plays that are evident here, but also his intensity - and the uplifting play of Smart's teammates. But I will enlarge on the video with my All-Time-Celtics-Intensity lineup. Important reminder: sound on pic.twitter.com/VueKmyJupR — Max Carlin (@maxacarlin) June 19, 2019 Intensity | Definition of Intensity by Merriam-Webster Definition of intensity. 1 : the quality or state of being intense especially : extreme degree of strength, force, energy, or feeling . 2 : the magnitude of a quantity (such as force or energy) per unit (as of area, charge, mass, or time) The key word here is "extreme". That would be Marcus. There is nothing half-assed about what he tries to do. It is all or nothing. So who else can we add to our All-Intensity-Five? Here's my team: Marcus Smart Dave Cowens Kevin Garnett Larry Siegfried Danny Ainge I ha...