Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  Who is going to rebound for the Boston Celtics this season? Thay have lost five of their top-7 board men through injury (Tatum), trades and desersions. In the 2024-25 regular season, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke Kornet and Jrue Holiday accounted for 31.3 rebounds per contest. The entire team averaged 45.3 RPG . "Boston, we have a problem". Only Derrick White and Jaylen Brown remain in green from the top-7 rebounders for last season. So, where are the boards going to come from? All of this assumes that Al Horford will be on the west coast soon , but Neemias Queta averaged 9.9 RPG (per 36 minutes) last season , and he is expected to be the starter - at least for the beginning of the season. It appears that Joe Mazzulla may go big at the power forward slot to help make up for the projected lack of board men. So, who is that fifth starter at the PF position? It is too early to totally answer that question, but 6'10" Luka Garza has averaged 9...

  Hey! Why not? The loss of Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Luke Kornet means Joe Mazzulla has to find 63 points (per game), 25 rebounds and 12 assists somewhere. So why not acquire Ben Simmons if his price is right for Boston's cost-cutting financial situation. He won't be 30 years old for another year, and he has averaged 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists per game for his career.  Ben is not a shooter, even from the foul line . But he does almost everything else well , including defense . Wikipedia lists him as a point guard/power forward. He is versatile .  No, he won't be chucking up 3-pointers, but his ball handling, passing skills and transition offense will create scoring opportunities for others. Mazzulla just may be relying on his troops to force turnovers via tough defense, and it just happens that Simmons has a career average of 1.5 steals per game . Ben Simmons badly needs a redemptive season, and he has some skills that c...

     The Celtics have let Luke walk out the door as he signs with the San Antonio Spurs. In return the Celtics have signed Luka Garza. I think we will all remember Luke's time in Boston. Honestly the man fit like a glove on these Celtics teams. Especially the connection he had with Jayson Tatum. Congrats to the Spurs for getting a great team player.       Al Horford is still available and I hear that the Warrior's are hot on his trail. Personally I don't want him to leave but something in my gut says he might. I don't believe that the Celtics will pony up for Al given how much money they cut in the off-season. Honestly I don't see any plan in the Celtics approach other than cutting costs. Shame on new ownership for not giving us another shot at a title led by JB and the fellas.       PS getting to see JT working out shows me how committed the young man is to the Celtics.        

 🍀       DWhite opens us up with a deep three! Followed up by Luke with the deuce off the glass. Jrue for three! The Celtics are rolling early on! JB gets to thr rack and scores off the glass. Cs are looking very elite with their passing early on. Luke Kornet is an absolute beast! Which is why he's a big dawg! I absolutely love Luke Kornet. He's such a solid big that compliments this team so very well.        These Wizards have come to play despite being a dumpster fire of a team. How can a team be so bad?! I guess it has to do with being poorly constructed and coached. I really feel the NBA needs to move some teams from where they are. Wizards could definitely be one of those teams. Send em to Las Vegas or Seattle. A once proud franchise has become a joke in the NBA. Yet the NBA will never contract,they will only expand.       It's finally getting here the end of this regular season. The regular season has dragged on so slowl...

🍀       Cs look to bounce back from that loss on Wednesday night. They welcome the Suns who they rolled by thirty points last week. Let's hope they can duplicate that tonight. It looks like most of the Cs should be playing tonight. Cs are going to be epic come playoff time with their three headed monster in the post. KP, Al, and Luke are all playing elite basketball. I trust all three will make huge plays during the playoffs. Cs have a very deep roster that will shine once the playoffs start.       JBs haircut is smooth folks! JB drives early on and gets fouled. I like the way he consistently attacks the cup when he gets the rock. JB needs one more point to pass Antoine Walker on the Celtics scoring record list. Right there he scores and there it is! Way to go JB! Toine was always a favorite of mine, and had many memorable plays in Celtic green. We all remember his inspiring speech that led to a huge Celtics comeback vs the Nets in the Eastern Coferen...

  🍀       Cs are in the land of the Sun. They will be without JT after that scary fall vs the Kings. Suns have been playing better basketball led by Kevin Durant. He's been a scoring machine! Yet the Cs have the defensive answers to keep him at bay. I personally think Devon Booker sucks. So he doesn't worry me one bit. Cs have the double big line up tonight. JB opens us up with back to back treys! Let's Go!      Cs are off to a hot start tonight, they are scorching the Suns! Jrue nails a corner three like an assassin! Cs are aggressive on D and running in transition. That's the way to do it folks! If the Celtics continue to punch the Suns in the mouth they will fold like origami. DWhite for three! The Cs are firing on all cylinders! This is a clinic on how you stomp on your opponents throats! It's great seeing all these Celtics fans in the stands.       It's crazy but all five starters have nailed three pointers so early on. This i...

 First of all, Kristaps Porzingis to the bench would not be a demotion for the super-skilled big man. But it is worth trying now since the season is less-than-halfway done. The Celtics struggles are not the fault of Porzingis - nor can he be blamed for his fellow starters having to get used to playing with him. The issue is that it is expected that the 7'2" center will continue to be plagued with injuries, and his comebacks will be frequent. Boston is 9-7 (.562) in the 16 games Kristaps has played thus far in the season. He started all of those contests. Without him on the court, Boston is 19-4 (.826). The talk lately has been about the difficulties faced by other Celtics starters in readjusting to Porzingis' presence on the court . But how may times this season are they going to have to "readjust"/ That is my point. Time for Joe Mazzulla to start Al Horford at the center spot and have Kristaps come off the bench to play with the likes of Payton Pritchard, Sa...

 It wasn't simply strong performances by Philly's Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey that resulted in Boston's loss to the rival 76'ers . The duo combined for 60 points, but the Boston bench just did not put enough points on the board to make a difference in the outcome. With Jrue Holiday out for this game, Al Horford started in his place and had a solid game (17 points, 6-of-13 FG, 5-of-10 3s). The subs consisted of Luke Kornet, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta. The reserves managed a mere combined 12 points (5-of-16 FG) . Luke supplied half of the total points, but Pritchard finally had an off game - hitting 1-of-9 from the field and missing all eight shots from beyond the arc. Hauser and Walsh went scoreless. This was only one game, but it was Boston's second loss in as many games . Jrue Holiday's defense was sorely missed, and Pritchard and Hauser both had weak games off the bench. Hopefully, Jrue is back soon, and the White Pin...

 🏀       C's looked like a scoring machine here in the first. They are really unstoppable when they are on. This Hornets teams has gotten smacked in the face from the start. Honestly I don't see them doing anything tonight. CS ball movement has been excellent! Even without JB who I adore as a basketball player. ☘️☘️      From what  I'm seeing the C's can roll all over anything these Hornets do. Kudos to the next man stepping up in each game. It seems with how deep our team is we are damn near unbeatable. Queta has been a sight lately. That man is a mix with hustle and talent. Pairing him with Al is a next level move.       CS are just simply quicker to the ball. I don't know why Scal drools over Ball but c'mon! Tommy would never kiss any opponents butt in a game. PP is en Fuego right now! Five threes already! C's are a wagon so get out of the way!  🏀🏀🏀      CS are allowing the Hornets to get back into th...

Luuuuuuuuuukkkkkkkkkkke!      Sitting here watching tonight's preseason game and the way the C's are feeding Luke the rock. I expect him to have a huge impact this season. There will be no KP and Al doesn't play back to backs. This will be his opportunity to show he's a solid big. The man hustles and has a high basketball IQ. He knows where to be around the rim. Solid rebounder overall and adequate on offense. Defensively he positions himself well enough to not be a liability. I'm sure he will share minutes with Till who I also expect to have a heck of a year.        Just imagine how the 5 position is going to be a strength for these C's. With Luke and Till getting more run with the top Dawgs their skill sets will grow. Add to the mix Al being Al who is solid as a rock. Then eventually when KP gets back, the league better watch out. Sleeper for the C's bigs is Quetta, expect him to get some run and show what he's working with.      ...

 With free-agent centers such as Andre Drummond and Daniel Theis , recently signed by other NBA teams, the Boston Celtics may be content with their present center quintet of Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta.  Horford has shown he is not ready for the rocking chair quite yet. Porzingis may be fragile, but he is a positive difference maker when healthy . Simply stated, he does everything out there. Kornet gives the team size, rebounding and rim protection. Ditto for Queta . Tillman adds muscle and defense, particularly against opposing brutes. That all adds up to a ton of versatility at the 5-spot . Brad Stevens was intent on keeping the entire 2023-24 unit intact as much as possible, and he has done that. Add me to the list of fans concerned with Horford's age and Porzingis' fragility. But the three backups at the 5-spot have proven they are up to the task.

  Our Boston Celtics took on a short handed Cavs team. Kudos to how hard the Cavs played but the C's were just better. Donovan Mitchell is dealing with a calf strain. I believe a similar injury to what KP is dealing with. Let's talk about JT, thank you national media for attacking our guy. Tonight he had 33 points, 11 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. He set the tone early on and despite a few too many threes he did attack the basket tonight. His ability to see the floor was damn good and played excellent defense. His brother in arms JB also had a great game. Tallying 27 points and 8 rebounds. What is becoming evident with JB is his vocal leadership. He's always encouraging and helping pick up his teammates and he did that tonight.  Let's talk about Jrue Holiday... The man just knows how to deliver and make huge plays. 16 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Tonight he made shots that a former point guard we had would not. You can't leave anyone open o...

  The C's have sat their Super Six tonight. Something tells me the NBA made an edict they play for both games on TNT. Tonight they are finally allowed to sit their guys for the rest they deserve. I do hope they take this time to refresh and mentally get ready for the playoffs.  ☘️ Nice to see the young pup Springer getting the start. Pritchard has quite the knack of finding guys where they can score easily. Great job with the penetration and finding Luke for the deuce! I love seeing him use his body to get space and free up his shot. Despite his smaller stature, he really uses his body well. PP with the three! I think he's gonna go off tonight! To be honest I don't really know anyone on this Hornets team. It's been a long time since they were relevant. Luke is a guy who just loves to play basketball. Off the Pritchard miss he follows up with the JAM! C's are scrappy tonight, playing their hearts out. PP is dominant in a very quiet way so far tonight. Gotta love him!...

  C's look to win on the second night of a back to back! No Brown, Horford, Porzingis... Hopefully No Problem! 1Q 🏀 First score of the game goes to Luke Kornet, off some excellent ball movement. Haus money with a pure three, I don't even think it touched the net! JT just posterized some Utah defender! His name doesn't matter, because you will see his face on that poster! DWhite is starting to warm up, making a few threes! He's been due for a big game, and tonight could be that night. Overall his season has been incredible, he's truly an overall complete player. The X-Man is in the game, he's a big dude with a nice wing span. I think he can be a defensive nightmare for the opposition, especially in the playoffs. PP has played extremely well in this first quarter. This Jazz team plays no defense whatsoever. C's lead after the first. ☘️ 2Q 🏀🏀 PP is out here breaking dudes ankles! His change of pace is sneaky impressive! I tell you when PP is given time on th...

 Celtics Coach, Joe Mazzulla, has been stressing the importance of hitting the offensive glass for second-chance points . It worked in last night's 116-106 win over Ime Udoka's Rockets ( per NBA.com ): The Celtics outrebounded the Rockets 56-49 and had 17 offensive rebounds, helping them outscore the Rockets 23-10 in second-chance points. “It’s something we’ve stressed this year, and it’s something we’ve gotten better at,” Mazzulla said. “On nights like this, it keeps baskets alive and gives us extra possessions.” The top rebounders versus Houston were Jaylen Brown and Derrick White with 11 each, but it was the big man tandem of Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis that combined for nine of Boston's 16 offensive boards . Even with limited minutes, Neemias Queta and Kornet lead The Green in offensive rebounds  this season with 2.1 and 1.7 offensive boards per game, respectively. I am reluctant to broach the idea of second-chance hoops resulting from offensive rebounds as ...

 Earlier in the Celtics season, I was skeptical of Luke Kornet earning a significant role in the rotation, but that has changed. He more than held his own in the pivot against "Wonderchild Wemby" (Victor Wembanyama) in Boston's win over the Spurs.. Luke started the game and produced six points, nine boards, four assists, one steal and three blocks. Kornet is an absolute threat inside on both ends of the floor. Per-36-minutes, he averages 8.7 rebounds per game - 4.4 of which are offensive. His footwork is nimble enough to guard out to the 3-point arc, and he has good hands to catch any type of pass inside. And he a verages 2.5 blocks per-36-minutes. Changed my mind on value of Luke Kornet! Luke Kornet Highlights | Celtics vs. Spurs | 17th Jan 2024 https://t.co/GG9tSFIDfV via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) January 18, 2024  The question for some time has been - What effective backups at the center spot can produce in the second-half of the season and the playo...

  Decision time happens by January 10th for Brad Stevens on Luke Kornet's future with the Celtics. On that date, his $2.4 million deal for this season becomes fully-guaranteed.  The fact that Boston sits atop the NBA with a 27-7 record s hould make Brad Stevens reluctant to tamper with his present troops . Add to that the reality that Luke is a great teammate and has recently shown a bit of a surge as a significant piece in the Celtics quest for Banner 18 ( per The Athletics Jay King ): “Just a great locker room guy, gets along with everybody,” (Jaylen) Brown said. “He’s funny, so he kind of just uplifts everybody, even in moments where we don’t want to laugh.” “I do feel like I thought I was there earlier in my life and my career,” Kornet said after racking up 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks (vs. Raptors)  during his first start since May 16, 2021. “ I admit to being somewhat leery in the past of Luke's value as third-center option - as evide...

 The "Cinderella" Pacers move on to the In-Season Tournament Semis, while the favored Celtics are out. The 122-112 loss by Boston was disappointing, but the real losers are the lower-salaried players for The Green. That octet includes Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet, Oshae Brissett, Svi Mikhailuk, Lamar Stevens, Dalano Banton, Sam Hauser and Jordan Walsh . That group earns from a high of $4.0 million (Pritchard) to $1.1 million (Walsh). Every member of the Celtics will receive $50,000.00 for making the quarter-finals , but the prize for the Finals Champ is half-a-million dollars ($500,000.00) . That half-a-million is cheap change for the higher-paid members of the team - not so for the others. Both Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet did their best in the loss to keep their team in the running. Luke may have had his best game as a Celtic with six points, four boards, two assists, one steal and four blocks. Sam was on fire - with 15 points on 5-of-9 from the field and 5-of-7 on tre...

 In 15 minutes of play in Boston's 113-103 win over the Hawks, Neemias Queta supplied s even points, 10 rebounds (6 offensive), one steal and a plus/minus of +5 . Here's what that looks like on a per-36-minutes basis: 17 points - 24 rebounds - two steals Queta getting in on the action 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GCUoTg9HPH — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 26, 2023 The 7', 250-pound center's best effort came off the offensive glass (6 offensive boards). He may have missed all-five of his shot attempts from any distance, but his board work, defense and hustle earned him his first Tommy Award: Neemius Queta wins his first Tommy Award with 7 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes pic.twitter.com/JKHIa5rFbK — Danielle Hobeika (@DanielleHobeika) November 27, 2023 With Kristaps Porzingis out with a calf injury, Boston fans saw Queta pick up more minutes than Luke Kornet . Expect Joe Mazzulla to take further looks at  Queta in the next few games.

 The In-Season Tournament seemed to inspire and energize a Celtics bench that wasn't exactly bringing back memories of Bill Walton, Scott Wedman and Jerry Sichting from the mid-80's .  It started with the somewhat-maligned Luke Kornet . He was aggressive while scoring seven points and hauling in nine rebounds - six of which were off the offensive glass . Payton Pritchard had a solid outing that fans were waiting for, with 13 points, five boards (4 offensive) and three assists . He and Luke were fierce on the offensive glass. Then there was Sam Hauser. "The Mauser" was on target , hitting five of his ten 3-point attempts for 15 points. His ability to get his shot off so quickly and hit the trey so consistently really opens up the floor. In all, Boston got 91 minutes, 37 points, 21 rebounds (13 offensive) and five assists from their bench . Not enough can be said for the ability of Pritchard and Kornet to take down offensive rebounds, setting things up for easy hoo...