Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 We already knew rookie Hugo Gonzalez - alias "The Spaniard" - needed to develop his outside shot. He was only 4-of-12 from the field and 1-of-5 from the charity stripe in Boston's win over the Grizzlies. But he did hit 3-of-5 from beyond the arc . But he is a newcomer to watch. He never stops moving - whether on offense or defense . A matador, he is not. He may have given Celtics fans a brief return to the days of John Havlicek . Great to see that movement.  And the kid is versatile . He ended the game with four rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks . Hugo is only 19 years old , and a newcomer to American basketball. He has a lot of growth ahead of him, and I am excited to watch him develop over the next few seasons. Looks like another (at least minor) coup by the figuratively-handcuffed Brad Stevens . Forced to trade two valued starters to save money, Hugo Gonzalez could end up a prize with the 28th pick in the draft.

 I recall the damage Al Horford did to the Boston Celtics years ago as a member of the Atlanta Hawks . Well now he is doing damage to Boston's opponents - much like he did last night in the Celtics win over Memphis. Al came off the bench - played 37 minutes - scored 26 points - added eight boards - and hit 50% from the field - 46% on treys - and 100% on free throws . At 38 years old, he had a good night. Horford will be 39 years of age next season , and whether or not Boston wins Banner 19 this season, he may have had enough. He will be an unrestricted free agent this off-season, and the decision to return (or not) is in his hands. The ageless veteran is past his prime, but he looks good out there on the court. The Celtics will be looking to get below that dreaded "second apron" , and Horford may agree to take less than the $9.5 million he is due this season. And Boston fans truly appreciate how much Al has offered in the way of stability to his comrades. That should ...

  Marcus Smart returned to TD Garden on Saturday night - in the company of his wife, Maisa and his 2-month-old son, Zayn - had a bit of an off game (3 points, 1-of-11 field goals, 2 boards, 2 assists) but his Grizzlies won, 127-121. Like most of us, I felt Marcus would retire a Celtic, but a bold (and successful) trade sent him to Memphis. During an interview, the man I call "The Wolverine" referred to his impact on the City of Boston and on his former team, the Celtics . I also want to add that he had an enormous impact on my family.  Carson Thomas Lane- I lost my mom recently to. But it’s people like ur great grandpa who will get u thru the tough times as you grow up. Much love young stud! Twitter- u know what to do. Send mail that uplifts & showers this kid w love. I’ll do my thing 2. https://t.co/JXZUmU3VeK — marcus smart (@smart_MS3) November 14, 2019 In November of 2019, my 25-yuear-old granddaughter, Courtney, was taken off life support following a life-long b...

Former-Celtic, Marcus Smart may still be on the Memphis Grizzly's injured list , but he proved that he was not totally inactive when his team lost a close contest to the Sacramento Kings. With a bit more than one minute to go in overtime , Smart was called for two technical fouls and ejected from the game. Never known as a quiet presence , even on the bench, Marcus became a little too boisterous as his comrades were about to lose to the Kings. The refs didn't take kindly to his protests - and he was off to the locker room. If the Wolverine could not help his team out on the court, he was determined to do so from the bench. Marcus Smart ejected. 😳 pic.twitter.com/krERaCkCUD — Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 19, 2024

  Doc Rivers took over the reins of the Milwaukee Bucks on January, 26, 2024 and things right now don't look too rosy. His team has a 3-7 record over the last 10 games, but last night's 113-110 loss to the lowly-and-understaffed Memphis Grizzlies was a shocker to many. The Bucks are 3-7 in the Doc Rivers era pic.twitter.com/raf6t8jFsm — NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 16, 2024 Do the names Vince Williams, Santi Adams, Trey Jamison, Ziaire Williams or Jordan Goodwin ring a bell? They were the five starters for Memphis. How about G G Jackson and Lamar Stevens? They both played big minutes off the bench, with Jackson joining Ziaire for top scoring honors with 27 apiece . Celtics fans remember Stevens as the guy traded away to get Xavier Tillman to Boston. Lamar had 13 points and five rebounds in the contest. Things can only go upward for the coach that left the Celtics so as to not participate in a rebuild. So,  What's up, Doc? Here it comes - "Some guys in ...

 Not a blockbuster, bur Brad Stevens has made a move prior to today's deadline. The Celtics have traded Lamar Stevens and two second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies , bringing Xavier Tillman, Sr, to the fold. The 6'7", 245-pound Tillman is listed as a center/power forward - therefore adding another body to Boston's front court. He has never been threat from beyond the 3-point arc (22.6%) or the foul line (41.9%) this season , but he can do a little bit of everything else in limited minutes (20.6 MPG) - 6.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1,.0 BPG. Tillman appears to be a shorter version of the Celtics Neemias Queta , but with three-and-a-half seasons under his belt. Brad Stevens may not be done dealing, with the Trade Deadline ending at 3:00 PM ET today. 

 Each time I watch Neemias Queta in action, I want to see more. The "Portuguese Man O' War" may never get involved in an All-Star game - remains a raw work in progress - can't shoot from distance - but he has s ize (7', 245 lbs.), toughness, plays hard, fabulous rebounder, and opportunistic, determined scorer at the rim. The rest of his team throws up enough shots from the hinterlands, so no need for Queta to try any at all. For better or worse, he is a throwback to the 60's and 70's when centers hung around the rim on both ends of the court. Another shout-out to Neemias Queta ☘️ 8 points (4-4 FG), 8 boards & 2 steals in 10 minutes against Memphis: pic.twitter.com/ONm1naKsA5 — Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) February 5, 2024 Neemias had eight points on a perfect 4-of-4 from the field , in addition to eight boards and two steals versus Memphis yesterday - in less than 10 minutes. And four of those rebounds were off the offensive glass. Using my usua...

 Things just keep getting worse for former Celtics guard, Marcus Smart. Initially, in June of last year, he learned via social media that he had been traded to the Memphis Grizzlies . His would-be backcourt partner, Ja Morant , was suspended for 25 games to begin the 2023-24 season for displaying a gun (once again) on social media, and Memphis center, Steven Adams , was expected to be out of action for the entire season due to injury.  Now, Morant is gone for the remainder of the season and facing shoulder surgery, while Smart is also once again on the injured list. Things are not looking good for the Memphis Grizzlies, Morant or Smart. The Boston Celtics made out quite well in the deal that sent Smart to Memphis and brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston , but the former Celtics crowd favorite may be on the trade block prior to the deadline.  Memphis presently has a 14-23 record and is going nowhere without three main cogs. There are often casualties in the wake of NB...

  Marcus Smart-to-the-Bucks? That is a probability put out there by wisportsheroics.com's Paolo Sonco . "Marcus) Smart would be a massive addition for Milwaukee. He would help fill the  defensive void  Jrue Holiday left when the Bucks shipped him off to Boston. Few defensive guards in the NBA have the same caliber as Smart. The big question, however, is whether or not the Bucks have enough assets to make this deal work. If the Grizzlies place him on the trade block (which is a big IF), then surely, they would require a massive haul in exchange for the three-time All-Defense guard." Would you like a Smart trade to the Bucks? pic.twitter.com/N2zsmmqyWu — Bucks Muse (@BucksMuse) December 10, 2023 With the Grizzlies Ja Morant due to return from a massive suspension and Smart due back from an injury, that could present a viable backcourt for Memphis. The Grizzlies could remain pat. But the prospect of Marcus heading to the Bucks, one of the Celtics major (and strongest) riva...

 The Boston Celtics may have won versus the Grizzlies on Sunday night, but it never should have been that close. Kristaps Porzingis scored the final four points for Boston - on two free throws and a dunk - in the last minute-and-a-half - and then blocked a final shot attempt by Memphis - to end the game in the Celtics favor, 102-100. Boston may have the top team in the League this season, but a few bad habits persist - such as getting complacent with a lead and letting up on the floor. But coach, Joe Mazzulla , refuses to let his troops ease up on the opposition. Hell, the Grizzlies were without five key players and are in possession of a 3-10 record.  So when the starters were showing signs of lethargy , he yanked three of them (Tatum, Brown, Holiday) - perhaps to cut their minutes in the first game of a back-to-back - but also to send a message. Complacency doesn't win Championships . And it looks like Joe is not going to hold back when he sees a less-than-dedicated wo...

 I certainly get that the current NBA is "Big Business" , and as such, there will always be a battle between the teams making more money and the ethics surrounding any transactions . The essential deal that sent Marcus Smart packing and brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston seems to have been a positive transaction for the Celtics, but it has put some hurt on a guy that Red Auerbach would have loved. For Smart, it wasn't the trade itself - but the way it went down that took a toll on him: “If I’m being quite frank, I knew I would be traded eventually,” Smart said. “Just figured it would be the next season, just based off my contract and with the new CBA. We already knew that. But it was just the way it happened. I was told everything was good after asking multiple times. Like, ‘I’m hearing (rumors), what’s going on?’ And they’re like, ‘No, you’re good, you’re good, you’re good.’ And then when I do hear about the trade, it’s from  Shams (Charania) on Twitter  before I hea...

 This reported pre-draft deal can certainly NOT be referred to as one of the : "tweaks to the roster" that Brad Stevens had mentioned. Marcus Smart is destined to join the Memphis Grizzlies in a 3-team transaction and the Celtics will, in turn, acquire the Wizards Kristaps Porzingis and the 25th overall pick in today's NBA draft.  Boston will send both Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala to Washington - to be joined there by the Grizzlies Tyus Jones . The Celtics will also receive Golden State's protected first-round pick in the 2024 draft. Porzingis will alomst-certainly have an immediate positive effect for his new team, but the hurtful part of this deal is the departure of Smart , the longest-tenured (9 seasons) Celtic. He was also the heart of the team and the pace-setter. This will be a blow to so many Boston fans that idolized The Wolverine's dedication to in-your-shirt defense and extraordinary hustle.   And thank you, sir, for what you did for my family ...

  Sam Hauser will most-likely never be compared to that other blond guy that played in Boston in the 80's, but he seems to be a legit marksman and NBA-level player . He leads the League in 3-point percentage among player averaging 3-or-more treys per game. Sam, "The Mauser" Hauser averages 3.2 three-point attempts per contest and makes 1.8 of them - for a 56.3 percentage. The Celtics are outscoring opponents by - I am not making this up - 31.9 points per 100 possessions with Sam Hauser on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. — Tom Westerholm (@Tom_NBA) November 7, 2022 Last night, in Boston's 109-106 win over the Grizzlies ,  Sam had a line of five points, 1 rebound, one assist and one steal . He placed second to Jayson Tatum in plus/minus with a +9. His defense? Well, it is already better than most thought it would be, and according to Marcus Smart, Sam is working on it - with a lot of help, and pressure, from his teammates. "We're proud of Sam not just fo...

 Only one game, but the Celtics are starting to prove the early-season naysayers wrong! Al Horford ain't done yet 21 points, 15 boards, 5 assists, 2 blocks, team-high plus/minus of +18. Not bad for a 35-year-old that many felt was over the hill. The two-bigs pairing has worked 10 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks for Al's companion-in-the-frontcourt, Rob Williams. The detractors of Ime Udoka's liking for the two big men paired together may want to think more deeply about that strategy. Ime Udoka is really starting to prove himself. See tweet below. Ime Udoka is the 1st rookie head coach in Celtics history to win Coach of the Month. pic.twitter.com/eb3bPKMLME — Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) March 3, 2022 Jayson Tatum gets the point  I took some heat a while back when I proposed Jayson Tatum getting some time at the point to improve his game. Well, he saw a good amount of time at the point in the win last night and did well with it.  Let's not hear anymore ...

 The development and recent performance of Robert Williams III is changing the way I think about the current "poorly-constructed" Celtics roster and what changes are needed. This from CelticsBlog's Adam Taylor: For all the talk of a Big Three and trading for the team's next star player, we would all do well to remember that Williams’ star is still rising, and he could well be the third prong in a potent offensive trident. And if the Celtics believe that to be the case, and Williams continues to prove his health is on the up, then any potential move in the coming weeks should focus on a ball-handler to help expedite the next steps in his development. Taylor got it right.   Flash back to the 1973-74 Celtics crew. Don Chaney's primary role was defensive stopper, and that is what Marcus Smart does best . What the Celtics should look for is a pass-first point guard that thrives on penetration and facilitation - but can't be left alone on the perimeter. Sounds l...

In the final breakdown, NBA is entertainment for so many of us. And that is one of the many pluses for Celtics youngsters, Rob Williams and Payton Pritchard. They are fun to watch. The Celtics regained a winning record (3-2) in their 126-107 win over the Memphis Grizzlies last night, and both Rob and Payton gave solid performances and entertainment value in the otherwise boring blowout. Williams III finished with six points, 10 boards, four blocks and only two fouls. Pritchard came away with 10 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and only one turnover. It is noteworthy that Pritchard is now tied for 24th place in steals per game (1.6 SPG) with teammate, Marcus Smart, despite playing 10 minutes less per contest (32 MPG for Smart, 22 MPG for Pritchard). There is only one "PaytonPace", and that is fast on both ends of the floor. Rob has increased his intensity on the court and seems much more poised. He did a credible job defending Memphis center, Jonas Valanciunas, ...

Jaylen with career-best 42 poiints in 29 minutes The Memphis Grizzlies were without their star point guard, Ja Morant (injury), and the Boston Celtics cruised to an easy 126-107 victory. Boston had a star of their own, and his name is Jaylen Brown. Jaylen could do nothing wrong in this one, pouring in a career-best 42 points in only 29 minutes of action. He shot 15-of-21 from the field, 5-of-6 on threes and 5-of-6 from the foul line. His balanced stat line included five rebounds and four assists. Jaylen Brown with a spectacular showing versus Memphis. The work he has put into his game is showing. Jaylen Brown Highlights vs Memphis Grizzlies (42 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) https://t.co/VmOcHly4Tf via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) December 31, 2020 Brown simply looked quietly dominant out there. We didn't see his superior athleticism on display. Instead, Jaylen smartly settled for solid fundamentals, and almost everything he did just worked. Layups, turnaround jumpers, 3-pointers - ...

The Celtics-rival Miami Heat were already performing well beyond pre-season expectations, currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 34-16 record. They have now undoubtedly improved by adding Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill to the fold via a trade that sent Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to the Memphis Grizzlies. Miami has agreed to trade Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to Memphis for Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder, league sources tell ESPN. No picks in the deal. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020 Iguodala's addition gives the Heat a former Finals MVP that brings veteran leadership, playoff savvy and versatility. He will make a positive difference. The acquisition of Crowder can not be minimized. In 29.4 minutes per game, he is averaging 9.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.0 SPG. He brings much-needed toughness and further depth at Miami's wing position. This trade moved the needle in a pos...

Danny Ainge has learned patience as an NBA Executive, but after going through an 11-year Title drought, he may break his habit of not trading at the February deadline. The Celtics bench gets mighty thin when injuries strike. With both Jayson Tatum and Enes Kanter out of action for the last few games, Brad Stevens has had to rely on Semi Ojeleye and Grant Williams to fill the void . There is simply no doubt that Boston needs to add a seasoned veteran to the fold. The only current Celtics core players that can be defined as seasoned vets are Kemba Walker and Gordon Hayward, with Marcus Smart barely missing the designation. I have previously broached Jamal Crawford as a free agent addition and Andre Iguodala as a trade-or-buyout pickup. Boston's last Title was in 2008, and you can bet Ainge is getting antsy. With the possibility of injuries always lurking in the background, the Celtics bench is not sufficient to withstand the rigors and intensity of the post-season. The trade dea...

Andre Iguodala doesn't play or practice with the Memphis Grizzlies, but he remains under contract with them. Memphis has failed to find a trade partner willing to give up assets for the 6'6" wing, and the trade deadline is set for February 6. It appears that a number of NBA teams still have their sights set on a buyout of Andre's contract. Iguodala may still have affection for his former team, the Golden State Warriors. In a recent interview, he indicated that Steph Curry should take the rest of the season off and come back next season "on a wrath". His mention of his view as being "selfish" might indicate he is leaning towards returning to Golden State alongside a rejuvenated Steph Curry. Andre Iguodala on Steph Curry: "He's gonna comeback on a wrath next year." 😈 pic.twitter.com/Pl0yiNZHvq — Chris Montano (@gswchris) January 24, 2020 Time is running out on Memphis' bid to trade Iguodala. He will earn $17.2 million this seas...