Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 The Boston Celtics currently hold a somewhat shaky hold on the second seed in the Eastern Conference. "The Green" have a record of 44-23 but are trailed by the New York Knicks with a 43-25 record. Should Boston meet the Knicks in the post-season, home court advantage may be critica l, even though the Celtics' road record is almost as good as its home numbers. But the Celtcs are 1-2 against New York this season, and as many as four playoff contests in Madison Square Garden would not be what Joe Mazzulla is looking forward to. Let me be blunt. At very least, the refs do not seem to favor Boston when it comes to calling - or not calling - fouls. But as Jaylen Brown has possibly inferred, the refs - and the League - may just feel that "The Green" have accumulated enough awards over the years to satisfy Boston fans. And New York has more residents than Boston - while the Knicks are a bigger market with a higher monetary value than the Celtics.  The Celtics...

 Jayson Tatum has been the Celtics iron man over the years, particularly in the past four seasons. He has particuipated in 72-or-more games in the past four campaigns and his first two seasons in the League.   A few years ago, I wrote that Jayson may be Boston's "iron man" but he is not the "man of steel" . The Achilles injury to this young star may have ended that moniker for now, but his return to the hardwood has Celtics fans, and Tatum, damn joyful. He looks very fluid out there, and his production has been better than expected. There is little rust on him from the long layoff . Early in his career, there were some concerns about Jayson's toughness. That has been dispelled. He has worked hard-and-long to make a comeback, and thus far, his recovery appears to be nearly complete.

 I was not able to watch Jayson Tatum's return to action last nught, in large part due to experiencing one of the worst periods in my 82-years-long life. But watching Jayson performing so soundly in his season debut, and the win itself over the Mavericks has brightened my morning tremendously. Look for my upcoming article, "Survival, Luck and the Angels Among Us". This brings me back to another terrible time for my family when Marcus Smart and "The Green" stepped forward for my family. A plea to Carsen Edwards @Cboogie_3 . My great grandson, Carson Thomas Lane, lost his mom, Courtney, to Cystic Fibrosis on Friday at the age of 25. He loves getting cards & he needs an uplift. 123 Garden Dr., Apt. 2, Manchester, NH 03102. I would be forever grateful. pic.twitter.com/Bb2vj27rHq — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) November 14, 2019 Let me loudly state how much I love this batch of guys that Brad Stevens has assembled, and six decades of Celtics players that have bri...

 Don't rule it out. Neemias Queta , aka :Portuguese Man O' War, is heving a great, and unexpected season. His career game came last night in Boston's win over the rival 76ers. "Neemie" racked up 27 points, 17 rebounds, two assists, one steal and three blocks. Ten of those boards were on the offensive end. He just gets better and better as the season progresses.  Queta is a classic return to the days of old-style centers . He still can't hit from any distance, but he does so much else - protecting the rim, cleaning the glass, finishing on lobs and put-backs. He is fun to watch. #Celtics brothers and sisters is this a fun season or what? It's one of my favorites and I'm a fan of 50 years. It's full of surprises like Neemy having an all-time great night against the #Sixers . What's next? I can't wait to find out. pic.twitter.com/y2SYxGb9k1 — Ty Ray (@coug88) March 2, 2026 Most fans did not see this coming. In his fifth season in the League...

 Derrick White's recent block party versus the Utah Jazz brought back memories of Dennis Johnson - and not only because the two players are tied for most blocks by a non-center (7 blocks) . Both players hover(ed) around 6'4" - play(ed) both PG and SG - and excel(led) at both ends of the court. Below are stats for White this season and DJ from his final Championship season with Boston (1986): White: 18.3 PPG - 4.3 RPG - 5.2 APG - 1.4 SPG - 1.5 BPG - .398 FG - .344 3s - .875 FT Johnson: 15.6 PPG - 3.4 RPG - 5.8 APG - 1.4 SPG - 0.4 BPG - .455 FG - .143 3s - .818 FT I personally hold the late Dennis Johnson in high esteem and have been delighted to see Derrick White step in so well in the absence of Jayson Tatum . And another thing I like about the comparison is that neither player showboats out on the court. They are known for making winning plays without the celibratory flashes seen too often in the NBA.

 I realize Larry Bird gets many accolades for his career accomplishments, but he does not get the recognition coming to him . Why? Partly because he is "light complected" , not highly-athletic - nor particularly quick on his feet. And let me add that being a career-long member of the much-maligned Boston Celtics doesn't help his status amoing non-New-Englanders. Let's do a quick stats comparison of Larry and Michael Jordan , widely recognized as the "best ever".  Larry: 24.3 PPG - 10.0 RPG - 6.3 APG - 1.7 SPG - 0.8 BPG - .496 FG - .376 3s - .886 FT Michael: 30.1 PPG - 6.2 RPG - 5.3 APG - 2.3 SPG - 0.8 BPG - .497 FG -  .327 3s - .835 FT Bird takes four categories (underlined) , and Jordan takes two . The FG% was too close to call , and a tie occurred in blocks . Granted, stats alone do not determine rankings - nor do Championships, individuaL defensive prowess - or many other attributes.  And I will not go so far as to state that Bird should be rated...

 I have been a devoted Celtics fan for 65 seasons , and as such - I feel we have been spoiled . many Boston fans generally think anything less than another Title is failure for "The Green" . I am not one of those! There are 30 teams in the League - and perhaps more to come. Numerically at least, that means expecting more than a Championship every 30 years - particularly with the player movement of the last decade - just may be fantasy. The 60's, with Bill Russell manning the center spot, saw eight Championships landing in Beantown. The 70's saw two more with Dave Cowens taking over the 5-spot from Russ. The Larry Bird-led Celtics nailed three more Titles in the 80's - followed by another in 2008 - and yet another in 2024.  The Celtics have won more Championships (18) than any other NBA squad, and there will be more. Barring an absolute meltdown by Boston in the upcoming season, I doubt I will be disappointed in the outcome for the 2025-26 campaign. The los...

      Cs must come out tonight and establish their dominance over the Knicks yet again. It all starts on defense which should lead to good offense. I fully expect the Celtics to tie this series up as we head home for Boston on Wednesday night. Cs open up with the first five points. Great ball movement leads to a DWhite three! JT finds DWhite for another three! Cs offense is starting to hum! Timeout by the Knicks and this lead could grow even more for the Cs. Cs need to continue to dig in on defense.       Cs finish the first with a flurry of threes! That's how you finish a quarter! Now let's see that lead double as we enter the second. Overall you have to be pleased with the Celtics offense there. They moved the ball well and hit their shots. I was extremely impressed with their defense at points. I need that for the rest of the game! It's great seeing JT find his stroke and show some emotion. Give me that fire and win this damn game! Cs do need to cle...

      I personally can't stand the Knicks or this roster. Yet for at least four games I'll have to deal with seeing them and their blowhard fans. In all reality this Celtics team is better and deeper. Joe is a better coach than Tibs and that's a fact! I'm hoping to see the Celtics throw multiple defenders at the flopper Brunson. They used different guys in the regular season who gave him problems. I expect the Cs to expose him on defense because he's a liability. JT has owned the Knicks all freaking season. He's going to have an incredible series!      Scal just said something where I agree with him. He said the Knicks don't have enough talent to win! The reason why the Celtics will win this series is because they are stacked and ready to roll! Cs must come out and punch these Knicks in the mouth. The Knicks don't defend very well and the Cs will expose them. These New Balance commercials are really played out. Let's get some new and better content f...

 Let's face it! The Boston Celtics are so damn good this season, they can get boring - so much so, that Celtics writers find it hard to dredge out drama and intrigue for readers. Give Al Horford some of the credit for that. He is not nicknamed "The Godfather" for nothing . Even at the advanced age of 38, he still produces on the court when called on , and he provides stability to younger teammates that may be still trying to learn to stabilize their behavior during games and their lives off of it. One of my favorite personal saying is - "Never mistake my courtesy for weakness" . Celtics Coach, Joe Mazzulla, apparently favors those words when speaking of Horford: Joe Mazzulla smiled when asked @byjayking about whether he spoke to Al Horford about needing him tonight considering KP was out: “I don’t have to talk to him.” Adds: “Some people mistake his kindness for a weakness at times. He’s one of the most competitive people I know.” pic.twitter.com/iragQrDxsk —...

 I write this knowing damn well that nothing will change, but I question whether the NBA season is too long and grueling.  The Boston Celtics played a total of 101 games in the 2023-24 season - the usual 82 regular season contests and 19 playoff games. Despite the physical toll on the players, the regular season can seem to be simply a never-ending prelude to the intensity of the post-season. As an example, Boston has played 47 games thus far this season, and the players already appear to be bored and itching for the playoffs . They still sit second in the East Standings (barely) and have a 5-5 record in the last 10 contests . But I understand their laid-back mindset and lethargic play of late. And The Green appear to relax at home - where they have a worse record than on the road . And the loss to Houston last night hurt a bit more - with the Rockets taking over third place in the standings from Boston. The NBA has become a League of wealth , with the 30 teams having a co...

 What happens if all of the 91.0 shot attempts/game taken by Celtics players this season were all 2-point shots? The numbers I am going to throw at you may not tell the whole story - but they don't lie!  Out of those 91.0 attempts per game, 51.4 were 3-pointers and 39.6 were 2-pointers. The players hit on 37.0% of their treys and 57.1% on their 2-pointers .  Assume that the team members took ZERO long balls this season, so all 91.0 attempts were inside of the arc and were shot with 57.1% accuracy. That means that the 51.4 that were beyond the arc this season yielded 57.0 points per game (at 37.0% accuracy) , but those same 51.4 attempts taken as 2-pointers - and shot with 57.1% accuracy) result in 58.6 points/game. That is only 1.6 points/game more than actually occurred this season for Boston. The question here is - does that make a positive difference in the outcomes for The Green?   Of course, these calculations go down the drain if the shooting percentage...

 While his comrade, Jayson Tatum , is starting the season looking like an MVP, Jaylen Brown is also off to a great start. After three games, all wins for Boston, the 6'6" SG/SF l eads his team in minutes (32.7 MPG), rebounds (8.3 RPG) and steals (2.0 SPG). But what really stands out is Jaylen's free throw accuracy . His career stats show him hitting on 72.0% of his freebies, but he is nailing 89.5% of his free throws this season . Furthermore, he is hitting 45.8% of his 3-pointers in the three games thus far , despite a career percentage of 36.4% on his shots from the hinterlands. We are only talking about three games here, but it is apparent that Brown has been once again working on his game in the off-season. Could we be looking at two Celtics players being in the MVP discussion this season? Entirely possible.

 The title of my article may appear sensational (and in error) - but at 6'6' and 223 pounds is once again overweight if you believe in BMI (Body Mass Index) - which I don't! Jaylen has always been - and is now - in great physical shape. At 6'6" and 223 pounds, Brown has a BMI of 25.8, placing him within the "overweight" category . But his draft profile shows him with a body fat percentage of 5.05 % - which places him at the "elite athlete" category . Sounds a lot better. Right? Jaylen overweight? No chance! The above photo reveals a well-muscled, lean, strong athlete , and his performance last season shows the very same.  I love to see the NBA go with body fat percentage as opposed to the outdated Body Mass Index. Jaylen Brown is already back in the Auerbach Center working on his game and his conditioning. The more I learn about this NBA Champ and Finals MVP, the more I love the man and his game.

 Let me start by affirming that I have always been known as a guy that has no knowledge of fashion. But the Boston Celtics 2024-25 "City Jerseys" are horrid. And so are most of the city jerseys "designed" for the other NBA teams. Let me state again that I am not one entitled to be a fashion critic . I wore "Snap Jacks" for footwear in the 1950's - but didn't like them. I had to wear bell-bottom pants for a while since there was no other choice. I love my Celtics but despise this shirt. This writer from Raptor City (Toronto) rated it the worst of the lot, calling it "terrible". "I’ll keep it short — this is one of the worst jerseys I’ve ever seen in my life. It looks like someone made it in a word doc. I won’t even associate Canva with this because it’s so bad. I’ve never been so bored looking at a jersey. The colour does not even match the Celtics usual branding, because this colour more closely resembles  Mountain Dew  or a gree...

  This mock draft was held several years ago, and eight teams consisting of 10 players each would be drafted - for a total of 80 players. A total of 76 players had to come from the members of the 75th Anniversary Team, and four others could be "wild cards". It was a snake draft. Larry Bird was the first Celtic chosen (by Sue Bird) with the 13th-overall pick. It is noteworthy that Dominique Wilkins chose himself with the #1 -overall pick . Bill Russell was the second player from Boston - taken with the 19th pick by Shams Charania . Kevin Garnett went to Sue Bird with the very-next (#20) pick . Kevin McHale was off the board at #24, and Ray Allen was next at #34 by Charania. Dave Cowens went to Charles Barkley at #38 and Wilkins chose Paul Pierce at #48. West took John Havlicek and Bill Sharman with his 8th and 10th picks, respectively, well after going with Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as his first, 2nd and 4th choices, respectively.  Sue Bird took Sam...

Yes, it's true. The Boston Celtics now have yet another mastermind tagged as the NBA Executive-of-the-Year . It is official, and Brad Stevens, true to his character, gives plenty of credit to virtually everyone in the Celtics organization, except himself. So well deserved, Brad! 

 The credit is somewhat dubious, but the origin of the alley-oop play probably started at the University of San Francisco with K C Jones lobbing the pass to Bill Russell for the slam (per Wikipedia): In the 1950s, some players began grabbing balls in mid-air and then  dunking .  K. C. Jones  and  Bill Russell  teamed up to perform the alley-oop several times while at the  University of San Francisco  in the mid-1950s. During their time with the Dons, Russell and Jones led the team to a then-record 55-game win streak  (including an undefeated 29–0 record during the  1955–56 season ) and helped pioneer a play that later became known as the  alley-oop . It makes sense. K C was an accomplished playmaker, and Russ was a leaper and amazingly athletic. Their USF teams were so powerful that it allowed experimentation without risking losses. It is notable that in the photo, K C is relegated to the back row - which brings me to the Basketbal...

 The NBA has sent notice to its teams that "Workload Management" doesn't appear to work  (per NBA.Com's Shaun Powell): "The NBA sent data from an exhaustive study to its teams this week that showed no link between load-managed players and a decreased risk of injury. This was the result of independent research on 10 years of NBA data where leaders in sports medicine took into account the schedule, the amount of games and the regular season load that players typically carry. For years, some league officials questioned whether players who constantly rested, even in back-to-back game situations, were in no danger of being seriously hurt. This study seems to support that notion." If this "exhaustive study" holds water , Celtics Coach, Joe Mazzulla , might try reducing minutes rather than games-played. Oh, wait a minute. He just did that in Thursday's blowout loss against the Milwaukee Bucks. Al Horford sat that one out on the second game of a back...

 This big guy seems to be the real thing - a bit of a throwback that doesn't score from any distance but does everything else quite well. Neemias Queta supplied 14  points, 12 rebounds (6 offensive) and three assists in Boston's 145-108 blowout of the Clippers in only 23 minutes  - while hitting 4-of-7 from down low and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. Queta exhibited an array of soft layups and power jams . His teammates are constantly looking to feed him anywhere close to the hoop. Celtics Portuguese Man O' War becoming an integral part of Mazzulla's rotation and the reliable 3rd-string center Boston sorely needs. Neemias Queta - 14 Pts, 12 Reb, 3 Ast Full Highlights｜Boston Celtics vs ... https://t.co/yP26Lw2KYc via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) December 24, 2023   In eight games this season, The Portuguese Man O' War is hitting on 50.0% of his field goals and 76.9% of his free throws. The Boston Celtics may have found their third-string center . He ...