Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Start your day with a little "make-believe" . How would superstars who played 40-plus years ago fare against the stars of today? This is totally objective fantasy, so I expect differing views. My choices assume all players are at their peak. Old School Stars Honestly, I went with the 40+ year cutoff to get Larry Bird and Magic Johnson into the mix as starters. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain are there also. Michael Jordan is obviously the 5th starter.  The bench consists of Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Dirk Nowitsky .  Today's Elite Eight Four of the starters are non-USA players , and a two more are in as backups . That says a lot about the modern NBA. Starters are Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum . The bench consists of Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama and Steph Curry. In a given era, any NBA team has the ability to win a contest against another - as evidenced by Philly's win over the favored Celtics i...

      How about the performance from this entire Celtics team. Everyone who entered the game scored. Even the bench guys who very rarely play. Talk about offensive efficiency. Tonight was Vucs coming out party and why the Cs traded for him. He led the way with along with JB scoring 28 points. I think anyone who has watched Vuc over the years knows how good he is. The man is a walking double double and doesn't take games off for load management. It was nice seeing him in the post but man he lit it up from deep. His rebounding is exceptional and he fits this team really well. He's a guy Brad has always coveted and could have a nice run here in Boston.       JB has simply been one of the top players in the entire NBA. He's honestly the best two way player in the game. I always knew JB was going to be good the moment we drafted him. There was always a reason why Danny drafted him and Brad wanted him. What we are seeing this season is a masterclass in great...

  Joel Embiid is back in the Philly fold following recovery from a torn meniscus , and the 76'ers finished the season on an 8-game winning streak . Those two facts are totally related. If the Celtics spar with Philly at some point in the post-season, the question remains of how to defend the 7', 280-lb. "Cameroonian Colossus" . Joe Mazzulla's strategy of putting d efensive whiz, Jrue Holiday , on Embiid during the regular season worked quite well. Jrue Holiday defense ✅ Jrue Holiday offense ✅ pic.twitter.com/XVgKsaHWlH — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 9, 2023 Jrue did a commendable job on Joel on the perimeter and worked his butt off making it hard for the big man to gain ground in the paint. Holiday often had Kristaps Porzingis coming over as a second defender, but don't be surprised to see Xavier Tillman given the task of covering Embiid for limited minutes. As Joel Embiid goes - so go the Philadelphia 76'ers. Mazzulla will go w...

 The good news? The Boston Celtics are back in the Number-1 spot in NBA.com's Power Rankings . The bad news? The Green reverted to bad clutch offense in their loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday ( per NBA.com's John Schuhmann ) "The Celtics scored just four points on nine clutch possessions in their loss to the Nuggets on Friday, shooting 2-for-6 on clutch 2-pointers,  0-for-4 on clutch 3s , and 0-for-2 on clutch free throws. That could elicit some flashbacks to bad clutch offense of the past, but they still rank fifth in clutch offense (124 points scored per 100 possessions) this season, and (even with the loss to Denver) they’ve been super efficient — 135 points on 102 possessions (132 per 100) — with the score within five in the last five against teams that currently have winning records." Read that again -"2-for-6 on clutch 2-pointers,  0-for-4 on clutch 3s , and 0-for-2 on clutch free throws."  Imagine Friday's contest was a Finals matchup - m...

 There is often a reticence among pro sports participants to broach the subject of race - but back in 2004, Larry Bird,  as Pacers president of basketball operations, had no such restraints ( per ESPN.com ):  "Well, I think so," said (Larry) Bird, the Indiana Pacers' president of basketball operations. "You know, when I played, you had me and Kevin [McHale] and some others throughout the league. I think it's good for a fan base because, as we all know, the majority of the fans are white America. And if you just had a couple of white guys in there, you might get them a little excited. But it is a black man's game, and it will be forever. I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American." Larry was sarcastically dubbed "The Great White Hope" by one or two of his new teammates upon his arrival in Boston, and he became just that . Many felt that this relatively slow, only-moderately-athletic white guy could not make a major mark ...

 Realizing that the Kia MVP Ladder was alphabetically (first letter of last name), the Celtics Jayson Tatum still ended up dead-last (#15). But it is clear that he is not favored to acquire the honor this season. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Offseason additions leave Boston looking primed for legit contention. Tatum enters a critical 2023-24 campaign coming off All-NBA first team honors in each of the last two seasons, after becoming the first Celtics player to average 30 points per game. Tatum opened the season with his 91st career double-double. But that thinking may be premature. Boston has won both contests thus far, and Tatum seems on a mission. He has added much-needed physicality to his game and fans are see him using his body strength and control to finish at the rim. That is somewhat new. His averages over the two games - and the 2-0 record - are a great start to his quest for MVP and Banner 18. 40.0 MPG - 28.0 PPG - 9.5 RPG - 4.5 APG - 1.5 SPG Jayson is up against toug...

 Past Celtics teams have had them - the big bruiser that isn't a star but can bump, grind and help wear out the burly stars of the opposition. Jim Loscutoff, Wayne Embry, Kendrick Perkins and Aron Baynes come quickly to mind. But I see no current guy on Boston's roster that fills that need. Who is going to take the buffeting from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic? Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet will tussle with that trio, but none are up to the task for extended minutes. Neemias Queta, at 7-feet and 245 pounds , was signed by Brad Stevens to a 2-Way Contract, which allows him to play up to 50 games in the regular season . He is primarily a defender, rebounder and rim protector. In Boston's win over the 76'ers on October 11 in preseason, the big guy played less than eight minutes and supplied 10 points (4-of-4 FG), three boards, two assists and a plus/minus of +14. The Portuguese big man still looks a bit raw, but at only 24 years ...

  As a kid growing up the NBA draft brought me so much excitement. I was usually at UMass basketball camp and spent time at my grandparents. I can vividly remember sitting on the floor or couch and writing each draft pick as it came in. I would go back during the season and see who was successful and who wasnt. I would also go back and see who the Celtics missed out on.  I feel the draft no matter what sport is the luck of the draw. Yet so many times the Celtics have plain fallen flat on their face. That doesn't mean they haven't hit the ball out of the park. Historically early on the Celtics were a team that could do no wrong in the draft. You just think about what could have been. Imagine if they drafted Giannis like I wanted them to.. Instead we end up Kelly O who I never cared for.  Imagine if they took Joker instead of James Young?! What a bust he was, Joker and Giannis would be quite the frontcourt. With that said as we enter into the draft tomorrow night, will the ...

 The NBA Champion Denver Nuggets have all three of those attributes - size, smarts and synergy - and none of those can be taught . The rest of the League can expect the Denver roster to look very-much like it does right now for next season. They are not going away. How in the world does the eighth seed (Miami Heat) put the Boston Celtics in a 0-3 hole in the Eastern Finals - and then fall to the Nuggets in a 5-game series? That is a good question for Brad Stevens , and he knows the answer. No way would the present Celtics squad have defeated Denver had they advanced past Miami. Despite having one of the most-talented crews in the League , there had to be some level of discord within the Celtics organization for the players to perform (at times) so poorly. There is always discord within any organization, but The Green could not overcome whatever was bugging them . Stevens can talk all he wants about Joe Mazzulla being his guy going forward - and J aylen Brown   being suc...

  NBA.Com's Isiah Thomas said it best. He talked about Nikola Jokic's "intellect" - his basketball IQ - but the former Detroit point guard could just as well been talking about the entire organization. Led by "The Joker", the Denver Nuggets have size and talent, but most of all their best attribute is from the neck up. Following Denver's last-night's 108-95 win over the Miami Heat - putting them one game away from their first Title - the discussion among the analysts turned to past NBA superstars with that Jokic-like quality of being able to mentally overcome anything thrown at them - names like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Tim Duncan. Jokic is able to respond properly to any defense presented by the opposition. He can post up or hit from any distance. Larry Bird did the same. I hope Mazulla is watching this series. Denver is punishing Miami around the basket because they’re a short team and not particularly athletic. Celtics played right into ...

  The Detroit's Pistons have hired Monty Williams as their next head Coach. Monty had a nice run with the Suns but lost in his only Finals appearance. I wonder if him getting fired in Phoenix has anything to do with Kevin Durant being there?! Personally I feel Detroit has a good voice to coach their young talent. Unlike the C's who have a three point happy coach in Joe Mazzulla.  Joe Mazzulla is going to lose members of his coaching staff to Ime Udoka and the Rockets. I don't blame those guys at all, if it were me I'd run from Joe's three happy offense and lack of defense and in game adjustments. C's are going to need to add several veteran coaches as a crutch for Joe. Hopefully they can stress to him that stupid stand behind the three point line offense. Let's miss over thirty threes and keep shooting more. Angers me to watch such a poor basketball product.  Nick Nurse heads to Philly if anyone can maximize Embid and that team it could be him. Question is w...

 The look in the NBA has changed a bit since Danny Ainge drafted Kelly Olynyk 13th-overall in the 2013 draft. Players from out-of-the-USA like Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic combine size and skills -and only average athleticism - to constantly be high on the MVP Ladder. Well, the 6'11" Canadian-born Olynyk has the size and skills and could fit in nicely for a second stint in Beantown. He may not be the fiercest defender, but this season in UItah he is hitting 50% from the field, 40% from the hinterlands and 83% from the free throw line. In only 28 minutes/game, he adds 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He won't be making any potential MVP list, but the 31-year-old C/F  may be just what the Celtics need for the second-half of the season and playoffs. Kelly is set to earn $12.8 million this season and $12.2 million in 2023-24 - with only $3 million of that guaranteed. Would Ainge part with the guy he chose over Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013? In a rebui...

 My planned article for this morning was going to be Jayson Tatum as "dark horse" NBA MVP for 2022, and guess what? I decided to watch this morning's NBA TV broadcast on the MVP race, and lo and behold, NBA analyst Steve Smith picked Tatum as his candidate to come out of the shadows to win the award this season. Granted, Smith did project that the Nets' Kevin Durant would actually win the MVA prize, but he cited Jayson's momentum and performance in last season's playoffs - that Tatum was "ripe to take another leap" - and have the wins under his belt.  It is well-understood that any serious MVP candidate needs major stats and sufficient wins to qualify for the award. Jayson had the numbers last season, but his team finishing in seventh place in the East with a 36-36 record didn't cut it for the rising star. Soon pic.twitter.com/UhLNRM8613 — Joey☘️ (@greenbean3742) September 28, 2021  So Jayson will have to oust reigning Most Valuable Playe...

 I apologize for labeling Jayson Tatum as a "commodity" , but the NBA is in the business of buying, selling and trading their players in order to improve themselves. Here's my view. The boxes to be checked to determine a franchise player include age (young, hopefully), skills, durability, leadership. and savvy. In short, who would you build your team around? Jayson recently turned 23 and probably won't reach his peak for another four or five years. His skills are undeniable. He no longer has any significant weaknesses . He rarely is out of action for very long due to injuries, and he often takes over games now - while getting his comrades involved. Brian Scalabrine once told me that Tatum has his head on straight, and I agree. He had added craftiness to his game, and it shows. Totally agree, and if @jaytatum0 stays healthy his raw numbers will be better than Bird’s when it’s time to put a ribbon on Tatum’s career. We’re blessed that he’s a Celtic. The rings are com...

Celtics sophomore, Romeo Langford only scored five points and took down five rebounds in the Celtics come-from-behind win over the Denver Nuggets, but he gets most of the credit for turning around what appeared to be a lost cause for Boston. It all started at the 1:44 mark of the third quarter with the Celtics trailing, 79-65 . The 6'4" Langford was covering Denver's 6'8" JaMychal Green , and Romeo's intense defense forced a travel call on Green . Things went Boston's way after that. Romeo started the fourth quarter, and his play had already allowed Boston to close the gap to five points with a 79-74 score. It was Langford once again making the right play on a drive to the hoop, taking a hard foul in the process. His two foul shots gave the Celtics the lead at 80-79 . Langford's plus/minus for the contest was a +18 , second only to Grant Williams' +23 . Boston's 40-8 run started with Romeo's tough defense on Green. Admittedly, the Nugge...

 Of the four NBA teams still competing for the 2020 Championship, the Boston Celtics are the only one without a dominant big man. The Los Angeles Lakers have Anthony Davis. The Denver Nuggets have Nikola Jokic manning the center position, and the Miami Heat place Bam Adebayo at the five-spot. Conversely, Boston has the Daniel Theis-Rob Williams (TW) tandem sharing the center spot. A quick glance at the 2020 post-season stats show, at least on the surface, that the TW duo matches up fairly well with the individual members of the Davis-Jokic-Adebayo (DJA) trio. The numbers for DJA are an average of the three, while the stats for the Celtics duo are combined. Boston's center pairing averages a combined 40.4 MPG, while the DJA center crew log 36.2 MPG. It is no surprise that the three star centers get the nod on average points (23.1 PPG vs. 12.9 PPG) and assists (5.1 vs. 2.4), but the Green Centers take honors on blocks (1.9 vs. 1.1) and turnovers (1.4 vs. 2.9). Rebounds (10-11) and st...