Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 The Boston Celtics are 43 games into the current regular season , and they are faltering. WHY? Well, first of all, this IS the regular season - and Boston is experiencing the lethargy often seen in a "post-Title NBA team" . In other words, the Celtics are bored with any pre-playoff contests - i tching for the post-season - and facing potential post-season competition from a very-improved Cavaliers team and a somewhat-improved Thunder squad. Celtics record 2023-24, 64-18 (780) Celtics record 2024-25, 30-13 (.698) And don't dismiss the Milwaukee Bucks or Denver Nuggets in this conversation. Any team with a Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic on it could give The Green problems in the post-season. And how about the Knicks, Grizzlies and (Heaven forbid) the Rockets. Surpassing the Cavs for first place in the Eastern Conference would be difficult for Boston, but the good news is that the Celtics thus far have won as many games on the road (15) as they have at home . A...

  Where is the drama in this season's version of the Boston Celtics? Hell, the major story may be the lingering Kristaps Porzingis injury , but fans are (sadly) getting used to that. The past drama of Payton Pritchard wanting more playing time or a trade has faded - with the 6'1" combo guard proving he was right all along . Despite starting zero games this season, he places fifth in minutes per game (28.6 MPG) on the team. He is having a great season. The Celtics have no one whining about wanting (demanding?) a trade a la the Heat's Jimmy Butler . And there is zero chance of Joe Mazzulla getting canned early in the season - as did the King's Mike Brown. Boston was slated to have a fine season, and they now sit with the third-best record in the League. Despite a dip to mediocrity over the past 10 games (6-4 record) , they are 3-0 in their last three contests. But today, they face the team with the second-best record - the Oklahoma City Thunder, winners of their...

 Time for a heart check once again for the Boston Celtics. Last night's 150-117 drubbing by a 15-21 team (Oklahoma City Thunder) should never happen. Many Celtics fans recall Larry Bird calling out his team members, and himself, as having "no heart" and being "sissies" prior to a decisive Game-7 in the 1984 Finals. Danny Ainge even brought his stethoscope to heart-check his comrades. It may be time for a heart check once again . Despite barely holding on to the best record in the League, the rival Brooklyn Nets are breathing down the necks of a team that too-often chooses to lose its drive to compete . Not a good sign for the post-season. Larry Bird just hated to lose - ever! Boston dropped Game-6 to the Lakers, 119-108. How did Larry do? He produced 28 points (8-of-11 FG), 14 rebounds, eight assists, one steal and three blocks. He played all-but-one-minute of the game. @CelticsSentinel Celtics are Embarrassing. No heart. — MJR (@mjr1900_rl) January 4, 2023 ...

 The Celtics' battle with the Oklahoma City Thunder last night could have gone either way, but Boston pulled it out for the 126-122 win. Here are a few thoughts: Celtics getting better at Crunch Time. Boston has a recent history of faltering late in close games, but age and experience seems to have quelled much of that - thus the win. Marcus Smart solid at the point . Marcus may never be remembered post-retirement as an NBA marksman, but he has become a legit threat to score in the clutch. He racked up 22 points in the win, with 20 of them coming after half-time. He hit 67% of his field goals and 50% from 3-point land. He added five rebounds and a team-high eight assists. Payton Pritchard is making it difficult for Brad Stevens to trade him . Payton and Derrick White were catalysts in Boston's comeback in the contest. Pritchard had 10 points in only 14 minutes and may have been responsible for turning the tide in Boston's favor. He is a true "opportunist", hitti...

 I never heard of Alperen Sengun until I read an article by Heavy.com's Steve Bulpett . Steve had some good words for the 6'9" Turk : Word is 19-year-old center Alperen Sengun was the Celts’ guy if they had kept the pick — and OKC ended up making him the choice and dealing him to Houston. “He’s a tough kid,” said one NBA personnel man of the 6-9 Sengun. “He’s a little raw, but he’s been playing with adults overseas for years. He’s going to be good. Him and (Rob) Williams would be a really good tandem.” The Turkish center was taken with (formerly) Boston's first-round pick at number-16 by OKC whereby he was quickly dealt to Houston. Only 3% of Turkey lies in Europe, but Sengun could be another major find from overseas. Here are his per-36-minutes stats from 39 games with the Rockets this season: 17.5 PPG - 9.2 RPG - 5.1 APG - 1.6 SPG - 1.7 BPG Sengun with the one-legged fadeaway as the Rockets keep it close with Golden State! 😯 (📽️: @HoustonRockets ) pic.twitter.com/...

        One if the best surprises of this season has been the play of Dennis Schroder . He's lighting quick at getting to the hoop - changes speed and direction like a squirrel - nails threes, and can hit a jumper or floater when hes got it going. His defensive intensity truly annoys and frustrates other teams. Next to star JT last night, he came to ball out.        DS shot 59.1 from the field, and shot 42.9 from deep . Talk about some beautiful numbers on offense. He scored 29 points, had 4 rebounds, and added 6 assists . With that effort and skill he's is the Celtics Sentinel Citation Award winner for the game vs the Thunder.   

        1st Quarter       Team was flowing on offense       On offense in the first we saw some well flowing offense. Ball movement was key to their success. Smart was distributing, Horford was his Amazing Al self . DS is so sneaky quick, getting a runner and multiple jumpers. GWill continued his sharp shooting. We even saw Romeo get a bucket .        Tatum Came To Play         JT was getting the rock to his teammates . Finding Smart for a three, then to DS for an open shot. The scorer he is found the cup hitting some pure jumpers . When he had the open three it was smooth as butter. Talk about his D - he stuffed Dort like a turkey.  Celtics lead 30-23 off a offensive driven first .       2nd Quarter       Offense continues it's flow like a smooth river .        Offensively they continued their pure passing, we saw Kanter get involved . JR...

  Keith Smith just posted what so many Celtics fans have been thinking. Grant Williams has been working on his body and his game, and he seems to have transformed himself into the 3-and-D/rebounding forward that had been hoped for Semi Ojeleye . Random thought: Skinny Grant Williams is everything the Celtics hoped Semi Ojeleye would become. — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) November 21, 2021 Last season, I felt that Boston could not hold onto both Semi and Grant, and that came to pass with Ojeleye heading to Milwaukee. Last season for the Celtics, Semi logged 17.0 minutes per game, averaging 4.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 0.7 APG, while hitting 40% from the field and 37% on 3-pointers.   This season for Boston, GWill is averaging 20.6 MPG - 7.5 PPG - 3.2 RPG - 1.0 APG, while shooting 51% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc . Last night, in the Celtics 111-105 win over the thunder, Grant came away with 14 points, 8 boards, one assist, one steal and two blocks. He was 56% on field g...

 The Boston Celtics returning center was sometimes referred to as "Average Al" Horford , and now has been labeled as T he Green's weakest link in the starting lineup .  I'm not buying it (per Bleacher Reports Greg Swartz): If Al Horford wins the starting center job, it's probably only a matter of time before Robert Williams III replaces him. The 35-year-old Horford is on the last fully guaranteed year of his deal, and he will have gone nearly seven months without playing in an NBA game  by the time the regular season starts . The 5-time All-Star needs more respect. Al has something to prove this season, and I believe he will be given the chance to do just that. He simply didn't work out in Philadelphia when he chose to leave Boston as a free agent. He then got fewer minutes (27 MPG) in Oklahoma City but still managed 14.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.4 APG and almost one steal and one block per contest. In Al Horford and Rob Williams, the Celtics have two of the best passi...

 Let me make it clear first of all that I am totally against making a threat of any kind that even hints at harming, or certainly killing, another human being. Marcus Smart was wrong in doing so in the Celtics loss to the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder , and he deserved the one-game suspension. But to be honest, part of me loved that it occurred. . This type of thing can happen when a player gets to a point "beyond frustration" and is having a bad game. Marcus and his teammates have been under-performing generally - were in the process of losing to a pathetic-and-tanking Thunder team - and Smart was having a bad game . And he let loose verbally at the closest target - an NBA official. Wilt Chamberlain did a similar act versus referee, Earl Strom when Wilt was having his usual tortuous time at the free throw line (per Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith): ''He was in one of those 1-for-13s,'' recalls referee Earl Strom. ''Nothing was getting close. S...

My readers know I don't put out a lot of dream-like potential trades for the Boston Celtics, but this one makes sense on most fronts. Al Horford returning to the Celtics via the TPE is not a home run for Danny Ainge, but it may be the best realistic move I can envision. With COVID, injuries and youth causing turmoil (and a mediocre record) in The Green's ranks, introducing an unknown quantity into the mix may not be a wise idea. I love Al, as a player and as an individual. He fits well in Boston. Yes, I know - he chose to wander off to Philadelphia and was later traded to the Thunder. Well, things have changed. Oklahoma City is not considered a viable Championship contender, and the Celtics are looking for (as Ainge stated) "shooting with size".  That sounds like Al Horford. He knows many of the Celtics players and Brad Stevens schemes and strategies. I have written previously that Al fits anywhere, and that includes Boston right now. Horford has been a fine citizen a...

The Boston Celtics 112-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder last night came right down to the wire. The main takeaway from the contest is that The Green have many strengths, but the few weaknesses are still a concern. Strengths There may not be another NBA team with Boston's versatility The Celtics starting five appear to have it all. They can isolate, hit 3-pointers, drive into the paint, rebound the ball, defend inside and on the perimeter. If healthy, they will be a nightmare for opponents in the post-season. There may not be a more-controlled player in the NBA than Gordon Hayward Gordon came away with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in the game, while hitting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers. He is very clever and is almost always in control, often seeming to be thinking one or two plays ahead of everybody else. The Celtics centers did not allow Steven Adams' physicality to take over Adams finished with only four points on 2-of-10 from the field,...

If the Boston Celtics maintain their .706 winning percentage for the remaining 31 games, they are projected to finish the 2019-20 season at 58 wins and 24 losses - much better than most analysts predicted. The loss of two All-Star starters, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, many felt would lead to a repeat of last season's 49 wins - or possibly a minor boost to the 50-win level. It’s a #Celtics game day pic.twitter.com/2YKpo3hsND — CelticsContent (@CelticsContent) February 9, 2020 But as it turns out, the addition of Kemba Walker, coupled with the dual emergence of the Jay Team, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, has turned Boston's fortunes in a positive direction. But with the Celtics taking on the Thunder, Rockets and Clippers prior to All-Star Weekend, and a never-ending surge in injuries, things could head south fairly quickly. Injuries aside, there is a whole new vibe this season. The Guys in Green seem to like each other, and they are having fun. Kyrie has dealt with injur...

"Trader Danny" Ainge avoids mid-season trades like the the plague, but this February 6th deadline may see that trend change. It is all about timing. If Ainge passes the deadline by without any moves, putting all of his chips on potential buyout candidates is simply too chancy. Players that are bought out and waived may already have a team other than the Celtics in mind. Here are some thoughts: Major trade shipping Gordon Hayward out Nix on this one! Gordon has deferred to his teammates this season , but has stepped up when the injury bug hit. In the last four games, he is averaging 36.3 MPG, 24.8 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 2.8 APG, while hitting 56% of his field goals, 47% of his 3-pointers and 91% on free throws. In what is, in effect, a contract season (player option for 2020-21), he has stepped back to allow the Jay Team to do their thing. But with Jayson Tatum out for several games, and playing limited minutes in the last contest, Hayward took over. He will do the same in the po...

In a return to yesteryear, should Danny Ainge look for an agile floor-running, rim-protecting big who can defend anywhere on the floor. Kind of sounds like Bill Russell, but that wasn't my intent. Still, Nerlens Noel just might revitalize his career in the Boston area where he grew up. We need an upgrade. I’m not sure I want to rely on a big whose best skill is dependent on teammates missing shots. Personally I like Noel — Matt Esposito (@MattEsposito_) December 18, 2019 Noel has bounced around the League a bit since being taken with the 6th-overall pick in the 2013 draft. He does match Russell's size at 6'10" and 220 pounds, and avoiding any other comparisons with Bill, Noel can be exciting to watch. He earns $2.0 million this season with the Oklahoma City Thunder and will be a free agent this summer. Despite not being a 3-pointer shooter, Nerlens has most of the qualities Danny Ainge likes in a player. He is agile and quick - can rebound the ball - and blocks s...

The summer trade frenzy continues with Chris Paul and future draft picks going to the Houston Rockets for the Thunder's Russell Westbrook. Make no mistake - this one is big. The Rockets back court with two recent MVP candidates may now be the best in the NBA. ESPN story on blockbuster deal reuniting former MVP's Russell Westbrook and James Harden on the Houston Rockets -- with CP3 on his way to the Thunder. https://t.co/605aNR69IQ — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2019 CP3 is not expected to remain in Oklahoma City for much more than a cup of coffee, and Miami, or even Milwaukee, could be his next destination. This deal makes the Rockets a legitimate Title contender to go against other superstar pairings that have taken place in the West. They will now contend with the Clippers Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, in addition to the Lakers Lebron James and Anthony Davis. After the Rockets were eliminated this postseason, James Harden said he knew exactly what the team n...