Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 The best duo in the entire NBA? Mavericks star, Luka Doncic, thinks it is the pairing of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown   ( per Yardbarkers Darryn Albert): Luka: “They’re probably the No. 1 team (Celtics) in the league, and they probably have the best duo (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown)  in the league too,” he said of Boston,  per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps . “And we’re in the Garden. It’s always a special game. You have to come 100 percent. If you’re not, you’re probably going to lose. It’s a big game.” The Celtics star duo bested another standout pair in Boston's 116-110 win over ther Clippers last night. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard need to be mentioned in any such discussion. The same with the 76'ers Joel Embiid and James Harden - Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kris Middleton (Milwaukee) - and Lebron James and Anthony Davis (Lakers). But when both Tatum and Brown are on their games - raining jump shots down on opponents and getting to the rim - they often seem unbeata...

 The Boston Celtics remain mired in the middle of the pack in NBA.com's latest Eastern Conference Power Rankings . The Green rank seventh , just after the New York Knicks and in front of the Bulls. NBA.com's John Schuhmann cites the Celtics' lack of ability to close out close games - a drop in last-season's defensive stats - and Jaylen Brown's impressive catch-and-shoot stats as focal points for the Celtics this season. "The Celtics played 43 games,  most in the league , that were within five points in the last five minutes last season. They were 17-26 (0.395, fourth worst in the league) in those games and 19-10 (0.655) otherwise, finishing 36-36 with the point differential of a team that was 40-32." Expect a lot of Jayson's-last-minute heroics  once again in 2021-22. He is a master at getting a decent shot off under pressure. Now to defense. "The Celtics’ defense saw the league’s third biggest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions, from 10...

I won't be overloading my readers with tons of statistics here, so don't leave me. This is simply a rough comparison between the Celtics "Potent Pair" of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with the Lakers "Dynamic Duo": of Lebron James and Anthony Davis, in addition to the Clippers Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. All six players are regarded as high-level defenders, so I will stick to the 2020-21 offensive stats here. Here we go: Tatum/Brown:      53.9 PPG - 12.6 RPG - 7.3 APG - 2.4 SPG - 1.3 BPG James/Davis:         47.0 PPG - 16.8 RPG - 11.0 APG - 2.3 SPG - 2.3 BPG Leonard/George:  49.8 PPG - 11.6 RPG - 11.1 APG - 3.2 SPG - 1.2 BPG Not a lot of surprises here . The Celtics pair takes honors on combined points. Jayson and Jaylen are known as volume scorers this season. Lakers take it on rebounds and blocks, and with the size and athleticism of The King and The Brow, it would be expected. The Clips win on assists and steals (barely), and we see the...

The future of the Boston Celtics is becoming clearer as this season progresses. It is now possible to project, or at least guess, what Danny Ainge's plans are for the next several years. The Jay Team of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the focal point here. In their third and fourth seasons, respectively, they are emerging as potential All-Stars right before our eyes. Unless something unexpected happens, this duo is destined to be in the spotlight for Boston for the foreseeable future. NBA TV's Sam Mitchell recently compared the Jay Team with the Clippers' pairing of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Brown and Tatum could reach that level in as little of a year or two. Who's the #Celtics MVP through the first half of the season -- and which reserves are most invaluable? @ChrisForsberg_ has power ranked the C's roster from 1 to 17. https://t.co/kzobCZcGjr — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) January 14, 2020 Jaylen Brown was granted a 4-year/$115 millio...

This one had "playoffs" written all over it. West versus East. Patrick Beverley versus Marcus Smart. Paul George against Jayson Tatum. Doc Rivers versus Brad Stevens. Jerry West pitted against Danny Ainge. It was the Los Angeles Clippers that came away with the 107-104 win in overtime, but this game defined why we love NBA basketball. Asked to describe what it was like to be in the court tonight, Marcus Smart says, “It was a playoff atmosphere.” — Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 21, 2019 Jayson Tatum may have been the star of the game for Boston, but Marcus Smart was once-again the unsung hero. Tatum poured in a team-high 30 points on 50% shooting from both the field and beyond the arc. He added six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. This one play where he dropped PG-13 and hit a 3-pointer to tie the game is a portrait of what he has become. JAYSON MOTHERFUCKING TATUM!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/VtJUgvqfDb — Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) November 21, 201...

As a fledgling sports writer two years ago, I wrote on Celtics boss, Danny Ainge, possibly having a new rival NBA exec out west in the person of The Logo, Jerry West. After West's move from the Warrior's camp to Clipper Town, I wrote the following: So Danny has his eyes focused on the western conference, specifically on the Golden State Warriors. He may want to also gaze further south in California and take a look at the Los Angeles Clippers. There is a new guy in Clipper town, and his name is Jerry West, otherwise known as The Logo. But he is much more than simply the image on the NBA logo. The old Boston vs. LA battles may return in the next few years, but with a different look. Well, a combination of the California sun and the solid owner-leadership core of the Los Angeles Clippers, it now appears that the Clips have landed both the much-sought-after, Kawhi Leonard, and All-Star forward, Paul George . These deals now make the best-of-the-West fight even tighter - amazin...