Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Prior to the 2023-24 NBA season, in an article, I asked the question , "Is Joe Mazzulla an acceptable replacement for for Ime Udoka" (as Celtics coach)? My answer at the time was an emphatic "NO". That has changed. As a college student , Mazzulla was arrested and charged with domestic battery for grabbing a woman by the neck in a bar room. With Udoka being banished from the Celtics due to allegations of misconduct, my feeling at the time was that "The Green" did not need a repeat with Joe at the helm . What did counter my negative thoughts on Mazzulla was the fact that Brad Stevens , well known for hiring - and promoting - guys with character - fully backed Joe for the position of head coach. The positive result is history - with Mazzulla listed as one of the three finalists for NBA Coach of the Year . Frankly, I love this guy. He turned his life around from his wayward college days and is not only a superior pro basketball coach - he is a fine ...

 It was Celtics versus Warriors - Bill Russell against Wilt Chamberlain . But one incident stole the show. Sam fouled Wilt - hard -  and Chamberlain thought the hit was over the hill and went after Boston's shooting guard. Wilt was pissed! He hated getting fouled because that meant he probably had to go to the foul line. Chamberlain was a menace on offense close to the hoop, but he shot better from the field (.540) than from the foul line (.511). What fans may have been watching was an early version of "Hack-a-Shaq", a strategy to foul Shaquille O'Neal and send him to his personal torture chamber, the foul line.  I can picture Coach Red Auerbach possibly telling his guys, "When you foul Chamberlain, make sure he doesn't score. Send him to the foul line. He can't hit shit from there."  The confrontation came down to a "David-vs.-Goliath" scenerio, and Sam's only weapon was a wooden photographer's stool . It slowed the giant'...

 In the history of the Boston Celtics, Red Auerbach's acquisition of Bill Russell and Larry Bird have to rank at the very-top of "The Green's" major moves. Add in maneuvering to get Robert Parish and Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge's dealing to get The Jay Team. But I still can't believe how Brad Stevens quickly rebuilt his team when forced to shed the roster of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Luke Kornet - while working to lessen the damage of losing his beast player, Jayson Tatum , to injury. If Stevens is not in serious conversation as Exec of The Year , I will continue to feel the Celtics tend to be ignored at award time. And frankly, his belief in Joe Mazzulla to orchestrate the regular season with a ravaged roster enters into this discussion.  The Russell, Bird, Parish, McHale and Jay Team acquisitions were successful, long-term moves . Ditto on Stevens' masterful maneuvering to cutting costs drastically, while maintaining a trul...

 I have menbtally penciled in Dennis Johnson as my choice for all-time Celtics point guard playing in today's NBA game . John Havlicek joins him in the back court. Bill Russell takes center spot. And Larry Bird takes one of the forward positions. The fifth slot is somewhat up for grabs, with Jayson Tatum (yes, Jayson Tatum), Kevin Garnett, Dave Cowens and Kevin McHale in the running as either power forward or small forward. So, why Dennis Johnson. Why not Bob Cousy, JoJo White or Rajon Rondo? Although not being a 3-point marksman, DJ had it all - athleticism, defense, scoring, distributing, rebounding . But most of all, he was adaptable to what his team needed to win ( per Wikipedia ): "During this period (with Seattle) Johnson played  shooting guard  and was known for his aggressive  slam dunking , in contrast to the more cerebral roles he played later in his career." But Johnson clashed with Coach Lenny Wilkins and was traded to the Phoenix Suns . By now, Denn...

 At least to me, the Boston Celtics have the only true dynasty in the NBA's history . They won 11 Titles from 1957 to 1969 , and not incredibly, Bill Russell owns all of those rings. Thinga have changed in the League. No team has even won back-to-back Championships since the Golden State Warriors did it in 2017 and 2018 . And the last six Titles have been won by different teams every season.  Sports Dynasty (definition): A team or individual that dominates their sport or league for an extended length of time. Sure, the Lakers, Warriors and Bulls had their runs as imitators of the Celtics, but none of them had the 8-in-a-row Titles (1959-1966) that Russell and his team had. But that is all in the rear view mirror now. A repeat of Boston's record will never be achieved again . And I believe that is a good thing. Salary caps, payroll aprons, injuries and players with wanderlust (read: Lebron, Durant, etc.) have ensured that. The Russell-led Celtics of the 60s were so dominan...

 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...

 Let's face it! The late Red Auerbach was not beloved by many in the NBA community - in large part because he was smarter and more-successful than most of them. Photos courtesy of Mary N. Thawley and Lisa Lane McCarty Bird was plucked from the 1978 draft as a "junior eligible" with the sixth-overall pick . Mychal Thompson, Phil Ford, Rick Robey (more on him later), Michael Ray Richardson and Purvis Short went with the first-through-fifth picks, respectively. Larry not only led Boston to three Championships - but also helped lift the League from hard times . By the way, the NBA changed the  draft rules after Auerbach had masterminded this specific heist. Robert Parish and Kevin McHale came to Boston in another Red sting operation . In the 1980 draft, Auerbach traded the first-overall pick (which became Joe Barry Carroll - who went to the Warriors) for the third-overall pick and Robert Parish . The feisty Auerbach with yet another lopsided (in his favor) deal. On to Red...

 In the Boston Celtics Championship 1985-86 season , their payroll amounted to $6,560,000.00 . In today's money , that comes to $23,353,000.00 - quite far from the projected, record-breaking $500 million attached to the Celtics 2025-26 season (includes luxury tax, etc.).   Larry Bird earned the most money on the Celtics that season - a "whopping" $1.8 million - or $6.4 million in today's money. Compare that to Jaylen Brown's present earnings for the 2024-25 season ($49.2 million). Overkill? Excess? Yes, possibly both . Inflation and the popularity and success of the NBA has driven everything connected to the League sky-high - ticket prices, player salaries, TD Garden beers, etc . Where (and how) does it end.  I have followed the NBA since 1960, and I admit to liking today's game as much-or-more than past decades. But this financial trend can not continue without some negative repercussions.  In 1979, Bird - after lengthy negotiations - earned $650,000.0...

 Bob "The Cooz" Cousy recently turned 96 , and we will never see another of his like . Here's some interesting facts and thoughts on the 6'1" phenom : 1.) He was the 3rd-overall pick in the 1950 draft , but said "NO" to the team that drafted him (Tri-Cities Blackhawks). 2.) Red Auerbach had the first pick in that draft, but ignored Cooz, thinking he was too flashy . 3.) Cousy was picked up by the Chicago Stags, and when they folded, the Celtics reluctantly hose  Cooz in the dispersal draft. 4.) Well, that turned out very well as Bob turned into the Celtics first real star. 5.) Cousy's forte was his passing skills . He led the League in assists for eight consecutive seasons , finishing with a career average of 7.5 assists per game. 6.) But Cooz was also an accomplished scorer (18.4 PPG for his career), but hardly a marksman (.375 FG). 7.) Despite his lack of height, he was also a fine rebounder (5.2 RPG) . 8.) He was a 13X All-Star, 10X All-NBA Fi...

  Danny Ainge was generally a willing disciple of Red Auerbach , but Danny veered away from Red's practice of retaining stars well-past their prime. Auerbach traded Ainge in his prime but kept Larry Bird and Kevin McHale in the Celtics fold even when age and injuries were stifling their production. Not so Danny. It was his trade of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett that brought Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to Boston. The pair were taken with the third-overall draft picks in successive years. It took a while, but the Jay Team improved every season - learned to play team ball - and finally ended the season earning Banner 18 for TD Garden. #Celtics brothers and sisters how about a big shout-out to #44 Danny Ainge. Danny's hands are all over #banner18 . He brought us Tatum/Brown, Brad Stevens, and I could go on! pic.twitter.com/R9o68ZmImD — Ty Ray (@coug88) June 18, 2024   The general feeling around the League is that this present Celtics crew may not be done in their Champions...

  Red Auerbach may be "dead-and-gone" but his undeniable mark remains . Danny Ainge learned much from the the Celtics Patriarch and used that knowledge and experience to  wheel-deal-and-construct Celtics teams that were almost always in the fight.  And now we have Brad Stevens at the helm . He is more subdued than either of his predecessors, but he is damn  clever - and outright smart. His present crew sits at 3-1 in the NBA Finals following a disastrous loss in Game-4 of the series . But Brad's team does not consist of robots. Their Game-4 performance versus Dallas made them look like an overmatched YMCA assemblage. They went from dominant to vulnerable. But don't be fooled. This current version of The Green was masterfully put together to win Banner 18. They are good - very good. And seasoned to withstand one lousy performance . Tomorrow night they will be back home at TD Garden and out to prove just how good they are. I refuse to use the metaphor of Red smiling d...

  This just isn't right! K. C. Jones is well-overdue for induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. Has he been forgotten - and tossed aside - in that capacity? The time is right to correct the slight. The Boston Celtics currently have the most HOF inductees , with 40 . Is the feeling among the voters that 40 members of The Green is sufficient? Well, it's not! K. C. is in The Hall as a player, which is much-deserved for the guy that took over the reins from Bob Cousy and constantly played under the shadow of Bill Russell . And Jones was voted one of the . 15 greatest coaches in NBA history. 5 #NBAFinals appearances and 2 titles as an #NBA head coach. 2 championships as an assistant. 2nd highest winning % for any head coach with 500 wins Help induct Coach K​.​C. Jones Into the National Basketball Hall of Fame - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/rQTWMSt6SN via @Change — Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) June 10, 2024 So what's going on? I have felt for som...

 My followers are aware that one of my passions is the study, and practice, of survival skills . As a cop, I battled fists, clubs, knives, guns and personal attacks by (supposed) friends and foes alike. And cursed by horrible genetics, I still am into my eighth decade on planet earth . Now to the 2023-24 Boston Celtics, who just eliminated a nemesis in the form of the Miami Heat. This Boston crew was assembled by the the newly-anointed NBA Exec-of-the-Year, Brad Stevens . The additions of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White were masterful moves.  With Porzingis out of action with a calf ailment, Al Horford stepped into the starting lineup and 12 Celtics players saw action in the victory. Injuries happen, but unless The Green see an injury plague descend, they should weather every storm in this post-season . T hey should survive, and Banner 18 is within their grasp. It seems that Red Auerbach's team-construction talents were passed down to (first) Danny Ainge ...

 I can't relate it as well as Mark C. Bodanza, author of the JoJo White bio , Make It Count , but one of Red Auerbach's top draft conquests involved working to keep White out of the US Army - while keeping him in the Marine Reserves - and scooping him up as the ninth pick in the 1969 NBA draft (per Mark C. Bodanza): "Then a funny thing happened. Eight teams, many fearing the impact of a two year delay... in White's basketball career, passed on the ball-handling, talented point guard. Sitting coyly with the ninth pick in the first round of the NBA's 1969 draft was the cigar-chomping , cards-close-to-the-vest general manager, Red Auerbach." You see, JoJo had already been drafted into the Army , but subsequently enlisted in the Marine reserves. The machinations were complex, but while eight NBA general mangers were convinced that White would not be available to play in the NBA for at least two years, Red thought otherwise. "Red was very powerful" was...

 There is only outer space beyond the exosphere , and that is where the expectations for the Boston Celtics reside this season. No excuses! No alibis! Anything less than Banner 18 for The Green is failure. But is that even fair. I admit to being disgusted by the 0-3 start for Boston - with home court - in last season's Eastern Finals versus Miami. It took a harsh scolding by owner, Wic Grousbeck, to even the series (barely) at 3-3 - with Boston losing Game 7. Boston sports fans are terrific, but they are also very demanding . They see 17 banners in TD Garden rafters and expect the next one very soon - probably this June. The last Title was in 2008 , so with 30 teams in the League, most fans around the League would be content with waiting until 2038. Not so in Beantown. We have been spoiled. Red and Russ got us 11 Titles. Then came another two in the 70's - three in the 80's - and the last one in 2008 . May I introduce the 10 present NBA teams that have ZERO Titles , gran...

 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...

 "(Jaylen) Brown and (Jayson) Tatum are great players, but they are nice guys. I never met a great player  that was really, really a nice guy". --- Charles Barkley That is what Sir Charles had to say about a Celtics team that had been destroyed (114-105) by a Lebron-less, Brow-less Lakers crew. Is it true? "You can't tweak your little finger without your brain initiating the action." --- Tom Lane This is not simply part of a bad stretch for Boston. Their minds are not into the regular season, and they are once again bored with the 82 games that lead to the post-season. "I'm almost off their bandwagon... They don't win on toughness and defense." Chuck sounds off on the Celtics' first-half performance pic.twitter.com/8Olm13SR7W — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 2, 2024 The "toughness" and "defense" Barkley mentioned as requirements for Titles were sorely missing in last night's contest. Do any long-time Celtics fans...

  "Hail fellow well met"  is an  English   idiom  used when referring to a person whose behavior is hearty, friendly, and congenial, in the affirmative sense. It took an excellent CelticsBlog article by Dan Kelley  to once again remind me why the hell K C Jones has not been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. Read Dan's article for many specifics. Both former Celtics coaches, Bill Fitch and Rick Pitino , are in the Hall as coaches. Why isn't K C there? I was never a fan of Fitch and still despise Pitino. Rick came close to ruining a treasured sports franchise (Celtics) and I didn't care for Bill - even though Larry Bird still showers praise on him. I first learned of Fitch's harsh treatment of his (then) assistant, K C Jones after reading Jones' book, Rebound . Fitch's abuse of K C was well-known ( per latimes.com's Thomas Bonk ): "Fitch had little use for K.C. Jones, who was one of his assistant coaches, but who succeeded...

 His stats may not smash you in the face, but his value is undeniable. I am talking about 6'4", do-everything guard, Jrue Holiday. After nine games - and a 7-2 record - Holiday comes in second to Jayson Tatum in minutes at 33.7 MPG . His stats are below: 12.8 MPG - 7.3 RPG - 5.9 APG - 1.1 BPG His points are down from last season when he played for the Bucks. In 2022-23, he logged slightly more minutes (32.6 MPG) that Giannis Antetokounmpo and was second in scoring to The Greek Freak at 19.3 PPG.   "The Jruth", like Dennis Johnson before him, has sacrificed his point production for the good of his present team, the Boston Celtics. And it is working. So if floor time is at least a significant indicator of a player's value, Holiday was much-needed by The Green in their quest for Banner 18. I honestly didn't think Boston had a shot at acquiring him, but Brad Stevens found a way. He seems to have that Red Auerbach/Danny Ainge knack for petty (grand?) theft in...

 Okay Celtics fans. A deciding Game-7 in the Eastern Coinference Finals will either oust Boston from the post-season - or put them into the "Final Fray" versus the Denver Nuggets . All we hear is that The Green can make NBA history by becoming the only team to win a 7-game series after a 0-3 start . As important as that may be, this current version of the Celtics has a chance to begin a legacy that will last for a very long time. Legacy (definition): "The long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past" Any one remember Red Auerbach? Bill Russell? Larry Bird? How about the 17 banners hanging from the rafters? You get the point. Not to belittle coming back from a 0-3 deficit and heading to the NBA Finals, but history refers to the past, but so does a legacy. The 1985-86 Celtics team just may be the best crew to ever fight for, and win, multiple Championships . But the 2022-23 Celtics squad has potential lasting stardom emblazone...