Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 In an NBA TV segment called, Basketball Stories: Indiana Glory , Former-Celtic, Larry Bird , sat down with Isiah Thomas and Reggie Miller to discuss many subjects, including the "Mount Rushmore" of NBA superstars.  Larry stated the following: "I always knew how good I was. I didn't care what you thought about my games. I knew in the majority of the games I played in - with the team we had - we're gonna win most of them." "Quit whining about Lebron (James). Enjoy him while he's here. He's unbelievable. He's one of the greatest - if not the greatest ever." It is fitting that Bird mentioned himself in "the best ever" conversation. He belongs there . And it particularly noteworthy that Larry sent accolades "The King's" way. Lebron may not be the most-likable individual on the planet, but he has to be included in the "Best Ever" talk because of his skills, longevity in the League, his conditioning, his ve...

 I go on record as not agreeing with the idea that "playing the kids" was not such a good idea in the first place, particularly in the case of sophomore, Aaron Nesmith. Nesmith was my one-and-only proposed candidate to be taken by the Celtics in the 2020 NBA draft .. He seemed to be tailor-made to bring some much-needed motion offense to TD Garden . Here is some pre-draft analysis on Aaron: "He can catch and shoot as well as anybody in this year’s class, and excels in his off-ball movement … Understands the importance of movement to free himself for looks … Very effective when catching and shooting off-ball screens and uses constant motion to get open … Muscle memory. Has a pretty quick and high release with consistent form which allows him to get his shot off in tight windows" Notice there is no mention of "catch and shoot after lolling in the corner ". But there is mention of "movement to free himself" ,"catching and shooting off ball...

 There is more to Aaron Nesmith's game than outside shooting. He hustles, rebounds, blocks shots and racks up steals . But it is his constant motion offense that opens up many opportunities for him and his teammates, and it is something that was somewhat lacking within the Celtics lineups. Prior to last year's draft, I projected Aaron Nesmith as my sole choice for the Celtics at #14. I felt he was the "constant motion" shooter Boston needed. https://t.co/iPZiPOliG4 Aaron Nesmith Highlights vs San Antonio Spurs (16 pts, 6 reb) https://t.co/PX3KpLs2xH via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) May 2, 2021  The Vanderbilt product has blossomed in The Green's last two games, averaging 15.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.0 SPG and 1.5 BPG . The only question from many Boston fans is - why have we not seen more of him previously? With Brad Stevens' unpredictability in putting out lineups , Aaron could melt back into the fog from whence he came. But expect to see more of this ro...

You know what I am talking about. The Rip Hamilton type of player. Or Reggie Miller. The Celtics had one way back, and his name was John Havlicek. How about Klay Thompson? Same deal. Boston sorely needs a player that never stops moving on offense and can score on the move or in a stop-and-pop situation. The Miami Heat have a current version in that mold in rookie Tyler Herro, and while on the subject, second-year man, Duncan Robinson, does pretty well also. This type of player simply demands constant attention on the perimeter and opens up situations for teammates to score down low. Fourteen-year veteran JJ Redick has spent his career moving and scoring for various teams. Now with the Pelicans, the 36-year-old swingman has never been known for his in-your-shirt defense, but he has endured regardless. In a Brad Stevens-coached team, no defense means little playing time, but the Celtics need for this type of motion-driven scoring may supersede that thinking. Danny Ainge could attempt to ...