Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Former Celtics star center, Robert Parish , was recently asked which team would win in a clash between the 2024 Champion "Green" and the 1986 roster . "The Chief" answered that the 1986 crew would prevail because nobody had an answer for Bill Walton . I love the present Celtics team, but the 85-86 group may be the best NBA crew ever assembled . The 80s group were at their peak, and Bill Walton had an injury-free season, walking away with the 6th-Man-of-the-Year award. Bill was a luxury for a team so stacked. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Parish, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge were generally the starters, and Walton, Scott Wedman and Jerry Sichting came off the bench. Before coming to Boston, Walton had won many awards, including MVP and Finals MVP . Wedman had been a two-time All-Star prior to becoming a Celtic. That was quite a bench. The 80s Celtics had it all - no weaknesses . It started with size. They were long in the front court, and when Coach K C Jones wa...

      How about them Jays! The NBA has a problem and it's Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. These dudes are shaping into form and come playoffs they will be on a mission. They took what was the remains of a Warrior's roster and beat em down. It was good to see old friend Kristaps Porzingis. If he's healthy last season I bet we go back to back. When he's healthy he's incredibly good. Defensively he's a stud and offensively he's elite. Maybe just maybe he will come back here next year on a team friendly contract.       It's so fun watching everyone on this roster excel. Baylor has become a dawg on D and can rebound with any guy his size. His offensive game is tight. Whether he hits threes or gets to the paint. He's going to come up big for us in the playoffs especially on defense. Derrick White seems to be invigorated now that JT is back. His shot if finally looking like it did last season. Our two headed monster in the middle continues to play solid bask...

      Founding Fathers... Episode 1       The Celtics have been in the forefront of social justice and of course winning. Red Auerbach was the leader of all of that. A man who was unafraid of what anyone would say. Bob Cousy was ahead of his time the way that man could handle the rock and distribute it! He was a magician on the floor! I personally remember meeting Couz as a young man. He was doing a game at the old Springfield Civic Center. Amazing that despite all the undertones of racism in Boston, the Celtics were the first team to draft a black player in Chuck Cooper. Something to be said for Cooper and Cousy who built a friendship despite looking different. As it should be!      When the Celtics drafted Bill Russell everything in the course of NBA history was set afire. Red knew he could be the most dominant player on defense, I mean let's be real on both ends of thr floor. Pairing Russell and Cousy was one of the most genius sports move...

 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...

  🍀       Cs are in the land of the Sun. They will be without JT after that scary fall vs the Kings. Suns have been playing better basketball led by Kevin Durant. He's been a scoring machine! Yet the Cs have the defensive answers to keep him at bay. I personally think Devon Booker sucks. So he doesn't worry me one bit. Cs have the double big line up tonight. JB opens us up with back to back treys! Let's Go!      Cs are off to a hot start tonight, they are scorching the Suns! Jrue nails a corner three like an assassin! Cs are aggressive on D and running in transition. That's the way to do it folks! If the Celtics continue to punch the Suns in the mouth they will fold like origami. DWhite for three! The Cs are firing on all cylinders! This is a clinic on how you stomp on your opponents throats! It's great seeing all these Celtics fans in the stands.       It's crazy but all five starters have nailed three pointers so early on. This i...

  Let me be "blunt"  (correct pronunciation of Blount)! Mark Blount was never a favorite of mine when he played for the Boston Celtics. He was the 54th pick in the 1997 NBA draft by Seattle and played for the American minor Leagues for three seasons before signing with Boston for the 2000-2001 season . The stats for the rookie center were hardly noteworthy (3.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.2 BPG)) and they dropped significantly in his sophomore season with the Celtics (2.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.4 BPG). Possibly feeling he wasn't being used correctly in Beantown, he signed with the Nuggets in 2002 , but was traded back to Boston in 2003 . For some unknown reason, the Celtics decided to offer Blount a 6 year/$41 million deal starting in the 2004-05 season. Perhaps it is the fact that Mark came to Boston after Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Robert Parish had terminated their NBA careers, but I never favored Blount as an acceptable center for the Celtics. His play always seemed lethargic a...

 I am not talking saviors here, but rather the players that made the difference that yielded Championships for the Boston Celtics. It starts with Bill Russell . Cousy, Sharman and Company were good but there were no Titles until Bill showed up. From 1957-to-1969, The Green racked up 11 Championships with Russ manning the center spot. The team had an off year until the next big guy appeared in the person of Dave Cowens - add two more Titles. "Big Red" made a big difference. Than came the immortal Larry Bird just as Dave was starting to slow down due to injuries. The Green earned no rings in Larry's first season, but then Red Auerbach picked up two more big men ( Robert Parish and Kevin McHale) , and that sealed the deal - resulting in three Finals victories in the 80's. Paul Pierce was very good - and very loyal to Boston - but he needed help. It came in the body of 6'11" Kevin Garnett . He was the missing piece that put another Larry O'Brien Trophy in...

 I have always been a fan of Bob Ryan, but apparently, Bob is not a major fan of the Boston Celtics new addition, Kristaps Porzingas . Ryan made his dislike of the Porzingis acquisition on his podcast. Here are a few excerpts: "I'm not a fan of this guy (Porzingis)" "He's 7-3, going on 6-2" This guy is 7-3 and he plays small. He always plays small"\ "Why is he on his fourth team in seven years?" "The last thing I needed in my Celtics life is another guy cranking up big, stupid threes" So why the dislike? Is it Porzingis and the way he plays? Or is it the modern NBA game itself . Ryan goes way back to the 60's when Bill Russell manned the middle for Boston. And then it was Dave Cowens in the 70's and Robert Parish in the 80's.   Russ and Dave played before the trey came to the NBA, but neither fired from long distance, although Cowens occasionally threw up a long ball. When Parish arrived, the 3-point shot had ben instit...

 It would come down to the size/savvy/skills/synergy of the 1986 crew against the youth/athleticism/quickness/talent of the current version of The Green. Imagine this! Al Horford facing Robert Parish Rob Williams versus Kevin McHale Jayson Tatum confronting Larry Bird Jaylen Brown covering Dennis Johnson Marcus Smart vs. Danny Ainge Then come the benches: Luke Kornet against Bill Walton Grant Williams facing Scott Wedman Derrick White covering Jerry Sichting Horford would have trouble with Robert's size and strength - and that unstoppable rainbow jumper . McHale's inside moves and tremendous wingspan would give Rob fits. But Kevin gave all defenders fits. Larry would be a bit slow in trying to contain Jayson's speed and handles but would out-clever Tatum as he did with most opponents. Jaylen Brown's quickness and size advantage would give DJ a few headaches, but that matchup overall would be fairly even Smart versus Danny? Ainge was known as the "quickness w...

 Having already labeled R ob Williams as the most-physically-gifted big man since Bill Russell , with a healthy season, this could be a breakout season for the 23-year-old phenom ( per NBA.com's Zachary Hanshew ): Robert Williams III (C – BOS) Didn’t we just witness Time Lord’s breakout? Not quite. In 2020-21, Williams averaged just 18.9 minutes per game while posting some strong numbers. The scary part? He’s got a lot more room to grow. Williams wasn’t played consistently, but when given the minutes, he showed out. In 11 games with at least 25 minutes, Williams averaged 11.5 points, 9.3 boards, 3.6 dimes, 2.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals across 26.7 minutes per contest. It’s a small sample size, but Williams has been a productive per-minute player throughout his career. With a new contract and additional opportunities for minutes, the sky’s the limit for the 23-year-old big assuming he can stay healthy. Williams III, with sufficient minutes, can easily lead his team in rebounds, blocks ...

      The Original Big 3, in this writers opinion was the greatest trio ever put together. If your an older Celtics fan Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish are names that stir up great memories! If your on the younger end and hear Big 3 the names Pierce, Garnett, and Allen come to mind. Not bad in their own right, but nowhere near the Original.       In Larry Bird you had it all! He could pass as if he had eyes in the back of his head. He wasn't afraid to rebound and start the fast break! He had a killer instinct, his trash talk was legendary, not to mention he was a dive-on-the-floor, lunch pail guy! As a shooter he was feared by his opponents and was deadly from outside. Defensively Larry was willing to get his hands dirty, even if that meant throwing a punch. He literally gave his entire body and soul to the game of basketball.       With Kevin McHale you had a player who's post up game was so insane he named his moves!...

 Building the 1986 Champion Celtics team was Red Auerbach at his very best. Grabbing Larry Bird as a junior-eligible out of Indiana State in the 1978 NBA draft meant Larry would not be coming to Boston for a year - but the wait proved worth the move. The Robert Parish/Kevin McHale heist from the Warriors in 1980 stands in the top-3 exploits by the Redhead, in contention with acquiring Bill Russell and Bird . Effectively bringing in Parish and McHale for a guy that earned the name, Joe Barely Cares (Joe Barry Carroll) tells the tale . Danny Ainge came on board via the 1981 draft, where Red chose him with the 31st overall pick . Dennis Johnson joined the Celtics when he was brought in via a trade of Bird's drinking buddy, Rick Robey , to the Phoenix Suns. They were so good they often toyed with opponents. They had it all - talent, size, rebounding, shooting, fast breaks, defense, team play, character, facilitation, synergy. https://t.co/r2cNiQDdlI — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel...

           Kevin McHale was the man of many moves. He could fake you out of your jock in the low post. He had it all. He could go inside and destroy you or even hit that midrange shot and later in his career knocked down some threes. He out leapt, out spun, and out maneuvered all his opponents and that led Charles Barkley to say he was the best player he ever played against .       Drafted with the 3rd overall pick in that steal of a trade for Robert Parish by Red Auerbach . Kevin's impact on the floor came very quickly. In game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1981 during their 3 to 1 comeback he rejected Andrew Toney to secure the win for the Celtics. In game 4 of the NBA Finals in 84 with the Celtics trailing in the game and series, he made the infamous Rambis clothesline play which not only spurred the Celtics to a win in the game but eventually a title!       A little known fact was in free agency Kevin ...

      Robert Parish also known as The Chief, had no ego when it came to playing for the the Boston Celtics. A versatile big who could run the floor and finish fast breaks. His longevity and dependability were very impressive for a big. His high arching shot was like watching rain fall down. He was a strong defensive player who always had the knack for clutch rebounds and blocked shots.       Starting his career in Golden State, The Chief was labeled with a bad reputation. You never know a player until he's on your team and when Red Auerbach went calling to Golden State and offered the number one pick for Robert and the third overall pick history, was made. At first he was surprised to be traded but he was jumping up and down for joy to have a fresh start. Chief loved that the Celtics were all about team. They played for the name on the front of the jersey not the back of it.        When Robert joined the Celtics they also used ...

      Climb on my back boys! No more infamous words then those before game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals vs the Lakers. Cedric Cornbread Maxwell delivered after those impactful words. During that same series after James Worthy missed a key free throw in game 4 Max walked by him making the choke sign.       Cedric Maxwell lead his college team to the Final Four in 1977. A smaller college in UNC Charlotte not your typical big time college, pretty impressive and speaks to the talent and skills of Cornbread.       Cornbread had some of the best low post skills of any player ever to take to he hardwood. He had an uncanny ability to fake the defense into the air and score easily . Another skill of Cornbreads was to draw contact from his opponents and get to the line. He also had a pretty decent hook shot as well.       Cornbread was a two time NBA Champion winning in 81 and 84. Taking home F inals MVP in 1981. He was ...

In November of 2019, the start of Rob Williams' second season in the NBA, I boldly compared Rob's shot-blocking ability to that of the legendary Bill Russell . I was cautious not to over-blow the praise to other areas, such as rebounding, savvy and leadership. It may be time to expand the expectations for this truly-superior athlete. The following from my November, 2019 article: Where Russ was a taller-than-average center at the time, Rob is undersized at the position. Doesn't seem to matter. I watch Williams' elevation, position and timing, and I immediately see Russell-like shot-blocking potential in him. More time on the floor will make him better. Robert will almost certainly never achieve Russell's overall talent level, fame or astounding rebounding ability, but don't be surprised if, with more seasoning, Rob electrifies Boston fans with his ability to deter shots. Actually, he is already doing just that. Williams' 16 points and 13 boards in a mere 19 ...

I just finished watching a rerun of the 1986 NBA Finals contest that resulted in Boston's 16th Banner. It was June 8, 1986 at Boston Garden, and this Game-6 pitted Houston's Twin-Tower front court of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson against the Celtics Big-3 of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Larry Bird. The lessons from the contest follow: Try to draft as many Larry Birds as you can during your tenure as GM.  Larry outplayed both Hakeem and Ralph in this one. He had a triple-double of 29pts., 11 boards, 12 assists and three steals. He looked totally exhausted at the finish. He gave it eveerything he had. The Celtics game was all about ball-movement. Despite having the Big-3, there was no concerted push to get the ball inside to Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. And there was no running to the corners begging for the ball to launch a 3-pointer. As a matter of fact, at least once, Bird ran WITH the ball out to the corner to nail a trey. But he MOVED out there. Even Danny Ainge, a no...

According to many sources, the Celtics Kevin McHale did indeed have an estimated wingspan of 8-feet. One of those sources is Wikipedia, as seen below: Kevin McHale American basketball player DescriptionKevin Edward McHale is an American retired basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics. He is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and is regarded as one of the best power forwards of all time. He was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Wikipedia Born: December 19, 1957 (age 61 years), Hibbing, MN Wingspan: 8′ 0″ Height: 6′ 10″ Spouse: Lynn McHale (m. 1982) NBA draft: 1980, Boston Celtics (Round: 1 / Pick: 3) Hall of fame induction: 1999 Number: 32 (Boston Celtics / Power forward, Center) Kevin was listed at 6'10" tall when he was drafted with the 3rd pick in the 1980 draft. Red Auerbach, in yet another heist, brought in both McHale and center Robert Parish (via trade) prior to the Celtics' 1980-81 Champion...