Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  I know it! Many of you know it! Even the Jay Team knows it! Charles Barkley commented - after the Celtics loss in Game-1 to the Knicks - The Celtics are a team that "has no Plan B". The 45 missed treys by Boston amounted to 135 points .  Trust me! I am not against the 3-pointer in NBA games. I have always stated that the best solution to a problem usually lies somewhere between the extremes . Avoiding the long ball entirely is a mistake. Continuing to chuck them up ( 60 attempts, 25% success in Game 1 ) when they are not falling is folly. Against New York, Boston never went to Barkley';s "Plan B". Launching 3-pointers is the easy way out. Jayson Tatum: "There were probably some times that we settled." Tatum said he believes he could have put more pressure on the rim. — Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 6, 2025 That is all!

 I wrote recently on the low combined number of assists (4) by the Jay Team in the Game-2 loss to Miami - in addition to the need for improved focus on the offensive glass by the entire Celtics team. Well, in Boston's convincing 104-84 win over the Heat last night in Game-3, there is little doubt that improvement in both categories helped get the win . Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for nine assists (6 for Tatum, 3 for Brown) , and 10 of the Celtics 43 rebounds were off the offensive glass .  One of Jayson's assists stood ou t for me. At the 6:58 mark of the second quarter, Tatum whipped a pass to a cutting Sam Hauser under the hoop for the score. It brought back memories of Dennis Johnson repeatedly making the same pass to a cutting Larry Bird under the hoop. Derrick White led the way with three offensive boards . That guy never takes a play off. Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard followed with two offensive rebounds each . Opponents never seem to n...

 Just when I thought Jayson Tatum was the undisputed "ALPHA" of the Boston Celtics, the other member of the Jay Team seems to be quietly challenging Tatum's status. He rendered his thoughts on being a team leader versus simply a major role player : “Obviously, our goal is to win the championship. That’s, I think, what everybody is focused on,” (Jaylen) Brown tells me. “Me, I feel like I still have so many more limits to tap individually. To be better, to be a better leader, to be a better player, et cetera. As for now, I’m just playing my role on the team to help us get back to do what we got to do. So, nothing wrong with being a part of a team and doing your job. That’s how I look at it.” Over the last eight games, Boston has a 6-2 record , and Brown has played a major role in that span. Take a look at the statistical comparison over those eight games: Brown: 36.1 MPG - 31.1 PPG - 6.9 RPG - 4.0 APG - 54.8% FG - 41.0 3s Tatum:  36.6 MPG - 28.1 PPG - 9.3 RPG - 4.3 APG - 4...

 And maybe they shouldn't perish. I consider Kelly Olynyk as a "poor man's Nikola Jokic", a skilled, big  import that that can do most things well on the court. Olynyk will never be a star in the NBA, but he has size (6'11") - can score in close and from distance (11.5 PPG) - rebound the ball (5.0 RPG) - and get the ball to his teammates (3.3 APG) .\ In last night's loss to Phoenix, Boston had trouble containing the Suns' "big 3" of DeAndre Ayuton, Jock Landale and Dario Saric down low. The shot charts from the game san be seen in the tweet: Shot chart on the left is via Suns' Ayton (6'11") Landale (6'11") & Saric (6'10"). On the right, Celtics' Horford, Williams III and Kornet. Rebounds? Suns' "big" 3- 30, Celtics "big" 3 - 17. Size mattered in Boston's loss. pic.twitter.com/VZbHVv5IR1 — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) February 4, 2023  The Canadian center/forward may neve...

 Frankly, the record speaks for itself.   1.) Top record in the League (29-12, .707) 2.) 3-game win streak 3.) 7-3 last 10 games 4.) 16-5 at home 5.) 13-7 on the road NBA.Com's Steve Aschburner  gives Boston a grade of "A" for the first 41 games.  "If the old saying about success in life is true — 80% is just showing up — the Celtics are a great case study because their two best players are the biggest reasons Boston has the NBA’s top record to the midpoint. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have taken, in tandem, another leap, with neither serious injuries nor trendy “load management” blocking their way." Yes, the immediate, and future, success of The Green rests heavily with The Jay Team . Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have raised the level of their games while remaining injury free.  Early on, Boston fans worried about the health of Rob Williams , the effectiveness of rookie coach, Joe Mazzulla , a few lackluster losses and the ability of the entire Celtics...

 I mean it! The only valid, lasting takeaway from the Celtics 123-107 loss to Golden State is that any Finals rematch between the two opposite-coast rivals will be damn exciting . Sure, we can talk about the Splash Brothers, Curry and Thompson , outdueling the Jay Team, Jayson and Jaylen. It can be argued that Steph Curry is all-but-unguarable . And it was obvious that Boston was forcing thedir offense from the start, finishing with a mere 17 assists to Golden State's 26. The Celtics board work was weak, grabbing only 39 rebounds to the Warriors' 53 . And Tatum's off night (6-of-21 FG, 2-of-9 3s, 4-of-7 FT) came at a bad time. And Klay Thompson ...., etc. And how about Golden State raising Bill Russell's number-6 to the rafters prior to the game. It backfired for Boston! The act may have served to only piss off the Warriors with remembrances of additional Championships that could have been added to their Title Chest. All of this amounts to little. I love the way b...

  Jayson Tatum is not the only Celtic to have worked on - and improved - his game this off-season. Derrick White has returned to the court as a legit scoring threat for Boston. With Rob Williams out of action, White has taken a starting role and made the most of it. Through three games, the Celtics are 3-0 and he has averaged: 28.7 minutes - 13.0 points - 4.7 rebounds - 3.0 assists - 52% FG - 50% 3s In the Celtics 126-120 win over Orlando last night, Derrick had a line of 27/4/4 while hitting 10-of-17 from the field and 5-of-9 on treys . His catch-and-shoot corner threes were deadly. Credit his shooting coach(s) for the improvement. Credit Derrick White's shooting coach(s) for this kind of performance - and the off-season work he put in. This opens things up for the Jay Team even more. What a plus! Derrick White 27 Pts 4 Ast Highlights vs Magic! https://t.co/si2Z3aW61H via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) October 23, 2022 If White can routinely shoot even-remotely like t...

  Sawdust is mixed with highly-explosive nitroglycerin to produce dynamite and make it less shock-sensitive and much more stable . Forgive the analogy, but frankly, it works . The return of Marcus Smart and Al Horford , and the stability they bring , helped produce a 127-102 victory in Game 2 last night against the Miami Heat, evening the series 1-1. Smart finished with 24 points, nine boards, 12 assists, three steals, one block and only one turnover . The D-and-D point guard did his usual "Direct-and-Disorient" show , conducting the Celtics offense and disrupting that of the Miami Heat. Horford's stats may have been less impressive (10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) but he was perfect from the field (4-of-4) and beyond the arc (2-of-2). It was obvious that the Celtics are a better team when he is out there. Al and Marcus helped make sure that this game did not slip away like in Game 1. Like sawdust in the nitro, both starters tend to keep the explosive Jay Team und...

 Pre-season, the Boston Celtics were pegged as having mediocre talent - being borderline-boring on the court - and having slim chances of being any serious Title threat . That has all changed with their re-invigoration since New Years Day and their current ranking at N umber-1 in the East . Here's why! (A)DAPTION: "The measure of intelligence is the ability to change." -- Albert Einstein What caused the awakening in a Celtics team that started the season looking as though they were half-asleep?It starts with Marcus Smart . He has gone from fireball defender to more-than-able point guard who has become a scoring threat and skilled facilitator - while still maintaining that defensive fire . Both members of the Jay Team are now trusting their teammates and getting them the ball. Grant Williams has transformed into a reliable 6th-or-7th man with his outside shooting and determined defense . The list goes on, but the adaption by most of the Celtics crew has been phenom...

 Jaylen Brown as a "version of (Michael) Jordan". Jayson Tatum as "Kevin Durant-ish" and "flirting with First Team All-NBA". The following is from my interview of Brian Scalabrine several years ago, before The Jay Team had reached their current level of stardom.  "It'll be determined on Championships. Jayson can be Kevin Durant-ish. Jaylen can be - gosh - I hate using Michael Jordan, because I don't think he can be Michael Jordan -but the way he plays, and moves - and see how he jumps in the air - ever remember when Jordan would jump and and elevate, kind of float, keep the ball high in the air. Jaylen does that a lot. I hate doing that (Jordan comparison) - Jordan - best player ever - he (Jaylen) can be more of his version of Jordan - more catch-and-shoot - he has that defensive mentality - watch the way they both get in that defensive stance - both those guys (Jay-Team) have a tremendous upside - tremendous - more than anything, it's how...

 Two of the axioms associated with the NBA playoffs are: Many teams are one injury away from serious post-season contention Anything can happen once a team makes the playoffs The current ESPN Injury report  reads like a casualty list from an epic war battle. And for the teams hoping for a Title shot, we can start with the Boston Celtics. Jaylen Brown's ankle injury appears to be a minor setback but it reminds us that without both Jay Team members in good health, Celtics fans will have little hope for a long post-season run. How about the strong-and-deep Brooklyn Nets. Kevin Durant is back, but newly-acquired Ben Simmons remains out with a back issue. And Kyrie Irving still can't play home games.  The Warriors are not faring well without their vital cog, Draymond Green, having lost seven of their last 10 games. The Suns are without Chris Paul for an extended time, and COVID always lingers in the fog, forcing Devin Booker to sit out for a while 'The Clippers now have their...

 "Fabrication" is defined either as an "invention" or a "lie". Which is it for the Brooklyn Nets?  Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving came to Brooklyn basically as free agents, and Ben Simmons forced his way out of Philly to eventually join the two stars. On paper, the Nets appear to be omnipotent . On hardwood, we await the final result. Even Danny Ainge questioned his construction of most of the team we now see on the parquet. "No clear hierarchy" was his pronouncement. Well, a few roster tweaks and a renewed energy have The Green surging in the past two months. In the months of January and February, Boston has a 19-7 record (.731) . That is a 26-game sample ,, and only League-leading Phoenix Suns have a better season record (49-11, .817) than the Celtics 26-game surge. My readers know very well my feelings for Irvings' flight from Boston to Brooklyn , and I doubt Simmons will get a warm reception in his first re-visit to Philadelphia , aft...

 The 1965-66 Celtics big-minutes quintet screamed DEFENSE. The 2021-22 crew has a few vibes of that 5-some. Boston fans can expect to see Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Rob Williams close out a lot of games from here on in. That unit checks all of the boxes for interior-and-perimeter defense . The offense remains a bit of a question. The Championship 1965-66 Celtics team included K C Jones, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Satch Sanders and Bill Russell. Russ, KC and Satch were primarily defensive specialists who only combined for 34.1 points per game during the regular season. Havlicak, who was also a defensive nightmare for opponents, and Sam were the main scorers, combining for 42.3 PPG. This clearly defines what Celtics opponents face. Just a few vibes of the 60's - The Jones Boys & Siegfried in the back-court - Hondo and Satch in the front-court - & Russ waiting for anyone seriously considering heading to the hoop. https://t.co/XOjK8Ieyog ...

      Is tonight a must win, this writer feels it's a winnable game. Last time the Celtics played the Hornets they had their opportunity to come out on top and failed. Looking at the EC standings - all these teams are beatable, and not to much separates the Celtics from the top 4. Six games from the top spot , not insurmountable, even if they get into the top four or five would be nice.       With that said, this schedule in Feb has a lot of winnable games. Now is the time to make that climb and put together a few wins in a row, dare I say a winning streak! Both JT and JB have been playing well with each other along with RWill, and The Wolverine. Now we need Brad to go make a move or two.       Let's not give up on this season, I hear and see some fans want it to be blown up, get into the lottery, restart the franchise. You don't do that when you have the talents of JB and JT. You just don't! Unless your getting the Greek in return....

    1st Quarter     RWill needs to neutralize Bam tonight, along with Al.  What is with those Miami uniforms, sometimes simple is the best way to go. Need to jump on this team being short handed tonight. That first two points of the game came off of some excellent passing! Tatum to Smart to RWill for the JAM!    JT and JB showing how it's done on offense. They both have that natural ability to hit those mid range jumpers. It's been a team effort on offense with all five starters getting on the board. If their D can sustain it's intensity they will be able to frustrate this short handed Heat team. The sooner the Celtics light them up, the sooner we don't need to see those ugly uniforms.    2nd Quarter    Celtics need some energy,  slowly this short handed Heat team is chipping away at this lead. At such a slow pace this writer may have nodded off a bit. Celtics need to get things in gear and push pace of play and get the te...

 It took 69 points from The Jay Team to take out the weak Pelicans and get back to a (barely) winning (26-25) record . We at CelticsSentinel have broached the Celtics weak bench  and Ime Udoka's decision to not "play the kids" . With the NBA trade deadline on the horizon (11 days away), we are looking for intelligent, knowledgeable (and courteous) feedback from our readers. This is your time to vent. The following is from Brian Fleming, a long-time, devoted Celtics fan with whom I have communicated over the past years. "The (Celtics) bench remains a disaster and the coach has no idea how to use it better. For young players, Langford can't stay healthy and he was drafted for offense, but when he plays, he's nothing more than a defensive specialist. Nesmith was drafted for his shooting and scoring prowess. He doesn't play, and when he does, he can't seem to shoot. Grant Williams isn't a bust where he was drafted, but he's nothing more than a m...

 I never doubt what I see from the NBA's Taylor Snow , but when I saw his tweet on the very-high Net Rating for the Celtics five starters , I needed to verify it first hand. Boston's regular starting 5 of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Rob Williams has by far the best net rating (21.3) among all Eastern Conference lineups (min. 150 minutes). pic.twitter.com/m3p8639TZO — Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) January 26, 2022 Yes, it's true . According to NBA.com's stats,  the Boston Celtics starting-5 of Al Horford, Rob Williams, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart not only are tops in the East in Net Rating (second-overall), but they are ranked number-one in the NBA in Defensive Rating . In 14 games thus far this season, the frequent-starting quintet, in 14 games, have played together a total of 174 minutes - and despite much negativity on the general underachievement of The Green  in 2021-22, The Jay Team, Wolverine, Sky Pilot and Affable Al a...

       1st Quarter        Nice offensive sets so far the good guys in green. Marcus using his body getting to the rim with the and 1 you gotta love it. JB coming home tonight, can he come up with a lights out performance? I sure believe and hope so. One issue we are seeing right now is the Celtics getting out done in the paint. Need to change that, if we are going to be successful tonight.        JBs pace and attack are on point so far tonight. Need to keep this aggressive play going. Lets hope the rest of the team follows suit and gets it in gear. Hawks are a team we lost to earlier this season, tonight is the Return of the Jays (Jedi). Where we use the force necessary to get the W! Isn't basketball just a beautiful game. The sound of the ball being dribbled, a nice crisp pass between teammates and the sweet sound of a nothing but net shot. Awe I Love This Game! Nostalgic moment over on to the second quarter.    ...

        1st Quarter        Open the game with a BANG! BING BANG BOOM JT for Three! JT to JB for THREE! So far consistent ball movement on offense. We need to see a sustained effort to keep the ball moving. If we can do that guys should be able to capitalize. RWill saving another possession on the follow up, getting an uncontested dunk! JT and JB coming out hitting haymakers! Gotta love the start.        Where can the Celtics find those missing pieces for the roster?! I feel we all know this team needs a true point guard. That doesn't mean I want the Wolverine gone. This roster also needs shooters who can compliment the Jay Team! We have to be proactive this deadline. Unless Brad knows something we don't about this current roster. Nice play on both ends for the good guys in green!        2nd Quarter       Need to sustain this lead and intensity. By no means do I expect the Kings to shoot t...

      1st Quarter       What was that quarter all about, lack of energy, not very good ball movement. The Sixers came out to play while the Celtics are still stuck in Indiana . Offensively I'm watching a bunch of guys just standing around the three point line and it makes me sick. This is a total turn around from what they did the other night. This team looks out of sorts tonight.       I usually like watching the games because it's a nice escape from reality but so far tonight I want to turn off the game and watch anything else! My mind is already drifting to tomorrow night vs the Bulls . Not to mention Pat's vs Bills. I hope the next few quarters can keep Celtics fans engaged.       2nd Quarter       We all remember the Where's the Beef Commercial?! WHERES THE D!!! What is going on out there tonight, we win a few games in a row and we stop doing what got us there? You finally get yourself  b...