Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 If NBA.com's take on the importance of offensive rebounding is sound , maybe Joe Mazzulla should look into some improvement in that category ( per NBA.com's John Schuhmann ): Three seasons ago, with teams prioritizing transition defense, offensive rebounding percentage hit its lowest mark (26.4%) in the 28 seasons for which we have play-by-play data (and likely its lowest in NBA history). But, with teams perhaps seeing extra value in second chances (which are more efficient than initial possessions), offensive rebounding percentage has gone up in each of the last three seasons Three seasons ago (2020-21), the Celtics were fourth in the League , collecting 10.6 offensive boards per game . This season they are pulling down virtually the same number off the offensive glass (10.7 ORPG), but they sit in 14th place - with five teams collecting more than 12-per-game. If Schuhmann is correct with his "second chances ... are more efficient than initial possessions" - and I...

      Brad Stevens as a coach was known for taking many different pieces and ingredients and making them work as a cohesive unit early on in his Celtics coaching days. It's like a masterful chef who can turn leftovers into an award winning dish. Later in his coaching career he had the top of the line ingredients and some of those meals weren't up to standard. Now as we watch him develop in his new role, what do we think?      He was able to unload Kemba Walker and his albatross of a contract for basically Al Horford, who in his time, brought a lot of consistency to Boston. This past week he traded away Tristan Thompson who spent a ton of time on the Covid list for Kris Dunn who may, if still on the roster, bring some toughness and defense off the bench.. Following that, he traded for Josh Richardson who always seemed to kill the Celtics. Maybe now that he's wearing Green, he can take it to other opponents as well.       Richardson is...

 Thursday's quiet draft night for the Boston Celtics has turned quickly into a trade whirlwind, starting with sending center Tristan Thompson on his way while acquiring Kris Dunn . The Celtics are trading Tristan Thompson to Atlanta for Kris Dunn, and a 2023 second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 30, 2021  You may remember that many Celtics fans were promoting Dunn as the Celtics choice for the number-3 pick, when Danny Ainge instead went with Jaylen Brown . Kris will earn $5 million this season in the final year of his contract. Now we have B rad Stevens working a deal to bring Josh Richardson to Boston. The 6'6" guard/forward fits right in with Boston's all-wing corps. The Dallas Mavericks are finalizing trading G/F Josh Richardson to the Boston Celtics, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium . Richardson is exercising his $11.6 million player option for the 2021-22 season for the deal. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 31, 2...

 CelticsBlog's Jeremy Stevens writes about the Celtics having a clean slate and benefiting from adding some solid veterans .  A soft reset could benefit the Celtics, who could seriously use some bench depth this offseason. Nothing dramatic, but some solid veteran signings would go a long way. I won't disagree with that, but I might add that The Green already have some solid vets that can help set the tone in the regular season and playoffs. Marcus Smart , at 27 years of age, is the longest-tenured Celtic, and Al Horford , at 35 years, will be rejoining The Wolverine on the parquet. Add in Evan Fournier, age 29, if he and Brad Stevens can reach an agreement, and possibly Tristan Thompson , (age 30) if the Celtics retain him. It is likely that Jayson Tatum rises to the level of team leader this season, but veteran stability is always needed for any valid Title hopes. I constantly bring up the current Phoenix Suns roster, and the only "greybeard" in the mix is 36-year...

 The Marcus Smart trade rumors are rampant. This proposal has Marcus, Tristan Thompson, Romeo Langford and a first-round pick going to the Pelicans for former-Celtic, Terry Rozier . The theory behind the idea is that the Celtics need a pass-first point guard. One of Danny Ainge's biggest regrets was allowing defensive ace, Tony Allen , to walk away in free agency. In my estimation, Smart has more value to the Celtics than Allen had at the time, and Brad Stevens should not trade The Wolverine away. Marcus will be in the final year of his contract this coming season, earning a bargain-level $13.8 million . This past season, he had career-highs in minutes (32.9 MPG), points (13.1 PPG), blocks (0.5 BPG) and guess what - assists (5.7 APG). The downside was his shooting. He only hit 40% of his field goals and 33% of his three-pointers. He will never be the second-coming of Ray Allen in the accuracy category, but he supplies energy, fire, ferocious defense and the willingness to do ...

 The optimists in Beantown are hoping for one or two wins over the Nets in the upcoming matchup. Regardless of the outcome, what happens in this series will go a long way to defining the following season. Danny Ainge has stated fans can expect he, Brad Stevens, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will all be back for the 2021-22 campaign . The rest is in Limbo. Danny Ainge told @Dan_Shaughnessy that he, Brad Stevens, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown will all still be part of the #Celtics next season. This shouldn't surprise (or disappoint) you, but in case you were curious... https://t.co/8orO0upg5S — Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) May 17, 2021 Much of the hope for a hard-fought series lies in the hands of Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Evan Fournier . Beyond that foursome, I find it interesting that at least one Brooklyn sports writer feels the center matchup featuring the Nets DeAndre Jordan and the Celtics Tristan Thompson is critical, basing the slant on Thompson'...

One of the numerous criticisms aimed at the Celtics this season is not knowing, and not playing, their individual roles within a team concept . Not so last night when The Green took out the New York Knicks, 101-99. Jaylen Brown Primarily, Jaylen is a score r, and he did that - pouring in a team-high 32 point s, including five 3-pointers. He also fulfilled his role on defense with 10 rebounds, two steals and one block. Jayson Tatum Jayson remains the key cog in the Celtics wheel as he was on the floor for a team-high 42 minutes and finishing the game with a balanced line of 25 points, 10 boards, five assists and one steal.  Marcus Smart Marcus does his best work when leaves the scoring to those teammates better-equipped to do so and sticks to to defense, rebounding and facilitation . He did all of that in the victory, taking assist honors with nine dimes (and only two turnovers), while also grabbing four rebounds, one steal and one block. Tristan Thompson Tristan was signed by ...

As the March 25 Trade Deadline approaches, there may be actual substance to a couple of rumors flying around the NBA landscape. And the first one could be a major shift in the structure of the Boston Celtics. If I was a decision maker of @IndianaMBB I would do ALL I can do to bring BRAD STEVENS back to college . After 8 years in the @NBA the timing might just be RIGHT for him to return to the state where he built his fame . — Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 15, 2021 It stars here. With Indiana's coaching position now open, Celtics coach Brad Stevens would be a nice fit there.  Stay tuned on this one. Brad staying in Boston or leaving will go a long way in determining any roster moves by Danny Ainge. Stevens is very fond of all-wing lineups with sufficient size to reduce size mismatches. Harrison Barnes would appear to be a popular target for Brad's offensive and defensive schemes. Report: ‘Many front office folks’ believe Harrison Barnes trade to Celtics ‘could be coming’ htt...

I know what you're thinking! But no, it's not about Theis' 15 points and 5-of-8 beyond the arc in the Celtics 122-108 loss to the Utah Jazz last night. He simply fits this Celtics team like a glove. At 6'8", he may be undersized at the center spot on most teams, but not with The Green. Currently at the age of 28, he will never be a stud in the NBA, but on a team that already has two young stars, he doesn't need to be. This season, he is averaging 9.3 PPG and 5.1 RPG in only 23.5 minutes per game, down slightly from 24.1 MPG last season. He is hitting 60% of his field goals and 42% of his 3-pointers. He leads fellow-big, Tristan Thompson, in points, assists, steals, blocks, FG%, 3-point% and FT%. One of my many hopes is Celtics center, Daniel Theis keeps getting better. Despite the benefits for him & his team, his last name just fits: "Theis is Ice", "Theis Tea" "Roll the dice on Theis", "Theis Iced the game", "Th...

Prior to the season, the Celtics Rob Williams projected that he would take a "great jump" in his third season with Boston. But it appears that coach Brad Stevens may be holding him back. Rob Williams has always been known as a leaper, but this season he plans to take a different type of jump on the court. https://t.co/efEX5HdEG5 — Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 8, 2020 In last night's 110-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Rob saw only 13 minutes of floor time. How did he do? He scored  six points on 3-of-3 from the field, while hauling down seven (7) rebounds, four of which were of the offensive glass.  He added one assist, one steal and one block, while committing only one turnover and racking up a single foul. I took the time to project what that may have meant had he been on the floor for 36 minutes: 17 points - 19 boards - 3 assists - 3 steals, 3 blocks - 3 turnovers - 3 fouls Yes, I know my 36-minute projection is pure fantasy! Or is it? Here are Williams III...

Celtics backup center, Rob Williams III , is out of action right now due to COVID-19 protocol, but upon his return he needs more time on the floor. We see glimpses of stardom in him, but even with what he has shown in limited minutes, he may end up as Boston's best choice at the center slot. His field goal percentage ranks second in the NBA (8 games or more, 16 MPG or more) at 77.4% , just behind DeAndre Jordan at 78.4% . His per-36-minutes stats show: 14.8 PPG, 14.3 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 3.3 BPG, 3.0 turnovers/game, 2.7 fouls/game A quick look at the NBA Defensive Dashboard numbers shows that he holds the top diff% (percentage points difference) of the Celtics' three major weapons at the 5-spot, Tristan Thompson, Daniel Theis and Williams III. Thompson has the worst diff% of the three with a differential of 10.2. Meaning in effect, Thompson allows opponents to shoot with much more accuracy than he does. Theis has a diff% of 2.9% , meaning he still allows opponents to shoot a high...

After the 96-93 loss last night to the Detroit Pistons, the Celtics remain immersed in mediocrity with a record of 3-3. It is obvious that they miss Gordon Hayward - lost to free agency - but it is Kemba Walker's lingering knee injury that is keeping them from a consistent winning record. Let's face it, the present Celtics squad needs to play more team ball. They ranked 25th last season with 23.0 assists per game. This year, The Green rank 22nd at 22.5 APG . Thus far, they lost a combined nine APG from Hayward and Walker, but Marcus Smart has ably picked up facilitation duties, and Jeff Teagues addition has helped in that category. Two of the main culprits keeping Boston from winning more games are the teams inability (or unwillingness) to hit the boards and its ineffectiveness in putting points on the board. They ranked 8th in the NBA last season in rebounds/game , averaging 46.1 RPG. They are mired at 24th place this year, pulling down only 42.3 RPG . The team misses En...

Rookies don't usually start games unless their names happened to be Larry Bird or Magic Johnson. And Brad Stevens is not high on major playing time for first-year guys anyway, so why broach this? Because the Celtics have needed a constant-motion shooting wing for a long time. I mean someone with reasonable size and mobility that never stops moving without the ball and has the capacity to handle the pass for a stop-and-pop or move to the basket.  That is what Nesmith is known for. Can he handle a starting assignment? I don't know, but it needs to be tried. Newly-acquired Jeff Teague has been projected by some to start in place of the injured Kemba Walker at the PG spot, but my choice is Marcus Smart, alongside the Jay Team and Daniel Theis or Tristan Thompson.  Brad Stevens may be a brilliant coach, but he can never be labeled as bold or remarkably innovative. Put Aaron at the SF spot - keep him in there despite miscues that may occur - and run some plays for him to see what he...

The real test for NBA players and their teams comes in the playoffs, not the regular season. Summer League, exhibitions and regular-season play are simply a prelude to the main event. That's why Danny Ainge picked up Tristan Thompson and Jeff Teague. Sure, his team needed more help in the middle and at the point, but both Thompson and Teague have been battle-tested repeatedly in the post-season. The Celtics have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. That can work very well for long-term success but can be a negative issue once the real competition starts, and that means the 2021 playoffs. Besides being post-season vets, Tristan is 29 years old and Jeff is 32. Age doesn't have a lot of positive gifts with it, but it does bring more wisdom and balance. Both attributes help a lot in the pressure cooker atmosphere of playoff competition. Will this all work as early as this season? Well, Danny has learned patience, but the Celtics 12-year Title drought may be gnawing at him. I env...

I go on record as being a major Daniel Theis fan - no superstar, but one of the top production-per-dollar players in the NBA. Now comes new acquisition, Tristan Thompson. Does he come to Boston as a starter at the center slot in place of Theis, or are the two viable together in the front court? I believe they are a workable combo when the opposing center is of the larger - and stronger - variety. Thompson at center and Theis at the PF spot just might work in that situation. Daniel has sufficient quickness to cover opposing wings, and my feeling is that Tristan has less of a chance to get bullied and manhandled by the brute centers. As accomplished a coach as Brad Stevens is, the start of this season should hopefully see him do more experimentation, and show more flexibility, in his lineups and substitutions. Enes Kanter is gone, and I doubt we will see Vincent Poirier on the roster after mid-season. That leaves Rob Williams and Grant Williams as substitutes at the 5-spot.  I believ...

Even with the free-agent acquisition of center, Tristan Thompson, in the Celtics attempt to improve strength, toughness and physicality , I still maintain that Danny Ainge needs to bring back Aron Baynes. Marcus Smart already covers those three bases, and the Celtics wisely fully-guaranteed the $1.8 million contract for Semi Ojeleye for this season, despite the 6'6" wing having naysayers among the Boston faithful ( Per Celtics blog's Adam Taylor ): Fresh off an impressive season in Phoenix, where he averaged career highs in points (11.5), rebounds (5.6), assists (1.6), and three-point percentage (35.1 on four attempts per game).  Aron Baynes  is an unrestricted free agent and fits the bill of a rotation caliber center that Boston so sorely needs. Ojeleye is 240 pounds of solid muscle. To opponents jockeying for position against him, it must seem like bumping against a cement wall. "But he can't play", his critics might say. I say he can. He has been an elite ...

As a 3-year supporter of Gordon Hayward's stint in Boston, I now say goodbye. I believe Charlotte overspent with their $120 million/4 year offer, and the Hayward "family" decision to depart Beantown was made in error. Time to move on. With Hayward bound elsewhere, and the free agent market looking like the Sahara desert, I remain optimistic. I never envisioned Danny Ainge as a Red Auerbach successor, but Danny has done quite well. Don't give up on The Green. — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) November 21, 2020 I have argued all along that  five tweaks to the Celtics roster  would put The Green back in the Finals, and Danny Ainge wasted no time in doing so. Cleveland center, Tristan Thompson, is coming on board via free agency with a $19 million deal spread over two years, although many Bostonians seem to favor the potential arrival of Khloe Kardashian.   The 29-year-old, 1-time NBA Champ averaged 30.2 MPG, 12.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG and 2.1 APG last season. He projects to b...

Gordon Hayward really doesn't want to talk about his 2017 ankle injury any more - he just wants to play. And he certainly did last night when the Celtics took down the Cavaliers, 119-113. He racked up a team-high 39 points while hitting ALL 16 of his 2-point attempts. Oh, and he added seven rebounds and eight assists (per NBA's Steve Herrick): Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. had a simple assessment of the performance. ''He (Hayward) didn't miss,'' Nance said. ''He's crafty. He plays the game at a very cerebral level.'' "Crafty", indeed! I have written this frequently about the versatile Hayward. He is as clever a player as we see on the hardwood. Much like Paul Pierce , he works the ball on offense, always looking for the right play, whether it be a drive, jumper or pass. "Cerebral" defines his play. Here's the entire list of NBA players who have made at least 15 2-pointers in a game without a miss: ∙ Wil...