Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 This season will mark Jaylen Brown's fifth selection as an All-Star and his first shot at starting the game. Here's how the voting went from fans, media and current players. The fans ranked the Celtics G/F at #5 - while players put him at #3 . The media put him at the top , ranking Brown at #1. Jaylen's 5th-best weighted score of 3.5 squeezed him into the starting-5 for the 2026 NBA All-Star contest. It is intesting that the media placed Jaylen over every player in the East , while fans ranked him behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey ad Jaylen Brunson . The players rightly put Brown before both Maxey and Brunson. Jaylen is having a career season in Jayson Tatum's absence, and it is refreshing to see the voters put him in the starting unit.

 It wasn't simply strong performances by Philly's Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey that resulted in Boston's loss to the rival 76'ers . The duo combined for 60 points, but the Boston bench just did not put enough points on the board to make a difference in the outcome. With Jrue Holiday out for this game, Al Horford started in his place and had a solid game (17 points, 6-of-13 FG, 5-of-10 3s). The subs consisted of Luke Kornet, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta. The reserves managed a mere combined 12 points (5-of-16 FG) . Luke supplied half of the total points, but Pritchard finally had an off game - hitting 1-of-9 from the field and missing all eight shots from beyond the arc. Hauser and Walsh went scoreless. This was only one game, but it was Boston's second loss in as many games . Jrue Holiday's defense was sorely missed, and Pritchard and Hauser both had weak games off the bench. Hopefully, Jrue is back soon, and the White Pin...

 As of today, January 4, 2024, five writers for NBA.com unanimously picked the Celtics Jayson Tatum as a frontcourt starter in the upcoming 2024 NBA All-Star contest.    Other locks by NBA.com were Tyrese Haliburton in the backcourt, along with Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the frontcourt . Tyrese Maxey, (twice)  Jalen Brunson, Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell also received votes to possibly join Haliburton at the guard position.

  "The Process" in Philadelphia basically involved shameless tanking to pick up Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz . None of that trio were on the TD Garden parquet when the 76'ers defeated the Boston Celtics in Game-1 of the Eastern Semi's. Oh, the shame of it all! With Embiid out with a knee injury and Simmons and Fultz gone from the City of Brotherly Love, it was James Harden (45 points, 6 assists), Tobias Harris 18 points, 5 boards, 3 assists) and Tyrese Maxey (26 points, 4 steals) that too over, with former Celtics Coach, Doc Rivers gloating on the sideline.  The Celtics were heavy favories to take Game-1, particularly with the 76'ers big man out of action. But, alas, that was not to be. Boston seemed to rely on their offense to win the contest They shot 74% from the field in the first half but onloy led by three points (66-63) at the end of the half. That was the red light for Boston - as analyst Charles Barkley stated - the Celtics should have ...