Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 With Kawhi Leonard withdrawing from Olympic competition , the Celtics Derrick White will apparently replace him on USA's roster. Leonard must still be recovering from a knee injury suffered last season with the Clippers and will be focusing on rehab rather than international competition . The choice of White over Jalen Brunson for the open spot is a clear indication USA Basketball is looking for perimeter defense - with the plan of often pairing the Celtics Championship backcourt duo of White and Jrue Holiday. Good guy Derrick White is headed to the Olympics pic.twitter.com/u0WakBvSiv — Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) July 10, 2024 This is simply good news for the Boston Celtics. A Championship and a gold medal for three of The Green's starters in the same year would be remarkable. 

The Blame Game is really underway for Team USA's disappointing finish in World Cup play. Team USA finished in 7th place, far worse than what most expected. The Boston Celtics' rivals and general haters are on a roll - taking shots at the Boston Foursome of Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Team USA really just lost to France. They’re now playing for fifth place. I guess that’s what happens when you depend on 4 Celtics to win you something — 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) September 11, 2019 Celtics players couldn’t get the job done? pic.twitter.com/gVbz9vX8Fk — Lakers Empire (@LakersEmpire) September 11, 2019 No mention is made in the tweets about super stars such as Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis choosing not to participate. There is also no suggestion that international competition is new to the members of team USA who had very little chance to gel and come together as a team. FIBA rules, such as the 10-minute quarters and no 3-second de...

Boston Celtics guard, Marcus Smart, did not participate in Team USA's 94-89 loss to Serbia on Saturday and will not play when the Americans face Poland on Saturday, a game that will decide 7th place. Marcus' X-rays on his left hand came back negative, but he is still experiencing calf and quad soreness - thus the decision to shut him down for the final two games. Marcus Smart underwent X-rays on a left knuckle injury this week that came back negative, but soreness in the hand along with quad/calf soreness led to the decision to shut him down. https://t.co/bWfGsLBdqW — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 11, 2019 Smart's stats in five games for Team USA were not dazzling, but his numbers never jump off the page. He averaged 6.4 PPG on 48% from the field, in addition to 1.4 RPG - hardly the stuff of legend. But his defense was riveting. At times it seemed that he was covering all five opponents on any single sequence. And this last-second 3-pointer astounded everyon...

Boston Celtics wing, Jaylen Brown, isn't known for his passing skills, nor is he known as an able substitute at the center spot. But he played all three positions in Team USA's 89-73 victory over Brazil. Jaylen Brown the playmaker in transition pic.twitter.com/AgFi2E7Ovi — Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) September 9, 2019 In the first four contests in World Cup competition, all wins for Team USA, Jaylen totaled three assists. In the win over Brazil, he bettered that total in a single game with four assists. So what's the deal with Gregg Popovich using Brown at center in the fourth quarter? Here's MassLive's Tom Westerholm on that: On Monday, for an important stretch in the fourth quarter, Team USA went to Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown at the five -- a hyper small-ball unit, but an intriguing idea. The risk paid off handsomely. While former NBA center Anderson Varejao was able to take advantage of his height in the post against Brown on a pair of possession...

This game was close for the first three quarters, but Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown all made key contributions as Team USA extended the lead in the fourth quarter, with the game ending with an 89-73 victory for the USA over Brazil. Starters for Team USA were Donovan Mitchell, Harrison Barnes, Joe Harris, Kemba Walker and Myles Turner. Jayson Tatum was forced to miss another game with a sore ankle. The score remained close for all of the first half, and Team USA's 55% shooting on field goals was much-needed, as their accuracy from beyond the arc was only 31%. The first half ended with a score of 43-39 in favor of the Americans. As usual, Kemba Walker was the rock for the USA with 10 points and five assists. Marcus Smart was all over the court, coming away with his normal varied line of six points, one rebound, one block and one last-second steal to end the period. He displayed no indications of any past injury issues. Brown had three points and two boards. Former-N...

Boston Celtics guard, Marcus Smart, was instrumental in Team USA's 69-53 victory over Greece on Saturday. Coach Gregg Popovich assigned Marcus to cover Giannis Antetokounmpo, and despite The Greek Freak's production (23 points, 13 rebounds), he was pestered by Smart for much of the game. Instead of watching games, just focus on @smart_MS3 . It's 100% beauty. pic.twitter.com/PLIVZvROfJ — Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) September 7, 2019 Giannis' length, mobility and frame make him a devastating inside threat, but most rival coaches are more-than-happy to give him the outside shot. At 6'11" and a solid 242 pounds, the initial take for most would be that Smart, at 6'4" and 220 pounds, would be over matched. Wrong! Marcus' coverage of The Freak is reminiscent of the 6'8' Dave Cowens defending the Milwaukee Bucks 7'2" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But for frenetic perimeter defense on Oscar Robertson, and a diving-hit-the-floor-ball-retrieve ...

Boston Celtics wing, Jaylen Brown, redeemed himself in Team USA's demolishing of Japan, 98-45 . The game was never in doubt as the Americans got off to a 13-0 start. 1Q: 🇺🇸 USA 23, 🇯🇵 JPN 9 A 13-0 start gets us rolling! Nine of the 10 available players already on the scoresheet. #USAGotGame pic.twitter.com/yuFTY2rqXm — USA Basketball (@usabasketball) September 5, 2019 Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart both sat this one out. Tatum was nursing a sore ankle , injured in the final seconds of Team USA's narrow win over Turkey. No reason was evident for Smart not playing in the contest. JAYLEN BROWN WINDMILL LET'S GOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/8HsRdMvjza — Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) September 5, 2019 The score was 56-23 at the end of the first half and 84-31 after three quarters. After a poor performance against Turkey, Jaylen Brown redeemed himself in this game. His scoring and rebounding were exceptional. Jaylen Brown killed a guy pic.twitter.com/jn4ltB2lwM ...

There are six Boston Celtics players currently involved in FIBA World Cup competition, each with two games under their belts. Here are my ratings thus far, solely based on the statistics via USAB.Com . Number 1: Kemba Walker There is no surprise here. Kemba has been vital to Team USA's 2-0 record. In 25.0 minutes per game, he has averaged 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals. And he has shot 50% on field goals and 36% on 3-pointers. His quickness on offense and dedication to defense has put tremendous pressure on the opposition. Number 2: Jayson Tatum Jayson's shooting has been off, only hitting 32% of his field goals and 25% on treys. But he has averaged 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. With 24.5 MPG of floor time, Coach Gregg Popovich obviously sees Tatum's importance to the cause. Jayson is expected to miss the following two games with a moderate ankle injury. Number 3: Vincent Poirier Poirier has only logged 14.0 ...

Two Boston Celtics contributed heavily to a very close 93-91 victory over Turkey in World Cup competition. The Turkish crew proved very tough for the Americans to handle, but Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum came through for Team Shamrock and Team USA. The first half ended with Team USA up by five points with a score of 47-42. Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker were the big guns for the USA. Tatum racked up five points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Kemba scored five points, grabbed two boards and passed off for three assists. Ersan Ilyasova was high man for Turkey with 15 points in the half, to go with four rebounds. At the 0:04 mark of the third quarter, Walker went into the game for Marcus Smart and hit a last-second prayer of a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. The score at the end of the third period was 65-61 in favor of Team USA. Myles Turner's play in this game through three quarters was sensational, pouring in 11 points and taking down eight rebounds. . @KembaWa...

The Boston Celtics quartet of Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart played a vital role in Team USA's victory over the Czech Republic in World Cup competition. Jayson Tatum came alive in this one, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists. He was only 4-of-11 from the field but is now finding his range. Kemba Walker seemed unstoppable, racking up 13 points on 6-of-8 from the field and 2-of-5 on 3-pointers. KEMBA DID IT TO EM pic.twitter.com/WRYqKC8kgi — Damon Lincoln (@ByDamonLincoln) September 1, 2019 HALF: 🇺🇸 USA 43, 🇨🇿 CZE 29 @jaytatum0 paces U.S. scorers with 10 pts. @KembaWalker with 8 pts. & 3 ast. 📊 https://t.co/cYQKcVWwX8 #USAGotGame x #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/mjVy85L7Cx — USA Basketball (@usabasketball) September 1, 2019 Jaylen Brown was rather quiet - but solid, finishing with two points, three rebounds and one steal. Dovovan Mitchell was high scorer for Team USA with 16 points.Marcus Smart was second in minutes...

Kemba Walker and Myles Turner started the game along with Jayson Tatum, Harrison Barnes and Donovan Mitchell. The contest was never in serious doubt as Team USA led throughout. The final score was 84-68 in favor of Team USA. Jaylen Brown came away with a team-high 19 points in 19 minutes of floor time. Jaylen also tied with Harrison Barnes for plus/minus honors with a +16. The first half ended with what turned out to be the play of the game. Marcus Smart initiated the action by diving on the floor and coming away with a loose ball and tap-passing it to a teammate while still floor-bound. A fast break ensued, ending in a lob by Kris Middleton to Donovan Mitchell for the slam. The score at the end of the half was 44-31 in favor of the USA. Of course the play of the game so far was started by Marcus Smart doing Marcus Smart things pic.twitter.com/s847EhSY1X — Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) August 26, 2019 The play of Brown keeps improving with each exhibition . He shot 8-of-11 f...

Team USA Coach Gregg Popovich has made the final cut to the team that will head for China in FIBA World Cup competition. Kyle Kuzma was the final casualty, leaving the team reportedly because of an ankle injury. So barring any injuries or unexpected occurrences, the Boston Celtics Kemba Walker, Jaylen brown, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum, dubbed Team Shamrock, will represent the United States in FIBA competition. Many analysts felt that Marcus Smart would not make the cut due to his calf injury, but he was in action in last night's loss to Australia, scoring seven points in nine minutes, and adding one rebound and three assists. A little rust was evident as his moves appeared somewhat tentative, but his play was solid. Jaylen Brown's status with USA Basketball seemed in jeopardy after his quiet showing in an intrasquad scrimmage, but he has looked good since, scoring eight points last night on perfect shooting from the field and beyond the arc. His size and versatility will...

According to Bleacher Report, all four Boston Celtics have made the final cut and will be on Team USA's final roster for FIBA World Cup play. Kyrle Kuzma was the final player cut from the 12-man roster, reportedly for an ankle injury Kyle Kuzma was the team's last cut with an ankle injury https://t.co/brqUHkvTaw — Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) August 24, 2019 Jaylen Brown's quiet performance in Team USA's intrasquad scrimmage caused some to believe he would not make the final group heading to China. Marcus Smart's calf issue aroused similar thoughts on his status with the team. Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum both seemed like a lock for the China trip from the beginning. Now it appears official. Boston Celtics Team Shamrock will remain intact. All four will be heading to China . Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel and @_Celtics_Center

Four Boston Celtics took the floor for Team USA against the Australian Boomers, but the Aussies used team play to come away with a 98-94 victory. Marcus Smart started this one and put the Yanks on the board with a nice 3-pointer. He came up with an assist soon thereafter, and he looked good out there. Marcus Smart is already hitting threes 😍😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/FiHt4uLkxK — Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) August 24, 2019 Kemba Walker wasn't in the starting lineup, but Gregg Popovich didn't keep him out of action for long. It was apparent from the start that the Boomers were not going to give anything away. The Australians play tough- and they play as a team. One of the announcers had this to say about both teams: The Americans want to get it done with individual brilliance. They've got the ability to break their man down and score points on opponents. ... we see the the sort of ball movement (from the Boomers) - ball movement - man movement. They rely on each other. ...

Daniel Theis continued to impress in World Cup competition with Germany's 89-70 victory over Tunisia. Theis collected 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the win. What stands out in the highlights below are Daniel's four blocks. He rejects shots near the rim and close to the perimeter. He is moving fluidly, and any trace of his meniscus issue is completely gone Daniel Theis Germany NT Highlights vs Tunisia (10 pts, 8 reb, 4 blk) https://t.co/HjzTA6PuB2 via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) August 23, 2019 It also looks like the 6'8" German has added a floater to his offensive arsenal. He gets off two successful beauties over the opposition. His passing seems solid, and the eight boards speak for themselves. Put all of this together with his post game and outside shooting, and we are looking at serious versatility here. In a previous article , I stressed the fact that the 5-spot was a major concern for the Boston Celtics, and with continued improv...

The Boston Celtics Marcus Smart may not have played a game for Team USA, but he has now been named as a tri-captain along with Boston Teammate, Kemba Walker, and Utah's Donovan Mitchell. The #Celtics already have 4️⃣ players on Team USA. Now they've got 2️⃣ captains. @ASherrodblakely https://t.co/U0vZ6G5qtW pic.twitter.com/xr9N2c7eXN — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) August 22, 2019 There is no surprise with Kemba in this leadership role . He is a star, an NBA veteran, and a proven leader ( per NBC Sports Boston"s A. Sherrod Blakely ): "We have a bunch of guys who don't mind being the underdogs,” Walker told reporters. “We are hungry, and we are going to go out there to try and win a gold medal...I take pride in being a leader and guys looking to me and I'm here to set the tempo and bring my experience and energy." Mitchell is no major surprise. He seems to have it all - talent, maturity, team play. Marcus is the shocker. I have been ...

The Boston Celtics Marcus Smart did not play, but his three teammates truly shined in Team USA's 102-84 win over a determined Australia crew. Kemba Walker atarted the game once again and played a team-high 23 minutes, while putting up a team-high 23 points and grabbing six rebounds. No one apparently told the Australian Boomers that this was merely exhibition. The game was in doubt for the first two-and-a-half quarters. The Aussies went on a 12-2 run to close the first half with a score of 44-43 in favor of the Yanks. Then things turned around with 2:10 left in the third quarter when the Boston Celtics Team Shamrock , along with Donovan Mitchell, took over. Team USA went on a 10-0 run, resulting in a 54-45 score and a nine point lead for the Americans. The fourth quarter saw Team USA broaden the margin. Myles Turner was a powerhouse throughout the game, finishing with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Jaylen Brown, who started the game with Walker, played point guard on a few possessi...

As a writer for The Celtics Center @_Celtics_Center, I plan to run a season-long contest for our readers. It is a great way to get more involved with a very promising upcoming season. To get it started, we are looking for Team USA's matchup against Australia in a World Cup exhibition contest at 5:30 AM on Thursday, August 22, 2019. The Celtics Team Shamrock (Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart) will be facing former-Celtics Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills. 🇦🇺🏀🇺🇸 @BasketballAus x @usabasketball 5:30am/et Thursday on @NBATV / @Twitch https://t.co/suLWKySCXD — NBA (@NBA) August 20, 2019 I am looking for the combined points of Team Shamrock in this contest. Ex: Walker (10 points), Tatum (12), Brown (9), Smart (6) totals 37 points. At this writing, whether Smart will play is up in the air, but I expect he will. List points for each player, along with total combined points. Submit your guess in the comment section of thi...

Daniel Theis and Dennis Schroder excelled last night in Germany's 92-84 win over Poland in FIBA World Cup exhibition. Theis notched 17 points on 7-of-15 from the field, while adding four rebounds and three blocks. He and point guard, Schroder, have a lot of synergy out there on the floor as Dennis scored 33 points while handing out nine assists and grabbing five boards. Daniel Theis Germany NT Highlights vs Poland (17 pts, 4 reb, 3 blk) https://t.co/4FdxNHrUCV via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) August 19, 2019 That's your @celtics big @dtheis10 making plays like a guard. Another solid game for Theis who finished with 17 points, 4 boards and 3 blocks against Poland today. pic.twitter.com/vjGmAQ9yr5 — Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) August 18, 2019 Daniel was definitely off on his 3-point shooting, taking four attempts beyond the arc and missing all of them. But his post game was solid, and he did well from mid-range. What may be most-notable for Boston fans...

Marcus Smart's calf issue seems to be a thing of the past. He had indicated that all of the tests by Celtics staff were exceptional, and he was ready to get out there. Team USA headed for Australia yesterday (Saturday), and they will face Australia in exhibition on August 22. Barring another mishap, Marcus should be on the floor for practice tomorrow and for the game on Thursday. As they prepare to leave the country today, Team USA gets one roster boost to counter the unexpected departure of De'Aaron Fox: Marcus Smart, I'm told, has been cleared to make a full return to the court from the calf injury that has sidelined him for the past week-plus — Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 17, 2019 Marcus Smart wanted some against the young guys at @USABasketball practice today pic.twitter.com/phMlRt39rz — Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 16, 2019 Australia will put Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Joe Ingles, Matthew Dellavedova and tough Patty Mills on the floor against...