Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

      First Half Thoughts           Dennis schroder came to show he can score , hitting a few threes, knocking down the midrange and doing his thing on D, drawing a charge . Smart threw up 2 threes that were not clos e.        Jabari Parker was straight ballin! Hitting three 3s and bringing the hammer off a nice Payton Pritchard pass . PP also touched the twine with a three of his own off a Jayson Tatum pass . GWill with another three!        JT going to the hoop is what we need to see more of . He was involving his teammates which is wonderful. Jaylen Brown's quickness getting to the hoop is like watching the flash . His dribble moves have definitely improved. There were a bit too many threes on offense overall. Score tied 33-33.       2nd Quarter Thoughts      JT was wide open for a nice jumper off a good play. Off the dribble he was able to nail the jumper in the defe...

      Jabari Parker is back after clearing waivers he's rejoining the greatest franchise ever! I guess it's possible this was a way to save money? Add another piece? Who knows right now. With that said, what we saw in preseason out of him could be a huge this year. We need bench scoring and her could be a piece.       Label this writer as excited to have him back in the fold! Hope to see him play tomorrow night! He's a guy with great talent and with Ime as his coach will we see the best play of his career?

 The Celtics didn't waste much time coming to terms with 6'5" Brodric Thomas after he was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers six days ago. Thomas went undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft and has also spent time with the Rockets at the G-League ( per NBA.com ): The undrafted guard from Truman State also played in the NBA G League in 2020-21, where he was named to the All-NBA G League Second Team and to the NBA G League All-Rookie Team. In six games with the Cleveland Charge (then Canton Charge), the Cavaliers’ exclusively owned and operated NBA G League team, Thomas averaged 21.3 points on .462 shooting from the field, including .462 (24-52) from three-point range, 6.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.17 steals and 1.17 blocks in 33.8 minutes.  Brodric will join Sam Hauser as a two-way player with the Maine Celtics. The 15th roster spot for Boston remains open after the team waived Jabari Parker . Initial indications are that the slot will remain open, at least for the present time.

 Boston fans have no idea what to expect from these two guys. Injuries and limited floor time have left Jabari Parker and Romeo Langford in Limbo with respect to what they can offer this season. But their emergence could significantly swing the odds in Boston's favor in both the regular season and playoffs. Parker has shown his bosses enough that it appears he will make the roster cut and earn at least a guaranteed $1.1 million as of the start of the regular season. He has the size (6'8"), age (26 years old) and skills to help The Green's cause if he remains injury-free. Looks like Jabari Parker is a lock to make the final roster cut. Look for my upcoming article. Best of Jabari Parker in 2020-21 NBA Season https://t.co/y9WaPwrt7M via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) October 17, 2021  Although not blessed with superior athleticism , at least from what we have seen, Jabari can score in many ways - bullying his way to the hoop - creating his own shot from mid...

 I am sticking to my preferred Celtics starting-5 of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Rob Williams and - yes - the veteran, Al Horford . Ime Udoka starting newly-acquired Juancho Hernangomez at power forward versus Orlando in exhibition is simply early roster-tinkering. That's what coaches do in exhibition play. Expect a different look in the starting quintet on Saturday, and I have no idea what that "new look" will resemble . I expect a different face at power forward, and Jabari Parker may get a look as a starter. But when the real battles begin in the regular season, expect Horford to be out there for the starting gun. Ime Udoka seems to be in a "switch everything" defense mode , having sufficient youth, depth and size to make it work - but the question is - would this be the best defensive strategy. Pro basketball is more a game of instincts than long-thought-out strategies more-conducive to winning at chess. With a premier shot-blocking center l...

 My readers know the starting-five that I feel is the best mix of offense, defense, seasoning and overall skill. That would consist of Al Horford, Rob Williams, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart . I think the "two-bigs-won't-cut-it" argument has no basis. Rob is 6'8" tall, the same as Tatum, and he can play as a mobile center or a wing. Admittedly, questions remain on the composition of the second unit, but to start the season, I like Dennis Schroder, Payton Pritchard, Josh Richardson, Jabari Parker (if he makes the team) and Enes Kanter coming off the bench.  Granted, that leaves Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams, Bruno Fernando - and several new additions of whom we know little - as contenders for the back-up quintet. So why did I put Parker into that second unit when we are not sure he will even make the team? My position is - if he ends up on the roster, he needs sufficient minutes to prove, or disprove, his value to the team . This could be a make-o...

The Boston Celtics face the New York Knicks on October 20, and one of the matchups will have me focused. That would be two power forwards drafted in 2014 - the Celtics Jabari Parker taken with the second-overall pick and the Knicks Julius Randle taken five spots later at number-7 . Why compare these two? Well, it took Randle seven seasons to reach the All-Star level , and he has found his place in New York. Conversely, Parker will be fighting for a roster spo t with The Green. Last season, Julius totally blossomed, averaging 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 6.0 APG - while hitting on 46% of his field goals and 41% on his 3-pointers . Those numbers earned him the NBA Most Improved Player Award , racking up 98-of-100 first-place votes. This could be Jabari Parker's make-or-break season, at least in Boston. Let's hope that Jabari's limited playoff performance (14.8 MPG, 8.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 62% FG, 40% 3s) last season bodes well for a roster spot in Boston - and hopefully, a breakout...

 NBA teams can have up to 20 players in the off-season, but that number needs to be cut to 15 by the start of the regular season . Boston currently has 15 players under contract , but that doesn't mean all of those present 15 will make up the final roster. Juwan Morgan recently signed with the Celtics but only as a training camp invitee . Ditto for Luke Kornet . Both will be fighting for a roster spot, as will Jabari Parker whose deal for the upcoming season is only partially guaranteed. Def happy with what Brad's done. Added a ton of depth and removed guys that weren't able to contribute consistently. Much better roster overall and much better support around the Jays. Unless something pops up out of nowhere I think Brad's going to wait and see how things fit. — StrengthIN#S (@StrengthinS) September 10, 2021 There will be other free agents at Boston's pre-season camp, and a trade is always a possibility. Brad Stevens has already indicated that any significant de...

      Jabari Parker has truly made the rounds in his career. He's played for the Bucks, Bulls, Wizards, Hawks, Kings, and your beloved Celtics . Is he even worth keeping in this roster? Does he have the desire to give it his all? Have injuries taken its toll on him?       A star at Duke his NBA career has been a dud . Not to say he hasn't had decent moments as a pro but overall you would say he's been a bust. The injuries he's had could definitely play a role in why he hasn't reached his full potential. Let's also think about this. Sometimes the one-and-done just doesn't pan out in the NBA.       Is it his work ethic on the floor that has truly made him the player he has become. To most basketball fans, he hasn't done much. With that said, is it possible Danny saw something in him or was that more just a desperate move of a GM who saw his team just didn't have it last season .        Does he even deserve a spot ...

 Right off the bat, let me state that I use the term "misfits" lovingly . I refer to individuals, like me , constantly on the move - or at least endlessly searching for their proper niche in the world. For the Celtics, it starts with coach, Ime Udoka . This guy has seen more stops than the Boston subway system . No NBA team wanted him, and he went undrafted in 2000. He later saw 16 (yes, 16) stops around the globe as a player - and then three stints as an assistant coach before landing his first job as head coach in Boston. Al Horford has played in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and Oklahoma City but has settled back in Beantown after less-than-satisfactory stays in Philly and OKC . Fellow-center, Enes Kanter played for four different teams prior to going into bumper pool mode, with two stints-each in Boston and Portland . Josh Richardson has experienced a more-sedentary existence by comparison , playing four seasons in Miami before serving a year in Philadelphia and the ...

 Using last season's stats, I did some numerical analysis on what type of production we might expect with Al Horford, Enes Kanter and Rob Williams manning the 5-spot. I am projecting that both Al and Rob will spend floor time at center and power forward , while Enes will probably play most of the time at the center spot. Please note that the allotted minutes and other stats for Horford and Williams are for their time in the middle only. I expect they will log additional minutes at the forward spots. Horford: 18 MPG - 9.2 PPG - 4.3 RPG - 2.2 APG - 0.6 SPG - 0.6 BPG Kanter:   16 MPG - 7.3 PPG - 7.2 RPG - 0.8 APG - 0.3 SPG - 0.5 BPG Williams III: 14 MPG - 5.9 PPG - 5.1 RPG - 1.3 APG - 0.6 SPG - 1.3 BPG Rounding out the stats, it looks like roughly 22 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks from the 5-spot in 48 minutes of play from the center trio. Of course, Coach Ime Udoka may throw these numbers to the winds by giving Grant Williams or Jabari Parker majo...

 Brad Stevens' strategy is quite clear. Keep the Celtics very competitive this season while setting the financial stage for next off-season to make a solid push for Banner 18. The three new acquisitions (Kris Dunn, Josh Richardson, Enes Kanter) are all on expiring deals this coming season. Jabari Parker has a team option this season. Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard and Carsen Edwards all have "Team Option" attached to their 2022-23  contracts. Marcus Smart will be in the final year of his latest contract this season, and no information is coming out relative to an extension. This all equates to the Boston Celtics potentially having some real cap room this summer.  The free agent class for summer of '22 includes James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal - all having a player option. Julius Randle and Zach Lavine look to be unrestricted free agents. It appears that the Celtics are looking at that one-year perio...

 I admit that when I try to discern what lineups coach Ime Udoka will employ this season, I often forget Jabari Parker . He is definitely a wild card.  The injury-plagued forward (two ACL tears - same knee - early in his career) has never lived up to expectations as the second-overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. But he is still only 26 years old and could experience a resurgence with the Celtics. After all, Nate "Tiny" Archibald did just that, coming to the Celtics in 1978 following recovery from an Achilles tear and helping them win a Title in 1981. His career stats don't exactly bring Larry Bird to mind, averaging 14.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 2.0 APG over seven seasons. Although he can hit the occasional 3-pointer, he generally scores close to the basket. At 6'8" and 245 pounds, he could play the center spot sporadically.  My guess is that Udoka will take a close look at Parker and his health and physical shape coming into trai ing camp. Jabari is owed $2.3 million ...

Newly-acquired Jabari Parker produced more in his debut with the Boston Celtics than most fans expected. His 11 points in only 16 minutes of action was a bit of a surprise, but Parker's four rebounds really stood out because they were all off the offensive boards . Nice debut for Jabari Parker - 11 points on a combo of put-backs, mid-range jumper & "sweet turnaround move" close to the hoop - 4 rebounds ALL Offensive. Jabari Parker Celtics Debut Highlights vs Golden State Warriors (11 pts,... https://t.co/6i0bEmB3gj via @YouTube — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) April 19, 2021 At least pre-All-Star break, the Celtics seemed to work hard on almost every attempted shot. Easy baskets seldom happened. Particularly with Enes Kanter gone, put-backs via offensive boards were rare. But Saturday night versus the Warriors, Jabari scored off all of his four offensive board s. Three of his hoops came on put-backs following the offensive boards, and he sank a fourth shot on a mi...

Celtics coach, Brad Stevens , seems to have the "you-can't-have-too-many-wings" mindset . The Celtics have waived recently-acquired Moritz Wagner , and plan to sign the 6'8", 245-pound Parker to a two-year deal. Jabari Parker -- the former No. 2 overall pick -- has agreed to a two-year deal with the Celtics, sources said. Parker, a career 14.8 points per game scorer, gives Boston some depth in frontcourt. https://t.co/MBe2PXC5Fu — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 16, 2021 The recently-turned 26 year-old was taken with the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, and two torn ACL's in the same knee and a bunch of trades have certainly had a negative effect on his career. One reaction to the acquisition follows: This seems like a good acquisition, Tom. This is a young guy who can still play. He can fill the bucket, and he has something to prove. A second unit with Parker and Fournier on the court is a significant improvement ove...