Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  Who knew? Who leads the entire League in "Average Seconds per Touch"? None other than newly-acquired Mike Muscala . "Moose" has possession on the ball a mere 1.12 seconds before launching a shot or passing to a teammate. His two partners at The-5, Luke Kornet and Rob Williams, can't exactly be labelled "ball hogs" either. Luke comes in at #5 at 1.23 seconds per touch , and Rob is at #8 at 1.24 seconds/touch . So Williams III holds on to the ball 0.01 seconds longer than Kornet . Why do I even write about what some may feel is an insignificant statistic? I find it fascinating. Rob's number is low, in part due to his many put-backs off offensive boards and lobs . If he has the ball in his hands longer than one second on those plays, I would be surprised. The same holds for Kornet. He has his share of lobs and put-backs. Muscala gets his shot off from deep with no hesitation. And he appears to be damn good at it. Make of it what you will, but the...

 The answer to my title question is an emphatic "NO"! I attended quite a number of games at the Old Boston Garden in the early-70's when "High Henry" was backing up Dave Cowens at the center spot. @MikeDynan got it right. Muscala gets the nod quite readily. Although all three 7-footers have similar size, that's about the extent of the comparison.  Mike is definitely the better marksman , and he moves much better that Finkel ever did. The same goes for Luke Kornet . Henry took a lot of flak from Celtics fans upon his arrival in beantown, as any replacement for Bill Russell would, but he became a fan favorite with the arrival of Cowens when The Green started winning games. High Henry (per Johnny Most) was effective in the low post, but Kornet is probably better, especially for today’s game. More mobile and has an outside shot out to the arc. But Hank Finkel had some great moments. I checked: his career high was 42 with 17 boards. — Mike Dynon ☘️🏀 (@MikeDy...

 The Celtics' trade for OKC's Mike Muscala may not have been earth-shaking, but the 6'11" sniper checks a number of boxes for Boston. He logged 16 minutes in the Celtics win over Charlotte last might, hitting 4-of-8 shots from beyond the 3-point line. He l ooked like he had been with The Green for years. So what boxes does he check? Start with the "shooter with size" that Brad Stevens (and Danny Ainge before him) are always looking for. The second box has to do with Grant Williams . If Stevens chooses not to go with Grant long-term, Muscala may be able to fill his role - at least partially. The third box is somewhat in question and will be answered in the second half of the season. Specifically, can "M&M" contribute in the post-season? Last night's sample-of-one is not sufficient to answer the query, but I would be surprised if the answer was "No". Mike may not have been Stevens' first choice prior to the Trade Deadline...

  Remember Brad Lohaus? The 6'11", 230-pound C/F  was drafted 45th-overall by the Celtics in 1987 and played for Boston for two seasons. Brad averaged 15.8 MPG, 5.9 PPG and 2.8 RPG in his 13-season NBA career. Sounds a bit like Mike Muscala , the newly-acquired C/F from OKC. Mike was taken 44th-overall in the 2013 draft by the Atlanta Hawks and has career averages of 15.5 minutes, 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. There was no earth-shaking news surrounding the pickup of Muscala by Brad Stevens . His performance on the hardwood will not create any resounding vibrations, but neither will he disrupt the synergy that exists between the present Celtics crew that sits atop the NBA Standings.  The Bucknell product has proven to possess intelligence and high-character . His size (6'11", 240 pounds) and stretch-shooting capabilities are a bonus.  Welcome to Boston, Mike Muscala.