Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

Jayson Tatum is carving out his own niche in the NBA, but a quick statistical comparison with former Celtic All-Star, Paul Pierce, in The Truth's third season in the League may clarify the future. The numbers for both players in their third seasons can be found below. Pierce: 38.0 MPG, 25.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 45% FG, 38% 3P, 74% FT Tatum: 34.3 MPG, 23.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 45% FG, 40% 3P, 82% FT The numbers are extremely close. Pierce was an NBA Champion (2008), Finals MVP (2008) and 10-time All-Star. While Jayson earned All-Star status in his third season, Paul took four years to make the grade. We have no idea what ceiling Jayson may achieve, but he is well on his way. The above numbers may give us a hint. Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel, @CausewayStreet and Facebook

We have seen and heard the cries from Celtics fans this season for Danny Ainge to get off his butt and work a mid-season trade - and for Brad Stevens to become more animated on the sidelines. The pleas to "do something" are dying down - as they should. Danny has done a fabulous job of giving Brad the talent, and Stevens has responded by bringing that talent along at the right pace. Screaming on the sidelines may work initially to get the most our of a coaches players, but after a while your troops tune you out. Red Auerbach was a handler of men, not players, and Brad has followed that example. For those not around at the time, don't think that Red had an easy task when he took Bill Russell into his fold. Russ was supremely talented, but also very intelligent, and he had a mind of his own. Brad knows that his guys are not robots that he sends out On the floor, programmed to do his bidding. Yelling at them and demeaning them in public is not something he chooses to do. ...

In this morning's NBA TV broadcast, analyst Candace Parker gave her thoughts on the Eastern Conference race, specifically between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. Parker indicated that Boston could certainly give Milwaukee a scare in the post-season, with their cast of defenders' ability to effectively slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo. But Candace added that she still felt that the Celtics were "one year away" from serious contention for a Championship. After Boston's 118-106 win over the Portland Trailblazers last night, the Celtics sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 40-17 record, behind the Bucks at 50-8 and Raptors at 42-16. Parker applauded Boston's ability to cover The Greek Freak, while Shaquille O'Neal thought that stopping all of the other Milwaukee players was the ticket to success. In the end, the Celtics appear solid one-through-six. They very well may have the strongest top-6 in the NBA in Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart...

Observers of yesterday's playoff-atmosphere contest between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers knew that Enes Kanter's stint on the hardwood would not be an extended one. He entered the game at the 2:56 mark of the first quarter, and less than half-a-minute later had the ball taken out of his hands by Kantavious Caldwell-Pope. It’s a one point game! *Enes Kanter checks in for literally two minutes* It’s a nine point game! — S M A R F (@ColeyMick) February 23, 2020 Things went downhill for Boston after that costly turnover. Lakers point guard, Rajon Rondo, decided to show his former team why they should never have traded him. In the final two minutes of the quarter, he scored two points and assisted on four others, while also grabbing one rebound. By the end of the period, the score had gone from 18-17, pre-Kanter-turnover, in favor of LA to 28-19 with Boston trailing by nine points. Kanter is averaging 18.1 minutes per game for the season, but that number has droppe...

I am not broaching the idea of Danny Ainge bringing Isaiah Thomas back to Boston without having given the thought a lot of consideration. Isaiah played his best ball in the 2016-17 season during a time which must have been the low point in his life, dealing with the death of his sister and a persistent hip injury. Isaiah Thomas on if he would be open to playing for the #Celtics again. “For sure, if the opportunity presented itself. I hold no grudges, and they know that. I have genuine love for Boston. If that were to happen, I’d love to be part of what they have going on. You never know.“ pic.twitter.com/JK4yaJp2Ab — Celtics Direct (@CelticsDirect) February 21, 2020 In 40 games this season for the Washington Wizards, IT produced 12.3 points per game in 23 minutes of floor time, while adding 3.7 assists/game. He shot 41% on both field goals and 3-pointers and 82% from the free throw line. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and subsequently waived, making him a free agent...

Dave Cowens wasn't simply super-intense on the court - he was a true superstar. The 8-time All-Star and 2-time Champion was also the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 1973. "Big Red", as announcer Johnny Most called him, always played with an intensity that bordered on frenzy, but he got the job done. In Dave's 1973 MVP season he averaged 20.5 points, 16.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, while playing in all 82 regular season games and logging close to 42 minutes/game. Kevin Garnett came close to matching Big Red's ferocity on the hardwood. Practice - regular season - playoffs? It made no difference. KG was all-out, all the time. With Cowens at center in my All-Intensity Crew, The Big Ticket goes to the power forward spot. You may have your own choice. Marcus Smart is a shoo-in at one of the guard spots in this group. Some Celtics fans may want Tony Allen at the other guard spot. These are two defensive aces that just reek intensity. Danny Ainge admitted t...

The Boston Celtics' major issue this season was supposedly finding a capable replacement for the departed Al Horford. Al did a bit of everything on the floor for Boston, and quite a bit off of it. Well, now it looks like Horford's replacement was on board all along - and his name is Daniel Theis. This is not what Al and the Sixers were expecting when Horford signed the 4-year, $109 million deal in the off-season. Al has lost his starting gig with the 76'ers, who now sit in fifth place in the East with a 35-21 record. The following is the headline from an article from the New York Post's Zach Braziller . The 76ers have a $109 million Al Horford problem Theis registered an impressive 25-point, 16-rebound double-double in the Celtics win last night over the Minnesota Timberwolves . Daniel has done admirably as Boston's man-in-the-middle, and for comparison I have adjusted Theis' stats to per-30.5-minutes status, the average minutes of Al Horford this season w...