Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Remember this? Here is Warrior's Coach (and now Team USA Coach) Steve Kerr "apologizing" for lying to the media about his starters for Game-4 of the 2015 NBA Finals: "Sorry, but I don't think they hand you the trophy based on morality," Kerr said. "They give it to you if you win. So sorry about that." Prior to Game-4, Kerr had clearly stated there would be no changes in his starting lineup - and then p roceeded to inject Andre Iguodala into the starting-5 in place of Andrew Bogut . His response to the change (post-game) was: "I lied," he said to the media a few hours after he had, well, lied about who would be in the  Golden State Warriors ' starting lineup for Game 4 of the NBA Finals. After Team USA's win over Serbia - in which 2024 NBA Champion Jayson Tatum never saw the floor (in addition to Tyrese Haliburton) - Kerr blames his own "idiocy" for keeping Tatum out of the game - possibly suggesting it was a misstep ...

 After seeing Neemias Queta's dominance in the first two games of Summer League, the Celtics brass had seen enough . The Portuguese import is signed with Boston for the next three seasons at roughly $2.4 million per year. I know some of you are thinking - "It's only Summer League" , but let's flash back to the final 2023-24 regular season game for the Celtics: Neemias Queta made NBA history today... 19 minutes 19 points 9 rebounds 6 blocks No player in NBA history has ever had a 19-9-6 game in fewer than 24 minutes. — Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) April 14, 2024   Am I hearing "Only one game"? Hey, this guy is a double-double machine . His per-36-minutes stats with Boston in 28 games last season show 16.6 PPG, 13.2 RPG and 2.3 BPG. And the more floor time he gets, the better he performs. Queta's pluses are his size (7', 245 lbs.), athleticism, offensive footwork down low, rim protection, rebounding and toughness. On the negative side, he doesn...

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 The Lakers Bronny James is in a vise - and he knows it. As a father, grandfather and great grandfather, I want my progeny to be better than me - in as many ways as possible.  Lebron James, Jr. has minimal chances at achieving what his dad has accomplished. At 6'1.5", the younger James will (literally) never achieve the 6'8" height of his dad. Or the NBA longevity, prowess and fame that "The King" has earned. But here he is - a member of the Los Angeles Lakers who almost certainly would not have been drafted if Lebron, Sr. didn't manipulate the franchise into doing so. And to make matters worse, his Summer League stats are lackluster - to say the least.  But the 19-year-old youngster did break loose a bit in the Lakers 87-86 win over the Hawks last night . He scored 12 points on 5-of-11 from the field and 2-of-5 from long distance . He admitted post-game that "It felt good". Lebron James, Sr. has been in the spotlight well-before being drafte...

 Celtics sophomore, Jordan Walsh , is off to a bad start in Summer League competition. His averages in the two games thus far are as follows: 25.5 MPG - 6.5 PPG - 5.5 RPG - 1.5 APG - 2.0 SPG - 1.0 BPG - 25% FG - 0% (0-of-11) on 3s But at least in Game #2, a win for Boston versus the Lakers, Walsh fared somewhat better than in the Game-1 loss to the Heat. So he may be settling in and not forcing his offense. His Game-2 points, rebounds, assists, steals, field goal percentage and plus/minus all improved over Game-1.  Tonight's contest against Charlotte will have some importance for Jordan. Despite his 4-year contract with the Celtics (year #4 is a team option) , he will have competition as backup wing for Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser. And he knows it. But that is what Summer League is all about . Walsh seemingly is desperately trying to participate in more Celtics games this season. He appeared in only nine Celtics games in his rookie season, spending most of his...

 The more I see of Neemias Queta , the more I like him. Yes, I know! It's only Summer League , but the Portuguese import has looked somewhat dominant in Boston's two games thus far. Here are his averages for the two contests: 24.0 MPG - 21.0 PPG - 8.5 RPG - 1.0 APG - 2.0 BPG - 64% FG - 83% FT Queta has looked smoother and more-athletic than I gave him credit for . He has developed some decent offensive footwork under the hoop - seems to catch and finish on any lob thrown his way - protects the rim nicely - and is a ferocious rebounder . In other words, he is an "old school" center , who fits well with a star-filled lineup that reeks of versatility. Brad Stevens has inked Queta for the following three seasons for low money ( average of $2.4 million per season), and that may be a bargain for the Celtics. 

  Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes suggested just that. This is from a recent article: Often, the Lakers' legacy, star power and glamor market allow them to secure talent at a discount. This time, L.A. lost out on a key target who took less to go elsewhere. Missing on (Klay) Thompson wouldn't have stung as much if the Lakers had pivoted to other difference-making acquisitions. But because they've only re-signed LeBron James, agreed to terms with Bronny James and handed Max Christie a four-year, $32 million extension, their offseason rates as a major disappointment. Maybe the allure of L.A. isn't what it used to be. Klay finally decided to head to Dallas, as opposed to signing for more money with the team (Lakers) that traded for his dad in 1987. The title of Hughes' article is (by the way), Every NBA Team's Biggest Miscalculation This Offseason. So, what's Hughes' take on the Celtics offseason ( per Grant Hughes ):   We'll only do this once, but t...