Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

Semi Ojeleye's minutes are up over the last 10 games, and he has been supplying more that just intense defense. He was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NBA draft as a 3-and-D guy, but the 3-pointers have been lagging for him. Not so in the last 10 games. Semi Ojeleye makes three point jumper #KingsVsCeltics pic.twitter.com/dhcQGr7Iwu — Live NBA Clips (@clips_live) November 26, 2019 In the 10-game span, Ojeleye is averaging 4.0 PPG on 45.5% from the field and 42.1% on treys. He has connected on eight of his last 19 3-pointers. This trend, if continued, can have significant implications for the Celtics. Boston currently has four players in the NBA's top-50 in scoring. Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown are all averaging in the vicinity of 20 points/game. Gordon is expected back from hand surgery in a couple of weeks, and if Semi can double his scoring output to roughly eight points per game with the percentages he has shown over the past 10 ...

This move may be lost in the archives, but yes, in 1989 Red Auerbach traded Danny Ainge to the Sacramento Kings. Danny was in his prime at the time, and Bill Russell was the General Manager of the Kings. Larry Bird and Kevin McHale were nursing injuries and not getting any younger. Big men, Joe Kleine and Ed Pinckney came to Boston in the trade in an attempt to shore up the center and power forward spots. . This is ironic since Ainge later criticized Red for keeping players on the roster well past their prime. But it was Ainge in his prime that Auerbach sent packing. Danny got a small bit of revenge on Red in Sacramento on December 27, 1989. Ainge poured in 39 points against his former team - grabbed six rebounds - and handed out nine assists. But the Kings lost in overtime, 115-112, with Bird coming close to matching Danny's scoring with 37 points. The King's loss was the only glitch in Danny's revenge, and you can bet that he cherished every shot that hit its mark. ...

Shortly after Kyrie Irving came to Boston, I supported his "Flat Earth Theory" as his way of playing with our minds. I saw nothing negative in it. When he changed his mind and left the Celtics this off-season, I chose not to rebuke him for his move or for his aloofness towards the end of last season. But I have to admit that his latest rant on Instagram is just plain drivel. There is no substance to what he wrote. It means nothing. I also think that the "COWARD" posters surrounding TD Garden last night went too far. But so did Kyrie with his Instagram post. He calls sports and entertainment "obtrusive", which infers that they are intrusive. Hell, I want basketball to be intrusive in my life. It has been a large part of my existence, both as a player and observer. Hey @KyrieIrving , Boston HATES you. #coward #celtics #nets pic.twitter.com/UN36b0IvnF — LFG Sports (@LFGsports) November 27, 2019 Irving's rant is all about himself - and no one else....

Oh man is there a lot to give thanks for this Celtics Thanksgiving Day.  Here's a list: Kyrie is gone.  I just love saying it. Kemba Walker is healthy!  He returned last night with a mind blowing 39 points!?!  Seriously, how did that even happen?  Celtics fans everywhere were worried that the guy's season might be over when he ran into Semi the freight train the other night. Turns out that Kemba is fine.  More than fine.  And I'm not saying it's because of us fans, but I'm also not saying it's not. I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that all of the prayers we are saying for #kemba will help. Please God watch over this man. — Jimmy in NH (@JimmyMac257) November 23, 2019 Gordon Hayward is going to be ok!  It went through all of our minds when Gordon hurt his hand a few weeks back.  "Oh no.  Not again."  Just as our team was looking championship worthy, here comes the injury bug to bite us right in the privates....

The MVP chants for Marcus Smart may have been a bit overzealous, but the heart-felt intent was not. Boston Celtics fans adore this man. What started as a light moment as Smart was once again dislodging a wedged basketball from the vicinity of the hoop quickly turned into a loud outpouring of love for a warrior that has transformed himself into a valid role model for young and old alike - quite an accomplishment for a 25-year-old ( per MassLive's John Karalis ): “I remember a time when those chants were different types of chants for me,” Smart said, remembering back to a time where he was considered little more than a maniac on the floor with a broken jumper. “I just stayed with it, kept working, finally people are seeing the things that I’m valuable, that I bring to the table on every given night.” “I know right? But it’s special,” Smart said with a laugh. “It’s special, you know. Because those chants -- yeah, we know I’m probably not the MVP, but those chants of that signify wh...

Kemba Walker had played 158 consecutive games prior to sustaining a neck sprain, and as he tells it, he was "pissed" that he sat out Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings (quote via NBC Sports Boston): "I was pissed about that (missing game). I'm not going to lie. I wanted to play. I wanted to keep my streak alive." Well, Kemba certainly shook off any effects of that neck sprain in Boston's 121-110 win over the Brooklyn Nets. He scorched the Garden nets for a team-high 39 points on 13-of-24 from the field and 6-of-10 on 3-pointers. He took down six rebounds and handed out four assists. The streak died, but he did not. He was alive and well. 🚨 30 PTS for Kemba Walker and we're just midway through the 3rd! 🚨 📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/AUifoLbLES — NBA (@NBA) November 28, 2019 Over the past seven seasons, Walker has averaged 77 games per season. He has generally remained healthy since coming into the League, and one of his younger teammates, ...

To be honest, this off-season I mentally placed Celtics center, Daniel Theis, on the back burner. He didn't have a particularly good season in 2018-19 - Rob Williams was going into his sophomore season, and Enes Kanter was on his way to Boston. But Danny Ainge obviously wanted Daniel in the fold, particularly with the departure of Al Horford to Philadelphia. Ainge signed Theis to a 2-year/$10 million deal - with the second year non-guaranteed. With Kanter missing a number of games with an injury, Daniel has started most games for the Celtics and is averaging career-highs in minutes (22.7), points (6.5), rebounds (7.4), assists (1.3), steals (0.6) and blocks (1.6). In his rookie 2017-18 season, Theis seemed to improve his game every month. He took a slight hit in minutes last season, as did his game - but recovery from meniscus surgery and the year-long disruptions surrounding the team may have played a role. I applauded his rebounding skills in his first season, and he is even...

I drafted Marcus Smart for my Fantasy Basketball team, and I am reaping the rewards. His offense is slowly catching up with his runaway defense, and he is piling up Fantasy points for my team, just as he continues to make winning plays for the Celtics, particularly in the fourth quarter. Flashback to May of 2017 when so many NBA fans were badmouthing Marcus for what they viewed as ill-advised shots and erratic play. Former-Celtic, Chauncey Billups had a few words of his own back then: Y'all say what u want about Marcus Smart but that kid makes winning plays every game in the 4th. — Chauncey Billups (@1MrBigShot) May 22, 2017 "Winning plays in the 4th?" Well, Smart did it once again last night as the Celtics tweaked out a 103-102 win over the Sacramento Kings. In the final 49 seconds of the contest, Marcus made several critical plays that decided the game in Boston's favor. With the score tied at 99-99, he put up a fadeaway 3-pointer that bounced around and finally ...

With Kemba Walker out of action with a neck strain, two-way player, Tremont Waters, came off the bench in Boston's 103-102 victory over the Kings and clearly demonstrated he belongs at the NBA level. Tremont logged 19 minutes and came away with seven points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal, two blocks and a team-high plus/minus of +20. No other Celtic was even close to that plus/minus score, with Semi Ojeleye coming in second with a +10. Waters was only 1-of-5 on 3-pointers but the one he made was from way down town. Tonight's Drain of the Game is presented by John’s Sewer & Drain Cleaning. Tremont Waters hits a 3 in his NBA debut pic.twitter.com/CwuFc5NdbC — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 26, 2019 Tremont is multi-skilled (check his stat line once again above) and damn clever - with and without the ball - and on both ends of the court. His ball-handling and passing prowess may be his best attributes, but his defense and scoring ability make...

Celtics guard, Kemba Walker, has not been totally ruled out for Boston's rematch with the Sacramento Kings this evening. The Kings came away with a close victory (100-99) over The Green on November 17, ending Boston's 10-game winning streak. The Kings' Buddy Heild was a Celtics killer in that one, pouring in 35 points, along with six rebounds. The fact that Walker is even a possibility for tonight's contest is amazing. His head-first collision with teammate, Semi Ojeleye, must have felt like ramming his head into an oak tree. But he is now listed as "doubtful" for the game ( per NBA.com staff ): Walker, who was hurt on a collision with teammate Semi Ojeleye, was released from the hospital late that evening and didn't practice Sunday but did work on an exercise bike in the unlikely case he gets the call against the Kings. "He's been good, and he feels good," coach Brad Stevens said. "It's kind of a minor miracle based on what we...

According to Chris Forsberg, Kemba Walker is officially listed as "doubtful" for the Celtics game against the Sacramento Kings tomorrow. Kemba suffered what looked to be a horrendous neck injury against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, and many, including this writer, envisioned him being out of action for at least several games. But the "doubtful" status for the starting point guard may mean he will be 100% shortly, and that is certainly good news for the team. Further medical tests, however, may be planned, and stay tuned for more updates. From the Celtics: Following further examination in Boston, Kemba Walker will be listed as doubtful against Sacramento with a neck sprain. He remains under evaluation and further updates will be provided as appropriate. — Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) November 24, 2019 Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel, @CausewayStreet and Facebook

Fans can expect Kemba Walker to be out of the Celtics lineup for at least a few games after his collision with teammate, Semi Ojeleye. Walker is apparently suffering from concussion symptoms, and we await further updates. With both Kemba and Gordon missing time, Boston will sorely need to find more scoring and assists from their healthy crew. One solution is two-way player, Tremont Waters. He is a major reason the G League Celtics affiliate Red Claws have started the season undefeated at 5-0. He supplies both scoring (20.2 PPG in G League) and assists (7.8 APG). He can hit from anywhere on the court and is just plain crafty with the ball. Maaaaan, Tremont Waters is straight up NIFTY! 😱 pic.twitter.com/cNVtLQiYt4 — Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) November 24, 2019 Tremont Waters got 24 points and eight dimes vs Knicks last night. He can knock down threes from almost anywhere on the court. Great vision, too! pic.twitter.com/sblpiAXbHp — Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) Novemb...

Gordon Hayward won't be back in action until Christmas time, and we have yet to get updated information about Kemba Walker's condition. Kemba's collision with teammate, Semi Ojeleye, was frightening - to say the least. But early scuttlebutt may indicate the injury was not as severe as originally thought, but I am concerned about Marcus Smart's indication that Walker was experiencing neck issues this summer during World Cup play. #NEBHInjuryReport Brad Stevens says all of the scans and tests on Kemba Walker came back with positive results. — Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 23, 2019 Hopefully, this is a matter of semantics, and I am awaiting clarification of Brad Stevens statement. Having spent too much time in hospitals, a "positive test" to me means the condition being searched for was found. I am assuming for now that Brad meant the test results showed no significant damage. positive test result (PAH-zih-tiv ... reh-ZULT) A test result that shows th...

Guest article: Lisa Lane McCarty Following Kemba Walker's cringe-worthy injury last night, thankfully followed by news that the damage may not be as serious as previously thought, I seriously need to let Celtics fans know how much their response has meant to me and my family. The cards and gifts just keep coming. One such gift almost literally placed my great nephew, Carson Thomas Lane, squarely on the TD Garden parquet. The hand-made 3-dimensional card sent by Kathy and Dick Greene of Plainville, MA is a masterpiece of workmanship. It wasn't created in mere minutes. Like so many items we have received, much thought and effort went into it. This unique item displays Carson immersed on the parquet floor, in front of the Championship banners and trophy and accompanied by a Championship ring and Celtics logo. It is all there. As I write this, my family is planning Carson's first trip ever to TD Garden, hopefully on December 6. A glitch has surfaced in that plan, but we ...

Following Kemba Walkers head/neck injury last night in Boston's 96-92 loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Celtics will have to dig deep into their limited point guard lineup. Kemba supplies so much for Boston on both ends of the court, and his loss for at least several games is a test of team-resiliency. The Celtics really do have a shortage of pure point guards. Brad Stevens has used Brad Wanamaker in that role for the last two games, and that has worked fairly well. Most analysts don't regard Marcus Smart as a pure point guard, and I agree. Marcus is not a pure-anything. He calls himself a "stretch 6", and that works for me. All that aside, he is a very good facilitator that takes care of the ball, currently planted in the NBA's top ranking in assist-to-turnover ratio for players averaging more than 24 minutes/game. We can expect point guard, Tremont Waters, to be brought up from the G League Maine Red Claws. Waters is on a two-way contract, and the time is ri...

When Celtics guard, Kemba Walker, remained motionless on the floor after colliding with teammate, Semi Ojeleye, viewer responses amounted to absolute terror. It happened at the 3:13 mark of the second period, with Boston trailing the Denver Nuggets, 36-30. Kemba was going for a loose ball and collided head-on into Ojeleye, He went down and was motionless. Kemba Walker was taken out of the game on a stretcher after this collision. Prayers up for Kemba 🙏 (via @NBCSCeltics ) pic.twitter.com/VNSAHSkcBt — Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 23, 2019 Walker was taken off the court on a stretcher and transported by ambulance to a local hospital. Early indications are that the injury may not be as severe as originally thought, but any injury to the head and neck require a cautious approach. #NEBHInjuryReport Following testing at a Denver hospital, Kemba Walker has been released to rejoin the team for its return to Boston. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow and further updates will b...

The Celts loaded up on adrenaline Wednesday night for their game with the Clippers.  The whole NBA knows that the Clips and the Lakers are the favorites to win it all.  The Celts have been building confidence since they beat Toronto and Milwaukee and just about everyone else (except a lucky Sacramento team) in their way since that opening night loss vs Philly. On Wednesday night the Celtics came to prove that they belong in the upper echelon of the league.  But now tonight we have a different situation.  Denver is another "upper echelon" top of team.  But they aren't seen as legit title contenders.  Not really.  But Denver is 10-3 and they were the #2 seed in the West last year.  They are a team on the rise, just like the Celtics, and Denver wants to beat upper echelon teams when they step onto their home court.  Denver is coming to play tonight. And that's why the Celts should be in trouble.  From an energy standpoint, this is a gam...

Let me clear this up right away! Boston.com's, Zachary Dupont, praised former-Celtic, Isaiah Thomas, for boosting his former-teammate, Marcus Smart, for NBA Defensive-Player-of-the-Year, which I agree with. But Isaiah didn't start it - I did ( per Boston.Com's Zachary Dupont ): Smart’s former teammate Isaiah Thomas took to Twitter to praise him, and to start a very early campaign for him to be the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. The sequence of Twitter posts is shown below in order of appearance. I got this ball rolling on November 12th, complete with CelticsSentinel article. Follow the sequence. And the 2020 NBA Defensive-Player-of-the-Year Award goes to ----- Marcus Smart. https://t.co/hkEe8hyc5u pic.twitter.com/ODKnSzZNmE — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) November 12, 2019 Marcus Smart DPOY — Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) November 21, 2019 Great minds think a like ✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾 — Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) November 21, 2019 Now that I have vented, Ma...

Guest Article: Diandra Moorhead Sending the 7'5" rookie, Tacko Fall, to the G League has Boston Celtics fans eager for his Celtics return. He has signed a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics and the Maine Red Claws allowing him to spend up to 45 days with the Celtics. This means most of his days will be spent with the Red Claws preparing for his NBA games. The G League has provided Tacko with significant floor time as he is averaging 26 minutes per game. The center is averaging an impressive 16.0 points, 9.0 boards and 3.5 blocks on 77% shooting from the field. Fall produced back-to-back double-doubles in his first two G League games and matched that with a perfect shooting performance Sunday in a win over Raptors 905, hitting all nine of his field goal attempts. The real question fans are beginning to ask themselves are how well will this Green Giant match up against seasoned NBA players? . @tackofall99 was on point today #2WayPlayer 14 PTS | 7 REB | 3 BLK @UCF_...

I am not going to overreact. Just last week I was talking about how Kemba Walker might possibly be the MVP this year.  But I need to know.  Kemba.  WTF was with you last night? I dont want to bring up his name, but last night Kemba reminded me a lot of Kyrie Irving.  He was blocked at the rim how many times?  Maybe 5?  He had the ball stolen from him or just plain lost it maybe 6 times?  (I just checked and he had 6 turnovers, so that's a pretty good guess on my part).  And then what about his just flat out misses?  The box score says Kemba was 4-17 last night.  And yet he JUST KEPT DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND OVER. No conscience whatsoever. That is the last time I want to see that out of you Kemba.  I love having you on the team.  I love your effort.  I love your defense and I love your rebounding.  And usually I love your offense.  But last night you sucked.  You need to realize that y...

It was more than two years ago that Jerry West moved south from the Golden State Warriors to the Los Angeles Clippers' front office. The title of one of my first articles as a sports writer was, Look West, Danny- there's a new man in Clipper Town. The "West" double-entendre referred to Jerry remaining in the Western Conference, this time with the Clips. This is what I wrote: It almost seems like Jerry's (West) revenge, doesn't it. He collected only one championship ring in his career, mainly because of the strong Boston teams. We were always in his way. West created a super Lakers team that the Celts and every other team had trouble with. He convinced Kevin Durant to snub Boston and come to Golden State. We know how that turned out. Now he is with the Clips. The Logo has a way of building powerhouse teams. He did it with the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant Lakers and, more-recently, with the Warriors. Here he goes again. Last night's clash between wha...

This one had "playoffs" written all over it. West versus East. Patrick Beverley versus Marcus Smart. Paul George against Jayson Tatum. Doc Rivers versus Brad Stevens. Jerry West pitted against Danny Ainge. It was the Los Angeles Clippers that came away with the 107-104 win in overtime, but this game defined why we love NBA basketball. Asked to describe what it was like to be in the court tonight, Marcus Smart says, “It was a playoff atmosphere.” — Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 21, 2019 Jayson Tatum may have been the star of the game for Boston, but Marcus Smart was once-again the unsung hero. Tatum poured in a team-high 30 points on 50% shooting from both the field and beyond the arc. He added six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. This one play where he dropped PG-13 and hit a 3-pointer to tie the game is a portrait of what he has become. JAYSON MOTHERFUCKING TATUM!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/VtJUgvqfDb — Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) November 21, 201...

The Boston Celtics continue their road swing tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers. Marcus Smart is nursing an ankle injury and was listed as day-to-day as of yesterday. Being so early in the season, Brad Stevens may elect to sit Marcus out for at least one more game. If that does happen, it is not out of the realm of possibility for guard Brad Wanamaker to take Smart's starting gig. Wanamaker logged 29 minutes off the bench in Boston's last game, scoring 10 points, handing out six assists and picking up three steals in the victory over the Suns. Swing-man, Kawhi Leonard is listed as questionable for the Clippers while still dealing with a knee issue. Forward Paul George has excelled in the three games he has played this season. In only 24.5 minutes/game, he is averaging 29.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.7 APG. His shooting has been right on, hitting 56% on field goals, 52% on 3-pointers and 96% from the free throw line. The duo of Leonard and George can be tough to handle for the C...

The Celtics starting trio of Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are averaging between 19.5 PPG (Brown) and 23.4 PPG (Walker), with Tatum in the middle at 20.2 PPG. Gordon Hayward, now out with a hand injury, is at 18.9 PPG. We can probably project this level of output down the road, and it may be time to think about an appropriate moniker for the Jays-Walker threesome or the entire quartet. The Warriors had a similar situation in the early 1990's when Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin were tabbed Run TMC (Tim, Mitch, Chris). In the 1990-91 season, all members of that trio averaged points in the low-to-mid 20's for the entire season. Under coach, Don Nelson, they were a run-and-gun threesome and damn exciting to watch. Kemba and the Jay Team are all volume scorers. Gordon plays a more-balanced game and can be expected to take on a lot of the ball-handling duties as point forward, so his scoring average may end up in the mid-teens. So what do my readers...

The Term "tweener"is not used much nowadays in NBA circles, but it means a 2-position player that is not ideally suited for either position. That may be the case for Celtics rookie, Grant Williams. Charles Barkley was a tweener-exception. At 6'6", folks thought him too small to play the power forward position, but he excelled at it. Grant Williams is roughly the same height, but seems to be caught up in the what-position-does-he-play conundrum. One thing is for sure - he can't stretch the floor. After 12 games, he was 0-of-16 from beyond the arc. But a look at his 3-year college stats show he only attempted 1.0 3-pointers per game at a 29% clip. Looks to be something he needs to work on at the NBA level. . @Grant2Will in two pictures pic.twitter.com/qUO1fbnZQZ — Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) November 19, 2019 Grant is averaging 15.5 minutes/game, while compiling 2.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.1 APG and 0.8 BPG, hardly the stuff of legends. He is one tough defender a...

The Boston Celtics took out the Phoenix Suns last night 99-85 and let's hope that starts another winning streak. The Suns were without their starting point guard, Ricky Rubio, who had been experiencing back spasms. His absence had a noticeably negative effect on the Phoenix offense. The Jay Team once again came through in this one. Jayson Tatum came away with a double-double with a team-high 26 points and 11 rebounds. Jaylen Brown came close to a double-double with 14 points and nine boards. Both players passed off for three assists, and it is great to see the rebounding and passing portions of their games have improved. Marcus Smart enjoying a mid-game snack in Phoenix. @smart_MS3 https://t.co/dStdQva8h6 pic.twitter.com/R2R1apJ8dC — Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) November 19, 2019 Brad Wanamaker came off the bench for Boston, sharing team-high minutes (29) with three other Celtics. He scored ten points - and garnered six dimes and three steals. Devin Booker was high man for th...

The 10-1 Boston Celtics faced the undermanned 4-7 Sacramento Kings on the road yesterday, and just couldn't get it done - final score Boston 99, Sacramento 100. Marcus Smart's last-second floater hung on the rim, seemingly forever, and then dropped out. Marcus Smart talked to Amanda Pflugrad about the need for the Guys in Green not to ever get too high when things go well, or too low when they fall apart. Tonight's loss is a learning experience for Marcus Smart and the Celtics! #CUsRise pic.twitter.com/QeSjuMwnHc — Celtics Nation (@CelticsNationCP) November 18, 2019 The Kings were without point guard, De'Aaron Fox and power forward, Marvin Bagley III, both out with injuries. The Kings Buddy Hield played like an All-Star, pouring in 35 points on 14-of-24 from the field, including seven 3-pointers. This game should not have come down to Smart's end-of-game floater. Marcus Smart was SO close to winning Boston’s 11th straight pic.twitter.com/PhgrDXAHaT — Shane You...