Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  Celtics studs aka the Jays need to learn a lesson from one of the greatest players to ever play basketball. What do I mean by that, well watching the Last Dance yet again Jordan shows us what fueled him to success. The Jays need to find that within themselves.  Take this finals loss and let it fuel your off season. For all the crazies who ever and still want to trade JB, let that motivate you JB to prove to them wrong. Every time you hit that floor vs KD or anyone go out there for the kill! MJ used other players who his own GM coveted to spur kicking their butt! I fully expect JB to be on a seek and destroy mission this entire season. After every fall and miss step by Jordans Bulls in the playoffs they came back ready to fight and eventually win a ring. If I'm JT this off-season I'm getting myself into that mindset as he moves forward in his career. Use that loss against the Warriors to get you and the team better. Come back next season frothing at the mouth to bring home Ba...

If anyone was thinking Bradley Beal to the Celtics, doesn't look like it as they make deals to improve their team.  For those of you also thinking Celtics could use their TPE for Alec Burks he's on his way to Detroit. Knicks are looking to lure Brunson away from the Mavs.  John Wall ends up getting bought out and signing with the Clippers, the rich get richer out in LA.. In other NBA news Russell Westbrook has opted in to his deal with the Lakers, and all signs point to Kyrie Irving going back to Brooklyn..... Unless this is just step one for him to be trades? In coaching news Celtics assistant Will Hardy will become the next Utah Jazz coach.   

Well well, what a ride it was this season. A team who was 11th in the Eastern Conference made it within 2 wins of an NBA title. Unfortunately they ran into a ultra special talent in Steph Curry and this times version of a basketball dynasty. Let's give out some grades!  Ownership - given they didn't truly believe in this team and wanted to shed salary to avoid the tax. My grade for the ownership group is a solid C. Retiring KGs number gave them a fighting chance at a B, but given they traded away JRich who could have been key for them in the finals has me sticking with a C. Another feather in their cap was promoting Brad and hiring Ime.  Brad - what an incredible job by Brad overall given he had to work within a money conscious construct. Let's look at getting Al Horford back here for Kemba. That's an Auerbach type trade that paid off huge for this team. Getting JRich here was awesome and he was rounding into that huge bench scorer we needed. He also flipped JRich for D...

     Disclaimer I'm a huge Celtics fan, as I believe you all know from my writing. With that said I remember watching the 2013 Draft at dinner near the BBHOF with my wife and hoping to hear the that the Celtics were going to take Giannis. Well it didn't happen and I can say I was truly disappointed. That also didn't mean I wasn't going to follow his career.     I'm not a movie critic, but I did watch Rise this weekend. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. His parents did their everything to find the best life for their family. Both Giannis and Thanasis found basketball in Greece where they were born and it's truly amazing that at one point they were sharing shoes while playing for their youth team. Unlike most NBA stars who at a certain point are seen and dubbed the next great player and have a yellow brick road to glory from an early age, that wasn't the case for Giannis. His brother showed more promise at first.     Seeing the scene where he...

 I personally don't understand how a team that made it to the finals can be subject to such insane banter. We need to trade JB and Marcus, and Tatum is gonna leave after his contract. We need to trade for KD, blah blah blah! Celtics fans we have the ingredients and guess what we were two wins away. What does that tell me we just need to add some flavor to put this team over the top.   What flavor you ask, well we need some scoring off the bench. A guy who can carry that second unit, a guy who alongside the Jays in crunch time can get his buckets. A guy who can give the Jays a break and not miss a beat. We also need another quality big man to have as insurance for RWill. While he's still peaking as a player we all know he has injury issues.   This group/team has yet to reach its peak and that's saying something given they made it to the finals. There's no need to subtract from this roster only to add key pieces that will get us over the top.  Thankfully owne...

 From the Celtics trio of Payton Pritchard, Aron Nesmith and Sam Hauser , only Pritchard saw significant floor time in the 24-game run of the NBA Finals. But in 12.9 MPG, he averaged only 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists . Nesmith and Hauser averaged only 3.5 and 2.1 MPG, respectively. Ime Udoka went with a 9-man rotation , as did the Champion Golden State Warriors - while both teams show four players with double-digits in points scored in the post-season. In the end, the Celtics didn't have quite enough to conquer the 2022 Champs, and the question now is - does Boston trade any of the young guys, including Grant Williams - or do they lean towards developing them . Hauser is set to earn $1.6 million in the coming season, with a team option . Brad Stevens should end up securing the youngster for 2022-23. Nesmith is signed for $3.8 million, and Pritchard for $2.2 million. Payton has shown he can contribute, even in the post-season, but his size (6'1") is not what ...

 Right off the bat, we can say that J D Davison is young (19 years old) - will likely be a project for the Celtics - but I believe Boston fans will like this kid . Davison was picked at #53 in last night's draft after his sole season at Alabama. T he 6'3" point guard averaged 8.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.3 APG and 1.0 SPG. He has shown some inconsistency - had trouble hitting 3-pointers (.301) - and has a tendency to turn the ball over . But he was originally projected as a first-rounder in the 2022 draft, so he has the potential to be a steal in the second round. J D seems to always play at a fast pace, much like Derrick White , and when he is on his game, he uses his athleticism and smarts to find the open man . We should see him in Boston's Summer League and maybe signed to a 2-way contract. Davison does not appear to a "stash overseas" type of player . He possibly could contribute this season.

 The Milwaukee Bucks' Pat Connaughton has a player option for the upcoming season, where he is slated to earn $5.7 million . He is Boston-born (Arlington, MA) and attended St. John's Prep, Danvers, MA. He has local ties in New England, and he could fit into Ime Udoka's system.   At 6'5" and 209 pounds, Pat is listed as a shooting guard. The Notre Dame product is a legitimate 2-sport athlete, having played professional baseball for a brief stint, registering 96 MPH with his fast ball. But he chose the NBA instead, and many forget he came in third in the Slam Dunk Competition in 2020. Connoughton won his sole Title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, averaging 9.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG - while hitting on 44.1% of his 3-pointers in the 6-game Finals series versus the Phoenix Suns.  The 41st pick in the 2015 draft is a proven shooter who can defend and rebound the ball. Last season, he averaged 9.9 points, 4.2 boards, while shooting .458 from the field - .395 on 3-pointers...

 Anyone else ever sit down during the draft and write out each team and who they picked in order. Well this guy right here used to grab a piece of paper and list all the picks and then go back and see who was gonna be good. Didn't matter if I was home or at my grandparents, it brings back good memories.  Historically the Celtics have done pretty damn good in the draft, Russell, Cowens, Bird, Pierce, Tatum, and Brown just to name a few. The draft always gave me a feeling of hope going into the next season. Now that I'm older there's still that feeling but in a different way. For me now, is there a way to use the draft capital to bring in players who can help secure Banner 18. Look at what Brad did getting DWhite. If we are going to be an all in team now that Wyc said to spend shouldn't we be looking at our future picks and using them to secure known commodities?!  As does any team the Celtics have made their share of mistakes. Anyone remember Michael Smith, total bust. H...

 When comparing the 2008 Celtics team that took the Title against the 2022 crew that came reasonably close to a Championship, the first thing that stands out is the age difference . The 2008 group were led by Paul Pierce (30), Ray Allen (32) and Kevin Garnett (31).They were backed up by P. J. Brown (38), James Posey (31) and Eddie House (29) . Back to the present. Al Horford (36), Marcus Smart (28), Jaylen Brown (25) and Jayson Tatum (24) make the Banner-17 crew seem ancient. Other major contributors are Derrick White (27), Rob Williams and Payton Pritchard  (24) and Grant Williams (23) . You get the picture. And while we're on it, here is a comparison of the two benches from the Finals (combined averages/game): Posey, House, Brown (2008): 20.7 points - 9.5 boards - 4.5 assists White, Green Pritchard (2022): 18.2 Points - 8.5 boards - 4.7 assists Not a major difference in the bench production, is there? Yet that bench from 2008 gets a lot of accolades , as they should, whil...

  The Bradley-Beal-to-Boston talk just won't stop . Adding his $36.4 million salary for 2022-23 to the Celtics already-tax-bound budget might sound ridiculous, but dive into it a bit. Beal has a Player Option for the upcoming season - has been with the Washington Wizards for his entire career - has ZERO Title rings - and has already earned $178 million in the NBA. He is buddies with the Celtics Jayson Tatum , and Boston took Golden State to six Finals contests. The Green, particularly with the addition of another star, would be prime contenders for the 2023 Championship. Wic Grousbeck seems ready to pay a significant luxury tax bill, but it is doubtful if he would agree to shelling out $36-42 Million to get Beal in Boston, but here's the kicker. How much money does a person need? Contentment in life usually rises with addition money - to a point, after which extra loot may do much for the ego, but little for quality of life. Will Bradley Beal take a significant pay cut ...

 One issue that needs to be addressed by Brad Stevens would be the passing miscues by his players, particularly in the 2022 Finals versus Golden State. In the six Finals contests, Boston piled up 97 turnovers to the Warriors' 79. Spanish point guard, Ricky Rubio , is an Unrestricted Free Agent . The 6'3" point guard tore his Achilles tendon in December, 2021 while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Because he will be returning from a season-ending injury, it is doubtful that he will command anywhere near his $17.8 million salary from last season. Rubio was the fifth-overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft and is known as a somewhat-flashy, but effective - passer, somewhat reminiscent of Pete Maravich. Most important, he has a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.92 to go with his 7.6 assists per game . He is not a major scorer (career 11.1 PPG) or marksman (.386 FG), but he can rebound the ball (4.2 RPG) and come up with steals (1.8 SPG) . It s still unsure as to when ...

    It's engrained in me to never lose, true story all through grade school I never lost a one on one matchup on the court. I took pride in that. It took me a long time to realize that losing happens, and I learned from those times. This Celtics team has lost the Finals and now they must let it hurt and fuel them to a title run next year.  Look at Jordans Bulls, the Pistons were in their way and set them back which eventually led to a Chicago three-peat and Jordans ultimate greatness. In losing Jordan found the will to never want that feeling again. Then after he came back from baseball guess what his Bulls lost to the Magic. History shows he came back even greater and led the Bulls to another three peat. If I'm JT who is a Jordan brand wearer, I'm texting MJ just like Kobe did and picking his brain about everything basketball.  Let's look at Celtics Lakers in the 80s Bird and Magic used losing to one another to fuel them in wanting to win the next time they played. ...

  Rob Williams injury situation remains murky . Does he need further surgery or will rest and rehab do the trick? Regardless, he makes a positive difference for the Celtics - needs to be healthy for next season - and he has to develop some inside moves on offense - anything remotely reminiscent of Kevin McHale would be welcome - and he needs to work on his mid-range shooting . A physically-sound Williams III, able to score inside on more than lobs and hit from 12-feet-in would be a huge boost for Boston. Both Ime Udoka and Brad Stevens do not want big men that are slow afoot and can't cover the perimeter. Rob is quick, mobile and supremely athletic. He gets the job done on defense. And he supplies easy hoops for a Celtics team that always seems to work too hard for every point . And for Celtics fans, he is a bundle of excitement to observe.  One other point. Rob Williams needs work as a traffic rebounder . His leaping ability gets him a lot of boards, and he gets his han...

 While the outcome wasn't ideal I'm forever thankful to this group of Celtics. My writings will always be geared to the Celtics and basketball, as you know lost my mom, cousin and could have lost my life this year. I started writing for Celtics Sentinel in the summer last year. Who would have guessed that writing about them would have been my escape and safe place. Writing about them brought me the therapy I needed after mom passed and when I was in the hospital it was my safe place.  Now the outcome last night was not what we wanted as Celtic fans but when we were 11th in the East did anyone see this coming?! Tom and I had high hopes for this group early on and that never wavered.  Yet there was talk about trading everyone and firing Ime mostly from the Boston radio shows and other media people. Yet here at the Sentinel we stayed firm, didn't hide our frustrations but ultimately believed.  We were part of a run that saw us throw Kyrie and KD out of the club, then in...

  This most-likely won't be a popular article . The negativity surrounding the present Celtics team abounds in all forms. May I remind my readers that, everything else being equal, an NBA team should expect to get into the Finals every 15 years and cop a Title every 30 years. So it's been 14 years since the Celtics last Championship, after piling up a total of 17 Titles over the past decades. Not bad! But it seems to be a drought in the minds of many Celtics fans. Virtually no one gave the present version of The Green any shot at a Finals visit, and certainly not Banner 18. Now they end up in the Finals against one of the few NBA teams labeled as a "dynasty". How the hell did that happen? With a rookie head coach and first-year GM , should not the Celtics have simply marched into Title-land? I totally credit Ime Udoka with his team's mid-season resurgence, and Brad Stevens additions this past summer and prior to the trade deadline were near-perfect. Also, l...

  Celtics Coach, Ime Udoka , has informed fans that Jayson Tatum's right shoulder injury is just a "stinger", and the star forward will have to play through some pain in any remaining Finals contests. Ime Udoka says he believes Jayson Tatum’s shoulder is gonna hurt a bit, a stinger, whenever he gets hit but adds that there’s no big concern at the moment. — Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 9, 2022 Jayson is dealing with significant pain in that right shoulder, but he is a right-handed shooter and scorer. There is a high probability that the shoulder injury is hampering his shooting accuracy. Her has to deal with the pain and no doubt at least some limited range of motion in that joint . It's tough enough putting a 9.5-inch ball through an 18-inch hoop from 23 feet away with Andrew Wiggins almost in your shirt, but add shoulder pain and limited range of motion to the equation , and the task gets much, much more difficult. Here’s @Money23Green intentionally not tr...

 The Celtics 104-94 loss to Golden State last night was not without value for Boston . Against the top competition seen in the NBA Finals, The Green have a few issues that need addressing for the remainder of the series and next season. Turnovers are killing the Celtics. They racked up 18 miscues in the loss to Golden States' six . J aylen Brown had five turnovers, while Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart had four each .Analyst, Isiah Thomas had a nice thought on that issue. He commented that the Celtics players often lose the ball by taking that one extra dribble to get all the way to the rim - rather than pulling up for a mid-range jumper. And Boston can't seem to make the right shots at the right time. Credit Golden Stat's defense for much of that, but Boston's crew needs more seasoning in this regard. For Boston to have any shot at a Title this season or next, they need more offensive production from their bench, Golden State got 31 points from their bench, while...

  An NBA's shooters' touch can abandon him at any time - particularly in the intensity and fatigue of the NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum may be shooting an uncharacteristic 34.1% (28-of-82) in the four games versus Golden State, but even the legendary Larry Bird had his shooting woes in Games 3, 4 and 5 in the 1981 Finals against the Houston Rockets .  Larry scored only eight points in Game 3, hitting only 3-of-11 from the field. Bird repeated that slump with eight points on 3-of-11 in Game 4. Game 5 saw 12 points from "The Legend", hitting 5-of-16 on field goals. Bird came through in a clinching Game 6 , with the Celtics taking the victory and the Championship. He racked up 27 points and was 11-of-20 from the field . Larry's shooting may have been off in that 3-game span, but he collected 37 boards, 25 assists and seven steals to go with his 28 points during that 3-contest period. Boiling it down, Tatum registered 34.1% from the field in four games , while Larr...

 Yes, we could have been the equivalent of the present version of the Philadelphia 76'ers . You know, "The Process" that never worked.   All of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Rob Williams, Al Horford - and even Coach Ime Udoka - could have been in Philly rather than Boston this season.  The 76'ers grabbed Ben Simmons at number-1 in the 2016 draft instead of Jaylen Brown . Then they took Markelle Fultz number-one the next year (2017) instead of Jayson Tatum. In 2018, Philadelphia chose Mikal Bridges at #10, while the Celtics went with Rob Williams when he dropped to #27. Al Horford left for Philly as a free agent in 2019, but the 76'ers felt that Al was not a good fit (definitely flawed thinking!) and traded him to Oklahoma City after one season. How about Ime Udoka . He signed with Philadelphia as an assistant coach in 2019 and rightly felt that was not the place for him at the time. Udoka signed with the Nets as an assistant in 2020, and quickly grabbed his fi...

 Past Celtics teams and the present Warriors crew are usually mentioned when the subject of sports dynasties comes up. Boston won 11 Titles from 1956-69 and three Championships from 1981-86 .while  Golden State has three from 2015 to the present . The 79-91 Lakers (5 Titles) and 90-98 Bulls (6 Titles) can be put into that list. There is no clear definition for NBA dynasties, but per Wikipedia : In  sports , a  dynasty  is a team or individual that dominates their sport or league for an extended length of time. Some leagues usually maintain official lists of dynasties, often as part of a  hall of fame , but in many cases, whether a team or individual has achieved a dynasty is  subjective . With the 2022 Finals tied at 2-2, the Warriors will either continue their League-dominance, or the very-talented, but young, Celtics could begin a series of Finals victories over the next several years, starting with this one. Golden State players are getting gr...

  This Celtics loss need not to have happened . The Green were ahead, 91-86 with 7:32 to go in the fourth quarter. That's when things fell apart . Boston went back to their habit of taking the easy way out by throwing up multiple 3-pointers, as opposed to going downhill - taking the foul - kicking it out - or actually making the layup. Prior to that mid-point in the fourth quarter , the Celtics were hitting 46.4% (13-of-28) of their treys. In the final seven minutes of the game, they hit on 25% (2-of-8) from behind the arc. Admittedly, the Warriors Steph Curry chose this game to raise his play to another level , pouring in 43 points from everywhere - hauling down 10 boards - and passing off for four assists . The potential "best shooter the NBA has ever seen" shot 53.8% from the field, 50.0% on 3-pointers and 88.9% on free throws. The Celtics still have not found a way to slow him down. After this game, Curry wll certainly be back at the number-one spot in nba.com...

  I  had two camps, and I miss both of them! In northern New England  most of us call them camps, not cottages or cabins . I was  lucky  enough to have had two of them.  My first camp was not really mine, but as a kid I felt that it was.  My grandfather built it in the   mid 1950’s by the shores of   Merrymeeting Lake  in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.  My  grandfather was an avid fisherman, and the area lakes, ponds and streams provided new   opportunities for him. However, he was not able to enjoy the camp for long. He died soon  after its completion. My mother named the camp  “Joe’s Haven”  in memory of her dad and  painted a sign with that inscription. The camp was a simple structure. It was small and had no insulation, running water or indoor  toilet facilities. We carried drinking water from a nearby spring, and we bathed in the lake.  For a 10-year-old boy i...

 Ever notice that Jaylen Brown doesn't make a lot of noise . He's not demonstrative on the court and doesn't usually have a lot to say. Until now! After the Celtics took Game 3 from Golden State to advance to a 2-1 series lead, the often-subdued Brown is making plenty of noise in the NBA Finals, rising to number-one in NBA.Com's Finals MVP Ladder . Brown joined the elite company of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, Vince Carter and James Harden as players since 1997 to rack up at least 15 points, five rebounds and three assists in the first quarter of a playoff game. Boston's "Quiet Man" has been on a roll . In the three Finals contests, he has averaged: 35.1 MPG - 22.7 PPG - 7.3 RPG - 4,3 APG - 42,9% FG - 36.0% 3s - 84.6% FT Those are great stats and terrific company. Let's not forget, this is the guy that, in his rookie season, shot only 68.5% on free throws and averaged only 0.8 assists per game in the regular season. Like he does everythi...

 What if I told you that Golden State would see Steph score 31 and Klay score 25, not to mention they had their patented third quarter run? You may say they would have control of the series. Well you would be wrong, they took those punches and ended up winning and showing how much tougher they are. Anyone see Draymond Green because Celtics fans were chanting for him but he didn't seem to show up! In the post game mightier than thou Klay Thompson was complaining about the fans, what does that show me the Celtics and their fans have gotten to yet another soft player. Just ask a certain person who wears the same number in Brooklyn. How about them Celtics! From the jump last night you could tell they were not messing around. Did anyone else notice how the Celtics talent and toughness over powered these Warriors?! The Celtics have taken when they went through vs the Bucks and Heat, and are now applying it against a softer, weaker Warriors team. Let's look at the Jays last night, bot...

  Celtics center, Rob Williams did his best John Havlicek impression in last night's 116-100 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.  For those that remember, in the 1973 Eastern Conference Finals, Hondo,  against the Knicks, played the final three games with his right shoulder so badly injured , his coach, Tom Heinsohn, had this comment : “His right arm was dangling — most guys wouldn’t have even been out there,” Heinsohn said. As with Havlicek, Williams III has been playing with one appendage - in this case one leg. Regardless of the knee issue, in last night's win, Rob logged 26 minutes, scored eight point (4-of-5 FG), took down 10 rebounds (3 offensive), made three steals, blocked four shots and came away with team honors in plus/minus (+21). Ime Udoka used his supremely-athletic big man at various junctures in the contest, and Williams responded beautifully. He gives his team such versatility with his height, length, quickness and mobili...

 Hasten back to Game 4 of the 1984 Finals - Boston Celtics versus Los Angeles Lakers - Celtics down 2-1. The Lakers Kurt Rambi s was on a fast break when - out of the blue - Kevin McHale took him out. That changed everything. Game 3 of that series went to LA, and Larry Bird called out the whole team for playing like sissies . Not so in Game 4. The normally super-skilled, but somewhat-placid McHale took the opportunity to lay out Rambis on the hardwood. Did the refs care a lot? Not too much . Here is Kurt's reaction : “The funny thing about all that,” he said, “huge brawl, everybody’s pushing and shoving, benches are clearing, and the referees just go, ‘OK, Kurt just go shoot your two free throws and let’s keep playing.’ That was the end of it. There was no fine, nothing.” It was the NBA Finals after all. No technical foul for Kevin. No ejection from the game . Just a normal foul and two free throws for Rambis. Now fast forward to the present. Draymond Green is testing the refer...

 Golden State's Draymond Green has been a pain in the ass for Warrior's opponents seemingly forever. He is The Dubs' emotional leader, and it showed in Game 2 of the Finals against the Boston Celtics. Green set the tone early. Game 2 was barely underway when Green tied up Al Horford for a jump ball.  Later in the contest, Draymond contested a 3-pointer by Jaylen Brown and both ended up on the floor. A minor physical confrontation took place , and it became clear that Dray was out to antagonize the Celtics players and mentally and physically disrupt Ime Udoka's plans. Most NBA fans will agree that the rules change in the NBA post-season , particularly in the Finals. When the Green-Brown dust-up occurred, Draymond had already had one technical foul to his (dis)credit. He knew he could get away with some misbehavior, with the refs reluctant to call a second technical, resulting in his expulsion from the game ( per Washington Post's Candace Buckner ): What would be ...