Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Ideally the path to replace DGs scoring and bench points could be used by Sam Hauser. What if I told you the Celtics could be interested in bringing in Melo?! To me it isn't a bad idea. Ever since he's become a true player off the bench I feel he's been a quality players. Especially when he was with the Blazers.    Melo has shown that in a role coming off the bench for a good team suits him well. He can still score, and actually is willing to defend. He's a guy who could spell both JB and JT. Question is are the Celtics actually interested?! This team still needs a solid big as a backup. A vested veteran like Melo who has never won a ring could be the temporary answer for the C's off the bench. Why not accrue as much talent off the bench as you can! Celtics fans and avid readers let us know what you think. Bleed Green! Celtic Pride!

 When you talk about the all time greats, who do our Celtic readers see in the all time top five/ top ten?! Clearly you can see three guys who changed the game for the best. Each of these individuals took their teams and the game of basketball to new levels.  The Larry and Magic dynamic was something that the NBA drastically needed. They took a sport that was on tape delay and made it must watch live TV! What was amazing about Larry and Magic is each guy was motivated by each other to improve. A fierce rivalry yet a true friendship bloomed. Despite Magic being a Laker his relationship with Larry gives him some cred in my book.  The Michael effect in my book was something we will never see in this game again. He came in a few years after Larry and Magic and yet at some point in the NBA he carried this league on his back. Not only did his game on the floor stand out but his sneakers took the world by storm. Jordans will to win was something that continued to drive him to gr...

 Once again, we read that the Celtics Marcus Smart is not a true point guard.  I could not agree more. The 6'3" guard is absolutely undefinable.   You want an undersized rim protector? He is it. A ferocious defender? Yup! Someone to cover the opposing big men? He can do that. And in his new role as point guard last season, he did one Hell of a bang-up job. How much does this man have to do to gain more supporters among the NBA faithful?  Marcus calls himself a "Stretch-6". Never heard of one? That's my point. UNDEFINABLE! Smart may not be a true point guard, but I doubt he wants to be one. He simply wants to be the guy on the floor that can make key plays that win games, whether that play is a pass, rebound, 3-pointer, steal, deflection or block.  Thanks for listening!

 Count me as disappointed with the meniscus injury to Danilo Gallinari . We have yet to hear the final prognosis, but Danilo is no spring chicken (34 years), and his comeback may be slow in a season projected to be a good (great?) one for the Boston Celtics. Still, when one door closes, another can open. I am excited to see what Sam Hauser can accomplish this year, and we can expect to see more than the 6.1 minutes per game from last season. He won't be playing 36 MPG, but those extrapolated stats from last season project to 14.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 2.3 APG. Not bad. Hauser at 6'8" doesn't have the length of Gallinari, nor his experience and seasoning, but he has shown enough promise for Brad Stevens to sign him for the next three seasons, with 2024-25 having a Club Option. He is primarily a shooter at the wing position and he can be expected to pick up some of the minutes left available by the meniscus tear to our Italian Import's knee. Let's hope the undraft...

  Celtics dodge a major bullet as DG didn't suffer an ACL tear. He did however damage his meniscus which could likely have him out for quite a while. I love the fact that these guys love playing for their country because every time Giannis suites up in blue and white I'm all in! I'm also Italian so watching Gallinari over the years has been a joy. This however hurts the Celtics depth going into this season.    Question is does Brad address this by going out and getting another solid body for the bench. Ownership said they are all in and willing to spend money. Put your money where your mouth is! Personally I think they can manage without DG but would love to see them sure up this bench even more. I know I'm a homer and bleed Green but right now if we are being honest we are the best team in the East and the Bucks are not far behind.    Prayers up for DG as he heals! I can't wait for this season. Not sure if I've shared this but I'm hitting a game this year! ...

 For all those fans jumping all over JT you might want to rethink your position! Hearing he played with a fractured wrist and almost led us to title endears himself to me. This is the kind of toughness you want from your best players. Playing with an injury is very Larry Bird like. Giving everything you have and leaving it right there on the floor. This young man is special, always has and will always be.   How many other greats have chosen to not play when dealing with injuries?! JT is a man's man! One thing is for certain this young man is not soft! I for one am fully pumped up to see this team take the floor. So much that I'm going to see them live this year! It's been a while I haven't been able to go, but losing mom has spurred me to live!    If JT is willing to play hurt it truly shows me he's willing to give everything it takes to secure Banner 18! His love of the game and the Celtics is evident to me! Bleed Green! Celtic Pride!  In other news...... ...

  Expectations are a great thing to have but can also be filled with pressure. We finally were able to see these Celtics take a huge steps as a group by getting to the NBA Finals. With that said now the expectation is to not only make it but win it. Question is will these Celtics be up to the task night in and night out. There's something to be said for giving your all each and every game. In an already loaded Eastern Conference, these Celtics have what's necessary to win.    JB and JT have proven that together they can achieve almost anything. All that awaits is that ring. We saw flaws in both players games but fully expect those kinks to be worked out so they can lead the Celtics to Banner 18. Keys to winning 18 are keeping both RWill and Al healthy and rested. Dear ownership let Brad go out there and get that big. Unless a guy like Noah Vonleh can find lightning in a bottle. Or Gallo becomes a stretch five?!  We have guards galore in the Wolverine, DWhite, PP and ...

 It seems the Boston Celtics have always had one of them - a big, strong guy that can joust with the giants of the NBA and offer protection to the little guys and stars. But they seem to lack one on the current 2022-23 roster. It started with 6'5", 215-lb. Bob Brannum. Bob Cousy needed someone to have his back in the early 50's, and that was Brannum. In the late 50's and early 60's, it was 6'5", 220-lb. Jim Loscutoff . They didn't call him "Jungle Jim" for nothing. The late 60's saw 6'8", 240-lb. Wayne Embry come on board in Boston. Part of his duties was to take some of the heat off Bill Russell , particularly when the Celtics faced Wilt Chamberlain . But "Wayne The Wall" was also a ready "protector of teammates". I am putting 6'8.5", 230-lb. Dave Cowens into this mix, because "Big Red" backed down to nobody and had his share of rumbles. Opponents were a bit afraid of Cowens. They never ...

 Boston Celtics Training Camp is weeks away, and a number of big men will clash to land roster spots behind Al Horford and Rob Williams .  Al and Rob Have proven themselves, and Grant Williams , at 6'6", has shown himself to be a reliable small-ball five. But Grant and four other "bigs" will be vying for minutes as the third and fourth centers.  Noah Vonleh, Luke Kornet and Bruno Coboclo are all on non-or-partially-guaranteed contracts and will need to prove themselves starting next month in order to make the cut. Mfiondu Kabengele is on a two-way contract, but he will also be battling for significant time at the 5-spot. One thing is guaranteed. Assuming Grant remains in Boston, we will almost certainly not see all three of Vonleh, Kornet and Coboclo on the 2022-23 Celtics roster. And there is always the chance that Kabengele may be promoted to the regular roster at some point should he outplay his competitors.  Expect an exciting Training Camp!

 Only three NBA players have garnered three MVP trophies in consecutive years. Two of them are former Celtics, namely Bill Russell and Larry Bird . Wilt Chamberlain rounds out the trio. Jayson Tatum has a fair shot as League MVP this season, so I thought I would compare Jayson's stats from last season with those of The Birdman from his first MVP season, 1984. Tatum (2021-22): 35.9 MPG - 26.9 PPG - 8.0 RPG - 4.4 APG - 1.0 SPG - 0.6 BPG Bird (1983-84): 38.7 MPG - 24.2 PPG - 10.1 RPG - 6.6 APG - 1.8 SPG - 0.9 BPG Bird takes 5-of-6 categories, while Tatum gets the nod on points per game. Larry takes two more categories (FG% and FT%), and Jayson takes the 3-point award. End result is Bird wins seven categories, and Tatum takes two.  Also interesting to note that the Celtics won two Titles in two of the seasons (1984, 1986) where Larry walked away with the MVP trophy. Did Larry Bird acquire those MVP awards because he was white? That's what former-Piston Dennis Rodman reportedly sa...

 Could someone help me here. Are the Boston Celtics really looking to Luke Kornet to significantly contribute this coming season? While many NBA GMs and coaches regard height as a positive attribute, both Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka don't seem to be among them   Their "ideal"player would be roughly 6'8" tall and able to play all five positions. The 7'2" Kornet has career averages of: 14.3 MPG - 5.5 PPG - 2.6 RPG - 1.0 APG - 0.8 BPG - .408 FG, - .324 on 3s I see nothing that Luke does well. Are the Celtics looking to the Vanderbilt product to fire away from 3-point land (per Wikipedia): "He (Kornet) holds the NCAA record for three-pointers made by a 7-footer with 150." In two stints with Boston, Luke is 9-of-42 on trey s for a whopping ,214 percentage . But has has 27 blocks to his credit in 30 games as a Celtic , and therein may be part of his value. As a long inside presence, he could see time filling in for Rob Williams .  Oh yes, and even t...

 With the reported signing of wing, Denzel Valentine , we can expect he will be trying to live up to his pre-draft potential during the Boston Celtics' Training Camp.  The 6'4", 220-pound shooting guard has not exactly thrived in his NBA career, but he has the size and long-distance shooting ability (36% on 3s for his career) Brad Stevens looks for . His pre-draft analysis  reveals a slow, unathletic guard with intelligence and leadership . However, his outlook in the big League showed the following: "Given the right situation, Valentine could in time become a key cog in a championship contender" It may be an uphill battle for the 14-overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, but the Celtics are truly a major contender for the 2023 Title, and Valentine may have landed in the right spot. And may I add that Denzel was signed by the Maine Celtics on my birthday, January 21 of this year - possibly a positive omen.… 

 The Celtics have signed former number 14 pick Denzel Valentine! A career 36 percent three point shooter. He's being brought in for camp to fight for a possible roster spot. A tough nosed defender from what I remember at MSU! He's played with the Bulls, Cavs, and Knicks! Could the Celtics possibly strike gold with him being a wing to help give JT and JB a rest?! We will see! 

 KD to me is just an unhappy malcontent, heck of a player and scorer but I want nothing to do with him! He is not Kevin Garnett, or for that matter Ray Allen coming to team with Paul Pierce. That Celtics team was trash the year before. This Celtics team was two wins away from Banner 18, and if ownership had a belief in them they would have cleaned up the bench and spent money and this team could have won it all.  KD had a great career in OKC, yet some how he wanted out. A franchise who prob would have given him whatever he wanted. Yet like the big baby diva he is he signed with the Golden State Warriors. He had some very impressive years with the Warriors yet at the end of the road once again Mr Diva came out and he left. On to the Nets where now it seems the Diva is unhappy and yet again wants out. Are we seeing a pattern here?!  If I'm the Celtics I'm not even picking up the phone if it's Brooklyn on the other end! He will come here and ruin what has been built. Ride JT...

  NBA/com's Power Rankings are out and (no surprise) the Boston Celtics take the number-1 spot in the East - with the Milwaukee Bucks at number-2 and the Philadelphia 76'ers at number-3. Boston's strong finish to the 2021-22 season seems poised to continue into the upcoming campaign, but NBA.com's John Schuhmann projects the addition of Malcolm Brogdon as a major reason for The Green to be optimistic: It’s possible that Brown’s ball-handling doesn’t get much better, but (Malcolm) Brogdon obviously takes some of the playmaking burden off the shoulders of the young stars while fitting into Boston’s drive-and-kick offense. He averaged almost six more drives per game ( 18.3 ) than  anybody on the Celtics  and had  the lowest turnover rate on drives  (4.2 per 100) among 42 players who averaged at least 10 per contest. (Derrick White had the third lowest rate.) The Celtics’ clutch offense issues were seemingly more about approach than just makes and misses, but Brog...

 When today's NBA players crap on the greats of the past, it's infuriating! Unfortunately for them they didn't get paid as heavily as today's players. So if they needed another job then kudos to them for busting their behinds. Bill Russell played in a hard core basketball era. When basketball was a man's game and you know what he did, he dominated! You would think these other teams would learn to game plan against him and the Celtics. Yet the Celtics and Bill came out on top! In 21 must win situations he won! His teams always won in the clutch.  In Russell's time of basketball they played basketball in it's purest form. No threes, and definitely no flopping! How many of today's NBA players and greats have flopped like a dead seal! I'm not naming names but you all know who I'm referring to! You could take those Russell led Celtics teams put them in today's league and guess what they still would win! Bill would dominate today's low post pla...

 Celtics have invited former Lottery pick Noah Vonleh to training camp with an opportunity at being on the roster. If you remember he was a high prospect drafted by the Hornets. He's from Salem Ma, so let's see if he has anything left to prove. 

  Former 2014 first round pick has been invited to Celtics training camp. Could he have something left to offer? Let's see! He showed promise with the Jazz this summer league.