Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  Jayson Tatum's ejection in the Celtics 109-84 loss to the surging Knicks was his first - but not his last - time getting tossed after picking up two technical fouls. His verbal reaction to the ejection ? ''But all the great players get thrown out a few times in their career, so it's good for my rep,'' he (Jayson Tatum) said. He's right. Larry Bird had a number of ejections during his stroried career, often for fighting . I was at the Old Boston Garden when he and Julius Erving were tossed after a physical altercation on the court.  Another ejection took place when he whipped a ball at Bill Laimbeer after Larry just could not take any more abuse from the much-hated Detroit center . Bird was not known as a referee-baiter, but he did pick up two technicals (and an ejection) when he had a disagreement with the refs in a game versus the New Jersey Nets . Admittedly, Jayson Tatum needs to curtail his complaining to the refs to some degree, but it probably...

  Celtics enter New York with payback on their mind! No Jaylen Brown tonight, but Derrick White gets the start! So nice to hear Mike Gorman's voice tonight. Let's hope his return brings us some good luck. C's need to own the Knicks on the boards tonight.  1st Quarter Observations  Let's continue to watch JT read defenses as he finds Al for three. His court vision is very Bird like lately. When your best player has the ability to dish the rock like this it's a beautiful thing. It truly shows how each and every year this young man improves. He's a player who never stops working, and it's evident in his game.  If I have to watch another three point shot go up, I may lose it. When you aren't hitting them, get yourselves to the hoop! Why is today's NBA player so infatuated with this shot?! The game was changed in the wrong way. I want guys who can post up, get to the rim, and get to the line. A guy like JB makes me proud because he owns that mid range gam...

  It's Prime Time in Philly! Will the C's continue their dominance over the Sixers. We damn well better! Knights Knotes on the 1st Quarter This Celtics D sucks right now, wake up fellas! JB starts off firing on all cylinders! C's are a little off on D, and aren't moving the ball well. Both Embid and Harden are the biggest floppers in the league. It's honestly not worth watching when those two play.  Goodness do I despise the Sixers, heed my words these refs are pro sixers. Say goodbye to the number one seed for at least a bit. Personally the refs have already taken the C's out of the game.  There are some games where the NBA just dictates way too much. I'm sick to my stomach right now! Despite my ill feelings we are right there! Time for a heck of a second quarter run! Knights Knotes on the 2nd Quarter C's weathered that initial Sixers storm, and are looking much better! It's gross watching Harden throw his body into guys drawing fouls. I can't S...

  Tonight's the night, as the stretch run commences. The C's are healthy for the first time in a while. Let's see what this squad looks like tonight as the take on the Pacers. We actually have our entire starting line up! Masked Jaylen Brown looks pretty cool!  1st Quarter Knights Knotes  We see as Coach Mazzulla sets up JB for the first shot of the game. Smart move trying to get him going early on in his first game back. He is going to need to get his legs back.  C's seem to still be on All Star break, allowing the Pacers to get an early lead. We see our stars get back to back baskets, which was much needed. They are going to have to take over this second half of the season. Lead by example fellas you are dynamic duo.  The Celtics passing has been on point when they aren't turning it over. When they get that ball hopping from guy to guy it's actually unstoppable. With those last two possessions we saw who they are. An offensive well oiled machine.  JB has ...

Best record in the league ✅ Best player in the league ✅ Best duo in the league ✅ Best sixth man in the league ✅ I could go on and on... We have the deepest team from top to bottom. We have dealt with so many injuries this season and yet are the team to beat. Now it's time to get down to business!  What remains to be done is making sure to secure home court while staying healthy. It all starts tomorrow night vs the Indiana Pacers who we owe some payback too! Disclaimer I do not like the format of the All Star game, picking teams what is this third grade kickball?! They play no defense and it's uncompetitive! With that said watching JT and JB brought joy to my basketball heart.  In my humble opinion we have about five teams that legit give me nightmares. Starting with the Bucks, Suns, Warriors, Clippers and Nuggets. With that said we can beat all of those teams in a seven game series, they will be dog fights but we will prevail!  Not sure about any of our readers but I'm ha...

 Shortly after the official announcement that Joe Mazzulla was named Head Coach of the Boston Celtics, we now hear that Ime Udoka is "no longer employed" by the team. But suspicion lurks that Ime's offenses may have been more widespread than fans were told. So what happened? I have a nagging suspension it involved ownership — bobby orderve (@deadsiox9) February 17, 2023 Why have we never gotten the true story? Was it Grousbeck’s wife? — Robert Smithers (@RSmithers52) February 16, 2023  So it's done! Mazzulla goes into the post-break season in full charge of his team . But Celtics fans may never hear the whole story behind the suspension and "no-longer-employed-status" of Mazzulla.  But one thing is for sure. If the transgeressions of Ime Udoka involved someone related to ownership, future potential bosses of the "no-longer-employed" coach will certainly attempt to dig deeper into the scandal that threatened to derail a franchise that was on ...

  No longer the interim coach, let's all welcome Joe Mazzulla as the nineteenth Celtics head coach! He has lead to C's to the best record in the NBA. Yes his style is a little unorthodox but it's working. He's unlocked what this team can be!  Now all he needs to do is help us win Banner 18 and he will be part of true Celtics history winning a ring!  I need to get this off my chest, I've been listening to Boston radio on this extension and honestly these radio heads suck! Will they be happy that the C's have found a guy who is capable of bringing us Banner 18. Posing questions like why sign him now?! Well because he earned it and the players respond to him! That's why!  Bleed Green Celtic Pride 

 The Celtics Robert Williams III is high on the NBA's Defensive-Player-of-the-Year Ladder despite only participating in 23 games. The 6'8" athletic phenomenon lands at number-3 in the rankings (per NBA.com's Steve Aschburner ): Robert Williams simply said "no" pic.twitter.com/pNtY3k6gpU — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) February 7, 2023 3. Robert Williams III, Boston Celtics "Look, the max appearances Williams can make this season, if he stays healthy the rest of the way, is 47. That’s not enough to win a major annual award like DPOY. Heck, it’s not enough to climb as high as No. 1 on this Ladder. But the Celtics’ center merits a high rung here because he’s not just a top defender — he’s a doctor of denial. His on/off impact is ruthless: Boston’s rating with him defensively is 104.8 vs. 110.9 without him. And among players averaging 10+ defensive field goal attempts, his minus-8.0% effect on foes’ shooting is tops. Granted, Williams was a l...

The return of Marcus Smart signifies the end of the first half of the season. Will these C's finish strong, they better! In tonight's game we look to see how they can bounce back off the Bucks loss. Tonight's game sees the return of Al and JT who were off last night. Tonight during the game we will look at each player and their impact.  We look at one of the definitions of the word,  Impact- have a strong effect on someone or something.  Jayson Tatum  JTs impact on the floor is immeasurable, it's being shown as he is getting into the paint and scoring. The more he uses that size to get inside the more dominant he can be. He is getting to the cup with ease off the dribble. He's the purest player I've seen in a while, especially when he's getting to the cup. He honestly doesn't need to shoot threes. If JT let's the three ball go, his game would be unreal. When I watch him drive and get to the rim tonight it's poetry in motion. Figures I complain ab...

  Yes, I get it! Kevin Love is reportedly negotiating a buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers ansd is possibly heading to Miami . After many seasons in Minnesota and Cleveland, he may want to spend his time in a warm part of the planet. Love is basically a California guy - the nephew of the Beach Boys Mike Love - but how about the East Coast. How about Boston . The 5-time All-Star is not done yet. He already has one Champiopnship ring when he paired with Lebron James in Cleveland. Kevin has always been a solid guy on the boards and possesses one of the most-effective outlet passes I have witnessed . And he can score from anywhere on the court ( per Wikipedia ): "His (Love's) middle name, Wesley, is in honor of  Wes Unseld , the former  Washington Bullets  center and the Loves' family friend." Love has seen limited floor time lately, but he was runner-up for Sixth-Man-of-the-Year last season, averaging 13.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. I have al...

 Despite the 131-125 loss to the Bucks last night in overtime, there were plenty of heroes among the Celtics "subs" that fought the surging-and-healthy Milwaukee Bucks, and Blake Griffin was one of them. Brad Stevens didn't pick up the 6-time All-Star, expecting his career line of 20/8/4.   Griffin was picked up for his remaining skills - his ability to accept a limited role - but most of all, his desire to be in Boston . His production versus Milwaukee (15 points, 6 boards, 6 assists, one steal, one block) shows that he still has enough in the tank to play a significant role in the post-season. With respect to that open roster spot , filling it with (as Stevens stated) someone "really excited to be here" is the key. That sounds like Blake Griffin. After a long and star-filled career, the 6'9" C/F remains without a Title.   If the buyout market presents a guy that has starred in the NBA - is a veteran of the playoff wars - wants a Championshi...

 In today's game we look at what Brad Stevens had to say about the final roster spot and your Celtic Knight tries something a little different.  “You’ll look at it and you will decide, okay, is there somebody that fits that need and who’s really excited to be here if that’s the case,” Stevens explained. “Or is it do you feel like you’ve got that all filled and maybe invest in a younger player. And so we’re going to assess all that over the next few days and try to figure it out.” There is a lot to absorb in this quote. It ultimately makes sense. Is there a real true fit left in the buyout market that wants to play in a limited role? Does winning a ring matter to them? We have already witnessed a few bigger names sign elsewhere. Will. ... Will Barton want to come here?   Does veteran Tony Snell fit that role? Now on to the game. As we focus on some of our other players.. ..  Payton Pritchard  He always ready to show he belongs in the league. Let's see what he ...

  Who knew? Who leads the entire League in "Average Seconds per Touch"? None other than newly-acquired Mike Muscala . "Moose" has possession on the ball a mere 1.12 seconds before launching a shot or passing to a teammate. His two partners at The-5, Luke Kornet and Rob Williams, can't exactly be labelled "ball hogs" either. Luke comes in at #5 at 1.23 seconds per touch , and Rob is at #8 at 1.24 seconds/touch . So Williams III holds on to the ball 0.01 seconds longer than Kornet . Why do I even write about what some may feel is an insignificant statistic? I find it fascinating. Rob's number is low, in part due to his many put-backs off offensive boards and lobs . If he has the ball in his hands longer than one second on those plays, I would be surprised. The same holds for Kornet. He has his share of lobs and put-backs. Muscala gets his shot off from deep with no hesitation. And he appears to be damn good at it. Make of it what you will, but the...

 I thought Derrick White was brought to Boston to be a bench guy , backing up Marcus Smart at the point or Jaylen Brown at shooting guard. Well, at least for the previous week, he may have been the top player in the NBA Eastern Conference. The newly-annointed Eastern Conference Player-of-the-Week, over the last four games , averaged 24.5 points, 7.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game , white hitting 52.2% from the field and 51.5% from long-distance. Bench player, indeed! Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Boston Celtics guard Derrick White have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 17 of the 2022-23 season (Feb. 6-12). pic.twitter.com/cZyf0DJfmW — NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 13, 2023 Count me as one that loved Derrick's game from the start - his fast pace - his effort - his dedication to the task. But I necer envisioned this stat line from him - even for a single week. But there it is! It...

 Call it "hierarchy" or "pecking order" , but Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla have achieved what Danny Ainge wished for the Celtics when he played the role of "Head Honcho" in Beantown.  It starts at the top, and Jayson Tatum has clearly worked his way into "king of the hill" as the Alpha-One , followed by Jaylen Brown as Alpha-Two . Marcus Smart takes spot #3 , followed by a cluster of Al Horford, Grant Williams, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon at 4, 5, 6 and 7. Thus far, injuries and limited minutes have Rob Williams at #8, but that mediocre rating doesn't do justice to what he offers and his overall importance to the team's success. Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Blake Griffin, Mike Muscala and Luke Kornet all have averaged douible-digit minutes and bring the Celtics' usable depth to 13 players . The minutes for these 13 players tell most of the story. Ainge once lamented the fact that his team-at-the-time had "equal dep...

  1st Quarter ☘️ C's need to bring their A game today! Haus Money for THREEEEEEEEE!!! He's found his stroke! Nice to see him shooting with confidence again! Going to need his points today! C's are a bit sloppy on offense with a few early turnovers.  Celtics should be pushing the pace, RUN! Happy Birthday in Heaven to the late great Bill Russell! Watched that special on Netflix and will be dedicating one of my articles to it. JT for THREEEEEEEE!!!  Love seeing Al with the jump hook! Take these youngsters to school!  Spectacular ball movement leads to a Hauser three! So pretty as it rained down into the hoop! SWISH! The way that ball moves so seamlessly is just beautiful basketball.  JT with the difficult shot and it finds its way in the basket. JT goes to his left and no call. C's are starting to flounder on offense. Come on now, let's figure it out. It's unreal how Ja gets calls, while JT gets nothing. Sick of these horrible officials.  The Unicorn earns a ...

 Woj reporting that Danny Green is is the process of finalizing a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers when his pending buyout is formalized The Boston Celtics are one of the teams that have shown interest in the 6'6" wing. It would appear that Green may feel he will have a more-significant role with the Cavs, as opposed to the Celtics. Three-time champion Danny Green is nearing an agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his agent/attorney Raymond Brothers of @RocNationSports tells ESPN. The Cavs can offer Green significant opportunity to make an impact on a playoff team. pic.twitter.com/hU3zkDhWYG — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 12, 2023

Opa! Morning to all our avid readers and beloved Celtics fans. The East has taken shape and it seems as though it's going to be the Bucks and Celtics in the ECF. Clash of the Titans! These two teams meet up on the day of love February 14th! Their last meeting was on Christmas Day in which the C's lit them up!  Now the Bucks are healthy while the C's are not. This game means more to the Bucks psychologically. From my perspective. The C's not only beat them in the playoffs but made them look foolish on Christmas. The Bucks have made some moves that make them very tough. Crowder is a huge upgrade and Ingles being healthy is key. Middleton looks like himself and he always kills the C's. Giannis well he's SIMPLY AMAZING!  Now let's not get things twisted, I believe the Bucks are a biggest competitor but we will beat them in the playoffs. If we are healthy, we are a well oiled machine firing on all cylinders! Tatum and Brown are the best duo in the league. Malcolm...

 The answer to my title question is an emphatic "NO"! I attended quite a number of games at the Old Boston Garden in the early-70's when "High Henry" was backing up Dave Cowens at the center spot. @MikeDynan got it right. Muscala gets the nod quite readily. Although all three 7-footers have similar size, that's about the extent of the comparison.  Mike is definitely the better marksman , and he moves much better that Finkel ever did. The same goes for Luke Kornet . Henry took a lot of flak from Celtics fans upon his arrival in beantown, as any replacement for Bill Russell would, but he became a fan favorite with the arrival of Cowens when The Green started winning games. High Henry (per Johnny Most) was effective in the low post, but Kornet is probably better, especially for today’s game. More mobile and has an outside shot out to the arc. But Hank Finkel had some great moments. I checked: his career high was 42 with 17 boards. — Mike Dynon ☘️🏀 (@MikeDy...

 The Celtics' trade for OKC's Mike Muscala may not have been earth-shaking, but the 6'11" sniper checks a number of boxes for Boston. He logged 16 minutes in the Celtics win over Charlotte last might, hitting 4-of-8 shots from beyond the 3-point line. He l ooked like he had been with The Green for years. So what boxes does he check? Start with the "shooter with size" that Brad Stevens (and Danny Ainge before him) are always looking for. The second box has to do with Grant Williams . If Stevens chooses not to go with Grant long-term, Muscala may be able to fill his role - at least partially. The third box is somewhat in question and will be answered in the second half of the season. Specifically, can "M&M" contribute in the post-season? Last night's sample-of-one is not sufficient to answer the query, but I would be surprised if the answer was "No". Mike may not have been Stevens' first choice prior to the Trade Deadline...

  1st Quarter ☘️ C's are off to a nice 6-0 start! What's so great is we get Max on the TV broadcast! Do my eyes deceive me and is Gordon Hayward actually playing?! If MJ wants to buy him out, I'm all for us bringing him in!  JT gets inside, and scores with contact, yet no foul! DWhite gets inside scores on the floater and gets the foul! I tell ya DWhite is that player you can count on to make the right plays! Love him! His herkey jerkey motion is beautiful to watch! I guarantee he's going to make a huge play during the playoffs. Gerald Henderson type stuff but on the offensive end!  BG gets the follow up dunk off the JT miss! BG still has some HOPS! BG is Mr ENERGY! Love this dude and the way he hustles out there. He does what he's called upon to do! He can rebound, set screens, play tough D and occasionally go off from three!  C's are turning the ball over which is leading to the Hornets making a run. Need to hit these guys hard and break them early. PP to JT f...

 If not, he should be. At least, take a look! Danny Green was just traded to the Houston Rockets  and  almost surely will be bought out of his contract. The 6'6" 3-and-D G/F earned three Championship rings with three different teams - spent multi seasons under the tutelage of coach-and-savant, Gregg Popovich, in San Antonio - and even at 35 years of age, could add to Boston's wing depth. What's not to like about Danny's career .399 accuracy from the hinterlands? He is a veteran of the playoff wars , and even though his return to action following knee surgery is still in progress, easing him into the fray gently is easy considering the Celtics' depth. One step at a time. If a buyout occurs, he would need to pass waivers and become a free agent. If that 3-part process occurs, Stevens needs to consider a conversation with the vet wing. Hell, his last name fits. What more is needed?

  Remember Brad Lohaus? The 6'11", 230-pound C/F  was drafted 45th-overall by the Celtics in 1987 and played for Boston for two seasons. Brad averaged 15.8 MPG, 5.9 PPG and 2.8 RPG in his 13-season NBA career. Sounds a bit like Mike Muscala , the newly-acquired C/F from OKC. Mike was taken 44th-overall in the 2013 draft by the Atlanta Hawks and has career averages of 15.5 minutes, 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. There was no earth-shaking news surrounding the pickup of Muscala by Brad Stevens . His performance on the hardwood will not create any resounding vibrations, but neither will he disrupt the synergy that exists between the present Celtics crew that sits atop the NBA Standings.  The Bucknell product has proven to possess intelligence and high-character . His size (6'11", 240 pounds) and stretch-shooting capabilities are a bonus.  Welcome to Boston, Mike Muscala.

  Doesn't look like they gave up much! More to follow! Just wanted to get it out there! 

  Trade deadline today, will we see any minor moves by the Celtics?! A wing and a big?! Or are we waiting for the buyout market?!  It's been busy already with the Jazz, Fakers, and T-wolves three team deal. Kyrie heading to Dallas and KD heading to Phoenix. Unfortunately I think the Fakers make out in their deal. The Mavs and Suns on paper make out. Although the Nets have accumulated a group of guys who have various skill sets.  Huge huge huge shout-out to Blake Griffin for always being ready to do what's needed. The C's had come out flat last night and after a few threes from Blake that energy shifted. You have to love a guy like Blake, who once was a star but now is your utility guy and is always willing step up. His defense on Embid was solid, his rebounding was sound, and let's face it he was an assassin from deep. Love guys like this!  DWhite has proven to be an invaluable piece to this Celtics team. He's a solid point guard when needed, he can shoot the three,...

 Don't get me wrong. Kevin Durant's trade to Phoenix makes the Suns a worrisome foe - for now. The "Fearsome Foursome" of Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Durant is damn potent. But Durant will be 35 years old prior to the start of next season - has a 4-year deal worth $194 million - and has a significant injury history. Phoenix will be good if KD is healthy, but for how long? That return, with those unprotected picks, is an amazing haul for an unhappy player. — Josh (@poundcoyne) February 9, 2023 The Nets get three players back from Phoenix (Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson) and a gold mine of unprotected draft picks (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029) and a pick swap in 2028 . That haul dwarf's what Danny Ainge got when he sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn.  This move makes Phoenix maybe the top contender for the NBA 2023 Title - if the stars remain healthy (and happy). Durant has moved around the League like a gypsy. He can't be cou...

No Rob or Al tonight, who the heck is gonna guard Embid???  1st Quarter ☘️ C's are not giving me any confidence turning the ball over twice. Are we the best team or are we not. Figure it the heck out. Playing with no energy or heart right now.  Blake Griffin hits two threes!!! Back to back! He's the spark to light this fire! DWhite drives and scores! Now we are starting to play Celtics basketball. BLAKE GRIFFIN FOR HIS THIRD THREEEEEE!!!! JB and JT are no where to be found right now. Hopefully they will start their engines and get going. It's going to take a big game from them given no Rob or Al.  How do you get a five second call off a timeout???? I do not like anything about Embids game, he's a huge whiny baby. Give him a binky!  GWill hits a three, he's been very very quiet lately. Is he worried about getting traded?! Should he be traded?! I'm actually torn on that one. C's can't seem to protect this ball for the life of them. Way too many turnovers! ...

 This one can - at least in part. No, I am not enthralled with Lebron James breaking Kareem's all-time scoring record last night. Nor is it the fact that The King is in his 20th season in the NBA. And I would not rate him as one of my all-time favorite individuals . So what is it? James takes care of his body as well as any NBA player I can recall , and I admire that - in pro athletes and for  "the rest of us". When I went in for cancer surgery 17 years ago - and then for aortic valve surgery last March - the medical teams marvelled at my physical shape for someone at such an advanced age. I just turned 79 years old. It doesn't come easy. As a mentor for anyone wanting to work hard to stay vibrant, fit and healthy , Lebron James as role model just works. For the rest of it - the other human qualities - folks may want to seek mentorship elsewhere. 

 In the 2022 NBA Finals versus the Warriors , the Boston Celtics went 9-deep with players logging double-digit minutes. That ninth man, Daniel Theis is no longer on the roster, and Malcolm Brogdon has been added.. Golden State went 8-deep (double-digit minutes), and this season they without one-of-the-eight, Gary Payton II . Assuming The Green are back in the post-season fight once again, how does their playoff rotation look?  Jayson Tatum Jaylen Brown Marcus Smart Rob Williams Al Horford Derrick White Malcolm Brogdon After these seven players, things get murky for the Celtics. Trade rumors centered on Boston often involve an additional big man, and that makes sense right now - but it would have to be a big that will get to play significant minutes in the post season. The trend thus far has been that Payton Pritchard either plays few minutes - or never sees the floor - if Smart, White and Brogdon are all healthy. Grant Williams? He only averaged 17 minutes, 4.2 points a...