Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

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

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

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

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

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

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

  I know the title is called USA basketball but I just love this picture of Joe. With that said, no USA basketball team will ever give me the feels like the original dream team did. Give me any team that has Bird, Jordan, Magic and I'm taking them every time!  The crux of the matter is this, why does the media need to drive a wedge between the Jays? JT has no control over who USA basketball takes. Maybe it's guys like Leflop, KD, and others who didn't want him. Did anyone think about Nike and how they feel about JB? Honestly this is the best thing for JB, why because now he's gonna be even more motivated to show the league this year he's ELITE.  Ultimately it's an honor for the C's to have three guys there. It's been very rare to have the C's represented in the Olympics. Honestly I hope that those guys play the least amount possible to save themselves for the C's to repeat!  1992 Dream Team the Greatest of all Time! 

 On a recent NBA TV segment titled Basketball Stories: Indiana Glory , Larry Bird had no wasted words in summing up the present state of the NBA: "I really like where the League's at." That was it! Nothing more. Nothing less. But when Bird talks - I listen. And I agree totally . Having followed the League since 1960, the NBA has attained enormous popularity world-wide. The League has never displayed the combination of skills and athleticism fans see on the court lately. And the international popularity has spawned the likes of Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kristaps Porzingis.  What's not to like? Well, maybe the NBA-as-big-business may eventually burst at the seams . Just where do the sky-high salaries stop ? In the Celtics camp, Bob Cousy in the mid-to-late 50's was the highest-paid NBA payer at $25,000.00 per season. In the late 60's, Bill Russell was high man at $100,001.00 (yes, one dollar more than Wilt) , and Larry Bird ...

 With Kawhi Leonard withdrawing from Olympic competition , the Celtics Derrick White will apparently replace him on USA's roster. Leonard must still be recovering from a knee injury suffered last season with the Clippers and will be focusing on rehab rather than international competition . The choice of White over Jalen Brunson for the open spot is a clear indication USA Basketball is looking for perimeter defense - with the plan of often pairing the Celtics Championship backcourt duo of White and Jrue Holiday. Good guy Derrick White is headed to the Olympics pic.twitter.com/u0WakBvSiv — Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) July 10, 2024 This is simply good news for the Boston Celtics. A Championship and a gold medal for three of The Green's starters in the same year would be remarkable. 

 With free-agent centers such as Andre Drummond and Daniel Theis , recently signed by other NBA teams, the Boston Celtics may be content with their present center quintet of Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta.  Horford has shown he is not ready for the rocking chair quite yet. Porzingis may be fragile, but he is a positive difference maker when healthy . Simply stated, he does everything out there. Kornet gives the team size, rebounding and rim protection. Ditto for Queta . Tillman adds muscle and defense, particularly against opposing brutes. That all adds up to a ton of versatility at the 5-spot . Brad Stevens was intent on keeping the entire 2023-24 unit intact as much as possible, and he has done that. Add me to the list of fans concerned with Horford's age and Porzingis' fragility. But the three backups at the 5-spot have proven they are up to the task.

  “Today I will do what others won’t,  so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.” You just read it! When I try to talk myself out of my morning 2-mile walk - or my 30-minute strength training session - this is what drives me at 80-plus years of age .  "If you stop doing the difficult things in life, you lose the ability to do them." -- Tom Lane That's it!   I live in a 3-level home and make excuses to climb the stairs repeatedly during the day - so I don't lose the ability to do so . The first-half of my morning walk is mostly uphill, and I do it to keep my heart working at a viable level . The strength training is obviously to stay strong, but also to keep that ":metabolic reservoir" in the event of a traumatic event - and subsequent recovery.  Author at site of Old Man of the Mountain, Cannon Mt., NH The above photo of me - and the humor - was via my daughter, Lisa, four days ago . At 80.5 years of age - and at 5' 8", 159 lbs . - my best frie...

 In an NBA TV segment called, Basketball Stories: Indiana Glory , Former-Celtic, Larry Bird , sat down with Isiah Thomas and Reggie Miller to discuss many subjects, including the "Mount Rushmore" of NBA superstars.  Larry stated the following: "I always knew how good I was. I didn't care what you thought about my games. I knew in the majority of the games I played in - with the team we had - we're gonna win most of them." "Quit whining about Lebron (James). Enjoy him while he's here. He's unbelievable. He's one of the greatest - if not the greatest ever." It is fitting that Bird mentioned himself in "the best ever" conversation. He belongs there . And it particularly noteworthy that Larry sent accolades "The King's" way. Lebron may not be the most-likable individual on the planet, but he has to be included in the "Best Ever" talk because of his skills, longevity in the League, his conditioning, his ve...