J.R. Smith: The Key to the NBA Season?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by leibo4

The biggest move that will happen before the March 15^th trade deadline, barring any unforeseen major deal, will be the signing of J.R. Smith. Since his team has been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, Smith will be an NBA free agent on February 16^th. J.R. Smith has averaged 12.5 points per game over the course of his career as he has developed into a top 6^th man in the league. Smith has been a member of the Denver Nuggets for the past few years, and when it looked like the NBA season would be cancelled Smith went over to China to play for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls. Chinese contracts have non-opt out clauses, so Smith was forced to play out the remainder of the season before he could return to the NBA.

Smith’s highlights from China are extremely impressive. He put up some ridiculous numbers in a few games (although against some less than stellar opponents, but nonetheless impressive). Playing against former Celtics draft pick Lester Hudson, Smith came off the bench to score 60 points while shooting 14-18 from 3. Just a few days later Smith would score 41 points as his team sneaked out a 122-120 win.

Most Likely Destinations

New York Knicks

Current SG’s: Landry Fields, Iman Shumpert

Ability to offer: Mid-Level Exception, pro-rated on Feb 10^th

Analysis: The Knicks are in the lead mostly because they can offer him the most money. Instead of any of the other competing teams, the mid-level exception from the Knicks has been pro-rated since February 10^th, not the start of the season. But the question that follows anyone who ever plays Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire is will there be enough shots? If they found a way to share the ball a starting lineup of Jeremy Lin, J.R. Smith, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler would look as good as any other in the NBA. But there were enough problems for the Knicks finding shots for everyone before the emergence of Lin. It might not be in Smith’s or the Knicks best interest to agree on an offer here. While the Knicks are one of the top choices with huge potential, I think it would be too big of a risk for Smith to take.

Los Angeles Clippers

Current SG’s Randy Foye, Caron Butler

Ability to Offer: Veteran Minimum Contract, pro-rated from beginning of season

In my mind, this move makes the most sense. Smith can slide right in to the starting shooting guard role, which fits with his desire for a bigger role. Smith would be the perfect complement to space the floor for high-flyers Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan. He has a tight relationship with Chris Paul from their time on the Hornets and has played with Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin (Nuggets). The Clippers have only one other true shooting guard right now. If J.R. came to the Clippers he would make them immediate title contenders. If the Clippers do strike out with Smith, they are presumed to use one of their trade exemptions to find a shooting guard to fill their problem.

Just for Fun

Boston Celtics

Current SG’s Ray Allen, Sasha Pavlovic, Marquis Daniels

Ability to Offer: Veteran Minimum Contract, pro-rated from beginning of season

This is obviously a long shot, probably fantasy for me, but would be a great fit for the Celtics. They cannot offer him a starting role or a warm weather climate. But they can offer him a chance at a championship and a future starting role with the Celts young players such as Rondo, Jujuan Johnson, Avery Bradley, and Jeff Green. This would allow the Celtics to stay competitive past the years of the Big 3. He would provide a scoring punch off the bench, a unit which does not have a dynamic scorer. He would be able to ease the legs of Pierce and Allen so they could save themselves for the playoffs. With a bench of Avery Bradley, Smith, Pietrus, Johnson, and Wilcox, the Celtics bench all of a sudden becomes a strength and not a weakness. The best part about this move would be that Sasha Pavlovic would probably not see the court in important minutes ever again.

Surprise Teams

The Pacers and the Timberwolves are also said to be interested, according to Marc Stein from ESPN. The Pacers have the most cap room in the NBA, which would allow them to sign him to an even bigger contract than the Knicks. The Timberwolves have been the surprise of the NBA this season with new players such as Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, and of course their All-Star Kevin Love. The Lakers are the final team that is interested in J.R. Smith. I do not consider themselves as much of a contender but they could prove me wrong. While they are trying to make moves, getting a player to back up Kobe Bryant who needs the ball in his hands most of the time does not make the most sense to me. They are also working out Gilbert Arenas, who has been described as “slimmed down” and “explosive” by Dave McMenamin.

Check Out Some of My Older Posts

How Not to Treat a Legend

Top Five Moments of Truth

A Familiar Sight

Posted on February 14, 2012 by christoph131

It’s great for me to watch the Lakers falling apart at the seams. Sure, the Celtics have been criticized of being in the same boat, but you can be assured that it has nothing to do with the players that are under Doc Rivers’ watch. Metta World Peace, formerly Ron Artest, is causing quite a panic in the locker room for the LA Lakers. He is shooting and scoring career lows, and is wondering why he is getting less playing time. Are you serious? It’s cause you suck and you have the worst name known to man.

Three Laker players who wanted to remain anonymous stated their displeasure with him already. They all seem to agree that without him there, they would be a much better team. I mean, he is even dissing his new coach Mike Brown. Give it a few weeks and he may be punching fans in the face again like he did when he was with the Pacers. I love to watch the Lakers lose, but I hate to see anyone put up with a player like him.

Now for a classic Ron Artest Clip. Below is a video of him pantsing Paul Pierce during a game while he was with the Pacers. Classic.

Patriots Offseason: Wide Receiver

Posted on February 14, 2012 by davecouture

The Patriots passing attack primarily was not an issue this year. As long as Tom Brady has the reigns of this Patriots offense the passing attack will never be the primary concern. At the same time it is also clear that the Patriots miss the deep threat they had back when Randy Moss would be consistently torching opposing safeties. I expect the Pats to address the receiver position through either free agency or the draft. The Pats will more than likely bring back Wes Welker, but after Welker there are no guarantees. Deion Branch is a free agent and I see that one as a 50/50 as to if he will return. Branch will not require too much of a salary so I would think it would be a good option. With the Patriots having the best possession receiver, and two of the best tight ends in football its hard to imagine it would require much more than a deep threat to bring this offense back to the way it was in past seasons. It’s always very hard to predict the Patriots offseason moves, but some of the options may include:

Randy Moss: This almost seems unrealistic, but we all know Moss loved being here and Belichick has no problem dealing with difficult personalities. Moss, 35, is still probably one of the best deep field threats in the game.

Reggie Wayne: I don’t exactly see this being the ideal fit in New England, but if the Pat’s lose Branch it is certainly a viable option as I see them being a similar type of receiver.

Brandon Lloyd: Lloyd is more of what the Patriots need. His big play ability will keep safeties back a few more yards, which could make the Patriots underneath passing game one of the best ever.

Robert Meachem: Possesses good speed and could be a good fit alongside Welker in this Patriots offense.

Ted Ginn: Certainly will not be the completion to the puzzle as a receiver but with Ginn’s versatility and elite speed he could be a great fit in New England.

She’s the Man (Part 2) – Gina M.

Posted on February 14, 2012 by guest

Boston Sports Blog’s Hottest Sports Couples

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the ladies of BSB are celebrating the top five hottest couples in sports. Here we go!

5. Mike Fisher & Carrie Underwood – Having celebrated their first anniversary in July 2011, these two might still be in the honeymoon phase but Carrie’s career would skyrocket if Mike cheated- it worked for Adele right?

4. Anna Kournikova & Enrique Iglesias – Rumor has it that this couple has been on and off for 10 years. Could it be his music that is keeping this couple together? Baby, I like it.

3. Lamar Odom & Khloe Kardashian – How could we not mention these two love birds? Kimmy K might not have fared well but Khole and Lamar are making it work. However, would it be surprising if they broke up tomorrow?

2. Tom Brady & Gisele Bundchen – I admire Gisele for speaking her mind. Yes, I understand you win as a team and you lose as a team but come on…it is Gisele. If Gisele and Tom were to break up, I would probably not believe in love anymore.

1. David & Victoria Beckham – Although it was a toss-up between the Beckham’s and the Brady’s, the Beckham’s won solely on the purpose that I have been involved with this couple since the days of the Spice Girls. I truly admire them. Nothing says you are in a loving and confident relationship like allowing your significant other to pose in their underwear for millions to see.

She’s the Man (Part 1) – Gina M.

Posted on February 14, 2012 by guest

Looking to Score on Valentine’s Day?

Yes, you guessed it. The second post from the BSB ladies comes just in time for Hallmark holiday of the year, Valentine’s Day. You may be thinking, what does Valentine’s Day and Boston Sports have in common? Absolutely nothing if you already have dinner reservations and flowers picked out. However, if that doesn’t apply to you, I would high tail it to the Garden on Tuesday night to celebrate the right way…with the Bruins. The Bruins are playing the New York Rangers…Going to be a good game, right? Well, I’m not here to talk about the game.

Rather, I am here to provide you the game plan on how to find the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes while you are at the Garden.

1. Find the Perfect Seat: The Loge Sections 1-22 are prime locations for meeting Mr. or Mrs. Right Now. The right amount of rowdy and fun.
2. Make conversation in the Beer Line: As many of you BSB-ers know, beer lines can be brutal. You want to get your drink on (responsibility) but there is always an 85 year old working the line you are in. This presents the perfect opportunity to make conversation with that special someone.
3. Don’t bash Valentine’s Day: Ladies, this is specifically for you- when the conversation starts-DO NOT BASH VALENTINE’S DAY-you will come off as a bitter girl and no one likes a bitter girl.
4. Facebook and Twitter Updates can wait: Now, we are all guilty of this but no one likes the person playing with their phone. Focus on the game, make conversation but don’t update, unless you are thanking BSB for these great tips. #thankyoubostonsportsblog

Ditch the dinner plans, grab your Bruin’s jersey and head to the Garden to watch at least one Boston team beat New York…too soon?

New Rankings

Posted on February 14, 2012 by christoph131

#1 Kentucky and #2 Syracuse both cemented their places at the top of the rankings for at least one more week. Ohio State, however, lost their 3^rd place ranking and are now #6, thanks to now #8 Michigan State. #7 UNC lost to #4 Duke, but only fell two spots. Missouri moved from 4^th to 3^rd and Kansas moved from 10^th to 5^th.

Other Moves
–Duke 9^th to 4^th
–Mich. St. 12^th to 8^th
–Baylor 6^th to 10^th
–UNLV 16^th to 11^th–Florida 7^th to 12^th
–Marquette 19^th to 13^th
–Murray State 7^th to 14^th
–Notre Dame NR to 25^th
–Gonzaga NR to 24th

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted on February 14, 2012 by jtulz07

Happy Valentine’s Day Boston, even though it’s arguably a made up holiday where big companies look to cash in on husbands and boyfriends buying expensive jewelry, flowers, and chocolates just a month after Christmas, who would otherwise be kicked to the curb. I digress. Anyways, I figured we’d mix it up and let the ladies speak their mind today as opposed to Friday with a special Valentine’s Day version of She’s the Man. In fact, we have two articles coming today from the female point of view, so stay tuned. And remember, if you want to be the next womanly voice on the Boston Sports Blog, send us an article to bsb.tips@gmail.com!

Close One in Louisville

Posted on February 14, 2012 by christoph131

There was a close one in the Big East last night on ESPN between #2 Syracuse & #18 Louisville. It was a very low scoring game so it was tough to tell who played well unless you actually watched the game. Scoop Jardine was utterly useless scoring 0 points on 0-8 shooting following his big game against UConn last week. The game came down to the wire when Louisville’s junior guard Peyton Siva threw the ball away with 5 seconds left when he probably should have just shot it. Syracuse had a chance to seal the victory with 2 seconds left but failed to do so with a missed free throw. Louisville had a last second chance but failed to convert as the Cardinals fell to the Orange 52-51. Only 4 players in the whole game scored in double digits, no one going over 16 points.

Randy Moss – “I Wanna Play Football”

Posted on February 13, 2012 by jtulz07

There’s not too much excitement coming out of Patriots Nation these days, but this is something that might leave a tingling feeling in any Pats fan. The big news of the day, which happens to be his birthday, is that Randy Moss wants to come out of his short-lived retirement. Initially, it’s hard to think too much into this right now. 1.) I don’t really even want to think about the Pats right now, and 2.) How many times do we hear this from recently retired athletes? The whole T.O. ordeal at the beginning of this season is a perfect example. Look how that turned out. Brett Favre? Don’t even get me started. We all know where that goes. You get my point. We’ve even heard Moss say he wants back before, but it just never happened. Even if it did happen, what if he’s not the Moss of old? Sorry Chad, but it could turn out to be a bust again. And remember, for the most part I can’t argue with the fact that he’s a poison to the locker room. Not the Pats locker room, but locker rooms in general. If it’s Bill and the Pats locker room, nevermind.

On the other hand, how can it not excite you just a bit? With the final game of the 2007-08 season aside, how great is reliving those times. Absolute domination. Over the past few seasons, it’s become clear that the deep threat is what we are missing the most. The final piece of the puzzle that we once had. Add that into the mix this year, with the short field threat of Gronk and Hernandez, and there’s no way any defense could contain us. Not to mention, Moss loves the Patriots. He loves Brady and Bill. If Moss comes back, if anyone could get him back in Foxboro it’d be Bill. The ups and downs are pretty much clear. With that said, Pats fan or not, would you welcome Moss out of retirement onto your team?

College Sports Traditions

Posted on February 13, 2012 by jtulz07

With the intensity of Rivalry Week upon us and March Madness only weeks away, the hype surrounding not just college basketball, well mostly, but all college sports is heating up quickly. What better time than now to highlight the great traditions on campuses across the country? The passion and loyalty of the fans and students is second to none. If that doesn’t get you going, some of them are just flat out hilarious. This is one of those times when I wish I went to a big D1 athletics school. Anyways, OnlineColleges.net posted an article highlighting the best and funniest college sports traditions. I’ll give you a sneak preview at one of them below, but click the link below to check out the rest!