Author Archives: christoph131

Celtics vs. Nets Recap

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It was a great night for the C’s as their starters played a good amount of time and beat the revamped Brooklyn Nets with ease, 115-85. Even Nets Coach Avery Johnson said it looked like our starts went out there to send a message. That message was received. First off, we out-rebounded a team, which rarely happens.  It also helped that we shout 11-19 from 3-point range.

Paul Pierce led the way with 18 points on 4-4 from behind the arc. He left briefly in the 2nd quarter after coming down awkwardly on his ankle on a made 3-pointer.  He seems to be alright now, thankfully. Newcomer Courtney Lee also chipped in 18 points. Lee only missed 4 shots the whole night, 3 of which were 3-pointers. He also had a game-high 4 steals, which is a big step up from what Ray Allen could do on the defensive end for us last year.

Jason Terry added 15 points on a perfect 5-5 from 3-point land, Rondo put in 14 points of his own while narrowly missing out on a double-double with 9 assists, and Garnett couldn’t miss with 14 points of his own. Even rookies Kris Joseph (11 points, 5 rebounds) and Jared Sullinger (12 points, 6 rebounds) played great for the Celts. Sullinger recorded a team-high +23 while on the floor in 28 minutes of play.

It is great to see a team that is so deep this season. However, Bass went out in the first half with a bruised right knee and did not return. Remember, he was out last season for a bit with right knee inflammation, so we are waiting to hear more on that.

Which newbie do you think has been the brightest beam of light this pre-season?

Patriots Getting Respect.. Finally

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Two people who have been talking trash to the Patriots and Brady for years have come out saying that they respect them. New York Jets’ Head Coach Rex Ryan said that he doesn’t think that the Pats’ Defense gets enough credit.  This is what Ryan said to ESPN:

“The Patriots play complementary football. Obviously, you have the No. 1 offense in all of football — scoring offense, total offense, everything-else offense — so what you try to do is win the turnover battle. Their record when they win the turnover battle is phenomenal. That’s something they do and I think it goes overlooked.”

He also has come out today saying that Bill Belichick is a better head coach than he is, something that he has never admitted to before.

And maybe it’s because he is having the best season of his career, but typical big-mouth safety Antonio Cromartie said he respects the Pats. With Revis out, he is their number 1 defensive back and already has 4 interceptions. He also lines up as a wide receiver occasionally and is also on the field for special teams quite a bit. He told ESPN that they are the new America’s Team. See below:

“They’re always in the playoffs,” Cromartie continued. “Every single year they have a chance to win the Super Bowl. When you have a dynasty team like coach (Bill) Belichick has put together, I mean, they’re always going to be talked about. That’s why I call them the new America’s Team.”

Loving the Yankee Struggles!

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This is not only a Boston sports site, this is an Anti-Yankee site. That being said, what is happening with Alex Rodriguez is just hilarious to me.  Joe Girardi sits him and then has to make up excuses like, he is only bad against right-handers.  While riding the pine, A-Rod put a note on a baseball trying to get a woman in the stand’s phone number. She was an Australian Bikini Model, but still.

Now, there is a rumor going around that the Marlins and Yanks may be in talks of a A-Rod trade. But will A-Rod actually take his talents (or lack thereof) to South Beach?  A source said that Yankees President Randy Levine told his good friend, the owner of the Marlins, Jeffrey Loria, that “he can have him.” It is expected that Miami is the only place that Rodriguez would consider accepting a trade to. He has 5 years and $114 million left on his contract.

Do you think Miami would be stupid to trade for him?

Another New NBA Rule

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The NBA has made another new rule on top of the Anti-Flopping Rule put in place a few weeks ago. They have decided that teams take too long after team intro’s to get on the floor for the opening tip-off. The new rule states that all players have 90 seconds to get on to the floor and be ready, or will be assessed a delay of game penalty. Two of these will result in a technical foul before the game even begins.

They felt as though some people take too long, like Shaq a few seasons ago on the Suns when he would basically put on a play before the game started. The clock will countdown from 90 seconds. The Celtics have already been hit with one of these warnings in pre-season against the Knicks. This will force KG to pick up the pace a little bit on his pre-game rituals. Many players are starting to show disgust in this, saying it is pointless for the league to care that much.

What do you think?

Red Sox Manager Search

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As the search for a Red Sox Manager continues, many people believe that the Sox have already interviewed their best option. Although most people want John Farrell, that is very unlikely due to the fact that he is still the head coach of the Blue Jays for one more season. So far, the team has interviewed four candidates:

LA Dodgers third-base coach Tim Wallach: 55 years old, played 3rd base for 16 seasons, 5 time all star. He has only been a minor league head coach, but has been a hitting coach and third-base coach in the majors.

NY Yankees bench coach Tony Pena: 55 years old, played catcher for 18 seasons (with Sox from 1990-93), 5 time All-Star as a player, 2003 AL Manager of the Year

SD Padres special assistant Brad Ausmus: 43 years old, the only candidate without experience as a coach or manager. 1-time All-Star in 1999, 3-time Gold Glove winner.

Baltimore Orioles third-base coach DeMarlo Hale (Pictured): 51 years old, only played 4 seasons (split between Oakland and Boston), left the Sox when Francona did. He is the most popular choice of the candidates so far. He is known for his down-to-earth coaching style and knows how to treat and adapt to each player, unlike Bobby V did last season. He was a minor league coach in our organization for years as well, this guy could be the best choice to keep the job ‘in the family’.

Who do you think the Red Sox should choose as their next manager to rebound us from our horribly disappointing season?

 

C’s Sign Barbosa

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Just as expected, the Celtics signed a veteran ball handler on Wednesday to back up Rajon Rondo. They inked Leandro Barbosa, a 9 year veteran. Barbosa has averaged 12.5 PPG and 2.4 APG over his career, but has never played with this kind of talent. Leandro is extremely fast combo guard, who can also play the shooting guard position. However, we are already very deep at that position with Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and Avery Bradley when he returns.

Leandro Barbosa played the majority of his career in Phoenix when they were actually a good team. He is 29 years old and was selected 28th overall by the Spurs in the 2003 draft. He should be a good fit because of his experience, but I wouldn’t expect much from him other than the ability to lead a fast break on a second unit that can already push the ball as it is. He will definitely find a spot on this team

A New NBA Legend?

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Guess whose drawing comparisons to top 50, hall of fame basketball player James Worthy? If you guessed Paul Pierce or Rajon Rondo, then you are wrong. The answer is Jeff Green. OK, so the nickname was said by Brian Scalabrine on Comcast SportsNet, but still, those are big shoes to fill. Green said on twitter: “I’ve got a message for Scal: You have to ask the great James Worthy if I’m able to have that nickname of James Worthy, because that’s a top 50, one of the greatest players to ever play this game, and for me to be called that, it’s an honor, but you have to ask his permission. So Tweet it, call him, email, whatever you need to do, because I don’t want to be called that without his permission.”

James Worthy is a 7 time all-star, 3 time NBA Champion, and former #1 draft pick. He also was an NCAA Champion at UNC in 1982. Big Game James averaged 17.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG over 12 seasons. He played his whole career for the Lakers during the Magic Johnson era. It is great that Scal wants to compare Green to a Laker great, but I think he needs a few championships first. Also, it is going to be tough to be compared to the great Worth because Green is not slated to start for the C’s this season. He started while he was in Oklahoma City, and was great, but his role is a little bit different with the Celtics.

Should championships always be a factor in determining great players’ legacies? Forget about the Jeff Green-James Worthy comparison for a minute. Kevin Love is one of the best players in the game today, and he will probably never win a championship, unless he is traded, which is unlikely. Charles Barkley never won a ring either.

Celtics Release Guards

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As of yesterday before the Celtics 97-96 loss to the Nets (without the Net’s 6 best players), the Ainge and Doc decided to cut ties with training camp guards Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith. Most expected Christmas to make the team, because of his half guaranteed deal worth over $236k. Also, because the Celtics lack a back up point guard. In the rare instance when Rondo does leave the floor, Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and Avery Bradley (when healthy) can all handle the ball, but are not natural point guards.

It is possible that the C’s will look for a veteran ball handler with playoff experience to help the young guys and handle the ball for a few minutes a game, but if not, Rivers says they will be fine. Rivers joked in an interview with ESPN:

“Maybe the Heat will cut LeBron [James] or whoever,” he said. “We’re always looking. Every team is always looking. If nothing comes, does that bother us? No.”

The Celtics don’t have the money to spend on a big name, so we would need to find someone who wants to play for a contender and who can buy into the system that Doc Rivers has put in place that has attracted so many veterans over the years.

Hamilton Ready for B’s

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According to Claude Julien, 19 year old defenseman Dougie Hamilton is ready for the NHL. Coach Julien went to see him play in the AHL and said that he belongs in the big leagues. He is a 6″5 defender who was drafted 9th overall by the Boston Bruins. He has Mcquaid’s size (not quite Chara’s), but is quicker and younger, and can do damage on both ends. “Dougie is such a big player and he’s gotten so much stronger”, said Julien. He will easily be in the top 6 for our defenders when (if) this lock out finally ends.

Non-Lockout NHL News

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Although we are in a work stoppage for hockey, there has been some speculation of the NHL expanding. They’re not going into useless Maine or Montana or something, but into bigger markets. However, they are markets that most will probably not care about, in our neighbors to the north. They have been in talks to bring two new NHL teams to Canada (Quebec, and the Greater Toronto Area known as Markham). Keep in mind that Toronto already has the Maple Leafs up there, but with the popularity of the sport up there, it just might work. New York has multiple teams for virtually every sport and that seems to work out for them.