After a big shootout win vs. the Predators, the Bruins could not follow-up with a similar performance against the conference-leading Rangers, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. The B’s sent 42 shots on net and Lundqvist turned aside every last one of them. The Rangers however were able to get three past Tim Thomas. Claude Julien said his team needs to get back to their game, “checking and scoring” and right now they are doing neither of those things. The Rangers beat the Bruins at their own game, taking advantage of mistakes and winning the individual battles. Right now scoring has been hit or miss for this squad, they need more consistency. Maybe that comes in the form of a trade or hopefully someone steps up and fills the void.
In other news Brad Marchand was asked by SI why he wasn’t featured in the Bruins championship DVD. His response: “[After the Cup, linemate Tyler Seguin] and I went on a bit of a tear, partying pretty much every night for a while.” Essentially, he was too drunk to be interviewed. Vintage Marchand.
Well hello again everyone. Sorry I’ve been a little absent this month, and by absent I mean non existent, but the real world is upon me. Don’t worry, I’ll still sprinkle some articles in here and there, but I’ll sadly be the background of BSB as we emerge as one of the leading blogs in our field.
Anyways, back to the topic at hand, there may be a new Tebow among us. Jeremy Lin, the Harvard economics grad and new Knicks sensation, is currently the trend on ESPN and Twitter (see #linsanity). This guy is playing absolutely out of his mind and he’s on a team dominated by two prima donnas. With Melo out, this guy has taken the reigns and has totally overshadowed his only healthy counterpart, Amare Stoudamire. In his first five games, he’s accomplished something that no other player has ever done (average 20+ points and 7+ assists in his first five starts), and oh by the way, this guy is averaging 26.8 ppg and 8.5 assists in the last 6 games, all of which have been wins. In a season that was supposed to be a real breakout year for the Knicks (although I think the last 7 seasons were defined as that, too) it’s incredible to see a guy from the Ivy League put the team on his back.
This guy is solving the Global Debt Crisis by day and hitting game winning tres by night. God shouldn’t create people like this, it’s not fair. Either be incredibly athletic or extremely smart, not both (Shaq and Sir Charles Barkely being the ideal examples here).
Anyway, there has been rumor that this guy is the new Tebow because he is a new sensation who is winning. Floyd Mayweather made some pretty ignorant comments on twitter about Lin, only to be ripped by Spike Lee the next night – who I normally can’t stand but was 100% right. The big difference between Tebow and Lin is the fact that Lin is truly winning these games for his team. Tebow had the crutch of the defense to lean on and The Holy Spirit, meanwhile Lin has an injury riddled Knicks squad and lives in a city ruled by Satin.
Either way, this cat can ball. 6-0 in his first six starts, and he’s playing the same amount of minutes as Kobe and more than Lebron. Jeremy Lin is on the cusp of becoming the new Prince of NY (Jay Z is still the king, common son) and has given hope to the Madison Square Garden faithful.
It is impossible to not be compared to Shaq if you are Dwight Howard. First off you took his nickname “Superman”, and now you’re trying to leave Orlando for a bigger market team. Sure, Howard is the best center in a league that has seen the center position go with the wind. Who does he really have to compete with? Jermaine O’neal, Andrew Bynum? He has averaged 18.7 points in his career. Shaq averaged 23.7 and most of his lows were when he was injured or like a hundred years old. He also went against Olajuwan, Ewing, Mutombo, Robinson, & Mourning.
Howard will surely be a hall of famer, there’s no doubt about that, he is a great player. It is scary for the Orlando Magic to have to try to start from scratch if Howard does leave. He has given his agent permission to discuss deals with the Nets, Lakers, and the Mavs. I can understand why the Magic’s owner said he wouldn’t want to trade his franchise player, but why not get something for him? I know it is tough because he will most likely not sign an extension with any sub-par team, but at the very least you can get a fill in and get some draft picks.
Even Shaq has said that it would be a ‘travesty’ to lose Dwight, and they don’t really like each other. He thinks Orlando should try their best to entice him to stay by offering him the max contract, and bringing in players around him. Jameer Nelson & Reddick cannot win you championships as your #2 in this league, it’s too tough now. Plus, Orlando can offer him the biggest deal due to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. If he goes to a new team, he will not be able to make as much until his contract is re-negotiated down the road. I wouldn’t want to play for your Oompa Loompa coach either, but at least you are they key player on a playoff-contending team, with the assets to bring in even more help.
It was a bad night to be a ranked team in college basketball last night. With the exception of #6 Ohio State & #12 Florida, who won by 10 points and 9 points, respectively, they all lost. #11 UNLV lost their first game since being ranked 11th on Monday, losing to TCU in a high scoring game, 102-97. Guard Hank Thorns had 32 points in the victory. Unranked LSU topped #23 Miss. State in overtime, while Clemson held #22 Virginia to only 48 points as they won the ACC battle.
The biggest move that will happen before the March 15th 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 16th. J.R. Smith has averaged 12.5 points per game over the course of his career as he has developed into a top 6th 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 10th
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 10th, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
#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 3rd 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 4th to 3rd and Kansas moved from 10th to 5th.
Other Moves
–Duke 9th to 4th
–Mich. St. 12th to 8th
–Baylor 6th to 10th
–UNLV 16th to 11th –Florida 7th to 12th
–Marquette 19th to 13th
–Murray State 7th to 14th
–Notre Dame NR to 25th
–Gonzaga NR to 24th
Boston Sports Blog 