Author Archives: @JamieGatlin1217

The Impact of Marcus Morris

Celtics Trade Bradley for Marcus Morris

Last offseason the Celtics traded fan-favorite Avery Bradley for Marcus Morris to make room for Gordon Hayward. By giving up Bradley the Celtics lost their best defender, but gained a good player in Morris. So far this season Morris has battled injuries causing him to miss extended time. When healthy Morris has shown his scoring abilities, which was one of the reasons the Celtics acquired him.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/ Sue Ogrocki

What Morris Brings to the Celtics

Coming into this year Morris was coming off one of his best seasons. Last year with Detroit Morris averaged 14 points and 4.6 rebounds a game. He is categorized as a stretch forward with post prescense, something the Celtics do not have other than with Al Horford. Morris can also shoot three pointers, making him even more valuable. By dealing Bradley for Morris the Celtics did lose something on defense. Morris is an upgrade offensively, and the Celtics still have Marcus Smart who is a very good defender.

Photo Credit: Matt Stone

Morris Before Boston

For the past two seasons in Detroit Morris has been used as a starter averaging thirty minutes a game. Before that in Phoenix he was used as the sixth man of the bench. For the past few years he’s been known as a prolific scorer, something the Celtics needed coming into the season. This acquisition became even more important once Hayward was lost for the season. Morris has also had success covering LeBron. That will be key for the Celtics come playoff time if they end up facing off against the Cavs.

Photo Credit: Buddy Grizzard

Performance so Far

Despite battling injuries Morris has been effective this year. In 21 games he’s averaging 11 points a game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Morris has started and come of the bench and has been effective in both roles. If Morris can continue to be productive then the Celtics will be very happy with the trade when looking back at it.

Red Sox Pitching Staff Preview

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Red Sox Offseason so Far

So far this offseason the Red Sox have focused on improving their offense. Last year they hit 168 home runs, a huge drop-off from the year before. It was their first year without David Ortiz and players they expected to step up did not, causing the offense to struggle. This has shown that the strength of this team could be their pitching. The Red Sox pitching staff has the talent to be one of the best. They just have to be consistent.

Photo Credit: Michael Dwyer AP/ Photo

The Pitching Staff

The Red Sox have two Cy Young award winners in their rotation. Rick Porcello won the award two years ago and David Price won it in 2012. Chris Sale, arguably the best Red Sox starter, almost won the award last year. Last season these three weren’t as dominant as people expected them to be. Price dealt with injuries that derailed his season and Rick Porcello struggled all year. Sale was the only one of three who pitched to expectations. The Sox did receive a breakout year from Drew Pomeranz, who won sixteen games. Their number five starter Eduardo Rodriguez battled injuries, but when healthy showed why he was once a top prospect.

Photo Credit: Jim Mclsaac/ Getty Images

Outlook for the Starters

Next year the Red Sox starting pitchers should be better as a group. That hinges on them being healthier and for some such as Porcello and Rodriguez returning to form. Sale will put up Cy Young numbers while Price will win close to twenty games. Pomeranz should build on his breakout campaign and again win 15 or 16 games. The two wildcards are Porcello and Rodriguez. Porcello isn’t as bad as he was last year when he was one of the worst pitchers in baseball. Porcello pitches best behind a good offense, which was the main concern this offseason. The last one of the group, Eduardo Rodriguez, is extremely talented but has struggled to stay healthy. If he continues to struggle with his health his time with the Red Sox could be over.

Photo Credit: John Raoux

Bullpen

The Sox will be returning next season as a very talented group. They have Craig Kimbrel, who is one of the best, if not the best, closer in baseball. After struggling as a starter Joe Kelly showed last year that he could be a very effective reliever. Two pitchers to watch closely in this group are Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg as they are both returning from significant injuries. Both these relievers were among the best in the game before their injuries caused them to miss whole seasons. Smith missed all of 2016 before returning at the end of last season and Thornburg missed all of 2017.

Photo Credit: Chris Chavez

Final Thoughts

The Red Sox have the potential to have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. It all hinges on health and some of these players returning to form. If that happens then the Red Sox pitching could carry them which will be crucial come playoff time.

Bruins Youth Will Soon Deliver Championship to Boston

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Youth Movement Key to Championship

Like all of the Boston sports teams the Bruins have many young exciting players. After years of talk of what these players were doing in Providence they are finally getting a shot. The Bruins’ youth includes Charlie McAvoy, who has drawn comparisons to Bobby Orr, Jake Debrusk, who could be a thirty-goal scorer, and Danton Heinen, who is putting up the quietest breakout rookie season in the league. The Bruins have also received contributions from rookies Matt Gryelzk and Anders Bjork. After a slow start the Bruins have won thirteen of their last seventeen games. This has shown the potential this team has as these young players mature.

Photo Credit: Boston Bruins

Veterans Mixing with the Kids

The Bruins not only have many talented rookies but a core of talented veterans as well. They have two of the most talented goal scorers in the league in Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak under control for the next five years. Patrice Bergeron continues to be one of the best two-way forwards in the league and he is under control for the next five years. The mix of these veterans and rookies has made this team harder to play. They are grinding out games like they did 2011 when they won a championship. The reason why the Bruins will be good for the foreseeable future is because of this mix of players under club control for a long time.

Photo Credit: Matt West

The General Manager

The Bruins named Don Sweeney General Manager in 2015. Since then he’s shown two skills critical to sustained success for the franchise. He’s been able to sign key players to team friendly long-term deals and he’s done very well developing players. He has not made many successful trades, but he hasn’t sacrificed the future of the franchise just to make a deal. Every year Sweeney has been the General Manger he’s improved which is critical going forward.

Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara

Prediction

The Bruins may not win a championship this year but they will make a deep postseason run. That experience will be critical for the young players and will make them better going forward. It will also make these players hungrier next year and Lord Stanley will return to Boston in the next three years giving the Bruins two championships this decade.

Torey Krug: a Key Element for the Bruins

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Torey Krug: a Key Element

Last offseason the Boston Bruins resigned defenseman Torey Krug to four-year deal worth $21 million. Many people said the Bruins overpaid Krug, however he is extremely important to the team. Through his first seven seasons in the NHL Krug has scored 44 goals while adding 152 assists. In the preseason Krug suffered a dislocated jaw, causing him to miss three weeks. Krug started the season slow and recently he’s reminded Bruins fans why management thinks so highly of him.

Krug’s Breakout

Krug broke out in the 2013-2014 playoffs when he scored four goals in 15 games. His goals were significant because he became the first rookie defenseman in league history to score four goals in his first five playoff games. Krug followed that up by scoring 14 goals in the 2013-2014 season. Since then, Krug has scored double-digit goals once. He has improved in other areas of the game and become more than just an offensive minded defenseman. With Krug finally healthy this year, it’s looking like he’s returning to the form that made Bruins so excited when he first debuted.

Krug’s Season so Far

Through twenty-nine games this year Krug has six goals and fourteen assists. This puts Krug on track to reach double-digit goals for the first time in three seasons. Recently he’s been on a tear in his last eight games with eight points. This season the Bruins have been injury riddled which contributed to their slow start. People were saying it was time for a rebuild as the youth and certain veterans struggled. It’s no coincidence that this team started to improve its play as Krug became healthy.

Outlook For Remainder Of the Season

With Krug’s recent play he’s well on his way to passing his preseason projections. He is in the midst of a breakout year when he needed it the most. The Bruins have committed to their youth this season and so far, it’s paying off. A career year is what Krug needs in order to keep his spot and so far he’s done well on his way to doing that.

Eric Lee Turning Heads

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Background on Eric Lee

Patriots head Coach Bill Belichick has a talent for finding hidden talents. It appears this season he may have done it again.

Last month the Patriots claimed Eric Lee off waivers from the Buffalo Bills practice team. In New England Lee has already made a name for himself. In his second year in the NFL, Lee has bounced around a bit. Before the Patriots claimed him, Lee spent a season on the Houston Texans practice squad and began this season on the Buffalo Bills practice squad. So far in New England, he’s surpassed expectations and filled a void the Patriots badly needed to close.

Photo Credit: AP Photo

Early Impact

Lee has only played two games with the Patriots and he’s made his presence felt. The defensive end made his debut with the Patriots two weeks ago against the Miami Dolphins. He recorded four tackles and a sack. Lee even got the attention of Tom Brady. He didn’t even know Lee before the game. Lee was an even bigger factor last week. In the Patriots win against the Buffalo Bills, he had four tackles, a sack, and a key interception. In the first quarter with the Bills driving, Lee picked off Tyrod Taylor at the goal line. This not only gave the Patriots momentum, but took away the opportunity for the Bills to get a key touchdown. Making plays like that are what will get Lee playing time. So far in New England he’s played like he has a chip on his shoulder.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Outlook for Remainder of Season

This season the Patriots have faced a lot of adversity at the defensive end position. The Patriots drafted Derek Rivers in the third round of the NFL draft in the spring, but he tore his ACL in August. The Pats then traded for Cassius Marsh from the Seattle Seahawks. He struggled in New England and the Patriots cut him after nine games. Lee has given the Patriots consistency when they’ve needed it the most. If he can continue this, he will soon become a household name in Foxborough.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/ Steve Cannon

The Emergence of Danton Heinen

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Heinen’s Path

Photo Credit: Joe Yerdon

So far, this season some young Bruins have shown flashes of their potential that make the future of this team exciting. One player people have not talked a lot about is Danton Heinen. Through 19 games this year the rookie has four goals and eight assists. The Bruins drafted Heinen in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL draft 116th overall. Heinen has played 28 games in the NHL over the last two seasons. This year it appears he is finding a permanent spot in Boston as his coaches are rewarding his efforts. The Bruins have many young talented players garnering attention such as Jake Debrusk, Charlie McAvoy, and Anders Bjork. If Heinen can keep up his production, then his name will be mentioned more alongside Boston’s young talent.

Emergence Of Heinen

Photo Credit: Jim Davis/ Globe Staff

Through twenty games this year Heinen has proven quietly impressive. He shows great vision offensively while playing on Boston’s top lines. Heinen has an extended look because of the injuries the Bruins have suffered so far this year, with injuries to some of their top forwards including David Krejci, David Backes, and Jake Debrusk. The Bruins fourth-round pick has shown consistency when the Bruins have not.

Why It’s Surprising

Photo Credit: Christopher Dolan/ Staff Photographer

Heinen has never been considered an elite prospect. Unlike Debrusk and the other Bruins youth, he did not start the season on the Bruins roster. He remains on the roster because he has not been overwhelmed by the increased pressure. Unlike most young players, he does not makie mistakes that cost this team. He has formed chemistry with some of the Bruins top players such as David Pastrnak, no easy task for a rookie. This has given head coach Bruce Cassidy the confidence to put him in any situation.

Expectations for Remainder Of The Season

This year the Bruins are committed to the youth of this team. They made that clear in the offseason when they did not sign or trade for any impact veterans. This works well for Heinen and the other young Bruins players. If Heinen can continue to play like he has, it will be hard for the Bruins to send him back to Providence. Management would not mind that outcome.

Rask’s Rough Start Costing the Bruins

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Goaltender Change in Boston?

So far this season the Bruins have been inconsistent. That doesn’t come as a surprise to many due to the youth of this team. The Bruins had won four straight, their longest winning streak of the season until Sunday’s loss to Edmonton. The surprising thing is the main reason behind their longest winning streak of the season is due to their backup goalie, Anton Khudobin. The Bruins’ number one goaltender Tuukka Rask has gotten off to a rough start. If he does not improve his play, then there could be a new number one goaltender in Boston.

Photo Credit: Fluto Shinzawa

Rask’s Rough Start

On Sunday night Rask had an opportunity to make his case and he didn’t capitalize. With the play of Khudobin, some have started to say Rask may lose his job. Rask has often been criticized heavily in Boston and this year his numbers don’t help his case. After Sunday’s game Rask now has just three wins and nine losses in twelve starts this season. He is giving up almost three goals a game and has yet to record a shootout. Last year he recorded a career high of eight. So far this season he ranks near the bottom in most goaltender statistics while Khudobin ranks near the top. It is not impossible for Rask to get on a role and carry this team, but time may be running out.

Photo Credit: Harry How/ Reuters

Youth Movement

The Bruins have many young players on their roster. So far this season these players have at times made mistakes in front of Rask leading to goals. Rask has carried the Bruins in the past by stealing games. This year he hasn’t come up with those big saves nearly as much. That is where Khudobin has excelled and is why the Bruins have won with him in net. if Tuukka can start to make the difficult saves than his results may change and the Bruins could rise in the standings.

Photo Credit: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP

Moving Forward

This season is Bruce Cassidy’s first full season as the Bruins head coach. Early he’s made it clear that paychecks don’t matter but performance will dictate who plays. If Rask wants to remain the starter then he will have to play better. Rask has been the Bruins number one goaltender for the past six years. He’s won a Vezina and almost carried the Bruins to a championship in 2011. Rask has been one of the best goaltenders in the league at times throughout his career. With his job on the line it’s time for Rask to remind people of the player he is.

College Basketball Returns

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Return Of College Basketball

Earlier this year college basketball faced a major problem. The FBI launched an investigating revealing that some top programs bribed players. Another black eye for college basketball and the NCAA, no strangers to controversy. Multiple coaches have been fired as a result including Louisville’s head coach Rick Pitino. Last night the annual Championship Classic took place, needed more than ever. The top-ranked team in the country, Duke, faced off against the second-ranked team in the country, Michigan State. Following that game, the third-ranked Kentucky faced off against the fourth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks. These games were close and entertaining. For one night people clearly understood why college basketball has become so popular.

Photo Credit: Getty

Michigan State Vs. Duke

This game between the nation’s top two teams did not disappoint. In a close battle, Duke came out with a 87-81 win. The Blue Devils started four freshmen last night and one senior. The Freshman have tremendous talent. But last night they looked stunned by the big stage. This caused Duke to turn to their senior Grayson Allen. While very talented, last year he faced a lot of on-court controversy. Last night he stepped up to score 37 points to lead his team to the W. After this loss, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo fell to 1-11 all-time versus Duke.

Photo Credit: Mike Mulholland ( MLive.com)

Kansas Vs. Kentucky

This matchup featured the two schools with the most wins in college basketball history. A closely contested game, it did not disappoint. Both teams were not as sharp as usual, with 29 turnovers between the two. The Jayhawks came out victorious 65-61. Kansas received strong contributions from Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk who scored 17 points and center Udoka Azubuike who scored 13 points. Even though the Kentucky freshman struggled, Kevin Knox was the exception. He scored 20 points and made three pointers. The Wildcats main problem in this game was rebounding, giving up 18 offensive rebounds. Both teams must improve going forward and limit their turnovers as their schedules become more challenging.

Photo Credit: Nick Krug

What these games Revealed

Both games were entertaining and close in the final minutes. Duke could be dangerous once their young freshman becomes more comfortable. And Kentucky is still looking for a star to lead them. All these teams should improve as the season goes on. Come tournament time they will be very entertaining to watch.

Celtics Bench Stepping Up amid Increased Pressure

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Importance of the Second Unit

Coming into the season, the Celtics were not expected to lean heavily on their bench players. That changed opening night, due to Gordon Hayward’s gruesome injury. This put more pressure on the Celtics bench, and those players have produced. It will be hard to replace Hayward’s talent, without making a blockbuster deal. The Celtics are relying on their second unit, and so far it’s worked. Players such as Terry Rozier, Daniel Theis, and Marcus Smart have stepped up. The Celtics will need this to continue as the season goes on, and they try to win a championship.

The Veterans On The Celtics Bench

The Celtics bench is comprised of young players. Through the early part of the season, these players have stepped up. Terry Rozier is in the midst of a break year. He is averaging nine points per game, along with 4.9 rebounds per game. Marcus Smart has continued to be a defensive enforcer, and has hit clutch shots of late. Both these players have multiple years of NBA experience, and are showing improvement in their game. Aron Baynes is the oldest of the group, he’s in his fifth year in the NBA. He doesn’t put up godly stats, but he has been a serviceable big man of the bench. The biggest and most pleasant surprise from the bench, has been the play of the rookies.

The Rookies

The Celtics bench includes four rookies, who have each stepped up. The two most impressive have been Daniel Theis and Semi Ojeyele. Stevens has showed trust in both these rookies, they are playing ten minutes a game. Theis has been a force on the boards at times, and provides the second unit with a spark. Semi hasn’t been as impactful on the boards, but he’s still contributed. He’s been smart handling the ball, and has earned praise from his teammates, such as Al Horford. These rookies will go through their struggles, but so far that hasn’t been the case, and coach Brad Stevens has rewarded them.

What To Look For As The Season Goes On

As the season goes on, these players will have their ups and downs. It is critical that they continue to play with the confidence they have thus far. If they can, this Celtics team will surprise people. When Gordon Hayward went down, many feared the season had changed dramatically. So far this Celtics bench has shown that they intend to surprise people, and Celtics fans won’t mind that.

Red Sox Prospects To Watch

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2018 Preview and The Prospects To Watch:

With the Red Sox offseason now in full force, we are going to hear a lot of information moving forward. The Sox found their new manager in Alex Cora. They still need to improve the offense. When Spring training begins, the young kids will get their time to shine. The future of the Sox is bright in the farm system. Five names fans should look for: Jay Groome, Michael Chavis, Bryan Mata, Sam Travis and Tanner Houck. These are the Red Sox prospects to watch.

Jay Groome:

Groome is the number one prospect in the Red Sox system. He was drafted 12th overall pick of the 2016 draft. He was the top prospect in the draft, but fell to the Red Sox due to sign ability concerns and his personality. Groome has the tools to be a top of the rotation starter, something the Sox have struggled to develop. The last Red Sox pitching prospect to make more than 20 starts in the majors, was Justin Masterson, who the Sox drafted in 2006. Masterson only lasted two seasons in Boston, then was traded to the Indians in 2009 for Victor Martinez. Groome’s curveball has drawn compassions to Clayton Kershaw’s, who has been one of the best pitchers in baseball in the last decade. The Sox would be more than happy if that comparison holds true.

Michael Chavis:

Chavis burst onto the scene last year when he hit 31 homeruns between Salem and Portland. The Sox drafted Chavis in the first round of the 2014 draft. He had struggled in the minors, and had never hit above .270 in his minor league career. Chavis is blocked by Rafael Devers at third base in the majors. If Chavis can continue to show the power like he did last season, it may be hard for the Sox to keep him in the minors.

Bryan Mata:

Mata is the Sox second highest ranking pitching prospect. He is only 18 years old. The Red Sox signed him as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2016. Last season Mata went 5-6, but showed impressive control. In 77 innings he struck out 74 batters while only walking 26 batters. While Mata doesn’t throw extremely fast, he has good control, and has quickly risen in the Red Sox minor league system at a young age.

Sam Travis:

Of all the players on this list, Travis is the only one with major league experience. The Sox were hoping Travis would take over first base last year, but things didn’t go as planned. In the minors, Travis hit for a high average and was able to get on base. He played in thirty-three games at the big league level but showed little power. While he did hit .263 in the majors last year, he dealt with injuries limiting his opportunities. The Sox still have high expectations for Travis, but will need him to show more power to earn a starting job in the majors.

Tanner Houck:

Houck is the third pitching prospect on this list. Like Groome, Houck has also been compared to another successful big-league starter. The Sox drafted Houck in the first round of this year’s draft. His pitches average 92-96 mph however he has topped out at 98 mph. Baseball America called him, “the second coming of Jake Peavy again with his velocity and location on his sinking fastball starting to rebound”. Houck has the potential to be a very good starter for the Red Sox, but must first improve his control. If he can, he could land in Boston very soon.

Summary:

After last season, there will be many changes with the Red Sox. They need to add more power to the lineup and improve the bullpen. The Sox will look for help through free agency and trades. They will also look to the farm system. The Red Sox have given up many impact prospects to acquire stars such as Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel, which has depleted the farm system. They still have talent in the minors, and these prospects are the ones to watch for a quick impact.