Countdown to Celtics Tip-Off: 72 Days

Welcome Back to the Celtics Season Tip-Off Countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 4th). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (72 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Yesterday, Boston signed PJ Dozier to a two-way contract. The 6’6″ guard spent last season splitting time between the Thunder and their G-League affiliate. The team now has both of their two-way players under contract, the other being Walt Lemon Jr. A fun side note for fans- with the Thunder, Dozier wore number 35. This is because Dozier is a second cousin of the late Reggie Lewis, and wears it in his honor. The number is retired by the Celtics, so it’s unclear what number he will take, but it’s a cool fact to know.

Via ESPN

In other news, ESPN has projected the Boston Celtics to finish second in the East behind the Toronto Raptors.

There will be no further comment on that.

On This Date

August 4, 1978: Boston makes a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Clippers. They ship Kevin Kunnert, Kermit Washington, Sidney Wicks, and Freeman Williams to the Clippers. In return, they receive Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Marvin Barnes, Billy Knight, a 1981 second rounder that turned into Danny Ainge, and a 1983 second round pick.

August 4, 2010: The Celtics sign 38 year-old Shaquille O’Neal to a two-year, $2.8 million dollar deal. The legendary big man only ended up appearing in 37 games, averaging 9.2 points and five rebounds before retiring the following year.

Via CelticsBlog

Stats

Last season, Al Horford appeared in 72 games, starting every single one.
Marcus Smart averaged 72% from the free throw line.
Marcus Morris had a total of 72 assists last year.

Fun Facts

In the 1972 season, The Celtics went 56-26 to finish first in the division. They lost in the ECF to the New York Knicks in five games. John Havlicek’s squad was no match for Walt Frazier’s Knicks.

That rounds out today’s Countdown to Tipoff. Keep checking back every day for the latest news, history, stats and more!

Training Camp Breakdown: Patterson shines/Injuries Occur

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Training Camp has been in full swing for just about a week now for almost every team. The HOF game was last night, and it finally feels like football’s back. So naturally, just like anybody else in the New England area who loves football, you visit training camp. It was a cloudy day filled with much overcast, but still, hundreds of fans attended. People had signs, footballs, and even shoes being ready to get signed while they watch the Pats. There were many things I noticed and had stuck out during my few hours at the Patriots’ practice.

Spotlight Players in the Starting Offense

One of the first things I wanted to look at was how this offense is looking. After losing key pieces like Solder, Amendola, and Lewis, I know the Pats would be changing personnel around. Well at first glance, it’s very apparent that they haven’t lost a beat. Trent Brown, the NFL’s own version of “The Mountain”, was holding his ground. The 6’8″ lineman was holding his blocks against a Patriots D-line that looks greatly improved.

More shining stars on this offense were wideouts Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson. Dorsett is looking like a brand new wide receiver after a disappointing first season in Foxborough last year. He caught numerous passes from Brady in coverage during 11 on 11 drills and it felt like he was rarely off the field. Patterson, however, is even more of a pleasant surprise to see him working with the 1’s in training camp. Another previous first-round pick who’s had trouble producing is trying to turn that around. When the Patriots initially traded for him, it appeared his role was special teams only. Now in August, it looks like Belichick has taken a liking to him. Patterson was lining up on the outside in numerous plays from walk-through plays to full on 11 on 11’s. It appears that this speedster is going to be doing a lot more than just fielding punts and kicks in the near future.

Other Position Battles Heating Up

Photo Credit: NESN

Besides the new faces on offense trying to get the coaches attention, there are plenty of other players vying for that 53 man roster and furthermore starting spots. Some of the most interesting things noticed throughout the practice. Eric Rowe and second-round pick Duke Dawson have been fighting for that second cornerback spot. As of now, Rowe is seeming to have the edge lining up in the second spot opposite of Stephon Gilmore. Dawson, however, hasn’t disappeared as he’s locking players down as the nickel cornerback currently.

Even special teams have competition on both ends. We’re seeing players like Rex Burkhead compete with the likes of Edelman and Patterson to return kicks this year. Even if we flip to the other side one of the underrated position battles has been Ryan Allen and rookie punter Corey Bojorquez. Ryan Allen has always been a consistent punter in the league; but obviously, if the Patriots have been keeping two punters so far, they wanna see who comes on top.

Quick Injury Update

Photo Credit: MassLive

With all these practices starting again comes padded practices. With padded practices, unfortunately, comes injuries, and the Patriots have already had a few. Jordan Matthews was one of the most notable ones, and the Patriots even had to release him the other day. Rookie running back, Sony Michel, and starting tackle, Marcus Cannon, left practice early with injuries. It’s unknown exactly what injuries these are; but three days later, they’re still kept from practicing. Good injury news though is wideout, Kenny Britt, is finally practicing even if it’s scaled back for now.

Training Camp is always an exciting time for fans, reporters, and even the players. Football is just gearing up for the season, and the Patriots are in full swing. After only a week of practice, so much has happened to New England’s team. As the preseason continues to roll out Boston Sports Extra continue to provide updates and thoughts on everything Patriots!

#NERevs Sign English Defender Michael Mancienne

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It’s the moment Revs fans have been anticipating for weeks. Who will the Revs sign to make a playoff push? Rumors were coming from left and right. There was speculation they were interested in Brazilian Felipe Pires and Nigerian Godfrey Oboabona. The big one that stuck out was Bojan. Rumors came out that the Revs talked to Bojan in the offseason and that talks could still be going on. While the Revs didn’t sign Bojan, yet, they fulfilled another much-needed position in a center back.

Michael Mancienne

While he might not be the man everybody was hoping for, Michael Mancienne is a great player coming from some great teams. Mancienne started his career in the Chelsea youth system back in 2006. The now 30-year0old defender spent 2006-2011 going out on loan to QPR and had a few spells with the Wolves. His time in Chelsea came to an end in 2011 when German team Hamburger SV paid $2.5 million for him, where he went on to make 49 league appearances. From there he went back to England in 2014, joining Nottingham Forrest, where eventually he made his way here with the Revs

With a Market value of $1.5 million, Michael Mancienne comes into the team as the highest valued player on the roster, so the pressure will be on him to live up to his value. The fact that the last few big money signings haven’t lived up to their value (Kouassi, Dielna, Angoua, and Nemeth), it’s easy for fans to be optimistic.

What’s Next for the Revs?

With this signing, Brad Friedel has hopefully fixed their problem at center back, and will hopefully get the back line to be more consistent as well. But, there are still holes to be filled with a need for a playmaker and a left back. While the Revs still have five days left to sign someone else, it likely won’t happen. Brad Freidel has said it’s possible another signing happens, but with the team out of international spots, there most likely won’t be a big name.

It’s important for the Revs to use their new signings and quickly get them into the system to try and put an end to this summer slump. It’s crunch time for New England as they enter the most crucial and most difficult part of the season. The Revs will try to stay in a playoff position and climb the standings.

Bruins Fourth Line: A Memorable Run

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Last season, the Bruins had one of the best fourth lines in recent memory. The trio of Sean Kuraly, Tim Schaller, and Noel Acciari drew comparisons to the Bruins 2011 fourth line. That trio of Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, and Shawn Thornton was key in the Bruins championship run. Last season didn’t end in a Stanley Cup for the Bruins, but the fourth line was valuable in many ways. Schaller signed with Vancouver in free agency, but Kuraly and Acciari will look to make the same impact next season.

Comparisons to The Merlot Line

The line’s value was not just measured in statistics, but also in how they affected the game . Whenever the Bruins needed a momentum shift, Bruce Cassidy called on them. All three players were vital on the Bruins penalty kill, which was the third best in the NHL. The trio combined for five shorthanded points. They had a “defense first” attitude, which allowed for offensive counter opportunities. They grinded on every shift. The trio was not as physical as the “Merlot Line,” but they were still willing to throw their bodies around. Their play set a new standard for the fourth line.

Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

By The Numbers

Last season, the trio combined for 30 goals. Kuraly was the only one of the three to not score at least ten goals. Since the departure of the “Merlot Line,” the Bruins had struggled to get production from their fourth line. As the NHL has become faster, the Bruins had struggled to adapt. These three were not just willing to throw their bodies around, but also could fly up and down the ice. Through their first 23 games together, they allowed just four goals, including two on 5-5 action. They were trusted against other team’s top lines, which allowed the Bruins forwards more rest. All three were undrafted and played with a chip on their shoulder.

Photo Credit: Mike Stobe/ NHLI

Expectations For Next Season

In the playoffs, this line was just as good. Through the first six games of the first round, the trio were in the top three in terms of points per minutes amongst the Bruins forwards. Next year, the line will look different with the departure of Schaller in free agency. Kuraly and Acciari will bring the same energy and improve as they gain more experience. Even though one-third of the trio is gone, they reminded Bruins fans just how valuable the fourth line can be.

Middleton’s Number 16 is Headed to the Garden Rafters

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Photo courtesy:
NHL / Boston Bruins

Nifty’s #16 Is Being Retired

Bruins fans and media have been wondering who would be the next Bruins player to have his number retired. On July 31st, Bruins President Cam Neely made the call to Richard D. Middleton to announce he would be the next to have that honor.

How Middleton Stacks up in Bruins History

The right-winger played 12 seasons for Boston, scoring 402 goals with 496 assists for 898 points. He had five straight seasons with at least 40 goals. He is currently fourth on the Bruins’ all-time scoring list, behind Bourque, Bucyk and Esposito.

Middleton’s #16 is the 11th number sent to the rafters by the Bruins. Lionel Hitchman, Dit Clapper, Eddie Shore, Milt Schmidt, Bobby Orr, Johnny Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Ray Bourque, Terry O’Reilly, and Cam Neely have also had this honor.

Nifty and Pasta

Middleton got his nickname for his skills when handling the puck and for his highlight goals. Many Pastrnak fans would probably agree that him and Nifty share many similarities. Many highlights of Rick’s highlights resemble David’s moves today. Both can masterfully fake out goaltenders for a goal.

Current Role with the Bruins

Rick Middleton is currently the President of the Bruins Alumni team. Him and other greats such as Bourque and O’Reilly play games across the area to support charities and youth hockey teams.

Photo courtesy:
Boston Bruins Alumni

The date for the retirement ceremony is November 29th, before the Bruins face the Islanders.

Follow on Twitter: @SOURCEFRIAS

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 73 Days

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Welcome Back to the Celtics Season Tipoff Countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 3rd). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (73 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

I guess we can call 2K ratings news, since it was a slow day yesterday. Jaylen Brown is reportedly revealed to be an 84 overall, which many consider too low. Teammate Jayson Tatum was revealed as an 87 overall a week ago. I’m sure you all agree that this is groundbreaking news.

Also, apparently Brown is going to write a book:

Bouta start working on writing a book any suggestions? 🤔📚

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) August 2, 2018

So there’s something.

On This Date

August 3, 1949: The BAA (Basketball Association of America) merges with the NBL (National Basketball League), and the NBA is born. The Celtics were at the time members of the NBL. At the time of the merger, there were 17 franchises.

August 3, 2014: Former Celtics center Vitor Faverani is arrested in Spain for DUI.

August 3, 2015: Corey Walden signs a multi-year deal with the Celtics. He would go on to be waived just two months later, and never appeared in a game.

Stats

Semi Ojeleye appeared in 73 games this season, averaging 16 minutes per game, three points and two rebounds.

Via the Boston Globe

Fun Facts

In the 1973 season, Boston went 68-14 to finish first in the division. They lost in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games against the New York Knicks. The aging JoJo White and his team could not fend off Walt Frazier and Dave DeBusschere’s New York squad.

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to be back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

Juventus Beat MLS All-Stars

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Photo courtesy:
Major League Soccer

Italian Champions Juventus beat the best of MLS in a shoot-out.

Before a crowd of 72,317 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Juventus was victorious 5-3 in the shoot-out after the game ended 1-1 in regulation.

Andrea Favilli of Juventus began the scoring in the 21st minute, heading in a cross by Matheus Pereira.

The MLS All-Stars then evened the game in the 26th minute when Josef Martinez the MLS’s leading scorer and game MVP beat Juventus keeper Wojciech Szczesny to make it 1-1.

It was the second straight year that the MLS All-Star Game ended in a 1-1 draw and had to go to a shoot-out. Last year, Real Madrid beat the All-Stars 4-2 on penalties at Soldier Field in Chicago.

This year’s crowd was the largest ever for an MLS All-Star game.

Photo courtesy:
Juventus F.C.

Unfortunately their summer superstar signing Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the trip. The game was one of four matches for Juventus on their North American tour. They currently have three wins from three matches, their most current against Portugal powerhouse Benfica in New Jersey. They will look to make it a clean sweep this Saturday night against Spanish giants Real Madrid at in Washington, D.C.

Photo courtesy:
Los Angeles Galaxy

The MLS All-Stars were also without one of the league’s main superstars LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who chose not to play after playing in his third game in seven days.

Wilfried Zahibo was the lone representative for the New England Revolution.

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Pearce Keeps on Raking, Dombrowski Keeps on Smiling

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As the MLB season progresses, there is something that is gaining more clarity every single day: always have trust in Dave Dombrowski. This man is a freaking genius. As far as this year goes, he’s made some incredible moves. The funniest thing is that Red Sox fans scratched their heads when told about these trades. Nobody expected the Red Sox to trade for Steve Pearce. It came out of nowhere. The reason Dombrowski made the call was Pearce is a first baseman/outfielder. Andrew Benintendi has struggled mightily against lefties up to this point. Mitch Moreland is also someone who isn’t the greatest against left-handed pitchers. So in came Steve Pearce.

Steve Pearce, Yankee Slayer

Pearce was never rumored with Boston, another reason why the trade was interesting. But again, have trust in Dave. That man knows best. Since coming to Boston, he has hit .333 with an OPS of .921. The job for him was to hit against lefties, but this man can also mash against righties too. He’s also very reliable on defense over at first along with Moreland. Pearce has been absolutely everything Dombrowski traded for and more.

Anyone know of the New York Yankees? That team that’s in the division race with the Red Sox? Well yeah, Steve Pearce went out and hit three homers against them last night. Not a typo. They all went over the Monster, with one of them landing on Lansdowne. Say all you want about Dave Dombrowski and what he’s done with the farm system. If there’s one thing this man is good at doing, it’s building a really, really talented baseball team. And I couldn’t be more happy that Dave Dombrowski is the President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox. And I couldn’t be more happy that Steve Pearce is a member of the Boston Red Sox.

I think it would be a good idea to give him an extension this winter.

Countdown To Celtics Tipoff: 74 Days

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Welcome to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics from the previous day. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 2nd). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (74 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Today, Gary Washburn reported that it’s likely that the opening night matchup for the Celtics will be the Philadelphia 76ers. The teams will renew last season’s rivalry on the very first night of the season. The Sixers will look to redeem themselves from a 5-game series loss in the Conference Semifinals last May.

https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/status/1024771360512466944

The Celtics also officially waived Rodney Purvis. Purvis was acquired from the Thunder in a trade for Abdel Nader a few weeks ago. The move brings the number of players on the roster down to the 15 man limit. It also clears money off the books, seeing as his contract was fully non-guaranteed.

On This Date

August 2, 2005: The Celtics participate in a massive five team, 13 player trade. They send Antoine Walker to the Miami Heat. The team acquired Utah center Curtis Borchardt, Memphis guard Raul Lopez, and the draft rights to Albert Miralles. The trade marks the end of the Walker era in Boston. In his eight seasons here, he averaged 20.6 points and 8.7 rebounds.

Stats

Al Horford averaged 7.4 rebounds this past season.

Fun Facts

In 1974, the Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks in 7 games to win the NBA title. Coached by Tommy Heinsohn, John Havlicek, Dave Cowens and Co. defeated Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s squad to capture their 12th title.

That’s it for today. Be sure to check back tomorrow to continue the countdown to the first Celtics game of the 2018-19 season!

Recapping The BIG3 Conference Call

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With the BIG3 coming to Boston this Friday, a conference call was held to preview the games and answer questions from the media. I had the privilege of being on this call, along with NBA Hall of Famer and BIG3 commissioner, Clyde Drexler, Co-Founder of the BIG3, Jeff Kwatinetz, and Chairman, Amy Trask.

The call started with Clyde Drexler recapping the night of games in Toronto the week prior. Drexler announced that Andre Emmett from 3’s Company was player of the week with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Emmett is a good example of the BIG3 having relative unknowns sometimes outplay the former all-stars. He also talked about the Young 3, which is something the BIG3 does in every city they go to as they help the communities grow. Amy Trask also explained that over four dozen countries are represented in the BIG3, and they look to expand in the upcoming seasons.

The call was then open to questions from the media.

The first question was what the people of the BIG3 think of some of the comparisons to the BIG3 and the old-time games that were played in the NBA during all-star break.

Clyde Drexler: “This is not old-time basketball. These guys are young and fresh out of the NBA. Most of them can still compete in the NBA. If the NBA put together 3-on-3 teams, they would have trouble competing with the BIG3. This is not Uncle Drew. These guys can play. The BIG3 will only continue to grow.”

Amy Trask: “Come to a game or tune in because Jeff and Ice Cube have skeptics. The skeptics went to a game and told Ice Cube that they were right; the league is competitive.”

The next reporter asked if the players were embracing the four-point shot.

Jeff Kwatinetz: “I think they are embracing it the right way. They are not using it as a novelty. They are taking them when they are open and it makes sense. The reason why we have a circle, not a line, is because we wanted to open the game.”

Amy Trask: “It was a lot of fun to see a game won on a four-point shot a few weeks ago.”

Clyde Drexler: “Because the shot is a circle, if you put a guy out there who can make it, the defense will have to stretch. It gives the guy with the ball a lot more room to operate if you have a great shooter on your team.”

The next question was how does the BIG3 perceive the amount of “chippiness” in the games.

Clyde Drexler: “Guys are competitive, trying to win, and are trying to get away with whatever they can get away with. We added a third official to take away from that chippiness because we want the game to be about the sport of basketball. We don’t want anyone to get hurt, and it has helped a lot. It has become more of a pure game of basketball. Still physical, but not so much of the chippiness.”

Jeff Kwatinetz: “I think the chippiness comes from the competitiveness and wanting to win. Also remember the nature of 3-on-3 puts big emphasis on defense. In the NBA, there are a lot of fast breaks and wide open shots. But in the BIG3, it is a physical demand to play defense. Some guys are not used to being defended so tightly that they do not like it.

I asked “How would you describe the process of signing former NBA all-stars and DPOY candidates to the BIG3 this past off-season?”

Jeff Kwatinetz: “The biggest reason is that the players that played in the first year enjoyed it and had a positive experience. That word gets around and gets other people wanting to play. A lot of the guys that come in are not done playing pro basketball. It is something they enjoy doing and competing. A lot of people did not get the vision right away. But they wanted to do it once they saw it was real pro basketball.”

Clyde Drexler: “We tried to get Kobe Bryant. We tried to get Paul Pierce. For everyone who leaves the NBA, everyone in the BIG3 will be calling them. They love the game, and ten weeks in the summer is not a big commitment to a lot of the guys. The league is for the players, is fun, and is very competitive. Everyone wants to be a part of the BIG3.”

Jeff Kwatinetz: “It is a very different league. There is a lot of strategy in it with the way the BIG3 plays. It is a hard process as you need to get in shape, which eliminates a lot of guys who are actually done. We are getting the guys who understand the commitment involved.”

My follow up question was, “With a lot of former Boston Celtics in the BIG3 this year, what kind of reaction are you guys expecting from the fans on Friday?”

Clyde Drexler: “Boston has some of the greatest sports fans in the world. Danny Ainge and the Celtics are the best team and have the best general manager in the eastern conference. They love basketball in Boston. The BIG3 is an extension of that great basketball history. I hope they all come out and enjoy the phenomenon that is BIG3 basketball. Nobody expected the BIG3 to be this popular or this good of a game. The game is very serious and the guys want to win. We have celebrities, we have the humor. Our coaches are mic’ed, which gives you a good feel of being on the floor. This is all great, innovative stuff that made the sport a summer phenomenon. I hope the fans of Boston will come out and experience it live.”

Amy Trask: “We have also placed tremendous emphasis on making the venue experience very family friendly. Our players and coaches always interact with the fans throughout the games. We offer what most leagues do not offer: a very interactive experience for the fans.”

This was the majority of the conference call for the BIG3. Clyde Drexler, Jeff Kwatinetz, and Amy Trask gave everyone some very thought-out answers on the call. If you want to see a more in-depth preview of the BIG3 in Boston, check out my article here.