Anthony Bennett

From #1 Overall to the D-League: The Rise and Fall of Anthony Bennett

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Anthony Bennett – The Rise and Fall

Photo credit: thesportspost.com

16.1 PPG/8.1 RPG at 50% FGM are hardly the numbers that say “Let’s draft this guy with the #1 pick”. Still, that’s what happened in 2013 when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Anthony Bennett to go first overall. Granted, the crop was slim with talent so anyone could’ve been a hit or miss, though in hindsight it couldn’t have gotten much worse. What a miss he was.

With the likes of Victor Oladipo, CJ McCollum, Rudy Gobert, Otto Porter, and even Giannis Antetokounmpo available, Cleveland rolled the dice and went with the 6’7” 240lb star out of UNLV. His defense was non-existent and he’d shown slight effort offensively to muster up the 16.1 he averaged while being visibly undersized and out of shape. There were red flags coming out of UNLV, so how did he go number #1? Move over Kwame Brown, there’s a new ‘biggest bust of all time’ in town.

Ceiling: Larry Johnson/Floor: Himself

Kwame Brown, Michael Oliwakandi, Kent Benson (who?). All of these players were drafted high but fell off the face of the planet very quickly. Bennett may be the worst of all.

Coined “the most talented player at UNLV in a generation,” Anthony Bennett started receiving serious interest coming off his one and only college season. That was disrespectful to the former UNLV star Larry Johnson, as Bennett didn’t put up superstars numbers. His frame and potential are what had scouts talking, but he was never in the discussion to be the #1 overall selection that year. Some GM’s even had him falling out of a lottery pick. Labeled a combo forward, reports focused on his length (7’2” wingspan) with game and athleticism of a “high-level wing scorer.”

Weird to hear this report in hindsight, right? It gets better. He was believed to have shooting range from distance with the ability to beat his man off the dribble, all while having the explosiveness to play above the rim. The premature projections were borderline outrageous:

“When he’s hitting from deep, he’s essentially impossible to defend. If you put Bennett in a 1-on-1 tournament against the rest of this class, he would win pretty handily.” – SB Nation, 2013

“Down the road, Bennett could give his team the best of both worlds as a small-ball 4. He has the size to match up with bigger 4’s on defense and the skill level to play on the perimeter on offense.” – SB Nation, 2013

Photo credit: nba.com

But the NBA is much more than a 1-on-1 tournament and guys are a lot bigger and faster at the next level. Even at the time, it was a strange pick, and as soon as he stepped on an NBA floor he was an immediate bust. Shoulder surgery certainly didn’t help his cause. His numbers took a serious dip and his career was short lived. Playing for four teams in four years, Bennett lasted 151 games and four NBA seasons. Where did it all go wrong?

The Lone Holdout

Chris Grant – former GM for the Cavaliers – was the only person that questioned Bennett as the first overall pick. There was a meeting before the draft with Cleveland’s front office regarding who should be selected and the 9-1 vote was in favor of Bennett. Who was the lone holdout? Grant. He wasn’t sold on Anthony’s work ethic, among other glaring factors, and noted that Bennett didn’t participate in the Draft combine nor played in the Summer League. There weren’t any clear sneak peaks at what he’d do in the NBA.

To no surprise, his conditioning limited him to 4.2 PPG/2.9 RPG in 12.8 MPG over 51 games. Some blame Mike Brown for not playing him consistently or during meaningful stretches. There may be some validity to this claim, but a strained left knee in March of that year led him to miss significant time. Though short, check out Bennett’s rookie shot chart over the course of the season:

Photo credit: SBNation.com

Aside from not being able to shoot, weight issues contributed to his conditioning, which ultimately led to his degradation. Sure, being the first overall pick comes with pressure that you’d have to overcome. Anthony Bennett did exactly the opposite. Grant also noticed that when things got tough for Bennett, he would often throw in the towel. Going so far as to question Bennett’s desire, David Griffin – current GM of the Cavaliers – was quoted as saying:

“The issue with Anthony was, and we had no way of knowing it at the time, the kid had no desire to overcome adversity whatsoever. As soon as it was hard, he was out”

Bennett sported below average numbers in his rookie campaign. A year later, the Cavs fired Grant and Griffin took over. In the 2014 draft, Bennett was traded in a package with Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love. The Philadelphia 76ers were used as a third team to help facilitate the trade, but essentially the trade was Wiggins and Bennett for Love.

But Wait, There’s More  

The Minnesota Timberwolves exercised Bennett’s rookie contract third-year team option in 2015, giving him another year and opportunity with the team in hopes of a revival. But the injury bug came back to bite him again in February of 2015; Bennett was out for two more weeks due to an injured right ankle. After recovering, Bennett appeared in only four more games to finish the 2014–2015 season. In 57 games for the Timberwolves, he averaged career and anemic highs of 5.2 PPG/3.8 RPG in 15.7 MPG.

Photo Credit: Chris Young/The Canadian Press vis Associated Press

That same year, Bennett was waived by the Timberwolves via a contract buyout. From 2015-2017, Bennett hopped around the league and eventually ended his NBA career with the Brooklyn Nets. He was released and out of the NBA at the age of 23. In 2017, he signed with the Turkish League and averaged 1.2 PPG. He was released after one season. It was the conclusion of his professional career.

Rise From the Ashes? 

No one said being an NBA player is easy, never mind being the first overall pick. Anthony Bennett has been most recently affiliated with the Maine Red Claws, an NBA development team of the Boston Celtics. He’s been traded a number of times to get to this point but hasn’t given up on his NBA dream. Having posted some decent numbers in Maine, it appears that he has the backing and support of his coach and teammates. He averaged 14.8 PPG/6.3 RPG in the 2017-2018 season. The confidence seems to be coming back:

“Just having someone there that believes in me and tells me to keep shooting is definitely great to have in your corner .. While I’ve been in Maine, I definitely have that from everybody. Down the line from the coaches to the players. It’s definitely an important piece to anybody’s game, just having that confidence.” – Anthony Bennett 

Bennett scored double-digit points in 17 out of 20 games. In nine of those games, he posted more than 20 points. Seven of those games saw Bennett in the double-digit rebound column. All in all, that is not bad for someone who’s labeled as the worst first overall pick in history. Check out these stats from his time with the Red Claws this past season:

Fifth Times a Charm?

Like weathermen, you can be dead wrong as an NBA scout or GM and still have a job the next day. It’s true that you’ll never know how a player will turn out once the lights come on, but you have to have some sort of an idea how a player’s game will translate to the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers and their scouting team didn’t, but Danny Ainge might have an interesting situation waiting for him up north.

Bennett’s worked on his shot and has improved his range to go along with a solid field goal percentage. His rebounding numbers saw an increase as well. It’s nothing that’s out of the ordinary, but some respectable stat lines are occurring more often than not for Bennett in the G-League.

Will he bring life back into his NBA career? Should he have spent time in the G-League in the beginning to develop his game? Will the G-League be the road to get his name back on an NBA roster? Will the Celtics give a former first overall pick a shot to maybe win an NBA title? There’s a lot of questions surrounding Bennett. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

So far, Bennett has worked hard and has yet to throw in the towel. Bennett, now 25 years old, might have time to get his game to where it once was projected to be. Keep an eye out next season on the G-League; Bennett could be making a comeback.

Please be sure to follow me on Twitter @JaxBrown725

The parity of NFL quarterbacks

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   The NFL released their top 100 players of the year list, with Brady coming in first. Aaron Rodgers came in tenth despite missing time with an injury. It got me thinking about the parity of NFL quarterbacks, and other than the big three of the past 18 years, you can play quarterback roulette to predict a season.

The Big Three

The Big three quarterbacks of the past 18 years are Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Peyton Manning. They all had some down years or years they were injured, but you can always count on them to dominate the NFL. For MVP’s, Brady has won three, Manning has won five, and Rodgers has won two. If you are not good at math, that is ten out of 18 years, or 55% of the time since 2000, one of the big three has won an MVP. For Super Bowls, Brady has won five, Manning has two and Rodgers has one. That is eight out of 18 years, or 44% of the time since 2000, one of the big three has won a super bowl.

 

Via hubwav

 

The Others

Other than the big three, there has been a lot of parity among NFL quarterbacks. Since 2000, there have been no two-time winners of MVP outside of the big three. A player gets hyped up after one outlier season and is never the same player after. The greatest show on turf only lasted for three years, and the Rams have not been back to the Super Bowl since. Rich Gannon won the MVP in 2002 and has not been heard from since.

Steve McNair won the award in 2003, and Shaun Alexander won it in 2005. McNair’s team, the Titans, have not been very relevant afterward. Alexander’s team, the Seahawks, were not relevant until 2013. Adrian Peterson won the award in 2013, and his career fell off after that. Cam Newton won it in 2015 and has been mediocre ever since. Matt Ryan won the award in 2016, but Steve Sarkisian did not do him any favors last year.

 

Other than the big three, the only repeat Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks since 2000 are Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. For Manning, he has not been good outside of those years. Roethlisberger has not been good enough to reach the promised land. Brad Johnson was the winning quarterback in super bowl 37, not to be heard from again. Drew Brees won Super Bowl 44 and has not been good enough to get back. Joe Flacco turned into Jesus for a year and won Super Bowl 47. Then, he got a huge contract and has been awful since then. Russell Wilson won Super Bowl 48, and the Seahawks have gradually fallen off every year since then.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 11: Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings sacks quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints in the third quarter of the game on September 11, 2017, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

It’s fun

There is a lot of parity in the NFL, and I really enjoy it. Not knowing who the elite quarterbacks are going to be for a given year is fun. You have no idea who is going to win awards, go deep into the playoffs and fall off or make a name for themselves. In the NBA, you know who is going deep in the playoffs and who will contend for awards which is quite boring.

Bring Back Baynes?

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Aron Baynes averaged 6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season. He only played 18.3 minutes per game, despite making 67 starts. He is technically a free agent this offseason. And yet, the Celtics seem locked in on re-signing him, despite spending a first round pick on rim-running big Robert Williams. Baynes even represented the team during Monday night’s NBA Awards Show.

It’s a surprising level of commitment to a center who has averaged only 5.4 PPG and 4.4 RPG over the course of his career. However, it makes perfect sense. Believe it or not, the Celtics actually, sort of, need Baynes.

Frontcourt Question Marks

Even after adding Williams to the mix, finding a way to retain Baynes is crucial for the Celtics’ frontcourt depth. Williams is plenty talented, but questions surrounding his attitude off the court played a major part in his slide to the Celtics at pick 27. His disappearing act the following day didn’t do much to assuage those concerns.

Even if Williams is a model citizen, Boston would still likely be reticent to lean on him from the jump. Rookies, especially bigs, often have a steep NBA learning curve. It’s tougher to make an impact offensively when you have to depend on others to get the ball, and your mistakes are more glaring on the other end when you serve as the last line of defense at the rim. Williams may mature into a Clint Capela or DeAndre Jordan caliber center eventually, but he won’t be there in October.

Daniel Theis showed flashes of promise as a 25-year-old rookie from Europe last year. Unfortunately, he tore his meniscus in March. The Celtics expect him to be ready to go for training camp, but there’s no guarantee he’ll hit the ground running right away.

Of course, Al Horford figures to start his fair share of games at center this season with the return of Gordon Hayward. However, if Boston wants him fresh for the spring, they’re going to have to pair him with another reliable big.

That’s where Baynes comes in. In addition to being extraordinarily reliable (he’s played 81, 75, and 81 games over the last 3 seasons), he’s, well, big. Theis is listed at 6-9, and Horford and Williams at 6-10. Baynes, while also listed at 6-10, is a full 15-20 pounds heavier than his fellow Celtic big men. He provides a different look and skill set, and some extra beef to stick at the rim when Boston plays larger lineups.

Aron Baynes Photos - 27 of 428

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Improved Shooting

Then there’s the matter of what happened in the postseason this spring. Baynes, who was 3-of-21 from behind the arc in the regular season, was 11-of-23 (47.8%) from three in the playoffs. At the risk of putting too much into a small sample size, this could be a substantial development. If Baynes’ new shooting touch is the real deal (and not coach Brad Stevens pulling a rabbit out of a hat) it paves the way for Boston to run 5-out line-ups nearly 100% of the time.

In a league where shooting is king, that would only raise the Celtics’ ceiling.

Other factors may come into play here. Marcus Smart may sign a max offer sheet, and the Celtics could match. Such a move may put Boston in luxury tax territory earlier than it’d like. Another team might offer Baynes a contract worth more than the C’s are willing to pay. Boston would have to opt for a more cost-effective option in that scenario.

Ultimately, Baynes is a perfect fit, and the Celtics would be foolish to move on from him too quickly. He’s a role player to be sure, but he serves a role no one else on the roster currently does. For a team with championship aspirations, the more players who fit that description, the better.

Boston Bruins 2018 Development Camp

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The Bruins Development Camp is here, and it’s only a matter of time before the veterans show up for some preseason games.

The Bruins’ preseason will begin to take shape. Their Rookie Camp will run from Tuesday, June 26 – Friday, June 29 at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, Massachusetts.

This year’s Development Camp roster features 29 players, including 16 forwards, ten defensemen, and three goaltenders. The roster includes 18 players within the Bruins organization and 11 players who will attend on an invite basis.

Forwards: Martin Bakos, Stephen Baylis, Jack Becker, Henry Bowlby, Mitchell Fossier, Curtis Hall, Joona Koppanen, Karson Kuhlman, Philip Lagunov, Jakub Lauko, Tom Marchin, Cedric Pare, Pavel Shen, Oskar Steen, Jack Studnicka, Colin Theisen.

Defensemen: Nick Albano, Axel Andersson, Philip Beaulieu, Victor Berglund, Daniel Bukac, Lucas Ekestahl-Jonsson, Teemu Kivihalme, Dustyn McFaul, Urho Vaakanainen, Nick Wolff.

Goaltenders: Kyle Keyser, Jeremy Swayman, Dan Vladar

Player to watch for – Jack Studnicka

Jack Studnicka- selected 53rd overall in the NHL Entry Draft. – Photo Courtesy of @NHLBruins

The Boston Bruins drafted Jack Studnicka 53rd overall in the 2017 NHL draft. Studnicka has spent the last three seasons with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. He was captain of the team in 2017-18. He led the club in scoring with 72 points and was awarded the Marc Savard Award. Studnicka also represented Canada at the 2017 U-18 World Championship. He had also played for his country at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial and the 2015-16 U-17 World Hockey Challenge. He took part in Boston’s rookie camp in Buffalo 2017 and joined Providence after being reassigned by Boston from Oshawa at the conclusion of their season.

During the team media availability, he stated ” I want to make the team this year, I plan on being in the NHL”

Players are available to the media after practice. Also, a member of the Bruins Hockey Operations staff is available to the media after player availability.

All the sessions are open to the public.

If you are betting the Bruins this season make sure you check out BetQL for expert NHL picks.

Follow me on Twitter: @SOURCEFRIAS

Trent Brown: Who Is This Guy?

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The Belichick strikes again!

The chicken littles came out when in force when Nate Solder left the Patriots in free agency. “How could they let him go”, and “No one on the team can replace him.” Sprinkle in a couple “You gotta protect Tom Brady!”

His Plan

So what does he do? Does he overpay for some of the other departing free agents in a panic? Does he sign marginal free agents in hopes that they stick? No, he waits. And he waits. Then when the moment and the situation is right, he strikes! Selecting Isaiah Wynn to join the team and recently resigned LaAdrian Waddle. Ok, the littles got a little quieter. “But, he’s a rookie” and “He should play guard,” joined the chorus.

 

Then Friday morning of the draft, news broke that the Patriots traded with the San Francisco 49ers to acquire right tackle Trent Brown. The internet was abuzz with the new look of the Patriots offensive line and what the position coach, Dante Scarnecchia, was going to be working with in training camp. So, who is Trent Brown? Is he going to protect the blind side? Why was he traded? Will we be hearing his name in February as a starter in the Super Bowl or a surprise cut in August?

The Man

Trent Brown was one of those nondescript draft picks, number 244 in the seventh round. If there were any remarks about the developmental prospect, it centered around how large he was for a player. 355 pounds of a tackle is both a blessing and a curse. While the weight will help to anchor and provide blocking power it can also lead to sloppy technique and lack of conditioning. His college career also was that of a young man still learning. He played at junior college Georgia Military College before enrolling at Florida. Brown would start at both tackle and guard before entering the draft in 2015

His Path

Proving that everyone’s football journey is different, Trent Brown actually started the last two games of his rookie season. He followed that up by starting all sixteen games in his sophomore season. This is an accomplishment for any player, let alone a seventh-round pick.

His Game

Are the Patriots getting a raw prospect that uses his bulk to overpower smaller opponents? If anything, the opposite. While his run blocking could use some refinement and improvement, his pass blocking is near elite. PFF graded his injury-shortened 2017 at 86.0, good enough for third on the year. Only Joe Thomas and Jason Peter graded out higher. Good company.

His Future

And consider this widely circulated quote from Von Miller. “He’s the best right tackle in the National Football League. And he may even be a top-five tackle, period, in the National Football League. There’s not another tackle who’s that tall, that big and can move the way he moves.” I’ll take it.

 

So how did the Patriots manage to score such a prize? For merely moving back two rounds they have a mountain of a man that could become an elite left tackle for the best quarterback in the NFL. The dreaded regime change. Kyle Shanahan took over the 49ers before the 2017 season. There were some rumors about toughness and ability to play through injury that will have to be monitored. The biggest factor to me is that Shanahan likes to move his tackles and guards around. Pull them for blocking assignments and get them to the second level. And while Brown is very athletic and agile for his size it still is difficult for a man his size to do the things Shanahan asks of his linemen.

 

Don’t think the Patriots acquired damaged goods or a disgruntled player. Think that they are getting a superb pass blocker that is an ascending player. If he wins the left tackle or right tackle job or some other combination of personnel, he will make his presence known.

It’s Quiet Around New England

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Quiet Around Foxborough

There is a different vibe to this Patriots offseason. Tom Brady hasn’t participated in the offseason workout program with the team and is getting ready for the season is own way. Last week, Brady and Julian Edelman practiced in Chestnut Hill with trainer Alex Guerrero. Throughout the offseason, Brady has taken heat for missing OTAs with his team. With Edelman facing a four-game suspension at the start of the season, Brady wants to go to his number-one target in September.

Training Camp Begins Soon

(Foxboro, MA, 08/07/17) New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his nutritionist Alex Guerrero during Patriots Training Camp Joint Practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on Monday, August 07, 2017. Staff photo by Matt Stone

Training camp begins in a month, and it’s been quiet for the last couple of weeks around the Patriots. Bill Belichick has enjoyed his trip overseas and will probably head over to Nantucket. The Patriots have been faced with a lot of distractions lately surrounding the team. So this might be a much needed month off from all the football drama surrounding the team. The only news around the Patriots right now is Edelman appealing his suspension. He had a hearing the other day at the league office and a decision hasn’t been made yet about it.

Tom Brady will probably head to Costa Rica for a family vacation. Then, he will go to Montana to practice with Edelman and other receivers. It’s pretty much a new receiving group, so it will be interesting to see how Brady connects with his newer wide receivers. Chris Hogan is going to have to step up and maybe take the lead if Edelman loses his appeal. Tight end Rob Gronkowski will still be a dominant force of the offense too. They will be missing Danny Amendola though.

The quiet around New England might be nice right now, but once we head into training camp, things will start heating up. We’ll see how Danny Etling connects with Tom Brady and if Brady does anything different from previous training camps.

Patriots Training Camp Preview: Quarterback

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With Patriots training camp approaching on July 26th, there are many different players on this team from last year. The Pats acquired four guys from trade, fifteen from free agency, and nine from the NFL Draft. They also lost nine players from trade and free agency and had three players retire.

In this new series, I will be looking at every player from each position leading up to training camp. For this part of the series I will talk about the most important position on the field: Quarterback. Quarterback has been the most consistent position for the Patriots since 2001. Ever since Tom Brady got his first start in 2001, the Patriots had only had four Quarterbacks start for them (Bledsoe, Cassel, Garoppolo, Brissett). The Patriots are bringing in three QB’s to training camp this year.

Tom Brady #12 (2000-Present):

Tom Brady is entering his 19th season for the Patriots where he has had a very successful career. He is a 5-time Super Bowl Winner, 3-time NFL MVP, 4-time Super Bowl MVP, and 13-time Pro-Bowler. Brady for his entire career has had 66,159 pass yards, 488 TD, 160 INT, and a record of 196-55-0. One of Tom’s MVP’s seasons came last year where he amassed 4,577 pass yards, 32 TD, and 8 INT.

He led the Patriots all the way to the Super Bowl where the ultimately came up short to the Eagles. Tom has been one of the main reasons as to why the Patriots are consistently in the Super Bowl.

Brady, who will be 41 at the start of the season, has shown no signs of slowing down yet. Expectations for him are still very high. Every year, it is expected that the Patriots will win a Super Bowl and it is expected that Brady will lead them there.

The verdict is that Tom Brady will 100% be on the Patriots 2018 roster.

Brian Hoyer #2 (2009-2011, 2017-Present)

Brian Hoyer was the Patriots backup QB for the last half of the 2017-2018 season. He began his season in San Francisco where he started six games. Hoyer went 0-6 in those six games and had a stat line of 1,287 pass yards, 5 total touchdowns, and 4 INTs. He ended up getting released by the 49ers after San Francisco traded for former Pat’s QB Jimmy Garappolo.

After getting released by the 49ers, the Patriots signed him for the rest of the season due to only having one QB on the roster. This would be the second stint in New England after being drafted by the team in 2009. Hoyer was part of the 2011 Patriots that went on to win the AFC Championship. Brian has only appeared in eighteen games in his four years with New England with him, and a stat line of 328 pass yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 INT.

Once he left the Pats in 2011, he had a very solid few seasons in Cleveland. In his first year for the Browns, he started three games and went 3-0 with 615 pass yards, 5 TD, and 3 INT. He then started 13 games for Cleveland where he had a record of 7-6 and 3,326 pass yards 12 TD, and 13 INT. His next season would come in Houston under his former offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien. He had his best statistical season where he had a record of 5-4, 2,606 pass yards, 19 pass TD, and 7 INT. This would be his last season in Houston though. He then had an uneventful season in Chicago and then went to San Francisco.

Brian Hoyer is a very solid option as a backup quarterback to Tom Brady. He has been in the league for a long time and has some quality experience as a starter. Overall, Hoyer will most likely be the backup to Tom Brady for the upcoming season.

Danny Etling (Rookie):

With the 219th pick in the NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select Danny Etling, QB, LSU. With all the rumors going around about the Patriots selecting a quarterback early to be the predecessor to Brady, they waited all the way until the seventh round. Etling was kind of a surprise pick with him not being rated higher than a lot of undrafted QBs.

Etling started his college career at Purdue where he appeared in thirteen games over the span of two seasons. In those thirteen games, he had 2,490 pass yards, 16 pass TD, and 12 INT. He would then transfer to LSU where he played two seasons. Over those two seasons, he played 24 games and had 4,586 pass yards, 27 pass TD, and 7 INT. His senior season at LSU was his best season in college. He appeared in thirteen games and threw for 2,463 pass yards 16 pass TD, and 2 INT.

Danny Etling, 23, will most likely be a project for the Patriots. He will not be a quality backup right away, but he has potential. I believe the Patriots will keep Etling on the practice squad on the upcoming season to learn from Brady and Hoyer.

The position of quarterback for the Patriots has always been the most consistent since Brady took over, and not much looks to change this year.

 

Ryan Donato

What to Expect from Ryan Donato in Year Two

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Toward the end of the 2017-2018 season, Bruins prized prospect Ryan Donato fulfilled his dream. The highly regarded Harvard product made his NHL debut last season for the Bruins, appearing in twelve games. In those twelve games he showed all the skills that have NHL scouts high on the Massachusetts native. Next season will be a big test for the young center as he will experience the grind of a full NHL season. If Donato can continue to play like he did during his first NHL stint, then next year could be a big season for the Harvard product.

The Rise of Ryan Donato

Donato played on team USA in the 2018 Winter Olympics and showcased his skills. He displayed elite scoring ability as he tallied six points, including five goals, in five games. He showed excellent hockey instinct and poise beyond his age. Donato impressed his teammates and the USA coach, Tony Granato, who raved about the maturity of the  young center. When asked about Donato, Granato said, “He’s grown up in NHL locker rooms, he’s seen everything about it. He gets it.”

After the Olympics, Donato continued to impressive at Harvard amid a stellar season. When the Bruins were hit with the injury bug Donato’s play forced the Bruins to give the Massachusetts native a chance. Donato finally got is opportunity when Rick Nash went down with a lower body injury.

Ryan Donato

Photo Credit: Matt West

Injuries Force the Bruins Hand

Donato made his NHL debut on March 19th against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and made it one to be remembered. The Harvard product did not look like a rookie as he had a goal and two assists. Donato was impressive on the power play as he stood in front of the net with no fear. On the man advantage Donato had two goals and two assists in twelve games. The Harvard product finished the regular season with five goals and four assists, justifying the hype surrounding him.

Ryan Donato

Photo Credit: Sports Field

Expectations for Ryan Donato in Year Two

In the playoffs Donato did not see much ice time as he only played in three of the Bruins’ twelve games. That will motivate the young center next season. Donato will possibly play on the Bruins second or third line, depending on the offseason moves the Bruins make. The expectations next year will be higher as he gains more NHL experience. Donato has the skill set and maturity to be a very productive NHL player and proved last year that he is ready. He will be a threat on the power play due to his hockey instinct. Over twelve games Donato showed his offensive potential leaving fans imagining what he can do over the course of a full season.

A Series Preview with Angels Announcer Mark Gubicza

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I have had the privilege of conversing some with former big league pitcher and current color commentator for the Angels Mark Gubicza over the last few months. Ahead of the upcoming three game series between the Red Sox and Angels, Gubie was kind enough to give me some of his time and answer some of my questions leading into the series.

BSE: In April, the Red Sox swept the Angels, outscoring them 27-3 over three games. I think we can both agree a run differential like that isn’t happening again. What do you see as some keys to the series for the Angels to avoid that fate?

Mark Gubicza: For the Angels it’s really simple, keep the ball in the yard. Red Sox hit a lot of home runs last series.

BSE: Taking a look at the pitching matchups, anything stand out from that grouping? Any particular intriguing matchup?

Mark Gubicza: Heaney vs Porcello matchup looks real good. Heaney has thrown the ball very well and Porcello is back to his Cy Young form of two years ago.

BSE: I agree, I think that will be a good pitcher’s duel. With the way Heaney is pitching I think he will give the Red Sox troubles. A big weakness of the Sox right now is their struggle vs lefties. What are weaknesses of the Angels the Red Sox might be able to capitalize on?

Mark Gubicza: The Angels have also struggled to score runs vs lefties. Mike Trout and Justin Upton are keys to this series.

BSE: Yes, Mike Trout is the best player in the game. Part of what elevates him even more above everyone else is not only his hitting and defense, but his ability to steal lots of bases. As of June 2nd he was 13-13 stealing bags. Since then, Trout has gotten on first base a whopping 44 times in 20 games, yet has not stolen a single base. This is curious to me, such a weapon being shelved. Are the Angels telling him not to run much?

Mark Gubicza: Trout hurt his index finger, so that is why the stolen bases have slowed down.

BSE: Yes, he has not been playing in the field lately. Might we see him in the field at all this series?

Mark Gubicza: He may play as of tomorrow in the outfield.

Trout has played at DH the past six games after spraining his right index finger.

BSE: Are there any under the radar players for the Angels to keep an eye on this series?

Mark Gubicza: Andrelton Simmons is getting hot again. He could be a huge key for the Halos.

BSE: You and Victor Rojas seem to have a good time in the booth, which I appreciate having enjoyed Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy together for years. I caught your stormtroopers bit and more recently your Snow Miser and Heat Miser outfits. That was fantastic! Do you aim to keep things light and have a good time in the booth?

Mark Gubicza: Try to inform, educate and entertain every night! Love to have fun.

A Christmas in June celebration for the Angels broadcast booth on June 22. Mark Gubicza on the left as Snow Miser, Victor Rojas on the right as Heat Miser.

BSE: That’s the way to be! Do you think we might be seeing the last or close to last of Albert Pujols visit to Fenway? Or do you think he plays out his contract?

Mark Gubicza: Albert is still very productive. He has the best batting average with RISP on the team since May 22. Or at least close to the best. He’ll be back in Boston for a few more years. He has a great chance to pick up his 2000th career RBI this year.

BSE: Still great at bringing those men home. A true legend, to me he’s probably the best right-handed hitter in the last few decades. Rivaled some by Frank Thomas, Miguel Cabrera and maybe Manny Ramirez, though I think Manny is a bit behind.

Mark Gubicza: Agreed.

Since the start of last season, Pujols is batting just .244 with a .286 OBP. However, he can still bring men home, driving in 143 runs during that same span.

BSE: On a side note towards your own career, who were some hitters you hated to face?

Mark Gubicza: Don Mattingly and Ken Griffey Jr.

BSE: Some you loved to face, whether because you had great success against them or whatever reason?

Mark Gubicza: I had success, and I don’t know why, but had success vs Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield.

BSE: Couple tough outs right there. Were there any pitchers you got a little more amped up to face off against?

Mark Gubicza: Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens.

BSE: I appreciate you taking the time to answer some questions. Hope you enjoy some more of my tweets, I love the history of the game and always enjoy hearing back about particular games.

Mark Gubicza: Talk to you later my friend. Have a good night and hope to see you sometime soon.

BSE: Thank you, hope you enjoy your stay!

 

Featured Pic courtesy of foxsports.com

Red Sox Prized Prospect Injured in Second Game

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The 2018 MLB Draft marked the beginning of the Red Sox rebuilding of their farm system. Boston made a few big-time splashes in the early rounds, including the widely heralded best closer in collegiate baseball in Durbin Feltman. Boston also selected a New Jersey high school standout in Nick Decker, and perhaps their biggest splash of all, the left-handed 18-year-old slugger from southern Florida, Triston Casas. With the 26th pick in the first round, the Sox snagged Casas, who many scouts and analysts had taken ten picks prior on their mock drafts.

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Already dreaming about being the baseball player to ever live, Casas took to the diamond to begin his professional career in the Gulf Coast League yesterday. But the youngster will likely have to wait quite a while before making his dreams become a reality after suffering a minor setback.

Casas Injured

Reports out of Fort Myers this afternoon have Casas injuring his right thumb while diving to corral an elusive ground ball at third base. Team doctors are evaluating Casas to determine the extent and nature of the injury.

It should go without saying that Casas is likely to do his time in the minors before making any impact up in Beantown. After all, Casas will play the corner infield positions as he ascends the minor leagues. It’s not as if the Red Sox aren’t currently squared away at first and third base. Rafael Devers, though susceptible to bobbling infield scorchers, has shown the big swing and raw talent to make up for his defensive shortcomings. On the other side of the diamond, Mitch Moreland seems to handle the everyday duties at first base just fine, slashing .299/.368/.937.

However, that’s not to say that Casas wasn’t on the fast track to Fenway. Over the past week, Casas attended batting practice and soaked in the infinite wisdom of Sox cleanup slugger, J.D. Martinez. Rumor has it that he could hit a ball over 500 feet to right field in high school. Fenway is without a doubt the ideal location for a left-handed power hitter with range like that.

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Outlook

The Red Sox first draft pick will have to wait a bit longer before that shallow right field becomes his best friend. Casas managed just one at-bat, in which he took a walk, before leaving the game.

Reports in the coming days will tell the story of Casas’ ailing thumb. If the Red Sox truly had plans to bring him up quickly through the system, then those plans will have to wait. An optimist could say that a minor injury like this could be a blessing in disguise, allowing Casas to grow and mature into a big league-ready hitter before he joins a major league squad.

Either way, Red Sox nation will hold their breath in the coming days as the team releases a diagnosis. Here’s to quick and painless recovery.