Marcus Smart Snubbed from All-NBA Defensive Team

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Yesterday the NBA announced their All-NBA Defensive teams. The Celtics’ very own Al Horford made the All-NBA Defensive second team. Though all names on the list were well deserving of the award, the one glaring name that was left off was Marcus Smart.

Marcus Smart is a Top Defender

Arguably the top defender on the league’s best defense, Marcus Smart has consistently been the team’s energy guy, bulldog, and tone setter. He makes hustle plays and does the dirty work for the team, diving on loose balls and always playing physical. He is constantly communicating on defense, directing the team to their spots and making adjustments on the fly.

Smart shows no fear on the court. He can switch 1 through 5 and often shut down the opponent’s best player. If there’s a loose ball and Marcus Smart is on the court, you can bet he will be laying out to secure the possession for his team.

Not the Same Without Him

Marcus led the Boston Celtics this season in overall defensive rating (min 15 minutes/game) with an impressive score of 99.4. When Smart went down with a hand injury towards the end of the season, the Celtics were outscored by 0.4 points per 100 possessions. In the 11-game span of his injury, that figure ranked 19th in the league.

Even after coming off two straight losses in Cleveland, the Celtics are 8-4 in the playoffs since Smart’s return to the lineup. Smart returned to action in Game 5 of the Milwaukee series. He instantly showed his impact on the defensive end, stripping Dellavedova and diving on the loose ball. He had been in the game for a total of 35 seconds, and already making an impact on defense.

Brad Stevens had this to say about Marcus Smart after Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals:

“He’s as tough as they come. He’s a true competitor. Matches his intensity with a physical toughness. People talk about him all the time. Sometimes they focus on the things that don’t matter. Other times they focus on the fact that he impacts winning. We are really glad that he is on our team”

What do you think? Does Marcus Smart deserve an All-NBA Defensive team rep?

Bruins Winter Classic Jersey History and 2019 Concept

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Since the Bruins have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs , it’s time to think about an important date for next season.  This year, the Bruins will again play in the annual NHL Winter Classic.

Jersey Fashions Through the Decades

Let’s take a look at the history of the Bruins jerseys, and a concept I have for this year’s version.  In 2010 they played in historic Fenway Park versus the Philadelphia Flyers in a thrilling OT win. The original jersey used for this game is either a fan favorite or not liked at all.  The gold and brown was my favorite simply because it stood out.  Not just another black jersey.  The 2010 jersey had the center logo crest made of felt and used the rounded B logo version from the 1948/49 season.  The Bruins sported brown and gold when first coming into the NHL.  The Bruins could use this jersey on Black Friday for the Thanksgiving Showdown game.  The colors fit in perfectly for that holiday, and could sell briskly in the pro shop.
In 2016, they were again chosen to host this annual event.  This time Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, became the Bruins home ice for the day.  The match up paired them against long-time rivals the Montreal Canadiens. The game itself was forgettable, but the jerseys were a nice homage to their history.
The jersey was black and gold.  Fans loved it or hated it because of the so-called ‘fireman’ look. This jersey featured a center logo of felt and displayed a version of the bear logo used in 1924/25 season.  They also decided to use this as their third jersey during the season until Adidas took over and did away with the third jersey.

New Design for the Old Black, Gold and White

The Bruins will again play in a Winter Classic, in an original six match up versus the Chicago Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium.  This brings us to another jersey design opportunity. The Bruins have used their history as the primary design element in planning the jerseys. First by using the gold and brown colors for 2010 and then with the original jersey style in 2016.
We will start with the center logo, which I think should be the gold B that was used in the years of Orr, O’Reilly and Bourque.  We have not seen that logo since they changed uniforms when they moved to the new TD Garden. This could pay homage to the old Garden years when they were known as the Big Bad Bruins, punishing teams in the confines of that rink that many people still remember vividly.  I also believe since they have used gold and black jerseys that white would be ideal on this version.  Another difference for this version would be the gold B logo on a white jersey, previously only the road jersey of that time. The logo is currently used by the Alumni team again harkening back to their history.
Regardless of the jersey they do wear for that game, we’ll see many fans wearing them. Bruins fans support this team, Black, Gold or White.

Three Takeaways from Celtics’ Game 4 Loss

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The Celtics will head back to Boston after a rough two game trip to Cleveland, where the team dropped Games 3 and 4 to the Cavs.

Game 4 was much tighter than Game 3, where the Celtics were blitzed from tip-off to the final buzzer. Cleveland set the tone early, building a 16-point lead in the first quarter. All signs were pointing to another Cleveland shellacking, but the scrappy Celtics did a good enough job to hang around the last three quarters. Along the way the Celtics managed to outscore Cleveland in each of the final 3 frames.

In the end LeBron proved to be too much, as the Cavaliers continued to answer every time Boston gave any indication of a run. James finished the night with a game high 44 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists.

These are three key takeaways from this game to focus on as the series shifts back to Boston:

Impact of Kyrie Irving’s Absence

If Game 4 proved anything, it’s that the Celtics could really use their star point guard. While the team has had a remarkable postseason run thus far, going up against arguably the greatest basketball player to ever step foot on a basketball court while battling for Eastern Conference supremacy has proven to be a whole new level of challenge. The area Boston is severely struggling with in this series is the ability to create offense consistently.

Kyrie Irving is one of the unique talents in the NBA that can create offense for himself and score efficiently and in bunches. In 60 games played this season Irving averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. He shot 49% from the field and 41% from three. He led the team in offensive rating (108.7) and was eight percentage points higher in usage (30.7) than the second highest on the team (Morris).

As great as the team has been at scoring as a collective unit, the deeper into the postseason the more important it is for guys to get their shots off consistently. A guy like LeBron, or Kevin Durant, for example. Someone who can consistently give their team 30 to 35 points a game. Someone who can take over down the stretch of a tight contest and will their team to victory. Kyrie Irving is that guy for the Celtics, and it is showing now more than ever how much he is missed.

Can’t Win with Just Defense

Look at Game 4, for instance. As gritty as the team was in the match-up, they struggled to score consistently when they got big stops down the stretch. Boston deserves all the credit in the world for what they do on the defensive side of the ball. It isn’t a secret that they are in the position they are in being two wins from the NBA finals primarily because of their defense. But defense is only half of the equation.

The fact of the matter is Boston does not have a guy on their roster that can get his own shot efficiently. Tatum will get there, but he is only a 20-year-old rookie. Often during Game 4 and especially late in the game guys relentlessly attacked off of isolation plays, penetrating only to be met at the rim by 2-3 Cavaliers. More often than not those plays resulted in either missed layups or blocked shots. Cleveland finished the game with eight blocks, most of which came off of these types of plays.

Kyrie Irving would have unlocked Boston’s offense in this series had he been healthy. Boston may still have the defensive capabilities to scrape by, but there is no doubt having such a gifted offensive talent in Irving would have changed the dynamic of this series.

Rebounding

The implementation of Tristan Thompson into Cleveland’s starting lineup has proven key in this series, particularly on the boards. Cleveland out-rebounded Boston by 11 in Game 3, and followed the performance up with a +10-rebounding margin in Game 4. The Celtics gave up eight offensive rebounds in Game 3, and nine in Game 4. The combination of Thompson and Love have together dominated Boston in this area. The duo combined for 21 rebounds (five offensive) in Game 3 and 21 (four offensive) in Game 4.

Cleveland finished the season as the fifth ranked offensive team in the league. If Boston is going to retake control of the series moving forward, they can not continue to allow such a potent offense to get second chances.

With just over two to play in the third quarter of Game 4, Boston had just cut the deficit to eight on a mini run. They forced a missed layup from LeBron, but Larry Nance Jr. hauled in an offensive rebound, hit a quick put back plus a foul. The very next possession off of a Marcus Smart turnover they force another miss, this time from George Hill. That miss was yet again rebounded by Nance, who was fouled in the act and sank two free throws. The lead had ballooned back to 13, and after a quick 5-footer from Lebron Cleveland had flipped the script on the Celtics.

Grab Some Boards!

Right after a Rozier three to start the fourth, the Celtics again cut the lead to ten. On the ensuing possession Love tried to answer, missed and yet again the Cavs snag an offensive rebound. They scored on the second chance opportunity as Cleveland continued to pummel the Celtics on the boards.

The Celtics are a rebound by committee team. They do not have a player who can dominate on the boards like Tristan Thompson can. Staying disciplined and being attentive to where their match-ups are when a shot goes up is crucial to changing their fortunes in the rebounding department.

Despite their recent issues on the boards, Boston has proven they can compete with Cleveland. They out rebounded the Cavs in both Games 1 and 2, and in turn won the contests. They have the ability to pull it off, it will just take a more concerted effort moving forward with Thompson playing a bigger role in the series.

Comforts of Home

Given the team’s road woes, if the Celtics lose Game 5 in Boston, the chances of them stealing one in Cleveland to force a Game 7 is slim to none. The Celtics are a perfect 9-0 at home this post season, and an abysmal 1-6 on the road. A large amount of the disparity falls on offensive output. The team has produced 103 points per game at home to only 94 on the road.

Boston is a young team. Outside of veterans Al Horford and Marcus Morris, the team is very inexperienced in dealing with playoff environments. It is one thing coming in as first, second, or third year players competing on home court in front of 18,000 fans all rooting in your favor. However, It is a whole different story dealing with the opposition feeding off of a hostile crowd.

Role Players

Role players play better at home. The age old saying rings true with this Celtics squad. Take Terry Rozier, for example. He has been night and day when it comes to home production versus road. In nine home games he is averaging 20 points per game on 45.55 shooting. Over seven away contests he is averaging 13.2 points on 35.4% shooting. In Game 4 he shot 6-15 from the field and 3-9 from three.

Fortunately for the Celtics the series is now down to best two of three, with Boston in possession of two home games. Though the road concerns do not bode well for the team if they are to make the NBA Finals, if they can take care of home court they will be able to finally knock off LeBron James and end his reign on the Eastern Conference.
It all starts in Game 5, a must win contest for the Celtics.

The pivotal Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals will take place tonight at 8:30 PM in TD Garden.

JD and Mookie: The Next Power Duo

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The power duo of JD Martinez and Mookie Betts are tearing up starting pitching this season.  How long can they keep up this historic pace?

After the Red Sox beat the Rays 4-2 at the trop, Mookie Betts took sole possession of league leader in home runs. He ripped a three run laser to left field to drive in Sandy Leon and Jackie Bradley Jr. in the third inning.  He currently leads the league in average (.365), Home runs (16), runs (49) and slugging percentage (7.60). The list continues. With teammate JD Martinez not too far behind him in some categories, will the duo be able to tear up the league all year?

While cold streaks do occur, Red Sox nation has seen this before. From 2003-2007 Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz tore up the American League, taking hostages on a nightly basis. Their combined home runs ( 388) and rbis ( 1,210) rank among the best duos MLB has ever seen. In their best season as a duo (2005), the two hit a combined 92 homers and 292 RBI. While both players should be no doubt hall of famers, JD and Mookie have long careers ahead.

With Martinez already cashed in his big payday, it’s time to give Mookie his. The two-time gold glove winner could be in line for a massive 7 year/ $210 million contract. There will be teams lined out the doors to ink up this stud. While the outfielder has been reluctant to talk extension, now is the time after the way Dave handled his arbitration. No matter what happens, expect to hear his name for years to come.

Finally, while the season is gearing up with playoff hopes in the distance, we have plenty of time to witness what these two exciting players have in store!

As the team enters a dog fight for the AL East crown, tune in to Bostonsportsextra for all the latest Red Sox news, highlights, and rumors throughout the season!

 

Impressive JD Martinez Just Getting Started

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As the Red Sox rolled onto another win on Sunday, JD Martinez had four at bats, going 2-4 with two homers and three RBI. It’s exactly where he hit them on Sunday that made the impression. 

After a one-out double by Mitch Moreland, JD came to the plate. With the score 3-0, the Sox looked for more runs to break it open. Martinez would take the second pitch, a 1-0 fastball, to deep center for his second homer of the day.  Sox up 5-0.  JD Martinez home runs are always fun, but what was even more awesome about them was where he hit them, or placed them, as the case may be.

In Martinez’s first at bat, Orioles’ David Hess threw a first-pitch fastball on the inner half.   That hit went the other way, going around the pesky pole for a home run. As everyone knows, the pole is the shortest part of Fenway. There aren’t too many homers that leave that area every year. But when they do, they’re among the most unique home runs you’ll see in baseball.  

Laser Precision

On his first home run that went around the pole in right, it traveled 324 feet. He took an inside pitch and drove the other way to the shortest part of the ballpark, deep enough to get out. On his second homer, he took a fastball over the plate to the second row in the center field bleachers. JD hit it to the deepest part of the park, while in his first at bat, he hit it to the shortest part of the park, both homers. 

Martinez has proved that he is not just a home run, all-or-nothing type hitter. He is just an overall smart batter who can hit for a good average, get on base, while also being a slugger. JD also can just hit the ball wherever he wants. He continued to do that on Sunday. Martinez has certainly been something to watch thus far, and the best part — it’s only May. We’re going to be watching this all summer. The best is yet to come.  

Bill Belichick Is Annoyed with Brady

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Bill Belichick Is in Midseason Form

(Foxborough, MA 07/27/17) Coach Bill Belichick walks up to the practice field for the start of Patriots training camp at Gillette. Thursday, July 27, 2017. Staff photo by John Wilcox.

The one topic Bill Belichick will talk about? His players that are participating in OTAs. The first question earlier this week from the media about Tom Brady’s absence was quickly shut down by Belichick.  The coach is also showing signs he’s done at the end of the season. He wouldn’t even touch on the 2018 draft picks, replying that Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio took care of that. Bill Belichick is sick of the drama with Brady and Guerrero, and Gronkowski’s salary demands.

Belichick Won’t Discuss Draft Picks

Belichick seemed very bitter earlier this week — in mid-season form at his press conference. Julian Edelman is participating in the workouts and he also goes to TB12 for treatments. It is a big deal Brady isn’t participating in OTAs.  Some are saying he’s a fraud. Garoppolo used to talk about giving up his life for football. When Garoppolo got traded, Brady all of a sudden needs to have more family time.

Patriots fans need to be realistic.  Belichick is on his way out. Brady doesn’t feel appreciated and is holding out because he wants to spend more time with his family. He realizes Danny Etling could be the next quarterback for this team. They have loads of draft picks for the 2019 NFL Draft. Belichick doesn’t care who you are or what you’ve done. If you aren’t participating he’s only going to talk about the players that are. According to NFL Network, Brady will be at mandatory minicamp in the first week in June along with Rob Gronkowski.

Andrew Benintendi

Andrew Benintendi: Man on Fire

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The Red Sox three starting outfielders have very different starts to the 2018 season. Mookie Betts has been perhaps the best player in baseball while Jackie Bradley has been a liability with the bat. However Andrew Benintendi, who has one of the highest ceilings of the Red Sox young core, has started to come into his own. The former Arkansas Razorback started the season struggling. But over the last twenty-three games he has hit his stride giving the Red Sox a lethal one-two punch at the top of the lineup. Benintendi was expected to take on a big role in the Red Sox offense and lately he’s shown why.

Benintendi’s Cold Start

Entering 2018, Andrew Benintendi was coming off a rookie season in which he finished second in Rookie-of-the-Year voting. He started out that impressive season on fire. However, this season has not been as easy for the former first-round pick. Through the Red Sox first twenty one games Benintendi batted .218 with a .706 on-base percentage. He was hitting with little power as three of his five home runs on the season have come in his last fifty eight at bats. Benintendi was streaky with the bat last year going into into slumps every other month. He has emerged from this slump as one of the hottest hitters in baseball.

Andrew Benintendi

Photo Credit Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Benintendi Breaks Out

Over his last twenty three games the Red Sox left fielder has hit .340 with a .959 on base percentage. This has raised his average on the season to .275 and ops to .816. In his last fifteen games he has fourteen runs batted in. He now has the third most RBI on the team. His power has been on display as Benintendi hit home runs in both of the Red Sox last two games. This has been a welcoming sign for the Red Sox as his bat makes the Red Sox lineup much deeper. Even though Benintendi struggled with the bat, his defense was still exceptional.

Andrew Benintendi

Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Can Benintendi Keep This Up?

As a rookie, the former first-round pick showed why the Red Sox have high expectations for Benintendi. The key will be consistency and avoiding prolonged slumps. Hitting behind Mookie, he will get plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.  Over the last twenty three games he has been the player everyone expected. With Benintendi hitting his stride, the Red Sox become a more dangerous team offensively.

Revs Academy Announces Partnership with HUSC/ASC

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The Revolution Academy took a lot of heat early in 2018. After going 0-0-3 in the Premier Division and 0-0-6 in Generation Adidas Qualifying with a -28 goal differential, and losing two games by a seven goal margin, people took notice. Fans took to Twitter to point out all the embarrassment and disuse of the Revolution Academy. This indirectly and directly sparked Team President Brian Bellielo to start the discussion on improving the academy. While we will never be sure if the backlash caused the Revs to make changes, adjustments were made either way.

Revs Making Changes

So far the Revs have taken strides to improve the academy since their devastating results. Part of their work has included a new initiative that’s aimed at preparing the team for the next ten years. The club has also boasted that they spend over a million dollars a year on the academy. However, eight other teams also reported their academy spendings, and to no surprise the Revs were last.

Another new initiative was announced in April between the Revolution Academy and Hampshire United Soccer Club/Amherst Soccer Club. Betsy Hansen, a club representative, said the new partnership will definitely help complement HUSC’s program

“The design is to leverage some of the coaches from the New England Revolution program to complement and accent our current program offering. We have been very excited to add one of their coaches to our system this year. We have added Revs coaching at the U13 level to start, and are pleased with how the Revs coaching is augmenting our other professional coaches at the older ages.” 

Why HUSC and ASC?

A big reason for the creating of the partnership had to do with a similar philosophy as the Revolution Academy. Betsy added, “One of the primary reasons we partnered with the Revolution Academy is because of the likeness in our philosophy. We focus on development first and foremost and want to offer the players a local place to play and build their skill sets to help them develop at the individual level as well as the team level as they age.” As Brad Freidel noted earlier this year, he and the Revs want to focus on younger talent.

As of late, the Academy has surged on most levels, winning a handful of games for each team. While HUSC/ASC doesn’t have any players the Revs are targeting, adding partners that occupy ages 9-19, talent will increase. The Revs providing resources will only help speed up the process and increase the talent coming out of New Hampshire. While HUSC/ASC isn’t a free program, it still maintains approximately 450 current players with a large age spectrum. HUSC and ASC will join New England FC (MA), Bayside FC (RI), and Valeo FC (MA) as a Revolution academy partner for the next three years at the minimum.

Current Revs Academy Players 

Scott Caldwell, Zachary Herivaux, Isaac Angking and Diego Fagundez are the only academy players on the senior team currently. A partnership like this can be very useful for the Revs who have the benefit of scouting talent in six states. This also helps utilize the state of New Hampshire and make sure talent won’t sneak by them. Up until this point, all four of the Revs’ homegrown players have been from Massachusetts and Rhode Island cities. State integration will significantly help expand their scouting pool.

As an opposition to other academies having one state to scout, some sharing with other teams, the Revs have an advantage. There has also been a recent talk about Justin Rennicks possibly deciding his future soon. Rennicks scored two goals on Saturday for the USMNT U20 team against Honduras. Rennicks, 19, has been the highlight of the Revs Academy the last few years before he left to pursue college. Since then, fans have been eagerly waiting for the Revs to sign him.

The Academy team has produced 47 goals and 53 assists for the Revs senior team from Diego Fagundez and Scott Caldwell in the MLS. With this partnership, the Revs are hoping they’ll be able to add on to those numbers in the near future.

Will Tom Brady Join Mandatory Minicamp?

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No Sign Of Tom Brady

Via hubwav

With OTA’s starting today at Gillette Stadium, Tom Brady is usually there bright and early. This year, however,  he’s spending more time with his family and will pass on OTA’s. According to Ian Rapoport, people close to Brady think that it would be unlikely that Brady would show up. Tom Brady doesn’t want a new contract. He’s done when his contract is up.

Now, most Patriots fans don’t want to hear this just like they don’t want to hear Belichick is done at the end of the season. With Garoppolo gone, Brady doesn’t feel the pressure and wants to be more of a family man this offseason.

Let’s See What Danny Etling Can Do

Via NESN.com

The Patriots signed Danny Etling to a four-year contract. As a result, like I’ve said before, like it or not they’ll groom him to be the best quarterback he can be. All those draft picks to benefit Josh McDaniels in 2019,  stocking up talent and making sure Danny Etling has a good team in 2020. Brady is bigger than the team.  We saw that last year when he went to Kraft about getting rid of Garoppolo. Bill Belichick is still not happy about that. He’s supposed to be the man in charge.

Some Patriots Fans In Denial

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) sits on the bench on the sideline in the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Friday, Aug. 15, 2014, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) ORG XMIT: FBO1

Fans need to realize that good things always come to an end. For Brady, he’s making a statement that he doesn’t feel appreciated. However, Rob Gronkowski doesn’t feel appreciated either and they are working on his contract. Furthermore, there is no way Gronkowski stays when Brady leaves. Will Brady attend mandatory minicamp? Probably not and the reason will be he wanted to spend more time with his family and that he’s been working on his own which means at TB12. That’s what he’ll tell the media .

All that talk about playing till 45, and I’ve given up my life are you willing to give up yours? That was all to get Garoppolo out of here. Now with him gone, he takes his kids to school, plays out his contract and walks away as the greatest quarterback of all time

The Importance of Devin McCourty

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The Importance Of Devin McCourty

Via BET.com

Devin McCourty had an MRI last week and a follow-up today according to an insider at Patriot Place.  McCourty is a leader on that team and really is the voice of the locker room.  He brings that leadership quality and it really shows. I’m not sure why he had the MRI.  I just know that he had one and it doesn’t seem serious.

Devin’s Leadership Is Needed

McCourty is also happy about having his brother on the team, telling Mike Reiss last Tuesday, “He brings leadership that I think we don’t have on this team; he knows how to deal with adversity,”Sometimes we get in a routine — we’ve won a lot of football games — and it’s always good to hear a different perspective of what it takes so you’re not kind of getting worn down or thinking this is too much. You get a perspective from him going 0-16. He always tells me, ‘Last year, worst year ever.’ I think hearing that motivates you and lets you know you’re doing the right things that push you.”

Jason McCourty will replace Malcolm Butler at cornerback. Jason is excited to be a Patriot, and to be on the same team as his brother. He also told Reiss last week, “There were times when you thought ‘maybe,’ but kind of towards the end it was just, ‘I don’t know if it’s going to happen. Mostly for our family, this has been really exciting and cool for them just to have the opportunity; our mom, older brother who’s kind of watched our careers our whole lives. So to see us come together at this level is just kind of a special thing.”

Devin McCourty getting checked out by the Patriots medical staff and attending the workouts is a great sign. He doesn’t let the outside noise get to him, and makes sure he does what’s in the best interest of not just for himself: he knows the Patriot Way centers on the team.