The Boston Celtics and Danny Ainge have opened up a plethora of paths this offseason. With Kyrie Irving and Al Horford set to leave the franchise, the C’s have some cap room to play with and an interesting free agent class coming up. By the end of this offseason, the Celtics will likely look drastically different than last year’s team.
With eight rostered players for next season, the Celtics have a solid top of the roster. Tatum, Brown, Williams, and Ojelaye comprise a young core with Hayward, Smart and Baynes bringing the veteran leadership. The biggest problem that will arise is the lack of depth and the weakness at point guard. The Celtics will need to focus on adding to a roster that has some potential, and they have the means to do so.
Projected Cap Space: ~28-36M dependent on Rozier
This figure works under the assumption Rozier signs with Boston at a projected 8.5M dollar cap hit. With reports that Rozier is all-in on a Celtics team minus Kyrie, we’ll assume the Celtics have $28 million to spend after retaining Rozier. Now the big question: where to spend that money.
Via Fox Sports
Mid-Tier free agents
The Celtics don’t command the required cap space to sign a max contract at the moment, so their focus should shift to signing the middle tier of role players that are in this class. Guys like Patrick Beverley (pictured), Ricky Rubio, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Trevor Ariza all fit that 8-12M range. Each one provides the Celtics with depth and key roles that strengthen and diversify the team. They have the space to acquire two or three of these guys, none of which have ever played for the Green.
UNC’s Nassir Little could be an option for C’s at 14th Pick
Fresh Faces from Draft
The Celtics may look a lot younger next year due to their three first-round picks in this year’s NBA Draft. Each pick offers a plethora of intriguing prospects. While none have the star power of Zion, they all bring skills to the table that will give the Celtics a nice crop of young players to groom. Guys like Nassir Little and Ty Jerome are nice developmental projects that can become key role players early in their careers. The Celtics would love the opportunity to fill the team with fresh faces for the young core.
Overall, The Celtics have the pieces in place for a drastic roster Shake-up. Don’t be surprised when you see a bunch of new faces next season.
The NBA offseason is in full effect, and this year’s free agent class is shaping up to be very diverse. A mixture of top stars and key role players, this class has all types of players at all types of prices. While the Celtics are focused on re-signing Al Horford, they also need to take a hard look at other pieces to help round out the roster. One under-the-radar prospect they should take a hard look at is Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Bio
Hollis-Jefferson is a former lottery pick from the University of Arizona. He stands at 6’7″, and weighs 217 pounds. He played for the Brooklyn Nets for the past four seasons before they declined to accept his restricted free agency. At 24 years old, he’s just hitting his stride and is in prime position for a breakout year.
via NBA.com
What he would bring to the Celtics
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a perfect fit for the Celtics in a lot of ways. At 24 years old, he fits right in with the young core that comprises the Celtics. It would be easy for him to mesh with the locker room. He can cut to the basket well and is great at operating offensively without the ball. His greatest asset, however, is his defense. Hollis-Jefferson guards multiple positions well and is great in help defense situations. The Celtics pride themselves on defense, and Rondae fits the mold.
What would it take to sign him
Just because Hollis-Jefferson hasn’t produced a ton of points doesn’t mean he’ll come cheap. He’s young and very talented on the defensive side of the ball. He’s by no means a max contract player, but he’ll be at least an 8-12 million dollar player. He’ll also most likely want some assurance from the Celtics he’ll have a big rotational role when playing. Overall, Boston can offer him both and bring the best out of Hollis-Jefferson.
NFL fans know it’s always exciting when the Steelers and Patriots square off, and that’s especially been the case since Bill Belichick took over in New England nearly two decades ago. The two high-powered offenses have gone toe-to-toe a number of times, often in the form of an elimination game in the playoffs, with the stakes as high as they come. This time, the teams face off in the 2019 season opener. This is the third time that the Patriots will begin their title defense with a game against Pittsburgh. In 2002 and 2015, New England defeated the Steelers handily as they celebrated their first and fourth Lombardi Trophies. Fans of both teams are excited and are already heading to online sports books like TopBet to make their wagers on the game.
Tom Brady has had Ben Roethlisberger’s number in these matchups over the years. He’s posted a 8-3 record against the Steelers during the course of his career, finding ways to beat whatever exotic blitz looks they throw at him, and then hitting open receivers for big gains to make his opposition pay. Brady has a number of weapons on offense that can line up all over the formation, in Julian Edelman, Sony Michel and highly-touted first-round draft pick N’Keal Harry, who could develop into the team’s next great receiver for years to come. However, the team has yet to replace tight end Rob Gronkowski, who retired after the Patriots’ win over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII, and has been Brady’s favorite receiving target over the years. And while Brady has dominated the Steelers over the years, his formidable foe from the Steel City can never be counted out, especially not with Big Ben under center. Roethlisberger, to his credit, has won two Super Bowl rings as well, and he has one of the strongest arms in the NFL. Most importantly, his ability to scramble around in the pocket and remain upright allows for his receivers to get open downfield for big plays — often making his opponents pay for bringing pressure.
Worth monitoring, though, is what the Steelers offense will look like following the departures of Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown — two of the team’s best playmakers on offense in this era. Brown’s departure puts a lot of pressure on young receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who figures to draw a lot more coverage this season, and could see his numbers decline as a result. As for Bell, running back James Conner showed a lot of promise last year when healthy, but it will be interesting to see if he can sustain that and build on it. Lucky for him, he’ll be running behind arguably the top offensive line in the NFL, even with OL coach Mike Munchak having departed, to join the Broncos coaching staff, a few months ago.
Fans should be excited over the fact that an epic matchup of this magnitude is on the Week 1 slate, and given all the history between the two squads, it’s fair to label this contest as an early Game of the Year candidate — so make sure to tune in and watch.
Al Horford declined his $30.1 Million player option with the Boston Celtics Tuesday. Speculation about Horford signing an extension has been a topic all season, specifically considering Kyrie Irving’s uncertain status. With Irving all but gone, the team will now likely focus on resigning Horford to anchor their 2019-2020 roster. The five-time All-Star has provided a veteran presence since he arrived in Boston. Horford was also instrumental in the Celtics 2017-2018 playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Horford averaged 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 68 games on shooting percentage splits of 53.5/36.0/82.1 in 2018-2019. The veteran center is also one of the best shooting big men in the NBA. Horford won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017-2018 and improved his defensive metrics in 2018-2019. He also decreased his turnovers per game by 0.3 turnover per game last season. In declining his player option, Horford becomes one of the top free agent centers available.
Al Horford declined his $30.1 million player option Tuesday becoming a free agent.
Crunching The Numbers
I’ve written about the Boston Celtics cap issues heading into the off-season. Even if the Celtics restructure Horford’s contract, combined with Gordon Hayward’s, those contracts will count for nearly 50% of the salary cap. It could be argued that Boston needs Horford and his restructured contract equally. The Celtics would have a hard time replacing Horford, and the salary cap and roster simply don’t work as presently constructed.
The debate surrounding the Boston Celtics has been trading assets for marquee free agents. Despite the asset a player like Anthony Davis provides, it has long been speculated Davis wouldn’t resign with Boston long term. Kyrie Irving provides the same asset, but his situation is well-documented and it’s clearly not worth it. The possibilities of signing a player like Kevin Durant has even been discussed. The Celtics seem to be taking the smart road, no pun intended, by staying away from Davis and Irving.
Al Horford, who was the 2017-2018 Defensive Player of the Year, led a core of young Boston Celtics players to the Eastern Conference Finals the same season. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images)
Return To Glory
The last time the Boston Celtics starting five was led by Horford, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they came within a late-Game 7 push by the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers of making the NBA Finals. After regressions from Tatum and Brown last season, a return to that 2017-2018 lineup could be the key. Unlike the Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics were unwilling to include young stars in a trade package. Will that motivate Tatum? Will Brown’s inclusion in trade talks affect him like it did the Lakers young core?
The Boston Celtics need to resign Al Horford and free enough cap space to sign a veteran point guard. Once those items are in place the Celtics will have a similar roster to the one that nearly got them to the NBA Finals in 2017-2018. If Gordon Hayward returns to his All-Star status form, justifying his $32.7M cap hit, that Celtics team could win the Eastern Conference. A Boston starting five of Horford, Smart, Hayward, Tatum and Brown doesn’t just look good on paper, it’s a proven winning lineup. Some will see Horford declining his option as a sign he wants opportunities with other teams. Boston knows better. Al Horford declined his option to finish what he started.
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Welcome back to Team Fight Tuesday! Even though the weekend as a whole was devastating for Boston, we finally got some winning team fights to discuss! For this week, we are going to talk about the Uprising’s use of the new-hotness going around both OWL and contenders – the comp known as “Hackfist”.
What is Hackfist?
The “Hackfist” team composition is based around the two characters Sombra and Doomfist. Popularized by the Korean Contenders team Element Mystic, this setup aims to create chaos against GOATs and capitalize on the disruption. The combination of Sombra’s hacks and Doomfist’s stuns create the opportunity for early fight picks. This is powerful against a 3-3 team, because 3-3 comps rely so heavily on coordinated group play. If a player in GOATs is unable to use abilities to save an ally, or is knocked away/stunned before they can ult, the rest of the squad is very vulnerable.
If things make more sense to you in video form, here’s a great video from Akshon Esports. They describe more of the intricacies and nuances of the comp.
Why Did Boston Run It?
One of the toughest aspects of a GOATs heavy meta is that talented DPS players are often pushed to the wayside or forced to play tanks. After a terrible string of losses playing with and against GOATs, Boston decided something needed to change. It was also at this time Boston remebered they have one of the premier Doomfist players in the league with blasé. With rCk’s Sombra on hand, it was only a matter of time that Boston would bust out their latest strat.
The comp also allows Fusions and Kellex to stay on their comfort picks in Reinhardt and Lucio respectively. Colourhex gets to gain more practice on Zarya for when the team needs to default back to GOATs, and finally Persia is given the duties of playing Ana.
Boston decides to run this on Illios most likely for a few reasons. First being Illios has plenty of high ground positions and natural cover. When blasé dives in he has the ability to get out safely, thanks to Doomfist’s highly mobile kit. His flanking routes can come from any of the tall buildings or alleyways behind Philadelphia. Second, Boston wants to punish the over-aggressive nature of Philadelphia’s main tank Sado. Catching out the Reinhardt in a GOATs comp is one of the best ways to win the fight. Using Doomfist’s Rocket Punch and Uppercut blasé should be able to displace Sado and create separation between him and his back line, leading to an easy kill.
The Final Fight on Illios
I love this fight because it demonstrates all the advantages Hackfist gives to Boston.
Hackfist in all its glory
Starting from the start of the clip, we can already see blasé setting up on the high ground looking for a kill on a support. He uses Seismic Slam to jump into the Philly Team, and an Uppercut to shoot Sado into the air. Once Carpe bubbles the Reinhardt, blasé jumps right back out to the opposing high ground to safety.
These first five seconds are why Doomfist can be so obnoxious to deal with. Not only is he attacking from a unique angle, he has an amazing quickness that enables him to make riskier plays but come out alive. After his first engage, blasé has now set himself up for another high ground flank.
All while this is happening Sado is hacked by rCk, forcing Philadelphia to commit resources to keep him alive. Eqo uses Rally to keep their team alive, and Carpe uses both bubbles before the fight even starts. Expending these abilities so early in a fight leaves Philadelphia in a difficult situation. Because these cooldowns are used, they have to make a difficult choice. Philly can either back up and wait for more ults (which seems bad because no one is close to one), or push hard and be the aggressor.
Surviving the the GOATs Aggression
For a moment, the aggression pays off as Philly is able to take down Fusions. Normally this would be a lost fight for Boston, however they aren’t playing GOATs this time around. The hidden benefit of Hackfist is that Fusions is no longer the focal point of the team. Of course him being alive is better than dead, but a Reinhardt death in Hackfist does not immediately signal “lost fight”.
10 seconds into the clip, Sado pushes towards Fusions to clean up the kill. But if you notice, Philadelphia is completely surrounding the remaining Boston players. blasé jumps onto the Ana, and rCk lands a hack onto Sado to essentially trap him between Kellex, Colourhex and himself. You can see the moment Sado is hacked and Boombox is killed, the remaining Uprising members collapse onto him. Boston splits him from the rest of the team, leaving him in a position to receive no healing or support.
Once Sado dies, the fight devolves into a series of solo battles between players. Poko runs off to the side to kill Persia but is pressured by rCk. blasé charges in to focus down Eqo, pushing him towards Colourhex and Kellex. Then finally rCk EMPs one more time to secure the point for Boston. Even though Persia is the only one that dies in the prolonged engagement, Boston’s comp is much better suited for this chaotic moments.
Own This Comp and Perfect It
As Boston looks forward to Stage 4 and beyond, they really need to find their style. With 2 stages worth of evidence, I am confident to say that Boston is not a GOATs team. While they may have the ability to run it and beat worse teams, GOATs itself is constantly evolving, and Boston has reacted too slowly to grow with the league. However, something like this can set Boston apart from other mediocre GOATs teams. Sure enough, Philly is one of those meh GOATs teams that Boston can beat with Hackfist. Unfortunately, the moment they swapped back to 3-3, Philly took over the series.
To make a point short – Boston needs to swap back to a 2-2-2 set up, specifically specializing in the Hackfist composition. Teams have discovered that Boston is significantly reliant on Fusions, resulting in Fusions dying first in almost every fight. It’s time for Boston to remove the pressure from their main tank, and place a bit of it onto their DPS stars.
If its any indication from their twitter, it may seem like the Uprising already have the right idea.
That’s it for Team Fight Tuesday! Next weekend we have a tough one against San Francisco and a rematch against Paris. Maybe one punch is all we need to turn this stage around.
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There was a seismic shift in the NBA landscape last week and unless you were vacationing in the Antarctic, then you know LA made New Orleans a godfather offer, to wit Anthony Davis to the Lakers for a king’s ransom down on the bayou. The blockbuster deal reverberated all the way to Sin City and beyond, as the betting odds there and at all of the best online sportsbooks, which can be seen over at Sportsbook Review, currently show the Lakers as the favorites to claim the NBA championship next season. LeBron now has AD as the Robin to his Batman but the roster shakeup in LA is still not necessarily done shaking as the Lakers’ brass is on the hunt to woo a coveted free agent to join their dynamic duo.
This is the way things go in today’s NBA because the players have a big say in their destination of choice. All-Star teams are no longer relegated to a random Sunday in February but rather an 82-game slate where they routinely thump most of the league and contend against only a handful of teams that also assembled their own collection of superstars. If the Lakers can convince Kawhi Leonard that Toronto is a nice place to visit but LA is the place to call home then, barring injuries, any other team would be considered a longshot to win the title next June.
Of course, anything can happen, which is why they play the games, but Golden State is bearing a striking resemblance to a team in decline, even if Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson do return. Both suffered serious injuries at the end of this past season and both will be in their 30’s when the playoffs roll around next April. The best a professional athlete can hope for when they move out of their 20’s is to maintain their conditioning and performance because improvements are the province of youth. Lebron James has been able to fend off the adverse effects of time, even at the ripe old age of 34, but assuming he was to experience a slight dip in production, he’s got a young fire breathing dragon in Anthony Davis in the frontcourt and could very well enjoy another Godzilla on the roster as well, if Kawhi Leonard or Kemba Walker join the LA Mercenaries.
So where does this leave our beloved Boston Celtics? Danny Ainge assembled his own three-headed monster a decade ago when he teamed Paul Pierce with Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. A generation before that triumvirate, we saw Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish wreak havoc and garner championships. But the other franchises have caught on and are upping the ante in a game that is strictly for GM’s who never heard the words, “too rich for my blood”.
Does it really even matter whether Kyrie Irving is coming back to Boston? Boston’s Big Three last season – Irving, Hayward, and Tatum – pale in comparison to the generational talents rolled out on a nightly basis by others. Irving is a legitimate wingman on any team but he proved last season he is far from a leading man. Gordon Hayward will most likely never be the dominating player he was in Utah after his grotesque injury sidelined him for an entire season. And Jayson Tatum, the burgeoning superstar we all believed he would be after his rookie campaign, could very well have reached his ceiling. Okay, so that might be a bit harsh, after all, he is still only 21-years-old and has the potential to be a truly elite player in this league. But right now, he’s more of a T. J. Warren than a Paul George. And to quote a phrase, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” but to win a title in this era, a guy like Tatum is a fabulous sixth man, not the game-changing superstar needed to complete a Big Three.
The Celtics will be competitive next season but visions of banners dancing in our collective heads are the realm of sugarplum fairies, not reality. Unless Ainge has made a Faustian deal in the offseason to sell his soul for a championship, the 2019-2020 iteration of the Boston Celtics will be gritty, and perhaps, a lot more loveable than the whining bunch we saw this past season. But an NBA title will have to wait. The question is, how long?
Klay Thompson is the most underrated player in the entire NBA. He’s one of the best three-point shooters of all time, and one of the best defenders in the league. His unfortunate ACL injury has severely impacted his future. Most assume he’ll return to Golden State where his injury won’t affect his pay. However, Boston is secretly the best bet to sign him now. Here’s why:
Klay Thompson will miss most of next season rehabbing from his injury. Most teams aren’t comfortable with taking on that task. Boston won’t have that problem. After seeing the way the Celtics treated Hayward, Klay Thompson and others would feel more comfortable going to a franchise that will be able to adequately care for them.
He’s a perfect fit in Boston
The beauty of Klay Thompson’s game is that he doesn’t have to handle the ball. He can cut to the hoop well and is a deadly spot-up shooter. The key to his integration on the C’s is his defense. Thompson is an exceptional defender and covers multiple positions on the court. The Celtics pride themselves as a defensive team, and Klay fits the mold.
Via MassLive.com
He doesn’t have to be the Star
Part of the reason Klay Thompson is so underrated is because he’s been a supporting player on the Warriors. As such, and especially after an ACL tear, he likely won’t want to carry a team. With the Celtics, he won’t have to. Jayson Tatum is the face of the franchise, and Gordon Hayward and Al Horford are still here. Klay Thompson can be the same old Klay Thompson when he gets back and not carry a huge load.
Chris Sale is without a doubt one of the best pitchers in the MLB. If he wasn’t as good as advertised, the Boston Red Sox would not have gone out of their way to trade for the left-handed pitcher back in the 2016-2017 off-season. The Red Sox made out well with Sale, as he has led them both on and off the field. Of course, no pitcher is going to be dominant every start for the duration of his career.
Sale struggled early on in the month of April. It looked like his fastball velocity was a bit down compared to years past. He struggled to get hitters to chase his slider. It just didn’t look like the Chris Sale Red Sox fans were so used to seeing. But things have changed recently and for the better!
May and June have been much better months for the Red Sox Ace. In the last month Sale is 2-2, but he has a 2.12 ERA in that span. When your starting pitcher is giving up 2-3 runs a game, you take that every single time. You start to feel confident every time Sale takes the mound from this point forward, and that the offense will back him up.
Chris Sale And The 10 Strikeout Game
The most important statistic that stands out is the amount of 10 strikeout games Chris Sale has lately. Think of it this way: striking out 10 batters in 6 innings of work has Sale striking out 55% of the hitters he faces in an MLB game. That is pretty scary to think about.
I mean, eight starts of having at least 10 strikeouts or more in any given game? Those are video game numbers! Remember what I mentioned earlier about Sale struggling to get swings and misses on his slider? It looks like he rediscovered the pitch, because you can’t strikeout every hitter in the MLB with just a fastball. Sale dominating and throwing games of 10 strikeouts or more also helps the bullpen rest.
Another thing we have to consider is the run support factor. Sale has really turned it on for the Red Sox, even when the offense has a few off nights. Here’s a fun statistic for everyone to look at:
Among the 12 games Chris Sale has lost or had no decision:
8 IP, 1 ER 7 IP, 1 ER 6 IP, 1 ER 7 IP, 2 ER 7 IP, 2 ER 6 IP, 2 ER
In the six starts that Pete Abraham breaks down here, Sale throws 41 total innings while giving up nine total runs. In the top half of the statistics shown above, three of those starts resulted in Sale giving up one run. This man has made some big adjustments. They are truly showing as Sale looks to be regaining his Cy Young caliber form. Keep in mind, this was before the Baltimore start. In that Baltimore start, he went six innings while giving up six hits, two earned runs, one walk, and 10 strikeouts.
In Conclusion
It is very simple if you are a Red Sox fan. You need for Chris Sale to continue to improve and go back to being the Chris Sale that the rest of the league fears. Bring that Sale back regularly and the Red Sox will be closer to first than we all realize. For any fan that said Chris Sale wasn’t worth the money in April, I hope you were paying close attention in May and so for in June.
After it is all said and done, there is one conclusion we can all come to: Chris Sale is officially BACK! Let the tour to a repeat continue.
The Boston Bruins have played 105 games between the beginning of October and the middle of June, but everything they have worked for comes down to a Wednesday night showdown on Causeway Street against a franchise they vanquished nearly 50 years ago in the Stanley Cup Finals. If you’re a betting man or woman, then head on over and read a BetOnline review and you will see for yourself that not only is BetOnline one of the most well-respected online sportsbooks in the industry, but right now they are dealing the Bruins as substantial favorites to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup aloft when the final buzzer sounds.
Had it not been for a dominating effort by the Bruins, and a sensational performance by Tuukka Rask on Sunday night, then the St. Louis Blues would be planning a parade on Market Street as we speak. However, we now know the destination of the celebration because the St. Louis Dispatch inadvertently published a letter on its digital site from Blues’ owner Tom Stillman stating, “Winning the Stanley Cup was a dream come true for so many of you. All of us will remember where we were, what we did and how we felt when the Blues brought the Cup home. We are so very proud of our players, our organization and our fans. And now, together, we can finally say ‘We won the Cup for St. Louis.’ We look forward to celebrating with you as we parade the Cup down Market Street.”
Well, that’s awkward. The Dispatch has since deleted the letter from its website but the fact
remains that the Blues were convinced Game 6 would be the final punctuation mark on a
season whose story was seemingly fated for a disappointing ending back in early January when
they were ranked dead last among the 31 NHL teams. In addition, not only did the owner take
an early victory lap but the team had already reserved the entire top floor of a downtown bar
on Sunday night in anticipation of a rowdy postseason gathering. If you believe in jinxes then
Boston looks like a good bet to get it done on Wednesday night.
Much has been made of the officiating in this series with St. Louis coach, Craig Berube, casting
the first stone after Game 3, in which the Blues fell 7-2, when he complained about his team
getting an unfair share of the whistles. Fast forward to Game 5 when a staggeringly blatant
tripping penalty by Blues’ forward Tyler Bozak on Boston’s Noel Acciari went uncalled, resulting
in a St. Louis goal at the other end only moments later with Acciari still flattened on the ice.
Berube’s rant had clearly hit its mark and Bruins’ coach Bruce Cassidy took Berube’s blueprint
and excoriated the non-call, as well as the officiating in general, in a postgame presser after his team’s 2-1 loss. We surmised that Cassidy’s righteous indignation would resonate with the officials in Game 6, as it was stated in this article over at Sportsbook Review, and lo and behold, the refs called them as they saw them with St. Louis bearing the brunt of the whistles due to their overtly physical style of play.
Ironically, the Bruins’ franchise has long epitomized the prototypical lunch pail gang whose
success was predicated on intimidation and physicality. But this year’s edition is more finesse
and hustle as opposed to power and muscle. Regardless of how they got here, it’s a nice place
to be and on Wednesday night, in front of nearly 20,000 rabid supporters donning the black
and gold, chances are all of those St. Louis fans yearning for a parade, will have to come to
Boston to get one!
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After a disastrous opening to Stage 3, Boston had plenty to improve on. Swept by the London Spitfire and only taking a single map from the Paris Eternal was far from how anyone envisioned last week going. It seemed evident that Boston was experimenting both with their hero composition and the backline players on stage. That type of tweaking of the team’s chemistry and strategy on stage didn’t work out well last week. Would they do the same against the Houston Outlaws and Philadelphia Fusion?
Short answer? No.
A resurgent Houston team that put everyone across the league on notice earlier this week by taking down the San Francisco Shock came ready to play, sweeping Boston. Despite a map win and a winner take all map four, Boston would fall 2-1 to the Fusion. Another 0-2 weekend has added to the scrutiny that this team will be under. What happened?
The Good
Blase’s Tracer taking out Jake’s Pharah on Nepal was fantastic. Seeing Houston’s dps getting wacked with Hex’s rockets (I counted 3x) the whole map showed Boston at least had the advantage in the sky. Honestly I thought Boston had Jake’s number all match long, which I loved. Overwatch League’s lead poster-boy getting shown up was the highlight of the match.
I thought Colourhex was our best player this week. Whether it was his Pharah or Widowmaker, he was consistent through both matches. I loved seeing the Fusions throw everything but the kitchen sink at his Widow on Paris, still fail to get him, and get punished by the rest of the Uprising. Delicious.
I’m a big fan of the dps comps Boston threw out there this weekend. They clearly aren’t a top tier GOATs team, so why keep hitting their head against the wall? I don’t hate Boston trying something new. They just need to execute more consistently.
It’s 2019 and we’re seeing a Hanzo? I’m here for this.Doomfist was great too.
At least Boston didn’t look as bad as Philly. Who thought those jerseys looked good? I’ve never seen anyone wear zebra stripes like that. What, do you want to look like an umpire? No one thinks referees look cool.
The Bad
There’s been a lot of talk about Fusion’s efficacy on Winston. Should he just stick to Rein and get swapped out if the map calls for something else? Well, that attempted jump from the corner to the main platform on Nepal’s first map where he went for a fall… not helping the pro-Winston case. As Hex said on the cast – you have to know when/where you can make that jump.
Several miscommunications on Volskaya Industries (which Boston has a reputation of winning on). Persia hitting a Transcendence after Fusions gets picked. RCk only hacking 4 Outlaws, notably not the Zen with a Transcendence ready to launch. Just not how anyone drew that map up.
Danteh was the better Sombra in the Houston match. Boombox was the better Sombra in the Philly match. I hate to say it, but the Finn didn’t match any of the competition. Considering we traded for rCk to play a Sombra meta, this was not a good development.
Boston’s sole turn on the bunker comp on Paris didn’t work out well, did it? While we saw some brilliance from Hex’s Widow, who had seemingly open range on Philadelphia, it didn’t last. Philly’s dive was too potent and lead to a quick cap on both points.
Any hopes of a reverse sweep against Houston went out the window on Numbani when the Outlaws held Boston off Point A at 99.8%. They stalled long enough for the team to rally back, and Boston took too much time. Boston seemingly couldn’t focus on their targets while Houston got picks left and right.
I listened to Uber’s defense of using Ana over Zen – and I don’t buy it. A biotic grenade isn’t in the same ball park as a Transcendence to respond to an EMP with. Yes, Fusions in general should benefit from a focus Nano, but I didn’t see nearly enough of that in either match to justify it. Anytime Boston saw Danteh or Boombox on Sombra they should have switched the Zen on.
The Uprising
A simultaneous EMP on Point B was one of the craziest plays I’ve ever seen. 10 players without powers as Boston tried to close out their second lap. That’s not something either team prepares for. Boston winning that fight got them the point and3
Yes @UberShouts, this team effort means we go "agane" on Paris!
You could tell how much fun Blase was having out there. Being allowed out of the brig (#DadJoke) to play Doom was just what the doctor ordered. He was great too! Boston played several dps comps where the frenticness played into Doom’s hand (or fist).
Stage 3 playoffs is dead. Let’s not kid ourselves. Boston is barely keeping their head above water. There are holes in the hull. The sail is burning. They’re taking on water. The ship may be sinking. But there is hope.
Figure out the support line. Persia seemed wildly out of place and out of sync with the rest of the team. Establish some consistency there. Keep working the DPS comps. There were flashes of brilliance against Philly. Let’s build on that.
Stage 3’s schedule isn’t getting any easier. Rematches against Philly and Paris. Stage 2 champions the San Francisco Shock. No joking around. Figure your crap out. We’ve seen these guys rally when the situation called for it. Let’s hope they can do it quickly.
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