Tag Archives: #BostonSportsExtra

The Celtics Are Interested in Signing a Euro-League Star

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The Boston Celtics seem to be looking to add another overseas player for next season. His name is Brad Wanamaker, a Turkish guard who is very highly decorated. This was reported first by David Pick, who is considered the top guy for overseas news.

College Career

Wanamaker played college ball at the University of Pittsburgh. He averaged only eight points, four rebounds, and 3.5 assists during his four year college career. He also started the entire last two seasons for Pitt. Brad finished his senior career as a honorable-mention for the NCAA’s Men’s Basketball All-American.

Career Overseas

Brad started his professional basketball career in Italy and played for two Italian clubs. He then went back to America and signed with the Austin Toros, the Spurs’ G-League affiliate. The Toros won the developmental championship the only year Brad was on the team.

After his time back in America, Brad went overseas again to play in France’s top league, the LNB Pro A. He averaged nine points and 3.4 rebounds during his time there. After a brief stint back in Italy, Wanamaker signed with Brose Baskets, where they went on to win the championship with Brad winning Finals MVP. Brad re-signed with Bamberg and they went on to win their second straight title, and Wanamaker was MVP of the league.

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Brad then went to go play in Turkey after his very successful German career. He signed a two-year contract with Darussfaka. After those years went by, Brad signed with the reigning Euro-League champs, Fenerbahce. He led them to their fourth consecutive Final Four. He eventually lost to Luka Doncic and Real Madrid in the championship game.

Wanamaker finished his Euro-League career averaging 13.5 PPG, 4.2 APG, while shooting 36% from three. He also achieved many accolades like German BBL MVP, 2X German BBL Champion, and a Finals MVP.

Contribution to the Celtics

The Celtics have a few guys coming off their bench who come from overseas. One of them is Daniel Theis, who like Wanamaker, played most of his professional career overseas. Theis as a rookie, made a very solid contribution off the bench in his rookie year. In the 63 games he played, he averaged 5.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, while shooting 54% from the field. Backup point guard, Shane Larkin, came from overseas to the Celtics as well. Larkin played in the NBA for the first 3 years of his career before going overseas to Spain. Larkin revived his career in Spain which led him to getting signed by the Celtics.

Brad Wanamaker is set to be paid $3.8 million dollars by Barcelona next year unless he signs with an NBA team. Chances are Wanamaker stays in Europe, but the Celtics are one of the few teams interested, and it could be very useful to help the scoring off the bench.

Celtics’ Top Opponents for the 2018-2019 Season

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The Boston Celtics were one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA last year. The 2017-2018 season had a lot of amazing games by the Celtics, which most notably consisted of comeback wins against the Rockets (26 points) and the Warriors (26 points). The season, though, was plagued with injuries, whether it was the Hayward injury that kept him out the whole year, or the Kyrie injury that made him miss the last few weeks of the regular season, the Celtics always found a way to make many of their games exciting no matter who they played.

The C’s are now one of the most feared teams in the NBA and cause many exciting matchups. Here are five opponents that will be the best to look for in the upcoming NBA season:

1. Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers look to be Boston’s biggest threat in the east at the moment with LeBron’s destination still unknown. The 76ers are a very young team with Embiid and Ben Simmons leading them all the way to the playoffs. Philadelphia lost the regular season series to the Boston Celtics 3-1. One of those games took place in London, where the Celtics came from 22 down to beat them 114-103. The Celtics then lost the next game to Philly 89-80, but that would not be the end to this series.

Boston played Philadelphia in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference Playoffs that year. The C’s were very large underdogs as they opened +300 in that series. On some betting websites they rose all the way up to +750. This series was a dominant one for the Celtics. They won it in only five games consisting off a 22 point comeback in Game 2 and an overtime win in Game 3. Things also got very heated between the teams during the series.

This Philly and Boston rivalry has grown very big ever since the Super Bowl, and will only get bigger with these two powerhouses going at each other.

2. Golden State Warriors

The defending back-to-back NBA champs come in at number two on this list. Golden State is arguably the greatest team of all-time, which is why they will be high on this list. The Warriors are coming off championship wins in 2015, 2017, 2018, and they look to continue that streak of dominance.

There is one team in the NBA who the Warriors haven’t consistently dominated: the Boston Celtics. Boston has split the season-series with the Warriors the past three years, and are the only team in the NBA other than the Warriors with a winning record in the Oracle Arena since 2015. The Celtics in 2016 were the team to stop Golden State’s record-breaking 54-game home win streak.

The Celtics beat Golden State in Boston for the first time since 2015. This game looked bad for Boston with Golden State going up 22. The Celtics then erupted to go on a 19-0 run and won by a score of 92-88. This lead many to believe that Golden State versus Boston could be a finals matchup of the future. Even Stephen Curry believes that.

The Celtics were only one game away from facing the Warriors in the 2017-2018 NBA Finals, but came up short in Game 7 against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals. With Golden State favored again to win the NBA championship and the Celtics healthy going into next season, this could be a possible Finals match-up in the making.

3. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets were also only one game away from the NBA Finals, just like the Celtics. The Rockets ended the regular season last year with the best record in the NBA, going 65-17. The Rockets and Celtics played twice this year and split the season series in two of the most entertaining games of the entire regular season. In the first game the Celtics won 99-98 in a 26 point comeback. This game had Marcus Smart drawing two late offensive fouls on James Harden, which set up the game-winner by Al Horford.

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The Celtics-Rockets series next year looks to continue on this excitement. Especially with the thought of LeBron joining one of these teams.

4. Los Angeles Lakers

The Boston-LA rivalry hasn’t felt as important as recent years, but that looks to change in 2018. The Lakers are filled with young talent like Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Julius Randle.

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The Lakers are also poised to get a big name via trade or free agency whether its Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, or LeBron James. There are even talks of them forming a super team with all three of those players. If the Lakers can acquire one of these players, the rivalry could be back on.

5. Toronto Raptors

Toronto has been a force in the Atlantic division for years now. The duo of Kyle Lowry and Demar Derozan has been one of the best backcourts in the NBA. Toronto finished first in the Eastern Conference, but got swept by Cleveland in the semifinals. This led to Toronto firing Dwyane Casey. Toronto may not be the force in the playoffs that they are in the regular season, but winning the games against them in the regular season could be the difference in home-court advantage for the Celtics in the playoffs.

The Boston Celtics were one game away from making it to the NBA Finals last year. With this set of opponents for next season, they can really see how they stack up against the rest of the NBA.

Should the Red Sox look to Bring Back an Old Friend?

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The Boston Red Sox have the most wins in the MLB at the moment, but that does not mean that they don’t have problems. An idea over the weekend was proposed by Jared Carrabis of the Section 10 Podcast that the Sox should look to try to acquire former Red Sox 3rd baseman, Adrian Beltre. This may seem like a fantasy acquisition by the Red Sox, but it seems plausible.

Rangers need to rebuild

For starters, the Texas Rangers are one of the worst teams in the MLB this year with a record of 28-44. They should look to trade their older players to contenders, like the Red Sox, for younger players. The Red Sox are most definitely in win now mode, trading guys like Yoan Moncada and others for Chris Sale. Adrian Beltre would help the Red Sox in many situations this year, and also be a clubhouse leader.

Red Sox problems VS LHP

One of the main problems with the Red Sox is their hitting vs left-handed pitchers. The Red Sox as a team are batting .235 against them with only 18 home runs. However, against right-handed pitchers, they are batting .268 with 83 home runs. Rafael Devers is batting .209, Moreland is batting .227, Benintendi is batting .197, Nunez is at .172, and JBJ is at .120, all against LHP this season. Adrian Beltre has been very successful versus left-handed pitching this year. In 44 plate appearances versus LHP, he is .359/.386/.462/.848. Beltre, in a short sample size, has shown that he can contribute to stopping this problem for the Red Sox.

Help Rafael Devers

Adrian Beltre could also help with the development of Rafael Devers. Devers is coming off a season where he had a batting average of .284 and hit 10 home runs through the 58 games he played. Through 69 games so far this year, Devers is averaging .236 with 10 home runs. Rafael’s hitting isn’t his major problem; his fielding is. Devers has a team-low fielding percentage of .931 and a team high of 14 errors. Adrian Beltre could come in and help the 21-year old out and give Devers a few days off from fielding. Beltre gives a veteran-mind to Devers that he needs in his very young career to help him grow into what he looked like in his inaugural MLB season.

 

Adrian Beltre played for the Red Sox for one season back in 2010. That season turned out to be one of Beltre’s best seasons of his career where he averaged .321/.359/.561/.921. He had 28 home runs and 102 RBIs and finished 9th in AL MVP voting. Beltre is a long ways away from that, but he is still a very productive player and a solid-veteran mind. Beltre can come in for the last half of the season and help the Red Sox bring another World Series championship back to Boston. The Red Sox are Beltre’s best option to win a title before he ends his hall-of-fame career soon.

Free Agents the Celtics Should Look at this Offseason

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With NBA free agency starting on July 1, the Boston Celtics are again one of the more fun teams to watch in free agency. In 2016, the Celtics signed 4-time all-star center, Al Horford to a 4-year deal. In 2017, the Celtics signed one of the biggest names in free agency, Gordon Hayward, who was coming off his best year yet and made his first all-star appearance. Now in 2018, Boston looks to continue to add pieces to bring them to their 18th title. These are some of the free agents they should consider signing:

Lebron James, Forward (Player-Option):

Starting this off with arguably the greatest player of all-time. Lebron James will most likely look to join a new team after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals for the second year in a row. Lebron is now poised to join a new team for the 3rd time in his career. This has left many to believe that the Celtics are one of the destinations he will consider.

Boston is one of, if not the best, options for Lebron to win a championship. However, it also leaves some problems for the Celtics. One of the main reasons Kyrie Irving is in Boston is because he wanted to have his own team and leave Lebron. This leaves the main decision of what do the Celtics value more, Lebron or Kyrie. It is a decision the Celtics should look at and consider.

Rodney Hood, Forward (Restricted):

One of Lebron James’ teammates from the 2017-2018 season, Rodney Hood, seems like a smart fit for the Celtics. Hood showed that he was a knockdown shooter and solid-defender during his time in Utah where he averaged 13.1 points per game during his 3 and 1/2 year career. He got sent to Cleveland halfway through the season, and his PPG numbers dropped off to 10.8. Rodney Hood has shown why he is a very solid go-to option off the bench which is what the Celtics lacked at certain moments last year.

Shabazz Napier, Point Guard (Restricted):

Shabazz Napier showed flashes of what made him so highly-touted coming out of college. Napier had a rough start to his NBA career where he was only averaging 4.3 PPG. However, in 2018, he had a very good season for the Blazers where he posted career highs in PPG with 8.7 and FG% shooting with .420 percent. Napier would be a solid backup option if anything happens to Rozier or Kyrie this off-season.

Nerlens Noel, Center (Unrestricted):

The Massachusetts-native Nerlens Noel has been centered around many trade rumors throughout the years to Boston. Noel has fallen off in his recent play for the Dallas Mavericks where he comes off the worst year of his career, averaging 4.4 PPG and 5.6 RPG. Noel has been a solid player throughout his career though while he is averaging around 9 points and 7 rebounds. The Celtics could use a big man who can score in the post, grab rebounds, and protect the rim.

Nemanja Bjelica, Power Forward (Restricted):

A relatively unknown compared to the other players on this list, Bjelica is becoming one of the biggest sleeper free agents in this class. He is coming off his best year in 2017-2018 where he started 21 games for the T-Wolves and put up career highs, 6.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and .415 3-Point FG%. Bjelica can come off the bench for the C’s and provide a spark from three and grab some much-needed rebounds. The Celtics were one game away from making it to the NBA Finals last year. Maybe one of these guys are the people to send them over the top.

matt grzelcyk

Boston Bruins- the Grizz Is Back

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Late Friday Night, the Boston Bruins announced that they signed restricted free agent Matt Grzelcyk to a two-year deal worth $2.8 million. The Charlestown native will be signed through the 2019-202 season.

BY THE NUMBERS

This past season, the 24-year-old defenseman had quite the season, if not impressive for a rookie. As one of the many first-year players that made an impact, Grzelcyk tallied up three goals and 12 assists over 61 games. During the Stanley Cup playoff run, he had one assist. At just 5’9″, 174 lbs, the defenseman looks to add some strength to his game:

Boston Bruin Matt Grzelcyk

“Getting in the weight room is obviously huge for me, like it is every offseason,” Grzelcyk said. “I think just quite a bit of confidence going into next year, and trying to earn a spot again, that hasn’t changed.”

A third-round pick for the Bruins in 2012, Grzelcyk spent his first season in Providence. In this past season, “Grizz” played alongside veteran defenseman Kevin Miller, adding some much-needed depth on the blue line. During the regular season, he logged 16:44 ice time minutes; in the playoffs, he averaged 15:56 minutes on ice. Grzelcyk also scored his first NHL goal this past season.

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Boston’s playoff run has been talked about, analyzed and dissected. No matter which way you look at it, this Bruins team will be quite the force this coming season. For Matt Grzelcyk, the Tampa series was one to reflect on, particularly the third game. For the defenseman, an unfortunate puck “hop” led to an opening goal by Tampa Bay. Grzelyck had the puck at his feet, however, because of that hop, he found himself spinning back towards the blue line. The puck, still bouncing, was fed to Tampa’s Ondrej Palat who was able to beat Rask on his high blocker side, sending it into the back of the net. A rough start in a tough series, but Grizz made no excuses:

“Yeah, just trying to gap up, [and] the puck kind of felt like it backspun on me on the ice. I thought it maybe went behind me. I just took my eye off the puck I guess and they capitalized because they’re a good team..Obviously not the way you want to start the game and that was just tough bouncing back after that.’’

NEW SEASON, NEW START

Boston Bruin Matt Grzelcyk

As GM Don Sweeney continues to make some key decisions affecting the Bruins roster, there’s was that question: would he bring back Grzelcyk? After all, he was going to be an RFA at the end of the season. Then came the good news: the Bruins re-signed Grzelcyk for two more years. Boston is continuing its focus on the youth movement by keeping Grizz. It’s always good to see a Boston native play for their home team, and fans alike see #48 at the Garden for a little longer.

 

Welcome back, Kid

Will Danny Ainge Shock the NBA on Draft Day?

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It’s that time of the year again. Draft night is a few days away from us. We are now hearing rumors and speculations about the Boston Celtics moving up to the draft. A recent trade rumor says that the Boston Celtics are willing to trade Jaylen Brown for the fifth pick belonging to the Dallas Mavericks. However, Dallas wants Jayson Tatum, according to Mike Fisher. Now that Kawhi Leonard wants out of San Antonio things, just got crazier. What will the Celtics and Danny Ainge do? Will he shock everyone again?

Current Situation

Let’s be realistic here. The Celtics just finished an injury-ridden season and defied the expectations of everyone. During the first game against the Cavs, Gordon Hayward suffered a season-ending injury. Kyrie Irving also went down because of his troubling knee issues and decided to get surgery. Daniel Theis, who is a very good role-player and shocked the league with his hustle and timely shooting also injured his meniscus. These guys never played an entire season for us. The good news is they are all expected to be back in training camp.

What if these guys played the whole season?

That is the result we will never know.

This draft class is full of promising players. We all know what Danny Ainge did back in 2013. But this time is different. We now have promising young players like Tatum, Brown, Ojeleye, and Rozier. We have a great group of experienced players like Baynes (who’s a free agent), Horford, Hayward, and Kyrie.

Will Danny Ainge pull the trigger again and shock the world? Or will he stand pat and wait for the future?

If Danny Ainge stands pat this offseason, here are the Celtics future first round picks:

2018

No. 27 overall

2019

Sacramento Kings’ top-1 protected pick

Memphis Grizzlies (If pick falls outside top-8)

Los Angeles Clippers (If pick falls outside top-14)

Boston Celtics’ own pick

2020

Memphis Grizzlies (If the pick has not yet been conveyed and falls outside top-6)

Los Angeles Clippers (If the pick has not yet been conveyed and falls outside top-14)

Boston Celtics’ own pick

2021

Memphis Grizzlies (If the pick has not yet been conveyed. Pick would be unprotected)

Boston Celtics’ own pick

Win Now Mode

If Danny Ainge decides to light up the fireworks, he can trade that future picks for a young star player like Anthony Davis. However, NBA GMs are now cautious when negotiating when Danny Ainge. We all know the Nets got finessed during that 2013 trade, and if Markelle Fultz can’t get his shot right and play minutes for the 76ers in the upcoming seasons, then they fell victim to Danny too.

Here’s what I want you to expect on draft night, and probably in the offseason. Danny Ainge will stand pat unless there’s a young star available. We should expect these same group of guys next season because we haven’t reached our full potential yet. I think that’s what Danny Ainge will do.

If we lose again or if we can’t reach the finals next season, I think that’s the time we make some changes. For me, this group of guys can represent the East next year and compete with Golden State (if they don’t break up their core) for that trophy.

Belichick Takes Players Back in Time During OTAs

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Two Days off and an Unexpected OTA

Bill Belichick and the Patriots have a few quotes they live by: “The Patriot Way,” “Do Your job” and, of course, “No Days Off”. I attended the Super Bowl LI rally in Boston and when the team gathered outside Government Center, Belichick, the team, and the fans had “NO DAYS OFF” echoing throughout downtown. I always found this funny given we had all taken the day off to be there.

This week Belichick awarded the players with a rare “two days off”, canceling the final two days of voluntary OTAs. Bill also decided to give the team a history lesson on Tuesday in place of workouts, complete with a blast from the past, old-school football environment. Oh yes, we mean even leather helmets and black-and white-tape.

Going Old School

Many players could tell right away the day was different from most. One player told Mike Reiss, “It was a lot of fun. We walked in and you could tell something different was going on than the normal practice day.”

Belichick is always in his element when history is involved. He loves football history and while he is often a man of few words, he will go on for days when it comes to matters of the subject. “The thing I’ve learned about Coach Belichick is that he loves history, he loves military, and any time he can incorporate teaching us about that, he loves it”, another player added.

In addition to the leather helmets and black-and-white videos, the players received lunches inspired by what football players used to eat. The bagged lunch reportedly contained hot dogs and hamburgers rather than the foods players eat now. The team was fresh off a field trip to Fenway Park, which they had taken the day before, making it a week to remember.

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The History of Belichick

Belichick developed a love for the history of the football at a very young age. The game has been a facet of his life for many years. It is no surprise he takes his childhood experiences and love of this history and applies it to the way he conducts his team. Belichick’s father, Steve Belichick, was an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy, and Bill was able to learn a lot from him. Bill has often mentioned that his father was an important mentor to him in his football career and would study the game with him often.

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Between heading to Fenway on Monday, and the history lesson on Tuesday, the team certainly had an interesting last week of OTAs. The team practices next at training camp later this summer.

The Boston Bruins possible trades this offseason

TRADE RUMORS-BOSTON BRUINS

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GETTING A HEAD START

After the recent NHL combine that’s was held in Buffalo, NY, many prospective draft picks were closely monitored. The Boston Bruins interviewed close to 80 potential players,  but one thing has been lurking on GM Don Sweeney’s mind:  to get the first round pick back.  As we near the June 22nd NHL draft day,  there’s been  a lot of rumblings throughout the organization on possible trades for the upcoming season. Let’s take a closer look at some of those rumors.

DON SWEENEY SPEAKS TO MEDIA AT THE NHL COMBINE

OPEN MARKET

For the Bruins, getting the higher draft pick position back will be difficult. Another question facing Boston: who should they keep?  One name that’s being brought up is Rick Nash.  He missed the  last 12 regular season games and in the playoff run, recorded three goals and two assists on 39 shots. With limited internal options, Sweeney looks to re-sign Nash, perhaps on a deal that would be cap friendly:

“ Rick indicated when he came to Boston that he was excited  about the opportunity. He wants to win… wants an opportunity to win. He felt badly and certainly he’s not responsible for this, because he got injured. It took away a little juice from him..I think..from a size and puck protection standpoint, he gave us something that was maybe missing in that regard.”

 

RICK NASH RESIGNING W BRUINS--traded from Rangers this past season

ELSEWHERE

Austin Czarnik, who spent most of his career in AHL with Providence , is starting to look elsewhere. But the Bruins are still open in talks with the young center.

“ We certainly haven’t closed the door. I don’t think he has as well, but I would be surprise if he doesn’t get to at least see what may present itself as options for him”

And there’s the sticky situation with RFA’s Matt Grzelcyk and Sean Kuraly. Sweeney and the Bruins will try to avoid arbitration with the two players, who have had a pretty gritty 2017-2018 season.

WHAT’S UP WITH TOREY KRUG

Defensman Torey Krug /trade rumors

There ‘s no question  that Krug is a pretty good defenseman.  He may be small in stature at 5”9, but STATS don’t lie. 52 goals in 398 games with 183 assists  garnering a total of 235 career points.  If the rumors are true, the Oilers are looking to trade Oscar Klefbom who, (when healthy) can add some much-needed even strength.  Again, if you look at numbers, Klefbom has played 255 games and posted 24 goals garnering  94 points.   Klefbom’s defense abilities and puck read were problematic this year so I’m not entirely convinced trading Krug for Klefbom would a great add to the Bruins roster. Now if the Bruins can somehow secure Carolina’s Noah Hanifin, that could potentially beef up their defense-something that Boston needs.

ALL ABOUT DEFENSE

NOAH HANIFIN-a trade for Boston?

At 6’3 , 205lbs, Boston Native Noah Hanifin would add the extra height for the Bruins defense.  He had his best season in Carolina last year, scoring 10 goals with 22 assists.  But if you’re going to go after  top-notch talent, you ‘re going to have to give up something and for the Bruins that means letting some of their young talent go elsewhere.  Right now, Boston has an enviable system where they have a flourishing amount of players coming up.  But would that also include letting go of someone like Krug to sweeten the deal?

FROM NHL TO KHL BACK TO NHL

ilya kovalchuk -trade

Lastly, another huge rumor involving the Bruins is the possible signing of left winger Ilya Kovalchuk. The 35 year old Russian native has spent a handful of years in the KHL and is looking to make the jump back in the NHL. recently, he has had talks with the San Jose Sharks and the LA Kings.  Although, no one is expecting him to play the same way when he was with New Jersey,  he did garner 63 points in 53 games, along with potting 31 goals. And at 6’3, 230 pounds,  he could be the BIG body that the Krecji/DeBrusk line need.  He can certainly work the net and skate well, but would signing a 35-year-old be worth it? If it was a short-term type of deal,  it could be worth pursuing, but we’ll have to wait until July 1st when he becomes available.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The bar is set pretty high for the 2018-2019 season and the Bruins  need to make decisions. In a perfect setting, Boston would sign every single player they have, but as the story goes, it’s just not the reality.  Every hockey analyst will be watching the NHL draft in Dallas next week and the Black and Gold will be looking making some important moves.

 

 

For more info, follow Liz Rizzo on Twitter @pastagrll88

Kyrie Irving Readdresses Future with Celtics

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It’s been just a day since Kyrie Irving caused a storm of rumors centered around his future with the Celtics. On Monday, he spoke once more on the topic. In an interview with Boston Sports Journal, Irving expressed his excitement to get back on the court next season and play with a completely healthy group.

“I’m just excited to see what that looks like, really getting that experience with (Hayward) and seeing what other pieces we have going forward,” Irving told BSJ’s Brian Robb. “I think that’s the exciting part about all this is that when you’re shaping up to gear up to be a championship-caliber team for years to come- which I think (Danny Ainge) has echoed for a little bit. I’m just appreciative to be a part of it and see where my career can take off as well. I’m excited.”

It’s safe to presume that Kyrie Irving is excited about next season and what the future has in store. While this statement does expand upon his earlier quote published by NY Times’ Sopan Deb, it still leaves a bit of ambiguity in the air for further interpretation on his long-term future with the team.

Esoteric Kyrie

Anyone who knows Kyrie Irving should expect this level of vagueness out of him in response to such a question. Irving has always been the ‘live in the present type’ of guy. He is famous for his obscure statements about topics such as the flat Earth theory, diet preferences, faked moon landings, and the nonexistence of dinosaurs.

Kyrie Irving is either a major conspiracy theorist, or one of the NBA’s biggest trolls. He tends to take long-winded routes to his response to even the simplest questions. Take this post game interview with Jaylen Brown for instance.

If Kyrie Irving was asked about what he was going to eat for dinner later, he would probably tell you that he needs to focus on lunch first. He would follow that up with another two or three sentence response about why he feels that way. Expecting Kyrie to commit his future to the Celtics with a year left on his contract just isn’t realistic.

Kyrie In the Present

What the world knows now is that in the present Kyrie Irving is happy. He is excited to get back to basketball and play with a good young group of guys. Kyrie cannot wait to see fellow All-Star Gordon Hayward back at full health. He’s also ecstatic about the direction the organization is heading in, and he is excited to be a part of it.

The Celtics will have to wait another year before Kyrie Irving makes a decision on his future with the franchise. Until that day arrives, Celtics fans should relax and enjoy the ride. Oh, and definitely some more of this.

Boston Bruins next generation of young superstars

Bruins Prospects to Watch out For

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The 2018 season is over and the Boston Bruins are finally resting amid all the injuries they were playing with, GM Don Sweeney and Co. have been busy looking to make much-needed changes to the team‘s roster.

With rumors swirling about possible trades with the Carolina Hurricanes, the Bruins will be looking to help bolster their defense. The most exciting thing about this recent team was the important impact that the young prospects had. Even though the season ended shortly and, let’s be honest –exceeded everyone’s expectations, there’s no question that Sweeney and Neely will be faced with some tough decisions. They’ve made it no secret that they would love to keep everybody, however it’s just not reality. There’s a lot of young talent that’s being developed in Providence and they’ll be looking to earn a spot on the Bruins team. Let’s take a look at a few prospects that could very well shine through next season.

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Photo courtesy of Ted Fitzgerald-Boston Herald

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins already have  a promising group of young guys already in the lineup. Young superstars such as Jake Debrusk , Charlie McAvoy,  Matt Grzelcyk, Sean Kuraly, Ryan Donato, Brandon Carlo and, even though he’s not a first-year guy David Pastrnak, who had a breakthrough season.  As Don Sweeney looks make some moves on who stays, there are quite a few prospects looking to break through and earn a spot on the Bruins’ roster.

RYAN DONATO

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As the Bruins were poised to make a postseason run, they received great news. 22 year old Boston-native Ryan Donato would sign an entry-level contract with the Black and Gold.  In his debut for the Bruins, he scored his first NHL goal.  In the regular season, he ended with a respectable nine points in the 12 games he played. Donato knows how to score: he posted 26 goals and 43 points in 29 games for the Harvard Crimson. A natural scorer, he potted five goals in six games while competing in the 2018 Olympics for the U.S.. This young star will be looking to make a huge impact in the 2018-2019 season.

ANDERS BJORK

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One player that’s started the beginning of this past season on the first line with Bergeron and Marchand is 21 year old Anders Bjork.  He posted 12 points, and was sent back to Providence before having season ending shoulder surgery. With the successful pairing of Pastrnak /Krejci at the recent  IIHF tournament , will we see a repeat of Bjork on the first line? For this writer, it probably would not be a bad idea see how Bjork does in training camp first and if need be, send the young winger back down to Providence. Will be interesting to see if Coach Cassidy will break up the first line and insert Bjork alongside with Bergeron.

TRENT FREDERIC

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The young prospect is making a name for himself as an all-around player; the 20 year old can score. For the Wisconsin Badgers, he posted 65 points and 66 games and the recent World Junior Championship against the Czech Republic, Frederick potted four goals in a 9-3 victory. He can handle the puck and find passing lanes, making him a threat offensively.

JAKOB FORSBACKA KARLSSON

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Selected in 2015 by the Bruins, the Swedish Center skated alongside McAvoy at BU. Playing for the Providence Bruins, JFK potted 32 points in 58 games. As he gains more consistency in his play, JFK will be an effective center offensively. He plays with intensity, turning plays into scoring chances. As the young 21 year old continues to develop, there could a real chance he would get the call and replace Riley Nash when he becomes a free agent this July.

IN THE NAME OF DEFENSE
JEREMY LAUZON

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In an effort in bolstering their defense, the Bruins will be looking at 21 year old Jeremy Lauzon. What the Bruins need is someone that can not only defend  but  move the puck.  But if you look at his recent record in Providence last season in 52 games he only managed one goal and six assists. A slow start, but if he wants to play for the Black and Gold, he’ll need to work on more with the coaches as he continues to develop.

URHO VAAKANAINEN 

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Another defensive prospect is 19 year old  Urho Vaakanainen. Drafted in the 2017, he’s been playing solid in the Finnish League, garnering 11 points in 43 games. The young Finn isn’t a splashy player, however he’s a safe bet; calm and steady with a few years of playing pro under his belt. As the Bruins defense make necessary transitions, you’ll need a composed player like Vaakanainen, especially on the blue line.

JAKUB ZBORIL

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And lastly another star in the making is 21 year old Czech Jakub Zboril.  Drafted in 2015, Zboril plays a solid game; his first season with the Providence Bruins posted 19 points and 68 games.  Not the biggest body on ice (6 feet , 201lbs), however, he plays smart especially in the neutral zone. A two-way defenseman, Zboril will need to work hard and gain more experience playing professionally. He’ll be one to watch.

FINAL THOUGHTS

With harsh realities facing the management in regards to who stays and who goes (those Krug rumors won’t go away), every one will be gunning for a spot on the Bruins team.  With recent trades that didn’t exactly pan out, Sweeney will have his work cut out for him; the lackluster performance of Rick Nash hasn’t gone unnoticed. The bar is set even higher for next season. The Bruins will need to keep some veterans to help the upcoming prospects. And let’s not forget, they need to make room to keep the young talent. In 2020, many will become restricted free agents.  With tough decisions lingering on their minds, there’s no doubt the new season will bring new excitement as the Bruins work hard in their quest for the Stanley Cup.

 

Follow Liz Rizzo St Pierre on Twitter  @pastagrl88