Lottery and Playoff Thoughts

Thoughts on the NBA Happenings

Lottery Thoughts:

            Welp, to start, the Celtics ended up landing the 6^th overall pick in the draft next month. Even though it is a little disappointing, the statistics had the 6^th pick being the most likely. With the this pick, I would really like to see the C’s make a run at a Kevin Love trade, or try and trade up into the top three to land the legit prospects (Parker, Wiggins or Embiid). If the Celtics cannot trade for Love and do use both their first round picks this season, I expect another “Tankapalooza” season from the Celtics, because the talent level will not be too good. If the Celtics decide to make the picks, they can trade away Rondo to finish off the complete roster overhaul and set the rebuild back a couple more years. That would suck, but in the end it could pay off more. Whatever happens, I can’t wait to see it unfold next month!

            On the other hand, somehow the Cavaliers ended up with the 1^st overall pick AGAIN, only the 3^rd time in four year, no big deal. The Cavs had a 1.7% chance at obtaining the number one pick and, well, that 1.7% came through. Many people want to point the finger that the NBA is rigged, which is funny I must say. But in all seriousness, I don’t think they would rig the lottery (but I’m not counting out that Joey Crawford is paid by the Heat). But I do believe in basketball gods, and obviously those gods are trying to make it up to Cleveland after LeBron ditched town. All I have to say is: basketball gods, the Cavs took freaking Anthony Bennett last year at number one. They do not deserve another number one pick to waste. That is all. Also I am glad the Lakers didn’t hop the Celtics in the selections.

 

Playoff Thoughts:

          For a solid 48 hours I thought and rejoiced over the fact that the Pacers looked to have a chance versus Miami after winning Game 1. Last night, all of that rejoicing turned to disgust as the Pacers let the Heat steamroll by them in the 4^th quarter and blow a golden opportunity to put Miami in a 0-2 hole. But no, Miami, led by aggressive play from Wade and LeBron, took back home court advantage the rest of the series and tied it up at one. Before this series started, I said Miami in 5 or 6, because well the Pacers looked god awful versus two mediocre teams in Washington and Atlanta. In Game 1, we saw a resurgence of the enigma himself, Roy Hibbert. His play and the help of the foul line advantage and good shooting led the Pacers to a win. In Game 2, they had a golden chance to put this Miami team on the ropes, but blew it. After Game 1, I was thinking this series was going seven games and Indy might actually win, but after seeing them blow Game 2, I think Miami takes this in 6. That really upsets me. I really thought the Pacers could be the team to stop Miami’s reign, but right now that looks bleak. And to top this all off, Paul George is uncertain for Game 3. If he doesn’t play, then Indy is in big trouble no matter how big Lance steps up. I really hope they can turn it around and beat the damn Heat because I hate them. I hope Indy proves me wrong; I really do. Go Pacers.

            Looking at the series in the West, tonight is a must win for the Thunder. I said before the series that without Ibaka they would need some BIG play from KD and Russell for them to have a remote chance. They didn’t get enough from them in Game 1. The Spurs, as old as they are, are still a well-oiled machine and almost unstoppable actually. Without Ibaka, the Thunder’s matchups on defense are tough. Kendrick Perkins and Steve Adams just get abused by Duncan, but putting Durant on him will take the length off the perimeter shooters and will open Leonard and Green up. They are really in a sticky situation here and for them Game 2 is a must win versus this killer Spurs team. The Spurs just have too many weapons on offense for the Thunder and play such solid and fundamental defense that they create huge issues for the Thunder. I don’t see this series getting past six games honestly. The Spurs just seem like too much for the Thunder, especially without Ibaka. I would love to see a Durant take the crown of the NBA from LeBron, but I don’t see it happening this year.

            Quick predictions: With the ECF tied at one, I see the Heat winning in six (it really pains me to say that). In the WCF, the Spurs lead 1-0 already and I think they close out that series in six games as well. So, Miami and San Antonio again…. Spurs better get revenge.

Also, for those who are wondering why I hate the Heat so much, here’s why:

http://joepatsfan.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-celtics-fans-should-root-against.html

The Celtics Lottery Importance

Taking a Look at the Celtics Lotto Chances

            Tonight is a huge night for us Celtic fans. Not only can our hated Heat go down 0-2 to the Pacers, but we get to see our determined fate in the draft through the annual NBA lottery. With the latest rumors of Kevin Love wanting out of Minnesota, this is a huge night for us. If we get screwed into the 8^th pick then the chances of the Love trade may decrease but, if somehow the Celtics get into the Top 3 we have a legitimate shot at trading for Kevin Love. It sounds crazy, but honestly Love would make this team a playoff squad next season. A starting lineup of Rondo, Bradley, Green, Sullinger and Love is a 5-7 seed in the East. If the Celtics DO win the lotto and decide to use the pick, I hope to god it is on my favorite player in this draft Jabari Parker. Many people love the potential and athletic of Wiggins, but to me, he has Jeff Green written all over him (which isn’t worth a #1 pick). Outside of that the Celtics will most likely land the 5^th or 6^th pick so if that is not traded to get Kevin Love, then they will need to take the best available (who knows who Danny Ainge likes). The best option for this team, in my opinion, is to get a Top 5 pick and try like hell to get Kevin Love and become an immediate playoff team again. Also, if you don’t believe the Kevin Love rumors here is this statement from a Yahoo Sports source: “The Boston Celtics have emerged as an increasingly intriguing destination for Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love, and the Celtics' draft position coming out of Tuesday night's lottery could be telltale in determining the feasibility of a trade, league sources told Yahoo Sports.”

Celtics' Chances Of Receiving Each Possible Pick
Pick	Probability
1	10.3%
2	11.1%
3	12.0%
4	0%
5	23.7%
6	34.2%
7	8.2%
8	0.3%

            We all know how the Celtics have been screwed in the lottery before. Back in 1997, the C’s were the favorites to win the lottery and get Tim Duncan, the unanimous #1 can’t miss prospect, but of course they ended up getting jobbed and got the #2 pick that year. Just years ago, in 2007, the Celtics had the best odds at the #2 pick which was where Kevin Durant was projected to go. Of course they ended up getting the #5 pick, but that worked out because that pick of Jeff Green helped land Ray Allen, which was direct correlation to the 2008 Title… So no complaints here… Anyways, here’s the Celtics probability in landing each spot in the draft!!! GO CELTICS AND GOODLUCK CLOVERS!!

 

 

 

Congrats to Ty Law!

Congrats to Ty Law! New England Patriot Hall-of-Famer!

            Ty Law was the best cornerback I have ever seen wear a Patriots uniform (although Revis is here now, so). He was a key cog in all 3 of the Patriots Super Bowl runs being the lockdown cornerback on a great defense. The best memories I have of Law is the Pick 6 in Super Bowl XXXVI to help strengthen the Pats lead, or the 2003 AFC Title game where he picked off Manning three times himself. Ty Law always seemed to make the big play to help you win the game. The only thing that sucks with Law is he didn’t finish his career out as a Patriot. He had a great tenure here though and will go down as one of the Patriots best corners. Ty Law will always be remembered as the guy that helped bring the dynasty to New England. You can't say the words 'Patriots Reign' without saying 'Ty Law'.  A well-deserved Hall-of-Famer!

The Bruins Collapse

The Epic Disappointment

            There is no other way to slice this. You can’t make it sound better than it is. The Bruins choked in the playoffs versus the hated Habs. This Bruins team was the best team in the NHL during the regular season including an absolute tear of wins during the month of March. The B’s went on to clinch the President’s Trophy with ease strolling into the playoffs knowing any Game 7 would have to go through the Garden. They even had three trophy finalists, Rask for best goalies, Chara for best defender, and Bergeron for best two-way forward.  They had almost everything in the regular season go their way. The one negative was that they lost a veteran defenseman Denis Seidenberg to an ACL injury early in the season, but all of the late season successes made people forget about his absence. The Bruins rolled into the postseason with the expectation of at least reaching the Stanley Cup Final for a second straight year. All the pressure was on to get the job done, but with a great group of core vets nobody doubted them.

            The Bruins gave fans a quick scare the first game in the playoffs after losing to Detroit in Game 1. But of course, they negated all those negative thoughts by controlling the next four games and disposing of the Red Wings in 5 looking like they were ready to steamroll through the playoffs.

That all came crashing down last night when the Montréal Canadiens came into Boston for a Game 7 and beat the Bruins down. Nobody could’ve seen this coming. Yes, much respect to Montreal. They are a great team. But this Bruins team was something else this year. Nobody knows what it is about the Habs, but they bring out the worst in the Bruins. Throughout this seven game series, it felt like the Bruins won only two games. That’s how the series played out. The Canadiens controlled the puck, the pace, and everything pretty much all series. The Bruins never really seemed to settle into their style of hockey except for Game 5, when you actually thought that they could pull this off.  Many people are proclaiming Carey Price the hero in this series, but in all honesty, the Bruins made this guy’s job rather easy. He never faced consistent pressure throughout a whole game. The Bruins didn’t get off many good looks. Many of their goals were tip-ins and weird bounces. Nothing came easy to them this series. Against Detroit, the offense flowed with tape to tape passes while versus Montréal; it was a struggle to keep it in the offensive zone.

While the Habs did a great job of getting Boston not to play their style hockey, the Bruins had many unforced errors that could’ve led to a whole different series. How many posts did the Bruins hit this series? 8-10 or somewhere in there. That is 8 to 10 shots that missed by inches of being goals. 8 to 10 goals leads to at least two or three more wins, which means you win this series. That is on the Bruins and no one else. They are professional hockey players that need to have pinpoint accuracy and sadly didn’t throughout this series.

The biggest thing that the Bruins didn’t do this series was show up. This applies to most of the team. The exceptions, in my opinion, are Soderberg (positive things happened whenever he was out there), Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug (both are young and had solid series compared to the rest), and last Patrice Bergeron (he didn’t have the point production, but one could look at Marchand on that one. Overall Bergy just does all the little things that make him always a contributor). Everyone else left something to be desired out there. The KIL line (Krejci, Lucic and Iginla) was easily the most disappointing with no production coming from them. Brad Marchand was a no show all playoffs as his playoff scoring drought continues into next season at twenty games. Zdeno Chara was either hurt most of the series or he aged twenty years in two weeks. By the end of the series, he seemed like a shell of himself. Tuukka Rask wasn’t horrible, but he certainly didn’t look like a Vezina Trophy Finalist. It was just amazing to see all of these veterans struggle to play their game and seem so uncomfortable out on the ice.

The positives to take out of this series though are the fact that Hamilton, Krug and Miller look like they will be a big part of future playoff runs for this team. Same can be said with Soderberg, who is easily one of my favorites on the team. A lot of positive things happen when Carl is on the ice. The biggest positive though is the core of the Boston Bruins is still in their prime so for the next 4-5 years the Bruins should be contending for a cup. It’s just sad to see all of these experienced veterans play the way they did.

Whatever the case, the Bruins deserved to lose this series. They did not play their best hockey and failed to meet the high expectations set. That is the most disappointing part about this team. The talent was there for them to win it all and they could not do it. As Boston sports fans, we all know what it feels like to blow it when you are the favorite (2007 Patriots) and it just hurts. At least last season the Bruins lost to a Blackhawks team that was maybe more talented and played better than you. This season the B’s lost to a team that didn’t have the talent they did and to top it all off it was the most hated rival. The disappointment level is too much to even describe. This season will forever be remembered as the team that didn’t get the job done. The Division Championship didn’t mean a thing. The players that were award finalists didn’t mean a thing. The President’s Trophy didn’t mean a thing. The Bruins need to learn from this series. There may need to be some minor tweaks to the team or maybe none at all. The B’s still have the solid core of guys that will have them contending next season. The key is not letting what happened this season ever happen again. These core veterans need to come back hungry with a chip on their shoulder for blowing this. The best way to make up for this immense disappointment is to come back next season and win it all. The new playoff format means that we will have to get past the Canadiens next season to do it. I fully expect a Montreal-Boston showdown next May and cannot wait for it. The Bruins need to come back feistier than ever and grow from the mistakes. The championship window for this team is at least another four-five years so they are still contenders. Now, just get the job done in 2015! Go Bruins!!!!

 

GAME 7 BABY!

GAME 7: IT COMES DOWN TO THIS!

Not much really to say about this. The Bruins just need to get the job done!!!! Screw the Canadiens! Beat the damn Habs and continue this amazing season. We cannot let this amazing season come to an end tonight. Gotta put puck in the net and CONVERT chances!!!

LET’S GO BRUINS!!!!!!!!

My NBA Playoff Thoughts

NBA Playoff Thoughts

With the Celtics season being done for weeks now, I have been forced to root for another team, the Nets (for obvious reasons: Pierce and Garnett). It has been really tough to watch those two play though, because well, it’s really rough. KG looks like he has aged 20 years or so in just two seasons and my favorite player, Pierce, cannot consistently bring it like he used to. He can heat up every other night or so, but the lack of lift and speed on his shot is just depressing. I’m glad the Celtics made that trade though, because they fleeced the Nets draft picks for some old guys. Anyway, as a Celtic fan the only good thing to look forward to are the lottery selections next week. That should be an exciting time. Hopefully we don’t get screwed. Anyways, here are my thoughts on the playoffs so far:

 

·         As much as I frigging hate to say it, the Heat look like they will coast into their 4^th straight finals appearance. Indiana’s collapse has been amazing to watch. I don’t think anyone has ever seen a total fall off like this one. Roy Hibbert… Where the hell has he gone? Fishing obviously. Even though the Pacers hold a 3-2 lead on the Wizards and are in position to advance to the ECF, I hope the Wiz beat them only because I think Wall and Co. could give the Heat more headaches than the Pacers who suck right now.

·         Speaking of the Heat, I still loathe Ray Allen. Guy still hits every single open shot… So annoying. Call me bitter, I don’t care.

·         Speaking of former Celtics, I loved Paul Pierce’s play in Game 4 the other night vs. Miami. He had energy with a little pep in the step and wanted to beat his rival. The Nets were in that game because of Pierce’s play but of course Joe frigging Johnson thinks he’s good or something and tried to iso on LeBron four times in the last two minutes not giving the future Hall-of-Famer Pierce one touch in key possessions. The Nets lost that game for that sole reason. Pierce had Ray Allen on him (mismatch!). Give the damn HOFer the ball Joe! You are a choker in the playoffs! That’s why Atlanta got rid of you!

·         The Wizards playoff success has been beyond surprising. We all knew John Wall was a good player destined to be a star. But I don’t think anyone saw Trevor Ariza and Nene having complete career rejuvenations. Not to mention, Marcin Gortat looks good, somehow. The most impressive guy on the Wiz to me is Bradley Beal. He’s only in his second year and look this good. Very surprising. I can see the Wiz giving Miami a six game series if they can comeback vs. Indiana.

·         The Spurs are still REALLY good. I thought the Trail Blazers were going to give San Antonio trouble, but obviously Portland’s young core isn’t ready just yet to take over the throne in the west. The vets over in SA have dismantled Portland.

·         Kevin Durant and OKC need to shake Russell Westbrook if they ever want to get over the hump. Don’t get me wrong, Westbrook is an insanely talented player, but jesus the kid gets hot and thinks he’s invincible so he starts throwing up the worst shots ever seen in the playoffs. He takes away shots from Durant and makes dumb mistakes down the stretch. Unless he eliminates the mistakes and poor shot selection I don’t see OKC winning the title this year. I have a proposition to OKC. Rondo for Westbrook straight up. We get a scoring PG that we need and you guys get a PG that looks to make the pass, which will help Durant, Serge and the shooters.

·         Chris Paul may forever be known as the guy who can’t win the big series or game. This guy has been a top 3 PG his entire career, but come playoff time… things just seem to fall apart. This is the most talented team Paul has ever been on and he was a key cog in the choke job in Game 5 vs. OKC (even though the refs aided that W a lot too). But, with that said, I think CP3’s career after the regular season has been disappointing. If you are a top player in the game, you need to have some form of playoff success.

·         I loved Doc Rivers and his rant about the officiating of the Game 5 LAC-OKC series. I just love Rivers actually. And also, I HATE NBA officiating this year. Always have. If LeBron misses a layup, foul. If you tap a shooters arm, foul. So many inconsistent calls too. Just ugh. Whatever.

·         To wrap this up, here are some predictions the rest of the way:

o   Heat end the series vs. the Nets tonight.

o   Same with the Spurs.

o   Wizards in 7.

o   OKC in 7.

o   Heat over the Wiz in 6. (I hate Miami.)

o   Spurs over OKC in 7.

o   Spurs over Miami in 7 (just because I hate them).

I just hope the rest of the way is entertaining for me as a causal I-hate-the-heat-and-have-no-team-to-root-for fan. Speaking of hating the Heat you can read my post from last season on why ALL Celtics fans should hate the Heat: http://joepatsfan.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-celtics-fans-should-root-against.html

Patriots Draft Grades and Thoughts

2014 Patriots Draft

 

Selections:

1^st Round:

·         #29: Dominque Easley, DT, Florida 6’2 288.

2^nd Round:

·         #62: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, E. Illinois 6’2 226

3^rd Round:

·         #93: Trade to Jacksonville for a 4^th and 6^th

4^th Round:

·         #105: Bryan Stork, C, FSU 6’4 315

·         #130: James White, RB, Wisconsin 5’10 204

·         #140: Cameron Fleming, OT, Stanford 6’5 325

6^th Round:

·         #179: Jon Halapio, OG, Florida 6’3 323

·         #198: Zach Moore, DE, Concordia 6’5 270

·         #206: Jemea Thomas, DB, Georgia Tech 5’9 192

7^th Round:

·         #244: Jeremy Gallon, WR, Michigan 5’7 185

                       

Pick Grades:

	Easley	Garappolo	Stork	White	Fleming	Halapio	Thomas	Moore	Gallon
Value	B+	B	D+	C+	B+	B-	B	D+	B+
Need	A	C-	B+	B	B-	B+	B+	B+	B-
Potential	A	A-	B	B	B	B	C+	C+	C+
Overall	A	C+	C	B-	B	B	B-	C	B

 

Total: Value: C+ Need: B+ Potential: B+

Overall Draft: B-

 

Thoughts:

There was absolutely no part of this draft for the Patriots that were ‘sexy’. Everyone loves the sexy picks and that includes me as well. But, the Patriots did a great job assessing what they saw as the biggest need: interior OL. Belichick took three huge interior linemen to beef up a position that is quickly aging and left major question marks at the end of the year.

The biggest question mark in the draft is the selection of QB Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2^nd round while many other prospects were available. While the pick of Garoppolo doesn’t fit the ‘win now’ strategy, QB is still the most important position in football and Ryan Mallet’s future with the team past 2014 isn’t certain so the pick of QB isn’t a popular one, but it was needed eventually. This kid may or may not be Brady’s successor, but it is better to be early than sorry is what I think about this.

Many think that the Patriots should’ve drafted one of the top 5 TEs in this draft, but obviously BB did not see those TEs as anything he liked so he passed on them. Others also wanted to see some pass rush help added to the line, but BB passed on that option as well (besides drafting small school DE, White) showing that he believes in Will Smith and Michael Buchanan to contribute this season.

BB also filled a very big need by taking Dominque Easley, who is a guy with immense upside. Scouts consider him a top 10 talent, but two ACL injuries on both legs ruined his draft stock. This defensive tackle is different than the other one’s BB normally drafts though. He normally takes the fatties and big boys that are run stuffers, but this kid is a penetrator and excels in interior pass rush, something the Patriots have been lacking for years now. If he can stay healthy (and there isn’t any reason not to think he can’t. Everyone seems to come back from ACLs now), then he could play a huge role opening up Chandler Jones and other DE on the outside to get at the QB.

Looking at the skill position picks, I really like Jeremy Gallon. He was a very productive player in college and could fit in well with the Pats offense where smaller WRs thrive. Many think that he may be cut, but with slot WRs like Amendola and Edelman, who have horrible injury histories, then he may play a role for this team. Jemea Thomas is a versatile DB who is known to be somewhat of a hitter and probably will be a special teamer. BB has drafted many DB’s in the last few seasons (Ebner, Wilson, & Harmon) and none have produced huge so I don’t except too much from this kid either, but I am fine with that. James White reminds me a little bit of Ridley. He isn’t impressive at any one category, but he is a solid productive RB. The pick of White shows me that BB is ready to hand the keys of the lead back role back to Ridley this season, which excites me since I love Rid.

Overall, many people will be upset with this Patriots draft (surprise), because they took five linemen (O & D), a quarterback and another slot receiver. Many people saw TE and DE as huge needs and BB did not address these problems. I am perfectly fine with this though because I think beefing up the DL and interior OL were huge things needed to help improve the team. The QB pick obviously is a little bit of a head scratcher, but that is what BB does on Day 2 of the draft every season. This draft wasn’t a sexy draft, but it filled needs and looked into the future, which is never a bad thing to do. Can’t wait until training camp to see the team’s progression.