Tag Archives: basketball

6/12/24 Cleaning Out the Sports Junk Drawer

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Big Day here.
Big Day there.

Lou thinks the first pitch home run was a bad way to start the homestand.

What if the Red Sox Twitter account changed their pfp for Pride Month to a zesty pic of Freddy Lynn, would that be okay?

When I was an opinion on an athlete’s ability to be athletic, I go straight to the two guys who can’t ride on an elevator together.

Dave O’Brien talking to Whitlock and his bionic arm and giving him “congratulations” on his birthday. Aspy!

Retinaculum? Damn near killed him!

If by ‘thriving’ you mean pulling in less revenue than the NBA G League last season, your players constantly bitching about low pay, bad accommodations, and having to play in Russia in the offseason to make ends meet, then yes, the WNBA was absolutely thriving before Caitlin Clark arrived.

Half of the crew in one of America’s most enduring movies were from Boston. Ray Bolger (Scarecrow) was a Dot guy. And Jack Haley (Tin Man) was born in Boston and grew up in Newton.

Trolls profit when you pay them with your attention.

Cakes are cooking for Marv Albert, Bun E. Carlos, Terry Alderman, Timothy Busfield, Jenilee Harrison, Mark Calcavecchia, Rod Latham, Derek Higgins, Paula Marshall, Gwen Torrence, Ryan Klesko, Hideki Matsui, DJ Qualls, and Jrue Holiday.

“We head back to Dallas,” they keep saying. That’s weird, as the series hasn’t been there yet.

Blue Line: Delays of about 10 minutes while a maintenance train inspects the overhead wires between Airport and Wonderland. Trains may stand by at stations.

The NBA Finals will go at least 4 games and at most 7 games. Only 2 games have been played. That means there is at least 50% of the Finals yet to be played and up to 71.4% remaining. So, nobody should be concerned with who the 2024 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player yet.

RIP Chet Walker. You ain’t been up-faked until you’ve been up-faked by Chet “The Jet” Walker.

And then there’s Jerry West. He will be looking up and smiling at the Lakers all next season.

Seeing as CapFriendly’s days appear to be numbered (at least as a free site), I’d expect @PuckPedia to do what CF did after CapGeek’s pioneering run ended and fill the void. Can be the digital version of Williams to Yaz to Rice.

It’s been so long since the #Celtics clinched the ECF that I think Tatum retired and Deuce is starting at the 4.

Shukri’s life demonstrates the power of taking calculated risks.

I love the idea of “Yacht Rock.” But every time I turn it on, it’s more like “Every Song From 40 Years Ago That You Couldn’t Change Fast Enough Back Then.”

Looser orifice? Jerod Mayo’s mouth or Karen Read’s ‘balloon knot?’

I had some cilantro rice last night and enjoyed it. What a cocksucker I turned out to be.

Are we supposed to know what a Funko Pop is?

Tough for the USMNT to get the talent it needs with all the kids playing cricket nowadays.

Hey gang of pillheads, this Week’s Phrase that Pays is, “Leave her alone, NYP.”

Aaron Rodgers is skipping all of Jets mandatory minicamp this week because he prefers to be somewhere else away from football. That’s his choice.

Dart Adams didn’t get a New England Emmy Award for the Bell Biv DeVoe at Fenway Park Special?

To the good, the WCVB Eye Opener Team won a local Emmy, but then so did The Phantom Gourmet and Charlie Moore the Mad Fisherman.

This team of chokers has a Celtics franchise record for most consecutive playoff wins.

Creep don’t sleep.

Is all of Rhode Island under construction? Disgusting.

Wherever you go, I’ll be with you.
Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.
Whenever you need someone,
To lay your heart and head upon.

Remember, after the fire, after all the rain,
I will be the flame;
I will be the flame.

Who knew that Turtleboy fans were so sensitive about salty language? The MSP, they’re cops, not fops.

So many young ladies with numerical surnames.

Honk if you remember Chick Corea.

A good college basketball coach at a big school can stay there 25, 30, 40 years. I don’t know that that happens too often in the NBA.

Make a series of it, willya Edmonton?

We get it, Coach Mayo, the bad man is gone, so let’s do some performative charity work. Hey, the team has all summer to learn those fourteen word play calls, right?

Deuce Tatum is like Benjamin Button, but instead of aging in reverse, he just keeps getting whiter.

Nice stupid tits, Ashley; those will age well.

Sorry to hear Jonathan had another box factory emergency to attend to and missed the festivities later today.

I enjoy all length of socks.

if I was a horse I’d be down on my fetlocks praying Mut doesn’t bet on me.

Winning on the opponent’s floor wouldn’t be bad, Celtics.

Best bet for the weekend: a confusing Father’s Day at Clint Eastwood’s.

Material from interviews, wire services, Twitter, Meta, other writers, league and team sources, Dan Kelley, Bill James, and the members of #the15 were used in this column. Let’s gooooo!!!

And Happy Birthday to Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima, who would probably never marry and then divorce a famous athlete. Wait, what?

June TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column

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Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice…

By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

Ever since Joe Mazzulla became the Celtics head coach the importance of winning the math battle took front and center among the team’s priorities. So even as Boston shot their poorest, (10-39 from beyond the arc) they didn’t let the results or Dallas dictate their gameplan.

For two games Boston found themselves without their best player, Tatum could not go far without being smothered and often found himself unable to get open. This led to Tatum to becoming a facilitator, driving to the basket like a point guard, 18 drives in game one, 29 in game 2. Through his shooting woes, Tatum’s playmaking shines averaging 10 assist in the two Celtics victories. Defensively what Tatum has done, being tasked with guarding the opposing teams center, he played his part limiting Dallas’s ability to attack the paint through lobs.

The combination of Boston possessing so many on-ball playmakers, and Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford forcing defenses to guard beyond the arc, drags Dallas’s bigs away from the basket and even if the help collapses on Tatum he can kick it to an open shooter in the corners.

What Boston is exploiting is the splendors of a five-out lineup, while Dallas struggles to hide their weakest link. While Luka shoots an impressive 51% from the field, averaging a strong 31 points, what he is unable to do is establish consistent ball movement into Dallas’ preferred areas on the floor. Boston just doesn’t fear the likes of P.J Washington and Derrick Jones Jr when left open above the break and they’ve given them no reason to think otherwise. Until a Maverick not named Luka or Kyrie Irving show they can make Boston pay for leaving them open, then those corner threes won’t be an option for the series.

All this and more.

While Tatum is guarding bigs and out-muscling them for hard fought rebounds, Luka is moving like there is lead in his feet. His shot is still there, the step back triple and mid-ranger is still dependable. However, for a player not exactly known for his defense, Luka has given an effort even below his expectations. Players like Daniel Gafford are supposed to cover up for Dončić, protecting the rim when the opponent blows by the latter. Yet, Dončić is unable to do that in this clip right here. All he has to do is get Tatum to go left where Gafford will be there near the rim to help, but instead he lets him go right.

Celtics have an opportunity this week to continue their road playoff winning streak Wednesday night, and then possibly to return home with no one left to beat.

Vinny Jace appears on the Entitled Weekend podcast. He does not live deep in the heart of Texas.

5/22/24 Cleaning Out the Sports Junk Drawer

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If you’re only going to hit one three-pointer, let it be the one that forces overtime.

Nothing like ECF nerves. Unless you’ve lived it you’ll never understand.

When you can go from the #1 rated morning show in town to a classic rock station with Ted Johnson, how could you not?

Ben McAdoo looks like he shouldn’t be allowed within 500 feet of a school.

Sunrise, Florida vs. Edmonton, Alberta sounds like a potential ratings bonanza for ABC.

Of course Jaylen Brown hit the big shot right in front of Drake Maye and Guy Fieri.

At least Javon Baker got Ju Ju out his wheelchair.

Dunkin Donuts iced coffee is the true measure of Karma. No cup tastes the same as the last and the more good energy you put into the world, the better cup you’ll get in return.

Cakes are cooking for Tommy John, George Best, Bernie Taupin, Steven Morrissey, José Mesa, Alison Eastwood, Naomi Campbell, Corey Croom, Katie Price, Maggie Q, and Apolo Anton Ohno.

What time is the 8pm tipoff?

I am so perplexed by some of you who think I want, or need, anything from my work. I do need to avoid starving (on the whole), and it’s ideal when I am in the zone, but, at the end of the day, I just deploy my skillset as I am called to serve. Anything else is a fringe benefit.

Sweeney said that no Bruins are scheduled for offseason surgery.

Orange Line Reminder: May 20-23, Nights only from 8:30 PM to the end of service. Shuttle Buses replace service between Oak Grove and North Station due to bridge and track work. Commuter Rail Haverhill Line will be available for alternate service.

There’s nothing like the intensity of a Game Seven.

Charlotte Wilder went from Fox Sports to Dan LeBatard to Plain Black Hat in two years. Kevin Spacey had a gentler fall from grace.

Red Sox are right in the meaty part of the win/loss curve.

It’s a damn shame no one hacks anymore. Nothing like getting in a circle and kicking the bag around. And Cons were the best hacking shoe. Perfect in-step, and flexible ankle.

Hey gang of spectral phenomenists, this week’s Phrase that Pays is, “I am too old to be fighting ghosts.”

You don’t HAVE to weirdly overpraise the Knicks NBA blue checks. It’s not a rule or anything.

I had Cannoli ice cream for the first time on this day five years ago. I did at an ice cream shop near the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown. Since then, I have seen Cannoli ice cream at a few other ice cream shops.

TJ McConnell is such a smart player. Crafty. Underrated athlete.

Have to admit those Texans lettermen setups were some sharp looking jackets, even if it was a terrible idea.

This Bridgerton season is NOT healthy for us delusional yearners.

I impinged one of my ECF nerves once.

Tweet asking whether there is any recent player whose career has fallen apart like Andrew Benintendi’s. It’s as common as dirt. Go back to 2019 and look for young players who were playing well then, and you’ll find 20 of them. . .Javy Baez, Roughned Odor, Nomar Mazara.

I’m sorry you don’t think I went to Celtics games in the 80s, Filter Pig.

Chris, FOR YEARS I’ve beat some of the best prognosticators in the World. I have never lost. YOU are the only one who beats me every year. Your early pick on American Idol Won last night with Abby Carter Hats off to you Friend

If you feel that it’s real, I’m on trial
And I’m here, yeah, in your prison
Like a coin in your mint
I am dented and I’m spent with high treason

Through a glass eye, your throne
Is the one danger zone
Take me to the pilot for control
Take me to the pilot of your soul

Take me to the pilot
Lead me through the chamber
Take me to the pilot
I am but a stranger

I will say – casting Lazar as the pompous know it all dick was spot on.

Hear me out…IF the Finals is Celtics vs. T-Wolves both teams should be forced to play KG for at least 3 minutes. Celtics get him for 4 games (first seed privilege), T-Wolves get him for 3. Cs get him games 1 & 2 then rotate game by game. This is the way.

Honk if you remember Nicholas Colasanto.

I don’t think Aidan had gotten around to investing his grift money into making his site less AIDSy.

20 years from now, when your kid asks you just how injury-depleted the Knicks were in their second-round matchup vs. the Pacers in 2024, tell them that Alec Burks was New York’s third-leading scorer in the series (and NY’s second-leading scorer over the final four games).

Rylo Huncho died doing what he loved.

Gun to my head, I would have said there were eight PWHL teams.

I’m not calling a grown man, “Bronny.”

If Jayson Tatum shot 6-for-24 in a Game 7 people would be destroying him, win or lose. Anthony Edwards does it and he’s the new face of the NBA? If I wasn’t such a big Ant fan I’d find this very annoying as a Celtics fan.

Who is the American League version of Ed Kranepool? Let us know in the comments.

Ted Johnson’s Rosemary Kennedy impersonation, while strikingly accurate, was in poor taste this morning in my opinion.

Best bet for the holiday weekend: media personalities being forced to reassess their unfairly negative opinion of the Celtics.

Well, that’s like, your opinion, man.

Material from interviews, wire services, Twitter, Meta, other writers, league and team sources, Bill James, NO Mark Farinella, and the members of #the15 were used in this column. Hos soon is now?

And Happy Birthday to Damariscotta’s own Anna Belknap, star of stage, screen and television.

May TO’s & Threes – Celtics Column(s)

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By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

Looking Back:

There was no tension. There was no hyperventilation or sphincter tightening. The series was over, and it was evident the Celtics were in a different class than their opponent. Only through lapses of judgement and execution did they allow Cleveland to land a counterpunch. When the Celtics remained focused the Cavaliers stood no chance. Despite missing Kristaps Porzingis for the sixth straight game the Celtics notched the series clincher and an impressive mark of 5 wins to 1 loss since his absence. This mostly thanks to the 37-year-old center Al Horford who was asked to shoulder a larger portion of the workload, such as in Game 5 vs Cleveland when backup Luke Kornet was not able to keep up with Evan Mobley.

He played thirty-five minutes in a game the Celtics absolutely had to have. They needed the rest. They needed the confidence builder closing out two series in quick fashion brings a team. And Cleveland played like a pesky gnat not willing to be swatted. Whenever the Celtics appeared close to finishing them off the Cavs found answers to keep things mildly interesting. It’s something past Celtics teams would have allowed to cause discouragement and to wilt down the stretch. But this year’s team appears to be made of sterner stuff.

Horford quietly does his role, setting screens, pop to the perimeter, and have the ball swing to him for the open triple or swing it to a teammate with a higher chance to make it or if he wants, drive it to the hole. That’s Al. Old Man Al. Always putting the team before himself. His quick footwork sealing off avenues to the paint on Isaac Okoro, and his ability to stick with guard Darius Garland lowered Cleveland’s ceiling as you can tell Horford had an extra skip in his step tonight. Savor it, because there is no assurance there are many of these Old School Horford games left. Lord knows we’ve seen plenty.

The elder statesman of the Celtics that’s been through battles with Tatum and Brown when they were younglings, shepherding then through playoff series with Giannis, Embiid and LeBron, until they were ready to take on the main role, but Horford was always ready and willing to dawn the cape again if the signal was flashed in the sky. His name was in the 2022 series vs Milwaukee when Giannis was running his mouth and needed to be humbled. When Bam Adebayo was causing mayhem in the 2022 conference finals Horford was there to put a lid on it. When the MVP Joel Embiid looked ready to finally vanquish his longtime nemesis, Big Al kept him a conference finals virgin.

Just a simple gaze of the box score, 8/15 from the field, six triples, 22 PTS | 15 REB | 5 AST | 1 STL | 3 BLK. This while facing allegations of being “washed” after an iffy Game 3 and 4 performances. Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you he is not washed. He just has to pick his spots. And when he finds said spot the Celtics better not waste it.

Looking Forward:

I think you’ll find it’s the exact same measurements as our TDGarden back in Boston.

The last time the Celtics played Indiana, Tyrese Haliburton was averaging 23 points and 12 assists, considered a shoo-in for First Team All-NBA and captain of a historically great Pacers offense. Since his injury his averages sank to 16 points and 9 assists; his playoffs numbers sit at 18 points and 4 assists. His hamstring injury continues to persist even long after its diagnosis. Some days he’s great, some days he isn’t. 

How the Pacers survive is through others picking up the slack. Indiana potentially has the best bench unit of the remaining teams this playoffs. T.J McConnell is a perfect facilitating point guard on the second unit able to keep the teams head above water when Haliburton is on the pine. T.J is quick, shifty, and decisive. Indiana is a lot like Boston in the regard when they are running they are borderline unstoppable.

Indiana’s calling card beyond Haliburton is they have more than one bullet in the chamber and aren’t reliant on just one contributor. If Hali isn’t himself, dependable Pascal Siakam can create for himself with a lethal spin-move. Myles Turner, the veteran big from Texas, can imitate Dirk Nowitzki on some nights, other nights he’ll defend the paint like Pacer great Rik Smits utilizing his 6-11 frame and 250-pound body. 

The Celtics primarily do their damage with Tatum bullying or finessing his way near the basket. His three-point attempts last postseason was near eight-in-a-half, now sits at six-in-a-half. The change is the strength he’s put in his upper body to absorb resistance and minimize off-balance shot attempts. Tatum is in the middle of his athletic peak. This is the time for him to attack, attack and attack. In the four regular season games versus Indiana, JT averaged 33 on 70 percent true shooting. 

Vroom vroom Pacers

I expect this series to be a track meet. Indiana cannot sufficiently defend, sporting the 4th worst opponents points per game at 120.2. The Pacers best friend has been the Celtics historic worst enemy: shooting variance. In wins they shoot 53% from the field, in losses that falls to 47%. In their Game 7 dismantling of New York they shot 67 percent from the field, ungodly figure that can happen in more than one occasion if Boston does not acknowledge the smaller margin of error they have than in their previous playoff series. 

Being without Kristaps Porzingis for at least the first two games (maybe three) means they’ll be without their best rim protector and lone constant mid-range threat. This means Al Horford will have his work cut out for him again with Turner, hustling and bustling for rebounds. Second chance points will be crucial and if Boston can win in that category it’ll go along way in pushing a hot Pacers team back to earth.

The Celtics will get to their spots and have open looks, Indiana cannot defend them consistently. It is up to Boston to MAKE their looks and remain ahead. Hali waxes and wanes with the flow of the game. If Indiana is in a big enough deficit early, he’ll waive the white flag and remind us he’s hurt. If it’s competitive or Indiana has another one of those 150-point games, he’ll be stunting. I love Hali, but his post-injury self is a front runner. Knock him out early and keep him down. The main reason this series goes longer than it should is if Lady Luck smiles down on them and they average 130 per night. 

Vinny Jace appears on the Entitled Weekend podcast. He does not live at the foot of Mount Monadnock.

April TO’s and Three’s – Celtics Column

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By Vinny Jace, Special to the15net dot com:

(written prior to Game One)

There are two kinds of superstar players in the NBA, those who can get it down in crunch time and those who can get you to their critical moments but needs someone else to finish the job.

For every Jordan, LeBron, Bird, there’s a Ewing, Drexler, and Paul George. You can win divisions, playoff series, maybe even sneak into the finals once or twice, but you’ll never win the title for what ever their shortcoming be.

Thus lay the greater mystery of this sport: what does it take to cross that threshold? Previous test cases like LeBron suggest it is mostly mental, the growth and maturity that comes from failure. Deep down we knew LeBron was always capable of winning the big one. The sensationalist drivel expounded by reporters and fans added theatrics to a rather anti-climactic finale. 

The real “we didn’t think he could do it until he did” example is Dirk Nowitzki. Outmuscled in the 2006 NBA Finals. Mentally deconstructed in the 2007 1st round series vs Golden State. Nowitzki was labeled soft, a poor defender, and someone who wilted under the pressure. From 2008 to 2011 he continued to play at a high level, even though the interest for him waned. The story was written and ready for publishing; another superstar with all the potential unable to take that final step. 

The Germans probably have a word for what Dirk Nowitzki accomplished.

Until the faithful day he rewrote said story. Now the lasting imagine of Nowitzki is not him kicking the ball into the stands as his team implodes to an inferior Miami team. It’s him so overcome with emotion as the seconds trickle down in the Miami arena, LeBron and Wade standing forlorn, the impossible victor retreating from the spotlight to shed a tear in solitude. 

But for every Dirk, there’s players similar to him who are the nail to the superior player’s hammer. Drexler couldn’t beat MJ. Ewing couldn’t beat Olajuwon. Paul George couldn’t overcome himself. 

Can Jayson Tatum overcome the Miami Heat? He did it once before. An underrated gem is his Game 7 in Miami in the 2022 East Finals series. Jimmy Butler being the lone Heat with a pulse for 40 of the first 48 minutes keeping their chances alive, Tatum quietly notched an efficient 26 point effort, including a sick turnaround on Butler before a last ditch comeback by Miami fell so short. It was the most clutch Tatum’s ever been. On the road, all the momentum on the opposing side, and the Celtics led wire-to-wire.

Yet, they almost blew it. The ball continuously found their weakest link (Sorry, Marcus) and the Celtics ran the basketball equivalent of victory formation for the final 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Five of the final six Celtics shots came from Smart, not because of his selfishness, but because of Tatum’s fecklessness. Not wanting to step on anyone else’s toes, not wanting to be the guy everyone looked at for why things went wrong. 

There is no malice in Tatum’s heart when he does this. I sense fear and it extends like the plague to the others. Basketball is a game most akin to spreading a diseases and cures. A good bench is a symptom of an established hierarchy setting the backups to carry the load for the needed respite for the starters. That’s the cure. The disease is if your superstar falters it’s unlikely anyone will save the team. 

The numbers regarding the Celtics in the clutch aren’t initially concerning. Teams tend to slow the pace down and milk the clock when they’re up by a substantial amount. For Boston, the victory cigar is lit up either prematurely or their drop in effort leads to a heart stopping comeback attempt from the opponent. 

Over the years the Celtics have fielded different teams, capable and incapable of certain things. The numbers don’t reflect in a vacuum how they responded to gut check situations, but the situations they often found themselves in. 

The Isaiah Thomas-era Celtics have better numbers in clutch situations than the Tatum-era Celtics, but they rarely ran away with contests and often found themselves going 100% against teams either in their tier of “plucky, but not real contenders” or below. For the past three years the Celtics have found themselves considered top of the heap and they meet that criteria by smashing lesser teams into oblivion. 

So does Boston rank at the bottom of pace in the clutch because opposing defenses up the tension forcing their best players into compromising positions, off balanced shots leading to fast break opportunities? Or is it because they’re bored and we shouldn’t overly react to a game serving little relevance to the standings. 

As a first-round matchup with Miami looms it seems we’ll learn soon enough. 

Vinny Jace appears on the Entitled Weekend podcast. He does not live on an island in the Quabbin Reservoir.

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