The Canucks went head to head with the Bruins in a potential Stanley Cup Finals preview (nothing like getting ahead of ourselves, eh?), and a much loved Vancouver native proved just how good he is. Unfortunately for us, that Vancouver native was Milan Lucic, and the Bruins blasted the Canucks 3-1 at the Roger on Saturday night. Lucic had one heck of a weekend up in BC. First he was honored by being placed in the Vancouver Giants Ring of Honor (and had a red headed bobblehead handout), then he was given love all up and down Vancouver sports radio, and then he beat his boyhood favorites with a game winner 15:22 into the final frame.
The Canucks enjoyed a solid goal from Manny Malhotra 16:58 into the game with an opportunistic rebounder. The guy I declared as "massively underrated" like three posts ago, now how 3 goals and 7 points in his last 8 games. Add his amazing faceoff numbers to that, and you've got a quality third line center. You just can't sit back and try and win with a one goal lead against a solid team like the Bruins, though. They are a pretty talented team, and they proved it. Goals from Horton (from Lucic), Lucic (his 27th), and an empty netter from Patrice Burgeron (again, from Lucic) carried them to victory. It was a pretty impressive game from the Vancouver boy, and even though we lost the game, it's always enjoyable to see a BC native do well.
At 39-15-9, the Canucks seem to be trading wins and losses every other game nowadays, and as we are in the thick of the final 20 games of the regular season, we'll need to post some consecutive wins to stay atop the President's race. Even with the "slipping," we're still up 14 points on Calgary in the division, 5 points on the Red Wings in the Conference (watch out for the Sharks, by the way), and 1 slim point on the Flyers in the race for the President's Trophy. It's going to be tight the whole way to the finish line.
So, with today being the trade deadline, what the heck is the best team in the NHL to do? Well, not much, right? Right. Mike Gillis knew that we just needed a little tweak to solidify this team for the stretch run and into the playoffs. While much has been said about the defense and the injury issues, the focus for Mike Gillis on today's deadline day was set to be the fourth line. Not just because fourth liners are important in the playoffs, but mostly for the depth just in case someone else goes down (say, a top three center?). That was what we thought we needed, and guess what Gillis did?
Canucks get- Maxim Lapierre and prospect MacGregor Sharp
Ducks get- Joel Perrault and 2012 3rd round pick
AND
Canucks get- Chris Higgins
Panthers get- Evan Oberg and 2013 3rd round pick
Let's see what this does for our depth and fourth line talent. Maxim Lapierre is a 6'2 Center from Saint-Léonard, QC and he was a 61st overall pick by the Canadiens in 2006. He was only in Anaheim for a couple of months, starting the season in Monreal, and he has racked up 5 goals and 6 assists in 59 games this season, also rocking 72 penalty minutes. He's an agitator, a big guy, and should prove to be a decent fourth line center, although I don't know how confident I'd be if he had to fill in for an injured Malhotra.
Not a big deal now, but maybe later, MacGregor Sharp was also tossed in on the deal with the Ducks. The Red Deer, AB native is a 6'1 Center played with Mason Raymond way back in the day in the AJHL and WCHA as a youngster. He could be seriously underrated, but it'll take some time to find out.
We lost Perrault in the deal, and the Montreal native played 7 games with the 'Nucks this season as a -1. He had 3 goals and 15 assists with Manitoba in 26 AHL games this year. In the other deal we lost Evan Oberg, which is a bigger hit for us fans. Oberg had 7 goals and 4 assists as a defender in Manitoba, and came up empty filling in for 2 games with the big club this season. The Forestberg, AB native may end up being an decent defender, but Tanev has kind of showed him up this year and took over his spot on the depth chart.
Lastly, we gained an expiring contract in Chris Higgins. Higgy is an actual American! The Smithtown, NY native is a left winger who looks to spend some time on the new look fourth line with Lapierre and Tanner Glass. The 14th overall pick from 2002 of the Canadiens was an All-American at Yale University, and hopes to brings some brain to the braun of the fourth line. He scored 11 goals and notched 12 assists in 48 games this year as a +5, and may end up being quite an underrated rental player from all our dealings today.
We say hello to all the newbies and farewell to the now former Canucks. Of couse, I always like to welcome the new Canucks with one little warning: We Vancouver fans are CRAZY about our hockey squad. We will support you non-stop while you rock our sweater, but beware, we are completely irrational and crazy. Just be sure to produce and give your effort to the max, and you'll earn a special place in our hearts.
The slightly new-look Canucks get ready to face the Blue Jackets tomorrow night, and hopefully we can snag a win from the #12 team in the West.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Thanks to my DVR, I was able to enjoy the entire first leg of the LSF Cup uninterupted during my fourteen month old son's nap on Sunday afternoon. It took a while for my C's to get rolling, but they eventually did (or maybe it was just the Clippers collapsing on offense for long stretces of the second half) and nailed down a 99-92 victory. Sure, there were some tense moments. Blake Griffin electrified the crowd with a one handed dunk (and also showed that he's a one trick pony when he tried to dunk a ball he had no business trying to dunk, just to get a foul call), Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green looked like they'll need some practice to keep up with the Green Army (though Krstic was a beast on the offensive boards), and Delonte West somehow came out of his shell to play some quality backup PG for Rondo.
Even though my team triumphed in round one of this year's LSF Cup, I came away from this game feeling the same way I come away from this game year after year: I hate the Clippers even more. And so, I present my "5 Reasons I Hate The Clippers Even More" after the 99-92 Celtics win. I know, trimming it to 5 will be hard, but I'll try.
1. Randy Foye is a beast, but you wouldn't know that.
This 27 year old from Newark, NJ looked like a champion out there against the C's. 32 points, 7 assists. Sure, he went 50% from the field and just 4 for 11 from beyond the arc, but he picked up 2 huge steals, and kind of commanded the game. He received a pass from Blake Griffin on the run for a sweet fastbreak bucket, and just sliced and diced the Celtic defense all night, looking like one of the most underrated guards in the Western Conference.
So, why don't we know this guy? Why does a) the LA media and b) the Clips themselves fail to promote this guy? It's all Griffin and Jordan all the time, but Foye is a freaking stud. The 'Nova grad may be averaging just 10-ish points per game, but his minutes are all over the place from game to game. 43 against the C's, 27 against the Lakers, 40 against NO, and then 35 against OKC. Get this guy some more time, and you'll see some more production.
He did, to prove my point, put up 24 points on the Lake Show in his 27 minutes. Drag that out to the 43 minutes he played against the Green Army, and he could have drilled 38 (+6 on his effort on Saturday). He's awesome. Play him, talk about him.
2. The Clippers got Bill Walton to sell his soul.
So, we all know Bill Walton's story. He played as a San Diego/LA Clipper from 1979-1985. We also know that he is one of the big pieces in this whole gigantic rivalry between the Clippers and the Celtics, and one of the reasons that this is the greatest rivalries in all of sports. After his contract was up with the Clips, Walton chose to go play with the Celtics over the Lakers (who were going after him, as well), and the rest is history. Walton won the NBA Championship in 1986, and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award that same year. If you look at his career accomplishments, they all happened from 1974-1979 and 1985-1987, all the parts of his career when he wasn't a Clip. Once he went to the Celtics, his association with the Clippers was over.
And yet, he came out on the court to honor Clipper announcer Ralph Lawler for his 2,500th telecast as the Clip play-by-play guy. Walton came out and gave a very personal speech to Lawler, despite never looking at him while he was talking. It disgusted me to see the beloved Celtic, and huge piece to this rivalry, selling out to support the BUF/SD/LA franchise. Totally bogus.
3. Where are your fans?
The ESPN recap of the game explains my point here perfectly. "Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic are still getting used to those classic green uniforms, and they're stunned to here fans on the road cheering for them louder than the home team." Yeah, that was pretty noticeable on the TV broadcast. Fans were going nuts with every play that went the Celtics way, while the Staples Center was completely quiet when the Clippers would do something cool (well, I guess I mean when the non-Blake Clippers would do something cool).
If Griffin threw down an insane dunk (which happened...once?) the crowd went crazy, although I think Celtic fans were cheering as well (because, hey, it's impressive) but if Foye made a play, or the Clips created an important turnover, crickets. That's embarrassing. Get out of your seat and make some noise. Taunt the road team. Do something to stand out, and drown out the opposing fans.
Come on!
4. Blake Griffin is pretty much Sidney Crosby to me now.
Maybe even worse. Come on, we all hate the young rookie who is better than anyone to ever play the game. The comparisons of Sidney Crosby to Wayne Gretzky have always made us hate him. How can our feelings about Blake Griffin be any different? I now present my reasons why Blake Griffin sucks:
4a. The Kia commercial: That commercial is so weak. It's a crap car, and a crap dunk. Try and do something different and original without jumping over a car that's major accessory is a cassette player. Guess who is tossing the pass in the commercial? Cleveland Cavalier Baron Davis. Odd.
4b. He ALWAYS tries to dunk: Mostly because he sucks with his jump shot. His jumpers were pretty poor throughout the game, and he tried to hide this by attempting to dunk from practically everywhere on the floor. It was lame to see a dude attempting to dunk from way too far out on the side, and being happy with drawing the foul.
4c. Come on, he went to Oklahoma: His dad was his high school coach at Oklahoma Christian High School, which is lame (his dad, not the school), and then he went on to become a Sooner. We can't like a Sooner, right (ahem, Bradford)?
4d. Pre-game friendliness: Blake went out of his way to walk across half court just before the tip to shake the hands of all the opposing players. I may be alone on this one, but I hate that. Step on to the court ready to play. I'm not saying that you should be a jerk, but just be a warrior. Giving KG a kiss on the cheek to show your respect before the game doesn't make you a warrior.
5. Does anyone in Clipper Nation talk about Moses Malone?
You know how everyone always talks about Babe Ruth being the curse on the Red Sox because he got traded for money to fund some Broadway musical? Well, how about the reason the Clippers are cursed? When they were the Buffalo Braves (which, I never thought about how they started the same year as the Sabres in Buffalo. It must have been really cool for the Buffalo area and sports fans there), they acquired future Hall of Famer Moses Malone. They snagged him from Portland in 1976 for a first round pick, getting a deal so good they didn't even know what they had. After 2 games and just 6 total minutes, Malone was traded to the Houston Rockets for two draft picks.
After the trade, the push to send the Braves out of Buffalo started to pick up steam. This, clearly, has something to do with why the Clippers seem to be cursed, if you believe in that kind of thing. And for me, if fans and the media don't talk up the history of a team (good and bad), and appreciate what has happened in the past, there is no passion.
The greatest rivalry in sports continues in Massachusetts on Ash Wednesday, and I can't wait. Before that, though, the 42-15 (first in the East by 0.5) C's get the Jazz in the Land O' The Mormons tonight.
Bring it, Jazzies.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
It's the last day of the month, we are 8 days away from Mardi Gras, and I hope I'm not the only one still enjoying the high of the Celtics win in the first leg of the LSF Cup on Saturday. What's on tap for the long suffering squads today?
Celtics (T) v Utah
Clippers (B) v Sacramento
The LSF Game of the Day: Notre Dame (B, J, T) v Villanova
Blue Jays (A) v Philadelphia
Angels (T) v Oakland
Dodgers (B, J) v Chicago Sox
Blackhawks (J) v Minnesota
While the Catholic battle on the hardwood may be the game of the day, I'm sure eveyone's keeping any eye on Clips/Kings, with Sac Town thinking about moving to A-Town next season. Enjoy the sports day.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Mason Raymond has been catching a lot of junk from the Vancouver media as this season goes on (seen above bricking another scoring chance), and a lot of people are talking about how he might be dealt away before Monday's trade deadline. I hope not. Sure, we've seen a slow season for him so far (possibly because he's losing all the points to Kesler on that second line), but we know his potential (remember his career year LAST season?) and it'd be a shame to lose him, in my opinion.
Last night, the Canucks finally got the best of the Blues (although, would you believe that we split the season series with them, for all the doom and gloom we put around it?) with a nice 3-2 win at the Roger. We came out quick with first period goals from Mikael Samuelsson (a nifty in-close shot from the Twins) and Sami Salo (a fourth line blaster from the top of the circle for his first of the year), and we did it with a large 17 shots on goal in the first 20 minutes. The second period was a different story, however, as the Blues completely turned things around. An 11-4 shot outburst showed that the Orca were sitting back, and the Blues tied things up with two goals within a minute of each other. We just fell asleep.
Luckily, one of our most underrated players, Manny Malhotra, bounced on a loose puck in front of Ty Conklin to bury a game winner early in the third. Manny gave credit to Jannik and Raffi on the play, but he put it in the money maker. Cory Schneider was a brick wall the rest of the way, as we skated to the win. Special recognition needs to be thrown out to Tanner Glass for a stellar brawl against Crombeen early on (2 minutes into the game). Glass got some big bombs landed, and that got the squad fired up to pull the big win out of their hats. I know the Blues are like the #13 team in the West, but the way the West is this season, every win is a big win.
This game was just another example of how underrated our third line center has been this season. Manny Malhotra has been such a stud, but because he has been prone to scoreless stretches, he has been a little under the radar this year. With this game winning goal against the Blues, however, Malhotra is starting to get a look from the mainstream media (more Nationally than locally in V-Town). It got underway with a NHL.com article that is calling on Manny to win the Selke (best defensive offensive player). Finally, people are starting to appreciate his value.
If you're not a Canucks fan, you're probably saying, "Prove it!" You probably think the idea of Manny winning the Selke is far fetched. But, just look at the numbers. Malhotra leads the league in blocked shots (68) and shorthanded faceoffs won (61.7%). Those are both, gigantic and underrated statistics, and they both tell the story of why Malhotra is near and dear to Vannie fans since coming over this year. Our PK unit has jumped from 18th in the league to 4th, since Manny came on board, and while he's only a +3 with 8 goals, his value goes way beyond those numbers. We love our Mississauga, ON native, and this team wouldn't be the same without him. He IS our third line, and hopefully he will continue to be, well into the postseason.
At 39-14-9, the Canucks lead the Western Conference by 7 points over Detroit, and still lead the Presidential race by one over the Flyers. We look to become the second team to get to 40 wins this season (damn you, Flyers) when we take on the red hot Boston Bruins (34-19-7) on Saturday. Hopefully Milan Lucic will take it easy on his boyhood heroes, and hopefully Cam Neely will enjoy his time at home as well.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
That's what the mainstream media is trying to get us to believe, at least. The new-look Denver Nuggets showed the C's up on defense, and had a crazy 16-0 run in the fourth quarter, on the way to an easy 75-89 win over the Celtics. But did this game show that Denver is a better team without Carmello, since they're 2-0 since he left for New York? Was the acquisition of Wilson Chandler and company actually a genius move for the Rockie Mountain squad? Or, were the Celtics just not in this one from well before the tip off?
The C's dressed just nine players after shipping of Kendrick Perkins, Nate Robinson, Semih Erden, Luke Harangody, and the injured Marquis Daniels off somewhere else at the trade deadline. With all of those guys gone, the remaining Celtic players were a little emotional, and didn't seem to have the game on their mind. KG said, "Tough day to play basketball. Very tough day to play basketball, to even concentrate. Just being bluntly honest. You feel like you lost a family member today. Tough day." Popeye Pierce said, "It was very emotional, especially for me being that I had chance to see Perkins grow up from day one, fresh out of high school, coming in here and seeing the level he got to, a championship team. It's definitely emotional. I had a chance to talk to him a little bit this afternoon, he was definitely hurt. The guys around the lockeroom were definitely hurt to see Perk go."
Pierce went on to talk about how losing Perkins would have a negative impact on team chemistry, on and off the court. Despite that, Pierce drilled a three pointer with 6 minutes left in the game to give the C's a 75-73 lead. And then? The Nuggets decided to pull away, and crushed the Celtics with a 16 point run to finish the game. Sad stuff. No effort at the end, blowing a chance to close things out. I guess when you have just 9 guys on your team, you kind of run out of energy when there is 6 minutes on the clock.
The Celtics shot 39% from the field, 18% from the three point line, and got out-rebounded 38-52. Speaking of that length that we're now missing... Glen Davis scored 11 in his new starting role with 6 boards, Pierce led the way with 17, KG had another double double with 14 and 13, and Delonte West tried to make up for the underrated loss of Nate Dawg with 10 points for himself. No spark, though, and the post-game quotes about the inability to concentrate and focus, clearly showed up to be true with the on-the-court product last night.
Hopefully anyone with half of a brain can see that the outcome of this game says nothing about the "goodness" of the new Nuggets, but rather shows the way that a big roster dump can impact even one of the best teams in the league.
But, let's not cry too much. We're 41-15, still lead Simon and Heat-funkle by percentage points (still + .008), and have a night off before our huge rivalry game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Blake Show are going up against the Lake Show tonight at Staples, and hopefully they will be beat down and tired when they welcome the C's to town the next night. It's a huge game for us around the LSF, and hopefully newbie Jeff Green will make a quality impact.
It's game time: Let's clip the Clips.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
It was nice to see the Leafs hang on for the victory against the Habs, eh? Well, let's take a look at all the LSF action for the upcoming weekend:
Friday-
The LSF Game of the Day: Lakers (A & J) v Clippers (B)
Sabres (B) v Ottawa
Saturday-
The LSF Game of the Day/Weekend: Celtics (T) v Clippers (B)
UCLA (J) v Arizona
Wake Forest (J) v Clemson
Notre Dame (T) v Seton Hall
Gauchos (T & B) v Long Beach
Trojans (A) v Arizona State
Blue Jays (A) v Detroit
Dodgers (B & J) v Angels (T)
Dodgers (B & J) v Giants
Sabres (B) v Red Wings
Maple Leafs (A) v Pittsburgh
Canucks (T) v Boston
Everton (J) v Sunderland
Newcastle (T) v Bolton
Manchester Utd (A) v Wigan
Sunday-
Lakers (A & J) v Oklahoma City
Blue Jays (A) v Detroit
The LSF Game of the Day: Dodgers (B & J) v Angels (T)
Maple Leafs (A) v Atlanta
Blackhawks (J) v Phoenix
Celtic (T) v Motherwell
Rangers (A) v St. Johnstone
What a crazy exciting LSF sports weekend! If I forgot anyone's favorite team that has a game over the weekend, blast me in the comments. Have a great weekend, guys.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
The Notre Dame/Providence game last night was epic, though it was nearly an epic failure for my boys. After opening up a comfortable 10 point lead at the half, the Irish seemed destined to cruise to another victory over their LSF rivals. Even with 6 minutes left, Tyrone Nash dropped in a layup that gave us an 81-70 lead. Kind of lurking in the shadows the whole time, though, was Marshon Brooks. He had a pretty decent first half, and when his team was down by 11 with the game closing out, he decided to take it to another level.
Brooks turned things up, as part of his 35 point second half, and pulled Providence back into the game. It became a battle of the Friars fouling ND, and then running down the floor to make it even closer. At the end, Notre Dame led by 1 and missed their free throw, but with just 1.something left, Providence could only heave a full court shot that fell short. The game finished 94-93, and Notre Dame escaped with the win. It's the best start to a season for the Irish in 11 years, and their eighth win over their last nine games.
But, Marshon Brooks was the real story, busting out a game for the record books. The Friar standout scored 52 points, tying the most points scored by anyone in NCAA basketball this season. Of course, he's doing it in the Big East. Brooks' 52 is the most points scored in Big East history, breaking the previous record of 48 scored by Eric Murdock, another Providence standout, back in 1991 (against Pitt). Brooks also became just the third player in Providence history to score 40+ points in two games in a single season. He was big when it mattered, too, scoring an unbelievable 15 points in the final 2:57 of the game. He was flat out amazing. But, he lost, so we'll forget about it quickly.
The game only further underscored how awesome this rivalry is, a battle that is not only a conference rivalry, not only a religious rivalry, but also a LSF rivalry. How much bigger can you get? The focus on the religious aspect of the rivalry made me wonder, is the battle between Notre Dame and Providence the biggest Catholic rivalry in sports, or is it the battle between Notre Dame and Boston College on the gridiron (apologies to Marquette, Georgetown, and Villanova fans, if you feel slighted)?
How to even begin to quantify this is a problem. How do you compare the ND/BC football game to the ND/Prov basketball game? Football is clearly the bigger draw, even with Notre Dame being better in basketball than at any point in history accessible to our memories. So that kind of has to be thrown out, in my opinion. It comes down to the passion that the players share for the rivalry, the passion that the fans share for the rivalry, and the amazing things that have happened during the rivalry games.
Notre Dame has dominating the rivalry with the Friars as of late, winning the last eight matches. Memorable ones include the game where Brandon and I live blogged (or "glogged") the OT game that ND pulled away in, and the 103-84 game a couple of seasons ago. Last night was the 24th game in the history of the rivalry, with the Irish holding the 15-9 edge, so recent history has been a bit of a turnaround from the way the rivalry went in the past. The last time the Friars were able to beat the Irish at the Dunkin' Donuts Center was in 1997. All of that gets the fans and the players way into the game, as there is nothing better that Providence could do this season than to beat the Irish. They couldn't do it, however, and the rivalry has to wait another year.
The Notre Dame/Boston College rivalry is well known as "The Holy War." It is one of the bigger rivalries in all of college football. It started in 1975, and Notre Dame barely leads the series, 11-9 all-time. What makes it so special is that the two teams are the only Catholic schools in the NCAA's FBS, making a win in the game a huge bragging right. In 1983, Doug Flutie was unable to beat the Irish in the Liberty Bowl (a 19-18 Irish win). In 1992, ND stopped a highly ranked BC squad with an impressive 54-7 romp, in a game that saw Lou Holtz call a fake punt when Notre Dame was already ahead by several TDs. Eagle fans didn't like that, but I did. In 2002, the Irish were ranked #4 and rocked their green jerseys for the game with BC, only to fumble eight times en route to a 14-7 BC win. In 2008, Jimmy Clausen threw four picks on the way to a 0-17 BC blowout. But, the Irish have fought back in '09 and '10, and with the rivalry still contracted until at least 2019, we've got plenty more awesome battles to look forward to.
I'll say this: both rivalries are intensely exciting, and I circle my calendar as soon as I find out when each clash will happen. But when I was writing about the memories of the ND/BC battles, I got goosebumps just thinking about it. There is something about "The Holy War" that places it above anything that may happen on the hardwood. I may be a victim of that special feeling that Notre Dame football gives you on the inside, but I have to say that the ND/BC rivalry is better than the ND/Providence rivalry. But, when it's not football season, the Irish/Friars tilt certainly is top notch.
We'll see you November 19 in South Bend, Boston College.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
So a team that has a whole bunch of injured big guys is going to make the team good enough to win the NBA Championship by trading more big guys away? That seems to be what Danny Ainge is trying to get C fans to buy into with the action he had going on at today's trade deadline. Here's the latest:
Celtics get Jeff Green (6'9 Forward with 15.2 PPG) and Nenad Krstic (7'0 Center with 7.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG)
Thunder get Kendrick Perkins (6'10 Center with 7.3 PPG and 8.1 RPG) and Nate Robinson (5'9 Point Guard with 7.1 PPG)
AND:
Celtics get second round draft pick
Cavs get Semih Erden (6'11 Center with 4.1 PPG) and former Irish standout Luke Harangody (6'7 Forward with 2.3 PPG)
AND:
Celtics get Clippers 2012 first round draft pick from a trade between LAC and OKC (furthering the rivalry)
There is possibly more to come, as well, as Celtics Blog is reporting that the C's may also be looking to grab Troy Murphy after a buyout from his new team (GSW) and another possible wing player to fill the remaining roster spots vacated by Erden and 'Gody. We'll have to wait and see.
I think the first thing that comes up with the bigger trade is shock. The Celtics have been spoon feeding us all season about how important it'll be to have Perkins back from injury. He came back to much fanfare and us fans bought into all of it. Now, he's traded away. Really interesting. Losing Nate also kind of sucks. I mean, I know he's no big deal, but he's fun, and relying on Delonte seems a bit suspect to me at this point. The big part of the story is Jeff Green. He'll probably be backing up KG for the stretch run, and he seems like he has potential. He's 24 years old, and was actually drafted by the Green Army out of Georgetown back in 2007. He seems like a decent option, and may be a larger part of the building up of this team for the post-Big-3 era, but were we really that down on Perk, especially with Shaq down?
I guess that's where Nenad "Creepy 'Stache" Krstic comes in. The 27 year old Yugo seems like he can contribute with a couple of buckets, but he doesn't look like the big physical presence that we kind of need right now. I guess he'll be starting either tonight against Denver, or on Saturday in the big rivalry game. It'll be interesting to see how Krstic does in his new role, but I'm not really overly excited about it.
Losing Erden and 'Gody for a second round pick is kind of sad. I'm sure that Ainge is just trying to clear some space on the roster for something he's planning on doing later down the line, but Erden was nice to have among all the injuries we've suffered (plus, I love the "Tater Tot" nickname I gave him), and I've always been a gigantic Luuuuuuuuke fan. I'm worried that he might develop into a big talent, and we'll be talking about how dumb this trade was. Wait and see, I guess.
I'm not sure what the whole stink is about Troy Murphy, as his numbers don't look all that good (6.82 PER), but he's a Notre Dame guy, and a 6'11 power forward, and I'd be stoked if that worked out just for those reasons.
So, we'll have to wait and see how this all works out after the dust settles, but the NBA trade deadline has certainly changed the face of Saturday's huge rivalry game against the Clips.
What do you guys think of your team's moves/lack of moves?
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Only two of my beloved soccer squads saw action over the weekend, but the first game was one of the biggest in quite some time for this hooligan.
Headline #1- Celtic smashes Rangers upside the head.
I love that ESPN posts the headlines from the two team's fan blogs in their review of the match, "'Gers Blog: Painful viewing - Celtic Blog: I just can't get enough!" That just about sums up the feelings of both sides over the weekend, as the Bhoys surprised 'Gers with a healthy 3-0 romping. Gary H88per had his Irish eyes focused on a double, and Kris "Not So" Commons came through with one of his own.
The fans were in full gear, especially focused on taking the time to boo El-Hadji Diouf every time he touched the ball. For those who don't remember, Diouf actually spit on a Celtic fan when Rangers came to town back in 2003 (that's how classless these jokers are). We will never forget, you sick bell end. 17 minutes in, Celtic struck with Commons feeding Hooper for a blaster. 28 minutes deep, Georgios "I'm Finally On The Pitch" Samaras found Hooper again, and #88 easily stabbed the ball into the net. Commons would connect in the 70th with a nifty pass from Hooper (what, were there only like 3 Celtic players on the pitch?), and that was that.
Celtic skipper Neil Lennon has stopped the media in their tracks every time the issue of the SPL title comes up. Even though the win puts Celtic 8 clear of second place Rangers, he doesn't want to talk about it. Good for him, because it'd be hard for me to tamper my excitement about a possible return to glory after a win like that.
Next up for the first place Hoops (64 points in 26 games) is a test against #5 Motherwell on Sunday.
Headline 2- Chivas USA shows Vancouver what the MLS preseason is all about.
Welcome to the MLS, Whitecaps. Sure, it's just the preseason, but take that! Now, I'll admit that if I didn't already have a MLS team that I was in love with, I'd probably jump on the Whitecaps bandwagon, but when it comes to American soccer, I bleed red and white (well, at least red). Chivas met up with Vancouver at their training grounds in Casa Grande, Arizona (a town I'm actually very familiar with thanks to a couple of friends), and knocked them off the pitch with a 1-0 win.
The golden goal came from none other than San Jose's own Jesús "El Gringo" Padilla. Padilla broke through a trap on a long ball from Michael Umaña "From Heaven" in the 89th minute, and came in all alone on the Whitecaps keeper. When you've got Padilla bearing down on you with no help, you've got no chance to stop him. Boom, 1-0 Goats.
Other highlights in the uneventful match was the play of Zach "The Beast" Thorton. ZTB held strong throughout the game, though not facing much heat, and is makig Robin Fraser's life a little more difficult when it comes to picking his starting pipe cleaner come the March 19 opener with Sporting Kansas City. The new-look Chivas defense looked pretty good. Jimmy Conrad, Zarek Valentin, Heath Pearce, and Umaña all held there own, and Conrad even jumped into the hearts of fans by mixing it up with a 'Caps player, earning a yellow.
Up front, Alejandro Moreno was the main striker in an interesting 4-1-4-1 formation that they probably wouldn't even let you pick in FIFA '12. Flash Gordon and Zip Gavin were also pushing up frequently in the formation, and did some nice work, but nothing came of it. Vancouver actually showed some nice effort on the backline, and it'll be interesting to see how they turn out this season.
The final preseason game for Chivas is 3/12 against FC Dallas.
Also: My boys from the Toon didn't play over the weekend, gathering some much needed time off, but they return to the pitch this Saturday against Bolton, as they look to continue to improve.
Don't forget, Jon Davis, March 5 is Newcastle/Everton, and we're bringing it, so I hope you'll be ready to suffer.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Well, yesterday's "LSF Game of the Day" sure didn't disappoint. Notre Dame and Providence had a knock down drag out battle, and the Irish held on for the tight victory. I guess Marshon Brooks has become a household name. I mean, most points ever scored by a single player in a Big East game? He's ahead of some pretty elite dudes. What's on tap for today for our long suffering squads?
Celtics (T) v Denver
Trojans (A) v Arizona
Bruins (J) v Arizona State
Gauchos (T & B) v Northridge
The LSF Game of the Day: Leafs (A) v Montreal
Blackhawks (J) v Nashville
Canucks (T) v St. Louis
Rangers (A) v SP Lisbon
Sure, Toronto and the Habs may not be the rivalry it once was, but it's probably going to get pretty nasty out there on the ice tonight. A lot of LSF action on the slate today, and best of luck to all the long suffering squads.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
One of the great things about having a cell phone that has apps is the ability to listen to the radio all over the world. Thanks to that ability, I've been spending some time at work listening to the TEAM1040, Vancouver's sports station, and I'm having a blast. Being a fan of a team that makes it's home about 1,300 miles north of my home, can make it kind of difficult for me to have my finger on the pulse of the fan base that I am so closely a part of. Listening to local Vancouver sports talk takes that 1,300 mile barrier away, and it's so awesome.
Of course, it's not all enjoyable. The day after a 2-3 loss to a Montreal Canadiens team that seemed to have snuck up on us all, the local Vancouver sports media is spending all their time washing Carey Price's balls. Now, I may have to plead a little bit of ignorance here. While I've been a fan of a Canadian team since February of 1994, I still may not completely understand the intense love that Canadians have for their homegrown stars. Canadian athletes are like superheroes up there, especially the ones that leave to make a name for themselves, but always stay true to their roots. Most Canuck fans who have lived in BC for their entire life can name practically every NHL'er to ever come out of the province. It's amazing. I admire it, really. However, when everyone and their mother gets all gushy over the effort of Carey Price less than 24 hours after he beats our team, I kind of get a little miffed.
Comments like, "Carey Price is a story I'll never get tired of," or "I thought he'd vanish when Halak emerged in the playoffs, but he stayed strong, and he deserves everything he gets," or "Carey Price is more loved than every other NHL'er in BC, outside of Canucks players." Instead of exploring what went wrong for the 'Nucks last night, or why Alain Vigneault played the game without a fourth line, we're sitting around chatting like teenage girls about the Habs keeper just because he grew up in Anahim Lake, BC, his father flew him by "bush plane" to all of his games and practices, and he's greatly admired by the Native community in BC because his mother is the former chief of the Ulkatcho First Nation. Alright, alright, I get it. He's a great guy, and a great BC guy at that, but we're Canucks fans, can we focus on our team?
The last time Price came to BC, the 'Nucks tagged him for seven goals, he ended up getting pulled, and he punched a hole in the clubhouse wall (did he have to pay for that?). This time, we decided to try not taking shots and see how that worked out. Not very well. In the first 10 minutes of play, the Habs outshot the Canucks 14-1. And it kind of worked for them. Desharnais scored on a breakaway 6 minutes in, Gionta pounded home a rebound 60 seconds later, and the Frenchies were up 2-0. The Canucks woke up, and decided to play late in the first. The revival cashed in on a Henrik Sedin power play goal at 3:27 of the middle frame, but 7 minutes later, Montreal got their two goal lead back on a goal from Kostitsyn. Despite a mad dash, a third period goal from Samuelsson on the power play, and 13 third period shots, Price and the Habs had us beat. The Canucks ended up dominating the shot game, 39-25, oddly enough, and Carey Price ended up dominating Roberto Luongo (95 SV% to 88 SV%). Price got the game's first star, and the love fest was underway.
The return of Dan Hamhuis (15:17) and Keith Ballard (14:41) didn't seem to bolster the defense quite enough, and Chris Tanev (-2 in 11 minutes) looked like his days away from Manitoba may be numbered. And remember how the team had told Cody Hodgson that he was being called up with a shot at proving himself over a 3 game try out? He was on the ice for 3:26, with a buck plus on the second power play unit. How is he going to prove himself with that much ice time?
And that brings us to our coaching question. Why is Alain Vigneault thinking that we should just roll with three lines when he really wants to win a game, rather than letting our fourth line take a shot? Remember why the Chicago Blackhawks always beat us in the playoffs? It's their depth, and we're not showing very much fourth line depth as of late (or, really, at all this year). The Canucks have had 12 different players come out on the fourth line this season, showing that they have little faith in the bottom group on the roster. With Hodgson getting called on to center the line, and Tanner Glass being the only stable force on the wing, many thought the fourth line would finally shine. Instead, they rode the pine for most of the game against Montreal, while Ryan Kesler was forced to play over 16 minutes. It's not going to work, especially come playoff time.
So what can the Canucks do? When you're rolling Sedin-Sedin-Burrows, Samuelsson-Kesler-Raymond, and Hansen-Malhotra-Torres, what kind of fourth line do you need? Well, you need a line that can keep the score the way it was when their shift started, and maybe chip in a lucky goal every once in a while. A line of Glass-Hodgson-Oreskovich (or Tambellini, if you prefer) may seem somewhat suspect, but with Hodgson's potential, and a smart defensive pairing to help them out, that line is a nice combination of strength and scoring. What better to get top of the line players pumped up than a goal from the fourth? Well, if you want it to happen, you're going to need to put them out on the ice. Trust them, and see what happens.
At 38-14-9, the Canucks still lead the division (+15 on Minnie/Calgary), the conference (+5 on Detroit), and the league (+1 on Philly), but with the trade deadline coming up this Monday, a whole lot of things can change. For now, we'll focus on trying to beat a 27-23-9 Blues team that has had our number all year. It's happens at the Roger tomorrow, and a win would sure be nice.
I hope the fans at the arena boo Alex Steen.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
A lot of sports blogs post the schedule for their teams day by day. I thought, since I'm not going to be busy at work until March 30, I'd try and do a post (as often as I can) highlighting the various LSF squads in action each day. Hopefully, on days I can't do it, my fellow authors will come through. But, we'll start it this way, by presenting today's LSF squad that are in action (obviously, the initials next to the team, indicate which author support that LSF team):
Lakers (A&J) v Portland
Clippers (B) v New Orleans
The LSF Game of the Day: Notre Dame (T) v Providence (B)
Sabres (B) v Atlanta
Man Utd (A) v Marseille
Best of luck to all our long suffering squads today.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
We won at the Oracle! The Celtics had an impresive second half (fourth quarter, really) and trumped the Warriors 115-93 for their first win in the Bay Area since 2003. NBA TV's Game Time hooked me up with some solid highlights, as a game that was tied 60-60 at the half saw the Green Army turn on the defense, holding GSW to just 18 in the third and 15 in the fourth. Despite being handed 28 free throws to the Celtics' 11, Steph Curry and company were just no match for the birthday boy and his crew.
The C's shot 56% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc, with KG's 24 and 12 leading the way. He was one of three C's to finish with a double double, as Glen Davis nabbed 12 and 10, and Rondo 19 and 15 (assists). Popeye Pierce was just flat out on fire in the game as well, shooting 70% overall, and racing to a dunk after a pass from Rondo that showed he's still got the legs and the strength. Delonte West returned for the game, and finished 0 for 6 overall in 12 minutes. Maybe I shouldn't have been so excited about the C's getting Mr. Black History Month back. In even worse news, Kendrick Perkins tweaked his knee and didn't return after the injury. This is a wait-and-see kind of thing, but with Shaq and Jermaine both still down for the count, losing Perk again would be pretty flat out awful.
We've reached the final game before the NBA trade deadline, and the Celtics are 41-14, holding a 12.5 game lead over 'Melo and the Knicks in the division. Overall in the conference, we are percentage points ahead of the "Credence Heat-water Revival" (.008% to be exact), and 2.5 games up on the Bulls (evidently undeserving of a band nickname). So, keeping in mind the position we find ourselves in with 27 games to go, what do we think the C's will do come trade dealine time? Stand pat and roll with what we've got, or go after a role player who can have a big (that should have read "big") impact in the playoffs?
Knowing Danny Ainge, and based on the daily rumors floating around Celtics Nation, I'd have to go with option two. Just a tiny little tweak could have a big impact on this team come playoff time. No, I'm not worried about any team in the East. I really think we can take care of any of them in a series, with the guys we have now. But when it comes NBA Finals time (man, I'm a spoiled basketball fan), we'll be needing that extra something to put us over the top against the best from the West. Who will it be?
If you've been keeping one eye on the LSF Instant Suffering Feed, you've seen name after name after name floating around, but I really think there is one guy on the list who fits what the Celtics are looking for. That guy, is Richard Hamilton.
Think about it! He's old, he hates his current team, he's a defense first shooting guard, and he has a great smile. This season he's averaging 13.3, and due to a little day-to-day groin issue, he's only played 35 games this year. The best part of his season is still ahead of him. Word from the media is that Rip has even offered to return some of his money to Detroit to help him get traded. You have to believe that he'd be interested in heading out to Massachusetts to get involved in something big. Thinking of him and Ray Allen doing their thing in a playoff series makes me all warm inside.
I guess we'll see what happens by tomorrow. Tomorrow night, after all the dust has settled, we get a new-look Nuggets squad in the Mile High City. It's the TNT night cap, and it should be a fun one.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
At 31-22-6, the Dallas Stars have come crashing down all the way to the #8 spot in the West. Once thought of as possibly the second best team in the conference, the Stars have been exposed as a bottom of the playoff qualifying table squad, and it all started with the Canucks. The Orca have beat up on the Stars with every chance they have gotten this year. And this month, a 4-1 Vannie win over Dallas was the end of the beginning for Andrew Raycroft and company.
Back on February 1, the Canucks beat the Stars 4-1, and Dallas was sent into a tail spin. Following the Vancouver victory, they lost to Boston, Philly, and Phoenix. They beat the Blackhawks in a shootout (which kind of makes their tailspin that much more enjoyable), and then lost to Columbus, Edmonton, and Calgary before losing again to the Canucks over the weekend. That's right, the Stars are 1-7-1 in February. The once highly touted Central division squad has been shown to be a huge fraud, and I'm proud that it all started with us.
This latest edition, over the weekend, was "The Raffi and Sedins Show." Raffi Torres showed up after going something like 23 games without a goal, and drilled goals in the second and third periods to surprisingy spark the offense. Scoring from all levels is so darned important, but enjoying the first line's dominance is fun too. Daniel Sedin scored in the first and third, both assisted by Henrik, and Hank added another third period goal with a helper from his goal happy brother. Roberto Luongo stood strong to help his squad beat his former backup. Bobby Lu stopped 22 of 24, while Ray-zor stopped just 33 of 38. Torres also tried to get back into the hearts of Canuck fans by beating the holy heck out of Brenden Morrow (pictured above). Despite dressing something like 18 rookies, the Canucks rose to take the Stars out yet again, and due to that, everyone around the NHL is finally starting to wake up to the fact that they suck.
At 38-13-9, with 22 games left to go, the Canucks lead the division by 15 points over Calgary, the conference by 5 points over Detroit, and the entire NHL by 2 points over Philly. And all this with a boat load of injuries on the blue line!
Believe it or not, we're about to get even better. Tonight we go head to head with the Heritage Classic losers from Montreal, and they don't really have much of a chance against us. Not only are we 17-0-2 against all teams from Canada over our last 19 home games (the last home loss to a Canadian team was on Boxing Day 2008!), but we're also getting two defenders and a youngster needing to prove a point back on the roster. That's right, instead of losing another defender, we're actually getting two back! Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard are officially ready to strap their skates back on and make some noise on the blue line. It couldn't have come at a better time, really, as our patchwork of Moose youngsters could only be expected to hold on for so long. So, welcome back Hammer and Bally. Don't get hurt again, please.
Also, Cody Hodgson has been pulled back up from Manitoba, and this time, the Vannie super prospect has been given an ultimatum. While it may not be entirely fair, since Cody is centering the fourth line, it sure is exciting. The Canucks management has told Hodgson that he has three games to go out an prove himself. If he does well, he's going to be staying up with the team all the way through the season and into the Stanley Cup playoff run, and if he sucks, he'll spend the season finishing up in 'Toba. It's a pretty big next three games. Hodgson will also be getting handed some playing time centering the second power play unit as well, and that could be where he's going to make his mark. It's all up to him.
All this, and Daniel and Henrik are both top 3 in scoring in the NHL? Man, this is going to be a fun week in Orca Nation.
Onward to beat the Habs.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Today, the sports blog Bleacher Report came out with some interesting articles focusing on the Halos. The one I want to focus on, is one of the very popular "10 Questions The Angels Must Answer" type of articles that float around this time of year. However, I want to start with an article they did where they pick the most popular player from every franchise in baseball.
Page 30 of the 32 page post finally gets to the Halos, and we see who Bleacher Report thinks is the most popular Angel of all time. They picked Jim Abbott, who was pretty darn popular. Jimmy was with the team from 1989-1992, and had a memorable season in '91 (18-11, 2.89 ERA). They point out that his story made it hard for anyone not to love him. It's true. He was a complete stud here in Anaheim, and I can even remember a poster of his gracing a friend's brother's wall back in the day. Bleacher Report gave us Jim Edmonds as the "runner up," and picked Nolan Ryan as the "honorable mention."
While I find all of that well and good, I'm wondering how the list didn't go: Wally Joyner (most popular), Jim Abbott (runner up), and Nolan Ryan (honorable mention). Not that Jim Edmonds wasn't popular, because he was. He was loved by every Angel fan around. But, how can you not pick Wally Joyner? The fans renamed The Big A "Wally World." The chants of "Wa-lly, Wa-lly!" are still filling the air in my memories. The red cleats, the young face, the amazing talent, the early balding. Everyone loved Joyner. Now, I will admit here that he is my all-time personal favorite, but I'd have to imagine that most Halo fans will agree with me on this one.
The more important article from the Bleacher is about the 10 questions the team "must answer" before the end of Spring Training. I don't think the article is total crap, like I usually do with anything put out by the non-LSF blogosphere, but I thought it would be fun to go through what they say, and add some of my own comments/ideas. It's actually a pretty fun article, and it not only made me more excited about baseball, but it gave me a little more hope about our team's chances in 2011.
1. Can the Angels find a leadoff hitter to set the table?
Is Erick Aybar going to be our guy? He hit just .253 last year, and just .279 from the leadoff spot. Now we know, however, that he was going through some knee problems last season. Evidently, he has fully recovered from offseason surgery, and hopes are high around the organization that he can return to his '09 form (.312 with 70 runs scored). If you read the blog, you know I'm a huge Maicer fan, and recent comments from Mike Scioscia have peaked my interest in Izzy possibly snagging the 1-hole. Scioscia has said that, if Maicer wins the 3B job, he would be the leadoff hitter. I think it would be huge for the team to have him batting first and Aybar hitting ninth.
2. Can Vernon Wells continue his offensive resurgence?
Talk about the most debated topic around Angels Nation this offseason. With 31 jacks, 88 RBI, and a .515 SLG last season, isn't it kind of a shock that fans have given Reagins and company crap from dealing JR and Nap for this guy? Yeah, yeah, I know his contract sucks. Big deal! If he can put up those kind of numbers, those naysayers and contract nerds will go away. I am of the camp who thinks that a shift to LF and a shift off of the turf will be a huge benefit to Wells, and I think we'll all be pretty happy with what he'll bring to the table over the length of his time in Anaheim. Can we all just be excited about having this guy?
3. Can Peter Bourjos add offensive spark to his defensive brilliance?
Man, do I love me some Peter Bourjos. The fact that PB&J is going to get the starting CF job has me so pumped about this team. Our freaking outfield is Wells-Bourjos-Hunter. Are you kidding me? I don't think I've been this excited since the Guillen-Anderson-Guerrero days (man, those were good days). Of course, I'm one of the guys who thinks that Saint Peter's offensive numbers will come around quickly in 2011. I know that he hit .204 when he came up, and I know he probably won't match his usual minor league .314-ish numbers, but he has to be around .280 or .290. With his speed, the hits will come. And once he's on base, the game becomes so much fun to watch. So, let's stop all the talk of Mike Trout coming up to replace Bourjos by June. Any real Angel fan knows that's not going to happen.
4. Can starting pitcher Scott Kazmir find his slider again?
Can he find his ability to pitch again? Forget his slider, let's just see if he can throw strikes! He was so bad last season that it was painful to watch. The game where they left him in and he gave up something like 17 runs, it was just sad. However, word on the street is that Kaz had been engaging in a totally new offseason training regimine, and that he has been throwing really well in camp so far. We've all been talking about Weaver, Ervin, Haren, and Piñero being a really, really good four. But what if Kazmir shocked us all and regained his talent? We would be a lock to win the West.
5. Can Fernando Rodney dominate as a closer?
I defended Fernando for such a long time last season before just giving up. He broke my heart again and again. The bullpen, as a whole, blew 17 saves last season, and after the departure of Brian Fuentes, most of those came under the closing of Fraud-nando. Will he be able to turn things around in 2011? Maybe. He definitely won't "dominate," as the question asks, but he may be "good enough." We have some hard throwing, young arms, waiting to steal the show from him if he sucks. I hope he pulls through, though.
6. Can Jeff Mathis step up as the everyday catcher?
No. I mean, I doubt it. I was a huge Mathis supporter, even going as far as to coin the nickname "Mathis-Matician." And yet, he has proven to me that he doesn't have what it takes to be a good (or even above replacement player level) catcher in this league. The defense is there, but we can't just let out catcher be an easy out. Bobby Wilson isn't much of a backup, and Scioscia has made it pretty clear that Hank Conger will start the year in Salt Lake. Maybe Mathis will surprise us this season, but the odds would strongly suggest that's not going to happen. If Conger isn't behind the dish come June, the Halos are crazy.
7. Will top prospect Mike Trout make an impact in 2011?
Yes, at AAA. The Angels move guys along slowly, and there is no reason to rush Trout along. Sure, he's the next big thing, but he hasn't even made waves in AA yet. I definitely think he'll be in Salt Lake after no more than 50 games with the Travs, but to think he'll do any more than Mark Trumbo did in the bigs last year is jumping the gun a tad. The Angels have a way of handling the youth, and they aren't going to change that because a couple media members just happened to pay attention to a few box scores from Rancho last year.
8. Who will play third base for the Los Angeles Angels?
I've already made my plug for Izturis, but if it's not him, Alberto Callaspo should have the job. Callaspo is solid at the hot corner on defense, and can do enough to contribute at a Kansas City Royals level with the bat. AC hit just .249 with the Halos after coming over in the trade for SOS and others, but I think he's better than that. That being said, Izturis over a whole season would be the better choice, in my opinion. But if that happens, the Callaspo trade just looks stupid. As the Bleacher Report points out, there is always one other option...
9. Will the Angels give Brandon Wood one more opportunity?
Oh boy. This is one of the big questions looming this offseason. Does Brandon Wood get another shot? .146 last season was just plain awful. It looked like the end of the line for Woody. Then, this offseason, he was watching MLB Network and liked the style of the Yankees hitting coach (I'm not kidding). He met with the Yanks coach to get some tips on how to become a better hitter. I'm not sure how Mickey Hatcher feels about it, but if it works, then more power to Wood for trying the "as seen on TV" approach. He's always been good in the Arizona Fall League, is he ready to be good when it actually matters? The bigger question is, how will the Angels give him a legit shot? Will he start everyday for a month or so to start the season? Will he only get a chance if Callaspo and Maicer fail? This is a very interesting one.
10. Can the Los Angeles Angels keep up with the Rangers and A's in the AL West?
I hate this question. The other teams in the division have done so much to upgrade their teams, that the Angels might not have a chance. Please. Adrian Beltre? So what? They're going to lose Michael Young, and they've already lost Cliff Lee. They probably aren't going to be as good as last year. And the A's? Hideki Matsui, Brian Fuentes, and Rich Harden? Come on! Why are these guys being talked about? The Angels need to focus on getting wins, letting their pitching do the talking, and they'll have no trouble winning the division.
Thanks to Doug Meade for the compelling read. I love articles that contain lists.
The first Spring Training game is now only 5 days away!
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Thanks to the picture above, Paulie has officially earned the nickname "Popeye" Pierce.
Well, the Celtics did what good teams do, and beat a crappy team heading into the All-Star break. If you can't do that, you suck. Am I right, Laker fans? Paul Pierce came back crazy strong from his really awful game against Miami, scoring 31 points in the 94-80 win over the Nets yesterday. Paulie's All-Star buddy, Ray Allen, buried a big three with 5:58 left in the game, and that gave the C's an 80-78 lead. The Nets were still right on our tail! Luckily, that shot from beyond the arc started a 16-0 run for the Celtics that put the game in the bag. It quickly turned a close game into a blowout for the Green Army.
The C's shot just 18% from three-ville, but the defense did the job by holding the Nets to 38% from the field. What also helped was how the foul calls went our way. We shot 39 times from the charity stripe, while Jersey was only handed 15 free throws. That's a gigantic advantage. In addition to Popeye's 31, KG put up a double-double (14 and 10), Allen drilled 12, and the bench added 25 (led, surprisingly, by Harangody's 8). Rondo deserves some love as well, as he nabbed 3 steals, which led the team.
The Green Army are sending four players to the All-Star game in Los Angeles this weekend, as Paulie, Ray Ray, R-Squared, and KG all hope to shine for the East. Even more exciting than the actual All-Star game, for Celtic fans, is the three point contest. Pierce is back to try and defend his title, and he'll be going head to head with his buddy (and all-time NBA three point scorer) Ray Allen. So, if we were a betting blog, which we aren't because the blog doesn't make us any money, would we pick Pierce, Allen, or the field in the big event?
Paul Pierce
Ray Allen
The Field (Kevin Durant, Dorell Wright, James Jones, and Daniel Gibson)
Who you got? First off, I'll point out that picking Kevin Durant to be in the three point contest is a complete joke. He shoots below the league average from beyond the arc! That's just stupid. You could have picked from a hundred other jokers, who can actually hit a three at the average clip (watch, he'll win the thing now).
Now, I'm not sure if numbers from the "first half" of the regular season are actually any kind of predictor of success in this contest, but we'll look at 3P% real quick to compare the participants, and then make our pick between the three options.
Pierce- 38.5%
Allen- 45.7%
Durant- 33.8%
Wright- 40.1%
Jones- 42.3%
Gibson- 44.3%
When you look at those numbers, it's kind of hard to want to pick Popeye Pierce to repeat as 3-point champion, which probably goes to show that regular season 3P% isn't a good predictor, as I guessed. It's also really, really hard to pick Durant (because he has a worse 3P% than I do). But, it's kind of really easy to pick the good story. While Gibson and Jones have a chance to hit us with a surprise win, I'm not sure how I can pick anyone other than Ray Allen.
How about that story? The aging veteran, just days after breaking the NBA All-Time Three Point record steps onto the court at Staples Center and blows away the beyond the arc bombing youth to win the exhibition contest? Sounds perfect. Go and get you some, Jesus Shuttlesworth.
Before I go, I will say this, and you should probably sit down. The Celtics have been the basketball team that I have rooted for as long as I can remember. They are, and always have been, my team. Now, when they went out and got KG and Ray Allen, my love took a hit. In fact, I almost defected to being a Timberwolves fan after that whole big trade. Not because the guys we got aren't awesome (they really are amazing players), but because I kind of hated the attention that they got from ESPN and the like (and I kind of hated how much they started winning, and how Doc Rivers became known as some kind of mega-coach). I liked them soooooo much better when it was Pierce, Walker, and the ol' Delonte (and a then-crappy Doc Rivers). I can't really invision a reason that I would ditch my support of the Celtics. Unless... http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2011/02/16/canucks-owner-wants-hornets-in-vancouver-globe-and-mail/
I am officially going on the record. If Vancouver gets a NBA team (again), I will ditch the Celtics and follow the BC Ballers (name idea? I'm just saying...). Yep, it's true. If a team never comes to my favorite North-of-the-Boarder town (which I'm guessing will be the case), I'll keep bleeding green forever.
In a similar vein, I will never switch my NFL support away from the Rams if LA ever gets a new team, just to get that out of the way now. The Rams are just too near and dear to my heart after playing in Anaheim during my youth.
Sorry, C's.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Sorry about the lack of posting yesterday. I was at home, instead of at work, dealing with what we parents call "loose BMs," rather than being at work dealing with people who simply have a screw loose.
With every Canuck game comes more proof that we're completely cursed. I'm sure you're all getting sick of hearing it, but it keeps happening, and it's so crazy that I have to keep talking about it. Of course, I'm still going on about injuries to our blue line. Coming into the week, the Canucks were without Alex Edler, Keith Ballard, and Dan Hamhuis. In Monday's game against the Blues, Andrew Alberts broke his wrist. In Tuesday's game against the Wild, Kevin Bieksa limped off after taking a slapper to the boot. He came back out and played a little at the end, but the Vannies have called up another Moose defender "just in case," and Bieksa is scheduled for x-rays later today. Again, that's Edler, Ballard, Hamhuis, Alberts, and Bieksa. That leaves Aaron Rome, Chrstian Ehrhoff, a slowly returning Sami Salo, and a handful of AHL players on defense.
And yet, we keep winning. And winning big. The Canucks went head to head with the second best team in the division, and skated off the ice with a 4-1 win (and now, they're no longer the second best team in the division). Cory Schneider got the call between the pipes, as Minnesota is still causing Roberto Luongo night terrors, and despite the battered defense, Schnieds got the job done. He stopped 28 of 29 shots in the game, which helped the Canucks to be freed up on offense, and piloted the Orca to the win, even though we managed just 1 shot on goal in the final 20 minutes. The offense was there, as always. Manny Malhotra returned to the scoring sheet, deflecting a Salo slapper on the power play just 5:15 in. Jannik Hansen scored again, with a wicked backhander, and Mikael Samuelsson somehow continued his amazing run with a late second period netter. Ryan Kesler, looking to blow our expectations to pieces even further, scored a "shorty" in the third to seal the deal. It was the only shot we took all period, and it was into an empty net. The Canucks were outshot 14-29, and won 4-1. It defies logic.
I know I keep saying this, but this can't keep up. We are, quite possibly, seeing one of the greatest seasons in Canucks history unfold in front of our very eyes. And they are doing it with one of the most banged up blue lines in the entire NHL. We've got more rookies getting their cup of coffee this season than in any season in recent memory, and yet we keep winning. If our guys can get all healed up in time for the playoffs, watch out. I've already declared that I really think the Canucks are going to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals this season, and now I'm ready to hop on board with "'Nucks Misconduct" in saying that, if this keeps up, Alain Vigneault is a lock for the Jack Adams Trophy.
Vigneault, if he won, would become just the seventh coach in NHL history to win the award more than once (one of the others is former Canucks coach Pat Quinn). He was given the award after the 2006-2007 season, when the Canucks finished 49-26-7 with 105 points to beat our the Minnesota Wild (104 points) for the Northwest Division title. Roberto Luongo had a 2.28 GAA that season, and the Vannies lost to the Ducks in the second round of the playoffs, 4 games to 1 (I was at one of those losing games, in Anaheim). Other LSF fans may remember that season for the Buffalo Sabres making it to the Eastern Conference Finals (only to lose 1-4 to Ottawa), and for the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs failing to make the playoffs at all.
Comparatively, this season the Canucks are on pace for a 52-17-13 finish, which would be good enough for 117 points. The most points that the Canucks have scored in a single season in franchise history was that '06/'07 season, and this season projects to blow that one out of the water. That depends, of course, on the Orca's ability to maintain this high level of play despite losing a player to injury every night. Which is exactly why, if they do keep it up, Vigneault would be the runaway best coach of the year.
Tonight we get SOB and the Preds, as we look to widen our 2 point lead over the Flyers in the chase for the President.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Maybe I should just start hating the entire Central Division. I mean, the rivalry between the Canucks and Blackhawks has been well documented. Now, the St. Louis Blues somehow know how to beat the 'Nucks consistently, and the hate is growing there as well. But, when I look at the Central Division and see the Hawks, the Blues, the Wings, the Preds, and the Blue Jackets, I don't really see a team worth liking (maybe a case can be made for Columbus). The whole division is complete garbage. Today's frustrated rant, though, will focus on those sneaky Blue Notes.
Heading into the battle with the Blues last night, I was really excited. The last team to beat Roberto Luongo in regulation, way back on December 5, was St. Louis. As I typed yesterday, Bobby Lu had gone 16-0-5 since that loss. This game against the Blues, to me at least, was an exciting chance to get some revenge and continue that streak. It didn't end up that way. The Blues scored on two of their five man advantages, and scored another one on a huge mistake from Roberto Luongo. Bobby Lu tried to clear a puck when he was way out from the net, his pass was short, and Alex Steen stole the puck and blasted it in. Our goals from Hank Sedin (with some nice help from the slightly injured Alex Burrows) and Jannik Hansen weren't enough, as we lost 2-3. The game was a great example of how the injuries to our blue line may be catching up to us, especially on the penalty kill.
The Canucks got called on 5 penalties last night, while the Blues got called just once? Home ice advantage, much? We all know that the true backbone of a team's penalty kill unit is their defenders, and with every blue liner and his mother going down for the Orca as of late, our penalty kill units are feeling the brunt. Right now, with Hamhuis, Edler, and Ballard all out (yeah, that's half of our top six forwards), we are grasping at straws. We rolled with Bieksa, Ehrhoff, Salo (who played less than 14 minutes), Tanev (who played less than 13 minutes), Alberts (who played less than 10 minutes), and Rome. Bieksa, Ehrhoff, and Romey combined for over 65 minutes of ice time, and when you look at that ice time all over again, you see that Kevin Bieksa and Christian Ehrhoff shouldered way more of the load than they can possibly handle.
How can Mr. Preseason Trade Rumors and Ehrhoff take over the entire defensive load? They're trying, but they can't, and that showed up on the penalty kill last night. And we're not talking about a good power play team taking it to a weakened penalty kill on this one. The St. Louis Blues have a 15.23 PP%. Compared to the league average of 18.07%, you can easily see how bad they actually are. If you compare them to the class of the league, us at 24.88%, you see even more how unsuccessful the Blues have been on the advantage. And yet, they scored 2 out of 5 times on the Vannies when the refs handed them a power play chance.
So, what are we going to do? Are we just going to wait for Hamhuis and Ballard to get back? Are we going to have to increase the playing time of Sami Salo before he's really ready? Are Bieksa and Ehrhoff just going to have to play like crazy to try and keep our heads above water? The answer to all these questions is probably yes, but isn't there anything else we can do? I'll make a small suggestion.
The Baumer. Why are we struggling with low ice time for a clearly still injured Sami Salo or Andrew Alberts when we have Nolan Baumgartner sitting at Manitoba? Isn't it time to pull him up and have him plug a hole? In 50 games in the AHL so far, he has 3 goals, 22 assists, 28 penalty minutes, and a +4 rating. He's 34 years old, and yet we brought him back into the fold. Why? So that he can rot on the Moose roster while we are playing with three and a half defenders? Come on! Let's stop this lack of depth on blue line, at least a little bit. Let's stop trying to plug holes with players who are, at best, playing 50%. I mean, I love Tanev, but wouldn't it be nice if Baumgartner could come up and play twice as much to give Bieksa and Ehrhoff a little rest? He can do it, just let him.
At 36-12-9, the Vannies are still tops in the NHL, but have played two more games than Philly. Tonight, we're right back at it, going against Minnie on the road at 5 pm. Surprisingly, the Canucks have lost 4 straight times at the Wild's Xcel Energy Center. A win would really do a lot to get us right back on track quickly. Cory Schneider is going to be in between the pipes, so let's get it done.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Dear Nate Montana,
As I was driving home from work last night, your name came up on AM570's "Petros and Money Show." I thought it was a little odd to have a story about Notre Dame's third string QB leading the 6 o'clock hour of sports talk radio in Southern California, but they cover college football pretty well (added to the fact that they're a national show now), and I figured it'd just be another story about you getting busted for drinking again. I was surprised to hear, however, that the story was confirming that you had decided to transfer to the FCS' University of Montana so that you could get some playing time.
To me it seemed like a pretty weak decision, a choice pushed by your father, most likely, to try and get you to a school where he could push people around to get you the playing time that you haven't earned. The sports talk show hosts kind of agreed, and came down on you pretty hard for making the choice. Then, this morning, ESPN ran a story praising you for making such a smart decision. You were the odd man out, with Rees, Crist, and some new recruits, and you deserved a shot. Of course, you have to take into account that ESPN has a huge boner for the FCS, and they're most likely drumming up business for their showing of the FCS playoffs later in the year.
However, the difference in opinion among the media (and I assume, fans) combined with the silence of Notre Dame regarding this whole issue, made me desire to dig a little deeper. I wanted to look at the choices you've made as a player, and then judge your decision like an informed fan, rather than just based on the bad taste I have in my mouth.
You started at Cardinal-Newman High School in Santa Rosa, CA. After not getting enough playing time, or exposure, your family transferred you to De La Salle, one of the most respected high school football programs in the country (although, Servite fans are still a little sore towards them). De La Salle has had some greats play for them. Players like Maurice Jones-Drew, Armani Toomer, and Matt Gutierrez (I should have put "greats" instead of greats). Surely, your time there would turn you into a top prospect by the time college rolled around. Well, that wasn't meant to be. A lack of playing time (even Wikipedia lists you as a "reserve quarterback"...you should fix that), yet again, turned you into an unranked QB coming out of high school (but who cares what Max Preps thinks?) and you had a decision to make.
This is possibly where you made one of your best decisions. In 2008, you enrolled at Notre Dame, and came to the team as a walk-on. And you made the team! Sure, it had a little to do with your name, but the son of Joe Montana working hard to walk on and earn a spot with the Fighting Irish was the stuff of legends. This was a move that could turn your whole image around (you know, the image of a spoiled son of a former NFL hero, who lacks talent at his dad's former position, having his dad push people around to help him continue toward a career path he has no business being a part of). However, you just didn't know how to ride out a good thing.
After finding yourself way down on the depth chart, keeping in mind that you weren't a scholarship player, you left Notre Dame to go play for Pasadena City College. After redshirting your freshman year there, PCC's coach was convinced to let you play. After about three or four games, depending on who you believe, you got benched. Boy, this didn't sit well with you or your father, and as quickly as it started, your career at PCC ended. Then it was back to Notre Dame as a walk on. I'm surprised they let you try out again, but it was a good idea, because in the preseason Blue and Gold game, you played so well that you earned the temporary title of #2 QB and got offered one of our extra scholarships. All of the sudden, everything was working out. You may have gotten busted for underaged drinking in July of 2010, but hey, that Keystone Light is a hard thing to turn down when you're just two month shy of your 21st birthday. We don't judge you for that one around these parts (mostly because there are so many other reasons to judge you).
When Dayne Crist got hurt against Michigan last season, you got a shot! Your big chance on one of football's biggest stages. You, with one of football's biggest names. But, it wasn't meant to be. You were passed up in on field performance by true freshman Tommy Rees, and you fell down the depth chart once more. Coming into the next season with the Irish, you saw a bunch of talented recurits, heard Brian Kelly say that the team would only carry four QBs into spring, and decided to jump ship.
To help yourself play right away, you went to the University of Montana, where they say you are starting classes today. You're a walk on who needs to prove himself, once again, but everyone is kind of assuming that the coaching staff at Montana will be persuaded to select you as the starting QB. Maybe. Maybe it'll only last for four games, and you'll find yourself stuck one last time. At least you'll have that degree from Notre Dame, wait no, I mean, Montana to fall back on.
I think the South Bend Tribune summed up your little journey pretty well when they said, "If Nate Montana's talent ever catches up with his aspirations, it won't be in a Notre Dame uniform." I guess they could have put, "...his dad's aspirations..." and it may have worked even better.
I wish you all the best at the U of Montana in this upcoming season, Nate. But, if I was a betting man, I'd guess that this part of your QB journey is going to end just like the rest. Eventually, you're going to have to face the facts. Just because your dad was a famous QB doesn't mean you get to be the same.
Although, it must be hard to watch your younger brother Nick setting up to be über-succesful in Washington.
Yours in Touchdown Jesus,
This Long Suffering Fan
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
With the Angels having a subpar offseason by most critics' evaluations, the team has constantly referred to the return of Kendry Morales from injury as "better than any possible free agent acquisition." We've all kind of bought into that, as fans, and have eagerly awaited the return of our super star first baseman. Now, just about a month before the season, Kendry is saying that he might not even be ready for opening day. What the heck are we going to do?
After showing up at Spring Training in Tempe, Morales was quick to point out that he doesn't think he'll be starting on opening day, saying, "I know it could be a possibility that I'm not ready. I've been working mentally on that, to be ready to handle that situation." Nice to know he's taking steps to keep his mental health in check, but how does that help us fans? He also said that his ability to run in a straight line is about "50%", that the Angels haven't even had him participate in any running or defensive skills yet, and that he put on about 10 pounds during the offseason because of his inability to be active.
The Angels management is trying to play the situation down as much as possible. Mike Scioscia seems to know nothing of Kendry being at only 50%, "I have no doubt that he'll be 100% by the start of the season. He's not a guy who would need 80 at bats and 25 games this Spring to get ready." Well, Mike, he hasn't played since something like May of 2009, and he's still running at 50%, so what makes you think that he won't need a full Spring to get ready? Despite his amazing confidence in Morales' ability to be ready for go time, he took the time to list who the alternative options would be at first base if Kendry wouldn't be ready. That's kind of telling, right?
Mike said that they'd look at three different options, if needed. Howie Kendrick could shift over to first, as he did a little last year, Brandon Wood and his .146 average could cover, or Mark Trumbo could get his big shot from AAA. The first idea would work, if Maicer Izturis could play second base with Howie at the corner. The second idea is a completely stupid one. Why would you have a guy who struggles to play his natural position, switch to a new position? A better question would be, why would you continue to give Wood a chance after he has failed year in and year out? The final idea has potential to be awesome, although we should realize that if Kendry isn't ready for the opening day bell, he'd be ready fairly quickly, and Trumbo's "shot" wouldn't be for that long. However, he excited the heck out of me at Salt Lake last season (.301/36/122). Those are crazy numbers, and he's obviously ready for a chance in the show.
The other idea I'm floating around, is that this is all smoke and mirrors. Often in sports, we see players or teams build something up to make the impact that much better. Paul Pierce being carted off in a wheel chair, only to come back and drill an important late game three, would be an example that comes to mind. It happens in the NFL all the time, with players being listed as "questionable," only to play and surprise the other team with their health and stamina. Is the same thing going on with the Halos and Kendry Morales? Is he playing up the fact that he is not entirely ready, in the hopes of being completely ready, and impressing us all that much more? Remember, his agent IS Scott Boras, and drumming up drama seems to be one of his specialties. If Kendry starts the season less than 100%, and then goes on to produce like we all hope he will, his value will be even greater.
So, will he or won't he? Will Kendry be ready to step into that batter's box come March 31 in Kansas City? By the way, how cool is it that we start our season against the Royals? Or, will we be rolling with a second option when the season kicks off? I'm going to guess that fan and media pressure will push the Angels to start him, even if he's at 80%, and I just hope that a decision like that doesn't lead to further problems for our Cuban Missile.
Otherwise, it's going to be a long 162.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
Nice to see my boy, and former trade rumor victim, Kevin Bieksa kind of taking over as the lead man on defense these days.
What's been even better has been the incredible play of Mikael Samuelsson. He kept it up Saturday night, scoring two goals to compliment Alex Burrow's two goals (one being an empty netter) and Luongo's 24/26 night, as the Canucks busted the recently hot Flames 4-2. The Flames hadn't loss in regulation in eleven games, and I guess that had them feeling pretty good. Too bad it didn't stand a chance of continuing against Bobby Lu and his 16-0-5 record since December 5. When you combine that kind of goal tending with a career night for Swedish Sammy (he scored his 300th career point), you're bound to get a big Orca victory.
To say Mikael Samuelsson has been hot lately would be drastically understating things. In his last 8 games, Sammy has 7 goals and 7 assists. 14 points in his last 8! Where the heck has this stud been hanging out? We saw, last season, how amazing he could be when paired with the Twins, but this recent production (after an oft talked about slow start) has been unreal. In his 55 games this season, Mikael now has 15 goals, 24 assists, and is a +10. Not bad numbers. Of course, at 47 games, the numbers weren't good at all (8 goals and 17 assists). It's funny how a little streak can turn your whole season around in the eyes of the average fan.
When the Canucks acquired Samuelsson, he quickly made GM Mike Gillis look like a genius for stealing such an underrated offensive force. That talk is again brewing, and I was wondering just how good he actually is. Since coming to Vancouver, is Samuelsson a top 5 Vannie player? Since coming to the Canucks, Samuelsson's stats (projected out to the two full 82 game seasons that he's been here) are impressive:
57 goals, 60 assists, 117 points, and 46 "goals created"
For a second line and sometimes third line RW, those numbers are pretty good. But, are they good enough to put him top 5 on the team over this season so far and all of last? Here are the rankings (based on point total, and again projecting the numbers to 164 games over two seasons).
1. Daniel Sedin- 218 points, 78 GC
2. Henrik Sedin- 213 points, 58 GC
3. Ryan Kesler- 160 points, 59 GC
4. Alex Burrows- 131 points, 52 6C
5. M. Samuelsson- 117 points, 46 GC
A couple of things jump out at me based on complaints and comments made by the average Canuck fan. First is that Ryan Kesler is the best player on the team over the last two years after the Wonder Twins. So many people, both media and fans, gave Kesler crap for a "slow" start to the season, and then when he came on strong, everyone acted shocked. This guy is amazing, has been amazing, and will continue to be amazing. Don't act so surprised. The other thing is obviously about Mikael Samuelsson. He is the #5 scorer on the Canucks over the last two seasons, and that says a lot about what he has done since he came to BC (and about how he continues to be underrated). And, this all comes despite a real, honest to goodness slow start to this year. For me, this list puts things into perspective. If Torii Hunter doesn't get a RBI in two weeks, people may jump on him. But, when he gets 10 RBI in the next week, no one is going to act shockerd about his greatness.
Mikael Samuelsson is a solid force on this team, and has been for the last year and a half. Treat him as such.
At 36-11-9, the 'Nucks are 16 up in the division, 7 up in the conference, and 4 up in the league. It's still a really good time to be a Canuck fan. I almost feel spoiled this year. Tonight we play the team that last beat Roberto Luongo in regulation. It's the St. Louis Blues, and the Orca are going to need to vanquish those ghosts of December 5 to prove a point and keep on pace. Speaking of points, hopefully Kes and Ma$e can help Samuelsson get a couple more.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
The Celtics beat the Heat again yesterday. Now 3-0 against "The Super Team," the C's have clinched home court advantage in the playoffs if the two squads should finish tied. Rajon Rondo was electric, rocking a triple double (11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists), and LeBron James choked late. "The Decision Maker" bricked a crucial free throw late, and then had a Jeter-esque dive into the stands result in him passing the ball directly to Ray Allen, who fed Glen Davis for a breakaway dunk. KG led the C's with 19, Perkins had his best game of the season, Big Baby added 16 from the bench, and The Green Army rolled 85-82.
The weird thing about the game was the complete absence of Paul Pierce. St. Paulie went 0 for 10 from the field, 0 for 5 from beyond the arc, and just 1 for 2 from the charity stripe. He finished this hugely important win with 1 point, 5 boards, and 3 assists in 40 minutes (along with 3 fouls and 3 turnovers). How, in such an important game, could our best player come up so empty? Should we be concerned with his play against our primary challenge in the East?
Pierce has had two other single digit scoring game so far this season, scoring 8 points against Charlotte in December and 8 points against New Jersey earlier in December. However, those both came with decreased minutes (around the 20ish mark). So what happened yesterday? We turn to the words of the man himself, the man they call "The Truth,"
"It was tough, you know right now, just battling a couple of minor injuries to my hand and foot. So I think that really explains my tentativeness and my off-shooting today. I told Doc that I really didn't have it today, but I just tried to grind it out, and thank goodness we came out with a win."
But was "The Truth" speaking the truth? In the post game press conference, Rivers told the media that Pierce told him, prior to the game, that he was feeling "awful." Thanks to "Celtics Blog" for getting us that information, along with another tid bit that shows us that Paul may not be telling the whole truth. Paul Pierce is scheduled to get a MRI on his left foot later today.
At some point you have to figure that the injuries will just be too much for us to handle. Let's just hope that Paul's results come out negative, and that our other stars can heal up over the next month, so we can have our full squad heading into the playoffs. I guess us Celtic fans can always think of it this way: despite injuries to Semih Erden, Marquis Daniels, Delonte West, Nate Robinson, Shaq O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal, and now possibly Paul Pierce, we STILL beat the Heat. It's another shining example of how this team has quite possibly an unmatched depth compared to the rest of the NBA. That really makes me like our chances come playoff time.
At 39-14, the Celtics are all alone on top of the East (0.5 up on Miami), and get ready to face the Nets (17-38) on Wednesday. When your best player is Brook Lopez, you know you suck. Win #40 is in our sights.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
