SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers

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by | Jan 9, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The Boston Celtics roll into the city of brotherly love to do battle with one of the lone teams they have yet to beat in the East this year, as their primetime matinee against the Philadelphia 76ers will be broadcasted at 7:00 p.m. ET on TNT.

Fresh off of a disappointing home loss to the Spurs, the Celtics were caught by surprise in a 15-point trouncing, as they let ex-Raptors guard and old Atlantic Division rival DeMar DeRozan run rampant on them to have a signature 30-point night. What was more publicized in the tabloids was the erratic behavior of a Kemba Walker who, before being ejected in the third quarter of Wednesday’s contest, complained about a missed illegal screen call and was bounced after. And that fan that decided to invoke his own say by chucking a beer can over the Spurs bench and across the parquet floor? He was banned for life.

That fan’s anger was understandable (unacceptable, obviously) since these Celtics haven’t started out their 2020 on the right foot, losing two straight after winning two straight to kick off the new decade. The inconsistencies of their stars is becoming a pressing issue, and with guys like Walker and Jayson Tatum (who’s only scored 17 points against the Wizards and 14 points in 31 minutes against the Spurs) is quite the means for concern. Fortunately, their scoring efforts may come a little easier when dealing with a Sixers team that’s going to be without Joel Embiid for an unconfirmed amount of time with a torn tendon in his left hand.

For these two teams in their conference this year, it’s been a tale of two polar opposites. The Eastern favorites that all experts theorized to take heed of their conference is only a game or two out of holding the sixth spot in the division, and these Celtics are only a couple games out of repossessing the second-best spot in the East. As Boston returns to the site of their first loss of the season, the opportunity for the C’s to have the size advantage down low is there for their taking, as the rotation of Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter might have a field day against the Sixers’ lack of depth at the five spot.

That doesn’t mean they’re completely absolved from dealing with the multifaceted, other half of that frontcourt/backcourt, though. The 6’10 guard Ben Simmons, who is averaging nearly 15 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals per contest is still one of the league’s most intimidating defenders and with the addition of ex-Celtic Al Horford who is likely to slide over to that Center spot, the spacing of these Sixers that’s struggled to materialize itself multiple times this season will be a keen factor worth the examination in this primetime matchup.

Sixers/Celtics tips off on TNT at 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT.

Jan 9, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Milwaukee Bucks at Golden State Warriors

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Milwaukee Bucks at Golden State Warriors

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by | Jan 9, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The 32-6 Milwaukee Bucks travel to the Bay, and some more pleasant weather, to take on the 9-29 Golden State Warriors for the second stint of Wednesday’s primetime doubleheader at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Obviously, the stars are on the shelf for the nine-win Warriors, so the punch isn’t all that packed for this Wednesday night game. Otherwise, it would have been a marquee source of entertainment considering we’d see a four-quarter battle between Eastern and Western powerhouses in the efforts to supplant a possible finals preview with, y’know, the Splash Brothers going toe-to-toe with the current league MVP and self-dubbed “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo, but karma had other plans.

Instead, we’ll witness a team that’s shifted their starting five so many times with certain pieces that’s two-way contracts almost up have to face the most fear-mongering offensive and defensive juggernaut in perhaps all of the league as the Bucks still possess the top spot among all leaderboards in total wins so far this year.

But it won’t be all that bad for Steve Kerr and his Warriors, right? I mean it was only nights ago that the Bucks got embarrassed by the Spurs on the road in a crushing 126-104 loss which only saw Antetokounmpo score an uncharacteristic 24 points off 41 percent shooting. Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe also vastly and surprisingly underperformed this past Monday night, and to make matters a little harder, George Hill is under the weather with an illness, keeping him out of Wednesday’s showdown.

But then again, things haven’t gone that much better for a team that’s still holding onto the third-worst record in the NBA. They got trounced by the Kings via a 111-98 score, which also showed Kerr getting ejected after verbally disagreeing with an official on a missed call. The 26th ranked defense in the NBA is gonna have a bunch on their plate, and maybe a couple of seconds as well in dealing with the most efficient offense in the NBA per their leading mark in scoring and winning differential across the stratosphere of the league.

Other than Eric Paschall, who sits at third in the overall field goal percentage by shooting an average of 49 percent a game, there isn’t much to hang their hats on when it comes to being perceived as that threatening team they once were just a couple of months prior to the beginning of this season. Kevon Looney and D’Angelo Russell with both be out of this matchup, so a win by the Bucks that will come handily isn’t far out of possibility at all. Still, we’ve seen this Warriors team surprise the lot of NBA fans with some upset wins, so the bucks earning win No. 33 certainly isn’t a confirmation, yet.

Jan 9, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks

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by | Jan 9, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Wednesday NBA on ESPN action is ready to go for the channel’s third televised contest of the new decade, featuring the 25-11 Denver Nuggets taking a trip down south to duel with the 23-win Dallas Mavericks at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Though Dallas is only two games down the rankings compared to the second-place Nuggets, tonight may tell a different story regarding these new-look Mavericks, considering that All-Star and MVP-caliber forward Luka Doncic will be without his main comrade in Kristaps Porzingis after the 7’3 Latvian center suffered a slight knee injury that’s kept him on the bench ever since their 108-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers back on December 29.

They’re forced to encounter a now scorching-hot Nuggets team that’s won 11 of their last 14 games and another MVP candidate in Nikola Jokic who is giving all teams fits both on the glass and in the scoring department, averaging a whopping 27 points and 8.3 rebounds in his last three games.

Speaking of his last outing, he dropped a career-high against the Hawks on Monday night, recording an insane 47 points off an efficient 16-of-25 shooting performance with four three balls to boot. He’s finding his groove and the results of every piece of Mike Malone’s rotation pitching in has done wonders for a team that opponents are now gaining a sense of inefficacy in trying to topple them on a nightly occurrence.

The Nuggets’ road trip begins this week with a team that they lost to the last time they squared off against in Rick Carlisle’s Mavericks who are in sixth place in the Western Conference. Dallas, however, doesn’t pose as much of a threat on their home floor as they do on the road, only culminating an average-at-best 11-8 record in the American Airlines Center this year. They’re excited to have pieces in Tim Hardaway Jr. back from an ankle injury, posting a respectable 15 points in a return win over the Bulls earlier this week, but will really have to dig deep to take down another Western powerhouse if they are to find a way to their 24th win of the season on Wednesday night.

Jan 9, 2020 No Comments
SneakerReporter NBA Mid-Season Grades (Atlantic Division)

SneakerReporter NBA Mid-Season Grades (Atlantic Division)

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by | Jan 8, 2020 | Featured, NBA

As we approach the halfway point into the NBA Season, we’ve seen what teams that have met, surpassed, and fell short of the expectations that were set upon them at the beginning thus far, kicking things off with the Atlantic Division.

Boston Celtics (25-9): A-

This season has been great so far if you’re a Celtics fan. After last season’s fiasco with the depth issues that the team had faced, people were fairly skeptical going in with that issue being resolved, ultimately with the loss of Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier. With said skepticism, fans were unsure if Kemba Walker was enough to make up for the two guards. The concerns have quickly been shut down, with the Celtics being placed second in the standings so far, only behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Alongside Walker, the rest of the Celtics roster has stepped-up, most notably Jayson Taytum and Jaylen Brown, who have been showing that they are in the conversation for one of the premier duos in the league.  The Celtics rank in the top 10 for both Offensive and Defensive Rating, being 7th and 3rd, respectively. If they can continue this level play throughout the latter half of the season, the Celtics would make a very interesting contender in this year’s NBA Playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets (16-19): C-

The Nets going from last season to this one is quite the opposite of the Cetlics’. The Nets made it to Playoffs season for the first time since 2015, and going into this season with the acquisition of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and DeAndre Jordan, Nets fans expected quite a lot from the team. However, things can happen throughout the grueling 82-game season, and injuries are bound to happen. Durant isn’t projected to play this season, but with Irving jumping back and forth between playing and being on the injury list, the Nets have struggled to find much rhythm. With names like Spencer Dinwiddie, the Nets have been able to keep themselves near the cusp of a .500 record. However, with no definitive return in sight for Irving, the Nets’ future this season remains undoubtably questionable.

New York Knicks (10-26): D

The Knicks have quite obviously been a bottom-tier team for many years. They’ve struggled heavily trying to establish themselves, having no real standout player. Marcus Morris has been the teams’ main offensive option, however they’re still ranked in the bottom 10 in terms of Offensive and Defensive Ratings. There generally isn’t much to say about this roster, for they weren’t necessarily projected to do very well this season, which has been apparent, being tied for second to last in the Eastern Conference. To end this on a high note, however, the team really is more built for a long-term rebuild, which is exciting for fans for the future.

Philadelphia 76ers (24-14): B-

Going into the new season, the 76ers carried high expectations after exiting the Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors last year. The 76ers have kept their roster fairly the same as last year, all except the loss of Jimmy Butler and his move to Miami. Despite such a loss, the 76ers have been able to maintain a solid level of play, placing fifth so far this season, with Embiid and Simmons at the forefront. It is almost certain that the 76ers will make the Playoffs, but genuinely is a matter of positioning in the conference.

Toronto Raptors (24-13): B

Last seasons’ NBA Champions, the Toronto Raptors received quite a harsh blow to their roster with the loss of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Despite such losses, the team has still found much success, placing fourth in the league. The Raptors were expected to be a middle of the pack team, but they have managed to rally together and play solid basketball, specifically behind Pascal Siakam, and Kyle Lowry, and Fred VanVleet. This far into the season, the Raptors have proved themselves that they’re genuine contenders for the Playoffs.

Jan 8, 2020 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: New York Giants hire Joe Judge as Head Coach

BREAKING NEWS: New York Giants hire Joe Judge as Head Coach

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by | Jan 7, 2020 | Featured, NFL

The coaching search floodgates have burst open as we now have our second hiring of the day. After missing out on Baylor’s (now Carolina’s) Matt Rhule, the New York Giants quickly moved on and picked New England Patriots special teams and wide receivers coach, Joe Judge, to be their next head coach according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

Judge was in high-demand this offseason as his alma mater, Mississippi State also offered him their head coach position according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport but he ultimately decided to take the Giants job:

Many wondered if the Patriots’ AFC Wild Card loss to the Tennessee Titans would be the end of the dynasty. While names like Tom Brady and Josh McDaniels were spoken of as potential defections from the franchise, Judge becomes the first member to leave New England.

Rapoport also mentions that Bill Belichick was a big fan of Judge and saw him as a future head coach:

As a first-time head coach, the rest of his staff will be critical and according to ESPN’s Ed Werder, the team has requested permission from the Dallas Cowboys to interview Jason Garrett as a potential offensive coordinator:

Awaiting Judge—besides a bunch of court-themed headlines and puns—is a team that has some talent (Saquon Barkley mainly) but is ultimately in the middle of a rebuild. New York has the number four pick in April’s 2020 NFL Draft, and since the team retained Dave Gettleman as its general manager it is unlikely that they will be looking for a quarterback after taking Daniel Jones last year.

Prior to joining the Patriots, Judge was also a special teams assistant at Alabama under Nick Saban from 2009 to 2011. The common belief in coaching circles is that the special teams coach is the member of the staff who operates most similarly to a head coach. John Harbaugh’s run with the Baltimore Ravens is one example of a special teams-to-head coach success story and the Giants are hoping that Judge will be another.

Jan 7, 2020 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Carolina Panthers Hire Matt Rhule as Head Coach

BREAKING NEWS: Carolina Panthers Hire Matt Rhule as Head Coach

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by | Jan 7, 2020 | Featured, NFL

Another day, another coaching hire. This time it’s the Carolina Panthers who have found their man. They went to the college ranks and plucked Matt Rhule from Baylor according to Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel:

The news comes as a bit of surprise as the coaching search itinerary had Josh McDaniels visiting Carolina today and Rhule heading to his interview with the New York Giants. While McDaniels was one of the top candidates for the Panthers, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that ownership met with Rhule in Waco, Texas and were convinced he was their guy afterwards. Rather than let him meet with the Giants—where he was the clubhouse leader for the job—the two sides agreed to a deal before his plane could head north:

Rhule has spent the past six seasons turning around programs like Temple (2013-16) and Baylor (2017-19) but before he became a head coach in college he worked on the 2012 Giants staff as an offensive line coach so he has some NFL experience in his background.

A detailed-oriented coach who has been praised for the culture he’s built at his two collegiate stops, Rhule and the Panthers will first need to decide whether or not Cam Newton is part of the team’s future. A Lisfranc injury cut the former MVP’s season short but neither Kyle Allen or Will Grier did enough to cement themselves as true starting-caliber quarterbacks going forward. Carolina also holds the seventh pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which could give Rhule the opportunity to choose his own guy depending on how the board plays out.

Jan 7, 2020 No Comments