Random Thoughts (May 29, 2008)

Yes, the Boston Celtics are just one game away from reaching the NBA Finals. This is not just a great time to be a lover of all things green, it is a truly great time to be a Boston sports fan. Is it me or does it seem like we have spent this entire decade watching a big game featuring a Boston team. The Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007 and lost out in the ALCS in 2003 and the ALDS in 2005. The Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and lost the Super Bowl in 2008 and the AFC Championship Game in 2007. The C's are only one win away from the Finals and in 2002 they lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. Even the Bruins, who haven't won a playoff series this century (TRIVIA: When was the last time the Bruins won a playoff series and who did they defeat?) have lost in a Game 7 in both 2004 and 2008. For all the flaws this Celtic team is showing -- and the fact that they struggle to close out double-digit leads might be their eventual downfall -- this is still, to me, the favorite to grab the Larry O'Brien trophy in a few weeks. Ray Allen has started to find his shooting touch, Kevin Garnett is playing at a high level, Paul Pierce does make horrible decisions with the ball but he can score on anyone in a 1-on-1 situation, Rajon Rondo has played great at times, between Kendrick Perkins and PJ Brown the team is getting solid play at the center position and James Posey provides a spark off the bench. I believe the C's will go into Detroit on Friday night and ride the backs of KG, Jesus Shuttlesworth and the Truth -- the three stars who can taste the Finals -- to a huge Game 6 victory. Bring on Kobe... Maybe this Red Sox team needs pressure to win because they certainly can't do anything away from Fenway Park when they know most of Boston and New England are fixed on the Celtics. I'm not saying it's a bad thing -- teams that thrive on pressure often find themselves playing deep into October -- but they have to figure out a way to win on the road. At home, the Sox boast an impressive 21-5 record. On the road they are a pathetic 11-19. I still consider the travel -- this is their second trip to the West Coast already and don't forget about Japan or Kevin Youkilis will kill you -- a problem but if this team is to play into October, they better start winning away from Fenway Park... Another problem area for the Red Sox has been the bullpen. Other than closer Jonathan Papelbon, the bullpen has struggled. Manny Delcarmen (0-1, 5.14 ERA), Mike Timlin (2-3, 6.89) and Craig Hansen (1-2, 7.20) do not have good numbers and even Hideki Okajima has been shaky lately. Theo Epstein's only logical choice, if the relief corps doesn't straighten themselves out in the next week or so, is to turn to his well stocked farm system. Justin Masterson, who has been great in two spot starts for Boston, and Clay Buchholz might be the two power arms who Terry Francona can turn to in a jam... Trivia Answer: The Bruins last won a playoff series in 1999 over the Carolina Hurricanes. Drop the puck... The NBA Draft is the truly hardest to predict. With the influx of talent from Europe, Asia and Africa, one never knows what is going to happen, especially later in the Draft. My initial mock draft, based on my knowledge of college basketball and the NBA teams in these positions along with what I have read about the foreign talent, is as follows: 1. Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose, PG, Memphis 2. Miami Heat: Michael Beasley, PF, Kansas State 3. Minnesota Timberwolves: Brook Lopez, C, Stanford 4. Seattle Sonics: OJ Mayo, SG, USC 5. Memphis Grizzlies: Kevin Love, PF, UCLA 6. New York Knicks: Jerryd Bayless, PG, Arizona 7. LA Clippers: Russell Westbrook, PG, UCLA 8. Milwaukee Bucks: Eric Gordon, SG, Indiana 9. Charlotte Bobcats: DJ Augustin, PG, Texas 10. New Jersey Nets: Danilo Gallinari, SF, Italy 11. Indiana Pacers: Anthony Randolph, PF, LSU 12. Sacramento Kings: Brandon Rush, SG, Kansas 13. Portland Blazers: DeAndre Jordan, C, Texas A&M 14. Golden State Warriors: Joe Alexander, SF, West Virginia 15. Phoenix Suns: Darrell Arthur, PF, Kansas 16. Philadelphia 76ers: Chris Douglas-Roberts, SF, Memphis 17. Toronto Raptors: Robin Lopez, C, Stanford 18. Washington Wizards: Marreese Speights, PF, Florida 19. Cleveland Cavaliers: Chase Budinger, SF, Arizona 20. Denver Nuggets: Kosta Koufos, C, Ohio State 21. New Jersey Nets: Donte Green, SF, Syracuse 22. Orlando Magic: Bill Walker, SF, Kansas State 23. Utah Jazz: Nicolas Batum, SF, France 24. Seattle Sonics: Nathan Jawai, PF, Australia 25. Houston Rockets: Roy Hibbert, C, Georgetown 26. San Antonio Spurs: Mario Chalmers, PG, Kansas 27. New Orleans Hornets: JJ Hickson, PF, NC State 28. Memphis Grizzlies: JaVale McGee, PF, Nevada 29. Detroit Pistons: Serge Ibaka, PF, Congo 30. Boston Celtics: Ante Tomic, C, Croatia Enjoy Ken Griffey Jr. tonight...

Random Thoughts (May 27, 2008)

Even a diehard Celtic fan who has waited nearly his entire life to see the C's win the NBA Championship like myself has got to show respect for Antonio McDyess. When I was a teenager, McDyess was one of my favorite NBA players to watch. He had size, athleticism and ability, the perfect power forward package. Watching McDyess throw down dunks with a ferocious aggression put him in line with the likes of Shawn Kemp, Charles Barkley, Tom Chambers and Larry Nance -- those athletic power forwards who dunked on everyone. Knee injuries robbed McDyess of his hops and of his youth, sadly. He has come back with the Detroit Pistons as a jump shooting role player but in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons he has been the MAN. Last night in a crucial Game 4 in Detroit that the Pistons absolutely had to win, McDyess dropped in 21 points and snared 16 rebounds, leading Detroit to a convincing 94-75 victory. McDyess may be killing the C's but you have to love the heart and desire he is showing in this series. For a guy robbed of much of his natural ability, McDyess is willing himself -- and his team -- in the direction of a championship. One must give credit where credit is due... I don't know if I would trust Doc Rivers to coach a youth soccer team, let alone the Celtics... There is a lot of deserved praise being thrown around for Bartolo Colon. My note on Colon is that I love the fact he takes about 3 seconds in between pitches to agree with Jason Varitek's signal and start his windup. I love a good, solid, quick MLB game, especially when the Sox are on the West Coast... Sid the Kid, Malkin, Fleury and the rest of the Penguins will hopefully look back years from now -- and probably with their names enscribed on Lord Stanley's Cup more than once -- and remember the beating that Detroit put on them in the 2008 Cup Final was the best thing that ever happened to them... I'd spend good money to see the 1969 Celtics take on the 2008 Spurs... My All-non-Red Sox team looks like this: C: Russell Martin, Dodgers 1B: Albert Pujols, Cardinals 2B: Chase Utley, Phillies 3B: David Wright, Mets SS: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins LF: Matt Holliday, Rockies CF: Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners RF: Nick Markakis, Orioles Starting Pitchers: Dan Haren and Brandan Webb, Diamondbacks; Rich Hill, Cubs; Pedro Martinez, Mets; Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, Braves; Greg Maddux, Padres Bullpen: Trevor Hoffman, Padres; Brad Lidge, Phillies, Mariano Rivera, Yankees Evan Longoria, Jose Reyes, David Eckstein, Michael Young and Vlad Gurrero all just missed the cut for a team that has a heavy NL flavor to it... I miss the Cold War in an Olympic year... First golf outing of the year took place last Friday. The Harmon Club in Rockland, MA, a beautiful 9 hole course, witnessed me shooting a 61. For me, 26 over par is not that bad of a day... Lacrosse may not be my game but the goal scored by the John Hopkins attackman during Saturday's semifinals -- where he was running past the goal and dropped it in over his neck -- was amazing... I like Matt Ryan. I hope he does well in the NFL. I think Atlanta made a mistake in giving him $35 million in guaranteed money... Enjoy Tim Duncan tonight...

Random Thoughts (May 20, 2008)

As the Celtics prepare to open the Eastern Conference Finals tonight against the Pistons, I have to take a second and think back to one year ago and remember the horror that was the Celtics in 2007. The C's had finished the season with the second worst record in the NBA. The Draft Lottery was the one salvation for believers in the green. With Ohio State center Greg Oden and Texas forward Kevin Durant on the board, the C's were primed to get a serious talent to place next to Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson and Rajon Rondo. However, the ping-pong balls bounced the wrong way and the C's fell to the fifth pick in the Draft. Danny Ainge ultimately packaged that pick (which became Georgetown forward Jeff Green) with Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West and shipped it to Seattle for Ray Allen. Later in the summer, Ainge dealt a group of young players, headlined by Jefferson, to Minnesota for Kevin Garnett. As I remember how I felt one year ago, no matter what this team does against the Pistons or, if we're lucky enough, either the Lakers or Spurs, I consider the past year to be a success. KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo & Co. won 66 regular season games and, even though it hasn't been easy, have won two playoff series to boot. I pity the fans in New York, Miami, Memphis, Seattle and Minnesota who are tying their hopes to the likes of Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo... I like the Celtics to win the Eastern Finals. Yes, they have struggled to get past the Hawks and Cavaliers but (it's never good to explain your point with a BUT in a championship series) I think they matchup well with Detroit. The Pistons are a very good team and they have championship experience that the Celtics do not possess yet (different way of saying BUT) they lack the Joe Johnson or LeBron James that can take over an entire series. Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups can dominate a game or two but the Pistons will not just flip the ball to one scorer and get out of the way over a six or seven game series. This is the series where KG needs to get on the block and attack Rasheed Wallace. Wallace can not stop KG for seven games and it will force Detroit to send help, opening up KG for what he does best on offense ... passing. With good ball movement, the C's will be able to get Ray Allen the consistent open looks that he hasn't had in weeks, which should be a good thing (he can't shoot 15% from 3 again, can he?). I will take the C's in five games. They will finally win on the road and they will finally remind us all why they won 66 games this season and why we all believed in the championship hype... Jon Lester is officially no longer known as "cancer survivor" Jon Lester. He is "no-hit" Jon Lester or "World Series winner" Jon Lester. Just let him pitch... I'm actually looking forward to the Penguins-Red Wings Stanley Cup Finals. Sid the Kid v. Hockeytown. Penguins in 6... Enjoy KG tonight...

Random Lists (May 12, 2008)

Top 3 Reasons To Miss Julian Tavarez: 3. He's a solid guy out of the bullpen or spot starter 2. He's got a few screws loose, something I think is a must to succeed in Boston 1. He's the one who I credit with keeping Manny a happy camper Top 5 Reasons Why The C's MUST WIN Tonight 5. I'm still sick thinking about the C's losing Game 3 at the hands of Delonte and Wally 4. It's embarrassing to see Doc Rivers get outcoached by Mike Brown and Mike Woodson 3. Kevin Garnett wants to close out the Cavs in Boston in 5 games, not 7 2. It would be nice to finally win a road playoff game 1. The sooner LeBron is finished, the sooner Paul Pierce can exhale Top 5 Reasons Why Jerod Mayo Will Be A Stud In 2008 5. Junior Seau 4. Mike Vrabel 3. Adalius Thomas 2. Tedy Bruschi 1. Bill Belichick Top 5 Teams In Baseball Right Now 5. Florida Marlins 4. Los Angeles Dodgers 3. Minnesota Twins 2. Boston Red Sox 1. Arizona Diamondbacks Top 5 Most Disappointing Teams In Baseball Right Now 5. New York Yankees 4. Cleveland Indians 3. San Diego Padres 2. Toronto Blue Jays 1. Detroit Tigers Top 6 Reasons To Watch Playoff Hockey 6. Rising tensions often leads to fights 5. Goalies standing on their heads 4. Barry Melrose, Steve Levy and Don Cherry 3. Sid the Kid 2. Mike Modano still kicking some ass 1. The Red Wings Top 8 NBA Players Under The Age of 25 8. Kevin Durant 7. Brandon Roy 6. Chris Bosh 5. Carmelo Anthony 4. Deron Williams 3. Dwight Howard 2. Chris Paul 1. LeBron James Top 5 College Freshmen In June's NBA Draft 5. OJ Mayo 4. Kevin Love 3. Eric Gordon 2. Michael Beasley 1. Derrick Rose Top 8 College Basketball Coaches Of The Last 20 Years 8. Roy Williams 7. Ben Howland 6. Rick Pitino 5. Billy Donovan 4. Tom Izzo 3. Bob Knight 2. Coach K 1. Dean Smith Top 5 Reasons To Hate Clemens 5. His affair with Mindy McReady 4. Toronto 3. Steroids 2. His love triangle with Derek Jeter and Andy Petitte 1. New York

Random Thoughts (May 2, 2008)

Random thoughts on consecutive days? Hey, it's the 63rd anniversary of Berlin surrendering to the Soviets (a precursor to the Cold War) and I'm in a happy mood... There is an interesting tidbit about a certain former Celtics coach at SI.com this morning. Yes, the Rick-tator is a rumored candidate to replace Avery Johnson as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Sorry Louisville, Denny Crum ain't walking through that door. I have no doubt that if Pitino takes the Mavs job, he will be back in college withing five years. Louisville probably isn't big enough for Slick Rick anymore, he'll take a better situation in Dallas than he had in Boston and when Billy Gillespie is forced out at Kentucky in a few years, Pitino can return to Lexington... Dave Magadan, tell those boys it's part of the game to score some runs... The C's will go for the jugular tonight and close out the Hawks. My biggest worry is that one of the young Hawks will try to draw Kendrick Perkins or, worse, KG into a confrontation that could lead to a possible suspension. Keep your cool tonight boys... Enjoy Evan Longoria tonight...

Random Thoughts (May 1, 2008)

In the beginning of April I wrote that if the Red Sox were 17-12 going into April I would be happy. You know what? The 17-12 record they sport right now makes me more than happy. Considering all the travel, injuries, Big Papi's slump, the struggling bullpen and the schedule, the Sox have me very excited for the 2008 summer. In spite of the troubles I listed, many things have contributed to the good start for the Sox. Start with the starting pitching, which was very good in April. Daisuke Matsuzaka is off to a 4-0 start and has a 2.52 ERA. Dice-K may throw too many pitches for my liking (111 in seven innings last night) but he has been a much more dominant pitcher so far in 2008 than he was in 2007. Staff ace Josh Beckett's numbers don't jump off the paper (2-2, 4.10 ERA) but other than one poor inning in Toronto in his season debut, Beckett has been very good. Jon Lester (1-2, 4.31 ERA) wastes almost as many pitches as Dice-K but showed all of Red Sox Nation what kind of ability he has on Tuesday when he pitched eight innings of one-hit, shutout baseball. Tim Wakefield (2-0, 4.06), Clay Buchholz (1-2, 4.08) and Justin Masterson (0-0, 1.50) have also given the Sox solid starting pitching from the back end of the rotation. The Red Sox lineup, which has been waiting for David Ortiz (.184 BA, 5 HR, 21 RBI, .644 OPS) to get hot and healthy (that knee scares me) and for Mike Lowell (.189/0/0/.484) to do the same, is doing enough (eight wins in their last at-bat in April) to win. While the wait is on for Papi and Lowell, Manny Ramirez has jumped out to a great start (.343/6/20/1.029). Manny, who hired Scott Boras over the winter in anticipation of his possible free agency this winter, must be making Theo Epstein think hard about an extension. Manny is not the only Sox bat making noise. Dustin Pedroia (.303 BA, 13 RBI), Kevin Youkilis (.304 BA, 15 RBI) and Jacoby Ellsbury (.280 BA, 11 RBI, 8 SB) are off to great starts. The Sox have also received production from Jed Lowrie, Coco Crisp, Julio Lugo, Jason Varitek and JD Drew at different times and we can't forget the hot start Sean Casey was off to (.346 BA, 8 RBI) before injuring his hip. 17-12. A one-game lead over surprising Baltimore in the AL East. April is over and I'm very happy. May is here and I'm very excited... Ian Thomsen was dead on in his column for SI.com yesterday. The Celtics may look back on their "lost" weekend in Atlanta at the end of June and credit the two losses for pushing them to a championship level. Almost every great team has to experience losing before it reaches championship status and bouncing back from losing to the Hawks with a 110-85 win last night is a sign that this team is capable of putting a bad game or two behind them when it matters. Now, a 66-16 team beating a talented but very inexperienced team is not the 1980 Celtics losing to Philadelphia in the Eastern Finals. It is not the 1989 and 1990 Bulls losing to the Pistons in consecutive years. It is not the 1999 Lakers being swept by the Spurs. But it still means something. Other than San Antonio and Detroit, all the contenders made a serious addition or two to their roster before or during the 2007-08 season. The type of continuity we are used to seeing among the NBA powers is not in play this spring. I want to slap myself in the face for thinking that the Suns -- who added the decaying bones of Shaq in February -- could knock off the Spurs and advance to the Finals. The Spurs experience of playing together on a championship level for almost an entire decade is something no other team has, including the Pistons, who coast through the regular season like the Spurs but haven't found a way to turn up their level of play in the postseason like the Spurs. My point is that the Celtics might not have to go through the growing pains that championship teams traditionally had to endure. Sure, a Finals matchup with the Spurs might be where this team learns its June lessons but to win the East, a few losses to the Hawks could be just what this team needs... The best Celtics stat so far in the playoffs comes from Rajon Rondo. The young point guard has 40 assists against just 4 turnovers through his first five playoff games. Now Mike Bibby and Acie Law aren't exactly on the level of Gary Payton as defenders but a 10-to-1 ratio is amazing... The Roger Clemens steroid scandal is news. Any time a Hall of Fame player potentially cheated to reach his level of greatness, the ESPN's and Sports Illustrated's of the world have an obligation to cover it. But the Clemens-Mindy McReady scandal is not news (unless there is proof of a sexual relationship prior to the country music star turning 18 because then Clemens should be in jail). A man cheating on his wife is not something that should be splashed across headlines or something that should be the lead story on Sportscenter... The reports of Clemens stiffing the staff at the old Hard Rock Cafe back in the '80s and '90s and requesting them to play Elton John's "Rocket Man" when he walked into the bar are great. Imagining Clemens pounding down Miller Lites, stuffing his face and wondering why he didn't get the love in Boston that Larry Bird did makes me remember why Pedro Martinez, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield and Curt Schilling are my favorite Red Sox pitchers in my young lifetime... Enjoy The Office tonight...