Maybe the world isn’t ending.

Following a putrid stretch when the defending champions lost seven of nine, the Boston Celtics have regained much of their swagger with six consecutive wins by an average of 16 points per game. Thursday night, the Celtics venture to Orlando to play the hottest, and arguably best, team in the NBA. Regardless of the outcome, do Boston fans still have reason to worry about the chances of Green 18? 

I’m not worried, but there’s reason for concern.

The days of the Celtics' gaudy 27-2 record seem like ages ago. The hopes of challenging the Chicago Bulls' 1995-96 record of 72-10 are over. Finito. What exactly happened? Is Boston’s high-octane mentality counterproductive? Did they run themselves so ragged in their 19-game winning streak that each member of the New Big 3’s tank is empty by January? The streak-ending, dinner-spoiling Christmas Day loss to the Lakers was understandable. The defeats at the hands of Cleveland and the Roy-less Blazers were even acceptable. But losses to Golden State, New York, Charlotte and Houston at home were nauseating.

Continue reading "Reason for Concern in Celtic Land?"

The starters for the 2009 NBA All-Star game were announced on TNT Thursday night, and once again, the fans demonstrated the decision should not be theirs. Detroit’s Allen Iverson received 1,804,649 votes proving that 1,804,649 NBA fans don’t know what they’re talking about.

New Jersey’s Devin Harris was the obvious snub in this year’s popularity contest as the up-and-coming point guard was blatantly made aware NBA All-Star voters, much like those in other sports, favor status over substance.

Harris, who was foolishly traded away by the Dallas Mavericks before last season’s deadline (but that’s a blog for another time), is the 11th highest-scorer in the entire league at 21.5 points per game placing him 20 spots higher than AI. And when you look at the numbers, which is the only thing anyone should look at, Harris’ 2008-2009 totals leave little-to-no evidence for his omission.

Continue reading "Fans Rob Harris, Wrongfully Reward Iverson"

The Kobes and the LeBrons, excuse me, I mean, the Lakers and the Cavs met for the first time this season a week ago today in Los Angeles, and while the home team won by 17 in an uneventful game where James matched his number in points and Bryant’s 20 weren’t even a team-high, it did give basketball’s so-called pundits another opportunity to debate who’s better: Kobe or LeBron.

This isn’t an “if you were going to start a franchise today, which would you pick?” discussion, because the obvious choice is the 24-year old James. This also isn’t going to be like J.A. Adande’s piece on ESPN where he mused that perhaps the pair can’t be compared because their paths are circular, not linear. Although that’s a novel approach I can’t begin to understand, it is a convoluted way of saying, “I have no freakin’ idea”. Instead, I, The Sports Don, am coming straight out and telling you who the better player is, and it’s Kobe Bean Bryant.

Continue reading "Kobe versus LeBron - The Battle for Superiority"

For better or worse, fan balloting has been cast and counted, and the responsibility of correcting mistakes, filling bench spots and inevitably producing a snub or two rests on the shoulders of the head coaches around the league.

Each is asked to pick seven players (two guards, two forwards, a center and two wildcards), and no selection can be member of his own team. If a coach feels it is warranted, they are permitted to select a player to fill a position different than the one he is listed at. For example, penciling in Toronto’s Chris Bosh as the Eastern Conference’s backup center even though he is technically listed as a forward is OK.

Although I pretend to be an NBA head coach to impress the ladies, alas, I have no actual say in who is chosen and am therefore left with merely this blog. I can only hope coaches refer to it before handing in their ballots this afternoon.

Continue reading "The Sports Don Reveals His Eastern Conference All-Star Reserves"

All-Star Reserves ballots were due yesterday at 3p.m., and for the all the Eastern Conference coaches who tune in to my blog, I provided some help, a cheat sheet if you will, to aid in their quest to make the proper selections. Call it an East Coast bias, but time did not allow me to do the same for the West. Hopefully, they managed on their own.

To see The Sports Don's Eastern Conference reserves, click here.

Here are the guidelines once again: Each coach is asked to pick seven players (two guards, two forwards, a center and two wildcards), and no selection can be member of his own team. If they feel it is warranted, for the betterment of the team, they are permitted to select a player to fill a position different than the one he is listed at.

Before I go ahead and divulge my selections, let me first remind you of the five players chosen as starters by the fans:

Continue reading "The Sports Don Reveals His Western Conference All-Star Reserves"

Everyone loves a puppy, and in Boston, every fan loves Jason Varitek.

His deadline to accept or decline the Red Sox’ contract offer is swiftly approaching, and soon all will know if the captain is returning for his 13th season. Boston fans want the stalwart catcher back in a bad way, predicting the pitching staff will crumble without him and insisting last season’s subpar batting average was a direct result of the demise of his marriage. The Sox are interested, but only on their terms. The Boston brass will not bend or break to assure Tek’s return, and regardless of the contract’s details, a return would be advantageous for both parties.

A team of the Red Sox’ stature, one with expectations and a payroll higher than most organizations, should under no circumstances begin the 2009 season with platooning catchers Josh Bard and A Player to be Named Later. If Varitek resigns, the stability behind the plate remains, and Boston can retain the prospects potentially traded for that aforementioned Player to be Named. For Tek, he would play for a contender while having the opportunity to redeem himself for last year’s offensive struggles and then return to the market in a future offseason when the opinion of his game may be higher and the economic climate sunnier.

Continue reading "Much Ado About Varitek"