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      Let’s talk Celtics!

      September 7, 2011 /
      Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce reacts after being fouled by the Miami Heat during the third quarter of Game 3 of their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series in Boston, Massachusetts May 7, 2011. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

      Here are five questions about the C’s that ESPN posed to its network of basketbloggers along with my take.

      1. Fact or Fiction: Rajon Rondo’s up-and-down play is a concern.
      Fact! Of course you don’t want up-and-down play from your point guard. That’s a silly question.

      2. Fact or Fiction: The Celtics should consider trading Ray Allen.
      Fiction. What’s the point? The C’s are in “win now” mode, so why trade away one of the best shooters in the game? On the off chance that Kevin Garnett undergoes a resurgence and the C’s can get back into contender status, wouldn’t they want Jesus Shuttlesworth out there knocking down three-pointers?

      3. Fact or Fiction: Boston should bring back Jeff Green and Glen Davis.
      Fiction-ish. It depends on what Green wants to return. I think he could still be part of Boston’s future, but he’ll probably get more money than he’s worth. As for Davis, he looked lethargic last season and I’m not sure he can trim down enough to earn a new deal.

      4. Fact or Fiction: The C’s will go as far as Kevin Garnett takes them.
      Fiction, but KG is the key. The Celtics are a team in the truest sense of the word and will need contributions and good play from several players if they hope to make another title run, but Garnett has to get back to All-Star level play on both ends of the court if the C’s are going to go anywhere.

      5. Fact or Fiction: The Celtics’ title window has closed.
      Fact. It’s not completely closed, but if you’re standing a few feet away, it sure looks like it’s closed. It would take a perfect storm of good play and good health by the Celtics along with disaster striking in both Miami and Chicago (not to mention the Western Conference contenders) to re-open the window to let anything more than a draft through.

      External Sports, NBA

      Strasburg strong in return

      September 7, 2011 /
      Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Nationals Park in Washington on September 6, 2011. This is Strasburg’s first Major League game since undergoing Tommy John surgery last September. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      Stephen Strasburg pitched five shutout innings in his first Major League game since undergoing Tommy John surgery last September.

      Stephen Strasburg met every reasonable expectation, and exceeded several ridiculous ones, in his nearly flawless return to the major leagues Tuesday night at Nationals Park.

      Where’s the rust or the lost command? Who returns to the big leagues after 382 days away for elbow surgery with more precision and better efficiency than when he left? Who fans one Dodger on a 99 mph fastball, barely allows an audibly struck ball in five innings, but has the touch and finesse to fan both Matt Kemp and Andre Eithier on 90 mph change-ups?

      It’s amazing how far we’ve come with Tommy John surgery.

      External Sports, MLB

      Five burning questions about the Knicks

      September 6, 2011 /
      New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and head coach Mike D’Antoni (L) react in the final moments of the second half of Game 2 of their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Celtics in Boston, Massachusetts April 19, 2011. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

      It’s time to discuss the Knicks. ESPN is running a five-question series with its network of bloggers, and I’ve been tossing in my two cents (which is worth about one and a half cents in today’s economy). Anyway, off we go:

      1. Fact or Fiction: The Melo trade, as constructed, was a mistake.
      Fiction. The Knicks didn’t gel right away (and never really did), but they still added a Top 15 player and anytime you can do that, you’ve won the trade. This question was never going to be answered in 2011. It’s going to be answered over the next four or five years.

      2. Fact or Fiction: The Knicks will eventually form their own Big Three.
      Fact. I’m not sure how they’ll do it, but the prospects of playing in New York with Carmelo and Amare would have to convince some point guard somewhere to force a trade or take a less than market deal.

      3. Fact or Fiction: Landry Fields is a legitimate starter for a contender.
      Fiction. But only because of the word “is.” He has the potential to be a legit starter on a contender, but I don’t think he’s there yet. He has to find his niche on the perimeter alongside Anthony, who holds the ball too much and that doesn’t jibe well with Landry’s game. But he can shoot, rebound and defend, so he can certainly develop into a legit starter.

      4. Fact or Fiction: This is the final season in New York for Mike D’Antoni.
      Fiction. Give D’Antoni a full season — wait, there’s a lockout isn’t there? I don’t think that the Knicks are going to find a better coach unless they’re somehow able to coax a revitalized Phil Jackson out of retirement. I think D’Antoni is capable of shaping the Knicks into the Suns of the East, but he needs to find a point guard to run the show.

      5. Fact or Fiction: The Knicks are a top-four team in the East.
      Fiction. I’d still take the Heat, Bulls, Magic (for now) and Celtics (for now) over the Knicks. They’re a “next four” team — should make the playoffs every year, but they aren’t going to make that next step until they find a good point guard.

      External Sports, NBA

      2011 NFL Season Preview & Predictions

      September 6, 2011 /

      Thirty-two teams, 32 predictions. That’s what you’ll find in our 2011 NFL Season Preview, which consists of division-by-division breakdowns, playoff projections and of course, a Super Bowl prediction. (Let’s see if I can’t make it two in a row after correctly predicting the Packers to win last year.)

      Let’s get nasty…

      AFC EAST

      New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches his team play the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Soldier Field in Chicago on December 12, 2010. The Patriots won 36-7. UPI/Brian Kersey

      1. Patriots
      2. Jets
      3. Dolphins
      4. Bills

      Go ahead and pick against the Patriots but it won’t help you sleep better at night. Fact is they addressed their biggest weakness in the offseason by adding more pass-rushers and they’ve improved as a whole. I wonder if releasing James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather will hurt their depth in the secondary but Bill Belichick knows what he’s doing on that side of the ball, even if others don’t see it…Mark Sanchez needs to be just as good in the regular season as he has been in the postseason so that the Jets can win this division and host a couple of playoff games (as opposed to having to win on the road every year). I don’t think the Jets will surpass the Pats this season but Rex Ryan is once again at the controls of a Super Bowl contender…The Dolphins have a real nice linebacker corps and I love their young cornerback duo of Sean Smith and Vontae Davis. But they’ve got a real problem at quarterback in Chad Henne and outside of left tackle Jake Long, their offensive line is shaky as well. What’s the over/under for number of days before Brandon Marshall blows a gasket?…Chances are the Bills are going to be better than their overall record indicates but they play in a tough division, their offensive line is still a weakness and Ryan Fitzpatrick will only take a team so far. That said, Buffalo is slowly getting better each year and it has a couple of playmakers on defense in Shawne Merriman and George Wilson.

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      External Sports, NFL

      2011 NFL Week 1 Odds

      September 5, 2011 /
      Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws a pass under pressure against the Indianapolis Colts during the first quarter of their NFL football game in Indianapolis August 26, 2011. REUTERS/Brent Smith (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Oddsmakers have released the point spreads for Week 1 in the NFL. Along with a complete list of odds, here are a couple of games that jump out at me as we head into the opening week in the NFL.

      Saints @ Packers, 8:30PM ET, Thursday
      The action gets kicked off this season with a matchup between the 2010 Super Bowl champion Packers and the 2009 Super Bowl champion Saints. I envision a rebound year for Drew Brees and the Saints, who added solid depth on both sides of the ball this offseason and drafted a running back in Mark Ingram that could help restore balance to Sean Payton’s offense. The Packers, meanwhile, are coming off a Super Bowl win and will have tight end Jermichael Finley and running back Ryan Grant back from injury. Aaron Rodgers is an absolute stud and should be talked about among the league’s elite. In terms of the odds, the total is set high for a reason but I see this game falling under. In four of the last five season openers the total has fallen under and even though both of these teams can both light up the scoreboard, I don’t think we’ll see either of the Saints or Packers’ best offensive efforts this Thursday. Don’t forget it was a short offseason in terms of season preparation.
      ODDS: PACKERS –4 (47)

      Colts @ Texans, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
      Personally, I think this is the Texans’ year. They went a long way to improve their horrendous defense by hiring Wade Phillips as coordinator and signing free agent corner Jonathan Joseph. Phillips has a knack for turning teams around quickly and I don’t think Houston will be an aberration. Peyton Manning will likely miss Week 1 and that means Kerry Collins will get the nod. If Manning is healthy the Colts are liable to go 12-4 but without him, they could just as easily fall to 4-12. The Texans usually start off the season on fire before fading in the second half. Maybe this year will be different. I see them getting off to a good start and without Manning, this one could be a blowout.
      ODDS: TEXANS –9 (45.5)

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      External Sports, NFL

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