Category: NBA

Ranking Boston’s 11 Championships This Century

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It’s only lunchtime, but I’m going to call it early and say that this is the best tweet of the day. It’s the final plays from all 11 Boston championships this century, in a tidy 2:18 minute clip. Getting back to the original question, though, which one was the sweetest? Let’s discuss.

11. 2007 Red Sox Winning never gets old, but there wasn’t much drama in this Fall Classic.

10. 2004 Patriots A very businesslike championship for the most dominant professional football team of my lifetime.

9. 2018 Red Sox A complete steamroller of a team, they rolled through the playoffs without much opposition. A very satisfying, even if not dramatic, championship.

8. 2014 Patriots Brady got back on the board after a ten-year drought, but one play in particular is more memorable than the game as a whole.

7. 2008 Celtics Made the Celtics relevant for the first time in almost 20 years. The real drama may have been the summer before, though, with Danny wheeling and dealing.

6. 2011 Bruins The B’s came back from an 0-2 deficit to hoist the Cup for the first time in nearly 40 years. I recognize that many Bruins fans would rank this one higher.

5. 2013 Red Sox The only competitive World Series the Red Sox have played in this century, it capped off an improbable run to a championship in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.

4. 2016 Patriots THE FALCONS BLEW A 28-3 LEAD!

3. 2003 Patriots The Patriots never make it easy for their fans. [What I would give for a 30-point blowout next week!] The Patriots and Panthers scored a combined 37 points in the fourth quarter, and the Patriots won it (again) on an Adam Vinatieri field goal with time winding down.

2. 2001 Patriots The Patriots’ first Super Bowl championship, Boston’s first championship in 16 years, and the first championship of my lifetime. That would be tough to top, except…

1. 2004 Red Sox Curse reversed. Enough said.

What’s your number 1? Let us know on Twitter @The300sBoston and @The300sBigZ

The Thunder Are Retiring Nick Collison’s Number….Huh?

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NBA.com – The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that the team will retire Nick Collison’s No. 4 on Wednesday, March 20 when the Thunder hosts the Toronto Raptors at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Six points, five rebounds, one block. If you use round numbers, those are Nick Collison’s career averages. And on the back of that historic, never before seen stat-line, the Thunder are going to retire his number.

In terms of publicity stunts and good will gestures, this has to be one of the more absurd things I’ve heard of a franchise doing. I mean, this is technically the same franchise that Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp played for. But Nick Collison’s number is going to hang from the rafters? Oooook.

And I get he played that he played his whole, fifteen year career there. I get he probably did stuff like “gave back to the community” and was most likely “a consummate pro”. But do you see the Celtics retiring Leon Powe’s jersey? No you do not. And no Powe did not play for the Celtics for 15 years but he arguably contributed more to, ya know, their actual success than Collison did for the Thunder.

The only reason this is blogable is because of the question of “where is the bar?” Much like the Colts putting up a banner every time they win a game outside of the calendar year that the season began in, are NBA teams just going to start retiring number for no discernible reason? It kind of takes the wind out of the sales of these kinds of things when it is done for players who, ya know, actually deserve it.

Last thing, you know when this news went out, this conversation was had:

Brian Scalabrine: Hey you think maybe…
Mike Gorman: No.

-Joey B.

Enes Kanter is My Kind of Guy, Eats Seven Cheeseburgers On His Cheat Day, Leaves Practice with Illness the Next Day

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Yahoo – New York Knicks center Enes Kanter is both a large man and an athlete. In order to keep himself in playing shape, Kanter requires more carbs than a normal person could dream up. Normally, his diet likely consists of healthy items. Lean proteins like chicken and starches like potatoes. Occasionally, though, he indulges himself in a cheat day.

Wednesday just so happened to be one of those days for Kanter. The 26-year-old made sure to show off his spread on Twitter. It was excessive. Kanter’s binging session doesn’t come with a happy ending, however. A day after eating all that food, Kanter left Knicks practice due to an illness, according to Newsday’s Steve Popper.

My dude Enes Kanter can EAT and he knows how to do a cheat day right. Three TRIPLE patty burgers with eggs on top, and then four more burgers with a tray full of fries on the side.

When you have a cheat day you want to eat so much greasy, fatty food that you are straight up sick the following day so you never want to eat unhealthy as long as you live. Well that is exactly what happened to Kanter. He literally made himself physically ill. Guy will probably eat like a monk for the next year. Savvy veteran.

Enes Kanter probably knows all about the Cheeseburger Picnic.

Washington Wizards to Offer Sports Gambling Broadcasts. Will My Attention Span Allow It?

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ESPN – The future of sports-betting-infused game broadcasts will be on display Friday, when the Washington Wizards host the Milwaukee Bucks. NBC Sports Washington Plus will produce an alternate broadcast for the Bucks-Wizards game that will feature a free-to-play predictive contest with a $500 prize, along with real-time sports-betting data and statistics that will be displayed on-screen throughout the broadcast. 

The predictive contest, “Predict the Game,” will ask approximately 30 questions throughout the game, such as: “Will Wizards forward Trevor Ariza score 10 or more points in the first half?” In addition, odds, point spreads and over/unders will be shown on broadcast graphics.

Inject this into my veins.

The only problem I can see with this is I already spend 75% of my time watching a game looking at Twitter. I can literally be looking up stats about the game, chirping opposing fans, or just tweeting out videos like the one of the Bears mascot literally dying on the field.

But that speaks to a larger issue with people as a whole; massive fragmentation of attention. This is the one area where Millennials really *are* the worst, albeit with good intentions.

We all try and do as many things as possible at once. We are masters of multitasking. We grew up with video games that required you to sneak past 20 armed guards, snipe a moving target’s face off from half a mile away, then escape an enemy base, all while collecting the necessary pieces of intel and disabling communications for enemy reinforcements. So anytime someone’s mom tries to tell me that video games are bad for kids I tell them to KICK ROCKS. Video games are the REASON I am able to focus on so many different objectives and deliverables all at once.

However, the downside of that is with my attention being pulled in so many directions I simply cannot sit down and do just one thing anymore. I can’t even tell you the last time I sat down and watched an entire game without picking up my phone or laptop. I guess high school? But even then you were IM-ing your buddies. It’s honestly like I graduated to better drugs because while in hindsight AIM wasn’t that great, I *still* get a rush of dopamine to the brain when I see this:

So am I excited for a gambling focused broadcast? Hell yes, in fact I’ve said for years that NFL games need to have alternative broadcasts featuring just a couple of guys f-bombing the coaches for bad decisions in between play-by-play. It would be like watching a game with your buddies, provide a little levity to sporting events that are already too serious at times, and ratchet up the entertainment value all at the same time. Would you rather watch that or Dan Fouts trying to remember where he left his keys?

The Time Lord Returns and Celtics Win Third Straight

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Image result for celtics nets

After being out the past six games with a groin injury, the Celts’ beloved rookie did not make much too much noise in his return the court against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, finishing with just two points in a little over four minutes of play.

Those two points, though? They came on this showstopper:

Again: this kid can ball! The dunk was impressive enough, but his steal also set up the fast break that allowed it to happen in the first place. That steal was also his third in his past four games. Over that time, he’s also compiled a total of eight blocks, including his second five-block performance of the year against Phoenix just before Christmas.

Sadly, we didn’t get to see what he could do against Joel Embiid and the Sixers on Christmas Day, as both Williams and Aron Baynes had been out nursing injuries since that game (and even beforehand in Baynes’s case). Therefore, for about the past three or four weeks, the Celtics have been rolling with Daniel Theis, a still-not-fully-healed Al Horford, and an extremely underwhelming Guerschon Yabusele as the team’s only bigs.

Along with Williams’s return last night, Celtics fans also got some good news yesterday about Baynes, who has been out since December 19 with a broken finger. Both he and Coach Stevens seemed pretty positive about his healing progression when speaking to the media yesterday, and the 32-year-old Aussie could return to the C’s lineup as early as next week.

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Baynes and his man bun will soon be back on the court.

But what about the rest of the team? How have they been doing since the jolly ole fat man came down the chimney a few weeks ago?

Since beating Philly on December 25, the Celtics are 4-2, with those two losses coming against San Antonio and a scorching-hot Houston Hardens squad – oops, sorry, I meant Houston “Rockets” – respectively. And since Thanksgiving, they are a very respectable 15-6. Three of those losses, however, have come with either Williams and/or Baynes out of the lineup, so this team could be ready to roll once everyone is finally healthy once again. Don’t be so worried about that fifth-place spot in the East right now, as disappointing as it may seem.

Speaking of people who are healing up, Gordon Hayward may finally be showing signs of being the All-Star he was out in Utah. Taking away an absolute clunker against the Spurs last week, Hayward has otherwise averaged 17.2 points per game since the Philly contest, including a 35-point outburst against Minnesota. He’s also shot 54 percent from the field in those five games and over 42 percent from deep.

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Look who’s finally coming alive!

Kyrie Irving and Marcus Morris have also continued to roll, and both should receive serious All-Star consideration this year. Jayson Tatum has not taken quite the leap that everyone expected and hoped for this year, but he’s certainly not playing poorly, by any stretch of the imagination. And Marcus Smart is showing signs of rounding out his game, shooting over 40 percent from deep in six-of-his-last-11 games. The team is still playing top-five defense as well.

If there’s one noteworthy issue with this team, it’s in the rebounding department, especially on the offensive end. Again, though, with both Williams and Baynes back (or soon to be back) in the rotation, hopefully we see some signs of improvement there in short order.

So, at just about the midway point of the season, I’d say I’m feeling OK about this Celtics squad. Yes, I do believe they’re underperforming a bit relative to expectations, but the East is also the best it’s been in years (collectively, at least), and this team still has time to get hot.

Don’t believe all the negative rhetoric flooding the sports talk airwaves right now. The Time Lord is back! And this team is still doing just fine.

Time Lord Robert Williams Doesn’t Know What Day It is Because Time is Just a Social Construct

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Yahoo –  Boston Celtics rookie Robert Williams, sidelined the past five games with a groin injury, offered a refreshingly honest admission about the early days of NBA life.

“This might sound funny but I literally don’t know the days of the week,” Williams said after practice on (take note, Rob!) Sunday. “I promise, I couldn’t tell you what today is. I forget the days of the week. And with the traveling, mix up the hotel room numbers from the previous [night] – it’s a lot man. It’s a lot. It’s worth it though.”

Williams isn’t revealing anything that most rookies haven’t already experienced. The grind of NBA life, particularly with the heavy travel, makes it tough to keep the calendar straight. But in admitting it, Williams probably only strengthened the chances that his “Time Lord” nickname will stick.

Robert Williams doesn’t live in the same timeline of reality as normal human beings like you and me so he doesn’t know, nor need, the days of the week. Thats just how a Time Lord operates. So to that I say, forget these social constructs like “Monday” and just go out there and block some shots into the rafters, Robert.

Now go buy a Time Lord shirt!

Or better yet, a Time Lord clock…

Biz Markie Steals the Show at Target Center ’90s Night

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img_4444Friday night was ’90s night at Target Center for the Minnesota Timberwolves/Orlando Magic game. The Timberwolves wore their Kevin Garnett Classic Edition uniforms, the jumbotron went old school for the night and Christian Laettner made an appearance. The only thing missing was Roundball Rock.

[Side note – Roundball Rock is back! On Fox College Hoops.]

It was Biz Markie who stole the show on Friday night, though, with his halftime performance of Kevin Youkilis’s walkup song Just a Friend.

It was the first halftime show I’ve ever stayed in my seat to watch, and way better than the usual halftime show of a guy standing on a dozen stacked up chairs.

The 300s Top 10 Blogs of 2018

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2018 was a banner year for The 300s as we saw our readership grow exponentially, we rolled out a ton of new swag, and we brought some new writers onto the staff. We appreciate everyone who takes a few minutes out of their day to read a blog or watch a video or listen to a podcast. With that being said, it’s the last day of the year so we had to break down the Top 10 Blogs of 2018.

1.) David Price Continues Good Will Tour, Rips 69-Year-Old Red Sox Reporter Jonny Miller

2.) Apparently Jon Gruden’s Son, Deuce Gruden, is the Goddamn Hulk

3.) RIP Mac Miller, Dead at 26

4.) Nike Deserves Applause for Choosing Colin Kaepernick as New Face of “Just Do It” Campaign

5.) Boston Celtics NBA 2K19 Ratings Predictions

6.) The Marlins Are Replacing the Ugly Home Run Statue With Irony

7.) Tough Break for Malden Men Who Recovered Red Sox Banner

8.) Terrible News: Ed Hochuli is Retiring. Better News: His Son is Replacing Him

9.) I LOVE This Quote From Rick Porcello

10.) Brock Lesnar Possibly Playing Ivan Drago’s Son In “Creed 2”

 

 

James Harden Took 18 Three Pointers Last Night and No One Batted An Eye

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Okay, granted he hit half of them, but James Harden took EIGHTEEN threes last night and no one even batted an eye. No one except my man, Chuck.

Eighteen three pointers is absolutely insane. It was more than double the amount anyone else on either team took last night. Again, yes he hit 9 of them so he shot .500 from behind the arc and scored 45 points but holy hell what a stat line. He only made TWO shots inside the three point line all night. The reigning MVP scored 4 points inside the arc. Analytics will probably say he was taking the best available shots based on his shooting percentage, but thats still mind boggling to think about. Getting 17 foul shots and hitting 14 of them helps alleviate that a bit, but damn. It’s not like he’s JJ Reddick who can only score when he’s out deep away from lockdown defenders either.

Harden leads the league in 3 point attempts and 3 pointers made despite not even being in the Top 100 in 3 Point % among players with at least 50 3 point attempts. Daniel Theis has a better 3 point % than Harden!

But hey, 45 points is 45 points. If it’s such a crime against humanity the Celtics should have, ya know, guarded the 3 point line a little better.

I touched on this phenomenon a little bit when I blogged about how, unfortunately, Kendrick Perkins saw the game pass him by as everyone became a three point shooter. You could blame Steph Curry, but the game had been trending this way for a while.

“[From] 2010-11 the average 3 point attempts per game around the league have nearly doubled from 18 attempts per game to 31.3 per game this season. In the previous 8 seasons before that, average 3 point attempts per game had only increased about three from a low of 14.7 in 2002-03. So no one could have predicted the game completely changing the way it has.”

Somewhere Charles Barkley just shakes his head in disbelief.

 

 

ESPN Made A Docuseries About LeBron and His 3 Buddies “Improbable” Rise

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This is ESPN finally, publicly, rolling over and letting LeBron James scratch its belly. This is the ‘worldwide leader in sports” deciding to come out and say “yes, we work for this guy”. Because make no mistake about it this is the most LUDICROUS thing I have ever seen in my entire life, hands down.

First of all, what is so fucking improbable about a guy with freak genetics (he’s 6’8″ folks) being a superstar basketball player? Really not a whole lot. Especially considering he also, ya know, likes basketball. Second of all, what did his buddies actually do?

What fucking pray tell do they contribute beyond being LeBron’s cronies? His “Day 1s” if you will. I’m not sure and maybe it’s a bit unfair for me to just assume they don’t do much, but the odds are ASTRONOMICAL that they are better at it than someone not handpicked by LeBron, just because.

What this “Docuseries” really should be is a way to weed out who should and should not be allowed to conceive. Because anyone who watches and/or enjoys a DOCUMENTARY ABOUT LEBRON JAMES’ FRIENDS should nevvvvver be allowed to reproduce. Ever.

So h/t to ESPN for deciding this was a good idea. In one fell swoop you’ve outed yourselves as LeBron’s personal media entity and the producer of the dumbest shit of all time.

Now pardon me while I DVR everything Fox Sports has ever made.

-Joey B