Here is the sixth episode of The Unlucky Irishman podcast. Music is A Taste Of Silver by Until The Ribbon Breaks. The Stats of the Day are provided by ESPN Stats & Info Twitter feed. Produced by Ashley Maciag and Boomer Dangel. Host is James “Preacher” Rowe.
Here is the fifth episode of The Unlucky Irishman podcast. Music is A Taste Of Silver by Until The Ribbon Breaks. The Stats of the Day are provided by ESPN Stats & Info Twitter feed. Produced by Ashley Maciag and Boomer Dangel. Host is James “Preacher” Rowe.
The NBA Playoffs are just about to begin. Starting on April 14, we’re going to get top tier basketball until June. We may even get a different Finals than Warriors-Cavs this year. Let’s take a look at the teams, and then make some predictions for the first round.
Houston brings a lot to the table, and are a strong contender for an NBA Finals run and championship. Houston added Chris Paul to their lineup over the off-season, and the result is the most efficient offense in the NBA. Houston averages 115.2 points per 100 possessions, almost a point better than the number two team (Golden State). Houston is also a very good defensive team, only giving up 106.2 points per 100 possessions (seventh best in the NBA).
How does Houston do this? Harden and Paul are both excellent shooters and shot creators that can score in just about every way possible. Houston’s roster is loaded with either mobile big men that can screen and finish on pick and roll sets, as well as a collection of three and D players that defend and hit their open threes (such as Ariza, Tucker, and Mbah a Moute). Like the Warriors, Houston prizes ball movement to get set, open jumpers.
Golden State is an injury riddled version of the team that demolished the rest of the NBA last year. The most significant injury, possibly in the entire NBA, is Curry’s sprained MCL. It’s possible Curry is coming back by the second round, and the Warriors’ chances of repeating as champion likely hinge on his ability to return to his pre-injury production (averaging 26.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game).
Even without Curry, the Warriors still have Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. Durant is one of the top scorers in the NBA and can likely carry the Warriors in Curry’s absence. The real question is how far Durant can carry them either without Curry or with a hobbled Curry. Thompson remains ones of the NBA’s top three point shooters. Draymond Green is one of the NBA’s top defensive players, and is a talented creator on offense. Combined with their highly efficient offensive system, the Warriors can likely survive early challenges in the first and second rounds. The real question is whether they can get past the Rockets.
The Trail Blazers as a good defensive team? That actually happened this season. The Blazers’ offense remains the same as it was the last three seasons: Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum provide scoring from pretty much everywhere past the half court line. Last season, the Blazers added a talented post player in Jusuf Nurkic, a 14 point, 9 rebound per game presence who supplements the high scoring guards. The defense, however, is much improved. The Blazers were ranked 24th in the NBA last year in defensive efficiency (at 110.8 points per 100 possessions) and jumped all the way up to 8th this year. A lot of that improved defense comes from the guards. Lillard and McCollum went from turnstiles to committed defenders. I don’t think anyone would confuse them with a prime Gary Payton, but neither player is a defensive liability anymore.
That guard play, on top of a deeper rotation that includes Al-Farouq Aminu (a defensive big who can play perimeter defense and hit the occasional three), Evan Turner, and an improved Shabazz Napier, should allow the Blazers to win their first round matchup against a much thinner Pelicans team. Lillard and McCollum are offensive powerhouses, and Lillard is talented enough to close out games against even top level competition. The Blazers finally being a decent defensive team also addresses their major weakness from past seasons, which should make their level of play in the playoffs more consistent.
This season was supposed to be different from last season for the Thunder. OKC added Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, and many talked about them as a potential threat to the Warriors this season. That didn’t materialize. The Thunder instead struggled to figure out how to get Russell Westbrook (one of the NBA’s most explosive players) to fit with George and Anthony. Anthony, in particular, seems to not fit particularly well. Melo is used to having the ball in his hands, and seems to not know how to move off the ball to get his shot. George has been hot and cold this season, though his three point shooting is good overall for the season (40.1%).
Ultimately, the Thunder aren’t much different than last year. Westbrook dominates the ball, and provides a large chunk of the scoring and playmaking (averaging a triple double again this season). George is the next best offensive player, receiving most of the passes off of Westbrook’s dribble penetration. Both players run pick and roll sets with Steven Adams, who scores almost all of his points either on rim runs or put backs. Melo is still a very gifted scorer, though he went from taking the most shots on the team to the third most (which is probably for the best, given his age and style). The Thunder are not very deep, with only Jerami Grant and Raymond Felton providing any bench production. Their series against the Jazz should be very interesting, as it matches one of the NBA’s best offensive players against one of the NBA’s best defenses.
After losing Gordon Hayward to free agency, the Jazz were expected to spend the year rebuilding. Instead, Donovan Mitchell emerged as a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate (and probably would be Rookie of the Year if Ben Simmons weren’t eligible) and the team added Ricky Rubio during the off-season. Rubio is a well rounded point guard capable of running an offense and providing defensive pressure. He’s also gradually improved his major weakness (shooting) to the point where he is serviceable. The Jazz’s other big move during the season was trading Rodney Hood and George Hill to the Cavaliers for Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose (who was immediately waived). Crowder turned out to be a better fit for Utah than Cleveland, recovering his three point touch while still providing his hardnosed defense.
Defense defines this Jazz team. Rudy Gobert, a 7’1″ center with an enormous wingspan, is a shot-blocking terror around the rim. Gobert averages 2.3 blocks per game. This is a bit of a regression from his previous year, but is still one of the league’s highest block rates. Rubio is an underrated on ball defender, capable of getting into his opponent’s chest and bothering their ability to dribble and pass. Mitchell is also a high risk, high reward defender who sometimes gambles too much for steals. The Jazz also have great depth, with six players averaging double figures for the season. How the Jazz’s defense deals with the individual playmaking of Westbrook and George makes their series against the Thunder one of the must-watch series of the first round.
New Orleans consists of Anthony Davis and little else (at least since DeMarcus Cousins’ season ending Achilles injury). Davis is one of the top young talents in the NBA, an athletic big man with good shooting touch, ball handling skills, and post play. Davis is also one of the NBA’s best shot blockers, averaging 2.6 blocks a game.
After Davis, the Pelicans get thin. Their next best player is Jrue Holiday, an experienced combo guard averaging 19 points per game. E’Twaun Moore provides some shooting and scoring punch, but the team’s roster gets very thin at that point. The Pelicans play fast (first in overall pace), but are an average team on offense and defense. A lot of that averageness is due to the superior play of Davis. While the Blazers will likely struggle to defend Davis, it’s hard to see the Pelicans’ perimeter defense do much to stop Lillard and McCollum over the course of a seven game series. At best, Davis will keep those two away from the rim enough to open up other options defensively. In reality, Lillard and McCollum will likely wear down the Pelicans’ perimeter players on defense if they get contained at all.
The Spurs have not been themselves this season. Long the NBA’s paragon of roster development and managerial competence, the Spurs have struggled to put together a winning roster for much of the season. Losing Kawhi Leonard, one of the best two way players in the league, to an injury is bad enough. The Spurs appears to anger Leonard through their management of his injury, and possibly have lost him for good. Without Leonard, the Spurs play an old lineup based around antiquated basketball strategies. That they have made the Playoffs at all is an accomplishment.
The Spurs depend heavily on LaMarcus Aldridge for scoring, at 23 points per game. Aldridge relies heavily on midrange jumpers and post play, and takes the most shots of any individual player. After him, the Spurs get scoring from Rudy Gay, Pau Gasol, and Patty Mills. Only Mills (at 29) is under 30. The focus on Aldridge also takes away from the Spurs traditional strength the past few seasons: ball movement. The Spurs still get a decent number of assists, but the kind of rapid passing that defined their past late Duncan era teams isn’t there. The age and lack of depth likely indicate that this team will struggle against the Warriors in the first round. While Popovich has pulled off miracles before, it’s safe to say that this year’s Spurs team will, at most, be a tough first round out for the Warriors.
The Timberwolves finally managed to end the NBA’s longest playoff drought. After 13 seasons, the Timberwolves snagged the 8th seed in the West on the final game of the season. The Wolves upgraded their roster significantly during the off-season, snagging Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson from the Bulls (and reuniting them with their old coach Tom Thibodeau). Anchored by Karl Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Butler, the Wolves run an efficient offense based around their stars’ unique scoring abilities. Towns, one of the rising stars in the NBA, is a seven footer capable of posting, driving, and hitting threes. Towns has shot 42% from three this season, making him almost impossible to defend. Wiggins, while less efficient, is a high volume scorer who gets to the rim almost at will.
While the Wolves are a young and fun to watch team, they likely will not get past the Rockets. The Wolves can score but cannot defend (ranked 27th in the NBA in defensive efficiency). Against a team like the Rockets, that is likely fatal. The Wolves also tend to under utilize their bench, which is a shame when their bench contains some solid players (like Bjelica, Tyus Jones, and Gorgui Dieng) that could make them better against the NBA’s best.
Toronto underwent a sea change this past year, becoming one of the Eastern Conference’s big surprises. Toronto previously relied heavily on their scorers, DeMarr Derozen and Kyle Lowry, to score in the mid-range. Serge Ibaka provides rim protection and shooting. The team would supplement that with stout defense. This year, the Raptors play much faster (going from 24th to 14th in pace between 2017 and 2018) and in a more modern NBA offense (emphasizing spacing, ball movement, and three point shooting).
The Raptors also trot out one of the NBA’s best benches. Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright, CJ Miles, and Pascal Siakim provide efficient scoring off the bench, and allow the Raptors to wear other teams out by keeping constant pressure on other teams. The Raptors’ second unit averages 42 points per game and plays the second most minutes of any bench in the League.* The importance of a bench tends to diminish a bit during the playoffs, when teams tend to play their starters more minutes. How much the Raptors utilize their bench, and its effectiveness against the top Eastern Conference teams, will determine their playoff odds.
*Source: https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/3/28/17171424/nba-icymi-20180327
The Celtics’ season has been rocky since the start. After losing Gordon Hayward during the very first game of the season, the Celtics went off on an impressive win streak before cooling down shortly before the All Star break. Since then, the Celtics have struggled with injuries. They lost Kyrie Irving to a knee injury for the rest of the season, and Marcus Smart to a thumb injury (that will likely keep him out for the start of the Playoffs).
While diminished, the Celtics are still a dangerous team. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are two strong young wings that present matchup issues on both ends of the floor. Al Horford remains an underrated big man capable of anchoring a defense and stretching the floor with his shot. The Celtics have gotten a surprisingly strong season out of backup rookie point guard Terry Rozier as well.
In addition, Brad Stevens is one of the finest coaching minds in the game. Stevens’ system, like the Warriors and Rockets, prizes ball movement, off-balls screens, and astute passing. Unlike those two teams, the Celtics prefer to play much slower (24th fastest pace in the NBA) and emphasize defense, surrendering 103.5 points per 100 possessions. This team would probably contend for the Eastern Conference crown at full strength, but is still quite dangerous even now.
After years and years of tanking, the Sixers are finally ready to participate in the Playoffs. The Sixers roster, headlined by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, is a far cry from the garbage dumps of the past half decade and is good enough to push the East’s best.
Embiid anchors this team, particularly on offense. Embiid is a multifaceted center, a 20/10 player that can occasionally come out to the three point arc for the occasionally three. His length and mobility makes him a force on defense as well, averaging 1.8 blocks and 8.7 defensive rebounds per game. Ben Simmons, however, is the player that makes this team go. While Simmons is almost entirely incapable of shooting, but scores efficiently (16 points on 12.4 shots per game) by powering his way to the rim. Simmons’ vision and passing are what set him apart. Simmons can make incredibly difficult passes in traffic, while averaging 8.2 assists per game. Rounding out the roster is JJ Reddick, Robert Covington, and Dario Saric all of whom provide good to great three point shooting and play their roles well.
This team still lacks enough depth to really challenge the East’s better team, though its young roster may develop in the next few years (such as Markelle Fultz). This year though, they will likely win a playoff series before losing to either the Raptors or the Cavs.
Cleveland has LeBron James. That automatically makes them a contender no matter who else rounds up the roster. LeBron, even at 33, remains the NBA’s best player and fiercest playoff presence, a multifaceted player who can pass, score, and defend at the highest levels. LeBron comes as close to being able to win games singlehanded as any individual player in the NBA. The only real question is whether he can still do so through four playoff series.
After a mid-season rebuild, this year’s iteration of the Cavs is almost entirely different from the Finals team from last year. Though Kyrie Irving demanded a trade to Boston, Kevin Love is still on the roster. The Cavs have experimented with playing him at the 5 at points this season, with mixed success depending on specific matchups. A series of trades made the Cavs much younger, and better defensively (though the defense is a matter of degree…they’re still ranked 29th overall for defensive efficiency). The Cavs’ basic offensive approach hasn’t really changed much despite the roster turnover: spread the floor with shooters and let LeBron work. That this generally produces points is a testament to LeBron’s abilities as a player.
The Cavs big question mark is the health of Rodney Hood, who is expected to suit up despite an injured Achilles. Hood (along with Love, Jordan Clarkson, and George Hill) provides some much needed scoring from players not named LeBron. Despite this team’s substantial weaknesses, it’s hard to pick against LeBron for the East’s NBA Finals appearance. Expect LeBron to be there again.
Indiana is one of the big surprises of the season. After trading Paul George during the off-season, Indiana was expected to be in full tank mode this season. The emergence of Victor Oladipo from discarded trade piece to legitimate All Star elevated the Pacers significantly. Oladipo is a hyper-athletic two guard who can hit three’s at a decent clip and provide strong two way play. The Pacers lean heavily on his ability to create in order to generate points, and this will likely become more pronounced against the Cavs. The Pacers will likely go as far as Oladipo can carry them.
Miami, in the post Big Three years, has reinvented itself as a young defensive minded team. At the start of the season, the Heat seemed like they would build around Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic (particularly their pick and roll play). As the season has gone on, the Heat have reduced Whiteside’s minutes and played smaller. Injuries also loom large over the Heat this season. A season ending injury to Dion Waiters took away one of the Heat’s major offensive forces, which in turn requires the team to rely heavily on Dragic and Whiteside to provide any offense.
The Heat generally win their games on the defensive end. They throw a lot of length and wing athleticism at their opponents, with Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, and Tyler Johnson. The Heat have a defensive efficiency of 106.3 points per 100 possessions (7th in the NBA), and their ability to take away passing lanes and protect the rim (when Whiteside is in) is excellent. Their lack of offense will likely cause them to struggle against the Sixers, though Spoelstra will likely have a solid game plan set up.
The Bucks begin and end with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is a 23 year old force of nature, with unparalleled athleticism, reach, and wingspan. Few players match Giannis’ ability to disrupt their opponents on both ends of the floor. While not a great shooter, he can use his athleticism to score fairly easily. Unless LeBron is on the floor, he’s likely the best player on the floor on any given night in the Eastern Conference.
While Giannis is the Bucks’ best player, he’s not the only talented player on their roster. Eric Bledsoe is a pretty good combo guard, Malcolm Brodgon provides a steady hand on both ends of the floor, and Khris Middleton provides solid three point shooting (36%). The guards’ various kinds of scoring keep the defense from double and triple teaming Giannis, while providing length and on ball pressure on defense. The Bucks also contain a number of decent scorers, with a relatively young core. This team will probably grow a bit over the next season or two, but they will likely not survive the first round.
The Wizards remain a talented mess of a team. John Wall and Bradley Beal are two of the top backcourt duos in the NBA. Wall has been injured most of the season, and has only recently re-entered the lineup. The Wizards also have two wings, Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre, that provide shooting and defense. Post play comes primarily from Marcin Gortat and Ian Mahimi, neither of whom are particularly good post players. Markieff Morris, a stretch-4 who brings a decent amount of rebounding and defense (on top of some scoring ability), rounds out the lineup.
While Wall was out, the Wizards embraced a style Beal called “Everybody Eats”. Everybody got to touch the ball, and the Wizards would generate their offense through making several passes and giving everyone a touch. The Wizards found a decent amount of success this way. Since Wall came back, the team has regressed to its previous style. The chemistry issues and problems with Wall’s reintegration make the Wizards’ playoff odds very long.
While the Spurs are well coached and will likely be well prepared, it’s hard to pick against the defending NBA champions here. The Warriors are younger, more talented, and have a style of play that allows them to easily exploit those advantages. The only major factor in the Spurs’ favor is the absence of Steph Curry, and even that will only allow them to steal a game. Expect the Warriors to win in 5.
The Wizards are not without talent, and have shown an ability to stymie Derozen and Lowry in the past. However, the Raptors’ depth and improved offensive efficiency prevents the Wizards from falling back on their usual game plan with the Raptors. The Wizards are also, to put it mildly, a mess at the moment. The Raptors also have a 2015 sweep to avenge and will likely be motivated to play hard in this matchup. The Raptors will finish the series in no more than 6 games.
The Heat and Sixers split their season series, which is usually an indication of a close playoff matchup. The Heat are a classic overachieving regular season team that got by on stout defense and extra effort. Those advantages disappear in the Playoffs. Embiid is out for the time being, and that may even the odds a tad. The Sixers still play a talented offensive lineup, and the Heat really have no answer for Ben Simmons (even in his first playoff series). Sixers in 6.
The Pelicans don’t go much beyond Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. In contrast, the Blazers have a deep, experienced offensive lineup and have finally learned how to play defense. With no answer for both Lillard and McCollum, the Blazers should seal this series quickly (around 5 games).
The Celtics come into this series with significant injuries (no Irving or Hayward), but likely still have enough to dispatch the Bucks without too much of a worry. Giannis Antetouknmpo will likely put out an amazing effort, and give the Celtics heartburn every game (frankly it may be worth watching the series just for him). The Celtics counter with a well constructed, well-coached team (they still have Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier) that should be able to produce enough offense to take this series in 6 or 7 games.
This prediction requires Playoff LeBron to emerge and overcome a lot of the Cavs’ deficiencies. The Cavs can score, but they’ve been a miserable defensive team for most of the season (even with the completely different core of players after the trade deadline). The Pacers have a significant drop-off in the quality of their players after Oladipo, but could push the Cavs to 6 if the Cavs’ defense remains terrible. More likely, Playoff LeBron gets this series done in 5.
This will likely be the most competitive series in the first round. What the Jazz lack in offense, they make up for with stifling defense and rim protection. The Thunder, in turn, are a flawed team that rely a lot on the scoring of Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The Jazz will have to rely a lot on rookie Donovan Mitchell to put up enough points, and this series really could swing either way in my opinion. The Jazz’s defense is a differentiator, so they get the edge in this column.
The T-Wolves have some great talent (Towns, Wiggins, and Butler) that speaks to how tough the Western Conference was this season. However, they are a fairly poor defensive team going up against the best offense in the NBA. Even good defensive teams struggle with all the Rockets’ pick and roll and off ball screen action, and the T-Wolves got swept in the season series due to an inability to defend those plays. Expect the Rockets to win this series easily, in 4 or 5 games.
All stats provided by basketball-reference.com
The NHL playoffs are finally back as 16 teams will be going into the postseason with aspirations to win the coveted Stanley Cup. 15 will go home empty handed, while one will be crowned champions. With that being said, lets preview each team:
Eastern Conference
Boston Bruins
The Bruins “perfection” line or their first line made up of David Pastrnak-Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand was elite both offensively and defensively this season as each player posted over 30 goals. There was a stretch earlier in the season where the trio’s stingy defensive game didn’t even relinquish an even strength goal for more than a month. They have been in a funk the past 5 games both offensively and defensively in which the Bruins have gone 1-3-1
The top defensive pairing of Zdeno Chara/Charlie McAvoy was absent most of April as both were nursing injuries that kept them out of the line-up for a couple weeks. McAvoy was visibly rusty and cautious in his first few games back, but the last few games he has been noticeably assertive in his transition/offensive game. Looking for a big series from him. When it comes to Chara it will be interesting to see how the 41-year-old blueliner handles himself against the speed of forwards such as Matthews, and Marner in their matchup with Toronto.
The goalie battle between Tuukka Rask and Frederik Andersen will be an absolute focal point of both clubs as each of the netminders have shown stretches of dominance, as well as sheer mediocrity. It will be a major deciding factor to see which goaltender can step up under the bright lights of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Things seemed bleak for the squad for the past month or so, but turned things around nabbing a wild card spot. Led by goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and up and coming young star Artemi Panarin, this is a dangerous team that any club should be on the look out for. They are also great defensively so they will be difficult for any team, even the high powered offenses.
New Jersey Devils
Nabbing the final playoff spot and playing in the difficult Metropolitan Division, don’t take these guys lightly as people have argued. With Brian Boyle leading the offense, and having support from Kyle Palmieri and Patrick Maroon, their offense is sneaky good. Plus they are a fast team.
Philadelphia Flyers
With an improved defense and goaltending, the Flyers could make a deep run in the playoffs. Claude Giroux leads the squad with help from defenseman Johnny Oduya and Wayne Simmonds, this team could have had a better record had it not played in such a tough division.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The reigning Stanley Cup Champions will be looking to make it a three peat as they are experienced, talented, and really fast. Sidney Crosby, arguably the best player in the NHL, leads this team with studs like Evgeni Malkin, Patric Hornqvist, and rising star Jake Guentzel (who shined in the playoffs last year), they are one of the favorites to win a Cup.
Tampa Bay Lightning
After a disappointing 2016-17 season, this juggernaut is back and are looking to win the Stanley Cup. Steven Stamkos, their best goal scorer, leads this dynamic offense with the help of Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, and Victor Hedman and with Andrei Vasilevskiy minding the net. This squad is dangerously good.
Toronto Maple Leafs
A young, talented, and exciting team to watch, they could be the team to watch in these playoffs. With youngsters in Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, and Nazem Kadri and having seasoned veterans of Patrick Marleau and Tomas Plekanec playing along side, this team could be a dark horse pick.
Washington Capitals
After coming off to back to back seasons losing in the second round of the playoffs despite high hopes, the Capitals are back as the one seed in the Metropolitan Division with hopes they can finally break through. With the greatest goal scorer of our generation Alex Ovechkin leading the way with support from Niklas Backstrom, John Carlson, T.J. Oshie, and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The biggest question will be the goalie situation with Braden Holtby’s struggles and Phillipp Grubauer’s awesome performance of late. That is their biggest question mark and it could cost them.
Eastern Conference Matchups
Tampa Bay vs New Jersey
New Jersey may have played in a tough division, but they will be playing a juggernaut in Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay have a high powered offense that may be too much for New Jersey, but the Devils did win all three matchups during the regular season
Predictions:
James Rowe: Tampa Bay. Regular season means nothing now and the Lightning are just too freaking good.
Tali Raphael: Lightning. Just a bit more playoff experience and success with Tampa Bay. Also, Keith Kincaid is the starter for the Devils-not someone I’m trusting at the moment.
Ryan Corbin: The New Jersey Devils are more than capable of pulling out 1-2 wins against this Lightning squad due to both the Hart Trophy caliber of play from winger Taylor Hall on top of the struggles of Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. However, NJ is dealing with goalie issues themselves. Corey Schneider recently lost his job to Keith Kinkaid, and they don’t necessarily have the greatest blue-line. It’s hard to imagine the Devils being able to squeak out more than that with a team as potent as the Bolts.
Boston vs. Toronto
The Maple Leafs have seemingly skated circles around the Bruins this season with a 3-1-1 record, 2 of those wins were without star forward Auston Matthews. However, most of their perceived dominance over the B’s were either at a time when the team was riddled with injuries, or before their ascent to one of the best hockey clubs in the NHL from mid-November until their recent skid in their previous 5. They have yet to face the current best version of this Bruins team with a full line-up. With Rick Nash finally recovered from a concussion, the Bruins are as close to full-strength as they have been in months. Expect both teams to put it all on the line in what could be an all-time great series.
Predictions:
James: Boston. Bruins seemingly played their best hockey in the second half and I thought they were the best team in the Eastern Conference in the last month.
Tali: Bruins. I’d love for Toronto to make it deep into the playoffs, but I don’t see it happening this year. Tuuka Rask is also a reliable playoff netminder.
Ryan: This series is the Bruins to lose. Ever since winning games at an absolute torrid pace for the majority of the season, the Bruins fell into a slump in their final 5 games going 1-3-1, throwing a way a golden opportunity to claim the Eastern Conference’s number-1 seed and home ice. On paper the Bruins have as good a chance as any to win not just this round but the Stanley Cup. It all depends on which team shows up against a tough Leafs opponent. The Bruins have the edge in puck possession and play-making, but the Leafs have the edge in speed and skill. Goaltending is a wash between Andersen and Rask. On paper Rask is a former Vezina trophy winner who should be able to steal some games for the Bruins, but tends to wilt in the spotlight. Ultimately, I think the Bruins step up their game and take this series.
Washington vs Columbus
The Blue Jackets may have played well down the stretch, but the Capitals have been incredibly consistent for the almost the entirety of the season. The Capitals took three of four games this season.
Predictions:
James: Washington. Columbus has played well of late, but I just can’t seem them being able to beat the Capitals.
Tali: Columbus. There is no sense in trusting Washington to make it happen in the playoffs. The question is whether it is a first round exit or second round exit.
Ryan: Columbus has been playing some fantastic hockey since the trade deadline, receiving significant contributions from mercenary-for-hire Thomas Vanek. They have a good deal of firepower led by former Chicago phenom Artemi Panarin. I imagine that Chicago would like a re-do on that trade given their current playoff position. With that being said I simply don’t think its going to be enough to overcome Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals. They are simply a more complete team with a heavy on the puck, hard hiitting style that should translate well to the playoffs. Although we say that every year… Capitals for this round.
Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia
The Penguins and Flyers will reignite a rivalry and bad blood could be on full display. Both squads play at a fast pace, which could mean it could be high scoring in this series. However, the Penguins have swept all four games this season.
Predictions
James: Pittsburgh. The Penguins know how to win and experience means everything in the playoffs.
Tali: Penguins. It hurts me to say it, but it’s going to take a massive effort to defeat the two time defending champions. Just a loaded team.
Ryan: Claude Giroux has put the team on his back this season notching over 100 points and putting himself squarely in the Hart conversation. A surprisingly strong season from Petr Mrazek has also aided the Flyers surprising efforts this season. With that being said, the Flyers have little chance of overcoming a squad as talented and deep as the Penguins. The Penguins biggest question mark has to be the health of netminder Matt Murray who has spent time out with a concussion this year. Other than that, I think we’ve seen this story before. Penguins.
Western Conference
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks play tough, but they also score a lot of goals. Although, not one player on the Ducks scored more than 35, meaning that they distribute the puck well enough. One question mark is their goaltending, with John Gibson playing 60 games this season, and ye olde Ryan Miller picking up 28 in his own right.
Colorado Avalanche
This team went from worst to the playoffs and look to pull off a cinderella story like Nashville last season. They are led by a youngster named Nathan MacKinnon who has been the talk of the league and might be a future star.
Los Angeles Kings
They are an experienced squad who have won two Stanley Cups. Led by seasoned veterans Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty and with Jonathan Quick in net, this team is still incredibly dangerous.
Minnesota Wild
This team always seems to be on the cusp of breaking out and going on a deep playoff run, but never amounting to anything. Could this be the year? Playing in a tough Central Division, Zach Parise leads this team into battle and with their speed, could finally break out and go on a deep run.
Nashville Predators
What a defense on this squad! Pekka Rinne and PK Subban are obviously the headliners, but the team is a holistic unit in keeping things tight. They are the defending Western Conference champions and this season’s President’s Trophy winners, and they look to build on those successes with an eye toward a championship.
San Jose Sharks
This could be the last hurrah for an aging Sharks team with seasoned veterans Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Logan Couture on the team, but they are also still very talented to go on a deep run especially with Martin Jones minding the net.
Vegas Golden Knights
The ultimate rookie franchise story is now looking for a deep playoff run. The draft has provided Vegas with depth nearly unparalleled in the league. Look to William Karlsson to lead the attack for this squad. However, the question will be whether the defence can scaffold Marc Andre Fleury as the competition gets harder. Can they ensure clear sight lines for Fleury against strong opposition, especially in a first round netminder duel against Jonathan Quick and the Kings?
Winnipeg Jets
Quite a balanced trio between Dustin Byfuglien, Patrick Laine, and Blake Wheeler. And they racked up the points during the regular season. Can the third and fourth lines support playoff untested Connor Hellebuyck into the playoffs? If he’s hot, it won’t matter, but his play over the past few weeks implies an inconsistency in defensive play.
Western Conference Matchups
Nashville vs. Colorado
Two Central Division rivals going at it, so it could be a lot of drama. However, the Predators have been in this position before so they are more experienced than the Avalanche. Nashville won all four games this season.
Predictions
James: Nashville. I just think they are the class of the entire Conference.
Tali: Nashville.
Ryan: Nashville has a Presidents Trophy under their belt and has played fantastic hockey all season. Fueled by last years loss to the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final, believe this team is on a mission to succeed where they previously failed. The late addition of former captain Mike Fisher should serve as a shot in the arm for a team who didn’t even need one. Predators take this one.
Winnipeg vs. Minnesota
This could be the most interesting matchup as Minnesota is looking to finally break through and the Jets will look to finally prove themselves. Winnipeg won three of the four contests this season.
Predictions
James: Minnesota. More playoff experience in the Wild.
Tali: Winnipeg.
Ryan: Winnipeg is a big, fast, and skilled team that will be a force in the Western Conference bracket. I expect them not only to win this round, but to make a deep run. With superstar talent like 19 year Patrik Laine (44 goals in only his second season) and stud blue liners such as Dustin Byfuglien, its going to be hard for an injury stricken Minnesota Wild team to keep pace. Winnipeg.
Vegas vs. Los Angeles
A really incredible story as the Golden Knights, an expansion franchise, made the playoffs in their first season, but they will have to take on an experienced Kings team that are looking for their third Stanley Cup.
Predictions
James: Vegas. Why not?
Tali: Los Angeles.
Ryan: There hasnt been a better story in the NHL this season than the Cinderella story of the Vegas Golden Knights, but the story ends here. The Knights are made up of a host of gritty, over-achievers seemingly cast off by other teams during the expansion draft. Regular season success was a surprise, but the playoffs are a different animal, and an animal that the core of the LA Kings have tamed in the recent past. Anze Kopitar his having another great year, and you can never sleep on a team with a franchise defenseman like Drew Doughty who is arguably the top D-Man in the league. The goalie battle between Quick and Fleury will be compelling, but I have to give the Kings the edge in this one.
Anaheim vs. San Jose
The battle of two Californian teams as they are both on a collision course, literally, with how physical both squads are. Also, both teams will be trying to erase years of playoff heart break for their fans.
Predictions
James: Anaheim. I just think they are more well rounded
Tali: Anaheim.
Ryan: Anaheim
Here is the fourth episode of The Unlucky Irishman podcast. Music is A Taste Of Silver by Until The Ribbon Breaks. The Stats of the Day are provided by ESPN Stats & Info Twitter feed. Produced by Ashley Maciag and Boomer Dangel. Host is James “Preacher” Rowe.
Major League Rugby will begin later this month, but it will only have seven clubs to begin their inaugural season in cities of Glendale (an enclave of Denver), Austin, Houston, New Orleans, San Diego, Seattle, and Salt Lake City (will be known as the Utah Warriors). Expansion is obviously inevitable and probably will happen next year, but the question is where should a team go. One thing I think the league should consider is making it a 16 team league with two divisions (eight in each division). With that said, let’s look at the nine other candidates that MLR should consider expanding to:
New York City
I think there is team that is already being considered for the city and it’s being start up very soon. Aside from that though, New York should absolutely get an MLR franchise as it’s the biggest market in the country and there is a lot rugby played there. This is a no brainer.
Boston
Another place that is a hot bed for American rugby. Maybe it’s because of the Irish culture in the city, but lot’s of colleges play rugby there and there are good numbers of players in the city. Also, it’s a great sports market.
Chicago
Chicago has hosted a few matches including Ireland vs New Zealand, but this is a big market that has a lot of rugby going on here. Plus there is a huge Irish population here as that could be catered to them as well.
Charlotte
I had a hard time deciding between Raleigh and Charlotte, but I thought the city with the biggest market should get it. When I lived in North Carolina I saw what the rugby culture was like there as I even got playing. Lots of tournaments of the South play there, so this would be a perfect city for a club.
Washington D.C.
I might be a little biased here as this is my hometown, but after I came back to live there I finally saw what the rugby culture was like there. There are so many bars there showing the Six Nations and even ones dedicated just to rugby. The citizens are also sports crazed, so they would probably love having a professional rugby team there.
Atlanta
Ever hear of Life University? No? Neither did I until I started playing rugby and watched college rugby tournaments as Life was a rugby powerhouse. Plus Atlanta is a huge market. This should be a no brainer
Philadelphia
The Mid-Atlantic loves their rugby, but it’s also big in the City of Brotherly Love so this would be a perfect place for a club. And it would also develop rivalry with D.C. which is only a two hour trip down South.
Columbus
I’ve been living in Cincinnati for the past two years, I’ve noticed that the state really likes rugby. And the perfect place for it? Columbus. The city is a college town with Ohio State there and with college kids around, the league can strike gold there.
Toronto
The last spot was a difficult one as I had a lot of other cities I thought were deserving, but Canada shouldn’t be left out as that’s a country that loves rugby too. And with that, the fourth biggest city in the continent should be a great spot for a club. With a big market and in another country that is starting to really love rugby, you bet they need a team.
Other considerations
Nashville: It’s a college town, a great night life, and hosts tournaments there all the time. This would have been a good spot.
Tucson: Surprisingly, Arizona plays lots of rugby especially with the success of the University of Arizona rugby program there. I thought this city should have gotten it over New Orleans.
Los Angeles: The second biggest city in the country, yeah it’s a great place to put a team financially. Also with UCLA being a top program in College Rugby, you bet this city would embrace rugby.
San Francisco: They had a club here when PRO Rugby was a thing, but they do play rugby a lot in California including San Francisco, so this would be a compelling place to put a team.
Dallas: I’m only putting them here because there is a strong possibility that they will get an expansion club in the upcoming seasons.
Vancouver: Another great spot for rugby as, like I said, Canada is really embracing rugby too. The Pacific Northwest plays lots of rugby so Vancouver is a good spot.
Minneapolis: They were supposed to get a club according a press release last May, but it seems like there won’t be. I could also see this being a good fit with all the rugby played there.
Kansas City: See Minneapolis above. Same exact thing.
With Major League Rugby about to begin later this month, many fans of the sport are wondering all the same thing; “Will it work?” God I hope so. In 2016, a professional rugby league, PRO Rugby, launched and most of us rugby fans exclaimed “Finally!” It folded after the season. There was even talk about Pro14 expanding into the United States, which is arguably one of the best rugby leagues in the world. Those talks have seemed to stall though. With MLR, hopefully it could be a success.
Rugby is the fastest growing team sport in the United States, so it’s time to have a professional league in our country. Exposure is incredibly important (along with educating the United States about the sport), so to see rugby played on our home soil is the best way to get people engaged. Sure, they could watch it at the college level, but that doesn’t get enough recognition. In a country of 325 million, there are bound to be enough athletes that could become rugby players and if that is the case, the U.S. could actually become good at the sport. Also with the concussion issue with American Football, some people would be willing to play a contact sport that is a lot safer (and for any of my compatriots reading that sentence, yes it is safer than football). Plus, there are a lot of football players who will never make it in college or in the NFL, and those players could take the chance of playing a contact sport still especially with the athleticism they have. The opportunities are there, they just need to be exercised.
So how can this model work? Well for starters, television. There’s already a strong start with that as CBS Sports will be airing most of the matches with ESPN showing the ones CBS Sports doesn’t. That is absolutely huge for the league as they are already getting more exposure than PRO Rugby ever had. I think CBS Sports and ESPN are already seeing the opportunity and they are going to try and take it.
Another way is engage with people who are interested in learning about the sport on social media. They need to make as many videos that would be “cool” to watch and share it on platforms like Twitter and Facebook which might intrigue people to possibly watch their league.
And lastly, for casual fans or just to get any person to the match, use promotions as reasons to get people to come. I know this is kind of bad to promote this, but considering how drinking alcohol and rugby kind of go hand in hand, use some sort of promotions with beer or margaritas or whatever type of alcohol. Then you could maybe do some sort of fun family outing type of thing or even something for college students. That will certainly get some people to come and that could hopefully pique some interest in citizens of this nation.
Outside of those things, to get people to watch rugby, you have to teach it to them.
There is some encouraging signs that this league could work as the other day the Utah Warriors had an attendance figure that was more than 9,000 fans. And that was an exhibition match. If all the clubs can market their team well, I can see this being a success.
One other thing that will entice people to come out is how competitive the league is. I was looking at the schedule and teams will be playing eight matches. That isn’t much at all. There are seven clubs in the league, so you have to expand the amount of matches played. Now, lots of other leagues across the world play 22 matches and then have a postseason, but that is too early for MLR to do that. While I would prefer to have 20 matches played for the season, I think if you play the six other clubs in your league twice in a season, theres twelve matches right there. More money for the clubs and more money for sponsors and networks. More money also means it will be successful. Playoffs is a different matter which I could go into further down the road.
What I don’t like about the league in it’s current stage is that the furthest East the clubs are is in New Orleans. Admittedly, its hard to get a league going when the teams are so spread out in the country, but having no teams on the East Coast I think is ludicrous. However, the league apparently are starting teams in “historic rugby communities.” Not quite sure that’s the best way of approaching that as you can do that with a few cities like San Diego and also install a club in a big market like New York where a lot of the money lies.
So the back to the original question: Will Major League Rugby succeed? I hope so, but I don’t know. While the league is off to a much better start than PRO Rugby, I get this gut feeling than it won’t. I am so happy that the television contracts that were made happened, but that doesn’t mean it will be successful. I already see the league playing at least two more seasons, but interest will be key. With that, it will be hard as the U.S. already has the four top sports in baseball, basketball, football, and hockey with also soccer rising in popularity, it’s going to be hard to see rugby gain popularity unless there is more exposure (which has been evident with NBC Sports Network showing this past Six Nations Tournament).
However, I hope this league works out as rugby is truly a great sport and I can see it working in the country if it’s done right, but there are a lot of other factors to incorporate here. Exposure will be the ultimate challenge here as that is the only way to get people interested and they will have to find a way to do that especially with how many sports that dominate here already.
It’s still too early to see whether there will be any success, but if it is one, it will be great for the growth of the sport here in the United States.
Sources:
http://the1014.com/major-league-rugby-success-story-2018/
Whenever anyone writes about The Masters golf tournament, it is thrust upon that writer a cosmic obligation to write the following words:
“A tradition unlike any other…. The Masters.” -Jim Nantz
Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I can talk about the tournament itself. This is the most hyped golf tournament in around a decade, and it’s not hard to see why. Tiger is back! It’s only one of the most dominant athletes of all time, plugging away at a fourth comeback attempt. Will he succeed this time around? Probably not. But no athlete is probably so much a part of my childhood as Tiger Woods. And seeing him play, and play well, is no small thing. He has not yet won on tour this year, but he has been in contention. In no sport are the margins between winning and not winning so small as in golf.
Continuing with the more advanced in age, Phil Mickelson won an event (WGC-Mexico) for the first time since the 2013 British Open. He is a three-time Masters winner, and will be in the conversation for contenders this week, partly for nostalgia, partly for his geniality, and partly because he’s playing pretty well.
Next we have the American youths: Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler chief among them. Justin Thomas is last season’s player of the year and PGA Champions, Spieth already has 3 majors to his name, and Fowler, well, Fowler is a Player’s Champion. Which is a darn good tournament, but have always underwhelmed in the majors, especially on Sunday.
The major factor in the hype for this year’s Masters is simple: it has been a long time since golf has seen this much talent, with this many exceptional players of different generations playing well. Last year’s winner, Sergio Garcia, was on very few people’s radars going into the week, yet he came out with the green jacket, and his first major. In a field of 87 contenders, the odds of predicting this year’s tournament are low. So let’s do exactly that, because it is far more fun than bemoaning the fact nobody gets it right.
10. Tiger Woods: Tiger knows this course better than any human alive, with the possible exception of Jack Nicklaus. That counts for a lot in Augusta. And I think he is physically as good as he is ever going to be. But sometimes that is not enough. This field is stacked, and all phases of the game have to be in line to win this tournament. Tiger’s iron play is close, but not there yet. Let’s hope it will be ready in time for the US Open.
9. Rory McIlroy: Rory and the Masters is quite a sad tale. Not on the level of A Little Life, but the luck has just not been with Rory at this tournament. He comes off a thrilling win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which helps greatly. I look for him to have a similar Sunday charge, but only to a top-10 finish, not to the top of the leaderboard.
8. Jordan Spieth: Already an all time great at the age of 24, Jordan Spieth needs no introduction for the golf fan. Two legendary turns have already involved Spieth at Augusta: Winner here in 2015, utter shambles on Sunday in 2016. His play, however, has not been this year at the level of his work from 2015-2017. His best finish is T-3 at the Houston Open, leading me to believe he has some small adjustments to do on his game and mentality before getting back to winning ways.
7. Kevin Kisner: Kisner has a tendency to play well for 2-3 days in majors, and fade as Sunday wears along. He doesn’t have the driving length of many on this list, and that hurts going into Augusta. But he is an able competitor, and playing well this season, with 2 top-5 finishes. A top 10 at Augusta is nothing to slouch at, should it come to fruition.
6. Dustin Johnson: A lot of Americans on this list, eh? Well, there happen to be a lot of great golfers playing well, who just so happen to be American right now. DJ is high among them. The man is the number one player in the world still, with one win and 4 top-10 finished this year. He’s playing well, but, as theme here, so are many others.
5. Louis Oosthuizen: No matter the year, season, course, or weather, Louis just manages to find a way to put himself in contention on Sunday at a major. He’s a reliable face near the top of any major leaderboard, and I fully expect him to be up there on Sunday.
4. Justin Rose: last year’s runner up seems primed for another stab at a green jacket. A win at the WGC-HSBC, a 3rd place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and a T-5 at the Valspar indicate another likely good showing for Justin. A consummate professional and gentleman, US Open Winner and Olympic Gold Medalist, Rose would be a fine addition to the ranks of Masters champions. But I don’t think it is happening this year.
3. Bubba Watson: The 2 time winner of this event has had a brilliant 2018, with wins at the Genesis Open and WGC-Match Play. Bubba always has his length and his putting, two key assets for Augusta. He seems primed for a third win at Augusta, but I think two men stand in his way. Two men who are trending toward the title just slightly more than Bubba.
2. Justin Thomas: I feel like Mugatu (a character in the movie Zoolander) saying this, but, “JT, so hot right now.” Last year, he was player of the year, won five times, won the PGA Championship, and the FedEx Cup. This year, he has won twice: the CJ Cup and the Honda Classic. These winning ways are here for Mr. Thomas, but I think he falls just short this week.
1. Jason Day: I feel as though Jason Day has been in contention at the Masters since time immemorial. In any case, he has never won it. This season, he won the Farmers Insurance Open, and finished T-2 at Pebble Beach. He is playing well, to be sure. But what makes me think Jason Day is finally going to win at Augusta? Well, like Sergio last year, sometimes everything comes together at the right time, in a huge moment of catharsis. I think that Day is ready for his moment of catharsis, but more importantly, he’s in a good position with his play. Let’s just hope his back holds out.
Some honorable mentions, and other names I feel could also put in a shift for Sunday: Henrik Stenson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia
Loyola-Chicago has had an unbelievable run to the Final Four as they were an 11 seed coming into the tournament and not many gave them a chance to win. One thing that should be noted is that they are a really good team, so it shouldn’t come too much as a shock with their run, but it certainly wasn’t expected. The team, in the first three games, won by a combined four points as they played their competition really close, but won comfortably in their Elite 8 game against Kansas State. Loyola-Chicago plays fundamentally sound basketball and play as a team while not having a “star” player on their squad to rely on. This was more than deserving for the school and it’s been fun to watch them play.
However, it does remind me of something that I will always remember, George Mason’s run to the Final Four in 2006. Not many people gave George Mason a chance during the tournament and even some people thought they didn’t even deserve a berth after losing in their conference tournament in the semi-finals. However, they got one and that’s all that mattered. One thing many people forget is that they were even in the Top 25 at one point that season. George Mason was a good team, so when people made their predictions, they forgot how talented they were. In the first round, they beat a very good Michigan State team, but what was more impressive was their contest against North Carolina, the defending champions. After falling into a deep hole early in the game, George Mason stuck to their game plan and came from behind to beat UNC. Their next game was against Wichita State, but George Mason shot extremely well and didn’t look back as they defeated Wichita State comfortably. However, their next game was going to be a test as they faced off against the one seed in their region, UConn. What transpired was probably one of the greatest games in the history of the tournament. Neither team had all that big of a lead in the game as it was played close. Maybe because of the stakes, so many were tuned into watching the contest especially around the D.C. area. George Mason played hard and played like a team, like Loyola-Chicago, by not depending on a “star” player to lead them to victory. Despite the intensity of the game and how talented UConn was, George Mason won, sending everyone into a frenzy. If you ever get a chance, watch that game. It was the most incredible games I have ever watched. The jubilation I experienced was as if they had just won National Championship. And at that time, it was one of the most remarkable accomplishments in the history of the tournament. George Mason is a commuter school and a mid-major, so to see the program even accomplish that is way more incredible than people may realize.
Loyola-Chicago is in that same boat. Right now, their run is not quite as remarkable as George Mason’s, but if they can beat Michigan in the Final Four (heck, even becoming National Champions) then it would be more incredible. However, watching their run has been giving me flashbacks of George Mason’s. It’s been a lot of fun and it has been exciting to watch. That being said, to all the fans of Loyola-Chicago, enjoy this moment. It was so much fun when George Mason did it and I know exactly how it feels to be in the position you all are in. Soak it all in. While it didn’t quite go the way I wanted to see the season end, I kept smiling.
I hope your team can accomplish more.
Boomer Dangel
Advancing to Championship: Villanova and Michigan
National Champion: Villanova
Malikah French
Advancing to Championship: Loyola-Chicago and Villanova
National Champion: Villanova
Dan Nicotera
Advancing to Championship: Villanova and Michigan
National Champion: Villanova
James Rowe
Advancing to Championship: Villanova and Michigan
National Champion: Villanova
Rowe Sports Talk Network 