Could the Boston Celtics survive without media coverage?

By: Lily Zhao

If you look down on the Celtics' home court, you will see a big "@Celtics" twitter handle insignia permanently imprinted on the hardwood. In today's evolution of social media, outlets like Twitter and Facebook have fueled coverage of the Celtics.

(iamagm.com)

Members of the media document and report on games, press conferences, public events, rookie signings, trade rumors and everything in between. Many fans now a world of knowledge at their fingertips because of the media -- they can turn to trusted sites like the Boston Globe or Boston Herald, turn on the radio for WEEI or 98.5 the Sports Hub, or turn on their TVs to watch ESPNBoston and NESN. But, what would happen if media coverage suddenly went away? Could NBA teams like the Celtics survive without it?

Travis Singleton from BlackAthletes.net seems to think so. He believes the media does open many doors for Celtics fans by letting fans know what exactly is going on with their favorite NBA team. Singleton says media coverage has benefited the C's because members of the media are the people who track all the team stats, film and analyze what happens during games and lets them know what is going on with other teams in the league.

However, Singleton says that because Boston is such a sports city, stopping media coverage on the team would not really affect them at all.

"The Celtics could definitely survive without media coverage because it's an NBA brand," he said. "The National Basketball League can sell itself on its brand loyalty alone."

ESPNBoston.com writer Greg Payne says he gets complaints from some veteran players about the media being too nosy, overwhelming and invasive in their personal lives on and off the court. Payne says players like Ray Allen and Paul Pierce wouldn't mind not having the media around because they have been on the team for so long.

However, younger players on the team are the ones who thrive on media attention.

"Younger guys like Avery Bradley, for instance, get great exposure," Payne said. "You see writers around the league saying things about how he's one of the best on ball defenders in the league and that can help the mindset of a young player like him feel like he belongs."

Jeffrey Twiss, the VP of Media Relations for the Celtics, thinks differently.

Twiss believes if media coverage were to stop all together for the Celtics, it would be detrimental for the future. He says media coverage is what helps drive interest for the team and its players. Without social media outlets, the team would be irrelevant because no one would know what was going on with the team and thus lose interest.

"There's a fine balance between the media and our team," Twiss said. "Neither one of us could exist without the other."

Bruins: First Trades of the Day

By: Lily Zhao

In the first moves of the day for the Bruins on NHL deadline day, the Bruins have acquired Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau from the Islanders and Greg Zanon from the Wild.

(boston.rawsignal.com)

Rolston, the 39-year-old forward from Flint, MI, will add depth to the B's frontline. As an older veteran player, he could provide solid playing time for Claude Julian's top three lines. He has just nine points this season.

Rolson's teammate Mottau will return to his home state. Born in Quincy, MA, Mottau has just two assists this season, after coming back to the ice following a concussion earlier this season. 

And in one of the first trades amongst teams today, the Bruins have traded defenseman Steven Kampfer for Wild defenseman Greg Zanon. 

Kampfer, who has been injured, did not see any significant playing time this season. He only played 10 games.

Zanon was added to the backline to hopefully work alongside Dennis Seidenberg. Zanon played in 39 games this season and has 104 blocked shots. He should be the big body B's general manager Peter Chiarelli is looking for.

Bruins Deadline Day: Possible Trade Options


By: Lily Zhao


It's that time of year again.

It's the day most NHL players usually dread and most fans usually enjoy.

The NHL trade deadline has finally arrived and the Bruins are on the clock.

The team has until 3 p.m. today to close their business on the trade front. And unless anything drastic changes before then, B's general manager Peter Chiarelli is still looking to fill holes along the forward and defenseman ranks.

He wants a forward who can play on one of the team's top three lines, and a defenseman capable of logging valuable minutes among the backline.

"My motivating factors are, first of all, depth," Chiarelli said. "And then injury, especially to our forwards. Both Nathan (Horton) and (Rich Peverley) remain out, and though we expect both are going to be back, you have to make sure you are covered."

He's right, but Chiarelli just recently added wanting to obtain an impact player as well.

I say good luck.

Yes, he is right in wanting to get that player.

With injuries to Horton (concussion) and Peverley (knee), along with the team's overall lackluster play since the beginning of January--not counting Wednesday night's win--it's crucial for this team to get someone who can be a consistent scorer.

However, with an estimate of $13.2 million under the salary cap and a mediocre, thin market for impact forwards, chances of Chiarelli finding that star player this season look slim.

(Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Chiarelli even said himself that prices this year were "through the roof."

"Last year we talked about adding a couple more bodies and chemistry. We were fortunate to get a couple of players that had additional years on their contracts and fit into our two-way system," he said. "We paid a good amount last year to get some players in -- I'm not saying we won't this year -- but (prices are) through the roof."

Along with high prices, another aspect hindering the B's from snatching a power forward are negotiations of trading amongst teams.

The biggest names on the market, Blue Jackets' Rick Nash and Jeff Carter come at a big price because Columbus wants a goaltender in return.

I doubt Chiarelli is ready to let go of 24-year-old goaltender Tuukka Rask.

What would be the most helpful for the team will be to focus on getting a forward for less money that will still have that ability to score goals, and a defenseman that can put in ample time in the backline.

According to ESPN.com, forwards Ales Hemsky (Edmonton Oilers), Milan Hejduk (Colorado Avalanche), Kyle Okposos (New York Islanders) and Sami Pahlsson (Columbus Blue Jackets) seem to be good options for the B's.

Out of all these forwards, I believe Pahlsson would be the best asset for Boston. He's a former Bruin and if he's picked up by the B's, this could allow Chiarelli to move some players around.

On the defensive front, Johnny Oduya (Winnipeg Jets), Jaroslav Spacek (Carolina Hurricanes) and Lubomir Visnovsky (Anaheim Ducks) could help in the backline.

Spacek has the best range for the team. The 38-year-old unrestricted free-agent-to-be, if signed by the B's, could push the depth charts. He plays well on the power play and will add another experienced body to help Dennis Seidenberg and Zdeno Chara, especially after Johnny Boychuk's injury earlier this season.

With Chiarelli looking to change the look of the team, there's good news for current B's players. The GM said he does not intend or want to break up the core of the present team.

"I've been clear in telling people I've talked to that I don't want to move anyone off our roster," Chiarelli said.

Bruins fans rejoice. Bruins players take a deep breath.

Come the end of Manic Monday, we'll see just how this team will look.

The clock is ticking.

Hot and Not: Celtics v. Pistons

By: Lily Zhao

Following the Pistons' 98-88 win over the Celtics Wednesday night, here were some hot and not parts of the game.

BURNING HOT

Ben Gordon from 3: Every time it seemed the Celtics would put a little distance between themselves and the Pistons, Gordon would deliver a game-turning three to shift the momentum. He connected on 4-of-6 from downtown, which is more than the Celtics made as a team, only shooting 1-of-6. It wasn't that Gordon connected on all the shots from beyond the arc for Detroit, but it was the timing of these shots that were so killer. It all started to come together for him in the fourth quarter, where he hit his last three-point attempts. Following a missed three by Mickael Pietrus, Gordon's three with 1:08 left in the fourth would ice the game for the Pistons. That shot sent C's fans migrating in masses out of the arena.

HOT 

Rajon Rondo in the first half: It seems Rondo has overcome his fears of playing the Pistons. He scored an average of six points in his last five games against Detroit. This game would be different. Rondo started the first quarter on fire, continuing his hot streak, and scored the first couple of baskets for the Celtics. His two feeds to Chris Wilcox who slammed it home got the crowd on its feet. Heading into the half, he had 19 points and 3 assists. His impact on offense and defense was what kept the Celtics in control for the rest of the first half.

NOT

Jermaine O'Neal's return: O'Neal returned to the starting lineup for the first time after missing several games due to ankle and knee problems. However, O'Neal was a non-factor in this game, only scoring a point and grabbed 2 rebounds. He was moving slower than usual and still seemed hamped by his knees. The only bright spot of his game was his block in the third quarter that led to another feed by Rondo to Wilcox to put the C's up 64-61 with 5:33 remaining.

ICE, ICE BABY

Celtics' free throw percentage: When the Celtics needed it the most, they could not sink their free throws. Despite playing well in the first half, Rondos' inability to sink the free throws in the fourth quarter prevented the team from mounting any kind of a comeback. The Celtics were a dismal 59 percent from the line, making only 19-of-32, while the Pistons shot 24-of-29 from the charity stripe.

Pistons make run late, defeat Celtics 98-88

By: Lily Zhao

(ESPN.com)

Rodney Stuckey scored 25 points and Ben Gordon made a three-pointer with 1:10 left in the fourth quarter to ice the game for the Detroit Pistons 98-88 over the Boston Celtics.

Greg Monroe added 22 points of his own, and Gordon came off the bench for 22 points to help the Pistons improve to 3-12 on the road.

Rajon Rondo scored 35 points, while Chris Wilcox and Paul Pierce added 27 points combined to keep the Celtics in control for much of the game.

Kevin Garnett did not play because of a hip flexor.

Both teams traded leads midway through the third quarter. Rondo would hit only six of his 10 shots in the second half and was a non-factor with less than five minutes left in the third.

With 1:08 left in the third quarter, Stuckey would make the layup to put the Pistons within one 72-71. On the very next play, Monroe's layup would put the Piston's ahead for good 73-72.

The Pistons' 6-0 run would put them ahead heading into the fourth. The Celtics' inability to produce points down low in the post and grab rebounds would lead to many second chance points for the Pistons.

Gordon's three from the top of the key, followed by another layup by Stuckey a couple of plays later would push the Pistons lead to 13, the biggest lead of the game.

Despite leading for most of the game, the Pistons made a 16-4 run late to take control in the fourth quarter and main the lead with a balanced offensive effort and more offensive and defensive rebounds.

GAME NOTES:
Jermaine O'Neal would return to the game following knee and ankle problems to score a point...Boston came into the game scoring quickly, but the absence of Garnett on the defensive end would lead to easy shots at the basket for the Pistons, who made 10 of their 19 shots in the first quarter...The Pistons bench would outscore Boston's bench 29-15 mainly due to Ben Gordon's 22 point night...Boston will not return home until Feb. 29 against the Milwaukee Bucks and has a tough stretch ahead playing Chicago, Dallas and Oklahoma City next week.

First Half Analysis: Celtics Lead Pistons 49-47

By: Lily Zhao

The last time Rajon Rondo scored in double figures against the Detroit Pistons was in 2010. He scored only 6 points per game in the Celtics' last five games against the Pistons. Tonight, that's a different story. Rondo ended the first half with 19 points and was an offensive force in the first half driving to the lane for easy baskets and feeding the ball to Chris Wilcox under the basket.

The Celtics' stifling defense has limited big man Greg Monroe from getting the normal shots he likes under the basket. Rodney Stuckey (8 points) and Tayshaun Prince (15 points) have been creating opportunities for the Pistons, but the lack of passing and quality shots has limited the Pistons from generating any productive spurts of offense.

The Celtics extended their lead 46-38 following two free throws by Ray Allen with 3:30 left in the second quarter, but Stuckey kept the Pistons in the game. His last score of the first half put the Pistons within a bucket 45-43. Boston's defense swatted away a last attempt shot by the Pistons at the half to stay in the lead heading into halftime.

Rajon Rondo sees triple vision, carries Celtics over Bulls 95-91


By: Lily Zhao

(ESPN.com)

Rondosanity took over the TD Garden Sunday night.


Rajon Rondo ended the game with a triple-double with 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics over the Chicago Bulls 95-91.

The Bulls were without star guard Derrick Rose who sat out his second straight game due to back spasms.

Kevin Garnett added 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Chris Wilcox finished with 11 points and 9 rebounds. This win snapped a two game skid for the Celtics, following a poor outing in Toronto last Friday, where the team was outplayed 86-74.

C.J. Watson, who started for Rose, scored 22 points for the Bulls, while Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah added a combined 38 points. This loss ended a five game win streak for the Bulls.

Following a 48-43 halftime lead, the Celtics opened the third quarter on a 6-2 run following a lay-up by Wilcox to stretch the lead to 54-45. The Bulls would get no closer than three to end the third.

Down 14 points with just under five minutes to play, the Bulls went on a 11-0 run, pulling within three points on Luol Deng's two free throws to make it 91-88 with just under 1:30 left to go in the fourth quarter.

With just 9.8 seconds left on the clock, Rondo hit his ninth triple-double of the season by grabbing his 10th rebound. His 32 points and 15 assists were both season highs.

Rondo set the tone early on in the game, driving to the lane wide open and creating opportunities for his teammates. He scored his first 8 points in the paint. Among his many highlights in the first half, his between the legs pass to Wilcox for the dunk set the tone for the rest of the game.

Boston held Chicago to 34 percent shooting in the first half. The Bulls bench went 6-for-23 from the field.

With the win, Boston improved to 15-12 on the season, 11-7 while playing at home.

Game Notes
Boston played without Brandon Bass (knee problems) and Jermaine O'Neal (knee and shoulder injuries)...Celtics reserve guard Keyon Dooling returned after missing 16 of the team's last 17 games following knee and right hip problems. Dooling grabbed two boards...The Celtics' next game is this Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons. Following this home game, the team will be on a five-game road trip and will not return home until Feb. 29 when they play the Milwaukee Bucks.

Super Bowl XLVI: Breaking Down the Patriots’ Defense

The last six Super Bowl champions all boasted stout defenses and efficient offenses. It’s no wonder the saying: “defense wins championships” still holds strong. For New England, this season’s defense has been considered the underbelly of a Tom Brady-led, high-powered Patriots’ offense. Here are parts of the Patriots’ defense to watch out for on Super Bowl Sunday.

By: Lily Zhao

Vince Wilfork

The Patriots' defense will face a daunting task against healthy Giants' running backs Brandon Jacobs, D.J. Ware and Ahmad Bradshaw. Ranked 17 in the league in pass rush, the defense has allowed 117 yards per game on the ground. Late-season slip-ups against the Eagles, Redskins and Broncos meant their ground-game ranking slipped. When Andre Carter was lost to a torn quadriceps, Pepper Johnson has been looking for a guy up front to step up and stop the run, and replicate the success the Pats have had in the postseason, only allowing 3.7 yards per carry.

(IndyStar.com)

Vince Wilfork (52 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 INT) seems to be the guy. He is one of four Patriots left from New England’s last championship team in 2004. This season, the 325-pound defensive tackle helped seal the win in the AFC title game, hitting Ray Rice for a loss on third down, then forcing an interception from Joe Flacco to preserve a three point lead late in the fourth quarter. He finished with six tackles. The Patriots will need Wilfork to take up space in the middle by occupying two blockers, which will hopefully mean more chances to get to Eli Manning.

Secondary

(NBCSports.com)

There is concern in the Patriots' secondary. Second to last in the league in pass defense, the Pats are giving up almost 300 yards in the air. The inability to tackle and recognize coverage has plagued the Pats' secondary, especially the safeties. This group has been a patchwork in progress, with cornerbacks playing safety and vice versa. Julien Edelman and Matthew Slater even played the cornerback position.  Although this group has struggled for much of the season, it has improved in its last couple of games. The return of Patrick Chung (62 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) from a sprained foot has proven to be the key factor to rejuvenating the secondary. 
The defense will lean on Chung, safeties Devin McCourty and James Ihedigbo, cornerback Kyle Arrington and rookie Sterling Moore to stop the Giants' passing attack. Giants wide receivers Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz are part of an offense that ranks fifth in the league, averaging 295 passing yards per game. 


Inside Linebackers
The strength of the defense is the presence of Jerod Mayo (95 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INT) and Brandon Spikes (47 tackles). With 17 tackles in the post-season thus far, Mayo is an instinctive player, who Belichick calls "the quarterback" of the team. Even though Spikes missed eight games with a knee injury, his return to the lineup helped shore up the team's run defense. The 250-pound linebacker also had a big game in the AFC title game, registering a team-best nine tackles and coming up with a key fourth-quarter interception. This tandem of Spikes and Mayo on the inside provides a weighty advantage over running backs Jacobs and Bradshaw.

Regular Season vs. Post Season Stats

The Patriots defense on paper looks statistically horrid. Allowing over 411 yards per game, the defense has given up the highest total of yards than any other Super Bowl participant in history. However, in the postseason, Belichick's defenses have played much better, allowing only 325 yards per game. This success is mainly attributed to the return of linebacker Brandon Spikes and safety Patrick Chung, both who suffered injuries early in the season. The production of these two players has helped the defense both on the ground and through the air. With their return, the defense has averaged four sacks, and only 15 points per game.