Restocking The Pond

By: TJ Hartnett

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

There has been more than plenty of hullabaloo about Derek Jeter’s teardown of the Miami Marlins in an attempt to shed money and begin a rebuilding process akin to the one the Royals and Cubs have had recent success with.

During the offseason, the Marlins shipped off the contracts of all their major players except for J.T. Realmuto, who begrudgingly remains a Marlin as of this writing. That was step one. Step two is fast approaching and it’s one the Marlins need to nail if they’re to keep whatever is left of their fanbase buying into Jeter’s vision for the future.

The Marlins will be picking 13th when the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft kicks off on Monday. They will have a fair few good options at that point, including one local prospect that may be a likely choice.

That prospect is Triston Casas out of Plantation, Florida’s American Heritage School. Caas is a first baseman/third baseman who may possess the rawest power out of any high school player on the board.

Casas hit to the tune of .446 his junior year and .387 his senior year, with 28 of his 52 hits combined those seasons going for extra bases.

Plus, there’s the added PR bonus of having a kid in your own backyard as your number one draft pick; it should provide some investment by the Miami community.

There’s also Mason Denaburg, a right-handed pitcher from Merritt Island High School on Merritt Island, Florida. He can touch the upper 90s with potential to develop a mean secondary pitch or two, though he was dealing with injuries during his senior year.

This might be a riskier pick since three or their last four first-round draft choices were pitchers who have been bitten by the injury bug after their signings. Adding a fourth to that list would do the Marlins’ front office no favors in the eyes of the public.

There are older prospects that could be considered for Miami at 13. Alec Bohm, a third baseman out of Wichita State; Jonathan India at Florida also at the hot corner; and South Alabama outfielder Jack Swaggerty all could be big-league ready much sooner than the aforementioned teens.

Bohm, for example, knocked out 16 home runs and drove in 55 while hitting .339 this season. India’s average and power numbers are even bigger. They are good options for Miami if they want players with a little more polish on them, but maybe a little lower ceiling and without the good optics a local high school player would provide.

The safer bets are those two Floridan high schoolers and if Miami does in fact select either one they would have gone with high school players first for five straight years.

It also means another thing: that whoever they pick, hometown prospect or not, he probably won’t be seen in the Majors for a long while. If this is the way the Marlins choose to go, then that rebuilding process may indeed take the better part of a decade.

Can the Marlins survive such a lengthy process? Or would they be completely abandoned by a fan base that only has a tenuous grip on caring as it is?

It would be a gamble, but Jeter and company need to make a statement with this draft one way or another. Half measures will do no one any good. They’ll need to draft the players they think they can build around for the long term and stick with them.

This draft is either going to be the new beginning for Miami, or the last straw before an MLB game is played with less than 1,000 spectators present.

Upgrade Eligible

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

I haven’t been this excited about Braves baseball in almost a decade. Heading into June, the Braves have to start thinking about a line-up upgrade at third base, starting pitcher and closer by the trading deadline.

The Braves just released Jose Bautista and will play Johan Camargo at third base for now. This move I feel is temporary and is not the long-term solution at the position for the Braves. So, who can the Braves go get at third base at the deadline?

How about Mike Moustakas from the Kansas City Royals? Moustakas tested the free agent market last winter and got a bad deal, coming off a 38-homer season only to settle for a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the team he expected move on from. The Royals won a World Series with Moustakas in 2015 so he knows the postseason grind and could be a calming presence in the locker room in a stretch run for the playoffs. T

he Royals are currently 19-36 and are going nowhere in the AL Central so it is time to rebuild that franchise. Moustakas is hitting .275 and has 11 HR’s and 35 RBI’s in 207 at bats this season. He turns 30 in September so he is in his prime.

The Braves farm system is loaded with talent and you could package Camargo and a young arm in the system to get him. Moustakas bats third in the Royals batting order and he could be plugged in anywhere from 4th to 6th in the Braves order and is a drastic power and production upgrade from Camargo.

I think the Braves can make this deal happen and Moustakas could be the solution for Atlanta at 3rd for the next 3-5 years. Did I fail to mention that Moustakas is a two-time American League All-Star?

Josh Donaldson from Toronto could also be an option at 3rd for Atlanta but I think Moustakas is a better and cheaper option. Donaldson makes $22 million a year and Moustakas makes $6.5 million.

At closer the Braves need help. Kelvin Herrera of the Kansas City Royals is the answer. The best closer sure to be available and his stock is high, with 11 saves and no walks in 19 2/3 innings. A 0.92 ERA with 17 strike outs and only one blown save in 21 appearances in 2018.

Can you really depend on Arodys Vizcaino down the stretch? Herrera is 28 years old. Vizcaíno for Herrera in a straight trade.

Immediate help in the rotation is Cole Hamels, Texas Rangers left handed quality starter. The Rangers are not going to pick up his $20 million option next year, which includes a large $6 million buyout and would love to unload him now.

Hamels, a four-time All-Star and 2008 World Series MVP, is 3-5 with a 3.74 ERA. He also has a postseason pedigree that would be perfect for any contender, especially in the National League.

Hamels could be the spark the rotation if the organization feels like they can win now. The 3.74 ERA on a bad Rangers team makes Hamels attractive at the trade deadline. At 34 years of age and 150 wins and 3.38 career ERA, Hamels still has plenty left in the tank. The Rangers are 12.5 games back and currently in last place behind the World Champion Astros in the AL West. It is time to clean house in Arlington. Braves could give up a couple of minor league prospects for Hamels.

As a fan, you would love to see the Braves address all three areas I have outlined above. If I had to prioritize the three areas of concern they would be:

Third Base/Starting Pitcher

Closer

This Braves team can win now with the right moves at the trading deadline. THIS SEASON!

 

New Dawgs, Old Tricks

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

It’s been a good start to the Kirby Smart regime. I’d be lying if I said I saw his early success coming this soon, but I have a feeling Georgia fans won’t mind me being a little off with my prediction.

While I understand the excitement, and if you’re a UGA fan you have every right to be, I would caution getting too overzealous. If you’re experiencing a bit of Deja vu, it’s because you’ve seen this movie before.

Kirby Smart and Mark Richt will be forever linked for the obvious reason that Smart succeeded Richt, after the latter was relieved of his head coaching duties. However, it’s some of the similarities concerning each coaches’ first couple years in Athens that I want to talk about; their records in particular.

For one, they both arrived as first-time head coaches. Sure, that’s not necessarily life changing or anything, but neither had any other head coaching experience prior to UGA, which does play a part when assessing their early years.

And going by the first two years for each at Georgia, those seasons are almost identical.

Smart finished his inaugural season 8-5, ending up just outside the Top 25. Richt finished 8-4, ranked 25th at season’s end.

Kirby then followed that up with a second season consisting of a 13-2 record, the school’s first conference championship in over a decade, a berth in the playoffs, and a number two ranking in the final polls. That’s a sophomore slump anyone would sign up for.

What about Mark Rich’s second season? How about a 13-1 record, a conference championship for the first time in 20 years, a third-place finish in the season ending polls, and a Sugar Bowl win. Had the college playoffs actually existed during the 2002 season, Georgia would have been one of those four teams, without a doubt.

I know it’s purely coincidental, but to have two first time head coaches with almost identical seasons to start their career at the same school, is still pretty interesting.

I do have to say that Smart has done a better job on the recruiting trail, specifically with local talent. Richt did a good job with Top 10 recruiting classes those first few years, but I don’t remember him ever having a number one class, like Smart has for this upcoming season.

I know this may come across as me antagonizing the UGA fan base- like I’ve been sitting around all day, drinking beer with Skip Bayless and Danny Kanell, scheming of ways to get under your skin- but I promise it’s not like that at all. Even though it’s been 12 years since I lived in Georgia, I was a resident there long enough and remain friends with enough people, to know expectations are at an all-time high.

I’m not trying to knock Smart, or anything he has accomplished; bringing him in was obviously the right call. Bulldog fans have every reason to be excited and should be. This is the greatest amount of promise their team has had since, well, Mark Richt’s first two years.

I will say this though; if you’re a Georgia fan, finishing this upcoming season at 11-3, with a SEC East Division title, to go along with a loss in the SEC Championship game, may not be the outcome you’re looking for, for one particular reason.

As different as Smart and Richt may be in certain areas, so far, they’ve been pretty similar in the one area that counts.

Dawg Watch

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

So, you have the Georgia Bulldogs coming three points shy of a national title in 2017 and trying to maintain the momentum of the unexpected title run. The Dawgs are now the hunted instead of the hunter moving forward in year three of the Kirby Smart regime in The Classic City.

Here are 5 Dawgs to watch in 2018:

Deandre Baker: The senior cornerback, when set up against SEC opponents last season, allowed a passer rating of 38.7. That was the second-lowest rating allowed by an SEC cornerback. In his junior season with the Bulldogs, Baker was targeted 42 times and allowed 18 receptions for 209 yards. Baker played in 15 games and also recorded 44 total tackles, 3 interceptions and 9 pass deflections.

When Baker decided to return for his senior season Georgia DC Mel Tucker’s job got a little easier because Baker will shut down one side of the field while UGA gets the other defensive backs some valuable snaps early to get ready for the SEC slate.

Look for Baker to contend for All-American honors and be contender for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the top defensive back in college football.

Richard LeCounte III: The five-star Liberty County product is being counted on to step into a leadership role on the Bulldog defense that lost Roquan Smith to the Chicago Bears.

Kirby Smart has been speaking directly and indirectly to LeCounte through the media about stepping up to being the player the coaching staff envisions him being. Expect a huge year out of LeCounte as he responds to his head coach and the mental side of the game catches up to his fantastic athletic ability.

Monty Rice: How do you replace the best linebacker in UGA football history? Well Monty Rice had 14 tackles in the G-Day game in April and has the confidence of his head coach, who had this to say about Rice after the game: “He’s a great kid, man, He’s one of those that when the lights come on and he gets the chance to play in front of somebody, he flashes more. He just loves the game. He loves contact. He likes to hit.”

That’s all I needed to hear about Rice who will lead this young linebacker group in the fall. Rice will have three years to make his mark in Athens.

Terry Godwin: The former five-star recruit from Hogansville came back for his senior season. Godwin has been the second leading receiver on the team for each of his three seasons and has shown flashes of the lofty recruiting ranking at times during his UGA career.

Godwin is the man and needs to play like the man at WR in 2018. Godwin leads a talented position group that returns two other starters in Riley Ridley, and Mecole Hardman. UGA is loaded at every position on offense.

Justin Fields: The top rated QB in the last recruiting cycle looked the part in the G-Day game. He played better than Jake Fromm in the contest and brings a skill set to the offense that UGA has not seen since DJ Shockley which is the ability to make plays with his feet.

Plug in Tim Tebow’s freshman highlight tape at Florida and you will see how Fields will be used in Athens this year. Justin Fields will have an impact on this football team in the fall in red zone situations. This kid is special.

Kirby is building a monster in Athens, Georgia. Who else can’t wait for September to arrive?

 

Who’s Next?

By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The NBA season is almost over and we already know the draft order for the upcoming 2018 draft.

One of the weaker divisions is the Southeast. Three of the teams (Atlanta, Orlando & Charlotte) are picking in the top eleven. Another southern team (Memphis) is in the Western Conference and they have a top five pick. Let’s take a look at the biggest needs for each of these teams.

Atlanta (24-58) had the worst record in the East so they can improve in several areas. The Hawks actually have three first round picks (No. 3, 19, 30) so they have a chance to vastly improve the talent on their roster. In the NBA you need a superstar player to win and sell tickets.

A big man would be the biggest need, either a power forward or center. The top option if available is Marvin Bagley III from Duke. He’s a 6’10 center/power forward that averaged 21 points per game, 11.1 rebounds per game and made 61.4% of his shot attempts. He is a great rebounder so he will get easy shots. He can help the team win now and give them a marquee franchise player for the first time since Dominique Wilkins.

I expect Atlanta to select a guard with the 19th pick. By that time all of the big names will be off the board. I believe someone like Anfernee Simons will still be available. He was the No. 7 player in the class of 2018. The 6’4 guard from Orlando played at IMG Academy this past season.

He will be able to go straight to the NBA through a loophole. He graduated from Edgewater High in his hometown and spent a post-grad year at IMG Academy. He has talent but he has not faced college competition, so he is a mystery.

I think Atlanta will trade the 30th pick so I’m not sure who they would select.

Memphis (22-60) had the second worst record in the league. They also are forced to play in the tough Western Conference even though geographically they don’t belong. Michigan State center Jaren Jackson Jr. might be a good fit. At 6’11 and 235 pounds, he needs to put on weight in the NBA.

He averaged 10.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 3 blocks per game. He is able to step outside as well as protect the rim. He is probably a couple years away from making a consistent contribution. If he can mature physically and mentally, he can become a perennial All-Star.

Orlando (25-57) was the second worst team in the East. The Magic have had some amazing players in their fairly short history like Shaq, Penny Hardaway, Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis. Hopefully, they can get another transcendent star with this pick. Duke center Wendell Carter would be the ideal selection.

Wendell was overshadowed by Bagley at Duke but he was not far behind him in terms of production. He averaged 13.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG and 2.1 BPG. He’s 6’10 and 250 lbs. so he has a frame ready for the NBA. I think he can become an elite player that the Magic can build around in the future.

Michael Jordan’s team (36-46) just finished another subpar season. The Hornets franchise has not had much success after they were resurrected as the Bobcats. Alabama guard Collin Sexton would be a great pick. He will be Kemba Walker’s successor at point guard.

Walker was explosive last year, averaging 19.2 PPG and 3.6 APG. He may only be 6’1 but he should be able to score at will at the next level.

Hawks Flight Direction

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Well, you’ve got to start somewhere. And having four picks, three in the first round, in the upcoming NBA Draft is a pretty good starting point if you’re the Atlanta Hawks.

Owning the 3rd, 19th, and 30th pick gives Atlanta a few different avenues they could go down, if they decide to do so.

The first is to package the number 3 pick with one of the other two to either move up to the number one pick, like Philadelphia did last year, or trade for an actual player.

DeAndre Ayton seems to be the consensus number one pick, so if Atlanta is all on board the Ayton train they’ve got the assets to make the move. I like Ayton a lot, and he’s going to be a very good pro, but I don’t think he warrants that type of offer, especially when you look at how deep this draft is.

I have no idea what player they could trade for using those two picks as collateral, but if a team is willing to part with an Andrew Wiggins type player, it may be worth a look.

Personally, if I was general manager Travis Schlenk and new head coach Lloyd Pierce, I’d stay right where I was at.

With the news that Luka Dancic is considering staying overseas for another year- basically he’s doing his best Elway/Manning impersonation because he doesn’t want to play for Sacramento- there’s a good possibility he’ll be around when Atlanta is on the clock.

If Dancic isn’t available, there will be three front court players, Marvin Bagley III, Jaren Jackson Jr, Mohamed Bamba, all waiting to be selected.

I’m a little biased, but out of those three I’d go with Bagley. Having watched almost every one of his games this past season, the kid is going to be something special.

Jackson has the skills but is inconsistent.

Bamba has ridiculous size and length, which is why he’ll be able to make an immediate on the defensive end. But, it’s going to take a while for him to come around, offensively. He reminds me a little too much of Nerlens Noel, to be completely honest.

Looking at the draft board, I imagine a lot of frontcourt players will be going in the lottery, which may benefit Atlanta in the long run. Outside of Dennis Schröder, the Hawks need some help in their backcourt. It’s impossible to predict who exactly will be available by the time the 19th pick rolls around, but there should be plenty of guards available that could make an impact.

At 30, they’re just going to take whoever the best player available is, or at least they should.

I get that you don’t finish a season 24-58 because you have a plethora of talent on your team. The Hawks obviously want to address areas of need, but the most important thing is getting players that can contribute within Pierce’s philosophy, even if they happen to play a similar position.

With the exception of a few seasons, the Hawks have hovered right around mediocrity for most of the franchise’s history. More than likely the playoffs are still a few seasons away, but things are at least lining up with the rebuilding process.

Now it’s up Atlanta’s front office and coaching staff to take advantage and make the right selections. That’s something easier said than done; just ask Sacramento.

Early To The Party

By: TJ Hartnett

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The MLB season just passed the quarter mark this week and believe it or not the name at the top of the NL East standings is the Atlanta Braves.

Not the Mets, not the Phillies and most surprisingly not the Nationals. It’s the Braves who have been the standard bearers for the division ever since leapfrogging New York at the end of April. It’s an exciting time for Braves Country and one that seems legitimate, despite it also being ahead of schedule.

They weren’t supposed to be this good. If you need further proof of that look no further than the Vegas odds of Atlanta winning the World Series at the start of the 2018 season: 300 to 1.

That was tied with the Phillies and Oakland and just ahead of Pittsburgh, who held a fire sale in the offseason. 2018 was going to be another rebuilding year, as players like Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna, Jr. developed at the plate and the likes of Sean Newcomb developed on the mound, while Mike Foltynewicz got another year in the rotation under his belt.

Now we’re ¼ of the way through the season and the Braves look like real threats. If you need further proof of that look no further than the current Vegas odds of Atlanta winning the World Series: 30 to 1. That’s quite an unexpected leap.

The reason for that leap? Ozzie Albies, for one. Turns out he didn’t need more time to develop, he needed a platform to become an All-Star. The 21-year-old can’t stop blasting out extra base hits. His power, like the NL-leading 13 home runs, has been unmatched so far this year. He’s truly been a breakout star for Atlanta.

Acuna hasn’t been quite as consistent as Albies, but he too showed up to play. He’s launched (and I do mean launched) four homeruns in his first 21 games on the big-league roster, as well as stolen a few bases to boot. For a player with that kind of production to still be considered “finding his footing,”, that’s something to be excited about.

It also doesn’t hurt that Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis look to be having career years up to this point. Freeman is leading the league in OBP and Markakis is pacing MLB in hits as of Saturday.

Ender Inciarte has also recovered from a relatively slow start and is amassing more stolen bases than anyone else. That’s a lot of different league leaders in one lineup.

On the other side of the ball is Sean Newcomb, who like Albies seems to have taken the next two steps instead of one this year. Following six innings of one run ball on Saturday against Miami Newk is 5-1 with an ERA of 2.39, best in the rotation.

Folty is having plenty of success as well, with an ERA of 2.87. Even the oft-derided Julio Teheran hasn’t allowed a run in his last 13 innings pitched and he sits pretty with a 4-1 record and a 3.49 ERA.

It feels like we’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it might not. The talent is there and it seems like the team is gelling well.  If they can continue to produce at this level, they truly will be there at the end of the season.

There are improvements that can be made. Sure, the bullpen could use some fortifying and someone needs to step up at the hot corner but overall this team is the real deal.  They were always going to get to this point.  They just showed up a little early.

Spring Terror

By: Jason Bishop

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The Glynn Academy Red Terrors are looking forward to another successful season in 2018.

Since Rocky Hidalgo was named the Terrors head man, Glynn Academy has won at least a share of the Region Title three straight years. In the previous four years with Hidalgo at the helm GA has finished in the Elite Eight twice, made a Final Four appearance and played for a state title.

The Red Terrors will enter the 2018 season in somewhat unfamiliar territory, Glynn will enter the season without having a clear-cut starter at QB.

GA just wrapped up Spring practice, finishing with the annual Spring game.

With so much young talent Hidalgo elected to play an intrasquad Spring game instead of scrimmaging another team. This allowed Coach Hidalgo to get as many of his players on the field at the same time to analyze what he has on the roster.

The QB competition certainly heated up in the Spring game. Senior Sam Wagner had taken most of the snaps in the Spring with the first team offense. However, Wagner did not play QB in the Spring game.

Instead, Hidalgo went with two younger QB’s both competing with Wagner for the starting job.

Sophomore TJ Lewis may have taken the lead in the competition with a pretty good performance in the Spring Game.

Lewis threw for 2 TDs and rushed for 1. The touchdown passes were long passes and put right on the money, one down the sideline and the other right over the middle. Lewis also scampered two yards for his rushing TD.

The final score was Red Team 4 TD’s and White Team 1 in the varsity segments of the game.

The Red Terrors will have Nolan Grant, Quantavious Bostic, and Caden Hutchinson taking the lion’s share of carries at RB.

One thing Rocky Hidalgo is very good at is getting his defensive unit to buy in to his system. Year in and year out Glynn has been a top 10 defense in the state and this year should figure no different.

A name for Red Terror fans to remember is Marlon Taylor. Taylor is a senior DT with great size and speed and already has offers from Cincinnati and Tulane, just to name a couple. He will be a nightmare for opposing QB’s and a bad match up for Offensive Coordinators.

There is still a long way to go before the season starts as the Terrors still have to go through Summer practice and then get ready come August to kick off.

One thing is for sure though, Rocky Hidalgo has built a perennial state power on Mansfield Street and the rest of the state has taken notice.

Readying The Ship

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

When you sit down with Brunswick High head football Coach Sean Pender the first question on your mind is how you replace 31 seniors from a 7-3 football team that shared a region championship from last season.

Pender is very optimistic about the 2018 Pirates as they conclude spring drills.

While youth and inexperience may be a factor going into the 2018 season, work ethic will not. “Our kids come out to practice and compete hard and listen, and this has been a fun group to teach since our winter program started in January” says Pender.

One position group that has a lot of experience returning in 2018 is the offensive line. The offensive line has four experienced players returning led by who Pender calls the best offensive lineman he has ever coached in Warren McClendon.

At 6’5 and 300 lbs, McClendon is a four-star recruit by all the recruiting services. He can play anywhere in the country that he chooses after the 2018 season is complete.

McClendon will play left tackle. AJ Kirkland will move over to center and has the versatility to play guard as well. Brett Hall returns at guard after bulking up to 250 pounds with the off-season strength and conditioning program. Xavier Ramsey will contend for All Region honors at the other tackle position, and Caleb Cook may win the other guard position. Pender thinks his run game will be solid in 2018 with this group leading the way.

Pender who coaches his QB’s really hard thinks he has some quality at the position in KJ Lee and Anthony Mountain.

Lee played some as a freshman in 2017 and has a quick release. He has a solid grasp on the offense according to his head coach. Mountain, a transfer, played the backup role in 2017 at Glynn Academy. He is learning the offense and a new set of fundamentals as he goes from a run-oriented attack to a spread offense. Both will get some serious looks at QB. Watch this battle as it develops over the summer.

Jaylen Trimmings will be the workhorse at RB and has worked really hard in the offseason for the role. The Pirates will be young and talented at WR. Marlon Carmena, Jailyn Jones, Xavier Bean, Amarion Whitfield, Syveion Ellis, Tyrease Jones, Michael McGee, and Mitchell Richburg will get reps at receiver as this offense gets the ball in a lot of hands. Pender is really high on Che Foy who will see double duty at slot and RB in 2018.

Richburg and Mountain will handle the punting duties and Avery Yoak will be the FG kicker in 2018.

On defense the Pirates lost 13 of 15 players who saw varsity action in 2017.

Justin Akra will be the leader in the defensive line. Pender thinks Akra will have a big season in 2018.

Stacy Young is back at OLB/S and is a major college prospect who Pender calls the leader of the defense. Devin Lafayette, Freddy Towns, and Demetrius Hardee will make the Pirate secondary a solid group in the fall.

Keith Garrett, Xavier Stevens, Jaylen Carter, and George Humphries will provide depth on the defensive line.

The Pirates lost a ton at LB due to graduation, but some talent is ready to step in make a name for themselves. AJ Wilson, Octavis Butler, and Ryne Buckley will have to grow up fast and contribute right away.

Offensively, Pender wants to run his base offense and expects his run game to be solid and is looking for consistency in the passing game.

Defensively the head coach says he wants to see his young kids flying to the point of attack in a bad mood and playing fast and physical.

LeBron Gone?

By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

I’m not going to lie to you, the NBA has been difficult to watch for the last few years. It started in 2010 when LeBron James took his talents to South Beach to form a super team. It almost becomes a forgone conclusion of who the best team is before the season begins.

Kevin Durant followed the same plan and joined Golden State in 2016. As you may remember, the Warriors were 73-9 the season before Durant joined. Golden State is clearly the best team in the NBA and I cannot imagine anyone beating them.

We do have some interesting developments in the Eastern Conference this season though. Since the 2010 season, LeBron has terrorized the East and played in 7 consecutive NBA Finals. He has always had a great supporting cast around him after his first stint in Cleveland.

We finally saw that change last summer when Kyrie Erving requested a trade, which was extremely unexpected. Once he went to Boston, it felt like the balance of power shifted in the East. It’s scary to think that two of their best players, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are not playing the rest of the season due to injuries.

The Cavs struggled through the season with a 50-32 record and they were the 4th seed in the East. They looked very inconsistent all year, so I did not expect much from them in the playoffs. They swept the No. 1 seed Toronto Raptors in the second round so it appeared as if they were peaking at the right time.

In Game 1 in Boston the Celtics dominated from the opening tip, winning 108-83. Celtics forward Marcus Morris started his first game this post season and he had to guard James. Morris surprisingly outplayed LeBron and held him relatively in check.

Morris scored 21 points and added 10 rebounds while forcing James into a playoff-high 7 turnovers and a playoff-low 15 points.

“I have zero level of concern at this stage,” said James, who was 5 for 16 from the floor and missed all five 3-point attempts.

“I’ve been down before in the postseason, but for me there’s never any level of concern — no matter how bad I played tonight, with seven turnovers, how inefficient I was shooting the ball,” he said. “We have another opportunity to be better as a ball club coming in Tuesday night, and we’ll see what happens.”

King James is right to stay calm after the blowout loss in Game 1. Realistically I can’t foresee things getting much better for the Cavs. I know they will play better at home but the Celtics overall are a better team even though they are going up against the best player in the game.

Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Al Horford had 20 for Boston. The leading scorer for Cleveland was Kevin Love with 17 points and he was only the second player on the team with double figures.

It’s ironic to think that LeBron’s first term in Cleveland ended with a playoff loss to the Celtics. When it happens again this year he will leave for a second time.