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Celtics Season Ends IN Disappointment

The 2020 Celtics season came to a close, in disappointment on Sunday, at the hands of The Miami Heat. Many fans are upset at head coach Brad Stevens for the way he handled the team. Other factors such as 3 point shooting hurt the team. Several questions need to be addressed this offseason. In this post, we will review three areas of the team to improve upon to get to the 2121 NBA finals.                                                                                                                                                 Celtics 2020 Season Ends In Disappointment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Inconsistent Play In Conference Finals  Inconsistency is the reason the Celtics lost to the Heat. The team blew two large leads in games one and two. In their two wins, the Celtics dominated in every category.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Even in_ game six, they had a six_ point lead in the fourth quarter, only to let Miami come back and win the game. This was the story throughout the series, Miami wanted it more.                                                                                                                        The Heat got big contributions from Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo/32 points,14 rebounds. Overall, the Celtics were led by Jaylen Brown/26, Jayson Tatum 24/12 rebounds. Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker each poured in 20.

 

The storyline of the series was the Celtics couldn’t hold their leads. Turnovers cost the club penalties, and the Heat’s ability to come back. In all honesty, the Celtics should have won in five games.

 

Turnovers Cost The Celtics  Head coach Brad Stevens had to go to his bench early. Boston Terrible passing cost the Celtics critical turnovers. Right when the team needed a big basket, Miami would pick off a pass. Early foul trouble cost the organization a chance to go to the finals.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Boston received significant contributions from Brad Wannamaker and Grant Williams. Williams provided much_ needed muscle under the boards In game six the Celtics had a 20-8 run but saw it collapse. Miami played smarter and won the series.

In Conclusion, The Celtics wrapped up another successful season under Brad Stevens. Going forward the team needs to play smarter in critical moments. They need to stay with what makes them successful instead of unsuccessful.

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Patriots Success In 2020 Hinges Solely On The Defense

With the 2020 NFL season kicking off Sunday, The Patriot’s success hinges solely on the defense. With a new quarterback in Cam Newton, the team’s defense will be the key to their success., Last season, for example, the defense led the league in interceptions 23 and blocked punts 6. In this post, we will review three reasons the defense will be a major role in the organization’s outcome.

Patriots Success IN 2020 Hinges Solely On  The Defense                                                                                                                                                               

League High In Opt _Outs  For starters, the Patriots had a league_ high of eight opt_ outs. Team captain Donta Hightower is the most notable member to sit out the season.  After Hightower, the next player is Patrick Chung. Chung is a vital contributor to the third downs. Other missing pieces are Duron Harmon and Elandon Roberts.

Head coach Bill Belichick installing youth movement on defense. Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings, and Chase Winovich, and Jonathan Simon will lead the linebacking unit.

As for pass coverage, that remains the team’s strongest area.  Third_Year man JC Jackson has emerged as one of the leagues best. Stephon Gilmore is the best shut down back in the game.

Difficulty In Stopping the Run, The Patriot’s biggest challenge last year was stopping the run. Lamar Jackson of the Ravens had a field day mid_ way through the season last year.                

 Tennessee’s Derrick Henry ran for 183 yards in the wild card game.  If the Patriots have any hope of postseason dreams, they have to stop the run _heavy teams.                         

 

Front Seven Needs To Step It Up With the loss of Donta Hightower, the team will have to rely on the front seven. Adam Butler, Dieatrich Wise, and Lawrence Guy need to apply pressure. Newly signed Beau Allen has yet to step on the field.

Conclusion   The landscape has changed without Tom Brady. The Patriots have the game’s best head coach in Bill Belichick. With a thin receiving group,  Cam Newton has his challenges.  Look for a strong running game, especially from Cam Newton. My prediction is the Patriots will go 7-10 with Cam Newton calling the signals.