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Revolution Return From Pandemic Break With A Quest For The Playoffs

The  New England Revolution returned from the pandemic break in hope of earning a playoff spot. Sunday, the team advanced to the knockout round with a 0-0 tie with Toronto. In this post, we will evaluate three reasons why the Revolution has a chance at the playoffs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Revolution Return From The Pandemic Break, With A Quest For The Playoffs                                                                                                                       

Advance To The Knockout Round  Sunday the Revolution earned a 0-0 tie with Toronto. This means the Revolution advance to the knockout round. Also, Sunday’s effort was the last outing in games with group C

The Revolution is currently tied with Toronto. Each team has five points. Saturday the Revolution will face Philadelphia as the playoff hunt continues.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Superior Goaltending  Goalkeeper Matt Turner continues to be excellent. In four games this year, Turner is 1-1-2  and a GAA of 7. Reserve goalkeepers Brad Knighton and Jeff Caldwell have yet to see action this season.

In two Turner has played in 48 straight games. Since he signed as a free agent in 2019 his overall record is 16-15 16. If the Revolution hope to make a statement Turner is a key factor for the Revolution.

 

Well balanced  In order to advance past the knockout round, the offense needs to crank it up. Gustavo Bou is the team’s leading striker with 22 shots. Eight have been on goal. To his credit, he has one goal.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Along with Gustavo Bou, the club gets significant performances from Diego Fagundez, Teal Bunbury, and Adam Buksa. Defensively Andrew Farrell and Scott Caldwell continue to be on of the leagues best.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Looking Ahead If the players stay safe and healthy, the remainder of the season will be interesting.  Head coach Bruce Arena continues to put an exciting team on the field. The team MVP is Matt Turner. However, he can’t do it alone. The scoring continues to be an issue. Defensively the team is one of the leagues best. If they can put it together, a playoff spot is a strong possibility.

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Why The 2020 Celtics Have An Outside Chance To Win Their 18th NBA Title

As the NBA season is about to resume, there are several issues facing the Celtics chances of winning their 18th title. Kemba Walker’s knee seems to have healed and is ready to go. The Celtics will play eight games to finish the season. If all goes well, the Celtics may reach the finals. In this post, we will review three reasons why this year’s team has an outside chance to win their 18th NBA title.

Why The 2020 Celtics Have An Outside Chance To Win Their 18th NBA Title 

Overall Health Of The Team Is Good   Since the league shut down in mid_March the health of the team is excellent. Kemba Walker’s knees are healed. Jayson Tatum is ready to take his career to the next level. If Brad Stevens can guide his team cautiously the Celtics could be interesting down the stretch.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Also, the organization needs to keep everyone healthy. If the league makes the season, the club that stays the healthiest is the team that could win it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Team Is Shooting Better As we have seen in the past, the team that wins in  the postseason, is the team that shoots better from the field. For example, this year the club is shooting 363% as a group. The league average is 357%.                                                                                                                                                                                         Depth wise, the Celtics have been getting excellent production from guards Javonte Green, Carson Edwards, and Brad Wannamaker. Marcus Smart has improved tremendously in his outside shooting. Gordon Hayward was playing like Gordon Hayward before the pandemic.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      One Of The Best Defensive Teams In The League  In 2019/20 the Celtics ranked near the top defensively. Guard Marcus Smarts is one of the games best. His physical style of play has helped Boston win a lot of close games.                                                                                                                                                                                    If the Celtics expect to beat Milwaukee, Indiana, or Miami playing tough and physical will be one strategy they have to apply.  Center Robert Williams is maturing and brings muscle to the frontcourt. Center Enes Kanter is one of the team’s most popular players. Overall, the team was one of the leagues best defensive rebounding units.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Surviving The Pandemic With the league set to resume July 30th the overall safety of the players is goal number one. This will be a day to day season. If multiple players and teams start testing positive then expect the season to close.