Antoine Walker and Gary Payton had experience, but also had big egos and ample contracts. Danny Ainge knew that chemistry was a problem last year, and did away with the two like Minnesota did with Cassell and Sprewell. Now the team is completely in Paul Pierce’s hands, and the roster really is aimed for the future.

The team is young and inexperienced. Doc Rivers has given all 12 players passable playing time. Like all of Rivers’ teams, the young players all play hard. Brian Scalabrine and Justin Reed particularly do a great job on the offensive glass. Dan Dickau after playing everywhere is slowly evolving into a quality PG, as has Delonte West. However between these young players like Ryan Gomes and Orien Greene there isn’t much diversity.

The offense has mucho potential. Paul Pierce has single-handedly lead this team to the playoffs for the past four years in a row. Pierce is great at slashing to the hoop and scoring easy shots. Walker never did provide an inside presence like Al Jefferson does. Jefferson is a great low-post scorer who happens to fold under pressure at times. Mark Blount received a giant contract but hardly played at all last year, is getting the playing time now and has developed a pretty good midrange shot.

Scoring hasn’t been much of an issue, but they’re 25th in Points Allowed. All these young aggressive players do their part, but Doc Rivers can’t exactly substitute a different player for them. Basically all the offense is revolved around Ricky Davis and Pierce. The Celtics are at the bottom in Points in the Paint because Center Raef LaFrentz spends must of his time at the 3-pt arch. Al Jefferson should get more playing then Mark Blount to reprieve that issue.

Danny Ainge has been public about trading Paul Pierce, and unless he does it for Kevin Garnett it’s a bad idea. Shooting Guards who can lead one-man teams are rare, and Pierce has been able to do that each year he’s been there. If Pierce is taken away then the whole team will crumble. Not much separates them and New Jersey, and Ainge is always active around the trading deadline. They can hustle their way into the playoffs but they need some of their players to standout among the rest.

Tags: basketbal stats, basketball, basketball review, boston basketball, boston celtics, NBA, sportsbasketbal stats, basketball, basketball review, boston basketball, boston celtics, NBA, sports

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After enduring that disgusting final weekend of the NFL regular season, I have come to the conclusion that a new tie-breaker is needed. How a team performs during the final weekend should be the first tie-breaker, with all the current tie-breakers falling in line after that. A team that won its final game would hold the first tie-breaker advantage against a team they’re tied with that lost its final game. If they both lost, both won, or both tied their final game, then the current tie-breakers would take effect in the order that they currently exist. That would accomplish at least three of positive things.

First, a team with a one game lead for a playoff spot, headed into the final weekend, would have more difficulty “backing in” to the playoffs the way Minnesota did this year. By all rights, New Orleans should have made the playoffs instead of the Vikings. They finished with identical records. However, the Saints won their final game, while the Vikings lost theirs. In fact, under the NFL’s current crazy tie-breaker system, the Vikings’ loss, while ultimately not damaging their own playoff hopes, ironically was one of the major factors that kept the Saints out of the playoffs! Under my proposed rule, the Saints would have been in and the Vikings would have been out.

Second, it would keep more playoff berths/positions open going into the final weekend and maintain more excitement and suspense all the way to the end. Currently, a team with a one game lead for a playoff berth, bye, home field advantage, and/or seeding can have that position clinched before the final weekend if they own the tie-breaker over the team(s) they lead. Under my proposal, that would not be possible. That position would still be open through the final weekend of the season. For example, the Pittsburgh Steelers would not have clinched the home field advantage in the AFC until they beat Buffalo in the final weekend, instead of having it already clinched going into that game.

Third, it would also keep teams with one game leads from having de-facto “byes” during the final weekend. Take Indianapolis for example. The Colts’ game against Denver this weekend was meaningless to them, even though it meant everything to the Broncos. Although the Colts had only a one game lead over San Diego for the number three seed in the AFC, they owned the tie-breaker over the Chargers. I don’t care what anyone says, the Colts, with their lack of effort, effectively rolled over and allowed the Broncos to win, which wasn’t fair to Jacksonville and Baltimore, the teams competing with the Broncos for the final AFC playoff spot. Under my proposal, the Colts would have had to win to maintain their third seed in the playoffs.

Tags: football, rules, sports, tiesfootball, rules, sports, ties

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Here are some thoughts on the above topic from a buddy of mine. The guy’s name is Steve Springer.

“If baseball is 90% mental, why do we work on it less than 10% of the time?”
“You cannot control getting a hit, but you can control hitting the ball hard!”

Who Is This Guy?
Springer isn’t just another “dry jock” (a not-so-flattering term given to many broadcasters who never played the game).

No, this guy logged over 7,000 pro AB’s with 11 years in AAA ball alone! He is now a very successful agent for some future Big League Impact Players!

Ok, Lets Get To The Point!
Spring also said, and I paraphrase, “The majority of hitters think fastball, curve, slider, change-up on 0-0 counts.”

In My OpinionThis Is Plain Crazy!
Maybe some younger athletes can get by on raw ability with this mindset, but sooner than later the game eliminates us all. Some of the biggest reasons are that they can no longer hit quality pitching in their age group.

NOTE: For more information on this last statement, you may want to read an article I wrote on the topic entitled, “The Game Eliminates Us All.”

Personally, I think much of this is avoidableit just takes having a plan!
Spring went on to say that “when you are facing Dwight Gooden in his prime, you saw 95 mph followed by the hammer (the curveball), YOU BETTER PICK ONE BECAUSE YOU AREN’T ADJUSTING TO ANYTHING! Doesn’t this make sense?

Ok, Lets Get To Some Real Solutions!
We Must Have A Simplified Plan!
Ok, how?

Well for starters, Watch The Pitcher!
He’s going to show you and tell you what you are going to getif you will really watch him!

It’s not about what you want!
(which at best is about the only plan most youth hitters seem to have.)

It’s about what am I going to get!
And how do you know if you don’t watch the game?

From the dugout, when the pitcher warms up, whenever and wherever you can! The pitcher is going to tell you what you are going to get. They live on patterns. Pitchers like to be comfortable and hate it when they are not!

Now, your job is what Ted Williams (perhaps the greatest hitting coach of all time) says is of greatest importance…FIND A PITCH TO HIT!

And How Do You Find A Pitch To Hit?
You Watch The Game!

HERE’S THE PLAN!

1- Consider that pitchers are taught to get ahead. This means strike one is their aim. What is the number one pitch that a batter is likely to see 0-0? Yep, a fastball. In much of youth baseball, chances are that if it is a strike, it will pierce the fat of the plate.

You walk into the box looking to drive this pitch…swinging hard but controlled! If you can’t drive it and hit it hard somewhere, you will leave it! They give you three strikes anyway, right?

2A- When and if you are struggling and/or experimenting under fire Let’s make things simple, the hitter is to sit on fastball-only! Repeat, fastball only…until 2 strikes… THEN YOU BATTLE!

The more pitches you make him throw, the more likely he throws the mistake. And you will crush the mistake, right?

No matter how the curve or off-speed hangs…you will sit fastball…until 2 strikes!
No matter who yells from the dugout or the stands “What are you waiting for?”, you stick with your plan! You have your plan and YOU ARE A REAL & DANGEROUS HITTER!they are fans.

2B- When and if you are going great (and if breaking balls or off-speed is a reality for your age group) you will go to the plate looking (PICK ONE) fastball or off-speed (either his breaking ball or his change).

And how do you know which to sit on (look for?)
WATCH THE PITCHER & WATCH THE GAME!

Ok, you are watching the pitcher, he is telling you what he is going to throw you. We have established that all pitchers throw fastballs and let’s face it, at youth levels I doubt you will find guys who can throw 3 hooks for strikes in a row anyway…so let’s strongly consider sitting on the fastball until 2 strikes, no matter how well you are presently playing…then we will battle!

The curveball, off-speed note - I am absolutely not advising that you do not sit off-speed and only attack fastballs. If you are watching the game, you can and will make a correct decision!

So what did we just do?

1- You now have a plan!

2- You now have a simple plan requiring little thinking!
3- You now know to swing controlled and hard….at fastballs (your plan)!

FINALLY

Consider investing in your future hitting successes!
Purchase a simple 35 minute audio CD called Quality At Bats, by Steve Springer. Of course it is available on our site.
Listen to it 3 times within 10 days and you will understand even further. I know players who have had an immediate and profound impact on how they approach hitting!

Our Personal Pitcher golf ball-size wiffle ball pitching machine will allow you to work on your new mindset right in the backyard, by yourself or with other players too! Thousands of quality repetitions are how you quickly become a great hitter!

Remember, as my buddy Spring says, and I paraphrase…
“You cannot control getting a hit, but you can control hitting the ball hard!”

Now sting something, will ya!

—-Coach JP

Tags: AABC, ASA, baseball, batting, coaching, hitting, homeruns, little league, softball, youth sportsAABC, ASA, baseball, batting, coaching, hitting, homeruns, little league, softball, youth sports

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