How Far Can the Celtics Go In the Playoffs?

After defeating the talented Atlanta Hawks in six games, the Boston Celtics have been locked in a tough seven game series with the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. Despite this, the combination of the Celtics experience, their performance against the Hawks, and the current state of the East, many analysts are predicting that the Celtics could go very far in the playoffs this year.

Before the we talk about the Celtics competing for a championship, it’s important that we analyze their current situation. The Celtics are currently facing a young, fast-paced 76ers team. The sixers have a very talented rotation headlined by all-star wing Andre Iguadala. The sixers also have one of the most underrated coaches in the NBA in Doug Collins. The sixers are also one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. While the 76ers are not one of the most prolific scoring teams in the league, their speed, athleticism, depth, and occasional hot streaks could end up giving the Celtics a lot of trouble.

If the Celtics were to defeat the 76ers, they would most likely end up playing the Miami Heat. Lead by MVP LeBron James and all-stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat are one of the most formidable teams in the NBA. The Celtics won the season series 2-1, but one of those games consisted of their reserve players for the most part. When the Celtics played the Heat in last year’s playoffs, they lost in five games. However, all-star point guard Rajon Rondo played most of the series with a dislocated elbow. Despite last year’s results, many analysts say that the Celtics could be the biggest threat to the Heat in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics rotation is considered to be stronger than the Heat’s. In addition, Chris Bosh is nursing an injured abdominal muscle. Whether the Celtics can defeat the Miami Heat in a playoff series remains to be seen, the Celtics seem like they could be the biggest challenge to the Heat in the East.

Another possible playoff opponent could be the Indianapolis Pacers. The Pacers are young, athletic, big, and deep. In my opinion. they’re the most underrated team in the playoffs. The Celtics would have a very difficult time beating the Pacers in a series. The Pacers beat the Celtics several times at the beginning of the season. However, the Pacers are not very experienced and can go on long stretches without scoring. A series with the Pacers would not be very easy.

When asked how far the Celtics could progress in the playoffs, senior Daanan Hall said, “I think it’s possible that they could make it to the finals, but they probably won’t. They have great players but they get injured a lot. They might beat the 76ers but they probably won’t beat the Heat.”

On the other hand, senior Eduardo Cunha said, “I think they’ll go far. I believe in them. They’ve played a lot of close and crazy games.”

We can only predict how far the Celtics will go, but only time will tell if the Celtics can win one more championship with the Big Three.

Spring Week of Prayer Recap

From April 30th to May 4th, South Lancaster Academy had its annual Spring Week of Prayer for grades 5-12. Pastor Josue Feliciano was the speaker for the event. Week of Prayer was a little different this year, being hosted at the College Church of Seventh-Day Adventists in South Lancaster. For many students, the new location was a pleasant change from SLA’s chapel. The overall experience was different and, as many students said, enjoyable.

Pastor Feliciano spoke about being able to experience God. He talked about letting go of distractions that may be slowing down your relationship with God like how you look, movies, sports,  money, character traits, and popularity. He also spoke about the importance of humility and remembering that Christ can use even the weakest of people to accomplish great things. He said that without Christ, we are ultimately nobodies no matter who we are or how much we have. In addition, the pastor talked about learning to accept God and making time for Him in your life. The pastor also discussed the importance of consistently showing God and others the love that God shows us everyday. Pastor Feliciano ended the week by talking about how we need to show that we’re part of “God’s team” with our actions. He followed up with a challenge to to the students to renew their relationship with God.

The Week of Prayer had mixed reviews. Many  students and some faculty had something to say. Sophomore Brunette Jean said, “It was a good message. I thought going to the College Church was a nice change for those who wanted a change. However,  I thought the song service was a little inconsistent and unorganized.”

Commenting on the change of surrounding, senior Brittany Madden said, “I thought going to the College Church to change the atmospere was a good idea. However, it looked like several kids weren’t paying attention”

Senior Marlene Martinez commented “I’ve heard the message before, but the way that the pastor presented it was unique. I though going to the College Church was good. It reminded us that we were worshiping. “

In addition, Physical Education teacher Dustan Cook said, “I thought it was a good message. I thought it was relevent to many of our students. I thought the pastor was very passionate about his message. I also liked having it in a different place because it makes worshiping more special.”

This year’s Week of Prayer was a truly unique experience. For viewers who attend SLA I would like to invite you to leave a comment about your opinion of Week of Prayer.

Is Respect For Authority in Sports Disappearing?

Celtics all-star point guard, Rajon Rondo, was ejected in the fourth quarter of their first playoff game with the Atlanta Hawks for bumping a referee. Rondo strongly disagreed with one of the official’s calls and used physical confrontation to voice his opinion. In addition to being ejected from the game, Rondo was subsequently suspended from game two of the series. This event is the most recent in a long line of player/referee confrontations.

Throughout the history of sports, players have disagreed with referees, umpires, and other officials. However, it seems like these disagreements have become more and more common. Just last year 49ers DT Justin Smith was ejected for shoving a referee out of the way. Several months ago, star tennis player Serena Williams diminished the character of an official because of a bad call.

Part of the reason why players verbally attack referees so much is because they’re often allowed to. In baseball and soccer, it’s considered acceptable to get in a referee’s face if you disagree with a call, whether you’re a player or a coach. Fans find it entertaining to watch players argue with refs. It’s become part of the game.

Another reason, in my opinion why players argue with referees so much has to do with coaches. Coaches are supposed to be the leaders of the team. If a coach argues with the referee, why shouldn’t the player feel free to argue as well? If players grow up playing sports and most of their coaches argue with refs, wouldn’t that effect their treatment of coaches?I think many younger players have lost respect for referees. Here is a sad example of a player disagreeing with a referee.

While we’re far from perfect, our sports teams at SLA are taught the importance of respecting officials and their calls, good or bad. Our coaches reprimand us whenever we show disrespect to an official. Our school has been awarded multiple sportsmanship awards due to the attitude that our mentors have instilled in us.

When writing this article, I wondered what it was that made players argue with referees. I, being a member of the school’s basketball team, have certainly disagreed with referees before. I’ve also seen poor officiating affect the outcome of a game. However, I haven’t felt the need to put down the officials. I think the reason why players argue with refs is because of selfishness. It is one thing to calmly and respectfully discuss a call with a ref, but when a player makes an open attempt to berate and diminish a ref, the concern with winning has been overcome by the need to be heard.

When asked whether players  should be allowed to argue with refs, sophomore Elena Shand said, “To a certain extent. They should be able to state their opinion without necessarily arguing. The ref’s just trying to do their job and nobody’s always right.”

In addition, sophomore Isaac Valera said “No, I don’t think so. There needs to be authority. If not it’s chaotic.”

Frankly, it doesn’t seem like any major  sporting event can occur without some vocal confrontation that involves a referee.  It makes one wonder how we’ve gotten to this point in a “civilized society.” In order for future athletes to develop a respect for referees, I feel like coaches and other mentors need to think before they speak. If players see their mentors respecting authority, maybe they’ll develop a similar respect for authority.

Red Sox 6-10 Start: Beginning of the End?

The Boston Red Sox have struggled to a 6-10 start at the beginning of the new season. The team went through a similarly alarming start at the beginning of last year’s season and went on to miss the playoffs. Could this be a sign of history repeating itself?

Many fans have been alarmed by this year’s start and have already gone into panic mode. Critics have already started pointing fingers at Red Sox players and staff. Many wonder what the Red Sox can do to turn this season’s bad start into a happy ending.

The primary figure that’s been blamed for the Red Sox start has been their new manager Bobby Valentine. Valentine, known for his big personality, had recently questioned the commitment of  respected star, Kevin Youkilis, which prompted Dustin Pedroia to call out the manager on not keeping his thoughts in the club house. That incident followed with a five game losing streak plus a demoralizing loss to the New York Yankees have already put Bobby V. on the hot seat. However, Valentine commented, “I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’ t think it would be a challenge.” Valentine also said that “he wasn’t satisfied with the job that he’s done.” Hopefully Valentine and the players will be able to work together as the season progresses.

The players have made their share of mistakes too. The pitching has been terrible. After their first fourteen games, the pitching staff allowed twenty six home runs, worst in the major league. The bullpen is responsible for eleven of those runs. The bullpen’s terrible season was highlighted in the 15-9 loss to the Yankees, giving up 14 runs in three innings for the second time in franchise history. Three different relief pitchers have allowed five earned runs in one game with only one out. The Red Sox simply lack a game changing pitcher.

The Red Sox may just lack the star power that they have had in previous seasons. Injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury, Daisuke Matsuzaka,and Carl Crawford have greatly reduced the Red Sox talent. The Red Sox may ultimately just not have enough talent to make it to the playoffs this season.

While this season hasn’t brought forth much to be hopeful for, there are some signs of hope. David Ortiz is having a wonderful season. The Red Sox might grow closer as a club house. The Sox have won two games in a row. There is still a chance that the Red Sox could salvage a successful season.

Post Madness: Kentucky’s Chances Moving Forward

After a handy victory over the University of Kansas, Coach John Calipari, national player of the year Anthony Davis, and the rest of the Kentucky Wildcats enjoyed winning the university’s first National Championship in fourteen years.  Despite this victory, the University of Kentucky Wildcats face a lot of questions moving forward.

One major question is their coaching situation. Head Coach John Calipari, having just won his first national championship, has been rumored to be interested in a return to coaching in the NBA. Calipari had a brief but largely unsuccessful job as the head coach of the New Jersey Nets. Calipari then went on to coach at the University of Memphis before he became coach at Kentucky several years ago. Some people claim that Calipari might have learned from his mistakes from his former experiences and might be ready for another chance as an NBA coach. At the University of Kentucky, expectations tend to be championship or bust. Some sources have said that the New York Knicks might be a potential landing spot for Calipari.Whether Calipari actually does try another shot at coaching in the NBA remains to be seen-but as of now, he’s expressed interest in returning to Kentucky.

Another major question that needs to be answered will be replacing the talent on the national championship team. Starting forwards Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Terrence Jones have already declared for the upcoming NBA draft, and starting guards Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague have also expressed interest in going pro. In addition, key leader off the bench Darius Miller is graduating. Calipari has been famous for his incredible recruiting classes and this year will be no  exception. He has already signed top twenty recruits Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress and, most importantly, he’s signed number one recruit Nerlens Noel. If Kentucky can manage to bring back Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb, they might be able to contend for another championship.

When asked how he thought Kentucky would do next season, junior Kofi Omane said, “I think that they will be a really good team. I don’t think that they will win the national championship, but I think they will still be a solid team.”

Senior Johannes Sorto additionaly said, “I think  they could make it to the elite eight.”

While major questions need to be answered before next season, the Wildcats can be proud of their well-earned national championship and look forward to another exciting season of NCAA basketball.