The NBA postseason is almost upon us, with teams having only 15 or 16 games left each. It is looking to be a good one, with no real dominating contender in the East, while the top-heavy West prepares for some competitive late-round matchups. There are still many spots to be determined, but, if the season ended right now, this is how the 2016 playoffs would look, and here are some of my predictions:

EAST

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Toronto Raptors
3. Boston Celtics
4. Miami Heat
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. Charlotte Hornets
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Chicago Bulls

Best First Round Matchup: Cavs vs. Bulls

Many would expect the defending Eastern Conference Champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers, to blow out their first round matchup. However, the Bulls are a scary 8th seed. Star guard Jimmy Butler has been out for almost a month, which has contributed to Chicago’s fall in the standings. With Butler, point guard Derrick Rose, and versatile big man Pau Gasol, they will force Lebron & Co. to seven games. However, Cleveland will eventually come out on top.

Best Playoff Performer: Paul George, Indiana Pacers

After missing all of last year due to a horrible leg injury, PG-13 is back, and better than ever. Once the 6-9 forward gets going, he’s hard to stop, and fun to watch. The Raptors do have the athleticism to control George, but Indiana’s star player will have the ball on every possession, and is sure to make the most of his opportunities. However, I do see the Raptors winning this series.

Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics vs. Cavs

In my opinion, these are the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. I do not see any other team in the East beating Boston or Cleveland in a 7-game series. However, that is where the similarities stop. The Celtics are made up of solid NBA players, with a 10-man rotation, who all play a certain role to help Boston win games. Cleveland is the exact opposite. Led by the Big 3 of Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love, these stars do most of the scoring for this team, while the rest of the small rotation does the little things. This series will go 7 games but, sadly, I have to take Cleveland. The Celtics lack a consistent, legitimate wing scorer to be a threat for the Finals, and no one to match Lebron with big shots late in games.

WEST

1. Golden State Warriors
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Portland Trail Blazers
7. Houston Rockets
8. Dallas Mavericks

Best First Round Matchup: NONE

The West is EXTREMELY top-heavy. The top four teams are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the conference. I don’t think any of the bottom-seeded teams have a chance for an upset. The longest series will be between OKC and Portland, which MIGHT go 6 games. At the most.

Best Playoff Performer: Steph Curry

I’m not sure how anyone can vote against him. Curry is having quite possibly one of the best individual seasons in NBA history, on a team that could go down as the best team in NBA history. He is a human highlight reel, dribbling through defenders, nailing 30-footers, and finishing extremely diffcult shots in the lane. No one has stopped him yet, and I don’t think anyone will.

Western Conference Finals: Warriors vs. Spurs

Not only will this be a matchup of the two best teams in the NBA, but is another matchup of contrasting styles: the young, fast and exciting Warriors against the experienced, methodical and blue collar Spurs. The Spurs are no slouch, with MVP contender Kawhi Leonard, along with veterans Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Lamarcus Aldridge. However, they can’t beat the Warriors in 7 games. The quickness, athleticism, and depth of the Warriors will be too much, and they will take the West again, in 7 games.

NBA Finals: Cavs vs. Warriors

Back to back. A rematch from last year’s Finals. The Cavs will have revenge on their mind, and Lebron will be hard to stop. However, the Warriors have Klay Thompson, a knockdown shooter who is becoming one of the best defenders in the league. And, again, there is no one who will be able to stop NBA Finals MVP Steph Curry. Back to back, the 2016 NBA Champions will be the Golden State Warriors, in 6 games. 

John Farrell managed the Toronto Blue Jays for two years and now is entering his fourth year as skipper of the Boston Red Sox. He did not have a winning season in two years in Toronto and only has had one in Boston. Granted, his one winning season resulted in a World Series championship, but, if as a fan you are satisfied with having four continuous last place finishes and then winning a World Series, you are out of your mind. It’s become boring to sit around and wait for this Red Sox team to contend or even be relevant.

It’s not just fans who are becoming impatient, obviously the Red Sox front office is tired of this culture of losing. Moves like spending $217 million on ace David Price, trading for elite closer Craig Kimbrel from San Diego and having the number five farm system in all of baseball show they want to change. The front office has done the best job possible to put the Red Sox in a winning position but, as I wrote back in December, I don’t think Farrell is right for this team.

In August, Farrell was diagnosed lymphoma and left the team to get his health in check. He beat his battle with lymphoma and many have questioned if his illness saved his job. In his absence, the team played their best baseball all season when bench coach Torey Lovullo took over and I think he will be the next Red Sox manager. The reason I’m questioning Farrell before the season has even started is the reports that have come out that Jessica Moran, who covered baseball for Comcast Sportsnet New England, was dating Farrell. Now, this isn’t a gossip story, it’s a baseball story. There is no problem with a manager being affiliated with a reporter, as former Sox manager Terry Francona and former NESN anchor Hazel Mae were together. But while Francona caused drama and some separation in clubhouses over the years, no one blamed him for it because he was good at his job. Francona could manage a baseball game and really lead the Sox to a lot of their best seasons. This year, the team’s problem is they don’t have Francona, they have Farrell.

I don’t think I’m crazy when I say that Farrell could lose control of this team and his job very fast this season. If Farrell is causing drama and separation in the clubhouse and continues his losing ways, then what purpose does he serve as the manager? I believe his battle with cancer is the only reason he hasn’t been fired. If things don’t go well early for Boston, Farrell could be saying his farewells.

On Sunday March 20th the Hanover Boys Hockey team met central champ Algonquin in the Division 3 state title game. The game was played at TD Garden and the atmosphere was like no other game all year. Thousands from Hanover came out to support the team in what was their last game of the season. The game lived up to its hype.

Both team’s crowds were into it from the start but it was Hanover who had something to cheer about first. Senior captain Landon Hasenfuss scored to put the Indians up one and, then after an Algonquin goal, senior Bret Parker scored to regain the lead. At the end of the first period,  Hanover had the momentum.

The second period is where Hanover faced major adversity. Sophomore Zach Taylor was called for a boarding penalty, leaving the Indians shorthanded for 4:00 minutes. With a strong outing in his final game, senior captain and goalie Noah Clapp was able to perform well all game. Taylor made up for his penalty by beating the Algonquin goalie and making the score 3-1 Hanover going into the third period.

The third was like the whole game, all Hanover. Ryan Phillips scored early to make the score 4-1. Then with 3:00 minutes left, Nick Joy scored on an empty net to make it 5-1 Hanover. The players and crowd knew they had sealed victory and as time expired a celebration broke out. The excitement and emotion that all the players and coaches had after the game showed how much time and effort was put into this season. The skill and heart of this team was never questioned and how they preformed every game lead them to winning this state title. Hanover is the 2015-16 Division 3 boys hockey state champion.

The Indians earned the trip with a 5-1 win over D3 North champion Wayland at Gallo Arena March 16. In front of hundreds of fans who packed two buses and dozens of cars for the trip to the game, the boys stunned their opponent. Parker and Hasenfuss each had two goals, and senior Dan McDougall added another. Junior Alex Wisnes was named player of the game.

The last time Hanover made it to the Garden, in the 2013-2014 school year, they lost to a team from the much larger Shrewsbury. This year, after a season full of highlights, it became hard to believe that any team could beat this group.

The Indians captured the Division 3 South title with a 2-1 win over rival Norwell 2-1 on March 13. Clapp, who had two big saves in the third period to preserve the Indians’ lead, was named player of the game. They beat top-seeded and undefeated Dartmouth 3-2 in the semifinals March 10 with Hasenfuss scoring his 100th career point by assisting on one of two goals by  senior Bret Parker. Taylor, senior Nick Joy and junior Wisnes also contributed to the scoring.

Earlier in the tourney, 5th seeded Hanover  easily defeated 23rd-seed St. John Paul ll High School 9-1 on March 2, and 4th-seeded Sacred Heart 6-0 on March 5. In the March 5 game, Taylor scored a hat trick — three goals in one game.

The team is one of Hanover’s strongest, known for being not just competitive but always successful. That continued this past season as they finished 16-3-1 and became a team that no one wanted to play in the tournament. Coached by Jon Abban, the team plays well all around as they basically do not have a weakness. The combination of Clapp between the pipes, a multitude of offensive weapons, and reliable defensemen have contributed to the team’s success this season. Top scorers in the regular season were Parker with 33 points, Hasenfuss with 27, Wisnes with 23 and senior Trevor Doucette with 20.

For updates on the game follow @HHSPUCK on twitter.

Inspirational quotes, posters hanging around the school, a giant banner overflowing with signatures, and a sea of students sporting “end the R-word” t-shirts. I bet you thought you had seen it all during Inclusive Schools Week here at Hanover High School, but not so. The unified basketball game Monday night was the grand finale of events designed to showcase how HHS strives to create a safe learning environment for students of all abilities.

Mrs. Gately, a Spanish teacher at HHS and the creator of the Friendship Connection Club, has been leading practices for weeks with her team of players from both the boys and girls basketball teams, student volunteers, and students from the Life Skills program at HHS. The team practiced their shooting and passing, and bonded on the court before the big game.

As 6:30 on Monday rolled around, the team donned their yellow “Hanover Unified” t-shirts and warmed up in the gym as fans filtered in and filled the stands. Parents, teachers, and a great showing of students came to cheer on the team against Abington’s unified team. National Honor Society and student council members, the entire hockey team, and representatives from various other sports and clubs packed the bleachers of the gym. A round of applause went up for each member of the team as they were announced, and the energy in the gym was extremely positive throughout the night.

Despite a 36-28 win by Abington, Hanover kept a positive mentality and upbeat attitude until the very end. Not only was it an amazing game to watch, but a life- changing  event to participate in. Hanover basketball varsity starter Meaghan Raab stated,  “It was the most positive environment I have ever played in, how could you not have a good time?” That’s saying something, because Meg has seen many basketball games in her lifetime!

“It was the best thing I have ever been a part of,” varsity player Lissy Delahunt exclaimed after the timer sounded.  “I had so much fun!”

Mrs. Gately called it “one of the best nights of my teaching career with the most special kids.”

Based on the feedback from students and the huge fan section, we can definitely expect to see more unified games in Hanover High School’s future!

The Boston Celtics did not make any transactions at the recent NBA trade deadline. Danny Ainge, the team’s president of basketball operations,  said ‘no good deals’ were available during the course of talks with many teams. Rumors had started to grow about the Celtics acquiring big names like Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford or Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard. Both would be risky picks: Horford is a free agent after this season so if the Celtics were to go for him, he might not even play for the team next year, and Howard’s ego can be bigger than his game.

The Celtics have seven first round picks over the next three NBA drafts, which is unbelievable. In 2016 the Celtics have their pick, Brooklyn’s pick and Dallas’s pick. In the 2017 NBA draft, the Celtics have the right to swap with Brooklyn and trade places. Then in 2018, they’ll have their own first round pick as well as Brooklyn’s and Memphis’. As competitive as the Celtics have been in the league this year, they can look forward to a bright future, having lined up so many top picks. It’s a fan’s dream to have a bright future as well as a winning season now.  Teams like the Philadelphia 76ers lose all the time and have good draft picks but it will take years for them to become competitive. Then there are teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, who trade their picks and sign big name free agents for big money in order to win now. The bad side of that strategy is that it’s all about the here and the now. The future is non existent for teams like that. It’s a tough thing to balance but no one is doing it better then the Boston Celtics are doing it right now.

Names like Pau Gasol, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin were also rumored to possibly land in Boston via trade but those are such high-profile players that it would take even more than their value to acquire them and Danny Ainge is not one to overspend on a player. Undoubtedly, the Celtics will trade some of their first-round draft picks to acquire a superstar talent as having a top ten player is the only way to legitimately compete for a championship in the NBA. This year, hopefully the Celtics can make a deep playoff run and get their group of young players post-season experience because they most definitely will be back in the NBA playoffs for years to come.

Now that Super Bowl 50 is over, many teams are looking ahead to the NFL Draft in April. Cam Newton was the main reason the Carolina Panthers were able to reach Super Bowl 50. Although his play wasn’t enough to win, Cam still had an incredible season and was named the league’s MVP for the 2015-16 season. The Denver Broncos’ Von Miller most definitely was a main force in the Broncos season success as well as their Super Bowl win. Miller was named MVP of the Super Bowl, which is very unusual for a defensive player.

What Cam Newton and Von Miller have in common is that they played each other in the Super Bowl, they are both 26 years old, they were drafted the same year one after another. Cam Newton was the number one overall pick in the 2011 draft. Von Miller was second.

It’s natural to think back to that draft, and ponder the top 10 picks. If teams could have seen into the future, would they have chosen differently? If I was in charge, I would’ve made some different choices. Here is a list of the teams with the top 10 picks that year, who they chose and who I think they should’ve chosen.

1. Carolina Panthers: QB Cam Newton, QB Cam Newton
2.Denver Broncos: OLB Von Miller, OLB Von Miller

Both teams have seen their choices pay off. No changes necessary there.

3. Buffalo Bills: DT Marcell Dareus, DE JJ Watt

The Bills took a good player in Marcell Dareus, who has started and played very well. JJ Watt is arguably the best defensive player to ever live, so if the Bills had known what Watt would turn into, I think there’s no doubt they would’ve snapped him up.

4. Cincinnati Bengals: WR A. J. Green, WR Julio Jones

Cincinnati also took one of the best wide receivers in the league in A. J. Green. It’s just that Julio Jones’ production has been better during the course of their young careers.

5. Arizona Cardinals: CB Patrick Peterson, CB Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman is known for his loud mouth and shutting down star receivers every week. Peterson and Sherman are top three cornerbacks in the league so you couldn’t go wrong with either but Sherman is better than Peterson.

6. Atlanta Falcons: WR Julio Jones, WR A. J. Green

In my revised draft, Julio Jones would already have been taken by the Bengals, because it would be an absolute steal to get one of the best receivers in the NFL. Therefore, the Falcons would end up with Green, who is still a pretty good catch.

7. San Francisco 49ers: DE Aldon Smith, DT Marcell Dareus

Aldon Smith is currently serving a one-year suspension based on multiple criminal charges against him so I would just about guarantee San Francisco would take a reliable defensive player and not Smith.

8. Tennessee Titans: QB Jake Locker, QB Andy Dalton

Jake Locker retired at the age of 26 to the surprise of just about every single person. The Titans were left without a quarterback and now Jake Locker is known as one of the biggest busts in draft history.

9. Dallas Cowboys: OT Tyron Smith, CB Patrick Peterson

The Cowboys’ pick of offensive tackle Tyron Smith was a great choice and Smith has exceeded expectations. He’s become a premier lineman. But in the NFL, shutdown cornerbacks are of high demand and I think any team would go back and take Peterson because of how elite he’s been over his career.

10. Jackson Jaguars: QB Blaine Gabbert, QB Colin Kaepernick

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert was taken 10th overall, but has joined a long list of Jaguars quarterbacks who didn’t pan out. Once given the opportunity, Colin Kaepernick lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl in 2012. Kaepernick would have been the best available quarterback to take.