Doc Rivers Couldn’t Care Less That Celtics Are In Eastern Conference Finals

by Zack Cox on Fri, May 19, 2017 at 11:14AM 1,745 Share this: More than a month after Doc Rivers’ Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs, his old team still is playing. The Boston Celtics, who launched a full-blown rebuild after Rivers left town in 2013, have reached the Eastern Conference finals just four years later under new coach Brad Stevens. Though the Celtics are unlikely to defeat the heavily favored Cleveland Cavaliers, they also own the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and should be contenders for years to come. Meanwhile, Rivers’ new club, which plays in the much tougher Western Conference, has yet to advance past the second round. But despite this, the coach insists he doesn’t regret his decision

Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Underwent Spinal Cord Leak Procedure

Share this: The Golden State Warriors might not see head coach Steve Kerr on their sideline for some time. Kerr is out indefinitely as he deals with complications from a back surgery that took place two years ago, and the Warriors coach had a procedure to drain his spine in the hope of alleviating the pain that has sidelined him since Game 3 of the Warriors’ first-round NBA playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN. Warriors owner Joe Lacob detailed Kerr’s health issues in an interview with Bloomberg Radio on Friday. “It’s very unfortunate what’s happening here, ” Lacob said, as transcribed by The Mercury News’ Anthony Salter. “He had a back surgery. Relatively common procedure almost two years ago now. And had

Patriots Mailbag: Why Versatility Is Required Out Of Derek Rivers

Share this: The 2017 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the New England Patriots added over 20 rookies to their squad. Unsurprisingly, Patriot Nation has many questions about its new players. Let’s dive into this week’s mailbag for the answers. Doug! Super-excited about the Pats draft and their off-season in general. I know the draft feedback says 1st round pick Derek Rivers is more of a DE/OLB EDGE player, but after watching video of him at the combine, looks like he moves really well. Can he possibly fill Jaime Collins old role as an inside/outside linebacker? — Steve (Boston)Steve! Thanks for the email (feel free to send questions to dkyed@nesn.com if you don’t have Twitter). I assume Rivers mostly will play defensive end

Patriots Free Agency Tracker: Where Is Each New England Player Signing?

Patriots Free Agency Tracker: Where Is Each New England Player Signing?

NFL free agency opened Thursday, meaning more than a dozen New England Patriots players could be on the move. Here’s a list, which we’ll update throughout free agency, of every Patriots free agent and where he has agreed to sign. (Note: Signings that have not been confirmed by the team will be marked with an asterisk.) UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTSTE Martellus Bennett — signed with Green Bay Packers (three years, $ 21 million) RB LeGarrette Blount RB Brandon Bolden — re-signed with Patriots DT Alan Branch — agreed to re-sign with Patriots (two years, $ 12 million)* FB James Develin — agreed to re-s... NESN.com

How Will Dwayne Allen Fit In With Patriots’ Numerous Offensive Weapons?

Share this: Dwayne Allen didn’t exactly get his day in the sun after being traded to the New England Patriots. And that’s not a commentary on the dreary weather in New England so far this spring, though it would be cool if temperatures would climb above 50 at some point. Thus concludes the small talk portion of this column. Allen was traded from the Indianapolis Colts on the afternoon before the start of the new NFL league year. It was the transaction that sparked countless others, officially setting off the Patriots’ offseason, and it kind of got buried. It was apparent at the time the Patriots would not be bringing back Martellus Bennett, so finding a tight end to complement and back up their injury-prone starter Rob Gronkowski was paramount.

UFC Legend Georges St-Pierre Set To Return After Long, 4-Year Hiatus

Share this: The UFC that Georges St-Pierre returns to in 2017 isn’t the same place he left in 2013. The complexity of mixed martial arts as a sport, combining numerous fighting disciplines into one cohesive competition, evolves constantly. Now that St-Pierre is officially making his comeback, questions swirl as he attempts to re-establish himself as a force in today’s UFC universe, at the elite level he previously achieved. Can St-Pierre compete with the top fighters of today at 35 years old? Will he have any rust after four years away? One question that has been answered: his opponent. UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping will welcome GSP back to the Octagon later this year in what instantly becomes the biggest fight of 2017. If St-Pierre wins,

Antonio Brown Is A Good Reminder Not To Obsess Over Combine Results

Share this: The Pittsburgh Steelers determined Monday that Antonio Brown is the best wide receiver in the NFL when they handed him a four-year, $68 million contract, making him the highest-paid player at his position. This is despite the fact Brown isn’t a freak athlete. That’s not a knock against Brown. I’m not a freak athlete. Neither is Tom Brady (sure, he says he would perform better at the NFL Scouting Combine now than he did 17 years ago, but it would take him another 150 years of improvement before he reaches freak levels of athleticism, and he probably won’t be very spry at the age of 189). Many quarterbacks aren’t freak athletes yet still reach an elite level of play on the field. Wide