Who To Watch (April 12 – April 18)

It’s been almost 11 years since Tiger Woods won his last major? Can he end that drought this weekend at Augusta? (Credit: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports)

This is the most wonderful time of year folks.

At the time of writing this, Tiger Woods is -2 at the Masters, and we all know we want to see Tiger win another Masters. The NHL playoffs are off to a bang with plenty of road teams winning Game 1s (even if this is at the expense of the Bruins). The NBA season wrapped up with plenty of funky games, as well as some awesome farewells for Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki. We know who’s playing who in the NBA Playoffs, and starting Saturday, it’s going to be heaven on Earth once the games begin. Hopefully the weather comes around and we can soak in some sun, but for now, you have an excuse from us at Hold My Drink Sports to sit inside and watch ALL of these great sporting events.

Before we start, congratulations to Virginia and Baylor for winning the championship in men’s and women’s college basketball, respectively… AND SHOUT OUT TO UMASS FOR MAKING IT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN HOCKEY! GO MINUTEMEN!

Lets Rock n’ Roll.

Kyrie Irving’s First 500 Games

In his first 500 career regular season games, Kyrie Irving has become one of the best scorers in the league. (Credit: NBA)

In a night that will be remembered for the return of Isaiah Thomas to the TD Garden, and a loss for the Boston Celtics, Kyrie Irving reached a career benchmark.  Tuesday’s game against the Nuggets marked Kyrie’s 500th regular season game as an NBA player.

Kyrie has been in the NBA since the 2011-2012 season, and has 6 All-Star appearances, an All-NBA selection (third team), an NBA Rookie of the Year trophy, and an NBA championship to his name.  At 26 years old (his 27th birthday is Saturday), he’s had a great career thus far.

Anyway, I’m going to break down Kyrie Irving’s first 500 regular season games in a peculiar way (because that’s how my mind works): by the coaches he has played for.  Kyrie has played for 5 coaches during his career, and it may surprise you just how close the amount of regular season games he has played for each is.

You’ll see that shortly, as well as his stats during his time with these coaches, and the record of his teams over the years, all presented in chronological order.

Before I begin, here’s a fun fact: Kyrie Irving has played more NBA games (500) than Yao Ming (486), Arvydas Sabonis (470), Bill Walton (468), and George Mikan (439).

Celtics Post All-Star Break History

David Butler – USA Today Sports

The Celtics have been under the microscope in the East ever since they emerged as potential contenders again under Brad Stevens. They were obviously in a rebuilding stage when the Celtics parted ways with long time coach Doc Rivers, who saw only one championship with them in 2008. It did not come as a surprise when Brad Stevens, the former Butler head coach that brought the team to their first Final Four in school history, went 25-57 in his first year. The actual surprise was the Celtics never missing the playoffs every season after that. Brad Stevens is remarkable at utilizing the players he has and setting them up to succeed through well-crafted play calling. As his roster grew each year with more and more talent, he was able to improve their playoff success. With the All-Star break over and the playoff push in full effect, I wanted to see how the Celtics have fared in the past five years during this time; the pattern is surprising.

The Anthony Davis Saga

Anthony Davis’ request of a trade from New Orleans caused a lot of drama the past two weeks in the NBA; is this just the beginning? (Credit: Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports)

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and Anthony Davis is still a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. After asking for a trade January 28, ten days of drama ensued as Davis was immediately connected to the Los Angeles Lakers.  We heard endless amounts of information (as well as misinformation) from the main parties involved, and the hurricane of madness even hit the shores of Boston, instilling doubts about the future of Kyrie Irving.  My favorite part? LaVar Ball came out of the cave Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka (must have) paid him to stay in, and told the world LeBron James is nothing without his son Lonzo!

Who to Watch (January 18 – January 24)

Credit: via NBA News Now

Welcome back to Who to Watch! Football fans, there is a BIG weekend coming up with the Rams and Saints, as well as Pats and Chiefs vying for a birth in the Super Bowl! The top two seeds in each conference, and the best offenses in football, it’s set to be two great games.  In the NBA, James Harden is STILL dominating in a manner we have not seen in a LONG time (he’s now averaging 35.37 PPG, which would make him the 9th player all-time to average at least 35 PPG in a season).  Kyrie had a statement game against the Raptors, but the Celtics are still not consistent enough to be considered a viable playoff threat at this time.  The Warriors scored 51(!) points in the first quarter against the Nuggets, and with DeMarcs Cousins’ debut set for this evening, they might be ready to make their run.

Sit back and enjoy our players to watch over the next week!