Lokomotiv Moscow coach Marcus Gisdol has resigned. Alexander Shcherbak \ TASS via Getty Images
German coach Marcus Gisdol left his job as coach of Russia’s Lokomotiv Moscow football club on Tuesday in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Lokomotiv simply said that Gisdol was “removed from the post of head coach” after less than four months at the helm. He told the German tabloid Bild that it was a gesture of protest against work in a country “whose head of state is responsible for an aggressive war in the middle of Europe”.
“I can’t stand on the training field in Moscow, training the players, demanding professionalism, and orders are issued a few kilometers away, which bring great suffering to the whole nation,” Gisdol told the newspaper.
The locomotive is owned by Russian Railways, which was placed under US sanctions last week. Gisdol was appointed in October by then-sporting director Ralph Rangnik, who later coached Manchester United.
Former Liverpool and Ukraine striker Andriy Voronin has resigned as assistant coach of Dynamo Moscow, and Ukrainian goalkeeper Yaroslav Hodzur has left another club, Ural Ekaterinburg. The president of the Urals told TASS that a second Ukrainian player would follow.
Others remain in place. “I’m not one to take a ticket and fly,” Dynamo Germany head coach Sandro Schwartz said in a comment posted in Russian on the club’s website on Saturday. “It’s not me. I feel responsible and I will be in the club.”
The Russian Premier League continued to operate despite the war, while the Ukrainian Premier League was halted when the invasion began last week. Brazilian players from clubs in Ukraine have turned to their government for help in leaving the country.
Derek Jeter’s decision to step down as Miami Marlins chief executive sparked theory from World Series champion Justin Turner on Monday.
Turner, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, tweeted that Jeter was retiring for two main reasons.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS REPLY FOXNEWS.COM
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner celebrates after a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers on October 2, 2021 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo / Ashley Landis)
“Hot decision,” Turner began. “My sources, common sense and reading between the lines, tell me that one of the greatest champions in our games, Derek Jeter, is retiring from a team with one of the best young teams in the game because the property is not committed to winning. and spending money to try to win. Derek Jeter is the winner, and if you ask him to lose, he will back off. Thank you for your continued years of leadership and everything you have done for our DJ DJ.
“And just to confirm, I haven’t spoken to spokesman Derek Jeter.”
Jeter took over as CEO when Bruce Sherman bought the team from Jeffrey Loria in 2017. Miami only qualified for the playoffs during the shortened coronavirus pandemic season in 2020 due to the expanded playoffs.
DEREK JETTER LEAVES POST AS CEO, SHAREHOLDER OF MIAMI MARLINS
Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter is watching a spring practice game against the Houston Astros on March 5, 2021 in Jupiter, Florida. (AP Photo / Lynne Sladky, file)
“Through hard work, trust and accountability, we have transformed every aspect of the franchise, transforming the workforce and developing a long-term strategic plan for success,” Jeter said in a statement. “As we said, the vision for the future of the franchise is different from the one I signed up to lead.”
Sherman added: “We have a rich team of talent who will oversee both business and baseball decisions as we work to identify a new CEO to lead our franchise.”
Jeter, a five-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees, is used to winning. This is something the Marlins didn’t do much other than their titles in 1997 and 2003.
Derek Jeter spoke to the media before the Marlins match against Philadelphia Phillies on October 2, 2021 in Miami. (AP Photo / Lynne Sladky, file)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Miami was 218-327 at the time of Jeter. He helped renovate the organization’s agricultural system. The team had only one prospect in the top 100 of baseball America before the start of the 2017 season. Before 2021, the team had six on the list of the Top 100.
You looked over 50 articles in the last 12 months.
Keep the Olympic news free
Support insidethegames.biz for only £ 10
For nearly 15 years, insidethegames.biz has been at the forefront of fearless reporting on what is happening in the Olympic movement. As the first website not to be behind a paid wall, we have made the news of the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the British Community Games and other major events more accessible than ever.
insidethegames.biz has built a worldwide reputation for the superiority of its reporting and the breadth of its coverage. For many of our readers from more than 200 countries and territories around the world, the website is a vital part of their daily lives. The ping of our free daily email alert, sent every morning at 6.30am 365 days a year, arriving in their inbox, is as familiar a part of their day as their first cup of coffee.
Even during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, insidethegames.biz maintained its high standard of reporting all news from around the world on a daily basis. We were the first publication in the world to signal the threat posed by the Olympic coronavirus movement, and we have since provided unparalleled coverage of the pandemic.
As the world begins to emerge from the COVID crisis, insidethegames.biz would like to invite you to help us on our journey by funding our independent journalism. Your vital support would mean that we can continue to report so comprehensively on the Olympic Movement and the events that shape it. This would mean that we can keep our website open to everyone. Last year, nearly 25 million people read insidethegames.biz, making us the largest source of independent news about what’s happening in world sports.
Every contribution, whether large or small, will help maintain and improve our global coverage next year. Our small and dedicated team was extremely busy last year, covering the refurbished Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, an unprecedented logistical challenge that stretches our limited resources to the limit.
2022 will not be less busy or less challenging. We have the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, where we send a team of four reporters, the British Community Games in Birmingham, the Summer World University and Asian Games in China, the Alabama World Games and many world championships. In addition, of course, there is the World Cup in Qatar.
Unlike many others, insidethegames.biz is read by anyone, no matter what they can afford to pay. We do this because we believe that sport belongs to everyone and everyone should be able to read information, regardless of their financial situation. While others try to benefit financially from the information, we are committed to sharing it with as many people as possible. The greater the number of people who can keep up with global events and understand their impact, the more sport will be forced to be transparent.
Support insidethegames.biz for only £ 10 – takes just a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.
Although there were no other Russian teams in the UEFA Champions League for men or women and in the UEFA Conference League, Spartak Moscow’s match against RB Leipzig in the Europa League was canceled, resulting in the German club now qualifying for the quarterfinals.
On the international stage, FIFA’s jurisdiction over World Cup qualifiers means that Russia will not be able to play in the World Cup playoffs against Poland, scheduled for March 24 – and as a result may miss the remarkable football event.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” the joint statement said. “Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and quickly, so that football can once again be a vector of unity and peace between people.
READ: FIFA and UEFA stop all Russian international and club teams from competing
Rugby
On Monday, the World Rugby announced that it had removed the national teams of Russia and Belarus from “all international rugby and cross-border club rugby activities until further notice” and suspended Russia’s membership in the World Rugby Union.
Russia has yet to secure a qualification for the Men’s Rugby World Cup next year.
“World Rugby once again condemns Russia’s aggressive invasion of Ukraine and the facilitation of this action by Belarus,” the statement said.
“The global rugby family is united in solidarity with all those affected by these deeply disturbing events and joins the world community in calls for peace.
“The decision was made in the interest of rugby values such as solidarity, integrity and respect at heart. The world rugby also stays in touch with its colleagues from the Rugby Federation of Ukraine and has promised its full support for the rugby community in the country. “
Ice-hockey
On Monday, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) stopped all international and club teams of Russia and Belarus in each age group from competing in all IIHF competitions or events.
The IIHF said the decision affects several tournaments, including the Men’s World Championships in Finland on May, where Russia and Belarus will no longer be able to compete.
Russia will also be deprived of its right to host the 2023 World Junior Championships, the IIHF reported.
“The IIHF is not a political entity and cannot influence the decisions taken in connection with the war in Ukraine,” IIHF President Luke Tardif said in a statement.
“However, we have a responsibility to take care of all our members and participants, so we must do everything we can to ensure that we can hold our events in a safe environment for all teams participating in the IIHF World Cup program.
“We were incredibly shocked to see the images that came out of Ukraine. I have been in close contact with the members of the Hockey Federation of Ukraine and we hope for all Ukrainians that this conflict can be resolved peacefully and without the need for further violence. “
volleyball
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) announced on Tuesday that it is revoking Russia’s rights to host this year’s World Volleyball Championship for men.
Russia was to host the World Cup between August 26 and September 11.
“Following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, the FIVB remains seriously concerned about the escalating situation and the safety of the people of Ukraine,” the statement said.
“The FIVB Board of Directors has concluded that it would be impossible to prepare for and host the World Cup in Russia due to the war in Ukraine.
The FIVB followed that decision, announcing that all Russian and Belarusian national teams, clubs and officials, as well as beach and snow volleyball players, will be removed from all events until further notice.
Curling
On Monday, the World Curling Federation announced it would remove all Russian entries from the upcoming World Cup if there are no objections during its three-day evaluation period.
The Women’s World Cup will be held in Canada from March 19 to March 27, and for men – in Las Vegas from April 2 to April 10, and will also affect the championships of mixed doubles, adults, wheelchairs and adolescents.
“The World Curling Federation strongly condemns the military action taken by the Russian government in the invasion of Ukraine and continues to hope for a speedy and peaceful resolution of the situation,” the statement said.
Skates
The International Skating Union (ISU) announced on Tuesday that it has barred Russian and Belarusian skates from participating in all international ice skating competitions, including ISU championships and other ISU events.
The governing body added that the suspension will take effect immediately and will be in force until further notice.
“The ISU Council reaffirms its full solidarity with ISU members in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Speed Skating Federation and the Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation. The ISU Council will assess the possibilities for rapid humanitarian assistance to its Ukrainian ISU members, “the statement said.
“The ISU Council will continue to monitor closely the situation in Ukraine and its impact on ISU’s activities and will take further steps if and when necessary.
swimming
On Tuesday, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) withdrew the FINA order, previously awarded to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin was awarded the highest FINA award in October 2014 as a result of his “important support in organizing major FINA events on Russian soil.” […] and ensuring the increased value of water sports in Russian society and around the world. “
However, the governing body stopped excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in their competitions.
FINA said that although no athlete or team from Russia or Belarus can compete under the names of countries or national flags, they can be considered neutral.
On Sunday, FINA canceled the Junior World Championships to be held in Kazan, Russia in August, but the World Short Course Championships (25m), which were to take place in the same city in December, remain.
“FINA remains deeply concerned about the impact of the war on the water sports community and the wider population of Ukraine. FINA will continue to closely monitor the difficult situation and make additional decisions if necessary,” the statement said.
READ: Vladimir Putin has been stripped of his honorary sports titles amid the invasion of Ukraine
badminton
The World Badminton Federation (BWF) announced on Tuesday that it was stopping all Russian athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus from competing in BWF-sanctioned competitions.
BWF has already canceled all tournaments in Russia and Belarus in force immediately and the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes will begin at the German Open on March 8.
A “small number” of Russian athletes who have already arrived in Spain for the steam badminton tournaments will be allowed to compete, but will do so as neutral athletes without a flag or anthem.
“BWF remains committed to supporting the people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian badminton community as part of the sports movement’s mission to promote peace and solidarity among all people,” the statement said.
Skiing
Last week, the International Ski Federation (FIS) announced that all other World Cup events scheduled for Russia this season would be canceled.
The decision affects a total of six events, with the FIS already looking for countries to replace Russia as host.
The FIS went further on Tuesday, suspending the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in all its competitions.
The FIS Council does not take lightly the decision not to allow an athlete to take part in any competition and does so only in accordance with the FIS Statute, which states that “FIS will conduct its activities in a politically neutral manner”, which is a cornerstone of the FIS values adopted by its 140 member states, “the statement said.
“The Council expressed its deepest and sincere hope that the conflict in Ukraine will end quickly and that the international sports community can begin the healing process and compete again with all the athletes and nations present.
“As previously announced, the FIS, in solidarity with the Ski Federation of Ukraine, provides immediate financial, logistical and technical support to Ukrainian athletes and teams while they can return home safely.
Formula one
Last week, Formula One announced it had canceled Russia’s September 25th Grand Prix, saying it was “impossible” for the race to continue “under the current circumstances”.
“We are watching the events in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a speedy and peaceful resolution of the current situation,” a statement from Formula One said.
The FIA, the governing body of motorsport, reportedly met on Tuesday in part to discuss the participation of Russia’s only Formula One driver, Nikita Mazepin, in this season’s World Championships.
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players’ Association have reportedly made progress on a new collective bargaining agreement that will end the owner’s lockout following Monday’s marathon negotiation session, which lasted until early in the morning. Initially, the MLB set a deadline of Monday (February 28) to reach an agreement before canceling the regular season matches and postponing the 2022 Opening Day. However, the league’s self-imposed deadline was postponed until 17:00 ET on Tuesday, according to Jeff Passan of ESPNand the parties will keep talking all day.
The MLB and MLBPA spent more than 16 hours at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Monday before calling it ET at about 2:30 p.m. As for the progress made during the marathons on Monday / Tuesday early in the morning, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that there has been “some progress” but “major gaps remain in key areas”.
MLB began negotiations on Monday, informing MLBPA that it was ready to miss the games for a month and taking a more threatening tone, according to Evan Drelic of The Athletic. Hours later, numerous reports said the two sides had agreed on an expanded play-off format with 12 teams. However, discussions on the issue of the competitive balance tax (also known as the luxury tax) – and the related sanctions for exceeding this threshold – continue.
Where MLB, MLBPA are still divided
Competitive balance tax: The “tax on luxury” of baseball was a problematic point in the negotiations. Owners want to keep the CBT threshold low and penalties high, so it serves as a de facto wage ceiling. The MLBPA aims to raise the threshold to $ 230 million, for John Heyman of MLB Network. The owners want that figure to be close to $ 220 million.
Minimum wage: MLBPA insists on raising the league’s minimum wage – the lowest of the four major men’s sports in the United States in 2021 – $ 575,500 – to over $ 700,000 in 2022. MLB’s latest offer reached $ 675,000 for Drellich.
Bonus pool for pre-arbitration players: Another way the union wants to get paid for younger players is through a bonus pool for the best players who do not yet qualify for arbitration (meaning they have less than three years of service ). The latest MLB figure for the bonus pool is $ 25 million, according to Heyman.
More trivial issues, such as restrictions on moving to defense, were also reportedly part of the discussions. There were a total of 13 separate face-to-face meetings between the two countries at the spring training base on Monday. The bottom line is that there is a glimmer of hope that the season will start as planned on March 31, but there is still hard work on Tuesday when the parties meet again.
CBS Sports provided a timeline of the block here, but the short version is that the owners put the padlocks on when the previous CBA expired on December 1 – exactly three months ago. They were not obliged to do so, but this was described as a defensive maneuver. The league then waited more than six weeks to make its first offer. Since then, the two sides have held a number of personal talks, some of which are major obstacles, including a tax on the competitive balance; revenue sharing; the breakdown of players qualifying for Super Two status in arbitration; and the league – the minimum wage.
CBS Sports provides live updates for Tuesday’s talks. You can follow below.
Ukraine’s 20 athletes for the Paralympic Winter Games are expected to be in Beijing in time for Friday’s opening ceremony, IPC spokesman Craig Spence told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
Spence said the team was heading to the Chinese capital and could arrive as early as Wednesday.
The arrival was questionable after Russia invaded Ukraine last week. The International Paralympic Committee is due to meet on Wednesday and may impose additional sanctions on Russian athletes or exclude them from the Paralympic Games.
Russian athletes will compete in Beijing as an RPC, abbreviated by Russia’s Paralympic Committee, as a result of a state-sponsored doping scandal and cover-up of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Belarus is also expected to be sanctioned by the IPC board for its involvement in the war. Belarusians may be forced to compete as neutral athletes in Beijing, as can Russia.
Russian athletes at the Winter Olympics last month competed as the ROC, abbreviated by the Russian Olympic Committee, over the doping scandal.
The International Olympic Committee, which has repeatedly failed to forcibly punish Russia for its doping history, on Monday forced dozens of sports governing bodies to exclude Russian athletes and officials from international events.
The IOC, which left the decision to others, said the action was needed to “protect the integrity of global sporting events and the safety of all participants”.
The IOC has also given sports organizations a way to circumvent expulsions.
“Where this is not possible in the short term for organizational or legal reasons, the IOC … urges international sports federations and sporting event organizers around the world to do their utmost to ensure that no athlete or sports officer Russia or Belarus will not be allowed to participate under the name Russia or Belarus, “the IOC said.
Russia is expected to have 71 athletes participating in the Paralympic Games. About 650 athletes from 49 delegations, including Ukraine, are expected to attend the Games.
The Beijing Winter Olympics, which closed on February 20th, brought together 2,900 athletes from 91 delegations. The Paralympic Games end on March 13.
The Boston Celtics are a force to be reckoned with. They have the best points difference and defense rating in the Eastern Conference and can boast the best conference record since the turn of the season on January 8. In the last month, they have beaten the 76ers by 48 points, the Heat by 30, and the Nets by 35 and 23.
The Celtics are also an enigma. Despite all their strengths, they also rank 18th in the offensive rankings, per Cleaning the glass, and the Pistons and Pacers recently gave up. With less than a quarter of the regular season before the game, they are sixth in the East, closer to the playoffs at the top of the standings.
Yet, despite this ambivalent summary, projection systems believe in Boston’s potential. The bellThe NBA odds machine gives the Celtics an 11 percent chance of winning the title, and we’re not alone: the Basketball-Reference sets the odds for the Celtics Championship at 9 percent, ESPN at 13 percent and FiveThirtyEight with an astonishing, league-leading 17 percent.
Boston’s recent momentum and subsequent hopes for predictions are based primarily on the team’s defense. The defense doesn’t actually win more than a playoff attack, but Boston’s defense is out of the norm. During the Celtics series on January 8, their defense was an incredible 4.2 points per 100 possessions better than the next best defense; second place Heat are as close to 14th place as first, per CtG.
The league has come up with value switching as a means of slowing down off-screen offensive kits, and Boston is offering a prime example of this style of defense. The Celtics include 40 percent of rivals, the highest score in the league, according to data from Second Spectrum. (Miami is 39 percent; no other team is over 33.) And they only allow 0.86 points of possession when they change the screen – the most expensive rating in the league.
Boston benefits from incorporating elite individual defenders into this broader team concept. The Seven Celtics have played tough minutes after the exchange deadline and all are at least average in defense, with several ratings among the league’s most influential defenders this season, according to the projected plus-minus.
The defenders of the Celtics from hitting 100 possessions
Player
Defensive EPM
Percentage
Player
Defensive EPM
Percentage
Derrick White
+3.6
99th
Marcus Smart
+2.8
98th
Al Horford
+2.3
97th
Robert Williams III
+1.5
90s
Jason Tatum
+1.2
87th
Jaylan Brown
+0.8
80s
Grant Williams
0.0
62nd
They even cleared their propensity for fouls: before January 8, the Celtics were still the top five teams in defense, but ranked only 18th in the opponent’s free throw percentage. CtG. But the Celtics improved to fourth in the percentage of free throws from the opponent after that moment.
The return of Marcus Smart from injury and the addition of Derrick White, a former Spurs, through trade aid. But the most obvious change that could help explain the Celtics’ current form comes from the deployment of Robert Williams III by rookie Name Udoka, who defends about half the number of screens he had earlier in the season, according to the analysis. of data from the Second Spectrum.
Instead, the Time Lord often plays a free role in safety, nominally guarding an undamaged player from the perimeter while Al Horford or another teammate takes the lead on the screen. So Williams – who ranks third in the league with 2.2 blocks per game – can move to deter any attempt at the edge. Note that before deploying 7 and 6 feet in all the plays in this video, Williams kept a non-shooting wing like Tori Craig or CJ Eleby, not the opponent’s best goal.
Or check out the best example of Boston’s late victory over Denver in mid-February. Instead of facing Nikola Jokic, Williams takes Aaron Gordon, while Jaylan Brown takes over the current MVP. After the switch forces the little white to Jokic, Jason Tatum doubles, opening a ribbon to the hoop – just so Williams can transfer, erase the laying attempt and help seal the Celtics’ victory.
(Aside: the last playoffs didn’t offer much in the way of strong defensive battles; in the last five postseasons only six teams have won less than 90 points. And yet between Boston and Cleveland, Miami and Toronto, this year’s Eastern playoffs The conference can bring defense back to highlights on the schedule, with teams showing stylistic diversity in how exactly they keep teams from scoring, from switching Boston and Miami to Cleveland’s three towers to Toronto’s 6-foot 8-wing fleet.)
But despite all their defensive power, the Celtics’ profile still has some flaws. Boston’s record falls by 5.6 wins less than we would expect based on the difference in points, according to CtG, which is the biggest difference for any playoff team, and the culprit is the problems in the upcoming matches. Boston is only 11-18 in clutch games (defined by NBA.com as games within five points in the last five minutes).
Usually good teams in all games are also good in the clutch and vice versa. The 11 teams with the worst records in clutch situations this season include Boston and the 10 teams with overall loss records.
The worst teams in the clutch
The team
Clutch recording
% coupling gain
Recording without clutch
% gain without clutch
The team
Clutch recording
% coupling gain
Recording without clutch
% gain without clutch
Celtics
11-18
38%
25-9
74%
hornets
13-17
43%
17-15
53%
Hawks
10-14
42%
19-17
53%
Spurs
9-19
32%
15-18
45%
Pacery
9-26
26%
12-15
44%
Knicks
13-19
41%
12-17
41%
pelicans
10-14
42%
15-22
41%
king
10-19
34%
12-21
36%
thunder
14-19
42%
5-22
19%
magic
8-15
35%
6-32
16%
piston
13-17
43%
2-29
6%
But this discrepancy should not be a problem in the future; with rare exceptions, past clutch characteristics are not predictive of future clutch characteristics. The correlation between the regular season victory rate and the post-season clutch victory rate is negative -0.05, among teams with at least five playoff matches from the 2010-11 season – or generally zero, meaning there is no significant correlation. (Looking at all playoff teams in this period, even those with only one playoff game, the correlation is still a small 0.14.)
The Bucks 2020-21 had 13-15 in regular season games, then 7-2 in the playoffs on the way to the title. The 2019-20 Heat were 18-18 in regular season games, then 11-3 in the playoffs. 2011-12 76ers had the worst performance in the regular season among all teams for the playoffs in this period, with a score of 7-20 – then finished 6-2 in the playoffs.
Even if their clutch fights even in the coming weeks and months, the Celtics’ attack remains a real concern. They are still struggling to score in one of the two most lucrative areas of the court: they rank only 26th in terms of edge strikes, CtG, and although they take a healthy amount of 3 points, they don’t actually do that much. For the context of this chart, the average accuracy of 3 points this season is 34.9 percent. This means that only one of the seven most used players of the Celtics is even at the middle level. (Josh Richardson, sent to San Antonio in exchange for whites, was 39.7 percent with 3.5 long attempts to play.)
Rotate the Celtics from a distance
Player
Attempts with 3 points per game
3-point accuracy
Player
Attempts with 3 points per game
3-point accuracy
Grant Williams
3.4
43.7%
Jaylan Brown
7.4
34.8%
Jason Tatum
8.4
32.9%
Marcus Smart
4.8
32.0%
Derrick White
5.3
30.6%
Al Horford
3.9
30.3%
Robert Williams III
0.0
0.0%
White’s figures here include his performances in both San Antonio and Boston. He has shot 25.0 percent in 5.1 game attempts since being traded.
Boston’s shooting problems are compounded by the lack of a central playmaker. The Celtics do not have an offensive engine like most other contenders, which is why Tatum led the team, but ranked only 52nd in the league in points created in 36 minutes when we measured the numbers in January. His assist rate has not changed since last season. In the same way, Tatum leads the team in possession, but ranks only 45th in the league, according to NBA Advanced Stats (minimum 10 games played).
Rather, the Celtics have a number good passers-by – including especially their great ones – but no great creators in a half-court setting. They have to work hard to generate open frames, and when ping-ping-ping sequences do not align exactly, they often end up with lower insulation quality. They rank fourth in the frequency of isolated games, but do not score nearly as effectively as teams such as the Nets (which are first in isolation frequency) and the Bucks (third). Tatum, the team’s only All-Star, is ranked 12th out of 18 players with at least 150 iso this season – not terrible, but not the kind he needs this offense.
More enthusiasm in the transition would help, and Boston has cheered up a small sample since trading for White. Before the deadline, the Celtics added 1.4 transition points per 100 possessions, on CtG, which ranked 27th; after the deadline, they reach seventh place with 4.3 transition points added.
If there is an additional warning sign under the radar for the team, it is that the defense may not be as indomitable as it seems, thanks to a great deal of luck in shooting. Boston’s opponents have not met their expectations of shooting – based on factors such as the location of the shot and the distance of the defender, from the Second Spectrum – with the biggest difference for each team. The difference is especially large during Boston’s sharp rise in the standings: as of January 8, the Celtics’ opponents have an effective flight percentage of 3.3 percentage points worse than expected, while the next team on the list is only 0.8 percentage points below.
Thanks to his scheme and individual talent, Boston’s defense still needs to be one of the best in the league, even if this state of luck does not continue – but given the Celtics’ tendency towards offensive stagnation, it may be necessary to be the best, point, the team to keep its promise. Pistons 2003-04 are a historical anomaly for a reason; not many teams win the title solely because of their dominance in defense.
The projection systems are liked by the Celtics both because of their high differential and because of the talent on their list; FiveThirtyEight, in particular, is in love with the rotation of the Celtics. Of course, with such fierce competition in the East, even computers think they have a much better chance of losing in the first round (37 percent chance, according to our odds machine) than winning the title (11 percent chance). And yet, because the field looks so wide open, Boston can really have one of the best chances in the group.
In the end, the Celtics are able to beat anyone: According to CtGThe Celtics have the best net rating in the league (plus 4.9 points per 100 possessions) against opponents who rank in the top 10 by points difference. For a team that was 18-21 recently, with growing concern about the combination between its two stars, even a 1 to 10 chance in the finals marks a huge leap in the right direction.
Statistics for the entire league until the matches on Sunday.
Ukraine’s 20 athletes for the Paralympic Winter Games are expected to be in Beijing in time for Friday’s opening ceremony, IPC spokesman Craig Spence told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
Spence said the team was heading to the Chinese capital and could arrive as early as Wednesday.
The arrival was questionable after Russia invaded Ukraine last week. The International Paralympic Committee is due to meet on Wednesday and may impose additional sanctions on Russian athletes or exclude them from the Paralympic Games.
Russian athletes have to compete in Beijing as an RPC, abbreviated by Russia’s Paralympic Committee, as a result of a state-sponsored doping scandal and cover-up of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Belarus is also expected to be sanctioned by the IPC board for its involvement in the war. Belarusians may be forced to compete as neutral athletes in Beijing, as can Russia.
Russian athletes at the Winter Olympics last month competed as the ROC, abbreviated by the Russian Olympic Committee, over the doping scandal.
The International Olympic Committee, which has repeatedly failed to forcibly punish Russia for its doping history, on Monday forced dozens of sports governing bodies to exclude Russian athletes and officials from international events.
The IOC, which left the decision to others, said the action was needed to “protect the integrity of global sporting events and the safety of all participants”.
The IOC has also given sports organizations a way to circumvent expulsions.
“Where this is not possible in the short term for organizational or legal reasons, the IOC … urges international sports federations and sporting event organizers around the world to do their utmost to ensure that no athlete or sports officer Russia or Belarus will not be allowed to participate under the name Russia or Belarus, “the IOC said.
Russia is expected to have 71 athletes participating in the Paralympic Games. About 650 athletes from 49 delegations, including Ukraine, are expected to attend the Games.
The Beijing Winter Olympics brought together 2,900 athletes from 91 delegations. It closes on February 20. The Paralympic Games end on March 13.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23279232/Robert_Williams_III_s_Times_Defending_Screen_Setter_Per_Game.png "Why do computers have such a high chance of a Celtics title? 4")