Technik » rian BennettDantonio has made a habit of exceedin

The Boston Celtics waived former first-round pick R.J. Hunter in advance of Mondays deadline to trim the regular-season roster to a maximum of 15 players.Unable to find a trade that could have saved the team from eating salary or brought back an asset, the team elected to simply move on from Hunter, the 28th pick of the 2015 draft.The one part of the business that, no matter what, every time sucks, is when you have to make roster decisions, said Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who recruited Hunter when Hunter played high school basketball in Indianapolis. Because its real people and certainly Ive known R.J. for a long time. I think hes really improved, I think hes gotten better. I had a pretty decent long talk with him this morning and I told him this is part of the path to a great career, right? And I truly believe hell have a great career.Boston had been exploring possible deals for both Hunter and 2014 first-round pick James Young in the final days before the final roster trim. Rivals knew the Celtics had to cut a player and were reluctant to part with anything of value in order to facilitate a deal.Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said he believes Hunter will find another NBA opportunity.It was a very difficult decision and I guess thats a good thing, said Ainge. We had a really good training camp, a lot of guys played really well and theres really no reason why we waived R.J. other than we had 16 bodies and that position is probably needed less than we need other positions. But I will say that James and Jordan [Mickey] and Demetrius [Jackson and], Terry Rozier had fantastic training camps.The Celtics came to camp with an overstocked roster knowing they might have to simply cut a former first-round pick. The team waived second-round pick Ben Bentil on Friday.?Bentil signed with the Indiana Pacers on Monday, but he is likely ticketed for their D-League team in Fort Wayne.Boston will carry two rookies on this years roster in No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown and No. 45 pick Demetrius Jackson, who provides emergency ballhandling depth. Two more 2016 draft picks are stashed overseas in Guerschon Yabusele and Ante Zizic, while another second-rounder, Abdel Nader, is expected to land with the teams D-League affiliate in Maine.Celtics brass decided that, because Hunter and Young had some positional redundancy, the team had to simply pick one to move forward with. The front office wrestled with the decision, but, ultimately, the 15th player on the roster was unlikely to impact the teams success during the 2016-17 season.James won the job. He played well. Day in and day out, the last six weeks, he won the job, said Ainge, who also challenged Young, the 17th pick in the 2014 draft who just turned 21, to show more progress in his third year.Young said he was eager to show the team they made the right decision keeping him around.I feel like this is even better than the draft really, earning this position, said Young. Im really blessed to be a part of this and [there is] not much I can do but keep getting better.Ainge was at peace with having to move on from a first-round pick.Right now the hardest thing is I like R.J. and weve invested time in him, Ainge said. But I see Jaylen and Terry and Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson and Abdel Nader, who had a terrific summer with us, and the two kids over in Europe [Yabusele and Zizic] that are playing fantastic right now. I mean the draft is the draft, as we all know. You have some good selections and some that dont fit and dont work for you, so Im not disappointed in that regard at all. Im glad we have another pick next year and well keep taking our swings and try to find the right guys.The Celtics used a first-round pick received from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Doc Rivers exchange in 2013 to draft Hunter. China Shoes Sale . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Cheap Shoes From China Fast Shipping . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. http://www.cheapshoeschinaonline.com/ . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. Cheap Under Armour Shoes China . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Cheap Saucony Shoes China . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. No. 12 Houston | No. 14 Washington | Top 25No. 13: Michigan StateLast Season: 12-2? (7-1 Big Ten East)The Spartans are back to where they do their best work: disrespected and outside of the top 10, with a chip on their shoulder. Last year they entered as the APs fifth-ranked team and rose to as high as No. 2, but they were mostly unimpressive, playing best when facing a lower-ranked team or an underdog, and then got shellacked by Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. Sparty has just 10 returning starters, but Mark Dantonio has suggested that the defense could be his best yet. Running back LJ Scott could lead the Big Ten in rushing (699 yards last year as a true freshman). New QB Tyler OConnor could put up similar numbers to Connor Cooks 2015 season (3,131 yards, 24 TDs, 7 INTs), especially if true freshman receiver Donnie Corley makes an impact. I have Michigan State as a 6-point underdog to Notre Dame and a toss-up vs. Michigan and Ohio State. Those two big home games against Michigan and OSU could make the Spartans the surprise team of the Big Ten.Michigan States chances to win each game 09.02 vs. Furman: 99.0% 09.17 @ Notre Dame: 33.0% 09.24 vs. Wisconsin: 57.4% 10.01 @ Indiana: 66.5% 10.08 vs. BYU: 71.7% 10.15 vs. Northwestern: 69.5% 10.22 @ Maryland: 71.0% 10.29 vs. Michigan: 33.4% 11.05 @ Indiana: 73.7% 11.12 vs. Rutgers: 81.5% 11.19 vs. Ohio State:?39.8% 11.26 @ Penn State: 42.1%Somehow underratedd yet again, Mark Dantonios team has question marks on offense but enough defensive force to go 9-3 and push for another double-digit season in a big bowl game.dddddddddddd -- Brian BennettDantonio has made a habit of exceeding preseason expectations, but it wont be easy this year with QB Connor Cook now in the NFL. A 9-3 finish in the regular season seems about right for this squad. -- Josh MoyerDantonios program isnt going anywhere. The Spartans will remain a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten, but playing 11 straight weeks after an early September bye is a grind for any team. Expect a 9-3 year for the green and white. -- Dan MurphyThe Spartans have to replace key pieces at quarterback, offensive line and defensive line, and they may fall back to the pack in the rugged Big Ten East. Dantonio has won double-digit games in five of the last six seasons. To get there, Michigan State will have to win its bowl game after finishing the regular season 9-3. -- Jesse TempleThe stability of Dantonios program simply shouldnt be questioned anymore, so even with so many key starters to replace, the Spartans are more than capable of cranking out another 10-2 season and contending in the brutal Big Ten East Division. -- Austin WardNo. 12 Houston | No. 14 Washington | Top 25 ' ' '