Category: News

The naughty and nice

With Christmas arriving on Saturday it’s time to review who’s been naughty and nice as we hand our annual presents for folks in sports during 2021.   

Chip Kelly: A top 10 recruiting class to get him over the hump in Year 4 on the job because the big seat is going to get hotter at UCLA in the year ahead if he doesn’t.   

Tiger Woods: A return to good health after the horrific car accident to let him pursue what he wants to in golf, as it would be sad to see one of the greatest careers in golf end in such a terrible way.   

Chris Sale: Ditto for you, lefty, as it would be nice to see you regain form and pitch injury-free for the first time since spring of 2018.

Steph Curry: A little perspective. As those water works after you did it show, you and many others in basketball way, way, way over-value the three-point shot. It’s a nice career record you set and I do marvel at your incredible range and accuracy, but give me a break, buddy; in the end it’s just a long shot, not like passing Bill Russell’s record 11 NBA titles.

Ben Simmons: A lump of coal and a DVD of the game where fans in Philly booed Santa Claus on Christmas Day to show him it’s a tough place to play and he shouldn’t be such a crybaby. Of course it would help if he weren’t terrified to shoot in big moments.      

Mac Jones: A Super Bowl title in the very near future to stop the yapping of the haters out there who are doing it to fabricate a weakness of yours because starting the career in Brady-like fashion drives those who hate that Coach B pulls rabbits out of his hat more than anyone even crazier than they usually are.

Donald Parham: A swift and complete recovery for the L.A. Chargers tight end after his scary neck/head injury on Thursday Night Football last week. 

Brandon Staley: A place to hide out in L.A. after blowing that just-mentioned TNF game for first place in the AFC West, a game his Chargers should have won vs. KC, by going for TD’s over the field goal three times inside the five-yard line on fourth downs when they were stopped twice and fumbled on the other one, when one FG would have prevented it from going into OT, where KC won it. Also a copy of the soon to be best seller It’s OK To Admit You’re Wrong When You Screw Up for him saying after the game he was “comfortable” with those decisions despite the disastrous results. Talk about delusional thinking for the holidays! 

Red Sox Nation: Two quality starters, two quality relievers (at least) and a return from whatever world Matt Barnes lived in during the second half of 2021 after being lights out in the first half.

Jackie Bradley Jr: That his return home to Fenway sparks a return to his hitting form of 2018 when he was ALCS MVP and hit a huge homer in the clinching game in the World Series that followed. Why? Because we like JBJR.   

Sox owner John Henry: The perspective to know there’s a fine line between not allowing yourself to be strangled/penalized by an overindulgent payroll and rebuilding the farm system and that you are a major market team financially and shouldn’t be cheaping out to save a few bucks.  

Chaim Bloom: The good sense to know the $20 million per for just three years Kyle Schwarber is looking for is exactly the kind of short-term deal he should be looking for. It’s a bargain, buddy, so as Kramer would say, Go!

USA Men’s Soccer: A nice showing (for once) in the upcoming World Cup this summer.

Danny Ainge: A good luck wish for the new job in Utah and a ceremony to raise 44 to the rafters, as two titles as a player and one as the GM over 20 years of service to the Celtics warrants that. 

MLB and the Players Association: Not that this has a chance of happening. But to have the common sense and wisdom to know that the best deals are the ones when both sides win. 

Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds: Election to the Hall of Fame. Because while using ’roids was kinda sorta illegal, with a number of highly suspected users already in it’s murky to prove. Plus with the grand enabler Bud Selig breezing in, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Ditto for Mark McGwire and Andy Pettitte.

Urban Meyer: A new job where he’ll go back to being the BMOC on a college campus because after his catastrophic 13-game reign in Jacksonville when the trouble started less than a month into his tenure he’ll never work in the NFL again. Hard to screw something up as badly and quickly as he did this one. 

The Patriots Special Teams: A refresher course from the time when the other guys made the big mistakes on special teams, because after seeing three punts blocked punts in their first 14 games, they seem like the good old days now.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A framed print of Yogi Berra’s quote “It ain’t over till it’s over” to remind him to always play through the buzzer, as everyone in the joint thought OKC and New Orleans were headed to OT after SGA drained a 38-footer to tie it at 110 apiece with 1.8 seconds left. 

Devonte Graham: Nothing we can give the Pelican point guard could top what he got when Christmas came early last week when his desperation 70-foot heave after that dagger from Gilgeous-Alexander banked in at the buzzer to give New Orleans a stunning 113-110 win over OKC instead.  

To all of us, an end to the Covid nightmare so we can all get back to a normal life sometime in the year ahead. 

Get a lift

A look at the upcoming ski season

Alexandra Moore, marketing director at McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester, talked about what to expect during this winter’s ski season and how to stay safe and enjoy your time on the slopes.

What Covid safety measures should people be practicing at the ski area?

Right now, we’re following all of the CDC guidelines. We require people to wear masks while indoors, and all of our employees are masked while indoors. We certainly recommend that people wear masks outdoors, as well. We also just ask that everybody [practice] social distancing … and try to limit their time indoors. We have a ton of outside seating, picnic tables and these beautiful fire pits that people can sit around so that they can really enjoy the outdoors. … Consider using your car as a base lodge. … When you get on the lift chair, go with the crew that you came in with, versus catching a chair with somebody you don’t know. … The biggest thing we ask is that everybody just be aware of what’s going on, and, of course, if you’re not feeling well, stay home.

Aside from Covid protocol, what else should people know about staying safe?

Dressing properly is definitely the big one. I would recommend that people check the elements and dress for the elements; a good coat, snow pants, snow boots, a hat and gloves are really key to enjoying your time outside during winter in New England.

Are you expecting a good season, snow-wise?

Yes. We just listened to weather forecasts that said it’s going to be a good winter for skiing and riding, so we’re anticipating a wonderful year of being outside, enjoying the winter in the ways that New Englanders love the most. … Plus, it’s always a good winter for skiing or riding here, because we have the ability to make our own snow, and our snowmakers are out there diligently working every chance that they can.

Where do you get your forecast info? How accurate is it, usually?

We get it through Manchester City weather forecasting. We are usually pretty spot-on. We were hoping for 8 inches during this last storm, and we got about 4, but weather, as we all know, is unpredictable in many ways.

Do you offer any special programs or lessons?

We have a lot [of learning opportunities] for people who are out [on the slopes] for the first time or want to get into the sport [of skiing]. We offer group lessons, private lessons, and semi-private lessons here … to teach people the love of skiing and riding. We have an incredible … program for the younger [kids]. We have a lot of school programs with local schools. We have a parent-and-me class. We have a women-in-winter class.

What about special events?

Yes, the events that go on here are so cool. Santa was just at the ski area today. We have a Tuesday night race league. We have a neon race coming up [on Jan. 4], and we have the Vertical Challenge coming in February.

Why should people hit the slopes this winter?

Winter in New England is long. This is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family, and [to do so] safely, because you’re outside, in the open air. It brings generations together; we have people who are over 80 years old who are still enjoying us. It’s something I think everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. … If you don’t want to ski, we have snow tubing, with eight tubing lanes … and we have a wonderful cafe and bar area. There are really no limits; there’s something here for everybody.

Local ski areas

• Crotched Mountain (615 Francestown Road, Bennington, 588-3668, crotchedmtn.com) Opening date TBD.
• Gunstock Mountain Resort (719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford, 293-4341, gunstock.com) Open now for day skiing, with night skiing starting on Dec. 28.
• McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Ct., Manchester, 622-6159, mcintyreskiarea.com) Open Thursday, Dec. 23, from noon to 8 p.m., and Friday, Dec. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; day and night skiing offered daily starting on Dec. 26.
• Pats Peak Ski Area (686 Flanders Road, Henniker, 428-3245, patspeak.com) Open now for day skiing, with night skiing starting Dec. 26.

Featured photo: Alexandra Moore. Anne Skidmore Photography.

News & Notes 21/12/23

Covid-19 update As of Dec 13 As of Dec 20
Total cases statewide 178,099 186,678
Total current infections statewide 9,086 8,504
Total deaths statewide 1,788 1,843
New cases 8,880 (Dec. 7 to Dec. 13) 8,579 (Dec. 14 to Dec. 20)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 2,576 2,492
Current infections: Merrimack County 1,115 1,032
Current infections: Rockingham County 1,780 1,756
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

During the state’s weekly public health update on Dec. 16, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that more than 1,100 new infections of Covid-19 continue to be identified each day, while hospitalizations and deaths also remain high. Additional infections with the omicron variant have also been reported in New Hampshire since the first one was detected on Dec. 13. “Based on what we’re seeing in other countries and in other areas of the U.S., we expect that … there will be an increase in [the] proportion of omicron infections,” Chan said.

Following the success of the state’s first “booster blitz” on Dec. 11, when more than 10,000 Covid booster doses were administered, Gov. Chris Sununu announced during the press conference that a second event has been scheduled for Jan. 8. “We’re going to have registration open up shortly after the new year,” Sununu said, adding that there will be up to six additional fixed vaccination sites across the state pending approval by the Executive Council.

Hundreds of thousands of additional at-home rapid Covid tests are also expected to be available to Granite Staters soon via sayyescovidtest.org. “At the end of the day, this is the future of managing the Covid pandemic: home testing, easy access [and] rapid results for you or your child,” Sununu said. “I think it’s going to not just keep the burden off of the hospitals. It’s going to reduce transmission and really help us bend that curve down, knowing that we could be dealing with Covid in the long run for potentially a long time to come.”

On Dec. 20, state health officials announced they have identified the first pediatric death from complications related to Covid-19 in New Hampshire. According to a press release, the death occurred back in September in another state, in a child who was too young to have been vaccinated. The identification was made after Covid-19 was listed as a cause of death on the recently finalized death certificate. According to the release, about 25 to 30 percent of all new infections in New Hampshire are continuing to occur in people under the age of 18.

State assessments

The impact that the pandemic has had on education throughout the country can be seen in students’ assessment scores from the spring of 2021, and New Hampshire’s test results are no different. According to a press release, about 38 percent of students in the state scored proficient or above proficient in math for 2021, compared to 48 percent in 2019, while about 52 percent scored proficient or above proficient in reading for 2021, compared to 56 percent in 2019. Science scores dropped from a statewide average of 39 percent proficient or above proficient in 2019 to 37 percent in 2021. The number of students who participated in the testing this year dropped as well, the release said. About 73,406 New Hampshire students completed the assessment tests for math in 2021, while about 91,050 completed the tests in 2019; for reading, numbers dropped from about 90,785 to 72,880; and in science, which is taken in fewer grades, participation was about 37,720 in 2019 and 28,495 in 2021. “It is clear and understandable that trauma from the pandemic continues to impact schools, students and teachers,” Frank Edelblut, Commissioner of Education, said in the release. “New Hampshire will continue to address learning loss through customized, unique and engaging learning platforms that focus on individual student achievement and success.”

Divisive concepts

The American Federation of Teachers New Hampshire chapter is challenging the constitutionality of a new piece of legislation, often referred to as the “divisive concepts” law, in federal court, WMUR reported. The law, passed by Republican lawmakers and signed by New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, prohibits school teachers in the state from making any statements insinuating or indicating that people are inferior or superior to others on account of their race, gender, religion and other factors. According to the article, teachers said the policy has caused confusion and difficulty in teaching historical events accurately. The complaints were outlined in a 52-page document filed in the U.S. District Court in Concord. “The law is crafted with language that was designed to make it look benign, but in reality, it puts public school teachers in an impossible position,” National AFT President Randi Weingarten said during a telephone news conference. Sununu, state Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley and state Board of Education member Ryan Terrell said the lawsuit mischaracterizes the law with the wording “divisive concept,” which is not included in the written legislation, and does not accurately represent the language and intent of the written legislation. The New Hampshire Department of Justice is expected to file a response, the article said.

Insurance navigation

The Foundation for Healthy Communities announced that it is offering free health insurance navigation services to New Hampshire residents seeking health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. A Health Insurance Navigator, accessible to all state residents, assists health insurance consumers with the process of shopping for, assessing their eligibility for, applying for and enrolling in health insurance coverage for the 2022 plan year during the Open Enrollment period, which is going on now through Jan. 15. The tool was made possible through a grant awarded to the Foundation by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; grants are awarded each year to organizations that serve as health insurance Navigators in states that offer a Federally-Facilitated Marketplace.

NHDRA

After 36 months of work, the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration has completed its new Revenue Information Management System. According to a press release, the modernized information system, which replaces a 30-year-old system, has upgraded and consolidated the functionality of its tax administration processes, including automation, integration and electronic filing. The NHDRA has also launched Granite Tax Connect, a tool for New Hampshire taxpayers, operators and practitioners that allows them to easily maneuver and complete tax-related tasks online. Granite Tax Connect will fully replace NHDRA’s current eFile interface starting on Jan. 1. Since NHDRA started using the new system, known as RIMS, the department has processed more than $3 billion in payments and administered three CARES Act Programs, which provided $390 million in Covid-19 relief funds to 12,000 New Hampshire businesses. In Fiscal Year 2021, NHDRA performed electronic filing for more than half of the 420,000 tax returns that it processed.

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Turnpikes Safety Patrol celebrated its new sponsorship from Geico by donating more than 500 toys and gifts to Operation Santa Claus. According to a press release, the sponsorship announcement and the donation were made Dec. 15 at the Common Man Roadside Welcome Center in Hooksett.

On Dec. 21, to honor Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, people from the community gathered at Veterans Park in Manchester in a tribute to the homeless and formerly homeless. According to a press release, Catholic Medical Centers’s Health Care for the Homeless, FIT-NH, Hope for NH Recovery, The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester and the NH Coalition to End Homelessness led the program, lighting luminaries for the 38 homeless men and women who died in Manchester in 2021.

New Hampshire has a new Historical Highway Marker, located on Route 13 in Brookline near Lake Potanipo, where the former Fresh Pond Ice Co. used to harvest ice. According to a press release, this is the 271st historical marker in New Hampshire, and it reads, in part, “The first ice harvest was shipped to Boston for local distribution in 1892 on Brookline’s newly complete railroad. … The advent of electric refrigeration, coupled with a fire that destroyed the extensive complex of icehouses on March 22, 1935, effectively ended commercial ice harvesting at this location.”

This Week 21/12/16

Big Events December 16, 2021 and beyond

Thursday, Dec. 16

The Peacock Players present A Christmas Carol: An Original Live Radio Play at the Court Street Theatre (14 Court St. in Nashua; peacockplayers.org) tonight and Friday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 18, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $19.

Friday, Dec. 17

Angel City Music Hall (179 Elm St. in Manchester; angelcitymusichall.com) will hold its “Ugly X-Mas Sweater Party” at 7 p.m., featuring contests, giveaways and live music by the Rock Junkies, according to the website.

Saturday, Dec. 18

Another chance to wear that sweater: The sixth annual Ugly Sweater 4 Miler will be held today at 9 a.m. at Backyard Brewery (1211 S. Mammoth Road in Manchester). The cost for this 21+ event is $40 and includes a Tito’s Handmade Vodka ugly sweater for the first 75 registrants. All registrants get a unisex-fit long-sleeve shirt and one Tito’s Handmade Vodka signature cocktail. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Greater Nashua, the Animal Rescue League of NH and Pope Memorial SPCA Concord. Visit totalimagerunning.com. Find more charitable runs and discussion of what makes these events a good time in the Nov. 11 cover story on page 10.

Saturday, Dec. 18

It’s the last weekend of pre-Christmas craft fairs!

• Bazaar Craft Fairs will hold a Holiday Crafts and Vendor Fair today from 9 am. to 2:30 p.m. at Eagles Wing Function Hall (10 Spruce St. in Nashua), featuring more than 35 vendors, according to the event’s Facebook page.

• Pipe Dream Brewing (49 Harvey Road in Londonderry; pipedreambrewingnh.com, 404-0751) will host its annual Holiday Craft Fair today from noon to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 21

See some classic holiday movies on the big screen this week at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth; themusichall.org, 436-2400). Today, White Christmas(1954) screens at 3 p.m. and Love Actually(R, 2003) screens at 7 p.m. Tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 22, catch It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) at 3 and 7 p.m. And on Thursday, Dec. 23, it’s The Grinch (PG, 2018) at 3 p.m. and Last Christmas (PG-13, 2019) at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for 60+.

Thursday, Dec. 23

Get Christmas with the Spain Brothers, who will be joined by Green Heron, tonight at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). Tickets cost $29.

Save (it for later) the date: March 24, 2022

The English Beat will play the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Thursday, March 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $40.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/12/16

Moose plate money

Fifteen projects aimed at protecting and restoring New Hampshire’s natural resources have been awarded a total of $379,913 in funding from the New Hampshire State Conservation Committee’s 2022 Conservation Moose Plate Grant Program. According to a press release, projects include the Potter Family Farm in Concord ($30,000); Supporting Soil Health Management in Hillsborough County ($29,648); Improving Aquatic Organism Passage at Rocky Pond in Loudon and Canterbury ($30,000); Making No-Till Practices Accessible Through Rental Equipment in Merrimack County ($27,000); and Killam-Hog Hill Brook in Atkinson ($10,000).

Score: +1

Comment: The funds come from the sale of moose plates, which vehicle owners can buy for $38 the first year and $30 in the following years when renewing or registering a vehicle, according to the release.

Decking the halls, again

The coffee shop at Saint Anselm College got a dose of Christmas kindness recently, according to a report from WMUR. After holiday decorations were stolen from the shop’s entrance, students stepped up and replaced them — and then some. “A bunch of the students came in with a humongous amount of gifts and gift cards for my staff, for me personally, Christmas decoration wreaths, you could not believe the stuff they came in with,” Terry Newcomb of Saint Anselm Dining Services, who decorates the coffee shop each year, told WMUR. “They were all thanking me for the hard work I have done for them.”

Score: +1

Comment: The coffee shop won Saint Anselm’s annual holiday decorating contest this year, WMUR reported.

Express yourself

The Magnify Voices Expressive Arts Contest is back for its fourth year, encouraging kids in grades 5 through 12 to express their experiences with mental health. One in six New Hampshire youth experiences a mental health disorder each year, and in 2020, 57 percent of Granite Staters with depression ages 12 to 17 did not receive any care, the release said. Submissions for the contest, which was created to help raise awareness and remove the stigma around mental health issues, will be accepted starting Dec. 15, according to a press release. Submissions will be accepted through March 4 and can be short films (two minutes or less), essays or poems (1,000 words or less) or visual art, a song or a sculpture.

Score: +1

Comment: “Last year’s submissions were extremely personal and powerful, and epitomized the purpose of why we started Magnify Voices,” Michele Watson, Magnify Voices committee chair, said in the release. “[It] gives youth a creative outlet to share their feelings and emotions.”

Paying it forward

Chris LaPage, a Concord Banks Chevrolet service technician, and his wife, Deborah, are making sure people in their community have the chance to learn CPR after it saved his life. According to a press release, LePage was found unconscious at work one day last May; with the guidance of a 911 dispatcher, an employee was able to resuscitate him at the scene with the use of an Automated External Defibrillator and Compression Only CPR. LePage returned to work full time two and a half months after his cardiac arrest and since then has taken a CPR course and received certification. Deborah LePage, who works for the Epsom Elementary School, did as well, and the two have provided training and CPR certifications for the school basketball coaches and are advocating for the addition of CPR instruction to the eighth-grade curriculum, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: Banks Chevrolet has installed five additional AEDs and sent about two dozen staff members to the American Red Cross training, the release said.

QOL score: 78

Net change: 82

QOL this week: +4

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].

Celtics disappointing so far

After a summer of big changes I waited to give my outlook for the Celtics until I’d seen them play for a while. They were a “wait and see” proposition for me, so I reserved judgment until 20 games had been played. And while they remain riddled with uncertainty, after their first 27 games I do have a better handle on their strengths and weaknesses and a sense of where they are headed by year’s end.

So here’s an assessment of who they are after returning home last Saturday morning at 13-14 after a dismal 1-4 trip to the left coast.

Biggest weaknesses: (1) Consistency. So far it’s been game to game whether they’re going to bring effort to deliver the A game or not. In Portland last Saturday, yes; vs. L.A. in the next one, no. (2) 3-point shooting. It’s not that they’re shooting 33.4 percent (24th in the NBA); it’s recognizing what is a good one and what isn’t. (3) Mental toughness. Their wins usually happen when the talent kicks in, but when it doesn’t there aren’t enough guys who tighten the screws to grind through bad times. (4) A true point guard. Dennis Schroder is the closest thing, so Earth to Ime: Start him until you trade for one. 

Jayson Tatum: I’ve been saying for two years now he’s their biggest strength and biggest weakness. That’s because he has No. 1 player talent, but it comes with the head of a No. 2 player. That means he’s more Kevin McHale, who never would have been as good as he became if Larry Bird’s competitive personality hadn’t been driving the bus. Said in wins and losses: Bird turned a 29-win team into 61-win team his rookie year, while they went from 57 to 42 when McHale was the star as Bird missed most of 1988-89. Tatum was a good fit with the Olympic team because it had strong leaders like Kevin Durant and that let him just play. The dilemma: Do you move him to get a best player who’s a stronger leader? Or since the talent is so extreme and getting better (he leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per too) find a stronger personality to pair with him? Or maybe fill the team with that type of guy to make the need not as extreme. Unless there’s the perfect deal out there that I can’t find, I’d do option 3.

Jaylen Brown: He’s been hurt most of the season, and mostly shot/played poorly when he did play. He also has not improved his handle in traffic, which is still weak. The silver lining is that it’s showed how they play without him as they contemplate changes. On the other hand, his 41-point game on opening night at MSG showed just how dynamic he can be.

Al Horford: He remains a versatile defender, but he’s mainly trade bait for a contender at the deadline.

Dennis Schroder: He has brought both the feisty attitude and the penetration they desperately need. Their best games have been when he has started at point guard, partly because it moves Marcus Smart off the ball, where he does much more damage without the responsibility of running the offense. 

Marcus Smart: Unless everyone else has fouled out, and I mean everyone, it would be Smart to keep Marcus away from running any offense. To do that, keep him and Schroder starting and bring Brown off the bench, which also gives real offensive juice to the second team.  

Rob Williams: Everyone loves the lob dunks he gets to above the box, even me. But I like his rebounding and shot-blocking shots better. However, he’s already missed seven of the first 27 with knee soreness and never played more than 59 games, so his durability is a major question mark.   

Romeo Langford: When he comes into a game the clueless expression on his face makes me think he has no idea what city he’s even in. But while he’s far from perfect, the FG percent is over 50 percent and he’s shooting over 40 percent from international waters, so there are signs he may be coming around. So play him more.

Grant Williams:He makes the all-clinic team because he always plays hard, rarely is in the wrong spot, takes charge and has worked hard to improve his 3-point shooting to a team-leading 43 percent. All deserve a pat on the back, so I’ve got nothing against him. The problem is he’s too short for his position, so he’s easy to shoot over and too slow to cover the smaller guys.

Other young guys: No one else has shown me anything, including Aaron Nesmith, an alleged 3-point shooter who can’t shoot 3’s (25.5 percent), and Payton Pritchard, who dribbles more than a 2-year-old at breakfast.   

Ime Udoka: He’s had some glaring game/player management mistakes that make you wonder. Not ready to pull the ripcord yet, but I’ve yet to see one thing that makes me think they made the right choice.

Projected finish: They’re, at best, a 42- or 43-win team that likely will be in the play-in round. But the Eastern Conference could have as many as 11 teams finishing .500 or above, so it’ll be close. Regardless, they won’t get by Round 2, unless Tatum has a totally dominant spring.

So what do you do? After blowing their chance in 2017 to move into the Top Four, they need to dig out. But after squandering a 10-deep roster and eight first-round draft picks over the next three years it won’t be easy. First they need to identify how they want to play and which players will remain to build around — a process that would be under way if I were the GM or owned the team. We’ll get to that after the holidays in advance of the February trade deadline.

For now, lower expectations and don’t bang your head on the coffee table too often during the bad games.

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