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LAKERS NOTES

April 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

With the Utah Jazz safely dispatched in 5 quick games, it’s time to look ahead to a probable matchup against Houston in the Western Conference semi-finals. While the Rockets are a better team than Utah and more of a challenge, I can’t imagine the series going more than 5….

Sure, Yao Ming is a huge challenge, especially with Andrew Bynum struggling. They also are one of the few teams with a player capable of guarding Kobe Bryant….

And not only can Ron Artest give Kobe problems defensively, he’s also a very good offensive player who makes you work both ends of the floor…

Still, the Lakers are better in almost every department and shouldn’t have much trouble dispatching them….

As for last night’s game, it was a close out win for the Lakers; but the series should have been a sweep and a chance for Phil Jackson to give his players some much needed rest….

But the reason they lost Game 3 popped up again last night; they do not defend well and blow big leads because of it. On Monday night, a 22-point 4th quarter lead was quickly trimmed to 6; mainly due to silly turnovers and horrendous defense….

The Lakers managed to regain control and win, 107-96, but their nonchalant attitude when holding big leads figures to bite them at some point; maybe in the Finals….

It’s easy to pick out reasons the Lakers will not win the championship, but with everyone healthy they have the best team in the NBA….

Sure, they don’t defend the three-point line, aren’t great defensively and have a disturbing tendency to blow big leads; but top-to-bottom they have better players than the Cleveland Cavaliers, their most likely opponent in the Finals….

But that doesn’t mean the Lakers would win the series, because the Cavs play harder defensively….

And that could be the difference in a seven game series….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

April 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

With the Lakers up 2-0 over Utah in their Western Conference playoff series, all signs point to L.A. getting to the Finals and facing LeBron and the Bronettes for the NBA title. But if they don’t start playing better defense, it’s going to be another offseason without a championship ring….

There’s no doubt the Lakers have the best talent, but Cleveland defends hard on every possession and makes you earn every point. Yes, they’re not as good offensively, but if the Lakers are giving up uncontested layups and not defending the three-point line, LeBron will be lifting the hardware over his head come June….

The Lakers problem defensively? In my opinion, it’s the coaching staffs philosophy of double teaming the post and poor rotations….

For some reason, Phil Jackson does not believe in defending the three-point line, believing it’s a tough shot. It’s been burning him all year, but evidently he’s too stubborn to change….

Whenever the ball goes into the post, the Lakers run a double team, even though there are very few good post players in the league. And with Andrew Bynum and Pao Gasol down there, there is no reason to double team….

So the ball goes into the post, the Lakers collapse, the ball rotates back outside and the opponent gets a wide open shot. The Lakers are always two steps late rotating to the shooter, and the result is an easy shot for most NBA wing players….

Why Phil continues this philosophy is a mystery, but it’s going to result in another year without a trophy if things don’t change….

I’ve been watching “Hatton-Pacquaio 24/7″ and as usual HBO has done a magnificent job….

The May 2nd fight at Mandalay Bay figures to be a war and HBO has done an excellent job of whetting boxing fans’ appetites….

Someone needs to give Floyd Mayweather Sr, Hatton’s trainer, his own reality show, because he is a fascinating character. There’s no one alse like him in boxing and some cable channel should simply follow him with a camera and watch the rating soar….

Throw in his brother Roger, estranged son Floyd Jr. and the various characters surrounding Floyd Sr. and watch the meter move….

Prediction? Hatton is one tough SOB and has never lost at 140 lbs, but the Pacman’s superior power and hand speed will be the difference….

I like Manny by mid-to-late round knockout, but it’s not going to be easy. Ricky is in his prime, fighting at his best weight and wants desperately to bounce back from his loss to Floyd Mayweather, Jr….

Unlike Oscar De La Hoya, who meekly took a savage beating from Pacquaio last year, Hatton is going to fight back and make it a tough fight….

Manny by knockout, but it will be much, much more difficult than the De La Hoya fight….

The early rounds will be unbelievable, as both men will not take a backward step and the bombs will be flying. Both men will land and do damage, but Pacman will have his hand raised after a brutal fight….

Make sure you order this on pay-per-view, because this has fight-of-the-year potential….

Yes, the Angels are currently 5-8 and three and a half games out, but as long as they hang in there until their injured players return, they should be fine. The A’s, who figure to be Los Angeles toughest rival in the A.L. West, are also off to a bad start….

I don’t believe the Mariners are going to be a factor, so as long as the Halos are hanging around the A’s and Rangers, I’m not worried….

It kills me to say this, but I really like this Dodgers team. The young players are all good, they have a great player in Manny and if they get any pitching at all they’ll run away with the N.L. West….

God I hate saying that….

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BAN THE BUNT

April 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

For years, I’ve been on a one man crusade to eliminate the sacrifice bunt. To me, it’s similar to kicking a field goal or punting on fourth-and-one; in other words a gutless, cowardly move….

The sacrifice might have been an effective weapon years ago, when the ball was soft, the parks were huge and the defense wore garden mitts instead of gloves. Back then, you played for one run and moved runners along like pieces on a chess board….

But today, especially in the American League, it’s an outdated, counter-productive move….

I read a statistic recently where the percentages actually favor teams who don’t bunt. In the column, the author proved that teams had a better chance of scoring with a runner on first and no outs than with a runner on second and one out. In other words, don’t give away outs and make the defense earn every one of them….

So why do managers continue to employ this silly move, even though it rarely works? Because baseball is a game of tradition and doing things the way they’ve always been done. So if a manager used the bunt 50 years ago, it’s going to be used today…. Wednesday night was a perfect example of how giving away outs comes back to haunt you….

In the seventh inning of a game against the Mariners, the Angels were trailing 4-3 and had runners on first and second with no outs. As Jeff Mathis walked to the plate, I dropped to my knees in front of the TV and began begging Mike Scioscia not to bunt. “Please, Mike, this is no time to give away an out, especially when you’re behind and have .150 hitting Manny Aybar on deck.”….

Alas, my protests went to no avail, as Mathis sacrificed the runners to second and third, but wasted a precious out….

As Aybar came to the plate, I had a bad feeling; because after wasting an out the pressure was on him to do something. Because if he doesn’t, it’s unlikely the Angels are going to score….

Sure enough, the light hitting Aybar struck out and now the Angels were really up against it. Because of the wasted out, it was up to Chone Figgins to come through; in other words less than a 30% chance for success….

Sure enough, Figgins struck out, the inning was over and Angels had allowed a golden opportunity slip away….

And after the bullpen blew up in the bottom half of the inning, all hope was lost…. I know the argument baseball people use to back up the sacrifice; you’re trying to stay out of the double play and get runners into scoring position….

To me, that’s a defeatist attitude. The thinking should be that if my gets a base hit, we start a huge inning and win the game….

And if you want to move runners along, why not play hit-and-run or attempt a straight steal? This way, you move runners up and save the out….

You only get 27 outs, and if I’m managing I’m going to make the opponent earn every one of them….

Pressure, pressure, pressure!….

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LAKER NOTES….

April 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

When Andrew Bynum went down with his second serious knee injury in two years, I was certain we’d seen the last of young Andrew this season. I also believed the Lakers were going to get to the finals and lose….

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to getting hammered again in Boston; Bynum recovered more quickly than expected and the Lakers are now the clear favorites to throw a parade in June….

And not only is he back, he’s playing at a level close to where he was before the injury….

At 21 years of age, Bynum has the potential to become the NBA’s best center in a year or two. Hell, he might get there by next season if he stays healthy and focused….

Even though the Lakers are on the verge of another championship, there’s one more thing Phil Jackson needs to do; replace Trevor Ariza in the starting line-up with Lamar Odom….

Odom plays better when he starts and Trevor has made it known he’s more comfortable coming off the bench, so why not get the best out of both of them?….

When the Lakers made the Pao Gasol deal last season, the first thing I though about was the long, athletic front line of Gasol, Bynum and Odom. Unfortunately, because of the injuries to Bynum and Phil’s stubborn nature, we haven’t seen it yet….

Of course, if the Lakers win the title nobody will care who starts….

After the season, it looks like Jerry Buss is going to have a tough decision to make: Choose between Ariza and Odom….

With Kobe opting out this summer and getting a new, richer deal, Bynum’s new contract beginning next year and both Odom and Ariza becoming free agents, it doesn’t seem possible to bring them all back….

I can’t imagine Dr. Buss paying a huge luxury tax in this economy….

Unless Lamar is willing to take less to stay here, it would seem the choice would be Ariza….

Is he a better player than Odom? No, not yet. But he’s seven years younger, a better defender and looks like he’s going to be a very good player for a long time. Also, Ariza has made it clear he is not going to accept a home town discount and Mark Cuban is already talking about going after him….

Best case scenario? With the economy in a shambles and teams shying away from big contracts, Odom’s legendary inconsistency will cause teams to shy away and he won’t get his big, long term deal. He turns 30 next year and maybe won’t have any choice but return and take something like 3 years and $27-30M….

As for Ariza, Cuban is already talking about five years and $55M, which will probably mean the Lakers would say goodbye….

As much as I like Ariza, I don’t like him that much…. Now, it’s on to the playoffs

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LET’S HEAR IT FOR FAT, CHAIN SMOKING THROWBACKS!

April 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I know all three of them are fat, unathletic and a throwback to the pre-Tiger era, but it doesn’t get any better than the final round of the Masters on Easter Sunday…..

Sure, it would have been nice to see Tiger and Phil Mickelson battle their way into a sudden death playoff, but an out-of-shape 48-year-old, a chain smoking Argentine and a double- chinned American made for great theater….

After Tiger and Lefty crashed-and-burned over the final three holes, the almost 50 Kenny Perry held a two stroke lead with two play; putting him into position to become the oldest winner in Augusta history….

But after going bogey-bogey on 17 and 18, Perry blew his chance for the Green Jacket and was forced into a three-man playoff. With his belly hanging over his belt and looking every bit like your neighborhood accountant, Perry choked away a chance at history….

This opened the door for Angel Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open champion best known for his chain smoking. During his winning performance in ’07, Cabrera was shown with a cancer stick in his mouth every time there was a break in the action…..

Not only does he smoke, he looks to be around 50 lbs. overweight and balding….

The moon faced, big bellied Chad Campbell was the third member of the playoff; bringing back memories of a Craig Stadler, John Daly, Billy Casper grouping….

On the first playoff hole, Cabrera pushed his tee shot deep into the woods, seemingly ending his chances to win. After he found his ball, presumeably after a smoke or two, the rotund Argentine then smacked his second shot into a tree, officially ending his chances….

But wait…. Somehow, someway, the ball hit the tree and ricocheted straight left onto the fairway, giving him a slim chance. It was a one-in-a-million break, but Cabrera had a pulse…. After getting up-and-down in two, Angel had pulled off a miracle and joined Perry for the second hole of sudden death; after Campbell missed a four foot putt and was eliminated….

With Perry spraying the ball all over the place and making bogey, Cabrera made par and took home the big prize; the first Argentine to win at Augusta….

In the interview room, Cabrera needed a translator, which had to be a first at Augusta and probably made the old guard cringe….

In 1969, the former President at Augusta, Clifford Ray, reportedly said the following: “As long as I’m in charge, there will never be a black player or a white caddy.”….

He must be spinning in his grave….

So let’s here it for senior citizens, fat chain smokers from foreign countries and the out-of-shape everywhere. Tiger might still be the most dominant player in golf, but there’s still room for some of the old school guys to put on the Green Jacket….

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WEEKEND NOTES

April 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I was sitting courtside on an April night in 1990 when Hank Gathers, one of my all-time favorite college players, collapsed and died on the Gersten Pavillion floor during a WCC Tournament game against Portland….

Just seconds before, Hank caught a lob pass from Terrell Lowery and dunked with two hands, bringing the sell out crowd to its feet. The noise was deafening and I was thinking this Loyola Marymount team could win the NCAA Championship….

As Hank jogged back to be part of the Lions vaunted full court press, he took a step forward and fell hard to the floor….

I was also in attendance a month before, when Gathers collapsed against UCSB, so expected him to again get to his feet and make his way to the bench….

But this time, Hank remained on the floor and began convulsing. He was in full cardiac arrest and the crowd, which was so loud seconds before, was eerily silent. His mother began yelling for someone to help as the trainers frantically moved him onto a stretcher and into an ambulance….

A few hours later, it was announced that the great Hank Gathers had passed away…. And not a day goes by that I don’t think about him….

At the time, I was a high school coach and had a friend on the LMU team; so went to practice from time-to-time and attended every home game of Hank and teammate Bo Kimble’s career. I installed the Paul Westhead run-and-gun style and will be eternally grateful to Paul and the university for allowing me to intrude….

Since I was acquainted with Hank and the rest of the players, I never thought I would feel as bad as the night he died; until I heard the horrible news that Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart had been killed in an automobile accident early Wednesday morning….

Yes, I wasn’t on the scene, as I was when Hank collapsed, but felt the same kind of gut wrenching hurt I did back in 1990….

I didn’t get to know Nick, outside of some brief conversations in Arizona during spring training, but could tell instantly he was a young man with a good head on his shoulders. Adenhart was polite, talented and confident in his ability; traits which had him destined for an outstanding career…. Evidence of which was his performance on Tuesday night; six shutout innings against the Oakland A’s in his 2009 debut….

At 22, Nick showed guts, poise and tremendous stuff; and I was looking forward to watching him for years to come….

But it was all taken away early Wednesday morning, when some drunken fool barreled through a red light and killed Nick and two companions. All the hard work recovering from Tommy John surgery was gone and a young, shining star was extinguished….

It would be easy to curse the driver who killed Nick and spend my time calling for the death penalty, but that won’t bring Adenhart back. Hopefully the judicial system will put this murderer away for the rest of his life and all of us will take a vow to never again drink and drive….

I’m going to remember Nick as that nice kid I met at spring training and that tough kid who struck out Jason Giambi on back-to-back change ups to get out of a jam on Tuesday night….

The kid was great, throwing six shutout innings, and that’s how I’m going to remember him….

Rest in Peace, Nick, and God bless you and your family….

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