3 years ago
294
The satellite according to Jim:
• Is it excessively soon to pani- er, I mean, explicit superior concern, Laker fans?
There are extenuating circumstances, true. When LeBron James can’t play, it’s evident the Lakers are compromised to a degree. But they person present squandered large first-half leads doubly successful 9 days – 26 points last week successful Oklahoma City, 19 connected Thursday night to the Thunder astatine location – against a squad that hasn’t beaten anyone other this season.
Something important is missing with this team. I’m not definite precisely what. But doesn’t it look similar there’s a disconnect, that this postulation of veterans is inactive searching for cohesion? Bottom line, whether LeBron plays oregon not, you don’t support blowing immense leads against the squad astatine the bottommost of the standings if you genuinely person designs connected winning a championship. Whatever it is, they’d amended hole it and soon. …
• Those who were wary successful the aftermath of the Russell Westbrook deal, and acrophobic astir his imaginable effect connected chemistry and/or on-court ratio successful a locker country already teeming with alphas, mightiness beryllium nodding their heads. Westbrook’s minutes truthful acold person been dragging the Lakers down, arsenic workfellow Kyle Goon noted successful the latest “Purple and Bold” newsletter that dropped into inboxes Friday. (And if you’re a Lakers instrumentality and haven’t already signed up for it, what are you waiting for?)
• Meanwhile, Chris Paul again finds himself successful a tempest not of his ain making, and possibly helium tin counsel his Phoenix Suns teammates connected ignoring the tumult. Suns proprietor Robert Sarver and his organization, you mightiness person heard, are present nether probe pursuing an ESPN exposé that quotes squad employees’ allegations of racist and misogynist behavior and a signifier of hostile enactment conditions.
Paul tin deliberation backmost to 2014 and the extremity of the Donald Sterling reign of mistake with the Clippers, and the mode players handled likewise explosive revelations that occurred during the mediate of a first-round playoff bid with the Golden State Warriors. They didn’t disregard them, but they overcame them. …
• And if you wonderment however regressive owners power teams successful leagues whose precise beingness (read: the subordinate pool) depends connected diversity, it’s nary secret. If their money’s good, the remainder of the vetting process is done with a feather-light touch. …
• After Joc Pederson’s, um, spicy show astatine the Atlanta Braves’ World Series triumph solemnisation Friday – punctuated by the infamous 12-letter profanity into a unrecorded mic – deliberation of what L.A. missed by not having a Dodgers parade past fall. With Joc, Walker Buehler (who dropped an F-bomb during an in-stadium interrogation aft the 2018 tiebreaker against Colorado) and Mayor Eric Garcetti (equally salty during the Kings’ 2014 Stanley Cup celebration) successful the aforesaid place, it would person been rated R astatine the precise least. …
• Oh, by the way, Joc declined a $10 cardinal declaration enactment with the Braves successful favour of a $2.5 cardinal buyout and is present a escaped agent. Great timing, no? …
• The Baseball Hall of Fame has announced the nominations for the “Early Baseball” and “Golden Days Era” ballots for the Hall’s people of 2022, the voting for which volition instrumentality spot connected Dec. 5. This Space’s choices: Buck O’Neil connected the “Early Baseball” (pre-1950) ballot, and Maury Wills and Dick Allen connected the “Golden Days” (1950-69) ballot.
Fellow SCNG columnist Mark Whicker is simply a subordinate of the “Golden Days” panel. I don’t accidental campaigning would bash immoderate good, would it? …
• Another sanction connected the “Golden Days” ballot is Gil Hodges, the archetypal baseman from those Boys of Summer Brooklyn teams. I’ve ever thought the Hall should person a hybrid class for individuals whose full assemblage of enactment (in Hodges’ case, playing and managing) merited consideration, alternatively than an either/or choice. …
• After Green Bay Packers backmost Aaron Rodgers’ self-serving Sirius/XM interrogation with Pat McAfee, successful which helium whined astir nationalist and media absorption aft helium misled everyone astir his vaccination presumption – thing that became pertinent erstwhile helium went connected the COVID-19 database this week – an look coined by erstwhile NFL manager Dennis Green seems astir appropriate. He is who we thought helium was. …
• Have to admit that Rodgers checked the boxes, though. “Woke,” “cancel culture,” and “witch hunt” correspond a beauteous bully commencement connected the Misinformation Bingo card. …
• The Dodgers outrighted left-hander Scott Alexander connected Friday arsenic portion of the process of clearing spots connected their 40-man roster. No, he’s not related. But helium was considered an honorary relative arsenic agelong arsenic helium got radical out.
Anyway, I’m inactive trying to find a mode to wedge Grover Cleveland Alexander into the household histrion truthful we tin accidental we person astatine slightest 1 Hall of Famer successful the household (as opposed to simply 1 Hall of Fame voter). …
• And earlier you ask: Yes, retiring San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is simply a Hall of Famer. If I’m inactive voting 5 years from now, determination volition beryllium a checkmark adjacent to his sanction connected my ballot.
jalexander@scng.com
@Jim_Alexander connected Twitter
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