07 June 2009
Defense Lets Lakers Down
06/10/09 18:21 Filed in: NBA
Perimeter Defense. Perimeter Defense. Perimeter
Defense.
The Lakers shot 51%, including a reasonable 35% on 3-pointers, were out-rebounded only by two boards, but missed an unacceptable 10 free throws, shooting only 62% from the line, and lost last night's game by four points. Why? Perimeter Defense. The Lakers allowed Orlando to shot 62%, including an astounding 75% in the first half.
The team defense that was so outstanding in game one and more than adequate in game two, missed the plane to Florida, and never showed up in the amway arena last night.
Kobe will be ok after his sub-par night, and the team as a whole will shoot better from the line. Those are givens. But, there needs to be the team effort on D, like there was in game one, for the Lakers to rebound and show Orlando who is top dawg in the NBA.
One other issue to consider is the fact that Gasol, Odom and Bynum played 95 minutes between them, and took a total of 23 shots. Dwight Howard committed four personals defending ghosts in the paint. The Laker big men need to shoot more, get Howard moving around more, coming out from the basket if possible, but at least having to actually defend more underneath. Only good things can happen if they do so, shooters actually scoring, and maybe Howard picking up more fouls, and maybe playing less than the 45 minutes he has averaged over the last two games.
theHoundDawg
The Lakers shot 51%, including a reasonable 35% on 3-pointers, were out-rebounded only by two boards, but missed an unacceptable 10 free throws, shooting only 62% from the line, and lost last night's game by four points. Why? Perimeter Defense. The Lakers allowed Orlando to shot 62%, including an astounding 75% in the first half.
The team defense that was so outstanding in game one and more than adequate in game two, missed the plane to Florida, and never showed up in the amway arena last night.
Kobe will be ok after his sub-par night, and the team as a whole will shoot better from the line. Those are givens. But, there needs to be the team effort on D, like there was in game one, for the Lakers to rebound and show Orlando who is top dawg in the NBA.
One other issue to consider is the fact that Gasol, Odom and Bynum played 95 minutes between them, and took a total of 23 shots. Dwight Howard committed four personals defending ghosts in the paint. The Laker big men need to shoot more, get Howard moving around more, coming out from the basket if possible, but at least having to actually defend more underneath. Only good things can happen if they do so, shooters actually scoring, and maybe Howard picking up more fouls, and maybe playing less than the 45 minutes he has averaged over the last two games.
theHoundDawg
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Timmie Out - sc to Search Prisons for New Coach
06/09/09 21:37 Filed in: College
Basketball
Illegal recruiting, payoffs to student-athletes, and
the flaunting of assorted additional NCAA rules all
suffered a severe blow, when mike garrett on behalf
of the criminal enterprise that calls itself the sc
brain surgeon athletic department accepted the
resignation of basketball cappo Tim Floyd.
Floyd, who bought and paid for the best basketball team sc has had in years, saw former confidants turn stoolie as outlined here, and with the NCAA, not to mention the FBI, IRS and other assorted governmental agencies, closing in, with his top talent from last year all running away as fast as they can, and with his top three recruits all bailing, decided that maybe summer back in Hattiesburg may not be such a bad idea. (Does Iowa have extradition to the US?)
With the likelihood of serious sanctions being imposed on the basketball program, which is already now in shambles, the fear that the basketball team will be the scapegoat is even more certain. floyd and his program are the Red Cross, March of Dimes, and United Way all rolled together when compared to the outrageous conduct of the football program run by the senior cappo, petey boy.
NCAA: Garrett is throwing floyd and basketball to the wolves to save football. Don't let that happen. The outrageous activities of the carroll years cannot be covered up any longer, and the lengthy investigation we hope and pray is continuing, must result in appropriate sanctions.
theHoundDawg
Floyd, who bought and paid for the best basketball team sc has had in years, saw former confidants turn stoolie as outlined here, and with the NCAA, not to mention the FBI, IRS and other assorted governmental agencies, closing in, with his top talent from last year all running away as fast as they can, and with his top three recruits all bailing, decided that maybe summer back in Hattiesburg may not be such a bad idea. (Does Iowa have extradition to the US?)
With the likelihood of serious sanctions being imposed on the basketball program, which is already now in shambles, the fear that the basketball team will be the scapegoat is even more certain. floyd and his program are the Red Cross, March of Dimes, and United Way all rolled together when compared to the outrageous conduct of the football program run by the senior cappo, petey boy.
NCAA: Garrett is throwing floyd and basketball to the wolves to save football. Don't let that happen. The outrageous activities of the carroll years cannot be covered up any longer, and the lengthy investigation we hope and pray is continuing, must result in appropriate sanctions.
theHoundDawg
Starters Back, But Angel Bullpen Just Applied for FEMA Trailers
06/07/09 21:20 Filed in: Baseball
The Angels miraculously weathered the early season
storm of monumental injuries to the starting staff.
John Lackey and Ervin Santana worked through their
cobwebs and have rounded into form, and Kelvim
Escobar has now also re-appeared, and pitched well in
his first start. With Jared Weaver pitching lights
out, and the solid work of Joe Saunders and Matt
Palmer, as I thought would happen, the Angels again
have the strongest and deepest starting staff in the
AL. But that bullpen!
The Angels decided to let Frankie Rodríguez leave in the off season, and they compounded that mistake by paying good money for the over-rated, under-talented, and inconsistent Brian Fuentes. His 15 saves are much less of an indicator of his effectiveness than is his 4.95 ERA. Even more troubling, however, is the state of the rest of the pen, with long relief and set-up men one more awful than the next.
The Angel brain trust decided that besides letting Rodríguez leave, that they would build the rest of the crew around the inconsistent Scot Shields, the disappointing Justin Speier, and the inexperienced but potentially outstanding Jose Arredondo. That too, has worked real well. Shields has taken his 6.62 ERA to the DL, while Speier and Arrendondo each have ERAs over five. Out of necessity, the likes of Jason Bulger, Kevin Jepsen, Rafael Rodríguez, and Daniel Davidson have been given bullpen roles, with even less success. Today's game in Detroit is a prime example of the bullpen woes. The Angels came back from a one-run deficit to take a one-run lead into the eight inning, when Arredondo and Bulger combined to allow five runs and hand Detroit a 9-6 victory.
The Angels can almost certainly again win the West with their current staff, but any hopes of getting to a World Series are mere dreams unless some major help for the bullpen arrives by September.
One thought: While Escobar has had his best success as a starter, he has considerable experience in the bullpen, and with the starters now six deep, perhaps they should leave Palmer as the fifth starter and give Kelvim the closer role, with Fuentes the set-up guy.
theHoundDawg
The Angels decided to let Frankie Rodríguez leave in the off season, and they compounded that mistake by paying good money for the over-rated, under-talented, and inconsistent Brian Fuentes. His 15 saves are much less of an indicator of his effectiveness than is his 4.95 ERA. Even more troubling, however, is the state of the rest of the pen, with long relief and set-up men one more awful than the next.
The Angel brain trust decided that besides letting Rodríguez leave, that they would build the rest of the crew around the inconsistent Scot Shields, the disappointing Justin Speier, and the inexperienced but potentially outstanding Jose Arredondo. That too, has worked real well. Shields has taken his 6.62 ERA to the DL, while Speier and Arrendondo each have ERAs over five. Out of necessity, the likes of Jason Bulger, Kevin Jepsen, Rafael Rodríguez, and Daniel Davidson have been given bullpen roles, with even less success. Today's game in Detroit is a prime example of the bullpen woes. The Angels came back from a one-run deficit to take a one-run lead into the eight inning, when Arredondo and Bulger combined to allow five runs and hand Detroit a 9-6 victory.
The Angels can almost certainly again win the West with their current staff, but any hopes of getting to a World Series are mere dreams unless some major help for the bullpen arrives by September.
One thought: While Escobar has had his best success as a starter, he has considerable experience in the bullpen, and with the starters now six deep, perhaps they should leave Palmer as the fifth starter and give Kelvim the closer role, with Fuentes the set-up guy.
theHoundDawg
Free Parking at Dodger Stadium? I Must be Dreaming
06/07/09 20:39 Filed in: Baseball
Wow. First, one of the most ridiculous publicity
stunts in recent memory - press, celebs, Dodger
executive, and lots of TV cameras, to announce that
Dodger Stadium now has its own ZIP code; the only
stadium in the country so honored.
Now, the team announces, with far less fanfare, something of actual interest and moderate importance - a three game series at the stadium, where fan parking is (yea, no joke) FREE! For the three interleague games against Oakland on June 15, 16, and 17, fans can park in general parking lots for free. Of course, there is no refund for fans with season parking, but, it's still an amazing gift from management to the fans, even if these figure to be three lowest-interest games on the schedule.
Thanks, Frank and Jamie. Now go look for some more bullpen help.
theHoundDawg
Now, the team announces, with far less fanfare, something of actual interest and moderate importance - a three game series at the stadium, where fan parking is (yea, no joke) FREE! For the three interleague games against Oakland on June 15, 16, and 17, fans can park in general parking lots for free. Of course, there is no refund for fans with season parking, but, it's still an amazing gift from management to the fans, even if these figure to be three lowest-interest games on the schedule.
Thanks, Frank and Jamie. Now go look for some more bullpen help.
theHoundDawg