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      How will the Lakers defend Rajon Rondo?

      June 3, 2010 /

      Look for the Lakers to use Kobe Bryant extensively on Rondo, or so says Basketball Prospectus:

      There’s been some debate in the last few days about whether the Lakers will deploy Bryant or point guard Derek Fisher to defend Rondo, but to me it’s not even a question. I suspect Jackson was being coy when he told reporters that Bryant would spend some time defending Rondo. Other than the second head-to-head meeting during this year’s regular season, when Bryant was injured, the Lakers have used the same strategy against Rondo the last two years. The belief in backing off Rondo is so strong that Minnesota’s Kurt Rambis, a former Lakers assistant, even employed a similar philosophy when the Timberwolves faced the Celtics this season.

      Here’s the funny thing about Rondo’s rapid development over the last two seasons: It has little to do with his shooting. According to Hoopdata.com, Rondo shot 43.0 percent on long two attempts in 2007-08, which is actually pretty good. This year, that percentage plummeted to 33.0 percent. Yes, Rondo is now a tiny bit of a threat from downtown, but really what has happened is that Rondo has learned how to work around his weakness and get into the paint anyway, creating shots for teammates and boosting his assist rate.

      We certainly saw that in the game between these two teams at the TD Garden this season. Rondo was 1-of-5 on long twos, but he still shot 9-of-16 from the field and dished 12 assists thanks to his ability to get into the paint. Transition will be big for Rondo in this series, since he can create easy shots in the early offense when the Lakers haven’t yet had a chance to wall off the basket. He can also take advantage of switches that put slower defenders on him on the perimeter.

      I’m not sure that Jackson and company will make a switch defensively, because the way they’ve defended Rondo brings other benefits–as Gary Collard pointed out on Twitter, Bryant doesn’t have to chase Ray Allen through screens this way, and his ability to give help can be disruptive to the rest of the Boston offense. Still, don’t expect the strategy of backing off Rondo to be nearly as effective as it was in 2008.

      Rondo has a way of making teams pay for playing off of him on the perimeter. His jumper is shaky, but when his defender is off of him, it’s very difficult to box him out, which is why he’s so good at retrieving long offensive rebounds. Playing off of Rondo also allows him to get into the paint with relative ease, which puts pressure on the defense and opens up passing lanes to open shooters or to guys cutting to the basket.

      With the “Big 3” all two years older, the onus for the Celtics is on Rondo. If he has a great (Finals MVP-type) series, the Celtics have a good chance of winning their second title in three years.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Angels talking trade with Cubs for Lee?

      June 3, 2010 /

      The Angels may have targeted their replacement for first baseman Kendry Morales, who broke his leg last weekend while celebrating a walk off home run.

      According to the Chicago Tribune, the Halos may be in trade talks with the Cubs involving Derrek Lee.

      Excellent baseball sources are telling us the Angels and the Cubs may be involved in trade talks that could send Derrek Lee to L.A. The Angels lost their starting first baseman, Kendry Morales, last weekend when he broke his leg in a celebration after he hit a walk-off grand slam. Lee was a late scratch from Wednesday’s lineup because of tightness in his right hamstring.

      If the report is true, it’ll be interesting to see if the Angels pick up most of Lee’s current contract. He’s owed roughly $9 million over the remainder of the season and then becomes a free agent this winter. Considering he’s hitting just .232 this season and has never faced American League pitching on a consistent basis, L.A. may not be willing to fork over that much money, along with whatever compensation Chicago asks for.

      That said, they have to do something. The defending AL West champs are currently one game under .500 and resting in third place in the division. They’re only 2.5 games behind the first-place Rangers, but they can’t continue to lose ground. Lee isn’t hitting now, but the last time he finished with an average less than .270 was his third year in the league when he hit .206 with the Marlins. He’s a career .280-hitter, so history shows that his numbers should rise at some point.

      For the Cubs, moving Lee would force them to address the dark cloud currently hovering over the 3-4 spots in the lineup. Of course, the bigger picture is that a trade could help them cut salary and move into rebuilding mode. They’re nothing but a .500 club overpaying for way too many players and it may be time for them to start purging their roster.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      Don’t count on Selig reversing Joyce’s call

      June 3, 2010 /

      Much of the talk today is how baseball commissioner Bud Selig should reverse Jim Joyce’s blown call that cost Tigers’ starter Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Jon Heyman of SI.com writes that Selig will make a statement on Thursday regarding the incident and many hope that he’ll do the right thing and “fix” what transpired in the top of ninth inning at Comerica Park.

      But they shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for Selig to actually do it.

      While he has the power to reverse the decision, it doesn’t mean he will. Don Denkinger’s blown call in 1985 cost the Cardinals a World Series against the Royals and it was never reversed. For as special and as sacred as a perfect game is, Denkinger’s foul-up was in the pivotal moment of a World Series. And in the record books, it still says 1985 World Series Champions: Kansas City Royals.

      For as much as most of us would love to see Selig step in, we all know as sports fans that it’s up to umpires to make judgment calls. And unless it’s a home run that can be reviewed by instant replay, those calls stand. For as big a moment as this was, Selig knows that if he reverses this call, then he may have to reverse future calls and then what’s from stopping people from demanding that all the records during the steroid era be fitted with an asterisk next to them? We would all love to see that happen, but that’s a can of worms that everyone knows Selig doesn’t want to open.

      Would it be the right thing for Selig to do to overturn Joyce’s call? Yes. But I’d be shocked if he actually went through with it. It’s not in his nature to make sound decisions when pressed into a corner, so chances are the call will stand. If anything, maybe this incident will always be remembered as the moment that changed how instant replay is used in baseball forever.

      Update: Selig released this statement via MLB.com:

      “As Jim Joyce said in his postgame comments, there is no dispute that last night’s game should have ended differently. While the human element has always been an integral part of baseball, it is vital that mistakes on the field be addressed. Given last night’s call and other recent events, I will examine our umpiring system, the expanded use of instant replay and all other related features. Before I announce any decisions, I will consult with all appropriate parties, including our two unions and the Special Committee for On-Field Matters, which consists of field managers, general managers, club owners and presidents.”

      He says a lot in his statement, but it’s clear that Galarraga’s near-perfect game will remain just that: near perfect.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      Morning After Reaction: Galarraga loses perfect game on blow call

      June 3, 2010 /

      Here’s what local and national media are saying following the debacle in Detroit last night, in which umpire Jim Joyce ruined Armando Galarraga’s perfect game by blowing a call at first base.

      – Mike Lupica writes that Galarraga’s perfect game can be saved if Bud Selig overturns Jim Joyce’s call. (New York Daily News)

      – Jeff Passan writes that this is the perfect time to expand instant replay in baseball. (Yahoo! Sports)

      – Bob Klapisch took the opportunity to write about Don Denkinger, who will always be remembered for his blown call that cost the Cardinals the 1985 World Series against the Royals. (FOX Sports.com)

      – A website called “Fire Jim Joyce” has already been established.

      – Writing for ESPN.com, Curt Schilling says that his heart broke because not only was Galarraga’s perfect game ruined by a bad call, but Joyce also doesn’t deserve all the hurtful things that will and have been said about him.

      – Even though it won’t go down in the books as such, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has “declared” it a perfect game. I’m sure Galarraga will now sleep better at night. (Detroit Free Press)

      – John Lowe compiles a list of things to consider on Galarraga’s near-perfect night, including how if centerfielder Austin Jackson had not made a spectacular catch two plays before the incident at first base, Joyce would still be a nobody today. (Detroit Free Press)

      – Bob Wojnowski writes that Joyce made history by halting perfection. (Detroit News)

      – The Detroit News reports that the Tigers may actually contact the league in efforts to get the call reversed.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      In a game filled with cheaters, Ken Griffey Jr. did it the right way

      June 3, 2010 /

      I’m not sure Ken Griffey Jr. knows how to inject HGH or even know how to get it. I don’t think he knows what “the clear” actually is or what it does, and the same goes for “the cream.”

      I don’t think taking steroids and cheating the game of baseball has ever crossed Griffey’s mind. And that’s why he’ll always be viewed as a true hero during the darkest days that baseball has ever seen.

      Griffey announced his retirement on Wednesday night. He’ll leave the game with 630 home runs (which rank him fifth all-time), 13 All-Star appearances, 10 Gold Gloves, seven Silver Slugger Awards and one MVP honor (1997). He’s a sure-fire Hall of Fame inductee and as I’ve alluded to above, one of the few sluggers whose name has never been mentioned for steroids.

      I’ll always remember the days when people would compare Griffey and Barry Bonds in terms of what young outfielder was better. People always said Griffey until injuries started hampering his career and Bonds started crushing 500-foot home runs (while his head grew to the size of a grapefruit). But looking back, Griffey will always be remembered as the better player because he didn’t have to cheat to have his success. Bonds has better numbers, but we all know how he got them later in his career. We also know how Griffey got his: pure, God-given talent.

      Griffey’s retirement doesn’t come as a surprise. He wasn’t getting regular at bats in Seattle and wasn’t a part of the Mariners’ present or future. He’s also 40 year’s old and it’s harder for players to balance baseball and their family life when they get to be that age. It was time and I found it appropriate that he made the announcement rather quietly. He’s never been flashy.

      Thanks for all the memories, Junior. You never let us down.

      External Sports, MLB

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