December 17, 2018
So you still think that Lonzo Ball sucks? I’m not even talking about the fact that he and Lebron were the first Laker duo to each record a triple double in the same game since Magic and Kareem. I’m talking about his All-NBA defense. That’s right. He locked down Kemba Walker on Saturday, holding him to 4 points on 2-10 shooting. He also held Chris Paul to 3-10 shooting on Thursday. He’s doing much more than the box score shows. I think it’s safe to say that Kyle Kuzma is the Lakers second best player at the moment because he’s a great fit next to Lebron. However, Ball and Brandon Ingram are very key components to their success. If only the Lakers could have traded for Trevor Ariza. All they needed to do was tell the Suns that they were getting “Ingram” in return. They didn’t have to know it would be Andre.
Speaking of the Suns, the fact they were initially unable to complete a 3-team trade for Trevor Ariza because they thought they were receiving Dillon Brooks instead of Marshon Brooks is hilarious. I don’t care if you are an NBA GM, or playing fantasy basketball, you have a list of every player on every roster. This confirms exactly what I’ve been thinking for years: the NBA is made up of a number of front office executives that are idiots. It always cracks me up when dude’s like Dwight Howard or other athletes say “You didn’t play the game” so therefore a front office executive doesn’t know anything. That’s exactly the problem. These dudes that played the game that got put in the front office don’t actually know anything.
To baseball where the Winter Meetings came and went with very little happening. It was a bunch of hype. Andrew Friedman simply went to Vegas to sit in his Power Ranger pajamas and play video games in his hotel room. However, I do have to give Friedman credit for one thing: signing a capable veteran reliever in Joe Kelly. Kelly has been a reliable postseason performer, and just might be a trustworthy arm in the bullpen outside of Kenley Jansen. Heck, if the Dodgers can get one or two more of these, it would be money much better spent than on Bryce Harper.
What the hell happened to Jared Goff and the Rams? It’s like Jeff Fisher is coaching them again. In the last two weeks Goff looks nothing like the quarterback he was in the first 14 weeks of the season. The circumstances are less than ideal with the line getting pushed around and Cooper Kupp injured, but Goff doesn’t look the same. Goff was fumbling footballs on plays he was hardly touched. I was starting to wonder if he bet on the Eagles. At this point the Rams just need to hang on to the two seed and make sure they get Goff and the offense clicking again before the playoffs.
I’m officially impressed with what the Chargers are doing. Now it would be even more impressive if people actually showed up to their games. The Bolts took down the Chiefs on the road, and just might end up as the #1 seed in the AFC. I’m always leery of the the Chargers in the playoffs, especially if they have to go up against the Patriots, but this team is looking great. They not only managed to beat Kansas City on the road, but did it without Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen. Philip Rivers should just bring all his kids to every game and the stadium would at least be half full. Bold move by the Chiefs here…….
“OK guys we’re up by 1 let’s not got within 30 feet of of #81.” pic.twitter.com/sBcxKuChwW— The Fake ESPN (@TheFakeESPN) December 14, 2018
Elsewhere around the NFL, we have an Amber Alert on the Dallas Cowboys. Last seen building a hype train in the middle of 5 straight wins. If you have any information after their loss to the Colts, please contact Jason Garrett immediately. If you think Donald Trump is bad you should have tried watching the Jaguars and Redskins play football yesterday. Of course the Browns won. Kobe gave them a pregame pep talk. Khalil Mack destroyed Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, and now he has more sacks than the entire Raiders team. The Titans shut down the Giants and definitely had the best celebration of the week with their “Remember The Titans” dance. This week is also a reminder of how dumb Fantasy Football is, yet we all continue to play it and frustrate ourselves.
Finally, UCLA basketball is a total disaster, as is the entire Pac-12. The Bruins just got punked at home by Belmont. Let me be clear, UCLA should never lose a basketball game to a mid-major school like Belmont. Their talent level is and should always be superior to them. The Bruins already showed they couldn’t hang with real teams like Michigan and North Carolina earlier in the year. However, this game just demonstrates that Alford can’t develop the fundamentals in his squad. They can’t shoot free throws, they can’t play defense, and a total inability to keep Belmont players in front of them. This is Alford with a very good recruiting class. The best it gets is when you have Lonzo Ball and TJ Leaf, and you’re no better than a Sweet 16 Team. Time to throw up a post for a basketball coach at UCLA on LinkedIn.