Ten Things I Think
1. I think Tyronn Lue needs to play Rodney Hood. The Cavaliers acquired Hood near the trading deadline from Utah and have yet to utilize his skillset. He is a 6’8” wing who can shoot it from three and defend across multiple positions. In theory, that is exactly what LeBron needs from his teammates: size, shooting, and defensive versatility. The Finals might already be over, but Tyronn Lue must leave no stone unturned. There is not a world in which Jordan Clarkson should be getting minutes over Rodney Hood.
2. I think the Cubs made a mistake in trading Gleybar Torres. Back in 2016, Theo Epstein traded Torres, then the top prospect in Major League Baseball, to the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman. Yes, the Cubs needed a closer and yes, they went on to win the World Series that season, but to trade away a player of Torres’ stature for a half-year of a closer is bonkers to me. The Cubs were talented enough to win the World Series with a league average closer that year; they didn’t need Chapman. Fast forward to the present day and Torres is currently batting well above .300 with 10 home runs and nearly 30 RBIs in his first month in the Bronx. The Cubs will always have that World Series to fall back on, but they could’ve won it without shipping a generational talent out of town.
3. I think the 76ers should fire Bryan Colangelo pronto. The whole situation is bizarre, but ultimately with the biggest free-agency period in the franchise’s history looming, Colangelo simply isn’t worth the headache. If he were a Daryl Morey or a Bob Myers level executive perhaps you let it breathe and see how it plays out, but Colangelo is a subpar executive at best. The 76ers do not have time to litigate who operates which Twitter accounts. With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons set to receive extensions soon, this could be the last summer for the 76ers to lure a player worthy of a max-contract. They need no distractions.
4. I think if I were the Rockets I would be wary of signing Chris Paul to a maximum contract. Five years from now, the Point God would be 38 years old and earning upwards of $45 million if he were to ink with Houston for the max. For any player to be worth that much at age 38 is a longshot, let alone a player with the injury history of CP3. If signing Paul meant the Rockets would enhance their odds of signing LeBron too, then maybe I’d consider it, but even then I would be very skittish.
5. I think the three premier teams in baseball reside in the American League. In my estimation, the Red Sox, Yankees, and Astros are head shoulders above the competition. Each of the three boast stacked lineups, reliable starting rotations, and over-powering bullpens. Right now, I would say the Yankees are the team to beat, but that could change over the course of the season. All I know for sure is that the American League is loaded.
6. I think Lamar Jackson will start meaningful games for the Ravens this season. This has as much to do with my belief in Jackson as it does with my disdain for Joe Flacco. Outside of leading the Ravens to that one Super Bowl (which cannot be ignored), Flacco has been a poor starting quarterback and I don’t say that lightly. In a pass-happy NFL, the Ravens quarterback has eclipsed 4,000 yards just once his entire career and has thrown for more than 25 touchdowns just once since 2011. Jackson is electrifying as an athlete. It is just a matter of time before he sees the field and has a Deshaun Watson-like rookie year.
7. I think the NBA should have a fourth referee at every game. This referee would not be on the court. He would be seated courtside at a monitor. As the game unfolds, he would watch and if ever there was a call that was blatantly incorrect (such as Game 1 of the NBA Finals) he would wave a flag and have the call overturned. This would shorten review times (which have become far too frequent and lengthy) while also improving the accuracy of calls throughout the game. This is a no-brainer to me.
8. I think the Denver Broncos will have the best pass-rushing tandem in the NFL next season. Many eyebrows were raised when John Elway selected Bradley Chubb with the fifth pick in the draft when the Broncos already had Von Miller, but I applauded the pick. How in the world are opposing offenses supposed to block two monsters on the edge? In short, they can’t. These two will be so disruptive for opposing offenses and could possibly form one of the most fearsome pass-rushes the NFL has ever seen.
9. I think the onus for replay in baseball should be on the player. Say that Bryce Harper is thrown out trying to steal third. Rather than having his manager decide whether or not to challenge the play, it would be more entertaining if Harper had to decide right then and there if he was going to utilize his team’s challenge or not. This would eliminate the delay in which managers stall to get ample time to review the play. Also, who would know best as to if they are safe or out than the player involved in the play.
10. I think the jury is still out on Jared Goff. He was abysmal his rookie season before hitting his stride with Sean McVay last season. I am hearing many people pencil in the Rams for the NFC West in 2018, but I’m not so sure. I still don’t entirely trust Goff. Maybe it’s because I remember just how bad he was his rookie season. To think the Rams unquestionably have their quarterback of the future is foolish. This season is monumental for Goff and the Rams.
