The Dugout - June 4
The Price You Gotta Pay
So you wanna buy an NBA franchise? Well, that’ll cost ya buddy. 2 billion US dollars in fact. That’s what Steve Ballmer’s paying for the LA Clippers, once that whole thing goes through (and we expect it will despite Don Sterling’s complaints). Sterling and his wife each own 50% of the Clippers as is so that’s a billion each split down the middle. Good money if you can get it, and quite the payoff. Especially considering Sterling bought the team for $12.5 million in 1981.
The word is that Ballmer may try to distance his reign from Sterling's by changing the team's name, perhaps completely rebranding it. Not having to share an arena with the traditionally superior Lakers might be a nice change.
NBA Defensive Players of the Year
That’s the first team as officially named. The second 5 reads as follows:
LeBron James (Miami)
Patrick Beverley (Houston)
Jimmy Butler (Chicago)
Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio)
Roy Hibbert (Indiana)
You can definitely argue that DeAndre Jordan or Anthony Davis could have taken Roy Hibbert’s place, but I’m happy with it. LeBron misses the first team for the first time in 6 years. Chris Paul, Serge Ibaka and Joakim Noah keep their first team honours from last season. Noah was named last month as NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Shockingly, somehow James Harden got 2 second team votes. Surely as a joke.
Fishing for Fisher
As soon as the Thunder were knocked out of the NBA Playoffs, the talk started over Derek Fisher’s future. Would the 38 year old return for one more shot? It’s starting to sound more and more like he won’t, though he’s dodged the question himself. With the LA Lakers coaching job vacant, Fisher may be a dark horse there. He was asked about coaching Kobe Bryant, and replied some tame line about brotherhood. It’s the New York Knicks that are really going out of their way. Having missed out on rookie coach Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson has turned to another former role player, Fisher, to fill the position of Knicks Head Coach/Zen Master’s Apprentice. Jackson was fined by the NBA for discussing the role with Fisher yesterday (since Fisher is still a registered player), but official talks are imminent.
Kevin Loves Boston?
Uh-oh… here goes…
Kevin Love & Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo has denied pitching the Celtics to Kevin Love after this photo of the two of them at Fenway Park surfaced online. The Celtics are one of the favourites to sign Love, who could be available on the transfer block already (and will definitely be available as a free agent next offseason if nothing happens). Love’s agent was rumoured to be with him in Boston, though Minnesota officials have said that they fully expect him to a T-Wolf next season. Where’s the smoke and which one is the mirror? I’m still expecting Love to be a Laker within the next two seasons. He’s from the area and his dad played for them in the 70s. Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was ready to jump on the bandwagon though:
Good Week:
- Returning Sluggers (MLB) – There are probably more that I’m leaving out, but Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton and Jose Abreu all returned to their team’s lineups this week with home runs. Powerful stuff.
- Henderson Alvarez (Miami Marlins) – Not quite a vintage outing, but the Marlins righty shut out the Rays with just 88 pitches this week. 8 hits and 5 strikeouts for a guy who now has 19 consecutive scoreless innings. It was his league leading third shutout of the year.
Bad Week:
- Yasiel Puig (LA Dodgers) – On the one year anniversary of the Cuban sensation’s debut, he somehow managed to turn up late to the game. Manager Don Mattingly chose not to bench him for his indiscretion (as he’s done before) and Puig ended up with a couple hits. The Dodgers lost, but since Puig’s debut they have the best record in the MLB. Probably not such a bad week, now that I think of it.
- Chandler Parsons (Free Agent) – Yeah, that’s right. Houston have declined the option on Parsons’ contract leaving him free to make a fresh start elsewhere. He should have plenty of suitors. Houston themselves are hoping for a play at Melo or Dirk (neither very likely) or Kevin Love (a little more promising).
Player of the Week:
Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) – For sentimental reasons. And because he has some (more) significant playoff milestones on the way. The NBA Finals are gonna be incredible. A rematch of last year, only with arguably more on the line as the Spurs look to atone and Miami look for an iconic three-peat.
Upcoming Dates (NZ Time):
June 6 - NBA Finals Begin
June 27 - NBA Draft Held
July 16 - MLB All Star Game