Good luck trying to predict how Lakers’ season will go
Here are some projections for the upcoming Lakers season:
Opening night: Lakers fans give LeBron James a 10-minute standing ovation. The Lakers lose the game. Luke Walton says it will take time for team chemistry to kick in.
After Christmas Day loss, Walton is fired and replaced by recently fired Cleveland coach Ty Lue.
The Lakers trade future draft pick for J.R. Smith.
The Lakers become the eighth seed and are swept by Houston in the first round of the playoffs. Ty Lue is fired. So is Magic Johnson. And Rob Pelinka.
Jeanie Buss hires Phil Jackson as coach and head of basketball operations.
The Lakers lose the opening game of 2019-2020 season. Gary H. Miller Encino
Great series on 1968, but most would say the Lakers lost the 1968-69 championship, because coach Butch van Breda Kolff refused to put Wilt Charmberlain back in the fourth quarter of Game 7, not due to the Big Dipper’s injury. Ken Feldman Los Angeles
So Dan Woike thinks that the trade that sent Bill Russell to the Celtics was “comically absurd.” Too bad Dan doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
The Celtics sent Easy Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan, both six-time All-Stars. Both became mainstays of a Hawks team that took Russell’s Celtics to a third overtime in the seventh game of the Finals in 1957 before losing, beat the Celtics in six games for the 1958 championship, and took them to another seventh game in 1960, with the thenretired Macauley coaching.
Rather than “comically absurd,” it was a terrific trade for both. Tony Medley Los Angeles Magic’s next two moves: 1) Sign Jim Brown. 2) Replace Luke Walton with Lee Marvin.
Succeed or fail, this is going to be entertaining. Brad Askew Vancouver, Wash.
Just read Broderick Turner listed the Eastern Conference as one of the winners in the NBA offseason. The Eastern Conference would be lucky to finish fourth in the Pac-12 and then they lost LeBron. Broderick will be at the Improv all week. Craig A. Nelson Solana Beach
Manny wouldn’t?
Manny Machado is the most recent in a long line of midyear trades that have helped the Dodgers add many additional late-season wins, but still missing the brass ring in a World Series win that has eluded them for 30 years. The Dodgers will lead the NL in home runs, but they need pitching. Gene Grant Palm Desert
It doesn’t matter whom the Dodgers acquire. They are forever cursed for paying the terrible previous owner the obscene sum of $2 billion. Dave Thoma Ventura
The Yankees beat the Dodgers to the punch as they have reliever Zach Britton. They also acquired a first-rate pitcher from Toronto, rendering the Dodgers hapless. Ted La Mothe Long Beach
Great story on Ron Fairly! It gave me new stories of the bigger-than-life Dodgers I grew up with and reminded me why I have been a fan from Day 1 . Better still, the story helped my English wife understand my love for the game of baseball. Curtis Dale Upland Come on, Bill Shaikin! You should know better! Your email box will be filling up with comments about “The Padres boast the best ballpark in Southern California” from Sunday’s “Three Up, Three Down” column. Unless you are working part time as The Times’ new architecture critic, you misspoke. Dodger Stadium has given us Koufax, Drysdale, Fernando, Hershiser, Kirk Gibson, Clayton Kershaw and Scully. Not to mention the most gorgeous twilight view in all of baseball. Petco Park? Swing and a miss, Bill. Gregg Daniel Venice
Kickoff nears
If Clay Helton wants to spotlight his players, how about doing everybody a favor and put names on the jerseys? Gerard Lollie Altadena
Bill Plaschke’s article about Chip Kelly and UCLA football, written by the biggest USC fan ever, could have been simply a “Hello” and “Welcome to UCLA.” Instead it turned into the rush to praise USC and to discredit UCLA. Maybe when Bill writes about UCLA again, he can simply write about UCLA. Carol Marshall Placentia
Fore!
Tiger Woods hasn’t won a major golf title in 10 years, but that doesn’t stop fans and the media from fawning all over him. This misguided adoration seems to be never-ending and is now bordering on the absurd.
It’s time for the media and fans to finally recognize the new wave of golf stars and put old Tiger on the back burner. Charles Reilly Manhattan Beach
Anaheim Heimlich
A few years ago, the Angels had a dispute between Mike Scioscia and then-general manager Jerry Dipoto. Dipoto is now leading a playoff contender. Scioscia is not. It’s not just injuries that plague the Angels: It’s a lack of feel and plan for anything not within the analytics readouts. Bruce N. Miller Playa del Rey
Mike Scioscia said, “Stay tuned for when it really gets exciting.” He was referring to the rehab progress of Shohei Ohtani. Angels fans have had a difficult time waiting for the team to get exciting, which appears to not be any time soon. Wayne Muramatsu Cerritos
It used to be “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain,” but for opponents of the Angels it seems to be “Walk Trout and wait for an out.” Joe Bucz Redondo Beach
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