Leonard changes landscape
Everybody’s bailing. The escape boat got so crowded, people are diving overboard in a desperate attempt to flee. Use that image to portray the NBA players’ role in the upcoming World Cup basketball tournament in China. They should start calling it the Load Management Open.
As training camp approached for the event that runs Aug. 31 to Sept. 15, USA Basketball selected 20 stars to compete for a final 12man roster. It sounded pretty good until the withdrawals began, in stunning fashion: James Harden, Anthony Davis, CJ McCollum, Eric Gordon, Tobias Harris, Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan, Damian Lillard, Paul Millsap, Kevin Love and, from the socalled Select Team of younger talent, Zion Williamson.
The only two real stars remaining are guards Kemba Walker and Donovan Mitchell, and there may be more departures to come. (Jaylen Brown and Julius Randle are among those who have accepted invitations as replacements.) And you really have to marvel at the influence Kawhi Leonard has exerted over the NBA.
In a striking subplot to the Toronto Raptors’ world championship, Leonard sat out 22 games — by design — to keep himself fresh and healthy. The strategy didn’t completely work, as Leonard was hobbled by a bad leg throughout the playoffs, but the payoff was undeniable. Then Leonard signed with the Clippers, spurning the Lakers along the way, and became an even more powerful figure as the Western Conference landscape took a radical turn.
It’s all about rest now, and you can’t blame any player for trying to preserve his career — especially with an absurd 82game schedule that the NBA owners refuse to change, followed in many cases by a long playoff grind. And you wonder how the Warriors will treat next season, especially with Klay Thompson out several months. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green aren’t about to sit out 22 games apiece — they simply wouldn’t hear of it — but “load management” could be more of a factor with Golden State than ever before.
Between Leonard, Paul George (surgeries on both shoulders), aging LeBron James and the ofteninjured Davis, we’ll see a lot of resting as the socalled “Battle of L.A.” unfolds between the Clippers and Lakers. All of which is certain to irritate retired great Kobe Bryant, who doesn’t even understand the concept.
“The only time I took a game off is when I couldn’t walk,” Bryant told a gathering at the NBA Store in New York. “Your seasons in your career go by really, really quickly. So you want to make sure you don’t miss any of those moments. The other part is that there are kids in the crowd and families in the crowd. This will be the only time they get a chance to see you. They save up their hardearned money to watch you perform. So, if you can walk and perform, get there and perform.”
An uneasy feeling
Good to hear Warriors coach Steve Kerr speak for a large portion of the fan base regarding the Andre Iguodala trade. Kerr made it clear on the Warriors Insider Podcast that “I have ultimate faith” in general manager Bob Myers and that the longterm plan “makes perfect sense,” but he called this move “a complete gut punch. The most painful loss, in terms of a personnel move, that I’ve felt as a coach in my five years. For him to move on was just devastating to me.” ... Where will Iguodala wind up if he’s bought out of his $17.2 million contract by Memphis? ESPN reported that the Lakers are keeping a roster spot open for him, should that occur . ... As the Clippers looked into an Iguodala trade, the Athletic reported that they wouldn’t part with Moe Harkless in any kind of deal. Seriously? Did they consult Kawhi and PG on that one? ... The A’s know all about Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, having enjoyed his 10year administrative stint in Oakland, but they have serious regrets about a certain episode during Zaidi’s time as the Dodgers’ general manager. Yordan Alvarez was an 18yearold prospect in Cuba when he signed with the Dodgers in June 2016. Two months later, the Dodgers were badly in need of a relief pitcher, and Zaidi agreed to trade Alvarez to the Astros for Josh Fields. Now we find Alvarez (11 homers and 35 RBIs in his first 30 bigleague games) as yet another reason why Houston dominates the A’s division . ... Yes, the mention of his name still ticks off Giants fans, but it’s good to see Matt Duffy back at third base for Tampa Bay. He’d missed the entire season with back and hamstring issues before taking the field against Boston on Tuesday night . ... Pro football maven Peter King (NBC Sports) toured the Raiders’ Las Vegas site, which looked a bit barren but promised to be ready by the 2020 season. The stadium will have a translucent roof, allowing natural light to cultivate a grass field, and the airconditioning system is projected to offer 70degree temperatures for the spectators when it’s 100plus outside. “Pretty interesting science experiment,” King said . ... In cahoots with television interests, the Pac12 has made a habit of frustrating football fans with nightgame scheduling. And it gets worse. If you can even comprehend such a thing, Commissioner Larry Scott told College Football Talk he’s considering starting games at 9 or 10 a.m. — yes, that’s Pacific time — to grant more exposure for East Coast viewers. “New and out of the box,” Scott ventured. No: Out of the question. Outside of the Arizona schools in their steaming heat, every Saturday game should start between noon and 4 p.m. local time. Don’t even think about inconveniencing your athletes and fans for the sake of some other time zone.