World Series/NBA Opening Night

By Ed Piper

At the risk of diluting this blog's emphasis on La Jolla High sports and its student athletes, I have to say I've been heavily involved in watching postseason Major League Baseball, as well as NBA play the first two nights of that sport's 2019-20 season.

I shared in an earlier post my enchantment with a new baseball scorebook with a different format. This has helped feed my viewing both League Championship Series, even after the Dodgers (sorry, Padres fans) were eliminated by Howie Kendrick's 10th-inning grand slam a week ago.

Well, I'm happy to report the new 17-slot scorebook is still providing me all sorts of enjoyment. I'm doing somewhat strange and new--watching games to enjoy, get into detail, and watch closely; then, only later (often, days later), filling out score pages with the two teams' info. I have never done such a thing before in my life. One thing that makes it possible is MLB.com, which carries all the plays, as well as the pitchers' data.

In keeping the written record, I find I get much more enjoyment out of the games. The writing causes me to remember batting orders, names of players I never would have paid attention to before. Things like that.

With Opening Night in the NBA Tues., Oct. 22, to my surprise this started nibbling away at my attraction to the baseball games. That kind of bothered me. However, I regained my footing a little the second night (Oct. 23) the two sports were both being televised, getting into the Nats-Astros' game two of the World Series (though my interest faded as the Astros and Jose Altuve fell behind more and more in a 12-3 waxing with Washington's Stephen Strasburg dominating on the mound).

Basketball notes: What has stood out to me in the NBA play (which usually doesn't get much of my interest until the playoffs in April) is Anthony Davis' considerable contribution to the Lakers, playing alongside LeBron James. Obviously, they'll have to get more comfortable getting used to playing together, being new teammates. The Clippers' defense completely stymied their pick-and-roll play of the preseason. They'll have to make adjustments.

I grew up a Laker fan, spending my childhood in Long Beach and Camarillo. But, while maintaining my allegiance to "los Lakers", I'm a little miffed at LeBron. He has been a winner, but he brings his own set of very large issues, complicating things. Last year was a disaster after he got injured, missed 18 games, then lost interest as he saw his team drop out of playoff contention.

He is a great player, and I have been a big booster of his since he apologized for the debacle of "The Decision" (announcing on TV years ago, without advance warning, that he was leaving the Cavaliers and going to Miami to form the big three of Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and himself, completely catching the Cavs and their fans by surprise, burning them and understandably angering them). Then he got his personal life together, as well, by marrying the wife of his kids and establishing some stability and continuity, as I see it. Those were all the decisions of a maturing person who has taken stock of his or her life, and decided where adjustments needed to be made.

Davis, all 6'10" of him, leaped for a ball that was going out of bounds and deftly turned in midair, locating a teammate who was open, then throwing it accurately to him. This showed his considerable athleticism. Before Opening Night, I had never really watched him play. He's marvelous. During the game, though a loss to the Clippers, he hit three-pointers, rebounded, and slammed in loose balls. The Lakers haven't had a player like him ever, in my 50 years of watching them. Wilt Chamberlain could slam, but he wasn't mobile later in his career. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the skyhook, but he didn't shoot jump shots from outside, nor did he have Davis' strength. LeBron is a playmaker, powerful as heck, but not a forward-center in location.

My hope is that this season's story goes well (unlike last year's). Do the Lakers have to win the title for this season to be successful? It would be nice, but I think finishing deep into the playoffs might also signal major success for the team.