Matt Kemp Sizzling to Start The New Year

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Glen G

After being snubbed of the MVP award last spring, Matt Kemp seems to be a man on a mission. Although the season is still mighty young it’s hard to not notice the enormous production the young left fielder is contributing for the Dodgers and how fast he has become one of the game’s elite talents. In just 10 games this year Kemp already has 6 home runs and 15 RBI to go along with an absurd .457 Batting Average. Those numbers are good enough to have him at the forefront of the triple crown race, for the time being.

This is nothing new for Matt Kemp as last season he was in the thick of winning that very illusive award, but he could not hold on in the batting average category, yet was still able to lead the league in home runs, RBI, Runs and Total Bases. It was quite a campaign for the 27 year older. His lightning fast start to this season is showing all that production last season was not an anomaly but merely a coming out party for Kemp, and that’s something Los Angeles fans will get to celebrate for hopefully the next decade.

Kemp not winning the MVP award last season could actually turn out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to the guy as it can now serve as inspiration for this year’s season and those to come. Although he played great last year it was not enough to be called the best player, leaving room to grow and get better. All the while this season the Dodgers, who were irrelevant last year, are off to a 9-1 start which has them sitting pretty atop the NL West. The 6 game win streak they are currently riding, due largely to Kemp’s efforts, have people wondering if Los Angeles is a true contender this season. My view on that matter is that some players are able to take a team on their backs for a stretch of 5-10 games, some great players can do that for 15-20 games and really will their team to win, but not many players can do that for an entire season. That is even more prevalent of a truth in baseball as the 162 game season takes its toll on all players. This season will be very telling of just how good Matt Kemp really is and if he can produce like he did last year; he may be able to carry his team into contention.

The Dodgers core of Matt Kemp and Young Ace Clayton Kershaw, who won the NL Cy Young last season, has given life to a team that has battled with ownership troubles. The purchase of the team by legendary Basketball Player Magic Johnson has some concerned with his qualifications regarding baseball, but nevertheless the team is winning (for the time being). Fans should rest easy knowing they have Matt Kemp for at least 8 seasons (as he signed a 8 year, $160 million contract this offseason), in which I figure him to become, if he isn’t already, the premier all around player in the league. I compare his game a lot to the likes of an Alex Rodriguez in the sense that he can hurt you in every aspect of the game. He can field the ball, he can make throws, he can hit for power and contact and he can run. He’s the epitome of a five tool player and a special one at that, maybe one special enough to bring a title back to the Dodgers. Times are exciting in Los Angeles, and the MVP watch is in full effect.

Like Matt Kemp? Do You See Him Winning MVP Award(s)? Thoughts?

Rondo Historic In Celtics’ Win over Knicks

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Glen G

Rajon Rondo had a special game for the hometown crowd that flooded the TD Garden in Boston Sunday afternoon. Playing against the revived Jeremy Lin-led Knicks, the Celtics looked like the team of old, at least for a game. The Celtics have been trying to regain their form after a tough stretch to start the season, and the All-Star break seems to have done them well. A well-rested Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce wrecked havoc on the Knicks, with much credit belonging to the play-making of All-Star Point Guard Rajon Rondo. In a 115-111 Overtime Victory for Boston, Rondo managed a line of 18 Points, 17 Rebounds and 20 Assists; marking just the third time in NBA history a player was able to rack up 17+ Rebounds with 20+ Assists (Magic Johnson and Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain are the only others to have done so). Although critics will talk about how this game went to overtime (the other two achievers did so in regulation), this by no means discredits Rondo’s performance. The fact that such a game has occurred just three times in the storied history of the NBA speaks to how special the performance truly was and is. The way I see it, the fact that Rondo put up this type of showing in a big game and that in the scope of things every point and assist he earned were vital in his team winning, this game may be even more special because of how tight the score was.

Being able to watch this one live, the game Rondo put together ranks up there with any individual performance I can recall from recent memory. Rondo’s dominance on the scoreboard as well as his dominance of the tempo made watching his play enjoyable, even as a non-Boston fan, merely as a fan of the game and its merits. The game seemed to flow through him and everything he did worked, and he looked smooth. Whether it was a crafty drive to the basket or a well fed pass to a cutting teammate, Rondo could do no wrong and he showed that his talent is something to be marveled at. Until today I never saw Rajon Rondo as a superstar that could carry a team alone, but believe me, after today I’ll never be silly enough to think such a thought again.

Where Do You Rank Rondo’s Performance? What Happened To Jeremy Lin? Thoughts?

The New “Old-Look” Utah Jazz

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Glen G

When looking back at the history of any particular sports team, one can often pinpoint times in a team’s existence where one person (or a group of people) became synonymous with the franchise. Whether it be a great player like Magic Johnson (& his “Showtime Lakers”) or a legendary coach like Phil Jackson, the man becomes the face of his team. Great leaders make an unmistakable imprint on their teams and it shows in how they get their teammates (or players) to raise their level of play. One particular man who did this excellently was Jerry Sloan, Former Head Coach of The Utah Jazz.

Jerry Sloan began coaching the Jazz way back in 1988 and did so for an amazing 23 seasons; something that may well never happen again in today’s cutthroat sports world. In his time with Utah, Sloan became a stabilizing force for his team, a voice of reason and above all else he became the team’s unquestioned leader. Every game you could see Sloan on the sidelines actively engaging his players and letting the referee’s know when they botched a call. On several occasions Sloan would even be known to get into pushing matches with Refs who he believed blew big calls; that’s just how fiery the guy was. Sloan retired last season in a move that shocked everyone, including his own team (especially since he had just signed a deal to coach into the 2011-2012 season). The move came just a few weeks before the team moved star point guard (and franchise building block) Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets. The retirement of a legend and the departure of the team’s lone star in such a short time span made it seem apparent that the franchise was dedicating to rebuilding; but that may not be the case.

Truly great leaders like Jerry Sloan don’t just go away, they leave their mark. During his tenure with Utah, Sloan instilled a fight hard mentality into all the teams and players he coached, including the team now being guided by Sloan’s former assistant and Rookie Head Coach Tyrone Corbin. Watching the Jazz play Memphis this past Sunday (part of the ESPN NBA Triple-Header) I couldn’t help but experience major Déjà-Vu. Despite sporting a young roster, the Jazz looked and played much like the Sloan-Led teams of the 90’s; teams that bolstered the tandem of John Stockton & Karl Malone (two Hall of Famers). Today’s team may not have the star power of past squads but they sure are talented, and furthermore the values of team play and dedication to hard work that made those past teams tough to beat are still evident today; all that’s changed are the names on the jerseys. Young players like Enes Kanter, Alec Burks and Paul Millsap have stepped up their play while veterans such as Devin Harris (a former All-Star) and Jamaal Tinsley have come in and filled the leadership void. While watching the Jazz-Grizzlies game I came away impressed with how Utah had structured there team, playing through rising star Gordon Heyward predominately but integrating their big men into the game plan as well. Heyward’s ability to shoot off the screens by Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap as well as his ability to utilize the pick and roll and turn it into easy buckets made the Utah offense very tough to stop.

The Pick & Roll and Pick & Pop were staples of the Stockton-Malone offense, and they still work today as will they tomorrow; because they’re smart basketball plays. The Jazz are a very young team, but their growth will come quickly because of the culture Jerry Sloan instilled into this franchise. By playing through a proven system, drafting well and giving the talent time to grow (and mature) Utah is now in place to be a playoff team this season despite losing their franchise star and Hall of Fame Coach just one year ago (they currently sit at 14-13, 9^th in the West). It really is a testimony to resiliency and shows that a great leader never really retires because their values and ways will never be forgotten.

Are The Jazz Playoff Ready? Is Gordon Heyward a young Stockton? What do you think?

Celtics and Lakers

Posted on February 9, 2012 by wcornblatt

Any Boston fan is still reeling from the Patriots loss. If they say they aren’t, they’re lying to you. We all deal with our grieving process in our own way. Gronkowski apparently finds solace in dancing like Squidward, I choose to stay busy. And busy in the sports world tonight means Celtics-Lakers. Of all the rivalries, this is the most symbolic. Boston, the gritty and blue-collar city, versus Los Angeles, the weed-smoking actors who only like basketball when it’s fashionable. This, of course, isn’t true. Not every area of Boston is a Mark Wahlberg movie and Entourage isn’t the norm for LA. But for these cities, it’s as simple as stereotyping the other and running with it. It’s always been a culture clash. That’s part of what makes this an actual rivalry and not some created yearly matchup that yields a good game. I’m referring to you, Knicks.

The rivalry between LA and Boston has calmed down though. After a revival from 2008-2010, both teams have aged and left their cities with lackluster basketball. Last year meant early playoff exits for both the Lakers and Celtics. Both, in a weird way, are oddly intriguing this year, they’re underdogs. The league has changed, lob city (Clippers) has taken over Kobe’s land, and the Eastern Conference landscape barely includes the Celtics. There is something appealing about a veteran and cohesive team amongst jumbled lineups littered with superstars. Both Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant broke their respective teams’ scoring titles. I can’t sit here and write that these teams will be around late in the post-season. I have no faith in that statement, but what I can tell you is that tonight will be a great game. The Celtics ’08 Finals victory over the Lakers was one of the defining sports moments of my life. I watched a team that hadn’t had success since the early 90’s demolish an established powerhouse. The rivalry wasn’t just back, but it was flipped. And just when I thought the Celtics were going to continue their domination, the Lakers broke my heart in ’10. That come from behind loss was as devastating as the 39-point victory was exhilarating. The Celtics dominated the rivalry in the 60’s, but Magic outdid Bird by winning five championships compared to Bird’s three. That’s what a rivalry is, it’s ups and downs that leave you uncertain to the outcome no matter when they play. It’s making a game between two 7^th place teams on a Thursday night in the middle of the season a must-watch.