Despite having the privilege of being a sports columnist, when it comes to picking for any type of sports pools (NFL, NCAA, NBA), I typically hover near the bottom. I rarely even look at the standings. Coming up short is not the issue. It’s seeing the long list of people who finished ahead of me that chips away at my pride.
The problem is simple. Instead of simply picking who I think will emerge victorious, I have the bad habit of searching for upsets and underdogs that nobody else will pick. However, when the sleepers don’t pan out, I find myself well below the people who don’t watch sports and select based on jersey colors, family vacations or the ever-effective ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.’
My sports pool futility reminds me of the Los Angeles Clippers. When Chris Paul and Blake Griffin led the Clips to a fantastic 14-2 start to the NBA season, it was hard to go more than five minutes without seeing Paul in a State Farm commercial another NBA talking picking the Clippers as their sleeper team.
The Warriors and Spurs are the obvious favorites to emerge out of the Western Conference, but for some reason the Clippers team was the sexy pick to shock the league.
On paper, the Clippers field a fine team, one that should be capable of winning a championship. Paul is one of the best point guards in the league. Griffin is one of the most dynamic power forwards in the game. DeAndre Jordan is an elite rebounder and defender. The bench is deep and talented.
The Clippers have done the unthinkable and overtaken the Lakers as the premiere Los Angeles basketball franchise. However, the safest bets in basketball are that the Clippers will suffer key injuries and that they will be bounced from the first or second round of the playoffs.
The injury bug has already reared its ugly head. Griffin, who has only played 82 games once in his career, has missed 15 consecutive games after having arthroscopic knee surgery in December. Just as he nears return, Paul will miss six-to-eight weeks with a torn ligament in his left thumb. Both should return, but the Clippers team has lost its mojo and gone just 15-12 since its blazing start.
The team is currently on a seven-game winning streak, but it follows a six-game losing streak. Sorry, but the Clippers are too streaky and too fragile to shock the West. The Clippers are only sleepers because they always seem to go to bed early.
Tears for Melo
Phil Jackson is apparently ready for life without Carmelo Anthony. Multiple sources have reported that the Zenmaster has approached Anthony about waiving the no-trade clause in his contract. Despite billing itself as a ‘super team’ after acquiring Derrick Rose to play alongside Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, the 18-24 Knicks team has finally realized it is still very mediocre.
It appears that the front office would like to make Anthony the scapegoat of its woes and I’m not sure why. Anthony is the same offensively-minded, iso-loving player that he’s always been.
This season, Anthony is averaging 22.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game with a 19.3 player efficiency rating. Compare that last season where Anthony averaged 21.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists with a 20.3 PER.
Apparently Jackson is ready to part ways with Anthony and hand the keys to Porzingis. That in itself is not a bad idea since Porzingis is a superstar-in-the-making. Anthony though, a native New Yorker, went to an awful franchise and made the team relevant – at least for a while. He gave New York fans a superstar to root for.
Anthony has stated his intentions to remain in New York to play out his contract. Though he is frustrated with the drama, he is fiercely loyal to New York. If there Brooklyn Nets weren’t so terrible, it might make sense as a destination for Anthony since Brooklyn is his actual hometown. It’s doubtful though that Anthony would waive a no-trade clause to leave a mediocre team for a terrible one.
Anthony holds all the cards in the current standoff with Jackson. His current contract runs through the 2018-19 season. We know ‘Melo doesn’t mind running out the clock for a one-on-one matchup. Mismanagement in the New York Knicks front office is the one thing in the NBA that’s more predictable than the Clippers’ annual collapse. It’s not Anthony’s fault.
And the Oscar goes to…
I’ve tried to lay off criticizing LeBron James too much this season. For all the flack he gets in the media, James is one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of sneakers, a true champion and a stand up guy – well, when he’s not flopping all over the place.
As if the 35-point MLK Day showdown beatdown by the Golden State Warriors wasn’t ugly enough, James once again was nominated for “Flop of the Year.” James did his best Simone Biles impression and nearly did a triple somersault with a full twist after Draymond Green ran into him on a fast break during the second quarter of the game.
James is 6’8” and 250-plus-pounds of pure muscle, strength and athleticism. He is a freak of nature. There’s simply no way that the contact Green made would make James go airborne in the manner that he did. James then writhed in agony on the floor long enough for Green to get hit with a ‘Flagrant 1.’
James’ flopping is second-to-none in the NBA and only matched in professional soccer. Maybe James’ next great act will be to lead Tottenham or Newcastle United to a Premiere League title.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk
