Some Thursday Quick Hits
Musings on Luka Doncic, 4 Nations, All-Star Flops, Red Sox Drama, Cubs Laying An Egg & More...
I’m still trying to get rid of a bunch of sports thoughts that have been gathering dust ever since I got sick on Super Bowl Sunday.
Time to empty the notebook…
I’ve always really enjoyed the quick hits format a ton of renowned sports writers have adopted over the years, and I think the Boston Globe probably has the best collection of notes columns out there.
So, in that spirit, let’s rip through a torrent of sports thoughts covering a wide swathe of ground and a myriad of different topics…
🏀 I never got the opportunity to really talk about the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade due to getting sick at the worst possible time.
However, a couple of weeks removed from the trade that stunned the world, it still feels as fresh as ever. And I think that’s because the entire NBA is still in a collective state of shock. Despite not being involved in the All-Star festivities, Luka was still the talk of the town in the Bay Area.
Executives, coaches, players, reporters and fans are all still trying to process what exactly went down and, a couple of weeks on, I still can’t make any sense of it. I still have no idea why the Dallas Mavericks would trade away a generational talent.
Let’s be clear about this - Doncic isn’t just a great player, he’s one of the three best players on the planet. Period. He’s a five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, an NBA scoring champion and he was crowned the Western Conference Finals MVP in 2023-24. He also dragged the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last year.
Franchises wait eons for a player of Doncic god-given ability to arrive. And, when they do, you move heaven and earth to keep them. You don’t ship them out of town. And you certainly don’t accept the first offer that comes across your desk.
It will never make sense to me why Dallas opted to trade their franchise player. The concerns about the weight, the conditioning and some off-the-court habits are just folly. Despite not being in the best shape, Doncic has still risen to become one of the best three players on the entire planet. Heck, you could tell me that Luka was throwing down six quarter pounders a night and I’d still give him the super max extension.
But, what truly warps my brain is the fact that Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison didn’t even attempt to initiate an all-out bidding war. I understand that Harrison really, really, really wanted Anthony Davis based on the fact that the two have a long-standing relationship and that Harrison believes defense wins championships and Davis will make the Mavericks more of a contender this year. I mean, I don’t buy into any of that for a second, especially the contender part given that Davis got hurt in his Dallas debut. Why wouldn’t you offer Luka to the entire league, get the best package and then use some of the assets acquired to then go and acquire Davis? I’m sure a bounty of picks would have got the job done.
The Mavericks could - and should - have got a dynasty back in return for Luka. They had a once-in-a-lifetime trade asset and, instead of getting a Herschel Walker level return, settled for the first and only offer and essentially swapped a generational talent for an aging center who can’t stay on the floor, in addition to a couple of other minor pieces.
Please make it make sense.
All of the narratives that have been thrown out there just don’t pass the sniff test. I’m sorry, but they don’t.
You will never convince me that the Mavericks trading away a 25-year-old phenom, who hasn’t even hit his prime yet, was the right move. Dallas could win the Larry O’Brien Trophy over the next couple of years and I still won’t be convinced.
It is going to go down as an all-time dumb move. That’s quite the legacy for Harrison to have to carry around.
As for the Lakers, man, don’t the rich just get richer. And luckier. About to stumble into basketball wilderness having allowed LeBron James to run the franchise for the past few years, the Lakers instead fell into the ultimate gift from the basketball gods.
With Luka in town, the Lakers now have their franchise player to take over from LeBron and carry the entire organization for the next decade plus. LA can now build around Dončić and put together a perennial contender. Plus, having a legit star like Luka will help the Lakers to sell season tickets and continue to be a destination for Hollywood’s finest even once LeBron exits stage right.
I also really like the idea of pairing Luka up with LeBron. Who better than LeBron to help Dončić get more serious about his conditioning and get his body into the best shape possible? If a more motivated, highly-pissed off Luka can get into better shape and really reach that next level as he hits his prime, then watch out the rest of the NBA.
Although, I will say that, based on Wednesday night’s evidence, the Lakers aren’t close to being contenders this year. I think their best bet is to get to the summer, start building around Luka and making him the centerpiece of the team without the shadow of LeBron looming large over everything.
🏀 LeBron James ruling himself out of the All-Star Game just hours before tip-off was a dick move. Not only could he have done it earlier in the week, thus allowing an All-Star snub the opportunity to partake in the weekend’s festivities, but it just gave people yet another reason not to watch what has rapidly become a dumpster fire of an event.
🏀 I didn’t watch the NBA All-Star Game. I have zero interest in it. I watched the highlights just so I could know what I was talking about when sharing my thoughts. But the whole event has just descended into a hot steaming pile of garbage. The league has turned the entire weekend into a clown show, the players clearly don’t care, and there is zero entertainment value attached to NBA All-Star Weekend anymore.
All-Star Saturday Night, which used to be the marquee event of the entire weekend, has become a joke. As entertaining and as talented a dunker as Mac McClung is, he has hardly had a cup of coffee in the NBA. He’s a G-Leaguer. This is meant to be the NBA All-Star Game. Where are the league’s biggest and brightest stars?
And, as for the All-Star Game itself, I’m glad I didn’t tune in on Sunday. The new format looked a mess and, from the highlights (if you can call them highlights) I did watch, it just looked like an absolute snore-fest.
So, how do you fix the NBA All-Star Game? Honestly, at this point, I don’t think there are any easy fixes. I’m not sure following the NHL’s lead and having a North American vs. European matchup would work. What happens if there aren’t enough All-Stars to fill the European roster? Maybe you could make the final of the in-season tournament part of All-Star weekend to at least add some competitive juice to proceedings. I don’t know. But I think the biggest issue is the fact the players just don’t care or want to be there, and I’m not sure how you go about changing that. Until you have players buying in and prepared to at least give some effort, I’m afraid the NBA All-Star Game will remain a tough watch. The slew of breaks need to be eradicated too, because all the stopping and starting drained any energy and momentum out of the game itself.
🏒 At least the NHL has got it right. The 4 Nations Face-Off has been a resounding success. And then some. The entire tournament has been so fun to watch and the highlight so far was that electric showdown between Team USA and Team Canada on Saturday night.
Talk about an all-time doozy.
Three fights in the first 10 or seconds of the game really set the tone for what was to come, with Team USA eventually coming out on top. The entire game was compelling with every player involved clearly giving a shit and putting their bodies on the line for their country. Several players have picked up injuries but are determined to play through them and risk missing some time during the regular season because this tournament means that much to them. A sharp contrast from what we witnessed from NBA players over the weekend.
The 4 Nations Face-Off has been a much-needed shot in the arm for the NHL too. The entire sporting world will be watching the highly-anticipated Championship game between the United States and Canada on Thursday night, a rematch that could draw more numbers than a Stanley Cup Final game. Just incredible. And I bet there will be some casual fans who will end up tuning in to random NHL games over the weekend off the back of this tournament, and that can only be a good thing for the league and the game of hockey overall.
The 4 Nations tournament is literally helping to grow the game, and we’re seeing levels of interest in the sport and in the NHL that we’ve never, ever seen before. Hopefully that carries over for the remainder of the regular season and into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The league needs some fresh eyes and new blood, and hopefully Thursday night will help a new generation of fans to fall in love with the sport and to eventually become passionate followers of the NHL.
🏒 Man, I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am for tonight. I am going to be so locked in. I’ve not been this excited for a mid-season hockey game in quite some time. And this is coming from someone who watches a ton of regular season hockey. The most exciting thing about tonight’s blockbuster showdown is that I really don’t know who will win. Team Canada will be looking for revenge and they have the talent, but the United States are loaded and they seem to be playing with a real chip on their shoulder.
No matter who wins, it is going to be must-watch viewing.
🇨🇦 How about this stat - prior to losing to Team USA on Saturday, Canada was 26-0 with Sidney Crosby in a Canadian jersey. Unreal.
🏒 The Tkachuk brothers are so good for the game of hockey and its overall popularity. Matthew and Brady approach and play the game the right way, and they are going to be fired up on Thursday night. I wouldn’t be at all shocked if they both drop the gloves at some point.
As a Devils fan, I would love to have either of the Tkachuk brothers on my team. They are the type of players you love when they are wearing your jersey, but absolutely detest when they are playing for the opposition. They are both absolute pests and a welcome throwback to the tough, hard-nosed glory days of hockey.
🏒 The All-Star Game isn’t going anywhere for the NHL. It will be back next year at UBS Arena - home of the New York Islanders - and I think we will eventually reach a point where the All-Star Game, the Olympics and a World Cup of Hockey all alternate on a year-to-year basis. I think the likely format will be the All-Star Game and the Olympics next year, followed by the World Cup of Hockey a couple of years after that, and so forth. And the more teams that can be involved in the World Cup of Hockey, the better. After all, it doesn’t feel right not having Russia at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
I also think having the All-Star Game every other year will only add more relevance to the weekend. The NHL’s mid-season event is probably the second-best All-Star weekend behind MLB’s Midsummer Classic, and players will probably be more engaged now they are getting their wish of having international hockey tournaments in-between.
⚾️ All this All-Star Game talk just further underlines the fact that the Midsummer Classic has the best format of all the All-Star events. The Home Run Derby is always a captivating event to watch, and the actual MLB All-Star Game itself is as close to an actual game of baseball as you can get. The players actually try and you don’t really see anyone mailing it in. It’s as competitive as an All-Star Game could possibly be.
The only change I would make to the Midsummer Classic would for it to be played over a weekend, as opposed to during the week. I understand owners don’t want to have to give up a weekend and lose out on revenue, but maybe adding a couple of additional sponsors to the All-Star Game would help to refund those potential losses. After all, I think you would have more people tune in if the Home Run Derby was on a Saturday night, followed by the All-Star Game on a Sunday afternoon, especially with nothing really else going on sports-wise during that time of the year. Just a thought.
⚾️ Speaking of baseball, spring training games finally start today with the Cubs taking on the Dodgers. I can’t wait to see what Kyle Tucker looks like in a Chicago jersey, and I have a long list of prospects I’m really excited to watch throughout spring training.
⚾️ A number of teams disappointed me this offseason with their inactivity, and the Cubs are near the top of the list. It makes no sense why they wouldn’t go all out for Alex Bregman after trading for Tucker. Acquiring Tucker was a win-now move, and signing Bregman too would have made the Cubs a formidable force. Instead, I see that team as a flawed one with lots of holes still to fill.
⚾️ There appears to be some drama brewing in Red Sox land. Rafael Devers is basically refusing to play anywhere but third base. That’s a problem because Boston have just signed the aforementioned Bregman, who is an excellent defensive third baseman and a clear upgrade on Devers at the hot corner. I mean, Devers is not a good defensive third baseman at all. He’s the only third baseman in MLB history to lead his position in errors seven years in a row (2018-2024). That takes some doing. And Devers’ minus-34 OAA (Outs Above Average) since 2020 is the worst mark among qualified third basemen.
So, logic would tell you that Bregman should be the Red Sox’s third baseman and, if Devers doesn’t like it, he can either shut up and DH, or he can go and play elsewhere. Ultimately, I think it will all work out but the idea of a Devers trade would certainly add some excitement to spring training.
⚾️ I don’t get the Blue Jays not giving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. the money he wants. That organization can’t tempt outside stars to come and play for them, and now they are going to let a homegrown star walk out of the door next offseason? If that were to happen, then I think Toronto can wave goodbye to the possibility of ever becoming a big-time destination for notable free agents.
As for Vlad, he will certainly have his pick of teams to choose from in free agency, and I’d say the Yankees, Mets, Mariners and Red Sox should all be right at the front of that queue.