In evaluating the Lakers, Bill Plaschke noted that one of the reasons for their record is that the ultra-talented Anthony Davis “doesn’t play like a big man” — at least offensively.
Conversely, a big reason for the Clippers’ success without Kawhi Leonard was the play of former Laker Ivica Zubac, who is fourth in the NBA in rebounding. The Lakers let go of 7-footer Mike Muscala (who?) early in 2019. I imagine AD would be happy to have a 27 year old playing center Zubac next to him and the Lakers would be over 50 years old. the team would have won if they hadn’t made this ill-advised trade.
Ken Feldman
Tarzan
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Isn’t it time the Lakers got rid of Rob Pelinka and brought in the perfect general manager to help rebuild the team: Bob Myers?
He moved to LA earlier this year and I’m sure he would jump at the chance to take on the challenge.
Larry Stern
Westlake Village
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Kudos to Bill Plaschke for writing what needs to be done. Trade LeBron James while he has trade value and dump Rob Pelinka. LeBron destroyed the franchise while Pelinka fulfilled his every wish. There’s no doubting his basketball skills, but he’s not a GM. Pelinka only got the GM job because he was Kobe Bryant’s agent/friend. It is long overdue to start rebuilding.
Tent Shirai
Torrance
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It has to be coach JJ Redick’s fault, just as it was Mike Brown, Bernie Bickerstaff, Mike D’Antoni, Byron Scott, Luke Walton, Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham. Hey Jeanie Buss, did I forget someone?
Jonathan Curtiss
Sherman Oaks
Trojan defections
With all the potential USC no-shows in the Las Vegas Bowl, I bet Lincoln Riley might have to suit up.
David Marshall
Santa Monica
Raising the stakes
I can certainly see why UCLA gave athletic director Martin Jarmond a raise when the Bruins won the NCAA water polo championship last week.
On the men’s basketball side of things, Cronin’s club went 16-17 last year, and have you noticed all the empty seats this season?
In football, UCLA finished 5-7 and was 117th in total offense.
Yes, the salary increase was in order.
Fred Wallin
Westlake Village
Leaders Pac
The Pac-12 is now the Pac-2, but it’s a legacy as the “Conference of Champions” was revisited this weekend.
Long dismissed as a “soft, less competitive” conference that allowed only late-night TV viewing, Pac-12 seniors Oregon and Arizona State secured highly coveted first-round byes in the College Football Playoff — so much for alleged overwhelming dominance. conferences mostly east of the Mississippi.
Oregon and ASU continue the Pac-12’s luster as the “Conference of Champions” by being two of the four champions of what are now called the Power-Four conferences.
Tom Trumpler
Camarillo
The tide is rolling out
If Alabama wanted the final college playoff slot, it shouldn’t hit Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Missouri to expand the SEC. If you can’t win your own conference, then you have no chance of winning the NCAA Championship.
Same goes for UCLA and USC, the traitors who destroyed the Pac-12 and are now doomed to battle for seventh place every year in the Big Ten. Maybe they win the title every 20 years.
The Pac-12 should be restored as a 12-team conference, along with the Big East, Big Eight and Southwest Conference, each with a smaller number of teams that could win the title more often.
Each of those champions would get an automatic bid and not have to plead how, as the third or fourth best team in their conference, they somehow deserve to be picked for the playoffs.
Jay Ross
West Los Angeles
Miserable mediocrity
Like other owners, if Arte Moreno spent like a drunken sailor, electrified the Angels and their fans, felt the agony of defeat or the joy of the Angels in the playoffs and the World Series, he becomes the guy who gave his all, not the guy who earned billions on average.
Richie Locasso
Hemet
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