The Spinelessness Of Major League Baseball

Today the suspensions in the MLB Biogenesis investigation were handed down.  12 players were suspended for 50 games, including some prominent players on contending teams.  But the big fish, Alex Rodriguez, was suspended for the remainder of this season and through the 2014 season.  Many, including MLB themselves, are crowing about the success of drug testing and coming down hard on offenders within the league.  However, every fan of professional baseball should be furious at yet another opportunity lost due to the spinelessness of Bud Selig and the commissioner's office.

From everything the public has been told, Alex Rodriguez, an admitted steroid user from 2001-03, not only was a client of Biogenesis, but recruited players to the facility, and once the investigation began, did his best to obstruct the inquiry to the best of his ability.

For weeks we have heard that MLB has been in negotiations with Rodriguez on a suspension settlement.  It seems that MLB's major concern is Rodriguez appealing the suspension and having the matter heard by an arbitrator, and if a settlement is agreed upon with him, they can avoid arbitration all together.  They successfully negotiated a similar suspension agreement with All Star Ryan Braun earlier this summer.

But my question, and the question every baseball fan should be asking is, why is MLB negotiating AT ALL with A-Rod?

This is not a situation where there are alleged violations, in which players can mitigate their punishments by negotiating, or MLB can forgo a possible publicity nightmare by the player being vindicated through arbitration.  MLB supposedly has mountains of evidence against Rodriguez, as well as other players.  This is the reason that Braun agreed to a settlement rather than continue his Lance Armstrong type defiance.

To negotiate with Rodriguez just helps Rodriguez, not MLB.

What they should have done, and if the commissioner had any backbone, would be suspend Rodriguez for life.

He is a repeat offender who cheated and defiantly attempted to cover it up.  With all of the evidence they have against him, there is no reason why MLB shouldn't have made an example out him and kicked him out of the league for good.  This would be a huge deterrent for other players that if they are caught there will be major consequences.

As it stands now Rodriguez will take a year off and be allowed to return to the field to collect the remaining millions on his astronomical contract.  Some penalty.  If I were an up and coming player (and didn't care about my future health and the integrity of the game) I wouldn't see any reason NOT to take PED's, "earn" myself a massive contract, and if I get caught, oh well.  I go on a little vacation and return to collect 85-90% of my huge contract.

And why should MLB fear going to arbitration with Rodriguez?  They should welcome it.  They will be able to present all of the evidence they have against him and force Rodriguez to defend himself.  They should be thrilled if he challenges any suspension to open up the process and show what a blatant cheater he is and how the sport will not stand for it.

Unfortunately MLB has wimped out yet again, and has done nothing to preserve the long term validity of the game.

Shame on you Bud Selig.

And in case you're scoring at home:

Betting on baseball (Pete Rose) or accused of fixing games (Joe Jackson) - Lifetime ban

Being a brazen cheater and liar who spits in the face of the league that has given him millions - 211 games suspension.

Bravo MLB, Bravo.

It's Time For A Replay Umpire In MLB

At this point I'm sure every baseball fan has seen the home run that wasn't in Wednesday night's game between the Oakland A's and the Cleveland Indians.  Adam Rosales of the A's hit a home run that should have tied the score in the top of the 9th inning, however it was ruled a double on the field.  After a lengthy review that clearly showed the ball clearing the fence, the umpires still got the call wrong allowing the Indians to hold on to for a 4-3 win.

This is not the first time umpires have blown a call, and it certainly won't be the last.  But as I argued in my last post, it's time for Major League Baseball to stop kowtowing to umpires and embrace the available technology in today's society and get the calls right.

Every year the talk of expanding replay swirls, but MLB has been the one major sport to be hesitant about fully enforcing it.  As of now the only reviewable play is whether a ball clears the fence or not.  This reluctance is fueled by purists who insist the game will be harmed if the "human element" i.e. the umpires, are taken out of the game.  This argument is pure lunacy when the prerogative of MLB and the umpires should be to get the call right.

But as we saw Wednesday night, even with replay, umpires can still get a call wrong despite clear, indisputable evidence.

To correct this issue MLB should institute a review umpire who is capable of reviewing key plays during a game, such as if a ball is fair or foul, a home run or not, as well as base running calls.  The umpires should still be employed to make the calls on the field, including balls and strikes (which shouldn't be reviewable) but these specific plays should be reviewed by the review umpire, and if a play was called incorrectly, he can buzz down to the field immediately to have it overturned.

In addition a replay umpire will negate long delays in the game for reviews, as seen in Wednesday's game, which is often sighted by those opposed to replay review.

This will also give the teams and fans more transparency into how these calls are made.  As Oakland manager Bob Melvin said after the game, he had no idea what angles the umpires were looking at let alone what device they were using to view the play in question.  As it is right now the umpires disappear into the bowels of the stadium to look at the replays.  Even the NFL has the intelligence to keep their officials on the field during their reviews, in full sight of the teams and fans.

Despite there being 162 games in a season, every game does count.  We only need to look to last season in the American League West, which was decided on the last day of the season to prove this point.  This one game may come back to haunt Oakland, which would be tragic.

This seems like an obvious fix, but seeing the massive ego's of MLB umpires, coupled with a commissioner who lacks any guts to expand replay, it may take a lot more than a blown game in early May to get the ball rolling on real and long overdue change to America's pastime.

Putting The NBA's Review System Under Review

Scenes like this must stop

One of the great things about sports is its constant evolution.  As times change so do the games.  Teams are added and rules are changed or altered to make the games better, not only for the players, but for the fans.

Probably the greatest innovation to alter sports is the use of instant replay.  With the advanced technology we now possess, fans can now see right away if a call on the field, court or ice was missed or justified.  It only seemed rational that this same technology could be used by game officials to make sure calls, especially those that could change the outcome of a game, are correct.

All sports now have some kind of review for certain plays, and every year the use of replay seems to expand.  But by far the most frustrating and illogical use of replay can be found in the NBA.

Like most sports, an NBA game has constant swings of momentum.  One team will go on a huge run only to have the opponent come right back with a run of their own.  Coaches even strategize and use timeouts in an attempt to move momentum to their respective side.  These swings not only affect the teams involved but the fans as well.  Emotions run high during professional games, and having the home crowd behind a team can give them an extra push to take their game to a higher level, in addition to making the game more entertaining to the fans at home.

However, the system for review that the NBA employs destroys all of this.

Replay in the NBA is limited to buzzer beaters, determining if a shot is a two or three point field goal, assessing flagrant fouls and to correct time issues.  The three referees suspend play once there is a stoppage and go to the scorers table to look at the suspect play on a monitor to decide on the correct call.  The unfortunate thing about this is the massive time delay this causes, the break in flow it creates, and advantage it can create for one of the teams.

We are seeing this more and more in the playoffs this year, where a ball goes out of bounds, the clock runs a little long, and there is more than a five minute delay while the officials huddle to decide how many tenths of a second to add to the game clock.  This causes a team that may be hot to suddenly cool off.  It rewards a team that may have used all of their timeouts to have an additional huddle, allowing the coach to draw up a game plan for the rest of the game.  It causes all of the excitement to be drained from the fan base while they sit and wait.  There is nothing more exciting than the last few minutes of a game, and this system demolishes everything that makes those last few minutes exciting.

So what can be done?

We only need to look to the NHL (yes, hockey!) to see the way all major sports should conduct their reviews.

In the NHL every goal is reviewed.  That's right, EVERY goal for EVERY game is reviewed.  This is done through a "command center" in Toronto that watches every game being played.  If a goal is scored that is questionable, the review is underway before the celebration by the scoring team is even over.  The on ice official is immediately notified by Toronto and play is delayed while this review takes place.  The review rarely lasts five minutes and the call on the ice is confirmed or overturned.  The referee's don't huddle and don't pull out a tv to watch the play over and over.  They merely put on a headset and wait for the decision.  And if there is a clock issue, that problem is resolved  by off ice officials within a matter of seconds as well.

By utilizing off ice officials for these specific issues that may come up, the NHL is not only getting the play right, but preserving the flow of the game for everyone involved.

There is no reason while the NBA and other major sports can't do the same.  The on court/field officials aren't the only ones who are qualified to make these calls.  And to destroy the tempo of a game for something that can be done in an instant by an official in a press box is just inexcusable.  There are official timekeepers at games, why aren't they correcting the clock issues?  If a shot is a three when it was called a two on the court, why can't an official quickly review it and correct the score during the next stoppage without causing an additional delay?  These leagues already have official scorers, so why not employ an "official reviewer"?

The answer seems so simple, yet there still is a stigma within the officiating community that exists when it comes to replay review.  A lot has to do with the egos of the officials, not wanting to have their calls overturned by someone other than themselves.  Many want to keep the human element alive within these sports, as if that is a justification for not getting a call right.  But the bottom line should be what is best for the game, the players and the fans.

Although the NBA's current review format may lead to the right calls, the system itself is just wrong.

The Money Behind The Announcement

The announcement from Jason Collins that he is the first active, openly gay professional athlete has caused a media circus.  Some people have voiced their opposition (like the vile comments from ESPN's Chris Broussard), but most, especially those in the sporting community, have expressed support and gratitude for this brave admission.  It must be an awful feeling to hide who you are for 30+ years, and an exhilarating feeling to finally be free from this burden.  Collins deserves all the praise that is being given.  To come out in a society where homosexuality is still being discriminated against, and to become the face of a movement that hopefully many will follow, is a type of courage that I'll never know.

That being said, there is another angle to look at this historic announcement, that being from the business side.  Because after all, basketball is a business.  There are three entities that have a business interest in this decision: The NBA, one of the 30 NBA teams, and Collins himself.

JASON COLLINS

Collins is a 34 year old center, who has played 12 years in the NBA and is without a team.  He began last year with the Boston Celtics, but was traded as an expiring contract to the Washington Wizards (an expiring contract is a player who is obtained because their contact is about to expire, thus wiping their salary off the obtaining teams books) and is now a free agent.  Collins has never been a great player in the NBA.  He had a wonderful high school career, and was one of the best in the nation in college.  But he came into the league when the center position was going out of style.  He's never averaged more than 7 points in a season, and at 34, is seen as a senior citizen as far as the NBA is concerned.

All of that has now changed with his coming out.  He has put the NBA in an odd position where a team may feel it a necessity to give him a contract despite his age and lack of ability, just to appease the public and support his decision.  While he most likely would have been out of a job a few days ago, Collins may find himself in a bidding war for his services.  This is not to say that his announcement was meant to prolong his career, but it may be a byproduct, and certainly debated by him and his inner circle.  And if so, good for him.  If he can manipulate the system to his benefit that would be wonderful.  After all, the system uses players year in and year out.  Plus, it would be an amazing thing for Collins to serve as a role model on the court for other athletes who are struggling with their identity.

NBA TEAMS

As stated above, most teams didn't have Jason Collins on their radar before Monday.  But now Collins his a massive blip on that radar.  He has become a figure who's reach goes far beyond the sports world.  And with this it opens the league, and more specifically a team, to an entirely new fan base.  This can be immensely lucrative for a team taking a flyer on Collins.  We only need to look back a few years with Tim Tebow to see the effects one transcendent player can have on a team.  Tebow, despite his lack of ability, became a national figure due to his fierce religious beliefs, bringing devout religious individuals to the game of football and his team, the Denver Broncos.  He and the Broncos prospered  due to media attention and memorabilia sales.  There is no question this same thing will happen if a team decides to sign Collins.  And I see no reason why a team wouldn't.  There are 30 teams in the league, and despite what they may say, many know they have no chance to compete for a championship next season.  Because of this there is no question one of these lesser teams will attempt to sign Collins to reap the financial windfall that will come with him.  The endorsements, the jersey sales, and the love of the LGBT community will all come along with Collins.  Many will come to basketball for the first time, and will root for whatever team Collins belongs to.

NBA

The NBA has developed a reputation for inclusion.  They employ every type of athlete: tall, short, white, black, American, foreign, etc.  They even employ female officials, the first professional league to allow this.  But on recent social issues they have a history of being at the forefront.  When Magic Johnson announced he was HIV positive in 1991, the NBA stood by him.  Despite questions and criticism by some of their stars, the NBA never wavered, even allowing Johnson to play in that years all star game.  They helped humanize the disease, that up to that point was stigmatized and widely misunderstood.  The NBA backed Johnson through some comeback attempts and helped to educate not only their players, but the public.

Now they are taking on another polarizing social issue, and so far, have been amazing.  They have expressed inclusion in the past when it comes to homosexuality and a zero tolerance when it comes to discrimination, just recently fined superstar Kobe Bryant for using a gay slur directed at an official.  The league has praised Collins for his bravery and I have no doubt they will continue to support him through this process.  They know that they are building a reputation of diversity and acceptance, and with that reputation comes publicity and revenue.  This is not to imply that the league is doing this just for financial gain, but the Collins announcement does benefit their pocketbooks.

From any angle it's viewed, Collins' announcement benefits everyone except for those close minded, intolerant individuals who can't accept change.  And I'm sure there will be whimpering from these people in the days and weeks to come.  But this is an historic event, and I hope that Collins will be allowed to continue this journey next season on an NBA court.  That way he can feel the love and respect from NBA fans around the country every game.  Which is all any person, gay or straight, would want.

It's Time To End The Dwight Howard Era

In watching Dwight Howard slink off the court after his 3rd period ejection Sunday, which finally put to bed this atrocious Lakers season, one thought entered my mind:

Keep walking.

Howard is set to sign a max deal with the Lakers worth $118 million dollars this offseason.  The Lakers are clearly looking to him to be the centerpiece of the team for years to come.  But Howard has shown nothing this year, either on the court or off, that he is worthy of this type of money or this type of role within a franchise, let alone the greatest franchise in the sport.  The Lakers should take another look at this going forward and realize that Howard will not improve this team and his financial hit will actually harm them for years to come.  They should instead let him go.

Howard blew into town with all the hype in the world.  After a tumultuous offseason of rumors, Howard finally landed with a team that he seemed destined to play for.  The Lakers have a storied history of big men, and Howard looked the part to be next in line.  But once the games started, all the hype dissipated.

Howard looked uninterested, rarely trying or exerting himself.  He seemed to take plays off, and was not the dominate force he had been in Orlando.  While some of this most likely is the lingering results of off season back surgery, it continued for the entire season.  He'd show flashes of what he could do, but then revert back to his old self.  Despite this there were other clues that this experiment was on the road to failure.

Howard was lost most of the time on the floor, unable to find positioning where he could use his strength.  When he did receive the ball down low, he had no idea what to do with it, often times turning the ball over to smaller guards.  His basketball IQ is that of a high schooler, flustered when his 2 go to moves were taken away.  He spoke all season about being a leader, yet when the time came to lead after Kobe Bryant's year ended in injury, he went right back into his shell, posting terrible numbers against San Antonio before his game 4 ejection.  Some leader.

Regardless of these facts it still seems a forgone conclusion that he will sign with the Lakers.  But why?

Howard is still categorized as a center.  When most of us think of a center, we think of a big body posting up down low, backing defenders in, and crashing the boards with determination.  But this is not the current NBA.  There are only a handful of players who meet these criteria.  Most teams play a small, running game that a stereotypical big man would hinder.  You just need to look to defending champions Miami, who owns the best record in the league, who sometimes play a lineup with LeBron James at "center".  Even the NBA has acknowledged the shift, removing the "center" position from its all star ballot.

The Lakers decision would be different if Howard played like Shaquille O'Neal, who was an unstoppable force on the court who you could depend on when it mattered.  That player still would have a role in today's NBA, and would dominate as well.  This is not Howard.  And with the league becoming faster and more skill oriented, why invest in a player who has shown he is unwilling to improve or bring anything to the table other than his big body?

The other downside to the Lakers maxing out Howard will be the loss of Pau Gasol, either by trade or amnesty release.  The Lakers will need to shed salary, and Gasol is the logical man out due to his salary of almost $20 million.  Gasol is an extremely talented player who still has years left.  He is not a player that a franchise can build around, but he is a skilled star and a wonderful supporting player.  He unfortunately got stuck with a coach this year who had no idea of how to utilize his immense  talents, and was relegated to a bit player on the team.  With D'Antoni set to return (at this point at least) it would seem Gasol has no future with the Lakers, which is a shame.

There is no question Howard has talent.  But it seems that after all of these years, he just doesn't have the work ethic or the fortitude to improve or be the face of a team.  Leaders don't turn the ball over time and time again.  Leaders don't shy away from adversity.  Leaders don't get ejected from a do or die playoff game, leaving their undermanned team to fend for themselves.

The Lakers should explore a sign and trade deal with Howard in order to get some pieces back, and if that can not come to fruition, you let him walk.  The Lakers can endure another season of subpar play as they look forward to the free agent smorgasbord of the 2014 off season.  Assuming the Lakers do not sign Howard, they will only have Steve Nash on the books (and who knows if his body will allow him to stay around that long).  And look at these names who will be free agents.  The Lakers will still be "The Lakers" and will have the cap room, the history, and a leadership role to draw some big names Westward.

This all starts with the front office having the nerve to admit this Howard experiment did not work out, which I doubt they will do.  But here's hoping they open their eyes and realize what is best for future of the franchise and just like Sunday, allow Howard to keep walking.

The Celebration Of Failure

For years Lakers fans have poked and prodded Clippers fans for celebrating their teams minor achievements and wishful thinking.  You beat the Lakers?  Hang a banner!  You made the playoffs?  Let's get ready for the parade!  The Lakers faithful have always expected greatness, and anything less is looked at as a failure.  Clippers fans have had to endure this swagger again and again, knowing they really had no legitimate comeback to these taunts.

That is until Wednesday night.

After needing 81 games (and some help from the Utah Jazz) to even make the playoffs, the Lakers managed to eek out a win against the Houston Rockets to secure the seventh seed in the Western Conference.  When the final buzzer sounded, public address announcer Lawrence Tanter informed the crowd that the Lakers were now seventh in the West and will be heading to San Antonio to play the Spurs in the opening round.  This announcement was met with cheers and applause.

Huh?!

That night and the following day facebook's, twitter's and numerous articles were written pumping up this Lakers team, thrilled that they got the seven seed and even predicting not only a first round upset, but a deep playoff run.

My how times have changed.

The fact that Lakers fans are looking at this scenario as a positive is incredible.  In just one horribly inefficient, lackluster year, their expectations have fallen faster than the Lakers championship odds.

I understand trying to stay positive and rooting for your team through thick and thin, but what is it that is causing this rush to coronate this team besides unrealistic optimism?

They are without the heart and soul of their team, Kobe Bryant, after he put the franchise on his back and willed the Lakers to the finishline.  Unfortunately he wasn't able to make it there himself after being run into the ground by his head coach, who despite the fact a blind man could see he was ailing, refused to sit Bryant for even one play against Golden State.  I know LeBron James has had an incredible year on an incredible team, but in my mind Bryant is the league MVP.  There is no way the Lakers even sniff the playoffs if it weren't for his heroics game in and game out.  What he has done at 34 years of age is remarkable.  And seeing him literally leave everything on the floor against the Warriors, making two clutch free throws with a torn achilles then limping off the court, just seals it.

They are also dealing with an injured Steve Nash, who even if he plays during the San Antonio series, will not be 100%.  Nash may not be the player he once was, but I'm sure every Lakers fan would feel much more comfortable with the ball in his hands as opposed to Steve Blake's.  Even if he were 100%, is there anyone out there who even remotely thinks Nash could slow down Tony Parker defensively?  Anyone?  Bueller?

The first round also find the great Greg Popovich matching wits with the arrogance and ineptitude of Mike D'Antoni.  There are those who may be looking at the April 14 game in which the Lakers pulled off the win against the Spurs, but this is a red herring.  Popovich always coaches for the post season, resting his players when needed, and turns the dial down once seeding has been determined.  D'Antoni is STILL trying to figure out hs team.  His substitution patters are all over the place, he still has no clue how to use Pau Gasol and his absence of any defensive philosophy allows teams to run through the Lakers like water down a drain.  He's had 73 games to get this figured out, so using a lack of a training camp as an excuse is no longer valid.

This leaves us with a team who has no identity and no direction.  Dwight Howard is playing his best basketball, but he has weak fundamentals and the basketball IQ of a high schooler, the product of years of codling through the AAU circuit.  He constantly finds himself out of position offensively and will be a liability at the free throw line.  Pau Gasol is starting to find some direction, but is still a soft player who cannot be depended upon to come through when it matters.  Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks are still Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks.

Certainly the Lakers have a shot at succeeding in the playoffs.  They only need to look to their Staples co-tenants the Kings last year, as they went from the eighth seed to winning the Stanley Cup.  But the difference between the Lakers and that Kings team are the defined positions, excellent coaching, and a red hot player who carried the Kings during their run.  Basketball is not hockey.  The Lakers have shot 37%, missed countless 3 point shots and had immeasurable mental lapses the past few games.  You can not advance in the playoffs with those type of statistics.

Sure the Lakers may pull out a game or two against San Antonio, but anyone who is expecting more is fooling themselves.  A seventh seed in the West for the Lakers should not be looked at as some form of success, but as the failure it actually is.  Lakers fans are smarter than that.

Or are they?

Back To The Future?

After a handful of games into the new season, and hoping to keep a star player from leaving, the Lakers decided it was time for a coaching change.  The ownership had a coach in mind, but after that choice balked, they settled on a run and gun coach who hadn't won anything in the NBA.

The year wasn't 2012, but 1981.  The Lakers had had enough of Paul Westhead, and six games into the season, fired him to appease Magic Johnson.  They attempted to bring in Jerry West as coach, but after he refused, hired Pat Riley, who took the team to 4 titles in 7 years.

Sounds familiar, right?

It remains to be seen if the newly hired Mike D'Antoni can recreate the magic that Riley brought to L.A.  But that is what the Buss family is hoping for after negotiations with Phil Jackson broke down over the weekend.

Information continues to trickle out as to what exactly happened over these crazy 3 days, and I'm sure we will never know the whole story.  Here's what we do know:  After 5 games, the Mike Brown experiment was a neon sign of failure.  The Lakers, realizing they needed to change, fired Brown early Friday and immediately began discussions with Phil Jackson to come back (again!) as head coach.  From literally every news source it wasn't an "if" but "when" Jackson would return to the sidelines.  That was until late Sunday, when after winning their third game of the season, the Lakers announced they had hired D'Antoni.

Will this hire usher in "Showtime 2.0"?

So what went wrong?

From what we're hearing Jackson's demands were more than the Lakers were willing to stomach.  He wanted his previous salary (10-15 million a year), say so in personnel decisions, the opportunity to groom his successor (paying forward the triangle offense), travel restrictions for his ailing body, and an ownership stake in the team.  Just looking at this on its face these demands seem beyond outrageous, until you realize IT'S PHIL JACKSON!!!  He is the greatest coach of all time, and last I checked, the Lakers haven't sniffed the finals without him since they magically made the finals in 1991.  Sure he was asking for a lot, but with 11 titles, 5 of those coming in L.A. over the last 12 years, he sure had leverage.  TWICE the Lakers have not only kicked him hard to the curb, but tried to erase all existence of him within the organization.  So who can blame him for wanting some job security, and security after his coaching days are over?  The Lakers willingly gave Magic Johnson a piece of the team after bringing 5 titles to Los Angeles, why not provide that to Phil after his 5 titles?

Personally, I believe the bigger problem is Jackson's relationship with the Buss family (excluding his girlfriend Jeanie, of course).  There is clearly no trust there, and why would Jackson go back to a situation that has ended horribly twice before without having security?  The Buss', not wanting to completely capitulate to Jackson, turned away and immediately hired D'Antoni, which came as a shock to everyone, including Jackson.  This isn't the way you conduct negotiations with a party you truly respect.

The other issue, and one that Los Angeles, and Lakers fans as a whole need to come to terms with, is that this is Jimmy Buss' team now.  I believe that Jerry Buss isn't doing well healthwise, and that is the reason we haven't heard from him in years.  Hearing Jerry sound off on his teams situation, gambling at Hollywood Park or Commerce Casino, or parading around town with his army of 20 year olds has become commonplace around L.A.  But that has been missing lately.  The last I heard anything relating to Jerry Buss he was experience blood clots in his legs.  And that was about 3 years ago.  It seems to me complete control has already been given to Jimmy, and the organization isn't saying anything regarding Jerry purely for public relations purposes.  The name Jerry Buss carries a lot of weight in the city, and if a decision is seen as having his blessing it usually isn't second guessed.  This allows Jimmy to ease into the ownership roll permanently without the foreseeable blowback from the public.  Jimmy doesn't get along with Phil, and the noticeable absence of Jeanie around the team speaks volumes to this.  It's a new ear in Lakerland.  It's time we accept it.

The new boss.  It remains to be seen if he'll be more Jerry Buss than Jerry Jones

But what does all of this mean for the Lakers moving forward?

Of course the main goal is to win, and win now.  But above that their main objective this season is to resign Dwight Howard.  Howard has had well documented feuds with coaches in the past, and like most players in his generation, seems entitled and wants to win right away no matter what.  He publicly endorsed bringing in Jackson, and it remains to be seen how D'Antoni and his philosophy will mesh with Howard's strengths.  D'Antoni will have to alter his run and gun style, as the Lakers don't have young legs or any semblance of a bench to achieve his "7 seconds or less" offense.  He's also not a defensive coach at all, but maybe bringing in Nate McMillan will help with that.  The wild card in this is Steve Nash.  He has a history with D'Antoni, and he will clearly be initiating the offense now that the Princeton offense has mercifully been put to bed.  Will he be able to get everyone the ball, and keep egos happy and in check?  Can he stay healthy once he returns from a broken leg?  Will D'Antoni be able to limit his minutes so he's fresh for the playoffs?

I feel that the D'Antoni decision was a knee jerk hire after walking away from the Jackson negotiations.  The Lakers wanted to appease the fans and contain blowback from failing to hire the one coach that made sense and everyone wanted.  They will try to sell the D'Antoni hire as "Showtime 2.0", waxing nostalgic of the glory days of the 80's.  And maybe they're right.  Maybe this will be a blessing in disguise.  Maybe D'Antoni will break through and have the success Pat Riley did 30 years ago.  But for a franchise starving for a title, things better turn around quick or else Jimmy Buss will be completely exposed.

Jimmy fooled us once with his Mike Brown hire.  But if bypassing the greatest coach in NBA history for another gut hire does not work out, Lakers fans will be much less forgiving.