Lee Hamilton
7:37 PM (2 hours ago)

-0-

“NHL-About to Become Rich-But Where?”

-0-

We are headed to July. Blazing hot temperatures are everywhere across the country. Forest fires are raging in Northern California. Heavy rain and violent thunderstorms banging the midwest and south.

But with all that heat index stuff, sports fans are readying themselves for an earthquake that might happen on the ice, the NHL.

Hockey free agency is about to begin, and 1-player is about to reap the riches.

Today is the final day in which free agents can meet with perspective teams who are about to make them offers.

On July 1st, players can start signing, and the top names will likely come off the board very quickly on Sunday, when the signing window opens..

Meet John Tavares, the biggest name NHL free agency has seen in decades. This is the equivalent of LeBron James in the NBA, Clayton Kershaw in baseball.

Taveras has been the heart and should of the New York Islanders, an awful franchise, that he has served loyally.

Plagued by bad ownership, a crumbling arena, a strange hiring of a General Manager, the Islanders wallowed. Despite high draft picks in the aftermath of bad seasons, nothing ever improved.

The move of the Isles from the decaying Nassau Coliseum to the new Brooklyn based Barclay Center, turned into a disaster. Islander fans did not follow the team on the Long Island Expressway.

The NHL team found out it was in an NBA Arena, not properly fitted for hockey, and empty seats were everywhere despite the best attempts of the NHL team.

Tavares continued to play, score goals, and be a good soldier.

The Islanders, a month ago, cleaned out the front office. They hired legendary GM-Lou Lamoriello, who helped rebuild the Toronto Maple Leafs, after having been the architect of the New Jersey Devils’ Stanley Cup runs.

Lamoriello fired the New York GM-Garth Snow, and head coach Doug Weight. Last week, the Islanders hired Barry Trotz, just coming off the Stanley Cup raising ceremony with the Washington Capitals.

Quality pieces were in place to rally the franchise, but this team could not get Tavares signed.

Tavares, who has scored 272-goals in Islander colors, turned down contract offers. He decided to go on the open market.

He has spent the last 3-days meeting face to face with free agent bidders. The richest team in the NHL, the Maple Leafs, the legendary Detroit Red Wings, the LA Kings and others.

Based on the NHL salary structure, Taveras will likely sign the max 8-year contract, but the deal could be worth a record 10M per year. No one has ever negotiated a deal like that.

But NHL clubs are flush with salary cap space thanks to record setting TV contracts. Some clubs have done a good job managing the cap, others have not.

The Islanders have the leadership in place, have the money to do this, but still don’t have enough players around their captain and star.

He did everything he could for all those years. The eras of Michel Bossy and Dennis Potvin were a long time ago. History, loyalty and good will count only so much..

John Tavares is about to become a rich man. Now we will find out shortly where. The New York Islanders might not be his home much longer. No one would blame him if he left. Most everyone thinks he will.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

-0-

“Baseball-At Halfway Point-A Mess”

-0-

Baseball’s 162-game marathon is at the halfway point.

Can we just start the playoffs now, and forget the dog days of summer.

The Yankees-Red Sox and Astros are making a shambles of the American League pennant race.

New York is just mashing people with its home run hitters, led by Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, though the latter isn’t having the power season he had last year when he captivated everyone all summer. The Yankees issues are whether or not they have enough starting pitching. Add in streaky hitters like Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregarious, and they have lots of firepower.

In Boston, they’ve got bats, they’ve got arms. When you roll out Chris Sale, David Price and Drew Pomeranz, then back it up with the booming bats of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benetendi, Xander Bogaerts and more, opponents don’t have much of a chance.

Houston is searching for its 2nd ring in a row, and why not. Justin Verlande leads a rotation that includes Garrett Cole, Dallas Keuchel and Charley Morton backed a a tremendous batting order, you know Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and friends..

For all the talent and diversity in the Indians batting order, and some strong pitching led by Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber,you’d think they’d be running away in the NL Centra, rather than trying to stay above.500. But there is half a season ahead.

Injuries to the pitching staff, for the second year in a row, have robbed the Angels of potential dominance. The elbow injury to Shohei Ohtani has slowed down the Halos bid to get to the upper echelon in the American League. People feel they are wasting the career of superstar Mike Trout.

The flavor-du-jour in the National League could be anybody and everybody, depending on who’s had the lasted injury.

If this was supposed to be Washington’s year, then it’s going to be a disappointment. Start with Bryce Harper’s (.213) batting average, add in an ailing Stephen Strasburg, again, and combine that with no bullpen, and you have problems, and no pennant.

Arizona has survived a slow Paul Goldschmidt start, the oft injured loss of AJ Pollock, but they are deep in pitching, even if Zach Grienke is not what he used to be. Pat Corbin, Robbie Ray and others make a difference.

Atlanta has been a surprise with such a young team, but who knows what fatigue, war and tear, and the pressure might bring the Braves. Freddie Freeman is an MVP candidate, and journeyman Nick Markakis is having a career type season, backing kid pitching.

Milwaukee has called back from behind woeful for so many years., and seems to have a pretty good group of bats, led by Ryan Braun, Jesus Aguilar, Lorenzo Cain and more.

The Cubs have nagging injuries to their everyday lineup, a slumping Anthony Rizzo, a solid Kris Bryant, and a developing star Javy Baez. They need to find starting pitching to match the awesome first half of Jon Lester.

The Phillies are young, and you always wonder if they have enough pitching. But they have loaded up an everyday lineup that is fun to watch.

The Dodgers are on a roll, and this with 5-of the starting rotation having spent time on th disabled list. Matt Kemp has had a revival type season, they survived the early loss Justin Turner, and season ending season of Corey Seager. Can you believe the contributions of Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson? They could be there at the end, if ownership decides it will spend money to ‘rent a vet’ pitcher.

This baseball season has also been about team’s tanking. Kansas City, Baltimore, Cincinnati, All on pace to lose from 100 to 110-games. The teams are getting to the halfway mark 30-games under .500 already.

The Padres are in the midst of rebuilding, but for every nice win they get, they saddle us with losing streaks too, reminding everyone, playoff spots could be two years away, at least.

The Mets, at one time were (11-1) then lost lots of pitching to arm problems. A miserable summer in New York for them, and we’re not talking about the weather.

The White Sox are force feeding a lot of kids, as witnessed by the record. Texas has been a terrible disappointment. The rage directed at Derek Jeter and the Miami Marlins operation continues unabated.

Baseball attendance is down 7%. TV ratings are off too. Pace of Play rules haven’t made much of a difference yet.

We just came thru the Summer Solstice, longest day of the year. We’re headed for the longest stretch of unimportant baseball now, the second half of the season.

Yankees-Red Sox-Astros, the American Legue playoffs will be the actual World Series. No one else is close. I fear the fans are going to say no one cares either.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

-0-

“Waiting Game-NBA Game”

-0-

We have gotten thru the NBA draft, and all these 19-year olds have now been picked, are headed to press conferences, and summer league play and rich contracts.

Now on to the most important time of the off season, here comes free agency.

In Cleveland, they know what’s coming LeBron James to opt out of his 36M contract, to go back on the free agent market, and begin his tour of teams ‘he might want to take his talents too’.

In Oklahoma City, no one really has a grasp of what Paul George is going to do. The Thunder might try to sign him to a 1-year 30M-max contract and hope they can continue the rebuild of the team.

In Houston, Chris Paul is likely to opt-out despite the spectacular Rockets season last year, because ownership will not give him a ‘max contract of 219M.

In San Antonio, the stare down continues between Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs, GM-RC Buford, Coach Greg Popovich, and the the people whispering in Leonard’s ear. San Antonio says he’s not going to be traded in the Western Conference, so his landing spot is still being determined, unless he changes his mind and decides to stay in the Alamodome City. .

In LA, DeAndre Jordan can leave the Clippers, if he opts out of his deal, and become a big money free agent on somebody else’s frontline, rather than endure what will be a total rebuild in Clipper country.

In LA, the once proud Lakers are drawing criticism for statements made by GM-Rob Pelinka, that everyone in the NBA has envy for the Lakers, because of the 16-championship banners flying high above at Staples Center. Not sure what world Pelinka is living in, considering the once proud-now-ragged Purple and Gold, haven’t been to the playoffs in 5-years.

Lakers heritage recently includes LaVar Ball, the kid Lonzo, Tim Mozgov’s contract, and the Luol Deng disgrace, not to mention the leadership of fired son-owner Jim Buss, and the dismissal of longtime GM-Mitch Kupchack..

Last I checked, this was a front office that screwed up on trades for Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and more. Let Pau Gasol exit as a free agent. Insulted LaMarcus Aldridge in his free agent visit. Couldn’t lure Carmelo Anthony to LA. Struck out on a Paul George trade. Could get Kevin Durant to visit as a freee agent. And were just rebuffed in trade talks with the Spurs and Kawhi Leonard.

Magic Johnson played great games. He only talks great games now, but has not been able to be a great front office executive. Pelinka’s claim to fame is repping Kobe Bryant. I don’t think he can hang his hat on the drafting of Lonzo Ball as a difference maker.

With apologies to DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley and Luka Doncic, the real NBA off season is about to begin this week.

The waiting game is almost over for the real players, who decide NBA games.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

-0-

“NBA-NHL Draft-Not a Bad 24-Hours”

-0-

You have to be a real sports junkie, and I am, to cover all this, based out of San Diego, but I like to cover it all.

What a present, the NBA draft on Thursday night, and here comes the NHL draft on Friday night.

(Basketball)

They drafted big and they drafted really young in the opening round of the Thursday night draft.

That’s what the NBA has become with the overwhelming of 1 & Done players pouring into the draft from college. Once upon a time the NBA was all about great guard play. Now it’s bigs, who can run.

The woeful Phoenix Suns got a home grown talent in Arizona center DeAndre Ayton, the best big man in the Pac 12-conference. They also added shooting forward Mikail Bridges, a shooting talent from Villanova, so they have really added something around young star guard Devin Booker.

Sacramento, forever a loser, will bring in Duke’s freshman sensation Marvin Bagley.

Dallas, which has fallen on hard times, thinks it has another Dirk Nowitzki in drafted Serbian shower Luka Doncic.

Atlanta wound up with multiple picks, and might have had the best night of anyone, in Oklahoma’s high scoring guard Trae Young, followed by Maryland’s 3-point shooter Kevin Hurter.

There were other picks met with mixed reaction. Knicks fans booed the choice of Kentucky shooting forward Kevin Knox, but these are the same people who booed Kristaps Porzingas a couple of years ago, now their hero-leading scorer.

It might have been a good night too for the LA Clippers, getting a whole new backcourt, in Kentucky’s 6’6 point guard Shai Alexander, and then Boston College’s explosive shooting guard Jerome Robinson.

For the Lakers, it was a tough 24-hours. Firstly, they were rebuffed in trade talks with San Antonio for forward Kawhi Leonard, who is not going to be dealt to anyone in the Western Conference. Then 2-shooters they targeted in the draft, went off the board before their pick came up at #25. Atlanta grabbed the 3-point shooter LA liked, in Kenin Hurter, then Utah stepped in and took Duke shooter Grayson Allen.

The Lakers went big finally with their pick, in tabbing Michigan’s warrior forward center Moritz Wagner, their NCAA tourney hero, but there are doubts about his quickness to play at the next level at 6’11.

The biggest disappointment had to be in Missouri’s outstanding 6’10-forward Michael Porter, who missed virtually the entire season with back surgery. He stayed on the board till the Denver Nuggets pick at #14, after many thought he could be a top 3-picks. Only time will tell with they gambled or got a great one.

Virtually all players taken in the second round, don’t get guaranteed contracts, and wind up in the NBA-G League.

Next up, hoops free agency and the decisions on LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard.

(Hockey)

The NHL draft began in 1963, and it gave us great players.

For every Guy Lafleur, Sidney Crosby , Mike Modano and Vinny Lecavalier, there have been monumental busts.

Hockey purists know the names Alexander Dangle, Patrick Stefan, Nail Yakopov and more, who buried Ottawa, Carolina, Edmonton when they bombed after being taken so high.

And that’s not to mention Montreal’s Robin Sadler, a first round pick, who then informed the Canadiens, he did not want to play hockey anymore.

The Friday draft is loaded with defenseman, and overwhelmed by players from Europe. The NHL draft has become a huge crapshoot, taking 18-year olds, hoping they develop in the junior leagues, at the NCAA level, or leaving them in Europe another year or two.

Buffalo will have the first pick and will take Swedish blue liner Rasmus Dahlin, and Carolina will try to get it right with a Russian winger Andre .Svechnikov, who scored 40-goals in junior hockey.

But after that, who knows. Montreal might takes Quebec Junior League scoring star Filip Zadina, who potted 45-goals from Halifax, but who knows if he is big enough, tough enough, to be a difference maker in the NHL.

And Brady Tkachuk from Boston University could go 4th, the son of the longtime Ranger Brad, but he scored just 8-goals in college last year and could ge years away.

There are no instant Alexander Ovechkin’s nor Eric Lindross’ in this draft. The NHL has become more ‘pick and hope and wait’, rather than select and win now.

An interesting two days in sports with these drafts. Awful young, both in hoops and puck.

Fun to observe, but but impossible to predict. Sports version of Russian Roulette.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

-0-

“NBA Draft-Dwarfed by Free Agency”

-0-

The NBA holds its college draft this evening.

Once upon a time it was special, but now, the ‘1-and-Done’ rule in college athletics has eroded the quality of the draft.

Every 19-year old, from Bill Willoughby, back in the day, to the modern day Lonzo Ball, pours into the NBA draft yearly, looking for a big payday, and hoping to jump-start careers.

The NBA draft has become a terrible crapshoot. Young players, unprepared for the grind of pro basketball, not ready for the emotional leap into maturity, ill prepared to handle the kind of money handed out to pick. A lot of underachieving players.

It’s become a mess, and until Adam Silver, the NBA boss, and the Union, and the NCAA work out a better deal, more and more under-prepared players will fail.

The poster boy for the modern day draft, UNLV’s Anthony Bennett, was the 1st pick a couple of years ago, by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Out of the NBA in less than 24-months, he is an example of what has befallen the NBA draft.

And you thought the days of controversy, who gets access to Patrick Ewing, or Ralph Sampson, were going to overwhelm the league and its credibility.

But we get a break this week from the calamity that the draft has become.

Instead we wait to see where the next two superstars are going, in attempts to build the next superstar team.

LeBron James and Kawahi Leonard appear headed elsewhere.

James can opt out of his 26M Cleveland Cavaliers contract in the next two weeks, setting off a big bidding war for his free agent services.

Leonard, a year away from free agency, reportedly wants to be traded, and to a team of his choice, or else San Antonio would lose him and get nothing in return a year from today.

The Lakers and Clippers are viable landing places for James, once he goes on the open market.

Leonard wants to play for the Lakers, but San Antonio controls his destination, in a potential trade, and it might be hard to think the Spurs would ship him to a Western Division team they’d have to beat to get into the playoffs. He might wind up in Boston or Philadelphia.

Adding to the intrigue is the year long struggle Leonard had coming back from a quad injury, the starts and stops of all his rehab, and the question behind the curtain, can he stay healthy, and can you invest a monster amount of money in him with this health question? .

So we have intrigue everywhere, not so much about the 18-19 year olds in the draft, but what King James and Kawhi are about to do.

The NBA has problems, but for a week or so, free agency and impending trades, will be front and center for the fans. No one is interested in another conversation about the next Anthony Bennett type player.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-