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“LUKA & LAKERS”
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An amazing week in the NBA, the outpouring of love, accolades, inviting everybody to order their NBA Finals tickets because the Lakers are going to be there.

All this in the aftermath of the Lakers-Mavericks trade that imported Luka Doncic to the Lakers, and shipped Anthony Davis to Dallas.

Doncic has rallied from a slow start and from his calf injury, to put together impressive back to back games.

AD showed up, put up big numbers in his first game and then went down with a significant abdominal injury.

Dallas is left with a rag-tag roster, with Kyrie Irving, 3-injured bigs, and no Doncic.  That trade may haunt them for eternity.

A bit early though to award the Lakers the NBA Western Conference title or make plans for the NBA finals.

Doncic is pushing hard to put away his reputation of being lazy, fat, and refusing to commit to playing defense. or conditioning himself.

He’s offended at how he was painted by people around the Mavericks organization and the rationale to not offer him a ‘max’ contract when he became eligible.

Interesting too, the statement ‘Luka’ is now in beast mode after all the insults.  Interesting he had to get motivated to earn the 50M per year he was getting in Dallas and is in LA.

As for the Lakers, yes they blew out a battered Mavericks team on Tuesday, after trashing a once good Denver team, which is lost in the Rockies with a (10-14) record against good teams this year.  Denver let so many veteran players go in the off season they wrecked their team chemistry.

And while the national media keeps saying the Lakers are ready for the run, they are ignoring the awful losses to lowly Utah and Charlotte, sandwiched around the All Star break.  And that same group of smart guy network people, are not paying attention as to who is left on the Lakers schedule, alot of the NBA’s best teams.

Can the Lakers carry thru on the excitement of Luka-LeBron and Austin Reaves?  Can they survive without legitimate NBA centers, and a really thin bench?

That’s why you play out the rest of the schedule.  We’ll see how long LeBron holds up to the minutes being played.  How long Luka can play at this pace with the hope the calf does not act up.  And if these guys in the paint can be more than just a mirage.

You cannot take away their (35-21) record at this hour.  But they still have something to prove over the long haul for all the reasons I gave you.

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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
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“SHOOTING HOOPS”
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Comments about all things college basketball:

AZTECS..The news about as good as it could be on Magoon Gwath, SDSU’s budding superstar.  A hyperextended knee-yes.  No bone bruise, no torn meniscus, no torn ligament, no knee surgery.  Week to week status-rest-rehab-get him ready for MWC tourney.

SHOOTING GUARD…Miles Byrd is banged up.  A hip issue and a thumb issue.  Uncertainty shooting shots.  The reason his scoring has gone from 16PPG to 9PPG in two weeks and why he is shooting 31% from the floor.

HELP WANTED…So how do you play vs New Mexico, Wyoming, Las Vegas the next 3-games.  Insert Miles Heide in the paint, move Jared Coleman Jones to shooting forward, and run every guard you have out there to disrupt teams in their backcourt.  Fouls to give, then use them.  Make it ugly ball, but the only way to win is to grind on people and if it has to be 38-33, then so be it, as long as it is a win.  SDSU guards need to carry the mail from now till MWC tourney time.

NEXT MAN UP…Your name is Taj DeGourville, or Demarshay Johnson, or Kimo Ferrari or Pharo Compton.  Time to step up and play consistently to make a difference with this team so shorthanded.  We have seen flashes from them.  They need to show up everytime they go to the scorer’s table to check into a game starting vs the Lobos.

LOBOS..New Mexico in town, last seen running up a big score, running SDSU out of the Pit in Albuquerque.  Take a close look, it might be the last time you see Richard Pitino at UNM.  Good coach.  Great bloodlines.  Lots of recruiting contacts.  Just not alot of assets at New Mexico to keep this program at its level.  Likely to leave for a head coaching job in the Power 4-basketball world.  It’s just a tough place to coach and recruit too.  It’s weird, it’s like the Lobos, New Mexico State and UTEP are aligned together, not just geographically, but also structurally, all  off the beaten track, all with the same shortcomings, trying to compete in Division 1-Athletics.  All-real-have nots, and that is sad.
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========Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast-1-30pm
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“STORIES & OPINIONS”
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A unique Sunday, considering there was no NFL to watch on my TV-your TV.
So I went Channel surfing and saw some good-some bad-some that merit comments.

DODGERS-PADRES..Should have been a fun thing to see, but instead of the renewal of a great rivalry, the Cactus League game was  ‘your farmhands-beat-my farmhands’.  Not much for the paying public to see at Camelback Ranch.  First weekend of spring training games, okay, but fans really want to see the stars, not the kids who will be at El Paso-Oklahoma City-San Antonio or Amarillo.

DINGED UP..Two of the pitchers you think would be in the running to be setup men for the Friars bullpen are out…Sean Reynolds with a possible stress fracture of his foot, and Bryan Hoeing with shoulder soreness.  They have 5-weeks to get healthy.

GOOD NEWS..Dodgers pitchers on the mound came away feeling good.  Dustin May with electric stuff in his 1-inning of 95mph heat against the Padres.  Good, considering the dangers he had from that emergency throat surgery last year.  Shohei Ohtani took first live batting practice on top of 3-strong bullpen sessions within a week.

ANGELS..I don’t know what to take out of the weekend.  Their pitching staff gave up 24-runs in 2-spring training games, and nobody has really hit either.

AZTECS..Your heart had to sink seeing Magoon Gwath go down two minutes into the game at Utah State with a hyperextended knee.  Whatever the injury is, sprained knee, bruised knee, or worse-torn meniscus or ligament, it is not good for SDSU’s tournament hopes.  And they have to turn around and play New Mexico on Tuesday too.

I AM NOT BIG…I don’t give out ‘Moral Victory speeches’ or ‘Participation Trophies’ but SDSU’s gritty comeback at Utah State without their star big man game was an ultimate compliment to hard work and grit, to rally, wipe out a deficit, actually take a lead, even if it ended badly at the free throw line.  They are (18-7) and in trouble.

UCSD..The other team in town is really good.  What a job by Eric Olsen, what a collection of smart guy-student athletes, who shoot threes, rebound, move the ball and win.  And with their win over UCI and then Irvine’s followup loss, the Tritons are in lst place heading to the Big West Tourney.

CHARGERS..Hard to believe this might happen, the Bolts releasing Joey Bosa and risking the loss of Khalil Mck, one a cap decision, the other a free agent issue.  Just do not think the Chargers want to pay Mack 30M a year at his age, and will not pay Bosa, whose cap figure is now 36M plus next season.  Solid-strong players, but on a team that has not won much even with Justin Herbert at QB.

RAMS..Speaking of not buying into this, if the Rams trade QB-Matthew Stafford they take a big salary cap hit.  Same if they release him.  How does that value you rather than giving him an extension, keeping continuity and trying to get back to the Super Bowl one last chance.  And WR-Cooper Kupp will depart, so names you knew-liked-trusted will be exiting.  Hopefully Stafford will not.  Not for Aaron Rodgers I hope.

LAKERS-CLIPPERS…Roller coaster rides here.  The Lakers lose awful games to lowly Utah-Charlotte, then go into Denver and trash the Nuggets and the 9-game winning streak they had.  Weird watching Luka Doncic lumber up and down the floor.  But he did hit shots, lots of them.  And on that night, opposing big game, the Joker, Nikola Jokic had two baskets in 35 minutes.  The Clippers, why do I get the feeling they are on borrowed time with Kawhi Leonard.  Now he has a foot issue in addition to the monitoring of his career long knee issues.  He is building his minutes and contributing but not to the explosive nights he has had in the past.  Just don’t think this comeback will work out like fans hope it will.  His greatness may be in the rear view mirror.

HOCKEY…They may not be a playoff team, the Ducks, but they are playing better with all these young kids staying on the ice and starting to produce.  7-wins-in 8-games is something we have not seen here in awhile.  And the AHL-Gulls young kids are playing well. A (7-1-1) spurt has to feel good, with young forwards Sam Colangelo, Sasha Pastujov, Nestor Nestorinko and vets Justin Bailey and Ryan Carpenter starting to score consistently.  Matt McIlvane has the ‘patience of Job’ coping with the trials of young guys sent here by the Ducks trying to learn in the AHL, or survive in the AHL.

ALL THINGS SOOCER…What a start for SDFC-our MLS expansion team, the Sunday road win debut against the Champion LA Galaxy in their yard.  Anders Dreyer scored 2-goals on rocket shots off his left foot in the 2-0 win…Overwhelmed early SDFC weathered the barrage and dominance and got stronger and stronger as the game moved deep into the second half.  A 2-0 opening day win..awesome.

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Hacksaw’s Great Sports Weekend Podcast
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“HOCKEY AT ITS BEST”
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It wasn’t Game 7-of some great Stanley Cup series.
it was not the Miracle..Team USA-vs-Soviet Union in Lake Placid
It was not Gretzky-Howe-Beliveau-La Fleur
It was not the legendary Islanders, the Canadians, Broad Street Bullies
It was not the Canada Cup-circa 1976

But it was fabulous hockey, with great play, greater meaning, USA-vs-Canada.
It was electric.  It was end to end skating.  It was play the body.  it was clear the crease.  It was spectacular saves with people infront or the goalie left naked by himself.  It was a super star doing what a super star does in the spotlight.  Win it for his team.

Connor McDavid scored on a wrist shot in the slot in front, snapping off a top shelf shot that set off a celebration across the Dominion.  Canada 3-USA 2 in overtime in the Gold Medal game.

it was Oh Canada-vs-Star Spangled Banner.

It was the emotion of remembering Johnny Hockey-who should have been on the ice.

it was the passion of the country that founded the game and the one that has established the game this side of the border.

It was USA-USA chants.  It was those wearing the Red Maple Leaf booing the National Anthem, or in essence booing Donald Trump’s lame idea of them being the 51st State.

it was the Hellebuyck-Binnington goaltenders duel.
It was 200-feet of contested hockey by Mike Sullivan’s team.
It was John Cooper’s line changing shifts
It was my superstars vs your superstars.

It was not taking a bad penalty, not getting caught up ice on a line change.
It was all things antagonizing when the Tkachuk family was on the ice.
It was do not take chances, but don’t be timid either.

It was fierce forchecking, and take no prisoners infront of the net.
It was wondering where Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby or Auston Matthews went.

It was a chance to grow hockey, not just in the USA, but globally.

It was ideal, this level of quality play that put to shame things like the NFL Pro Bowl Flag Football…or the NBA’s sad sack slam dunk, All Star tourney.  Hockey buried the PGA-NBA-NFL-NASCAR in the TV ratings.

It was a TV ratings bonanza in the states, and for sure in Canada, where everything stopped at 5pm on Thursday because they had to watch their sport, from Halifax to Vancouver and every spot in between.

And now with its end, and its success, an idea from my corner of the world.

A memo to Gary Bettman.  No more All Star games please.

Make this a World Cup every year wrapped around the years the Olympics are played.  Make it a 4-Nations Tourney.   USA…Canada…Team Nordic (Sweden-Finland-Norway)…and Team Europe (a combo of great players from Russia-Belarus-Germany and other Euro countries

A fitting complement to what the Olympics are, but bringing every player from every country with a chance to play for their flag, their region, their reputation.

As Wayne Gretzky would say ‘Game On’.  Rightfully so.  This was so exceptional.

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Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast..1-30pm
You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Hot Topics on Table..Stay for Fans Forum
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“THIS..THAT..THE OTHER”
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Items from my Notebook:

PADRES..Let the battle begin…who will be their starting catcher this year…Former All Star Elias Diaz-the ex Rockies…the once promising Luis Campusano…Good-glove-no bat journeyman Martin Maldonado or career minor leaguer Brett Sullivan?  There is no Benito Santiago nor Brad Ausmus in that group.  Cactus League debuts Thursday-Friday-Saturday.

DODGERS..Sort it out pitching staff…so many to choose from…9-potential starting pitchers but the most eyes will watch on those coming off health issues, starting with Tyler Glasnow, the long range prognosis on Shohei Ohtani,  the multi surgeries to Dustin May, and where-when Clayton Kershaw fits in?

ANGELS..Owner Arte Moreno says ‘blame me’, so we will for so many mistakes in big money acquisitions and the failure to hire the right baseball people to put together good farm systems.  He says they will lose (50M) this year, probably so, with a higher payroll and decreased revenues.  Again, who is to blame for this, the owner.

FIX IT..In a two day span, Rob Manfred talks about payroll disparity in baseball and agent Scott Boras condemns ownership refusing to spend to upgrade their rosters.  All sides need to come to the table, MLB, Owners, Union, Agents and figure a system that shares but grows the game.  Do something about the Haves-Have Nots, Those Who Spend-Those Who Refuse to Spend.

NFL..Big weeks ahead in the offseason.  Trades, Trade Rumors, Buyouts, Releases, then Free Agency.  Who becomes the Raiders QB?  Do the Rams move on from Matthew Stafford?  Do the Bengals keep their marquee players?  How do the troubled Browns solve their QB crisis?  Stay tuned.

NBA..Adam Silver-you have a problem.  NBA All Star TV ratings for Saturday’s festivities were at an all time low.  The Sunday All Star game had the second lowest TV rating of all time.  Your players, your announcers are bad mouthing your game right now. The arrow is pointed at you.

NHL..Team USA-vs-Canada..Thursday night in the finals of the 4-Nations Tourney in Boston.  Will there be fights?  Will the Boston fans boo ‘Oh Canada’?  How will the injuries in this tourney impact teams the rest of the season?  Get rid of the All Star Game and replace it with a Global tourney?  Oh by the way Canadian fans were not booing the National Anthem..they were booing all things Donald Trump-weren’t they?

GOLF WAR…That scoreboard does not lie..TV ratings for last Sunday’s final round..Phoenix Open-PGA vs LIV-Riyadh Open…(2.8M) viewers on CBS..(52,000) on Fox in Riyadh.

NASCAR..Stunning finish to 7-hours of rain delayed Daytona 500-racing..3-wrecks in 9-laps racing to get the checkered.  By the way (6.7M) watched the all day Sunday race.  I guess thrilling finishes, wrecks, car airborne, as long as no one dies like Dale Earnhardt did 24-years ago on the final lap.
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