lethalweapon3

In two days before we reach the year 2029 A.D., LeBron James will reach 44 years of age. During the 2028-2029 season... is an NBA team on this or any planet paying LeBron James $12.5 million to play ball? Not counting inflation? Assuming that's not the VetMin by then? Even if LeBron's BMI goes up by 50% in that time? Somebody, please say yes. ~lw3

I scream. You scream. We all scream for... "McCoughtry's Ice Cream" opens tomorrow in Castleberry Hill (185 Peters St. SW), right near RHOA stars Kandi Burruss' and Todd Tucker's new "Old Lady Gang" restaurant. ~lw3

Lacrosse fans, I gotta know-know-know-know wha-what's your fan-ta-ta-syyyyyyyyyyyy? ~ludaw3

In related news, Alec Kann has been doing just fine, at times wonderfully, in goal, but we'll have to wait a little longer this summer to see any of Brad Guzan. The US Men's National Team did call up the hard-luck keeper, and he'll be on the USMNT roster for qualifiers against T-n-T and Mexico in the coming weeks. According to United, he'll officially join Atlanta's roster once the league's secondary transfer window opens up in early July. And I am, at once, horrified for Josef, yet oddly eager to find out how to get a ride on this here Gyro thingy. ~lw3

So nice, Miggy's done it twice! Back-to-back honors after his two goals versus NYCFC made it five in the course of two games. ~lw3

"Now, hon, I know how Your People feel about winters in Wisconsin, but c'mon, look on the bright side... I could finally have a team built around Giannis!" ~wes On a serious note, though, has there been a NBA club with not just one, but two, former GMs still on their payroll at the same time? ~lw3

Keep some earplugs handy! It’s one of those mid-day matinees at the Thrillerdome today. That means that, as the Atlanta Dream face off with the San Antonio Stars (11:30 AM Eastern, Fox Sports South), McCamish Pavilion should be teeming with screaming kids. The Stars haven’t reeled in any significant talent via trades or free agency since the sunset of the retired Becky Hammon’s and Sophia Young-Malcolm’s careers. They have gone 15-48 over the past three WNBA seasons, including this one, where they await their first W (0-5). San Antonio is hitting the reset button by bringing in WNBA vets in the front office and on the sideline. Vickie Johnson (14th all-time in Assists) retired with San Antonio after 13 WNBA seasons, and now handles the clipboard after several seasons as an assistant under longtime coach Dan Hughes. She works for Ruth Riley, the former (Silver) Star and 13-year vet, who retired after her brief 2013 season in Atlanta, then returned to Texas to eventually serve as the team’s general manager. The Draft hasn’t brought them much talent over the past few seasons in the frontcourt, but there’s a stocked backcourt crowded with their best potential small-s stars. Swing player Kayla McBride (16.7 PPG, early career-bests of 54.2 2FG% and 88.2 FT%) arrived in 2014, and lead guard Moriah Jefferson (missed opening games with knee soreness, 5.5 APG in 2 games) was drafted in 2016. McBride arrived late and missed the opening games due to overseas commitments in Turkey. The Stars’ 7-27 record in 2016 netted them the top lottery pick, but the Best Player Available was also a guard. Kelsey Plum enters her pro career as college hoops’ all-time leading scorer, and her agent was pulling out all the stops to keep Plum from landing, or staying, in San An. “You have established assets who have played well, so why are you taking the number one pick to play out of position?”, griped Lindsey Kagawa Colas to Summitt Hoops, following the draft. “In what sport does that happen? It’s entirely unprecedented. You don’t take Kyrie Irving, John Wall, Sue Bird or Derrick Rose to play the two. This is a woman who has twice been selected for USA Basketball as a point guard and broke the NCAA scoring record as a 1—and you’re going to ask her to essentially change positions?” Despite her agent’s adversarial advocacy, Plum became an immediate hit for public relations in San Antonio. Similarly bothered by injury (ankle sprain) at the outset of the season, Kelsey has been slow to make waves to this point. While Plum hasn’t been shy with the basketball (WNBA-high 31.7 usage% in just 2 games) Johnson isn’t pushing her rookie (9.0 minutes per game) to make immediate impacts, not with Kay Mac and Mo Jeff around to run the show. It’s only two games in, but only Atlanta’s Matee Ajavon (18.8 TO%, just 8 minutes of action) has been more likely to turn the ball over than Plum (17.1 TO% in two games), who has also been out-of-sorts defensively. At least until Plum ripens behind the scenes, there’s no reason for Coach Vickie to usher in three-guard starting lineups. The Stars did move former star guard Danielle Robinson in the offseason. They traded to acquire center Isabelle Harrison (team-high 2.8 O-Rebs per game and 1.4 BPG), hoping the second-year player and former reserve for Brittney Griner will pay dividends long-term. In the interim, Johnson is leaning heavily on bench forward Mo Currie to fill the gaps. Now in her 12th WNBA season, Currie’s 16.6 PPG, 1.4 3FGs per game (50.0 3FG%) and 6.4 RPG would easily be career-best marks. Her scoring has cooled lately (9.7 PPG, 3-for-9 3FGs, 7-for-18 2FGs last 3 games). But until Johnson can get more out of Dearica Hamby, the 2015 top pick who hasn’t panned out, or 2017 first-rounder Nia Coffey, picked 5th overall, the Stars coach will turn to her experienced vets. Those veterans include longtime Dream center Erika de Souza, who started but mostly rested during the Stars’ 80-66 defeat in Minnesota on Sunday, and former Georgia Tech star Alex Montgomery (team-high 6.8 RPG), now in her 7th season. The Stars can put together long bursts of competitive play, but have yet to show they can sustain it over 40 minutes. They held a nice 26-22 first-quarter lead on the road against the Lynx, then got outscored 44-13 over the following two quarters of play. Eight different Stars committed at least two turnovers during the game, and they’ll need to cut that league-high volume down (18.6 TOs per game) if they intend to keep up with Atlanta (WNBA-high 9.3 SPG) in transition. Back home last Thursday, San Antonio carefully crafted a 69-61 lead on rival Dallas through three quarters, then forgot how to defend. They lost the final frame 33-13, and the game 94-82. The Stars (WNBA-low 66.3 D-Reb%) can make better runs only if their guards help the bigs rebound, especially late in the game, and if the bigs make the effort to run the full floor. After a strong home showing against the defending champion L.A. Sparks on Sunday, the Dream should be able to wear down the Stars by the second half. Atlanta and San Antonio rank first (62.3%) and second (61.5%) in percentages of buckets from two-pointers. Elizabeth Williams (10.5 RPG, 3rd in WNBA) and Sancho Lyttle (WNBA-high 2.5 SPG) need to outpace and outwork Harrison and DeSouza, and Bria Holmes needs to keep Currie from becoming a handful on the boards. Only Seattle, with Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd, can boast of a better start among its starting guard duo than Atlanta’s Layshia Clarendon (now a bride-to-be) and Tiffany Hayes. Hayes’ 24 points versus Los Angeles was a season-high, while Clarendon contributed a career-best 12 assists in the 75-73 win. Layshia kept the Sparks at arms’ reach by constantly looking for her post players. The pair also sunk ten of their 13 free throws. Considering the rest of the Dream made just 7 of their 15 free throws, anything less from Hayes (league-high 7.3 FTs made per game) and Clarendon (87.5 FT%) could have portended a different outcome. It’s hard to find any more room on Hayes’ shoulders to place another chip, but she sure found one on Sunday. Even before drawing a questionable technical foul during the Sparks game, earlier that morning, Atlanta’s outspoken leading scorer tweeted (as reported by Swish Appeal) that the league mysteriously took time to block her from all of their social media platforms. The WNBA isn’t expected to respond, but you know Hayes envisions the awkwardness of the league having to honor her at some point this season, allowing her to speak her mind before a live audience. Atlanta can help themselves today by funneling the Stars’ top scorers into shooting spots outside of their comfort zones. McBride (9.5 TO%) and Clarendon (7.5 TO%) have the highest turnover rates among any players with 100 or more possessions. But unlike San Antonio, Layshia’s team has cut the turnovers down significantly (16.3 team TO%, 3rd-lowest in WNBA) from seasons’ past thus far. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s continued ability to force turnovers, as shown during much of the Sparks game, has helped Michael Cooper’s club obtain their 3-1 record to start the season, with the chance to accomplish just a little more before their homestand concludes. It's Time to Scream for your Dream! ~lw3

It's time to kick some Pigeon Tail! (figuratively, of course!) Coming off a resounding home win against Houston last weekend, the Five Stripes are aiming to make amends for their worst MLS effort of the season a few weeks ago. This time, they've got NYCFC in their temporary house (5 PM Eastern, ESPN, 92.9 FM in ATL), and not on some gawdforsaken baseball diamond. They'll go into this one without manager Tata Martino on the sideline. Tata booted a wayward pass into the air midway through last week's game, and got booted himself. Assistant manager Jorge Theiler will run the show in Tata's absence. ATLUTD defenders found David Villa (1 goal, 1 assist vs. ATL) too hot to handle during the 3-1 defeat at Yankee Stadium back on May 7. The forward comes into today's action red-hot again, MLS' third-leading scorer fresh off two goals in NYCFC's 3-0 win last Sunday at Orlando SC. United defensemen have to avoid the mistakes that keep Alec Kann busy fielding Villa's shots on goal. Relying on its active midfielders, United will work to starve NYCFC of possessions, and set up team goal-leader Miguel Almiron, the reigning MLS Player of the Week who got Miggy With It against Houston with a hat trick. Plus... wait a minute... is that... ohmagawd, that's Josef Martinez's music! Martinez may be subbed in at some point during the game, but whenever he returns he'll be the big Andouille sausage that's been missing for months from Atlanta's offensive gumbo. Let's Go United! ~lw3

Good news for this particular Rocket is... there's no Harlan Curse! Congrats to OH! ~lw3

I was hoping my shouts of "Gray Mule!" after every missed FT were loud enough for the broadcast to pick up! :-) All those missed freebies almost caught up and bit them once Chelsea Gray finally heated up in the 4th. But that decision by LA to gamble on their final free throw attempt was head-scratching. We'll take that W over the champs, though, however we can get it! Great work by Tip Hayes, and Layshia's dimes in the fourth-quarter helped put the game just barely out of LA's reach! ~lw3

Meanwhile... yeah, I think Angel is doing all right! ~lw3

Ex-Dream Note: We used to say, "Is there a Doctor in the house? No? Well, there will be soon!" Congrats, Ali! ~lw3

The Champs Are Here! The Los Angeles Sparks arrive this evening to take on the Atlanta Dream (6:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL, Spectrum SportsNet/Spectrum Deportes in LA) and coach Michael Cooper, who can no longer boast he was coaching in Tinseltown the last time the Sparks won it all. The Dream slipped up during their home opener last Sunday, in a (tank-blocking?) loss to the Chicago Sky. Atlanta hopes they can make amends today for their fans, against a Sparks team that had a misstep themselves on the road this past week. Coach Brian Agler’s 2-0 squad was cruising right along in Indiana, up 14 points at halftime on Wednesday, before allowing the Fever to go on a 27-10 third-quarter spree, and eventually losing 93-90. Reigning league MVP Nneka Ogwumike (23.3 PPG, 2nd in WNBA) has picked up right where she left off in 2016. But she and Candace Parker (18.5 PPG through 2 games) need better contributions from their perimeter defenders, certainly after the Sparks allowed Marissa Coleman, our old friend Erica Wheeler, and other Fever players to combine for 11-for-16 shooting from downtown Naptown. There was precious little pressure on Fever star ballhandler Briann January, and without major adjustments, that might bode well for one of January’s former backups. The Dream’s Layshia Clarendon earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week (did anyone know we still account for conferences anymore???) after averaging 16.3 PPG and 6.0 APG in her first three contests. She also got to the line and made her free throws (13-for-14 FTs) while setting the tone for the offense in Atlanta’s first two road victories. But Clarendon (career-high nine assists on Sunday) and the Dream got erratic after the solid opening quarter of Sunday’s 75-71 defeat, at the hands of the Sky, either turning the ball over or putting up hurried attempts, rather than allowing the shots to come from a free-flowing motion offense. The Dream got almost a full week to rest and recalibrate, and hopefully that will be enough of a respite for Tiffany Hayes (19.7 PPG, 6th in WNBA). Tip turned her ankle in the closing moments of the Chicago game, and was listed day-to-day with a mild sprain. Hayes got her career-high 32 points during a competitive loss in Los Angeles last June, nearly matching Ogwumike’s career-high of 38 points. Thanks largely to Angel McCoughtry’s brilliance (32 points, 11 boards), Atlanta held off a late charge and prevailed 86-81 when these teams met last September, at Staples Center, to claim the season series over the eventual WNBA title holders while tightening up a playoff spot near the season’s end. In their last visit to the ATL last July, the Sparks’ torrid 20-2 start, and nine-game winning streak, was snapped with a shocking 91-74 Dream victory. From that game forward, the Sparks prevailed in just three of their past nine road games during the regular season, although they did win the away games that mattered along the playoff path to the WNBA title. That July game was a coming-out party of sorts for Bria Holmes. The rookie scored a then-career-best 15 points in just her second WNBA start, helping Atlanta compensate for the sudden loss of Sancho Lyttle for the season due to a foot injury. Holmes and Lyttle are back together in the starting lineup in 2017, and the forward duo will want to work with Elizabeth Williams (7 O-Rebs vs. CHI on Sunday) to offset Parker, Ogwumike, Jantel Lavender and the Sparks’ bigs on the boards. Atlanta managed to outscore L.A. 44-30 and 42-36 in the paint in their prior two meetings, both Dream wins. They also held the Sparks to just four second-chance points in the September contest. Aside from occasional steals and defensive boards, Lyttle continues to look rusty on offense (2.5 PPG, 25.0 FG%), and may usher in a lineup switch to Damiris Dantas (12 points, two blocks in 27 minutes vs. CHI) by Cooper, sooner rather than later. It will help Atlanta to have active Dream guards outworking their opponents and helping secure the defensive rebounds, to spark transition and control possession. The Sparks were missing Odyssey Sims during their loss at Indy, sustaining an ankle injury in the prior Friday’s game versus Washington, and she did not travel with the team to Indiana. The leading single-game scorer in WNBA history, Riquna Williams serves as a luxury for Agler’s top-ranked offense (league-best 118.1 O-Rating, 48.1 team 3FG%, 1.69 assist/turnover ratio) off the bench, as does Sims, who can capably spell either of Chelsea Gray or defensive savant Alana Beard. Following the free agent departure of Kristi Toliver to D.C., Sims arrived in a deal to help Dallas nab an extra pick in the draft, and in that trade the Sparks got the 11th pick, Sydney Weise. The rookie dropped a whopping six threes on Tolliver’s Mystics, but Wiese and Williams were held scoreless in their next game versus the Fever. Agler needs much more than the four points (all from Lavender, the reigning Sixth Woman of the Year) the Sparks’ bench mustered up this past Wednesday. But it’s on the starters, and not merely Parker (5.5 APG) to help get the reserves involved. The team with the deeper, more balanced offense is likely to prevail today. With Beard’s dogged attention directed at Clarendon, Holmes, and (hopefully) Hayes, there ought to be ample opportunity for Dream reserves like Brianna Kiesel and rookie Brittney Sykes to come in and make plays for Atlanta. Both opponents enter this game with a 2-1 record, but the pressure is squarely on Los Angeles in the early going of this season to keep pace with rival Minnesota (5-0). The Dream are built to float among the flotsam in the WNBA pack, but the Sparks (four road games in their next five) need quality wins like this to ensure they can be the cream of the crop once again. Let’s Go Dream! ~lw3

Isaia Cordinier's season in the French LNB Pro A league wrapped up about ten days ago. His Antibes Sharks failed to make the playoffs at 12-22, 14th out of 18 teams, but did win five of their last nine (the final game resting Cordinier and the starters) to avoid relegation to LNB Pro B. IC is still icy with his shot, nailing just 23% of his three-point attempts, worst among the Sharks' top 11 three-point shooters. His Sharks averaged the fewest points in Pro A. He also shot just 44.4 percent on two-pointers, and 70.0 percent on freebie, while averaging 6.5 PPG and 1.9 APG over an average of 23.0 minutes. Among his better games was late last month, with 15 points on 6-for-9 FGs plus a team-high four assists during a 90-71 loss to Nanterre. http://basketball.eurobasket.com/team/France/Sharks-Antibes/189?Page=3 Meanwhile, Sergiy Gladyr is not dead yet! He's still on the good side of 30 (age 29 this October), and his team, AS Monaco, has the top seed in the LNB Pro A playoffs after finishing the regular season at 30-4. A three-point bomber off the bench, he led the team with 42.7 3FG%, averaging 8.9 points in 20.2 minutes per game. His team prevailed in the midseason LNB Leaders Cup at Disneyland Paris, with Gladyr winning the tournament MVP trophy. http://basketball.eurobasket.com/team/France/AS-Monaco-Basket/407?Page=3 "Sergiy Gladyr, what're ya gonna do next?" ~lw3

Follow-up response from Mercury News' Kawakami on GSW post-Schlenk, re-affirming how well-aligned Travis was with The Logo: ~lw3

This "ROAD TO THE DRAFT" interview led eventually to getting off at the exit with Klay Thompson. I wasn't so much paying attention to the interview, moreso to the players working out on the court. Ferry fans will like that he kinda looked like Danny, at least back then. ~lw3

His Dubs got the "fairly nominal" deal he was talking about by drafting Baze in the second round. ~lw3

February 2015 ESPN article on the longtime defensively deficient Warriors achieving the league's top D-Rating: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12273986/how-golden-state-warriors-built-nba-best-defense ~linthw3

I haven't cruised through this thread yet, so forgive me if somebody pulled these quotable snippets already: [Article from his hometown Wichita (Kansas) Eagle, in April 2013]: http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article1114355.html [Pre-Trade Deadline commentary from Bay Area local radio host Matt Steinmetz (February 2015)]: https://matthewsteinmetz.com/2015/02/08/warriors-schlenk-indicates-team-unlikely-to-make-a-move/ [Radio Interview with Matt Steinmetz (March 2016)]: https://matthewsteinmetz.com/2016/03/05/warriors-assistant-gm-travis-schlenk-on-what-team-looks-for-in-a-player-what-they-saw-in-draymond-green-why-varejao-fits-etc/ ~lw3

In BudSchlenk We Trust! ~lw3

~lw3

Crunk! Hype! Def! Lit! Whatever the cool kids say these days! Not sure if there are shuttles or not, but your best bet if walking from MARTA is Midtown (instead of North Avenue) station. Also, copying driving directions to McCamish from the Dream's Media guide. Follow public parking directions once you arrive on campus: Let's Go Dream! ~lw3

Spike it, Tip! Now, get to bed early, there's a game tomorrow! :) ~lw3

Now, if THESE guys go up 28-3, they'd be in good shape the rest of the way. ~lw3

It's Lit! ~lw3