Warriors and Rockets. Cavaliers and Celtics. The NBA fans are in hog heaven.
The conference finals in the East get underway on Sunday afternoon, and the Rockets host the Warriors a day later.
These are, without a doubt, the best four teams in the NBA. I’ll admit it, I want to see the Cavs and Warriors battle it out again. Neither has the homecourt advantage, and I think both need to earn a split on the road to have a chance to win the series. I love the Warriors, but I’m not sure they can win the series without winning one of the first two in Houston.
I think the Warriors win the series in six games. I think the Warriors are a better overall defensive team, and that will make the difference.
I see the Cavs also winning in six. King James is on roll, and the Celtics don’t have anybody that can stop him defensively. James, the way he is playing, just needs one teammate to step up and score so he doesn’t have to carry the entire load. The Celtics have had an incredible season, and if Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward can come off injuries, they might be the No. 2 team in basketball behind Golden State next season.
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The signing of 6-10 Jordan Brown is creating quite a stir around Northern Nevada. I would caution fans to wait until after the deadline for staying in or opting out of the draft is over. You don’t know who the Pack will lose, if anybody. Brown alone doesn’t make the Pack a Final Four or Elite 8 team, especially if the Martins or Jordan Caroline opt not to come back to Nevada. It certainly makes them better on paper, but we all know that games aren’t played on paper.
If the Martins and Caroline return with the addition of Brown, I certainly see Nevada ranked as a preseason top-10 team. If Brown does come, I hope he stays past one year, though initial reports are saying he is a one and done player.
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Two former Western Nevada College stars, outfielder D.J. Peters and pitcher Dylan Baker, are playing for the Dodgers’ Double-A team, the Tulsa Drillers.
Peters has risen quickly through the Dodgers’ farm system, and is listed as the team’s No. 6 prospect on the Los Angeles website. In 29 games, Peters is hitting .291 with seven homers and 18 RBI.
Baker, a relief pitcher, is 2-1 with a save and an ERA of 7.59. He has allowed nine earned runs in 10.2 innings. Location has been a problem, because he is walking nearly a batter per inning.
Another local player, Carson’s Colby Blueberg, is with the Padres’ Double-A team at San Antonio. He has an ERA of 5.68.
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One change I’d like to see the NIAA make is to have its softball tournament mirror the baseball tournament in terms of format.
In baseball, higher seeds host until the final two days of the tournament. Softball plays its entire 4A tournament at Bishop Manogue. The other divisions usually has the same school hosting both baseball and softball.
Teams should never have to play three games in one day, period. For that reason alone, I think softball could start Tuesday at home sites. Teams that do well should reap the reward of a good season.
Several years ago, the NIAA was going to play the state softball tournament for all divisions at Golden Eagle which I was in favor of. The biggest drawback is that the onsite restaurant has refused, according to NIAA officials, to stop selling alcohol for the three days of the tournament. That is a shame, because it is a quality facility.
Playing on turf is no big deal, because girls that play travel ball in the north probably have come for a tournament at one time or another.
Too bad the city of Sparks can’t step in and take care of the issue. To have all four divisions would be great for the NIAA personnel, the media and even the fans.