Category: Sports

News Item: LIV Making Waves In Golf World

I was around in the early days of the AFL and for the birth of both the ABA and USFL, so I get what the players who’ve left the PGA to join LIV Golf are doing. They’re grabbing the incredible money being thrown their way, which is fine if you can block out who is behind where it’s coming from and why they’re doing it. Regardless of that, it brings to mind two other points to me.

First, the players grabbing the cash, as is generally the case in the large me-first, greed-infested segment of our culture, want it both ways. They want LIV money and to play in PGA-sponsored events like the FedEx Cup playoffs. And several have sued the PGA for restraining trade by preventing them from playing in their events. I’m not an antitrust lawyer and I don’t play one on TV, but that’s like taking ABA money and still wanting to play in the NBA too. Doesn’t work that way. Who blames the PGA for saying, “Hey, pal, you can’t play in our events because you work for a rival business that’s trying to take money out of our pockets”?

Second, maybe it’s because it’s just golf or maybe it’s that I’ve been around long enough to see the real fun of the ABA, AFL and USFL, not to mention the XFL, but my attitude for LIV is “who cares?” While I root for certain guys at times, it’s only when they are playing in the tourney of the day. If not, so what? That’s because I watch golf for the events or the courses they’re playing, like Pebble Beach, and not for specific players.

Bottom Line: Keep them out of all four majors to make it hurt until the Saudi money eventually dries up and LIV folds.

News Item: Pats After Two Games

I love the pre-season pronouncements about how a team or a rookie looks in August. Like the Boston Globe’s Tara Sullivan saying the Patriots’ defense “is looking as stingy as ever” after two meaningless games. First, I guess she missed those last two games vs. Buffalo in 2021; I don’t know about “stingy as ever.” Second, they’ve played two series against a starting NFL QB, so how can you tell anything? Especially since Daniel Jones took the G-Men 68 yards down the field for a FG on his first series.

Then we’ve got the ultimate fan boy writer, Concord Monitor alum Chad Finn, saying in the Globe that second-round pick Tyquan Thornton should get the benefit of the doubt from skeptics after scoring a TD in Game 1. Oh, yeah, let’s ignore 18 years of futility between 2003 and 2021 in drafting wide receivers because a guy scored a preseason TD. I’m not saying Thornton is going to be good or bad; I haven’t seen enough of him against anyone, let alone face to face with a guy like Stephon Gilmore. And with him suffering a collarbone injury that could have him missing up to eight weeks his start now is a lot closer to N’Keal Harry than Deion Branch.

Bottom Line: Come see me in October. You rarely can tell much until then.

News Item: Judge Challenges Maris And The Babe

Steroid-tainted Barry Bonds holds the official record for homers in a season at 73, so this is more of a New York thing, but with Aaron Judge on pace to hit 61, all eyes in NYC will be on him as he tries to take the Yankees homer record from Babe Ruth and Roger Maris. While Maris holds the record with 61, many didn’t recognize that, in 1961, he did it in the new 162-game season whereas Ruth hit his 60 in 154 games.

Bottom Line: I’m a “records are made to be broken” kind of guy, so I’m pulling for Judge to do it even if it takes a bit of Yankees lore with it Either way, it should be a nostalgic final month in the Bronx.

News Item: How To End Brooklyn Saga

Enough already with the unending Kevin Durant-Brooklyn trade-me standoff. If I’m Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai I tell Durant we’re not trading you unless we get our price (which they have little chance of getting), so sit out. I’m worth $10 billion, so even losing $100 million is chump change. On the other hand, if you sit out for the three years left on your contract you’ll be coming back at 37 after missing 4.5 of the last six seasons. So good luck with that.

As for Kyrie Irving, that no one wants him is validation for me saying since 2017 he’s not as good as people think and even if he were, a guy who takes it all for granted ain’t worth the trouble.

Bottom Line: Stop letting players try to dictate what you do. Make them put up or shut up.

KD loves to play, so he’ll come back. As for Kyrie, his value will be highest at the trade deadline after somebody gets hurt on a contender and they’re desperate for help.

News Item: Browns Get Stuffed on Watson

Given his unrepentant attitude throughout, even with a $5 million fine and an 11-game suspension Deshaun Watson got off easy for what he did. But to some degree Roger the Dodger’s hands were tied after the arbiter tied her lighter ruling to the weak consequences various owners got for their own behaviors.

Bottom Line: Admittedly an after-the-fact bottom line. But I said last spring the Browns should hold on to Baker Mayfield. If they had, they wouldn’t be scrambling to find a QB in late August because sulking through the season wouldn’t be smart for a guy needing a reboot ahead of being a free agent in 2023. So he was a perfect fit for trying to prevent their season from going down the drain.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Another week with too much going on for a once a week column.

With Chaim Bloom’s baseball visions sending fan interest into a death spiral, will the much bigger deal made over David Ortiz entering the Baseball Hall of Fame than when Richard Seymour went into the Pro Football Hall two weeks later be the last time the Red Sox will command center stage for a long time?

Sorry, I don’t get what the hoo-ha was over Washington’s Juan Soto being traded to San Diego at the deadline to “tip the balance of power” in the NL West. Really? When was the last time a .246 hitter did that?

Sports 101: An actual trade that did came in 1987 when Detroit gave up a no-name prospect to get veteran Doyle Alexander. Hethen went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 11 starts to help them come from way back to win the AL East in 1987. Name the future Hall of Fame hurler they gave up to get Doyle.

Beyond that, how old are the people calling the Soto deal the biggest ever? 14? Here are two trade deadline deals I guarantee Soto won’t top.

In 1964 Lou Brock got traded at the deadline to spark the languishing Cardinals to win the World Series four months later. And all he did after that was accumulate 3,000 hits and become the all-time leader in stolen bases.

In 1977 300-game winner and Mets icon Tom Seaver was traded in his prime to Cincy. Think if they made it into a movie people would believe the 2022 Chris Sale saga, which supposedly ended by him falling off his bike and breaking his wrist? It’s a story with an ending many local media types are highly skeptical about. It makes the ledger for the first three years of Sale’s five-year deal signed in spring of 2020 5 wins, 11 starts and two losses for $90 million.

Congratulations to ESPN for getting it right for once in ranking Jimmy Brown as its GOAT for running backs. Ditto for Barry Sanders as No. 2 and Walter Payton third. Well done.

Shouldn’t Tom Brady be fined big for his role in the Miami tampering plot with owner Steve Ross and U of Michigan buddy/minority Dolphins owner Bruce Beal to get him out of his Tampa Bay contract to become the Dolphins QB?

And with that dishonesty added to the ledger with him not mentioning anyone in Foxboro when he retired as part of the phony plot, the halo has certainly descended on TB-12 around here.

Add another entry to Kyrie Irving’s “Is This Guy For Real?” file, from his contract extension talks where two of the items he wanted in his new contract, according to Ric Bucher’s On the Ball podcast, were that he only had to play 60 games a year and that he didn’t have to play “inhumanely” in games on back-to-back nights. He later refuted it in a bizarre rant on Twitter that contained phrases like shifting “paradigms” apparently to show how deep his intellect is.

Speaking of the tediously unending Nets saga, I think I’d do the deal for him if the price was Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a first-round pick because it let Jayson Tatum just play and put the leadership burden on the more suited for it Durant.

But I’d rather see them send Brown and Grant Williams to Cleveland for Evan Mobley, point guard Darius Garland and taking on Kevin Love’s onerous but expiring $30 million contract. That would hurt them a little defensively but give them a better and bigger three-man rotation among the bigs, deliver the eventual replacement for 37-year-old Al Horford, a real point guard in Garland and with Horford’s expiring deal, $60 million to spend on free agents next summer.

Though if I were Cleveland I wouldn’t do it.

Sports 101 Answer: The prospect Detroit gave up for Alexander was John Smoltz, who went on to win a Cy Young, save an all-time single season record 55 games and win 213 games with Atlanta on his way to the Hall.

Sports 102: Name the Hall of Famer then major Dodgers prospect Doyle Alexander was traded for at the start of his career in December 1971.

One more thing on Soto. I get that he’s just 23 and bursting with potential. But he’s had a full season when he hit over .300, and another when he hit .351 in 46 games. Has never hit more than 32 homers or driven in more than 110 in six seasons.

At 23 it was 46/127/.356 for Albert Pujols. By his sixth season Junior Griffey had two 49-homer seasons and three 100-plus-RBI seasons already. In his fourth season Willie Mays was MVP for going 51/127/.319. In his fifth season Mickey Mantle won the triple crown and MVP for his 52/130/.353 submission.

Terrific prospect, likely bright future, but let’s pump the brakes on Soto because he hasn’t been as good as any of the people mentioned above by 23 or their sixth season.

Sports 102 Answer: The highly touted Alexander was the key guy Baltimore got back in a six-player deal that sent the great Frank Robinson to the Dodgers.

With other guys around the league going down with big injuries I probably should just be happy it didn’t happen here. But beyond the eight catches for 99-yard effort to support my belief Kristian Wilkerson is better than the Patriots seem to think, I don’t know what I got from last week’s pre-season game vs. the G-Men.

Finally a tip of the cap to James White at his retirement. He was as reliable as they come, clutch when it mattered most and with six carries for 29 yards, 14 catches for 110 yards and three TDs spectacular in the greatest Super Bowl comeback ever. A true Patriot if there ever was one. Thanks for the memories and best of luck as you ride off into retirement.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

The Patriots are back at work getting ready for the 2022 opener. They do so with a host of big question marks brought on by (a) a disastrous final month of 2021, which included getting annihilated twice by Josh Allen and Buffalo, (b) a number of high-profile defensive departures, (c) losing offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, coupled with the curious “Bill being Bill” decision to not name a replacement, and (d) low expectations for not much more than a one done in the wildcard playoff round.

So with that as the backdrop, here’s what to keep an eye on this month.

Biggest Strength

Running Game: Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson give them thump on the inside and burst to run outside. That will help the play action passing and let them get it more often on third and short, which is the key to having long drives.

Biggest Questions

Who’s Calling The Plays: Since I was no fan of Matt Patricia during his overly cautions, strategy-deficient reign as defensive coordinator, and he was a disaster as HC in Detroit, it’s distressing to hear Matty P will be calling the plays on offense. Made worse by an apparent scrapping of a big part of the playbook to create unnecessary confusion for QB Mac Jones.

Enough at Wideout: With the damage Randy Moss caused 2007 opponents in mind, I wanted Coach B to use his top pick and whatever else was needed to trade for a speed burning No. 1 receiver (and pay him) the way Philly did with AJ Brown. Instead he used that pick on an OL most thought he could get in Round 3 and spent the No. 2 on outside burner Tyquan Thornton of Baylor. Like the sentiment, but given the drafting record at the position he’s already in prove it mode.

So what do they have? DeVante Parker is a nice addition, but he’s a No. 2 and has been injury-prone in a seven-year career with just one 1,000-receiving-yards season. After that are Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne. Both solid, but they’re third-line guys who would be much more dangerous if they had a true No. 1. Finally there’s the speed guy Nelson Agholor, who I’ll get to later. If Parker can stay healthy they’re better, but they’re in a division with Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs, so they should have traded for the burner.

The Secondary: They’ve gone from the best secondary in football two years ago to a giant question mark thanks to Coach B fiddling while Rome burned. Instead of trading Stephon Gilmore for value ahead of 2021 (rather than the bag of beans he got doing it at mid-season) and spending the money to give JC Jackson an early extension, he walked when it got too expensive for Bill. So now it’s mix and match with retreads and rookies at the corners. Not sure who it could be, but someone has to come through or Mac will need to score 40 a game to win.

The Young Linebackers: With Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins gone, opportunity abounds for all the linebackers they’ve drafted in the last three years. And the question is, can those guys do the job?

Big Years Needed

Matthew Judon: He had 12.5 sacks in his first 13 games. But he got Covid in Week 14 and was MIA after that as the D fell apart. They need a full season this year.

Mac Jones: The numbers show he was better in his rookie year than Tom Brady was in 2019. That was good enough for me. Now he needs to be more in command and take the next step up. Plus with Matty P calling the plays, I’m hoping for a lot more audibles.

Guys to Watch

Kyle Dugger: With Devin McCourty nearing the end, the defense needs the next leader. After a solid Year 2 he’s the guy the brass wants that to be that guy.

Josh Uche: We’ve been hearing about his pass rush potential for two years. So in the put-up-or-shut-up year it’s time to find out if he can be the second edge rusher they need

Rhamondre Stevenson: I thought by the end of the year he was even better than Harris, as his acceleration through the hole and elusiveness in the open made big gains more likely. Plus he can catch, so I’m expecting a jump up in production.

Cole Strange: He can’t be a whiff. Because their top draft pick is stepping into a big hole at left guard and with an offense built on a solid running game and led by a young QB who needs to be protected, he needs to be as good asLogan Mankins and Joe Thuney were from the jump.

Marcus Jones: Except for a four-game stretch in 2020 byGunner Olszewski, who seemed more interested in running to contact than away from it, the return game has been awful since Cordarrelle Patterson left town. We’ve been burned (Cyrus Jones) by expectations from big college stats. But the No. 3 pick had four return TD’s last year. So it will be very helpful if he can be as dangerous here.

Improvement Needed

Jonnu Smith: Let’s just say he was an expensive bust a year ago. Thus while Hunter Henry was fine, the two tight end games never materialized. That needs to change and he needs to be much better.

Nelson Agholor: After a disappointing 37-catch three-TD season he needs to do a lot more to justify the expense. And that would have a bigger impact downhill, because if his speed can be a regular factor, it helps everyone else be better.

The X-Factor: The health of the re-shuffled offensive line where flip-flopped tackles Trent Williams and Isaiah Wynn both have injury histories. With not much depth they need them to stay healthy.

We’ll check back in a month for the answers.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

News Item: PGA-LIV Battle Heats Up

The controversial start-up LIV world golf tour currently giving the PGA tour indigestion had its first U.S. event this week when it stopped where else but at Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf course, which naturally started off with a headline-making bout with the PGA by telling players to take the huge money being offered by the Saudi Arabia-financed LIV tour. He’s not the only one saying that, but given the track record it likely has more to do with revenge against the Tour for yanking the PGA Championship from his course after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Politics aside, the question I have about the LIV is this: Is golf about watching top players play, or about them fitting into the annual march of PGA-affiliated major championship? In other words, do you watch golf in the second week of April every year to see the players or how they do competing at Augusta National in the Masters?

Time will tell of course. Though it did not get off to a rousing start, as while the weekend crowds were larger, the Wall Street Journal described attendance as “sparse.”

News Item: Should C’s Trade For Durant?

The big on-court basketball story was the Celtics allegedly offering Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick to Brooklyn for Kevin Durant. With Durant likely in the top three players in the league, the pluses for him are obvious. Not the least of which was Brooklyn being 29-6 before he got hurt last year when they promptly disintegrated. Which is appealing to a team that’s won one stinking title in 36 years.

But here are three things to consider: (1) He’s become a very vocal whiner. What will that do to team chemistry? (2) First he wanted out in Oak City. That’s understandable because he had to live in Oklahoma to play there and coexist with the ball hog Russell Westbrook. But it was the same with epitome of team play Golden State and now Brooklyn. So you have to wonder if he’ll ever be happy. Especially as he gets to the grumpy old man phase of his career. (3) Megalomaniac Brooklyn GM Sean Marks wants Brown, Marcus Smart, another rotation player and three first-round picks for Durant. So are you ready to gut a young team that just added two solid bench players after coming up two games short of winning the NBA title, for a 34-year-old star coming off two seasons marred by major injuries in the last three years?

News Item: Pats Open Camp

Three things stood out above the rest as pre-season camp opened for the Patriots last week.(1) With Mac Jones firmly established at QB, for the first time in two years Tom Brady’s long shadow no longer hovers over the team. (2) After a horrid showing in the final month and several major departures, the defense is filled with question marks, especially at linebacker and in the secondary. (3) As the transition from the vestiges of the last three Super Bowl-winning teams fade and the newcomers from last year’s free agent haul have a year in the saddle, the search is on for new faces to emerge as leaders and high-end performers to keep the rebuild moving forward.

News Item: Ortiz Goes to Cooperstown

Congrats to David Ortiz for his well-earned first ballot entry into Baseball’s Hall of Fame two Sundays ago. But seeing that it took former Minnesota Twins teammates Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva until they were in their 80s and Boys of Summer Brooklyn great Gil Hodges over five decades since he died of a heart attack we have to ask, what took them so long?

The latter three were voted in by a committee of former players who got it right long after baseball writers kept missing. So congrats to three who should have been in years ago.

News Item: Benefit Found for Yellow Uniforms

Well, we finally discovered a good use for the RED Sox’ offensive yellow uniforms, which they wore all through the carnage of last week. It is that it let them play in disguise as they stunk up the joint so no one knew it was them as they fell into last place.

News Item: The Greatest Ever Passes On

After the passing of legendary Celtic Bill Russell at 88 on Sunday tributes to his greatness have been written all week. So instead I’ll just tell you about the one conversation I had with the great man.

It happened during a pre-season practice, Oct. 12, 1999. Not even sure how it started, but it went for about 45 minutes after he blurted out how impressed he was with young Shaquille O’Neal. Not the player, but the kid. “He must have good parents, because he’s a nice young man.”

Given Shaq’s immense size, I asked how he compared to his rival Wilt Chamberlain. A knowing smile came over his face as he said, “It’s hard to describe how good he was,” and he went on about him for quite a while. After hearing about the friction between the two, that made me feel good as his affection was obvious.

The conversation got so comfortable I even punked him, by saying to something he said about high school, “That’s not what [HS teammate and baseball Hall of Famer] Frank Robinson told me.” And he shot back, “Whuuut did he say?” I said I didn’t know Frank and was just kidding. That brought out the famous cackle, which was the high point of the chat.

I remember the exact day, because a short while later I heard on my car radio Wilt had just been found dead in his L.A. home. A surreal moment that’s always made our conversation bittersweet. But I will say it was the most normal one I ever had with a famous person and I’ve met a lot of them.

RIP, big fella, and thanks for the memories

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

I don’t make U-turns very often. But I have made one in recent days and it’s a major-league about-face.

It concerns Red Sox owner John Henry, whom I’ve always defended amid all the whining that goes on around here. I defended him for two reasons.

First: All I heard in the first 30 years since I moved behind enemy lines was the whining about bad luck as the Sox World Series streak kept growing until it reached 86 years after the cruelest loss of all to the Yanks in 2003; that ended the next year in glorious fashion and was followed by titles in 2007, 2013 and 2018 to give them four in his first 16 years on the job, yet after a short abatement the whining started all over again. So with the knowledge that no other team has won as much as during his time on the job, I’ve always been willing to stand up for him and ask the question, what more do you ingrates want?

The second reason is obvious: John I. Taylor notwithstanding, he is the best owner in franchise history. It’s been a time when they have mostly spent big on payroll and made the wise decision to save/reinvest in their landmark ballpark, all while ending the curse and delivering some of the most exciting moments in franchise history. Not the least of which was climbing out of an 0-3 hole to finally beat the Yanks in 2004.

But, sadly, I’ve come to the conclusion It’s time for Henry to sell the Red Sox.

Here’s why, and I’ll start with the little things.

It Just Feels Old: There is no vitality in the ownership group. It’s a long way from when Henry pulled up at the Sports Hub to defend his team after listening to the endless negativity of Michael Felger and Tony Mazz while tooling around town in his car. Pretty unusual, but I liked the fight.

Not Dealing With the Media: I’m sure team president Sam Kennedy is a fine fellow. But since the owner deigns to speak to the nuisance media once a year he seems like a lap dog when he constantly is answering for the owner. I get it – the media can be obtrusive. But sorry, pal, it’s part of the job and I shouldn’t have to tell that to the guy who owns the Boston Globe. The Nation wants to hear from the boss.

It’s Become Just an Investment: Again I defended him when Fenway Sports Group bought the soccer team. But now there is an auto racing team and the Pittsburgh Penguins along with soccer, and the team seems like just part of the investment portfolio.

The Tampa Bay Way: I have pointed out many times that over the last few years Tampa Bay has won more than the Red Sox while spending millions less. But it wasn’t in support of how they conducted business. It was to show that it’s not what you spend, it’s how you spend it. Like wasting $170 million on Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez as an overreaction to fan discontent after a last-place finish in 2014. Or losing Jon Lester thanks to a ludicrous lowball offer and then having to spend $8 million per more the next year to bring in the soon to be hated David Price to replace him.

I’m Chaimed Out: I not only hate his stat geek, cookie-cutter, bargain basement vision of baseball, but I also find it insulting that one of the great franchises in sports history is copying the ways of one of the worst franchises in baseball history, one that barely draws 10,000 a game while the Sox had a 10-year sellout streak.

I thought he was going to come in to do what his Tampa Bay boss Andrew Friedman did when he landed in L.A.— clean up the payroll, build a farm system and then when he was done use their big market financial clout to fill out the line-up with big-time players like Mookie Betts and now NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber.

But that has not materialized, as it looks more like his place in Red Sox history will be as the 21st century’s answer to Harry Frazee by giving Raffy Devers and Xander Bogaerts insulting (idiotic) lowball contract offers on top of already dumping Betts.

Which brings me to the point of this diatribe. I was OK with not giving Betts what he wanted based on the risk of giving a 12-year contract. And I’m right about that.

But more deals like that have followed, and with Juan Soto (somehow) turning down a 15-year, $550 million deal last weekend it’s not likely going to go in the other direction. So if you don’t want to play that game it’s time to leave. Plus while the overall record is good, amid constant turnover at GM and manager there appears to be no real plan, which might be why they’ve finished last three times and missed the playoffs seven times since 2010.

Take The Money and Run: The team is now worth $3.9 billion, which is a 459 percent return on the $700 million you bought it for in 2002. For the mathematically challenged that’s $187 million appreciation per year or a $3.2 billion profit before whatever they made in annual profits.

So at the risk of understating the case: You have made your money. How much more do you need?

Bottom Line: While you technically own the team, Patriots owner Bob Kraft gets it right when he says teams are a public trust owned by fans who’ve been here longer than any owner ever was or will be.

So unless you still have the passion and energy to lead, along with the willingness to invest at today’s rate, take your $3.9 billion and ride into the sunset.

Yankees fans would never accept anything less. And neither should the fans who you are asking to pay the highest ticket prices in baseball while letting Chaim Bloom turn the Sox into baseball’s version of TJ Maxx.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Count me among those who liked that Brad Stevens did not stand pat after the Celtics’ surprising season.

Adding real scoring punch to the bench was met with near universal approval in these parts and around the league, as trading for Indiana guard Malcolm Brogdon and signing free agent Danilo Gallinari serms a perfect fit.

Except, maybe by me.

Not because I don’t like either player, but because on paper they fill two slots.

Gallinari has always been the 3-point-shooting instant-offense wing they’ve needed forever, with the added benefit being he’s big enough and versatile enough to do it at the 3 or 4. And if you read this space regularly you know I like Brogdon’s combo guard game a lot, especially his ability to get below the foul line and score. I’ve suggested/begged that the Celtics should trade for him (and teammate Domantas Sabonis, who I liked even more) on numerous occasions. Including when Danny Ainge blew a chance to make a larger sign and trade deal when the Pacers were lusting to bring free agent Gordon Hayward home to Indiana two summers ago — a trade that, oh by the way, also would have filled the glaring hole (see below) this deal created.

The deal also makes them deeper and didn’t cost any of the first eight guys in the playoff rotation. Plus his contract gives them another big-number contract to include if a deal for a great max player presents itself.

So having said all that, what’s not to like, Dave? It’s not so much what’s not to like, as much as that each guy brings a red flag. For Brogdon it’s durability. He’s played as many as 70 games in a season only once, and that was six years ago in his rookie season of 2016-17. The six-year career average is just 51 games per and last year it was a worst of all 36. I hate guys who get hurt a lot and can’t recover quickly. So beware.

For Gallinari it’s aging. In the last four years his scoring averages have been, in order, 19.3, 18.7, 13.3 and 11.7, while for the 3-point shooting averages it’s been a career best .433, .405, .406, .381. That seems like a trend to me.

Then there’s the giant hole behind 37-year-old Al Horford and the brittle Lob it to Rob Williams. It remains to be seen who the new guy turns out to be. But don’t underestimate this; filling this spot with the right guy is important. Of the available names, I like athletic defender Nerlens Noel best.

Now some thoughts on the other big stories going on.

Kevin Durant: Due to their unrealistic demands — an all-star player, two role players and five first-round picks — it’s looking like he’ll stay in Brooklyn.

If I’m Miami, as good as he is I’d be reluctant to give up mid-20 Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro for him. With one including Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and James Wiseman the best package could come from Golden State. But they just won the title, so why not keep the young guys to try to extend their reign beyond the Curry era.

As for the unrealistic demands? They’re fine, but to make that work you need a sucker and I don’t see one right now. Which brings us to an old friend.

Danny Ainge: Nobody is better at finding suckers than Danny. He did it with Brooklyn to eventually get Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for fool’s gold in 2015. And now comes a deal for a guy (Rudy Gobert) who couldn’t get his team out of the first round of the playoffs in April with Minnesota for five unprotected first-round picks and five players. Given their gruesome 21st-century history, I give Minnesota points for trying something different. But I’m guessing after a few productive years it eventually ushers in a decade of more awfulness. The good news is, since he’s now a part owner, A-Rod will be one of the sufferers.

Now watch what Danny does with Donovan Mitchell and the two best guys he got back, Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley.

Kyrie Irving: Speaking of Celtics alumni, I guess hell has frozen over. It appears no one is dumb enough to want team-killer Kyrie Irving. Well, except the Lakers, who have turned into a sad, desperate mess. Except the Nets aren’t dumb enough to take back the hard to play with Russell Westbrook and his $49 million contract. Beyond that, the Nets can’t find any takers for the alleged “superstar” who led the Nets to 11-18 in the 29 games he played last year.

James Harden: I was wrong about him again. He not only stayed put in Philly; he took a big pay cut so his boss had more cap space to bring in players to help them win. Kudos to him. Now all he has to do is lose 30 pounds or adjust his game to a bigger, maturing body

Steph Curry: There was some chatter last week saying he is the second best player in NBA history. Putting him in the Top 10 never even occurred to me, to be honest. But after gaining a new appreciation for him as he annihilated the Celtics in the Finals I’m willing to entertain the Top 10 debate. But who would he replace? On his side, his 3-point shooting changed how the game is played and his four titles is one more than Larry Bird and three more than Oscar Robertson. Can’t go No. 2 as among LeBron and the Greek Freak I’m not even sure he’s in the Top 2 of his era as that’s still being determined. But he’s climbing.

Ja Morant: I don’t know if it’s youthful enthusiasm or youthful ignorance but I did get a kick out of him saying last week he could beat an in-his-prime Michael Jordan playing one on one.

I’ll take Mike because of his unmatched killer instinct.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].