DO THE CAVALIERS HAVE ANOTHER MIRACLE LEFT IN THEM? NO WAY
Not everyone is sold on these Golden State Warriors as one of the NBA’s all-time best teams for one season. Or that the Warriors have produced perhaps the most dominant three-season run in league history.
I don’t get it.
These Warriors are an awesome team. They have an incredible offense and play underrated defense. They have quality players on the bench.
Great NBA teams of the past also had great teamwork and on-court chemistry. But arguably none had as many exceptional athletes as Golden Stare possesses.
Golden State leads the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-0 in the best-of-seven finals after home victories by 22 (113-91) and 19 points (132-113).
Critics of Golden State and some Cleveland fans are pointing out that the Warriors led last season’s Finals 2-0 but wound up losing to the Cavs in seven games.
Two big differences this time around:
Warriors Draymond Green hasn’t been suspended – at least not yet. In last year’s Finals, Golden State was up 3-1 when he had to sit out Game 5. Cleveland won that game and the momentum shifted.
Golden State added a player for this season – a pretty good one. Kevin Durant has been spectacular all season and has been by far the best player in the first two games of the Finals.
Can the Cavaliers bounce back? If the series goes the maximum seven games, three of the remaini9ng five games would be in Cleveland. That’s encouraging – I suppose – for die-hard fans of the Cavs.
Golden State is simply too good for the Cavaliers – assuming the Warriors suffer no injuries or suspensions.
One of Cleveland’s major flaws is a bench loaded with aging one-dimensio9nal players: Deron Williams, Richard Jefferson, Kyle Korver and Channing Frye. I don’t know why Iman Shumpert ever takes a shot.
ABC’s Jeff Van Gundy asked Sunday night if Durant and Stephen Curry are the all-time best 1-2 punch in NBA history. That covers a lot of territory. But I can’t think of any other duo that is as skilled as Durant and Curry at their positions. And they’re both deadly foul-shooters (sorry, advocates for Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant).
For the record, here is what Golden State has accomplished in this amazing three-season run:
The best regular-season record each year.
2014-15 – 67-15, including 39-2 at home...outscored opponents 10.1 per game (110.0=-99.9)...16-5 in the postseason.
2016-17 – 67-15, including 36-5 cat home...outscored opponents by 11.6 points per game (115.9-104.3)...14-0 so far in the postseason.
Can the Warriors sweep Cleveland? Probably not. The Cavs can win at home Wednesday or Friday.
I fully expect the coronation of the Warriors as champions will be after Game 5 next Monday night at Oracle Arena.
LOADED RAILRIDERS ARRIVE AT FRONTIER FIELD
The New York Yankees are very good right now and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are a strong clue that the Yankees will be even better in the near future.
The RailRiders visit Rochester’s Frontier Field Monday (7:05 p.m.), Tuesday (7:05 p.m.) and Wednesday (12:35 p.m.) for a three-game series against the Red Wings.
Local fans will enjoy watching Irondequoit product and former Yankees first-round draft pick Cito Culver play for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (.230 batting average; 6 HRs; 20 RBI in 37 games), but the legions of Yankees fans in our area will be focusing on a parade of talented young future Yankees.
The best prospect of them all is 20-year-old infielder Gleyber Torres, among the to-three prospects in the minor leagues. All he needs is experience.
Torres began this season at Double-A Trenton. In 32 games, he batted .273, with 5 HRs and 18 RBI. He was promoted to the RailRiders May 21. He has struggled so far (.194 batting average in 11 games), but no one in worried. He is the second-youngest player in the International League and still growing.
Some people believe Torres will be promoted to the Yankees before September, possibly to play third base in place of struggling Chase Headley, but probably as the primary utility infielder.
Other probable future Yankees currently on the RailRiders include first baseman Tyler Austin, shortstop Tyler Wade, outfielder Clint Frazier and pitchers Caleb Smith, Tyler Webb and Chance Adams. Outfielder Dutin Fowler has a chance.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre arrived in Rochester with a 31-22 record. It is no fluke.
SOME INTERESTING BASEBALL FACTS AND STATS
The Houston Astros are a MLB-best 41-16 (.719) and have played very well at home (20-10) and splendidly on the road (21-6). And they’re shopping for veteran pitcher to bolster the bottom of the rotation.
The American League leads the National League 61-42 in interleague play.
Best records in one-run games: Colorado 9-2...Houston 9-4.
Worst records in one-run games: Tampa Bay and Texas, each 4-9.
Fewest errors 18 by Kansas City...most errors 58 by Oakland.
Most home runs: Houston (90), Tampa Bay (88) and Washington (86).
Fewest HRs – San Francisco (44) and Boston (53).
Most runs – Washington (314) and Houston (312).
Fewest runs – Kansas City (194) and San Diego (200).
Nearly everyone strikes out too much these days. Two of the worst whiffers: Chris Davis (Baltimore) 87 strikeouts in 194 official at-bats...Byron Buxton (Minnesota) 58 whiffs in 150 official ABs.
Los Angeles Dodgers relief ace Kenley Jensen in 23 innings pitched has 40 strikeouts and 0 walks.
Cincinnati leads MLB with 59 stolen bases. The Mets and Colorado each has a MLB-fewest 13 stolen bases.
Entering Monday night, the average batting line for an Americaqn League team (with the DH rule) compared to the average batting line for a National League team (without the DH rule) was nearly the same:
AL -- .251 batting average; 258 runs; 72 HRs; 800 total bases;. 741 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) .741.
NL – .251 batting average; 256 runs; 67 HRs; 802 total bases; .738 OPS.
BASEBALL’S DIVISION LEADERS JUNE 1 OFTEN HOLD UP
If your favorite MLB team was leading its division June 1, that often is a good sign.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, since 1996, the first full season with at least one wild card, 73 of the 126 division champions (58 percent) held at least a share of the lead in that division June 1.
This season’s division leaders June 1 were: New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, Washington, Milwaukee and Colorado.
I figure only two of those six pacesetters will finish on top: Houston and Washington.
My other revised division winners: Boston (AL East), Cleveland (AL Central), Cubs (NL Central) and Dodgers (NL West).
What do you think?
SOME TV LOVE FOR THE ROCHESTER ROYALS
It isn’t every night that you get to see a Rochester Royals logo flashed on your TV screen. But it happened Sunday night on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
The Golden State Warriors won the first two games of the current NBA Finals over Cleveland by a total of 41 points (113-91 and 132-113).
ESPN noted that the NBA record for the biggest combined victory margin for the first two games of the NBA Finals was 48 points by the 2016 Golden State Warriors (beat Cleveland 104-87 and 110-77).
One of the two teams tied for the second-biggest combined victory margin through the first two games of the NBA Finals (+42) was the 1951 Rochester Royals (92-65 and 99-84 over the New York Knickerbockers). The Royals went on to win the series in seven games.
RHINOS KEEP ROLLING
The Rochester Rhinos continue to do their best to impress the Greater Rochester soccer community. They beat the visiting FC Cincinnati 1-0 Saturday, on a goal by Kamden Fewo in the 65th minute, to boost their USL record to 4 wins, 1 loss and 3 draws in eight games. The crowd was a slightly more respectable 2,158 at Capelli Sport Stadium.
The Rhinos are facing a difficult challenge this week with road games Wednesday at Orlando City B and Saturday at the Tampa Bay Rowdies .
Rochester’s next home game will be Saturday, June 17, 6:05 p.m., against Ottawa Fury FC at Capelli Sport Stadium.
The Rhinos will play a fourth-round game of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against the Major League Soccer New England Revolution, Wednesday, June 14, at Providence College. There are 32 teams left in the U.S. Open Cup competition, including 19 MLS teams.
MAJOR LEAGUE LACROSSE RECAP
The Rochester Rattlers (3-3 record) were idle last Saturday and host the Chesapeake Bayhawks Saturday, 7 p.m., at Capelli Sport Stadium.
Visiting teams were 3-12 in the four MLL games played last Saturday and are an improbable 19-7 this season.
The Denver Outlaws bounced back from a 16-15 home loss to Rochester the previous week with a 19-13 victory over the Boston Cannons before 4,846 fans. Denver has a MLL-best 5-1 record.
The Ohio Machine beat the host Chesapeake Bayhawks 13-10 before 4,048 fans and the Florida Launch beat the host New York Lizards. Syracuse U. products Nick Mariano (2) and Sergio Salcido (1) combined for three goals for the Launch in their pro debuts. Rochester product Joe Walters and a goal and two assists for the Lizards and became the fourth player in MLL history to reach 200 assists.
The Atlanta Blaze were the only winning home team. They beat the Charlotte Hounds 19-18 before 2,811 fans.
SHORT SHOTS
The Grand Rapids Griffins lead the Syracuse Crunch 2-0 in the best-of-seven AHL Calder Cup Finals. Both games were in Grand Rapids. The Griffins won Game 1 last Friday night on a goal with 13 seconds remaining in regulation. The Griffins won 6-5 in double overtime Saturday night. The next three games will be in Syracuse Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. This is the first time the AHL teams have faced each other since the 2013 Calder Cup Finals (Grand Rapids won 4-2). The Griffins are 9-0 on home ice in these playoffs.
The Georgia Swarm outscored the two-time defending National Lacrosse League champion Saskatchewan Rush 11-5 in the second half in an 18-14 home victory Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series Sunday before 7,642 fans. Former Rochester Knighthawks star Jordan Hall had 5 goals and 2 assists for the Swarm and was voted First Star of the Game....Game 2 will be Saturday in Saskatchewan.
National Women’s Soccer League defending champion North Carolina Courage (formerly the Western New York Flash) beat visiting FC Kansas City 2-0 last Saturday before 3,717 fans at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, Pa. McCall Zerboni and rookie Ashley Hatch scored the goals for the Courage. Courage star Lynn Williams will replace Alex Morgan (hamstring issues) on the United States National Women’s Team for upcoming friendlies at Sweden Thursday and at Norway Sunday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Monday, June 5 – Sam Darnold (20)...Ryan Mallett (28)...Marques Colston (34)....Mike Fisher (37)...Torry Holt (41)...Zydrunas Ilgauskas (42)...Sean Moran (44)...John Carlos (72)...Nelson Burton Jr. (75)...Robert Kraft (76). Mark Wahlberg (46) is invited to the birthday party.
Tuesday, June 6 – DeAndre Hopkins (25)...Anthony Rondon (27)...Prince Amukamara (28)...Becky Sauerbrunn (32)...Kellen Clemens (34)...Cam Neely (52)..Bill Bates (56)...Bjorn Borg (61)...Bud Harrelson (73)...Merv Rettenmund (74). Paul Giamatti (50) is invited to the birthday party.