First World Sports Cards

@EdTapia @DaEncinoMan He does suck and has not corrected his flaws yet though. Hope he doesn’t get into a second half slump like last year

@DaEncinoMan He's the starting Centerfielder for the National League in the All Star game. STFU and sit down.

I can’t handle Andy Pages man. I still think the Dodgers should trade him long term. He makes so many horrible lazy plays in the outfield. His at has quieted a ton

@DavidBodmer2 @DodgerInsider Muncy responsible with errors

@DodgerInsider Wow

The Dodgers are swept by the Diamondbacks with a 5-3 loss.

@azcat92 @JeffSpiegel @FabianArdaya Offense too. His age is showing. He doesn’t deserve a long term contract

@JeffSpiegel @FabianArdaya Muncys defense has been deplorable lately

The Dodgers' defense has done them no favors this week. That includes two errors today, one of which came in the sixth when Max Muncy tried going home on a potential inning-ending double play ball and the throw hit Geraldo Perdomo. By inning's end, it's 4-3 Arizona.

@MaskaF56959 @FabianArdaya I was saying the same. why isn’t Roberts going after anyone for their sloppy plays

@FabianArdaya The problem is there bur they’re not doing anything to fix it. Fired Mark Prior and the hitting coaches. It’s for a change in the coaching staff.

@DodgersNation Muncy fuccking sucks. His age is showing. Make him like Rojas next year because he is not a full time player anymore

End of the 5th inning. The score stands at Los Angeles Dodgers 3, Arizona Diamondbacks 2. In this inning, Shohei Ohtani grounded out, Andy Pages struck out swinging, and Freddie Freeman lined out to left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

@anumeon @Dodgers Muncy. Oh well . This is the Dbacks World Series good for them. They won’t even make the wild card.

@cards_first @Dodgers Make that 4-3 Diamondbacks

Our All-Stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@DodgerBlue1958 This is all on Dave Roberts. He should have been on his players after making so many errors against the Rockies. Need to discipline more

Don’t see Pages make many mistakes like that anymore. The Dbacks now have the tying runs in scoring position

@anumeon @Dodgers That was on the catcher though.Cant even catch a stupid easy ball. The runner should be on first

@Dodgers The fact that he got to return for this inning after last innings poor performance stinks.. Atleast he's relieved now. But not before placing a runner on 3d with only one out..

@Lastone23456 @EtiveCapital @ByJackHarris I was talking about the one he made the error. If caught that one we would have only given up one run

@cards_first @EtiveCapital @ByJackHarris He’s not catching one of those. The second one he absolutely should have

Dodgers had been cruising with a three-run lead But then, Emmet Sheehan gave up back-to-back doubles here in the fifth before Andy Pages dropped a fly ball going back at the warning track Suddenly, Dbacks have tying runs in scoring position... 3-1 Dodgers, top 5th

@Lastone23456 @EtiveCapital @ByJackHarris If he caught the ball the dodgers should have been up by two.

@EtiveCapital @ByJackHarris Only that last one

@KevinDa73215441 @ByJackHarris Blame pages. Sheehan shoudl have given up only one run. Damn

@ByJackHarris Its never easy. Sheehan seems to just lose it about 4-5 innings in

@DodgerInsider We need to trade for skubal

The Dodgers have made six errors in their last three games. They made 26 errors in their first 91 games.

@KevinDa73215441 @DodgerBlue1958 They are getting replaced with Sheehan and Roki during the playoffs for bullpen

@DodgerBlue1958 This one is on verge of blowout. Stewart and Hurt dont look good at all

The Dodgers seem ready for the break. They've had some sloppy play recently.

@ShuTakeyashi10 @LakersNation Yeah too slow . Eddey in Memphis is better

@LakersNation That 7’3 man looks seriously ass 😭

#Lakers have done an outstanding job on Aday Mara in this first half.

@Knoxvols1972 @DodgerBlue1958 Yeah that is the problem with Klein

@DodgerBlue1958 You can't walk leadoff guy.

Bad pitching, bad defense. Uncharacteristic

@talktokwon @jovanbuha Pelinka should be done. Go hire Sam presti

@jovanbuha This is an incredible breakdown. I agree with pretty much all of it. We definitely need more on the defensive end. However, let’s see Luka fully control this team without Bron. The vibes are going to be much higher. I also don’t think the Pelinka/Dodgers are not done with moves.

My extended thoughts on the Lakers’ moves today (for those who didn’t catch my stream): — I think the primary goal should’ve been to land a long-term piece next to Luka and Austin. There was no scenario in which the Lakers built a team as good as OKC's or SAS's in one offseason (especially after losing LeBron). They landed that foundational player in Walker Kessler, my top offseason target (at any position) and clear top C. Perfect fit. Franchise cornerstone who can be top 5 in FG%, rebounds, and blocks next season. Monster on both ends. Love the signing. Think the AAV is fair and in line with market value, especially re: poaching him in restricted free agency. From that perspective, the offseason is an unequivocal success. I give the Kessler trade an A (would’ve liked to have kept one pick and/or one swap out of it -- trade price was high). Add in Deandre Ayton and Mamu, and I think the Lakers have one of the strongest center cores in the league. -- I also think the FO deserves credit for emptying the clip and going all-in for Kessler. The price was high, but I've criticized them for years for refusing to trade picks and meet some of the asking prices for young starters. It's only right to commend them when they actually do it. They went three transactional cycles with Luka without adding a high-level young starter. They finally did that. — As for the other three moves, I like all three players individually, particularly on the offensive end. I see the vision there. Collectively, they check a ton of boxes: youth, speed, shooting, dynamism, ball-handling/playmaking, rebounding (Mamu). This can be a top-five, if not even top-three, offense. -- At the same time, I view all three players as largely bench-level guys on a true contender. I view Grimes as a fringe starter/6MOY type, and Mamu and Sexton as high-level bench players. As of right now, two of those three project to start. It's similar to last season, when multiple guys were slotted into higher roles than they should've been (Smart, Rui, and Ayton). -- I think LA overpaid each player by roughly $1M-$2M in AAV, based on the market and similar signings. Not the worst thing in the world, but I also don’t understand why those contracts also came with player options. Should’ve only been POs with lower AAV deals (or fewer years). Or the agreed-to AAV with no POs. Feels like they paid max market value on each player + gave the PO on top. Perhaps that had to do with waiting on Kessler S&T, but I think they needed to negotiate the AAV or PO down. — I’m probably lower than consensus on Grimes. But I’ve come more around to the signing. I just think that, for now, they’re asking him to be: 1) the No. 3 option on a title contender, and 2) the defensive stopper on a title contender. I’m not sure either one of those is an appropriate ask of him. I think a proper slotting would be him as the fourth-best offensive player and the No. 2, or even 3, defender in a starting group. Offensively, he's an amazing fit, and the Lakers haven't had a role player with that skill set in years. Defensively, he'll need to channel his best stretches of defense far more consistently. Even then, I don't think he can be the best POA or wing defender on a title team (which he currently is among LA's top 7 players). — Love Mamu’s game and skill set. Just don’t think he’s a starter on a contender -- especially defensively. The Lakers are now set up to have him or Luka defend wings that play at the 4. Not ideal. If the Lakers add a 4 and move him into a third big role, I love the fit and see the vision. He can shoot, pass, drive, and rebound. He’s going to unlock a ton for them offensively in two-big looks or as the single big. I think it’s close between him and Rui, but I understand why they picked him. He has a more well-rounded game. He's the one that I have the most issue with contract-wise. That deal should have been 3 years at $39M, or 4 years at $40M, with no PO (same AAV on the shorter deal or a lower AAV on the 4-year deal). — Sexton is the signing I have the most reservations about. I think the Lakers would’ve been better served spending less $ — or even the same $ — retaining Marcus Smart or signing Kelly Oubre Jr. Both are much better defenders than Sexton, and could switch between POA and wing stopper roles at a higher level. Sexton is the better offensive player — better scorer/passer/shooter — but the Lakers’ obvious weakness with a Luka/AR/Kessler core is perimeter defense. I get the appeal of a scoring bench guard; I just think that archetype is easier to find than a (playable) wing/POA stopper. You can find the former on min deals every summer. You can't get the latter — most of the min. defenders aren't playoff-level guys. You can’t solve every hole in one transaction cycle, but the Lakers once again prioritized a small, offensive-minded guard over adding wing/perimeter defense. Sexton’s reputation as a defender is far beyond his actual defense. Even in the best-case scenario, he’s a 6-2 guard with switching limitations. The Lakers need good defenders in the 6-6 to 6-9 range. I would feel much better about this roster with Smart or Oubre in Sexton's place. — The Lakers didn’t address the wing defense for the sixth consecutive offseason (post 2020-21 season). It’s been a real blind spot for them post-KCP/Caruso. Grimes and Sexton are not good enough to be the primary POAs/wing stoppers on a title team. If you consider the Lakers a top 10 team (which I still do), I think they have the worst collection of 1-4 defensive talent among those teams by a decent margin (NYK, SAS, OKC, TOR, PHI, DEN, MIN, HOU & DET). That’s before mentioning CLE, ORL, PHX, POR, etc. DEN is maybe the exception -- depending on their offseason -- but I’d still take Gordon or Watson over any Laker perimeter defender by a good margin. -- I believe Kessler can be in the non-Wemby/Gobert conversation for best rim-protector in the league. He'll put out some of these fires, and is a massive upgrade over Ayton/Hayes. LA was the second-worst rim-protecting team in the NBA last season. That won't be the case this season. At the same time, he's not Wemby. He's not an elite defensive system in and of himself. He needs support. And the Lakers have built a rotation that is basically, "Let Kessler save us." -- There are three wild cards in all of this: Adou Thiero, Cameron Carr, and Jake LaRavia. Adou and Carr have the athleticism and defensive upside LA desperately needs. Perhaps one of them pops and quells some of these concerns. I think that's a big ask for a second- and/or first-year player, respectively, but that's the challenge ahead. LaRavia's shot and offensive confidence declined over the second half of last season, and if he can return to shooting like SAC/MEM (high 30s), he can be a bench stopgap. -- For those mentioning Vando, JJ has never used Vando as anything more than a 9th man when the team has been healthy over the past two seasons. They have clearly not clicked. JJ values shooting above almost all else. Perhaps LA is injured enough for Vando to factor in more, but I believe Jake will be ahead of him (again), and Adou and Carr may even be given opportunities ahead of him as well. This is all before factoring in the possibility that LA might trade him at some point. -- Overall, I commend LA for going all-in for Kessler. They added their center of the future and a third foundational piece. I think they also added three high-level bench players, albeit on contracts that are far more player-friendly than team-friendly. I think they've probably taken a step back from last season. It's been a successful offseason, but I think they need to start prioritizing perimeter defense more seriously and look beyond players whose primary strength is having a bag. -- As for comparing this group to last season, I don't think the new starting group or bench is as cohesive as last season's group. I think LA has 7 guys who could play in a series vs. NYK/OKC/SAS. Last season, I believe they also had 7, but they had more top-end talent with LeBron. Maybe Kessler is transformative enough defensively to offset that. I could be wrong. I think this group has a higher floor than last season's but a lower ceiling.

@dru_star @WindhorstESPN This is what having salary cap does. NBA players should go on strike like MLB players

“Rightfully, the Lakers should just give [LeBron] a 2-year deal for $100 million…But because of rules & reasons or whatever, they can't really, b/c every dollar they give to him is a dollar that they can't spend on a center, which is what they really need to win.” @WindhorstESPN

@FeelingGood500 @ReavesGotMe @NBALakersReport 2nd round pick no way first for this bum

@ReavesGotMe @NBALakersReport It’s 2031 😭

Lu Dort Trade Proposal 👀 Lakers Receive: 🔘 Lu Dort ($17.7M) Thunder Receive: 🔘 Dalton Knecht ($4.2M) 🔘 2031 FRP 🔘 Cash considerations

@jasonlee_taipei @criticalcarra @BlakeHHarris Mookie hitting worse than him this year. Tucker smith and mookie need to step up in the second half

@criticalcarra @BlakeHHarris He is this year’s Conforto.

Kyle Tucker with one of the worst at bats you will ever see I can't believe this man is getting paid $60 million a year

@JmPearson1975 @DMAC_LA Jordan never lost in the finals lol

@DMAC_LA There are 5-10 players intake now over Wemby and he is no where near a great player all time.

As a lifelong Lakers fan, watching the Spurs choke is pure joy. The Wemby love-fest was over-the-top too. If Wemby didn't choke in game 2, Spurs probably win this series. Don't tell me he's only 22 either, Magic was droppin' 42 at 20 in the Finals. Give me prime Shaq any day.