EL SEGUNDO HERALD March 2, 2017 Page 5 By Doing Nothing, Lakers Do Something By Adam Serrao The NBA trade deadline came and passed last Thursday and instead of making a blockbuster move to send ripples throughout the entire league, the Lakers simply stood pat. Magic Johnson has officially taken control of basketball operations for the Lakers and in doing so has seemingly brought order to a team that was once buried in disarray. Only a smart basketball mind can fix what is currently wrong with the Lakers and in Johnson’s short tenure as man in charge, he is quickly proving that he has what it takes to lead a once-proud franchise back to its former glory. The Lakers weren’t completely quiet at this year’s deadline, but Magic Johnson isn’t necessarily an unintelligent fellow either. Any successful businessman--like Magic has proven himself to be--must know when to hold onto assets and when to send them away. Well, Magic’s first move as boss of the Lakers was to get rid of who was the team’s best player this year, Lou Williams. Getting rid of Williams was a necessary evil for the Lakers. Sure, he scored the most points on the team… but in a year when losing is winning, the Lakers must try to be bad in order to be good. “This trade allows us to continue on the path of building something special, while maintaining future flexibility in the organization,” Johnson explained. Letting go of Williams will hopefully mean that the Lakers lose more games this season- -and in doing so, hold onto their draft pick that they will only receive with some help from the lottery balls. The Lakers’ pick is protected if it falls among the top three of the draft. A record of 19-39 at the All-Star Break couldn’t be any bigger of an indication that the Lakers are on the road to nowhere once again this season. That being said, any loss is a win for L.A. In addition, the departure of Williams will mean more playing time for a young group of players in desperate need of maturity at the NBA level. In the end, the move was a win-win for the Lakers, setting the team up for success in the future and maybe even as early as next year. Perhaps Johnson’s biggest move at the deadline, however, was making no move at all. Rumors swirled that the Lakers and the Indiana Pacers had mutual interest in a trade for superstar guard/forward Paul George. At only the age of 26, George has proven himself to be one of the league’s best players who just so happens to be stuck on a team that SBA loans. Business credit lines. Cash management services. Commercial RE, construction and equipment loans. Tiffany Clyne Senior Vice President 310.321.3282 tclyne@grandpointbank.com 1960 E. Grand Avenue, Suite 1200 El Segundo, CA 90245 grandpointbank.com Five-Star Superior Rating by BauerFinancial consistently struggles in the Eastern Conference. As time has gone on, George has been increasingly clear about the displeasure that playing for the Pacers brings along with it. George’s contract will make him eligible to leave Indiana after the 2017-’18 season--and as a native of Palmdale, California and star of Knight High School, there are enormously strong indications that the All-Star cannot wait to get to Los Angeles to put on the Lakers’ purple and gold. If George has his mind set on joining the Lakers, then Magic did the right thing by not trading away valuable young assets to attain one superstar. By the time George is available on the free agent market, the young players on the Lakers will be mature enough to surround George with what should be a competitive and winning team. Add to that the fact that without George on the team this year, the Lakers will still be bad enough to finish in the bottom three at the end of the year and increase their odds to add yet another young, top-echelon player to their roster through the draft for next season. This season has been nothing short of frenetic for the Lakers as fans have once again had to temper their expectations. A young core of players takes time to get used to the pace and rhythm of playing in the NBA and on an 82-game schedule. The first step toward future success, however, is having a front office in place that not only knows its players, but also knows its future. With Magic, the Lakers finally have that. In addition to his business and basketball acumen, Johnson also brings a charisma that can’t be found most anywhere else in the league. “He’s got a presence about him that’s nice,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “He’s been very supportive.” The Lakers can use all of the support that they can get as they head into an offseason that will undoubtedly be full of even more question marks. While fans of the Lakers may not currently have all of the answers that they are looking for, they can take solace in the fact that a new front office will do its job to get the team back on track. It isn’t easy, especially when Los Angeles has been as bad as they have been over the past four seasons. A new era of Lakers basketball has finally arrived and now there is only one question left to be answered. Do you believe in Magic? – Asixlion@earthlink.net • El Segundo High Eagles Baseball Preview By Gregg McMullin Ahh, you can smell the freshly-cut grass of the infield. The chalk lines that silhouette the first and third base lines sketch an impeccably placed boundary of America’s pastime. It means that the long, cold and wet winter is nearly a memory and that baseball is here. There’s a buzz around the El Segundo High School campus these days regarding the baseball team, and for good reason: The Eagles are really good. El Segundo returns seven starters and four pitchers to a team and program poised to win its 35th league championship. For just the fifth time in 57 years, the Eagles will have a new head coach. Former Eagle standout Jake Palmer has demonstrated his power at the plate and is a highly regarded outfielder. and Major League pitcher Billy Traber takes the reins of one of the South Bay’s premier programs. Traber inherits a team that is certainly the buzz not only around campus, but among opponents and those who rank teams. The Eagles will enter the season ranked fourth in a preseason CIF Southern Section Division 3 poll. According to Coach Traber, this team has jelled together, are best of friends off the field, have a great work ethic, work hard and expect to do whatever it means or takes to win. Having ended last season on a high note by bouncing Mira Costa in the playoffs, defeating the American Legion team and then advancing to the state tournament, the Eagles are definitely on everyone’s radar. Four-year starters Jake Palmer and Spencer Long are the cornerstones of the team. Palmer has played in each of the team’s last 96 games, all in centerfield. Should he play in all of the team’s contests this season, he could set a school record for most games played. Jake was the leading hitter last season and looks to better that .398 batting average this year. He could also wind up pitching in a closing situation on a staff that’s very deep. Spencer Long made a name for himself when he threw a complete-game win against Mira Costa in the first round of the CIF playoffs. He will be one of the top pitchers in the South Bay this season when he isn’t anchoring the infield. He is described by Traber as a complete team player who is unselfish and has come into his own. A look at the roster and you can see why Traber is excited about the possibilities his first team has. Spencer Palmer had a limited role last year because of injuries, but he will be counted on playing first base and pitching this season. He will bring his power to the batting lineup that should strike fear in opposing pitchers. Besides his potential with the long, ball he has the talent to be a power pitcher. Sean Emery is one of those unique players that can play a multitude of positions. Besides having a strong arm in the outfield, his 6’6” frame will be used at first base too. He’s another player who’ll be counted on to pitch. And like Spencer Palmer, he has the swing to hit the long ball. With a team with so many utility players able to handle a vast number of positions, no position is set for any one player. At second base you’ll likely see CJ Shevlin, Mateo Camano, Jackson Stone, Spencer Long and Jake McDonnell. At shortstop, those five players will split time and at third base Nico Celestial returns to anchor that side of the diamond. Look for Mathew Romero or Brendan Casillas to get some time at third base too. Kobe Estrada, Jake Palmer and Shevlin or Emery give the Eagles arguably one of the best defensive outfields in the South Bay. Each has an extremely strong arm and all have the speed to catch up to balls hit in the gap. Hunter Lunch is another outfielder with a big arm and he can cover a lot of ground. Behind the plate, Casillas returns for his third year. The junior has made a dramatic Visit us online: www.heraldpublications.com See Eagles, page 15
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