July 25, 2013 Page 3 Joe’s Sports Lakers Rebuilding to Rebuild By Adam Serrao this year for a title, let alone a top five seed in Fired Up Lakers Pick Up Los Angeles Lakers. For the past two be next to preposterous. Among elite teamsthe Western Division, barring a miracle, wouldIt is now a time of uncertainty for the Youth Basketball Wins witnessing their professional basketball Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden Statelike the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonioyears, fans across Los Angeles have been club that wears the purple and gold fall Warriors and now Howard’s Houston Rockets, By Joe Snyder downhill. After getting swept out of the the Lakers this season may be hard-pressed to In the age 12-14 division, the Lakers playoffs in Phil Jackson’s last year, the make it into the playoffs at all. Should they remained in first place in the Hawthorne Lakers proceeded to lose Andrew Bynum fail to gain at least an eight seed, it would Parks and Recreation Basketball League in a trade that brought in Dwight Howard. be just the sixth time in their 65-year history at 5-1 after rolling over the winless Air The move looked good at the time, but after that the team has missed the playoffs. Unless Force (0-6) 63-28 last Saturday at the Betty another unsuccessful season and Howard’s Kobe recovers in an extraordinary amount Ainsworth Gymnasium. The Lakers had little recent departure to Houston, the once proud of time and is ready for the preseason, Nash trouble with the Air Force in jumping out franchise of 16 NBA championships now stays healthy and regains the form from his to a 28-12 halftime lead and led 48-22 after finds itself poised to start Pau Gasol at the Phoenix Suns days, Gasol dominates inside three quarters. center position. This is a player Lakers’ and the team actually finds an identity for The Lakers had four players scoring in management had been fervently trying to itself, the Lakers should be anticipating a double figures, led by Brandon Lopez with trade. Joining Gasol are the old and not subpar season, to say the least. So where’s a game-high 14 points. Eddie Kemp and fleet-of-foot Steve Nash and a presently the silver lining? Ryan Jateo each added 12 points and Andre handicapped Kobe Bryant. The future for The silver lining, for the Lakers, arises from Jones chipped in 10. Terrance Smith sparked this team looks bleak indeed. Though the the fact that the draft class of 2014 figures to be the Air Force with 12 points. Geordin Smith Lakers’ front office won’t say it, the team the deepest and most talented group in at least and Yvan Sission contributed five and four is positioning itself for the 2014 season. the last 10 years. Andrew Wiggins highlights points respectively. The Lakers’ Eddie Kemp shoots a basket in Saturday’s Hawthorne With every contract but Nash’s coming off the draft class, but unless the Lakers drastically In a tight contest, Fired Up moved into Parks and Recreation Division IV basketball action against the Air of the books, that will be the year of free fail next season and enter into the lottery, they second place with a 38-34 win over Action. agency when the Lakers attempt to regain won’t be seeing him on their radar. Instead,Force. Photo by Joe Snyder The contest was a seesaw battle, although continued to dominate most of the game. their royal status amongst the league’s very they will have a group from the 2003 draft Fired Up led most of the game and held a The Thunder managed to get as close as six best teams. class to pursue. LeBron James and Carmelo slim one-point margin at 15-14 at halftime. points on several occasions before the Stars In the wake of losing Howard, the Lakers Anthony are both obviously on the Lakers’ Fired Up continued to lead 26-23 after three put the contest away. actually haven’t done a bad job at all in the radar, though James is a long shot to come to quarters. Nile Aldredge led the Stars with a game- free agent market. Just days after Howard Los Angeles. Should they fail in their attempt Richard Harris led Fired Up with 17 points. high 16 points. Kyrillos Armanyors contributed signed with Houston, L.A. signed Chris to land either of those two free agents, there Rodrigo Saldana had 15 points and Martis eight points and Theo Taylor had four. The Kaman. Although not one of the most is still a crop that includes Dwyane Wade, Jones put in five, including a key basket that Thunder was led by Eric Banuelos with 12 athletic big men in the league, Kaman will Chris Bosh and possibly Paul George, John broke a 33-33 tie late in the game to give points. Daniel Gil put in seven points and bring interior defense and rebounding and Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors, Fired Up the lead for good. Semise Taufa Jordan Murray tallied four. The Stars are fits into coach Mike D’Antoni’s offensive depending on what their current teams do with scored a game-high 18 points for Action. 5-1, while the Thunder fell to 2-4. system as a big man who can shoot from their contracts. Raymond Meza tallied six points and Jordan BULLDOGS ROLL OVER LAKERS the perimeter. Another player the Lakers While it is nice to imagine a team with Dennis totaled four. The Air Force fell to 0-6. The Bulldogs dominated the Lakers 27-10 pulled for the veteran’s minimum was Nick Kobe, LeBron and Carmelo all wearing the AGE 10-12 PISTONS in Hawthorne Parks and Recreation Division Young. Formerly of the Wizards, Clippers purple and gold, the chances of it actually TOP HARD WORK II (age 9-10) play Saturday. The Mosely and 76ers, Young brings athleticism and happening are slim to none. Carmelo might be The Pistons were able to work a little harder brothers proved dominant for the Bulldogs. youth to a ballclub that formerly had none. the biggest hope for the Lakers in 2014, but than Hard Work with a 26-22 win in the age Imari Mosely led all scorers with 14 points With the same size and body type as Kobe if he falls through, one of the most successful 10-12 division of the Hawthorne Parks and and Mahlik added 10. Cristobel Hernandez Bryant, Young has the ability to light up the franchises in all of basketball may be in for Recreation Youth Basketball on Saturday. scored nine of the 10 Lakers’ points. box score on certain nights, though he has some major hurt in the near future. Could the Leading 15-12 through three quarters, the SOUTH BAY SWIM TEAM never proven to be completely reliable. The Lakers possibly decide to tell Kobe to take Pistons were able to keep the lead in holding GEARS FOR PIER TO PIER Lakers also brought Jordan Farmar back his time getting back from injury and “tank” off Hard Work. The Hawthorne-based South Bay Swim into the mix and are flirting with the idea the upcoming 2013-14 season in order to get The Pistons’ balanced scoring attack was Team enjoyed some success in past meets and of re-signing Lamar Odom to bring some a better draft pick? It may actually not be the is gearing for the popular International Surf familiarity back to the bench. Though it worst idea. Mitch Kupchak, the Buss family Festival Hermosa Beach Pier to Manhattan is sad to see Metta World Peace go, the and the Lakers are too proud of a franchise Beach Pier Two-Mile Ocean Swim on August Lakers saved about $14 million in luxury to do that, though. While the front office has 4. The event is one of the most popular of tax costs, further clearing the books and done a great job of finding talent to get the the Surf Festival, which will be held for the saving money for what stands to be one team past this season with one-year contracts, 52nd time. There are events held in Hermosa, of the biggest off-seasons in recent history the books will be clean come 2014. It is still Manhattan, Redondo and Torrance Beaches. for the Lakers come 2014. unclear as to what the Lakers will actually For those wishing to compete in the Pier to Though these moves can be graded on a do to turn themselves into contenders once Pier Swim, you may log on at http://www. scale of decent to good, there is no doubting again, but it looks as if we will all have to surfestival.org/SwimIndex.htm. the fact that they have been made simply to wade through one more excruciating season Other public events at the Surf Festival pass time. To think the Lakers will contend in order to find out. • include a two-mile beach run in Hermosa Beach on August 3 and the Charles Saikley Beach Volleyball Tournament at Manhattan Beach Pier from July 30 to August 1. More information is available at http://www. surfestival.org. A week later on August 11, the South Bay Swim Team plans to compete in the Naples Island Swims in Long Beach. Races for youth and adults include the one- and Nile Alredge of the Harlem Stars shoots above Thunder defenders three-mile swims, as well as 200-, 500- and in Saturday’s Hawthorne Youth Basketall Summer League game. 1,000 meters. For those interested, log on at Stars won 36-25. Photo by Joe Snyder www.naplesislandswims.com. PARK PROGRAMS led by Seifyan Suliman with a game-high Six different Hawthorne parks will have nine points. Bruce Tucker, Kamilie Aretega various programs for youth, including team and Kenneth Hill each added six points. sports, recreational games and arts and crafts. Hard Work also had balanced scoring led by Hawthorne parks include Eucalyptus, Holly Emanuel Smith and Damien Reigs with four Park, Holly Glen, Jim Thorpe, Memorial points apiece. Wayne Webb, Will Villanueva and Ramona. and Josh Alvaiez chipped in two points each. The summer program began on July 2 STARS DOWN THUNDER and runs through August 24. Children ages The Harlem Stars started fast to gun seven and under must be accompanied by down the Thunder 36-25 in 10-12-year-old an adult. For more information, contact the basketball play on Saturday. The Stars surged Hawthorne Recreation and Parks Department out to a 12-1 lead after the first quarter and at (310) 349-1640. •
Lawndale 07_25_13
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