EL BARRIO, EL FALLS – Happy Monday and Belated Happy Father’s Day. I hope my fellow writers that are dads enjoyed their Father’s Day. It was just another crazy day in the Blaber house with my two kids going right back to crazy as soon as the Father’s Day gifts were unwrapped. So, after all of that, I squeezed out today’s piece on… Jacob deGrom, Nets-Bucks and Seth Curry.
Jacob deGrom
Jacob deGrom is the most dominant pitcher of the past 5 years. The Mets are lucky he gave them a hometown discount and signed for as peanuts, relative to what other aces got… and are still getting. After not giving him any run support last season, he still won a Cy Young, they started this season with the same nonsense. The Mets eventually started giving him some run help but deGrom has left the last two games with a knock/injury. He is still slated to start today and I want to know… WHY?! This guy is your ace and biggest investment, why not rest him? Let him skip the start and make sure he heals up so that he is fresh as we hit the dog days of summer. However, knowing the Mets and their dodgy medical team, they will force him to pitch at less than 100% and then he will be hurt and lost for the season.
Nets-Bucks
The Bucks came from 3-2 down in the series and 8 points down with 4 minutes to go in Game 7 to beat the Nets, securing a place in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite creating their own big three, due to injuries the Nets were forced to use two of their big three (Kevin Durant and James Harden) and 5 other guys. That was it. The Nets were undermanned and at home, so you would think (or hope) they would be able to squeeze it out, and they absolutely tried. However, the Bucks star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo put the team on his back and drove them to the Conference final. Antetokoumpo scored almost twice as much as the next Buck. The game went into over time – I mean, game 7 over time! It was a low scoring OT but it didn’t’ matter as the Bucks on it 6-2 and won the game 115 – 111.
Seth Curry
Speaking of carrying teams, Philadelphia’s Seth Curry has helped carry the Sixers to game 7… which they lost to the Atlanta Hawks. However, Curry’s story is very interesting, as the late-blooming younger brother of a superstar brother… As I wrote a few weeks back about my family and the Ismail brothers, Seth is the younger brother of Steph. They are both the sons of former NBA super-shooter Dell Curry.
Steph went to little known College of Richmond and had a great college career and NCAA tourney run, got picked late in the 1st round and turned into the superstar we now all know… Seth went to big-name Duke but was a 2nd round pick. He then was drafted and bounced around the league a bit. He did well in Sacramento, which led to a stint with the Clippers, coached by Doc Rivers. While there, he dated and later married Rivers’ daughter. He then had a solid season in Dallas last year and then came to the Sixers, who brought in Rivers as their coach. Curry has grown as a player. He is not just a pick-n- roll sharpshooter and can score from anywhere, anyhow and be a play-maker. Apparently, he still talks about his games with his brother and dad. That is insane to me! I chose rugby because I was tired of being critiqued by my family in soccer. Here is this guy who now has to talk about his game, even at family holidays with his bro, dad and father-in-law. But I guess if you love the game, it doesn’t matter.
Thanks for reading, comment below and come back tomorrow for Ben Whitney.
