Letters: How does that L.A. basketball scene look now?

At last, our long national nightmare is over! In the span of barely a week, the houses of Buss and Sterling are as they should be.

Once again the Lakers are poised to be contenders and the pretenders are packing for Inglewood. Magic sheds one of the worst contracts in Laker history and the Clippers lose maybe the best player in theirs. The Lakers are calm and collected and Plaschke is running around like Chicken Little because Chris Paul had the nerve to leave $10 million on the table because he has seen behind the curtain and knows there are no championships in sight.

Even the great Jerry West may not be able to turn that ship around. Sleep well America.

Jeff Heister

Chatsworth

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In order to remain vital in the L.A. market, the Clippers need to make an explosive move, so how about this: Fire Doc Rivers, put Jerry West in charge, and he hires the best coach available — Phil Jackson.

You gotta love it!

Loren Coleman

West Hollywood

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When the Lakers made a three-way trade in 2011 to acquire Chris Paul for, in essence, Pau Gasol, David Stern voided the trade as being unfair, the Lakers ended up subsequently getting nothing for Gasol, and Paul ended up a Clipper. Now, Paul has been traded from the Clippers for some average to above-average talent, and I am eager to see how Commissioner Silver will react. My guess is that he will not react at all.

Alan Abajian

Alta Loma

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Bill Plaschke asks if we really want to bet against Magic Johnson at this point. Given a choice, I’m going all in with Jerry West.

Lee Barnathan

Chatsworth

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Knowing what kind of a team the Clippers will put on the floor this season, instead of getting big tarps to cover up all of the Lakers’ banners on the wall at Staples Center, the team should get a 94-by-50 one to cover up what will be seen on the court. This move would be appreciated by Clippers’ “fans” as well as the entire NBA.

Erik Schuman

Fountain Valley

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I certainly don’t want to pile on to the misery that Clippers fans are feeling over the defection of Chris Paul. But referring to the 157 people who truly care about the Clippers as “Clipper Nation” seems a bit much.

Dave Kiffer

Ketchikan, Alaska

On the freeway

As a Dodgers fan who does not get Spectrum/Time Warner and therefore cannot usually watch Dodgers games on TV, I have to say I’ve never enjoyed watching Angels baseball as much as I did four times this week.

Axel W. Kyster

Bradbury

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Was that the first ever walk-off strikeout?

David Stern

Los Angeles

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The Dodgers need it to be Christmas in July, and a good gift would be a strong starting pitcher. Why wait until December?

Ed Portnoy

Newbury Park

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Dylan Hernandez is spot on when he puts the onus on the Dodgers’ front office to put the team over the hump by adding a couple of pieces to the mix. However, history tells us Andrew Friedman and company value prospects and player-control over temporary fixes. I’m afraid adding a right-handed bat and right-handed starting pitcher along with bullpen help is too much to ask for from this swimming-in-cash but cost-conscious ownership.

Allan Kandel

Los Angeles

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Say it ain’t so, Cody. Every Dodgers fan I talk to says the same thing, “No, we don’t want Cody Bellinger in the home run derby.” We don’t want Joc 2.0.

Cody wants his dad to pitch in the derby. Good, let him pitch to Buster Posey.

John Thompson

Downey

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I very seldom agree with Bill Plaschke. But he is right on with his opinion regarding the L.A. TV blackout fiasco. A whole generation of young fans are missing out on one of the most exciting teams we have had in years. My 7-year-old grandson is watching Yankees games.

Larry Estis

Oceanside

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I read with interest Bill Plaschke’s argument on the TV blackout as to why Dodgers fans are not voting for our Boys in Blue for the All-Star team. You could be right, Bill, but this was definitely not why I did not bother to vote. The entire process is now hopelessly flawed with social media whipping fans into a frenzy to vote in players who definitely don’t belong in the game.

What Cubs fans did last year is only one example. Let the players decide. That would make becoming an All-Star meaningful again.

Larry Weiner

Culver City

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Plaschke, who can see any Dodger game for free, constantly laments about the Dodger games not being seen more widely on TV. He now theorizes that is the reason there will be no Dodger starters in the All Star game.

Put the blame where it belongs — the Dodgers owners. They receive $8 billion from the sale of the TV rights, a fee they won’t renegotiate to lower the cost for potential viewers. Attendance at Dodger games is still high. The cost of tickets to games, parking, concessions, souvenirs, etc. are at all-time highs. The owners are laughing all the way to the bank and could care less about ordinary fans.

Peter R. Pancione

Thousand Oaks

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Has anyone else noticed that Chris Hatcher is simply the second coming of Tom Niedenfuer?

Dave Louapre

Sierra Madre

Off track

It continues to astonish me that the L.A. Times, which in most respects is internationally recognized for its objective, cosmopolitan, and comprehensive coverage of international events, can so woefully ignore track and field. A case in point is your failure to include even minimum results last week on the US Track and Field Championships.

While it is true that track and field does not enjoy the popularity in the United States of many other sports, it nevertheless boasts the greatest collection of athletes anywhere. To ignore this competition is akin to completely ignoring the greatest jazz or classical musicians simply because Beyoncé or Taylor Swift are more popular.

Surely you could spare a few inches of type to include at least the results of finals in this event.

Larry Powell

San Pedro

Ballers

For all of Lonzo Ball’s promise I think my nephew Josh Hart is the real Lakers first-round revelation. This defense-minded NCAA champion with Villanova brings a toughness, offensive savvy and winning attitude a level above Lonzo Ball. In any event I look forward to a Ball-Hart backcourt tandem doing real damage in the years ahead.

Philip S. Hart

Los Feliz

Lonzo Ball, best in the land? The team he led finished third. Not in the nation, in the conference. Sixteenth in the nation. His supporting cast was among the best in the nation. His shooting guard set a UCLA three-point record. His forward was one of the nation’s best. In the last game, Ball couldn’t guard his faster opponent.

Being a UCLA fan for 70 years, I would have to say he was in the top 50 players in that time. A good player. Maybe three more years would have helped. But this hysteria, I must be missing something.

Robert Hall

Apple Valley

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If Mr. Ball is such a bad influence, and I agree with Plaschke, then why is The Times giving him so much free publicity?

Dave Pierce

Los Angeles

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Memo — To L.A. Times Sports Dept.

Subject — Immediate Rehab

All employees are required to attend Journalism Psycho-Clinic to mitigate the L&L Ball addiction that has recently taken control of the department. Sessions will include toxic punning, noxious publicity, and delusions of hardcourt grandeur. A lawsuit against Big Ballers Inc. to pay for this needed therapy is being prepared by company lawyers.

Richard Jewell

Los Angeles

Ram it

Rams vice president Jake Bye says that 70,000 is the “real optimal operating capacity” of the Coliseum for football. Does Bye think the 90,000-plus USC fans who filled the Coliseum during the Pete Carroll era weren’t having a “great fan experience”?

Brian Lipson

Beverly Hills

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