I think its just one of those games where I didnt execute it enough in spots

If you think its hard to shake off a centurys worth of baseball futility, just try to break away from decades of basketball success.The Los Angeles Lakers, NBA royalty, had always been the opposite of the Chicago Cubs. That once-pleasant distinction is now their problem, the challenge of shedding the trappings of that rich history when thats precisely what they need to do to morph into a contending team once again.So even as general manager Mitch Kupchak sat in a room in Lakers headquarters and proclaimed Its all new with this 2016-17 edition of the team, on the wall behind him were framed pictures of Kobe Bryant, James Worthy, Jerry Buss with Magic Johnson, and Jerry West. On the wall across from him where pictures of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. The past is ever-present with this team.You come into the practice facility and walk the halls, and you see pictures of all-time greats, said first-year coach Luke Walton, who went to the Lakers past four trips to the NBA Finals as a player.Yet even with Waltons return to Lakerland, this is as separated as the franchise has ever been from its glory days. Kobe Bryant retired and Byron Scott was let go as coach and in one offseason, there went two central figures from the Staples Center and Showtime eras. For added measure, athletic trainer Gary Vitti, one of the bridges between the two dynasties, retired. Jerry West has been gone since 2000, The Voice of the Lakers Chick Hearn died in 2002, Shaquille ONeal was traded in 2004, Jerry Buss passed away in 2013 and Magic Johnsons name was taken off the company masthead this past year after one tweet too many. Kupchak, who transitioned from playing to the front office in the 1980s, is practically the only name from the past left in the building.I mean, you cant hold on to everything forever, Kupchak said.Every member of the coaching staff except for Mark Madsen is new. Two new therapists and a new strength and conditioning coach will report to Vittis replacement, Marco Nunez. There are two new hires for the analytics department. Theres a practice facility under construction a few blocks away from their current site in El Segundo.A lot of its almost like pressing a reset button, Kupchak said.That includes a shift in the philosophy of building the team. No longer will you see the Lakers take the approach that failed them in recent off-seasons: patching together rosters with players whose primary attributes were expiring contracts that would create the salary cap space for the Lakers to pursue a star free agent. After Dwight Howard walked out the door and the likes of Carmelo Anthony and LaMarcus Aldridge?turned them down in recent summers, it was time to scrap that approach. Not only had the rules that once enabled them to sign Shaquille ONeal changed (the Lakers can no longer outbid teams, or offer the same number of years as a players current team), so had the landscape.You have to have assets; cap room alone is overrated, Kupchak said. I think if you talk to teams in the NBA for the last four or five years that have had all kinds of cap room, its a stressful situation. Because youve got to go out there and pay non-max players, youve got to overpay to get somebody, depending on the city. And you might not get somebody. And then you kick the can down the road a year and try to do the same thing next summer.Thats why this year, rather than fish for the biggest names in the free agency pond, the Lakers quickly signed Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng to contracts worth a combined $136 million over four years. Its explained by Kupchaks one-word expectation for this season: progress. Young teams dont win in the NBA. Adding those two veterans to the all-under-25 group of Julius Randle, DAngelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr. and Ivica Zubac was designed to make the Lakers incrementally better, faster.Taking small steps isnt the traditional Laker way. Its also a potentially risky strategy for this Laker administration under executive vice president for basketball operations Jim Buss, who had pledged to step down after this season if the Lakers have not returned to contending status. A new name at the top could potentially mean new names throughout the organization, including Kupchaks job.My only goal is to get this franchise on solid footing with young players, free agents and flexibility, Kupchak said. And I think weve done that.I dont know how many games were going to win. But my hope is that as the season goes on, our fans, our partners, the TV audience can watch this team play and see growth and see enthusiasm. Luke is not an experienced coach, but Im hoping as this season goes on everybody can watch a coach become a good coach. And watch young players develop and grow. And I want to see exciting basketball. Thats my focus. To get involved in anything else from where I sit is counterproductive. And thats really all I focus on.These are different days in Lakerland, when the immediate goals arent championships, and the players are guaranteed to hang on the walls one day. How will this play? Well, Denzel Washington is a good indicator to follow. He isnt so much a hardcore Laker fan as he is a fan of the sport at its highest level. He typically only sits in his courtside seats when he expects a good game. He was there on opening night, and after the Lakers high-scoring victory over the Houston Rockets he said, with a touch of surprise in his voice, I like what I see. Logan Forsythe Jersey . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. Frank Howard Jersey . LUCIE, Fla. https://www.cheaprangersbaseball.com/2892h-harold-baines-jersey-rangers.html . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. Shawn Kelley Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Jeff Russell Jersey . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. DENVER -- D.J. LeMahieu hasnt had much to say about his recent success, which is fine because his bat is saying plenty.LeMahieu kept tormenting the Nationals with two hits, Gerardo Parra drove in four runs and the Rockies beat Stephen Strasburg and Washington 12-10 on Wednesday.Tony Wolters homered and had three hits, and Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 12 games for the Rockies.LeMahieu singled in his first at-bat to stretch his on-base streak to 10 plate appearances, the fourth longest in club history. The streak ended when he struck out to end Colorados seven-run first inning.It was the first time Washington retired LeMahieu during this three-game series. LeMahieu was 4 for 4 on Monday and 3 for 3 with a walk Tuesday. He also walked in his final at-bat Sunday against Philadelphia.I feel comfortable, relaxed, confident, the soft-spoken LeMahieu said after raising his average to .343, second in the NL.LeMahieu has elevated his average 15 points over the last five games and combined with Blackmon at the top of the order to spark Colorados offense. Blackmon is hitting .346 since July 1.Both guys have really upped their game, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. Both are getting on base at a really high rate. Theyre a big reason why our offense is performing better.Bryce Harper homered and Jayson Werth extended his on-base streak to 45 games, the longest in Nationals history and one behind Rusty Staubs franchise record. Staub reached base in 46 straight games for the Montreal Expos spanning the 1969-70 seasons.Strasburg (15-4) continued his recent struggles with his shortest outing of the season. After winning 15 of his first 16 starts, the right-hander has allowed 19 earned runs and 24 hits in the last 11 2/3 innings. His ERA is up nearly a run, from 2.63 to 3.59, in his last four starts.You just kind of got to put them behind you, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. For one, you got to quit counting because if you dont quit counting, it goes to four and five and it gets in your head. Hell get it together.The first six batters reached against Strasburg on Wednesday. Colorado sent 11 to the plate in the first and eight more in the second to build a 9-2 lead.Parra haad the big hit in the first, a three-run double that made it 4-0.ddddddddddddKoda Glover relieved Strasburg after Wolters two-out single in the second.You dont want to just become passive or change the way you go about your business, Strasburg said. I think its just one of those games where I didnt execute it enough in spots and I got beat on it.Rockies starter Jon Gray allowed four runs and six hits in four innings and has allowed 18 earned runs over his last 11 innings.Harper made it 9-6 in the fifth with a two-run shot that traveled 461 feet to right-center. Colorado scored three times in the bottom of the inning to make it 12-6.Pedro Severino had a pinch-hit homer in the seventh and Trea Turner led off the eighth with a triple and scored on Werths sacrifice fly.Boone Logan (2-2) struck out Daniel Murphy and Harper to end the eighth before Scott Oberg allowed a solo home run to Chris Heisey before closing it out for his first save.Youd like for it to be a little easier than that after a seven-run first but thats usually how it goes here, Weiss said. You get a big inning early and you end up having to hang on. Its not how we drew it up but a great win.TRAINERS ROOMWashington: LHP Sammy Solis was placed on the 15-day DL with left shoulder inflammation. Solis got the win with an inning of relief Monday but was not available Tuesday. ... The Nationals recalled Glover from Triple-A Syracuse, and he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.Colorado: OF Carlos Gonzalez was not in the lineup for precautionary reasons. Gonzalez has been bothered by a left ankle injury suffered Aug. 6 but worked his way back without going on the disabled list. Weiss said he didnt want to play him in a day game after a night game, and an off day Thursday gives him extra rest.UP NEXTNationals: RHP Reynaldo Lopez (1-1, 5.74) opens a four-game series in Atlanta. Lopez tossed seven innings of one-run ball against the Braves on Sunday.Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (4-4, 3.42) faces the surging Chicago Cubs on Friday. He was ejected in the fourth inning of his last start, at Philadelphia. ' ' '