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LA Sports April musings: Thinking out loud about LA

By Jamaal Artis

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 29: A large United States flag is held up by members of the United States armed forces in the outfield during the national anthem during a baseball game between San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium on March 29, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 29: A large United States flag is held up by members of the United States armed forces in the outfield during the national anthem during a baseball game between San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium on March 29, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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April has been an interesting month for the LA Sports landscape. With the month closing, here are some takeaways from April.

If you ask me, April is the best month on the LA sports calendar, it starts with the Men and Women’s college basketball championships, kicks off the baseball season and the start of the NHL and NBA playoffs.

By the end of the month sports overload takes off and we are hit by the NFL Draft. April is the month that pushes us through Spring and Summer until the onslaught of sports that awaits us in October.

Here in Southern California this particular year sports fans have been treated to tons of news, games, and things to think about as we push through the sports calendar. Here are just a few things to think about in the LA Sports landscape.

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Winter ended quickly

If you are big fan of the winter sport teams in Southern California April was pretty forgettable. Neither the Los Angeles Lakers of the Los Angeles Clippers made the playoffs. What’s even worse the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks went 0-8 in their first round series both being swept in the playoffs.

That meant for the first time since 2005 none of the four teams won a playoff game. Based on this past season all four teams may look vastly different when they suit up again in October, you could be looking at some vast overhauls.

My prediction that next April one of these teams will win an April playoff game, but realistically none are legitimate contenders for a championship next year.

Slow April…Again

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, the Los Angeles Dodgers are struggling in April again. The defending National League Champions started the season by going 4-8  causing panic among Dodgers fans (let’s be realistic those bozos panic over everything). Nothing new the last three years the Dodgers have hovered around .500 in April only to turn into overdrive and running away with the division right after.

Lo and behold as of this writing the Dodgers have won 7 of 8 games (thank you San Diego Padres) and are back in second of the division. Proving again that early struggles in April can be turned around pretty quickly with the Padres on your schedule.

Rosen…Darnold…Rosen…Darnold

Usually, a debate saved for the fall, the preference for Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen is no longer about UCLA-USC football. Now the argument boils down to who will be drafted first in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Both are considered to be first-round picks, with Rosen seen as go first-round depending on who is picking. A lot has been made of Rosen being “outspoken” and Darnold leading more with his game than his mouth.

Next: The Lakers biggest competitors for Kawhi Leonard

It’s all silly nonsense, that will probably reflect less on their performance on the field. I suspect both will be successful quarterbacks at the next level. But with all amateur drafts, success is predicated on many things, team fit, development, and health. Whoever picks both players will no doubt be happy with their pick.

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