2C z MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019 z USA TODAY E3 SPORTS
wiser to check themselves rather than
get caught up in Astro Paranoia.
To win the World Series, they will
likely have to trot out aces Max Scherzer
and Strasburg multiple times, giving
sleuths in Houston multiple angles –
from the dugout, the video room, the
batter’s box – to gain an edge for the sec-
ond time around.
Washington’s task: don’t give any-
thing away.
“These games mean a little bit more,”
says Menhart, who took over as Nation-
als’ pitching coach in May, “and every-
thing’s getting dissected. From pitch
tipping to sign stealing to pitch outs –
you name it.
“This game is seen by a lot more peo-
ple than a regular season game. Way
more eyes. It’s just the nature of it.”
Way more than eyes, too.
Major League Baseball launched an
investigation during the 2018 ALCS be-
tween Houston and the Red Sox when
an Astros employee was observed in the
camera well aiming a lens at the Boston
dugout and sending text messages. The
same activity was observed in the pre-
ceding ALDS against Cleveland and the
employee was removed from the area in
both instances.
Ultimately, MLB determined that the
employee was “playing defense” – in
other words, checking to see if the Red
Sox were picking up the Astros’ signs –
rather than trying to steal the oppo-
nent’s signals.
The Astros received a hollow bit of
vindication – “A person was (still) in a
credentialed (area) that shouldn’t have
been there,” Red Sox GM Dave Dom-
browski noted at the time – but also a
rep for pushing the rules in an era MLB
is determined to crack down on digital
chicanery.
The need for vigilance was magnified
in 2017, when a Red Sox trainer was
caught using an Apple Watch to relay
signs from the team’s replay assistants
to batters. Now, replay assistants are
monitored by a security official; they are
ostensibly the only ones with access to a
live broadcast, as other TVs are required
to be set on a several-second delay.
That was perhaps the most notable
advancement in a five-page memo MLB
circulated in February in its effort to
lend clarity in a digital era that still
doesn’t frown upon “ethically obtained”
signs.
“I think MLB has done an incredible
job this year,” Astros starter Justin Ver-
lander said before his Game 5 start in
the ALCS. “There’s been someone in the
video room every game of the season,
somebody is there full time. You’re not
allowed to have a live feed anywhere in
the stadium that the players have access
to; they check all that.
“I think that’s been an incredible step
forward for MLB to go against the trend
of all this technology that’s out there.
That’s pretty much it. They did what I
think was the best thing possible to re-
solve whatever issue paranoia teams
have.
“Obviously, it didn’t resolve the para-noia, it’s still out there for every team.”
Including Verlander, who, at 36, finds
himself changing sign sequences more
than ever.
“I understand where the paranoia
comes from. We have it. I have it,” he
says. “There’s just so many cameras and
there’s so much video now, it just kind
of evolved a few years ago. You’ve got
teams studying what signs you use at
second base before you even step on the
mound. It used to be kind of a games-
manship thing, runner gets on second
base and if he’s able to decipher your
signs the time he’s on second base,
that’s OK, good for you.
“But if you’re pre-studying them or
having some person study them before
you even get out there and all of a sud-
den you take the field and the team al-
ready knows what you’re using, I think
that’s a little bit different.”
Menhart agrees. The probing eyes –
and lenses – make everybody’s job a lot
more complicated. Whatever moral di-
lemmas that arise quickly fade in a cut-
throat competitive environment.
“Some of it’s helpful,” he says. “Andyou can gain an advantage from it, it’s
all part of the game. But I wish there was
no such thing as that. I wish we could
play the game without relying on ma-
chines and things that can pick up tip-
ping.
“I’m a purist. I like people to go out
and battle and not try to gain an advan-
tage unnaturally.”
Nationals right-hander Anibal San-
chez, their likely starter in Game 4, said
a coach helped him diagnose a pitch-
tipping tic in 2012, when he held his
glove near his chest in a set position.
Shortly thereafter, he made an adjust-
ment, holding the glove closer to his
belt, and he’s had no problems – that he
knows of – since.
Strasburg was forced to diagnose a
problem this year, too, when, in two
starts against the Diamondbacks, he
gave up 18 hits and 15 earned runs in 9^2 ⁄ 3
innings – a 13.98 ERA. His ERA in his
other 31 starts: 2.80.
“You feel for him,” Menhart says of a
pitcher laid bare by tipped pitches. “Be-
cause it’s such a bad feeling as a pitcher
when you know the other team knows
what you’re throwing. Your mind starts
racing and it doesn’t really matter. You
overdo it, you tinker around and start
doing other stuff, and you totally get out
of your game.”
Now, the two deepest and most dom-
inant rotations in the major leagues will
square off with a championship on the
line. Should Verlander or Gerrit Cole, or
Washington’s Strasburg, Scherzer or
Patrick Corbin get peppered in a partic-
ular outing, the questions will come
back.
Were they tipping their pitches? How
did the other team know? And was any
verboten technology used to pass along
information?
Both teams hope to avoid that fate.
The Astros will have the added motiva-
tion to win a title sans the appearance of
digital impropriety.
“There’s nothing going on,” Houston
manager A.J. Hinch insisted during the
ALCS, “other than the competition on
the field.”
Game on.Paranoia
Continued from Page 1C
Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin has a meeting on the mound during Game 4 of
the NLCS.GEOFF BURKE/USA TODAY SPORTSmons’ jumper is the most glaring hole in
his game, but the Sixers look to be so
good defensively that they’ll be able to
continue masking that offensive short-
coming. Fine-tuning his shot could real-
ly open up the Sixers’ offense and re-
move Philadelphia’s ceiling altogether.
Draymond Green, Warriors:Golden
State’s personnel losses this offseason
are well known. Green’s play will be a
big factor in determining if the Warriors
can offset those losses. He says he’s
back on his playoff diet for the whole
season. If he really is and plays like the
two-way terror he was for much of last
postseason, it could be the difference
between the Warriors fighting for a play-
off spot and fighting for a top four seed.
Chris Paul, Thunder, and Kevin
Love, Cavaliers: Veterans with big con-
tracts who don’t seem long for their cur-
rent teams. Oklahoma City is already
sitting on a mountain of draft picks and
could add more with a Paul trade. Cleve-
land doesn’t have an existing trove of
picks, but dealing Love could net some
to build around young guards Collin
Sexton and Darius Garland.
Paul and Love are healthy. If they can
show they still have it, the Thunder and
Cavaliers would presumably look to
trade them for picks and/or young tal-
ent to continue their respective re-
builds. Some contenders will be inter-
ested, particularly Miami in Paul, but
who has the assets (and the stomach) to
take on either contract?
Jamal Murray, Nuggets, and Dono-
van Mitchell, Jazz: Rising stars who,
with another leap, could make their
teams legitimate championship con-
tenders. Murray, 22, has become a great
running mate for All-NBA big man Niko-
la Jokic. Developing into a more consis-
tent, reliable play-maker and passer will
go a long way to raising the Nuggets’
championship ceiling. Denver is hoping
Murray is motivated after getting a
$170 million max extension this sum-
mer.
Utah was a big winner after revamp-
ing a solid roster around Mitchell and
Rudy Gobert. With newly acquired Mike
Conley taking on primary ball-handling
duties, Mitchell, 23, should be free to
flourish off the ball with far less pres-
sure. If he can take advantage and im-
prove his efficiency as a scorer and as a
passer, Mitchell will start to truly live up
to the Dwyane Wade comparisons.
Making a leap
De’Aaron Fox, Kings, and Lauri
Markkanen, Bulls, and Trae Young,
Hawks: A trio of up-and-comers who
could make their respective teams play-
off contenders. Fox and Sacramento
were in contention last season before
falling off late. They’ll have an even
tougher go of it this season in the loaded
Western Conference. The Kings have a
new coach in Luke Walton, but his up-
tempo offense is tailor-made for Fox’s
strengths in the open floor and as a
slasher. Another season of growth with
the talented young roster around him,
and Fox, 21, could end the league’s long-
est playoff drought.
It seems as if Chicago and Atlanta
would still be a year (or more) away from
the playoffs, but the bottom of the East-
ern Conference is pretty weak. Markka-
nen, 22, has the game to be a go-to scor-
er, but improving as a play-maker and
defender will be key. Young, 21, already
passes and creates for others as well as
almost anyone. He’ll need to boost his
shooting efficiency to start taking his
game to the next level.
Pascal Siakam, Raptors:He proved
that he’s good. Now it’s up to last sea-
son’s Most Improved Player to show just
how good. With the departure of Kawhi
Leonard and Kyle Lowry aging, Siakam,
25, will get every chance to become the
new face of the Raptors. His potential as
a franchise centerpiece gives Toronto a
new path forward, especially if presi-
dent of basketball operations Masai Uji-
ri wants to start rebuilding by trading
some of the team’s veterans with favor-
able contracts.
Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: After
coming over in the Anthony Davis trade,
the Pelicans are hoping Ingram, 22, is in
line for the breakout he was supposed to
have last season in Los Angeles. He has
the skill set to thrive in the frontcourt
next to Zion Williamson, especially if he
can improve his erratic 3-point shoot-
ing. The Pelicans have one of the most
promising young rosters in the league,
and they want Ingram to be a big part of
it. He needs to prove he can, especially
with Williams expected to miss the start
of the season with a knee injury.
Kyle Kuzma, Lakers:He played well
alongside LeBron James last season,
but with Anthony Davis joining the fold,
there are questions about how he fits
next to those two stars. Can the Lakers
play all three in the frontcourt together?
Kuzma, 24, believes he can be the third
star behind James and Davis. However,
his impact is likely muted early by a foot
injury that could keep him out to start
the season.
Mitchell Robinson, Knicks: Does
New York have a future Defensive Player
of the Year? A building block for the fu-
ture? A prime candidate to flame out? It
seems like Robinson’s potential out-
comes run the gamut. He showed a ton
of promise as an elite-level defenderduring his rookie season. He also strug-
gled to stay on the floor. To fully realize
that promise on defense, Robinson, 21,
will need to be much more disciplined.Welcome backVictor Oladipo, Pacers, and Jusuf
Nurkic, Trail Blazers, and Kristaps
Porzingis, Mavericks: Impact players
returning from injury who will look to
raise their respective teams’ ceilings.
It’s still uncertain when Oladipo will re-
turn from a ruptured quad tendon in his
right knee. Ditto for Nurkic, who broke
his left leg. But if the Pacers and the
Blazers can stay in the playoff mix while
they’re out, their returns could push In-
diana and Portland back into the top
half of their respective conferences.
Porzingis’ torn anterior cruciate liga-
ment is healed, and he’s expected to be
ready for the opener of his first season in
Dallas. He was a budding star in New
York before the injury, but 18 months is a
long time to be away. How long will it
take to get back to top form, and what
does his new top form even look like? On
paper, Porzingis’ skill set as a versatile
big man who can stretch the floor out to
the 3-point line should pair perfectly
next to Luka Doncic and give the Mavs
one of the most promising young duos
in the NBA.Next young star to want out?Bradley Beal, Wizards, and Karl-
Anthony Towns, Timberwolves: In the
era of player empowerment, could ei-
ther of these young stars be the next to
force a trade? Beal would seem to be
staying put after agreeing to a two-year
max extension. Building around the 26-
year-old All-Star makes sense. But the
Wizards project as one of the worst
teams in the league this season. Just
how much losing will Beal be able to
stand? And if contenders come calling
with enticing offers, how long would
Washington be able to turn them down?
Towns, 23, doesn’t have a ton of le-
verage to force his way out of Minnesota- he’s just starting the first season of the
five-year extension he signed last Sep-
tember. But if the T’wolves fall out of
playoff contention early (certainly pos-
sible in the stacked West) while Towns
averages 25 and 13 and shoots 50-40-
again, we could begin to hear rumblings
of unhappiness.
Wild cards and enigmasKyrie Irving, Nets:He could have
landed in the star category above, but Ir-
ving likely won’t swing the title one way
or the other. Brooklyn seems solidly en-
trenched as a second-tier playoff team
in the East behind Milwaukee and Phila-delphia. Irving’s placement here is
mainly for the general weirdness he
brings and the potential question of
how that goes over in the locker room of
another team full of promising young
players.
Jimmy Butler, Heat:He also won’t
swing the title, but like Irving, Butler be-
longs on a list of interesting players. Af-
ter tumultuous stops in Chicago, Min-
nesota and Philadelphia ended with ru-
mors (and outright evidence) of discord,
Butler begins his newest chapter in a
destination of his choosing. Miami
hopes that makes for a content Butler.
On the court, the Heat are a confusing
team that could finish third in the East
or miss the playoffs entirely.
Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets:The
2018 first-round draft pick appears to be
back to full strength after missing last
season after back surgery. If preseason
returns are any indication, Porter is
primed to quickly break out as the draft
steal he was widely considered. He has
turned heads on both ends of the floor
and could be huge for Denver as a scorer
off the bench. But can he stay healthy?
How rusty will he be after so long away
from competitive basketball?
Markelle Fultz, Magic: After ap-
pearing in just 33 games over two years,
the top pick in the 2017 draft looks ready
to reboot his career in Orlando. Fultz
looked solid during the preseason, but
just what are the Magic getting from
him? He has the size, versatility and
play-making potential to raise Orlan-
do’s ceiling in the East.
Enes Kanter, Celtics:His infamous
defense will always be an issue, espe-
cially since he’s a prime candidate to fill
the minutes left by departed Al Horford,
who was a linchpin of good Boston de-
fenses. But Kanter crashes the boards
like a madman and plays with energy
and excitement. The league will just be
more fun with him playing regularly.
Eric Bledsoe, Bucks:He’s been a di-
saster the last two postseasons. Mil-
waukee enters the year with the reign-
ing MVP and genuine championship as-
pirations. If the Bucks feel like they can’t
trust Bledsoe, they could look to move
him, despite the contract extension he
signed last year. If they hold on to him,
will he limit their ceiling?
Andre Iguodala, Grizzlies:Memphis
never had any intention of Iguodala
suiting up. His acquisition was solely for
the first-round pick that came with him.
The Grizzlies are looking to trade him,
with a possible buyout as a last resort.
Any contender would love to have him,
especially the Los Angeles teams,
though they each have limited resources
to make a trade. Count on Iguodala
landing with a top team and likely mak-
ing an impact at some point in the play-
offs.NBA
Continued from Page 1C