INBOX

FOR MAY 20, 2019

THE LAST WALTZ?

It was strange to read about the Warriors being so good even without their best player, Kevin Durant, only to watch them finish off Houston and sweep Portland while KD sat out. Most great players make their teammates better—Durant never has. He said he joined the Warriors because they play basketball the way it's supposed to be played, yet they do that better when he's not on the floor. It will be more fun to watch them win a title without him.

Kerry Walsh

Clinton, Ind.

Golden State played the most gorgeous basketball I've ever seen before KD got there. Now the Dubs run way too much isolation for him. It may make them more efficient, but it's not as much fun to watch.

Tork Mason

Stevens Point, Wis. (Via Facebook)

DIVINE SECRETS

I found it very interesting that Suzanne Lenglen and the Williams sisters, despite their careers separated by nearly 85 years, had overbearing fathers who guided their star paths.

George Bertram

Campbellsville, Ky.

FULL SWING

Baseball's new boom-or-bust era has much in common with the NBA's sudden love of the three-pointer.Here's a case in point: The Bucks took 44 threes in the Eastern Conference finals opener, a 108--100 win over the Raptors, who put up 42 shots from deep—between them, 46.5% of their field goal attempts were from beyond the arc. The next day, the Brewers hit four home runs to beat the Phillies 11--3, even though they struck out 14 times and left 12 runners on base because they couldn't get small-ball hits.The fundmentals are losing out to big-time, splashy plays.

Dave Wedeward

Janesville, Wis.

As a baseball fan since the early 1960s, I'm finding today's game too boring and too long. The solution is simple: Keep the 25-man roster but allow no more than nine pitchers, instead of the 12 or 13 most teams have. This will help pitchers pace themselves and prevent managers from overdosing on relievers and slowing the pace of play. The game could get back to normal within a few years.

George Harris

Agoura Hills, Calif.

RAW TALENT

I don't have a beef about this meat judging (SI, May 6) story, but it is a cut above other SI articles. I hope that coaches grill the competitors in workouts to get a good grade while making no mi-steaks.

Aldon Rachele

Roosevelt, Utah

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ON DECK

The next edition of Sports Illustrated will be the June 17, 2019, issue. Look for it on newsstands and in your mailbox beginning on June 12.