A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

 Smart, Kennard & James

If you read the headline in any other source but this blog you would suppose Smart, Kennard & James are a law firm. In a sense they were as they laid down the law to the Rockets. It was Tuesday evening as the Lakers took the lead (2-0) in this series defeating the Rockets 101-94. Pause here, if you reside in Houston or elsewhere and a fan of the Rockets I don’t hate your team. This is not written with malice, its simply an explanation as to why I believe the game turned out as it did and allowed the Lakers to take the series lead.

The truth of the matter, if you asked me last week the chances of  the Lakers winning a playoff series I would have said; "Slim and none, and Slim has left town." No Luka, no Austin but who steps up….Marcus Smart for one. Smart exhibited outstanding defense, 7 steals plus 5 assists and a rare scoring binge by him. His early scoring allowed the Lakers to begin on a high note, he finished with 25 points. His effort greatly impacted the outcome but wait there is more. Sharpshooting Luke Kennard scored 23 points on 62% shooting with 50% of it beyond the arc, but it wasn’t just his scoring, he played an all around game on the defensive side as well. Lebron James led the way with 28 points despite not having his best game shooting the rock. It was the other things, 8 rebounds and 7 assists aided the Laker effort. Those three led the way however the victory was a total team effort.

The Rockets played better in this game versus Game One however their effort was just not good enough for a win. Kevin Durant scored 23 but totaled only 3 thanks to Laker double teams. In addition, he added 9 TO’s by himself. After the Tuesday evening win over the Rockets I don't know or care to speculate on the outcome tonight or this series for that matter. This I do believe, if the Rockets win this series they must bring their A game, the Lakers will not lose easily, there I said it!

New coaches required

The Help Wanted sign has been placed outside of the Bucks headquarters, this has also occurred with the Bulls, this soon might be a similar situation for the Warriors. Returning first to the Bucks Doc Rivers has stepped down after nearly three seasons. His record with the Bucks has fallen short of what fans expected so he is now history. All indications point toward Rivers retiring from the game at age 64. As for the Bulls Billy Donovan has decided in favor of sitting down also after six seasons. We don’t know if this move is a result of the front office shakeup by Bulls management or if Donovan is simply tired of coaching or seeking new coaching opportunities. We shall see if Donovan seeks a job immediately or desires to sit down for a time, if the case is a new job it is likely to occur quickly.

As for the Bay Area the Warriors situation might be somewhat different. Steve Kerr has been at the helm of the Warriors for a number of years….some of them resulting in championship basketball wins. It is not official as this is written however Kerr has given the media strong indications he might be ready to hang up his whistle. We know this for sure there will likely be two perhaps three or more additional head coaching opportunities available. Most reading this are aware there is a reluctance by management to hire a “new” coach, they always desire a head coach with experience. Despite my last statement there are exceptions, Jason Kidd moved from player to coach with little familiarity with the position, last season the Lakers also hired a former player JJ Riddick with little coaching connection.

Hit the ground running

Several reading the headline might be unsure of the content. It simply implies someone or something begins a project/effort swiftly with no delay. That is the case for Dennis Gates and his Missouri Tigers, excluding those who ran out of eligibility and portal transfers a news release listed 10 holdovers plus newcomers. That would be an indication of addressing the areas the coach and his staff believe the Tigers were or might be deficient. Arriving from Kansas is Bryson Tiller a 6-foot 11 240 pound forward, he’s got three years eligibility remaining.

Although he’d gone a different route Gates had recruited Tiller at the time he coached Cleveland State, Tiller remembered. Also coming on board for the Tigers is Jamier Jones from Providence, he’s a 6-foot 6 forward. His former coach at Providence Kim English once played for Missouri. Arriving from Tennessee is Jaylen Carey a 6-foot 8 257 pound power forward. I’m not on the staff for Gates but it would appear the roster might be complete at this point although this is not clear yet. As I have attempted to point out to a number in Mizzou Nation are displeased with Gates and the end of season results, they certainly cannot make that statement regarding recruiting. At the close of the portal 247sports.com provided a rating on the Top 50 schools in the nation, Missouri is ranked 7.  

Another serious injury

By now you are aware Victor Wembanyama suffered a concussion in Game Two in the Spurs-Blazers most recent playoff game. Other than Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves missing in action for the Lakers the Wemby injury is earth shattering for the Spurs playoff hopes. The most important issue of course he fully recovers, the news release indicated he would miss 7-10 days. The good first, Wemby missed a stretch of games during the regular season, the downside of course playoff basketball is a different matter.

The record indicates back up Luke Kornet was a starter in 25 games during Wemby’s absence during the regular season. The further good news, playoff basketball is no back to back games so the missing time might not impact the Spurs in a normal manner. Mitch Johnson will not be able to play however he could revise the team’s playbook to alleviate the missing Wemby. The loss to the Blazers in my view was more to do with the Spurs “losing their way” once the game turned in the manner it did. This is playoff basketball, despite their lack of experience the remaining Spurs must adjust to playoff basketball.  

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Surprise, surprise

By the time you read this the Lakers-Rockets will have played Game Two last night of their playoff series. I have no idea of the outcome however the game played on Saturday I do, reading this the Lakers could be up two-zip or the teams could be tied 1-1. Allow me to be honest with you I hoped but didn’t expect a win by my favorite team, no Luka no Austin. I held on to my belief the Lakers would win and they did, 107-98 but it’s how they managed to achieve the win. Could a 41-year old who’s taken a “backseat” to a degree resurrect the 31-year old or younger LeBron James?

That’s exactly what the Lakers accomplished, 61% shooting for the Lakers, as for the Rockets it was 38%. You might remember on Friday I wrote an account titled Stand up, stand out….this was aimed at but one Laker player Deandre Ayton. It is time for Ayton to shine and he did, he executed to the tune of 19 points 11 rebounds. It wasn’t him alone this was a true team effort with LeBron also scoring 19 points but dishing out 13 assists as he managed to set the tone for the game. How do you tell someone to shoot the ball more, that was the case for Luke Kennard and he did it Saturday night. Kennard led the scoring for the Lakers with 27 points and a spectacular 69% shooting from the floor with 100% of it coming from behind the three line. Veteran Marcus Smart is in his first year with the Lakers, he’s one of those guys who’s always played tough defense. He’s exhibited this type of basketball throughout his NBA career.

Although Smart is on the downside of his NBA career at age 32, nevertheless he remains a tough defender and he proved it once again in this game, by the way Smart also managed to toss in 15 points too. Kevin Durant was sidelined with a right knee contusion, would the outcome have been different if he’d played? That question cannot be answered and I am sure Durant if asked would not offer his injury as an excuse. As for this member of Laker Nation it becomes one game at a time, I have no intention to “get in front of my skis.” In closing all I can say I’m surprised at the outcome but not shocked at the outcome of Game One.

DPOY

I cannot imagine any NBA fan who is surprised with the news, Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs was named Defensive Player of the Year. Not only was The Alien named DPOY he was the first in history since its inception in 1983 to be a unanimous choice. He led the NBA for the third year in a row averaging 3.1 blocks per game, there were also 168 deflections and 66 steals plus 597 contested shots. How many times did the intimidation factor occur during the season, an uncounted number? The “fear” factor was not included, I speak of the instances opposing players would drive toward the basket but withdraw due to Wemby’s presence.

Some naysayer might state, “Sure he blocks a great deal of shots….he should because he’s 8 feet tall!” For me there are more factors working in Wemby’s favor over his height, the chief one being desire. A time ago I remember reading Bill Russell’s autobiography, this statement from him that went something like this. “I know I can’t block every shot but it’s the fear having them think I can.” Wemby places that fear factor in the forefront of opposing players minds, he accomplishes this due to desire and effort. He’s extremely tall but his will to succeed towers far above him in the height department. Congratulations Wemby, you might not win Most Valuable Player this season but if a healthy career remains in your future you will eventually win one day.

He was a Brazilian basketball legend

Brazil is the largest nation on the South American continent, it was also the home of Oscar Schmidt. Most in the U.S. at this point are likely unfamiliar with his name.  Schmidt was one of the first international players to burst on the scene to become a world-wide name. As I am writing this my research indicates his nickname was Mao Santa, he passed on April 17 at the age of 68. If we travel back in time we find the 6-foot 9 Schmidt a force on the basketball court in FIBA and Olympic basketball, an outstanding basketball player who never played in the NBA

There were factors involved in his decision that caused him to bypass play in the NBA. This from AI; “Oscar Schmidt did not play in the NBA primarily because he prioritized playing for the Brazilian national team, which was prohibited by FIBA rules at the time for NBA players.” The other issue, its pointed out he was drafted in 1984 in the 6th round by the New Jersey Nets, he felt insulted drafted so late. There is no argument, he could have played successfully in the NBA at the time. Despite this fact he was likely the inspiration for Leandro Barbosa, Tiago Splitter and others to eventually play in the NBA, this Brazilian giant was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2013.

Gone are the days

At the time sports channels first began broadcasting ESPN and its family of channels dominated the airways. Others arrived on the scene but always managed to come up short. Gone are those days, I believe from a documentary standpoint Prime Video has caught ESPN’s 30 for 30 and other programming of that type the network produces. The truth of the matter in several instances they might have exceeded The Worldwide Leader in Sports. Currently there are two documentaries you should be on your list of programs to seek out.

The first one is titled; "Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association." This four-part series includes commentary from former ABA and NBA players plus broadcasters such as Bob Costas and others, they offer insight into the league's history. I can affirm that those interested in the evolution and history of professional basketball will likely appreciate this retrospective examination of the ABA. The second is titled Jerry West: The Logo, this 2-hour look into the life of Laker great Jerry West is worth the time required to view it in its entirety. By the way I receive $0 compensation for endorsing these documentaries….I just happen to believe they are excellent productions.

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Sooner rather than later

Lawrence Frank president of basketball operations for the Clippers addressed the issue of Kawhi Leonard’s future with the team, this from ESPN.com. "Our plan is to win with Kawhi," Frank said. "We obviously showed as an organization that we want to continue and we are driven to win." In my view they better get started on that winning thing, Kawhi ain't gettin’ any younger, he'll be 35 near the end of next season. If you remember the Clippers began the season with unbelievably damaging play, that cannot occur again.

The team finished the season two games over .500, on paper they are in my opinion a much better team. I know, don’t remind me….teams don’t play games on paper they play them on hardwood courts. As for the slow Clipper start this past season, in addition there is the Kawhi injury history to consider, we shouldn't expect him to be playing at age 41 in a similar manner to LeBron James. Some might consider this a criticism of Kawhi however that is not the case, with little wiggle room for adding talent Frank, Lue (if he remains) and the scouting staff must figure out a method to demonstrate improved play.

He’s only a sophomore

Dylan Betts is a 7-foot-3-inch, 230-pound high school sophomore who is currently rated as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2028. Home for Betts is Englewood, Colorado, in the Denver metropolitan area, he is now enrolled at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. As he nears the end of his sophomore year, it remains to be seen whether Betts will develop the skills necessary to excel at the next level; only time will provide that answer. Meanwhile, there are additional factors to take into considerations. 

After introducing the prospect of Betts future with a co-worker, I expressed this hope. That he would receive instruction in traditional basketball fundamentals, particularly low post play. While expectations have shifted since the eras of Russell, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, and Malone, there is no return to the game of the past. Players like Victor Wembanyama demonstrate exceptional versatility—including reliable three-point shooting—not all post players in the NBA share these attributes. Ultimately, Betts must first prove his abilities at the collegiate level. Nevertheless, his name is one to remember for the future.

The Face of the NBA

I’m exploring this subject again based on his recent play, the HIS in this instance is Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs. A member of the media made this statement in the past; “Wemby can’t be the face of the NBA because he’s not an American.” My first thought, what a ridiculous and arrogant statement to make however from this member of the media it wasn’t really surprising. Second, I’m asking the question once again is there a requirement for an athlete to become “The Face of the NBA?” I don’t follow soccer (football) but am familiar with the names of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Until this was written I had no idea one was from  Portugal and the other Argentina. What I do know is they are two of the most famous football players of those who follow the sport.

One or the other is the face of the sport I believe. The nationality of these individuals is not the chief consideration. It’s been mentioned on numerous occasions by me basketball is now a world game, it’s no longer the exclusive property of the United States of America. LeBron James dubbed Wemby The Alien when he first began play in the NBA. Wemby stands 7-foot 4 (or 7-foot 5) and 235 pounds with guard like skills, he’s certainly not the tallest player ever in the game however he’s exhibited the greatest skill for his height. The only player close to him in ability would be Ralph Sampson who also was the same height. Sampson possessed comparable skills, but his abilities failed to approach those of Wemby. I will close with this question, is there a requirement for a face of the NBA? If there is can anyone (besides this media person) provide a valid reason why Wemby couldn’t be that face?

Meanwhile…

The NBA admitted that game officials made a mistake during a Lakers-Nuggets matchup. Such announcements aren’t uncommon; the NFL has also acknowledged errors by its officials. But is it effective to openly admit mistakes? I make that point because in an era filled with conspiracy theories, this becomes a major concern. Looking ahead, will the NFL and NBA continue the policy of reporting to errors—and does this transparency reassure fans? Another question lingers: did the mistake affect the outcome of the game, either directly or indirectly? Fans are likely to keep asking this into the future.

We discussed this issue numerous times over the years, is it a need or talent? If you are GM of a team do you draft to fill a need or is talent more important? For the Spurs its clear the direction they chose, they drafted guard Dylan Harper who played his college basketball at Rutgers. Last season the Spurs had acquired De’Aaron Fox, in addition Stephen Castle was in the middle of his rookie season. How good was Castle, good enough to be named NBA Rookie of the Year. Clearly the Spurs had an up and coming backcourt so what occurred, the objective was talent over need because they already had two quality guards on the roster. Wednesday evening June 25 with the second pick the Spurs selected Harper despite the fact of their existing backcourt.

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

It seems different every other day

Most are aware Tyran Stokes is the one, he is the top prospect in the Class of 2026 and a 5-star prospect There are three schools on his list among them Oregon although that is not likely to be his final destination. Stokes will choose between Kentucky and Kansas, both schools are jockeying back and forth for positioning. One day Kansas is in the lead with Kentucky second and two days later the selection order is reversed.

Stokes is a one n done athlete, whether its Lexington Kentucky or Lawrence Kansas he will only occupy a dorm room for a limited amount of time. This is something to consider although I am not going to hint it’s the decider. Kansas is affiliated with Adidas while Kentucky is a Nike school. Stokes has signed an NIL agreement with Nike, does he head for Kentucky on that basis? Check this out, Michael Jordan first gained a national reputation not wearing the Nike/Air Jordan brand, MJ wore Converse the entire time he played at North Carolina. As for this matter, any day now we should hear of the Stokes’ decision, your guess is___________.

I’m on his side

This has been mentioned previously but is worth a second look. Missouri has received a solid commit from Scottie Atkinson a Class of 2027 prospect. Atkinson is a 4-star combo guard, he’s enrolled at Webster Groves High School, St. Louis. We are looking ahead at the 2026-27 season and Dennis Gates is recruiting ahead of that. That’s my case in defending the coach from the naysayers, a number in Mizzou Nation are ready to replace him.

The primary reasoning is the season ending effort, the Tigers have flamed out in the first round of the NCAA tourney twice in that space of time. If we look at the history, we uncover this fact.  Under Mike Anderson and Frank Haith there were five consecutive appearances in the tourney. The last appearance for this duo occurred in 2013, as for former coach Cuonzo Martin there were more misses than hits. His Tiger teams earned two invites during his five years at the helm prior to Gates replacing him. Those in Mizzou Nation I challenge them with this statement, who do you want leading the program? I am honest here, Missouri is not a prime destination for a coach. The school is not a blue blood program, they are unable to hire a John Calipari or Dan Hurley type. If Gates is replaced, who comes in to take the seat? I mentioned this recently Dusty May at Michigan was a relative unknown after toiling at Florida Atlantic, we are acquainted with this champion coaches name after his team beat UConn.

Friends my hope is for a winning and successful program at Missouri, in closing I’m going to mention another name. I realize the situation might have been different, at the same time this is no attempt to mention Gates in the same breath as Coach K. After his first three years on the job the Duke Blue Devils had won 38 games while losing 47, what if the AD had decided to replace him? The basketball program certainly wouldn’t be the juggernaut it was to become.

Stand up, stand out

Luka Doncic gone, Austin Reaves also missing….both suffering injuries in the same game. Of course this is the absolute worst time for the Lakers to be hit with injuries….playoff time. This will be patched together Laker lineup which will face the Rockets on Saturday, the Lakers are in deep trouble with the following exception. It is Deandre Ayton time, after going on record with the media during the season it is now up to you to prove your worth. You remember his comment during the season, “They (the Lakers) want to turn me into Clint Capela.”

This was a reference to Capela who served the Rockets successfully. He scored when called on, clogged the middle, snatched down rebounds and blocked shots. That certainly doesn’t appear to be asking too much, isn’t that the responsibility most post players are required to perform? Ayton having played for the Suns and the Blazers has more playoff experience than any other Laker other than LeBron. This is the dilemma, there is talk about replacing Ayton either with a free agent or draft pick next season. This is the time for Ayton to step up, the question is he equipped for the spotlight to shine brightly on him? Yes, it is paramount he step up and stand out if the Lakers are to win this series against the Rockets.

This is a concern

NBA commissioner Adam Silver laid out a number of proposals to address teams tanking.  As you are aware this is the practice of a few NBA teams “losing games” in order to enhance their position for the NBA draft. A strange thing occurs on the road to these teams becoming improved…it doesn’t appear to always occur. If you check the history sometimes the same teams are in the lottery every season. There remains about a week or so of the season but check out last season versus this one, the first five. 2022 NBA draft saw this order, Orlando, OKC, Houston, Sacramento and Detroit.

In 2023 it was San Antonio, Charlotte, Portland, Houston and closed with Detroit. In 2024 we saw Atlanta, Washington, Houston, San Antonio and Detroit. 2025 witnessed this order Dallas, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah, the  2026 outcome is pending as this is written however it would appear this would be the order, Indiana, Brooklyn, Washington, Sacramento, Utah. Note, the Pistons, Spurs, Rockets and Hornets who appeared more than once in the lottery over a 5 year period have moved into the ranks of winners. The key offenders would appear to be the Jazz and Kings front offices. My hope this is correct, if so is there a real tanking issue other than two franchises named? If the league must place conditions in effect there is a serious problem, what do you think?

A basketball fans outlook

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Late bloomer

Recently I discovered on the internet there are flowers and plants that are late bloomers. They blossom in late spring and in some instances into the summer and fall. I guess we could title Keaton Wagler a late bloomer based on his ascendency to the 2026 NBA draft. He was a relatively unknown prospect and I’m unsure why, allow this explanation. Wagler’s high school teammate was well scouted, Etan Taylor is now enrolled at Link Academy in Branson Missouri. Last season Taylor and Wagler were teammates at Shawnee Mission Northwest HS in Shawnee Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City (MO).

As you are aware by now, despite the fact he received offers from several mid-major schools Wagler decided in favor of Illinois. The 6-foot 6 inch point guards play bloomed in his freshman year aiding Illinois to play deep into the recent NCAA tournament. This past Monday it became official, Wagler through his agent announced he intended to declare for the NBA draft. Check this out, nbadraft.net places Wagler number 6 while nbadraftroom.com has Wagler at 7. Finally tankathon.com has him at 6. There is no guarantee on Wagler’s NBA potential however It would appear to be decent based on this information, to place his name in the pool for the draft makes sense.  

Oversold the product

What is the cut-off point in selling a product, depends on the situation I would suppose. Is it possible the athletic department at North Carolina might be guilty of this offense i.e., overselling. As most of you are aware Hubert Davis was terminated and they quickly moved to replace him. Rather than hire a coach with a Carolina pedigree the athletic department hired Mike Malone former coach of the NBA Nuggets. Malone has plenty of experience as an assistant at several stops in addition he was the head coach when they won the 2023 NBA championship. After the praise mentioned what about the oversell question I raised at the beginning of this exercise. An X post might be giving Malone more credit than due him.

The post detailed how Malone “developed talent” which is a little misleading, allow an explanation. He was a Cavs assistant from 2005 to 2010, LeBron James was in his third season. There is no doubt he might have influenced LeBron but developed him is a Grand Canyon stretch. I could make the same statement regarding Chris Paul, he was in year six when Malone arrived as an assistant, he spent one season with the Hornets. For Steph Curry he’d been with the Warriors four years when Malone entered the picture, he was an assistant for two years with the Warriors. Finally we arrive at Denver and his impact on The Joker, Malone was hired in early June of the same year of the arrival of Nikola Jokic. I am unsure if Malone had any input in the Nuggets drafting Jokic however I am going to say….okay. As for the other athletes named, there are questions on my part how much he was responsible for developing their NBA talent.

Meanwhile….

Doc Rivers became Bucks head coach on January 26, 2024. What most believed at the time the hiring was quite odd, the team had a winning record (30-13). This past Sunday came word Rivers would be replaced as head coach, no firing, it was reported he might move to a front office position. Here’s what is documented, the Bucks finished Rivers half season with a 17-19 record. His first full season would see the team finish with a 48 win record, the recently completed season they were 32-50. The nearly three years Rivers served as head coach saw the Bucks with 97 wins and 103 losses. One issue which cannot be fully discussed is how injuries impacted the team. Giannis Antetokounmpo NBA All Pro spent parts of this recent season on the injury list but there was more. It’s being reported there was a disconnect between the coach and the team.

Take a look at the portal transfers and make your own judgement, for the most part I’m not impressed. The scoring and rebound numbers for the vast majority appear average or even slightly below that. Are they transferring due to lack of play? Coaches leave programs and sometimes recruited athletes will follow them, is that what has occurred in some instances. Is there a desire for the athlete to be a focal point of the team something that failed to occur at the school he’s departing. Finally maybe it just wasn’t a good fit, the athlete discovered after arriving he’d made the wrong choice in choosing the school he decided to attend.  

He’s 7-foot 6 inches tall, which indicates he is loftier than Victor Wembanyama, on the other hand they could be eye-balling one another. Who is this giant, first of all there is no guarantee he plays college basketball or makes it to the NBA although that’s his dream. His name is Jongkuch Mach or JK, he’s 17-years old and although he was born in Perth his parents immigrated to Australia from South Sudan. He is playing currently at the Basketball Centere of Excellence which prepares young basketball talent for success at the next level. Mach has received inquiries from a number of American colleges, we shall see how his future plays out and if he continues to grow his game. Similar to Wemby he is rail-thin and certainly needs to gain weight. The more interesting portion of this story, he is still growing upward in height.

You are ALWAYS entitled to your own opinion regarding a subject especially as it relates to sports. Some might believe I have a problem with those in the media who do so. That’s not the issue as I see it, at work and in social settings my friends and acquaintances go round and round with sports talk. The exchange of thoughts is what I truly appreciate, I’ve often changed my position by listening to an explanation by another. At this point I draw a line in the sand, in sports broadcast media they are providing us their opinion, there is no requirement for us to agree. Some of those in sports media appear to believe “there is no basis for you to disagree with the position I’ve taken.” On the other hand there is, expressing an opinion in front of a mic fails to provide anyone more knowledge than we all have when given enough facts.     

A basketball fans outlook

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

It’s that time again

What’s next, the college basketball season has now concluded with last Monday’s championship game, no more college play until November 2026. With last weeks ending Off the Dribble will be lacking numbers of college basketball stories to detail. Based on that fact as occurs around this time my publication dates will be reduced once again. I’ve decided that during the remainder of spring into the summer and early fall the Saturday edition will be excluded until fall. College basketball news during this period will be reported as soon as the next available publishing date. Once again thank you for being a loyal reader.      

In defense of

This is written in advance of the NCAA Division I championship. I have no idea if Michigan won or UConn however this focus is on Dusty May Michigan coach and Dennis Gates at Missouri. It was mentioned how many in Mizzou Nation were ready to run Gates out of town based on the less than expected end of the season. I’m saying now, a second look is forthcoming from yours truly and its courtesy of May. Both coaches came from similar backgrounds, they were coaching at mid-major schools prior to their hire. For May it was Florida Atlantic and Gates it was Cleveland State but this is the key in both instances. Whenever an athletic department seeks out and hires a coach the hope is “we’ve hired the right guy.”

In both cases the coaches made it into the tournament in their first year on the job. The difference at this point I can state with conviction May has been more successful to date, does that indicate he may have been the better hire over Gates, not necessarily. The key point in both instances unless a coach fails to produce after a time he should be replaced. In this instance that is not too this point Gates, although it’s been short his Missouri teams have earned tournament invites three of the four years he’s run the program. Before closing there is one other consideration, unlike at Missouri, I have no idea the talent May might have inherited. As for Gates there was none, his first team (which earned a tournament berth) was built on the fly. The nest was empty at his arrival. And finally this, Missouri cannot hire a “John Calipari” or “Dan Hurley” type name, the school doesn’t have that credentials a North Carolina or Arizona.

He did it differently 

Some reading this might remember the name Junior Bridgeman. Bridgeman played his college basketball at Louisville, this first round NBA draft pick had a 12-year NBA career. He certainly was a steadfast player during the course of his playing time but it was post-NBA I believe he made the most noise in a sense of the word. Consider the fact we are discussing the 1970’s, player salaries were nowhere close to what they are in 2026. Bridgeman claims he never earned more than $350,000 in any one season prior to his retirement.

We read of post-retirement severely impacting several athletes income with little or no preparations. That was not Bridgeman, there was a plan it was a matter of implementing it. In the off-season he worked and learned the business model of Wendy’s fast food restaurants. After retirement he became an owner of over 450 restaurants and several other business ventures. Bridgeman would continue his business enterprises over the course of his retirement. Eventually he would become a minority owner of the Bucks purchasing 10% of the team he once played for, March 11, 2025, Bridgeman suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 71. He was one of four other American athletes who would be designated a billionaire with a net worth of $1.4 billion.  

Generational talent

When discussing generational talent in sports, we refer to athletes whose physical or mental approach fundamentally alters the game. The topic is frequently revisited; most recently, attention has centered on Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, a rookie who demonstrates above-average capabilities in all aspects of play. This raises the question: Is it possible for multiple generational talents to exist simultaneously? The answer appears to be yes; Victor Wembanyama is also regarded as a generational athlete, and both he and Flagg are currently active. Furthermore, generational athletes may be defined as individuals whose performance surpasses that of the majority of their peers.

Examining other notable figures from the present and recent past, LeBron James clearly embodies the qualities of a generational talent. While opinions may vary, many consider Kobe Bryant to fit this designation as well. Similarly, Michael Jordan exemplifies the traits typically associated with this category. Historically, Oscar Robertson, known as "The Big O," and Wilt Chamberlain have also had transformative impacts on the sport. While this list is not exhaustive and some outstanding players may not be mentioned, the focus remains on those who truly reshaped and defined the game. I can think of numerous basketball talent omitted but there was a question for me, what they brought to the NBA that changed the game.

A basketball fans outlook

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

Does the NBA have an issue as well

Prior to discussing the subject of sports television allow me to state this fact, the NFL on television swamps the NBA in television broadcast numbers, despite that fact there might be an issue. The NBA regular season is throttling down with this news related to sports broadcasting. The Department of Justice is reported to be opening an investigation regarding the NFL’s TV deal. The question is “whether the NFL has violated anti-competitive practices with its television contracts that require consumers to pay subscription costs to watch some games.” As for the NBA I mentioned this last fall, I lost a significant number of available NBA games once Turner broadcasting was outbid for the NBA television rights.

A portion of NBA games were moved to Prime and Amazon which caused a number of viewers to be unable to see games. It impacted this writer as well until it was later discovered these streaming services are part of my cable package. I’m okay (for now) however there might be others this change caused major issues. The NBA, unlike the NFL, has no antitrust issue however that fails to take into account there is a problem. How about those NBA fans who must pay a subscription fee for Prime and Amazon? Fans have been priced out of the game plus there is one additional issue. Is it fair to compare last season viewership numbers versus this season? I have no method to prove my theory but believe there were more “eyes” on Turner Sports than Prime and Amazon.

The Rookie of the Year   

There are arguments on both sides of this subject, who should be the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year? The stats indicate the Mavs' Cooper Flagg and Hornets' Kon Knueppel are nearly identical to one another. In my view its likely Flagg will be the honoree because he arrived last fall as the favorite to win. I’ve mentioned this fact previously there have been three instances in the past where the NBA had co-rookies of the year, they were 1971, 1995 & 2000 why not again in 2026?

I believe we have arrived at this point once again. In my view it would be a shame if one of the players mentioned is named rookie of the year over the other, maybe the voters see what I see. How about the upside with both teams including their chief rookie? This is written in advance of the June draft however for me it’s the Hornets to date, they might be closer to competing successfully over the Mavs. The Hornets find themselves in the play-in tournament this season while the Mavs miss the cut by roughly 10 wins.

We are aware of one name already

This is a done deal, Seattle and Las Vegas are coming into the NBA according to reports as soon as 2028. This is early and certainly not official but how about team names? One is already in place, some might not be aware of this fact. When the franchise was sold, the City of Seattle retained ownership of the name. The team would have been sued if they had attempted to become the OKC Sonics, with that said we await the revival of the new Seattle Sonics team.

As for Las Vegas that’s a different story, I attempted to use my imagination in producing a team name. Below are some of the animals native to the State of Nevada, in addition I added Gamblers because that’s automatically included with Las Vegas long associated with games of chance. A question is raised with a few names and in parentheses I’m questioning, do we need another team with a similar name? We have at least two college teams nicknamed the Coyotes and Jackrabbits. I am quite sure there are a number of names I omitted.

Coyotes

Golden Eagles (NFL Eagles)

Jackrabbits

Elk

Gamblers

Aces (I am aware that’s the nickname of the WNBA team)

Red Tail Hawks (NBA Hawks)

Peregrine Falcons (NFL Falcons)

In all honesty a team name should be connectional i.e., NFL Houston Texans or Dallas Cowboys or just unique (New Orleans Pelicans), my apologies OKC fans. You have a championship NBA team but the worst name ever awarded a franchise. After all these years I continue to maintain Thunder is one of the dumbest names ever for a sports team. I make that statement based on this fact alone, everywhere in the world it rains thunder exists I believe.

Who's leading

As the 2026 college basketball season concludes, the Top 10 rankings remain largely consistent, with little changes among the leading teams. With the exception of two the majority of teams all had winning records during the recently completed season. The team records have been updated to reflect their current standings as they enter the 2026-27 basketball season. It is notable that UCLA ranks fifth all-time in wins and losses.

It’s unusual for me if I take into consideration the impressive number of winning seasons achieved during John Wooden's tenure as head coach. Prior to reviewing this Top 10 list, I anticipated UCLA would be placed third or at least fourth in terms of total wins. At one time I thought Kentucky and Kansas were closer than 19 wins apart however I could be mistaken. By the end of next season both Notre Dame and Purdue will exceed the 2,000 win mark. It should be noted each of these schools on this list has played 100+ years of competitive basketball.  

Kentucky 2,444               

Kansas 2,425               

North Carolina 2,419     

Duke 2370                   

UCLA 2,049

Temple 2,026

Syracuse 2,022

St. John’s 2,003

Notre Dame 1,991

Purdue 1,983

A basketball fans outlook

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

This wasn't what I wanted

What did I expect for the Lakers at the beginning of the season, a deep playoff run. I held on to this view especially based on them being meteoric HOT in March. Then BAM, the first hit was to Luka Doncic, he went down with a left hamstring strain and my hope “maybe it’s not too bad!” Then a second seismic shock occurred, Austin Reaves suffered a Grade 2 left oblique injury, and just like that the starting Laker backcourt was gone. I am no medical professional however reports indicate Doncic could return before Reaves but then an adjust period would be required.    

The best case scenario both return but require adjusting to compete again based on the amount of missed time. In Friday evening’s 119-103 victory over the Warriors this was the lineup we saw. Jake LaRavia who’s been a part-time starter became full time, in addition shooter Luke Kennard was also inserted in the lineup. It’s certainly much easier to overcome a Steph-less Warriors team over the Nuggets, Rockets and especially the Thunder and Spurs. If JJ Redick is able to push and prod this present team beyond the first round he should be named Coach of the Year. It is time for Laker Nation to prepare itself regardless of what the future holds.

The downfall of Kansas basketball

I figured the headline would cause you to stop immediately even if you only read the first few sentences of this account. Will Bill Self be on hand after the 2026-27 season, this might be the only guaranteed year. Will he be coaching Kansas basketball for the next five years? In the recently completed season we saw the Jayhawks finish the season with a very good 24-11 record, 12-6 in the Big 12 conference.

That was good enough for them to end with a respectable third place finish but for Jayhawk Nation that has not been well received. As for the current time frame NIL has not been a coaches best friend, nowhere has that been more evident than in Lawrence Kansas. As this is written 5 Kansas players have entered the portal with Flory Bidunga being the biggest name since he’s also declared for the NBA draft. Kansas is left with only one scholarship player on the roster, all this and I have yet to mention Darryn Peterson who most certainly is headed to the NBA. The good….Tyran Stokes the top prospect in the Class of 2026 is reported to be on his way to Lawrence however as talented as he is reported to be Stokes is a party of one. Based on the Kansas roster as this is written they could obtain another one or two 5-star prospects but that becomes a wish.

This is an early April draft of Kansas basketball, I believe Self and staff will present a competitive team in the fall. I have serious doubts that they win the Big 12 conference so Jayhawk Nation better get accustomed to flying a little lower than most of the faithful might have expected based on past Kansas teams. Despite what some might perceive as a doom and gloom report that is not the case, I am being a realist in what could occur beyond next season for Kansas basketball.   

Meanwhile…. 

This is a rare event in NBA history, this is the brief detail. If I informed you an NBA player tallied 150 assists in a season, that wouldn’t seem the least bit impressive—this would be said especially since The Joker currently leads the association with 686 assists and with several more games remaining in the season. However what if I added 150 blocked shots and 50 three-point baskets secured to that total? That becomes a rare achievement, in addition only three players have accomplished this task in NBA history. They are Victor Wembanyama, Andrei Kirilenko who played for Utah and other teams from 1997-2015 and Anthony Davis.

College basketball currently faces numerous administrative challenges. For instance, two athletes who previously played professionally returned to compete at the collegiate level, and several players have attended three different institutions before exhausting their eligibility. These examples highlight the pressing need for the NCAA to establish clear guidance and policies. In Tennessee, the women’s coach now has no players on the team roster due to portal transfers, underscoring the complexity of these issues. As such, additional adjudication is required for a range of concerns. Strong leadership from the NCAA is essential to address these matters effectively.

We have several issues facing the NBA in the upcoming off season, among them are the 65-game played rule. Several key players have legitimately been sidelined due to injury. As you might remember NBA owners and the players association made an agreement beginning in the 2023-24 season, a minimum of 65 games must be played in order to be eligible for awards. The intent was to curtail player load management or resting healthy players. Those who will be impacted by the rule at the close of this season are Cade Cunningham Pistons, Luka Doncic Lakers and perhaps Victor Wembanyama, the dilemma for Cunningham and Doncic will be appealed while Wembanyama might make the cut with limited play in the remainder of the season. My solution, maintain the rule however a closer examination should be made regarding those named above and perhaps others.

A basketball fans outlook

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

Prestige

I approached the 2026 NBA draft from a unique angle, focusing on salaries, which are often overlooked. I found some information interesting and thought you might too. The salary gap between the top two picks isn’t significant when discussing millions—the first overall pick will make $13.8 million in their rookie season, while the second pick earns $12.37 million. Both players sign four-year contracts: two years are guaranteed, and the other two are team options.

This next portion is AI; “A team option in the NBA is a contract clause allowing a team to extend a player's contract for an additional season, the decision rests entirely with the franchise to either "exercise" the option (retaining the player) or "decline" it (making the player a free agent). Again according to AI, by the according to AI, by the fourth year, the top pick will have received substantially more compensation. So, do you think there’s a real monetary difference between the first and second picks before year four? Or does the distinction mostly come down to prestige?

It’s me…I will take the heat

I saw a list of Top 10 NBA point guards, the usual suspects were included however I questioned one name on the list. That name….Steph Curry, the Warriors “point guard” is the most excellent shooter I’ve seen past and present. Well Larry Laker why did you decide he didn’t belong on a Top 10 list, the answer is easy, I saw him as a shooter until I began researching his career stats. I also conducted an office survey and out of 5 NBA fans all stated emphatically that Steph Curry belongs on a list of Top 10 point guards, not a single one excluded him.

Conducting my research I discovered over the course of his brilliant Warrior career he’s actually been more adept from three than midrange some seasons. I also found out .380 was the lowest number from three he’s managed to shoot during his career, he’s been as high as .450+ twice. For his career, its .422 but wait there is more, the point guard portion of his game. He’s been as high as 8.5 assists a game registered in the 2013-14 season, over the course of his career the assist total has never been lower than 5.1. If we add the assists to the scoring total that makes Curry a one man offensive juggernaut. So there you have it, an overlook on my part and an apology to fans of Curry.

Louisville basketball

If you say college basketball in the State of Kentucky 99% of the citizens will first say the Kentucky Wildcats, others will say Louisville. Of course if you are associated with Louisville basketball some of you are aware of the following. Excluding this recently completed season in 112 seasons the Cardinals have registered 1,958 wins. Through a succession of coaches for the most part the program has been highly successful. They cannot match their cross state rivals the Kentucky Wildcats in the number of NCAA championships, Louisville’s’ won in 1980,1986 and 2013 would witness the school winning it all. The Cardinals also hold one record likely to never be duplicated.

They have won the 1948 NAIA, 1956 NIT plus the NCAA championships mentioned in the past. There was one more issue which caused the state to be somewhat divided. It was this, for years because the University of Kentucky had a more prestigious program they refused to play their cross state rival Louisville. Finally the legislature of the state had to become involved in the issue between the two schools. Legislation was introduced which would deprive Kentucky of state funds should the administration continue its policy of refusing to schedule Louisville. The threat of losing state aid finally convinced Kentucky they should plan on playing Louisville, since that time its my understanding they play a home and home schedule. It should be noted the 2013 NCAA championship was later voided.

Prove it 

I have no background in media of any sort, I contend sports talk radio might be very difficult for me to handle. I can imagine the responsibility of filling the airways with four hours of talk. You’ve got to error to some degree, for me there is a difference between an error and a dumb statement. Now I have no method to determine if this statement was a throw in or what. After discussing the recent NCAA tournament championship this host said; “Shaq couldn’t play today” and ended the statement without any backup. For me the other issue, his radio partner offered no response. My statement is simple, you claim Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t play in today’s game….prove it! I say Shaq would be a product of the now, he would play the game as it is at present.

There would be no requirement for him to play with the brute force he did on the other hand maybe he might. I have pondered this issue over and over again, radio and television sports host receive very little pushback whenever they make statements that cannot be proven. That goes for Gilbert Arenas and other podcasters as well. Those who played in the NBA receive no free pass just because they were in the league at a point. I have stated over and over that the athletes of today are better conditioned, they have the opportunity of living in the now. They have an advantage over their fathers and grandfathers, with that I proclaim if we had a method of teleporting 1960 Oscar Robertson to 2026 he could play. I could make the same statement for many of the athletes of that period, I continue to question why radio guy and others make these proclamations with no method to prove it.

A basketball fans outlook

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

Wolverine pride

By now I really cannot add much to what you don’t already know, the final score of the championship game for Division I basketball was the Michigan Wolverines 69 UConn Huskies 63. I believed Michigan would win however the outcome actually surprised me. I thought the score would be a much wider margin, the shooting left much to be desired. UConn as a team shot a sizzling 31% from the floor, for Michigan it was slightly better at 38%.

Although Michigan was the taller team they were outrebounded 46 to 39 by UConn. Elliott Cadeau Michigan guard was named MVP with his 19 point effort. One other note of interest, all five starters for the Wolverines were portal transfers, this was a first. Rooting for the Wolverines were the Fab 5 of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. Also cheering the Wolverines to victory was Rod Pelinka, President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers. By the way no one remembers this but Pelinka was also a member of that Michigan team however if you check the annals you will discover he played meager minutes.

You be the judge

I am influenced by what I heard, not what you are about to read. One of the topics I heard was to be discussed this morning on ESPN, “Are the Mavs better off building around Cooper Flagg?” Injury aside let’s explore the numbers, Luka Doncic turned 27 in February….this past December it was birthday 19 for Flagg. That difference is 7 years, in my opinion that is not too significant, players 10 years age difference would be significant. Although they were losers Doncic managed to help lead the Mavs to the 2024 NBA championship.

The current Mavs team is not as talented as the Doncic led team. What can he do for you, both players have similar skills in their ability to score baskets although I would give a slight advantage to Doncic. The same for distributing the basketball, Doncic edges out Flagg here. This measurement is slightly more difficult to determine….defense. Based on seeing both in action and with Flagg only in his rookie season this is how I see it, edge by Flagg. There is another area I find difficult to determine, that is intangibles. Who sees the game at crunch time, i.e., the ability to make the critical decision or play? That’s a tossup for now in my view. As for the future build, it’s my belief this is a draw between Doncic and Flagg, what do you think?

Championship basketball

Division I men’s basketball receives the most coverage, this includes the broadcast airways, print media and fans, despite this fact quality basketball is played at other levels of competition as well. The weekend saw two championships secured prior to the Division I championship game. In Division II Gannon University with two campuses in Erie Pennsylvania and Ruskin Florida was crowned champion after beating Lander University 84-61, this school is located in Greenfield South Carolina. Gannon completed its championship season with 34 wins and only 3 losses.

In Division III basketball the University of Martha Washington in Fredericksburg Virginia was victorious over Emory University Atlanta Georgia 75-73. Martha Washington finished its championship season with 30 wins and 3 losses. It should be of note that there are no athletic scholarships in Division III sports. Division III schools “award financial aid based on merit, academic, or need-based criteria rather than athletic ability.” Despite the limited media coverage during the basketball season the Division II and III championship games were available on cable or streaming for your viewing pleasure. Some of these players might never show up in an NBA jersey however a small number do become pros.

It works both ways

This has been written in the past, the motto of the State of Missouri is simple. It says, “I’m from Missouri, you’ve got to Show Me.” Well I just said it out loud, Mike Malone North Carolina basketball coach show me! For years all we heard was this, “You can’t hire a college coach as an NBA head coach.” I’m not going to go into detail just state we can count on one hand the success stories and they are even suspect to a degree. Larry Brown had actually coached in the ABA before he became a college coach.

In my opinion Quin Snyder is a good…not great NBA coach, after beginning as head man at the collegiate level there was an adjustment period required. The preface is this, the athletic department better hope Malone can do the job. Coaching at the college level is far different than it was 7-10 years ago, truth of the matter I must be fair to Malone. Not realizing the talent remaining on the roster can he make the critical move required of him? It’s not a question of X’s and O’s, he’s got that stuff in his playbook it is the other things a college basketball coach must accomplish in this day and age.

A basketball fans outlook

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

Who wins tonight

Because I believe in living dangerously (not really) I’m going out to the edge of the cliff. I am peering over into the abyss to discover the winner. Will it be the Huskies of UConn and their mercurial coach Dan Hurley or the lesser known Dusty May who leads the University of Michigan Wolverines? Who will be declared the winner around 10:15 P.M. Central Time or so? As for the games on Saturday, UConn held a lead for most of its game against Illinois but had to hold on to win a 71-62 win. As for Michigan, their game against Arizona was almost opposite, the Wolverines raced out to such a huge lead I actually turned off the game with 6 minutes or so remaining. 

Based on the enormous lead I believed there was no way for a good Arizona team to win this game. It’s never good to lose games, it's even worse when you reach this level. At the end of this evening one of the teams unfortunately will be deemed a loser and that’s a shame. I make that statement because all four will put forth a maximum effort to win. As basketball fans all we can hope for is a well-played game and one without controversy or injury. With so much at stake a final score would be impossible to provide, a winner is a different matter. I have no intention to bore you with analytics, I’m just going to say I believe the Michigan Wolverines will be crowned 2026 NCAA champions. Of course I could be wrong and there could be celebrations occurring in Storrs Connecticut as the Huskies win another one.

The roof has sprung a leak

No worry, the headline is not a reference to our home, this is written Sunday morning prior to the evening game with the Mavs. I have no idea if the Lakers win this game and those remaining on the balance of the schedule. A playoff spot is already secure however with first Luka Doncic gone and now Austin Reaves the Lakers are in BIG TROUBLE. Reserve players will take on the role vacated by the pair, the issue of course is talent, they are reserves because they fill a role .

That says to me “You are not as good a player as the guy in front of you. Laker Nation must be asking the question, “We arrive at the end of the season with our main guys injured, not only that they are out for an extended period.” I’ve not read a timeline for the return of Luka, as for Reaves its 4-6 weeks.” At this point, the Lakers have 41-year old LeBron James to lead the way. I told a friend this morning with a healthy Luka and Reaves the Thunder and possibly the Spurs would cause them problems. From my friend; “I think this was their year even with the stiff competition they might face. I can’t speak for others in Laker Nation but this is my plan, root for them until they lose a series.

They hate us cause they ain’t us

Duke has become the team and school the media and some fans love to hate. This issue has festered for a number of years with those who follow the college game. As for the vitriol I believe it began first with Coach K. but you can boo the coach only so long, a player is easier. The ideal target is a player, he’s on the floor and highly visible especially if he’s good. This Duke hate I contend began with Christian Laettner and it’s all his fault. Laettner was the star player on back to back championship Duke teams in 1991 and 1992. During his tenure in 24 tournament games Laettner and Duke won 21 of them, Laettner was perceived as being arrogant and he was, he became the easy target for fans to point toward.

One cynic pointed out the number of high profile prospects that have played at Cameron Indoor and they claim out it’s not aided the winning, on the other hand it has, allow this explanation. This most recent Duke team won 35 games while losing only 3, they would have played in the Final Four if not for a 35-foot desperation 3-point shot by UConn. Go ahead and hate Duke if you must, it might be valid for you but not for me. Jon Scheyer is a good coach despite the second guessing by several in the media and fans, he’s a winner. He’s got a better winning percentage in four years than…..can I say it, Coach K. So with that said I’m out.  

There is another

Wemby has somewhat been excluded in any discussions regarding this seasons MVP conversation, there is another NBA player also missing from the conversation. I’m not saying he should be the league MVP however I am confused as to why we hear little if any mention of his name. You certainly are familiar with his name, it’s the Laker point guard Luka Doncic. Check out the numbers he’s presented thus far: 

No 1. points per game average

No 1. 3s made per game

No 1. 30+ point games

No 1. 40+point games

No 1. rebounds per game guards

No 2. 30+ point triple doubles

No 3. assists per game

But just like Wemby he’s suffered the same fate, Doncic has been ignored and excluded from any MVP discussions this season by most of the media. He will not win the award however I believe Luka’s having an outstanding season and should be given consideration….but I’m a party of one, in addition I’m part of Laker Nation. NOTE: This was written prior to the injury that ended his season with days remaining.

A basketball fans outlook

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

Yes, there are some

My co-worker reading my April 4 account of basketball factories asked me the question. “Isn’t public high school ball still good,” my response was immediate? Of course it is, however, it seems in this day athletes desire to play at a Montverde or Oak Hill Academy. There are metro Kansas City athletes that have begun their journey at a public high school and graduate from one of the prep academies mentioned in last Saturdays’ edition.

Jason Crowe Jr. says there was an opportunity to leave Inglewood High School but he chose to remain there strictly having his family surrounding him. Perhaps having talent and family have aided his basketball development, as he heads off to Missouri in the fall his high school record is outstanding. The 6-foot 4 170 pound Crowe Jr. has scored 4,718 points the most in California high school basketball history. Pause a moment, do you realize the number of athletes the state has produced and Crowe Jr. has outscored them all, his 43.6 point per game average ranks second in the nation. Inglewood High School in the Los Angeles metro has a history of producing outstanding basketball talent, a number who would go on to play in the NBA.  

Among the names who attended the school and later played in the NBA include Paul Pierce, Reggie Theus and Jason Hart, these are just a few of the names who hooped for Inglewood High School. Columbia Missouri is a great distance from Los Angeles, its hoped Crowe Jr. is able to display the talent for the basketball team most believe he possesses as a 5-star prospect and the number one high school player in California.

I must talk to my mom 

Those were the words of AJ Dybansta when questioned on the 2026 NBA draft, it will not become official until the evening of June 26, that is the date of the annual NBA draft. The commissioner will step to the mic as say, “With the first pick in the 2026 NBA draft the (insert a team name) select (insert a name) from (insert a school).” Did you notice what I did, no team, individuals name or school is mentioned? We just don’t really know who that might be. Despite what I just wrote its highly likely the NBA team making the selection will choose BYU’s AJ Dybansta. Recently he indicated he must discuss the draft with his mother prior to making a decision, could she say NO….that’s certainly possible however I don’t think so.

This is not a talent issue in my opinion, Darryn Peterson who played at Kansas might turned out to be the better choice in the long run however his season of illness and missed games leaves a number of NBA front office people with tons of questions. The number of slam dunk athletes are few, there are questions regarding the performance of all, do you take a chance based on the history? Four mock draft sites I utilize on a regular basis continue to list Dybansta at the top and Peterson second. It was reported that one mock site I never use placed Peterson at five. Following the NBA for a period of time we realize its location and the opportunity to play immediately are contributing factors to initial and later continued success in the NBA. Several from the 2025 draft led by Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have made the transition.

Literally everyone missed

How do you go from a relative unknown to a first round NBA draft pick? This has become the journey of this Shawnee Mission Northwest now considered a late bloomer. That’s the story for Illinois guard Keaton Wagler, I’d mention earlier this Kansas talent was overlooked by his home state Kansas Jayhawks plus the Kansas State Wildcats and next door at Missouri. Columbia home of the university is 136 miles one way from his home, the other two schools are even closer. But wait there is more to the story, UMKC-Kansas City is about 8 miles distance from his school.

UMKC also known as Kansas City offered Wagler a scholarship but he turned them down, there were a few other offers from smaller D-I schools he also turned down. He was recruited by the coach’s son and decided on Illinois and the balance of the story has been documented. Standing 6-foot 6 and 180 pounds this shooting guard has seen his stock rise significantly in the eyes of NBA scouts. Check out the number each mock draft indicates Wagler would/should be drafted. Is it possible we are all being misled by his outstanding play as a freshman, can Wagler come in and immediately begin play at the NBA level? Based on the mock draft projections below that would appear to be the case.

nbadraft.net 8

nbadraftroom.com 8

tankathon.com 6

bleacherreport.com 6

The surprise team 

I’ve got to give the Celtics a hand clap for several reasons. The first might be the fact Jayson Tatum has returned to the lineup and so far appears to have completely recovered. This was done in the space of less than one year, most of the media believed he’d miss the entire 2025-26 season. Number two might be the fact the team didn’t appear to miss Tatum, a number of others stepped up and filled the role while waiting on his return.

This past Sunday the Celtics registered win number 50, as this is written only the Thunder, Spurs and Pistons have won 50 games or more. Lastly I’m going to salute head coach Joe Mazzulla, he’s been able to make the moves he’s desired and the team has responded. Celtic play is especially comforting reading and listening to all the complaints about NBA teams tanking. At this point I’m going out on that precarious limb, in the East Conference it might be a battle between the Pistons and Celtics for supremacy. This is a change, in December or even January I would not have made such a statement.

A basketball fans outlook

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

Still waiting

The top prospect in the Class of 2026 Tyran Stokes has not announced his destination. It was believed Kansas and Kentucky were in the lead with Kansas supposedly slightly ahead. Now we hear from a couple of new teams that made their presence known, they are Gonzaga and Oregon. Stokes is a 6-foot 7 230 pound forward, until there is an official announcement we have no idea which school he decides to attend.

In other college basketball news shot blocker extraordinaire 6-foot 10 Flory Bidunga is entering the NBA draft and transfer portal at the same time, we must wait to see how this turns out. There is no news regarding the other name at Kansas Darryn Peterson….is he going or is he staying? This is pure speculation however I could be wrong but I have no idea why he’d remain at Kansas versus an NBA payout. BYU’s AJ Dybansta indicates he’s made no decision whether he remains in school or heads for the NBA. I repeat for him my statement regarding Peterson. The transfer portal opens on Tuesday April 7, it will close on April 21, that’s a 15-day window for teams to make the necessary changes for their program.

It’s vast 

The Grand Canyon is one of the great wonders of the world, this immense canyon in the western United States is a sight to behold. Memory says I’ve flown over it at the very least three times, I have never seen it at ground level. Everyone indicates it’s a gigantic distance wall to wall and that is the lead into the report of the Thursday night game. The Thunder smoked my Lakers 139-96, there is no method to sugarcoat what is an embarrassing loss. In addition to that Luka Doncic didn’t finish the game suffering a left hamstring injury which caused him to leave the game.

An MRI will be done to determine the extent, with the playoffs upcoming the timing couldn’t have been worst for the Lakers. Everyone on the Lakers healthy I believe (and still do) they can compete successfully with any team in the NBA however there are exceptions. The Spurs and Thunder scare me, can they be beaten….of course they can, however, to win a series a team must play it’s A game to win. As this is written there’s no update on Luka or any other Laker for that matter. As for the playoffs we’ll see what we see when we arrive. I am disappointed based on the outcome however I intend to remain a loyal faithful member of Laker Nation.

He returns

On Thursday came the official word, Bill Self would be returning for year 24 to lead the Kansas men’s basketball team next season. Many of the Jayhawk faithful have been literally holding their breath in anticipation of receiving news that the coach had decided to retire. Self once said he wouldn’t coach past 60 yet here he is at 63 years of age returning to lead the basketball program. With his health issues plus age I believe a timeline of 3-5 years coaching this team probably exists going forward.

If that appears to be a negative that’s not the intent it’s a fact. Already in the Naismith Hall of Fame there is no doubt anytime there is a discussion of Kansas basketball coaches Self is at the top of the list. His name ranks above that of every former coach including Dr. James A. Naismith the inventor of the game of basketball and Forrest “Phog” Allen” who coached Kansas basketball for 39 seasons. Perhaps even more mind boggling is this fact. Consider since 1898 when Naismith first began coaching Kansas basketball there have been only 8 coaches including Self at the head of this program, that’s amazing. 

Basketball “Factories”

Upon reading the headline, some may initially perceive this as a negative account: however, that is not the intention here. The term “factories” is used to highlight how certain prep schools have produced a remarkable number of players who have gone on to play in the NBA and other professional leagues. Reading the headline one might assume this is a negative account, that is not the case. I decided to use the term factories due to the fact that a number of these prep schools have sent large numbers of players to the NBA and other professional leagues.

A co-worker understanding what I intended to write said; “What about public high schools?” There was no intent to ignore public schools it seems a significant amount of these basketball factories have continued to grow. I received conflicting information so my statement will indicate a tie, Montverde and Oak Hill both have sent over 30 players into the NBA over the years. What about others and where are they located, first this list should not be considered complete. Additionally, the official websites for these institutions emphasize their commitment to education alongside their athletic achievements. A brief look of several prep schools and their location, if your school was overlooked it was strictly due to space and length of time in completion of this account.

Montverde Academy-Montverde, Florida

Oak Hill Academy-Mouth of Wilson, Virginia

Bishop Gorman High School-Las Vegas, Nevada

IMG Academy-Bradenton, Florida

Link Academy-Branson, Missouri

Sunrise Christian Academy-Wichita, Kansas

Putnam Science Academy-Putnam, Connecticut

Brewster Academy-Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

Iowa United Basketball-Des Moines, Iowa

TPH Academy-Overland Park, Kansas

Dynamic Prep-Carrollton, Texas