A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

The NBL

This is not a reference to the former basketball league that eventually became part of today’s NBA. Here, the focus is the National Basketball League, or NBL, in Australia. While the number of NBL players reaching the NBA has not been overwhelming, the league has produced NBA talent for several years. LaMelo Ball, for example, played for the Illawarra Hawks, earned NBL Rookie of the Year honors, and the following season was named NBA Rookie of the Year with the Hornets.

Others have followed similar paths. Rayan Rupert, who played for the New Zealand Breakers, was drafted by the Blazers and is now with the Grizzlies, splitting time between the parent club and the G League Hustle. Bobi Klintman, formerly of the Cairns Taipans, now divides his time between the Pistons and the Motor City Cruise. AJ Johnson, another former Illawarra Hawk, was drafted by the Bucks and is now with the Mavericks. Josh Giddey reached the NBA after playing for the Illawarra Hawks and Melbourne Tigers, while Alex Sarr played for the Perth Wildcats before being drafted by the Wizards. This list is not complete; I may have missed several players. Still, even if the numbers are modest, the NBL offers clear evidence that Australia remains a source of basketball talent.

Was he blackballed

We use the headline above on those occasions when an athlete is generally ignored by a league for political, racial or other unnamed reasons. That is the case for the late Raymond Lewis, he was drafted in 1973 by the Sixers but never played in the NBA. From what I have been able to gather it had nothing to do with his ability….it was said at the time his attitude. Where did this story begin, Lewis had distinguished himself on the basketball court for Verdum Dei High School in Los Angeles. While enrolled at Verdum Dei he led the school to an 84-4 record and three consecutive CIF titles from 1969 through 1971. It was said the 6-foot 2 175 pound Lewis received over 250 offers but decided to attend Cal-State L.A., according to the history Lewis was a scoring machine while enrolled. Was he ready for the NBA, the Sixers believed that to be the case.

In 1973 he became the 18th pick in the first round of that year’s draft. The next portion of the story becomes who do you believe? Reports are Lewis had played outstanding during rookie camp even outplaying Doug Collins the Sixers number one pick. At this point “the water becomes a little murky,” the Sixers contend Lewis walked out of camp over a contract dispute. According to Lewis he was told “to sit out a year and mature,” he claims the Sixers tore up the original agreement and informed him he had to earn a spot on the team. Back then there were 12 players on a team under contract, he attempted to go to the ABA but the Sixers threatened him with a lawsuit. In 1975 he was invited back for the third year of his contract but didn’t make the team. The story of his potential NBA career ends at this point, Lewis would battle alcoholism and depression for the latter part of his life. February 2001 he died after complications developed from amputation of his leg and a stroke. Raymond Lewis drafted into the NBA but never played a minute….was he blackballed by the league?

It’s my belief

You probably read or heard many of the same stories as me. The claim there is more emphasis on recruiting portal transfers than high school prospects. This is easy to understand, a portal player has played at the collegiate level already and the only adjustment required is a new team/conference. Notice I didn’t include the coach/coaching staff in our account, I would guess the athlete would be okay in that department prior to committing. Despite what you just read it’s my belief high school remains more fertile than portal transfers for a single reason….length of time. Often portal players have no more than two seasons of eligibility remaining, a high school prospect not NBA driven could provide a coach four quality seasons. With that statement let’s check out the ranking ESPN assigns several colleges for the 2026-27 season. They rank John Calapari’s Arkansas Razorbacks having the top rank group of high school prospects in the nation.

At number two they place the Duke Blue Devils which says to me Jon Scheyer has continued to funnel talent to Durham. At three the Bill Self and his Kansas Jayhawks managed to secure the number one prospect in the country Tyran Stokes, he is headed to Lawrence Kansas. Number four, the defending NCAA champion Michigan Wolverines are placed here. Number five at Southern Cal the Ratliff twins arrive and demonstrate the recruiting prowess of the university. Number 6 the Michigan State Spartans, Tom Izzo is still on the job coaching and beating the bushes for talent. At 7 we find the Missouri Tigers making the cut for the first time under Dennis Gates. Number 8 is Alabama while number 9 is Oklahoma State, we close the Top 10 with BYU which intends to continue its winning ways despite no AJ Dybantsa. There is no guarantee that any of these schools will have successful seasons or with the NCAA championship, ESPN happens to believe these schools have added the best crop of incoming freshmen.  

The NBA (international) draft

In a few short weeks at Barclays Center the NBA draft will be held once again. The vast majority of names will be known college players, included in the number will be a few international athletes. I checked two mock draft sites and both place 5 international athletes in the first and second round, of course that’s not to state it will occur. There are at least two college prospects in this draft who played at American universities, this is liable to increase the number even greater. Will this 2026 draft contain the next “Wemby or SGA” that’s highly unlikely but certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.

Unlike other American sports basketball has exploded on the international level for a variety of reasons. Other American sports are yet to reach that level and a few might never reach the level of basketball. I can state with confidence the NBA and basketball in general is the only American sport with an ever increasing international flair, allow a brief explanation on the others. Major League Baseball has long contained international athletes the majority of athletes coming from Latin American nations. More recently we’ve seen an increase from other parts of the world too, those who follow the game closer than me might disagree with my next statement. It’s my belief the best baseball player in the world is the Dodgers Shohei Ohtani who hails from Japan. Although the NFL is the sport most popular on these shores the following is smaller on an international level. As for football/soccer in this nation I am unsure of the count but believe the sport contains a smaller number of American athletes compared to international one’s.

In any event back to our sport basketball, it shouldn’t come as a surprise for a variety of unexplained reasons the game has grown overseas at a greater level than other sports. On an international level there are probably more Little League baseball teams than peewee football played throughout the world. I continue to take a world view of  basketball, all those arriving on these shores will not be noteworthy in the NBA as Wemby has become, however, quality athletes will continue to land in the U.S.  

A basketball fans perspective

The Finals   

At the end of the evening all were treated to a meltdown of epic proportions, final score Knicks 107 Spurs 106. These youthful Spurs got off to a swift start shooting lights out creating havoc all over the court for the home team. The Knicks looked totally lost as the Spurs ran around and over the top of them. It didn’t help that KAT got in early foul trouble and was in and out of the lineup. At the end of the first quarter the Spurs were shooting 65% from the floor with 100% from three, as for the Knicks it was 29% and 40% from three.

The first quarter ended with the Spurs holding a 41-22 advantage on the score board, Wemby with 13 and Vassell with 12 points led the way. For the Knicks it was Anunoby with 7 and Bridges 5 points, they played slightly better in the 2nd quarter however half-time saw them trailing 76-49. In addition to the hot shooting the Spurs took care of the ball having only 2 TOs for the half. I’m unsure what Mike Brown said to his Knicks at the half but they returned to the court with fire in their eyes playing much better, at one point they made a 10-0 run. At the beginning of the 4th quarter the Spurs still held a 90-75 lead and the thought was that even if the Spurs score every other time down they should cruise to victory. That was not quite the case as the Knicks began playing inspired basketball, the Spurs were either missing shots or making TOs. It was difficult to believe the Spurs had a 29 point lead as they slowly but surely came apart and began playing poorly. The Spurs as hot as the Sun could only score 14 points in the 3rd quarter and the critical 4th it was 16. The Knicks scored 26 and 32 which allowed them to successfully compete and thus win the game.

The Knicks take a commanding 3 games to 1 lead and journey to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday night. The Spurs committed a number of bad plays down the stretch (TOs and poor shot selection). As for the shooting discrepancy the Knicks finished the night outshooting the Spurs from the floor and the three line. These young Spurs must learn to play the second half of championship games. Brunson, Anunoby and even KAT despite his foul problems were key to the victory for the Knicks.

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

The television eye

I’m unsure if it was the Wemby factor or something else, Game 1 of the NBA Finals set all kinds of viewership numbers. According to figures released nearly 17 million viewers were tuned in, it was the most watched Game 1 Finals since 2018 when LeBron James then with the Cavs faced Steph Curry and the Warriors. The number represents viewers in the U.S., the world-wide audience might be difficult to project. Perhaps it was more than The Alien being in the Finals it was the presence of the Knicks. For the first time since 1973 the Knicks were playing in the Finals.

I’m unsure how to accurately gauge a broadcast, it’s claimed the networks desire large television markets (i.e., New York, Los Angeles & Chicago). What occurs if its an Oklahoma City as it was last season and a San Antonio this season? There is no reliable method to prove my hypothesis however I believe NBA fans will arrange their schedule when possible to see the games. The NFL loves to brag about its numbers swamping those of the NBA and there is no disagreement from this corner. I could turn this television thing around and report there are more eyeballs worldwide on the NBA Finals than on the Super Bowl, notice I expressed around the world.  

A brief look

A continued survey of a few lottery picks in the 2026 NBA draft. This athlete will likely be compared to his father which isn’t fair, that’s the fate of former Duke power forward Cameron Boozer. For those who might not be aware his father Carlos also played at Duke, dad was a 2002 draft pick and spent 13 years in the NBA. Most mock drafts project the 6-foot 9 255 pound Cameron between 3rd and 5th so that provides you an idea that most scouts project him so highly. Caleb Wilson who played at North Carolina is probably the most unknown lottery choice.

Wilson is 6-foot-10 and 210 pounds with tremendous leaping ability. He suffered a broken thumb in practice on February 10 and missed the rest of the season, but the injury is not expected to hurt his draft stock. Another projected lottery pick is Houston point guard Kingston Flemmings, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 185 pounds. Scouting reports say he affects the game at both ends of the floor and has drawn comparisons to De’Aaron Fox and Derrick Rose. Illinois’s Keaton Wagler will be covered individually in a forthcoming piece. That wraps up this brief look at several projected lottery picks. Could an unheralded player still move into the early lottery? That is certainly possible.

Help is on the way….maybe 

A number of players decided to return to college, based on that fact I decided to check the latest revised mock draft sites. Naturally, I hope to help my Lakers draft a post player, nbadraft.net introduced me (and maybe you) to an unfamiliar name. He’s 19-years old and his name is Luigi Suigo, measures at 7-feet 3 inches and 245 pounds. This past season was spent playing for KK Mega Basket in the ABA League. Suigo’s got a 7 foot 5 and ½ inch wingspan and a standing reach of nearly 10 feet.

Naturally, the YouTube video I could locate focused on the offensive side of his game. The negatives, perimeter defense, “He struggles with lateral quickness and burst, meaning he can get exposed when forced to switch out onto smaller, quicker guards and wings on the perimeter. He has a tendency to foul at a high rate (nearly 6 fouls per 36 minutes), largely due to positioning struggles against older, more physical pros.” After reading the scouting report is this a game changer regarding him being drafted in the first round. I don’t have an answer for that question, I do believe NBA coaching can address concerns raised in a scouting report. If an athlete on my radar is chosen ahead of the Laker pick so be it if they should pass over him that’s another matter to me. 

A portion of the schedule   

Mizzou has posted back-to-back winning seasons and earned NCAA tournament bids in both years, but many including me in Mizzou Nation—have questioned the strength of the nonconference schedule. I understand that coach Dennis Gates is trying to build a cohesive team, yet that part of the schedule has felt too light, with too few challenging opponents. In my view, there is little value in entering SEC play undefeated if the nonconference slate has not truly tested the team.

Kansas, on the other side of State Line Road, consistently schedules strong nonconference opponents. Mizzou’s schedule is not complete, but so far I think most fans will see an improvement. The teams have been scheduled however several of the dates have not been finalized. Based on this fact alone I am going to only list the teams, here are the opponents announced to this point: Buffalo, Saint Louis University, Marquette, Kansas, Nebraska, and Illinois. In the SEC/ACC Challenge, Pitt will travel to Columbia to face the Tigers. That’s not necessarily a knockout opposition lineup however in my view that is much improved over what was witnessed in past years.

A basketball fans perspective

The Finals

Game 3 between the Spurs and Knicks has now shifted to Madison Square Garden, “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” The game was a must-win for San Antonio, while New York had enough cushion to ease off the pressure if it chooses. I wonder if the ESPN radio crew I heard over the weekend might now regret their “victory parade” talk at least for a time. The final score read Spurs 115 Knicks 111 as the Texas team played much better on Monday evening. What I find interesting shooting from the field and the three line were even for both teams, so what made for a Spurs victory? Wemby had an improved game leading the way with 32 points 8 rebounds 3 blocks and 6 assists, in 39 minutes of action he only committed a single TO. He played the entire 4th quarter which impacted the game in favor of the Spurs. 

Spurs guard Stephon Castle scored 28 points and dished out 5 assists and had only 2 TO’s in 38 minutes. As for the Knicks Jalen Brunson scored 32 points but had to take 25 shots in order to accumulate his point total. OG Anunoby scored 28 points and played his usual outstanding defensive game, coming up short for the Knicks was KAT. He got in foul trouble and managed but 11 points and 8 rebounds. It appeared the bench came up short in this game for the Knicks, Jordan Clarkson scoring 10 points might have been the man. Dependable Landry Shamet was an ice cold 1 for 8 from the floor, but he wasn’t alone Jose Alvarado also didn’t contribute much either. Despite this limited production the Knicks were in the game until the very end. The key for me, the Spurs took much better care of the ball than the first two games. Now the Knicks must regroup and prepare for Game 4 without the distractions surrounding this one, they clearly still hold the edge in the series. 

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

No excuse

After his error that led to the Spurs loss Wemby would be down. Down but not out realizing the significance of his errant pass to the back of teammate Stephon Castle. Stuff like that occurs the hope is not at a critical point of a game, “I threw that one away. I messed up.” That was a brief summary made by Wemby regarding his Game 2 error. Probably millions of negative thoughts have rushed around in his mind but they all must be placed aside. He and his Spurs teammates have a gigantic task in front of them tonight….win a game. On the other hand the Knicks, although feeling good about themselves cannot relax too much.

They must realize the Spurs are down but not totally out of this thing. I’ve been told that teams that lose the first two games of a playoff series have never come back to win it, so that remains a concern. The other issue (at least for me) how much of a distraction to the gathering will the president be in deciding to attend this game. James Dolan doesn’t communicate much with the public so we have no idea if it’s true or not. The president claims the Knicks owner invited him to attend the game, realizing how unpopular the president is in New York City the question might be asked why? That’s a whole other story and I’ve spent far too much time on it. Here’s hoping both teams play a competitive game and not be distracted by events they have no control over.

The mystery

With the NBA draft just weeks away, it remains unclear which of the roughly 60 players selected on June 23 (first round) and June 24 (second round) will ultimately succeed at the NBA level. As I indicated there are questions regarding all but Darryn Peterson might be the biggest mystery of all. Peterson arrived on the campus of Kansas University the projected top pick in the 2026 draft, later the questions began. When he did play Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4 rebounds and almost 2 assists a game, he shot nearly 44% from the floor with 38% of it from the three line.

Those are certainly decent numbers however there is the other, intermittent hamstring issues, cramps, and ankle injuries that saw Peterson see the floor in only 24 of the 35 games Kansas had on the schedule. Peterson has all the physical tools to succeed in the NBA, he stands 6-foot 5 and weighs 205 pounds good size for an NBA shooting guard. As I’ve often stated mock draft sites are no valid indication of order however they do provide us an idea where a prospect might be drafted. After beginning the season in the top position the questions failed to drop him very far. Most mock sites project him the number two choice while one dropped him to third. From an ego standpoint, most prospects would probably want to be the No. 1 pick. Even so, Peterson is still expected to be drafted no lower than third.

The Bucket Getter

The title above was utilized by a Rock M Nation media person in the Missouri fan website, he was describing incoming freshman Jason Crowe Jr. He pointed toward the fact “the ball would be in his hands most of the time scoring or dishing out assists.” Can you say a possible SGA comparison….whoa, hold on there a moment the kid is yet to set foot on the floor of Mizzou arena. Well the hype is somewhat valid, there’s not been a competitor of his merit since 2017 when Michael J. Porter committed. MPJ arrived National HS player of the Year, a McDonald’s All American and 5-star prospect.

Porter was ranked the number one or two best player in the nation, Missouri had never recruited a basketball player of his stature up till that time. MPJ suffered an injury in a December game and missed the entirety of the season. At the end of the season he would declare for the draft and the story ends here for Missouri. Projected a number one or two draft pick the injury was a factor in MPJ being drafted 14th in 2018 by the Nuggets. MPJ has since proven he is a capable and valued athlete for the Nuggets and now he continues play for the Nets. As for Crowe Jr. the evidence predicts Missouri has an outstanding player who will be headed to the NBA next spring. I’m not fooling myself into thinking this youngster will be at Missouri for his sophomore season. Mizzou has laid the groundwork for post-Crowe Jr. so we shall see how that plays out too.

This is only the beginning   

This is written prior to the first game of the NBA Finals, I have no idea of the outcome or Victor Wembanyama’s contribution or impact on the outcome. The truth of the matter Wemby has already affected the NBA, it began with his arrival three seasons ago. Last season Wemby missed nearly half the season due to a blood clot issue which was medically resolved. His off season was spent with Shaolin monks in China along with tutoring from Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin Garnett. Some reading this might not understand Wemby is a different kind of dude. The off season prepared him for much of what we witnessed.

He was honored being voted NBA Defensive Player of the Year, he was also named an All-NBA First Team member. Wemby finished third in voting for the NBA’s MVP, behind SGA and second place finisher Nikola Jokic, also add Western Conference Finals MVP to his resume. The Finals have been a different story for him, several ESPN radio guys have really been critical of Wemby’s play in the first two games. Maybe it’s a generational thing, but some commentators seem either too young to remember or quick to forget. They’ve praised KAT’s performance against 22-year-old Wemby, but it’s worth recalling Hakeem Olajuwon’s “Dream Shake” on 23-year-old Shaquille O’Neal during the Rockets’ 1995 Finals sweep. Wemby isn’t the first young star to get a harsh welcome—As for Shaq I wonder how his NBA career panned out.

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

The predicament

I believe this was going to occur in advance of the series being played. Allow me to state up front I like the Knicks coach Mike Brown, I like the Knicks team….what I and millions of others are forced to tolerate is the over the top New York sports media. Driving home from the barber shop I’m listening to a discussion on one of our local sports talk radio stations. These stations usually pick up the network feed late night or weekends and this is Saturday morning after the Knicks Game 2 victory on Friday. The two unidentified ESPN radio guys are discussing the outcome of Game 2 back and forth in conversation they went on discussing the win along with views of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson.

And then it occurred, it landed like a Mike Tyson punch on the ears of listeners. “I don’t wanna jinx anyone but should the Knicks began planning a victory parade?” That was the jest of the conversation back and forth between the two for about 10 minutes or so. “The Nets will never be it, the Knicks are the cities team” said one of the ESPN guys. I felt it in my bones before this contest began, if the Knicks win this thing we’ll hear about it for the next year. How can this conclusion be an outcome, look at the New York Jets? They have been a bad team for years yet they are always a topic of conversation from east coast media. My question, when’s the last time the Jets have been a relatively good football team….I thought so. Some reading this are upset with my take, sorry that’s how I see it.

Dylan’s the man

This is written Friday afternoon in advance of the Friday night game, I have no idea if Dylan Harper scores. That might not occur however he still remains the Spurs rookie playoff scoring all-time leader. I came across this information while researching statistics for another story. Harper has approached this playoff and Finals appearance in the same manner a 10-year NBA veteran might. Bet you didn’t realize same as me Harper now holds the rookie scoring record for the team. There are several Spurs heavyweights whose numbers he’s eclipsed, check this out:

Dylan Harper 251 points

David Robinson 243 points

Manu Ginobili 226 points

Tim Duncan 186 points

What else did those other Spurs accomplish; wait I will answer that for you. All three, Robinson, Ginobili and Duncan have been enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame and received other honors. I don’t wish you to misread this, I am making no claims regarding Harper’s NBA future however based on his rookie play he could wind up his NBA career with an extensive resume if he continues at this pace. NOTE: Although the Spurs lost the game Harper came off the bench and scored 15 points in the loss, his rookie Spurs total stands at 266 points (and counting).

Everything changes

Once upon a time and I am surely repeating myself, this was my conviction. An athlete accepts a scholarship offer he must remain in school four years, of course illness and injury failed to apply here. We then began early entry most of it brought by the ABA at the time it was vying with the NBA for talent. That’s the brief history to set the stage for this account. The change for me, school will always be there, “Go get the money if you are assured the NBA is your destination.” Recently came news reports that former player JR Smith had completed all requirements and is now a college graduate.

Of course Smith is not the first, it’s my belief Michael Jordan is probably the first NBA player to return to college to complete his degree but there are others. Among just a few of the names, Shaquille O’Neal, Vince Carter, Steph Curry, Marvin Williams, Rajon Ronda and Ray Allen. I believe AJ Dybansta will also join them after a promise made to his mother to graduate college, while for others it was likely personal satisfaction. Whatever the basis it’s good for another aspect, I have no idea of the finances of these former players but believe it to be substantial. They have no employment opportunities which require a college diploma yet they did the work, they are applauded by me for completing the task begun years prior.  

Anytime, anywhere

I can talk basketball 24/7 with emphasis on any level, high school, AAU, college or the NBA. I can talk basketball during the sweltering month of August or a bone chilling day in January. This is the basis for Off the Dribble being a 12-month blog, it’s always basketball season here. For me it’s a matter of finding one’s passion, as an example I find this common. I have NBA fans who don’t have a clue who the top rated incoming prospect is at their favorite school, of course they know his name but there is other stuff a basketball fan would uncover. On the other hand I have college fans with no clue how the NBA operates on a day to day basis.

Often find myself in conversation at work when I didn’t begin the dialogue, co-workers have sometimes approached me as if I have the answers (which is not true). My memory of certain games precedes my understanding of the intricacies of the game of basketball. I cannot give you the date but I remember the first time I saw LeBron James play. He was still in high school and playing for St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron Ohio. This too was a televised game, I witnessed Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against the Raptors. In addition to those names I saw Victor Wembanyama play in Las Vegas when only a handful (exaggeration of fans) even knew his name. Sometimes I wonder if friends and acquaintances are saying; “Doesn’t this guy ever shut up?” Yes I do when I am asleep….otherwise you can generally catch me discussing my favorite sport. 

A basketball fans perspective

Finals edition 

I expected the Spurs to play better in Game 2 and they did, the only problem they came up short again. This time the Knicks were winners 105-104 as the game wasn’t really decided until a missed Victor Wembanyama shot just before the buzzer sounded. This game had all the elements one might expect from a Finals game, the first quarter saw the Spurs race out to a 34-25 lead but by the half it had dissipated. Half-time saw the Knicks with a 56-52 lead, much of the third quarter the Knicks imposed their will on the youthful Spurs, oh did I mention this?

Wemby had 7 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in the first half. That was hardly a take charge game as many expected him to have. For the Knicks it was KAT with 17 points and 7 rebounds and Jalen Brunson with 10 points but only 27% shooting from the floor, Mikal Bridges contributed 11 points. Every time it seemed in the 3^rd quarter the Spurs made a run at the Knicks they had an answer, it would be an offensive rebound and score or forcing a TO by the Spurs. The result was the visitors would retain the lead, most critical at a point was missed free throws, with the score 90-83 in favor of the Knicks we counted 8 missed free throws by the Spurs. After trailing by 14 points in the 4^th quarter the Spurs came roaring back, missed shots by the Knicks and timely shots and forced TO’s by the Spurs had them back in the game under the three minute mark or so in the 4^th and then it occurred. A missed Knick shot and an errant Wemby pass with 12 seconds remaining to Stephon Castle’s back and a foul on the recovery. With seconds remaining this placed Brunson on the free throw line where he missed the second of two free throws. The first Wemby shot was a miss but an offensive rebound allowed a second shot. The second shot was a miss too as the horn sounded, final Knicks 105 Spurs 104.

The Spurs once again had five players in double figures led by Wemby who came alive in the 4^th quarter. He totaled 29 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. The winning Knicks also had 5 players score in double figures, they were led by KAT with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Brunson and Bridges each scored 20 points. The teams now head for Game 3 on Monday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Spurs outshot the Knicks from the floor 47% to 42% but were outrebounded 44-42, the Knicks also had 11 steals in the game.

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Build it and they will come 

If you saw the 1989 movie classic Field of Dreams the headline will be familiar to you. Farmer Ray (Kevin Costner) kept hearing a voice over and over whisper “Build it and they will come.” See the movie for yourself, as for the headline you will locate a connecting story below on the Mavs planned new arena. My question for you….what is categorized as old, American Airlines is coming up on 25 years of existence. How about Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City MO? The downtown Muni opened its doors for basketball in 1935, over that time the building’s been renovated numerous times. It’s hosted the MIAA Basketball Tournament since 2003, its been home to the NAIA Tournament from 1937-1974.

The tournament moved to Kemper Arena and later to Tulsa Oklahoma before returning to Municipal Auditorium in 2002. The venue hosted three of the first four Final Fours, and its last NCAA Tournament game was played in 1964. Although football stadiums eventually became the primary sites for the national championship, Kansas City and Municipal Auditorium hosted more NCAA championship games than any other location for many years. UMKC once played its home games there, later shifting them back to campus, but after hiring Mark Turgeon this spring, the university announced it would return to the Muni. Renovations have given the arena a permanent capacity of 7,300, with room for 2,600 additional temporary seats. The result is an intimate setting with excellent sightlines, where fans feel close to the action. Modern arenas have their appeal, but Municipal Auditorium—known locally as the Muni—still carries a special sense of history and character.

Most annoying fans

Generally speaking whenever the subject of annoying fans are discussed we are discussing colleges, we could be conversing on Cameron Indoor (Duke), Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas) or Rupp Arena (Kentucky). These and other basketball arenas around the nation visiting teams hate to enter not only due to facing the teams but those somewhat annoying fans as well. I’ve never had the opportunity to attend a game in Crypto.com (Lakers), TD Garden (Celtics), Chase Center (Warriors) or Madison Square Garden (Knicks). In this instance I intend to take advantage of information rightly or wrongly conveyed by attendees at each of these venues. We can come to a variety of definitions what details an annoying fan with that let’s take a closer look.

As some are aware there have been incidents where fans actually had altercations, the one incident that certainly is the most mentioned was “The Malice in the Palace.” This was an actual fight between members of the Pacers and the Pistons who then played their home games at the Palace of Auburn Hills. This altercation took place November 19, 2004, do a deep dive for further details. Ja Morant’s father was banned at one time from attending games at the FedEx Forum in Memphis based on his actions toward game officials. Over time there have been a number of other instances. In 2020 after Kemba Walker was ejected during a Boston Celtics game at TD Garden, a frustrated fan threw a beer toward the court near the Spurs’ bench. The incident resulted in a game delay and the fan being arrested. Can we say fans have no always been on their best behavior when attending games especially when consuming adult beverages.

A planned arena

Talk over the past few months has now been confirmed: the Dallas Mavericks announced their plan to build a new arena. The American Airlines Center home since 2001 will be replaced by an arena owned by the Mavericks. The new arena will be built in North Dallas, about 10 miles from downtown. According to a news release, 104 acres near I-635 and the North Dallas Tollway will be purchased, the Valley View Mall once stood on this site. The mall was closed in 2015 and demolished in 2023.

A decision was reported to have been made by December 2025 but delays forced it to slip into 2026 with July being the last possible date for a decision. This timeline had to be culminated in order to stay on schedule and allow for construction of this building prior to the American Airlines Center lease expiring in 2031. The future of the NHL’s Dallas Stars who share the arena remains unclear; reports suggest they may either remain at the current location or build an arena of their own. So it now appears Dallas will join Oklahoma City along with Philadelphia in construction of a new arena for their NBA teams.  

Twins

Before writing this, I conducted a degree of research to uncover how frequently twins are born in the United States. According to information I uncovered twin live births occur every 31-32 times out of 1,000 births, 1 out of 30 live births is a twin. “There are Fraternal twins (dizygotic) twins are two individuals born from the same pregnancy, formed when two separate eggs are fertilized by two separate sperm.” On the other hand “Identical twins (monozygotic) twins result from a single fertilized egg splitting into two, sharing nearly 100% of their DNA.” Despite the rarity of twin births the NBA has witnessed its share over its history.

Tom and Dick Van Arsdale might have been the first twins in the NBA, they played their college basketball at Indiana, they played 12 seasons in the NBA (1965-1977) for a variety of teams. As for the others this is not in order of when they arrived with the exception of Ausar and Amen Thompson. They were each drafted in the Top Five in 2023 the only twins to be lottery picks. As for the other names we have Cody and Caleb Martin, Brook and Robin Lopez, Marcus and Markieff Morris. In addition to them there is also Jason (who recently passed) and Jaron Collins plus Keegan and Kris Murray. This exercise is closed with the names of Justin and Julian Champagnie. It's remarkable that both of these brothers and others had the talent to make it to the NBA.

Mizzou recruiting

Blue Blood programs and those slightly below have managed winning programs with 3 keys in my estimation. They are a winning head coach, a winning program and a continuous pipeline of talent flowing into the school. Of course the pipeline feeds the other two tenants that allow for success on the basketball court. I believe at least two of the tenants are in place at Mizzou, the coach (Dennis Gates) and the program, the third of course is the pipeline. In this instance I’m speaking strictly of high school talent, I am not negating talent brought in from the portal.

In the day of instant transfer eligibility I continue to believe in high school talent. Sure, there is the one and done issue plus transfers out of the program but they are pauses on the road to success. The Class of 2027 has been identified and offers have been made, allow me to introduce a number of prospects identified by the coaching staff and hope they will be Columbia Missouri bound in the fall of 2027. Adkinson is a verbal commit, he and others might choose to attend another school however its good news for Mizzou fans. They are aware the coach and his staff are working continuously to attract winning players to a winning basketball program.

Scottie Adkinson 6-foot 2 combo guard Webster Groves HS 4-stars-verbal commit

Caleb Ourigou 6-foot 11 center OT Elite HS 4-stars

Cameron Barnes 6-foot 7 forward Link Academy 4-stars

Jimmy McKinney III 6-foot 1 combo guard Vashon HS 3-stars  

Davion Thompson 6-foot 2 point guard Link Academy 4-stars

Gassim Toure 6-foot 3 point guard Principia School 3-stars

A basketball fans perspective

NBA Finals Edition

As you may have noticed, the NBA playoffs have not matched the publishing schedule of Off the Dribble. I plan to address that by releasing a next-day edition when needed, regardless of the usual schedule. If a Finals game falls on a regular publishing day, I’ll cover it then; if the timing does not line up, as it did with Game 1, I’ll still report on the previous night’s action. With that explanation, let’s move on to Game 1 of the Finals: the New York Knicks vs. the San Antonio Spurs.

There are two half’s of a game, the Spurs discovered that fact last night. The Knicks started the game on fire, early on the Spurs were missing shots. Then a switch as the Spurs raced out 9-0, thanks primarily to Spurs guard Dylan Harper. Then things settled down for both teams, missed shots, turnovers, the middle of the second saw both teams shooting in the 30% range. In the middle of the second quarter Knicks guard Jalen Brunson went out with an injury and Jose Alvarado came in and played valued minutes in place of him. Julian Champagnie for the Spurs hit a three which gave the Spurs a 55-47 halftime lead thanks in part to the 15 points he scored in the first half. The second half of the game belonged almost exclusively to the Knicks, they shot better, took better care of the basketball. The 105-95 road victory became their 12 consecutive win.

The box score provides us the indication why the Knicks won, they managed to increase their team scoring to 41% led by Jalen Brunson who scored 30 points despite his injury. KAT was a monster scoring 18 points along with 12 rebounds, right behind him was OG Anunoby with 17 points. As for the Spurs Wemby had an untypical game, he led the Spurs with 26 points but was only 29% shooting from the floor. He did managed 12 rebounds and 3 blocked shots but committed 6 TO’s. This might have been the Spurs worst shooting game (36%) but they did outrebound the Knicks. Dylan Harper emerged from the bench and had his usual good outing for the Spurs. So the Knicks have taken the lead and accomplished the task of at least gaining a split by winning the first game. The celebration win is over as soon as the clock read 0.00, it's now time for the Knicks and Spurs to prepare for Game Two on Friday evening in San Antonio. I find one fact interesting, ESPN account "Knicks steal Game One," they didn't steal anything they won the game. 

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Things you do while waiting on the finals

This account is written Monday morning while waiting on the Finals to begin tonight. I wish to share information I uncovered while surfing the net. These NBA Finals will be broadcast to more than 214 countries and nations world-wide. The Finals are localized and broadcasters will describe the action in up to 60 different languages. Based on this information I decided to check the Super Bowl and World Series for their numbers. According to information uncovered The Super Bowl is broadcast to 195 countries and territories around the world in 25 different languages. Baseball’s World Series is available in over 200 nations and territories and 15 languages.

The NHL Stanley Cup is broadcast to 200 countries and nations, information related to broadcast languages was not provided by the league. For your further information MLS doesn’t release any numbers and the same goes for the National Women’s Soccer League. A further thought, in the U.S. the Finals are being broadcast by ABC, although it’s not clear at present it might be NBC next season but what about the future? Could we have an NBA Finals exclusively on one of the streaming services such as Prime or Peacock? We haven’t traveled far enough down the road for that decision however this is my belief, the Finals will always remain on broadcast television (I hope). Regular season games are a different matter for the NBA.

It’s okay, you can paint me a hater

In the middle of last month I drove the 130 or so I-70 miles to Columbia MO to attend graduation ceremonies at the University of Missouri, that was on a Friday. On Saturday while viewing the news on one of the local television stations up popped video and a short story on the graduation at Kansas University. I don’t monitor all the locals however there was no mention or coverage of the events at Mizzou. I guess there could have been a Kansas athlete graduating although there was no mention of it. That’s where this rant begins, it seems that once Mizzou left the Big 12 for the SEC with the exception of the print Kansas City Star local television and sports talk radio give Mizzou superficial coverage. A portion of the unbalanced coverage is understandable.

Kansas basketball is steeped in tradition and history while Mizzou over the last few years has struggled at times on the court. Despite what I just wrote this unbalanced coverage extends in the football season as well. Since 2012 Kansas has won 43 games and lost 124, in the same time period contrast that with Mizzou’s 112-78 record which includes 8 bowl invitations. Last season Kansas finished with 5 wins and 7 losses a repeat from the prior season, as for Mizzou it was 8 wins and 5 losses. Turning to men’s basketball Kansas finished the season with a 24-11 mark, for Mizzou it was 20-13. In closing I’m not comfortable but will concede, the winning tradition plus a hall of fame coach that bodes well in favor of Kansas basketball, the football is a truly different matter. Manhattan KS (Big-12 Kansas State) is a great deal nearer the metro over Athens GA (SEC-University of Georgia) so there is that to contend with!

Say what

Yes, it was certainly shoddy, I speak of the 7th game of Thunder power forward/center Chet Holmgren. If you watched the game you were a witness, in 33 minutes of action he scored but 4 points while taking only two shots. Also included in his totals, 4 rebounds 2 assists and 2 blocked shots. Despite the negatives I’m not ready to fire him but Stephen A. Smith of ESPN more or less hinted as much. I watched his First Take program on Monday to gather “a degree of wisdom,” the first thing out of his mouth; “If I’m in charge he (Holmgren) would be headed out of town” or something quite similar. Friends, Holmgren was voted to the NBA All-Star team, he was NBA All-Pro Third team. In addition voting for the Defensive Player of the Year found him finishing second to Wemby so I wanted to set the stage prior to proceeding.

I would be pleased SAS is not my general manager otherwise one poor game and BAM, I’m traded to another team. Listen folks I get it, Holmgren had a poor series against the Spurs and an even poorer Finals game but what about others? When the spotlight shone brightly on Steph Curry even he came up short once. In Game 7 of the 2016 Finals in a loss we saw Steph score 17 points on 6-19 shooting (32%). James Harden has changed zip codes a number of times most at his request. Recently he came up short in the Game four sweep by the Knicks, Harden scored 12 points on 25% shooting. The Warriors didn’t trade Steph and unless he requests a trade it appears there will be no move by the Cavs regarding Harden. I will repeat it, it’s great for Holmgren he’s got Sam Presti as GM over Stephen A. Smith. But in closing, what do I know, I’m only a basketball fan?

The future is now

This is partially related to the NBA Finals, it’s my belief the Knicks (ole skool) are facing the Spurs (new skool). Knick fans I’m not hinting your team is old, I am simply pointing out the manner it was built, your Knicks were constructed mostly through trades and free-agency. On the other hand the Spurs were for the most part built through the draft although they too have a smaller number acquired in trades. Losing places a team in an advantageous position to acquire talent and they were in a position to choose a superstar in Wemby but the other guys ain’t too bad. It’s my contention that the recent 7-game series between the Thunder and Spurs is the future of the NBA in a variety of ways the chief one how to build successful teams. I’m including the Thunder in the conversation too.

Both teams were built through the NBA draft, I realize most fans have a “win-now” attitude however if you make a bunch of trades and sign a bunch of free agents and still don’t win what have you accomplished? I cannot speak to the manner the Spurs were built however I can with the Thunder. General manager Sam Presti has been quite diligent and insightful in drafting players if memory serves me correctly SGA and Isiah Hartenstein are the only trade/free agent acquisitions by the Thunder. Much of the balance of their roster I believe was built through the draft. Shrewd moves and scouting of prospects is required by a front office, who is responsible for the decision for the Spurs I’m unsure however I intend to cite Dylan Harper as our example. The Spurs had 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and veteran DeAaron Fox as starters in the backcourt. Despite this fact when their turn came in the 2025 NBA draft they chose Harper another guard with the 2nd pick in the first round. The drafting of Harper proved to be one of those successful moves infusing additional youthful talent into the Spurs lineup.

Forward Carter Bryant is a little “rough” around the edges, he was not as schooled as his fellow rookie teammate Harper. Despite my statement this playoff has also become a baptism of fire for him as well. Although the Thunder lost the series I believe they and the Spurs have pointed the way to the future for other NBA teams. Utilize the draft sign a small number of free agents and make even fewer trades. This is a long held belief of mine, often we fail to realize we are in the midst of an event that brings about change never anticipated. What do I know, I’m just a basketball fan coaching from my television. 

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

“We’re just glad to be here” 

The headline reflects what many young teams say when they reach the pinnacle for the first time: “We’re just glad to be here.” That mindset certainly did not fit the Spurs, despite the fact how young they are. Their starting five ages include Wemby (22), Fox (28), Champagnie (24), Vassell (25), and Castle (21), while the bench features Johnson (26), Bryant (20), Harper (20), and Kornet (30). Whatever occurs in the Finals I believe we have witnessed the coming of age of this youthful Spurs team. There was a Wemby quote some might believe is arrogant, questioned on his team’s lack of playoff experience he said: “We don’t have it, we don’t care.”

Mitch Johnson coached his rear end off and the veteran center Bismack Biyombo in Wemby’s ear. I’d bet huge sums of money Biyombo was speaking encouraging words to him in French. As for the Thunder at a point it seemed SGA was carrying the offensive load of the team by himself, 35 points and 9 assists. In 33 minutes Chet Holmgren took 2 shots, Alex Caruso came off the bench scoring 12 points but he certainly wasn’t the spark he’d been in previous games. It wasn’t just scoring, the Spurs played tough defense and rebounded the basketball. It should be of note that having 7 players in double figures certainly aided the Spurs cause. For me, this series has been one of the most entertaining to date, hopefully this was just the beginning. I cannot wait for Wednesday to see the Knicks and Spurs in action.   

The name might be familiar

If you followed the NFL over time the name Marcus Spears might be familiar to you. Spears had a 9-year career in the league spending the bulk of it as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Spears was a defensive end and played other positions while in the NFL. More recently in a manner similar to other retired athletes he can now be seen working for ESPN as he provides insight into the NFL. One of his offspring has made a name for himself his son Marcus Spears Jr.

Unlike his father, Marcus Spears Jr. chose basketball and has quickly made a name for himself. The 6-foot-10 forward is a five-star prospect who plays at Dynamic Prep in Irving, Texas, near DFW Airport. He was born and raised in Plano, also part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area. As proof of his potential scholarship and NIL offers have come from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, and LSU. As you might note those are some high profile basketball programs which provides proof, many major programs want Spears Jr. on campus, and I’ll continue following his recruitment and sharing updates.

Twins

Depending on your age or NBA knowledge the name Theo Ratliff may or may not be familiar to a number reading this account. The 6-foot 10 Ratliff spent his 16 year career NBA with a number of teams after being drafted by the Pistons back in 1995. Never known as a scorer his specialty was defense as he would lead the NBA in block shots three times during the course of his career. After retirement he would venture into a variety of entrepreneurial fields. He owned a semi-pro basketball team and also opened The Theo Ratliff Center in his hometown of Demopolis Alabama.

Many basketball players follow in their father’s footsteps, but in this case it’s a two-for-one story. Theo Ratliff’s twin sons, Adonis and Darius, have both emerged as highly skilled players. Like many second-generation athletes, they are even taller than their father, standing 7 feet tall and weighing 215 pounds. Both were named McDonald’s All Americans and have signed letters of intent to attend USC in the fall of 2026. The twins attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York. This is a snapshot of rising talent that could eventually make its way to the NBA.

Kansas City Metro in the NBA

Although there is no longer an NBA team here, the metro continues to produce talented players for the league. The first player from this area mentioned would be the late Maurice King. After graduating from Manuel High School in Kansas City, King played at Kansas before being drafted by the Celtics. He was part of the 1959 NBA champion Celtics team and later played for several other teams before retiring. King was the first, but there are others as well—please note, these names are not listed in the order they played however their respective high schools are included. A number are retired or playing overseas. 

Clay Johnson-Manuel-KCMO

Lucius Allen-Wyandotte-KCK

Landry Shamet-Park Hill-KCMO

Ochai Agbaji-Oak Park-KCMO

Tyronn Lue-Raytown HS-Raytown

Alec Burks-Grandview HS-Grandview

Christian Braun-Blue Valley-Overland Park

Earl Watson-Washington-KCK

Brandon Rush-Westport-KCMO & Mount Zion-Durham North Carolina

Kareem Rush-Pembroke School-KCMO

Jacob Gilyard-The Barstow School-KCMO

Bol Bol-4 high schools, 2 in KCMO Metro and one in Nevada and one in California

Anthony Peeler-Paseo-KCMO

Dean Tolson-Central-KCMO

John Windsor-Pembroke-KCMO

Steve Harris-Blue Springs South HS-Blue Springs

Note this list is as accurate as possible, keep in mind a number of the individuals who played briefly in the NBA while others had more extensive time. In addition there are others who are playing professionally overseas. The number is small by comparison to a New York, Los Angeles or Chicago however those metropolitan areas are 4-5 times larger than the Kansas City metro.

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Game 6

I was not prepared for this game in a sense, which team would prevail home or visitor? My uneasiness is based on the outcome of Game 5, yes the Spurs were facing elimination in Game 6. At the same time they would be playing the Thunder at home so there is that to consider. I stated this previously and will repeat it, Wemby looked drained in Game 5 can you say it with me, low energy. Game 6 would be totally different as he stepped onto the court ready for action. Unlike the prior game Wemby was engaged early taking shot after shot but there was plenty of help as well. Spurs teammates who also looked lethargic at times in Game 5 joined in this combined effort. Besides Wemby there are two others on the Spurs who I believe played outstanding basketball. They are Spurs guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, Castle scored 17 points and dished out 9 assists, it was the defense….the defense.

Castle was matched against SGA a great portion of the game and managed to locked him down with the defensive effort he made. SGA had a modest 15 points on 33% shooting from the floor with only 4 assists numbers far below what he would normally produce. As for Harper he came off the Spurs bench scoring 18 points, included in his total was 6 rebounds and 4 assists in 22 minutes of action. Despite the bright portrait described the Thunder made the outcome in doubt at the half. What most of us didn’t anticipate was a 20-0 run in the third quarter. As a team the Thunder shot a poor 37% from the floor with 25% of it from three, the Spurs shot 47% from the floor and 37% from three. The Spurs outrebound the Thunder 52-42 along with 30 assists to the Thunder 22, it should also be noted although the lead for the Spurs dwindled at times the Thunder never led in this game at any point. The final score would read Spurs 118 Thunder 92, series tied 3-3. The Game 7 win by the Spurs will be provided in the Monday morning edition.

Villanova in da house

The Knicks will play for a championship for the first time since 1999. Congratulations are certainly due for Knicks coach Mike Brown….should I say thrice fired Mike Brown? The Cavs twice, the Lakers and the Kings which provides proof he can coach winning basketball despite his resume. Certainly key has been the Knicks connection to Villanova, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges all played at the university and are now teammates with the Knicks. Even more interesting the Knicks didn’t draft any of the trio, point guard Brunson the leader was drafted 33 in the second round by the Mavs.

Brunson would later become a Knick after signing a free agent contract in 2022, as for the others they became Knicks too despite being drafted by other clubs. Hart was drafted by the Jazz with pick 30 in the first round in 2017 but his draft rights sent him to the Lakers were he began his NBA career. A trade with the Blazers in 2023 brought Hart to the Knicks and finally we close with Bridges. In 2024 Bridges was acquired in a trade with the Nets, prior to that he was pick number 10 by the Suns in the first round of the 2018 draft. Perhaps its not as important as where the journey begins based on your ultimate destination. We could say that statement certainly applies to the Villanova Knicks.

Is his time up

The headline should actually have a question mark behind it, the reference is aimed at Clipper forward Kawhi Leonard. At the trade deadline the team traded veterans James Harden and Ivica Zubac and the question is, are the Clippers beginning a youth movement? Management says they want to win with Kawhi however birthday number 35 occurs in June, with his injury history his career is not going to last the length of the other Los Angeles basketball player LeBron James.

The Clippers finished the season two games above .500 after a horrific start of the season, if not for Kawhi the record might have been even worst. The terrible start cost the Clippers a playoff berth, they missed for the first time since 2022. So what occurs now, Kawhi is due for an extension this summer so you can see the dilemma facing Clipper management. He didn’t begin play until the calendar had turned to January and after a slow start began accelerating his play. The Kawhi numbers for the 2025-26 season proved to all he’s still got it but for how long? So the question is asked once again, is Kawhi’s time with the Clippers up, summer developments will be the final decider and provide all an answer.

Old but they remain in use

Over time you’ve read plenty of stories on new or planned arenas,’ most of them are primarily intended for NBA use although in several instances NHL and other events share the building. How about the older arena’s, several have been operating for decades with a few having plans for replacement or upgrades. If you live or have visited one or more they are likely familiar to you, this is only intended to provide the latest information on arena usage. We live in a different age now, it is quite difficult to decide on a new “anything sports related” and expect citizens to automatically buy in to the effort. Interestingly, Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center—built to NBA specifications in 2007—is newer than all of the arenas listed below. I’ve also included the year each opened and its current age.

Madison Square Garden-Knicks 1968 (58 years)

Target Center-Wolves 1990 (36 years)

Delta Center-Jazz 1991 (35 years)

Rocket Arena-Cavs 1994 (32 years)

Toyota Center-Rockets 2003 (23 years)

A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

By the time….

The Spurs won last night and there will be a Game 7 on Saturday, on the other hand the Thunder won, we are now prepared for the Finals between the Knicks and the ______. The logic of course this is written so strangely, it’s written Wednesday afternoon for a Thursday game and it will be published on Friday morning. As for Game 5 the Thunder took control somewhat early after the Spurs had begun play swiftly.

Was it fatigue or Thunder defense or something else? Wemby failed to play his usual but it was really more to it than him seemly exhibiting uninspired effort. The final score read Thunder 127 Spurs 114 as the home team was in control for most of the game. Alex Caruso after being somewhat non-existent in the prior game came off the Thunder bench scoring 22 points and playing tough hard nose defense. Isaiah Hartenstein (12 points and 15 rebounds) along with Chet Holmgren (16 pts and 11 rebounds) were key to the win. SGA led the way with 32 points and he was 16-17 from the free-throw line. The Spurs managed to shoot a meager 40% from the floor and a pathetic 29% from three.

Who won the game, of course as this is written I have no idea but there is an area of concern which I must share. My Lakers are not contending, based on that fact I have attempted to maintain a neutral attitude about the series. The officiating at times has been questionable, the NBA must do a better job in this area. It’s always been a concern of mine when there is more discussion regarding the officiating over the game, that’s been the case with this series.

Kids continue to grow

On Monday, several readers were introduced to Yann Kamagate, a 7-foot, 230-pound high school sophomore. As noted at the time, 247Sports already rates him as a 5-star prospect. Now I want to introduce Dylan Betts, my second featured player of the week. Betts, also a member of the Class of 2028, is another 5-star prospect. He stands 7-foot-3 and weighs 230 pounds. Originally from Englewood, Colorado, he has transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida where his classroom and basketball will continue to develop over the next two years.

The point of the headline is simple in its intent: it points out basketball has evolved in many ways over time, however there is one issue that’s failed to thing changed. Growth spurts still play a major role in the development of young players. While completing this account my research uncovered seven additional high profile basketball players in the United States who stand 6-foot-11 or taller. I have no idea without further research how many other prospects might be uncovered if I explored those in Europe or elsewhere or elsewhere in the world. The forecast for all these youth are certainly not at the same skill level but the point of course is the height factor. If any or all develop a degree of down low post play is should provide them dividends and aid their future development immensely. In a manner similar to Steph Curry the game’s been impacted by Victor Wembanyama. Coaches, scouts and others have seen Wemby shots from the 3-line which is going to further degrade post play.

I’ve written this previously and will repeat it again, I certainly don’t expect a return to traditional post play of the past. What irks me to no end is seeing giants standing behind the three line jacking up shot after shot and missing. As least in the case of Wemby he is accurate despite his 7-foot 5 inch frame. Face it, no one is going to teach Kamagate or Betts for that matter the skyhook. I maintain they and others should be taught to play a low post games….but what do I know, I’m only a basketball fan.  

Little Big Man

Many of you already know I’m a movie buff who enjoys everything from old classics to current releases. The headline comes from a 1970 film. Although there was a movie with the title it has nothing to do with basketball, but it fits this piece you are about to read. Several might be familiar with the name Becky Hammon, she played in the WNBA and is now head coach of the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA. Hammon also became the first female assistant coach in the NBA when then Spurs coach Greg Popovich made her a member of his staff. In any event this statement goes back three years, I’m going to paraphrase her statement. “A team will never win a championship with a little man as it’s leader.” She was referring to the Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson who stands 6-foot 2 and 190 pounds. After the Knicks swept the Cavs the subject of her quote returned again after Brunson was named 2026 Eastern Conference Finals MVP.

I can credit Hammond with this alone, she continues to believe in her words three years later but lets do a brief check of NBA history. Isiah Thomas of the Bad Boy Pistons was the leader of that team that won it all in 1989, 1990. Pound for pound Allen Iverson might have been one of the best all-time, the NBA listed him at 6-foot its always been my contention he was under that height. His Sixers didn’t win in 2001 having faced the Lakers who were on the road to a 3-peat. There is no argument Iverson “carried” that team throughout the playoffs. Of course more recently the Warriors won championships beginning in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 do you think they could have won them without 6-foot 2 Steph Curry? That is certainly possible but they did win with Curry being the focal point of the team. Basketball didn’t begin as a Big Man’s game but in 100 plus years that’s the direction of its growth. There’s an old adage, “Little men must prove they can play the game, Big Men must prove they can’t.” With that I’m calling a foul on Hammond on this one although I still respect her opinion I just happen to take a different view.