Optimism!!!

I think I can state all of us were probably optimistic last Thursday, from all media indications it appeared owners and players would meet on Friday and resolve the lockout but that wasn't to be. "We were had! Been took! Hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led Astray!" I apologize I thought the Denzel Washington line in the movie Malcolm X might be appropriate. In any event the commish announced the balance of the November NBA schedule has been cancelled.

I finally understand
Why LeBron James is so universally disliked except South Beach. It's the over the top hype job done by the media, the chief culprit being ESPN television and ESPN.com. Recently ESPN.com conducted a survey to determine the number one player in the NBA, I didn't bother reading how the criteria was determined I knew ahead of time the results (maybe you did too). I've had to defend myself on numerous occasions regarding James and I will do so again. There is no doubt LeBron James is a tremendous talent, there are a number of players who would love to have his athletic ability. The downside is his head, he makes dumb off the court statements and moves which are often called into question. We must guess maturity is a factor in several of these decisions and statements. On the court his "disappearing" act has exhibited itself in crucial games over and over again. This disappearing act occurred in Cleveland and followed him to Miami. Someone said, "I doubt if any of James vehicles have a clutch in them!" How dare ESPN pronounce him number one, shame on you ESPN hype machine!

I said
Once If you have half an ounce of basketball potential somebody is gonna find you! With that said keep this name in your memory bank, Jordan Omogbehin. Omogbehin from Nigeria is enrolled at the University of South Florida. Can he play, I have no idea however he's 7-3 and from the YouTube video seems to move up and down the court swiftly. I'm unsure if he has a deceit shot because all I saw were dunks. Omogbehin will not gain NCAA eligibility until January at the very earliest.

Kemper Arena
A proposal to tear down Kemper Arena was recently announced by the Kemper family. This family named arena opened in 1974 and was home to the Kansas City Kings, NHL Scouts and soccer Comets. The building's rich history includes hosting the 1976 Republican National Convention. Kemper was to hold a number of Rock, Country and Soul artists and groups over the next 20 years. Numerous NCAA regional's were held in the building and the NCAA awarded Kemper the 1988 championship game. The year is significant because 1988 was the last year a championship game was held in a basketball designed arena, going forward football stadiums configured for basketball was the choice. Sprint Center which opened in 2007 become the destination of choice for sport and concerts once held at Kemper. Kemper certainly was adequate the problem were the streets surrounding the area. Streets were never upgraded despite earlier promises to address the traffic problems. Kemper's "one way in one way out" traffic patterns were a constant headache to most visitors. The flow of traffic in and out of Sprint Center is far superior to that of Kemper Arena, it's downtown location is the key.

Geography be damned!
"We don't care where we go as long as we get paid" is today's motto. That seems to be the theme with the continued effort to create super conferences, all these moves or potential moves are driven by money, football and the BCS. West Virginia to the Big XII, Morgantown is 5,000 miles from KU (okay I exaggerated a bit). Missouri shares a border with Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas of the Southeastern Conference, doesn't matter if you agree with the move they are nearby. Syracuse and Pitt in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the conference was dubbed Atlantic because the majority of schools are located quite near the ocean of the same name. Syracuse University in upstate New York probably lies farther away from the Atlantic Ocean than any other ACC school. Of course I've excluded Pittsburg which lies in Western Pennsylvania which is farther away from the ocean. Although there is some movement the schools dubbed mid-major remain pretty much intact.

A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.
Bill Cosby

I'm excited because

There is no-way my cable company can charge me the full season rate for NBA League Pass. Doesn't matter If the NBA begins play next week, next month or next season I will have managed to save several duckets! This lockout just might prove financially rewarding to me after all! Update to this story: Word is there might be an 82 game season if this is settled by Tuesday so I might not save after all. 

Certainly not official but
The best guess on the 2012 draft order? The NBA has already indicated collegiate and Euro talent will continue to be scouted, short season or no season. Which team is awarded the number one draft choice? A shortened season would provide a starting point if it's 60 or even 40 games because you'd be working on positioning. No season period and every team 0-0 who is awarded the first draft choice? Perhaps it will work in this manner the worst team in the Eastern Conference will flip a coin with the worst team in the Western Conference. This would be based on their conclusion of the 2010-11 season. If that scenario plays out the 19-63 Cavs will call heads or tails against the 17-65 Wolves. The balance of the draft would be conducted in this manner a team's 2010-11 record key to their draft position.

Remember the name

Amedeo Della Valle is a 6-4 195 pound point guard from Italy. Della Valle will begin play this winter at Findlay Prep Henderson Nevada, Henderson is located about 18 miles from downtown Las Vegas. We don't know if he has an NBA future but it's interesting he chose to play high school ball here rather than Europe. Early reports indicate Della Valle has skills and his shooting will actually allow him to play both guard positions. Several colleges have already begun the recruitment process among them Arizona, Cal and Gonzaga to name a few. Because Findlay Prep's schedule includes most traditional national high school powers we should have an opportunity to access his game. In past years ESPNU's schedule has included several high profile high school games. In 2005 I was able to view the Blazers Greg Oden and his Indianapolis (Ind.) North High School play.

Correction

This is an update to an earlier story, the recent ownership change with the Philadelphia 76ers. The news release identified Will Smith purchasing a minority share in the team. Will and Jada were identified as part of the new ownership group of the 76ers, I have no idea why Will was the only identified family member at the time the story was released. In any event my apologies to Jada, no disrespect intended.

Is it enough?

I checked the USA/ESPN poll, the AP and Coaches poll, all have the Tigers of Missouri at number 25.  I poised the question to Mizzou fans is it enough, allow me to explain. In past years I believe the bar was set too low by Mizzou fans. This mindset allowed the program to simply get by. I believe deep down many Mizzou fans say "we can't compete with Kansas or Texas!" I don't believe that mind set existed with coaches Snyder and Anderson or with the current coach Frank Haith. I believe successful or not they coached to the best of their abilities based on their teams strengths and weakness. I believe Mizzou fans have lowered expectations and therefore no championship aspirations. I don't expect an NCAA Championship this season but I expect a Big XII Championship! Is this view realistic, probably not but for me it's more than simply competing. Years ago I reminder a professor repeating this statement over and over during our class time, "we are striving for perfection." I didn't truly comprehend at the time why he continued to repeat the same statement over and over again, now I truly understand. Set the bar too low and you will always under achieve! Soon you accept the effort as the norm and state: "I probably can't do any better!"

"There are lies, damn lies and statistics."

attributed to Mark Twain

It's not just me
You thought it was just me (and maybe a few thousand Knick fans) that had a problem with Isiah Thomas. Former Knick Charles Oakley was never one to mince words, Oakley the retired player hasn't changed either. Oakley was the last of the tough guys in the NBA, he backed down from no fight verbal or physical. He unloaded on the Knicks in the New York Post but saved some of his ire for Thomas. "Y’all should have tried to call me (Knicks management) and talk to me, and maybe we could have gotten LeBron to New York. You went to Isiah [Thomas], and some of these other guys that don’t know the guy. Speaking of Thomas, Oakley did little to hide his feelings about the former team president. I don’t understand how he even got a job with management, said Oakley, 47. He had nothing to do with the Knicks, then he talked bad about the Knicks ... If I see him, he’d better turn around and go the other way." Oakley's in New York City so Isiah should be safe in South Florida?

Is it worth it?
Allow me a disclaimer up front, Kansas City interests will not be purchasing this team! Sources indicate several ownership groups have come forth in an effort to purchase the Hornets. The prospective owners have been informed by the owner (NBA Board of Governors) the team must remain in New Orleans, in addition the new owners must sign a new long-term lease. Whether it's true are not New Orleans and Louisiana have always been football country, LSU and later the Saints. There's a team in Salt Lake City titled Utah Jazz, there are probably few Jazz clubs in Salt Lake City so that should give you an idea of the teams origin. They couldn't maintain a presence in New Orleans even with LSU's Pete Maravich on the team. Most of those New Orleans teams were lousy prior to Maravich, not much better while he was there and much worse after he left. Maybe it's a post-Katrina thing, the NBA seems bound and determined to maintain a presence in the city.

Mizzzzzouuuu!
This past weekend Mizzou hosted Ryan Rosburg a 6-9 245 pound center. Rosburg is a Rivals 3-star from Marquette High School in Chesterfield Missouri, the city is metro St. Louis. Rivals announced October 19th Rosburg has given Haith and staff a verbal commitment for 2012. Although none are signed Rosburg brings Mizzou's total to six players for the 2012 season. I have no personal knowledge of Rosburg's game but I did come across an interesting view of the former coach. According to the Columbia (MO) Tribune former Coach Mike Anderson didn't actively pursue Rosburg because he "didn't fit Anderson's system." The Tribune further states when Coach Haith arrived on the scene and once began accessing talent began actively recruiting Rosburg. In a developing story 6-10 Stefan Jankovic is expected to announce his choice on Friday, Mizzou is competing with two other schools for his services. Jankovic's teammate from Huntington Prep Negus Webster-Chan is a Mizzou commit. Jankovic too is a Canadian by way of Serbia. He currently lives in Mississauga, Ontario Canada.

My crystal ball
Is out of whack a major portion of time, the future is often foggy and unclear. I make this statement viewing two careers at an early stage, one player will eventually be enshrined in the Hall of Fame the other player--well you decide. The HOF to be Shaquille O' Neal was notorious for his conditioning efforts (or lack thereof), who'd a thunk his career would outlast Stanley Roberts! The name Roberts might not resonate with many of you, Roberts was a 7 foot 285 pound giant who played at LSU. He arrived on campus one year prior to Shaquille O' Neal, just imagine the size of that front line. Roberts the sophomore giant and the 7-1 280 pound Shaquille O' Neal were teammates for one season. I remember seeing these two giants play that year and thought "Roberts is the far superior player." Roberts was a year older but appeared to be the better player, these two played only that one year with Roberts leaving school early for the NBA draft.  He went on to an undistinguished nine year career playing for a succession of NBA teams. Throughout his career he was plagued by injuries and weight problems, in 2003 he signed with the Raptors but was waived at age 33 thus ending his pro career.

"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck." -Dalai Lama

… Dalai LamaD

His man-cave is far superior to mine!

cut and paste or whatever you might do to check out the link below.

http://www.nba.com/lakers/newsnba/111020lakersshrine.html

NBA Draft 2012

There will be an NBA draft in June 2012, it might not seem like it based on the current climate but it will occur. Who will be the number one choice in 2012? NBADraft.net and draftexpress.com both contained the best mock drafts around. I keep both on my favorites list because over the years I've found both to be close to the actual draft. NBA.com says the lockout will not prevent teams from continuing to scout players. In any event NBADraft.net projects UConn's Andre Drummond number one while draftexpress has him listed as two. Is this freshman that good, playing time will be the test of his potential. I plead guilty I too sometimes get caught up in the hype of a player especially a high profile incoming freshman. It will be interesting how this 6-11 270 pound center adapts to the collegiate game and Coach Jim Calhoun.

Remember his name too

Make note of another name on both websites 2012 mock draft, Robert Sacre of Gonzaga. Sacre is a 7 foot 265 pound center from North Vancouver British Columbia. This 7 footers game while certainly not spectacular has shown steady progress during his collegiate career. He broke his foot three games into his sophomore year receiving a medical redshirt that year. Sacre's game has shown steady growth compiling modest numbers, his junior year numbers were 12.5 points per game and 6.3 rebounds. Sacre from North Vancouver British Columbia might be selected in next years draft.

A dream deferred

That might be the summation for Connie Hawkins because his dream was on hold for several years. This lithe 6-8 215 pound small forward could soar and glide, he was Doctor J. before there was a Doctor J! Hawk made the basketball appear to be a grapefruit with his huge hands all this while he exhibited spin moves and often finger roll the ball into the hoop. I cannot due true justice to the Hawks story space will not permit it, read: "Foul: The Connie Hawkins Story" by David Woolf for the complete story. Hawk was barred from playing in the NBA, when he did arrive it was as a 27-year old rookie. I'm unsure if the series of events that caused his career to be stalled would exist today, the world was different in 1960. Hawk had been implicated in a point-shaving scandal but Hawk was never proven guilty. In addition under intense police questioning (no attorney was present) he never admitted guilt. This poor kid from the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of New York City Hawk had borrowed $200 from a gambler while in college. His brother paid the money back the following summer but the money became the basis for Hawk's "guilt." He maintained he was never told to shave points, one more interesting fact while enrolled at the University of Iowa he was on the freshman team, in those days freshman were ineligible for the varsity. Despite these events he was kicked out of school, and to add fuel to the fire the NBA barred him for life. Hawk's only choice was to begin a pro career as a 19-year old, he played in the American Basketball League, for the Globetrotters and finally in the ABA. Attorneys would later take his case and file suit against the NBA to clear his name and allow him to play in the NBA. The court ruled in his favor and as a free agent he signed with the Phoenix Suns in 1969. It's a shame the majority of the nation never had an opportunity to see him play in his prime. His number 42 is retired by the Suns and Hawk soared once more reaching the mountain top with his election to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Parity, can it work in the NBA?

I didn't read the entire article on ESPN.com, Dwayne Wade said "you can't expect every team to be competitive every year!" One of the many complaints I've heard over the years "the same teams play for the championship year after year." It's true, between the two the Celtics and Lakers have probably won close to half the NBA Championships. My NFL friends tell me parity exists in their league, there are favorites but in theory you could have a "worst to first" team in the NFL. For a number of reasons that type of scenario would never exist in the NBA. There is certainly nothing wrong with an owners desire to turn a profit but I'm just unsure if it's fair to compare the NFL to the NBA. None of us have the opportunity to view the books so we have no idea how fiscally sound a team might be. The one thing we do know Reggie Miller stated several teams have players on their payroll who are essentially dead weight. Their pay far exceeds their production, value and contribution to the team. Next time owners complain about a profit (or lack) they might need to check their ship and determine if it's sailing as smoothly as it can.

"Always do what you are afraid to do!"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

LeBron and the NFL

The story I wrote on Monday on LeBron in the NFL. I came across this piece from Mitchell Lawrence in the New York Daily News. "People who witnessed James' football days in high school remember him as a player who preferred to run out of bounds, rather than take on defenders, and who also displayed "alligator arms" when he was asked to run over the middle on pass patterns. Doesn't sound like NFL material." For your judgment and assessment.

Rajon Rondo

This could never occur in a "real" NBA game, on the other hand I do remember several Magic Johnson moments---check this out.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7BspB6R--A

Beneath the radar

That's how I would term University of New Mexico Lobos basketball. Everyone in Albuquerque is aware of the program as for the rest of the nation that's a different story. You'd think a Steve Alford would command more national media, after all he once played for the legendary Bobby Knight. In addition the guy has a winning percentage at his three previous stops, Manchester College (Div III), SW Missouri St and Iowa University. The Lobos compiled a pedestrian record under Coach Ritchie McKay during his five seasons. They were 26-7 in the 2004-05 season there best under McKay. After a 15-17 season in 2006-07 Alford came in the next season and led them to a 24-9 record, the team has compiled a .721 winning percentage under his helm in four seasons. Keep your eyes peeled, three high profile players on Maxpreps list have committed for 2012. Incoming freshman Nick Banyard 6-7 small forward from Texas, Obij Aget, 7-0 center from LaPorte Indiana and Chier Ajou a 7-1 center from Culver Indiana, Alford returned to his Indiana roots to recruit the latter two.

Stuff you might not have known

I came across interesting trivia on Moses Malone worth sharing. You know this 6-10 260 pound center was an NBA Champion with the 76ers, you know he came directly out of high school to the ABA. You know he was selected as one of the Top 50 players in NBA history, you know he's enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. You know he scored over 29,000 points and collected over 17,000 rebounds. Here's what you didn't know, playing for several teams he never had a favorite number. Malone wasn't partial to any particular jersey number during his 21 year ABA-NBA career. He played for 10 teams and appeared in eight different jersey numbers. This one is amazing, he played with Rick Barry in Houston in 1979-80 and Rick's son Jon in Milwaukee 1992-93. While a member of the Houston Rockets he tutored Hakeem Olajuwon during the off-season, isn't it interesting Olajuwon was also chosen as one of the Top 50 players and he is enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. Now you can stump your friends in a discussion of NBA trivia (stats and dates, Wikipedia)

This is really funny

My friends and acquaintances must think I'm on suicide watch! They continue to question me, "what are you going to do with no NBA season?" I think I'll do mighty well, college and high school basketball will fit just fine. In fact if I must see pros play there's always the NBA Developmental League, NBA TV always has a game of the week. Once upon a time I followed the NFL pretty extensively I might decide to do that as well. There is no doom and gloom at the home of Larry Laker. The exciting portion of this story it might not be necessary to print, the lockout might soon be over???? 

"They run like deer, jump like deer and think like deer."

Charles Barkley

Texas basketball

Football is king in Texas, the "Friday Night Lights" view of the sport has probably cemented that in the public's mind. The University of Texas network tried in vain to include high school games in it's broadcast schedule. Ask Gary Pinkel Mizzou's football coach, a considerable number of his players have come from the state of Texas. Football is the number one sport in the state and will remain forever. There is a high school and AAU basketball presence that has become quite significant over the years. Mizzou and other schools across the country scour the state for basketball talent as much as they do for football. Texans matriculate across the country playing basketball at universities both large and small. An infinite number of these players have reached the highest level that is an NBA career. NBA players born in Texas include LaMarcus Aldridge, Grant Hill, Stephen Jackson, Chris Bosh and Mike Dunleavy just to name a few.

So verrrry slooooooow!

I know you are tired of my rant and so am I. Why in the world is it taking the NCAA so very long to settle it's investigation of Mizzou's Frank Haith. I never thought of a time limit however I thought the NCAA would do what it said it would do. Surely by the time basketball practice begins he'll either be found guilty or innocent, well we have arrived there. When you read this Mizzou will have had at least 2 or 3 practices and still no word from the NCAA. The real problem, in this day of character assassination a percentage of folks have already made up their minds---he's guilty. Over the years I've attempted to be objective regarding all news stories, I might think the person or persons are guilty but without all the facts how can I or anybody else pronounce judgment? The shame of it all, if Haith is found innocent a large percentage of the populace will never believe it. Why do I make that statement, we have a number of folks that believe the Moon Landings were televised from a Hollywood studio.

A time you having nothing but time!

Did you tuned into all last Friday's Midnight Madness? I watched maybe two hours of the four hour telecast, what I found interesting was the number of NBA players at various universities. I saw Carmelo Anthony at Syracuse and Vince Carter at North Carolina. Again I didn't view all four hours of the telecast, ESPNU cameras were in Lexington Kentucky and Storrs Connecticut there were probably NBA alum at Kentucky and UConn. Somewhat connected to this story was a barbershop discussion, we've concluded with schools leaving conference _____ for conference_____ eventually we'll have four super conferences instead of the present number. We might be overstating the issue a bit but anytime a Boise State (west coast) school is mentioned being added to the Big East Conference geography is tossed right out the window. Someone mentioned for all practical purposes Mizzou's teams could ride a bus to any Big 12 location. In the Southeastern Conference a bus ride is possible however it would be a great deal more time consuming. Of course the argument is invalid, everyone travels by air today.

Finger pointing

Have you noticed this? Since the first two weeks of the NBA season have been cancelled how each side has begun pointing fingers? Can we trust David Stern's view of the lockout, after all he works for the owners? How about Derek Fisher and Billy Hunter who spout the union line! How about both sides stop pointing fingers and sit down at the bargaining table with the intent to get a deal done. I believe neither side sees how serious their reputation is damaged in the publics eye. In any event take a look how Taiwan portrays the NBA Lockout, very funny!      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2bPSrfycLk

Is business really bad?

It was announced by the NBA Board of Governors the 76ers have been sold. Comcast-Spectacor sold the team to buyout specialist Joshua Harris, he is one of the founders of Apollo Global Management. An interesting picture which I've tried to paint previously. If (NBA) ownership is such a risk why do teams stay on the market such a limited amount of time? My home is in fairly good shape should I decide to sell it. I'd be willing to bet in this down economy my home would stay on the market longer than any NBA franchise. Maybe that's not a good analogy but I hope you get the point. A sidebar to this story, "The Fresh Prince" Will Smith was announced as a minority investor in the team. Smith thus maintains his Philly connection.

Finally

Ever wondered why Words eye view sometimes reads different in the afternoon versus your morning reading? As much as I try sometimes a misspelled word will slip through, sometimes I will re-read a story and say to myself: "I'm not sure if the point is clear to the reader." Often I will revisit a story sometimes even a day later and rewrite portions of it, so don't worry it's not you it's me.

"This year we plan to run and shoot. Next season we hope to run and score."---Billy Tubbs former Oklahoma coach

Forget about it!
No NBA settlement has been the basis for several rather strange stories. One of the more interesting, LeBron James and Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll tweeting each other. I didn't read the story I assume it probably hinted LeBron was considering playing in the NFL this year. I think most of us realize James played football in high school at 250 pounds. I sure he probably dominated the high school field in the same manner he did the basketball court. James was probably larger and more athletic than the majority of players he faced in both sports. If James thinks he can just walk out on an NFL field without any prior experience his head is much bigger than I thought! James at 265 pounds certainly weighs enough and is probably speedy enough however there is a huge difference. His weight classifies him as one of the larger players in the NBA not so in the NFL. He would sometimes face players who weigh more and might be just as fast as he. Driving down the lane in basketball players tend to "move" out of the way, he wouldn't have that luxury in the NFL. I will borrow a line from former Falcon's coach Jerry Glanville when arguing a call with a new official said; "this is the NFL and not for long." Glanville meant that official was not going to have a long NFL career and that will probably be James epitaph too, not for long!

To further explain

There is no animosity on my part against Oklahoma City and it's residents. In fact it never existed my problem was the manner this franchise was spirited out of Seattle. I will continue to believe Clay Bennett and team pulled an okeydoke on Sonic fans. For those unfamiliar with the term okeydoke it has several definitions. The Urban Dictionary provides us one; "something that is not acceptable." In any event my visits to the city have always been pleasant. I can say nothing negative about the city or it's residents as for Thunder owner Clay Bennett that's another story. I believe Bennett and his partners had no intent from the beginning for the team to remain in Seattle.

There is no middle ground
Either you love him or hate Dick Vitale or Dickey V. Any discussion of college basketball at some point the name Vitale might be included in the conversation. This former coach has now become far more famous as a broadcaster than a coach. His resume, consists of high school coach, collegiate coach and finally as coach of the Detroit Pistons. Vitale's NCAA record was 78-30 his NBA record 34-60. After being fired as coach of the Pistons he began his broadcast career at the time ESPN first began broadcasting in 1979. His enthusiasm for the game is quite evident although critics often accuse him of favoring Duke and Carolina basketball. His slang terms have become legend; "aircraft carrier, dapper dandy" and "time for a T.O. baby" are just a few of the pet phrases that have permeated the airwaves over the years. Once I was viewing a game and my wife walked through on her way to another room. Hearing Vitale for the first time she said to me; "what's wrong with that guy?" This guy was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, I witnessed (on television) a 30 minute acceptance speech with no visible notes. His speech was eloquent, timely and filled with the excitement of one Richard J. Vitale.

How will it look in March
I'm looking at the Big 12 Conference finish for 2010-11 and have begin speculating on how it will look next March.  Below is the order of finish for the first six teams this past season:

Kansas 14-2
Texas 13-3
Texas A&M 10-6
Kansas State 10-6
Colorado 8-8
Mizzou 8-8

We can exclude Colorado and Nebraska (7-9) both no longer in the conference. Questions still remain for what's left of this conference for perhaps it's final run with this list of current teams. I have wrongly predicted the downfall of Kansas for the last two seasons and just like a vampire they just refuse to die. Bill Self seems to get the maximum effort out of his team till NCAA time and then that's another story. I could make the same statement regarding Coach Barnes at Texas, he always seems to reload however consider the wealth of basketball talent in the state. Who steps up, who slips Baylor slipped badly for a team that was loaded with talent. They finished 18-13 and 7-9 in the conference another similar run and Coach Scott Drew might be looking for employment elsewhere. Although Mizzou finished at 23-10 8-8 in the conference I can say my Tigers underachieved too! A new coach (if he stays) and the majority of their lineup returning they should be better running a more conventional offense. A&M in it's final Big 12 run will not be as good as the previous season. Improved play by Mizzou and Baylor should lower the sails of A&M just a bit. Movement will occur within the top six but all should finish with 20 or more wins, substitute Baylor for Colorado.

Unbelievable
Those of us who were able to see Magic Johnson play know he was really magic on the court. The Lakers certainly had great players but Magic provided the glue that made those teams great. Mike Trudell Lakers reporter wrote an article for NBA.com which points out a fact which was probably unknown to Johnson's many fans. "An example: since Johnson joined the team as the No. 1 overall draft pick prior to the 1979-80 season, theLakers had a winning record in every month of every season for the entirety of his career, lasting through 1990-91.* There was not a single losing month ... for 12 years. *Johnson did come out of retirement for a 40-game stretch in 1995-96, leading L.A. to a 29-11 record." Can you imagine a winning month every month for 12 consecutive years, that is totally amazing. (Mike Trudell, NBA.com/lakers)

"The road to success is always under construction!"

Lily Tomlin

Not enough space or time

Limitations on both the above prevent me from exploring the NBA lockout or even do justice to what is a complicated puzzle. One thing I do know, there are a significant number of high profile NBA stars who will not suffer! These players have made large sums of money, no NBA season is really okay with them. There are 30 NBA teams and say each has 14 players on it's roster, that's 420 players. This is a guess on my part but I would say 150 or 200 of that number will be in serious trouble on November 15th. If the season were to start on time the first checks would be issued on that date. This I've said over and over fans might not like the idea there is no basketball it will not affect their livelihood if they are employed. Many will chose my path, focus on the college or high school game while others will gravitate to the NFL, NHL or soccer. The arenas in NBA cities might remain dark but ABC, ESPN, Fox Sports and others will continue broadcasting sports. Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller were interviewed on NBA TV this past Tuesday, the host asked each how they thought the lockout might conclude. Miller was more optimistic than Barkley but both agreed a year long shut down might occur. If that should occur the NBA might as well close shop at least under it's present format. Casual fans long ago deserted the sport longing for the days of Magic, Bird and Jordan. The playing field must be leveled fairly, before the season was over last year it's "where's LeBron going?" At the conclusion of this season the same scenario occurred this time with the Hornets Chris Paul. The Milwaukee Bucks should be on the same level as the Knicks or Lakers in biding for a players service. Management is guilty too, they have overpaid a significant number of marginal players and they have done this over the last several years. Miller says owners need to get their act together, "hire general managers and scouts who are able to access talent!"

Bad hands

I'm sure you've read or heard stories regarding a players good or in some cases bad hands. Of course the good hands players catch practically everything tossed to them. Kobe Bryant tells this story about former teammate Kwame Brown. He claims during a game against Detroit he passed the ball to a wide open Brown under the basket, Brown proceeded to fumble it out of bounds. "He informed Bryant to not pass him the ball, he said he was nervous, if I catch it and he fouls me, I won't make the free throws." I was witness to a similar play on television once, I'm unsure who passed the ball to Brown on a very catchable pass which went right through his hands out of bounds. I don't ever remember a Laker player being booed as vociferously as Brown was that evening, I truly felt sorry for Brown that night. (Probasketballtalk)

Midnight Madness

Tonight the annual ritual of Midnight Madness begins. For those unfamiliar with this event universities across the county hold an informal basketball practice at midnight Friday night. Former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell began this exercise in October of 1971, he used it as aid to build excitement and fan support for the Terrapins. Driesell discovered NCAA rules prohibit teams from any organized practice prior to October 15th. The trend of Midnight Madness has spread across the nation, if you have ESPNU or ESPN be sure to tune in tonight. Coverage is usually provided from Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke and Kansas just to mention a few of the schools.

They must be joking!

Stephon Marbury was the first I think, his company was the first to market an economical basketball shoe. His company introduced the Starbury line of shoes in September 2006. Competition soon followed from K-Mart with it's Protege Line endorsed by Al Harrington and other players. Shaquille O' Neal signed a deal with Payless to market his Dunkman shoe. As shoe prices soared into outer space these were attempts to provide a quality low priced basketball shoe. The unfortunate part kids appear to be unimpressed by these shoes, they still want Nike, Adidas and Reebok. No cost study is necessary, check out the feet of the nearest teen and you'll see most likely they have a $100 plus pair of shoes. Nike announced a new Kobe shoe for 2012, the cost $200. I'm unsure of LeBron's 9 PS Elites one source indicates they will be $170 while another states $250. There is still a market for these high prices shoes other than by professionals. My six year old grandson loves Kobe Bryant but I think I will "allow" his dad to purchase his Kobe VII's.

Am I being fair?

Fox Sports.com contains a top 10's list, a list of all-time greats in the NBA. Question, Is winning a championship(s) the true barometer of a athletes career? The other issue, the era of the player how do you factor a 1950's or '60's player from one who played in the 1990's or '00's? The top 10 for point guard and shooting guard was somewhat accurate in my view. My questions revolved around the list they compiled at the power, small forward and center position. They list Scottie Pippen at number six and Elgin Baylor at four. LeBron James is the number five all-time greatest small forward in NBA history! Is Shaquille O' Neal the number four greatest center ever? The centers in front of Shaq are Wilt Chamberlain at three, Kareem Abdul Jabbar number two and Bill Russell number one. Dennis Rodman recently elected to the Hall of Fame made the list of power forwards. Does he belong on a greatest list strictly for his rebounding prowess? He's number ten on a list that contained the names of Karl Malone, Tim Duncan and Charles Barkley.

"You miss 100% of the shots you never take!"

unknown

The Game
Is bigger than it's players and owners!

"Youth is wasted on the young"

The above quote was attributed to writer George Bernard Shaw. I've never read Shaw's explanation for the quote however I think I have an idea; it's possible it's his view of youthful stupidity! I'll provide you an example on my view, I'm reading an article on Celtic great Bill Russell and two respondents sent in emails on the story. Not only are both crude attempts at humor the punctuation and grammar are lacking as well, I copied both letters exactly as written. "Heard of Bill Russell, but have no idea what he looks like. Maybe he needs to shown more..." "You arent missing much. His skill set in his prime wouldnt even land him on the bench for the clippers now....." Surely no one with a history of the game would make such asinine statements.

Mizzzzzzzzzzzou!

Coach Frank Haith's staff has recruited another one. Rivals 3-star rated Negus Webster-Chan has given his verbal commitment to Mizzou for 2012. Chan is a 6-6 175 pound small forward/shooting guard from Scarborough, Ontario Canada. Chan is currently enrolled at Huntington Prep in Huntington West Virginia. Huntington Prep the same school that produced O.J. Mayo, Bill Walker and several others. Webster-Chan becomes the fifth verbal commitment for 2012. Haith and staff have provided proof to Mizzou fans they can recruit, that is unless the incoming crop of players has been paid. Don't panic I'm only joking!

I missed this one
John Wall is one of the fastest players up and down the court I've witnessed in recent years, he has blazing speed end to end. I was so impressed prior to the season I pronounced Wall Rookie of the Year however I forgot about the Clippers Blake Griffin. Although drafted in 2009 Griffin missed the entire season with an injury. Griffin's spectacular dunks prove to be a nightly feature on Sportscenter. This 6-10 250 pound power forward averaged 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds a game on a really bad 32-50 Clippers team. Maybe Griffin might be one player the Clippers manage to retain, the Clipps have a history of losing good players. Past history they lose a talented player through a dumb trade or simply allow them to leave through free-agency.

Kansas City Kings

This is ancient history, I decided to research Kings draft choices from 1972-1985 the Kansas City years. I came across many names I'd forgotten and others I asked the question "why in the world did they draft _____! Scouting and drafting players requires athletic talent, skill, and the scout's ability to see the future development of the player. We cannot fully measure a players work ethic or their heart, the final key is a bold front office. Excuses aside the Kansas City edition of the Kings missed and missed and missed in their draft choices. There was some success but unfortunately there were more misses than hits. Give you an example in the 1981 draft the Kings chose 6-10 235 pound Steve Johnson with the 7th pick, Johnson had a 10-year career with 11.7 points and a modest 5.5 rebounds a game. Rolando Blackman picked 9th played the same number of years with an 18.0 points per game average and was a 4X NBA All-Star. Ever heard of Ennis Whatley, how about Clyde Drexler? The Kings drafted Whatley with the 13th pick in 1983, the Blazers picked Drexler with the 14th pick Drexler was a perennial All-Star and elected to the Hall of Fame.

Ol Skool

During the summer I wrote a story on Kansas City and it's historical connection to the NAIA Basketball Tournament. Travis "Machine Gun" Grant of Kentucky State was one of those players who added to the legend of NAIA basketball and it's tournament. March of 2011 Grant was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame and the honor was long over due. You might have thought Pete Maravich was the all-time top scoring machine---wrong it was Grant. This 6-7 forward walked off the court his senior year racking up 4,045 points during his tenure. No freshman adjustment was required he averaged 26.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game his first year. He compiled those numbers shooting a cool 61.9% from the floor. George "Iceman" Gervin says he held Grant to 18 points in the first half of their championship match, in the second half Grant exploded for 50 points totaling 68 for the game. Grant was to be the Lakers first pick in the 1972 draft for a number of reasons he was never able to repeat his collegiate exploits in the NBA or ABA. After five seasons he left the game and went on to become a highly respected teacher, coach and administrator for the next 29 years. (a portion from playnaia.org, John McCarthy, January 21, 2011)

 "I told him, 'Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'Coach, I don't know and I don't care." - Frank Layden, Utah Jazz president, on a former player

Well they done it!
Today is a departure from my normal Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule.  I'm writing because I'm mad!  I'm mad, after numerous meetings to all hours of the afternoon and evening NBA owners and players were unable to reach an agreement.

I wrote back in July it was my intent to not focus on the lockout, I hoped (as did many fans) the NBA would get it's act together.  It is extremely difficult to sympathize with "tall millionaires fighting short billionaires" as Tony Kornheiser ESPN once stated.  The economic condition of the nation and world says "how can you dare argue over money when the vast majority of you will earn 20 or 50 times the amount of money of an average fan.

If you read yesterday I located some facts that clearly pointed out this is a lose-lose situation.  Nobody wins, fans will abandon the sport in droves.  At the time the NFL was in negotiations I informed all within earshot "they will reach an agreement."  Was I stating there was less greed involved, certainly not but I thought all along the NFL wanted to resolve it's labor issue.  Although I never expressed it from the beginning I never had a good feeling about the NBA's desire to settle.  

I'm borrowing a line from David Aldridge TNT analyst.  "With the first two weeks of the season cancelled it will become more and more difficult to reach a settlement.  Players and owners will have lost money and it needs to be made up."  Nobody ever wants to lose money, if you do you want to earn it back.  At this point no meetings are scheduled and the figure I saw indicated the first two weeks would be a total of 100 games cancelled.  There was a time period in the NBA when players made little money by comparasion with today's players.  Today's NBA player retiring at 35 or 36 earns enough money (with proper investments) to live comfortable the rest of their life.  

Words eye view was intended to provide insight from a fans perspective of the game.  The intent was to cover the NBA, college, high school and AAU basketball.  In addition any basketball stories I locate I thought of interest to you the reader.  With no NBA games scheduled is it worth your time and mine to continue writing leaving the NBA out?  Wednesday is a normal date, I see how I feel this evening and tomorrow morning. 

Why Zeke?

Isiah "Zeke" Thomas is at it again, with the lockout dominating NBA news LeBron news have been relegated to page 2. At least that's what we thought until Thomas became news again. He served as host for an NBA exhibition game and said; "we shouldn't hate LeBron James because he's been successful. It kind of comes with the territory when you're really good." Thomas goes on to state he thinks "there are going to be some people who are upset with that." Is Isiah really that clueless as to the reason the venom has continued to rain on LeBron. Hey Isiah folks are not upset with LeBron because of his success, I don't think the personal goals have been the focus. Anytime you promise fans a championship (Cleveland) and then leave as the first opportunity doesn't sound like a very trusting soul.  LeBron added more fuel to the fire by promising the folks of South Florida "six, seven championships!" Somebody needs to rein Isiah in and explain the facts of life to him! (South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman)

Coach Boyle
This past season was Coach Tad Boyle's first year at Colorado. I have no idea at this stage how good a coach he might become. He turned around Northern Colorado University that's fact. His first year the team was 4-24, his last last season they were 25-8, 12-4 in the Big Sky Conference. His initial season Colorado finished 21-13, 8-8 in the Big 12. Dave Telep who covers recruiting noted "Colorado hasn't signed a T-100 since David Harrison (remember him). Now they have two in Xavier Johnson and Josh Scott." Colorado is always a school I thought with the right coach could become competitive, just maybe Boyle is that man.

Rick Barry
He was one driven player, driven to be the best there was. Barry's three sons all played college ball and had limited NBA careers. It can be stated with no hesitation on my part the father was the superior player. Barry came to the NBA from the University of Miami, he did this at a time prior to school having any national notoriety in any sport. Barry was the number two pick in the 1965 NBA draft by the San Francisco Warriors, he rewarded their choice being selected Rookie of the Year. The NBA and ABA were fighting for players and he left the Warriors and toiled in the ABA for a number of years. During his 15 year career he was an 8x NBA All-Star and 4x ABA All-Star, in addition he won Championships in both the NBA and ABA. This 25,000 point player was selected to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and has been enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. (stats, Wikipedia)

Before I began
Allow me to state up front again I'm not taking sides, I'm only reporting what I see. The implied threat by several NBA players of going to Europe and elsewhere to play ball. Forget it, European teams have a limit on the number of international players. A Kobe Bryant or Deron Williams is certainly welcome but the 12th or 13th man on any NBA team is a completely different story. The superstars can remain locked out out till the cows come home, they are financially solvent. That's not the case with the vast majority of players who will be scrambling for the few basketball jobs available. Instead of an arena near you they are likely to be waiting on you at Wal-Mart or Home Depot. As for the owners there was a time especially in baseball their only source of income was derived from the sport. That scenario no longer exists in any major American sport especially the NBA. Owners might "lose" money on the season but only indirectly, their non-NBA ventures will allow them to remain living in the life style they have become accustom. This solid financial status is probably the main reason a number of owners have taken a hawkish approach to the lockout. As for both two sides, how could you meet for three consecutive days and offer not a glimmer of hope. Did the two sides not learn anything from the 1989-99 lockout? Note what my research uncovered; "The 1998-99 season, which began on February 5, 1999, was shortened to 50 games per team, as opposed to the normal 82. As a result of the 204-day lockout, 464 regular-season games were lost. In addition to the lockout, the NBA's popularity was affected by the second retirement of Michael Jordan, who had been largely responsible for an increase in fan interest during his career. The average attendance during the shortened season was 16,738 fans per game, down 2.2 percent from the 1997–98 average of 17,117 spectators per contest. Ticket sales fell nearly two percent further in the opening months of 1999-2000, and remained under 17,000 per game for the following three seasons. The league also saw television ratings drop for three consecutive seasons after the lockout." Somebody needs to remind these guys of the numbers, they are alienating their base with a prolonged work stoppage. (Wikipedia)


"Giving yourself permission to lose guarantees a loss."
Pat Riley

Bulletin----------Bulletin!

It appears TCU will join the Big 12 rather than the Big East Conference. I know schools don't move strictly for geographical purposes but this really makes more sense. This works for the Fort Worth school, they would be aligned with former Southwest Conference rivals and I already mentioned the other reason. Fort Worth is much closer to Austin Texas and Norman Oklahoma than Storrs Connecticut.

I'm prepared for the future
The statement might sound strong because it's impossible to prepare for everything. I make the statement regarding the University of Missouri and whatever future path is chosen. Speculation is all over the map, is Mizzou headed for the SEC while secretly pining for a Big 10 invitation? I know why I ceased listening to sports talk radio at least locally, one of our afternoon host is a little bonkers. Despite what Kevin thinks the bottom line is Mizzou must do what's best for Mizzou; the regents could care less what Kevin says or thinks! In any event this K-State graduate (I had to add this to my rant) is opposed to whatever move the school makes. In addition he says "in 25 years (or another generation) the K-State KU rivalry will become the big sports event in the metro." The emails to the the Kansas City Star not one letter of complaint has come from someone who identifies themselves as a Mizzou fan. The majority of complaints are coming from KU fans, somebody please explain why? And another point, clue me in when did the state of Kansas annex the Missouri side of Kansas City? It's true Lawrence Kansas (40 miles) is much closer to the metro area than Columbia (125 miles) however Mizzou alum and fans reside on both sides of the state line which they seem to forget.

Kevin makes a common assumption which is untrue, Kansas basketball popularity has soared over the years especially under Bill Self but it's basketball. This basketball fan has said again and again football drives the bus in college, basketball remains a co-pilot, it will never occupy the first chair for a variety of reasons, chiefly financial! I thought surely Kevin is not as dumb as he sounds, this must be an attempt by him to stir up his radio audience? If Mizzou leaves I'll miss the rivalry with Kansas, the sports economic picture is a bigger story to me a number of working class people derive a portion of their income from sports events held at the Sprint Center and Arrowhead Stadium. The Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and Chambers of Commerce must become pro-active to off-set the reported $20 million the Big 12 generates locally. Sorry Kevin I refuse to believe the sky is falling, I refuse to believe fans of the future will become K-State or KU fans because Mizzou is in another conference. One more point for Mr. K. and company, they continue to make statements as if the Big 12 Conference is rock solid. steady. If Mizzou leaves don't be shocked to see Texas and Oklahoma follow suit and this house of card conference collapses.

So long big man
I hope Greg Oden will focus on Zydrunas Ilgauskas's story. Heat center Ilgauskas retired last week, his NBA career was 13 years, 12 spent in a Cavs uniform. The Oden connection, in the beginning many were unsure if Illgauskas would ever play a full season in the NBA. A succession of injuries sent this 7-3 Lithuanian giant to the sidelines often, in fact he missed major portions of his first four years with the Cavs. After his last surgery he would go on to have a modest but successful NBA career. Once over the injury bug he missed few games for the balance of his career and played in two NBA finals and two NBA All-Star games. His numbers, 13.0 points per game, 7.3 rebounds and almost two block shots a game. He was an excellent free throw shooter for a big man with a lifetime percentage of .780 with a career high of .834 during the 2005-06 season.

One n Done
Recently Yahoo Sports contained a story on incoming Texas freshman Myck Kabongo. Kabongo from Toronto largely based his decision to attend Texas on the opportunity to play with two other Canadian players. He won't have the opportunity, both left after their freshman year for the NBA. I then checked nbadraft.net's 2012 mock draft, of the 60 players projected to be drafted 10 were freshman. By no means will all 10 leave school early but it highlights an issue we continue to discuss. It's my understanding Tubby Smith was "asked" to leave Kentucky, Smith ceased recruiting players he thought might be headed to the NBA. The Wildcat program suffered, several blue chip players who might have attended Kentucky Smith refused to recruit. I hope the NBA does away with the silly one and done rule, it fails in what it was intended to do. High school players who might have limited academic skills didn't head to the NBA D-League as David Stern hoped. At least two high school players chose an overseas path to the NBA. The Bucks Brandon Jennings played for Lottomatica Roma (Italy) and then was drafted by the Bucks. Jeremy Tyler went to Israel first playing for Maccabi Haifa (Israel) and later Tokyo Apache (Japan), he was chosen by the Bobcats and his rights traded to the Warriors in the 2011 draft.


"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."-- Weldon Drew

Key man for two franchises

This former Boston Celtic has played a key role in several Laker Championships! I know that statement might sound strange but it's true, Bill Sharman at 85-years of age is still serving as a consultant for the Lakers. For those unfamiliar with his name we must step back in time to the '50's and provide you a brief history of Mr. Sharman. In those days professional sports did not over lap as these do now so Sharman briefly had two careers. He played baseball in the Dodgers farm system from 1950 through 1955.  Sharman played in the NBA for the defunct Washington Capitals from 1950-51 and the Boston Celtics from 1951-61. This 6-1 shooting guard was the backcourt mate of point guard Bob Cousy. Sharman was a member of several Celtic Championship teams. After his playing career concluded he went on to coach the Warriors of the NBA, then the ABA Stars. Sharman's coaching stop eventually meant heading the Lakers, he was the coach for the team which recorded the 33 game winning streak and a 69-13 win-loss record. That team went on to win an NBA Championship, as a scout and consultant his input has aided the Laker cause extensively over the years.

News out of Sacramento
The proposed new arena passed it's first hurdle. "The city council of Sacramento voted 7-2 to approve spending $555,000 on consultants for the new arena. The money will be spent on lawyers, investment bankers, municipal financing consultants, parking experts, and other consultants." This is going to be interesting to see if an arena or sports stadium is built in these dire economic times. (fromthecapitol.com)

Retired jersey numbers
While researching the story above I came across an interesting fact. If a player toiled for the Kansas City Kings or any of their predecessors should their jersey be hanging in a Sacramento arena? While you ponder the question allow me provide you the information I uncovered. The Kings have retired Sam Lacey's number 44 and Nate Archibald's number 1 both never set foot in the city as members of the Kings. Same for the Big O, Oscar Robertson, Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman all played for the Cincinnati Royals. Even Bob Davies number 11 is retired, Davies played for the very first incarnation the Rochester (N.Y.) Royals. The Kings are not the only team, the Hawks have retired Bob Pettit's number although he spent his career in Milwaukee and St. Louis. The Lakers honor several players from the Minneapolis era but no numbers are retired, they have only hung the jerseys of Los Angeles era players. The Wizards and Jazz with Earl Monroe (Baltimore Bullets) and Pete Maravich (New Orleans Jazz) complete the number. The Kings still win having the most retired jerseys of players who never called Sacramento home.

Blind Side Three
2005 was the last year high school players were eligible for the draft. Kyle Luckett a 7-0 footer from Racine Wisconsin submitted his name but was never drafted. Undrafted he was ineligible to play NCAA basketball but junior college rules are different. In any event he was homeless for four years (never explained why in the story). He enrolled at Chabot (Jr.) College in Hayward California at age 24. Luckett was a double-double machine with four block shots a game during his sophomore year. Luckett signed a pro contract and will be playing pro ball in Hungary, although this is not the NBA he will soon be playing pro ball. (Diamon Leung, ESPN.com, Sept 27, 2011)

I'm curious
By the time this is printed a resolution will have occurred (which it hasn't). I read a number of newspapers on line of course, in addition I peruse all the major sports websites on a daily basis in an attempt to be as topical as possible. I've noticed the Frank Haith/Mizzou news is no longer news with one exception. This was really a football scandal which only implicated one basketball player and the coaching staff, Yahoo Sports which "broke" the Miami story no longer contains a feature on it, I checked their NCAA football and basketball page this morning! Question, does Fox Sports have a vendetta against Coach Haith or is the story simply filler? For your information Fox Sports is the only website still running this story on the front page of it's website.

"A tough day at the office is even tougher when your OFFICE contains spectator seating."
-- Nik Posa

Isn't that interesting

Fox Sports is reporting Jay-Z will be involved in the design of a new Nets uniform next season.  Many of you might not be aware Jay-Z owns the Rocawear clothing line.  The report states the colors and logo will change but Brooklyn will be featured predominantly on the jersey.  In addition Jay-Z announced the team will be re-named the Brooklyn Nets, even more interesting is the name under consideration. Team officials said they "briefly considered naming the team the Brooklyn Dodgers" in honor of the former baseball team. The love for the long departed baseball team still exists in the hearts of several citizens in the borough.

"Big Game"

One of the additions to the Man-Cave is hanging above my computer desk, it's the photo of "Big Game" James Worthy. I had an opportunity to reflect on highlights of his career during a recent NBA TV special. Dean Smith was notorious for "hiding" players in his system, no one had any idea Michael Jordan would become a mega-star. Don't misunderstand both he and Worthy's talent was visible I just think no one had any idea of the heights. 7-time All Star, 3-time NBA Champion, selected as one of the 50 greatest NBA players in history. His jersey 42 was retired by the Lakers and is hanging in the rafters at the Staples Center. Worthy was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. A fan was seen holding up a sign that read; "James is Worthy!" I can state this as fact; I never saw a player before or after that had as quick a first step as Worthy and his spin moves around the basket were classic.

Idol mind

"If you didn't have anything good to say about somebody why say anything at all." Many of you have heard that statement well I'm about to violate it sort of. The Wolves made it official hiring Rick Adelman as head coach; in addition paying him a great deal of money. The ESPN.com headline read: "Adelman confident he can make Wolves winners!" He's had coaching stops in Portland, Golden State, Sacramento, Houston and now Minnesota. The vast majority of stops his teams have made the playoffs and he's recorded 800 career wins. Despite all the stops and all the wins throughout his coaching career his teams have always come up short. The 2000 playoffs I was in fear of his Blazer team; in fact I thought they might possibly be the better team. History says not so, the Lakers won the hard fought series because I think Phil Jackson out coached Adelman. The Wolves said they needed a veteran coach for their young team; okay but don't expect any championship parades in Minneapolis.

Where are they?

Recently NBA.com contained a feature on the NBA's all-time greatest teams. Wilt Chamberlain referred to his 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers "the best team ever." The 1971-72 Lakers which won 33 games in a row on it's way to a championship. The 1976-77 Blazers team of Bill Walton and the late Maurice Lucas. This team won an NBA Championship over a highly touted 76er team. That Philly team was comprised of Dr. J., George McGinnis, Doug Collins and Kobe's dad, Joe Bryant. Of course the selection process is an opinion but the most recent team on the list was the Jordan Bulls of the early '90's. Will there be anymore "super" teams in the NBA future?

I didn't remember that!

Hornets forward Trevor Ariza tells the story somewhat different than I remember. Ariza said; "The most disappointing trade that I had is when I got traded from Houston to New Orleans. But as far as throughout my whole career, when the Lakers did not re-sign me that was kind of disappointing as well." I didn't remember the story playing out in that manner. My memory says Ariza's agent inflated his net worth and the Lakers simply said okay we'll sign Ron Artest who wanted badly to win a championship. Although Artest was older and less athletic and had slowed he brought something to the Lakers Ariza couldn't. Artest was a lock-down defender and helped the Lakers to a second NBA Championship. (Hoopshype)

“I hate it! (zone defense) It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air.” Norm Sloan former North Carolina State coach