Dan Patrick

You might guess by now Dan Patrick is one of my favorite media guys. I go back back to his days on ESPN SportsCenter when he and Keith Olbermann would often cause me to laugh out loud with their commentary. In any event Patrick almost always says something that makes me think "boy I wish I'd said that!" His latest was on his Monday morning radio/television show. Patrick said " I understand why CBS has Charles Barkley and Kenny the Jet working the NCAA but the manner they are being utilized is incorrect." Patrick went on to say he thinks both would be better utilized "addressing the NBA potential of collegiate players." I'm paraphrasing Patrick's comments but you get the idea the general idea I hope. You might not agree with Patrick's view but it makes sense to me. We have two former NBA players who both cover the NBA for television providing commentary on college games and players.

No more

The joke once said there were only two sports in the State of Texas, football and spring football. That old joke has certainly been kicked to the curb, the state now produces an abundant number of top notch basketball talent. The state produces so much talent just like football they cannot retain all the talent within the state boundaries. Just a couple of players we spotlight are two McDonald All-Americans, they are Isaiah Austin a 7-footer from Arlington Texas will arrive in the fall at Baylor. In addition Cameron Ridley a 6-10 245 pound center is headed to Texas to play for Rick Barnes. Looking over Rivals list of the top 150 players there are several more who will arrive at college or university in the state. I think Mizzou would be willing to take the left-over's if they are as talented as Flip Pressey from Dallas. Wonder if A&M will be able to recruit in their backyard while competing in the SEC?

"Must be the shoes"

I apologize for stealing the Mars Blackmon line from those Air Jordan commercials back in the day. I just ordered another pair of basketball shoes, they are black Reebok low cuts. While we all realize Nike is the world wide leader I was curious what the folks around me wore. Are we loyal to a particular brand or style? Marketing certainly has some input into our buying decisions, I say this based on a story (if true) I read and detailed for you last week. Adidas was reported to be in the middle of the Dwight Howard story. Adidas man Derrick Rose is in Chicago and unconfirmed reports were Adidas was open to Howard going anywhere except Chicago. For marketing purposes they wanted Dwight Howard to remain in Orlando. My survey has no scientific merit just opinions by those who buy the shoes. The brands identified, purchased and worn over the years have been New Balance, Reebok, Nike, Adidas, Converse, Starbury and Pay-Less. Rob, a former Mizzou baller informed me "I wore Nikes while in school but I wore them all, Reebok, Adidas, Starbury even Pay-Less. Nike is the best for durability and wear." One son indicates he had no preference but says "I played in Converse Chuck Taylors which are trendy now." My son in Dallas says "Nike and for the style, started off with Converse and then switched to New Balance and finally to Nike." One son is an Adidas man "influenced by Run DMC and their Adidas shoes, when I began playing soccer he noted most players in the '80's wore Adidas," He says "I haven't owned a pair of Nikes since the late '80's." As for me, back in the day "I wore Converse almost exclusively, even had a pair of L.A. Gear shoes at one time. I hadn't seen a store with L.A. Gear in such a long-time I did an on-line search and they are still in business. Now I buy what I think looks cool and stylish, in my closet today I have Nike, Converse, Adidas and 2 pair of Reebok's, I'm not beholding to any brand." AND 1 signed twins Marcus and Markieff Morris former Kansas Jayhawks to a shoe deal this week, I took a look at their shoe line--pretty cool. Marcus Morris plays for the Rockets while brother Markieff plays for the Suns.

Only one more perhaps, but there could be more

I've reported numerous stories of complaint related to Barclays Center none of which are basketball related. There have been so many I probably am missing a few. To refresh your memory there was the the resident parking compliant, then the sidewalk problem, the sidewalks around the arena were not as wide as they should have been. Then it was reported two police department precincts were vying with each other to determine which precinct would be responsible for policing responsibility in and around the arena. A decision was finally reached and the precinct furthest from Barclays was given jurisdiction, makes sense doesn't it? We had food vendor complaints, construction noise complaints and now the latest. "Norman Oder, an opponent of the project discovered Brooklyn Water to be sold in the arena is not bottled in Brooklyn! Oder indicates Bruce Ratner made a big deal about seeking Brooklyn vendors yet this water is bottled in and shipped from Florida." (gothamist.com)

The countdown has begun, well maybe!

Lakers. Lakersground.net probably the largest Laker fan website has a poll. They are polling Laker fans as to when Mike Brown will be fired. The problem it appears Brown's lost this team, Kobe and then Bynum. The bigger issue is if he's terminated who replaces him? This team (because of it's history) probably needs a veteran coach, this rules out Brian Shaw with only assistant coach experience. Besides the fact Shaw probably is more familiar with the triangle offense, I'm unsure if the Lakers want to return there. Current Cavs coach and former Laker Byron Scott is out there, would they hire him? One name would cause me to have my Laker fan card shredded, Jeff Van Gundy. This is going to require research on my part, standby for further updates. NOTE: I think the only safety net for Brown at this stage, he manages to steer the team to the NBA championship win or lose he probably keeps his job. Based on their exhibition against the Thunder I am extremely concerned.

Bits n Pieces
In a surprise move Frank Martin has decided to leave Kansas State in favor of South Carolina. It's been reported problems exist between the athletic director and Martin, it might be mentioned the athletic director did not hire Martin. The other reason for the South Carolina move are dollars, a huge raise is in store for Martin over the amount Kansas State was paying him. Big XII fans might miss Martin but Mizzou fans won't, for those unaware South Carolina is an SEC school.

We didn't have to wait long for Deron Williams to announce his intentions. Reports indicate Williams is not planning on waiving his early termination option with the Nets. I wonder if he sent a text message to his buddy Dwight Howard?

On second thought maybe I should have entered an NCAA pool. If I had entered a pool at least I would have done a better job off keeping up tournament developments. Norfolk State took all the wind out my sails after besting Mizzou.  Sorry sport fans I don't feel an allegiance to Kansas State, Baylor, Iowa State and especially KU.

There appears to be no shortage of people with large sums of money desiring to own a NBA franchise. Oracle's CEO Ellison is the latest and is inquiring about buying the Grizzlies. That's the good news, the bad news he wants to move the franchise to San Jose. If Ellison is serious about the move I'd like to ask him why? Google maps indicate Oakland is 40+ miles from San Jose and less than 100 miles from Sacramento. No Cal is the same as So Cal (the Kings planned move to Anaheim), three teams in a compacted area is really one too many!

I'm issuing an apology to Lakers coach Mike Brown. There was an explanation made why he continued to start Steve Blake over Ramon Sessions. He was "concerned the spark Sessions provided off the bench might be missing with the second unit." Brown did start Sessions against the Blazers and the stat line was good. 6 for 10 from the floor and 2 for 3 from the 3-point line and 20 points, 11 assists, 1 steal and only 3 turnovers in 36 minutes. I fully understand, the bench wasn't the only reason the Lakers were losers against the Grizzlies but your bench only scores 9 points!!!! .

I might have told this story before, Bobby Knight will not mention the name "Kentucky" whenever he is broadcasting a game. Knight's issues with Kentucky appear to be Calapari's "one n done" athletes. He made several public statements about Kentucky basketball which prove inaccurate and untrue. In typical Bobby Knight fashion to my knowledge he never apologized for his error and why is ESPN unable or unwilling to call him out on this? Knight is certainly not the best analyst in town.

There is an interesting twist to Kentucky playing Louisville this weekend, Lexington is less than 100 miles from Louisville. Over the years Kentucky refused to play Louisville, we can point the finger at long-time coach Adolph Rupp. "In the old days, Adolph Rupp refused to play the Cardinals or any other state team for that matter. Rupp always said it would be bad for the program at Louisville if the two team played each other often." In the 1970's Louisville hired Denny Crum who served as an assistant coach under the legendary John Wooden at UCLA. Louisville basketball became competitive, the schools finally met after the Kentucky legislature threatened to withhold state funds. The two schools now play more frequently now but I thought the story was worth sharing. (bleacherreport.com)

Don't just make up stuff

March 12 I wrote on a Fox Sports column by Jason Whitlock which I thought was inaccurate. Whitlock doesn't like Kobe Bryant and that's okay with me, not okay is an inaccurate account to validate your conclusions. He painted an inaccurate portrait of Kobe which could led a reader to believe Kobe Bryant is 1-dimensional and selfish, that is far from the truth. To refresh your memory read again what Whitlock wrote, I've changed nothing. "Kobe is a scorer. Period. He can’t touch Michael Jordan as a defender. Kobe is not in the same zip code as Magic and Bird as a creator and teammate-elevator." I pointed out Bryant had made the all-defensive team 11 of the 16 years he's played in the NBA. A couple more bits of information for you and Mr. Whitlock and I will put this baby to bed. Among active players Bryant is only behind point guard Jason Kidd in career steals, Kidd is 2,532 and Bryant is 1,706. Bryant is a shooting guard and not a point yet he has 5,361 assists through last season, a 4.68 per game average over the course of his career. I'd be willing to bet his assist total probably eclipses a number of point guards in the NBA. I stated this before and I will repeat it again, it's my designated duty to provide you the truth because if appears Whitlock has other things on his mind. Whitlock don't write stuff out of your imagination, you claim you know NBA basketball write on as if you do!

Change is coming

If Lin-sanity is over you can point the finger at interim Knicks coach Mike Woodson, Woodson's offense is quite different from that of Mike D'Antoni. For those unfamiliar with Mike Woodson he served as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks from 2004-2010. D'Antoni's offense had the point guard (Lin) taking a high number of shots. Woodson's offense is just the opposite so Jeremy Lin will take fewer shots and will score less the balance of the year. Woodson says Lin is the point guard for now and with another Baron Davis injury it would appear Lin will receive the larger share of time on the floor. The Knicks beat the Pacers 108-88 and Lin led them to victory. He scored 19 points on 6 of 10 shooting, 7 rebounds 6 assists and only 2 turnovers in 33 minutes. Lin was the games high scorer as teammates Anthony and Stoudemire each scored 16 points. Injuries will negate Lin-sanity as well, he missed Mondays win over the Bucks. Lin's name is not on the injury list so we should assume he will play in tonight's game against the Magic.

Question

If a team decides to retire a players jersey what should the criteria be, length of time with the team or the athletes record? I pose the question again because a number of Laker fans have continued to voice objections to management's decision to retire Shaquille O'Neal's number 34. I'm unsure if their logic is based on the circumstances of him leaving or something else. Just for sake of discussion Shaq was a Laker for 8 of his 19 year career and during a portion of his time with the Lakers they won 3 successive NBA championships. At the same time Shaq was sometimes a lighting rod for stirring up controversy and I'm not referring to his feud with Kobe. Without research I don't remember the exact time-frame but he waited till August or September for a surgery. Naturally he wasn't ready for training camp that year, when questioned by reporters he responded "I was injured on company time" meaning he could heal on company time. His constant battles with weight, the roster said he weighed 325 pounds which he probably hadn't seen since his Orlando days. Then again it could have been the training camp incident, his contract was under review for. During practice he was jogging down court and Laker owner Dr. Buss was in the stands he yelled in his direction "pay me!" I have a great deal of testimony to state an emphatic no to retirement of number 34 but I'm won't. Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal was key to the 3-peat Laker teams and that is reason enough to retire his number. My move was ahead of the Lakers I have his jersey hanging already in my man-cave.

He did what

The shoulder block Jason Smith placed on Blake Griffin would make the NFL Saints proud, too bad Smith plays for the Hornets. All jokes aside there are a number of NBA players who probably think Griffin is showboating with his dunks. In addition nobody wants to be posterized, we must assume Smith was sending Griffin a message. In any event there is no call for that type of play in the NBA, as this is written no judgment has been issued by the league office. My best guess Smith receives a minimum 3 game suspension or max of 5 games plus a huge fine. I wrote the above prior to the NBA's announcement, all I can say is unbelievable! Andrew Bynum's flagrant 2 was somewhat identical to Smith's, he received a 5-game suspension. Bynum's was reduced to 3-games due to the late start of the season. All I can say is once again we cannot determine a David Stern move in advance.

Sharing

Over the years individuals I've come in contact with have made some incredibly strange and sometimes stupid comments about the NBA. I can't remember all of them but I will share a few. I never responded to the person but was really tempted to question them.

1. "You only need to see the last 10 minutes of an NBA game!" How about this walking into a baseball game in the 7th inning and discover the pitcher has a no-hitter. The individual would have missed all the action leading up to that inning. Okay another example turn on your television to the Chiefs game it's in the 3rd quarter and they are losing 24-0, what happened?

2. "They don't play any defense in the NBA!" That statement requires no response, just leave the room.

3. "I like the college game better" No argument with this person except ask them which game do they prefer, AAA baseball or the major league variety.

4. "I quite watching the NBA when Michael Jordan retired." I'm sitting here scratching my head trying to remember a sport I quite watching because one of my favorite players retired.

5. "The NBA is full of criminals!" This too requires no response other than to excuse your self and leave the room This person believes football, baseball, hockey and soccer players are never involved with the police or the judicial system.

School is in Session(s)

My apologies in advance for the headline above, I couldn't wait to use it as soon as Ramon Sessions had a
break-out game, he did just that. The Lakers newly acquired point guard was certainly a vital part of their victory over the Mavs 109-93. Sessions came off the bench was 7-8 from the floor, 3-4 from the 3-point line for 17 points. He had 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 turnovers in 29 minutes. The best line might be from Kobe Bryant, he was asked "what the addition of Ramon Sessions' means for the Lakers: I can be a legitimate 2-guard now." This guy's desire is to be a be a pass first point guard but one who can hit the shot when required. This is not intended to be a knock at Fisher, he served as a valued member of the Lakers for a number of years.

Change in the Northwest

The Blazers fired coach Nate McMillan the same day they waived 2007 number one draft pick Greg Oden. Injuries to Brandon Roy (since retired) and the oft-injured Greg Oden plus a succession of injuries to several players contributed to the teams downward slide. McMillan might not have been a bad coach but the aforementioned injuries and clubhouse issues worked against him. As for Oden he will become another footnote in Blazer and NBA history. They passed on 1984 draft pick Michael "Air" Jordan to choose 7-1 Sam Bowie, his career was forever dogged by injuries. And we know what occurred with the other guy the Bulls chose. Sound like a familiar story, the Blazers could have chosen Kevin Durant in 2007 instead they picked 7-0 Greg Oden. Durant's star continues to shine brightly, I would be reluctant to refer to him as a super star but he's might close. Oden still appears positive in interviews with him and his agent, he indicates he's going to work at rehab, a question might be asked of him what point do you give up? Oden's played 82 games the equivalent of one full NBA season since 2007-2008 season. Oden indicates he'd like to play for his hometown Pacers

The tidal wave has begun

Moe Harkless St. John's freshman has become the first underclassmen to declare for the NBA June draft. I wasn't familiar with Harkless, haven't seen him play so I'll just do the numbers. Harkless is 6-8 208 pound small forward, 15.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 45.2%. Harkless is on the NBA's radar, he's projected as nbadraft.net's number 16 pick in the first round draftexpress.com has him at 20 in the second round. Chad Ford of ESPN reports Iowa State's "do everything forward" Royce White will officially declare for the draft. The down side today's NBA appears sometimes reluctant to draft 6-9 power forwards which is White's height. He can't do anything about his height, other areas of his game are pretty good. He handles the ball especially well for a big man, I'm unsure but I think he might have led the team in assists. Other than the height issue White is a "Shaq/Dwight Howard" free throw shooter. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 6-7 228 small forward has announced too. The ESPN source said "he knows he's going to be a top-5 pick." That information would appear to be correct, draftexpress.com has him at 3 and nbadraft.net has him at 4. Late Friday Duke's Austin Rivers also announced he was leaving Duke after only one year.  I'm going to refrain from reporting names until the list is complete.   (ESPN.com)

Awards

Mizzou coach Frank Haith picked up another coach of the year award, the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Earlier the AP had named him Big XII Coach of the Year. I find it quite interesting when it came time for his fellow Big XII coaches to select one of their own they thought Bill Self and Fred Hoiberg deserved the award. Granted Bill Self in a down year molded a team of left-over players to a Big XII regular season championship. As for Hoiberg he brought Iowa State back to prominence but his team finished behind Mizzou. Do you suppose the Haith snub might have something to due with Mizzou leaving for the SEC? I think it might even if your not convinced.

Did you hear this?

Shaka Smart will remain at home, home being Virginia Commonwealth University. From all indications Illinois badly wanted Smart as it's head coach after firing Bruce Weber, Smart turned them down. Smart received an extended contract and raise last year after the teams successful NCAA run. There might have been an issue in Champaign (IL) that Smart might have felt uneasy or uncomfortable?  Most would leap at the opportunity to coach at a major school such as Illinois must have been something that made him turn the job down?

What can Brown do for you---not much apparently!

I was not pleased when the Lakers announced Mike Brown as head coach. Me and bunches of Laker fans thought the job had Brian Shaw's name written all over it. I guess management knew something us Laker fans didn't know. The team began the season older, they got younger (trades) and at times are still experiencing road woes. The season is almost complete and with the playoffs looming I'm unsure of the makeup of this team. I think we all felt the offense would suffer with a coaching change and it rings true, the teams scoring is down from last year. A positive, team defense for the most part is superior to that of last season. Questions remain, Steve Blake is a savvy veteran but is better suited as a back-up. Why does Blake remain the starter and Ramon Sessions is coming off the bench? Blake has been in a reserve role his entire NBA career, it seems Blake the sub played better behind Fisher than Blake the starter. Interesting the Mavs swept the Lakers in the playoffs last season, this season the Lakers appear to have no problem with the Mavs they are 3-0 against them. The real problem for the Lakers, losing to some of the associations bottom feeders, what's with that? A component of this issue Laker fans are impatient and spoiled, they are so use to winning and winning and winning! In the current Western Conference playoff picture the Lakers are in third place behind only the Spurs and Thunder.

I understand

Folks have been complaining about officiating since the days of James A. Naismith. Most of the time the complaints are bogus, I make the statement because one or two "bad" calls are not going to dramatically influence a win or a loss and officials do miss calls. Baseball, football and soccer you can sometimes be seated a great distance from the action on the field. Basketball you are right on top of the action, even in a fairly large arena on the back row your view of the game is probably better than Bob Uecker seats in a baseball game. The vast majority of time instant replay validates an officials call no matter if it's the NBA or college! Referees are human they blow calls, I divide them into three categories. Marginal, average and above average, the marginal ones in the NBA or college are weeded out at the end of the season. Does the evaluation process work yes, the vast majority of time. Next time you hear someone complain about officiating just take it in stride, we don't like our team to lose so the officiating becomes an easy out.

A tragedy
Few of you are familiar with the name Rodger Brown. Brown toiled in the ABA from 1967-1975. He along with Connie Hawkins, Doug Moe and others were banned for life from ever playing in the NBA. Why was Brown and the others banned, exactly what did the do? I doubt his "guilty without a trial" could occur in today's world. Briefly he along with Connie Hawkins had been introduced to a gambler Jack Molinas. Molinas had been involved in illegal point shaving. "Brown was never accused of point shaving and his only crime was associating with Molinas." So unlike Connie Hawkins no one came forward to defend Brown in court and have this lifetime ban lifted. Few probably were able to see Brown in his prime, the ABA had very limited television coverage during the time he played. From all indications this 6-5 205 guard was a talent, the following is a brief look at his career. He was "3x ABA Champion (1970, 1972. 1973), 1970 ABA Playoffs MVP, 4x ABA All-Star (1968, 1970, 1971, 1972). Brown was one of seven players unanimously selected to the ABA All-Time Team in 1997." Brown died of liver cancer in 1997 at 54 years of age. There is a television production in place detailing much of what's been detailed here, stay tuned. (Wikipedia)

A new name in the NBA draft
Team mascots are often chosen on the basis of aggressive animals. An example might be the large number of Eagles, Hawks, Tigers and Lions out there. The lack of success by the University of Missouri-Kansas City's basketball program might be it's mascot. I've heard stories of boxing kangaroos however probably not a good name chosen for UMKC's mascot. Where am I going with this story?  To inform you of point guard Nate Wolters who plays for South Dakota State, he's on the NBA's radar.  Wolters is 6-4 and 193 pounds with good numbers, 21.3 points per game along with 6.0 assists. Although the university is Division I school they play a
mid-major schedule, scouts are unsure how Wolters will match up against tougher competition. I almost forgot, South Dakota State University's mascot is the Jackrabbits.

What is he going to do
Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA, I'm sure that surprises many of you for me to make that statement. You thought for sure with my Laker ties I would say Andrew Bynum, Bynum is in second place for now. As for Mr. Howard he certainly has the right to do whatever he wishes as long as no laws are broken. His "I'm going, maybe I'm staying" statements regarding Orlando were very confusing. Thursday prior to the trading deadline he holds a press conference and indicates he's staying in Orlando. Other than Dwight Howard the only person directly effected will be the Nets Deron Williams. Stories circulated that Howard wanted to go to the Nets and he and Williams would lead the parade to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Word is Mark Cuban will approach Williams once he becomes a free agent, Williams grew up in the Dallas area so if he signed with the Mavs he'd be going home. Reporters have given their spin on this story and I've heard so many I'm unsure who made this statement. I will just state it's not me, "Howard saw how LeBron James was treated last year and doesn't want to experience the same thing. Howard is a player who wants the public to like him." We don't know why but at least for now Howard will make himself content in Orlando. One of the more interesting twist to this story. Don't remember who but they claimed "Adidas doesn't want Howard in Chicago, they have Rose there and it serves them better if Howard remained in Orlando. Of course both players are under contract to Adidas.

55 or 57 points
As soon as I gather hot news I want to pass it on. Retain this name in your memory banks, Marcus LoVett. 
15-year old Lovett just completed his freshman year on the varsity. "In just his sixth varsity game, the 5-11 lefty guard made a huge statement, dropping 55 points (or 57 depending on the source), including 10 in OT. LoVett finished the year averaging 33.3 per for Providence (CA) High."  It's always nice to check back later and say "I remember when." I did this with the Knicks Tyson Chandler, I remember Chandler being featured in a 60 Minutes television segment. Tyson had completed 8th grade and the program focused on him and the Los Angeles high school he would be attending. (ballislife.com & slamonline.com)

They meet again this time on opposing teams
Ames (IA) high school teammates Doug McDermott and Harrison Barnes both starred on the team and lead the school to a state championship. Once graduation occurred the two headed off to college in different directions. Creighton was McDermott's school of choice while Barnes picked Carolina. At the time I wrote the story I had no idea the teams would face off in the NCAA's, the teams met in the field of 32. Barnes Carolina team prevailed
87-73. McDermott led Creighton with 20 points and 9 rebounds, Barnes chipped in with 17 points and 5 rebounds for Carolina.

The next Knicks coach????
Mike D'Antoni has resigned, Mike Woodson is the interim coach but that could change.  All sorts of stories are floating about who will replace Mike D'Antoni, three names of note are circulating. The Kentucky Wildcats John Calipari, retired philosopher Phil Jackson and former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Is coach Cal ready for the rigors of the NBA again, we really can't answer the question until he responds? I will be surprised, no shocked is a better word if PJ comes out of retirement. Stories have circulated for years ex-Knicks player PJ rides back to rescue the struggling franchise and leads them to the promised land. Undocumented stories indicated Laker in-charge guy Jim Buss wanted PJ gone which may or may not be true. Here's what will not occur, PJ to the Knicks. I love PJ as a coach but keep in mind both the Bulls and Lakers were nearly complete teams, they required a coach to provide stability and direction. The Knicks have several quality players but also a few knuckleheads. Chances are probably better for Jerry Sloan than PJ but I'm not sure if he is really interested in coaching again. The team seems to have responded in a positive manner to Mike Woodson, they could consider hiring him but that would be too much like right.

Is he the best power forward in the NBA?
It just so happens I think the best power forward these days is the Lakers Pau Gasol. I know I am going to receive flak for naming him the best especially because he's a Laker. Tim Duncan's game has declined so somebody must assume the mantle---best power forward in the NBA. I'm unsure what folks expect of his game, one thing for sure he is not going to mix it up down low, that is not his style of play. There are a group of Laker fans who think because he's 7-0 feet and 250 pounds Gasol needs to play down low in and around the paint area. Why do "they" make those statements, I'm unsure why they allow Dirk Nowitzi (same size) continued play on the perimeter with little or no criticism of his game? Gasol's game is that of many of today's 7-footers, shooting from the perimeter. If we just check his stats they are at or near the same level as in years past. His scoring average of 16.6 points and 10.4 rebounds a game certainly is adequate considering the number of shots taken by Kobe and now Bynum. His field goal percentage a sparkling .501 which is certainly noteworthy for a number of his field goals are perimeter and not dunks. The man plays defense, blocking shots and rebounding with the best. His skill as passing big man is second to none, in fact he might be the best currently. In my estimation there are only two other power forwards playing at or near Pau's skill level, Dirk Nowitzi and Kevin Love. Kevin Garnett, LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin are positioned a little lower on my scale.

This is funny
I could state New Yorkers or at least those living in Brooklyn continue to express their displeasure with Barclays Center. Late last week, our friends at Patch had some fun with the Barclays Center arena, asking readers if the 19,000-seat venue is ugly or not. Sure, the building isn’t really done yet, but who cares — we Brooklynites aren’t afraid to express our opinion even before its valid! So far, a couple hundred people have voted — and the verdict? “Eyesore” is winning with 65 percent of the vote. Although not completed I hope you've had an opportunity to see the architectural portrait, personally I don't think it looks that bad. Of course me living in Kansas City I don't have to drive past it so it will have little impact on my life.
(fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com)

Aircraft carrier game
The collegiate game played on the U.S.S. Carl Vinson would appear to become an annual event. The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Midway which is a floating museum will serve as the 2012 site of the carrier game on November 9th. Unconfirmed as participants are San Diego State and Georgetown, stay tuned for further updates.

He should have retired earlier

If Phil Jackson was in place Derek Fisher would probably still be a member of the Lakers! New offense, new coach plus 37-year old legs no longer allow Fish to remain a Laker. We could state with conviction he was never a good shooter but he was certainly clutch at times. He wasn't blessed with blinding speed but still managed to take a large number of charges over the course of his career. Fish always managed to do all the right things, those things that allowed us to see him as a winner. We've been witness, far too many players who continue to played long after their careers have ebbed. Fish was one of those guys, his heart and his competiveness would not allow him to announce a date he was retiring. As a long-time Laker fan I've witnessed a number of players leave via the trade route, Norm Nixon, Nick Van Exel and most recently Lamar Odom to name a few. Word from Houston they have reached a buyout agreement with Fisher. "Fisher had a $3.4 million player option for next season and is expected to be officially waived Monday. Fisher would then be free to sign with any other team but the Lakers if he clears waivers by Wednesday." The previous agreement allowed a player to resign with his former team if he wasn't claimed by any team. Zydrunas Illgaukas did that very thing the last year he played for the Cavs. A suggestion was made for Fish to return as a coach to the Lakers, I could see that. (ESPN.com)

 

I didn't do it

For the first time since I don't know when I didn't complete an NCAA tourney sheet. My main reason, it seems every year I must chose between two favorites. There is no desire on my part to pick Mizzou or some of my favorites to lose a game. By avoiding a bracket I am allowed to watch whatever game I desire. If the chosen team loses I'm upset but only on a temporary basis. I'm not suggesting you do this next year but it's far easier for me to view the entire field of teams. It didn't work for me---Mizzou was upset by a very good Norfolk State team. I feel like I've been kicked in the stomach, I didn't expect Mizzou to win the championship but I hoped they would advance to the final four. Lehigh did the same thing to Duke which was also was a two seed while Ohio upset four seed Michigan. I guess upsets were in the air Friday afternoon and evening, oh well, there's always next year. I guess there is some justice, Florida blew Norfolk State out of the building, 84-50.

 

His-story

I was a little surprised by Laker Andrew Bynum's post-game comment after last Tuesday's game. Bynum had a monster game against the Grizzlies a double-overtime win and his numbers were outstanding. How about this 83% field goal percentage, 37 points 16 rebounds 1 assist 1 steal and 1 blocked shot. Bynum's played at near this pace over his last 5 games so the courtside reporter asked him after the game what did he attribute this increased display. He said, "I been working with Darvin (Darvin Ham, Laker assist coach) on my footwork, I can leap over anybody." The surprise for me with his statement, early in his career Bynum was being coached and shown the finer points of playing center by Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Conspiracy theorist

I don't know about you but conspiracy theorist drive me nuts, area 51, flying saucers and the continent of Atlantis. They always come up with scenarios they only see, then try to convince us the validity of their often time wild theories. Conspiracy theorists exist in the NBA too, example the story regarding David Stern's possible retirement. A letter writer said of course he should retire "he's (Stern) responsible for referee Tim Donaghy cheating, the folded card that allowed the Knicks to draft Patrick Ewing. In addition Stern wanted the Lakers in the championship series and had the referees allow them to win their playoff series against the Blazers and Kings." The aforementioned is actually not one letter but a culmination of several letters. I wanted you to sample some of the strange folks out there. I have voiced my disagreement with David Stern over issues but none of the above are my choices. I know I must have missed at least 3 or 4 more conspiracy stories.

Mizzou recruiting news
Mizzou served as host to three candidates February 25th the weekend of the Mizzou-Kansas game. Devin Booker, a 6-4 shooting guard from Moss Point Mississippi. He's the son of former Mizzou All-American Melvin Booker. Also visiting was Larry Austin Jr. a 6-1 point guard from Springfield Illinois and Devonta Pollard a 6-7 small forward from De Kalb Mississippi. Booker and Austin are Class of 2014 and Pollard Class of 2012. Each has been given an offer but cannot sign until April 11, the spring signing period last until May 16. (PowerMizzou.com)

Surprise, surprise

For those old enough, surprise surprise was often the expression of Gomer Pyle USMC. Gomer Pyle was a mid to late '60's comedy television program about the misadventures of a Marine recruit. After the events of Thursday I think most Laker fans might be making the same statement surprise, surprise. After trading with the Cavs for 25-year old point guard Ramon Sessions many thought he would back up Derek Fisher.  Luke Walton and Jason Kapono went to the Cavs for Sessions and 22-year old Christian Eyenga a 6-7 210 pound shooting guard/small forward. Late Thursday afternoon Fisher was traded to the Rockets in exchange for Jordan Hill a 25-year old 6-10 235 pound power forward, with this move Sessions becomes the starter at the point. I thought it important to note the ages of all the players the Lakers received for a specific reason, in the space of a Thursday afternoon the Lakers became younger and deeper. It's not all good, I am going to miss tough, hard-nosed Derek Fisher and hope for nothing but the best for him in Houston. Another note, the "twin towers" remain in place, neither was moved. There were draft picks involved in the multiple deals but the warm bodies are more important to the story. Finally since these trades don't involve New Orleans I assume the commish will approve them!

An inspirational story

The March 7th edition of the Kansas City Star Sam Mellinger wrote a great article on Mizzou's Marcus Denmon. "Denmon takes his place among KC's best in college hoops" was the title. A respondent to the article said "Does anyone remember coming out of high school the debate was who was better, Releford or Denmon? Does that question deserve an answer?" In a sense the letter writer was correct but circumstances forced a change in Releford's game. Releford from Kansas City's Bishop Miege was a 6-5 guard, Denmon a 6-3 guard from Kansas City's Hogan Prep. Arriving on campus at KU there were so many players in front of Releford coach Self asked him to red-shirt a year. In addition to being red-shirted one year Releford was requested by his coach to concentrate his efforts on the defensive side, thus he became the teams defensive specialist. Releford is now a 6-6 210 pound small forward who can score when asked as evidence by the 28 points he scored against Oklahoma, he's just not asked to shoot. When he returns for his senior year his role will probably change, the bulk of scoring has been senior Taylor and Robinson who most likely will enter the NBA draft. We had no idea four years ago Denmon's game would turn out to be so much better than Releford's. At this point there are only five Mizzou players ahead of Denmon and he will most likely pass Steve Stipanovich who occupies fourth place. One other note, Denmon growing up in a tough inner-city neighborhood will graduate from Mizzou in May. (portion KC Star)

Give him a break

I'm unsure of your view, I thought all along Knick Jeremy Lin was a talent. I never expected any of the flash of Magic Johnson or even Rubio I just expected him to be a contributor. My expectations were he'd have good and bad games after all he's a second year player. The bad, that's what occurred against the Celtics and later the Mavs on March 6th. Lin scored 14 points but was 4 of 13 from the floor. He did contribute 7 assists and had only 2 turnovers in 33 minutes on the court. In case you were wondering about his backup and I'm not hating on Baron Davis, the veteran Davis really didn't do much better, 3 for 10 from the floor 6 points and 3 assists. Lin's next game was certainly better but the Knicks still lost, the game is still a team game. Against the Spurs Lin scored 20 points on 7-15 shooting and dished out 4 assists and only one turn-over. It would do Lin a valuable service if the media wasn't ready to report pounce on every story as soon as it occurred. If they would just give this youngster some space, I know that's not going to happen because he plays in New York City.

Mark your calendar

I don't remember if I gave you the date. Mark your calendar/planner for June 28th. NBA draft night and several players we've been watching over the winter and early spring will be there. As we get closer players will begin visiting various teams for workouts. In addition the NBA will conduct it's official skills trials in Chicago, no date yet. Players are gauge on their speed up and down the court. Their leaping ability and actual height. I say actual height colleges tend to fudge on measurements. The university measured him at 6-7 in height when he's actually 6-5. Charles Barkley was "measured" as 6-6 when playing at Auburn, turns out he was only 6-4 1/2.

He might be here already

I wrote the next Jeremy Lin was probably in training, while researching 2012 draft choices I uncovered information on the Jet. No, not Jason "Jet" Terry of the Mavs. Tsung-Hsien Chang or "Jet" is a 6-4 190 pound senior guard from Taipei Taiwan, he plays for Division II BYU-Hawaii located on the island of Oahu. Last year Jet led his team to the Division II championship in Springfield Mass. BYU-Hawaii came up short losing the championship 71 to 68 Bellamire despite the 35 point effort of the Jet. He was dubbed the Jet due to his lighting moves up and down the court. Jet was named the Pacific West Conference Player of the Year and to the
All-Conference First Team. He was the Pacific West Conference leading scorer with a 17.8 points per game average. Before you ask allow me to clear this up, I'm not stating Jet is headed to the NBA but you can be sure the NBA knows who he is.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk

Several thousand Kansas fans are upset with the results of Saturday's Big XII tourney final. They thought they would play Mizzou for the title win and then be announced as a 1 seed on Sunday. Fortunately (unfortunately for them) you must play the game before you can be declared a winner. "They can't take our trophy to the SEC, we must do all in our power to prevent that from happening!" I'm going to be fair to them, much more they have been to most Mizzou fans. This years KU team was really very good, Bill Self had to revamp the entire team and they still won the regular season championship. I've given them their due, how about doing the same for Mizzou? I told a friend yesterday "if I had told you last September Mizzou would win 30 games you'd have me committed for a mental health evaluation." He laughed and said you are correct but this is what occurred, seven players succeeded because they believed in their coach and trusted him. They played basketball with a chip on their shoulder, they didn't lose the chip after two losses to K-State and one each to Oklahoma State and KU. The chip was knocked off but they picked it up placed it on their shoulder again and said "we're ready." I forgot "Mr. Smooth" Kim English was named the tourneys most outstanding player. ESPN/coaches poll, Mizzou number 3, Kansas number 6, one more occurrence to dishearten fans of the mighty Jayhawks.

Bizarro World

This story is real close to a bizarro world moment! How likely do think two NBA players with fractured noses at the same time, you think maybe 70% to 80% probability? How about the possibility of two players wearing protective masks at the same time, that would most likely be lower 60% to 70%. How about the two playing in the same city? You say that's an astronomical conclusion and could never happen, hold on a moment it's already occurred. As most of you are aware Kobe Bryant has worn a plastic-like protective mask since he fractured his nose in the All-Star game. Sunday night I turned on NBA League Pass to check out the
Clippers-Warriors game, I was quite surprised to see Chris Paul attaching a mask similar to Kobe's on his face. Paul had suffered the same fate as Kobe, he'd fractured his nose in the Clippers previous game against the Spurs. So there you have it, two Los Angeles players with fractured noises and playing the game with protective masks.

Another honor

"The Atlanta Tipoff Club today announced that Shabazz Muhammad, the still-undecided No. 1 overall ranked boy’s player in the Class of 2012 from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev., is the 2012 Naismith High School Boy’s Player of the Year." Kansas folks thinks he'd headed to Lawrence. I would bet it ain't gonna happen! If it does I certainly will be surprised. One other note, the Atlanta Tipoff Club continues to recognize Muhammad as the number one player in the Class of 2012. (Slamoline.com)

They have a problem too

Friends have continued to pester me with questions, "what's wrong with the Lakers?" I've responded as honestly as I can but have held my secondary thought to myself. Why are they not questioning me on the defending NBA champs the Mavs? The defending champs are not the Lakers, it's the Mavs remember them? I'm more sure I could respond to a Laker question than one regarding the Mavs. Missing from last years team are Jose Barea, Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler. Butler was injured and contributed little toward the championship run, he's now playing for the Clippers. The Mavs added Lamar Odom but he's been M.I.A. off and on this season. As this is written (Tuesday) the Mavs are 24-20 and in 7th place in the Western Conference, they will make the playoffs as a 7th seed. If they continue to slid I cannot envision what Mark Cuban might do, can you? A defending NBA championship team not even making the playoffs the following year!

See you in Brooklyn

Several weeks back I mentioned Barclays Center had a $1 billion dollar price tag attached to it. Recouping them $1 billion spent it would be safe to assume you'd schedule as many events as possible. In addition to the NBA the arena will serve as host for the Legends Classic and Winter Hoops. November 19-20 the Legends Classic will be held, Georgetown, Indiana, UCLA and Georgia will be the participating schools. December 15th Michigan will play West Virginia in the first Brooklyn Winter Hoops Festival at Barclays. As you can see building management is filling up dates as we inch closer to completion of the building. This next story is really bizarre, New York's Finest (police) have been "fighting" over responsibility at the arena. "The 78th Precinct will be responsible for maintaining order at Barclays despite the fact the arena sits inside the 88th Precinct's jurisdiction." Figure that one out if you care to. (New York Post)

That's terrible

After some reluctance on my part I discovered Rickey Rubio can play in the NBA. I hate it whenever a player is injured and is forced to the sidelines, that's the case with Rubio. We know injuries are part of the game but still don't like to lose a player in this manner and in this instance he's lost for the balance of the year with a torn ACL, he sustained the injury last Friday in the Wolves-Laker game. In addition he will miss representing Spain in the Olympics this year. Rubio's offense was a work in progress at 10.6 points a game, as for his assists that was totally different story. He was averaging 8.2 assists which placed him 5th among the NBA's point guards. Hopefully Rubio heals successfully and is back on the court next season.

Bits n Pieces

It's been suggested the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Hornets swap team names. Utah is the beehive state, i.e. hornets. I've never visited Salt Lake City so I could be in error with this next statement, I can't imagine much jazz played in Salt Lake City. They will not swap names all they need to do is check out the Lakers. The Lakers never changed their team name when they moved from "the land of 10,000 lakes." Other than the Pacific Ocean I don't think there are any large bodies of water around Southern California.

Just in case you can't be in Chicago for the McDonald's game ESPN will telecast it at 9:30 p.m. ET., game date is March 28. One other high school All-Star game of note--the Jordan Brand Classic will be held in Charlotte North Carolina April 14. Same with this game If you can't check it in person ESPN will telecast it at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Jeremy Lin has continued to develop his game but two problems are evident. The Knicks are in a stretch playing better teams and the results are not positive as before. Carmelo Anthony's return has not aided the Knicks much, they lost last Friday to the Bucks their fourth loss in a row. Lin had a decent game, 20 points with 13 assists however he turned the ball over 5 times. The downward slide continued yesterday against Philly. Stoudemire only scored 9 points in the game, Anthony led the way with 22 points.  Lin scored 14 with 7 assists but 6 turnovers.

Jason Whitlock never allows the truth to interfere with a story he's writing. So it is with the story he wrote last week, this is a quote from his Fox Sports column. "Kobe is a scorer. Period. He can’t touch Michael Jordan as a defender. Kobe is not in the same zip code as Magic and Bird as a creator and teammate-elevator." Now for the facts and not something from the land of Whitlock's imagination. This is proof of at least one fact, Kobe
plays defense.  As I pointed out it's not a requirement to like or even approve of Kobe but at least tell the truth with the actual facts.  My count says Kobe's made the 1st or 2nd All-Defensive team 11 years Mr. Whitlock.

All-Defensive 1st team
2000 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
All-Defensive 2nd team
2001 2002

Wataru Misaka

Most of your are probably not familiar with the name in the title. With Lin-sanity at a frantic pace I thought it might be worthwhile to visit the past. The first Asian to play in the NBA played in 1947, his name was Wataru "Wat" Misaka. Misaka is a Japanese American born in Ogden Utah, he played for the University of Utah and led them to the 1944 NCAA and 1947 NIT Championship. Misaka was a 5-7 150 pound point guard, he was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1947 at the time the team was a member of the Basketball Association of American. Misaka played a brief three games during the 1947-48 season, he was released he says because the Knicks had too many guards. Misaka is still alive and at the age of 88 is fully aware of "Lin-sanity." (portions Wikipedia)

Basketball recruiting

Hopefully you remember the story on Nerlens Noel, he was reclassified and is now in the high school Class of 2012. I never received an explanation why he was to graduate in 2013 and now it's 2012. This 6-10 215 pound center from Boston displaced Shabazz Muhammad as the number one athlete in the Class. I've seen video of him but no game action, if he replaced Muhammad as number one he's got to have game. A few schools with offers on the table include UConn, Georgetown, Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina. In addition Syracuse and Providence are also in the mix, it might appear UConn has the inside track. If health issues force Jim Calhoun to retire the series of events might change. I could see Georgetown with the specter of Ewing, Mourning and Mutombo in it's history. In a related story the NCAA has contacted schools indicating there are concerns over Shabazz Muhammad's amateur status. Details are spelled out in a story on CBSport.com and probably other websites. (Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish CBSports.com College Basketball Insiders)

Never heard of him

Often where you chose to play has a bearing on a players visibility, few of you are probably familiar with Scott Machado from Iona. This 6-1 180 pound point guard leads the nation in assists at 10.1 per game, in addition he's averaging 13.1 points from the floor on .478 field goal percentage. The projections are nbadraft.net he'll be the 58th player in the second round. The other site draftexpress.com has Machado projected as the 40th player in the second round. Are you listening Jim Buss, here is your point guard for the future!

Imagine this

Mizzou beat Texas in the semifinals of the Big XII tournament Friday evening. Mizzou won the game 81-67 and Marcus Denmon was 0-10 from the floor and 2 points. You asked how they won their 29th game with little production from Denmon, well the usual suspects had outstanding games. We begin with Ricardo Ratliffe who grabbed 14 rebounds and scored 18 points. "Mr. Smooth" that's my new name for Kim English, he was 9-10 from the floor and 23 points. Flip Pressey only had 4 assists because he was to busy tossing in 23 points of his own. Next up for Mizzou, the championship final against Baylor. Mizzou did not disappoint against Baylor, final Mizzou 90 Baylor 75. The Tigers were led by the walking wounded, Marcus Denmon with 15 points on a bad ankle. "Mr. Smooth" Kim English led the way with a high game of 19 points. The two totaled 34 points, where might the balance of Mizzou's scoring come from? Well Ratliffe had 15, Flip Pressey scored 15 (with 8 assists) Michael Dixon tossed in 17.  Brother Matt had 5 points and reserve Steve Moore 4 and a rim-rocking dunk near the end of the game.

Bits n pieces

I didn't realize how valuable Chris Bosh was to the Heat! A number of Heat fans are claiming his absence ensured a Laker victory last Sunday. Wasn't this the same guy last year they were complaining about saying he was too soft, wish they would make up their minds.

David Stern says he's retiring in two years----I will believe it when I see it, do I sound anxious to see him go? Early in his years as commissioner I can think he exhibited strong sound leadership at a time the NBA required it. Lately he's become the old man next door to you, always angry and condescending you say to your relatives "I certainly will be glad when Mr. ________next door moves!"

Highly unusual, three teams Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State all tied for first place in the Big 10. Two-way ties are familiar, I'm sure it's probably occurred before I just can't remember a three-way tie.

Andrew Bynum had a monster game although his team lost to the Pistons in overtime 88-85. Bynum scored 30 points with 14 rebounds and 3 blocked shots while shooting .722 from the floor, he tossed in in 2 assists for good measure. Sorry sports fans, I'm still unwilling to trade him for Dwight Howard.

While complimenting Bynum above Kobe Bryant was a direct cause for their OT loss to the Pistons 88-85! See you thought I wouldn't go there. Bryant's point total (22) you might say "he had a fairly good game." Not so, 8 for 26 from the floor (.307) and 2 for 9 from the 3-point line (.222), I will give the Pistons defense some credit. They kept switching Stuckey (6-5) for Prince (6-9) on Kobe, the balance is pure Kobe taking far too many difficult shots! This is a real problem because it extended the next night when they played the Wiz. Kobe shot 9 for 31 (.290) and 3 for 9 from the 3-point line (.333). I guess he's trying to get Mike Brown fired.

MJ's crib

Michael Jordan's home in Highland Park (IL) is for sale $29 million. "The sprawling estate is in Highland Park, along Lake Michigan, and has more than 56,000 square feet of living space.That includes nine bedrooms, 15 baths and five fireplaces. There's also a three-bedroom guesthouse, pool area, outdoor tennis court and three climate-controlled multi-car garages. An indoor basketball complex features a full-size regulation court with specially cushioned hardwood flooring and competition-quality high intensity lighting. It has a sound system set up to provide perfect acoustics within the court space." (ESPN.com)

Another one bits the dust

I took liberty with the title of a Queen hit recording, but that's what occurred last night. In their Big XII post-season tourney opener the Tigers were on fire. Oklahoma State scored the first basket and were ahead 3-0, that might have been the last point they were ahead of Mizzou. Final score Mizzou 88 Oklahoma State 70, the game was not that close as Haith exceeded his 7-man rotation. Tight end Andrew Jones, Andy Rosburg and Jarrett Sutton were on the floor at various times throughout the game. Kim English led off in the first half of the game scoring most of his points in the first half and finished the contest with 27 points. Marcus Denmon after a slow start in the first half finished with 24 points. Flip Pressey scored but 4 points however he dished out 12 assists grabbed 5 rebounds and 5 steals.

He was fired

Sometimes being fired as a basketball coach or a 9-5 job might not always be a bad thing. Tommy Amaker's Harvard team is in the NCAA's for the first time since 1946. Jeremy Lin's college coach has done an outstanding job at Harvard after being fired at Michigan. Amaker's Harvard team is 92-54 and 43-27 in the Ivy League since his hire. Amaker's first year 2007-08 Harvard was 8-22 the following year 14-14. Since that time his teams have been 21--7, 23-7 and 26-4 this year. Being fired certainly wasn't detrimental to Amaker.

Bits n Pieces

If the Celtics still wish to trade Rajon Rondo I think the Lakers might be willing to take him off their hands. The guy is still not a good shooter as evidence his .350 from the floor. The balance of his game against the Knicks Sunday was epic, 18 points, 17 rebounds, 20 assist, 1 steal and 1 block shot. All this from a 6-1 186 pound point guard.

The Kansas City Star reported this story, at the beginning of the collegiate season "sportsbook Bovada had Missouri at 75-1 to win the NCAA championship." Later it went to 100-1, I guess this might have been around the time Laurence Bowers tore his ACL and it was reported he would missed the entire season. Interesting this week Vegas now says Mizzou is 10-1. (Kansas City Star)

I have always believed a person is entitled to their own opinion and view. At the same you are not entitled to your opinion or view if you utilize half-truths, innuendo and other caw-caw to validate your point! That's what we have with Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports, volumes of what he believes but nothing but his words and view to validate the position he takes. Monday's Fox Sports headline read: Kobe can win 10 titles; he still won't be LeBron's equal. Shame on me and you, I thought Whitlock would provide us proof of his argument and all he provided was caw-caw. Kobe Bean Bryant does not need me to defend him, that's not the issue here. This writer claims to know NBA basketball yet writes some of the most worthless dribble I've ever read. "Kobe is a shooter period" was one of Whitlock's line, if you hate Kobe that's okay but don't make up stuff to validate your opinion. Keep this in mind, Whitlock is the same person who dreamed up methods of "fixing" the NBA. One of his proposals NBA teams would pay bonuses to players who were without tattoos. His claim the no tattoo policy would make the game more fan friendly????

Cal's Jorge Gutierrez accomplished a rare feat, he was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Gutierrez modest numbers give you no clue to the value of this 6-3 195 pound point guard. His numbers 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. You just might hear his name called in June during the annual NBA draft. Want an inspirational story, Google his name.

I wondered if fans would boycott the NBA after the protracted Lockout, I have no attendance numbers but television numbers are way up. "Sunday's broadcast (Heat-Lakers) was watched by more than 7 million people. It equaled a Celtics-Lakers matchup last year as ABC's highest-rated non-Christmas regular-season game with a 4.3." (Associated Press)

He should be included in the race
CBSports.com has decided the collegiate player of the year is a two-man race. They project the selection to be either KU's Thomas Robinson or Kentucky's Anthony Davis. Both players have experienced outstanding seasons but so has Mizzou's Marcus Denmon. His scoring average (18.2) tops both Robinson and Davis. Denmon's 90.2 free throw percentage is the 12th highest in the nation and certainly exceeds Robinson and Davis. Naturally Denmon's field goal percentage is lower than Robinson or Davis he's most often shooting from distance. The problem, how does a 6-3 shooting compete for votes against two 6-10 guys? In fact of the ten players profiled Denmon and Murray State's Isaiah Canaan are the only guards. I know Robinson or Davis will most likely receive the award but it would real cool if Denmon received it.

Think you might need a loan if you had to feed these guys?

This is a basketball story but it's also a story of food. Question, can you imagine the grocery bill in the Zeller household? You see there is mom and dad plus brothers Luke, Tyler and Cody. Luke is currently playing in the NBA Developmental League, 6-11 245 pound Luke played at Notre Dame. The middle brother Tyler is 7-0 and 250 pounds. Tyler is in his senior year at Carolina playing for Roy Williams. The "baby" of the bunch would be Cody, he's at Indiana and is 6-11 230 pounds. I guess Mr. and Mrs. Zeller have some relief at the grocery store with all three brothers no longer eating meals at home. Of course this will change once schools out, most likely Tyler, Cody and Luke return home during the summer and the grocery bill rises substantially once again. We are assured of one thing, the grocery store manager breaks into a wide smile once the Zeller's arrive to shop.

He's goooooood too

I was so busy watching Ricky Rubio and Jeremy Lin I forgot about Kyrie Irving. I never got to see Kyrie play last season, he was injured in Duke's eighth game of the season. He would remain on the injury list most of the season. He completed his freshman year with a grand total of 11 games. Later in the spring when he announced he was entering the draft I said what, "does he think he's that good?" I've since found out he is that good, as of Tuesday February 28th he's scoring at an 18.1 per game clip, dishing out 5.1 assist and grabbing 3.5 rebounds per game.

He's got game

From a physical standpoint and skill level LeBron is the best in today's NBA! At 6-8 and 250 pounds he's got to be one of the quickest and fastest end line to end line. I imagine he could beat Tony Parker or any of the other speedy point guards in the league. The only problem it seems in critical playoff games he fails to use this speed. In the past he's hung out on the perimeter jacking up shot after shot. Once his teams advance to the crown jewel the NBA Championships I'm unsure what happens in his mind. I'm reminded of the story Bill Russell detailed in his autobiography, "we had guys who were always complaining about the number of shots they received during a game." Russell went on to say this "the desire to have the ball in their hands ceased once the team was in the playoffs." That basketball became a hot potato, shot and score you are a hero, shot and miss you become the goat! If you don't have the ball you can't shoot so "don't pass me the ball" in my Kwame Brown voice. I think we all understood what Larry Bird meant when he was asked about LeBron and Kobe, he said "you want to have fun, play with LeBron James. You want a ring, play with Kobe Bryant." In this instance it doesn't really matter if you like Kobe or not he has the spirit that says "you can't beat me!" Perhaps this year LeBron will full comprehend this warrior mentality Kobe has and help raise a championship banner in Miami.

Over before it starts

I would guess the Seattle deal and Christopher Hansen are dead in the water now. The commish says no more NBA expansion and for once I can agree with Stern, the product is diluted too much. There is work to be done, the NBA Board of Governors should insist all franchises are financially solvent. The Hornets should be at the top of the list. For reasons I'm sure based on Hurricane Katrina Stern feels angst about leaving The Crescent City. Another team in trouble Michael Jordan's Bobcats, they are barely hanging on. Even more interesting his buddy Charles Barkley took a swipe at him. He said "Michael Jordan is a bad owner, he's surrounded himself with too many yes men." Barkley's words not mine, to bad Michael cannot un-retire himself and become relevant on the court. We might include the Kings in this discussion however their situation might change drastically if the planned arena financing and associated actions are completed.

The Woodshed

Carolina took the Dukees to the woodshed and spanked 'em good. I turned the game on expecting a tight but competitive game, I wasn't prepared for what I witnessed. Duke was rated the number three team in the nation and Carolina was number six but you could have fooled me. I guess that just proves polls are sometimes in error and play on the court is the deciding factor. Coach K looked totally bewildered when he walked off the floor at half-time. The cameras caught him at a point I thought his head was going to explode. I'm sure my buddy Skip probably had his Carolina blue on sitting in front of his television set. For you Skip, final score:

Carolina 88 Duke 70

I've run out of adjectives

To describe the 2011-12 version of the Mizzou Tigers. This past Saturday we witnessed them demolish Texas Tech for their 27th win and 14th in conference. This win was on the road, Mizzou teams in the past always had difficulty playing on the road. This Mizzou team has set a record for the number of regular season games won. Okay you say Tech was in last place so the fact that Mizzou won shouldn't be such a big deal. It was a big deal because they could have phoned this one in, they were assured of a second place conference finish win or lose. I continue to be amazed by "The Magnificent Seven," the seven Tigers had balanced scoring, great defense and one more team they managed to outrebound. The Magnificent Seven was a reference to a classic 1960 movie Western set in Mexico. The storyline Yul Brynner's character gathered seven men each experts in a specific field to help defend a peasant village from bandits. Flip Pressey the director & distributor, Marcus Denmon the shooter, Ricardo Ratliff the rebounder and on and on, okay-okay I'm sorry I probably got carried away.

"Kobe Stopper"

The headline in Saturday's edition of the Miami Herald read: "Miami Heat's Battier could be Kobe stopper." I haven't heard that term used in a long, long time. You might remember Reuben Patterson who played in the association some years back. The Lakers originally drafted Patterson but he left in August of '99 as a free agent signing with the Blazers. Patterson was often matched against Kobe in practice thus he became the self-appointed "Kobe Stopper." That was Patterson's mantra, his only claim to fame in the NBA. Funny, I never actually remember Patterson stopping him! I remember games he made it difficult for Kobe to score, I also remember games Kobe was en fuego despite the fact Patterson was guarding him, scratch that I meant watching him! Battier did a good job on Kobe-----he held him to 33 points on .608 from the floor and a Laker win.

Sacramento Kings

Last spring I wrote the team's obituary for Kings fans, I thought for sure this team was headed to Southern California. Three NBA teams in SoCal didn't really make a great deal of sense to me but what do I know! I imagined the movers had been contacted and given a date to pickup furniture, files and equipment from Power Balance Arena. My mind journeyed back to 1985 and this franchise leaving Kansas City for Sacramento, I don't remember anybody or any organization fighting to maintain a presence in the NBA. It would have been great if Kansas City had a Kevin Johnson in 1985. Mayor Johnson (and former Suns point guard)

saved the day for Sacramento and Kings fans. He appeared before the NBA Board of Governors last year and convinced them it was worthwhile for the NBA to remain in Sacramento. His appeal worked, the city was allowed 1-year to present an agreement to the same Board of Governors. As the clock tick toward the March 1st deadline we thought the city might miss the deadline. An agreement was presented including a new arena, it was left up to the city council to vote yes or no on the proposal. Unless the city council fails to approve the deal (not likely) we can say Sacramento managed to keep it's team. It would have really been cool if Kansas City had a Kevin Johnson in 1985. I wonder why the NBA has never looked at St. Louis again, the Hawks were a mainstay before they too packed up and headed for Atlanta.   

Where is the ball?

If you are a student of the game I could say Wilt, 100 points or Hershey Pennsylvania and you know the answer before the question is asked. I would be referring to the game Wilt Chamberlain set the all-time single game NBA scoring record. This historic event occurred 50 years ago last Friday. It was March 2, 1962 in that time period NBA teams would sometimes "farmed" out home games and that's what occurred here. This historic game wasn't played in Philadelphia home of the Warriors it was played in Hershey Pennsylvania about 100 miles from downtown Philadelphia. The Warriors opponent that evening was the New York Knickerbockers, the game was played before 4,124 souls although upwards of 10,000 folk have claimed to have been at the game. Wilt's team won the game, final score Philadelphia 169 New York 147. "The game was not televised, and no video footage of the game exists; there are only audio recordings of the game's fourth quarter. The NBA was not yet a major league sport and struggled against college basketball." I realize that statement sounds strange today considering the NBA's impact here and abroad. The game of the century and no visual record exists, read Fran Blinebury's story on NBA.com he details how the game ball from that historic night was "lost." Want some more, how about this Wilt collected 55 rebounds in one November 1960 game against the Celtics, no overtime it was a regulation game. Highest season scoring average 50.4 set during the 1961-62 season, can you imagine scoring 50+ points every time you walked out on the court? That 1960-61 season Chamberlain averaged 27.2 rebounds per game. Chamberlain felt maligned by the public, he never received the praise he thought deserved, it was always given to his number one opponent Bill Russell. Chamberlain once said "Russell had better teammates surrounding him then I did." The statement certainly rang true, Russell only bested Chamberlain in games won he never ever stopped Chamberlain on the court! Russell made it difficult for him to score but he never shut Chamberlain down. (Wikipedia)

The most invisible Division I basketball program in the nation

I can't imagine a more invisible Division I program than the University of Missouri at Kansas City or UMKC. In late fall I wrote of the universities pathetic basketball program. Most of the architects of the program have retired or moved on to other employment. As this is written the Kangaroos are 10-20, 4-13 in the Summit Conference. UMKC became a Division One program in 1990 and competed as an independent until the school joined the Summit Conference in 1994. In 23 years the team has only played at .500 or above 8 times. Until recently the school's games were played at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City. Former mayor Berkley arranged to lease the building to UMKC for $1.00 a year but that might have contributed to a portion of the problem. The auditorium is located some 5 miles from the campus, I'm unsure if any type of bus service was available to the students. The university's team has never reached the level many thought might be possible. Initially I wanted UMKC in the Missouri Valley Conference, I'm so thankful the conference didn't contact them or vice-versa, this team might have never won a game in that conference. Present problems, present solutions. The key, downgrade the program to Division II, III or NAIA as my barber Ed informed me a month or so ago. (Wikipedia)