Bits n Pieces

A week or so ago I wrote of the Warriors plan to move back to San Francisco. There was no intent on my part to be funny when I said "where was Golden State?" Of course I knew the team was based in Oakland however the name change that was made when the team moved I never fully understood. Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings is easy, two cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Branding the sports teams Minnesota allows both cities and the state for that matter to claim allegiance to the team. The Texas Rangers receive a free pass, the name has a historical connection to the state.

In keeping with my attempt to update you on possible 2012 draft choices make a note of these names. The first name to remember is Ivy League athlete Greg Mangano who played at Yale. Mangano is a 6-11 240 pound power forward, his senior numbers, 18.2 ppg and 9.6 rebounds. Kyle O' Quinn of Norfolk State led his team to the upset victory over Mizzou in the NCAA tournament. O' Quinn is a 6-10 240 pound PF/C, he scored at a 15.9 ppg clip and grabbed 10.3 rebounds. Introducing the next Serge Ibaka, just kidding I have no idea. Festus Ezeli of Vanderbilt game is similar to that of Ibaka, he's still learning the game. As a 6-11 255 pound athlete he has a ready made NBA body, although he attended Vanderbilt Ezeli hails from Benin City Nigeria.

I decided to check Rivals and ESPN's Class of 2013 athletes, both lists are almost mirror images of the other. A name of note is Ishmail Wainwright who plays for Montrose Christian Academy in Rockville Maryland but that's not where the story actually began. Wainwright played at Raytown South High School (suburban Kansas City) but left after his freshman year. He transferred to Montrose indicating he wanted to player against better competition and at the same time grow his game, all indications point that both occurred. Many of us in the Kansas City metro can debate if Wainwright's view was valid or not, playing here certainly didn't seem to be impair Mizzou's Marcus Denmon or Michael Dixon Jr. In fairness to Wainwright the school has produced three current NBA players, the Thunder's Kevin Durant, Linas Kleiz of the Raptors and the Hornets Greivis Vasquez.

I hope I'm not guilty of writing attention grabbing headlines. In any event Rumors & Gossip by Yardbarker (an offshoot of Fox Sports) headline read: "Knicks didn't want Phil Jackson?" To the uniformed it might have appeared the Knicks turned Jackson down, I wonder if they ever stopped to consider maybe Jackson didn't want the Knicks? The Knicks made the playoffs this past season but Jackson has been a coach for teams just beneath the championship rung, that was both the Bulls and Laker teams. No one could consider this edition of the Knicks remotely close to a championship team. That issue aside I'd said a number of weeks back I thought Mike Woodson deserved the job and the Knicks did the right thing, they signed him to a 3-year contract.

I'm pleased Shaq's indicated he's no longer in the running to become general manger of the Magic. Shaq has proved he's not beyond working long hours to gain advanced degrees but there is a difference. His masters and PH.d were directly beneficial to Shaquille O' Neal and no one else, that's not intended to be critical of him just to point out a fact. We might ask the question would he be willing to work the extended hours that might be required of a general manager? We don't have an answer but there is a method of addressing the question. It's okay for him to crack jokes and offer analysis on television but if he's really serious I'd like to see him go to work in a teams front office. He could seek a position that would allow him to gain working knowledge of how an NBA team is run, the next time a general managers position opens it wouldn't be as much of a stretch for him to submit his name.

ESPN's Chris Palmer tweet, "LeBron James is a better basketball player than Larry Bird. What can I tell you?" I wonder what prompted Palmer's tweet? I have stated over and over how difficult it is to compare player's from different era's, if we just focused on the numbers and career Bird is clearly the superior player. You notice I didn't say athlete, I have no difficulty stating James is the better athlete! I was ranting the other day on this very subject, a friend said "do you expect the media to focus on Abdul-Jabbar or Jordan, those players are retired?"

An acquaintance asked me for my predicted 2012 NBA champion. I will remind many of you and inform others I don't predict! I ain't scared to be wrong that's not the issue, the problem as I see it often injuries and other issues come up we couldn't have possibly comprehended. I'm always reminded of the 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers, they won 57 games that season which certainly wasn't dominating. That team swept the playoffs right up to the NBA Finals. Keep in mind they were coming off two consecutive NBA championships and all the experts figured they would make quick work of the Detroit Pistons. Without consulting the record book I remember the sequence I just don't remember which game, first Magic Johnson went out with an injury. Okay they still had hot-shooting guard Byron Scott on hand, Scott went down later. Your starting point guard and shooting guard both out of action in the biggest series of the year you can figure out the balance of the story, the Pistons swept the Lakers 0-4. Of course I have teams I prefer to win over another even with my Lakers but I never, ever predict victory, how about you? Truth be told I'm sitting this years NBA championship out.

The College Basketball Experience

I'm repeating a story, you might not have been a regular reader or you might have missed it the first time around. Most are familiar with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield (MA). This hall's list of contributors, coaches and players cover the entire spectrum of ball. Kansas City (MO) serves as home to The College Basketball Experience, collegiate hall of fame. Those enshrined in this hall are a reflection of the college game, doesn't matter if they had an NBA career or not. The hall is entitled experience due to the number of interactive exhibits. Just as in Springfield a new class of honorees is enshrined each November. The CBE is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, open Wednesday through Sunday. If you are traveling through or to Kansas City it's worth a stop for basketball fans. It sits next door to the Sprint Center at 1401 Grand Boulevard Kansas City (MO) 64106.

http://www.collegebasketballexperience.com/contactus.aspx?footer

Please stop the madness
I've tried to avoid the verbiage regarding LeBron James and his value. James has just been announced as the winner of this years MVP his third. I have no issue with him receiving the award I think it's certainly noteworthy. I take issue with Stephan A. Smith, Chris Broussard and others falling all over themselves defending James and pointing out to the masses how good he is. It seems to me at times they are defending their position more so than the athlete. James is a great physical specimen but there is more than physical strength required. What occurs between a players ears is just as important. The only negative on the resume of James is his lack of playing in the clutch in the fourth quarter of key games, it seems he manages to distance himself from the ball. He's allowed Wade, Haslem and others to take the game winning shot. Winning an NBA championship is not the mark of an all-time great there are several greats who never won a championship. An athletes exploits on the court are just as valid. I won't be rooting for James but I hope he can win an NBA championship for one reason. The reason is guys like me can cease writing these types of stories. If for some reason the Heat and James fail to win this year, well.

Chicago is in da house, again
This city on the shores of Lake Michigan continues to produce significant numbers of basketball talent. Derrick Rose, Anthony Davis are two of the most recent number of athletes who grew their game in the Windy City, we can add the name of Jabari Parker to the list. Parkers is rated the number one basketball prospect in the Class of 2013. This Chicago native had a rare honor, he was recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Over the years few youth his age have been graced with their face on the cover of this magazine. In addition they made a bold statement which certainly creates intense pressure for the 6-9 Parker, "he's the best high school player since LeBron James." An interesting view considering just this year we've had Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel number one and two players in the nation in the Class of 2012 to compare. I could go further back but you see the direction this is headed, SI is saying he's the best since the 2003 class of LeBron James. Parker's resume, check this out, "three state championships, Gatorade National Player of the Year, USA Basketball Men's Athlete of the Year." There is a another Chicago youngster we can focus on, his name is Jahlil Okafor and he's a 6-11 280 pound center. Okafor is the number three prospect in the class of 2014 and attends Whitney Young high school.

Betcha didn't know this

Charles Barkley was listed as 6-6 but reports persist he was actually 6-4 and 1/2. Whatever his actual height 11.7 career rebounds per game is still pretty amazing, so is his 22.1 ppg scoring because he was often shooting over taller players. Another smallish forward was Adrian Dantley who preceded Barkley, he finished his career with a lifetime 24.3 ppg average. Dantley was a 6-5 small forward whose pro career ran from 1976-1991, interesting Wikipedia my numbers source list Dantley as a forward/guard. Trust me, he played far more at the forward position than he ever played as a guard. In the '70's and '80's The NBA began employing taller players at the shooting guard and both forward positions. Of course these taller players had skills similar if not superior to many of the smaller players. An example might be Clyde Drexler, he entered the NBA in 1983 as a 6-7 shooting guard, he would have been a small forward in the '50's rather than a guard. The late Dave Debusshure along with several others set the standard for power forwards stood 6-6 and 220 pounds, can you imagine playing power forward in today's NBA with that height and weight? Dantley was often matched against opposing players who were often 3-5 inches taller than his 6-5 frame. He always managed to get his shot off, I don't remember ever seeing his shot blocked. He was a 6X NBA All-Star, NBA Rookie of the Year and 2X NBA scoring champion in 1981 and 1984. Dantley was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2008. He served as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets for eight seasons. (Wikipedia)

Don't count me in the number

Fans of Jeff Van Gundy need not don't bother reading this story. In an ESPN interview profiled in Slam Magazine Van Gundy tore into the Magic for the manner they handled his brothers termination. There are NBA fans who appreciate Van Gundy for his outspokenness and candor, don't count Larry Laker among that number. Hey Jeff do you have any idea why GM's are not calling you regarding their team? Think I'm just blowing smoke, consider how many coaching changes have taken place since the Rockets fired him in May of 2007? Is it possible Van Gundy's outspokenness and combativeness during ESPN broadcasts might be a contributing factor? It might have occurred but I certainly don't remember him even being under consideration.

Sorry I had to write this

Just when I think I might have written the last story on Barclays Center my attention is drawn to another. We know parking is an issue anywhere in New York City so it shouldn't be a surprise there might be parking problems surrounding the Brooklyn home of the Nets. The arena will not have near the parking for automobiles as originally announced for this 19,000 seat arena. The plan is for attendees at all events to take advantage of increased railway, subway, bus stops and bicycle parking. Yes I did say bicycle parking, Barclays will have parking space for 400 bicycles. I think we can relate to the automobile traffic issue and we might even more environmentally friendly on a bicycle versus an air-polluting automobile. Let me see if I understand this, my date and I will bicycle to a Nets game in 20 degree winter weather? During the course of the game we have three or four adult beverages, at the games conclusion we bicycle back to our condo. Don't shot the messenger I'm just providing the news that's available.

Sorry that's not my outlook

The doom and gloom and dire projections for the Lakers are not shared by Larry Laker. Wholesale changes could take place next season and they still might not win. There are major issues to be addressed in the off-season, in my view most of the issues revolve around the Laker bench. Laker fans in particular are upset with the disappearing act by Pau Gasol once the playoffs started, again I'm not ready to kick him to the curb yet. His regular season numbers were close to his lifetime numbers and considering this, Andrew Bynum's offense was added to the mix. Throughout his career Gasol has been a 7-foot finesse player why are folks wanting him to be Shaq or Dwight Howard, he's never had a power game. That was point one, point two I'm unsure what to say about Bynum, he had a breakout year however there are other issues. Was his breakout based on signing a max contract over the summer? The biggest issue, why doesn't he come to play every night? Bynum certainly has maturity issues to address whether with the Lakers or some other team. Despite the baggage Metta World Peace sometimes comes with him he can still play. How much of the shorted season contributed to his inability to shot the basketball until the last few weeks of the season? I'm not sure where or who replaces Ramon Sessions but perhaps he might be better in a back-up role rather than as a starter. I'd like less shooting and more rest for Kobe Bryant, as conditioned as he is there is no reason he couldn't have at least two more fully productive seasons. If the coach is in place next season hopefully he will allow youngsters extended playing time, it would aid in determining if they can play.

NBA Draft combine
Chicago will once again serve as host for the 2012 NBA Draft Combine. A total of 60 players from across the nation have been invited to the June 7-8 event. The combine is the second act prior to the June 28 draft, the first act was the Portsmouth (VA) Invitational Tourney which was held April 11-14. Last season NBA TV provided television coverage of the two day event, it's very likely there will coverage this year. Vertical jump, bench press, 3/4 court sprint, lane agility drills and height measurement are are just a few of the exercises conducted by NBA officials. Accurate height measurements are probably most interesting to me, you might ask why? It's a long-time policy for colleges to exaggerate a players height, they are measured with and without shoes. At the time Charles Barkley played at Auburn they listed him as 6-6, he was actually measured and stood no more than 6-4 and 1/2.  The same might be said for Mizzou guard Kim English, he was reported as 6-6 but is probably no more than 6-5.

International ball

With the exception of a few names I'm not as familiar with the international game as I'd like to be. There are at least two Euro athletes who might be in the June draft. Evan Fournier a 6-7 206 pound guard, he's projected as a first round pick by draftexpress.com and second round by nbadraft.net. Fournier played for Poitiers International and Saint-Maurice France is his hometown. An injury prevented him from attending a tryout held by the Nets and Rockets recently. Don't be surprised if David Stern or Adam Silver calls his name in June. Also make note of another name, Tomas Satoranksy. Satoranksy is a 6-6 207 combo guard. Currently he plays for Cajasol Sevilla, his hometown is Prague in the Czech Republic. Sataoranksy's name is also listed on both mock draft sites, he says "there is a 50-50 chance I will enter the draft." As we get closer and closer to June 28 I will attempt to profile players you might be unfamiliar with.

Who do you trust
The above was the title of a '60's television quiz program, we could utilize that term for the NBA teams seeking a head coach. At the bowling alley the other night I held a brief discussion with another bowler. I informed my friend "there are few quality coaches with the exception of Phil Jackson." I forgot long-time former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Sloan certainly would provide the leadership and veteran presence the Bobcats and Magic seek. The man must really be anxious to coach again if he's looking at the Charlotte job.  Despite what might appear to be a negative I happen to think Stan Van Gundy is still a good coach.  He probably is not as anxious as Sloan might be.

His net worth
I'm unsure how you feel but I find this next story quite interesting, at the time an athlete becomes a free agent his worth is often derived based on the number of teams desiring his services. The Raptors have made it known they want to sign soon to be free agent Steve Nash, they claim to have a a fall-back plan just in case.  If they are unable to sign Nash they intend to pursue Knicks guard Jeremy Lin. That probably sounds a little strange announcing your intentions in advance of free agency but makes for another scenario. Should we suppose the Knicks are going to allow Lin to walk having this information this far in advance. Secondly is this a possible smokescreen by the Raptors? Of course all bets are off if the bid for services rises beyond the amount the Knicks can afford. While completing this story I read unconfirmed reports Lin is looking westward at the Lakers.

Speaking of the Knicks

It's reported the front office is ironing out a contract for Mike Woodson, the interim term being removed. It's the only thing to do, other than Phil Jackson who would you replace him with? Sure there are a number of name coaches with no jobs but Woodson deserves this one. He needs to fully implement his coaching approach to this team, taking over in the middle of the season and a shortened one at that left him little wiggle room. For those folks who want to remind us of Atlanta I admit I've followed him with the Knicks much closer than his tenure with the Hawks. Besides the fact he's not the first coach to be fired and moving to another team certainly looked better. All we need to do is focus north of NYC, everyone adjust to the circumstances around them, I believe Doc Rivers is the same coach in Boston as the one who was fired in Orlando. In a related Knick report Lamar Odom wants to play for the Knicks or at least that's the reported story. Makes sense in a manner of speaking, this Queens (N.Y.) native could end his career where it started in the Big Apple. In addition I'm sure as a kid he grew up rooting for the Knicks.

Bits n Pieces

News out of Orlando is neither shocking nor surprising, the Magic have relieved coach Stan Van Gundy and general manager Otis Smith of their duties. Do you see Dwight Howard's fingerprints all over this move, facts are facts it's far easier to fire a coach/general manager than a superstar player. Doesn't matter if you are a Howard fan or not the NBA is still a players league, he always wins these types of disagreements.

This reported information is not good news, there is an indication the Bulls Derrick Rose could miss 8-12 months. 12 months from today would take us into the middle of May, the 2012-13 season would have been completed. Worse case scenario Rose misses the entire season, would he try for a comeback in the playoffs? That's only a question he could answer but it might be highly unlikely. Hopefully his healing will be closer to 8 months rather than season long.

We all know basketball has continued to grow internationally, there have been an ever increasing number of European and African players in the NBA. An interesting trend has begun to occur, many have journeyed to the nation's universities and colleges to hone their basketball skills. We can use Florida State University as an example, Coach Leonard Hamilton has added three big men to the program all international athletes. Recently signed was Micahel Ojo a 7-1 290 pound center who hails from Lagos Nigeria . Earlier the school inked 7-3 210 pound Boris Bojanovsky from Slovakia and Robert Gilchrist 6-9 from London England. All three will arrive on campus in August for the 2012-13 basketball season.

A flagrant foul is not always worthy of suspension. Check out this action from the second game of the Heat-Pacers series. Dwayne Wade throws a body block on Pacer Darren Collison. That block would bring a smile to several NFL defensive backs. The official deemed it a flagrant foul however the NBA office didn't view it warranted a suspension. The commish claimed the suspension of Metta World Peace was based on his "past history." Apparently Wade has no past otherwise he would have been suspended at least one game. Oh, I forgot this is a Heat player we can't suspend him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMLnOTewYGg&feature=related

In news that really isn't news Lamar Odom received no playoff share, his former Mavs teammates voted against sharing. I don't think anyone would find fact shocking based on Odom's contributions to the Mavs this past season. For a variety of reasons Odom's body while in Dallas his head remained very much in Los Angeles. Many said although he demanded the trade he didn't really want to leave the Lakers, insert old adage here, "be careful what you wish for." I confess I'm a Lamar Odom fan and it has nothing to do with him being a former Laker. I've followed his career since his high school days, I was a little surprised when he chose Rhode Island over several others but he only played his freshman year. After he came to the Lakers in the Shaq trade he'd arrived home, one of my favorite players with my favorite team. I wanted him to remain a Laker for life but after last season and the teams hasty first round exit I knew change was in the air. There have been a number of Laker players I was happy to see leave, Kwame Brown and Elden Campbell to name a few. I hope Odom's able to return to the Lakers minus the huge contract, I think not only does he want to be in Los Angeles he wants to be a Laker.

It's rather unusual for a player to make a college choice this late in the year. That's the decision in front of Devonta Pollard of Porterville Mississippi, Pollard the number 22 player in the Class of 2012 remains uncommitted. This 6-7 190 pound forward is the only remaining high profile player yet to chose a school. His choice will be among the six schools with offers currently on the table, this includes Mizzou. Reports indicted it's likely he's headed to Alabama or Texas according to The Sporting News.

 

Moving swiftly

This story was just reported last week but it's moving much faster than many of us first thought. Are the Warriors headed back to San Francisco, that's the report in a San Jose newspaper. The San Jose Mercury News reported on Sunday that the Warriors could relocate from Oracle Arena in Oakland to a new stadium in San Francisco by 2017. "Warriors have finalized plans to move to San Francisco. Announcement could come as early as Tuesday. Pier 30/32 arena with private money. New arena would be state-of-the-art multi-use (basketball, concerts) facility, making the most of Bay-front location. Pier 30 and 32 are just north of AT & T Park." The NBA and more specifically David Stern had made it known "the NBA would never return to Seattle until an adequate arena was built." Looks as though the arena just might be on the horizon. This project is in the infancy stage however hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen plus the City of Seattle and King County have come to a memorandum of understanding on financing a new NBA arena. Location of the arena is yet to be determined however the plans are for an 18,500 seat arena. The arena would be built in an attempt for the Emerald City to regain an NBA franchise.

 

You have my permission

If you are not a Laker fan it's okay to skip this and move on to the next story. I've had difficulty coming to this conclusion but I think it's time for a do-over for this edition of the Los Angeles Lakers, where do they go from here? This is an issue that's concerned me since the end of the 2011-12 season when they were swept by the Mavs. Two issues I refuse to discuss is Mike Brown's status or possible trades, both are to much too unpredictable and unclear at this point. We'll focus on the present roster for discussion purposes. In all likelihood Kobe Bryant will be history in 3 years, so will Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol. Who joins Andrew Bynum (if he's still there) in the starting lineup? Ramon Sessions has suffered a rough playoff after providing a spark to the team with his arrival this year. Is he the answer or will rookie Darius Morris eventually replace him at the point? Andrew Goudelock at 6-3 has a point guard body but has played caddy to Bryant during the season, can he replace him once Bryant retires? Can Devin Ebanks or Christian Eyenga (?) replace MWP at the small forward? The upside role we've seen of Jordan Hill can his play become further enhanced as a starter at the power forward position? If not the role of starting power forward might lie with Josh McRoberts whose exhibited a degree of skill as a backup. The balance of the team, Barnes, Blake and Murphy are all gone perhaps as soon as this upcoming off-season.

 

Did you know

Surprise, surprise the term alley-oop was first applied in the NFL and not the NBA as people might assume. I would go farther and state most NFL players probably didn't know the origin of the phrase either. "The term "alley-oop" is derived from the French term allez hop!, the cry of a circus acrobat about to leap. The term "Alley Oop" was first used in the 1950s by the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL to describe a high arcing pass to wide receiver R.C. Owens, who would outleap smaller cornerbacks for touchdown receptions ("The Catch", the famous Dwight Clark touchdown reception from Joe Montana by which the 49ers gained entry into their first Super Bowl was also an "Alley Oop" pass) and later became more well-known from its use in basketball." As for basketball there have been stories Wilt Chamberlain would "guide" teammates shots into the basket. The no dunk rule which existed in college at a point might have been the driving force for it being introduced into the game of basketball. In the early 1970's North Carolina State had a player David Thompson, Thompson was a 6-4 leaper who reports indicate had a 48-inc vertical. This lob and leap became part of the NC State offense as he and guard Monte Towe worked it to perfection. (Wikipedia)

 

A shout-out

I've written several stories critical of ESPN especially the .com side of the family. My criticism has been the times I think they have gone over the top. In a reversal for me I'm going to toss a few roses in the direction of the World Wide leader as it relates to basketball. It seems but a short time ago college basketball games on television were the Saturday afternoon rule, the only exception might be if you lived in or near a college town. Weeknight games forget it, they didn't exist on a national basis but that's another story. Potential recruits with NBA aspirations would say "I want to go to _____ college so I can get television exposure." Today's coverage principally ESPN you cannot escape the television eye. Back then you might have seen the last two weekend games of the NCAA tournament but no weeknight games except the championship game. That's a far contrast from today even CBS upgraded it's NCAA broadcast coverage to reflect the changing times. As for the NBA it was only available on broadcast television, a game of the week was usually telecast on a Sunday afternoon. Unless you lived in an NBA city games were almost exclusively telecast from January to the NBA championship. The advent of cable and ESPN certainly contributed to the sports boom in broadcasting. Allow me to say thank you to ESPN and others for giving us additional opportunities to view both college and NBA basketball.

 

Busy as Grand Central Station

The above is an ancient expression, the statement was often made about the train terminal in NYC. It was always busy but so was Staples Center in Los Angeles, the arena was a weekend stop for both the NBA and NHL. Saturday afternoon the Clippers served as host to the Spurs, in the evening the Lakers and Thunder played. Sunday afternoon the NHL Kings played the Phoenix Coyotes. The weekend culminated with a Sunday evening game between the Clippers and Spurs. You get that, the Lakers played Friday and Saturday night, the Clippers Saturday afternoon and Sunday night. The NHL Kings played Sunday afternoon, this arena was truly a multi-purpose, multi-use building over the weekend.

It's still a team game

Two years ago the circus arrived in Miami, the three Amigos came out to a sound and spectacular introduction. The statement was made, "not one, not two, not three etc. etc." was the statement uttered regarding championships. Check out this July 2010 video, we could say winning the first one might be the most difficult! In addition you need more than three players to win---you need a team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT-I8jQDQ7c

Are they moving
San Francisco Warriors flows far easier than Golden State Warriors doesn't it? We know where the team plays but what exactly is a "Golden State?" It would appear rebranding the team Oakland Warriors would have made far more sense but what do I know?  That's another story for another time, the matter at hand. We must first briefly revisit the past to determine how we arrived here. The Warrior franchise moved to San Francisco from Philadelphia in 1963, they played until 1971 as the San Francisco Warriors. In The City "they played in the Cow Palace from 1962-64 and the San Francisco Civic Auditorium from 1964-66. When the Oakland Coliseum Arena opened in 1966 the team began playing an increasing number of games in that arena." The franchise moved to Oakland in 1972 and were re-named Golden State the name that remains in effect to this day. City leaders in San Francisco are attempting to entice the team to return to the city for the 2017-18 season. City leaders announce their intention to work with the management of the team to locate them back to San Francisco. The proposal (and it's just that at this point) is to build a waterfront arena. Although we are talking five years away Oakland government has already indicated they will fight the move. This is the beginning of a long and projected fight by both municipalities, stay tuned for further developments. Please note, reference was made to The City which was emblazoned on the team jerseys, no team nickname, The City. To this day I still think that might have been the coolest jersey of all-time. (Wikipedia)

Where is the arena

Keeping the theme on arena's there is another one to discuss. Location, location location, we've heard that adage for years but how important is it? From firsthand experience it's very important, although Kemper Arena is located inside the city boundaries the traffic into and out of the arena was extremely difficult based on it's location. The traffic into and out of Sprint Arena (downtown Kansas City) is so much better than Kemper. I was talking to a friend who grew up in Detroit. He pointed out to me the Palace at Auburn Hills is the most distance arena for any NBA team. I knew the building was in a suburban area but I didn't realize it was nearly 40 miles from downtown Detroit. Once upon a time the Pistons played at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit on the banks of the Detroit River. The 12,000 seat arena became too small by NBA standards, the Pistons moved to the Pontiac Silverdome. The problem with the Silverdome it was football stadium made to accommodate basketball. Talk has begun again in Detroit regarding a downtown arena, in this instance a shared arena with the the NHL Red Wings. Of course we are all aware shared facilities are common place in cities with both and NBA and NHL team. Of the 29 other NBA teams all are located inside the city boundaries of the city, most are located in the downtown area too.

Did you see this

The Kentucky team along with coach Cal visited the White House recently, the visit has become the customary for a championship team no matter the sport. Of course the usual pleasantries were dispensed on the team and coach Cal by President Obama. The president made mention he and Anthony Davis are both from Chicago, he further stated he'd visited the school Davis attended while campaigning four years ago. President Obama was presented senior's Darius Miller's number one jersey. Of course the name on the back of the jersey was changed to Obama, the team also presented him with a basketball autographed by team members. It might have occurred before but I don't remember any president ever presented a memento such as the NCAA championship ring President Obama received.

Really?
A comment by a studio host on NBA TV caused me to conduct an internet search. He said the Clippers have never won a playoff series until this season, I knew playoff appearances had been rather rare but I didn't know how rare. You probably thought losing was part of the Los Angeles history of this team not so, losing goes back much further than Los Angeles. Founded as the Buffalo Braves in 1970 the team made the playoffs in their fourth year of existence finishing the regular season 42-40. They went on to lose the Eastern Conference Semifinals which would be repeated over the next two seasons. From 1976-1991 the franchise never made the playoffs the reminder of their Buffalo existence. They moved to San Diego for the 1978-79 season and were renamed the Clippers however the losing continued, in 1984-85 they moved to Los Angeles where they retain the Clipper nickname. The 1991-92 Clipper team made the playoffs losing in the first round of the Western Conference, since that season playoff appearances have been foreign to this franchise. They made the playoffs in 1992-93, 1996-97, 2005-06 and 2011-12. (basketballrefernce.com)

What wouldn't they keep him
The ESPN.com headline read "Woodson, the Knicks to re-sign Lin," after I read it I said to myself why would they not sign him? Baron Davis's injury translate into him missing the 2012-13 season. Mike Bibby is a shadow of his former self, at age 33 his best days are in the rear-view mirror. The other point guard Toney Douglas has exhibited skills but for now he remains in a backup role. It pains me to say this but Jeremy Lin is the starter by default. The Knicks cap space will not allow a trade for another point guard. Finally do you realize the amount of revenue a Jeremy Lin generates for the Knicks? The final reason and the most important Lin has game. It comes down to more than just numbers however his were good in the 35 games he managed to play prior to his injury. He scored 14.6 points per game, 6.2 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting .446 from the floor. His assist to turnover ratio was 1.71, a respectable number considering his adjustment to playing the point guard.

 

Bits n Pieces

I had to search the record books, I couldn't remember the date. It was 1985 the last time the Lakers were trounced this badly in a playoff game. The Thunder 119, Laker impersonators 90, I don't think this was the "real" Lakers was it?  In any event the 1985 game was played on Memorial Day and it became known as the "Memorial Day Massacre." The Boston Celtics trounced the Lakers 148-114 that year. The Lakers won the series 4-2. When I reminded an acquaintance he said, "that team had Magic, Worthy, Scott and Kareem."

Commissioner David Stern indicates he will raise the issue of a shorter season to the owners. This contradicts an earlier position taken by deputy commissioner Adam Silver. With a full training camp there's no reason why a 66 game schedule couldn't work successfully. Silver had earlier expressed a concern losing revenue based on a shorter season. We know how that works, won't they just raise ticket prices to off-set the lesser number of games?

Walt "Clyde" Frazier has been part of the New York scene for seems like an eternity. Anyone under the age of 40 might assume Clyde's a native New Yorker. This 67-year old is actually a native of Atlanta by way of Southern Illinois University. This Hall of Fame player spent the bulk of his NBA career as a member of the Knicks, he help lead them to the 1970 and 1973 NBA championships. Since his retirement he's provided color commentary for Knick broadcasts on radio and television since 1987. In addition Clyde is now in the restaurant business opening Clyde Frazier's Wine and Dine. The restaurant is located at 485 10 Ave, between 38th St & 37th Street.

Just when you think you've heard it all you hear one more story this from a suburban Little Rock school. "An Arkansas mother has sued her son's high school for cutting her son from the school's varsity basketball team, claiming that he was deprived the right of a full education because he was not allowed to take part in school athletics. Her son spent two months as part of the team after qualifying through two tryouts in August only to be replaced three months later by a member of the football team." I wonder if it's too late for me to sue my fourth grade coach and school for cutting me? I might have had an NBA career who knows? (USA Today)

I'm doing the same thing

The tape indicates Kentucky's Anthony Davis is 6-10 and 220 pounds. Will he become a power forward in the NBA or could he play the center position? The question certainly cannot be answered at this point but I will provide you an example of my scouting knowledge. What am I doing the same, comparing Davis with a present NBA player which is certainly not always fair. There are probably other examples but for me Marcus Camby comes to mind, I remember seeing him at UMass and thought "this guy is too skinny for the NBA, they will break him apart I thought. Camby is 6-11 and 235 pounds slightly taller and heavier than Davis but has managed a 16-year NBA career. Camby certainly has never been embraced for his scoring ability but teams have wanted him for his shot-blocking and defensive ability. This in no way is intended to forecast future success for Anthony Davis but if he manages to land with the right team he too might have a successful and long NBA career. Most likely Davis will be drafted by a bad team, the up side he plays immediately. The downside players sometimes become accustom to losing which is not good.

I'm impressed

Accomplishments off the court are just as worthy of note. Recently Shaquille O' Neal received his Ph.D from Barry University in Miami Shores Florida. O'Neal left LSU after his junior year but promised his mom he would graduate college. Promise fulfilled, he returned to LSU complete his undergraduate degree but didn't stop there. He went on to graduate school and to complete his educational endeavor--a PH.D. Most noteworthy, he returned to school when there was no requirement except to please his mother. Hopefully this might provide incentive for others early entry athletes. Congratulations are certainly in order for Doctor O'Neal.

Recruiting

This is the slow period for college recruiting however there is still news. The last uncommitted Class of 2012 player has announced his college choice. Anthony Bennett a 6-8 230 pound forward will head to UNLV in August. Bennett is the number seven player on RIvals list, Bennett is from Brampton, Ontario Canada. Cal's Mike Montgomery went all the way to Denmark for his latest commit, 7-0 Sami Eleraky signed a letter of intent and is headed to Berkeley (CA).

Be careful

The late newscaster David Brinkley said in 1961 "rock and roll is dying," he went on to explain to viewers how he'd come to this conclusion. Of course we know Brinkley turned out to be incorrect which leads me to this conclusion. One should be careful in making statements on issues beyond your control. This is written Saturday afternoon, I don't know if the Lakers will win or not tonight. Magic Johnson has gone on record indicating coach Mike Brown will be fired if the Lakers don't win game 7. Like Brinkley he gives us an explanation as to why Brown will be fired. I've made it known Brown was not my choice as coach of the Lakers however I accepted managements decision. Win or lose I'm willing to give Brown the benefit of the doubt, 1. no training camp and 2. change in system. The last piece the Lakers are gonna fire a guy they must pay $10 million for not coaching? Hey Magic didn't you say after they were swept by the Mavs "they need to break this team up." Records indicate you are still listed as a vice-president of the Lakers but have no official duties, where you speaking for ESPN or voicing your own opinion? One other point, I have no idea why Laker teams often play with no sense of urgency. Think it's Mike Brown, forget that notion the Lakers often exhibited this type of play while Phil Jackson coached them.

How about this

Last season ESPN added a column to their website and titled it Heat Index. The column details portions of the most recent Heat game and attaches a letter grade for individuals. After voiding the trade to the Lakers Chris Paul is later traded to the Clippers and they become Lob City, with Paul's ability to toss alley-oop passes to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. If we listen to the opposition coaches perhaps both the Heat and Clippers should be dubbed Flop City. Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins has complained all this series about the Clippers (specially Chris Paul) exaggerating fouls. We could add the names Blake Griffin and Reggie Evans to the group of floppers. Turning now to the Heat coach Frank Vogel of the Pacers claims the Heat are "the biggest flopping team in the NBA. Every drive to the the basket, they have guys not making a play on the ball, but sliding in front of drivers." Are Hollins and Vogel playing mind games with the officials? (ESPN.com)

He can't be serious, can he?

After a stage left exit by the New Jersey Nets deputy commissioner Adam Silver made a statement which I will paraphrase, "I could foresee an NBA team moving to Newark at some future date. Currently there are no moves planned but Shaquille O'Neal talks about his desire to bring an NBA to Newark." This is not intended as a knock at Newark or the State of New Jersey but the question might be why? Newark and the surrounding area contain a large population base but that's no reason to place a team there, after all why did the Nets leave? If this is done it would place three franchises in the New York City metro while other parts of the the nation are ignored. Why would the NBA even look at Newark at the expense of Seattle, St. Louis or Kansas City which have all held NBA franchises at a point in time. If a team is placed in Newark we'd have the same potential situation that's brewing in SoCal, three teams in a densely highly populated metro area.

The next coach of the Knicks is _____________

Once again the Phil Jackson to the Knicks stories are circulating again. I hope I've made it clear in my mind Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson is the greatest modern day coach. Sorry Red Aurbach and Celtic fans I happen to think the title belongs to Phil Jackson. Greatest from the standpoint of his accomplishments with the Bulls and Lakers. Early on both teams were comprised of talented players but had great difficulty focusing on the ultimate prize. Along comes Phil Jackson providing both teams directions fear would have attempted as coach, I'm referring to his Zen approach providing players motivational books to read. I didn't read the article in detail but the other day Kobe Bryant mentioned "how much of Phil Jackson has rubbed off on him." PJ is a players coach, despite being critical of his players at times I've never read or heard one former Bulls or Laker player publically critical of the man. I know you say he could have attempted to defuse the Kobe-Shaq feud but maybe he attempted to and neither party would agree to a peace treaty. Finally I think Mike Woodson should be the next head coach of the Knicks, remove the interim tag in front. Although the Knicks are not a good team they have played significantly better under Woodson than D'Antoni. In a rare case for me I'm in agreement with Stephan A. Smith, "Woodson given a full training camp might be able to work out the Anthony-Stoudemire issues." My only question is will Knick management allow Woodson the opportunity to mold this team.

Give him a chance

Finally I didn't intend for this edition to be all about coaches but that's exactly what it turned out to be. Patrick Ewing will interview for the Bobcats job, that's got to be the worst job in the NBA. Ewing wants an opportunity even though it's a very bad team. I know what you are thinking, "stars rarely become good coaches." The statement is certainly true however a few managed to bridge the gap between good player and good coach. I think he's paid his dues, he didn't retire from the game and immediately begin sending out resumes. He's spent time in the ranks as an assistant coach, he's served as an assistant coach of the Magic from 2007 to the present time. Many thought Ewing would find a place with the Knicks after he retired, for reasons unknown he was never hired in any capacity. At this point we have no idea how good a coach Ewing might turn out to be, he certainly deserves a chance.

This is old news now

We held one of those barber shops conferences prior to last Saturday's Thunder-Mavs game. I opened the proceedings by stating "I was surprised at the poor play of the Mavs." This was the quick response from one of the barbers, "no Tyson Chandler no Jose Barea" little defense. His statement could be confirmed by Chandler being named defensive player of the year in the NBA. By now we know full well the events of Saturday evening, the Mavs became the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs. I guess when you sweep the defending champs (Lakers) you are due to be swept too! I truly wonder the direction of this team, they certainly didn't lose on purpose however they played in a funk all-year. Owner Mark Cuban appeared to be about now, why did he allow Chandler, Barea and Caron Butler to walk away. Even if he'd worked out the veteran presence of Lamar Odom wasn't going to replenish this team after those loses. What's ahead for the team from Big D, home grown talent and free agent Deron Williams is worth signing. Cuban might have gambled on Dwight Howard assuming he would be a free-agent this summer, of course Howard later claimed Orlando would be his home at least through the 2012-13 season. A Dwight Howard would certainly address the defensive issues this team now faces. Based on this past season maybe all Cuban is looking for are short-term goals?

The word from Minnesota

Wolves owner Glen Taylor is searching for a buyer. He's not ready to give up ownership just yet. Reports indicate at 71-years of age he thinks it prudent to search for a minority partner to eventually assume full ownership. I found it interesting he stated "there is no problem with locating a new owner we want an owner willing to keep the team here." I've flip-flopped on the issues of local ownership issue on several occasions. The Kansas City Chiefs have maintained a presence in Kansas City since 1963 without local ownership. The late Lamar Hunt a founder of the American Football League moved the Texans to Kansas City, they were re-named the Chiefs. Since Hunt's death son Clark has given every indication the team will remain in Kansas City. As for our local pro sports history here it's somewhat spotted, the Kansas City A's were never locally owned same as the NHL Scouts.  The NBA Kings were locally owned for a period of time however two years prior to moving the team was sold to outside interests.  As for the baseball Royals, the original owner the late Ewing Kaufmann had Kansas City ties. The present owners live in Arkansas and are only tied here by ownership of the team. What's your point Larry detailing all of Kansas City's sports history? I can understand Taylor's desire for local ownership of the Wolves franchise. There are varying reasons why each of the franchises mentioned left the city but the key for me none had local ownership at the time they left the city..

Wonder if he'll make it

Kyle Weems is one of those players whose managed to fly beneath the radar to a degree, however he was player of the year in the Missouri Valley Conference his junior year. Weems was 4-year starter at Missouri State and managed to grow his game significantly over his time in the Springfield (MO) university. Weems is a 6-7 225 pound small forward with shooting range, he is not a player who is not going to wow you with his athletic skills but is steady. He managed to impress scouts enough at the Portsmouth (VA) tournament indications are he will pop up on some NBA team's summer league roster. Is the NBA in the future for Kyle Weems? It depends, excluding talent a players best shot is location, location, location. We could point out Jeremy Lin as the location example, the Knicks were his third team during his brief NBA start. I'm not forecasting stardom for Weems or Lin for that matter but the team and location certainly aids a players development.

"Some guys play to win others play to play"

That was the statement made by Scott Van Pelt on his ESPN radio program, he and his radio partner were debating the value of Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks. In an attempt to be fair to Anthony is certainly not responsible for all the bad play exhibited by the Knicks . Van Pelt said this about Anthony, "he's not LeBron James nor Kobe Bryant, on the other hand he's not Joe Johnson either." Anthony will never lead a team to the promised land but neither will Joe Johnson who is paid huge sums of money. This is not a hate Carmelo rant many (including me) remain unsold on the guy. He certainly made the Nuggets a better basketball team but only once did they advance past the first round. The Knicks (to date) are no better and maybe in a sense we are being unfair, everyone who witnessed the two play knew Wilt Chamberlain was the superior player over Bill Russell. The two had numerous regular season and post-season playoff battles, the majority of times Russell's Celtics came out the victor. Russell received the greater amount of praise because his Celtic teams won NBA championships. The praise was not bestowed on Russell because he was the better player, Russell admits it and so did Wilt.

Stop stealing my ideas!

I wish Dan Patrick would quite stealing my proposals! Only joking folks, Patrick makes me state "why didn't I think of that?" His latest proposal, do away with the collegiate coaches poll. The conversation with his studio crew involved college football but it might be even more critical for basketball. Collegiate football teams only play once a week, in some conferences they might even have a bye-week. There are not enough hours in the day (or night) to review the progress of 25 teams most of which are probably not in his conference. At the sometime his team might practice 4 days of the week, when he's not at practice he might be reviewing tape of the upcoming opposing team, when does he have time to fill out a ballot? Patrick even hints it might not be the coach filling out the ballot. He suggests "it may be an assistant coach and his vote might be based to a degree on whether the head coach likes the other coach." In basketball the time constraints are even worst, a team might play Monday, then possibly a midweek game and then again on Saturday or Sunday. On top of this a larger number of universities compete in basketball versus football. Two examples, tiny St. Bonaventure in New York State with an enrollment of 2,000 has a division one basketball program. The University of Missouri-Kansas City has no football team but the Kangaroos play at the division one level. Eliminating the coaches poll in both sports makes sense to me---good one Dan Patrick.

Bits n Pieces

Most times we have no idea how far a team will advance in the playoffs, losing is one thing but losing due to critical injuries probably hurts even more so. Depending on the type of injury often the recovery time will not allow the player to return to action. The Bulls are that team, they are done this year even if they manage to beat the 76ers. A headline might read "injuries to starters Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah doomed the playoff run of this team." For the second year in a row the Bulls battle cry will be wait till next year.

Speaking of playoffs how about close-out games?  The Lakers and Celtics missed an opportunity to eliminate their opposition.  If they eventually lose the series they can point their fingers at themselves and the lost opportunity of that close-out game.

The records indicate the Hoosiers of Indiana have won 1,687 games since they began playing basketball in 1901. The Kentucky Wildcats have won 2,092 games beginning in 1903 and concluding this season. The Big 10 Hoosiers and SEC Wildcats both storied programs have played an annual match up the last 43 years but no more. The series has been concluded because Kentucky wants to play the game on a "neutral" site, Indianapolis or Louisville. Bloomington Indiana is a short 53 mile drive from Indianapolis, Louisville is 77 miles from the Wildcats Lexington Kentucky home. Seems to me playing the game at a neutral site would be St. Louis or Chicago not in the same state of both teams.

SI.com recently ran a list of early entry players for the NBA draft, rather than a name a particular players height and weight jumped off the page at me. Raymond Taylor's name was listed along with a number of others. Taylor played at Florida Atlanta University and is a 5-6 145 pound point guard, I've never seen him play so I have no idea of his skill set. Think he might be too small for the NBA, remember 5-7 Spud Webb, 5-5 Mugsey Boggs or
5-5 Earl Boykins?

The other day on the Dan Patrick radio program the host reminded me of a fact I'd forgotten. He was discussing the Celtics Paul Pierce and how valuable he is to the team. "Paul Pierce was not even the best player on his (Kansas) team Patrick stated, the best player was that left-hander Raef LaFrentz." I'd completely forgotten Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce were on the same Kansas team. LaFrentz had a successful collegiate career, this 6-11 240 pound power forward/center ended his Kansas career second in scoring and rebounds to Danny Manning. He was the 3rd pick in the first round of the 1998 draft and had an 11 year NBA career. He averaged 10.1 points per game and 6.1 rebounds with four NBA teams. Contrast this with Paul Pierce who is headed for the Hall of Fame after he concludes his career.

It's great to be a celebrity fan of an NBA team---all we need to do is ask Spike Lee. Nike has designed a special pair of Knick shoes for the team's number one celebrity fan, of course the shoes are in Knick orange and blue. The shoes contain two one-of a kind specialty additions, the left shoe heel contains a photo of his "Mars Blackmon" character made famous in the long-ago Air Jordan commercials. The right shoe heel contains the logo of his production company "40 Acres and a Mule."

Some KU fans are stuck on stupid, they continue to delude themselves into believing "Mizzou will face recruiting problems moving to the SEC." One could only come that conclusion if for example 100% of Mizzou's football and basketball recruits are from Kansas City (MO). I think KU fan might be interested in this Kansas City Star story, last weekend several recruits were on campus including one from Memphis. The story indicated his parents were excited about the possibility of their son playing at Mizzou. Of course KU fan you realize Memphis is in Tennessee and the University of Tennessee is an SEC school. I have no idea of the football program but it's a fact Kansas recruits few instate players. The success of it's basketball team is comprised of players recruited throughout the nation. While finishing this story Mizzou gained another commitment, Jordan Clarkson is transferring from Tulsa University. I have no idea if this 6-4 180 pound guard can play however he scored at a 16.5 point a clip game for Tulsa. He will sit out the 2012-13 season but will have two years of eligibility.

 

I wonder why

Some media types who cover the collegiate game have questioned SMU hiring Larry Brown. I purposely failed to read the stories only the headlines, I did not want this to be impacted by what I read. I wanted to provide a clear and concise view of this Hall of Fame basketball coach, a coach who loves the game so much he's unretired himself. One of my sources informs me whenever he had the opportunity Brown was in Lawrence watching Bill Self's KU team scrimmage. This 5-9 inch dynamo certainly isn't ready to be outfitted for a rocking chair at least not just yet. Maybe it's an age issue, at 71 many in the media probably figure he's too old for the game. They think the game might has passed him by, I don't think so, there is always a requirement to teach the game and teach it in a proper manner. I mentioned a week or so back Brown's main problem is burning bridges, in the past he's made statements I'm sure he wanted to recall. That's Brown, he says what he thinks which does get him into hot water with administrators and front office personal. The key Brown is a winner and a teacher, in his eight years at UCLA and Kansas he was 135-44. Brown's 30+ years of coaching in the ABA and NBA coaching have produced nearly 1400 wins.

Oil and water

Knick fans the Knicks were undermanned at the beginning. They had two chances to win this series against the Knicks, slim and none. Slim just left town along with Amare Stoudemire and the fire extinguisher. I'm poking fun and this is not a laughing matter, the problems of the Knicks go much deeper than the missing Stoudemire. Both he and Stoudemire say all the right things when being interviewed by the press but somebody must go. They just don't mesh when both are on the floor at the same time ever seen oil and water mixed? Stoudemire arrived in the Big Apple via a free agent signing, Carmelo Anthony wanted out of Denver badly. Anthony's desire was to return to the east coast the team was secondary, this story might have played out better if Anthony had been traded to the Nets. He would have played in New Jersey for two seasons and then arrive in the sparkling brand-new Barclays Center. This mix of Stoudemire and Anthony on the floor at the same time is not going to work, how the Knicks resolve this matter we are all anxious to see.

Pre-season Top 25

Recently I checked several websites which contained 2012-13 polls. I was curious on the choice of teams and how the teams might be positioned. Most of the polls had Indiana as the number one or two team in the nation. For the most part the usual suspects were listed, there were few surprise teams. Keep in mind these are sports writers opinions and carry little if any value until play begins. The SEC was represented by Kentucky, Florida and Mizzou. As for the revamped Big XII, Kansas, Baylor and Texas were listed. UCLA pretty much invisible last season made all the polls strictly on the basis of it's incoming class of recruits, Michigan and Michigan State were there. The NCAA championship was just decided early in April but I'm anxious for colleges to begin play once again.

Additions to the man-cave

I'm sure I mentioned I have a limited amount of space in the cave, mine is a converted bedroom. Several years back ESPN.com visited Laker trainer Gary Vitti's home. Vitti has so much Laker memorabilia and collectables his man-cave actually looks junky. Shocking as it might be I'm actually searching for Kansas City Kings memorabilia which is a problem in itself. A company which specializes in throwback gear has memorabilia from franchises which have closed shop or moved to greener pastures. Among the teams gear available, Baltimore Bullets, Buffalo Braves, Memphis Pros and New Orleans Jazz. I would prefer a jersey over photos, basketballs or basketball cards. Although the Kings left Kansas City after the 1985 season there are a number of individuals who are still connected, they either played for the Kings or currently broadcast games. The alumni include Knicks coach Mike Woodson and Hawks coach Larry Drew, both played for the Kansas City Kings. In the front office of the Wizards is general manager Ernie Grunfeld also connected to Kansas City. Currently broadcasting NBA games are Kevin Calabro, Kevin Harlan, Wayne Larrivee and Neil Funk. Sharpshooting Eddie Johnson is color commentator for the Phoenix Suns while Ron Boone serves in the same role for the Utah Jazz. There are others omitted but as you can see there are a number of individuals associated with the game that have Kansas City connections.

Seattle Sonics

As I wrote recently the Kings are probably history in Sacramento. Viewing Sonicsgate recently one of the residents interview said "I know if we (Seattle) get another team someone is gonna be upset like I was." David Stern has made it known there are no plans for NBA expansion and I agree with his view. Suppose the Kings apply to move the franchise to Seattle would it be approved? I pose the question because Clay Bennett Thunder owner heads that committee for the NBA. Do we suppose he could approach the business objectively?

Bits n Pieces

I was really disappointed near this time last year, my Lakers were on the way to being eliminated by the Mavs. A defending NBA championship team unable to escape the first round, last year I was stunned. One year later many in Big D are feeling the same doom and gloom I felt last year. The "fat lady ain't singing yet" however she's certainly tuning up.

PC's allow us to remain invisible, that's the basis for trolls there is no requirement to identify one's self.  They can make bold sometimes strange statments with no repercussions.  I'll give you a prime example of a troll response.  A story on the yet unfinished Barclays Center prompted this 2010 email. It simply stated "Barclays Center will never be built." I wonder where the troll is and also how stupid his response is with the arena opening this fall?   

In a somewhat connected story the PTI guys had their usual animated argument regarding the Nets. Korheiser said "you (Wilbon) won't the NBA draft fixed to help the Brooklyn Nets. You want them to be able to draft Anthony Davis (Kentucky)." That statement bothers me on several levels, the chief one Davis may turn out to be a quality NBA player but he is not going to make the Nets better. The Nets need to hire competent scouts, make shrewd trades and sign quality free agents. I know my proposed fix is not as simple as proposed but neither is Anthony Davis an automatic either.

Interesting

Last Monday the name New Jersey Nets ceased to exist, on that date it was superseded by the franchise being retitled Brooklyn Nets. As this is written NBA.com is the only sports website listing the team as the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN.com, CBSSports.com and other sports websites continue to list the franchise as the New Jersey Nets. Isn't that interesting?

They want us to pay for it
I'm always a proponent for progress except when it imposes an additional tax burden on the public. I hear and truly when non-sports fans raise the question "why must I pay for something I'm never going to use?" The Atlanta Falcons are requesting a new stadium to replace the Georgia Dome, that stadium that's only 20 years old. Do we no longer construct stadiums or arenas to last for any extended period of time? The $1 billion dollar Barclays Center will open this fall in Brooklyn for the Nets, the good people of Seattle have been informed by the NBA "there will be no NBA in Seattle unless you build an adequate arena." I don't have all the details nor will I attempt to explain why Key Arena was okay and then not okay. This same story is playing in Sacramento. Maloof brothers don't want to pay although they would be the primary beneficiary of a new Sacramento arena. There are folks in this metro who claim we were coerced into an upgrade to our stadiums in Kansas City. Their argument was "the Chiefs and the Royals were not going to move" and they were probably correct. The football and baseball stadium needed major improvements, Arrowhead was opened in 1973 while Kaufmann opened it's doors the following year. The renovation of the football and baseball stadiums is complete and we can possibly lay claim to the "best" football and baseball stadiums in the nation. In 15 or 20 years hopefully this same scenario will play out and we can upgrade Sprint Center rather than build a brand new building.

Are you sure

Why not just enjoy a players skill, why do we add our projections for their career when we are only observers? The latest example, former NBA player Scottie Pippen has gone on record. He says LeBron James could possibly eclipse Michael Jordan and become the NBA's third leading all-times points scorer. Jordan scored 32,292 points over the course of his career for his third place standing. Although the Lockout season was only 66 games James finished with 19,045 points. James has totaled 19,045 points over the course of 9 NBA seasons, let's assume no major injuries and 6 more fully productive years. If he scored a minimum of 2,200 points a season he would be right there. On the other hand James has always been a willing distributor of the ball, is it possible in his 14th or 15th season he might not be as concerned about scoring? Priorities change over the course of a career, what was important to a player at age 27 might not be as important at 34. We could use Kobe Bryant as a recent example, he could have won the 2011-12 NBA scoring title, all he needed was 38 points. The Lakers last game was played against the Kings, he could have probably scored the required number. Bryant chose to sit out the game and rest rather than win his third scoring title.

Bits n Pieces

Wisconsin is not the only school unwilling to release a scholarship player. Florida International University refuses to release Dominique Ferguson to transfer to another school. Ferguson recruited by Isiah Thomas wanted out after the school fired Thomas. Since he is unable to secure his release his solution--submitting is his name for the NBA draft. Ferguson must be the loser here, he will not be drafted this year.

Chris Paul MVP, it might sound shocking considering everyone is picking LeBron. Why do I chose Paul all that's necessary is to check the record? Last season the Clippers finished the regular season 32-50 and missed the playoffs. Despite the Lockout this years Clippers team finished 40-26 and made the playoffs. The roster of the team has been revamped however the key to improved play was point guard Chris Paul. To add a footnote, in their first playoff game Paul led them back from a 27-point deficient to the Grizz.

Does it matter whether you like my favorite player? Of course it doesn't but a recent ESPN.com story stirred the pot once again. The NBA Store released sales figures on the hottest selling jerseys. The emails began flying in informing us the feelings of the writer toward a particular player. Several stated they would never purchase________ jersey. It really matters not, somebody will buy the jersey and the writers view becomes null and void.

Earlier this week CNBC ran a program I've been anxious to see for a number of years. The titled was Sonicsgate: Requiem for a Team. This 2009 hour documentary covered the Sonics exit from Seattle to Oklahoma City. I have my opinion of this event but I'd rather you see it and draw your own conclusions.

Why didn't it come to fruition
I know we visited this issue in the past but I thought it was worth a revisit. I'm watching Game one of the NBA D-League Championship series, the Los Angeles Defenders and the Austin Toros are battling each other. The game is in Austin and it's funny listening to the crowd yell "beat L.A., beat L.A." that is not the story. What happened to the D-League, wasn't the original intent for it to be the answer to drafting 18-year olds fresh out of high school? By all accounts the league is on solid ground and is probably more financially successful than the WNBA but not in the manner intended. Let's hypothesize a moment, what do we suppose might occur if D-League teams rosters contained high school players too. A player could make his intentions known he wasn't attending college, he would then be drafted by a D-League team. No matter if it's a Spurs or Lakers farm team the parent club has no claim on him, at the end of the first year he would be eligible for the NBA draft should he chose. His name would be included with college seniors, juniors and others. This is not a perfect proposal but it maintains the 19-year old rule while aiding the colleges. A player enrolling in college would operate under the same principal of the NFL or MLB, they would be ineligible for the NBA draft before their junior year they must remain in college 3 years. Hey Mr. Smart Guy "how do you propose to address a players family crisis and the player is not yet a junior"? I'm glad you asked the question, the player would be granted immediate eligibility to a D-League team. This is certainly not presented as a perfect scenario there would be additional details to be worked out, this would go a long way toward allowing the college game to grow while protecting NBA interest.

This is important

It's not our money and we really shouldn't be concerned but we are! Billy Hunter executive director of the NBA players association and president Derek Fisher are in a wrestling match over the activities of the players association. Fisher has called for an audit of the organization and that seems to have created a problem for Hunter. It's difficult for me or anyone else to understand why Hunter is attempting to force Fisher out due to a request for an audit. Hunter claims Fisher has been "derelict" in his duties as president of the players association and that's the only reason he's requested Fisher resign. The timing of the series of events appear very suspicious to me and others. Could Hunter have a hidden agenda in requesting Fisher close the door on the way out? Could his behavior have anything to do with his family involvement with the association? "Hunter's daughter and daughter-in-law are on the the union staff. Another of his daughters is special counsel at a law firm used by the players association. Hunter's son is a principal at a financial firm that was paid $45,526 a month for work performed for the union. Marvin Miller former head of the baseball players union said, "it’s not a criminal act, but it’s not something I would do." A Bloomberg report show union executive director Billy Hunter's family members and their businesses have paid almost $4.8 million by the union since 2001. Why is Hunter's family so heavily involved in the NBAPA might be my first question? The second question, doesn't it seem strange Hunter is trying to force Fisher out due to an audit request? (Sporting News)

Do as I say, not as I do

It's difficult for me to listen to ESPN's Bruce Bowen discuss penalizing Ron Artest. He stated "Artest should be suspended for at least 10 games." This coming from a player who was suspended more than once for flagrant fouls. I have no problem with ESPN hiring Bowen but he should sit this one out. He held the reputation of being one of the dirtiest players in the NBA during his playing days. I guess all is forgiven now, he defends himself in a tweet by stating "he never tried to hurt an opposing player." That's not the question, did he get inside Artest's head and determined he was trying to hurt Harden? Let's look at Bowen's record of transgressions. March '02 a flying kick to the face, committed against Wally Szczerbiak, Bowen was fined $7,500. March of '08 Bowen was suspended for one game for kicking Chris Paul, Bowen was fined $37,000. Kicked Ray Allen in the back, $10,000. I didn't research any further than the three incidents I uncovered.