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Last Monday the name New Jersey Nets ceased to exist, on that date it was superseded by the franchise being retitled Brooklyn Nets.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.