Bits n Pieces
This story broke late last night---the key players Dwight Howard to the Lakers, Andrew Bynum to the 76ers. More details later.

The Magic hiring former Spurs assistant Jacque Vaughn as head coach allows me to explore a topic I’ve wanted to discuss for a period of time. The topic is hiring employees and a commitment to diversity in hiring. The NBA player base is 78% African American; do you have any idea of the NBA’s coaching ranks? Vaughn's hiring brings to 14 the number of African American head coaches in the NBA. Of the NBA's 30 franchises African Americans comprise nearly 47% of its head coaches. By contract if we check the NFL 66% of its players are African American. The 32 NFL franchises have but 5 African American head coaches. This is no attempt to call out the NFL on it‘s hiring policy, it just points out the NBA has done a superior job across the board in filling it’s coaching ranks. I only focused on one area that of head coaches. Read the entire report, you will discover the NBA has made a commitment to diversity in its hiring practices. Women and minorities are visible in the league office and management positions throughout the NBA.

http://www.tidesport.org/RGRC/2012/2012_NBA_RGRC[1].pdf

ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb has never been one of my favorite writers or analyst. For those who might be unfamiliar he played basketball at Oklahoma State and for several years in Europe and Israel. He began a second career as a collegiate basketball analyst and broadcaster for ESPN in 2003. Although Gottlieb has been critical of several programs over the years it seemed (my imagination maybe) he was particularly critical of Mizzou. Mizzou has changed coaches since Gottlieb retired but it appeared to make no difference in his outlook, Quin Snyder, Mike Anderson and current coach Frank Haith all suffered Gottlieb’s barbs. With this issue explained up front imagine my amazement, no I’m going to say shocked when he picked Mizzou to win the SEC crown this upcoming season.  I wonder if Gottlieb forget Kentucky and Florida play in the SEC too? I’m no ESPN Insider; I was unable to read his and other Insider stories. Of course I was pleased with his view of the SEC race, I have no idea what convinced Gottlieb Mizzou would rein supreme.

I have long held a view I’m sure many of you share with me. Height is everything in the game of basketball. How many 7-footers have you read or heard of who was classified a “project?” Allow me to introduce you to Joel Embiid from the nation of Cameroon; Embiid who is 7-1 according to cbssportsline.com had never played the game. He’d never played prior to 18 months ago; he’s attending high school here at Montverde Academy (Fla.). “He's got untapped potential, when he figures it all out," one Division I assistant coach said. "In two years, he's going to be really good for somebody.” (cbssportsline.com)

The role of the sixth man was always an important component of any NBA team. The sixth man is a player who is the first player off the bench; he was to provide a spark defensively or offensively for his team. The role of a sixth man was generally reserved for a player talented enough to be a starter. The first NBA player of note to assume this role was the Celtics John Havlicek; drafted in 1962 he remained an integral part of the team until his retirement in 1978. The Celtics were so deep at his small forward/guard position he couldn’t displace any of the starters. Coach Red Auerbach utilized his defensive and offensive talents as the first substitute from the bench. During the “Bad Boy Days” of the Pistons, shooting guard Vinnie Johnson was the offensive spark for the starters. Johnson was soon given the nickname “microwave” because he was instant offense.

Michael Cooper served as sixth man for the Showtime Lakers; this slender 6-5 170 pound athlete was often counted on to guard the opposition’s toughest player. Cooper often was matched against the taller and heavier Larry Bird. Bird said Cooper was “one of the toughest opposing players he faced.” Eventually Cooper was to become known just as much for his offensive skill. The last two years the Lakers Lamar Odom and the Thunder’s James Harden were chosen sixth man of the year. As kids we are led to believe the importance of being a starter. This view often prevails throughout our high school and college years but that view is flawed, it fails to point out the value of a sixth man. You might have heard the statement, “it’s not important who starts the game, it’s more important who’s on the floor at the end of the game.”