31 NBA teams????
I don’t like to do rumors but its possible this one might have legs. The Kings will continue to identify Sacramento as home. Seattle will be granted an expansion franchise which will begin play in 2014-15. There are numerous questions to detail if this rumor should come to fruition. The decision is to be made on Monday by the NBA Board of Governors.
The routine becomes the norm
The NBA history has witnessed a number of point guards who make the game appear so simple at times. They make a move or pass the game and it causes you to ponder, “how did they do that, was it instinct or planned ahead in their mind?” Probably the first magician with a basketball was Celtic point guard Bob Cousy, Magic Johnson came along and raised the bar higher. Jazz point guard John Stockton certainly was an excellent point guard in fact he holds the career assist record. The only difference Stockton was not as spectacular with his passing skills as Johnson and others.
Steve Nash could also be included in the group of outstanding point guards and has demonstrated his skill at passing and moves over the course of a brilliant career. It’s my belief over the course of an injury free career folks will be discussing Ricky Rubio in the same conversation as many of the NBA greats. Rubio went behind his back with the dribble twice on one drive to the hoop? He performs this magic in a game against the Spurs; you can locate the video on NBA.com or YouTube. 21 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for the 6-4 point guard as he led the Wolves to a 107-83 victory.
Remember when
Jahlil Okafor is a cousin of Emeka Okafor center/power forward of the Wizards. Rivals list Jahlil the number one prospect in the Class of 2014. This high school junior has a great number of schools on his destination list. I was pleased Mizzou extended an offer to this 6-11 280 pound talent. YouTube video on him is available if you care to check him out; he moves up and down the court good for an athlete his size. My only compliant mostly what I was able to witness was him dunking the basketball, video detailing post moves was scare. In an interview when asked who he models his game after he said; “Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’ Neal.” This 17-year old elaborated; “I like Olajuwon because of his footwork.
After hearing Okafor’s statement it brought forth the lack of true centers in the basketball of today. That was a topic of discussion on NBA TV recently. Former player turned broadcaster Brent Barry made an interesting statement on NBA TV. Host Vince Cenilli questioned Barry, “the game (NBA) has changed will there be another back to the basket center? Without naming any present day athlete or one in the future Barry said yes. I’m not sure if I agree with Barry for one reason alone, who is available to teach big men back to the basket moves? In addition youngsters’ even 7-footers want to shot jump shots from the perimeter. This is not intended as a criticism of Robin Lopez or Dirk Nowitzki if they arrived in the NBA 20 years ago where would they play----you got it down low on the post. No perimeter or three-point shots allowed for centers/power forwards.
"The truth is stranger than fiction"
Many of you have heard the old adage, not sure where it originated but this next story certainly fits.
Before I begin this is not a hate Mike Brown feature. It is a “if the report is true I don’t understand story.” After three seasons the Cavs terminated head coach Byron Scott. Word immediately began circulating the team was looking at hiring Mike Brown again. The report on Brown, “when he was fired he left on good terms.” Clue me in please; he left the Lakers on those same good terms. More recently Phil Jackson returned to the Lakers as head coach but that was slightly different situation. Whether he was forced out is really unknown but it was announced Jackson had resigned. Being fired (Brown) is a whole different matter. I admit I didn’t follow Brown’s career closely in Cleveland but I did with the Lakers. Team dynamics certainly are going to be different for each team but this is my chief concern. This is not all Mike Brown, the NBA is a player’s league a team must believe in its coach and maybe the Lakers didn’t. During Brown’s tenure Laker scoring went down and under the defensive minded coach Brown did not improve significantly. Dan Gilbert wanted to hire Brown again it’s really his business but I think the best role for Brown might be an assistant coach position.
