A throwback
I attempt to refrain from mixing basketball with celebrity news; this is one of those exceptions. I read with interest Marshall Henderson had sent a tweet expressing interest in helping Amanda Bynes. Bynes the former child star recently ran into difficulty with the New York City Police Department which resulted in her arrest. Perhaps Henderson was serious who truly knows. A short time ago I wrote basketball was once full of characters, guys who marched to the beat of a different drummer. I indicated these individuals had disappeared from the game for a variety of reasons. Former Oklahoma Coach Billy Tubbs and Frank Layden who served as coach of the Utah Jazz were among the names mentioned.
The story was incomplete, I overlooked character and “bad boy” Marshall Henderson of Ole Miss. Henderson led Ole Miss with a 20.1 scoring average shooting an anemic .381 from the floor, see he's never seen a shot he didn’t like. Henderson’s sometimes animated clowning (that’s the only word for it) on the floor is known to drive fans and opponents crazy. Henderson’s resume contains several stops, after beginning his college career at Utah he decided to transfer to Texas Tech. After Bobby Knight was fired he left Texas Tech without playing a single game, he transferred to South Plains Junior College. From South Plains he journeyed to Ole Miss for his junior year.
Interesting
A generation of NBA players grew up watching Julius Erving aka Dr. J. and his smooth gliding strides toward the basket. They admired the acrobatic moves on the court be it a finger roll or slam dunk. Ever wondered who Dr. J. admired growing up? He didn’t hesitate with a response to the question; “it was Elgin Baylor (Lakers), I saw him grab the rebound off the board and dribble down the court and take the shot. I watched Chamberlain and Russell but I knew I wasn’t going to be 7 feet tall.” Erving also admitted his admiration for 6-5 225 pound point guard Oscar Robertson. As for the Baylor admiration Erving didn’t detail why, my guess it might have been Baylor’s ability to rebound and score with a variety of moves. (TNT NBA)
They should be invisible
Officiating in Game 4 of the Heat-Pacers series might have generated more conversation than the actual game and that’s a shame. Officials whatever the sports can often change the outcome of a match. I cannot remember who made the statement, for that reason I cannot give credit but I can paraphrase the quote. Questioned on officiating a retired official said; “the hope is for me to walk off the floor after the game and not be noticed.” An official will always be visible because they control the flow of the game, the official should never become the focal point of the game.
Did I inform you?
I tuned into the Indiana-Michigan State game to check out Cody Zeller against (then number 13 rated) Michigan State. Problem for me Zeller had a sub-par game only scoring 9 points but not Victor Oladipo. This 6-5 215 pound shooting guard had an outstanding defensive and offensive game. He managed to toss in 21 points while dishing out 6 assists and 2 steals. Oladipo not Zeller led Indiana to a 75-70 victory over Michigan State. Oladipo has managed to play his way into the 2013 NBA Draft, his defense is an asset and most likely will make him a lottery choice.
Fear the Beard
I knew of James Harden although I don’t follow Arizona State basketball. He’s become an all-everything for the Rockets I was forced to look up his numbers. I failed to remember he was (1.) 1st Team All-American his last year at ASU. The other day a reporter was accessing the Thunder and his comment caused me to think---maybe he’s right. He said; “the Thunder is not the same team anymore without Harden, they have lost some of their toughness.” Harden was an outstanding sixth man for the Thunder but he thought a bigger payday and the opportunity as a full-time player awaited him.
The Thunder traded him after first attempting to re-sign him; of course the fear was losing him to free agency. Provided the opportunity as a starter he’s bloomed and surprised many including yours truly. I like Kevin Martin and his unorthodox shooting style; I’m sorry Thunder you lost on this swap of players. Harden scored at a (2.) 25.9 per game clip but he’s not all offense. He’s managed to dish out nearly 6 assists a game while pulling down 5 rebounds. How valuable is Harden, it’s my view inserting him into the lineup rather than Kevin Martin the Thunder advance. Martin fans don’t get upset with me I just believe Harden is the superior athlete. (1.) Basketball Reference.com (2.) ESPN.com
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Bits n Pieces
If the Cavs don’t trade the top pick more than likely they draft Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel. The backcourt of point guard Kyrie Irving (age 21) and shooting guard Dion Waiters (age 21) is young, set and good. That thought process could change but the question is why draft shooting guard Ben McLemore with the shot blocking potential of 6-11 Noel. I mentioned in the barber shop how bright the future looked for the Cavs. I paused a moment, thought about my statement and then announced-----but they re-hired Mike Brown.
Did you know the Lakers began their existence in Detroit Michigan and not Minneapolis? They began play as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League in 1946-47. The team disbanded after a year and was sold to a group who moved the franchise (minus players) to Minneapolis. (NBA.com/index)
Answer this question for me, Tulsa University will join the “new” Big East Conference. In the past Tulsa has always been considered as a “mid-major” school. Once this move becomes official will Tulsa be considered a major? See how our terminology often confuses the issue?
Rupp Arena in Lexington Kentucky accommodates 23,500 fans for basketball. It’s the largest arena in the nation designed exclusively for basketball. A number of individuals might have thought the honor would belong to the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University. The Carrier seats 30,012 for basketball but is a multi-purpose building, the football team plays there as well. (Wikipedia)
Atlanta is the most recent home but not the first for this franchise. The franchise once referred to St. Louis as home and before that it was Milwaukee. The team began life in the NBA as the Tri-City Blackhawks; imagine that a team being shared by three towns. "Tri-Cities" (Moline, Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa (now the Quad Cities).” The change to Quad Cities came long after the franchise left when the City of Bettendorf Iowa was added. (Wikipedia)
Trey Burke of Michigan has a Kansas City connection; Burke wasn’t born here or never lived here to my knowledge. Columbus (OH) is home for the AP, NABC and Naismith National Player of the Year. The Kansas City connection is on him mom’s side, Ronda was a track athlete at Ruskin High School in the city. His mom attended Northwest Missouri State (Maryville) where she met her future husband Alfonso a basketball player at the school.
You might hear his name in the draft
I don’t know Euro basketball in the same manner as American and Canadian ball. That doesn’t prevent me from dropping a name based on an assessment by an NBA scout(s). At the point his name is announced in the June draft you might ask your buddy; “who’s this guy?” His name is Dario Saric; he’s a 6-10 225 pound small forward from Sibenik Croatia. It’s unfair but sometimes the only method of assessing a player’s talent is to evaluate his game with a familiar player, Saric has been compared to the Bulls Scottie Pippen. In addition to his shooting skill Pippen was a proficient distributor of the basketball. The NBA team drafting him will hope he’s close to that level.
Our northern neighbor
The world realizes hockey at all levels is Canada’s sport. I’m unsure if basketball might have eclipsed Canadian football as the number two sport in the nation. A number of Canadians have played in the NBA in the past so this is not new. What is new is the ever increasing talent migrating from north of the border. We only need to check the pool of players in this years NBA draft, in addition there are other talented players in college and high school. UNLV’s Anthony Bennett is from Brampton, Ontario, Canada and is a projected lottery pick in the 2013 draft. Another projected lottery pick is Kelly Olynyk, who played at Gonzaga; he’s from Kamloops, British Columbia. A possible second round pick is Myck Kabongo who played at Texas; Kabongo is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Below is a list of the NBA’s Canadian players:
Joel Anthony - Heat
Samuel Dalembert - Bucks
Cory Joseph - Spurs
Kris Joseph - Celtics
Steve Nash - Lakers
Andrew Nicholson - Magic
Robert Sacre - Lakers
Tristan Thompson - Cavs
It’s likely the number one high school prospect in the Class of 2013 Andrew Wiggins will join this group at some future date. Wiggins too is a Canadian hailing from Toronto. There are many others who made the trek south refining their basketball skills at American colleges and universities. While discussing Canadians in the NBA there’s always been a connection north of the border. Although the game of basketball was first played in Springfield (MA) it was Canadian-American James Naismith who devised the game. Just in case you don’t remember the story; Dr. Naismith was attempting to provide exercise for his YMCA class, they had been forced to remain indoors during a brutal New England winter. I located a Canadian basketball website with a wealth of information check out http://northpolehoops.com/
If the Cavs don’t trade the top pick more than likely they draft Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel. The backcourt of point guard Kyrie Irving (age 21) and shooting guard Dion Waiters (age 21) is young, set and good. That thought process could change but the question is why draft shooting guard Ben McLemore with the shot blocking potential of 6-11 Noel. I mentioned in the barber shop how bright the future looked for the Cavs. I paused a moment, thought about my statement and then announced-----but they re-hired Mike Brown.
Did you know the Lakers began their existence in Detroit Michigan and not Minneapolis? They began play as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League in 1946-47. The team disbanded after a year and was sold to a group who moved the franchise (minus players) to Minneapolis. (NBA.com/index)
Answer this question for me, Tulsa University will join the “new” Big East Conference. In the past Tulsa has always been considered as a “mid-major” school. Once this move becomes official will Tulsa be considered a major? See how our terminology often confuses the issue?
Rupp Arena in Lexington Kentucky accommodates 23,500 fans for basketball. It’s the largest arena in the nation designed exclusively for basketball. A number of individuals might have thought the honor would belong to the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University. The Carrier seats 30,012 for basketball but is a multi-purpose building, the football team plays there as well. (Wikipedia)
Atlanta is the most recent home but not the first for this franchise. The franchise once referred to St. Louis as home and before that it was Milwaukee. The team began life in the NBA as the Tri-City Blackhawks; imagine that a team being shared by three towns. "Tri-Cities" (Moline, Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa (now the Quad Cities).” The change to Quad Cities came long after the franchise left when the City of Bettendorf Iowa was added. (Wikipedia)
Trey Burke of Michigan has a Kansas City connection; Burke wasn’t born here or never lived here to my knowledge. Columbus (OH) is home for the AP, NABC and Naismith National Player of the Year. The Kansas City connection is on him mom’s side, Ronda was a track athlete at Ruskin High School in the city. His mom attended Northwest Missouri State (Maryville) where she met her future husband Alfonso a basketball player at the school.
You might hear his name in the draft
I don’t know Euro basketball in the same manner as American and Canadian ball. That doesn’t prevent me from dropping a name based on an assessment by an NBA scout(s). At the point his name is announced in the June draft you might ask your buddy; “who’s this guy?” His name is Dario Saric; he’s a 6-10 225 pound small forward from Sibenik Croatia. It’s unfair but sometimes the only method of assessing a player’s talent is to evaluate his game with a familiar player, Saric has been compared to the Bulls Scottie Pippen. In addition to his shooting skill Pippen was a proficient distributor of the basketball. The NBA team drafting him will hope he’s close to that level.
Our northern neighbor
The world realizes hockey at all levels is Canada’s sport. I’m unsure if basketball might have eclipsed Canadian football as the number two sport in the nation. A number of Canadians have played in the NBA in the past so this is not new. What is new is the ever increasing talent migrating from north of the border. We only need to check the pool of players in this years NBA draft, in addition there are other talented players in college and high school. UNLV’s Anthony Bennett is from Brampton, Ontario, Canada and is a projected lottery pick in the 2013 draft. Another projected lottery pick is Kelly Olynyk, who played at Gonzaga; he’s from Kamloops, British Columbia. A possible second round pick is Myck Kabongo who played at Texas; Kabongo is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Below is a list of the NBA’s Canadian players:
Joel Anthony - Heat
Samuel Dalembert - Bucks
Cory Joseph - Spurs
Kris Joseph - Celtics
Steve Nash - Lakers
Andrew Nicholson - Magic
Robert Sacre - Lakers
Tristan Thompson - Cavs
It’s likely the number one high school prospect in the Class of 2013 Andrew Wiggins will join this group at some future date. Wiggins too is a Canadian hailing from Toronto. There are many others who made the trek south refining their basketball skills at American colleges and universities. While discussing Canadians in the NBA there’s always been a connection north of the border. Although the game of basketball was first played in Springfield (MA) it was Canadian-American James Naismith who devised the game. Just in case you don’t remember the story; Dr. Naismith was attempting to provide exercise for his YMCA class, they had been forced to remain indoors during a brutal New England winter. I located a Canadian basketball website with a wealth of information check out http://northpolehoops.com/
Monday, May 27, 2013
(Un)equal justice
So all Dwayne Wade received was a flagrant one foul. Wade provided a WWE type hit on the Pacers Lance Stephenson. I’m not anti-Wade or anyone else for that matter my chief compliant---unequal justice often disseminated by the league office. If Metta World Peace had delivered a forearm similar to Wade it’s an automatic 2-game suspension. The NBA has one standard for stars and one for role players (or MWP). The star player will usually receive a flagrant one foul and often no monetary fine. Rarely is a star suspended for number of games. With a 12th or 13th man this is often the case, it's a suspension of some duration and a fine in excess of $25,000.
Take this into consideration
Professional franchises and collegiate teams with animal symbols or mascots are generally intended to pose a threat or cause the opposition to be fearful. That is the most common view but certainly not always true. I think we have all heard or read the complaints and jokes regarding the New Orleans Pelicans (Hornets) name change. If we check around the country there are a number of teams with animal symbols that are not very treating. Would anyone consider pelicans treating or scary? Do we fear Penguins, maybe only NHL teams opposing the Pittsburg Penguins might be fearful? Cardinals are unassuming birds (NFL Arizona and MLB St. Louis) they probably will not attack anyone except another bird. The nickname for Albany University teams is Great Danes; I’m no dog expert but I’ve never heard a Great Dane owner describe their dog in the same manner as a Pit Bull owner. Great Danes are big, Pit Bulls are fearsome. This is not an attempt on my part to force the Pelican name change on you, if you don’t like it that’s okay. Just consider the fact there are other animals and mascots that also could not be deemed fearsome.
I don’t work for the Chamber of Commerce
The disclaimer is being submitted at the beginning of this column. The CBE (College Basketball Experience) Classic is somewhat different from other tourneys, its basketball history too. Annually the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame elects a number of players, coaches and contributors to the college game. The Hall of Fame ceremony is followed by the tournament. This fall the competitors will consist of Wichita State, Brigham Young, DePaul and Texas. Matches have not been set yet but a semi-final doubleheader will be played Monday November 25, The Championship doubleheader will be played the next day. You might consider a journey to Kansas City to take in either the Hall of Fame ceremony or the games.
This is shocking
Five star and Class of 2014 prospect Theo Pinson made his commitment known. A sizeable number of high profile programs offered scholarships to Pinson. Among those who made offering were Duke, Indiana and Kentucky to name a few. This Greensboro (NC) native chose the Tarheels of North Carolina over the aforementioned schools and others. If we drove I-40 from Greensboro to Chapel Hill it’s a short 50.3 miles and 59 minutes from home. Should we suppose the opportunity to play in front of his parents might be a factor in his decision? Pinson is a 6-6 185 pound small forward who has the ability to guard three positions.
It’s difficult to take off that jersey
It’s my belief the great Kareem Abdul Jabbar played long past his prime. I thought Michael Jordan retired prematurely and was pleased when he returned to the Wizards. The old spark was missing he was “Air” Jordan he fly a little lower than he had during his years with the Bulls. Indicates are Grant Hill of the Clippers is discussing a return next season. Perhaps it’s due to him being on the injury list most of this season, if he returns it will be his 20th season in the NBA. I haven’t seen every Laker game however 39-year old Steve Nash “appears” to have at least one or two good seasons left in him. Nash was never the speediest guy in the game but his court savvy certainly makes up for this lack of speed.
We thought we’d seen the last of Rasheed Wallace; he retired from the Celtic after the ‘09-’10 season. He returned to the Knicks this season apparently for one more round. I am sure financial gain is foremost in their minds however they probably have “an itch they can’t scratch.” Prior to the conclusion of the season Wallace announced his retirement once again, wonder does he really intend to remain retired this time? Cuttino Mobley (age 37) who played for a number of NBA teams is considering a return. Mobley last played in 2008 retiring in December of that year. Few would admit it but the game they play the game most learned as a child they have a love affair with it. They love the camaraderie of teammates and fans cheering for them, two areas lacking in the life of retired players. Long-time Laker Derek Fisher “un-retired” himself again and plays for the Thunder.
So all Dwayne Wade received was a flagrant one foul. Wade provided a WWE type hit on the Pacers Lance Stephenson. I’m not anti-Wade or anyone else for that matter my chief compliant---unequal justice often disseminated by the league office. If Metta World Peace had delivered a forearm similar to Wade it’s an automatic 2-game suspension. The NBA has one standard for stars and one for role players (or MWP). The star player will usually receive a flagrant one foul and often no monetary fine. Rarely is a star suspended for number of games. With a 12th or 13th man this is often the case, it's a suspension of some duration and a fine in excess of $25,000.
Take this into consideration
Professional franchises and collegiate teams with animal symbols or mascots are generally intended to pose a threat or cause the opposition to be fearful. That is the most common view but certainly not always true. I think we have all heard or read the complaints and jokes regarding the New Orleans Pelicans (Hornets) name change. If we check around the country there are a number of teams with animal symbols that are not very treating. Would anyone consider pelicans treating or scary? Do we fear Penguins, maybe only NHL teams opposing the Pittsburg Penguins might be fearful? Cardinals are unassuming birds (NFL Arizona and MLB St. Louis) they probably will not attack anyone except another bird. The nickname for Albany University teams is Great Danes; I’m no dog expert but I’ve never heard a Great Dane owner describe their dog in the same manner as a Pit Bull owner. Great Danes are big, Pit Bulls are fearsome. This is not an attempt on my part to force the Pelican name change on you, if you don’t like it that’s okay. Just consider the fact there are other animals and mascots that also could not be deemed fearsome.
I don’t work for the Chamber of Commerce
The disclaimer is being submitted at the beginning of this column. The CBE (College Basketball Experience) Classic is somewhat different from other tourneys, its basketball history too. Annually the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame elects a number of players, coaches and contributors to the college game. The Hall of Fame ceremony is followed by the tournament. This fall the competitors will consist of Wichita State, Brigham Young, DePaul and Texas. Matches have not been set yet but a semi-final doubleheader will be played Monday November 25, The Championship doubleheader will be played the next day. You might consider a journey to Kansas City to take in either the Hall of Fame ceremony or the games.
This is shocking
Five star and Class of 2014 prospect Theo Pinson made his commitment known. A sizeable number of high profile programs offered scholarships to Pinson. Among those who made offering were Duke, Indiana and Kentucky to name a few. This Greensboro (NC) native chose the Tarheels of North Carolina over the aforementioned schools and others. If we drove I-40 from Greensboro to Chapel Hill it’s a short 50.3 miles and 59 minutes from home. Should we suppose the opportunity to play in front of his parents might be a factor in his decision? Pinson is a 6-6 185 pound small forward who has the ability to guard three positions.
It’s difficult to take off that jersey
It’s my belief the great Kareem Abdul Jabbar played long past his prime. I thought Michael Jordan retired prematurely and was pleased when he returned to the Wizards. The old spark was missing he was “Air” Jordan he fly a little lower than he had during his years with the Bulls. Indicates are Grant Hill of the Clippers is discussing a return next season. Perhaps it’s due to him being on the injury list most of this season, if he returns it will be his 20th season in the NBA. I haven’t seen every Laker game however 39-year old Steve Nash “appears” to have at least one or two good seasons left in him. Nash was never the speediest guy in the game but his court savvy certainly makes up for this lack of speed.
We thought we’d seen the last of Rasheed Wallace; he retired from the Celtic after the ‘09-’10 season. He returned to the Knicks this season apparently for one more round. I am sure financial gain is foremost in their minds however they probably have “an itch they can’t scratch.” Prior to the conclusion of the season Wallace announced his retirement once again, wonder does he really intend to remain retired this time? Cuttino Mobley (age 37) who played for a number of NBA teams is considering a return. Mobley last played in 2008 retiring in December of that year. Few would admit it but the game they play the game most learned as a child they have a love affair with it. They love the camaraderie of teammates and fans cheering for them, two areas lacking in the life of retired players. Long-time Laker Derek Fisher “un-retired” himself again and plays for the Thunder.
Friday, May 24, 2013
I wish
We could just admire the skill of LeBron James rather than formulate comparisons. No augment with anyone James is the best in this era, the best ever? That is still a debate issue for me (and maybe others). This is a tweet from ESPN’s Chris Palmer on Wednesday; “Somehow LeBron has more career triple doubles than MJ and Kobe.” Palmer wants to compare how about a weight height comparison. MJ’s numbers, 6-6 195 pounds as for Kobe he is the same height and weighs a little more at 205 pounds. James is 6-8 and 250 pounds although a number of sights have him listed as 265 pounds. Clearly there is a height and weight advantage for James over MJ and Kobe. In addition MJ and Kobe are shooting guards and James is a small forward. We realize Oscar Robertson (6-5 205) represents ancient history, he managed to average a triple-double for an entire season.
It could happen
Chad Ford posed an interesting question, “now that Cleveland has won the lottery would they trade the pick?” It’s an interesting thought, before you say that’s crazy ponder this. The Cavs (depending on the player(s) acquired) might become competitive immediately. I didn’t state they would be NBA Champs but they could become a plus .500 team. You say it couldn’t occur. The Lakers held the Cavs number one pick in the ‘82 draft, they used the pick to draft Hall of Fame athlete James “Big Game” Worthy. Those ‘82 Lakers were a much better team than the current Cavs.
Consider this, they trade the number one pick they have the 19, 31 and 33 pick in the 2013 draft. Even in a “weak” draft that’s not a bad hand to play. Just food for thought, maybe they will maybe they won’t. A clue Cavs fans if it occurs it ain’t gonna be for LeBron. While on the subject of the draft I heard an interesting story reported on a Kansas City sports talk radio program. In workouts it’s reported Mizzou’s Phil Pressey is “over penetrating and has difficulty getting off his shot.” Sounds familar to Tiger fans the player we loved and hated at the same time.
If you only follow the college game I understand
I have an acquaintance that only follows the college game. Ralph informed me “with no basketball I’m lost till October, I cannot do baseball etc., etc.” If you follow all elements of the game there is no need to be lost. Of course you must be a true believer to follow this plan. You can I repeat can maintain a basketball presence 12 months of the year; of course much of it slows during the summer months. After the NBA Championship is resolved (middle of June) the NBA Draft is held shortly thereafter.
NBA Summer League basketball from Las Vegas and Orlando begins in early July, lasts about two weeks. You can view games from mid-morning to late afternoon. The games are available on NBA TV, if you live in or near Las Vegas/Orlando you can attend the games in person. July 1 begins the active often hectic NBA free agency period. As for the balance of the summer there is high school summer league basketball. AAU basketball games are held throughout the nation, Kansas City has at least two AAU tourneys. Basketball activity certainly slows during the summer however it doesn’t fade away totally, that is for a number of us.
Well now
I came across a bit of vital information to Mizzou fans. All of us were really disappointed by the quick exit losing to Colorado State in the NCAA tourney. If this reads as an excuse on my part so be it. This was not a Norfolk State repeat, last year Mizzou was the higher seed. Norfolk State upset Mizzou. This past year was totally different, Colorado State was an eight seed and Mizzou a nine. Higher seeds certainly have upset teams beneath them as we know but an 8-9 match is generally considered a toss up, either team could win. ESPN’s Bracktology expert Joe Lunardi has penciled in Mizzou in the NCAA field of 68 next season.
He wants to return
Its apparent Phil Jackson’s retirement is about to come to an end, he’s making noises about wanting back in the game. We don’t know where he will eventually land however we know where he ain’t going. He’s not going to resurface in any capacity with the Lakers, at least with Jim Buss in place. Despite Phil Jackson’s relationship with Jeannie Buss she has been unable to persuade her brother to accept PJ. It could happen; Jeannie is able to convince Jim to hire PJ in some capacity. How about the team he once played the Knicks? Would PJ head east to become general manager of the team? Chicago is not in the equation; Jerry Krause is no longer on the scene but the “bridge might have been permanently burned.” PJ wouldn’t go to Boston in any capacity, there is probably animosity remaining from the Aurbach comments regarding his coaching record. There are just a few teams that could afford to pay PJ the salary he might require---the Lakers, Bulls and Knicks. Seattle is out of the question for now, his decision and destination remains open.
We could just admire the skill of LeBron James rather than formulate comparisons. No augment with anyone James is the best in this era, the best ever? That is still a debate issue for me (and maybe others). This is a tweet from ESPN’s Chris Palmer on Wednesday; “Somehow LeBron has more career triple doubles than MJ and Kobe.” Palmer wants to compare how about a weight height comparison. MJ’s numbers, 6-6 195 pounds as for Kobe he is the same height and weighs a little more at 205 pounds. James is 6-8 and 250 pounds although a number of sights have him listed as 265 pounds. Clearly there is a height and weight advantage for James over MJ and Kobe. In addition MJ and Kobe are shooting guards and James is a small forward. We realize Oscar Robertson (6-5 205) represents ancient history, he managed to average a triple-double for an entire season.
It could happen
Chad Ford posed an interesting question, “now that Cleveland has won the lottery would they trade the pick?” It’s an interesting thought, before you say that’s crazy ponder this. The Cavs (depending on the player(s) acquired) might become competitive immediately. I didn’t state they would be NBA Champs but they could become a plus .500 team. You say it couldn’t occur. The Lakers held the Cavs number one pick in the ‘82 draft, they used the pick to draft Hall of Fame athlete James “Big Game” Worthy. Those ‘82 Lakers were a much better team than the current Cavs.
Consider this, they trade the number one pick they have the 19, 31 and 33 pick in the 2013 draft. Even in a “weak” draft that’s not a bad hand to play. Just food for thought, maybe they will maybe they won’t. A clue Cavs fans if it occurs it ain’t gonna be for LeBron. While on the subject of the draft I heard an interesting story reported on a Kansas City sports talk radio program. In workouts it’s reported Mizzou’s Phil Pressey is “over penetrating and has difficulty getting off his shot.” Sounds familar to Tiger fans the player we loved and hated at the same time.
If you only follow the college game I understand
I have an acquaintance that only follows the college game. Ralph informed me “with no basketball I’m lost till October, I cannot do baseball etc., etc.” If you follow all elements of the game there is no need to be lost. Of course you must be a true believer to follow this plan. You can I repeat can maintain a basketball presence 12 months of the year; of course much of it slows during the summer months. After the NBA Championship is resolved (middle of June) the NBA Draft is held shortly thereafter.
NBA Summer League basketball from Las Vegas and Orlando begins in early July, lasts about two weeks. You can view games from mid-morning to late afternoon. The games are available on NBA TV, if you live in or near Las Vegas/Orlando you can attend the games in person. July 1 begins the active often hectic NBA free agency period. As for the balance of the summer there is high school summer league basketball. AAU basketball games are held throughout the nation, Kansas City has at least two AAU tourneys. Basketball activity certainly slows during the summer however it doesn’t fade away totally, that is for a number of us.
Well now
I came across a bit of vital information to Mizzou fans. All of us were really disappointed by the quick exit losing to Colorado State in the NCAA tourney. If this reads as an excuse on my part so be it. This was not a Norfolk State repeat, last year Mizzou was the higher seed. Norfolk State upset Mizzou. This past year was totally different, Colorado State was an eight seed and Mizzou a nine. Higher seeds certainly have upset teams beneath them as we know but an 8-9 match is generally considered a toss up, either team could win. ESPN’s Bracktology expert Joe Lunardi has penciled in Mizzou in the NCAA field of 68 next season.
He wants to return
Its apparent Phil Jackson’s retirement is about to come to an end, he’s making noises about wanting back in the game. We don’t know where he will eventually land however we know where he ain’t going. He’s not going to resurface in any capacity with the Lakers, at least with Jim Buss in place. Despite Phil Jackson’s relationship with Jeannie Buss she has been unable to persuade her brother to accept PJ. It could happen; Jeannie is able to convince Jim to hire PJ in some capacity. How about the team he once played the Knicks? Would PJ head east to become general manager of the team? Chicago is not in the equation; Jerry Krause is no longer on the scene but the “bridge might have been permanently burned.” PJ wouldn’t go to Boston in any capacity, there is probably animosity remaining from the Aurbach comments regarding his coaching record. There are just a few teams that could afford to pay PJ the salary he might require---the Lakers, Bulls and Knicks. Seattle is out of the question for now, his decision and destination remains open.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Unbelievable
I am unfamiliar with Dan Feldman, to my knowledge I’ve never read anything he’s written. Recently he wrote a column for ProBasketball Talk that was downright funny. When I read the headline I thought it was intended as a joke and maybe it really was. Feldman’s column was titled; “Why there’s a 100 percent chance the NBA Lottery is fixed.” I’m writing this prior to the lottery tonight. One thing for sure if the NBA sets this up in the backroom as Feldman indicates how do we determine the truth? A person whose view I respect and value made this statement regarding conspiracy theories. He said; “I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, too many people are involved with the true facts, somebody is gonna talk at some point.”
He’s now at Mizzou
6-4 wingman Deuce Bello is transferring from Baylor to Mizzou was the announcement. He’s transferring which requires he must sit out a year; Bello will be eligible for the 2014-15 season. As for his resume, he was a Top 60 prospect in the Class of 2011; in spite of this his numbers were nothing outstanding. Last season yielded a modest 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
NBA salaries
Why do we choose to begrudge an athlete (or entertainer) for their financial earnings? These folks earn far more in a year or two than the majority of us in a lifetime. This is a short and concise response to a story written last week by a national columnist. This particular writer intended to paint a negative portrait of the Players Association, Derek Fisher and NBA owners. I won‘t debate the figures he provided however instead of focusing only on the NBA he should check other areas of endeavor. As far as the NBA he was correct Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and others are part of the 99%. They earn the greatest portion of NBA salaries, how about the 1% the writer claims is under represented by the Players Association?
The latest figures I uncovered were 2011-12, the NBA minimum salary was $498,180 with 0 years of service. One year of play and the salary rises to $788,872. I’m unsure how you roll; I don’t think I have any friends or acquaintances earning $400,000 a year or more annually. Why not contrast that with the annual salary for a U.S. Senator, in 2009 it was $174,000. How about Americans salaries, the figures I located represented households and not singles. From 2010 the average American family earned $63,091 annually. Other websites chose to print the Associated Press release rather than assign a columnist to cover the story. Do you suppose ESPN, Yahoo Sports and others don’t believe this is a “real” issue? (NBA.com)
I guess it could happen?
Never say never, almost any story could develop but we‘ll cover that at the end. It’s that time of the year, the NBA Draft Combine the timeframe collegiate and Euro talent is accessed regarding next months draft. Ever wondered why players are measured at the Combine? The ESPN crew interviewed a Mavs official and the question was asked of him. He said; “the college year book said the player was 6-9 and when we measured him we discovered he was 6-6.” One other note, arm length is also measured which is interesting. Viewers received a definition of “short arms“, I don’t remember the players name however he was measured at 6-9 player but actually had a longer reach (arms) than one who was 6-10 ½. A number of athletes skipped the NBA Combine on advice of their agents. An athlete projected in the top 20 might not see the need to display his talent for fear of a possible injury or cause his possible draft position to slide.
One of the analyst (don’t remember which one) tossed out an interesting scenario. ____ team drafts Nerlens Noel who might play late or not at all in 2013-14. Team play is not improved and they finish in the lottery again. This same team would be afforded an opportunity to draft an Andrew Wiggins or some other high profile choice, interesting concept and quite possible. It occurred once to my knowledge, Spurs center David Robinson went down with a season ending injury in the 1996-97 season with only six games played. The Spurs finished the year with a losing record and qualified as a lottery team. I will offer you one guess the player chosen by the Spurs in the 1997 draft. I’ll make it easy for you the pick was Tim Duncan who might be the all-time best power forward in NBA history.
I am unfamiliar with Dan Feldman, to my knowledge I’ve never read anything he’s written. Recently he wrote a column for ProBasketball Talk that was downright funny. When I read the headline I thought it was intended as a joke and maybe it really was. Feldman’s column was titled; “Why there’s a 100 percent chance the NBA Lottery is fixed.” I’m writing this prior to the lottery tonight. One thing for sure if the NBA sets this up in the backroom as Feldman indicates how do we determine the truth? A person whose view I respect and value made this statement regarding conspiracy theories. He said; “I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, too many people are involved with the true facts, somebody is gonna talk at some point.”
He’s now at Mizzou
6-4 wingman Deuce Bello is transferring from Baylor to Mizzou was the announcement. He’s transferring which requires he must sit out a year; Bello will be eligible for the 2014-15 season. As for his resume, he was a Top 60 prospect in the Class of 2011; in spite of this his numbers were nothing outstanding. Last season yielded a modest 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
NBA salaries
Why do we choose to begrudge an athlete (or entertainer) for their financial earnings? These folks earn far more in a year or two than the majority of us in a lifetime. This is a short and concise response to a story written last week by a national columnist. This particular writer intended to paint a negative portrait of the Players Association, Derek Fisher and NBA owners. I won‘t debate the figures he provided however instead of focusing only on the NBA he should check other areas of endeavor. As far as the NBA he was correct Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and others are part of the 99%. They earn the greatest portion of NBA salaries, how about the 1% the writer claims is under represented by the Players Association?
The latest figures I uncovered were 2011-12, the NBA minimum salary was $498,180 with 0 years of service. One year of play and the salary rises to $788,872. I’m unsure how you roll; I don’t think I have any friends or acquaintances earning $400,000 a year or more annually. Why not contrast that with the annual salary for a U.S. Senator, in 2009 it was $174,000. How about Americans salaries, the figures I located represented households and not singles. From 2010 the average American family earned $63,091 annually. Other websites chose to print the Associated Press release rather than assign a columnist to cover the story. Do you suppose ESPN, Yahoo Sports and others don’t believe this is a “real” issue? (NBA.com)
I guess it could happen?
Never say never, almost any story could develop but we‘ll cover that at the end. It’s that time of the year, the NBA Draft Combine the timeframe collegiate and Euro talent is accessed regarding next months draft. Ever wondered why players are measured at the Combine? The ESPN crew interviewed a Mavs official and the question was asked of him. He said; “the college year book said the player was 6-9 and when we measured him we discovered he was 6-6.” One other note, arm length is also measured which is interesting. Viewers received a definition of “short arms“, I don’t remember the players name however he was measured at 6-9 player but actually had a longer reach (arms) than one who was 6-10 ½. A number of athletes skipped the NBA Combine on advice of their agents. An athlete projected in the top 20 might not see the need to display his talent for fear of a possible injury or cause his possible draft position to slide.
One of the analyst (don’t remember which one) tossed out an interesting scenario. ____ team drafts Nerlens Noel who might play late or not at all in 2013-14. Team play is not improved and they finish in the lottery again. This same team would be afforded an opportunity to draft an Andrew Wiggins or some other high profile choice, interesting concept and quite possible. It occurred once to my knowledge, Spurs center David Robinson went down with a season ending injury in the 1996-97 season with only six games played. The Spurs finished the year with a losing record and qualified as a lottery team. I will offer you one guess the player chosen by the Spurs in the 1997 draft. I’ll make it easy for you the pick was Tim Duncan who might be the all-time best power forward in NBA history.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Bits n Pieces
Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is the winner this year; it will serve as home for the 2013 NBA Draft. This is a departure from the usual location Madison Square Garden.
Do you think some NBA team will finally hire Brian Shaw? I think it’s about time; he should at least be given the opportunity to prove he can’t coach at this level. The Bobcats gave Mike Dunlap the courtesy; I almost forgot they interviewed Shaw as well but hired the recently fired Dunlap.
He was joking wasn’t he? The Spurs Tony Parker is claiming he “invented” the tear drop shot. No doubt he is an expert at the shot but inventing it that might be another story. His story makes sense however I hope he wasn’t serious. Parker claims he developed the shot as a child to allow him to shot over taller players.
It was no surprise the Blazers Damian Lillard was named Rookie of the Year. What was a surprise to us this is only the fourth time in history the vote total has been unanimous for Rookie of the Year. *Ralph Sampson in 1984, David Robinson 1990 and Blake Griffin 2011 also received this honor. I could be mistaken but Lillard coming from Weber State and a 4-year player to boot he wanted to make a statement. (*ESPN.com)
The Charlotte Hornets might come into existence once again; the Pelicans (Hornets) are not moving back to the city. Charlotte was the home of the Hornets prior to the New Orleans move. At the time Tom Benson acquired the team he expressed a desire for a name more identified with New Orleans and Louisiana, the team will become the Pelicans next season. Now that the Hornets name have been replaced there is movement, stories are circulating the Charlotte Bobcats will renounce that name and will become the Hornets.
I will continue to monitor these stories
Two NCAA stories involving Mizzou and Kansas will be closely followed by me. This certainly is no reflection on Bill Self or the athletic department at the school. It should be noted this is not the first time for an occurrence of this type. This saga involves Ben McLemore his former AAU coach and $10,000. *“Darius Cobb, took money this past season. Cobb accepted $10,000 and other travel perks from a man named Rodney Blackstock, who runs Hooplife Academy, "a sports mentoring organization based in Greensboro, N.C.," Blackstock presumably did so under the hope of becoming McLemore's agent once he left Kansas.” NCAA rules state McLemore could be declared ineligible although he did not receive any financial gain. If the NCAA rules against Kansas last season wins would be vacated including the Big XII Championship. It’s yet to be determined if the story can be proven so currently it’s in limbo.
The Frank Haith saga at Mizzou is nearly 30 years old, forgive me I exaggerate its only three years in August 2013. You probably had no idea it was that old did you? I am sure the key figure former booster and convicted felon Nevin Shapiro received a speedier trial than this. It’s still a mystery (if true) how the NCAA was able to gain access to Coach Haith’s banking records. It was our belief only government agencies had this ability; maybe the NCAA has become bigger than the Federal Government? I stated many months (maybe years) ago I believe in a system punishment is due Haith. If for some reason Haith is declared innocent he will still be guilty in the court of public opinion. With all the stories, record leaks a casual observation would tend to think the worse. In closing whatever decision is reached in either case I have no confidence in the NCAA. The organization has lost all credibility with this writer. (*USA Today)
“The reports of my death has been greatly exaggerated”
The quote above is from Mark Twain American writer and humorist. The Twain quote is for my neighbors’ son. Shane always wants to poke fun at me regarding the Lakers (he’s a Heat fan). We had not talked since late January or early February so you see where this is leading. He was so excited to see me working in my yard. Naturally he began by playing taps for the Lakers, he gave me 55 reasons the Lakers won’t ever win another championship, and I took it all his commentary with a smile on my face. Once he paused he asked “how many championships do the Lakers have?” I stated they had won 16, “it’s about time they give somebody else a chance to win.”
Shane has the same problem as other Laker haters; they resent the number of NBA Championships, they hate Kobe Bryant or they resent Hollywood image. Prior to Shane leaving I informed he don’t believe the Lakers will never ever win again; there have been down years for the Lakers. The key of course the losing years have never been sustained over a long period of time. Don’t expect this proud franchise to become a Charlotte or Sacramento clone. In closing one final question, why is it okay to hate the Lakers but love the Heat? I wish somebody could explain that for me, I haven’t figured it one out yet.
Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is the winner this year; it will serve as home for the 2013 NBA Draft. This is a departure from the usual location Madison Square Garden.
Do you think some NBA team will finally hire Brian Shaw? I think it’s about time; he should at least be given the opportunity to prove he can’t coach at this level. The Bobcats gave Mike Dunlap the courtesy; I almost forgot they interviewed Shaw as well but hired the recently fired Dunlap.
He was joking wasn’t he? The Spurs Tony Parker is claiming he “invented” the tear drop shot. No doubt he is an expert at the shot but inventing it that might be another story. His story makes sense however I hope he wasn’t serious. Parker claims he developed the shot as a child to allow him to shot over taller players.
It was no surprise the Blazers Damian Lillard was named Rookie of the Year. What was a surprise to us this is only the fourth time in history the vote total has been unanimous for Rookie of the Year. *Ralph Sampson in 1984, David Robinson 1990 and Blake Griffin 2011 also received this honor. I could be mistaken but Lillard coming from Weber State and a 4-year player to boot he wanted to make a statement. (*ESPN.com)
The Charlotte Hornets might come into existence once again; the Pelicans (Hornets) are not moving back to the city. Charlotte was the home of the Hornets prior to the New Orleans move. At the time Tom Benson acquired the team he expressed a desire for a name more identified with New Orleans and Louisiana, the team will become the Pelicans next season. Now that the Hornets name have been replaced there is movement, stories are circulating the Charlotte Bobcats will renounce that name and will become the Hornets.
I will continue to monitor these stories
Two NCAA stories involving Mizzou and Kansas will be closely followed by me. This certainly is no reflection on Bill Self or the athletic department at the school. It should be noted this is not the first time for an occurrence of this type. This saga involves Ben McLemore his former AAU coach and $10,000. *“Darius Cobb, took money this past season. Cobb accepted $10,000 and other travel perks from a man named Rodney Blackstock, who runs Hooplife Academy, "a sports mentoring organization based in Greensboro, N.C.," Blackstock presumably did so under the hope of becoming McLemore's agent once he left Kansas.” NCAA rules state McLemore could be declared ineligible although he did not receive any financial gain. If the NCAA rules against Kansas last season wins would be vacated including the Big XII Championship. It’s yet to be determined if the story can be proven so currently it’s in limbo.
The Frank Haith saga at Mizzou is nearly 30 years old, forgive me I exaggerate its only three years in August 2013. You probably had no idea it was that old did you? I am sure the key figure former booster and convicted felon Nevin Shapiro received a speedier trial than this. It’s still a mystery (if true) how the NCAA was able to gain access to Coach Haith’s banking records. It was our belief only government agencies had this ability; maybe the NCAA has become bigger than the Federal Government? I stated many months (maybe years) ago I believe in a system punishment is due Haith. If for some reason Haith is declared innocent he will still be guilty in the court of public opinion. With all the stories, record leaks a casual observation would tend to think the worse. In closing whatever decision is reached in either case I have no confidence in the NCAA. The organization has lost all credibility with this writer. (*USA Today)
“The reports of my death has been greatly exaggerated”
The quote above is from Mark Twain American writer and humorist. The Twain quote is for my neighbors’ son. Shane always wants to poke fun at me regarding the Lakers (he’s a Heat fan). We had not talked since late January or early February so you see where this is leading. He was so excited to see me working in my yard. Naturally he began by playing taps for the Lakers, he gave me 55 reasons the Lakers won’t ever win another championship, and I took it all his commentary with a smile on my face. Once he paused he asked “how many championships do the Lakers have?” I stated they had won 16, “it’s about time they give somebody else a chance to win.”
Shane has the same problem as other Laker haters; they resent the number of NBA Championships, they hate Kobe Bryant or they resent Hollywood image. Prior to Shane leaving I informed he don’t believe the Lakers will never ever win again; there have been down years for the Lakers. The key of course the losing years have never been sustained over a long period of time. Don’t expect this proud franchise to become a Charlotte or Sacramento clone. In closing one final question, why is it okay to hate the Lakers but love the Heat? I wish somebody could explain that for me, I haven’t figured it one out yet.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Bits n Pieces
There are questions regarding the return of Derrick Rose what about Kobe Bean Bryant? Medical reports indicate the window for Kobe’s return is 6 to 12 months. Six months would mean he’d return in October in time for training camp. Twelve months would mean a February come back probably after the All-Star Game. It’s my belief Kobe’s return lies someplace in between probably the December to January timeframe.
Kansas has a mighty tough non-conference schedule for 2013-14. They will face Duke, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Georgetown and San Diego State. The games are not scheduled back to back; in addition we don’t know the returning talent on many of the opposing squads. We can take this into consideration all the above teams won 20+ games last season.
I’m gonna plead guilty it’s my age; throughout my adult life I have always maintained a sense of fashion. Russell Westbrook and Dwayne Wade offer little if any fashion sense based on their pre and post-game wear. On the other hand as I stated earlier it’s probably my age.
Marcus Smart of Oklahoma did it now Creighton’s Doug McDermott does too. McDermott announced he was returning for his senior year. His name was listed on several mock draft sites however his draft stock might not have been as high as he might have hoped.
He’s good but he’s not that good!
Dave Telep ESPN.com is one of those basketball reporters I believe in, he knows his stuff. He’s been following and reporting high school and college basketball for a considerable period of time. I listened with interest an interview with him on one of the Kansas City sports talk radio programs. Prior to discussing Andrew Wiggins Telep provided us insight on a former Kansas player. You may remember Josh Selby, he declared for the draft after an unimpressive freshman year. Discussing Selby Telep stated; “Josh Selby was un-coach able.” I remembered back to the time period he left school, he’d done little to provide an indication he was ready for the NBA. Where is Selby currently? He was drafted in the second round of the 2011 draft and now plays for the Maine Red Claws of the NBADL. As for Andrew Wiggins Telep said and I paraphrase; “(Andrew) Wiggins is truly great but the comparisons to LeBron James are not valid. Wiggins doesn’t have the power of a LeBron." One area weight and power, Wiggins is a trim 205 pounds, James was at least 225 his senior year in high school.
Prepare for change
I hope this is the view of the reporter rather than the Thunder front office. I checked out an Oklahoma City staffer view of the series with the Grizzlies. It was his belief there was no need for panic, Russell Westbrook was the primary reason the Thunder lost the series. I think it would be foolish for me or anyone else to discount the value of Westbrook to the team however it’s more than that. I believe it’s the “James Harden” factor, beyond Durant with no Westbrook there was little if any offense. Harden’s replacement Kevin Martin could not or was able to sustain the offense. It’s not my desire to be Donny Downer but the same situation could technically occur next season. Instead of Westbrook its Durant who sustains the injury. The Thunder play good defense that’s not the issue, their issue is sustaining offense. Unless management addresses the issue they will be stuck, a perennial contender but never getting over the hump. Remember what happened to the Magic, played the Lakers for the NBA Championship and lost. Since that time the Magic have never gotten close to that level since then. The window of opportunity opens and closes quickly for a number of teams.
A change in plans
The University of Iowa was originally scheduled to play in the Great Alaska Shootout November 27-30. The school has withdrawn and they are now headed to Paradise Island in the Bahamas near the same timeframe and compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Seems like an easy decision if we check the weather. Wikipedia says the average high in Anchorage is 27.6 degrees F while the low can reach a chilly 16.7 F. The all-time record cold is -21 degrees F; incidentally I didn’t bother to check the snow report. Citizens of Anchorage this is not intended as a knock on your city, Kansas City has never recorded a -21 degrees F with maybe the wind chill. As for the average temp, we’ve experienced similar high and low temperatures in December too.
There are questions regarding the return of Derrick Rose what about Kobe Bean Bryant? Medical reports indicate the window for Kobe’s return is 6 to 12 months. Six months would mean he’d return in October in time for training camp. Twelve months would mean a February come back probably after the All-Star Game. It’s my belief Kobe’s return lies someplace in between probably the December to January timeframe.
Kansas has a mighty tough non-conference schedule for 2013-14. They will face Duke, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Georgetown and San Diego State. The games are not scheduled back to back; in addition we don’t know the returning talent on many of the opposing squads. We can take this into consideration all the above teams won 20+ games last season.
I’m gonna plead guilty it’s my age; throughout my adult life I have always maintained a sense of fashion. Russell Westbrook and Dwayne Wade offer little if any fashion sense based on their pre and post-game wear. On the other hand as I stated earlier it’s probably my age.
Marcus Smart of Oklahoma did it now Creighton’s Doug McDermott does too. McDermott announced he was returning for his senior year. His name was listed on several mock draft sites however his draft stock might not have been as high as he might have hoped.
He’s good but he’s not that good!
Dave Telep ESPN.com is one of those basketball reporters I believe in, he knows his stuff. He’s been following and reporting high school and college basketball for a considerable period of time. I listened with interest an interview with him on one of the Kansas City sports talk radio programs. Prior to discussing Andrew Wiggins Telep provided us insight on a former Kansas player. You may remember Josh Selby, he declared for the draft after an unimpressive freshman year. Discussing Selby Telep stated; “Josh Selby was un-coach able.” I remembered back to the time period he left school, he’d done little to provide an indication he was ready for the NBA. Where is Selby currently? He was drafted in the second round of the 2011 draft and now plays for the Maine Red Claws of the NBADL. As for Andrew Wiggins Telep said and I paraphrase; “(Andrew) Wiggins is truly great but the comparisons to LeBron James are not valid. Wiggins doesn’t have the power of a LeBron." One area weight and power, Wiggins is a trim 205 pounds, James was at least 225 his senior year in high school.
Prepare for change
I hope this is the view of the reporter rather than the Thunder front office. I checked out an Oklahoma City staffer view of the series with the Grizzlies. It was his belief there was no need for panic, Russell Westbrook was the primary reason the Thunder lost the series. I think it would be foolish for me or anyone else to discount the value of Westbrook to the team however it’s more than that. I believe it’s the “James Harden” factor, beyond Durant with no Westbrook there was little if any offense. Harden’s replacement Kevin Martin could not or was able to sustain the offense. It’s not my desire to be Donny Downer but the same situation could technically occur next season. Instead of Westbrook its Durant who sustains the injury. The Thunder play good defense that’s not the issue, their issue is sustaining offense. Unless management addresses the issue they will be stuck, a perennial contender but never getting over the hump. Remember what happened to the Magic, played the Lakers for the NBA Championship and lost. Since that time the Magic have never gotten close to that level since then. The window of opportunity opens and closes quickly for a number of teams.
A change in plans
The University of Iowa was originally scheduled to play in the Great Alaska Shootout November 27-30. The school has withdrawn and they are now headed to Paradise Island in the Bahamas near the same timeframe and compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Seems like an easy decision if we check the weather. Wikipedia says the average high in Anchorage is 27.6 degrees F while the low can reach a chilly 16.7 F. The all-time record cold is -21 degrees F; incidentally I didn’t bother to check the snow report. Citizens of Anchorage this is not intended as a knock on your city, Kansas City has never recorded a -21 degrees F with maybe the wind chill. As for the average temp, we’ve experienced similar high and low temperatures in December too.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
He did it once again
Jason Whitlock Fox Sports.com columnist, he chose as his topic of discussion the Rutgers Eddie Jordan hire. Maybe you’ve read the story, the short version after the fact it was discovered Jordan did not obtain a degree from Rutgers. This was contrary to his resume and the information released by the university. The school probably moved rather quickly after the Mike Rice fiasco. Did they do an adequate background check it certainly appears they didn’t? Why they failed the due diligence background check only the school administration truly knows. What I find interesting Whitlock lays all the blame on Jordan for this issue. Of course Jordan was responsible for obtaining a degree but the columnist makes this far worse than it is.
In fact he says; *I couldn’t imagine being 58 (Jordan’s age) and have Jordan’s financial wherewithal and no college degree.” In defense of Jordan he states he took courses later and “assumed” he qualified for his undergraduate degree. The biggest offender to this story is Whitlock. He’s taken another story involving basketball twists it to fit his perceived evil of the sport. Interesting he seems to find more fault with Jordan over that of Rutgers. The university hired Jordan didn’t they do a background check including his education at the school? One more question for you Mr. Whitlock, short of his degree is Jordan qualified to serve as head coach? With Jordan's extensive coaching background I find it interesting you chose to omit or ignore that area. *Jason Whitlock Fox Sports
The choice is made
The decision was made, not THAT DECISION! The LeBron James decision is history I’m referring to the decision made by the number one high school prospect in the Class of 2013 Andrew Wiggins. This 6-7 small forward made his college choice known, his choices (in no particular order) were North Carolina, Florida State, Kansas and Kentucky. Everyone had an opinion on his choice only he and his family knew ahead of time where he was headed. My speculation was Florida State base on the fact this was mom and dads school. I believed Wiggins would pass on Kansas and Kentucky for a simple reason; both schools have outstanding incoming recruiting classes. ESPNU ranks Kentucky number one and Kansas number two in the nation. My best guess prior to his decision was Florida State; I missed on this one, he chose Kansas.
We see his value
I had written earlier I thought the Thunder would emerge as Western Conference Champions. Of course it was written prior to point guard Russell Westbrook’s injury; he is talented and valuable to his team however I still consider him a knucklehead!
Who’s the better coach?
The Nuggets have several good players nevertheless they came up short once again this time against the Warriors. It’s my view the Nuggets came up short (once again) because Mark Jackson out coached George Karl. Should we view NBA Championships a barometer of a coach’s success? You be the judge on this one, in 29 years of coaching at several stop Karl’s teams have missed the playoffs only one time. There are few NBA coaches (past or present) who could claim a similar record.
Karl teams have won 1,887 games with him as head coach. His 1995-96 Sonics team faced off against the Michael Jordan Bulls for the NBA Championship. The Bulls were to prevail in the championship series 4 games to 2. The downside to Karl’s coaching success other than ’95-’96 few of his teams have made it out of the first round. In fact his teams have been bounced out in the first round of the playoffs 14 times including 2012-13. Karl was named Coach of the Year by a wide margin over several other candidates who teams are still playing. I guess we could conclude the award is for regular season and not playoffs. (dates, history Wikipedia)
A story with legs????
I’m sure you are reading the same Phil Jackson stories I am. Not the stories involving him coaching---its front office. Jackson’s health issues and it’s a guess he has no desire for the NBA travel grind once again. President/Director of Basketball Operations or some other front office position is the Jackson goal. Even more interesting are reports Jackson has developed a friendship with prospective Seattle owner Chris Hansen. We thought the Sacramento-Seattle move was resolved however the Hansen group raising the purchase price has caused chaos to reign once again.
Jason Whitlock Fox Sports.com columnist, he chose as his topic of discussion the Rutgers Eddie Jordan hire. Maybe you’ve read the story, the short version after the fact it was discovered Jordan did not obtain a degree from Rutgers. This was contrary to his resume and the information released by the university. The school probably moved rather quickly after the Mike Rice fiasco. Did they do an adequate background check it certainly appears they didn’t? Why they failed the due diligence background check only the school administration truly knows. What I find interesting Whitlock lays all the blame on Jordan for this issue. Of course Jordan was responsible for obtaining a degree but the columnist makes this far worse than it is.
In fact he says; *I couldn’t imagine being 58 (Jordan’s age) and have Jordan’s financial wherewithal and no college degree.” In defense of Jordan he states he took courses later and “assumed” he qualified for his undergraduate degree. The biggest offender to this story is Whitlock. He’s taken another story involving basketball twists it to fit his perceived evil of the sport. Interesting he seems to find more fault with Jordan over that of Rutgers. The university hired Jordan didn’t they do a background check including his education at the school? One more question for you Mr. Whitlock, short of his degree is Jordan qualified to serve as head coach? With Jordan's extensive coaching background I find it interesting you chose to omit or ignore that area. *Jason Whitlock Fox Sports
The choice is made
The decision was made, not THAT DECISION! The LeBron James decision is history I’m referring to the decision made by the number one high school prospect in the Class of 2013 Andrew Wiggins. This 6-7 small forward made his college choice known, his choices (in no particular order) were North Carolina, Florida State, Kansas and Kentucky. Everyone had an opinion on his choice only he and his family knew ahead of time where he was headed. My speculation was Florida State base on the fact this was mom and dads school. I believed Wiggins would pass on Kansas and Kentucky for a simple reason; both schools have outstanding incoming recruiting classes. ESPNU ranks Kentucky number one and Kansas number two in the nation. My best guess prior to his decision was Florida State; I missed on this one, he chose Kansas.
We see his value
I had written earlier I thought the Thunder would emerge as Western Conference Champions. Of course it was written prior to point guard Russell Westbrook’s injury; he is talented and valuable to his team however I still consider him a knucklehead!
Who’s the better coach?
The Nuggets have several good players nevertheless they came up short once again this time against the Warriors. It’s my view the Nuggets came up short (once again) because Mark Jackson out coached George Karl. Should we view NBA Championships a barometer of a coach’s success? You be the judge on this one, in 29 years of coaching at several stop Karl’s teams have missed the playoffs only one time. There are few NBA coaches (past or present) who could claim a similar record.
Karl teams have won 1,887 games with him as head coach. His 1995-96 Sonics team faced off against the Michael Jordan Bulls for the NBA Championship. The Bulls were to prevail in the championship series 4 games to 2. The downside to Karl’s coaching success other than ’95-’96 few of his teams have made it out of the first round. In fact his teams have been bounced out in the first round of the playoffs 14 times including 2012-13. Karl was named Coach of the Year by a wide margin over several other candidates who teams are still playing. I guess we could conclude the award is for regular season and not playoffs. (dates, history Wikipedia)
A story with legs????
I’m sure you are reading the same Phil Jackson stories I am. Not the stories involving him coaching---its front office. Jackson’s health issues and it’s a guess he has no desire for the NBA travel grind once again. President/Director of Basketball Operations or some other front office position is the Jackson goal. Even more interesting are reports Jackson has developed a friendship with prospective Seattle owner Chris Hansen. We thought the Sacramento-Seattle move was resolved however the Hansen group raising the purchase price has caused chaos to reign once again.
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Hawks always a mystery (at the top)
Last week I wrote a story on the number of coaching vacancies in the NBA. I mentioned the Hawks and the fact Larry Drew might be on the hot seat. ESPN is floating a story those same Hawks are interested in hiring Stan Van Gundy, remember him? All this is occurring while Larry Drew is still under contract and for all we know still the coach. I cannot state whether Drew is a good or bad coach, the problem I believe lies much deeper. There appears to be a front office problem for the Hawks, it seems the problems of this team might not be coaching alone. If reports are true I would be very careful if I were Van Gundy signing a contract with this team.
He will be ready to play when he’s ready
Several of you especially Celtic fans might remember the Rick Pitino teams, they were not very good. After suffering a home loss television cameras caught this post game exchange with reporters from Pitino. “Larry Bird’s not walking through that door fans, Kevin McHale’s not walking through that door etc. etc. etc. “ I’m sure Pitino was trying to point out none of those great players were going to walk through the door and save the day for the Celtics. I think Bulls fans might relate; “Derrick Rose is not walking through that door.”
I’ve never suffered a devastating injury; I wasn’t talented enough to play on my high school team. The few hurts I suffered playing the game occurred while in the military, on outdoor courts and in Parks and Recreation action, none were serious or long-term. Dan Patrick was discussing Derrick Rose and his failure to appear on the court. Patrick mentioned (and I’m sure you’ve read) Bulls doctors had given him permission to play. Patrick was questioning why Rose is not on the court. Despite Patrick’s view and others Rose will return to the game when his mental health is confident. The Bulls could certainly utilize his talent however they too must adopt a wait and see on him.
The changing basketball landscape
The Kansas athletic department (along with Bill Self) could take a lesson from Rutgers and Seton Hall. The two rivals about 40 miles apart will no longer compete in the Big East Conference. *“Rutgers will play in the American Athletic Conference next season before moving to the Big Ten Conference in 2014. Seton Hall will continue to play in the new Big East Conference, which kept all the Roman Catholic universities.” The schools have agreed to play a home and home series for the next 8 years. Two rivals now in different conferences will continue to play each other. This is totally opposite of what occurred when Mizzou left for the SEC. Bill Self and the Kansas Chancellor chose to slam the door on the 100+ year rivalry. The other portion of this silliness relates to recruiting. A fan even claimed Mizzou would have “difficulty“ recruiting in the Kansas City Metro. It should be pointed out to this individual since his pronouncement the University of Mo-Kansas City has hired a coach with Kansas City connections. In fact it was noted one of the chief reasons the school hired Kareem Richardson was his ties to the area. Richardson will be recruiting in the Kansas City Metro on both sides of the state line. *SI.com
His time is officially over
If Kobe Bryant never plays another minute in the NBA we can say; “he had a complete career.” The same statement cannot be said regarding the once talented Brandon Roy, the Wolves released him and at 28 his NBA career is over. A number of players have come into the NBA with great promise and never fulfilled it. Roy certainly demonstrated his promise although it was only for such a brief time period. He came into the NBA as the 6th pick of the Blazers in round one of the 2006 draft. How good was he---good enough to be named 2007 Rookie of the Year? He was a 3X NBA All-Star and his exemplary play was to continue until a series of injuries side tracked him. Roy was a key to the revitalization of the Blazers. Eventually he retired but only for a short period of time. In July 2012 he signed on with the Wolves hoping to resurrect his career. Roy was to play but five games before another surgery was required, he would remain on the injured list the balance of the season.
That’s why they hired him
Division I University Missouri-Kansas City has very little national following. Fact of the matter the program has had limited interest even here. As I pointed out in the past the succession of coaches has translated to limited success. It seems every athletic director wants “his” choice as head coach. Lack of success has led to little optimism by the student body or translated to a following. Just a theory on my part Municipal Auditorium (home court) is lots closer to most metro addresses than Lawrence (KS) or Columbia (MO). New coach Kareem Richardson announced the signing of a two athletes for the fall. I have no idea if these guys can play what I do know both are area players. 5-11 point guard Martez Harrison Brewster Academy (NH) and 6-6 shooting guard Frank Williams Indian Hills Community College. Harrison is from Kansas City and Williams is from suburban Raytown (MO). I’m sure keys to the Richardson hire were (a.) he was a Rick Pitino assistant coach (b.) he once served at UMKC as an assistant under a previous coach. (c.) This is actually tied with (b.), Reed has links at the AAU and high school level here and I’m excited.
Last week I wrote a story on the number of coaching vacancies in the NBA. I mentioned the Hawks and the fact Larry Drew might be on the hot seat. ESPN is floating a story those same Hawks are interested in hiring Stan Van Gundy, remember him? All this is occurring while Larry Drew is still under contract and for all we know still the coach. I cannot state whether Drew is a good or bad coach, the problem I believe lies much deeper. There appears to be a front office problem for the Hawks, it seems the problems of this team might not be coaching alone. If reports are true I would be very careful if I were Van Gundy signing a contract with this team.
He will be ready to play when he’s ready
Several of you especially Celtic fans might remember the Rick Pitino teams, they were not very good. After suffering a home loss television cameras caught this post game exchange with reporters from Pitino. “Larry Bird’s not walking through that door fans, Kevin McHale’s not walking through that door etc. etc. etc. “ I’m sure Pitino was trying to point out none of those great players were going to walk through the door and save the day for the Celtics. I think Bulls fans might relate; “Derrick Rose is not walking through that door.”
I’ve never suffered a devastating injury; I wasn’t talented enough to play on my high school team. The few hurts I suffered playing the game occurred while in the military, on outdoor courts and in Parks and Recreation action, none were serious or long-term. Dan Patrick was discussing Derrick Rose and his failure to appear on the court. Patrick mentioned (and I’m sure you’ve read) Bulls doctors had given him permission to play. Patrick was questioning why Rose is not on the court. Despite Patrick’s view and others Rose will return to the game when his mental health is confident. The Bulls could certainly utilize his talent however they too must adopt a wait and see on him.
The changing basketball landscape
The Kansas athletic department (along with Bill Self) could take a lesson from Rutgers and Seton Hall. The two rivals about 40 miles apart will no longer compete in the Big East Conference. *“Rutgers will play in the American Athletic Conference next season before moving to the Big Ten Conference in 2014. Seton Hall will continue to play in the new Big East Conference, which kept all the Roman Catholic universities.” The schools have agreed to play a home and home series for the next 8 years. Two rivals now in different conferences will continue to play each other. This is totally opposite of what occurred when Mizzou left for the SEC. Bill Self and the Kansas Chancellor chose to slam the door on the 100+ year rivalry. The other portion of this silliness relates to recruiting. A fan even claimed Mizzou would have “difficulty“ recruiting in the Kansas City Metro. It should be pointed out to this individual since his pronouncement the University of Mo-Kansas City has hired a coach with Kansas City connections. In fact it was noted one of the chief reasons the school hired Kareem Richardson was his ties to the area. Richardson will be recruiting in the Kansas City Metro on both sides of the state line. *SI.com
His time is officially over
If Kobe Bryant never plays another minute in the NBA we can say; “he had a complete career.” The same statement cannot be said regarding the once talented Brandon Roy, the Wolves released him and at 28 his NBA career is over. A number of players have come into the NBA with great promise and never fulfilled it. Roy certainly demonstrated his promise although it was only for such a brief time period. He came into the NBA as the 6th pick of the Blazers in round one of the 2006 draft. How good was he---good enough to be named 2007 Rookie of the Year? He was a 3X NBA All-Star and his exemplary play was to continue until a series of injuries side tracked him. Roy was a key to the revitalization of the Blazers. Eventually he retired but only for a short period of time. In July 2012 he signed on with the Wolves hoping to resurrect his career. Roy was to play but five games before another surgery was required, he would remain on the injured list the balance of the season.
That’s why they hired him
Division I University Missouri-Kansas City has very little national following. Fact of the matter the program has had limited interest even here. As I pointed out in the past the succession of coaches has translated to limited success. It seems every athletic director wants “his” choice as head coach. Lack of success has led to little optimism by the student body or translated to a following. Just a theory on my part Municipal Auditorium (home court) is lots closer to most metro addresses than Lawrence (KS) or Columbia (MO). New coach Kareem Richardson announced the signing of a two athletes for the fall. I have no idea if these guys can play what I do know both are area players. 5-11 point guard Martez Harrison Brewster Academy (NH) and 6-6 shooting guard Frank Williams Indian Hills Community College. Harrison is from Kansas City and Williams is from suburban Raytown (MO). I’m sure keys to the Richardson hire were (a.) he was a Rick Pitino assistant coach (b.) he once served at UMKC as an assistant under a previous coach. (c.) This is actually tied with (b.), Reed has links at the AAU and high school level here and I’m excited.
Friday, May 10, 2013
I don’t know much but I do know this!
The Warriors-Spurs series is tied 1-1; at this point I am uncomfortable with calling either of them series winner. This I do know, the Warriors have the best shooting backcourt in the NBA. I didn’t say best backcourt my emphasis is on their marksmanship. The 6-7 Klay Thompson came into the NBA from Washington State as a shooter; his improved level of play is not nearly surprising as that of Steph Curry. Scoring was never an issue for Curry in college his conversion came making the transition to point guard. Instead of the shooter he was at Davidson Curry had to grow his passing, his skills at the position have grown considerably over the last three years. He finished the 2012-13 season at 6.9 assists per game, he’s raised that to 8.9 in the postseason. Perhaps we should have expected this level of play from them; both had fathers with NBA careers. Win or lose this year the best is ahead for this talented tandem, Curry is 25 years old, Thompson is 23. Even scarier for me, the Warriors are Pacific Division rivals with my Lakers.
No clue to his choice
It might be unimportant which school he chooses, he’s only going to be there a year. If by some chance he enrolls as a sophomore all of us will be shocked. I’m referring to number one 2013 prospect Andrew Wiggins. It’s almost the middle of May and no school would appear to have the inside track on this talented small forward. In the running for his services and in no particular order are; Kansas, Kentucky, Florida State and North Carolina. Can anyone remember when a top talent such as the 6-7 205 pound Wiggins waited this late in the year before choosing a school?
Available jobs in the NBA
The Nets quickly removing P.J. Carlesimo caught me off guard. The team had played much better under his leadership than Avery Johnson. One of the stories circulating claimed he was “interim.” The Nets never intended for him to remain as head coach. There are two other coaches who might be on shaky ground. Their teams flamed out in the playoffs, Vinny Del Negro and Larry Drew. In reverse order the Hawks of Larry Drew have become a continuing mystery. They change head coaches almost all ways make the playoffs but never advance. Maybe it’s time for management to look elsewhere other than the coaching staff. As for the Lob City crew, at one point Del Negro was reported to be fired last season. The team made the playoffs and advanced to the second round before losing. 2012-13 was supposed to be the year of the Clippers however someone forgot to inform the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies lost the first two games and then blitzed the Clippers four straight. The most telling fact in the series was not the Blake Griffin injury it was Del Negro out coached by the Grizzlies Lionel Hollins.
Mike Who?
It seems such a short time in the past we became aware of Greg Oden, many of us first witnessed his play as a high school senior. ESPN had telecast one of his games; although this 7-footer was somewhat limited offensively he provided evidence of defensive skill. How much evidence one scout even went so far as to compare him to a young Bill Russell? Oden would journey to Ohio State, he would declare for the NBA draft after his freshman year. Oden would become the number one draft pick; you know the balance of his story. The young man had a high school and college teammate by the name of Mike Conley Jr. Oden leaving was no shock to most of us, point guard Conley was a different matter few believed he was ready for the rigors of the NBA. As we witness his ascension as a point guard we might not discuss Conley Jr. in the same terms as that other Mike but this Mike has become a valuable asset to the playoff Grizzlies.
The Warriors-Spurs series is tied 1-1; at this point I am uncomfortable with calling either of them series winner. This I do know, the Warriors have the best shooting backcourt in the NBA. I didn’t say best backcourt my emphasis is on their marksmanship. The 6-7 Klay Thompson came into the NBA from Washington State as a shooter; his improved level of play is not nearly surprising as that of Steph Curry. Scoring was never an issue for Curry in college his conversion came making the transition to point guard. Instead of the shooter he was at Davidson Curry had to grow his passing, his skills at the position have grown considerably over the last three years. He finished the 2012-13 season at 6.9 assists per game, he’s raised that to 8.9 in the postseason. Perhaps we should have expected this level of play from them; both had fathers with NBA careers. Win or lose this year the best is ahead for this talented tandem, Curry is 25 years old, Thompson is 23. Even scarier for me, the Warriors are Pacific Division rivals with my Lakers.
No clue to his choice
It might be unimportant which school he chooses, he’s only going to be there a year. If by some chance he enrolls as a sophomore all of us will be shocked. I’m referring to number one 2013 prospect Andrew Wiggins. It’s almost the middle of May and no school would appear to have the inside track on this talented small forward. In the running for his services and in no particular order are; Kansas, Kentucky, Florida State and North Carolina. Can anyone remember when a top talent such as the 6-7 205 pound Wiggins waited this late in the year before choosing a school?
Available jobs in the NBA
The Nets quickly removing P.J. Carlesimo caught me off guard. The team had played much better under his leadership than Avery Johnson. One of the stories circulating claimed he was “interim.” The Nets never intended for him to remain as head coach. There are two other coaches who might be on shaky ground. Their teams flamed out in the playoffs, Vinny Del Negro and Larry Drew. In reverse order the Hawks of Larry Drew have become a continuing mystery. They change head coaches almost all ways make the playoffs but never advance. Maybe it’s time for management to look elsewhere other than the coaching staff. As for the Lob City crew, at one point Del Negro was reported to be fired last season. The team made the playoffs and advanced to the second round before losing. 2012-13 was supposed to be the year of the Clippers however someone forgot to inform the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies lost the first two games and then blitzed the Clippers four straight. The most telling fact in the series was not the Blake Griffin injury it was Del Negro out coached by the Grizzlies Lionel Hollins.
Mike Who?
It seems such a short time in the past we became aware of Greg Oden, many of us first witnessed his play as a high school senior. ESPN had telecast one of his games; although this 7-footer was somewhat limited offensively he provided evidence of defensive skill. How much evidence one scout even went so far as to compare him to a young Bill Russell? Oden would journey to Ohio State, he would declare for the NBA draft after his freshman year. Oden would become the number one draft pick; you know the balance of his story. The young man had a high school and college teammate by the name of Mike Conley Jr. Oden leaving was no shock to most of us, point guard Conley was a different matter few believed he was ready for the rigors of the NBA. As we witness his ascension as a point guard we might not discuss Conley Jr. in the same terms as that other Mike but this Mike has become a valuable asset to the playoff Grizzlies.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Richard Phelps
The close of the collegiate basketball season the faces we normally see weekly disappear from our television screens. Often it’s due to them only reporting on “their” sport. As for Richard ‘Digger’ Phelps missing is noteworthy. Digger is at home recovering from bladder cancer surgery. Hopefully the surgery was successful and he will able to return next season to the job he loves discussing college basketball. If you are a certain age you might not realize Digger served as head coach at Notre Dame for a number of years. Younger viewers might be unaware Dick Vitale once served as head coach too.
“You Can’t Go Home Again”
Was the title of a Thomas Wolfe novel published in 1940. The title has often been used to point out how difficult it is for a person(s) to return home. It might be true for the novel but it certainly doesn’t appear to hold true for the NBA. Not only did the Cavs rehire Coach Mike Brown another NBA veteran is returning home. Flip Saunders will return to the Wolves as president of basketball operations, February 2005 Saunders was fired as coach of the team. Saunders had served as head coach for eight seasons; he had a couple of coaching stops with the Pistons and Wizards. He replaces David Kahn whom I titled “Dr. Strange Moves.” I did this because of a number of unusual and strange draft choices and free agent signings.
Out of Africa
Movie trivia fans might recognize the title to the 1985 movie starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Our subject is out of Africa too but his story is real life, his name Masai Ujiri (My-See OO-jeree) General Manager of the Denver Nuggets. Ujiri grew up in Nigeria and played soccer as a youth as most African youngsters. He came to the United States played basketball at Bismarck State College and Montana State. After college he played professionally in Europe for six years before leaving the court. His first front office position, an unpaid scout for the Orlando Magic. Several more NBA stops saw him hired as general manager of the Nuggets. Ujiri serves as director of “Basketball Without Borders Africa.” The program is designed to promote and raise the level of basketball on the African continent. (Wikipedia)
I hope you didn’t believe
The stories surrounding Phil Jackson coaching the Nets, PJ politely turned them down. Once he turned them down the letters fly in; “he’s (PJ) no teacher” and similar comments. I thought the idea was to win; PJ certainly has done that over the course of his NBA career. Sure he had Jordan, Pippen, Shaq and Kobe but it’s more than that. You must have the ability to communicate to your players and have them buy into you system, there have been few like PJ. If you want a teacher you hire Larry Brown, if you want championships you hire PJ.
Once upon a time
I believed in the integrity of the NCAA, I thought if they charged you with illegal activity it was valid. No longer do I believe in this organization, allow me to state this, every employee of the NCAA is not guilty but a number certainly are. The latest revelation, the NCAA might have illegally obtained bank records for Mizzou Coach Frank Haith. An attorney for Haith has filed a suit against Bank of America. For unexplained reasons the NCAA has copies of Coach Haith’s banking records. I certainly have no legal skills but I do know only legal authorities can obtain an individuals banking records. If I read the story correctly the bank records were checked in connection with former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro now serving time in federal prison. Do I believe Frank Haith is innocent; I would be stupid to make such a statement. I believe in obtaining evidence of an impropriety legally, this is not legal.
Part II of the NCAA story involves Kansas guard Ben McLemore. Will the NCAA enforce its on rules? Reports broke over the weekend McLemore’s former AAU coach was paid $10,000 to persuade the player to leave Kansas and declare for the NBA draft. “The coach, Darius Cobb, said Rodney Blackstock, CEO of Hooplife Academy, paid him a total of $10,000 and sent him and McLemore's cousin to meetings with agents and others hoping to represent McLemore.” These incentives could affect McLemore’s amateur status and force Kansas to vacate wins. Vacate wins only if the NCAA decides to pursue this investigation. (ESPN.com)
The close of the collegiate basketball season the faces we normally see weekly disappear from our television screens. Often it’s due to them only reporting on “their” sport. As for Richard ‘Digger’ Phelps missing is noteworthy. Digger is at home recovering from bladder cancer surgery. Hopefully the surgery was successful and he will able to return next season to the job he loves discussing college basketball. If you are a certain age you might not realize Digger served as head coach at Notre Dame for a number of years. Younger viewers might be unaware Dick Vitale once served as head coach too.
“You Can’t Go Home Again”
Was the title of a Thomas Wolfe novel published in 1940. The title has often been used to point out how difficult it is for a person(s) to return home. It might be true for the novel but it certainly doesn’t appear to hold true for the NBA. Not only did the Cavs rehire Coach Mike Brown another NBA veteran is returning home. Flip Saunders will return to the Wolves as president of basketball operations, February 2005 Saunders was fired as coach of the team. Saunders had served as head coach for eight seasons; he had a couple of coaching stops with the Pistons and Wizards. He replaces David Kahn whom I titled “Dr. Strange Moves.” I did this because of a number of unusual and strange draft choices and free agent signings.
Out of Africa
Movie trivia fans might recognize the title to the 1985 movie starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Our subject is out of Africa too but his story is real life, his name Masai Ujiri (My-See OO-jeree) General Manager of the Denver Nuggets. Ujiri grew up in Nigeria and played soccer as a youth as most African youngsters. He came to the United States played basketball at Bismarck State College and Montana State. After college he played professionally in Europe for six years before leaving the court. His first front office position, an unpaid scout for the Orlando Magic. Several more NBA stops saw him hired as general manager of the Nuggets. Ujiri serves as director of “Basketball Without Borders Africa.” The program is designed to promote and raise the level of basketball on the African continent. (Wikipedia)
I hope you didn’t believe
The stories surrounding Phil Jackson coaching the Nets, PJ politely turned them down. Once he turned them down the letters fly in; “he’s (PJ) no teacher” and similar comments. I thought the idea was to win; PJ certainly has done that over the course of his NBA career. Sure he had Jordan, Pippen, Shaq and Kobe but it’s more than that. You must have the ability to communicate to your players and have them buy into you system, there have been few like PJ. If you want a teacher you hire Larry Brown, if you want championships you hire PJ.
Once upon a time
I believed in the integrity of the NCAA, I thought if they charged you with illegal activity it was valid. No longer do I believe in this organization, allow me to state this, every employee of the NCAA is not guilty but a number certainly are. The latest revelation, the NCAA might have illegally obtained bank records for Mizzou Coach Frank Haith. An attorney for Haith has filed a suit against Bank of America. For unexplained reasons the NCAA has copies of Coach Haith’s banking records. I certainly have no legal skills but I do know only legal authorities can obtain an individuals banking records. If I read the story correctly the bank records were checked in connection with former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro now serving time in federal prison. Do I believe Frank Haith is innocent; I would be stupid to make such a statement. I believe in obtaining evidence of an impropriety legally, this is not legal.
Part II of the NCAA story involves Kansas guard Ben McLemore. Will the NCAA enforce its on rules? Reports broke over the weekend McLemore’s former AAU coach was paid $10,000 to persuade the player to leave Kansas and declare for the NBA draft. “The coach, Darius Cobb, said Rodney Blackstock, CEO of Hooplife Academy, paid him a total of $10,000 and sent him and McLemore's cousin to meetings with agents and others hoping to represent McLemore.” These incentives could affect McLemore’s amateur status and force Kansas to vacate wins. Vacate wins only if the NCAA decides to pursue this investigation. (ESPN.com)
Monday, May 6, 2013
Did you realize?
Louisville winning the NCAA Tournament was significant in a manner most of us missed. The Kentucky Wildcats were the 2012 NCAA Champions and in April we witnessed the Louisville Cardinals performing the same feat. I checked the records, since 1939 there have been a number of repeat champions, on rare occasion’s champs from the same conference. The only other time we had back to back champions two Ohio schools were involved. In 1960 we witnessed the Ohio State Buckeyes winning the championship, the following year the Cincinnati Bobcats won. The 2013-14 season will see both programs reloaded especially Kentucky. If one of these teams wins the NCAA they will establish a new standard. Three consecutive championships won by the same state. The state could rightfully declare itself king of the collegiate basketball world? (Wikipedia)
This is Part II
I wrote a piece the other day regarding Kobe Bryant; this is written for all those who believe I have issues with LeBron James. I actually like James; he is one of the most talented players I’ve ever witnessed. I have long sense placed the Cleveland drama in my rear view mirror. It might be beneficial for all of us to consider the same approach. For those who continue to refer to me as a “LeBron hater” allow me to explain. You must be a certain age and have seen a number of athletes over that period before pronouncing one athlete the greatest ever. How about LeBron’s strength, this event occurred prior to the days of the break-away rims. I witnessed Wilt Chamberlain’s furious dunks severe the metal rim of the basket. Darrell Dawkins once broke two backboards completely, one in Kansas City. I remember the 6-5 220 pound Oscar Robertson dominating 6-2 180 pound guards “watching” him because they certainly couldn’t guard him effectively at his size. Prior to Robertson’s arrival no one had played the guard position with such size. Many of the small forwards of the day were his size.
You say no big man can touch LeBron in his distribution of the basketball, hold on for just a moment. Did you realize the 7-1 Chamberlain led the NBA in assists? Think he was just a scoring averaging 50 points a game for one season? The 1967-68 season witnessed him leading the NBA with 702 assists, an 8.6 per game average. It’s unnecessary for me to mention the 6-8 Magic Johnson in discussing assists. How about the speed factor? LeBron weighs more (240? versus 225) however he is the same height as Laker great James Worthy. End line to end line I could state 29-year old Worthy might be the equivalent of LeBron in speed; unfortunately we have no means to compare the two. As for rebounding I will begin and end with the 6-5 225 pound Elgin Baylor. After you read this I know what many of you are saying; “he’s talking about guys from the olden days.” You are partially correct however the NBA as with other sports is constantly evolving. I cannot, will not discount the accomplishments of those who came before LeBron just because they played in a different era. Those giants of the game set the stage allowing us to witness the exploits of LeBron James.
(a number of dates and reference numbers www.basketball-reference.com)
On the left coast
The media is ripe with stories on whether Dwight Howard will resign with the Lakers. Maybe the focus could be shifted slightly to consider the similar circumstances for free agent Chris Paul. Especially after their playoff implosion (2 consecutive wins followed by 4 successive losses). Clipper fans the Blake Griffin injury didn’t impact this playoff series in the manner you tend to believe. This is a collection of thoughts of mine. A different circumstance prevailed on the left coast this past season---the Battle of Los Angeles. The surprise for me (and others) the Clippers were the clear winner in the standings. The Lob City crew finished in first place in the Pacific Division, the Lakers finish third. In addition they finished ahead of their Staples Centers rivals for the first time in history. Will this happening signal a change in allegiance by the majority of Southern California? Will Chris Paul and his Lob City crew become the preferred team in Los Angeles?
I have no psychic powers but I doubt this will occur I’m sure the Clippers will gain a significant number of fans and that’s good for them. This is not a Knicks-Nets battle for the hearts of fans. It’s my belief unless there is an NBA Championship banner hanging in Staples the Clippers will remain “second!” Without a championship the only fans gained will be those in Southern California. The Lakers will continue to maintain a national presence. This was to be the Clippers year, they almost caught the Lakers last year, the lockout season the two almost finished equal, the Lakers one game better at 41-25. The Clippers advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing. This year with a sparkling 56-26 record expectations were high in Clipper land and a 17-game winning streak didn‘t hurt. The Clippers hopes were dashed once again with a first round loss to the Grizzlies. With all the hoopla surrounding the Clippers they finished no better than the Lakers---both teams first round losers. Ralph Lawler long time Clipper broadcaster was reported to have said; “Lob City has become Sob City.”
Teammates
The athletic history of McClymonds High School in Oakland (CA) is rich and unique.
I can’t be for sure regarding this statement however the school might be the only one in the nation with two high school teamates enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Two teammates with Hall of Fame careers, one in basketball the other in baseball. Quit scratching your head and guessing I’ll provide the names for you. Basketball’s Bill Russell and baseball’s Frank Robinson are the two high school teammates who went on to Hall of Fame careers in their sport. Robinson holds far too many awards to detail a complete list. He holds the distinction of winning the MVP award in the National and American League. Robinson was able to accomplish a rare feat, triple crown winner. In 1966 while a member of the Baltimore Orioles he accomplished the feat. Robinson wasn’t the first or last Triple Crown winner, leading the American League in home runs, runs batted in and batting average quite a feat. As for Bill Russell is it really necessary to detail his accomplishments at the University of San Francisco and later with the Celtics. Russell is another story waiting to be told.
Louisville winning the NCAA Tournament was significant in a manner most of us missed. The Kentucky Wildcats were the 2012 NCAA Champions and in April we witnessed the Louisville Cardinals performing the same feat. I checked the records, since 1939 there have been a number of repeat champions, on rare occasion’s champs from the same conference. The only other time we had back to back champions two Ohio schools were involved. In 1960 we witnessed the Ohio State Buckeyes winning the championship, the following year the Cincinnati Bobcats won. The 2013-14 season will see both programs reloaded especially Kentucky. If one of these teams wins the NCAA they will establish a new standard. Three consecutive championships won by the same state. The state could rightfully declare itself king of the collegiate basketball world? (Wikipedia)
This is Part II
I wrote a piece the other day regarding Kobe Bryant; this is written for all those who believe I have issues with LeBron James. I actually like James; he is one of the most talented players I’ve ever witnessed. I have long sense placed the Cleveland drama in my rear view mirror. It might be beneficial for all of us to consider the same approach. For those who continue to refer to me as a “LeBron hater” allow me to explain. You must be a certain age and have seen a number of athletes over that period before pronouncing one athlete the greatest ever. How about LeBron’s strength, this event occurred prior to the days of the break-away rims. I witnessed Wilt Chamberlain’s furious dunks severe the metal rim of the basket. Darrell Dawkins once broke two backboards completely, one in Kansas City. I remember the 6-5 220 pound Oscar Robertson dominating 6-2 180 pound guards “watching” him because they certainly couldn’t guard him effectively at his size. Prior to Robertson’s arrival no one had played the guard position with such size. Many of the small forwards of the day were his size.
You say no big man can touch LeBron in his distribution of the basketball, hold on for just a moment. Did you realize the 7-1 Chamberlain led the NBA in assists? Think he was just a scoring averaging 50 points a game for one season? The 1967-68 season witnessed him leading the NBA with 702 assists, an 8.6 per game average. It’s unnecessary for me to mention the 6-8 Magic Johnson in discussing assists. How about the speed factor? LeBron weighs more (240? versus 225) however he is the same height as Laker great James Worthy. End line to end line I could state 29-year old Worthy might be the equivalent of LeBron in speed; unfortunately we have no means to compare the two. As for rebounding I will begin and end with the 6-5 225 pound Elgin Baylor. After you read this I know what many of you are saying; “he’s talking about guys from the olden days.” You are partially correct however the NBA as with other sports is constantly evolving. I cannot, will not discount the accomplishments of those who came before LeBron just because they played in a different era. Those giants of the game set the stage allowing us to witness the exploits of LeBron James.
(a number of dates and reference numbers www.basketball-reference.com)
On the left coast
The media is ripe with stories on whether Dwight Howard will resign with the Lakers. Maybe the focus could be shifted slightly to consider the similar circumstances for free agent Chris Paul. Especially after their playoff implosion (2 consecutive wins followed by 4 successive losses). Clipper fans the Blake Griffin injury didn’t impact this playoff series in the manner you tend to believe. This is a collection of thoughts of mine. A different circumstance prevailed on the left coast this past season---the Battle of Los Angeles. The surprise for me (and others) the Clippers were the clear winner in the standings. The Lob City crew finished in first place in the Pacific Division, the Lakers finish third. In addition they finished ahead of their Staples Centers rivals for the first time in history. Will this happening signal a change in allegiance by the majority of Southern California? Will Chris Paul and his Lob City crew become the preferred team in Los Angeles?
I have no psychic powers but I doubt this will occur I’m sure the Clippers will gain a significant number of fans and that’s good for them. This is not a Knicks-Nets battle for the hearts of fans. It’s my belief unless there is an NBA Championship banner hanging in Staples the Clippers will remain “second!” Without a championship the only fans gained will be those in Southern California. The Lakers will continue to maintain a national presence. This was to be the Clippers year, they almost caught the Lakers last year, the lockout season the two almost finished equal, the Lakers one game better at 41-25. The Clippers advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing. This year with a sparkling 56-26 record expectations were high in Clipper land and a 17-game winning streak didn‘t hurt. The Clippers hopes were dashed once again with a first round loss to the Grizzlies. With all the hoopla surrounding the Clippers they finished no better than the Lakers---both teams first round losers. Ralph Lawler long time Clipper broadcaster was reported to have said; “Lob City has become Sob City.”
Teammates
The athletic history of McClymonds High School in Oakland (CA) is rich and unique.
I can’t be for sure regarding this statement however the school might be the only one in the nation with two high school teamates enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Two teammates with Hall of Fame careers, one in basketball the other in baseball. Quit scratching your head and guessing I’ll provide the names for you. Basketball’s Bill Russell and baseball’s Frank Robinson are the two high school teammates who went on to Hall of Fame careers in their sport. Robinson holds far too many awards to detail a complete list. He holds the distinction of winning the MVP award in the National and American League. Robinson was able to accomplish a rare feat, triple crown winner. In 1966 while a member of the Baltimore Orioles he accomplished the feat. Robinson wasn’t the first or last Triple Crown winner, leading the American League in home runs, runs batted in and batting average quite a feat. As for Bill Russell is it really necessary to detail his accomplishments at the University of San Francisco and later with the Celtics. Russell is another story waiting to be told.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Somebody forgot to send the memo to the Celtics
I have no idea who wins tonight’s Knicks-Celtics game; I do know the Knicks are light years ahead of the Celtics in tackiness! I’m sure my statement might upset Spike Lee and other Knicks fans but they deserve it. A number of Knick players arrived at MSG decked out in black as if attending a funeral. With a 3-1 series lead the Knicks figured to “bury” the Celtics on Wednesday. There was one problem, the “corpse” rose from the casket and smackdown the Knicks. In the future the Knicks might want to consider their attire before a key game.
One man leaves, one man enters
Tried to play on a quote from the movie “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome." Point guard Shane Larkin who drove the bus for the Miami Hurricanes announced he was leaving for the NBA after his sophomore year. Exactly 1,583 road miles northwest of Miami (Manhattan Kansas to be exact) Angel Rodriguez K-State guard is leaving as well. Rodriguez is not headed to the NBA just a desire to be closer to home. (Puerto Rico) Larkin exit stage left for the NBA, Rodriguez enter stage right for Miami. We are witness to the change at point guard from Larkin to Rodriguez. If you are unfamiliar with the movie or the actual quote it’s; “Two men enter, one man leave!”
Who do you hire?
Because the collegiate season ends much earlier the majority of head coaches have been hired and in place. That’s not the case for the NBA; a number of jobs remain open. There are an undisclosed number who as the Temptations once sang; “Standing on Shaky Ground. “ I don’t have an answer for the question; you answer it. Reports indicate there are a few assistant coaches vying for head coaching positions. Do you employ a collegiate head coach over an NBA assistant? A secondary question; is Larry Brown the last collegiate coach to sample victory at the NBA level?
We shall see
Many might view this as hatin’ on the Clippers but that’s not my intent. It should be pointed out the high-flying dunks and fast break scoring we witnessed during the season has vanished. Playoff basketball becomes slow and slower version of the game we witness during the season. Don’t misunderstand my statement NBA this teams will certainly break when given the opportunity; playoff games often curtail high speed play. Clipper fans will remind me “Blake (Griffin) is hurt,” that’s correct but Griffin is only one player, part of a team effort. The Lob City crew might still win this series---as for an NBA Championship?
I could make this statement with conviction
The Dallas metro has produced a significant number of NBA, professional and collegiate players over the years. We take for granted the area is a “hotbed” for basketball and it is to a degree. For reasons not clear developing talent is far different from attendance at games. I have not check attendance records for schools, this reflects tournament games only. A multi-game tourney is reported in the works for American Airlines Center next season. There was also one scheduled last season for Cowboys Stadium which was canceled. We could look at the Big XII Tournament for evidence. We must delve into the past a bit, the Big 8 post-season tournament was held annually in Kansas City.
Once the Texas schools merged and the conference became the Big XII it was thought the tournament should be rotated. Dallas served as host in 2003, 2004 and 2006 to visible empty seats. I located no attendance figures but memory says the tourney has never sold out in Dallas, I could be wrong. Could we assume the number of professional sports events impact attendance? I offer no proof just an observation. If we check the sports calendar we discover the baseball Rangers have begun spring training, the NHL Stars and NBA Mavs are into regular season play. In addition there is soccer; the MSL FC Dallas team is beginning play. In the smaller Kansas City metro the only competition is minor league hockey and spring training Royals baseball, MSL Sporting Kansas City has barely begun its season.
I have no idea who wins tonight’s Knicks-Celtics game; I do know the Knicks are light years ahead of the Celtics in tackiness! I’m sure my statement might upset Spike Lee and other Knicks fans but they deserve it. A number of Knick players arrived at MSG decked out in black as if attending a funeral. With a 3-1 series lead the Knicks figured to “bury” the Celtics on Wednesday. There was one problem, the “corpse” rose from the casket and smackdown the Knicks. In the future the Knicks might want to consider their attire before a key game.
One man leaves, one man enters
Tried to play on a quote from the movie “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome." Point guard Shane Larkin who drove the bus for the Miami Hurricanes announced he was leaving for the NBA after his sophomore year. Exactly 1,583 road miles northwest of Miami (Manhattan Kansas to be exact) Angel Rodriguez K-State guard is leaving as well. Rodriguez is not headed to the NBA just a desire to be closer to home. (Puerto Rico) Larkin exit stage left for the NBA, Rodriguez enter stage right for Miami. We are witness to the change at point guard from Larkin to Rodriguez. If you are unfamiliar with the movie or the actual quote it’s; “Two men enter, one man leave!”
Who do you hire?
Because the collegiate season ends much earlier the majority of head coaches have been hired and in place. That’s not the case for the NBA; a number of jobs remain open. There are an undisclosed number who as the Temptations once sang; “Standing on Shaky Ground. “ I don’t have an answer for the question; you answer it. Reports indicate there are a few assistant coaches vying for head coaching positions. Do you employ a collegiate head coach over an NBA assistant? A secondary question; is Larry Brown the last collegiate coach to sample victory at the NBA level?
We shall see
Many might view this as hatin’ on the Clippers but that’s not my intent. It should be pointed out the high-flying dunks and fast break scoring we witnessed during the season has vanished. Playoff basketball becomes slow and slower version of the game we witness during the season. Don’t misunderstand my statement NBA this teams will certainly break when given the opportunity; playoff games often curtail high speed play. Clipper fans will remind me “Blake (Griffin) is hurt,” that’s correct but Griffin is only one player, part of a team effort. The Lob City crew might still win this series---as for an NBA Championship?
I could make this statement with conviction
The Dallas metro has produced a significant number of NBA, professional and collegiate players over the years. We take for granted the area is a “hotbed” for basketball and it is to a degree. For reasons not clear developing talent is far different from attendance at games. I have not check attendance records for schools, this reflects tournament games only. A multi-game tourney is reported in the works for American Airlines Center next season. There was also one scheduled last season for Cowboys Stadium which was canceled. We could look at the Big XII Tournament for evidence. We must delve into the past a bit, the Big 8 post-season tournament was held annually in Kansas City.
Once the Texas schools merged and the conference became the Big XII it was thought the tournament should be rotated. Dallas served as host in 2003, 2004 and 2006 to visible empty seats. I located no attendance figures but memory says the tourney has never sold out in Dallas, I could be wrong. Could we assume the number of professional sports events impact attendance? I offer no proof just an observation. If we check the sports calendar we discover the baseball Rangers have begun spring training, the NHL Stars and NBA Mavs are into regular season play. In addition there is soccer; the MSL FC Dallas team is beginning play. In the smaller Kansas City metro the only competition is minor league hockey and spring training Royals baseball, MSL Sporting Kansas City has barely begun its season.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
They remain in place
If you check my April 26 column I indicated the Kings would probably remain in Sacramento. I claim no psychic ability just a feeling change was in the air beneficial to the California capital. The NBA had an excellent opportunity to address the fiasco they created, allowing the move of the Sonics to Oklahoma City. They chose to ignore it and it's a shame I think Seattle deserves an NBA team.
He announced he’s gay
NBA veteran John Amaechi was a 6-10 270 pound forward/center, he played for a number of teams during his NBA career. Amaechi last played for the Houston Rockets he retired after the 2003 season. In 2007 he wrote a book “Man in the Middle” he would admit in the book he was gay. Amaechi became the first NBA player to acknowledge the fact he was gay. This week a second player came forward, veteran center Jason Collins (7-0 255 pounds) a member of the Wizards acknowledged he too is gay. There is a key difference between Amaechi and Collins, Amaechi is retired. Although Collins is currently a free agent he indicates he still desires to play in the NBA. The question now becomes will any NBA team be willing to sign him aware of his sexual orientation?
Over the years I’ve read comments regarding the sexuality of athletes especially WNBA players. You‘ve read many of them; “the (WNBA) league is full of lesbians or some similar comment. “ What about now, do you believe all those giant men you see play nightly are 100% heterosexual? I’m not in a position to call anybody out but we must conclude we live in a different age. We don’t have to embrace the lifestyle if we don’t agree with it that is not the issue. To me the issue is acknowledging the fact gay and lesbian people are present without the crude jokes and stereotypes. There are other gay and lesbian athletes in the professional sports ranks who would rather remain hidden for fear of identification.
I’m impressed
Before it began I was unsure of the Denver-Golden State match up; based on the two teams’ regular season record I thought it safe to guess the Nuggets would win the series. Don’t misunderstand the Nuggets could still win, surprise, surprise this is the NBA Playoffs. After forward David Lee went down I thought for sure---advantage Nuggets. I am not as assured as I was a week ago. This scrappy Warriors team is up 3-1 as this is written----I’m impressed. (Nuggets won last night) They might not win this series but once again a George Karl team might come up short. I admit I’m not a Greg Popovich fan but at least he’s won championships. Karl’s teams’ always good regular season winners fall short in the playoffs. Sorry Nugget fans this time there is no Carmelo Anthony or Allen Iverson to point at.
Do you see what we see?
The Laker season came to an end much sooner than I hoped. At the beginning of training camp I (along with other Laker fans) looked forward to an entertaining season. NBA wars can cause all sorts of bumps in the road and this one certainly had far more than I might have thought. As for next season expect Kobe Bryant to return, will he be a changed athlete? Of course, no athlete can sustain a devastating injury similar to his and not expect the athletic ability to degrade. Kobe will return a little slower, he will be a little older but he will return I can guarantee that. You know the mentality of Kobe, would you expect anything less? This past Sunday I held a conversation with a buddy of mine, we discussed the Lakers and Kobe. My friend made a statement which immediately cause me to say; “that’s good I’m going to use it for my blog.” Kevin said; “we see the results (Lakers) with no Kobe, the thing that makes him great is the thing you hate! Sure he shoots too much at times but he is Kobe Bryant.” The thing that makes Kobe Bryant a great player is Kobe Bryant; don’t you see what we see?
They remain in second place
I held a barber shop conference with another regular patron. I said; “the TNT crew is the best in the business. Barkley makes knuckleheaded statements at times but provides valuable insight. Kenny Smith brings knowledge and concise information, Shaq is probably the least engaged personality. As for Ernie Johnson he does a masterful job of managing the 3-ring circus of personalities.” He said; “other networks are vying for second place, there not even close.” I agreed with him, fair or unfair we constantly make comparisons. I cited the ESPN/ABC crew for him. I said; “Jalen Rose does a decent job, I like Mike Wilbon however Magic Johnson and Bill Simmons add very little information of substance for me.” Did you know Charles Barkley has an Emmy award; none of the ESPN/ABC crew can make that statement. In addition TNT’s Inside the NBA is 5-time Emmy award winner. I guess second is not a bad position; the ESPN/ABC crew is ahead of NBA TV.
If you check my April 26 column I indicated the Kings would probably remain in Sacramento. I claim no psychic ability just a feeling change was in the air beneficial to the California capital. The NBA had an excellent opportunity to address the fiasco they created, allowing the move of the Sonics to Oklahoma City. They chose to ignore it and it's a shame I think Seattle deserves an NBA team.
He announced he’s gay
NBA veteran John Amaechi was a 6-10 270 pound forward/center, he played for a number of teams during his NBA career. Amaechi last played for the Houston Rockets he retired after the 2003 season. In 2007 he wrote a book “Man in the Middle” he would admit in the book he was gay. Amaechi became the first NBA player to acknowledge the fact he was gay. This week a second player came forward, veteran center Jason Collins (7-0 255 pounds) a member of the Wizards acknowledged he too is gay. There is a key difference between Amaechi and Collins, Amaechi is retired. Although Collins is currently a free agent he indicates he still desires to play in the NBA. The question now becomes will any NBA team be willing to sign him aware of his sexual orientation?
Over the years I’ve read comments regarding the sexuality of athletes especially WNBA players. You‘ve read many of them; “the (WNBA) league is full of lesbians or some similar comment. “ What about now, do you believe all those giant men you see play nightly are 100% heterosexual? I’m not in a position to call anybody out but we must conclude we live in a different age. We don’t have to embrace the lifestyle if we don’t agree with it that is not the issue. To me the issue is acknowledging the fact gay and lesbian people are present without the crude jokes and stereotypes. There are other gay and lesbian athletes in the professional sports ranks who would rather remain hidden for fear of identification.
I’m impressed
Before it began I was unsure of the Denver-Golden State match up; based on the two teams’ regular season record I thought it safe to guess the Nuggets would win the series. Don’t misunderstand the Nuggets could still win, surprise, surprise this is the NBA Playoffs. After forward David Lee went down I thought for sure---advantage Nuggets. I am not as assured as I was a week ago. This scrappy Warriors team is up 3-1 as this is written----I’m impressed. (Nuggets won last night) They might not win this series but once again a George Karl team might come up short. I admit I’m not a Greg Popovich fan but at least he’s won championships. Karl’s teams’ always good regular season winners fall short in the playoffs. Sorry Nugget fans this time there is no Carmelo Anthony or Allen Iverson to point at.
Do you see what we see?
The Laker season came to an end much sooner than I hoped. At the beginning of training camp I (along with other Laker fans) looked forward to an entertaining season. NBA wars can cause all sorts of bumps in the road and this one certainly had far more than I might have thought. As for next season expect Kobe Bryant to return, will he be a changed athlete? Of course, no athlete can sustain a devastating injury similar to his and not expect the athletic ability to degrade. Kobe will return a little slower, he will be a little older but he will return I can guarantee that. You know the mentality of Kobe, would you expect anything less? This past Sunday I held a conversation with a buddy of mine, we discussed the Lakers and Kobe. My friend made a statement which immediately cause me to say; “that’s good I’m going to use it for my blog.” Kevin said; “we see the results (Lakers) with no Kobe, the thing that makes him great is the thing you hate! Sure he shoots too much at times but he is Kobe Bryant.” The thing that makes Kobe Bryant a great player is Kobe Bryant; don’t you see what we see?
They remain in second place
I held a barber shop conference with another regular patron. I said; “the TNT crew is the best in the business. Barkley makes knuckleheaded statements at times but provides valuable insight. Kenny Smith brings knowledge and concise information, Shaq is probably the least engaged personality. As for Ernie Johnson he does a masterful job of managing the 3-ring circus of personalities.” He said; “other networks are vying for second place, there not even close.” I agreed with him, fair or unfair we constantly make comparisons. I cited the ESPN/ABC crew for him. I said; “Jalen Rose does a decent job, I like Mike Wilbon however Magic Johnson and Bill Simmons add very little information of substance for me.” Did you know Charles Barkley has an Emmy award; none of the ESPN/ABC crew can make that statement. In addition TNT’s Inside the NBA is 5-time Emmy award winner. I guess second is not a bad position; the ESPN/ABC crew is ahead of NBA TV.
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