No excuses friends
Friends and acquaintances continue to “inform” me how bad the Lakers have played this season. They do this figuring I’m not watching the games. I have taken their comments in good nature, I’ve refused to dwell on the numerous injuries the Lakers have suffered. It’s always been my belief (fair or unfair) a team needs quality players behind its front line. Laker backups on this team have not been very good. As for the Heat that’s another story.
A number of their fans have continued to explain the teams up and down play. I hear; “they (Heat) or “Wade’s injury has impacted the up and down play.” The latest I heard; “Battier is not having a good year.” The latest came from a member of the media Stephan A. Smith; “LeBron is banged up” was his observation. The NBA is at the halfway point of it’s long 81 game season. I’m certainly not stating the Heat won’t repeat. I refuse to excuse the Lakers for their poor play this season. It would be interesting if Heat fans adopt that same view.
The Celtics rebuild
I don’t regularly read Boston publications, in addition I don’t tune into the NESN Network either. I’m unsure the prevailing views of Danny Ainge in New England these days. I would bet money a number of Celtic fans might have been upset with Ainge. The trade of Pierce/Garnett/Terry caught all of us off guard; fans may have been more upset trading Paul Pierce than Garnett and Terry. The departure of the Big Two (Allen left earlier) cleaned the slate, the Celtics could begin rebuilding in earnest. In fact the injured Rajon Rondo was the only remaining Celtic who played major minutes for them. In earlier times it’s said baseball programs were sold with the call; “Ya can’t tell the players without a program.” That adage may well represent the 2013-14 Celtics.
A good loss?
This time of year the media begins focusing on the possibility of NCAA tournament teams. A term has come into common usage which I believe is a little strange--see if you agree. I hear a particular team being discussed and the term “bad loss” is listed. I might pose the question is there such a thing as a good loss? The early season loss by Duke (4) to Kansas (5) might be an example. The positions have been reversed now, as this is written Duke has slid to the number 17 slot while Kansas lies at number 6.
A fierce rebounding machine
His NBA career scoring and rebound totals are matching, 11.9 ppg and 11.9 rebounds a game. Those were the numbers of Bill Bridges 6-6 228 pound power forward, Bridges took up residence at Kansas immediately after Wilt Chamberlain left for the Globetrotters. Bridges was drafted in 1961 by the Chicago Packers, the team would later move to Baltimore becoming the Bullets. Much later they would move from Baltimore to Washington D.C. and are now the Wizards.
Bridges chose to sign with the Kansas City Steers of the ABL and remained with them until the league folded. He then signed with the St. Louis Hawks who secured his draft rights. The NBA was a far different league in 1962 however there were few players his size with such outstanding rebounding prowess. 6-5 Elgin Baylor is the only player of that era exceeding Bridges (13.5) in rebounding. Bridges managed a 13-year pro career playing for a number of teams. He retired as a member of the Warriors in 1975 another name of note.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
I’m not surprised---are you?
Australian Dante Exum made the well-kept view official; he will enter the 2014 NBA Draft. Every mock draft site I’ve come across has the 6-6 188 pound combo guard as a second to seven pick. The prospect of earning millions of dollars was the key consideration over college. School is always there, the possibility of a college injury might also be a factor. Did you really believe he was headed to college---did you?
Missouri Valley Conference--maybe
You must crawl before you walk is an old adage. Simply states it takes time to learn adjust or sometimes make a move. This is not intended as criticism but the Summit Conference was not a good fit for University of Missouri-Kansas City. It’s far too early to determine if the Western Athletic Conference will be any better. There is a best fit conference (geographically at least) in my view, I’m referring to the Missouri Valley Conference. UMKC might be in the center of all the conferences schools.
UMKC would continue to fly charter to matches everybody flies these days. Consider this, Missouri State and UMKC are both located inside the state. We know the historical significance of the border war with the State of Kansas where Wichita State is located. If we look east toward the State of Illinois Bradley, Southern Illinois, Loyola (Chi) and Illinois State are all located there. On the north Missouri shares a border with Iowa where Northern Iowa and Drake are located. The only Missouri Valley State without a geographical connection to Missouri is Indiana. Evansville and Indiana State are located in the state. In any event adding UMKC makes sense to me.
The new Hugo
Shortly after the NBA season began it was make known the Bobcats would become the Hornets next season. As a reminder Hornets was the name of the original Charlotte franchise which left town for New Orleans. The Hornet name remained in New Orleans till this season when the franchise became the Pelicans. For a number of reasons Charlotte fans seem to pine for the Hornet name and the change was requested by Michael Jordan. Recently the Charlotte Hornet logo was released, Hugo the Hornet is still part of the logo but his design has been changed. Check NBA.com for a photo of the new logo.
“Haters will hate”
I overheard this conversation between two acquaintances; I wasn’t part of the discussion. One said; “Wichita State hasn’t played anybody.” The two went on and on questioning the teams’ undefeated record. I will never ever question a team without a loss as we approach February. I believe a portion of their objection is the belief the Missouri Valley Conference isn’t very strong. I have no desire to trash the MVC I’m sure as with most conferences there are strong, average and weak teams. I believe my two conversationalists failed to take into account Wichita State was a Final Four team last season. They are the first team to 20 wins; why not just wait until the season concludes prior to deciding how good they are.
“Talkin’ out of the hole in his neck”
I’m not even sure the term above is still in usage. For those unsure of its meaning it simply says a person has little or no knowledge of the subject. Normally I attempt to refrain from calling somebody out, this is an exception. I’m viewing local sports special and the discussion on college basketball. The station had Tom Keegan as a guest. Keegan has covered sports for the Lawrence Journal World newspaper a number of years. Naturally the discussion centered on Kansas which was okay. The hosts then steered the conversation to Mizzou. One of the hosts mentioned “how talented he believes the Tigers were.”
This is Keegan; “they (Mizzou) are not really a good team and Frank Haith is not a good coach.” He goes to state he believes former Coach Mike Anderson was better. I take issue with several of his comments; first this guy covers Kansas and the Big XII. Has he journeyed to Columbia at least once to see Mizzou play? I truly doubt it, his basis for trashing Mizzou was their home loss to Georgia. I agree they should have beaten Georgia but losing a game makes you a bad team? In addition he's one of that group still upset with Mizzou for leaving the Big XII Conference. I might ask him about Kansas team losing to Villanova when they were unranked? As for Anderson being a better coach than Haith please explain, Keegan makes this statement without providing us a single shred of evidence. .
Australian Dante Exum made the well-kept view official; he will enter the 2014 NBA Draft. Every mock draft site I’ve come across has the 6-6 188 pound combo guard as a second to seven pick. The prospect of earning millions of dollars was the key consideration over college. School is always there, the possibility of a college injury might also be a factor. Did you really believe he was headed to college---did you?
Missouri Valley Conference--maybe
You must crawl before you walk is an old adage. Simply states it takes time to learn adjust or sometimes make a move. This is not intended as criticism but the Summit Conference was not a good fit for University of Missouri-Kansas City. It’s far too early to determine if the Western Athletic Conference will be any better. There is a best fit conference (geographically at least) in my view, I’m referring to the Missouri Valley Conference. UMKC might be in the center of all the conferences schools.
UMKC would continue to fly charter to matches everybody flies these days. Consider this, Missouri State and UMKC are both located inside the state. We know the historical significance of the border war with the State of Kansas where Wichita State is located. If we look east toward the State of Illinois Bradley, Southern Illinois, Loyola (Chi) and Illinois State are all located there. On the north Missouri shares a border with Iowa where Northern Iowa and Drake are located. The only Missouri Valley State without a geographical connection to Missouri is Indiana. Evansville and Indiana State are located in the state. In any event adding UMKC makes sense to me.
The new Hugo
Shortly after the NBA season began it was make known the Bobcats would become the Hornets next season. As a reminder Hornets was the name of the original Charlotte franchise which left town for New Orleans. The Hornet name remained in New Orleans till this season when the franchise became the Pelicans. For a number of reasons Charlotte fans seem to pine for the Hornet name and the change was requested by Michael Jordan. Recently the Charlotte Hornet logo was released, Hugo the Hornet is still part of the logo but his design has been changed. Check NBA.com for a photo of the new logo.
“Haters will hate”
I overheard this conversation between two acquaintances; I wasn’t part of the discussion. One said; “Wichita State hasn’t played anybody.” The two went on and on questioning the teams’ undefeated record. I will never ever question a team without a loss as we approach February. I believe a portion of their objection is the belief the Missouri Valley Conference isn’t very strong. I have no desire to trash the MVC I’m sure as with most conferences there are strong, average and weak teams. I believe my two conversationalists failed to take into account Wichita State was a Final Four team last season. They are the first team to 20 wins; why not just wait until the season concludes prior to deciding how good they are.
“Talkin’ out of the hole in his neck”
I’m not even sure the term above is still in usage. For those unsure of its meaning it simply says a person has little or no knowledge of the subject. Normally I attempt to refrain from calling somebody out, this is an exception. I’m viewing local sports special and the discussion on college basketball. The station had Tom Keegan as a guest. Keegan has covered sports for the Lawrence Journal World newspaper a number of years. Naturally the discussion centered on Kansas which was okay. The hosts then steered the conversation to Mizzou. One of the hosts mentioned “how talented he believes the Tigers were.”
This is Keegan; “they (Mizzou) are not really a good team and Frank Haith is not a good coach.” He goes to state he believes former Coach Mike Anderson was better. I take issue with several of his comments; first this guy covers Kansas and the Big XII. Has he journeyed to Columbia at least once to see Mizzou play? I truly doubt it, his basis for trashing Mizzou was their home loss to Georgia. I agree they should have beaten Georgia but losing a game makes you a bad team? In addition he's one of that group still upset with Mizzou for leaving the Big XII Conference. I might ask him about Kansas team losing to Villanova when they were unranked? As for Anderson being a better coach than Haith please explain, Keegan makes this statement without providing us a single shred of evidence. .
Monday, January 27, 2014
Bits n Pieces
Despite my objection fans voted Kobe Bryant an All-Star once again. He’s played exactly 6 games this season; no way should he be an All-Star. I make this statement in consideration of past All-Star play on his part.
Speaking of the ASG we realize the change made electing “frontcourt” players however considered this. With little competition at center Dwight Howard wasn’t voted a starter. What’s that about in the eyes of NBA fans?
A number of readers might be too young to remember Danny Manning once played for Larry Brown at Kansas. Manning is now the head coach at Tulsa (9-10 4-1 Conf USA), Brown is coaching at SMU (15-4 4-2 American Athletic Conf).
Prior to the weekend match I knew ahead of time the winner would emerge from the Columiba campus. The University of South Carolina is located in Columbia (SC) while Mizzou is in Columbia (MO).
Is this guy for real?
The question is regarding Skip Bayless of ESPN’s First Take. First of all far too much yelling and pointless arguments, I have viewed the program for the last time. Allow me to briefly explain the silliness expressed. I’ve never said (at least to my memory) player A is better than player B. I had made comparisons, player B’s game is similar to player A. I believe Kevin Durant is an extremely talented player, at the same time I don’t consider myself a fan. This is Bayless; he begins by naming players he believes are “superior” to Durant. He named (I assume a healthy) Dwayne Wade, he went on to include Damian Lillard and several others. I listened to his rant and then proceeded to change the channel. I didn’t bother to listen to Stephan A. Smith’s counter-point.
We are blaming the wrong guy
I along with a number of other Laker fans have pointed the finger of blame at the wrong person(s). It’s been Jim Buss first and Mike D’Antoni second, you can exchange the positions depending on which Laker fan discusses the issue. A number of negatives have been addressed toward both this season for the Lakers poor record. I contend David Stern belongs in the mix as well, I realize he doesn’t operate the team however consider this. If we retreat briefly into the past the Lakers traded Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to acquire point guard Chris Paul. On December 8, 2011 Paul was headed to the Lakers rather than the Clippers until Stern stepped in.
David Stern as an advocate for the owners vetoed the trade. If you remember at that particular time the NBA owned the Hornets (Pelicans). Stern vetoed the trade in what he said was “in the best interest of the league.” On December 12 four days later the Clippers acquired Paul in exchange for several players. For unexplained reasons Stern never saw the need to validate this trade. I have stated previously I’m not a conspiracy theorists and I still maintain that outlook. Three years later I still don’t understand why a trade was vetoed in one instance and approved in another.
Transfers
I caught a panel discussion on college transfers. Although the conversation dealt with football it could easily be basketball talk as well. In a game I was viewing I wondered how a Kansas City player arrived at a particular school. The play by play announcer indicated he played at A University and his coach was hired by B University. He wanted to play for the coach so he transferred to the new school. Let’s face it kids might say it but they don’t identify with the school they identify with the coach. A youngster recently proved this, when announcing the school of his choice he said; “I’ve decided to attend the University of _____.” He made the statement despite the fact the school of his choice had initials which included university. You believe kids have any idea where Lawrence Kansas is located? Ask that same youngster who Bill Self is, bet you money they know who he is and his school. They still probably have no idea the location of Lawrence.
Despite my objection fans voted Kobe Bryant an All-Star once again. He’s played exactly 6 games this season; no way should he be an All-Star. I make this statement in consideration of past All-Star play on his part.
Speaking of the ASG we realize the change made electing “frontcourt” players however considered this. With little competition at center Dwight Howard wasn’t voted a starter. What’s that about in the eyes of NBA fans?
A number of readers might be too young to remember Danny Manning once played for Larry Brown at Kansas. Manning is now the head coach at Tulsa (9-10 4-1 Conf USA), Brown is coaching at SMU (15-4 4-2 American Athletic Conf).
Prior to the weekend match I knew ahead of time the winner would emerge from the Columiba campus. The University of South Carolina is located in Columbia (SC) while Mizzou is in Columbia (MO).
Is this guy for real?
The question is regarding Skip Bayless of ESPN’s First Take. First of all far too much yelling and pointless arguments, I have viewed the program for the last time. Allow me to briefly explain the silliness expressed. I’ve never said (at least to my memory) player A is better than player B. I had made comparisons, player B’s game is similar to player A. I believe Kevin Durant is an extremely talented player, at the same time I don’t consider myself a fan. This is Bayless; he begins by naming players he believes are “superior” to Durant. He named (I assume a healthy) Dwayne Wade, he went on to include Damian Lillard and several others. I listened to his rant and then proceeded to change the channel. I didn’t bother to listen to Stephan A. Smith’s counter-point.
We are blaming the wrong guy
I along with a number of other Laker fans have pointed the finger of blame at the wrong person(s). It’s been Jim Buss first and Mike D’Antoni second, you can exchange the positions depending on which Laker fan discusses the issue. A number of negatives have been addressed toward both this season for the Lakers poor record. I contend David Stern belongs in the mix as well, I realize he doesn’t operate the team however consider this. If we retreat briefly into the past the Lakers traded Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to acquire point guard Chris Paul. On December 8, 2011 Paul was headed to the Lakers rather than the Clippers until Stern stepped in.
David Stern as an advocate for the owners vetoed the trade. If you remember at that particular time the NBA owned the Hornets (Pelicans). Stern vetoed the trade in what he said was “in the best interest of the league.” On December 12 four days later the Clippers acquired Paul in exchange for several players. For unexplained reasons Stern never saw the need to validate this trade. I have stated previously I’m not a conspiracy theorists and I still maintain that outlook. Three years later I still don’t understand why a trade was vetoed in one instance and approved in another.
Transfers
I caught a panel discussion on college transfers. Although the conversation dealt with football it could easily be basketball talk as well. In a game I was viewing I wondered how a Kansas City player arrived at a particular school. The play by play announcer indicated he played at A University and his coach was hired by B University. He wanted to play for the coach so he transferred to the new school. Let’s face it kids might say it but they don’t identify with the school they identify with the coach. A youngster recently proved this, when announcing the school of his choice he said; “I’ve decided to attend the University of _____.” He made the statement despite the fact the school of his choice had initials which included university. You believe kids have any idea where Lawrence Kansas is located? Ask that same youngster who Bill Self is, bet you money they know who he is and his school. They still probably have no idea the location of Lawrence.
Friday, January 24, 2014
“Everybody” is playoff caliber
The headline is a little misleading; it’s an attempt to point out the weak, weaker, weakest NBA Eastern Conference. The Nets will be a playoff team; although they have played better they are still four games under .500 at 18-22. They have company, the Bobcats and Wizards have also lost more than they have won---they too will make the playoffs.
He’s home chillin’
Remember back a few weeks ago, everybody was “rushing” to sign free agent Andrew Bynum. The Heat and Clippers were just two of the teams anxious to sign the 7-footer. A report unconfirmed indicated Bynum was unwilling to sign for the league minimum. At this point I admit ’m surprised I thought for sure he’d be signed by now. Will Bynum appear in another jersey this season? That question is unresolved in the mean time Bynum’s’ at home chillin.’
They will improve
UMKC slipped past New Mexico State 68-66, New Mexico State came into the game with a 14-6 overall record, 3-1 in the WAC. The Kansas City school was 5-11 and 2-2 in the conference as the game began. Given time Coach Richardson might be able to turn this downtrodden program around.
No timetable
Reports are circulating Kobe has set no timeline for his return. The NBA seasons’ at the halfway point is there really a need for him to “rush” back? Last year the team playing badly most of the season made a dash to qualify for the playoffs. Prior to the season with Kobe, Nash and Howard in the lineup the belief was this teams should win an NBA Championship. Of course we remember what occurred. This season they will not make the playoffs Kobe should attempt to heal. If he comes back at the end of this season or next year either is okay.
The league nobody knows
The 3-point basketball did not originate in the American Basketball Association as most fans might believe. Another pro league had originated the extra point basket years earlier, most have no idea the American Basketball League ever existed. The league only played one full season 1961-1962, it commenced the 1962-1963 season but folded on December 31, 1962. The late George Steinbrenner became a household name as owner of the baseball Yankees. It was the ABL where his name first surfaced as owner. Ohio native Steinbrenner became owner of the Cleveland Pipers of the ABL. Harlem Globetrotter owner Abe Saperstein had been promised an NBA franchise which was not to occur. The owner of the Globetrotters was upset because he’d been promised a franchise and he believed NBA owners had reneged on the offer.
Although the league only lasted a short period there was talent in the league. Connie Hawkins, Bill Bridges and Dick Barnett were just two of this leagues star who would go on to successful NBA careers. The league also had the first African-American coach in a major sport; the late John McClendon served as head coach of the Cleveland franchise. Kansas City had a team in the league the Steers who were highly successful on the court. The Steers were Western Conference Champions but lost the 1961-1962 Championship to Steinbrenner’s Cleveland Pipers. The following year although the league folded at the end of 1963 the Steers were declared ABL Champions. The league folded for two basic reasons---teams lacking adequate financial backing and no television contract.
The headline is a little misleading; it’s an attempt to point out the weak, weaker, weakest NBA Eastern Conference. The Nets will be a playoff team; although they have played better they are still four games under .500 at 18-22. They have company, the Bobcats and Wizards have also lost more than they have won---they too will make the playoffs.
He’s home chillin’
Remember back a few weeks ago, everybody was “rushing” to sign free agent Andrew Bynum. The Heat and Clippers were just two of the teams anxious to sign the 7-footer. A report unconfirmed indicated Bynum was unwilling to sign for the league minimum. At this point I admit ’m surprised I thought for sure he’d be signed by now. Will Bynum appear in another jersey this season? That question is unresolved in the mean time Bynum’s’ at home chillin.’
They will improve
UMKC slipped past New Mexico State 68-66, New Mexico State came into the game with a 14-6 overall record, 3-1 in the WAC. The Kansas City school was 5-11 and 2-2 in the conference as the game began. Given time Coach Richardson might be able to turn this downtrodden program around.
No timetable
Reports are circulating Kobe has set no timeline for his return. The NBA seasons’ at the halfway point is there really a need for him to “rush” back? Last year the team playing badly most of the season made a dash to qualify for the playoffs. Prior to the season with Kobe, Nash and Howard in the lineup the belief was this teams should win an NBA Championship. Of course we remember what occurred. This season they will not make the playoffs Kobe should attempt to heal. If he comes back at the end of this season or next year either is okay.
The league nobody knows
The 3-point basketball did not originate in the American Basketball Association as most fans might believe. Another pro league had originated the extra point basket years earlier, most have no idea the American Basketball League ever existed. The league only played one full season 1961-1962, it commenced the 1962-1963 season but folded on December 31, 1962. The late George Steinbrenner became a household name as owner of the baseball Yankees. It was the ABL where his name first surfaced as owner. Ohio native Steinbrenner became owner of the Cleveland Pipers of the ABL. Harlem Globetrotter owner Abe Saperstein had been promised an NBA franchise which was not to occur. The owner of the Globetrotters was upset because he’d been promised a franchise and he believed NBA owners had reneged on the offer.
Although the league only lasted a short period there was talent in the league. Connie Hawkins, Bill Bridges and Dick Barnett were just two of this leagues star who would go on to successful NBA careers. The league also had the first African-American coach in a major sport; the late John McClendon served as head coach of the Cleveland franchise. Kansas City had a team in the league the Steers who were highly successful on the court. The Steers were Western Conference Champions but lost the 1961-1962 Championship to Steinbrenner’s Cleveland Pipers. The following year although the league folded at the end of 1963 the Steers were declared ABL Champions. The league folded for two basic reasons---teams lacking adequate financial backing and no television contract.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Do numbers really prove a point?
I’m sure like me you’ve had a number of sports arguments. Have you used stats to define or strengthen your point of view? It might depend on the numbers you are checking--maybe?
How about this one on NBA defense, which of these teams defends its opposition best Lakers or Heat? January 21 the Lakers are 16-26 and the Heat 29-12. This is no trick question, without checking official records off the top of your head which team. No need to rack your brain I’ll provide you the answer. It’s the Lakers who are giving up .453 to the opposition placing them 17 out of 30 NBA teams. The Heat is .461 which makes them 23rd in the league defensively. This should be proof positive numbers don’t always tell the complete story.
His growth continues
This report is no reference to Joel Embiid’s height; he’s already 7-feet tall. The growth in this instance refers to the maturity of his court game. Interesting all the hype surrounding Andrew Wiggins at Kansas and I’ve written more stories about his teammate Embiid than Wiggins. The reason is clear to me; we believed Wiggins was a budding talent who would continue to grow at the collegiate level. We knew Embiid could possibly play but certainly not at the skill level he’s demonstrated. His game continues to impress over his more well-known teammate. Don’t misunderstand me I certainly am not stating he’s better than Wiggins it’s just he was not expected to play at the level he’s shown thus far.
It wasn’t his fault he did what he could to prevent his teams defeat by San Diego State. The loss halted a 68-game home winning streak. As for Embiid his box score consisted of 5 blocked shots, 12 rebounds and 12 points plus 3 assists. Foul trouble contributed to lower number in his next two games. Embiid returned against Iowa State with 16 points 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. The next game against Oklahoma State found him with 13 points 11 rebounds and 8 blocked shots. He scores without the offense being tailored specifically for him. Offense aside his defense is what impresses most (and I’m sure most NBA scouts). I’m going to borrow a term they might use; Embiid has plenty of upside to his game.
The Unibrow
We heard (I’m unsure if it was done) Anthony Davis was to patent the term “unibrow”. For those unfamiliar with his appearance his eyebrows grow together unlike most of us. A funny thing happened on the way to the 2012-13 NBA season Davis was not rookie of the year, he arrived from Kentucky as the NBA number one pick and expectations were high for him. He didn’t have a horrible rookie year but it was not as good as many expected.
Although Davis made the All Rookie team he lost out on Rookie of the Year to the Blazers Damian Lillard, this year is a far different story. The Pelicans have not played as well as expected but it’s not all Davis’s fault. If you check his numbers they are all up including his scoring. He didn‘t arrive in the NBA with a scoring reputation but has raised his average from 13.5 his rookie year to the present 19.1 as this is written. His rebound numbers have risen from 8.2 to 10.4; in addition he leads the NBA in blocked shots with 3.1 per game average.
The forgotten Celtic
Recently I heard the voice of Dave Cowens providing the color commentary for the Celtics-Knicks exhibition game. I’m probably incorrect; it seems discussions on the Celtic history seem to focus on the Bill Russell teams or those of Larry Bird. There was history between those teams; they were the Dave Cowens Celtics. The majority of Celtic fans are too young or those old enough have forgotten the play of Cowens. At 6-9 and 229 pounds he was undersized as a center even in the 1970 NBA.
Cowens gave up inches and weight to 7-1 Kareem Abdul Jabbar, 7-1 Wilt Chamberlain and 6-11 Walt Bellamy and other post men of the period. The recommendation to draft him came from a former player the same height of Cowens. This player retired a year prior to Cowens being drafted---William Felton Russell. NBA Rookie of the Year, 2X NBA Champion, NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 1991 Cowens was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield (MA).
I’m sure like me you’ve had a number of sports arguments. Have you used stats to define or strengthen your point of view? It might depend on the numbers you are checking--maybe?
How about this one on NBA defense, which of these teams defends its opposition best Lakers or Heat? January 21 the Lakers are 16-26 and the Heat 29-12. This is no trick question, without checking official records off the top of your head which team. No need to rack your brain I’ll provide you the answer. It’s the Lakers who are giving up .453 to the opposition placing them 17 out of 30 NBA teams. The Heat is .461 which makes them 23rd in the league defensively. This should be proof positive numbers don’t always tell the complete story.
His growth continues
This report is no reference to Joel Embiid’s height; he’s already 7-feet tall. The growth in this instance refers to the maturity of his court game. Interesting all the hype surrounding Andrew Wiggins at Kansas and I’ve written more stories about his teammate Embiid than Wiggins. The reason is clear to me; we believed Wiggins was a budding talent who would continue to grow at the collegiate level. We knew Embiid could possibly play but certainly not at the skill level he’s demonstrated. His game continues to impress over his more well-known teammate. Don’t misunderstand me I certainly am not stating he’s better than Wiggins it’s just he was not expected to play at the level he’s shown thus far.
It wasn’t his fault he did what he could to prevent his teams defeat by San Diego State. The loss halted a 68-game home winning streak. As for Embiid his box score consisted of 5 blocked shots, 12 rebounds and 12 points plus 3 assists. Foul trouble contributed to lower number in his next two games. Embiid returned against Iowa State with 16 points 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. The next game against Oklahoma State found him with 13 points 11 rebounds and 8 blocked shots. He scores without the offense being tailored specifically for him. Offense aside his defense is what impresses most (and I’m sure most NBA scouts). I’m going to borrow a term they might use; Embiid has plenty of upside to his game.
The Unibrow
We heard (I’m unsure if it was done) Anthony Davis was to patent the term “unibrow”. For those unfamiliar with his appearance his eyebrows grow together unlike most of us. A funny thing happened on the way to the 2012-13 NBA season Davis was not rookie of the year, he arrived from Kentucky as the NBA number one pick and expectations were high for him. He didn’t have a horrible rookie year but it was not as good as many expected.
Although Davis made the All Rookie team he lost out on Rookie of the Year to the Blazers Damian Lillard, this year is a far different story. The Pelicans have not played as well as expected but it’s not all Davis’s fault. If you check his numbers they are all up including his scoring. He didn‘t arrive in the NBA with a scoring reputation but has raised his average from 13.5 his rookie year to the present 19.1 as this is written. His rebound numbers have risen from 8.2 to 10.4; in addition he leads the NBA in blocked shots with 3.1 per game average.
The forgotten Celtic
Recently I heard the voice of Dave Cowens providing the color commentary for the Celtics-Knicks exhibition game. I’m probably incorrect; it seems discussions on the Celtic history seem to focus on the Bill Russell teams or those of Larry Bird. There was history between those teams; they were the Dave Cowens Celtics. The majority of Celtic fans are too young or those old enough have forgotten the play of Cowens. At 6-9 and 229 pounds he was undersized as a center even in the 1970 NBA.
Cowens gave up inches and weight to 7-1 Kareem Abdul Jabbar, 7-1 Wilt Chamberlain and 6-11 Walt Bellamy and other post men of the period. The recommendation to draft him came from a former player the same height of Cowens. This player retired a year prior to Cowens being drafted---William Felton Russell. NBA Rookie of the Year, 2X NBA Champion, NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 1991 Cowens was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield (MA).
Monday, January 20, 2014
No Westbrook, no matter
After the Rockets collapsed (at home) I thought I’d look back and presently. In this game the home team managed to score 19 points in the second half of their game against the Thunder. How can an NBA only score 19 points in two quarters of basketball? This is the team that was to compete for the Western Conference Championship, can I say maybe next season? Looking back and today, in 41 games the Rockets are 26-15. Last year the Rockets with no Howard in the lineup were 21-20. Rockets fans possibly believed the acquisition of Dwight Howard would lead them to a championship. Charles Barkley addressed the issue in his post-game comments; “Dwight Howard is a very, very good player, he’s not a great player. He’s made little progress in his game since 2009 (NBA Championship series).”
Magic Johnson
If you’ve read Words any length of time you are aware of this ahead of time. I loved Magic Johnson the player; Magic Johnson the analyst concerned me. It seemed at times he aimed more critical remarks at the Lakers than any other NBA team. I’ve come full circle now; Magic blasted Laker co-owner Jim Buss in the newspaper. Another case I don’t intend to repeat what he said, let’s just say it needed to be stated. I’m sure as I’m typing this Buss will not react to Magic’s comment.
Same old story
I was fooled again this time by Big XII teams, early on it appeared a tight race. Once again Kansas has moved to the top of the heap. Baylor, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Iowa State all were contenders who have become pretenders. Before the season concludes Kansas may lose one or two games but I doubt if any of the pretenders will supplant them as conference champions.
Don’t get me wrong
Road mileage can vary based on the highway utilized; it’s a little more than 200 road miles between Wichita and Kansas City Missouri. Road mileage between Kansas City and Lawrence is about 50 miles; I hope you see where I’m headed. Local media doesn’t ignore Wichita basketball however they don’t pay a great deal of attention considering the team is one of the best in the nation. The same situation exists for Mizzou sports; Columbia is 150 miles from Kansas City. Oh, I forgot there is another advantage. It seems a large number of journalism students from Kansas locate here and appear to represent the majority of print and electronic media here. Of course during football season little coverage other than the score is mentioned regarding Kansas football.
Do you allow people to do their job?
This is a piggy-back to a Dan Patrick discussion. Patrick was discussing “Black Monday” where five NFL coaches were fired. His view, “ownership is often the problem these guys make a billion dollars in the private sector. They believe they are the smartest guys in the room.” The NBA has been just as unstable in the coaching ranks at the completion of last season, a record number of coaches where relieved of their jobs. Even more interesting George Karl and Lionel Hollins had both led their teams into the playoffs although both their teams failed to advance.
If we look closely at list of successful NBA teams most have owners who allow the pros to run their team. The Spurs have been the model of consistency on and off the court, owners remain in the background. One upon a time I could include the Lakers in the same conversation however lately it’s quite difficult. We are unsure what Jim Buss is attempting to accomplish these days. We could include the Cavs Dan Gilbert as one of those hands-on owners. Although he appears to remain in the background James Dolan might be a contributing factor to the problems of the Knicks. Dolan and others fail to “let the people (you’ve hired) do their job.”
After the Rockets collapsed (at home) I thought I’d look back and presently. In this game the home team managed to score 19 points in the second half of their game against the Thunder. How can an NBA only score 19 points in two quarters of basketball? This is the team that was to compete for the Western Conference Championship, can I say maybe next season? Looking back and today, in 41 games the Rockets are 26-15. Last year the Rockets with no Howard in the lineup were 21-20. Rockets fans possibly believed the acquisition of Dwight Howard would lead them to a championship. Charles Barkley addressed the issue in his post-game comments; “Dwight Howard is a very, very good player, he’s not a great player. He’s made little progress in his game since 2009 (NBA Championship series).”
Magic Johnson
If you’ve read Words any length of time you are aware of this ahead of time. I loved Magic Johnson the player; Magic Johnson the analyst concerned me. It seemed at times he aimed more critical remarks at the Lakers than any other NBA team. I’ve come full circle now; Magic blasted Laker co-owner Jim Buss in the newspaper. Another case I don’t intend to repeat what he said, let’s just say it needed to be stated. I’m sure as I’m typing this Buss will not react to Magic’s comment.
Same old story
I was fooled again this time by Big XII teams, early on it appeared a tight race. Once again Kansas has moved to the top of the heap. Baylor, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Iowa State all were contenders who have become pretenders. Before the season concludes Kansas may lose one or two games but I doubt if any of the pretenders will supplant them as conference champions.
Don’t get me wrong
Road mileage can vary based on the highway utilized; it’s a little more than 200 road miles between Wichita and Kansas City Missouri. Road mileage between Kansas City and Lawrence is about 50 miles; I hope you see where I’m headed. Local media doesn’t ignore Wichita basketball however they don’t pay a great deal of attention considering the team is one of the best in the nation. The same situation exists for Mizzou sports; Columbia is 150 miles from Kansas City. Oh, I forgot there is another advantage. It seems a large number of journalism students from Kansas locate here and appear to represent the majority of print and electronic media here. Of course during football season little coverage other than the score is mentioned regarding Kansas football.
Do you allow people to do their job?
This is a piggy-back to a Dan Patrick discussion. Patrick was discussing “Black Monday” where five NFL coaches were fired. His view, “ownership is often the problem these guys make a billion dollars in the private sector. They believe they are the smartest guys in the room.” The NBA has been just as unstable in the coaching ranks at the completion of last season, a record number of coaches where relieved of their jobs. Even more interesting George Karl and Lionel Hollins had both led their teams into the playoffs although both their teams failed to advance.
If we look closely at list of successful NBA teams most have owners who allow the pros to run their team. The Spurs have been the model of consistency on and off the court, owners remain in the background. One upon a time I could include the Lakers in the same conversation however lately it’s quite difficult. We are unsure what Jim Buss is attempting to accomplish these days. We could include the Cavs Dan Gilbert as one of those hands-on owners. Although he appears to remain in the background James Dolan might be a contributing factor to the problems of the Knicks. Dolan and others fail to “let the people (you’ve hired) do their job.”
Friday, January 17, 2014
Won't get fooled again
That's the title to a song isn't it? In this instance I'm referring to the Mizzou Tigers who won't mislead me again. I made the observation "you live by the jump shot and die by the jump shot." Mizzou has lost two of it's last three games, losers to Georgia in OT. Mizzou has failed to develop any front court scoring, as mentioned previously the bulk of the scoring comes from the back court. They managed to slide by Auburn beating them by two points but they followed the victory by losing to Vanderbilt. Mizzou shooting totals, 39% against Georgia, 32% versus Auburn and last night 39% against Vanderbilt. Although I knew it might be tough I expected this team to compete for the SEC Championship, certainly not now. No politicking by me to get them included in anybodies Top 25, I remain forever a fan but with lowered expectations.
Remain in place?
You know the freshman names---those the experts rate highly for the 2014 draft. We can add one additional name to the list Indiana’s Noah Voniech. He’s a 6-10 240 pound power forward and his game is growing. He’s slipped into the Top 10 of two mock draft sites, number eight on draftexpress.com and number ten on nbadraft.net. His freshman scoring numbers are 12.3 points per game and he manages to grab 9.5 rebounds a game. My preference would be for Voniech and every other outstanding freshman remain in school. The prospect of financial reward is the deciding factor. As for graduation the opportunity to return to school is always there. Vince Carter, Shaquille O’Neal and Isiah Thomas and maybe others I’m omitting left school early but returned to finish and receive a diploma.
Time, where did it go?
Host Dan Patrick on his morning radio program reminded us the Celtics Len Bias would have turned 50 last November. If he’d lived he would have long ago retired however Celtic history may have been quite altered in successive years. Bias a small forward had been the teams’ number one pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. Bias would have joined a team of Bird, McHale and Parrish along with new comer Reggie Lewis.
Lewis had arrived on the scene earlier and played limited minutes, by his second year he was up to 18.5 ppg. We could make a similar claim regarding Lewis he too would long be retired if he’d lived. We could play "what if" with both athletes, would Bias have been able to blend his Maryland talent with that of rising star Lewis? Imagine what might have occurred for the Celtics and their fans, there might not have been the valley that existed between championships.
Perhaps the dawn of a second Golden Age
I’m going to give props to Matt Moore of CBS Sports.com; he provided the inspiration for this. He wrote of 13 breakout power forward candidates, i.e. future All-Pros. Moore’s argument all of these players are age 25 and younger. I’m not going to rehash his column you can read it and form your own opinion. His column however provided me basis for a look ahead of the NBA. It’s my belief we are about to enter an NBA Golden Age again. The emergence of Magic-Johnson and the Laker-Celtic rivalry might be the first age. The second Golden Age might be the Jordan Bulls of the late ’80’s and ’90’s. Don’t misunderstand this narrative the NBA was not down, it’s never been down. The naysayer’s continue to inform us “nobody is watching the NBA” yet they offer no proof other than their opinion. My proof is the value of the leagues franchises; every time a team is put up for sale perspective owners began lining up. These owners are people unaccustomed to losing money, there’s only so much money they can write off as losses.
Once the sale is completed the franchise is sold for a record amount of dollars. NBA Global has continued to expand it’s footprint throughout the world. Exhibition games were played this month in China, the Philippines and Brazil as an example. Eventually there will be NBA franchises in Europe and other world markets at the time the travel issue is resolved. As for the nobody is watching, 47 nations south of the Sahara in Africa will be able to view NBA games live this season. If you questioned any 12-year old in Asia or Europe they could identify the name Michael Jordan before that of Peyton Manning. It’s a fact the NBA and its players are known world-wide over the NFL and MLB combined. State side the NBA will return to Seattle, as for St. Louis and Kansas City that’s yet to be determined. Finally we gasped when informed the Nets Barclays Center home was going to cost $1 billion dollars. Guess what there’s another on the way, the Warriors arena planned to open in 2017 comes in at the same figure. You don’t spend that amount of money without hope of receiving a return on your investment.
That's the title to a song isn't it? In this instance I'm referring to the Mizzou Tigers who won't mislead me again. I made the observation "you live by the jump shot and die by the jump shot." Mizzou has lost two of it's last three games, losers to Georgia in OT. Mizzou has failed to develop any front court scoring, as mentioned previously the bulk of the scoring comes from the back court. They managed to slide by Auburn beating them by two points but they followed the victory by losing to Vanderbilt. Mizzou shooting totals, 39% against Georgia, 32% versus Auburn and last night 39% against Vanderbilt. Although I knew it might be tough I expected this team to compete for the SEC Championship, certainly not now. No politicking by me to get them included in anybodies Top 25, I remain forever a fan but with lowered expectations.
Remain in place?
You know the freshman names---those the experts rate highly for the 2014 draft. We can add one additional name to the list Indiana’s Noah Voniech. He’s a 6-10 240 pound power forward and his game is growing. He’s slipped into the Top 10 of two mock draft sites, number eight on draftexpress.com and number ten on nbadraft.net. His freshman scoring numbers are 12.3 points per game and he manages to grab 9.5 rebounds a game. My preference would be for Voniech and every other outstanding freshman remain in school. The prospect of financial reward is the deciding factor. As for graduation the opportunity to return to school is always there. Vince Carter, Shaquille O’Neal and Isiah Thomas and maybe others I’m omitting left school early but returned to finish and receive a diploma.
Time, where did it go?
Host Dan Patrick on his morning radio program reminded us the Celtics Len Bias would have turned 50 last November. If he’d lived he would have long ago retired however Celtic history may have been quite altered in successive years. Bias a small forward had been the teams’ number one pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. Bias would have joined a team of Bird, McHale and Parrish along with new comer Reggie Lewis.
Lewis had arrived on the scene earlier and played limited minutes, by his second year he was up to 18.5 ppg. We could make a similar claim regarding Lewis he too would long be retired if he’d lived. We could play "what if" with both athletes, would Bias have been able to blend his Maryland talent with that of rising star Lewis? Imagine what might have occurred for the Celtics and their fans, there might not have been the valley that existed between championships.
Perhaps the dawn of a second Golden Age
I’m going to give props to Matt Moore of CBS Sports.com; he provided the inspiration for this. He wrote of 13 breakout power forward candidates, i.e. future All-Pros. Moore’s argument all of these players are age 25 and younger. I’m not going to rehash his column you can read it and form your own opinion. His column however provided me basis for a look ahead of the NBA. It’s my belief we are about to enter an NBA Golden Age again. The emergence of Magic-Johnson and the Laker-Celtic rivalry might be the first age. The second Golden Age might be the Jordan Bulls of the late ’80’s and ’90’s. Don’t misunderstand this narrative the NBA was not down, it’s never been down. The naysayer’s continue to inform us “nobody is watching the NBA” yet they offer no proof other than their opinion. My proof is the value of the leagues franchises; every time a team is put up for sale perspective owners began lining up. These owners are people unaccustomed to losing money, there’s only so much money they can write off as losses.
Once the sale is completed the franchise is sold for a record amount of dollars. NBA Global has continued to expand it’s footprint throughout the world. Exhibition games were played this month in China, the Philippines and Brazil as an example. Eventually there will be NBA franchises in Europe and other world markets at the time the travel issue is resolved. As for the nobody is watching, 47 nations south of the Sahara in Africa will be able to view NBA games live this season. If you questioned any 12-year old in Asia or Europe they could identify the name Michael Jordan before that of Peyton Manning. It’s a fact the NBA and its players are known world-wide over the NFL and MLB combined. State side the NBA will return to Seattle, as for St. Louis and Kansas City that’s yet to be determined. Finally we gasped when informed the Nets Barclays Center home was going to cost $1 billion dollars. Guess what there’s another on the way, the Warriors arena planned to open in 2017 comes in at the same figure. You don’t spend that amount of money without hope of receiving a return on your investment.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
He ain’t comin’ back
I saw a photo of Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant on ESPN.com during PJ’s time. We understand PJ is history; this is a fact as long as Jim Buss is in charge. A fix, Buss allows basketball people to run the team, they hire PJ. Another scenario Greg Popovich wants a new challenge so he resigns from the Spurs to take the Laker job. This could work too, tough hard-nose Jerry Sloan late of the Jazz wants to coach again or Larry Brown at SMU might want to return. I know this is not gonna occur but I can dream can’t I?
I’m careful
I attempt to provide as accurate news updates as possible. Often I refuse to report a story if I think cannot be documented or from a reputable source. I provide you this long disclaimer for a reason. A week or so ago I read injured Laker guard Xavier Henry “might miss the balance of the season.” Sunday evening ESPN.com is reporting Henry might return to action as soon as this week. It was confirmed he probably will play in Friday’s game against the Celtics.
Proof
I’m not going to provide you a word by word account of Chris Kaman. Kaman informed the Los Angeles Times his frustration with little playing time. This one gem I will provide, Kaman indicates he regrets signing with the Lakers. Proof positive the D’Antoni system is all offense and little if any defense. In addition I don’t believe the coach’s system is designed to work for big men.
Bits n Pieces
I wrote earlier freshman PG Marcus Smart surprised many by remaining in school. He was projected by many to be an NBA lottery pick if he‘d submitted his name for the draft. Over the summer it was made clear he was headed for the NBA after this season. Oklahoma State received a commitment from New Mexico Junior College point guard Jeff Newberry. On hearing the news an OSU fan said; “wish we could combine Travis Ford’s recruiting ability and Eddie Sutton’s coaching ability.”
We often comment a big man must prove he can’t play; this might be the latest example. Fox Sports reports Rick Pitino offered a scholarship to 6-11 Bakary Konate who’s from Mali in West Africa. Konate attends Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita (KS) and is yet to take his SAT. He’s played four years in Spain but is reported to have no eligibility issues.
Interesting view of a subject. Dan Patrick was discussing baseball Hall of Fame voting. He mentioned a player he believed would never be enshrined who has similar numbers to a recently elected one. Patrick claims the difference is one player was liked by the media the other was not. I’m unsure how the voting is conducted in baseball but I refuse to believe personality enters the picture. Proof media vote is different for basketball; I offer Dennis Rodman and Rick Barry as examples.
The next Magic Johnson?
Awhile back I wrote a story on the Lakers Magic Johnson. It was pointed out at 6-9 he was the tallest point guard in NBA history. In the NBA teams always attempt to copy the success of others. The Lakers with Magic at the helm and the accomplishment of Laker basketball caused other NBA teams to search for tall point guards. Although the 6-8 LeBron James is skilled at distributing the ball and performs duties as a point guard he’s actually a small forward. This list might be incomplete however this was researched to be as accurate as possible. Probably one of the first of the crop of tall point guards was Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.
At 6-7 and 195 pounds Penny honed his skills at Treadwell High School in Memphis and played college ball at Memphis University. Penny played for several NBA teams however his best years were spent with the Magic. Tyreke Evans who also played his college ball at Memphis. The Kings made Evans the 4th pick in the 2009 draft and attempted to re-cast him in the role of a point guard. After a number of years at the point it appeared the experiment was over, Evans would become a shooting guard, in July the Kings traded him to the Pelicans. Next up given the general theme is 6-6 high school player Dante Exum from Australia. Current information lists him as a point guard/shooting guard; we shall see what the future holds for him over the next several years.
I saw a photo of Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant on ESPN.com during PJ’s time. We understand PJ is history; this is a fact as long as Jim Buss is in charge. A fix, Buss allows basketball people to run the team, they hire PJ. Another scenario Greg Popovich wants a new challenge so he resigns from the Spurs to take the Laker job. This could work too, tough hard-nose Jerry Sloan late of the Jazz wants to coach again or Larry Brown at SMU might want to return. I know this is not gonna occur but I can dream can’t I?
I’m careful
I attempt to provide as accurate news updates as possible. Often I refuse to report a story if I think cannot be documented or from a reputable source. I provide you this long disclaimer for a reason. A week or so ago I read injured Laker guard Xavier Henry “might miss the balance of the season.” Sunday evening ESPN.com is reporting Henry might return to action as soon as this week. It was confirmed he probably will play in Friday’s game against the Celtics.
Proof
I’m not going to provide you a word by word account of Chris Kaman. Kaman informed the Los Angeles Times his frustration with little playing time. This one gem I will provide, Kaman indicates he regrets signing with the Lakers. Proof positive the D’Antoni system is all offense and little if any defense. In addition I don’t believe the coach’s system is designed to work for big men.
Bits n Pieces
I wrote earlier freshman PG Marcus Smart surprised many by remaining in school. He was projected by many to be an NBA lottery pick if he‘d submitted his name for the draft. Over the summer it was made clear he was headed for the NBA after this season. Oklahoma State received a commitment from New Mexico Junior College point guard Jeff Newberry. On hearing the news an OSU fan said; “wish we could combine Travis Ford’s recruiting ability and Eddie Sutton’s coaching ability.”
We often comment a big man must prove he can’t play; this might be the latest example. Fox Sports reports Rick Pitino offered a scholarship to 6-11 Bakary Konate who’s from Mali in West Africa. Konate attends Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita (KS) and is yet to take his SAT. He’s played four years in Spain but is reported to have no eligibility issues.
Interesting view of a subject. Dan Patrick was discussing baseball Hall of Fame voting. He mentioned a player he believed would never be enshrined who has similar numbers to a recently elected one. Patrick claims the difference is one player was liked by the media the other was not. I’m unsure how the voting is conducted in baseball but I refuse to believe personality enters the picture. Proof media vote is different for basketball; I offer Dennis Rodman and Rick Barry as examples.
The next Magic Johnson?
Awhile back I wrote a story on the Lakers Magic Johnson. It was pointed out at 6-9 he was the tallest point guard in NBA history. In the NBA teams always attempt to copy the success of others. The Lakers with Magic at the helm and the accomplishment of Laker basketball caused other NBA teams to search for tall point guards. Although the 6-8 LeBron James is skilled at distributing the ball and performs duties as a point guard he’s actually a small forward. This list might be incomplete however this was researched to be as accurate as possible. Probably one of the first of the crop of tall point guards was Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.
At 6-7 and 195 pounds Penny honed his skills at Treadwell High School in Memphis and played college ball at Memphis University. Penny played for several NBA teams however his best years were spent with the Magic. Tyreke Evans who also played his college ball at Memphis. The Kings made Evans the 4th pick in the 2009 draft and attempted to re-cast him in the role of a point guard. After a number of years at the point it appeared the experiment was over, Evans would become a shooting guard, in July the Kings traded him to the Pelicans. Next up given the general theme is 6-6 high school player Dante Exum from Australia. Current information lists him as a point guard/shooting guard; we shall see what the future holds for him over the next several years.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Mars Blackmon
Spike Lee a.k.a. Mars Blackmon was at The Garden on Thursday rooting for his Knicks to beat the Heat. The following evening Brooklyn-born Lee journeyed to Barclays Center to watch the Heat face the Nets. Interesting that he was at the Nets game in Knick colors. I only saw one televised shot of him so I wasn’t sure if he was rooting for the Nets.
Uninspiring
The last two Mizzou games have certainly been lackluster; the Tigers could easily be 0-2 but managed a split. On Wednesday they were losers against Georgia in overtime 70-64, they won a squeaker on the road Saturday afternoon versus Auburn 70-68. The Tigers shot 33% and still managed to win the game. Key areas to address, lack of offensive punch from the frontcourt and sometimes ineffective rebounding. I luv me some Mizzou basketball however I must be honest enough to point out what I believe are concerns.
Bears almost clawed them
The Missouri State Bears almost ended Wichita State’s winning streak on Saturday. The Shockers entered the game against Missouri State with a 16-0 record. The Bears gave Wichita State all they could handle extending the game into overtime. The Shockers managed to overcome the deficit and win the game in overtime 72-69.
911
Jim Buss needs to make a move regarding Mike D’Antoni. It’s my belief the team has tuned the coach out; it certainly seem to be apparent on Friday. The Lakers blown out once again losing their game against the Clippers by 36 points. The Clippers are the better team that’s not the issue, for a Laker team to lose by such a large amount is inexcusable. Injuries have been a contributing factor to the teams’ poor play however the key issue remains the head coach. The question is the coach, Jim Buss the next move is yours. D’Antoni needs to be moved for no other reason than to restore order to this proud franchise.
Really having a bad day
The driving distance from Illinois State in Normal (IL) and Southern Illinois in Carbondale (IL) is about 250 miles. Under normal conditions that’s a 3+ hour drive excepting for the weather. Attempting to return home after a game the recent Midwest blizzard forced the Southern Illinois bus driver to pull off the road. The driver was hoping to wait until road conditions improved; when he attempted to resume the journey to Carbondale he discovered a problem. The bus was stuck and was unable to continue the journey home. The players spent almost six hours on board before a tow truck arrived to pull the bus out. Several athletes spent the balance of the night sleeping in a church.
Really?
This is silly on several levels; first off I’ve long considered JR Smith of the Knicks a talented “knucklehead.” Smith provided us proof of his knucklehead quality recently. He was standing at the free-throw line and untied the shoelaces of an opponent. In a later game he appeared to be repeating the act once again. The NBA responded by hitting him with a $50,000 fine. Did Smith deserve punishment; no disagreement here. Did he deserve to be fined, no disagreement from me? My belief the amount of the fine was excessive based on his actions. An opposing view might be; “NBA players earn a large amount of money, unless you hit them in the wallet it doesn’t affect them.” I can agree with that position as well but I maintain the fine was excessive. What do you think?
“Close the borders”
This was Gary Pinkel’s intention to recruit every high profile football in the State of Missouri. It was mentioned previously basketball coach Frank Haith has followed the course laid out by Pinkel. The latest prospect is 6-6 180 pound small forward Jayson Tatum. A Rivals 5-Star prospect Tatum enters his sophomore year at Chaminade College Prep (St. Louis). Mizzou made an offer to Tatum prior to him beginning his freshman year. Tatum is the number five prospect in the Class of 2016 by ESPN RecruitingNation.
Spike Lee a.k.a. Mars Blackmon was at The Garden on Thursday rooting for his Knicks to beat the Heat. The following evening Brooklyn-born Lee journeyed to Barclays Center to watch the Heat face the Nets. Interesting that he was at the Nets game in Knick colors. I only saw one televised shot of him so I wasn’t sure if he was rooting for the Nets.
Uninspiring
The last two Mizzou games have certainly been lackluster; the Tigers could easily be 0-2 but managed a split. On Wednesday they were losers against Georgia in overtime 70-64, they won a squeaker on the road Saturday afternoon versus Auburn 70-68. The Tigers shot 33% and still managed to win the game. Key areas to address, lack of offensive punch from the frontcourt and sometimes ineffective rebounding. I luv me some Mizzou basketball however I must be honest enough to point out what I believe are concerns.
Bears almost clawed them
The Missouri State Bears almost ended Wichita State’s winning streak on Saturday. The Shockers entered the game against Missouri State with a 16-0 record. The Bears gave Wichita State all they could handle extending the game into overtime. The Shockers managed to overcome the deficit and win the game in overtime 72-69.
911
Jim Buss needs to make a move regarding Mike D’Antoni. It’s my belief the team has tuned the coach out; it certainly seem to be apparent on Friday. The Lakers blown out once again losing their game against the Clippers by 36 points. The Clippers are the better team that’s not the issue, for a Laker team to lose by such a large amount is inexcusable. Injuries have been a contributing factor to the teams’ poor play however the key issue remains the head coach. The question is the coach, Jim Buss the next move is yours. D’Antoni needs to be moved for no other reason than to restore order to this proud franchise.
Really having a bad day
The driving distance from Illinois State in Normal (IL) and Southern Illinois in Carbondale (IL) is about 250 miles. Under normal conditions that’s a 3+ hour drive excepting for the weather. Attempting to return home after a game the recent Midwest blizzard forced the Southern Illinois bus driver to pull off the road. The driver was hoping to wait until road conditions improved; when he attempted to resume the journey to Carbondale he discovered a problem. The bus was stuck and was unable to continue the journey home. The players spent almost six hours on board before a tow truck arrived to pull the bus out. Several athletes spent the balance of the night sleeping in a church.
Really?
This is silly on several levels; first off I’ve long considered JR Smith of the Knicks a talented “knucklehead.” Smith provided us proof of his knucklehead quality recently. He was standing at the free-throw line and untied the shoelaces of an opponent. In a later game he appeared to be repeating the act once again. The NBA responded by hitting him with a $50,000 fine. Did Smith deserve punishment; no disagreement here. Did he deserve to be fined, no disagreement from me? My belief the amount of the fine was excessive based on his actions. An opposing view might be; “NBA players earn a large amount of money, unless you hit them in the wallet it doesn’t affect them.” I can agree with that position as well but I maintain the fine was excessive. What do you think?
“Close the borders”
This was Gary Pinkel’s intention to recruit every high profile football in the State of Missouri. It was mentioned previously basketball coach Frank Haith has followed the course laid out by Pinkel. The latest prospect is 6-6 180 pound small forward Jayson Tatum. A Rivals 5-Star prospect Tatum enters his sophomore year at Chaminade College Prep (St. Louis). Mizzou made an offer to Tatum prior to him beginning his freshman year. Tatum is the number five prospect in the Class of 2016 by ESPN RecruitingNation.
Friday, January 10, 2014
NOTE
I indicated the other day Kansas had no point guard that is a misstatement on my part. The guards have not played at the level Bill Self hoped, or in the case of Conner Frankamp receiving little playing time. In addition a local commentator made a statement the other day that concerned me. He said; “Andrew Wiggins seemed to play as too not get hurt.” I’m guessing he believes Wiggins is headed to the NBA and wants to avoid any possible injury. I believe his statement is an attempt to provoke controversy and has no merit.
Good news bad news
Former Notre Dame athlete (St. Louis native) Cameron Biedscheid is transferring to Mizzou, this was confirmed on Wednesday. The 6-7 swing man is a former Missouri All-State player who made the Notre Dame commitment prior to Haith’s arrival. As for the bad news they laid an egg the same day playing a sloppy uninspired game. Georgia which began the evening at 6-6 managed to topple Mizzou in overtime. Until the loss Mizzou had the longest home winning streak in the nation at 26 games.
“Pathological Liar”
A number of you may remember the skits Jon Lovitz performed when he was a member of the Saturday Night Live cast. For those who might not be familiar he would begin with a tale and then began to embellish it along the way to its conclusion. Well my rant is not about a liar but similar in the manner the story is told. I was viewing a non-sports talk program the other evening. One of the guest on the panel a comedian said; “half the NBA players are broke within a few years after they quit playing.”
My mind said; “you got any facts or proof to backup that statement?” I could make the same statement regarding Mike Greenberg of Mike and Mike of ESPN. The morning after the NCAA suspension of Mike Haith was handed down Greenberg went on a morning rant. He compared Haith’s situation to that of Bruce Pearl at Tennessee. To those who might not remember Pearl was fired. The charges for both were similar however Pearl's was more extensive that's why he was fired. Greenberg would led us to believe the issues were the same which they were not. In addition I never ever heard Greenberg make any sort of statement on Haith prior to the decision. He discussed Miami football but never once mentioned the basketball team or Haith.
They reversed themselves
A number of you might remember after the NCAA Championship the organization announced no more games played in domes. They were looking at returning to basketball arenas; they have now placed that outlook in the rear view mirror. Somebody in the NCAA offices must have pulled out the calculators, an extra 50,000 seats at $250 a pop = $12.5 million dollars. *“The NCAA announced Thursday it will only accept applications to host Final Fours from 2017 to 2020 from venues that hold 60,000 fans or more.” Next time a decision occurs in college sports involving an athlete at least for now be prepared for the best interests of the NCAA to be served. *Yahoo Sports
Paint yourself into a corner
I heard the above phrase occasionally when I was growing up. I never believed anyone would be dumb enough leave themselves no method to exit from a room they painted. I think it might have been don’t place yourselves in a situation you cannot change or alter direction. My Lakers are suffering because they left the team no method to getaway. I’m not going to detail the moves that should have occurred, let’s just state the problem begins at the top with Jim Buss and continue through Mike D‘Antoni. Notice I omitted General Manager Mitch Kupchak out of the dialogue, working at the pleasure of Buss his moves are somewhat dictated by the owner.
I indicated the other day Kansas had no point guard that is a misstatement on my part. The guards have not played at the level Bill Self hoped, or in the case of Conner Frankamp receiving little playing time. In addition a local commentator made a statement the other day that concerned me. He said; “Andrew Wiggins seemed to play as too not get hurt.” I’m guessing he believes Wiggins is headed to the NBA and wants to avoid any possible injury. I believe his statement is an attempt to provoke controversy and has no merit.
Good news bad news
Former Notre Dame athlete (St. Louis native) Cameron Biedscheid is transferring to Mizzou, this was confirmed on Wednesday. The 6-7 swing man is a former Missouri All-State player who made the Notre Dame commitment prior to Haith’s arrival. As for the bad news they laid an egg the same day playing a sloppy uninspired game. Georgia which began the evening at 6-6 managed to topple Mizzou in overtime. Until the loss Mizzou had the longest home winning streak in the nation at 26 games.
“Pathological Liar”
A number of you may remember the skits Jon Lovitz performed when he was a member of the Saturday Night Live cast. For those who might not be familiar he would begin with a tale and then began to embellish it along the way to its conclusion. Well my rant is not about a liar but similar in the manner the story is told. I was viewing a non-sports talk program the other evening. One of the guest on the panel a comedian said; “half the NBA players are broke within a few years after they quit playing.”
My mind said; “you got any facts or proof to backup that statement?” I could make the same statement regarding Mike Greenberg of Mike and Mike of ESPN. The morning after the NCAA suspension of Mike Haith was handed down Greenberg went on a morning rant. He compared Haith’s situation to that of Bruce Pearl at Tennessee. To those who might not remember Pearl was fired. The charges for both were similar however Pearl's was more extensive that's why he was fired. Greenberg would led us to believe the issues were the same which they were not. In addition I never ever heard Greenberg make any sort of statement on Haith prior to the decision. He discussed Miami football but never once mentioned the basketball team or Haith.
They reversed themselves
A number of you might remember after the NCAA Championship the organization announced no more games played in domes. They were looking at returning to basketball arenas; they have now placed that outlook in the rear view mirror. Somebody in the NCAA offices must have pulled out the calculators, an extra 50,000 seats at $250 a pop = $12.5 million dollars. *“The NCAA announced Thursday it will only accept applications to host Final Fours from 2017 to 2020 from venues that hold 60,000 fans or more.” Next time a decision occurs in college sports involving an athlete at least for now be prepared for the best interests of the NCAA to be served. *Yahoo Sports
Paint yourself into a corner
I heard the above phrase occasionally when I was growing up. I never believed anyone would be dumb enough leave themselves no method to exit from a room they painted. I think it might have been don’t place yourselves in a situation you cannot change or alter direction. My Lakers are suffering because they left the team no method to getaway. I’m not going to detail the moves that should have occurred, let’s just state the problem begins at the top with Jim Buss and continue through Mike D‘Antoni. Notice I omitted General Manager Mitch Kupchak out of the dialogue, working at the pleasure of Buss his moves are somewhat dictated by the owner.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
On the move
A portion of this player move was a little surprising the other not so much. The Cavs traded Andrew Bynum to the Bulls (surprise destination). Conversation over the past few weeks had Bynum headed to the Lakers for Gasol, now I’m unsure if that was just a rumor all along. Bynum was traded for Luol Deng (not surprising); he’s been rumored trade bait since forever. The Bulls will likely release Bynum thus gaining the Bulls cap space. Question, does Bynum have the NBA in his future? My answer probably in the right circumstances, he’s still 7 feet tall and 285 pounds. It's been stated; “you can’t teach height,” an NBA team will deal with the Bynum immaturity mark my word.
Allow me to explain
Many of the Kansas faithful were upset with their team losing to San Diego State. It’s my belief some suffer from unrealized expectations. This year’s team was over-hyped by the media and many in Jayhawk Nation bought into this suggestion. The media looked at Kentucky’s 2012 national championship team and its youth which led them to believe Kansas could do the same. Bill Self recruited an outstanding class of freshmen. Landing the number one prospect Andrew Wiggins raised expectations even higher. Losing most of that champion team to the NBA Calapri despite repeating his recruiting effort last season’s team fell short of its predecessor. There is no doubt in my mind Kansas has an extremely talented team.
The team is young and the problem has been blending that talent and ensuring everyone is on the same page has been difficult at times. In addition they have no “real” point guard which is certainly a detriment. Back to the Kansas fans reading one letter in the Kansas City Star fans still don’t get it. One writer in particular after the San Diego State wrote; “the road to the Big XII Championship runs through Lawrence.” The writer failed to take into consideration Baylor, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and maybe Kansas State might have an opposing view regarding his statement. In fact I wrote awhile back it’s my belief the Big XII top to bottom might be the toughest conference in the nation. Hang in there Jayhawk Nation the team will develop----NCAA Championship whispered in some circles is not going to occur in 2014. Check back with me in April on this.
I like the guy
Allow me to state my point; I like Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports. You might say; “what’s that all about?” I admit I didn’t feel this way, I didn’t like him, now I’m really unsure if I can elaborate why. It seemed when he worked for ESPN either didn’t or wasn’t allowed to fully display his talent. Maybe it’s just his growth as an analyst. His basketball commentary during games I’ve discovered is insightful; in addition he’s not afraid to call it as he sees it. There is always a fine line to maintain while serving in the commentators seat Gottlieb has managed to win this fan over.
Bits n Pieces
Dante Exum the best high school prospect from Australia---whoa hold on a moment, he’s got a fellow countryman on the same level. Ben Simmons is from Melbourne however he is in the U.S. attending high school. Simmons is enrolled at Montverde Academy, Montverde (FL). This prep school is located 30+ miles from Orlando. Simmons is a 6-10 230 pound combo forward and is also a Class of 2015 prospect. Simmons is headed to LSU.
I read a headline stating; “Andrew Bynum might be headed to Miami. “ On the surface it’s sounds as a simple proposition. If that is the case why did the Heat sign Greg Oden last August? Oden’s not playing and it‘s been reported the intent was for him to be ready for the playoffs. Oden could be released should the Heat decide to go with Bynum but this is certainly interesting this situation develops as it’s believed.
Can you believe the names some sports fans name their off-spring? One couple named their new born Krisom Tyde a take off on Alabama’s Crimson Tide name. Another couple named their son S-pin connecting all to ESPN (E-SiPN). It turns out the dad had proposed to mom during a game on ESPN. A reminder once again I don’t make this stuff up.
My earlier comment regarding All-Star voting, did you read the latest story? Kobe Bryant requested fans not vote for him. Makes perfect sense to me, how many games has he played? I applaud Kobe for making this request.
A portion of this player move was a little surprising the other not so much. The Cavs traded Andrew Bynum to the Bulls (surprise destination). Conversation over the past few weeks had Bynum headed to the Lakers for Gasol, now I’m unsure if that was just a rumor all along. Bynum was traded for Luol Deng (not surprising); he’s been rumored trade bait since forever. The Bulls will likely release Bynum thus gaining the Bulls cap space. Question, does Bynum have the NBA in his future? My answer probably in the right circumstances, he’s still 7 feet tall and 285 pounds. It's been stated; “you can’t teach height,” an NBA team will deal with the Bynum immaturity mark my word.
Allow me to explain
Many of the Kansas faithful were upset with their team losing to San Diego State. It’s my belief some suffer from unrealized expectations. This year’s team was over-hyped by the media and many in Jayhawk Nation bought into this suggestion. The media looked at Kentucky’s 2012 national championship team and its youth which led them to believe Kansas could do the same. Bill Self recruited an outstanding class of freshmen. Landing the number one prospect Andrew Wiggins raised expectations even higher. Losing most of that champion team to the NBA Calapri despite repeating his recruiting effort last season’s team fell short of its predecessor. There is no doubt in my mind Kansas has an extremely talented team.
The team is young and the problem has been blending that talent and ensuring everyone is on the same page has been difficult at times. In addition they have no “real” point guard which is certainly a detriment. Back to the Kansas fans reading one letter in the Kansas City Star fans still don’t get it. One writer in particular after the San Diego State wrote; “the road to the Big XII Championship runs through Lawrence.” The writer failed to take into consideration Baylor, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and maybe Kansas State might have an opposing view regarding his statement. In fact I wrote awhile back it’s my belief the Big XII top to bottom might be the toughest conference in the nation. Hang in there Jayhawk Nation the team will develop----NCAA Championship whispered in some circles is not going to occur in 2014. Check back with me in April on this.
I like the guy
Allow me to state my point; I like Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports. You might say; “what’s that all about?” I admit I didn’t feel this way, I didn’t like him, now I’m really unsure if I can elaborate why. It seemed when he worked for ESPN either didn’t or wasn’t allowed to fully display his talent. Maybe it’s just his growth as an analyst. His basketball commentary during games I’ve discovered is insightful; in addition he’s not afraid to call it as he sees it. There is always a fine line to maintain while serving in the commentators seat Gottlieb has managed to win this fan over.
Bits n Pieces
Dante Exum the best high school prospect from Australia---whoa hold on a moment, he’s got a fellow countryman on the same level. Ben Simmons is from Melbourne however he is in the U.S. attending high school. Simmons is enrolled at Montverde Academy, Montverde (FL). This prep school is located 30+ miles from Orlando. Simmons is a 6-10 230 pound combo forward and is also a Class of 2015 prospect. Simmons is headed to LSU.
I read a headline stating; “Andrew Bynum might be headed to Miami. “ On the surface it’s sounds as a simple proposition. If that is the case why did the Heat sign Greg Oden last August? Oden’s not playing and it‘s been reported the intent was for him to be ready for the playoffs. Oden could be released should the Heat decide to go with Bynum but this is certainly interesting this situation develops as it’s believed.
Can you believe the names some sports fans name their off-spring? One couple named their new born Krisom Tyde a take off on Alabama’s Crimson Tide name. Another couple named their son S-pin connecting all to ESPN (E-SiPN). It turns out the dad had proposed to mom during a game on ESPN. A reminder once again I don’t make this stuff up.
My earlier comment regarding All-Star voting, did you read the latest story? Kobe Bryant requested fans not vote for him. Makes perfect sense to me, how many games has he played? I applaud Kobe for making this request.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Outstanding
As usual this is no prediction of future success just a footnote. Guess who is leading the Western Athletic Conference early? The University of Missouri-Kansas City (2-0) is ahead in the standings of New Mexico State, Seattle and Cal State-Bakersfield. I’m making this statement without checking the records I don’t believe the Kangaroos were ever 2-0 in the Summit League. Despite numerous past missteps they have finally hired the right coach hopefully in Kareem Richardson.
I wonder IF
The IF in the above headline is all caps because there are a number of variables that must take place, in addition there are no guarantees this will work in the manner I’m projecting. In addition I have no idea what occurred in last night’s game, this is written after Friday night’s Laker victory but prior to last night’s game. Laker fans were pleased the six game losing streak came to an end but the seismic shock (for me at least) was Kendall Marshall. Having no point guard can take a toll on any team and it certainly did with the Lakers.
Inserted into the starting lineup Marshall produced 15 assists and scored 20 points while grabbing 6 rebounds. Did I mention he was 8 for 12 from the floor and only had a single turnover? Was this an anomaly are can he play near this level consistently? The question remains unanswered I know this I think he’s a keeper. The Lakers will be over loaded at the point once the walking wounded return, Nash, Blake, Farmar and now Kendall Marshall. It would be interesting if D’Antoni with a “healthy” lineup tinkers with the backcourt until Kobe returns.
The networks made a choice
It’s reported ESPN and Turner Sports are dropping NASCAR after next season; this is news on several levels. The NBA intends to begin negotiations on it’s soon to expire television contracts. I have no personal insight into the decision making of ESPN or Turner however I have a theory. Rising broadcast fees for both sports may have contributed to a change in the thought process. The networks might believe “we cannot afford to telecast both; we must choose one over the other.”
The question becomes which sport would return the greatest amount of revenue? Surveys are certainly un-scientific however I remember several years back reading a story regarding which sports most fans followed. Interestingly enough more respondents claimed an allegiance to NASCAR over the NBA. It seems strange now after reading the ESPN/Turner story. If you are a fan of NASCAR don’t shed any tears it’s not going away. Racing will simply change networks and just not be available on ESPN or Turner Sports.
This is no prediction on anything
Have you checked the NBA standings recently? If you haven’t you might be somewhat surprised, the defending champion Heat have four teams in front of them in the won-loss column on January 3. The best record is held by the Pacers 25-6, next up are the Blazers at 26-7 followed by the Thunder 25-7 and the Spurs 25-8. The two-time NBA Champion Heat is 24-8. If you’ve followed the NBA for any length of time you realize there are two seasons, regular and playoff that’s why this is no prediction. Just as surprising the Nets, Bulls and Knicks all teams expected to contend are all below .500. Of course injuries to Rose, Lopez and others have played a role in the record of these teams. Based on the stretch run made last season by the Lakers I don’t believe we could exclude the Nets, Bulls or Knicks in early January.
In a related story
The calendar had to read 2014 before the Knicks and Nets managed to win on the same evening. Even more interesting both teams managed to win on the road and they managed to beat teams sitting higher in the standings. Last Thursday the Knicks beat the Spurs, the Nets managed to squeak out a win over the Thunder.
As usual this is no prediction of future success just a footnote. Guess who is leading the Western Athletic Conference early? The University of Missouri-Kansas City (2-0) is ahead in the standings of New Mexico State, Seattle and Cal State-Bakersfield. I’m making this statement without checking the records I don’t believe the Kangaroos were ever 2-0 in the Summit League. Despite numerous past missteps they have finally hired the right coach hopefully in Kareem Richardson.
I wonder IF
The IF in the above headline is all caps because there are a number of variables that must take place, in addition there are no guarantees this will work in the manner I’m projecting. In addition I have no idea what occurred in last night’s game, this is written after Friday night’s Laker victory but prior to last night’s game. Laker fans were pleased the six game losing streak came to an end but the seismic shock (for me at least) was Kendall Marshall. Having no point guard can take a toll on any team and it certainly did with the Lakers.
Inserted into the starting lineup Marshall produced 15 assists and scored 20 points while grabbing 6 rebounds. Did I mention he was 8 for 12 from the floor and only had a single turnover? Was this an anomaly are can he play near this level consistently? The question remains unanswered I know this I think he’s a keeper. The Lakers will be over loaded at the point once the walking wounded return, Nash, Blake, Farmar and now Kendall Marshall. It would be interesting if D’Antoni with a “healthy” lineup tinkers with the backcourt until Kobe returns.
The networks made a choice
It’s reported ESPN and Turner Sports are dropping NASCAR after next season; this is news on several levels. The NBA intends to begin negotiations on it’s soon to expire television contracts. I have no personal insight into the decision making of ESPN or Turner however I have a theory. Rising broadcast fees for both sports may have contributed to a change in the thought process. The networks might believe “we cannot afford to telecast both; we must choose one over the other.”
The question becomes which sport would return the greatest amount of revenue? Surveys are certainly un-scientific however I remember several years back reading a story regarding which sports most fans followed. Interestingly enough more respondents claimed an allegiance to NASCAR over the NBA. It seems strange now after reading the ESPN/Turner story. If you are a fan of NASCAR don’t shed any tears it’s not going away. Racing will simply change networks and just not be available on ESPN or Turner Sports.
This is no prediction on anything
Have you checked the NBA standings recently? If you haven’t you might be somewhat surprised, the defending champion Heat have four teams in front of them in the won-loss column on January 3. The best record is held by the Pacers 25-6, next up are the Blazers at 26-7 followed by the Thunder 25-7 and the Spurs 25-8. The two-time NBA Champion Heat is 24-8. If you’ve followed the NBA for any length of time you realize there are two seasons, regular and playoff that’s why this is no prediction. Just as surprising the Nets, Bulls and Knicks all teams expected to contend are all below .500. Of course injuries to Rose, Lopez and others have played a role in the record of these teams. Based on the stretch run made last season by the Lakers I don’t believe we could exclude the Nets, Bulls or Knicks in early January.
In a related story
The calendar had to read 2014 before the Knicks and Nets managed to win on the same evening. Even more interesting both teams managed to win on the road and they managed to beat teams sitting higher in the standings. Last Thursday the Knicks beat the Spurs, the Nets managed to squeak out a win over the Thunder.
Friday, January 3, 2014
“Too big for your britches”
Back in the day older folks would often say “your too big for your britches” if you thought you were too important. A funny thing happened on the way to the 2014 NBA Championship for the Clippers. The Suns ran the Clippers off the court in a recent game and two players announced to the media “We (the Clippers) have become the hunted.” Coach Doc Rivers quashed that statement soon after he was made aware. He said and I paraphrase; “championship teams are hunted not teams having never won anything.”
I will re-visit this once more
My belief whatever the sport the front office is operating with more information than me. I believe being in a better position allows them a view fans are unable to see for the most part this is true. Naturally there are always exceptions, sometimes a front office will view fans as knowing little if anything at all. A cut-off point exist with me and I sure other Laker fans. It was my view Mike D’Antoni may have not been the best choice as a head coach but was management’s decision. I now believe D’Antoni has reached his expiration date and should be replaced. After losing to the Bucks (the worst team in the NBA) by a wide margin what’s left? Early on I believed D’Antoni had done an adequate job considering he had no Kobe. It appears since Kobe went on the shelf again the teams’ regressed. After the Bucks completed their beat down on Tuesday former Laker great James Worthy had this to say; “there is no excuse for failure to hustle.” Over the last eight games we’ve been witness to a team that is simply not executing defensively or offensively.
On top of that as I mentioned previously D’Antoni attacks the fans because they have been critical of what they see on the court. Kobe haters love to blame him for Dwight Howard leaving for the Rockets. I say don’t be so sure of yourself, how do you know D’Antoni and his offensive scheme may have been a contributing factor? Some might claim the fans are spoiled; I can concur with that view to a point. On the other hand these fans have witnessed championship basketball, why should they be satisfied with lesser of an effort. D’Antoni needs to go, whether Jim Buss decides to pull the plug or the coach resigns. I’m sure Laker fans will be upset maybe shocked with this expression. Allow me to state I’m a Laker fan today, tomorrow and forever. The 2014 NBA Draft in June is deep with potential talent so the possibility of help is on the horizon. On the other hand it serves no purpose to simply add quality players to a team the coach is unable to implement successfully.
Bits n Pieces
The NBA is almost always willing to draft a big man as a project. On the radar of the league is senior Alec Brown at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Brown a 7-1 235 pound center scored at a modest 14.1 ppg clip but really excelled in the block shot area. He’s the all-time leading scoring in UWGB history headed into his senior year, that portion of his game bodes well in the mind of NBA scouts.
Mamadou Ndiaye certainly isn’t an easy name to pronounce. It certainly is one that leaps off the page. He’s now a freshman at University of California-Irvine and though a freshman holds a record. He is the tallest player in the nation at
7-6 and 290 pounds. Ndiaye is originally from Senegal on the west coast of the African continent. He’s extremely raw and is playing limited minutes so far this season. His game against Washington certainly details his potential, Ndiaye scored 18 points snatched 8 rebounds and blocked 9 shots. The only downsize to his game thus for is the big man’s dilemma--poor free throw shooting. This game he shot 4 for 10 from the line.
I realize my observation is gonna upset many particularly those living on the Oakland side of the Bay region. If (or when) the new Warriors arena is built ownership should consider re-naming the team. They would become the San Francisco Warriors once again which was the teams’ original name when they first located to the Bay Area.
Are they better?
Mizzou won a squeaker against NC State 66-64 last Saturday on the road. I was attempting to determine if this team was better than last season, I couldn’t so I went to the record book. Last season they were 10-2, this win Saturday left them with 11 wins and 1 loss. The question for Mizzou fans is this season’s team superior to that of last season? My assessment continues to be mixed, the backcourt of Brown, Clarkson and Ross are very good. The frontcourt is a different story; the preference is to run a team’s offense inside-out. Mizzou’s offensive backcourt prowess could lead to disappointment down the road. Remember the old adage; “you live by the jump shot you die by the jump shot.”
Back in the day older folks would often say “your too big for your britches” if you thought you were too important. A funny thing happened on the way to the 2014 NBA Championship for the Clippers. The Suns ran the Clippers off the court in a recent game and two players announced to the media “We (the Clippers) have become the hunted.” Coach Doc Rivers quashed that statement soon after he was made aware. He said and I paraphrase; “championship teams are hunted not teams having never won anything.”
I will re-visit this once more
My belief whatever the sport the front office is operating with more information than me. I believe being in a better position allows them a view fans are unable to see for the most part this is true. Naturally there are always exceptions, sometimes a front office will view fans as knowing little if anything at all. A cut-off point exist with me and I sure other Laker fans. It was my view Mike D’Antoni may have not been the best choice as a head coach but was management’s decision. I now believe D’Antoni has reached his expiration date and should be replaced. After losing to the Bucks (the worst team in the NBA) by a wide margin what’s left? Early on I believed D’Antoni had done an adequate job considering he had no Kobe. It appears since Kobe went on the shelf again the teams’ regressed. After the Bucks completed their beat down on Tuesday former Laker great James Worthy had this to say; “there is no excuse for failure to hustle.” Over the last eight games we’ve been witness to a team that is simply not executing defensively or offensively.
On top of that as I mentioned previously D’Antoni attacks the fans because they have been critical of what they see on the court. Kobe haters love to blame him for Dwight Howard leaving for the Rockets. I say don’t be so sure of yourself, how do you know D’Antoni and his offensive scheme may have been a contributing factor? Some might claim the fans are spoiled; I can concur with that view to a point. On the other hand these fans have witnessed championship basketball, why should they be satisfied with lesser of an effort. D’Antoni needs to go, whether Jim Buss decides to pull the plug or the coach resigns. I’m sure Laker fans will be upset maybe shocked with this expression. Allow me to state I’m a Laker fan today, tomorrow and forever. The 2014 NBA Draft in June is deep with potential talent so the possibility of help is on the horizon. On the other hand it serves no purpose to simply add quality players to a team the coach is unable to implement successfully.
Bits n Pieces
The NBA is almost always willing to draft a big man as a project. On the radar of the league is senior Alec Brown at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Brown a 7-1 235 pound center scored at a modest 14.1 ppg clip but really excelled in the block shot area. He’s the all-time leading scoring in UWGB history headed into his senior year, that portion of his game bodes well in the mind of NBA scouts.
Mamadou Ndiaye certainly isn’t an easy name to pronounce. It certainly is one that leaps off the page. He’s now a freshman at University of California-Irvine and though a freshman holds a record. He is the tallest player in the nation at
7-6 and 290 pounds. Ndiaye is originally from Senegal on the west coast of the African continent. He’s extremely raw and is playing limited minutes so far this season. His game against Washington certainly details his potential, Ndiaye scored 18 points snatched 8 rebounds and blocked 9 shots. The only downsize to his game thus for is the big man’s dilemma--poor free throw shooting. This game he shot 4 for 10 from the line.
I realize my observation is gonna upset many particularly those living on the Oakland side of the Bay region. If (or when) the new Warriors arena is built ownership should consider re-naming the team. They would become the San Francisco Warriors once again which was the teams’ original name when they first located to the Bay Area.
Are they better?
Mizzou won a squeaker against NC State 66-64 last Saturday on the road. I was attempting to determine if this team was better than last season, I couldn’t so I went to the record book. Last season they were 10-2, this win Saturday left them with 11 wins and 1 loss. The question for Mizzou fans is this season’s team superior to that of last season? My assessment continues to be mixed, the backcourt of Brown, Clarkson and Ross are very good. The frontcourt is a different story; the preference is to run a team’s offense inside-out. Mizzou’s offensive backcourt prowess could lead to disappointment down the road. Remember the old adage; “you live by the jump shot you die by the jump shot.”
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
I just don’t know
Joel Embiid the best collegiate big man today? We might debate that however this Kansas freshman has distinguished himself so far this season. He’s raw but Embiid might be the best big man I’ve witnessed in quite awhile. Because I’m so near Lawrence Kansas I may have had more opportunity to check out his game. We are always in error comparing athletes of different eras as I’ve stated it provides you with a measuring gauge. As I write this I think back only to those centers who made it into the NBA over the last 30 years.
Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and Yao Ming are names that come to mind. I’m sure I’m missing a few names writing from memory rather than research. Some might argue why include Yao due to his short career, I believe he impacted the game in a different manner. As for Embiid he’s only played the game for three years, there is certainly room for continued improvement. It appears he’s takes to coaching routinely and his soccer background is key to a portion of his athletic prowess. Please keep in mind I certainly am not projecting NBA stardom for him but it does exist. I do know this; Tarik Black who started the season at center is never going to get his job back again.
Transfer?
Mizzou Coach Frank Haith has been particularly good at blending transfer players into his teams. It’s possible they may have another on the way, which may be the destination for a former Missouri All State basketball player. Mizzou recruited Cameron Biedschied while in high school but ceased after his sophomore year. At some point around that time frame Biedschied indicated he was headed to Notre Dame to play basketball.
The 6-7 185 pound forward played limited minutes his freshman year but possibly envisioned increase play his sophomore year. For unexplained reasons Notre Dame would red shirt him this year which forced a change from him. He requested and received his release Notre Dame at the same time he began searching for another school. On the other side of the State his dad indicates Mizzou is among the schools he’s checking out.
I think his attitude is questionable
Retreating into history I remember my thoughts. At the time the Lakers were proposing to exchange Bynum for Howard I screamed loudly. I saw a larger upset with the teams’ present center over Dwight Howard. Of course you know what occurred the Lakers traded Bynum and signed Howard as a free agent. The 2013-14 season saw Howard in Houston and Bynum in Cleveland. He’d arrived on the shores of Lake Erie after playing 0 games for the 76ers. I said to myself; “new team and hopefully a new start.”
Since that time the Bynum immaturity exhibited in Los Angeles and Philly appeared once again. It wasn’t all bad, on occasion Bynum exhibited play similar to that exhibited as a Laker. On other occasions he was practically invisible, it’s difficult to remain invisible at 7 feet tall and 285 pounds but he managed the feat. Over this past weekend the Cavs suspended him indefinitely and talk is he’s on the move once again. The reports are Bynum will be traded before the end of January based on contractual issues. NOTE: before this is published the Cavs announced Bynum is suspended with pay.
Dominant collegiate teams
In the 1960’s and 1970’s UCLA basketball dominated the college landscape. Lew (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) Alcindor, Bill Walton, Jamal Wilkes and others found their way to the Westwood campus and remained for four years. Of course that was long before the NBA drafted high school athletes and long before the one and done athlete became common place. Years later Duke would win back to back championships in 1991 and 1992. In more recent times Florida managed to accomplish the feat as they won in 2006 and 2007.
Key players Joakim Noah and Al Horford could have left school for the NBA but chose to return and they help lead Florida to a second NCAA Championship. The landscape has changed; no longer will there be any “super” collegiate teams. The highly skilled athlete often heads to off to the NBA after their freshman year. I cannot see depriving someone of the opportunity of a lifetime, at the same time the college game of even 20 years ago no longer exists. That’s a shame; a generation of fans will have never had the opportunity to witness even a mini dynasty.
Joel Embiid the best collegiate big man today? We might debate that however this Kansas freshman has distinguished himself so far this season. He’s raw but Embiid might be the best big man I’ve witnessed in quite awhile. Because I’m so near Lawrence Kansas I may have had more opportunity to check out his game. We are always in error comparing athletes of different eras as I’ve stated it provides you with a measuring gauge. As I write this I think back only to those centers who made it into the NBA over the last 30 years.
Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and Yao Ming are names that come to mind. I’m sure I’m missing a few names writing from memory rather than research. Some might argue why include Yao due to his short career, I believe he impacted the game in a different manner. As for Embiid he’s only played the game for three years, there is certainly room for continued improvement. It appears he’s takes to coaching routinely and his soccer background is key to a portion of his athletic prowess. Please keep in mind I certainly am not projecting NBA stardom for him but it does exist. I do know this; Tarik Black who started the season at center is never going to get his job back again.
Transfer?
Mizzou Coach Frank Haith has been particularly good at blending transfer players into his teams. It’s possible they may have another on the way, which may be the destination for a former Missouri All State basketball player. Mizzou recruited Cameron Biedschied while in high school but ceased after his sophomore year. At some point around that time frame Biedschied indicated he was headed to Notre Dame to play basketball.
The 6-7 185 pound forward played limited minutes his freshman year but possibly envisioned increase play his sophomore year. For unexplained reasons Notre Dame would red shirt him this year which forced a change from him. He requested and received his release Notre Dame at the same time he began searching for another school. On the other side of the State his dad indicates Mizzou is among the schools he’s checking out.
I think his attitude is questionable
Retreating into history I remember my thoughts. At the time the Lakers were proposing to exchange Bynum for Howard I screamed loudly. I saw a larger upset with the teams’ present center over Dwight Howard. Of course you know what occurred the Lakers traded Bynum and signed Howard as a free agent. The 2013-14 season saw Howard in Houston and Bynum in Cleveland. He’d arrived on the shores of Lake Erie after playing 0 games for the 76ers. I said to myself; “new team and hopefully a new start.”
Since that time the Bynum immaturity exhibited in Los Angeles and Philly appeared once again. It wasn’t all bad, on occasion Bynum exhibited play similar to that exhibited as a Laker. On other occasions he was practically invisible, it’s difficult to remain invisible at 7 feet tall and 285 pounds but he managed the feat. Over this past weekend the Cavs suspended him indefinitely and talk is he’s on the move once again. The reports are Bynum will be traded before the end of January based on contractual issues. NOTE: before this is published the Cavs announced Bynum is suspended with pay.
Dominant collegiate teams
In the 1960’s and 1970’s UCLA basketball dominated the college landscape. Lew (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) Alcindor, Bill Walton, Jamal Wilkes and others found their way to the Westwood campus and remained for four years. Of course that was long before the NBA drafted high school athletes and long before the one and done athlete became common place. Years later Duke would win back to back championships in 1991 and 1992. In more recent times Florida managed to accomplish the feat as they won in 2006 and 2007.
Key players Joakim Noah and Al Horford could have left school for the NBA but chose to return and they help lead Florida to a second NCAA Championship. The landscape has changed; no longer will there be any “super” collegiate teams. The highly skilled athlete often heads to off to the NBA after their freshman year. I cannot see depriving someone of the opportunity of a lifetime, at the same time the college game of even 20 years ago no longer exists. That’s a shame; a generation of fans will have never had the opportunity to witness even a mini dynasty.
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