Does the NBA remain in his future?
By the time you read this Jimmer Fredette might be history with the Kings. Seeing him play at BYU I wondered about an NBA career. It now appears the Kings will release him and he becomes a free agent. Can we say his career to date has been underwhelming? Somebody pointed out he’s played for three coaches in his three year career, difficult to adjust to the NBA with that much change. In addition the question on his defense, another fan pointed out J.J. Reddick was “lost“ his first few years in the NBA but has become a dependable role player. We shall see what the future holds for the former BYU shooter.
Bits n Pieces
Is he the next Yao Ming? Okay maybe I’m getting ahead of myself I could be wrong on this one. Draftexpress.com has Wang Zhelin from Fujian China listed as the number 57 pick in their 2014 mock draft. He’s a legitimate 7-foot and weighs in at 251 pounds with a 6 foot 11 inch wingspan.
I consider myself to have a sense of humor and enjoy a good laugh. Sometimes one’s attempt at a joke is flat as a pancake. A broadcaster last spring announcing the scheduled Wichita State game said; “I didn’t know Wichita had a State?” Maybe you see the humor in his statement I didn’t, I am aware of at least five city or area schools with State included as part of their name:
Jackson State (Mississippi)
Boise State (Idaho)
Chicago State (Illinois)
Portland State (Oregon)
Appalachia State (North Carolina)
I had picked the Warriors to emerge as Western Conference Champs. I am going to revisit my statement and simply say not this year. Maybe next season, they have not played as well as I expected.
Joel Embiid says he may not leave Kansas for the NBA Draft. Of course he’s making this statement in February, despite what you might believe I’d really like him (and others) to remain in school and enhance their game. As pointed out financial rather than academics are the decider.
Is this a good thing?
Fans of Kansas basketball can quite reading because this might appear critical of their program. That is far from the truth rather it’s an indictment of the other Big XII Conference teams. Last Monday evening Kansas beat Oklahoma securing a 10th consecutive Big XII Championship. More than likely the end of the regular season will see them reign once again as champions. How do they do it you ask, the Jayhawks have advantages.
The chief advantage might be their basketball pedigree; the second would be Coach Bill Self. Can’t anybody in this conference successively challenge Kansas? I had mentioned earlier I believed there would be a race for the first time in recent memory. I certainly was wrong, the contenders changed to pretenders. The onset of the season saw only TCU and Texas Tech as non-contenders the balance of the conference was supposed to be able to challenge Kansas.
Wanna know how old I am?
Old enough to remember highly recruited players would say; “I need to go to a school with their games on television.” That’s funny now to even think about in this day and age. The ESPN family of channels, Fox Sports, NBC Sports and CBSSports Network telecast the bulk of college basketball games. YES Network, NESN and TWC Sports Channel also are in the mix. On Saturday games begin at 11:00 a.m. Central Time and conclude with a 9:00 p.m. start time. Even NCAA Division II, III and NAIA games are telecasts to a regional audience. College games are now telecast six days a week, Friday evening is generally the only evening that excludes games. Really makes me feel old when I think about the comments once uttered by highly recruited prospects, everybody is on television in this age.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Whose fault is it?
Laker point guard Kendall Marshall has been Mr. Double-Double since his arrival from the
D-League. He’s dished out as many as 17 assists a game twice while scoring in double digits in multiple games. Coach D’Antoni wasn’t particularly complimentary he was quoted; “the assists (and scoring) haven’t translated into wins.” I wonder if this coach can manage to throttle back the offense in order to run a quantity of defensive schemes. As an example the Spurs have never been offensive juggernauts through the years. The team wins because the Spurs play defense an ingredient missing with D’Antoni coached teams.
He’s returned
Rumor has become official; the Nets signed center Jason Collins to a 10-day contract. If you remember his story last spring in a Sports Illustrated story Collins admitted he was gay. He made an appearance against the Lakers on Sunday. Keys for the future of Collins, he is
35-years old so even if the contract is extended he’s on the downhill side of his NBA career. Age and skill rather than sexual preference will decide the future for Jason Collins.
The Big O speaks
The great Oscar Robertson in a recent interview was discussing today’s crop of basketball players with those of his era. He confirmed what many of us believed, the youth of today are more physically talented, and as for the fundamentals of the game they are less sound. The ESPN page focuses on four of these outstanding freshman talents, they are not the only ones however they might be considered standouts among a number of talented freshman.
Jabari Parker - Duke
Aaron Gordon - Arizona
Andrew Wiggins - Kansas
Julius Randle - Kentucky
Joel Embiid - Kansas
Tyler Ennis - Syracuse
“The wolves are circling”
Mizzou’s lackluster loss to Alabama has folks screaming for Mizzou to fire Frank Haith. This season Alabama has suffered through one of its worst seasons ever. The first question I have for the wolves who do you hire to replace Haith? There are a large number of assistant coaches chomping at the bit to become a head coach. Firing Haith and hiring another coach requires starting over once again. Mizzou basketball doesn’t have the significant status of high profile programs, a Jim Boeheim or Roy Williams would not leave Syracuse or Carolina.
Columbia (MO) is not a natural destination for an upward bound coach. The Alabama loss (5-9 conference 11-16) probably excludes Mizzou from the NCAA post-season. Coaches are fired who don’t win, Haith has a plus .500 record at Mizzou. Ever how he’s managed to accomplish the feat this team will finish on the plus side of 20 wins. Haith’s numbers at Mizzou are 72-24 (.750), 201–125 (.617) for his career. I’m sure all Mizzou fans are disappointed this year however a losing record is certainly justification for termination. I don’t see that based on the numbers provided we shall see what the remainder of the season holds.
Father-son combo
A number of sons have played basketball for their fathers, Pete Maravich may not be the first however he is the one that comes to mind. He played for his dad Press at LSU in the late ‘60‘s. If we fast forward to the present day we’d see Doug McDermott playing for his dad at Creighton. That’s good but it’s not the question, has a father-son combo ever coached at the same time anywhere? I couldn’t locate any records however I believe Rick and Richard Pitino might be the first. A number of sons’ have served as assistant coaches on their dads’ staff. They may be the first (and perhaps the only) father and son to serve as head coaches at the same time. We know father Rick is the head coach at Kentucky, 31-year old Richard is serving in his first year at the helm with the Minnesota Gophers.
Laker point guard Kendall Marshall has been Mr. Double-Double since his arrival from the
D-League. He’s dished out as many as 17 assists a game twice while scoring in double digits in multiple games. Coach D’Antoni wasn’t particularly complimentary he was quoted; “the assists (and scoring) haven’t translated into wins.” I wonder if this coach can manage to throttle back the offense in order to run a quantity of defensive schemes. As an example the Spurs have never been offensive juggernauts through the years. The team wins because the Spurs play defense an ingredient missing with D’Antoni coached teams.
He’s returned
Rumor has become official; the Nets signed center Jason Collins to a 10-day contract. If you remember his story last spring in a Sports Illustrated story Collins admitted he was gay. He made an appearance against the Lakers on Sunday. Keys for the future of Collins, he is
35-years old so even if the contract is extended he’s on the downhill side of his NBA career. Age and skill rather than sexual preference will decide the future for Jason Collins.
The Big O speaks
The great Oscar Robertson in a recent interview was discussing today’s crop of basketball players with those of his era. He confirmed what many of us believed, the youth of today are more physically talented, and as for the fundamentals of the game they are less sound. The ESPN page focuses on four of these outstanding freshman talents, they are not the only ones however they might be considered standouts among a number of talented freshman.
Jabari Parker - Duke
Aaron Gordon - Arizona
Andrew Wiggins - Kansas
Julius Randle - Kentucky
Joel Embiid - Kansas
Tyler Ennis - Syracuse
“The wolves are circling”
Mizzou’s lackluster loss to Alabama has folks screaming for Mizzou to fire Frank Haith. This season Alabama has suffered through one of its worst seasons ever. The first question I have for the wolves who do you hire to replace Haith? There are a large number of assistant coaches chomping at the bit to become a head coach. Firing Haith and hiring another coach requires starting over once again. Mizzou basketball doesn’t have the significant status of high profile programs, a Jim Boeheim or Roy Williams would not leave Syracuse or Carolina.
Columbia (MO) is not a natural destination for an upward bound coach. The Alabama loss (5-9 conference 11-16) probably excludes Mizzou from the NCAA post-season. Coaches are fired who don’t win, Haith has a plus .500 record at Mizzou. Ever how he’s managed to accomplish the feat this team will finish on the plus side of 20 wins. Haith’s numbers at Mizzou are 72-24 (.750), 201–125 (.617) for his career. I’m sure all Mizzou fans are disappointed this year however a losing record is certainly justification for termination. I don’t see that based on the numbers provided we shall see what the remainder of the season holds.
Father-son combo
A number of sons have played basketball for their fathers, Pete Maravich may not be the first however he is the one that comes to mind. He played for his dad Press at LSU in the late ‘60‘s. If we fast forward to the present day we’d see Doug McDermott playing for his dad at Creighton. That’s good but it’s not the question, has a father-son combo ever coached at the same time anywhere? I couldn’t locate any records however I believe Rick and Richard Pitino might be the first. A number of sons’ have served as assistant coaches on their dads’ staff. They may be the first (and perhaps the only) father and son to serve as head coaches at the same time. We know father Rick is the head coach at Kentucky, 31-year old Richard is serving in his first year at the helm with the Minnesota Gophers.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Bits n Pieces
The Pacers may not win anything this season but nobody can say Larry Bird isn’t making an effort. The talent mix he’s assembled over the past number of weeks is interesting. Andrew Bynum, Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen will bring increased depth to an already deep bench.
His problems were not on the court, I’m referring to former Mizzou guard Michael Dixon Jr. This Kansas City area player was dismissed after conduct issues surfaced. Dixon Jr. applied and received NCAA permission to play for Memphis; his numbers parallel those at Mizzou. Everyone deserves a second chance and he’s making the most of his.
6-5 shooting guard Jabari Brown has a predicament, most of the nation is unaware of his game or growing talent. Mizzou with a 7-7 conference record (19-8 overall) doesn’t rate highly on a national scale. Brown is scoring at a 20.1 ppg shooting .491 from the floor and .452 from the 3-point line. The nation might not be aware of Brown but NBA scouts have; his name is listed on several mock draft sites.
To tank or not
In light of Kobe Bryant’s injury one of the Laker fan sites asked the question; “should the Lakers tank or not?” As for this fan I made it clear when I thought Kobe would return I couldn’t root for a team I thought might be losing on purpose. A fan said it much better than me; “don’t lose games on purpose but if you play to win and still lose so be it. “ We shall see what occurs over the remaining portion of the season.
End of his coaching career?
Like him or not Bobby Knight was a successful coach first at Indiana and later at Texas Tech. Pat played for his father at Indiana; he served as head coach at a couple of stops before he returned to Indiana as an assistant. Pat followed dad to Texas Tech and was announced as the new coach once his dad stepped down. Success would not be Pat’s strong suit, he was fired after three less than spectacular seasons at Texas Tech; he would be hired later that year at Lamar. His first season at Lamar would be his high water mark finishing 23-12. The following season it was 3-28 followed by a 3-22 mark. He was relieved of his coaching duties at Lamar recently. 79-122 record at Lamar plus his record at Tech will not cause any athletic directors to contact him. Serving as an assistant coach for a team might be a different story.
Another example of that height thing
He arrive on our shores in late summer, he’s Anas Osama Mahmoud. Mahmoud is 7-1 210 pounds and is a senior at West Oaks in Orlando Florida. He’s experienced playing for the Egyptian 17 and under team. Interesting he’s already begun to receive offers from colleges although I’m sure few have seen him in action. What do I continue to point out? That height thing, if he were 6-1 he must demonstrate he can play. At 7-1 he will become some college coaches “project.” The kid wants to play in the NBA someday, who knows.
Rivalries
ESPN.com college page contained a Michigan map with half of the state in Michigan State green and the other half in Michigan blue. I’m sure Michigan residents root for other schools in the state but I thought it quite interesting. What about other school rivalries, there are probably a great number. There are a number on the east coast I’m missing however I believe Duke-North Carolina are standouts. In the central part of the nation we could count Oklahoma-Oklahoma State and include the Kansas-Kansas State rivalry. In the western portion of the nation we have UCLA-USC, Oregon-Oregon, Washington-Washington State and conclude with Arizona-Arizona State. For this account only in-state rivals are discussed, in addition this should not be considered a complete list just a few we point out. .
The Pacers may not win anything this season but nobody can say Larry Bird isn’t making an effort. The talent mix he’s assembled over the past number of weeks is interesting. Andrew Bynum, Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen will bring increased depth to an already deep bench.
His problems were not on the court, I’m referring to former Mizzou guard Michael Dixon Jr. This Kansas City area player was dismissed after conduct issues surfaced. Dixon Jr. applied and received NCAA permission to play for Memphis; his numbers parallel those at Mizzou. Everyone deserves a second chance and he’s making the most of his.
6-5 shooting guard Jabari Brown has a predicament, most of the nation is unaware of his game or growing talent. Mizzou with a 7-7 conference record (19-8 overall) doesn’t rate highly on a national scale. Brown is scoring at a 20.1 ppg shooting .491 from the floor and .452 from the 3-point line. The nation might not be aware of Brown but NBA scouts have; his name is listed on several mock draft sites.
To tank or not
In light of Kobe Bryant’s injury one of the Laker fan sites asked the question; “should the Lakers tank or not?” As for this fan I made it clear when I thought Kobe would return I couldn’t root for a team I thought might be losing on purpose. A fan said it much better than me; “don’t lose games on purpose but if you play to win and still lose so be it. “ We shall see what occurs over the remaining portion of the season.
End of his coaching career?
Like him or not Bobby Knight was a successful coach first at Indiana and later at Texas Tech. Pat played for his father at Indiana; he served as head coach at a couple of stops before he returned to Indiana as an assistant. Pat followed dad to Texas Tech and was announced as the new coach once his dad stepped down. Success would not be Pat’s strong suit, he was fired after three less than spectacular seasons at Texas Tech; he would be hired later that year at Lamar. His first season at Lamar would be his high water mark finishing 23-12. The following season it was 3-28 followed by a 3-22 mark. He was relieved of his coaching duties at Lamar recently. 79-122 record at Lamar plus his record at Tech will not cause any athletic directors to contact him. Serving as an assistant coach for a team might be a different story.
Another example of that height thing
He arrive on our shores in late summer, he’s Anas Osama Mahmoud. Mahmoud is 7-1 210 pounds and is a senior at West Oaks in Orlando Florida. He’s experienced playing for the Egyptian 17 and under team. Interesting he’s already begun to receive offers from colleges although I’m sure few have seen him in action. What do I continue to point out? That height thing, if he were 6-1 he must demonstrate he can play. At 7-1 he will become some college coaches “project.” The kid wants to play in the NBA someday, who knows.
Rivalries
ESPN.com college page contained a Michigan map with half of the state in Michigan State green and the other half in Michigan blue. I’m sure Michigan residents root for other schools in the state but I thought it quite interesting. What about other school rivalries, there are probably a great number. There are a number on the east coast I’m missing however I believe Duke-North Carolina are standouts. In the central part of the nation we could count Oklahoma-Oklahoma State and include the Kansas-Kansas State rivalry. In the western portion of the nation we have UCLA-USC, Oregon-Oregon, Washington-Washington State and conclude with Arizona-Arizona State. For this account only in-state rivals are discussed, in addition this should not be considered a complete list just a few we point out. .
Friday, February 21, 2014
Dinosaurs have disappeared as well
The giant creatures in prehistoric times no longer roam the earth. Also extinct are basketball players who honed their craft playing D-I, D-II and NAIA basketball. At one time almost every NBA team had at least one athlete on their roster. There is no one factor that’s caused these schools to cease producing athletes rather it’s been a series of factors. It was pointed out Louisville won an NAIA Championship in 1948, today we know the school is a D-I program. NAIA basketball during the 1950’s and 1960’s produced a number of outstanding NBA players from Tennessee State, Kentucky State, Grambling and others.
Here in Kansas City our university UMKC began life playing at the NAIA level before an upgrade to D-1. Financial reward certainly is the chief reason many of these schools chose to upgrade their programs. Even smaller D-I schools show up on ESPN in this day and age. The growth of the game internationally has been phenomenal, at the same time it’s been a factor in the decreasing number of players arriving from these schools. We can’t really blame a kid he’s going to migrate to the program of “glitz and glamour”. A fringe player might chose to attend Missouri State (D-I) over the University of Central Missouri (D-II). It’s unfortunate we’ll see no more Willis Reed or Earl Monroe caliber athletes arrive in the NBA from these collegiate programs.
He’s got to fire himself
I’m trying to jog my memory to determine if I ever wanted an NBA coach fired. Head coaching positions are difficult to achieve, that’s why I don’t wish to see anyone lose a job. Perhaps that’s why coaching (in any sport) becomes a revolving door, he’s fired by one team yet is hired by another. There have been a number of former and present day coaches I haven’t agreed with their methods but I cannot remember wanting them fired. Of course there are always exceptions to everything and the Lakers this season are certainly that. I’d really like to see Mike D’Antoni gone but I don‘t believe it will occur for one principal explanation, owner Jim Buss hired D’Antoni. Firing the coach would be strike two on Buss. You remember strike one don’t you? He hired Mike Brown who proved to all of us he cannot serve as a head coach.
You might also remember Buss briefly flirted with re-hiring Phil Jackson and in the space of hours hired D’Antoni. Is the refusal of Buss to hire strike three or simply a foul tip of his bat? As for D’Antoni I cannot, will not make injury excuses for the poor play this season. The general manager receives a pass for now; he can only follow orders dictated by owner Buss. I believe all of us held out hope at the beginning of the season it might be bad however we had no idea it would become this disaster. A local radio host when discussing Mizzou‘s Frank Haith said “if you fire him (Haith) who do you replace him with? Unlike college basketball I believe there are a number of former NBA coaches who could turn this team around. The Lakers defense is so porous it’s pathetic however what should we expect from a D’Antoni coached team? Rockets 134 Lakers 108 enough said.
It’s me---I know it
The problem is me and not you (or anybody else). I hope it doesn’t appear I’m argumentative or opinionated. Yes I have opinions that might be different from yours but that doesn’t indicate my view is the only one. I’m making this pronouncement prior to further explanation. I held a conversation with an acquaintance, explained to him I’d contacted a local sports anchor correcting a story he’d reported. He said “did you follow up on your email?” I said; ’it wasn’t worth it, I satisfied myself in the fact I was correct.” He said something that might reflect most of us; “he (newscaster) probably would have fooled me with his report.”
It got me to thinking, “most of you probably are working full-time jobs, and you might love the game but have limited time to follow it. You depend on the media to provide answers, 97% of the time their responses are accurate but what about the other 3%?” I have the time to research stories and provide as accurate information as possible. There is a vast difference in following a sport on a casual basis (see Mike Greenberg). Do some reports have built in bias I can say yes with no hesitation. Believe it or not, it’s never been my intent to gain readers being controversial in my observations I leave that aspect to the other guys.
Bits n Pieces
“Thank you sir---may I have another?” Dwight Howard indicates “he’s happy he doesn’t have to ask for the ball now“ just reporting the news; I will allow you to draw your own conclusion. No dialogue is forthcoming from me on this subject.
The Naismith High School candidates were announced however that’s not the story, the spotlight is on collegiate winners. UCLA’s Bill Walton won the Naismith award in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Ralph Sampson at Virginia won in 1981, 1982 and 1983. The point the good players (those NBA bound) fail to remain in school in order to win the award two years in a row. Naismith awards.com
If it appears I’ve taken the position the Cavs Anthony Bennett cannot play in the NBA that’s totally untrue. I’m borrowing this statement from another; “a first-round draft choice should be able to play themselves into his teams starting lineup.” Injuries have impacted his development to date. It’s possible he could grow into a serviceable player beyond that is up to him.
The change from Metro Sports to TWCSportsChannel has been beneficial for Kansas not so much for Mizzou. The Frank Haith show has been eliminated and the channel barely mentions anything connected with Mizzou. Most of us didn’t realize the broadcasting change would make a Kansas University Sports Channel. For those unfamiliar with the KC metro the TWCSportsChannel studio is located on the Missouri side of the State Line.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
NBA expansion---well maybe
New Commissioner Adam Silver is following his predecessors’ line. David Stern said over and over the NBA had no plans for expansion. Seattle was mentioned in the conversation. Silver has backed away from NBA Europe discussion, doesn‘t mean its dead it’s just appears to not be his priority. Silver used a portion of his first All-Star Game to repeat the same line regarding NBA expansion. Once again Seattle was mentioned in the discussion. The question is this judgment valid? The commissioners’ office represents the owners but do all agree with the views expressed by Stern and Silver?
It seems almost natural Mavs owner Mark Cuban would express a view slightly different than the present and previous commissioners. 1. “When the Charlotte Bobcats entered the league in 2004-05, the expansion fee was $300. (Million) When you sit in the board of governors’ meeting, you give a price and each NBA owner calculates his share,” Cuban said. “You balance it to what you’re giving up in TV and shared revenue, and you say: OK, it’s worth it. Then you say you got to do it.” Cuban said he is a firm believer that another expansion will happen before the league relocates a current franchise.” If Mark Cuban is correct future expansion is a possibility not in the distant future as Stern once said and Silver has echoed. 1. SportsDayDFW
Part Two
Russell Westbrook will return to the Thunder lineup on Thursday. Based on last Friday‘s account you might believe I don‘t like him. Far from it Westbrook is a very, talented athlete. His athletic prowess might be the thing holding him back, he appears uncompromising at times, and “I can do this all by myself.” Talent alone doesn’t make you a team player in fact it’s my belief the talent has been a detriment to a number of potential greats. The talented player would rather look for his shot than pass the basketball. It often appears Westbrook is more concerned with his numbers than those of the Thunder. He has one key advantage, he’s young and there is time for his game to mature.
Seen any Saber Toothed Tigers lately?
The answer to the above title is yes, in museums of natural history. We haven‘t seen any in the wild or in zoos. The predecessor of today’s Tiger and Lion has been extinct now for several million years. We have seen bones of the creature and can visualize how it looked at the time it roamed the earth. The Saber Toothed Tiger is extinct and so is the All-Star Slam-Dunk competition. John Wall certainly deserved to be crown champ but overall most of the dunks were not that outstanding. We have witnessed far too many Dr J., Jordan to become excited by imitations. Am I being too critical of the event, probably?
The “other” Missouri team
St Louis University is winning quietly, in the State of Missouri big brother Mizzou commands the greater amount of media coverage. The Kansas City media provides more coverage on the Wichita State Shockers than SLU. I’m not discounting Wichita State but the Billikens record is almost as impressive. As this is written SLU is 23-2, 10-0 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The numbers represent the best in school history, this week they emerge in the Top 10 position in the nation.
Man Cave
It’s been awhile however a reminder I have a man-cave. There are a significant number of man-caves (and maybe women caves) constructed by fans. Mine is filled with Laker stuff with the exception of an autographed photo of former Mavs guard Derek Harper. Recently I found out a buddy among other items in his man-cave had two seats from Denver’s Mile High Stadium. He (along with others) purchased the seats prior to demolition. All of us without unlimited resources place limits on our purchase of fan gear. The basketball shoes worn by Michael Jordan in the “flu game” sold recently for $104,765. Those are the shoes MJ wore in the 1997 NBA Finals game at the time he was sick with the flu. Jordan managed to score 38 points leading the Bulls to the 1997 NBA Championship.
New Commissioner Adam Silver is following his predecessors’ line. David Stern said over and over the NBA had no plans for expansion. Seattle was mentioned in the conversation. Silver has backed away from NBA Europe discussion, doesn‘t mean its dead it’s just appears to not be his priority. Silver used a portion of his first All-Star Game to repeat the same line regarding NBA expansion. Once again Seattle was mentioned in the discussion. The question is this judgment valid? The commissioners’ office represents the owners but do all agree with the views expressed by Stern and Silver?
It seems almost natural Mavs owner Mark Cuban would express a view slightly different than the present and previous commissioners. 1. “When the Charlotte Bobcats entered the league in 2004-05, the expansion fee was $300. (Million) When you sit in the board of governors’ meeting, you give a price and each NBA owner calculates his share,” Cuban said. “You balance it to what you’re giving up in TV and shared revenue, and you say: OK, it’s worth it. Then you say you got to do it.” Cuban said he is a firm believer that another expansion will happen before the league relocates a current franchise.” If Mark Cuban is correct future expansion is a possibility not in the distant future as Stern once said and Silver has echoed. 1. SportsDayDFW
Part Two
Russell Westbrook will return to the Thunder lineup on Thursday. Based on last Friday‘s account you might believe I don‘t like him. Far from it Westbrook is a very, talented athlete. His athletic prowess might be the thing holding him back, he appears uncompromising at times, and “I can do this all by myself.” Talent alone doesn’t make you a team player in fact it’s my belief the talent has been a detriment to a number of potential greats. The talented player would rather look for his shot than pass the basketball. It often appears Westbrook is more concerned with his numbers than those of the Thunder. He has one key advantage, he’s young and there is time for his game to mature.
Seen any Saber Toothed Tigers lately?
The answer to the above title is yes, in museums of natural history. We haven‘t seen any in the wild or in zoos. The predecessor of today’s Tiger and Lion has been extinct now for several million years. We have seen bones of the creature and can visualize how it looked at the time it roamed the earth. The Saber Toothed Tiger is extinct and so is the All-Star Slam-Dunk competition. John Wall certainly deserved to be crown champ but overall most of the dunks were not that outstanding. We have witnessed far too many Dr J., Jordan to become excited by imitations. Am I being too critical of the event, probably?
The “other” Missouri team
St Louis University is winning quietly, in the State of Missouri big brother Mizzou commands the greater amount of media coverage. The Kansas City media provides more coverage on the Wichita State Shockers than SLU. I’m not discounting Wichita State but the Billikens record is almost as impressive. As this is written SLU is 23-2, 10-0 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The numbers represent the best in school history, this week they emerge in the Top 10 position in the nation.
Man Cave
It’s been awhile however a reminder I have a man-cave. There are a significant number of man-caves (and maybe women caves) constructed by fans. Mine is filled with Laker stuff with the exception of an autographed photo of former Mavs guard Derek Harper. Recently I found out a buddy among other items in his man-cave had two seats from Denver’s Mile High Stadium. He (along with others) purchased the seats prior to demolition. All of us without unlimited resources place limits on our purchase of fan gear. The basketball shoes worn by Michael Jordan in the “flu game” sold recently for $104,765. Those are the shoes MJ wore in the 1997 NBA Finals game at the time he was sick with the flu. Jordan managed to score 38 points leading the Bulls to the 1997 NBA Championship.
Monday, February 17, 2014
He‘s at Duke
Ottawa Kansas is 70 miles or so from Kansas City too far away to be included in the areas metro population. The Ottawa High basketball team competes against metro area Kansas teams during pre-season. We’ve had plenty of opportunities to see Semi Ojeleye play during his high school career. Ojeleye now holds the all-time scoring record for high school boys as he eclipsed the previous mark his senior year. At the time the 6-7 230 pound forward announced he was headed to Duke it was no surprise, he’s a very good scholar-athlete. He’s played limited numbers this freshman year but unlike a number of others he’ll become a sophomore in the fall.
????????
I’m so confused with NBA television blackout rules. Example last season I added Time Warner Cable Sports Channel to my cable package. Kansas City is outside the footprint so Laker games are blacked out here. As for Oklahoma City that’s a different matter. A select number of Thunder games (not all) are available in Kansas City through Fox Sports Midwest; we receive the Fox Sports Oklahoma feed. Location evidently doesn’t enter into the picture as you discover if you continue reading. Road mileage between Kansas City and Oklahoma City is 353 miles, to Los Angeles a bit further 1,680 miles. This is the portion of the story where it really becomes confusing the Yes Network is also part of my cable package.
I’m able to view Nets home and road games; Brooklyn is 1,198 road miles from Kansas City. We in the metro are almost equal distance from Los Angeles to the west and Brooklyn to the east. Several years ago the Denver Nuggets games were blacked out on NBA League Pass and I questioned why. The response I was given “Kansas City was in the Denver footprint.” I informed them this didn’t make sense, Bulls games were not blacked out and we are nearer Chicago than Denver. Its 536 road miles to Chicago versus the 680 to Denver. Needless to say after the question was raised Nuggets games became available once again, figure this blackout thing if you care I for one am totally confused.
He said what?
The Lakers gave up the lead and went on to loss the game, not that usual this season. They had the Thunder on the ropes but managed to lose their seventh in a row at home, far too much Kevin Durant. The loss aside Laker Kendall Marshall once again had an outstanding game. Marshall playing 44 minutes scored 14 points on 6 for 13 from the floor. He dished out 17 assists and grabbed 7 rebounds and only commited 3 turnovers. I believe Marshall could have easily had 3 or 4 additional assists, his teammates missed a number of shoots they were not difficult. The confusing part was Mike Fratellos statement regarding Marshall.
“He (Marshall) will find a job someplace in the NBA, it’s just a matter of landing with the right team.” The portion of Fratello’s statement I found a little strange was “a job someplace in the NBA.” As for my view Laker management would be foolish if they allowed this 22-year old youngster to get away. In accessing prospects NBA scouts have sometimes eroded (see Kwame Brown). Marshall was a Suns 2012 lottery pick. I’m not sure what occurred Marshall was eventually sent to the NBA Developmental League. The Lakers desperate after every point guard on the roster succumbed to injury plucked him from the the D-League.
Wichita State
The school’s basketball program is on the upswing once again. In fact they are better than the more famous team in Lawrence Kansas. The school has tasted success in the not to distant pass but has often been over shadowed by Kansas In the 1990’s the school experienced a win drought until Mark Turgeon was hired as coach. Turgeon was succeeded by present coach Gregg Marshall. The Wichita (KS) team has tasted success to the tune of 111 victories over the past four years. NIT Champs two years ago they were a final four team last season.
Kansas refuses to schedule Wichita State although the two schools are less than 200 miles driving distance and 45 minutes flight time. In the 1960’s and ‘70’s a number of future ABA and NBA athletes made their way to this school in the middle of Kansas. If the Marshall success continues perhaps others will journey to Wichita. How good is this team, veteran Sporting News reporter Mike DeCoursey claims they “could be undefeated entering the NCAA Tournament.” Although Wichita has suffered a couple of hiccups it looks as though DeCoursey could prove correct.
Ottawa Kansas is 70 miles or so from Kansas City too far away to be included in the areas metro population. The Ottawa High basketball team competes against metro area Kansas teams during pre-season. We’ve had plenty of opportunities to see Semi Ojeleye play during his high school career. Ojeleye now holds the all-time scoring record for high school boys as he eclipsed the previous mark his senior year. At the time the 6-7 230 pound forward announced he was headed to Duke it was no surprise, he’s a very good scholar-athlete. He’s played limited numbers this freshman year but unlike a number of others he’ll become a sophomore in the fall.
????????
I’m so confused with NBA television blackout rules. Example last season I added Time Warner Cable Sports Channel to my cable package. Kansas City is outside the footprint so Laker games are blacked out here. As for Oklahoma City that’s a different matter. A select number of Thunder games (not all) are available in Kansas City through Fox Sports Midwest; we receive the Fox Sports Oklahoma feed. Location evidently doesn’t enter into the picture as you discover if you continue reading. Road mileage between Kansas City and Oklahoma City is 353 miles, to Los Angeles a bit further 1,680 miles. This is the portion of the story where it really becomes confusing the Yes Network is also part of my cable package.
I’m able to view Nets home and road games; Brooklyn is 1,198 road miles from Kansas City. We in the metro are almost equal distance from Los Angeles to the west and Brooklyn to the east. Several years ago the Denver Nuggets games were blacked out on NBA League Pass and I questioned why. The response I was given “Kansas City was in the Denver footprint.” I informed them this didn’t make sense, Bulls games were not blacked out and we are nearer Chicago than Denver. Its 536 road miles to Chicago versus the 680 to Denver. Needless to say after the question was raised Nuggets games became available once again, figure this blackout thing if you care I for one am totally confused.
He said what?
The Lakers gave up the lead and went on to loss the game, not that usual this season. They had the Thunder on the ropes but managed to lose their seventh in a row at home, far too much Kevin Durant. The loss aside Laker Kendall Marshall once again had an outstanding game. Marshall playing 44 minutes scored 14 points on 6 for 13 from the floor. He dished out 17 assists and grabbed 7 rebounds and only commited 3 turnovers. I believe Marshall could have easily had 3 or 4 additional assists, his teammates missed a number of shoots they were not difficult. The confusing part was Mike Fratellos statement regarding Marshall.
“He (Marshall) will find a job someplace in the NBA, it’s just a matter of landing with the right team.” The portion of Fratello’s statement I found a little strange was “a job someplace in the NBA.” As for my view Laker management would be foolish if they allowed this 22-year old youngster to get away. In accessing prospects NBA scouts have sometimes eroded (see Kwame Brown). Marshall was a Suns 2012 lottery pick. I’m not sure what occurred Marshall was eventually sent to the NBA Developmental League. The Lakers desperate after every point guard on the roster succumbed to injury plucked him from the the D-League.
Wichita State
The school’s basketball program is on the upswing once again. In fact they are better than the more famous team in Lawrence Kansas. The school has tasted success in the not to distant pass but has often been over shadowed by Kansas In the 1990’s the school experienced a win drought until Mark Turgeon was hired as coach. Turgeon was succeeded by present coach Gregg Marshall. The Wichita (KS) team has tasted success to the tune of 111 victories over the past four years. NIT Champs two years ago they were a final four team last season.
Kansas refuses to schedule Wichita State although the two schools are less than 200 miles driving distance and 45 minutes flight time. In the 1960’s and ‘70’s a number of future ABA and NBA athletes made their way to this school in the middle of Kansas. If the Marshall success continues perhaps others will journey to Wichita. How good is this team, veteran Sporting News reporter Mike DeCoursey claims they “could be undefeated entering the NCAA Tournament.” Although Wichita has suffered a couple of hiccups it looks as though DeCoursey could prove correct.
Friday, February 14, 2014
I might have missed on this one
Late December or early January I pronounced an end to the Big XII Conference race. Point guard and cohesive issues for cropped up early in the season for Kansas. Increased Big XII competition appeared to detail a wide open race. As we progressed into the conference season opposition began to stumble (see Oklahoma State, Kansas State). In addition Kansas team play improved and they were on the way to dominate the race once again.
My early projection might have been premature; it’s likely Kansas will win the conference championship but that’s no guarantee as the race has tightened. The latest standings have Kansas with a one game lead over Texas. As for the others right on the heels two games behind is Oklahoma and Kansas State. Even West Virginia once thought out of contention is only two and ½ games back. Over the last two weeks the Big XII Conference race has again produced contenders.
Maybe they should consider a trade
An acquaintance suggested the Thunder trade Russell Westbrook. It’s his belief Westbrook messes with the chemistry of the team. He says; “the team runs much smoother with Reggie Jackson at the point.” I’m sure there are Thunder fans who might disagree with my friend but I decided to check the numbers for myself. Since the Westbrook injury the Thunder have played 26 games winning 19 of them. Could my friend be correct the Thunder don’t need him as badly as we might assume?
They have no inside game
Offensively Mizzou’s back court is among the best in the nation. The tandem of Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown and Earnest Ross can score with the best. Mizzou’s offensive and defensive problems lie almost exclusively in the front court. The front court lacks offensive punch and is often challenged in the rebound department. The Kansas City Star reported the game against Kentucky Mizzou forwards was outscored 49-3. I didn’t bother to check the rebound totals however for sure they were probably in favor of Kentucky as well. Mizzou attempted to address the front court issues through recruiting and holdovers.
They signed junior college center Keanu Post. It was thought the 7-foot Post would assist in rebounding and add a bit of scoring. To date Post has been practically invisible in the post, he rarely sees the court. Returning letter man Tony Criswell has been suspended as much as he’s been on the floor this season. 6-10 Ryan Roseburg has been adequate on the boards on occasion but has exhibited a limited offensive game. 6-9 freshman Johnathan Williams has been the one bright spot for Mizzou’s front court. He’s rebounded well and has demonstrated an offensive game. As I’ve often stated if this sounds like an excuse so be it.
This isn’t me…at least I hope
It’s never been my intent to portray myself as a super-duper evaluator of talent. I might have been over the top on several occasions but never consider my point the only valid one, allow me to explain. I read a story on draft prospect Dante Exum, immediately below the article were letters from “fans.” One in particular caught my eye, this “expert” pointed out deficiencies in Exum’s game. My first thought if this fan was such a keen evaluator of talent why is he not working in the front office of some NBA team. I find it a little difficult to believe he trashed Exum’s skill level based on YouTube videos.
Late December or early January I pronounced an end to the Big XII Conference race. Point guard and cohesive issues for cropped up early in the season for Kansas. Increased Big XII competition appeared to detail a wide open race. As we progressed into the conference season opposition began to stumble (see Oklahoma State, Kansas State). In addition Kansas team play improved and they were on the way to dominate the race once again.
My early projection might have been premature; it’s likely Kansas will win the conference championship but that’s no guarantee as the race has tightened. The latest standings have Kansas with a one game lead over Texas. As for the others right on the heels two games behind is Oklahoma and Kansas State. Even West Virginia once thought out of contention is only two and ½ games back. Over the last two weeks the Big XII Conference race has again produced contenders.
Maybe they should consider a trade
An acquaintance suggested the Thunder trade Russell Westbrook. It’s his belief Westbrook messes with the chemistry of the team. He says; “the team runs much smoother with Reggie Jackson at the point.” I’m sure there are Thunder fans who might disagree with my friend but I decided to check the numbers for myself. Since the Westbrook injury the Thunder have played 26 games winning 19 of them. Could my friend be correct the Thunder don’t need him as badly as we might assume?
They have no inside game
Offensively Mizzou’s back court is among the best in the nation. The tandem of Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown and Earnest Ross can score with the best. Mizzou’s offensive and defensive problems lie almost exclusively in the front court. The front court lacks offensive punch and is often challenged in the rebound department. The Kansas City Star reported the game against Kentucky Mizzou forwards was outscored 49-3. I didn’t bother to check the rebound totals however for sure they were probably in favor of Kentucky as well. Mizzou attempted to address the front court issues through recruiting and holdovers.
They signed junior college center Keanu Post. It was thought the 7-foot Post would assist in rebounding and add a bit of scoring. To date Post has been practically invisible in the post, he rarely sees the court. Returning letter man Tony Criswell has been suspended as much as he’s been on the floor this season. 6-10 Ryan Roseburg has been adequate on the boards on occasion but has exhibited a limited offensive game. 6-9 freshman Johnathan Williams has been the one bright spot for Mizzou’s front court. He’s rebounded well and has demonstrated an offensive game. As I’ve often stated if this sounds like an excuse so be it.
This isn’t me…at least I hope
It’s never been my intent to portray myself as a super-duper evaluator of talent. I might have been over the top on several occasions but never consider my point the only valid one, allow me to explain. I read a story on draft prospect Dante Exum, immediately below the article were letters from “fans.” One in particular caught my eye, this “expert” pointed out deficiencies in Exum’s game. My first thought if this fan was such a keen evaluator of talent why is he not working in the front office of some NBA team. I find it a little difficult to believe he trashed Exum’s skill level based on YouTube videos.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
First time since forever
One of my favorite coaches is tasting success once again. Southern Methodist University cracked the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1985. SMU moved into the number 23 slot after beating number seven Cincinnati over the weekend. Probably happier than the athletes is 73-year old Coach Larry Brown hired in 2012. Brown has proven he still has teaching skills for athletes of this generation.
There are limits
“Freedom of speech does not give you permission to yell fire in a crowded theater.” I’m unsure who first made the statement however its one that has always stuck with me. The First Amendment of the US Constitution contains several guarantees; freedom of speech is one of them. It’s my understanding government (or others) cannot prohibit a citizen from exercising their freedom of expression. This is for the defenders of the Texas Tech fan Jeff Orr and others who believe fans have the right to say anything they wish. As for Marcus Smart he deserved to be suspended, we can debate if the number of games was fair. An athlete in any sport should never leave the court or field to verbally or physically attack a fan. There should be an acceptable form of behavior for fans, yell, scream do whatever but there is a line you should never cross.
I believe all of us can understand passionate fans, the concern did alcohol or something else causes a 50-something fan to verbally attack a 19-year old. He claims he made no racial slur toward Smart however referring to Smart as crap” I wonder who’s the adult here. This fan has other issues, this morning ESPN ran tape of this fan at another game standing up gesturing toward an opposition player and sticking out his tongue. I admit sticking out your tongue is not the same as a verbal insult, the point this 50-something fan needs to grow up. It’s been reported Orr has been a habitual offender of bad taste in the past. Those around Orr claimed he said nothing racial toward Smart. For the folks defending Orr I have a question for them. Why did he volunteer to skip the remaining home and road games of Texas Tech?
They are hired to be fired
Serving as head coach in this day and age is certainly difficult in any sport. Management and fans have very little patience; they expect a microwave approach to success. That’s the case with former Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks. You note I said former; he’s been fired after but 50 games at the helm. I admit I haven’t followed the Pistons closely maybe there are issues I’m not aware. If the Pistons were close to a championship team firing the coach might be understandable. Prior to the season I don’t believe any in the media believed the Pistons were a championship caliber team. The firing remains a mystery.
Schools “over-recruit”
A discussion the other day with an acquaintance who affirmed what I believed. He said; “it’s far easier to turn around a bad basketball program than a poor football team.” There are so many working parts required to compete effectively in football. He went on to state; “you surround an average basketball team with two or three superior athletes you have a formula for a winning team.” Of course reality says it’s more than two or three to guarantee success but hopefully you see where I’m going.
As for the over-recruiting headline I’ve often thought “Mizzou has recruited too many forwards (or guards) at one time. Right or wrong this might be a partial basis for over-recruiting. There are numbers of athletes who will be unable to transfer the skill exhibited at the high school level to the college game. In addition there are players who will not remain due to lack of playing time, the coach or other issues not covered. Lastly the injury factor, a few will succumb to injuries which derail their dreams of a successful college career. As an example as this is printed Mizzou only has two scholarships left for 2014.
The other Isaiah
I’ve never read this anyplace, my guess is Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas may have been named after another Thomas. You remember him, Isiah who was the leader of the Bad Boy Pistons in the ‘80‘s. This Isaiah has proven he can play at the NBA level. This was no easy path, Thomas had at least two road blocks in his path to the NBA. In a sport that promotes itself as a big mans game Thomas stands 5-9 inches tall, that’s number one. Number two he was the last pick (60) in the 2011 NBA Draft, rarely does a second round draft choice manage an NBA career. His current numbers, 20.0 ppg, 6.3 assists and almost 3 rebounds a game for the diminutive point guard.
One of my favorite coaches is tasting success once again. Southern Methodist University cracked the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1985. SMU moved into the number 23 slot after beating number seven Cincinnati over the weekend. Probably happier than the athletes is 73-year old Coach Larry Brown hired in 2012. Brown has proven he still has teaching skills for athletes of this generation.
There are limits
“Freedom of speech does not give you permission to yell fire in a crowded theater.” I’m unsure who first made the statement however its one that has always stuck with me. The First Amendment of the US Constitution contains several guarantees; freedom of speech is one of them. It’s my understanding government (or others) cannot prohibit a citizen from exercising their freedom of expression. This is for the defenders of the Texas Tech fan Jeff Orr and others who believe fans have the right to say anything they wish. As for Marcus Smart he deserved to be suspended, we can debate if the number of games was fair. An athlete in any sport should never leave the court or field to verbally or physically attack a fan. There should be an acceptable form of behavior for fans, yell, scream do whatever but there is a line you should never cross.
I believe all of us can understand passionate fans, the concern did alcohol or something else causes a 50-something fan to verbally attack a 19-year old. He claims he made no racial slur toward Smart however referring to Smart as crap” I wonder who’s the adult here. This fan has other issues, this morning ESPN ran tape of this fan at another game standing up gesturing toward an opposition player and sticking out his tongue. I admit sticking out your tongue is not the same as a verbal insult, the point this 50-something fan needs to grow up. It’s been reported Orr has been a habitual offender of bad taste in the past. Those around Orr claimed he said nothing racial toward Smart. For the folks defending Orr I have a question for them. Why did he volunteer to skip the remaining home and road games of Texas Tech?
They are hired to be fired
Serving as head coach in this day and age is certainly difficult in any sport. Management and fans have very little patience; they expect a microwave approach to success. That’s the case with former Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks. You note I said former; he’s been fired after but 50 games at the helm. I admit I haven’t followed the Pistons closely maybe there are issues I’m not aware. If the Pistons were close to a championship team firing the coach might be understandable. Prior to the season I don’t believe any in the media believed the Pistons were a championship caliber team. The firing remains a mystery.
Schools “over-recruit”
A discussion the other day with an acquaintance who affirmed what I believed. He said; “it’s far easier to turn around a bad basketball program than a poor football team.” There are so many working parts required to compete effectively in football. He went on to state; “you surround an average basketball team with two or three superior athletes you have a formula for a winning team.” Of course reality says it’s more than two or three to guarantee success but hopefully you see where I’m going.
As for the over-recruiting headline I’ve often thought “Mizzou has recruited too many forwards (or guards) at one time. Right or wrong this might be a partial basis for over-recruiting. There are numbers of athletes who will be unable to transfer the skill exhibited at the high school level to the college game. In addition there are players who will not remain due to lack of playing time, the coach or other issues not covered. Lastly the injury factor, a few will succumb to injuries which derail their dreams of a successful college career. As an example as this is printed Mizzou only has two scholarships left for 2014.
The other Isaiah
I’ve never read this anyplace, my guess is Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas may have been named after another Thomas. You remember him, Isiah who was the leader of the Bad Boy Pistons in the ‘80‘s. This Isaiah has proven he can play at the NBA level. This was no easy path, Thomas had at least two road blocks in his path to the NBA. In a sport that promotes itself as a big mans game Thomas stands 5-9 inches tall, that’s number one. Number two he was the last pick (60) in the 2011 NBA Draft, rarely does a second round draft choice manage an NBA career. His current numbers, 20.0 ppg, 6.3 assists and almost 3 rebounds a game for the diminutive point guard.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Bits n Pieces
At the beginning of the season Kobe Bryant was the only Laker on the injury list. Since then it’s been one player or another succumbing to injury or illness. The latest victim, reserve Nick Young, a patella injury will keep him sidelined for the next two weeks.
Several good collegiate teams have emerged this season. As for choosing an NCAA Champ I have no idea. Arizona looks good so does Wichita State they both could win. In addition there are sleepers all over the nation, Creighton, Michigan State, Syracuse and San Diego State to name just a few.
Clipper Blake Griffin’s game has risen to the level we hoped. He was a high fly dunk talent who seemed unable to score from 15-feet out. His game will continue to grow and he may have realized high fly dunks don’t win NBA Championships.
The NBA Championship will not be decided until June. In addition this is not to be considered a doom and gloom report regarding the Heat. This is the future and the possibility of LeBron leaving South Beach. Tidbits to consider, Wade is still Wade but injuries have curtailed his game considerably. Bosh has “talked” openly about leaving. IF Bosh leaves, IF injuries continue to affect Dwayne Wade‘s performance---well.
Free agents headed to Cleveland-----well?
I pointed out earlier for Cavs fans; “LeBron James ain’t walking through that door.” We know LeBron has a connection having grown up in nearby Akron. Despite the home town prospect give me one good reason for him to return? Got you didn’t I you cannot come up with a valid reason. A better question would any free agent be interested in signing with the Cavs. The team has become the laughing stock of the NBA; General Manager Chris Grant probably deserved to be fired. The 2012 NBA Draft and the Anthony Bennett pick also signing free agent Andrew Bynum are probably keys as to why he was fired.
Next to go should be Coach Mike Brown although he’s probably safe for now, he‘s operating with a 4-year contract. The owner may not want to pay two coaches one working for him and the other terminated. It’s really too bad faithful fans can’t fire owner Dan Gilbert. You remember him; he’s the guy that guaranteed the Cavs would win an NBA Championship before LeBron would. Dan is your NBA Trophy at the Cavs office or your home? This evening on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption Tony Kornheiser remarked; “LeBron’s last year in Cleveland they won 61 games, in the 3 ½ years since he left they have won 61 games.”
Trading places
Movie buffs might remember the Eddie Murphy/Dan Ackroyd movie Trading Places. A recent ESPN.com story contained the same headline. The report discussed the possibility of teams trading for Rajon Rondo, Pau Gasol or Carmelo Anthony. The Lakers certainly have a poor record but they don’t need point guard Rondo. They have one year left in a hopefully healthy Steve Nash. If Nash cannot return to 70 or 80% ability veterans Steve Blake or Jordan Farmar wait.
A possible future replacement for all is 22-year old lottery pick Kendall Marshall; it’s my belief Marshall will be the starting point guard at some point. As for Anthony a move might prove interesting. Anthony and Kobe friends however Kobe says he’s not going to recruit Anthony. I wonder if the two could merge their games successfully. Finally we come to 33-year old Gasol; he’s a keeper for me provided the Lakers are healthy, younger and more talented. Certainly a tall order but they are partially on the way to a younger team.
A name change
The Pelicans home arena will soon become the Smoothie King Center. Naming rights for stadiums and arenas has now become the norm. At the same time a number of name choices are a little strange. At the time corporations first began naming rights a number were good fits (Target Center, Staples Center). As for others the corporate name was slightly unusual and maybe a little strange. Sleep Train Arena (NBA Kings) or KFC Yum Center (Louisville University). I had to search the web for Smoothie King; I had an idea of the product but no idea where to purchase the product. You already had the information I had to research didn’t you?
At the beginning of the season Kobe Bryant was the only Laker on the injury list. Since then it’s been one player or another succumbing to injury or illness. The latest victim, reserve Nick Young, a patella injury will keep him sidelined for the next two weeks.
Several good collegiate teams have emerged this season. As for choosing an NCAA Champ I have no idea. Arizona looks good so does Wichita State they both could win. In addition there are sleepers all over the nation, Creighton, Michigan State, Syracuse and San Diego State to name just a few.
Clipper Blake Griffin’s game has risen to the level we hoped. He was a high fly dunk talent who seemed unable to score from 15-feet out. His game will continue to grow and he may have realized high fly dunks don’t win NBA Championships.
The NBA Championship will not be decided until June. In addition this is not to be considered a doom and gloom report regarding the Heat. This is the future and the possibility of LeBron leaving South Beach. Tidbits to consider, Wade is still Wade but injuries have curtailed his game considerably. Bosh has “talked” openly about leaving. IF Bosh leaves, IF injuries continue to affect Dwayne Wade‘s performance---well.
Free agents headed to Cleveland-----well?
I pointed out earlier for Cavs fans; “LeBron James ain’t walking through that door.” We know LeBron has a connection having grown up in nearby Akron. Despite the home town prospect give me one good reason for him to return? Got you didn’t I you cannot come up with a valid reason. A better question would any free agent be interested in signing with the Cavs. The team has become the laughing stock of the NBA; General Manager Chris Grant probably deserved to be fired. The 2012 NBA Draft and the Anthony Bennett pick also signing free agent Andrew Bynum are probably keys as to why he was fired.
Next to go should be Coach Mike Brown although he’s probably safe for now, he‘s operating with a 4-year contract. The owner may not want to pay two coaches one working for him and the other terminated. It’s really too bad faithful fans can’t fire owner Dan Gilbert. You remember him; he’s the guy that guaranteed the Cavs would win an NBA Championship before LeBron would. Dan is your NBA Trophy at the Cavs office or your home? This evening on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption Tony Kornheiser remarked; “LeBron’s last year in Cleveland they won 61 games, in the 3 ½ years since he left they have won 61 games.”
Trading places
Movie buffs might remember the Eddie Murphy/Dan Ackroyd movie Trading Places. A recent ESPN.com story contained the same headline. The report discussed the possibility of teams trading for Rajon Rondo, Pau Gasol or Carmelo Anthony. The Lakers certainly have a poor record but they don’t need point guard Rondo. They have one year left in a hopefully healthy Steve Nash. If Nash cannot return to 70 or 80% ability veterans Steve Blake or Jordan Farmar wait.
A possible future replacement for all is 22-year old lottery pick Kendall Marshall; it’s my belief Marshall will be the starting point guard at some point. As for Anthony a move might prove interesting. Anthony and Kobe friends however Kobe says he’s not going to recruit Anthony. I wonder if the two could merge their games successfully. Finally we come to 33-year old Gasol; he’s a keeper for me provided the Lakers are healthy, younger and more talented. Certainly a tall order but they are partially on the way to a younger team.
A name change
The Pelicans home arena will soon become the Smoothie King Center. Naming rights for stadiums and arenas has now become the norm. At the same time a number of name choices are a little strange. At the time corporations first began naming rights a number were good fits (Target Center, Staples Center). As for others the corporate name was slightly unusual and maybe a little strange. Sleep Train Arena (NBA Kings) or KFC Yum Center (Louisville University). I had to search the web for Smoothie King; I had an idea of the product but no idea where to purchase the product. You already had the information I had to research didn’t you?
Friday, February 7, 2014
Is this necessary?
This is my disclaimer at the beginning; I have no issues with New Orleans. To be honest I’ve never visited the city, after reading this a number of natives might have a problem with me and the account. I do have an issue but it’s actually with the NBA, why was there a need to return to New Orleans this soon. I’m referring to the fact 2008 All-Star game was held in the Crescent City. Prior to this year’s event a strict rotation policy had been in effect. A noteworthy fact other than Las Vegas the games have been held in a number of cities that no longer have NBA teams:
Ft Wayne (IN)
Rochester (NY)
St. Louis (MO)
Syracuse (NY)
Cincinnati (OH)
Seattle (WA)
Live long enough you--------
There’s an old saying, I’m unsure where it originated. Simply stated it says; “if you live long enough you will see just about anything.” That just about anything occurred in the Lakers recent game against the Cavs. This scenario had taken place previously however this is the first instance I remember. It’s been documented the number of injuries the Lakers have suffered this season. It began with Laker center Kaman fouling out and replaced by Robert Sacre leaving 7 players available.
Farmar leaves the game with an injury leaving the team with 6. During the game reserve Nick Young hurt his knee and left the game we are now down to the 5 players on the floor. Sacre later received his 6th foul but had to remain in the game, the Lakers simply had no players available. NBA rules state if this type of situation should occur the offending teams player (Sacre) would be accessed a technical foul every time he fouls after the 6th foul. Provides us proof how awful the Cavs are unable to beat a short-handed Laker team while playing on their home court.
Bits n Pieces
If I were a Cavs fans I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for LeBron James to return. The Cavs are a mess, much worse than my Lakers. As for the Lakers I can point to injuries and a coach who doesn’t profess a defensive scheme. What about Mike Brown, isn’t he supposed to be a defensive coach?
Did you hear Magic Johnson and a business partner purchased the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA? He continues to display his business savvy; he sold his share in the Lakers in order to leverage the Dodger purchase and now a WNBA franchise.
What in the world is going on with Oklahoma State? They were expected by many (including me) to compete for the Big XII Championship this season. Currently in seventh place with a 4-5 conference record they seem to have imploded in and around future NBA pick Marcus Smart.
A gem from the David Stern interview I found interesting. He said most upsetting to him in his 30 years was to hear comments “the games are fixed.” I certainly can agree with him there. I’ve held discussions in the past with acquaintances who voiced the same objection.
The family of Albert
I’m sure someplace in America there is similar broadcast family to the Albert’s.
The family has been identified with the NBA although they conducted play by play for the NFL, NHL and MLB. Elder brother Marv began the family tradition when he replaced the legendary Knicks broadcaster Marty Glickman. Later Marv would move to NBC during play by play when that network had broadcast rights later moving to the YES Network for Nets games.
In recent years Marv's been one of the voices for TNT’s NBA games. Marv’s son Kenny followed his father into the broadcasting field. Kenny’s also broadcast games in all four major sports. Kenny has a couple of uncles (Marv’s brothers) who are also broadcasters. Steve Albert has conducted play by play for a number of NBA teams; currently he handles those duties for the Phoenix Suns. Brother Al has done play by play for a number of NBA teams.
This is my disclaimer at the beginning; I have no issues with New Orleans. To be honest I’ve never visited the city, after reading this a number of natives might have a problem with me and the account. I do have an issue but it’s actually with the NBA, why was there a need to return to New Orleans this soon. I’m referring to the fact 2008 All-Star game was held in the Crescent City. Prior to this year’s event a strict rotation policy had been in effect. A noteworthy fact other than Las Vegas the games have been held in a number of cities that no longer have NBA teams:
Ft Wayne (IN)
Rochester (NY)
St. Louis (MO)
Syracuse (NY)
Cincinnati (OH)
Seattle (WA)
Live long enough you--------
There’s an old saying, I’m unsure where it originated. Simply stated it says; “if you live long enough you will see just about anything.” That just about anything occurred in the Lakers recent game against the Cavs. This scenario had taken place previously however this is the first instance I remember. It’s been documented the number of injuries the Lakers have suffered this season. It began with Laker center Kaman fouling out and replaced by Robert Sacre leaving 7 players available.
Farmar leaves the game with an injury leaving the team with 6. During the game reserve Nick Young hurt his knee and left the game we are now down to the 5 players on the floor. Sacre later received his 6th foul but had to remain in the game, the Lakers simply had no players available. NBA rules state if this type of situation should occur the offending teams player (Sacre) would be accessed a technical foul every time he fouls after the 6th foul. Provides us proof how awful the Cavs are unable to beat a short-handed Laker team while playing on their home court.
Bits n Pieces
If I were a Cavs fans I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for LeBron James to return. The Cavs are a mess, much worse than my Lakers. As for the Lakers I can point to injuries and a coach who doesn’t profess a defensive scheme. What about Mike Brown, isn’t he supposed to be a defensive coach?
Did you hear Magic Johnson and a business partner purchased the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA? He continues to display his business savvy; he sold his share in the Lakers in order to leverage the Dodger purchase and now a WNBA franchise.
What in the world is going on with Oklahoma State? They were expected by many (including me) to compete for the Big XII Championship this season. Currently in seventh place with a 4-5 conference record they seem to have imploded in and around future NBA pick Marcus Smart.
A gem from the David Stern interview I found interesting. He said most upsetting to him in his 30 years was to hear comments “the games are fixed.” I certainly can agree with him there. I’ve held discussions in the past with acquaintances who voiced the same objection.
The family of Albert
I’m sure someplace in America there is similar broadcast family to the Albert’s.
The family has been identified with the NBA although they conducted play by play for the NFL, NHL and MLB. Elder brother Marv began the family tradition when he replaced the legendary Knicks broadcaster Marty Glickman. Later Marv would move to NBC during play by play when that network had broadcast rights later moving to the YES Network for Nets games.
In recent years Marv's been one of the voices for TNT’s NBA games. Marv’s son Kenny followed his father into the broadcasting field. Kenny’s also broadcast games in all four major sports. Kenny has a couple of uncles (Marv’s brothers) who are also broadcasters. Steve Albert has conducted play by play for a number of NBA teams; currently he handles those duties for the Phoenix Suns. Brother Al has done play by play for a number of NBA teams.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Tom Keegan
I had placed the Mizzou-Kansas rivalry in my rear view mirror. The teams have not competed in the same conference for two years. I truly believed many of the viral comments coming from the west would cease at one point. As I mentioned Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal World appeared recently on a local Kansas City sports report. For those unfamiliar with Metro Kansas City it lies on both sides of the State Line, viewers in Kansas and Missouri. Once Keegan finished with Kansas basketball the host asked for his comments regarding Mizzou.
At this point Keegan used the opportunity to trash Frank Haith and Mizzou basketball. I’ve since discovered Keegan doesn’t know anymore about football than he does basketball. After the loss to Texas on Saturday all I could locate were a couple of obscure tweets regarding the game nothing substantial regarding the Kansas loss. As for Keegan‘s football observation he attempted to draw a comparison between former Kansas quarterback Todd Reising and Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson. Both players are 5-11 however there might be a slight difference in talent. I’m unsure of his point, surely he wasn’t stating Reising is/was on the same talent level of Wilson?
Team mascots should be fearsome
It’s my belief a sports team with an animal included in its name should be a furious one. This is an example; in a discussion with my wife I informed her I thought the University of Missouri-Kansas City should change the name of its athletic teams. I’m no animal expert but I don’t believe a Kangaroo is necessarily a threatening animal. I told her I was going to write the university and suggest they change the nickname, naturally she told me I was crazy. Think about this a moment the thought of a Tiger (Mizzou, Detroit) or Bear (Missouri State, Baylor) could prove to be a threat to your life. Predatory birds would be an Eagle, Hawk or Pelican (don’t laugh).
An alligator might bite your hand or some other appendage off, the schools location and the danger probably may be the basis Florida chose Gators as a nickname. Wolves (Minnesota) are certainly dangerous as well and fearsome too. Most people probably believe a Wildcat is a creature invented for Kansas State. There is such creature and from all indications although small are furious animals. On the other hand there are other teams besides Missouri-Kansas City requiring a name change. Blue jays (Creighton) or Ducks (Oregon) or Cardinals (St. Louis) might not be considered a threat. How about chickens, we could consider the Toledo Mud Hens. I believe if the babies of any of these animals were threatened the mothering instinct would take over. I believe an Owl (Temple) or numerous other animals would attack to defend their off-spring.
Addition by subtraction
Well kind of, Ben Golliver of SI.com claims the Pacers signed Bynum to keep him from signing with the Heat. Interesting view from this media member, I believed the Pacers signed him as an addition. Maybe the subtraction was keeping Bynum from signing with the Heat.
The deal has been amended
I’m unsure if I can locate the date I wrote of the Silna brothers. To refresh your memory the brothers owned the Spirits of St. Louis ABA team. ABA and NBA owners had concluded an agreement to merge the two leagues. The only ABA teams moving to the NBA were the Nets, Spurs, Pacers and Nuggets, the remaining teams would be dissolved. Players from those teams were placed in a pool and drafted onto NBA rosters. We are unsure if it was a shrewd business deal or just plain dumb luck. The Silna’s agreed to dissolve the Spirits in exchange for future television revenues.
They would receive 1/7 of the television revenue of the four former ABA teams. Two figures standout, it’s reported the brothers received $19 million dollars from the 2012-13 television revenue, since 1976 they have received approximately $300 million dollars. The agreement was written into perpetuity i.e. *“the state of continuing forever or for a very long time.” I think you can begin to understand why the NBA is attempting to dissolve this agreement. As this story was being completed a settlement is soon to be announced. A payout agreement will be announced, the brothers will continue to receive financial compensation but nowhere near the previous annual amount. *Merriam-Webster online
I had placed the Mizzou-Kansas rivalry in my rear view mirror. The teams have not competed in the same conference for two years. I truly believed many of the viral comments coming from the west would cease at one point. As I mentioned Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal World appeared recently on a local Kansas City sports report. For those unfamiliar with Metro Kansas City it lies on both sides of the State Line, viewers in Kansas and Missouri. Once Keegan finished with Kansas basketball the host asked for his comments regarding Mizzou.
At this point Keegan used the opportunity to trash Frank Haith and Mizzou basketball. I’ve since discovered Keegan doesn’t know anymore about football than he does basketball. After the loss to Texas on Saturday all I could locate were a couple of obscure tweets regarding the game nothing substantial regarding the Kansas loss. As for Keegan‘s football observation he attempted to draw a comparison between former Kansas quarterback Todd Reising and Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson. Both players are 5-11 however there might be a slight difference in talent. I’m unsure of his point, surely he wasn’t stating Reising is/was on the same talent level of Wilson?
Team mascots should be fearsome
It’s my belief a sports team with an animal included in its name should be a furious one. This is an example; in a discussion with my wife I informed her I thought the University of Missouri-Kansas City should change the name of its athletic teams. I’m no animal expert but I don’t believe a Kangaroo is necessarily a threatening animal. I told her I was going to write the university and suggest they change the nickname, naturally she told me I was crazy. Think about this a moment the thought of a Tiger (Mizzou, Detroit) or Bear (Missouri State, Baylor) could prove to be a threat to your life. Predatory birds would be an Eagle, Hawk or Pelican (don’t laugh).
An alligator might bite your hand or some other appendage off, the schools location and the danger probably may be the basis Florida chose Gators as a nickname. Wolves (Minnesota) are certainly dangerous as well and fearsome too. Most people probably believe a Wildcat is a creature invented for Kansas State. There is such creature and from all indications although small are furious animals. On the other hand there are other teams besides Missouri-Kansas City requiring a name change. Blue jays (Creighton) or Ducks (Oregon) or Cardinals (St. Louis) might not be considered a threat. How about chickens, we could consider the Toledo Mud Hens. I believe if the babies of any of these animals were threatened the mothering instinct would take over. I believe an Owl (Temple) or numerous other animals would attack to defend their off-spring.
Addition by subtraction
Well kind of, Ben Golliver of SI.com claims the Pacers signed Bynum to keep him from signing with the Heat. Interesting view from this media member, I believed the Pacers signed him as an addition. Maybe the subtraction was keeping Bynum from signing with the Heat.
The deal has been amended
I’m unsure if I can locate the date I wrote of the Silna brothers. To refresh your memory the brothers owned the Spirits of St. Louis ABA team. ABA and NBA owners had concluded an agreement to merge the two leagues. The only ABA teams moving to the NBA were the Nets, Spurs, Pacers and Nuggets, the remaining teams would be dissolved. Players from those teams were placed in a pool and drafted onto NBA rosters. We are unsure if it was a shrewd business deal or just plain dumb luck. The Silna’s agreed to dissolve the Spirits in exchange for future television revenues.
They would receive 1/7 of the television revenue of the four former ABA teams. Two figures standout, it’s reported the brothers received $19 million dollars from the 2012-13 television revenue, since 1976 they have received approximately $300 million dollars. The agreement was written into perpetuity i.e. *“the state of continuing forever or for a very long time.” I think you can begin to understand why the NBA is attempting to dissolve this agreement. As this story was being completed a settlement is soon to be announced. A payout agreement will be announced, the brothers will continue to receive financial compensation but nowhere near the previous annual amount. *Merriam-Webster online
Monday, February 3, 2014
A Miami move
Surprise, surprise Andrew Bynum is back in the league at least through the end of the season, the Pacers signed the 7-foot 285 pound Bynum. Coach Vogel can turn to 6-11 250 pound Ian Mahinmi or Bynum to back up 7-2 290 pound Roy Hibbert. The Pacers had a height advantage over the Heat previous to the Bynum signing; this move will only enhance that advantage. What do you think?
The landscape definitely changed
Hopefully you had an opportunity to view the David Stern retrospect on NBA TV. Friday the network covered the 30 years he served as commissioner of the NBA. Despite my sometimes negative commentary on many of his executive moves he did indeed change the landscape. I think I‘m safe in stating today’s NBA is the most diverse and has the most international rosters of any professional sport.
I believe the vast majority of these changes can be traced to Stern. One key I will cover is the NBA Championship. At the time Stern became commissioner the game was a tape-delayed broadcast. I know for a number of younger readers that’s difficult to comprehend but that was the NBA of 30 years ago. The Ernie Johnson interview will provide you far more information than I can provide in this brief account. Goodbye Commissioner Stern you have been good for the NBA.
He’s the decision maker
The Fox Sports.com headline read; “Reality check, should Peyton hang ‘em up after Super Bowl?” Of course the story dealt with Bronco’s quarterback Peyton Manning. The question is a valid one however isn’t retirement Manning’s decision? We could apply this same scenario to Kobe Bryant, a number in the media and a number of fans have suggested he should retire. It should be noted excluding the Lakers those desiring Kobe retire are likely not Laker fans. Over my lifetime I have been witness to a number of athletes who played past their prime all for a variety of different reasons. To retire or not is still in the hands of Peyton Manning and that other guy, Kobe Bryant.
Bits n Pieces
The Cavs announced they are retiring jersey 11 worn by Zydrunas Ilgauskas; the ceremony will take place March 8, 2014. After suffering a series of injuries early in his career this 7-3 center from Lithuania managed a 12-year career with the Cavs. He retired with the 2nd most block shots and points scored in Cavs history.
We are all guilty of unfair comparisons me included. I wrote of prospect Elbert Robinson, because he’s 7 feet tall and 300 pounds and committed to LSU I connected him to Shaq. Of course you remember the Big Aristotle played his college ball at LSU.
An ESPN reporter is claiming NBA scouts claim the gap between Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker has narrowed. Did they forget Parker was the number one prospect in 2013 and Wiggins was number one in 2014 until he re-classified.
In other Wiggins news I might be wrong so be it, here goes. I’ve read and heard complaints on Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins. “He drifts in and out of the offense, lacks aggressiveness at times” are just a few I’ll mention. The play of the Kansas point guards have been up and down which impacts Wiggins’ game. Consider this Wiggins might be one of those players whose game is tailored more for the NBA.
Two NBA coaches whose teams made the playoffs last season are now serving as television analysts. One of them is Lionel Hollins who was at the helm of the Grizzlies. Many of us were surprised at the time the coach was not invited to return. Even more interesting the Grizz might miss the playoffs.
Surprise, surprise Andrew Bynum is back in the league at least through the end of the season, the Pacers signed the 7-foot 285 pound Bynum. Coach Vogel can turn to 6-11 250 pound Ian Mahinmi or Bynum to back up 7-2 290 pound Roy Hibbert. The Pacers had a height advantage over the Heat previous to the Bynum signing; this move will only enhance that advantage. What do you think?
The landscape definitely changed
Hopefully you had an opportunity to view the David Stern retrospect on NBA TV. Friday the network covered the 30 years he served as commissioner of the NBA. Despite my sometimes negative commentary on many of his executive moves he did indeed change the landscape. I think I‘m safe in stating today’s NBA is the most diverse and has the most international rosters of any professional sport.
I believe the vast majority of these changes can be traced to Stern. One key I will cover is the NBA Championship. At the time Stern became commissioner the game was a tape-delayed broadcast. I know for a number of younger readers that’s difficult to comprehend but that was the NBA of 30 years ago. The Ernie Johnson interview will provide you far more information than I can provide in this brief account. Goodbye Commissioner Stern you have been good for the NBA.
He’s the decision maker
The Fox Sports.com headline read; “Reality check, should Peyton hang ‘em up after Super Bowl?” Of course the story dealt with Bronco’s quarterback Peyton Manning. The question is a valid one however isn’t retirement Manning’s decision? We could apply this same scenario to Kobe Bryant, a number in the media and a number of fans have suggested he should retire. It should be noted excluding the Lakers those desiring Kobe retire are likely not Laker fans. Over my lifetime I have been witness to a number of athletes who played past their prime all for a variety of different reasons. To retire or not is still in the hands of Peyton Manning and that other guy, Kobe Bryant.
Bits n Pieces
The Cavs announced they are retiring jersey 11 worn by Zydrunas Ilgauskas; the ceremony will take place March 8, 2014. After suffering a series of injuries early in his career this 7-3 center from Lithuania managed a 12-year career with the Cavs. He retired with the 2nd most block shots and points scored in Cavs history.
We are all guilty of unfair comparisons me included. I wrote of prospect Elbert Robinson, because he’s 7 feet tall and 300 pounds and committed to LSU I connected him to Shaq. Of course you remember the Big Aristotle played his college ball at LSU.
An ESPN reporter is claiming NBA scouts claim the gap between Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker has narrowed. Did they forget Parker was the number one prospect in 2013 and Wiggins was number one in 2014 until he re-classified.
In other Wiggins news I might be wrong so be it, here goes. I’ve read and heard complaints on Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins. “He drifts in and out of the offense, lacks aggressiveness at times” are just a few I’ll mention. The play of the Kansas point guards have been up and down which impacts Wiggins’ game. Consider this Wiggins might be one of those players whose game is tailored more for the NBA.
Two NBA coaches whose teams made the playoffs last season are now serving as television analysts. One of them is Lionel Hollins who was at the helm of the Grizzlies. Many of us were surprised at the time the coach was not invited to return. Even more interesting the Grizz might miss the playoffs.
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