The NCAA Champion is crowned
I’m not trying to fool you, we do have a champion. The NCAA Division II champion is the University of Central Missouri. In a tightly fought contest Central Missouri overcame a tough West Liberty team 84-77. This is the second NCAA Championship for the Warrensburg (MO) school having won it in 1984.
Gatorade Player of the Year
Karl Towns Jr. was recently named Gatorade High School basketball player of the year, Andrew Wiggins won the award last year. J.R. Reed who later played at North Carolina was the first honoree in 1987. Alonzo Mourning a 1988 winner presented the award to Towns Jr. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Love and Dwight Howard have also won the award. LeBron James was the most recent two time winner being honored in 2002 and 2003. The 6-11 235 pound New Jersey native is headed to Kentucky and will play for John Calipari.
I could be wrong
After I re-read a portion of Friday’s Words I wanted to inform NFL fans I don’t hate the game. In fact at one time in my life I followed the NFL to the same degree I do with basketball today. Mark Cuban and I could both be wrong about the future of the NFL. The NFL stance at times reminds me of the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale “The Emperor has no clothes.” If you can’t see a problem you just might have one. Closing this I read this in The Sporting News, the account pointed out 14 NFL players arrested in 2014 for a variety of charges ranging from domestic abuse to DUI to drug possession. I hope those who insist the NBA is full of malcontents read this.
The best move for all concerned
I withhold writing on rumors based on the usual reasons---they don’t pan out or they are just gossip. This move if it should occur might work out best for all parties concerned; Mike D’Antoni resigns at the end of the season and takes the Marshall University job. Marshall is his alma mater and according to the rumor mill the school has often reached out to him over the years. D’Antoni’s only coached at the pro level so a college position would be quite different.
If this story were to occur it would reduce some of the embarrassment facing Jim Buss. After all Buss was responsible for hiring both Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni. "Son, your ego is writing checks your body can’t cash!" The quote is from the movie Top Gun and the commanding officer for Tom (Maverick) Cruise is being chewed out for not landing his aircraft when he had an earlier opportunity. The ego easily fits Jim Buss and the “body(s)” represent those of Coaches Brown and D’Antoni.
No one is happy
The above title is a little misleading a further explanation follows. Mavs owner Mark Cuban says “elite prospects would be better off playing in the NBA D-League than one year at an NCAA institution." True a number of players have arrived in the NBA from the D-League; an athlete can certainly sharpen his skills while receiving pay. Despite that positive it’s been my belief for a number of years the league has never accomplished what was intended. It was designed for high school prospects to play professionally, what’s most interesting at this point we could probably count on one hand the number of athletes who chose the NBA-D League over college.
Cuban is claiming a prospect would receive more one-on-one training in the NBA-D League over what he’d receive in college. I cannot dispute his claim however I question why haven’t more high school players chosen this route? The only study required is the team playbook and you get paid too. According to the information I uncovered the NBA-D League has three payment tiers; $25,500, $19,000 and $13,000. The salaries are low however to a high school kid working at McDonald’s the salary might rival that of Warren Buffett. If the NBA-D League cannot attract prospects with pay how Cuban state can it’s better than college?
“We have blinders on”
I’m not a horse person so forgive me if the next portion of my statement is incorrect. For a city boy I was told early on the “thing” around a horse’s neck contains a device which prevents a horse from seeing on their sides, they are supposed to only see the direction they are headed. Why does this exist I have no idea and since I don’t know I am unable to offer an explanation. The TWC Sports Channel in Kansas City runs a program titled RockChalkTV. Prior to last weeks loss one of the trio of hosts pointed out how “inaccurate Seth Davis of CBS Sports had been in his predictions over the years.” I have no desire to check if the local guy was correct or incorrect on Davis. This I do know, many in the Kansas City media have blinders on when it comes to Kansas basketball.
Friday, March 28, 2014
I agree--surprised you
Mavs owner Mark Cuban ventured into a non-basketball issue. This time I agree with several points he raised. Cuban said; “the NFL is 10 years from imploding.” He went on to detail he believed greed of the owners was key. There is no intent on my part to detail the entire report, is Cuban that far off base? It should be noted many in the NFL community were swift in defending their sport. Will the sport implode as Cuban suggests? I doubt it will implode but I could foresee a future with a smaller pool of players. The concussion issue which has been in the news in recent months. In addition the violence issue that has sometimes been exhibited by a number of present and former NFL players.
A retied member of the Kansas City Chiefs was forced to sell his home because he could no longer climb the stairs to the second floor. I witnessed video of the former Oilers running back Earl Campbell, he's 58-years of age and utilizes a walker. I have no evidence to back up this statement but its my belief the NFL might suffer a greater proportions of devastating iinjuries than any other sport. A smaller number of elementary age boys playing Pop Warner football translates to a smaller number playing in high school. Simply stating the NFL will not suffer is arrogant on the the leagues part. I might remind those inside the NFL once upon a time baseball and heavyweight boxing dominated the sports world in the U.S. Don’t fool yourself NFL you are not omnipotent, fans could find another sport.
New Zealand
I don’t know a great deal about New Zealand. I can locate the nation of a world globe, in addition I was aware actors Russell Crowe, Lucy Lawless are from New Zealand. Unlike its number to west Australia has produced a number of collegiate and NBA players. Dante Exum from Melbourne Australia is a likely top 5 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Steven Adams is but the fourth athlete from New Zealand to play in the NBA.
The numbers posted by Adams were only average the one year he spent at Pitt but he decided he was ready for the NBA. The fact that he stood 7 feet tall and weighed 255 pounds certainly aided his effort to play in the NBA. Adams would become the 12th pick in the first round in the 2013 draft selected by the Thunder. Adams may never be more than a reserve player but his work ethic provides us proof of his desire to play basketball at the highest level.
“Trading Places”
This is no Eddie Murphy-Dan Ackroyd movie; these guys traded places for real. Coming into the collegiate season the potential NBA ability of 6-5 Wayne Selden exceeded that of Joel Embiid. You see Selden arrived at Kansas in the fall of 2013 as a 5-star athlete and the number 12 prospect in the Class of 2013. The talent he exhibited in high school and his
PO-TEN-TIAL led several mock draft sites to consider him a one and done player.
After a roller coaster freshman season he announced a return to Kansas for his sophomore year. Two mock sites I regularly consult have removed Selden’s name from its list of first and second round picks. As for teammate Joel Embiid he was number 25 on Rivals, depending on which NBA mock draft you might check Embiid is now listed as the possible one through five pick.
She didn’t appreciate my humor
I’ve heard more than my share of Laker-Mizzou jokes this season, neither team played at the level fans hoped. I’ve taken their comments good naturally smiling and laughing along with them. My wife’s cousin a pseudo Kansas fan called me last Christmas if you remember the Heat was pummeling the Lakers. She never ever calls me to discuss basketball; she had a big time laugh at my expense. Tuesday (after Sundays Kansas loss) my wife was expecting a visit to discuss business of the club the two belonged. Marsha arrived I said “hello” and then stated; “what do I do with my Kansas Final Four tee shirt?” Needless to say she didn’t appreciate my humor. I believe she might be a little more hesitant next time discussing Laker or Mizzou basketball.
“The rich keep getting richer”
A number of schools can recruit successfully throughout the nation and world, Duke University one in the number. Coach K. and Duke received the first 2015 commitment. Headed to Durham is 5-star prospect Luke Kennard a 6-5 180 pound guard, Rivals list Kennard as the number 16 prospect in the Class of 2015. Kennard is from Franklin Ohio about 50 miles north of Cincinnati.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban ventured into a non-basketball issue. This time I agree with several points he raised. Cuban said; “the NFL is 10 years from imploding.” He went on to detail he believed greed of the owners was key. There is no intent on my part to detail the entire report, is Cuban that far off base? It should be noted many in the NFL community were swift in defending their sport. Will the sport implode as Cuban suggests? I doubt it will implode but I could foresee a future with a smaller pool of players. The concussion issue which has been in the news in recent months. In addition the violence issue that has sometimes been exhibited by a number of present and former NFL players.
A retied member of the Kansas City Chiefs was forced to sell his home because he could no longer climb the stairs to the second floor. I witnessed video of the former Oilers running back Earl Campbell, he's 58-years of age and utilizes a walker. I have no evidence to back up this statement but its my belief the NFL might suffer a greater proportions of devastating iinjuries than any other sport. A smaller number of elementary age boys playing Pop Warner football translates to a smaller number playing in high school. Simply stating the NFL will not suffer is arrogant on the the leagues part. I might remind those inside the NFL once upon a time baseball and heavyweight boxing dominated the sports world in the U.S. Don’t fool yourself NFL you are not omnipotent, fans could find another sport.
New Zealand
I don’t know a great deal about New Zealand. I can locate the nation of a world globe, in addition I was aware actors Russell Crowe, Lucy Lawless are from New Zealand. Unlike its number to west Australia has produced a number of collegiate and NBA players. Dante Exum from Melbourne Australia is a likely top 5 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Steven Adams is but the fourth athlete from New Zealand to play in the NBA.
The numbers posted by Adams were only average the one year he spent at Pitt but he decided he was ready for the NBA. The fact that he stood 7 feet tall and weighed 255 pounds certainly aided his effort to play in the NBA. Adams would become the 12th pick in the first round in the 2013 draft selected by the Thunder. Adams may never be more than a reserve player but his work ethic provides us proof of his desire to play basketball at the highest level.
“Trading Places”
This is no Eddie Murphy-Dan Ackroyd movie; these guys traded places for real. Coming into the collegiate season the potential NBA ability of 6-5 Wayne Selden exceeded that of Joel Embiid. You see Selden arrived at Kansas in the fall of 2013 as a 5-star athlete and the number 12 prospect in the Class of 2013. The talent he exhibited in high school and his
PO-TEN-TIAL led several mock draft sites to consider him a one and done player.
After a roller coaster freshman season he announced a return to Kansas for his sophomore year. Two mock sites I regularly consult have removed Selden’s name from its list of first and second round picks. As for teammate Joel Embiid he was number 25 on Rivals, depending on which NBA mock draft you might check Embiid is now listed as the possible one through five pick.
She didn’t appreciate my humor
I’ve heard more than my share of Laker-Mizzou jokes this season, neither team played at the level fans hoped. I’ve taken their comments good naturally smiling and laughing along with them. My wife’s cousin a pseudo Kansas fan called me last Christmas if you remember the Heat was pummeling the Lakers. She never ever calls me to discuss basketball; she had a big time laugh at my expense. Tuesday (after Sundays Kansas loss) my wife was expecting a visit to discuss business of the club the two belonged. Marsha arrived I said “hello” and then stated; “what do I do with my Kansas Final Four tee shirt?” Needless to say she didn’t appreciate my humor. I believe she might be a little more hesitant next time discussing Laker or Mizzou basketball.
“The rich keep getting richer”
A number of schools can recruit successfully throughout the nation and world, Duke University one in the number. Coach K. and Duke received the first 2015 commitment. Headed to Durham is 5-star prospect Luke Kennard a 6-5 180 pound guard, Rivals list Kennard as the number 16 prospect in the Class of 2015. Kennard is from Franklin Ohio about 50 miles north of Cincinnati.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
"Sweet 16" notes
When’s the last time a Dayton team advanced this far? While you are pondering the question consider this. According to reports Ohio State refuses to play Atlanta 10 member Dayton, similar to Kansas-Wichita State. In 1967 Dayton played UCLA for the NCAA Championship, UCLA won the game.
Big XII cynics of Mizzou claim they left for easier basketball. This season Mizzou had to settle for the NIT this season due to their .500 conference record, the football driven SEC has three basketball teams make the Sweet 16. The powerhouse Big XII with 7 teams and the best RPI has only two teams left.
Has pre-season ranking of the Kentucky Wildcats come to fruition? Will the Wildcats win the NCAA Tourney again? We have no idea however they are certainly playing much better than the mid point of the season.
Buzz Williams is leaving Marquette for Virginia Tech. Williams is believed to have problems with the athletic department of the school. Don’t you think Williams resembles Curly Howard? The name Curly Howard might be unfamiliar to many of you; Howard was one of the Three Stooges a physical comedy trio. They filmed a series of 15 minute movies during the 1940’s and 1950’s.
“Dancing with the Stars”
If you had an opportunity to witness Iowa State Coach Fred Hoiberg’s dance moves you know he’s excluded. His team was on the edge of defeat and managed to overcome a deficient and beat North Carolina. Hoiberg was so excited he broke out in a few moves in the locker room afterwards. The guy may be a good basketball coach as for his dance move that’s another story.
There will be winners----but I'm not one of them
The Warren Buffett-Dan Gilbert NCAA Billion Dollar Tourney contest will have a winner. Larry Laker will not be among the winners because he viewed this from the max rather than the minimum. A math professor at UMKC figured out the probability of a perfect bracket and what it involved. He said; “it might be easier being struck by lighting in your lifetime than submitting a perfect tourney sheet.”
I hope you were better than me at least hopefully you entered the contest. Nobody will win the billion dollars but a number of winners could collect upwards of $100,000 plus. It’s yet to be determined the final payout but projections indicate it will be into the millions. Too bad I’m not in the number; you can’t win if you don’t play. I’ll just concern myself with the office pool and the possibility of a $100 payoff.
Depends on your perspective
This is somewhat dated but I thought worth covering. I was sitting in the dental office waiting for them to call my name; I picked up a sports magazine a couple of months old. Thumbing through it and turned to a page containing two letters regarding former Commissioner David Stern. One writer from Minnesota thanked Stern for his efforts regarding the Wolves. He reminded us former owners of the team secured a buyer and the new owner(s) were prepared to move the Wolves to New Orleans.
David Stern stepped in on the pending sale and vetoed it; he later worked his magic and uncovered Glen Taylor. Taylor would purchase the team and the rest is history. The other letter came from Seattle and expressed an opposing view of Stern‘s actions. The writer stated not only did Stern aid the Sonics move to Oklahoma City he went much further. He pointed out Stern had countermanded the Kings sale to Seattle interests. Stern did this despite the fact the Seattle offer was superior to the Kings ownership group.
When’s the last time a Dayton team advanced this far? While you are pondering the question consider this. According to reports Ohio State refuses to play Atlanta 10 member Dayton, similar to Kansas-Wichita State. In 1967 Dayton played UCLA for the NCAA Championship, UCLA won the game.
Big XII cynics of Mizzou claim they left for easier basketball. This season Mizzou had to settle for the NIT this season due to their .500 conference record, the football driven SEC has three basketball teams make the Sweet 16. The powerhouse Big XII with 7 teams and the best RPI has only two teams left.
Has pre-season ranking of the Kentucky Wildcats come to fruition? Will the Wildcats win the NCAA Tourney again? We have no idea however they are certainly playing much better than the mid point of the season.
Buzz Williams is leaving Marquette for Virginia Tech. Williams is believed to have problems with the athletic department of the school. Don’t you think Williams resembles Curly Howard? The name Curly Howard might be unfamiliar to many of you; Howard was one of the Three Stooges a physical comedy trio. They filmed a series of 15 minute movies during the 1940’s and 1950’s.
“Dancing with the Stars”
If you had an opportunity to witness Iowa State Coach Fred Hoiberg’s dance moves you know he’s excluded. His team was on the edge of defeat and managed to overcome a deficient and beat North Carolina. Hoiberg was so excited he broke out in a few moves in the locker room afterwards. The guy may be a good basketball coach as for his dance move that’s another story.
There will be winners----but I'm not one of them
The Warren Buffett-Dan Gilbert NCAA Billion Dollar Tourney contest will have a winner. Larry Laker will not be among the winners because he viewed this from the max rather than the minimum. A math professor at UMKC figured out the probability of a perfect bracket and what it involved. He said; “it might be easier being struck by lighting in your lifetime than submitting a perfect tourney sheet.”
I hope you were better than me at least hopefully you entered the contest. Nobody will win the billion dollars but a number of winners could collect upwards of $100,000 plus. It’s yet to be determined the final payout but projections indicate it will be into the millions. Too bad I’m not in the number; you can’t win if you don’t play. I’ll just concern myself with the office pool and the possibility of a $100 payoff.
Depends on your perspective
This is somewhat dated but I thought worth covering. I was sitting in the dental office waiting for them to call my name; I picked up a sports magazine a couple of months old. Thumbing through it and turned to a page containing two letters regarding former Commissioner David Stern. One writer from Minnesota thanked Stern for his efforts regarding the Wolves. He reminded us former owners of the team secured a buyer and the new owner(s) were prepared to move the Wolves to New Orleans.
David Stern stepped in on the pending sale and vetoed it; he later worked his magic and uncovered Glen Taylor. Taylor would purchase the team and the rest is history. The other letter came from Seattle and expressed an opposing view of Stern‘s actions. The writer stated not only did Stern aid the Sonics move to Oklahoma City he went much further. He pointed out Stern had countermanded the Kings sale to Seattle interests. Stern did this despite the fact the Seattle offer was superior to the Kings ownership group.
Monday, March 24, 2014
The field.....I meant the court is certainly level
The beauty of March Madness is to expect the unexpected. In addition unlike football anybody could be a winner. Mercer could complete an outstanding season and never be invited to a major bowl game. The school plays Division I-AA football, they don’t compete against Duke on the football field. On the other hand they can match up on the basketball court and the result, well you know the story. Duke (3) lost its match against (14) Mercer, in the case of a 9 seed beating an 8 is probably not considered an upset the two teams are pretty much evenly matched. As for Dayton (11) they beat Ohio State (6) and to prove it was no fluke thumped Syracuse (3) on Saturday.
Harvard (12) gets by Cincinnati (5) and North Dakota State (12) squeezes by Oklahoma (5) in overtime. Stanford (10) beat New Mexico (7) 58-53, however is that really an upset? Stanford slipping by Kansas (2) well that might qualify as an upset. Finally Stephen F. Austin (12) over VCU (5), we might question that one. SFA finished 18-0 in the Southland Conference (32-2) with the VCU win. It should be pointed out they haven’t lost a game since November. A couple of thoughts, these so called mid-major teams rosters are loaded with three and four year athletes. One and done players attend larger Division I schools. Preparation, teams often have little time to prepare for the next round. There is scouting but not near the amount as the regular season.
Speaking of______
There was talk around these parts indicating the Big XII was the strongest basketball conference in the nation, the conference had seven teams selected for the NCAA Tourney. After Sunday only two teams remained, the biggest surprise might be the Kansas Jayhawks being upset by the Stanford Cardinals. It's now up to Iowa State and Baylor to carry the conference banner forward. Wonder what those media types have to say now, they downplayed SEC basketball while extolling the Big XII. Both conferences have two teams remaining in play. Even more interesting for us (including this writer) Baylor's Scott Drew has often been viewed as a good recruiter but not much of an X and O guy, it will be interesting how far they advance. .
No complaints from me
I could be mistaken but I think last year was the first time the networks utilized NBA analysts for the NCAA Tournament. I read several complaints from media and fans alike last season for the network choices, I was not among that number. True these analysts have not concentrated on college ball however once upon a time they did play college ball. The NBA game is certainly different from the collegiate one but these guys are sharp enough to provide viewers insight into the game.
Funnnny
Mark Cuban cracks me up; he’s always voicing his opinion on all things unrelated to his Mavs. The latest was his outlook for future of the Lakers, “the Lakers might never be the Lakers again” was his declaration. I didn’t bother reading the article I just smiled and thought; “this is Cuban being Cuban.” The Lakers will get better or worst but I doubt if Cuban should concern himself. On the other hand maybe he might be worried for his Mavs?
Retired jerseys
You might remember a few weeks ago I wrote the 76ers retired Allen Iverson’s number 3. By all accounts Iverson spent his best years in Philly although he played for several other NBA teams. The Celtics and Knicks are unique in that all the players’ jerseys hanging in the rafters played in Boston or New York. I cannot make a similar claim for my Lakers, they have George Mikan and several other Minneapolis Laker numbers honored. The Jazz retired Pete Maravich’s jersey 7 although he never played in Salt Lake City.
The death of former Kings center Sam Lacey brought this retired jersey issue to the forefront again. The Associated Press account was written as if Kings Management was clueless that Lacey had died. After he retired from the game Lacey chose to remain in Kansas City, he never lived in or around Sacramento. In fact he’d retired two years before the franchise made its move to Sacramento. The AP story did point out Lacey’s jersey number 44 had been retired. We can guess Lacey may have traveled to Sacramento for retirement of his jersey.
The beauty of March Madness is to expect the unexpected. In addition unlike football anybody could be a winner. Mercer could complete an outstanding season and never be invited to a major bowl game. The school plays Division I-AA football, they don’t compete against Duke on the football field. On the other hand they can match up on the basketball court and the result, well you know the story. Duke (3) lost its match against (14) Mercer, in the case of a 9 seed beating an 8 is probably not considered an upset the two teams are pretty much evenly matched. As for Dayton (11) they beat Ohio State (6) and to prove it was no fluke thumped Syracuse (3) on Saturday.
Harvard (12) gets by Cincinnati (5) and North Dakota State (12) squeezes by Oklahoma (5) in overtime. Stanford (10) beat New Mexico (7) 58-53, however is that really an upset? Stanford slipping by Kansas (2) well that might qualify as an upset. Finally Stephen F. Austin (12) over VCU (5), we might question that one. SFA finished 18-0 in the Southland Conference (32-2) with the VCU win. It should be pointed out they haven’t lost a game since November. A couple of thoughts, these so called mid-major teams rosters are loaded with three and four year athletes. One and done players attend larger Division I schools. Preparation, teams often have little time to prepare for the next round. There is scouting but not near the amount as the regular season.
Speaking of______
There was talk around these parts indicating the Big XII was the strongest basketball conference in the nation, the conference had seven teams selected for the NCAA Tourney. After Sunday only two teams remained, the biggest surprise might be the Kansas Jayhawks being upset by the Stanford Cardinals. It's now up to Iowa State and Baylor to carry the conference banner forward. Wonder what those media types have to say now, they downplayed SEC basketball while extolling the Big XII. Both conferences have two teams remaining in play. Even more interesting for us (including this writer) Baylor's Scott Drew has often been viewed as a good recruiter but not much of an X and O guy, it will be interesting how far they advance. .
No complaints from me
I could be mistaken but I think last year was the first time the networks utilized NBA analysts for the NCAA Tournament. I read several complaints from media and fans alike last season for the network choices, I was not among that number. True these analysts have not concentrated on college ball however once upon a time they did play college ball. The NBA game is certainly different from the collegiate one but these guys are sharp enough to provide viewers insight into the game.
Funnnny
Mark Cuban cracks me up; he’s always voicing his opinion on all things unrelated to his Mavs. The latest was his outlook for future of the Lakers, “the Lakers might never be the Lakers again” was his declaration. I didn’t bother reading the article I just smiled and thought; “this is Cuban being Cuban.” The Lakers will get better or worst but I doubt if Cuban should concern himself. On the other hand maybe he might be worried for his Mavs?
Retired jerseys
You might remember a few weeks ago I wrote the 76ers retired Allen Iverson’s number 3. By all accounts Iverson spent his best years in Philly although he played for several other NBA teams. The Celtics and Knicks are unique in that all the players’ jerseys hanging in the rafters played in Boston or New York. I cannot make a similar claim for my Lakers, they have George Mikan and several other Minneapolis Laker numbers honored. The Jazz retired Pete Maravich’s jersey 7 although he never played in Salt Lake City.
The death of former Kings center Sam Lacey brought this retired jersey issue to the forefront again. The Associated Press account was written as if Kings Management was clueless that Lacey had died. After he retired from the game Lacey chose to remain in Kansas City, he never lived in or around Sacramento. In fact he’d retired two years before the franchise made its move to Sacramento. The AP story did point out Lacey’s jersey number 44 had been retired. We can guess Lacey may have traveled to Sacramento for retirement of his jersey.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Conflict of Interest!
A question concerning conflict of interest was probably the last we might expect from the NBA. The issue had to be addressed after the Knicks hired Phil Jackson as president. Most are aware Jackson has been dating Laker vice-president Jeannie Buss for years. The couple is engaged however no wedding date is scheduled to my knowledge. Why do I think this is a Hollywood Insider or TMZ report?
$$$$$$
Joel Embiid is headed to the NBA; this declaration is made without any hesitation on my part. Embiid was projected a late first round pick early on in the 2014 draft. His improved play over the course of this season has increased his stock immensely. Embiid has moved from “who is he” to the number one draft choice on most mock draft sites. The back injury has caused him to miss the last few games of the season for Kansas. A question might be asked, why did Embiid head to California for doctors there to check his back? Are the doctors on staff at the university competent enough to diagnose his medical issue? The answer to the question requires no answer, we have it by now. The flight to California was possibly done at the insistence of his family. In January Embiid’s family indicated there was no requirement to leave school they were “secure” financially.
According to RealGM.com a first pick in 2014-15 would earn $4,592,200 in year one, $4,798,900 in year two and finally $5,005,500 in year three. A second pick would earn $4,108,800 in their first year, $4,293,700 in year two and $4,478,600 in his final year. Is Embiid’s family $4+ million dollars secure, I have no idea but it’s an interesting stance? This developing story is why I believe he may have played his last game in a Kansas jersey despite the NCAA Tournament, I could be wrong and again I could be right. The remaining question, checking this morning Embiid’s position has dropped on mock draft sites. DraftExpress.com and NBADraft.net now list him as the second player chosen. Mocks are not NBA driven however possible injury questions can cause a player to drop.
I’m okay how bout you?
Once upon a time a women’s role in television sports was "window dressing," look good never mind if your sports knowledge was limited. Never mind if someone was feeding you questions to ask through your headset. Female reporters worked the sidelines at football and basketball games interviewing coaches and players at half-time or after the game. Women have always broadcast women’s games however recently they have begun showing up as color analyst and broadcasters on men’s games. Does it create a problem for you? I pose the question because a letter writer objected to women working a football game. His reasoning was based on the fact; “they don’t play the game.” Technically he’s incorrect, they don‘t play the game in high school, college or in the NFL. There are a number of women playing tackle football in semi-pro and leagues throughout the nation.
Of course we cannot make the same statement regarding basketball. Women play the game at all skill, the game is played at a different level from the men but they do play. Women have been handling play by play and color duties for the women’s game since forever. Few have been involved in broadcasting the men’s game either the NBA or college. This is beginning to change as women began moving into this role as well. Doris Burke, Beth Mowins, Kara Lawson, Brook Weisbrod and others are part of the change; they have demonstrated their broadcast skill and insight into the game. Truth is told I rather listen to any of them over the “entertaining” comments provided by former coach and ESPN color analyst Jeff Van Gundy. I’m okay with women providing coverage on men’s games how bout you?
N-ot I-nvited T-ournament
The above is often jokingly used to describe the NIT Tournament. The NIT doesn't hold the prestige it once held, part of the downturn in prestige was due to expansion of the NCAA Tournament. Over the past 40 years the NCAA Tournament has expanded the field of teams from 32 to 40 and later 48. In recent years the number was increased again from 52 to 64 and finally settled with the current 68 teams. Expansion has meant a greater number of teams have qualified for the tourney leaving the NIT to scramble for teams which just missed the mark. Believe you me It’s no joke to the schools who accept NIT invitations, a number barely missed "The Big Dance." These schools closed their schedules with the regular season or conference post-season tourneys. As for the NIT match featuring Mizzou and Davidson Mizzou managed a hoo-hum victory over Davidson 85-77. The score is misleading in that Mizzou was behind at one stage 13 points down in the second half. The match on Sunday becomes more difficult facing Southern Mississippi 28-6.
A question concerning conflict of interest was probably the last we might expect from the NBA. The issue had to be addressed after the Knicks hired Phil Jackson as president. Most are aware Jackson has been dating Laker vice-president Jeannie Buss for years. The couple is engaged however no wedding date is scheduled to my knowledge. Why do I think this is a Hollywood Insider or TMZ report?
$$$$$$
Joel Embiid is headed to the NBA; this declaration is made without any hesitation on my part. Embiid was projected a late first round pick early on in the 2014 draft. His improved play over the course of this season has increased his stock immensely. Embiid has moved from “who is he” to the number one draft choice on most mock draft sites. The back injury has caused him to miss the last few games of the season for Kansas. A question might be asked, why did Embiid head to California for doctors there to check his back? Are the doctors on staff at the university competent enough to diagnose his medical issue? The answer to the question requires no answer, we have it by now. The flight to California was possibly done at the insistence of his family. In January Embiid’s family indicated there was no requirement to leave school they were “secure” financially.
According to RealGM.com a first pick in 2014-15 would earn $4,592,200 in year one, $4,798,900 in year two and finally $5,005,500 in year three. A second pick would earn $4,108,800 in their first year, $4,293,700 in year two and $4,478,600 in his final year. Is Embiid’s family $4+ million dollars secure, I have no idea but it’s an interesting stance? This developing story is why I believe he may have played his last game in a Kansas jersey despite the NCAA Tournament, I could be wrong and again I could be right. The remaining question, checking this morning Embiid’s position has dropped on mock draft sites. DraftExpress.com and NBADraft.net now list him as the second player chosen. Mocks are not NBA driven however possible injury questions can cause a player to drop.
I’m okay how bout you?
Once upon a time a women’s role in television sports was "window dressing," look good never mind if your sports knowledge was limited. Never mind if someone was feeding you questions to ask through your headset. Female reporters worked the sidelines at football and basketball games interviewing coaches and players at half-time or after the game. Women have always broadcast women’s games however recently they have begun showing up as color analyst and broadcasters on men’s games. Does it create a problem for you? I pose the question because a letter writer objected to women working a football game. His reasoning was based on the fact; “they don’t play the game.” Technically he’s incorrect, they don‘t play the game in high school, college or in the NFL. There are a number of women playing tackle football in semi-pro and leagues throughout the nation.
Of course we cannot make the same statement regarding basketball. Women play the game at all skill, the game is played at a different level from the men but they do play. Women have been handling play by play and color duties for the women’s game since forever. Few have been involved in broadcasting the men’s game either the NBA or college. This is beginning to change as women began moving into this role as well. Doris Burke, Beth Mowins, Kara Lawson, Brook Weisbrod and others are part of the change; they have demonstrated their broadcast skill and insight into the game. Truth is told I rather listen to any of them over the “entertaining” comments provided by former coach and ESPN color analyst Jeff Van Gundy. I’m okay with women providing coverage on men’s games how bout you?
N-ot I-nvited T-ournament
The above is often jokingly used to describe the NIT Tournament. The NIT doesn't hold the prestige it once held, part of the downturn in prestige was due to expansion of the NCAA Tournament. Over the past 40 years the NCAA Tournament has expanded the field of teams from 32 to 40 and later 48. In recent years the number was increased again from 52 to 64 and finally settled with the current 68 teams. Expansion has meant a greater number of teams have qualified for the tourney leaving the NIT to scramble for teams which just missed the mark. Believe you me It’s no joke to the schools who accept NIT invitations, a number barely missed "The Big Dance." These schools closed their schedules with the regular season or conference post-season tourneys. As for the NIT match featuring Mizzou and Davidson Mizzou managed a hoo-hum victory over Davidson 85-77. The score is misleading in that Mizzou was behind at one stage 13 points down in the second half. The match on Sunday becomes more difficult facing Southern Mississippi 28-6.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
It’s Kansas basketball 24-7
It’s all the fault of Kansas basketball, what did they accomplish you might ask? They have been a successful regular season team and in the NCAA. As mentioned in the past Lawrence Kansas is less than 50 miles from Kansas City Missouri. Lawrence is nearer the Kansas City market than Columbia (MO). I don’t resent the success of the Kansas school; I do resent the coverage of many in the local media. They measure the success of Mizzou (or lack thereof) to Kansas, totally unfair in my opinion. Early Saturday afternoon Mizzou lost their match against number one Florida. I must emphasis Florida is not only number one in the SEC but number one in the nation.
On the other hand it was much different for Kansas fans and the local media. Many of them (including media) seem to be in a state of shock due to the 94-83 loss to Iowa State. I’m going to paraphrase the 10:00 p.m. sports report on one of the local stations. “The Kansas Jayhawks simply ran out of gas,” he went on to repeat the same statement later in a concluding game report. Instantly it came to mind; “didn’t Iowa State play yesterday as well? I guess Iowa State wasn’t tired I thought.” I concluded the Jayhawks were tired due to the extra five minutes the team played in the overtime win over Oklahoma State.
The hires
Yesterday an NBA team made a move as did a college. The Knicks made it official hiring Phil Jackson as president. Jackson has never held a front office position with either the Bulls or Lakers, we know he can coach. It’s my belief the head coach will be a portion of the judgment on Jackson’s success or lack there in. The Auburn athletic department moved swiftly and hired former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl certainly was successful on the court; he was under NCAA managed probation which has now been lifted. Both men have a large body of work in front of them, the Knicks and Tigers badly require leadership.
I didn’t bother reading further
A story titled; “The best 35 athletes turned actor.” The author gave Ray Allen an honorable mention; I must have misunderstood the authors’ goal. I thought his intent was to profile actors who for a number of unrelated reasons would become actors. The Ray Allen honorable mention stopped me at the beginning, I didn’t finish reading. I thought hopefully he profiled Mark Harmon of NCIS; Harmon had one time played quarterback for UCLA before turning to acting. I thought he’d mention Charley Sheen of Two and half Men fame.
Sheen was once a promising high school pitcher before becoming an actor. Maybe he wrote of the late Chuck Connors, the 6-6 Connors played baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and basketball for the Boston Celtics before his acting career. He became television’s Rifleman in the ‘60’s school pitcher. Sorry Ray, you did a commendable job as Jesus Shuttlesworth in He’s got Game but you are a basketball player not an actor. I wonder if the writer included Shaquille O’Neal, you remember the “Big Aristotle” in Blue Chips and the movie classic Shazaam?
Where are they?
An acquaintance (Kansas fan) asked me recently about Danny Manning. Manning who served as a long-time assistant coach for Kansas is now a head coach. He’s served as Tulsa’s coach since 2012, the further problem for both of us we couldn‘t figure which conference Tulsa competed. There’s been so much re-alignment and team movement over the past four years it’s difficult to track. I told him; “geography has gone out the window too.” He agreed stating; “West Virginia being in the Big XII.” I’m going to make sure the next time I see him; I will inform him Tulsa competes in Conference USA. It should be noted Manning’s lead his team into the Field of 68 this season, the team finished
21-12.
Overlooked talent
Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones are headed to Duke August; the two 5-star prospects should excite students and fans. This talented center (Okafor) and capable point guard (Jones) should allow Duke to continue its winning ways. How about adding a shooting guard to the freshman class? Actually they did, they signed the shooting guard prior to the Okafor/Jones signing. Remember the name Grayson Allen, the 6-4 Allen was rated a 5-star prospect on ESPN’s Recruiting Database. To place his 5-star into perspective consider he was number 24 on the sites Top 100 prospects for 2014. Want a comparison, how about this former Dukee J.J. Redick with hops.
It’s all the fault of Kansas basketball, what did they accomplish you might ask? They have been a successful regular season team and in the NCAA. As mentioned in the past Lawrence Kansas is less than 50 miles from Kansas City Missouri. Lawrence is nearer the Kansas City market than Columbia (MO). I don’t resent the success of the Kansas school; I do resent the coverage of many in the local media. They measure the success of Mizzou (or lack thereof) to Kansas, totally unfair in my opinion. Early Saturday afternoon Mizzou lost their match against number one Florida. I must emphasis Florida is not only number one in the SEC but number one in the nation.
On the other hand it was much different for Kansas fans and the local media. Many of them (including media) seem to be in a state of shock due to the 94-83 loss to Iowa State. I’m going to paraphrase the 10:00 p.m. sports report on one of the local stations. “The Kansas Jayhawks simply ran out of gas,” he went on to repeat the same statement later in a concluding game report. Instantly it came to mind; “didn’t Iowa State play yesterday as well? I guess Iowa State wasn’t tired I thought.” I concluded the Jayhawks were tired due to the extra five minutes the team played in the overtime win over Oklahoma State.
The hires
Yesterday an NBA team made a move as did a college. The Knicks made it official hiring Phil Jackson as president. Jackson has never held a front office position with either the Bulls or Lakers, we know he can coach. It’s my belief the head coach will be a portion of the judgment on Jackson’s success or lack there in. The Auburn athletic department moved swiftly and hired former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl certainly was successful on the court; he was under NCAA managed probation which has now been lifted. Both men have a large body of work in front of them, the Knicks and Tigers badly require leadership.
I didn’t bother reading further
A story titled; “The best 35 athletes turned actor.” The author gave Ray Allen an honorable mention; I must have misunderstood the authors’ goal. I thought his intent was to profile actors who for a number of unrelated reasons would become actors. The Ray Allen honorable mention stopped me at the beginning, I didn’t finish reading. I thought hopefully he profiled Mark Harmon of NCIS; Harmon had one time played quarterback for UCLA before turning to acting. I thought he’d mention Charley Sheen of Two and half Men fame.
Sheen was once a promising high school pitcher before becoming an actor. Maybe he wrote of the late Chuck Connors, the 6-6 Connors played baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and basketball for the Boston Celtics before his acting career. He became television’s Rifleman in the ‘60’s school pitcher. Sorry Ray, you did a commendable job as Jesus Shuttlesworth in He’s got Game but you are a basketball player not an actor. I wonder if the writer included Shaquille O’Neal, you remember the “Big Aristotle” in Blue Chips and the movie classic Shazaam?
Where are they?
An acquaintance (Kansas fan) asked me recently about Danny Manning. Manning who served as a long-time assistant coach for Kansas is now a head coach. He’s served as Tulsa’s coach since 2012, the further problem for both of us we couldn‘t figure which conference Tulsa competed. There’s been so much re-alignment and team movement over the past four years it’s difficult to track. I told him; “geography has gone out the window too.” He agreed stating; “West Virginia being in the Big XII.” I’m going to make sure the next time I see him; I will inform him Tulsa competes in Conference USA. It should be noted Manning’s lead his team into the Field of 68 this season, the team finished
21-12.
Overlooked talent
Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones are headed to Duke August; the two 5-star prospects should excite students and fans. This talented center (Okafor) and capable point guard (Jones) should allow Duke to continue its winning ways. How about adding a shooting guard to the freshman class? Actually they did, they signed the shooting guard prior to the Okafor/Jones signing. Remember the name Grayson Allen, the 6-4 Allen was rated a 5-star prospect on ESPN’s Recruiting Database. To place his 5-star into perspective consider he was number 24 on the sites Top 100 prospects for 2014. Want a comparison, how about this former Dukee J.J. Redick with hops.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Nobody cares
Well not exactly, don't count me among the "I don't care crowd." Mizzou designated a two seed in the NIT will play Davidson on Tuesday. Davidson finished their season with a 20-12 record so they should not be taken lightly. Mizzou has a chance to rebound from a disappointing season the first in five years where they missed the NCAA Tourney.
Number 44
Kansas City was home base for the Kings franchise from 1972-1985. In those days the Kings were unsuccessful on the court with the exception of a minor number of years. Poor draft choices, poor trades and coaches unable to coach successfully became the norm. During the time the Kings were in Kansas City the team produced few All Star athletes, probably familiar to historians of the game is Nate “Tiny” Archibald who made it to the Hall of Fame. The others Scott Wedman who later played for the Celtics and Otis Birdsong. The remaining All-Star is probably unfamiliar to most, his name Sam Lacey. Lacey a 6-10 235 pound center arrived in the NBA by way of New Mexico State. Lacey proceeded to find his way in a league dominated by “name” centers Abdul Jabbar, Cowens, Thurmond and others.
Lacey’s battles with Abdul Jabbar are stuff of legend as the two matched up against one another time after time. Although Abdul Jabbar was more talented Lacey never backed down, he held his own against Mr. Skyhook. In addition he became adept at distributing the basketball. Three times during his career he dished out more than five assists a game, an outstanding figure for a center. How good was he passing the ball, Lacey had a 14 assist game in one season. He was not just a distributor of the ball he became a dependable scorer at nearly 12 points a game. He remained in Kansas City after his playing days were over involved in a number of community and civic activities. Over this past weekend word came to us this unsung giant had died, he was only 66 years old. His jersey number 44 was retired several years ago, R.I.P. Sam Lacey.
Defensive Player of the Year?
He’s thin for an athlete who stands 6-11 and weighs in at 232 pounds. His shooting style is one of the most unorthodox we’ve witnessed in quite awhile. The player we are discussing is Bulls’ center Joakim Noah. Rockets Coach Kevin McHale has already pronounced him NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Noah is a furious rebounding machine despite his slight frame. On the other hand his lighter than normal weight for a center allows him to run the floor like a gazelle. Bulls fans point to Derrick Rose as key to the Bulls success and to a degree that might be true.
Many believe Noah might be just as important to the Bulls success as point guard Rose. Consider this, the general feeling was the Bulls would crash and burn with no Rose in the lineup. After a slight hiccup the Bulls have returned to form most believed would if Rose had been in the lineup. As this is written they are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 36-29 record. Their exemplary center is averaging almost 12 rebounds a game while dishing out nearly 5 assists. The Bulls don’t look to Noah for offense however he’s scoring at 12.2 ppg clip which is a career high.
Speaking of defense
We knew Mike D’Antoni was an offensive coach; it goes back to his days coaching the Suns and later the Knicks. We had little idea he was so clueless relating to defensive schemes. Laker fans have never witnessed their team giving up points in the manner of this season’s team. In a manner of speaking this harkens back to the NBA of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, a number of teams gave up points like a water faucet. If the faucet is never turned off (defensive stops) how in the world is a team to win. In D’Antoni’s scheme his team can give up 130 points as long as they score 131.
Our Northern neighbor
The Kansas City Star contained an article on Big XII Canadian players. They matched a fictional Canadian team against an American team. Although both only contained six players it should be noted the increase in popularity of basketball in Canada. If these are only the top six Canadian athletes in the Big XII alone how many more Canadians are spread throughout the US? Basketball will never replace hockey as the national sport of Canada, on the other hand?
Kobe
Kobe Bryant has shut it down for the remainder of the season. If the Lakers were in playoff contention it would be a different story, we could see a need for him to return. There are less than 20 games left in the season-----no need at this point.
The mascot
I was watching the Oregon-Stanford match and during a portion of the game the camera focused on the Oregon Duck mascot. I discovered the school had a connection to Walt Disney. I thought it might be noteworthy to share this information to those who might be unfamiliar. “Beginning in 1940, cartoon drawings of Puddles in student publications began to resemble Donald Duck, and by 1947, Walt Disney was aware of the issue. Capitalizing on his friendship with a Disney cartoonist, Oregon athletic director Leo Harris met Disney and reached an informal handshake agreement that granted the University of Oregon permission to use Donald as its sports mascot. When Disney lawyers later questioned the agreement in the 1970s, the University produced a photo showing Harris and Disney wearing matching jackets with an Oregon Donald logo.
Relying on the photo as evidence of Disney's wishes, in 1973, both parties signed a formal agreement granting the university the right to use Donald's likeness as a symbol for (and restricted to) Oregon sports. The agreement gave Disney control over where the mascot could perform and ensured that the performer inside the costume would "properly represent the Donald Duck character. In 2010, Disney and the University reached an agreement that removed the costumed Oregon Duck mascot from its association with the Donald trademark, and allowed The Duck to make more public appearances, such as at college mascot competitions. The mascot in graphic art, which is more similar to Donald Duck than the rounder head and body of the costume, is still covered by the trademark agreement.” *Wikipedia
Well not exactly, don't count me among the "I don't care crowd." Mizzou designated a two seed in the NIT will play Davidson on Tuesday. Davidson finished their season with a 20-12 record so they should not be taken lightly. Mizzou has a chance to rebound from a disappointing season the first in five years where they missed the NCAA Tourney.
Number 44
Kansas City was home base for the Kings franchise from 1972-1985. In those days the Kings were unsuccessful on the court with the exception of a minor number of years. Poor draft choices, poor trades and coaches unable to coach successfully became the norm. During the time the Kings were in Kansas City the team produced few All Star athletes, probably familiar to historians of the game is Nate “Tiny” Archibald who made it to the Hall of Fame. The others Scott Wedman who later played for the Celtics and Otis Birdsong. The remaining All-Star is probably unfamiliar to most, his name Sam Lacey. Lacey a 6-10 235 pound center arrived in the NBA by way of New Mexico State. Lacey proceeded to find his way in a league dominated by “name” centers Abdul Jabbar, Cowens, Thurmond and others.
Lacey’s battles with Abdul Jabbar are stuff of legend as the two matched up against one another time after time. Although Abdul Jabbar was more talented Lacey never backed down, he held his own against Mr. Skyhook. In addition he became adept at distributing the basketball. Three times during his career he dished out more than five assists a game, an outstanding figure for a center. How good was he passing the ball, Lacey had a 14 assist game in one season. He was not just a distributor of the ball he became a dependable scorer at nearly 12 points a game. He remained in Kansas City after his playing days were over involved in a number of community and civic activities. Over this past weekend word came to us this unsung giant had died, he was only 66 years old. His jersey number 44 was retired several years ago, R.I.P. Sam Lacey.
Defensive Player of the Year?
He’s thin for an athlete who stands 6-11 and weighs in at 232 pounds. His shooting style is one of the most unorthodox we’ve witnessed in quite awhile. The player we are discussing is Bulls’ center Joakim Noah. Rockets Coach Kevin McHale has already pronounced him NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Noah is a furious rebounding machine despite his slight frame. On the other hand his lighter than normal weight for a center allows him to run the floor like a gazelle. Bulls fans point to Derrick Rose as key to the Bulls success and to a degree that might be true.
Many believe Noah might be just as important to the Bulls success as point guard Rose. Consider this, the general feeling was the Bulls would crash and burn with no Rose in the lineup. After a slight hiccup the Bulls have returned to form most believed would if Rose had been in the lineup. As this is written they are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 36-29 record. Their exemplary center is averaging almost 12 rebounds a game while dishing out nearly 5 assists. The Bulls don’t look to Noah for offense however he’s scoring at 12.2 ppg clip which is a career high.
Speaking of defense
We knew Mike D’Antoni was an offensive coach; it goes back to his days coaching the Suns and later the Knicks. We had little idea he was so clueless relating to defensive schemes. Laker fans have never witnessed their team giving up points in the manner of this season’s team. In a manner of speaking this harkens back to the NBA of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, a number of teams gave up points like a water faucet. If the faucet is never turned off (defensive stops) how in the world is a team to win. In D’Antoni’s scheme his team can give up 130 points as long as they score 131.
Our Northern neighbor
The Kansas City Star contained an article on Big XII Canadian players. They matched a fictional Canadian team against an American team. Although both only contained six players it should be noted the increase in popularity of basketball in Canada. If these are only the top six Canadian athletes in the Big XII alone how many more Canadians are spread throughout the US? Basketball will never replace hockey as the national sport of Canada, on the other hand?
Kobe
Kobe Bryant has shut it down for the remainder of the season. If the Lakers were in playoff contention it would be a different story, we could see a need for him to return. There are less than 20 games left in the season-----no need at this point.
The mascot
I was watching the Oregon-Stanford match and during a portion of the game the camera focused on the Oregon Duck mascot. I discovered the school had a connection to Walt Disney. I thought it might be noteworthy to share this information to those who might be unfamiliar. “Beginning in 1940, cartoon drawings of Puddles in student publications began to resemble Donald Duck, and by 1947, Walt Disney was aware of the issue. Capitalizing on his friendship with a Disney cartoonist, Oregon athletic director Leo Harris met Disney and reached an informal handshake agreement that granted the University of Oregon permission to use Donald as its sports mascot. When Disney lawyers later questioned the agreement in the 1970s, the University produced a photo showing Harris and Disney wearing matching jackets with an Oregon Donald logo.
Relying on the photo as evidence of Disney's wishes, in 1973, both parties signed a formal agreement granting the university the right to use Donald's likeness as a symbol for (and restricted to) Oregon sports. The agreement gave Disney control over where the mascot could perform and ensured that the performer inside the costume would "properly represent the Donald Duck character. In 2010, Disney and the University reached an agreement that removed the costumed Oregon Duck mascot from its association with the Donald trademark, and allowed The Duck to make more public appearances, such as at college mascot competitions. The mascot in graphic art, which is more similar to Donald Duck than the rounder head and body of the costume, is still covered by the trademark agreement.” *Wikipedia
Friday, March 14, 2014
Middle of the day
I admit I’m spoiled and at the same time it’s the middle of the day. I tune into the Texas A&M Mizzou game from Atlanta, the game is being played in the Georgia Dome. If you tossed a rock at an angle you could miss hitting someone. An example of basketball games held in a football stadium. I change the channel for a quick glance at the Iowa State-Kansas State game played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The lower bowl on the sides appears to be mostly full. The point, Kansas City has a basketball connection especially with the Big XII; I cannot make the same statement regarding Atlanta and its SEC connection.
He’s headed east
It appears official Phil Jackson is headed to The Big Apple and will become president of the Knicks. Of course the domino effect will probably cost Mike Woodson his job as coach once the season is over. How do I know the coach is gone? I’m reminded of Vince Lombardi when he took over the floundering NFL Packers. In those days a number of head coaches served as general manager. In his role as GM he begins his task of building a team by trading and releasing a number of players on the roster.
Among those Lombardi released was the teams competent quarterback. He questioned the coach; “why did you release me?” The response from Lombardi was; “nothing personal, you represent the old Packers I’m building the new Packers.” Expect some form of housecleaning to occur once Jackson is in place. Although Steve Kerr has been non-committal its likely he will become head coach of this new Knicks team. Speculation can now begin whether Carmelo Anthony will remain in place or leave. This story is just beginning, stay tuned for further updates.
Change at the top
Ben Braun at Rice was terminated so too was Auburn’s Tony Barbee. Neither of these coaches managed to turn their programs into winners. Braun was 7-23 overall and 2-14 in Conference USA, his record after six seasons stood at 63-128. Barbee was 14-16 during the teams non-conference schedule and 6-12 in the SEC. His four year total at Auburn was 48-75. Other than being a Mizzou fan you might wonder why I’m including Frank Haith in the discussion. Several in the Kansas City media have made loud noises stating the school should consider replacing him, let’s check his record.
Mizzou’s season is not complete however the team stands 9-9 in the SEC and 22-10, they have an upcoming match against number one Florida. Haith’s record at Mizzou stands at 75-26 for a .743 winning percentage. Tiger fans would be the first to admit this years team has been disappointing, they have played hot and cold most of the conference season. We certainly expected much better play than was shown. Does Haith deserve to be fired as some in the local media have stated? Barbee had one more year on the job than Haith, wanna do a comparasion on their records? It’s true Haith has had limited success in the NCAA tourney should that alone be the basis for terminating a coach with a winning record?
Bits n Pieces
I have mentioned on occasion my disagreement with a number of Colin Cowherd comments. It should be noted he provided listeners five good reasons why LeBron is not headed back to Cleveland. I’m not going to re-hash the commentary I’ll provide just one tidbit. “We clearly knew Victor Oladipo was the better player yet Cleveland picked Anthony Bennett who’s a bust.” The jury is still sequestered on Bennett however I agree with a portion of his observations.
I have difficulty attaching “super star” next to the name of Carmelo Anthony. Stephen A. Smith in a discussion on ESPN’s First Take used the term describing Anthony. He further stated his comment could be considered blasphemy. Let’s do a quick analysis of Anthony. Is he talented, most certainly? Is he an offensive machine, most certainly? Is he a good defender, (crickets chirping)! Anthony plays defense however that certainly isn’t his strong suit.
Kevin Durant is the NBA MVP; I know a number of folks believe I’m omitting LeBron James on purpose. Quite the contrary, I believe Durant (for a variety of reasons) has made the Thunder that much better especially during the period Westbrook was out. The only concern is will Durant throttle back his game with the return of Westbrook.
I’m pleased someone closer to the game then me has an issue with this. The NBA sleeved jerseys worn for the All Star game. Long-time Coach George Karl doesn’t like sleeved jerseys. The NBA guaranteed to generate revenue.
I admit I’m spoiled and at the same time it’s the middle of the day. I tune into the Texas A&M Mizzou game from Atlanta, the game is being played in the Georgia Dome. If you tossed a rock at an angle you could miss hitting someone. An example of basketball games held in a football stadium. I change the channel for a quick glance at the Iowa State-Kansas State game played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The lower bowl on the sides appears to be mostly full. The point, Kansas City has a basketball connection especially with the Big XII; I cannot make the same statement regarding Atlanta and its SEC connection.
He’s headed east
It appears official Phil Jackson is headed to The Big Apple and will become president of the Knicks. Of course the domino effect will probably cost Mike Woodson his job as coach once the season is over. How do I know the coach is gone? I’m reminded of Vince Lombardi when he took over the floundering NFL Packers. In those days a number of head coaches served as general manager. In his role as GM he begins his task of building a team by trading and releasing a number of players on the roster.
Among those Lombardi released was the teams competent quarterback. He questioned the coach; “why did you release me?” The response from Lombardi was; “nothing personal, you represent the old Packers I’m building the new Packers.” Expect some form of housecleaning to occur once Jackson is in place. Although Steve Kerr has been non-committal its likely he will become head coach of this new Knicks team. Speculation can now begin whether Carmelo Anthony will remain in place or leave. This story is just beginning, stay tuned for further updates.
Change at the top
Ben Braun at Rice was terminated so too was Auburn’s Tony Barbee. Neither of these coaches managed to turn their programs into winners. Braun was 7-23 overall and 2-14 in Conference USA, his record after six seasons stood at 63-128. Barbee was 14-16 during the teams non-conference schedule and 6-12 in the SEC. His four year total at Auburn was 48-75. Other than being a Mizzou fan you might wonder why I’m including Frank Haith in the discussion. Several in the Kansas City media have made loud noises stating the school should consider replacing him, let’s check his record.
Mizzou’s season is not complete however the team stands 9-9 in the SEC and 22-10, they have an upcoming match against number one Florida. Haith’s record at Mizzou stands at 75-26 for a .743 winning percentage. Tiger fans would be the first to admit this years team has been disappointing, they have played hot and cold most of the conference season. We certainly expected much better play than was shown. Does Haith deserve to be fired as some in the local media have stated? Barbee had one more year on the job than Haith, wanna do a comparasion on their records? It’s true Haith has had limited success in the NCAA tourney should that alone be the basis for terminating a coach with a winning record?
Bits n Pieces
I have mentioned on occasion my disagreement with a number of Colin Cowherd comments. It should be noted he provided listeners five good reasons why LeBron is not headed back to Cleveland. I’m not going to re-hash the commentary I’ll provide just one tidbit. “We clearly knew Victor Oladipo was the better player yet Cleveland picked Anthony Bennett who’s a bust.” The jury is still sequestered on Bennett however I agree with a portion of his observations.
I have difficulty attaching “super star” next to the name of Carmelo Anthony. Stephen A. Smith in a discussion on ESPN’s First Take used the term describing Anthony. He further stated his comment could be considered blasphemy. Let’s do a quick analysis of Anthony. Is he talented, most certainly? Is he an offensive machine, most certainly? Is he a good defender, (crickets chirping)! Anthony plays defense however that certainly isn’t his strong suit.
Kevin Durant is the NBA MVP; I know a number of folks believe I’m omitting LeBron James on purpose. Quite the contrary, I believe Durant (for a variety of reasons) has made the Thunder that much better especially during the period Westbrook was out. The only concern is will Durant throttle back his game with the return of Westbrook.
I’m pleased someone closer to the game then me has an issue with this. The NBA sleeved jerseys worn for the All Star game. Long-time Coach George Karl doesn’t like sleeved jerseys. The NBA guaranteed to generate revenue.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Not out just quite yet
My apologies to the Knicks and their fans, the Tony Kornheiser story on Monday is not completely accurate. The Knicks have not been been eliminated from the playoff race. They are four and a half games behind the Hawks who occupy the eighth seed.
AARP Coaches
73-year old Larry Brown has led SMU basketball to heights fans and alumni may have never dreamed. The Dallas (TX) school is in the national spotlight due largely to Browns’ coaching. At age 67 Mike Krzyzewski still manages to recruit and relate to generations of today’s athletes. We could include 69-year old Jim Boeheim at Syracuse to our list of senior coaches. Question have the Spurs ever had a losing season under 65-year old Greg Popovich? They may have however it’s been so long ago nobody probably remembers the year. In addition Coach Pop has NBA Championships on his resume. We cannot overlook North Carolina's 63-year old, his Tarheel team is 23-8 as this is written. In addition he's won won two NCAA Championships at the school. This next coach almost missed the cut due to his age. Kentucky’s John Calipari is the youngest of this group of coaches at age 55, love him or hate him he’s a proven winner.
62-year old Tubby Smith won the last NCAA for Kentucky (1998) prior to Calipari's arrival. The Bulls minus Derrick Rose were supposed to sink to the bottom of the NBA ocean. Tom Thibodeau (age 56) has done a masterful job of maintaining the ships ballast. We journey next to one of Montana’s favorite son Phil Jackson. Jackson’s not coached in the NBA since 2011 retiring at the end of the season. All that is required of this 68-year old is to proclaim “I’m ready to coach again. “ I presume two or three NBA teams would be in line for his services. There are a number of coaches in the same age range that may have been omitted. This is not meant to be a complete report however these are just a few that come to mind and may be the most visible. The old adage might be true maybe age is really only a number.
He wants a job too
I wrote of Isiah Thomas and his desire for an NBA job earlier. Kareem Abdul Jabbar unemployed is also searching for job. Number 33 claims he’s open to involvement with the Bucks in some capacity. In the past Abdul Jabbar has served as a special assignment coach for the Clippers and Lakers.
PJ
I hesitated writing this, what we are hearing doesn’t make sense on a number of levels. The only portion I believe, Phil Jackson is one of the all-time great NBA coaches but that‘s not the job in question. The Knicks are reported to be considering him for a front office position, hiring him as a coach makes far more sense than a front office position. It‘s not that I don’t believe he could handle a front office position it‘s just the manner reported. Stories have circulated from several sources Jackson will run the Knicks from his home in Montana and the one California. Steve Kerr (who played for Jackson) is reported to become the Knicks coach.
The difference, they are paid athletes
College basketball is certainly a pathway to the NBA. Although we sometimes tend to see the game peering through NBA glasses there is still a difference between the NBA and college. Professional basketball players are paid big time money, when they don’t play at the level we expect they are subject to critical commentary by the media and fans. Technically speaking collegiate players are not paid if we exclude scholarship. How did I arrive here, we have a local sports talk radio host who is sometimes over the top in his criticism of college players. I’m not referring to any involvement in criminal activity or a "Marcus Smart" venture into the stands. I wonder how he feels when the viewing audience critiques his job performance?
My apologies to the Knicks and their fans, the Tony Kornheiser story on Monday is not completely accurate. The Knicks have not been been eliminated from the playoff race. They are four and a half games behind the Hawks who occupy the eighth seed.
AARP Coaches
73-year old Larry Brown has led SMU basketball to heights fans and alumni may have never dreamed. The Dallas (TX) school is in the national spotlight due largely to Browns’ coaching. At age 67 Mike Krzyzewski still manages to recruit and relate to generations of today’s athletes. We could include 69-year old Jim Boeheim at Syracuse to our list of senior coaches. Question have the Spurs ever had a losing season under 65-year old Greg Popovich? They may have however it’s been so long ago nobody probably remembers the year. In addition Coach Pop has NBA Championships on his resume. We cannot overlook North Carolina's 63-year old, his Tarheel team is 23-8 as this is written. In addition he's won won two NCAA Championships at the school. This next coach almost missed the cut due to his age. Kentucky’s John Calipari is the youngest of this group of coaches at age 55, love him or hate him he’s a proven winner.
62-year old Tubby Smith won the last NCAA for Kentucky (1998) prior to Calipari's arrival. The Bulls minus Derrick Rose were supposed to sink to the bottom of the NBA ocean. Tom Thibodeau (age 56) has done a masterful job of maintaining the ships ballast. We journey next to one of Montana’s favorite son Phil Jackson. Jackson’s not coached in the NBA since 2011 retiring at the end of the season. All that is required of this 68-year old is to proclaim “I’m ready to coach again. “ I presume two or three NBA teams would be in line for his services. There are a number of coaches in the same age range that may have been omitted. This is not meant to be a complete report however these are just a few that come to mind and may be the most visible. The old adage might be true maybe age is really only a number.
He wants a job too
I wrote of Isiah Thomas and his desire for an NBA job earlier. Kareem Abdul Jabbar unemployed is also searching for job. Number 33 claims he’s open to involvement with the Bucks in some capacity. In the past Abdul Jabbar has served as a special assignment coach for the Clippers and Lakers.
PJ
I hesitated writing this, what we are hearing doesn’t make sense on a number of levels. The only portion I believe, Phil Jackson is one of the all-time great NBA coaches but that‘s not the job in question. The Knicks are reported to be considering him for a front office position, hiring him as a coach makes far more sense than a front office position. It‘s not that I don’t believe he could handle a front office position it‘s just the manner reported. Stories have circulated from several sources Jackson will run the Knicks from his home in Montana and the one California. Steve Kerr (who played for Jackson) is reported to become the Knicks coach.
The difference, they are paid athletes
College basketball is certainly a pathway to the NBA. Although we sometimes tend to see the game peering through NBA glasses there is still a difference between the NBA and college. Professional basketball players are paid big time money, when they don’t play at the level we expect they are subject to critical commentary by the media and fans. Technically speaking collegiate players are not paid if we exclude scholarship. How did I arrive here, we have a local sports talk radio host who is sometimes over the top in his criticism of college players. I’m not referring to any involvement in criminal activity or a "Marcus Smart" venture into the stands. I wonder how he feels when the viewing audience critiques his job performance?
Monday, March 10, 2014
The first word
Jabari Parker says he’s not made up his mind yet. Andrew Wiggins claims the year went too quick. We can’t read too much into either statement we can guess. Parker is unsure if he will head for the NBA or remain at Duke, as for Wiggins he’s history at Kansas.
Tony Kornheiser
Pointed out a fact known of us probably realized, “for the first time in NBA history the Celtics, Lakers, 76ers and Knicks will all miss the playoffs. This has never happened in NBA history these storied franchises all missing the playoffs in the same season.” For you historians the Celtics franchise first played in 1946 the 76ers took the court for the first time as the Syracuse Nats the same year. The Lakers beginning year was 1947 and the city was Minneapolis. The Knicks remain in the city of their 1946 birth New York City.
A.I.
Over a recent weekend the 76ers retired Allen Iverson’s number 3. Although he played for a number of NBA teams’ the 76ers drafted him and his best years were spent in Philadelphia. Iverson was an enigma, a guy who could win a game with his shooting and might cost his team a victory by taking difficult shots. A guy who fought with coaches but to my knowledge never read of any disagreements with teammates. At his size he should have been a point guard but was a shooting guard for his career. Pound for pound he might be the toughest player ever. Never did we experience him hesitate or be afraid to drive the lane. The stats say one thing but this we believe A.I. was probably no taller than 5-11 and weighed in at maybe 155 pounds.
Would a player his size be afraid to drive the lane, probably most that size but not A.I., he thrived on the contact in the paint. He will forever be remembered for his quote when questioned by a reporter. * “Man look, I hear you... it's funny to me too, I mean it's strange... it's strange to me too, but we're talking about practice man, we're not even talking about the game... the actual game, when it matters... We're talking about practice …” Does the Basketball Hall of Fame lie in his future? I cannot say for sure just provide you a statement I once made. A friend asked if Dennis Rodman would ever be elected to the Hall. I said “no, he (Rodman) was too one dimensional just a rebound specialist. “ As you are aware I called that one incorrectly. *Wikipedia
Why worry about a nickname?
Did you hear this story, a footballer at the NFL Combine claims he had been nicknamed Black Mamba “long” before Kobe Bryant. There is no copyright infringement issue as far as I know however there is a larger predicament. This pre-drafted rookie needs to worry about being drafted first and secondly hope he makes the final cut of some NFL team. If he accomplishes those goals then maybe he can fight Kobe over the nickname.
Bits n Pieces
Coming into the season we knew the Clippers were better than the Lakers. A
142-94 is the cap on a pathetic season. Losing is one thing; losing by 48 points is unacceptable. I cannot wait for Mike D’Antoni to leave.
Remember Royce White and his aversion to flying? The Kings have signed him to a 10-day contract, are the Kings going to by him a bus or Amtrak ticket? If you have a job that requires travel by air you better figure out a method to there.
What is wrong with many of today’s fans, a number believe they can walk on the court whenever or for whatever reason they believe. Thursday night an individual a Cal Santa Barbara tee shirt comes rushing onto the court. He confronts the Hawaii coach and then gestures toward a Hawaii player (backing up) as if he‘s ready for a fight. Could we foresee a Hawaii player hitting the guy the guy sues Hawaii, the coach and the player, it didn’t happen but it could.
You can get there from here but you might not always be successful. The idea with tanking can be applied with the prior sentence. Ask the Celtics at the time they attempted to draft Tim Duncan, how did that work out for them? The 76ers should be investigated by the NBA.
Jabari Parker says he’s not made up his mind yet. Andrew Wiggins claims the year went too quick. We can’t read too much into either statement we can guess. Parker is unsure if he will head for the NBA or remain at Duke, as for Wiggins he’s history at Kansas.
Tony Kornheiser
Pointed out a fact known of us probably realized, “for the first time in NBA history the Celtics, Lakers, 76ers and Knicks will all miss the playoffs. This has never happened in NBA history these storied franchises all missing the playoffs in the same season.” For you historians the Celtics franchise first played in 1946 the 76ers took the court for the first time as the Syracuse Nats the same year. The Lakers beginning year was 1947 and the city was Minneapolis. The Knicks remain in the city of their 1946 birth New York City.
A.I.
Over a recent weekend the 76ers retired Allen Iverson’s number 3. Although he played for a number of NBA teams’ the 76ers drafted him and his best years were spent in Philadelphia. Iverson was an enigma, a guy who could win a game with his shooting and might cost his team a victory by taking difficult shots. A guy who fought with coaches but to my knowledge never read of any disagreements with teammates. At his size he should have been a point guard but was a shooting guard for his career. Pound for pound he might be the toughest player ever. Never did we experience him hesitate or be afraid to drive the lane. The stats say one thing but this we believe A.I. was probably no taller than 5-11 and weighed in at maybe 155 pounds.
Would a player his size be afraid to drive the lane, probably most that size but not A.I., he thrived on the contact in the paint. He will forever be remembered for his quote when questioned by a reporter. * “Man look, I hear you... it's funny to me too, I mean it's strange... it's strange to me too, but we're talking about practice man, we're not even talking about the game... the actual game, when it matters... We're talking about practice …” Does the Basketball Hall of Fame lie in his future? I cannot say for sure just provide you a statement I once made. A friend asked if Dennis Rodman would ever be elected to the Hall. I said “no, he (Rodman) was too one dimensional just a rebound specialist. “ As you are aware I called that one incorrectly. *Wikipedia
Why worry about a nickname?
Did you hear this story, a footballer at the NFL Combine claims he had been nicknamed Black Mamba “long” before Kobe Bryant. There is no copyright infringement issue as far as I know however there is a larger predicament. This pre-drafted rookie needs to worry about being drafted first and secondly hope he makes the final cut of some NFL team. If he accomplishes those goals then maybe he can fight Kobe over the nickname.
Bits n Pieces
Coming into the season we knew the Clippers were better than the Lakers. A
142-94 is the cap on a pathetic season. Losing is one thing; losing by 48 points is unacceptable. I cannot wait for Mike D’Antoni to leave.
Remember Royce White and his aversion to flying? The Kings have signed him to a 10-day contract, are the Kings going to by him a bus or Amtrak ticket? If you have a job that requires travel by air you better figure out a method to there.
What is wrong with many of today’s fans, a number believe they can walk on the court whenever or for whatever reason they believe. Thursday night an individual a Cal Santa Barbara tee shirt comes rushing onto the court. He confronts the Hawaii coach and then gestures toward a Hawaii player (backing up) as if he‘s ready for a fight. Could we foresee a Hawaii player hitting the guy the guy sues Hawaii, the coach and the player, it didn’t happen but it could.
You can get there from here but you might not always be successful. The idea with tanking can be applied with the prior sentence. Ask the Celtics at the time they attempted to draft Tim Duncan, how did that work out for them? The 76ers should be investigated by the NBA.
Friday, March 7, 2014
The playing field is level
We had this information previously but needed a reminder. Division I basketball has a distinct advantage over football. Wichita State has a chance to win the 2014 NCAA Basketball Championship. The school no longer plays football however a number of their Missouri Valley foes compete in the sport. Missouri State, Illinois State and Drake battle at the NCAA Division 1-AA football level. These schools despite their won-loss record would never ever be invited to any major bowl games.
They are really bad
I bet the fans in Philly were aware of this fact, as this is written the 76ers have lost 15 games in a row. Even more interesting most folks believed the Bucks were the worst team in the NBA and they might be. You certainly couldn‘t tell it by the 76ers losing streak. The Bucks have won 12 games thus far; the 76ers in the middle of this streak have won 15 games.
Sad and no excuse
The term student-athlete does not apply to the entire team of basketball players at Chicago’s Curie High. The school held a 24 and 1 record and had won the city championship. It was discovered seven of the teams’ players were deemed academically ineligible. Seven members must constitute half of the teams’ roster, how in the world could such a significant number of players be declared ineligible?
The Illinois State High School Association voided their record and the school is now 0-25. There is enough adult blame from the coaching staff up to the schools administration. Participating in high school sports is important to vast numbers of young men. Is it so important that adults are willing to abdicate their common sense? The question, which is more important to this inner-city school a winning basketball team or academics? I think we have the answer at least at Curie.
Why one over the other?
I’m sure the question is asked; “why is Larry Laker defending Frank Haith yet calling for Mike D’Antoni to be fired?” The coaching situations are quite different, allow me to briefly explain. The key factor with the Lakers is injuries which certainly must factor into the teams won-loss record. The Lakers have certainly had more than their share. My chief concerns D’Antoni constantly changing the lineup (excluding injury/illness), his insistent on playing “small-ball” which has mixed results. For the first team in ages the Lakers will qualify as a lottery team, they have become a shadow of their former self. This is not the first Laker team to experience a losing season however they might finish close to the worst ever. I consulted team records and discovered the 1957-58 “Minneapolis” Lakers finished the season 19-53 the worst in history, this years team is 20-39 as this is written.
Now we turn to Frank Haith, this year has certainly been a disappointment to Mizzou faithful. Despite that fact Mizzou has a winning record (20-9, 8-8 conference). Haith has a winning record at Mizzou but has been unable to advance successfully in the NCAA post season. Haiths’ record at Mizzou, 30-5, 23-11 and as noted 20-9 to this point. My concerns with this Tiger team, talented in the backcourt but little frontcourt spark. In addition far too much 1 on 1 basketball at times, is the coach to blame for this lackluster play? My answer is in the affirmative but change is forthcoming. It’s my belief there are two or three “knuckleheads” who will exit stage left after the season. The team will lose some of its offensive punch next season however I believe might be more cohesive team. Lionell Hollins, George Karl or the Van Gundy brothers are available to replace D’Antoni who’s available to replace Frank Haith?
Expected in one sport yet criticized in the other
Basketball in all forms is my sport, I follow the sport to the degree I virtually ignored other major sports. I’m even unsure if I have a second favoriteThe Today Show; video was run showing an NHL official slugged attempting to break up a fight. I’ve often questioned why is fighting justified in the NHL but frowned on in college or the NBA? The Malice in the Palace doesn’t count because it occurred between fans and players. Most interesting to me I hear fans of the NHL defend game fights. Please don't get me wrong I don't believe it's okay to fight in basketball it's just funny how our perspectives are different for one sport over the other, what do you think?
We had this information previously but needed a reminder. Division I basketball has a distinct advantage over football. Wichita State has a chance to win the 2014 NCAA Basketball Championship. The school no longer plays football however a number of their Missouri Valley foes compete in the sport. Missouri State, Illinois State and Drake battle at the NCAA Division 1-AA football level. These schools despite their won-loss record would never ever be invited to any major bowl games.
They are really bad
I bet the fans in Philly were aware of this fact, as this is written the 76ers have lost 15 games in a row. Even more interesting most folks believed the Bucks were the worst team in the NBA and they might be. You certainly couldn‘t tell it by the 76ers losing streak. The Bucks have won 12 games thus far; the 76ers in the middle of this streak have won 15 games.
Sad and no excuse
The term student-athlete does not apply to the entire team of basketball players at Chicago’s Curie High. The school held a 24 and 1 record and had won the city championship. It was discovered seven of the teams’ players were deemed academically ineligible. Seven members must constitute half of the teams’ roster, how in the world could such a significant number of players be declared ineligible?
The Illinois State High School Association voided their record and the school is now 0-25. There is enough adult blame from the coaching staff up to the schools administration. Participating in high school sports is important to vast numbers of young men. Is it so important that adults are willing to abdicate their common sense? The question, which is more important to this inner-city school a winning basketball team or academics? I think we have the answer at least at Curie.
Why one over the other?
I’m sure the question is asked; “why is Larry Laker defending Frank Haith yet calling for Mike D’Antoni to be fired?” The coaching situations are quite different, allow me to briefly explain. The key factor with the Lakers is injuries which certainly must factor into the teams won-loss record. The Lakers have certainly had more than their share. My chief concerns D’Antoni constantly changing the lineup (excluding injury/illness), his insistent on playing “small-ball” which has mixed results. For the first team in ages the Lakers will qualify as a lottery team, they have become a shadow of their former self. This is not the first Laker team to experience a losing season however they might finish close to the worst ever. I consulted team records and discovered the 1957-58 “Minneapolis” Lakers finished the season 19-53 the worst in history, this years team is 20-39 as this is written.
Now we turn to Frank Haith, this year has certainly been a disappointment to Mizzou faithful. Despite that fact Mizzou has a winning record (20-9, 8-8 conference). Haith has a winning record at Mizzou but has been unable to advance successfully in the NCAA post season. Haiths’ record at Mizzou, 30-5, 23-11 and as noted 20-9 to this point. My concerns with this Tiger team, talented in the backcourt but little frontcourt spark. In addition far too much 1 on 1 basketball at times, is the coach to blame for this lackluster play? My answer is in the affirmative but change is forthcoming. It’s my belief there are two or three “knuckleheads” who will exit stage left after the season. The team will lose some of its offensive punch next season however I believe might be more cohesive team. Lionell Hollins, George Karl or the Van Gundy brothers are available to replace D’Antoni who’s available to replace Frank Haith?
Expected in one sport yet criticized in the other
Basketball in all forms is my sport, I follow the sport to the degree I virtually ignored other major sports. I’m even unsure if I have a second favoriteThe Today Show; video was run showing an NHL official slugged attempting to break up a fight. I’ve often questioned why is fighting justified in the NHL but frowned on in college or the NBA? The Malice in the Palace doesn’t count because it occurred between fans and players. Most interesting to me I hear fans of the NHL defend game fights. Please don't get me wrong I don't believe it's okay to fight in basketball it's just funny how our perspectives are different for one sport over the other, what do you think?
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Pleasantly surprised
I don’t believe anyone will mistake the Western Athletic Conference for the ACC or Big 10. Many questioned how the University of Missouri-Kansas City would adjust to the more competitive WAC. First-year Coach Kareem Richardson is on his way to turning the program around for the Kansas City school. UMKC is 9-18 overall, 6-8 in the conference. So far the school is hanging on, fifth place in a nine team conference. The schools first year in the WAC has been quite interesting much better than many expected.
Bits n Pieces
During the Whitney Young-Prime Prep basketball telecast one of the ESPN commentators was discussing Jahil Okafor of Whitney Young. He said; “Coach K. has never had a player of his caliber.” I believe he was referring to Okafor as a true center, 6-11 and 270 pounds he may be the best big man ever to play at Duke.
The Steve Nash experiment with the Laker is likely over and it's become that---an experiment. He’s likely to miss the balance of the season. Nash played 50 of 82 games last season, so far he’s played in 10 this season
Michael Jordan retired for a second time in 2003. His retirement didn’t prevent Nike from release of new Air Jordan’s periodically. Reebok must be following in the same manner. They have made available The Kamikaze the model Sean Kemp wore as a member of the Sonics. Not a Kemp fan how about Shaquille O’Neal? As a rookie and through his first few years in the NBA Shaq was a Reebok man. His Shaq Attaq model is also available once again.
The Nets intend to sign Jason Collins to a second 10-day contract. Injuries to the Nets big men indicate its likely Collins may finish the season with them. I believe eroding skills and age played a key role in Collins not being signed until the second half of the season.
He can’t get a job
On occasion Isiah Thomas shows up on NBA TV as a studio analyst. That appears to be the only job he’s held since he was terminated as FIU head coach. Thomas has continued campaigning for a job but no one appears to be listening. "Piston for life” Thomas was to be hired for a front office position once he retired, the job offer never occurred. In 2009 Piston owner Bill Davidson who was reported to have made the offer died. In 2011 a new owner Tom Gore purchased the team from Davidson’s widow.
In recent weeks Thomas met with Gore and stories begin circulating the Pistons were going to hire him. The report was quickly quashed by Piston management with an indication the meeting had nothing to do with hiring Thomas. As for Thomas I’ve mellowed my commentary, his past career might be a double-edged razor. He may have received too much blame for some past difficulties and too much credit for others. No NBA team appears to be willing to hire him in any capacity, has Thomas been ostracized by the NBA?
African talent
Joel Embiid is headed to the NBA, this is no prediction of future stardom for this native of Cameroon just a fact. Embiid is certainly not the first athlete to emerge from the African continent. I think we can agree the best athlete to date must be Hakeem Olajuwon from Nigeria. Olajuwon played his college ball at the University of Houston along with Clyde Drexler and was part of that Phi Slama Jama crew. Olajuwon spent the bulk of his career with the Rockets; he managed a Basketball Hall of Fame career. Next up might be Dikembe Mutombo known primarily as a defensive specialist who on occasion could score. Mutombo became identified with wagging his finger after blocking a shot “not in my house.” The NBA eventually banned his finger wagging considering it a taunt. Mutombo from the Democratic Republic of the Congo played his college ball at Georgetown. A number of Africans have managed NBA careers; they have come to the NBA from 10 African nations:
Senegal
Nigeria
Cameroon
Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
South Sudan
Tanzania
Egypt
Gabon
Mali
I don’t believe anyone will mistake the Western Athletic Conference for the ACC or Big 10. Many questioned how the University of Missouri-Kansas City would adjust to the more competitive WAC. First-year Coach Kareem Richardson is on his way to turning the program around for the Kansas City school. UMKC is 9-18 overall, 6-8 in the conference. So far the school is hanging on, fifth place in a nine team conference. The schools first year in the WAC has been quite interesting much better than many expected.
Bits n Pieces
During the Whitney Young-Prime Prep basketball telecast one of the ESPN commentators was discussing Jahil Okafor of Whitney Young. He said; “Coach K. has never had a player of his caliber.” I believe he was referring to Okafor as a true center, 6-11 and 270 pounds he may be the best big man ever to play at Duke.
The Steve Nash experiment with the Laker is likely over and it's become that---an experiment. He’s likely to miss the balance of the season. Nash played 50 of 82 games last season, so far he’s played in 10 this season
Michael Jordan retired for a second time in 2003. His retirement didn’t prevent Nike from release of new Air Jordan’s periodically. Reebok must be following in the same manner. They have made available The Kamikaze the model Sean Kemp wore as a member of the Sonics. Not a Kemp fan how about Shaquille O’Neal? As a rookie and through his first few years in the NBA Shaq was a Reebok man. His Shaq Attaq model is also available once again.
The Nets intend to sign Jason Collins to a second 10-day contract. Injuries to the Nets big men indicate its likely Collins may finish the season with them. I believe eroding skills and age played a key role in Collins not being signed until the second half of the season.
He can’t get a job
On occasion Isiah Thomas shows up on NBA TV as a studio analyst. That appears to be the only job he’s held since he was terminated as FIU head coach. Thomas has continued campaigning for a job but no one appears to be listening. "Piston for life” Thomas was to be hired for a front office position once he retired, the job offer never occurred. In 2009 Piston owner Bill Davidson who was reported to have made the offer died. In 2011 a new owner Tom Gore purchased the team from Davidson’s widow.
In recent weeks Thomas met with Gore and stories begin circulating the Pistons were going to hire him. The report was quickly quashed by Piston management with an indication the meeting had nothing to do with hiring Thomas. As for Thomas I’ve mellowed my commentary, his past career might be a double-edged razor. He may have received too much blame for some past difficulties and too much credit for others. No NBA team appears to be willing to hire him in any capacity, has Thomas been ostracized by the NBA?
African talent
Joel Embiid is headed to the NBA, this is no prediction of future stardom for this native of Cameroon just a fact. Embiid is certainly not the first athlete to emerge from the African continent. I think we can agree the best athlete to date must be Hakeem Olajuwon from Nigeria. Olajuwon played his college ball at the University of Houston along with Clyde Drexler and was part of that Phi Slama Jama crew. Olajuwon spent the bulk of his career with the Rockets; he managed a Basketball Hall of Fame career. Next up might be Dikembe Mutombo known primarily as a defensive specialist who on occasion could score. Mutombo became identified with wagging his finger after blocking a shot “not in my house.” The NBA eventually banned his finger wagging considering it a taunt. Mutombo from the Democratic Republic of the Congo played his college ball at Georgetown. A number of Africans have managed NBA careers; they have come to the NBA from 10 African nations:
Senegal
Nigeria
Cameroon
Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
South Sudan
Tanzania
Egypt
Gabon
Mali
Monday, March 3, 2014
Make no mistake
A 14 point 7 rebound game really is not particulalry noteworthy. No one will mistake Keanu Post for the second coming of Kareem Abdul Jabbar or Hakeem Olajuwon. The modest numbers he contributed may possibly be a beginning for Mizzou center Post. When he arrived from Southwestern Illinois Community College it was believed he would add scoring and rebounding to Mizzou’s frontline. Instead of finding time on the floor the 6-11 255 center experienced more difficulty removing the splinters from his butt. The splinters due to time spent on the bench, he was only playing limited minutes. First of all Mississippi State is no powerhouse, in addition Post didn’t even start the game. He came off the bench in a relief role; it will be noteworthy if he manages significant minutes over the remainder of the season.
To tweet or not to tweet
Have you noticed several college coaches are expressing issues with their players sending out tweets? I’m not focusing on Marcus Smart however he’s been guilty of responding to tweets regarding his play. Last season Kansas Coach Bill Self was forced to address Tyson Taylor tweets the player sent last season. It’s not just basketball players, we’ve witnessed adult celebrities who tweeted poorly worded messages which they later expressed regret. Their manager or maybe they realized how stupid their comment sounded. If adults are guilty what should we expect from an 18 or 19-year old man? We might come to a period of time coaches will ban their players from tweeting.
I have an opinion here
Unlike the report above this time I will express an opinion. The gun story (if true) surrounding Knick point guard Raymond Felton should be dealt with swiftly in an appropriate manner. As this is written I’m unsure of the civil proceedings but a suspension of some sort should be forthcoming from the NBA office. What I don’t know are the civil penalties, is jail time a possibility? I repeat my earlier statement if Felton is judged guilty he should be mandated to attend anger management classes either by civil authorities or the NBA.
Let’s not kid ourselves
An Ivy League education and the NBA, that‘s been the case for Jeremy Lin Rockets point guard. Lin is not the focus of this account rather it’s his coach. Question, is a coach capable of winning in the Ivy League on a regular basis? Consider this there are no athletic scholarships and no ability to red-shirt athletes. Coach Tommy Amaker has been successful at Harvard without the aids many of his coaching compatriots have at their disposal. Amaker has generated a winning attitude since his arrive in 2007. Check out the won-loss record of the school since his hire:
2007-08 8-22
2008-09 14-14
2009-10 21-7
2010-11 23-7
2011-12 26-5
2012-13 20-10
2013-14 24-4 (through weekend games)
His name is the same as the band
33 is the jersey number of center Zach Brown, he may not be aware of the significance of 33 in basketball history. That number was worn by one of the all-time great big man to play the game, Kareem Abdul Jabbar. I must also temper reports on youth athletes, don’t misunderstand my intent I’m certainly not stating he is the second coming of Abdul Jabbar. Brown at 7 feet 1 and 255 pounds has continued to exhibit his talent at the high school and AAU level. Brown is averaging 18.4 points and 16.5 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game. Oh, did I forget to mention this budding talent is a high school freshman, he plays for Miami Beach High School, Miami Beach (FL).
The regular season is meaningless
Once upon a time regular season conference play was considered very significant, coaches were removed based on their teams play. Over the last several years selection to the NCAA tourney has become the barometer on a coach and his team’s success (or lack of). There were few if any post-season tournaments impacting the ability of a team to be selected for the NCAA post-season tourney. A team finished in first place and that was it. One year USC lost two games in an outstanding season, the problem they lost both games to powerhouse UCLA. With no post-season tournament the only option for USC was an NIT invite. No big deal because at that time the NIT Tournament was on the same prestige level of the NCAA event.
Why you might ask, the NCAA tourney resembled nothing like that of today. Only 32 teams were invited unlike the 68 who make the field today. Expansion has resulted in at least two problems; expansion has lessened the importance of a teams regular season play. Example Mizzou will win 20+ games for the 3rd year under Frank Haith yet there is fan talk of him being fired. The chief reason is the team will likely miss the NCAA tourney. Don’t misunderstand its important for a variety of reasons a team makes the NCAA. Missing the tourney is not the end of the world for any team. The other issue the increased number of teams in the NCAA has caused the NIT to be viewed in a less viable light. As I mentioned earlier expansion of the NCAA has downgraded the NIT in the eyes of many, in fact cynics have dubbed the NIT the Not Invited Tournament.
A 14 point 7 rebound game really is not particulalry noteworthy. No one will mistake Keanu Post for the second coming of Kareem Abdul Jabbar or Hakeem Olajuwon. The modest numbers he contributed may possibly be a beginning for Mizzou center Post. When he arrived from Southwestern Illinois Community College it was believed he would add scoring and rebounding to Mizzou’s frontline. Instead of finding time on the floor the 6-11 255 center experienced more difficulty removing the splinters from his butt. The splinters due to time spent on the bench, he was only playing limited minutes. First of all Mississippi State is no powerhouse, in addition Post didn’t even start the game. He came off the bench in a relief role; it will be noteworthy if he manages significant minutes over the remainder of the season.
To tweet or not to tweet
Have you noticed several college coaches are expressing issues with their players sending out tweets? I’m not focusing on Marcus Smart however he’s been guilty of responding to tweets regarding his play. Last season Kansas Coach Bill Self was forced to address Tyson Taylor tweets the player sent last season. It’s not just basketball players, we’ve witnessed adult celebrities who tweeted poorly worded messages which they later expressed regret. Their manager or maybe they realized how stupid their comment sounded. If adults are guilty what should we expect from an 18 or 19-year old man? We might come to a period of time coaches will ban their players from tweeting.
I have an opinion here
Unlike the report above this time I will express an opinion. The gun story (if true) surrounding Knick point guard Raymond Felton should be dealt with swiftly in an appropriate manner. As this is written I’m unsure of the civil proceedings but a suspension of some sort should be forthcoming from the NBA office. What I don’t know are the civil penalties, is jail time a possibility? I repeat my earlier statement if Felton is judged guilty he should be mandated to attend anger management classes either by civil authorities or the NBA.
Let’s not kid ourselves
An Ivy League education and the NBA, that‘s been the case for Jeremy Lin Rockets point guard. Lin is not the focus of this account rather it’s his coach. Question, is a coach capable of winning in the Ivy League on a regular basis? Consider this there are no athletic scholarships and no ability to red-shirt athletes. Coach Tommy Amaker has been successful at Harvard without the aids many of his coaching compatriots have at their disposal. Amaker has generated a winning attitude since his arrive in 2007. Check out the won-loss record of the school since his hire:
2007-08 8-22
2008-09 14-14
2009-10 21-7
2010-11 23-7
2011-12 26-5
2012-13 20-10
2013-14 24-4 (through weekend games)
His name is the same as the band
33 is the jersey number of center Zach Brown, he may not be aware of the significance of 33 in basketball history. That number was worn by one of the all-time great big man to play the game, Kareem Abdul Jabbar. I must also temper reports on youth athletes, don’t misunderstand my intent I’m certainly not stating he is the second coming of Abdul Jabbar. Brown at 7 feet 1 and 255 pounds has continued to exhibit his talent at the high school and AAU level. Brown is averaging 18.4 points and 16.5 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game. Oh, did I forget to mention this budding talent is a high school freshman, he plays for Miami Beach High School, Miami Beach (FL).
The regular season is meaningless
Once upon a time regular season conference play was considered very significant, coaches were removed based on their teams play. Over the last several years selection to the NCAA tourney has become the barometer on a coach and his team’s success (or lack of). There were few if any post-season tournaments impacting the ability of a team to be selected for the NCAA post-season tourney. A team finished in first place and that was it. One year USC lost two games in an outstanding season, the problem they lost both games to powerhouse UCLA. With no post-season tournament the only option for USC was an NIT invite. No big deal because at that time the NIT Tournament was on the same prestige level of the NCAA event.
Why you might ask, the NCAA tourney resembled nothing like that of today. Only 32 teams were invited unlike the 68 who make the field today. Expansion has resulted in at least two problems; expansion has lessened the importance of a teams regular season play. Example Mizzou will win 20+ games for the 3rd year under Frank Haith yet there is fan talk of him being fired. The chief reason is the team will likely miss the NCAA tourney. Don’t misunderstand its important for a variety of reasons a team makes the NCAA. Missing the tourney is not the end of the world for any team. The other issue the increased number of teams in the NCAA has caused the NIT to be viewed in a less viable light. As I mentioned earlier expansion of the NCAA has downgraded the NIT in the eyes of many, in fact cynics have dubbed the NIT the Not Invited Tournament.
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