What about the NBA?
I believe we are curious how the NBA deals with domestic violence issues. Although many have been critical in the manner the NFL has addressed the issue it impacts all levels of sport. Over the summer former Heat center Greg Oden was arrested for an altercation with a former girl friend, there is a pending trial date for him. Last week the Charlotte Hornets Jeff Taylor was recently arrested on a domestic abuse charge. I’m very anxious to see how the NBA handles both cases in lieu of the NFL’s Ray Rice. A fact to keep in mind Oden is on no teams’ roster so it‘s possible his will be strictly a civil decision. .
Bits n Pieces
Say What!!!! It’s been reported Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has banned anyone associated with the team from owning Apple products. Although Ballmer is no longer part of Microsoft he still remains loyal to his former company an interesting development.
Is Erik Spoelstra a clone of Pat Riley? Stephen A. Smith hinted as much on his ESPN program First Take. After appearing to struggle at times when he first became coach I guess Smith (and me) believe he’s become a good coach. If you say he was
out-coached by Gregg Popovich last June how many other coaches have also lost matched against Pop?
Will the Kansas Jayhawks face “real” competition in the Big XII conference race this season? Baylor (26 wins) and Iowa State (28 wins) both finished ahead of the Jayhawks in the win column. Despite the aforementioned fact the Jayhawks were regular season champs for the umpteenth (is that a word?) time.
This is different; Laker rookie Julius Randle will wear jersey number 30 this season. His dad or big brother didn’t wear the number; it’s not even the number of his favorite player it belonged to his mom. See mom wore number 30 when she played for the University of Texas-Arlington.
I’m excited
I’m excited about the NBA; the best rookie crop in recent memory might be at play. Everybody focused on the Class of 1984 due to its Hall of Fame players, Jordan, Stockton, Barkley and Olajuwon. A significant number in that class might not have been accorded Hall of Fame honors but certainly had quality NBA careers. We have no idea if the 2014 NBA Class will rival the 1984 Class but it’s exciting to speculate. Wiggins, Parker, Exum and others will hopefully contribute to a continuing exciting NBA.
No sympathy from me
The Warriors released the preliminary design of the new arena to be built in San Francisco. Naturally it brought about negative comments from a number of people. One writer stated; “The East Bay has supported the Warriors when they were crappy, now that they are winning they move to San Francisco.” I can understand the comment of this fan however he receives no sympathy from me. Unless his employment is directly related to the Oracle Arena I fail to see the problem. Hey fella your team is moving across the bay which might entail additional drive to attend a game. My former home town team made a 1,800 mile move from Kansas City to Sacramento
Reason #1 why I love college basketball
College football is different from college basketball, the field is wide open. As an example last spring Wichita State finished its regular season with a 34-0 record. They were selected as one of the 68 teams to compete for the NCAA Championship. In some circles Wichita State is considered a mid-major, a notch below a UCLA or a Duke. Despite this the Shockers competed in the tourney. We’d never witness a mid-major football team playing in the Rose, Cotton or Orange Bowl. The field or should I say court is level in college basketball.
Friday, September 26, 2014
I wonder
The Lakers as with most NBA teams invite a number of players to camp. The majority of invitees fail to earn a roster spot however that’s not always been the case. There have been instances a player has distinguished himself enough in camp to earn a contract and gain a roster position. That brings us to one of the invited Lakers, Jeremy Tyler. Tyler made basketball news several years ago when he decided to follow the route of Brandon Jennings. Jennings after signing a letter of intent chose to forsake college in order to play professionally overseas. Jennings returned home and was drafted by the Bucks in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Tyler actually went one better than Jennings he skipped his senior year of high school to play professionally. After playing two years the first in Israel and later Japan he returned to the USA. In the 2011 NBA Draft the Bobcats (Hornets now) chose Tyler and since that time his NBA career has been up and down. With all the time past Tyler is still only 23 years of age; can this 6-10 250 pound power forward gain a roster position with the Lakers? Despite the P-O-T-E--N-T-I-A-L many believed Tyler once held time is running out for him to distinguish himself.
To hair or not to hair
Recently we began to hear or read comments regarding LeBron James hair. It was quite evident last season his hair was thinning on top. He now has hair in the front portion of his head in the area that had become thin. To hair or not to hair is the question, is it really that important? It’s been reported the first basketball player to appear with a shaven head had a similar dilemma. If you check out photos or video of young Michael Jordan you will note early in his Bulls career he had hair. His hair was closely cut but hair was visible it was only later he began having his head shaved.
Jordan actually set the trend for basketball players; there may have been players with shaved heads however I don’t remember any prior to Jordan’s arrival. Balding is natural for a significant number of adult males, has hair (or lack of it) affected careers in fields other than basketball? How about the entertainment industry, does hair or the lack there of influence a career? Musician, writer and producer Isaac Hayes had a long stellar career prior to his death. Actors Yul Brenner and Telly Savalas shaved heads never appeared to impact their movie or television careers. How about the Die Hard guy Bruce Willis, he began his career with hair but has been clean shaven for a number of years. Finally we come to Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, don’t think he’s done too badly career wise for himself. As for someone with thinning hair I certainly would never criticize or make fun on what LeBron’s done with his hair.
Bits n Pieces
I will re-state an earlier stance I’d taken; the NCAA requires a major fix. Several might assume I’m on the side of “pay for play” for athletes. That is not the case I believe there are far too many hot-button issues to fully detail paying athletes in the limited space here. Let’s just say reform the NCAA, I vote yes and pay for play I abstain for now.
The NBA ready arena in Kansas City is a definite revenue generator. Forbes estimates Sprint Center is the 8th largest earnings producer in the nation. Sprint finished ahead of The Palace of Auburn Hills, American Airlines Arena and Prudential Center, two arenas with NBA teams and the other an NHL team.
Tell me something I didn’t already know. A special gold patch will be added to the back collar of NBA Champion teams. Teams with multiple championships the patch will contain the number of championships won. The Thunder announced they would not add a gold patch to their jerseys. Wasn’t one of the conditions of sale the Sonics brand and records would remain in Seattle, the Thunder would be considered a new franchise.
It was recently brought to my attention rapper/entertainer/entrepreneur Nelly said; “Nobody wants to play with Kobe.” I have three views of his statement I‘ll share. 1. Nelly is a fan pure and simple. 2. If Nelly played at an NBA level there might be degree of credibility in the statement. 3. Why do entertainers continue to believe their political/sports views influence us.
A San Francisco website detailed the initial designs for the new Warriors arena. The arena will be constructed in the Mission Bay area Southeast Plaza at Terry Francois and 16th Street, the 18,000 seat arena has a 2018 planned opening. This is the second site chosen after environmentalist expressed concerns regarding the original site.
Home of basketball
There are a number of urban settings that qualify as the home of basketball. This has nothing to do with the fact of where the game was invented, rather a city that develops high school talent which translates to college and then the NBA. There was a time period we’d point our finger at New York City on the map but that’s now necessarily true these days. Oh sure the five boroughs and surrounding metro continues to produce talent however there are others.
How about including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco/Oakland and Dallas in the discussion. We could add Houston and the entire State of Florida. If your city was omitted it’s strictly an oversight on my part, there is another metro area to consider. The metro overlooked is Toronto; yes the area has become a hotbed of high school basketball. Naturally that translates to college and eventually to the NBA. The last two NBA draft choices are from Toronto, 2013 number one pick Anthony Bennett and 2014 number one Andrew Wiggins.
The Lakers as with most NBA teams invite a number of players to camp. The majority of invitees fail to earn a roster spot however that’s not always been the case. There have been instances a player has distinguished himself enough in camp to earn a contract and gain a roster position. That brings us to one of the invited Lakers, Jeremy Tyler. Tyler made basketball news several years ago when he decided to follow the route of Brandon Jennings. Jennings after signing a letter of intent chose to forsake college in order to play professionally overseas. Jennings returned home and was drafted by the Bucks in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Tyler actually went one better than Jennings he skipped his senior year of high school to play professionally. After playing two years the first in Israel and later Japan he returned to the USA. In the 2011 NBA Draft the Bobcats (Hornets now) chose Tyler and since that time his NBA career has been up and down. With all the time past Tyler is still only 23 years of age; can this 6-10 250 pound power forward gain a roster position with the Lakers? Despite the P-O-T-E--N-T-I-A-L many believed Tyler once held time is running out for him to distinguish himself.
To hair or not to hair
Recently we began to hear or read comments regarding LeBron James hair. It was quite evident last season his hair was thinning on top. He now has hair in the front portion of his head in the area that had become thin. To hair or not to hair is the question, is it really that important? It’s been reported the first basketball player to appear with a shaven head had a similar dilemma. If you check out photos or video of young Michael Jordan you will note early in his Bulls career he had hair. His hair was closely cut but hair was visible it was only later he began having his head shaved.
Jordan actually set the trend for basketball players; there may have been players with shaved heads however I don’t remember any prior to Jordan’s arrival. Balding is natural for a significant number of adult males, has hair (or lack of it) affected careers in fields other than basketball? How about the entertainment industry, does hair or the lack there of influence a career? Musician, writer and producer Isaac Hayes had a long stellar career prior to his death. Actors Yul Brenner and Telly Savalas shaved heads never appeared to impact their movie or television careers. How about the Die Hard guy Bruce Willis, he began his career with hair but has been clean shaven for a number of years. Finally we come to Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, don’t think he’s done too badly career wise for himself. As for someone with thinning hair I certainly would never criticize or make fun on what LeBron’s done with his hair.
Bits n Pieces
I will re-state an earlier stance I’d taken; the NCAA requires a major fix. Several might assume I’m on the side of “pay for play” for athletes. That is not the case I believe there are far too many hot-button issues to fully detail paying athletes in the limited space here. Let’s just say reform the NCAA, I vote yes and pay for play I abstain for now.
The NBA ready arena in Kansas City is a definite revenue generator. Forbes estimates Sprint Center is the 8th largest earnings producer in the nation. Sprint finished ahead of The Palace of Auburn Hills, American Airlines Arena and Prudential Center, two arenas with NBA teams and the other an NHL team.
Tell me something I didn’t already know. A special gold patch will be added to the back collar of NBA Champion teams. Teams with multiple championships the patch will contain the number of championships won. The Thunder announced they would not add a gold patch to their jerseys. Wasn’t one of the conditions of sale the Sonics brand and records would remain in Seattle, the Thunder would be considered a new franchise.
It was recently brought to my attention rapper/entertainer/entrepreneur Nelly said; “Nobody wants to play with Kobe.” I have three views of his statement I‘ll share. 1. Nelly is a fan pure and simple. 2. If Nelly played at an NBA level there might be degree of credibility in the statement. 3. Why do entertainers continue to believe their political/sports views influence us.
A San Francisco website detailed the initial designs for the new Warriors arena. The arena will be constructed in the Mission Bay area Southeast Plaza at Terry Francois and 16th Street, the 18,000 seat arena has a 2018 planned opening. This is the second site chosen after environmentalist expressed concerns regarding the original site.
Home of basketball
There are a number of urban settings that qualify as the home of basketball. This has nothing to do with the fact of where the game was invented, rather a city that develops high school talent which translates to college and then the NBA. There was a time period we’d point our finger at New York City on the map but that’s now necessarily true these days. Oh sure the five boroughs and surrounding metro continues to produce talent however there are others.
How about including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco/Oakland and Dallas in the discussion. We could add Houston and the entire State of Florida. If your city was omitted it’s strictly an oversight on my part, there is another metro area to consider. The metro overlooked is Toronto; yes the area has become a hotbed of high school basketball. Naturally that translates to college and eventually to the NBA. The last two NBA draft choices are from Toronto, 2013 number one pick Anthony Bennett and 2014 number one Andrew Wiggins.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Bits n Pieces
Commissioner Adam Silver indicates the NBA will review its domestic violence polices based on events impacting the NFL. We can applaud the NBA; once again it’s acting rather than re-acting as the NFL has done. Roger Goodell ducked and dodged a number of media questions as skillfully as Muhammad Ali had done boxing back in the day.
Remember the Cavs fan that ran onto the court in 2013 during a game against the Heat? The sprinter wore a tee-shirt inscribed with the words; “we miss you LeBron” looking toward 2014. The fan was arrested and later banned from attending Cavs games. With the return of LeBron to Cleveland all has been forgiven the edict baring the fan has been lifted.
Are you familiar with the Yankee Conference or maybe the Great Midwest Conference?
How about the Southwest Conference or the Gulf State, these are four of the 21 conferences no longer in existence. Interesting the Big 8 Conference was listed as one of the defunct conferences. The Big 8 actually morphed into the Big XII when Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor were added. courtesy-basketball reference.com
Wichita State versus Kansas
Surprise to most of the nations last season the best college basketball in the State of Kansas was played in Wichita and not Lawrence. It’s likely this change in the fortunes of the Jayhawk faithful was a concern. Check the record; Gregg Marshall’s Wichita State team finished 18-0 in the conference and 35-1. They lost to Kentucky 78-76 in the elite 8. As for Kansas it was 14-4 with a 25-10 overall record. The Jayhawks lost in the Sweet 16 to Michigan 87-85. Face it Kansas loyalists your basketball was not the best brand played in the state. The schools are located 160.4 road miles apart a little over 2 hour’s drive time via I-35 and I-335.
Coach Bill Self has gone on record indicating no desire to play Wichita State period. Historically Kansas basketball has remained at or near the top of the pyramid, as for Wichita State it’s been up and down. Under Marshall the team has trended upward since his arrival. His first team finished 11-20, his last three years has seen Wichita State go 27-6, 30-9 and last seasons 35-1. I’d love to see the two meet however my opinion doesn’t count I’m a Mizzou fan. I hate government involvement in these types of sports matters. The State of Kentucky had to mandate Kentucky play Louisville over threat of funding, I read a Wichita legislator is considering the same type of tactic.
Is this really surprising?
It’s been reported sleeved jerseys worn by NBA teams have not sold particularly well. We can only conclude this generation of youngsters must not be impressed with them. I’m unsure of your sentiments but I didn’t exactly find this news earth shattering. Sleeved jerseys are a throw-back to an earlier basketball era. That might lead us to speculate they would grow in popularity but that’s not the case. According to my research Evansville University began wearing sleeve jerseys in 1947 and wore them through 2002-03. For you trivia buffs long-time Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan played for the Evansville Purple Aces and wore the sleeved jersey. Oh, I almost forgot to mention he played for the Bulls.
It’s different this time
99% of the time I would believe an observation made by an NBA player would offer more credibility than mine. They play the game at a high skill level and I couldn’t earn a spot on my middle school team, I‘m just a fan. The issue of race was detailed once again this time the focus was the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks Carmelo Anthony claims “No free agents will sign with Atlanta.” Well that’s a strong statement by him and he provided no timeline on the boycott. Personally I don’t believe this scenario will play out in the manner Anthony indicates.
Agree or disagree this is not Clippers part II; Donald Sterling had a number of issues relating to the team and his real estate properties for years. Atlanta is certainly not South Beach but the area still continues to be a destination for many non-basketball players. Another response to Anthony from a fan read something like; “What free agent would head to New York with Anthony and company in place? “ His point is understandable; Anthony is tossing rocks in the direction of Atlanta but fails to look at his own team.
Upgrade time
I didn’t realize Mizzou Arena is now in its 10th year of operation. Any building in use that length of time would require an upgrade. That’s exactly what’s planned a number of enhancements to the arena. Most noticeable to fans will be an entry way upgrade and a new video scoreboard, although the board is listed at $1.5 million dollars not cost of the total construction was provided. The other upgrades will not be evident to the public. The good news on this expenditure the scoreboard will be paid by a private donor.
Commissioner Adam Silver indicates the NBA will review its domestic violence polices based on events impacting the NFL. We can applaud the NBA; once again it’s acting rather than re-acting as the NFL has done. Roger Goodell ducked and dodged a number of media questions as skillfully as Muhammad Ali had done boxing back in the day.
Remember the Cavs fan that ran onto the court in 2013 during a game against the Heat? The sprinter wore a tee-shirt inscribed with the words; “we miss you LeBron” looking toward 2014. The fan was arrested and later banned from attending Cavs games. With the return of LeBron to Cleveland all has been forgiven the edict baring the fan has been lifted.
Are you familiar with the Yankee Conference or maybe the Great Midwest Conference?
How about the Southwest Conference or the Gulf State, these are four of the 21 conferences no longer in existence. Interesting the Big 8 Conference was listed as one of the defunct conferences. The Big 8 actually morphed into the Big XII when Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor were added. courtesy-basketball reference.com
Wichita State versus Kansas
Surprise to most of the nations last season the best college basketball in the State of Kansas was played in Wichita and not Lawrence. It’s likely this change in the fortunes of the Jayhawk faithful was a concern. Check the record; Gregg Marshall’s Wichita State team finished 18-0 in the conference and 35-1. They lost to Kentucky 78-76 in the elite 8. As for Kansas it was 14-4 with a 25-10 overall record. The Jayhawks lost in the Sweet 16 to Michigan 87-85. Face it Kansas loyalists your basketball was not the best brand played in the state. The schools are located 160.4 road miles apart a little over 2 hour’s drive time via I-35 and I-335.
Coach Bill Self has gone on record indicating no desire to play Wichita State period. Historically Kansas basketball has remained at or near the top of the pyramid, as for Wichita State it’s been up and down. Under Marshall the team has trended upward since his arrival. His first team finished 11-20, his last three years has seen Wichita State go 27-6, 30-9 and last seasons 35-1. I’d love to see the two meet however my opinion doesn’t count I’m a Mizzou fan. I hate government involvement in these types of sports matters. The State of Kentucky had to mandate Kentucky play Louisville over threat of funding, I read a Wichita legislator is considering the same type of tactic.
Is this really surprising?
It’s been reported sleeved jerseys worn by NBA teams have not sold particularly well. We can only conclude this generation of youngsters must not be impressed with them. I’m unsure of your sentiments but I didn’t exactly find this news earth shattering. Sleeved jerseys are a throw-back to an earlier basketball era. That might lead us to speculate they would grow in popularity but that’s not the case. According to my research Evansville University began wearing sleeve jerseys in 1947 and wore them through 2002-03. For you trivia buffs long-time Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan played for the Evansville Purple Aces and wore the sleeved jersey. Oh, I almost forgot to mention he played for the Bulls.
It’s different this time
99% of the time I would believe an observation made by an NBA player would offer more credibility than mine. They play the game at a high skill level and I couldn’t earn a spot on my middle school team, I‘m just a fan. The issue of race was detailed once again this time the focus was the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks Carmelo Anthony claims “No free agents will sign with Atlanta.” Well that’s a strong statement by him and he provided no timeline on the boycott. Personally I don’t believe this scenario will play out in the manner Anthony indicates.
Agree or disagree this is not Clippers part II; Donald Sterling had a number of issues relating to the team and his real estate properties for years. Atlanta is certainly not South Beach but the area still continues to be a destination for many non-basketball players. Another response to Anthony from a fan read something like; “What free agent would head to New York with Anthony and company in place? “ His point is understandable; Anthony is tossing rocks in the direction of Atlanta but fails to look at his own team.
Upgrade time
I didn’t realize Mizzou Arena is now in its 10th year of operation. Any building in use that length of time would require an upgrade. That’s exactly what’s planned a number of enhancements to the arena. Most noticeable to fans will be an entry way upgrade and a new video scoreboard, although the board is listed at $1.5 million dollars not cost of the total construction was provided. The other upgrades will not be evident to the public. The good news on this expenditure the scoreboard will be paid by a private donor.
Monday, September 22, 2014
No monopoly
I’ve been highly critical of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. In truth I cannot in fairness indict an entire league for the actions of less than 1% of its players. Goodell is not guilty of domestic abuse, he is guilty of avoiding the media for over a week. The issues facing the NFL require no daily news conference however it shouldn’t appear as though its chief administrator was in hiding. Finally last Friday Goodell came out of hiding and held a press conference.
Goodell made several statements regarding change which reflected a positive tone, unfortunately he failed to answer a number of questions posed to him by members of the media. Keep this in mind the NFL has no monopoly on domestic violence, it’s occurred in all professional leagues and college too. League offices, owners, college athletic directors, coaches and civil courts must address domestic violence in a serious tone. No longer should this issue continue to be swept under the rug based on the celebrity of the individual.
This is my call
Two Mizzou basketball freshmen have been suspended for reported involvement in criminal activity. They have been suspended prior to setting foot on the floor of Mizzou arena in their first meaningful game. The two have been charged with third degree assault which according to information provided by the school is a non-felony in the State of Missouri. Everyone deserves a second chance and so do these two. The second incident they become history, Mizzou needs no “Jamesis Winston” types on the team. This is an embarrassment to the school and its program and I must call it as I see it.
I’m a little more cautious
Last year I was optimistic as the Lakers season approached. I was certainly aware Kobe Bryant would be sidelined until December or January. Despite this fact the team Mike D’Antoni had begun to assemble looked good. Too bad it was only a mirage for me and other Laker fans; sometimes what we see is not always what we get. The Lakers got off to a fairly good start in fact in late December they were hovering around the .500 mark. The roof caved in shortly thereafter and it wasn’t all the fault of Coach D’Antoni. Kobe returned earlier than expected but only played six games before succumbing to injury once again. He would be sidelined for the balance of the season and then injuries set in with various teammates. The starting lineup was often based on who was healthy as the Lakers suffered through and injury riddled season, the worst in memory.
How bad, a game against the Cavs they could only dress eight players, injuries and player fouls left them with only four players available at the end of the game. Looking back and looking ahead it appears the roster is set. The Lakers are younger at several positions yet have a veteran look. Questions remain especially regarding the defense but even that should be slightly improved above the almost non-existent defense of last season. Byron Scott has a long history with the Lakers, as Magic Johnson’s sidekick he was beneficiary of a number of scoring opportunities. Despite his ability as the shooting guard on those Showtime teams he played defense. Scott and the front office must re-brand this team and continue to utilize the present talent to its ability. Kobe has signed off on the efforts by the front office to revitalize the team, if Kobe’s okay so am I.
Does he have a plan?
General Manager Sam Henke has a plan for resurrecting the fortunes of 76ers basketball. Philly fans have suffered for the last few years and certainly this past season was no different as trades devastated the team. It may have all started in June at the 2013 NBA Draft; the team would select 6-11 Nerlens Noel from Kentucky with the number one pick. They made the selection aware a mid-season injury would sideline him until January. As it turned out Noel missed the 2013-14 season, then the trades began. Henke made trades which for the most part became 2014 draft picks. With the third pick in the 2014 draft the 76ers could have chosen any number of “healthy” players.
The Henke brain trust chose 7-0 Joel Embiid of Kansas whose injury would prevent him from being available until----wait for it, wait for it----January. Fans might be singing the Huey Lewis song; “The future looks so bright I gotta wear shades.” 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. If Noel and Embiid fulfill their expected promise plus an assortment of young talent the future does look bright. If you check out the roster Jason Richardson (33) is the only member over the age of 30. I believe long suffering Philly fans deserve a successful team based on the moves over the past several years, we shall see if 2014-15 is nothing similar to years past.
I’ve been highly critical of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. In truth I cannot in fairness indict an entire league for the actions of less than 1% of its players. Goodell is not guilty of domestic abuse, he is guilty of avoiding the media for over a week. The issues facing the NFL require no daily news conference however it shouldn’t appear as though its chief administrator was in hiding. Finally last Friday Goodell came out of hiding and held a press conference.
Goodell made several statements regarding change which reflected a positive tone, unfortunately he failed to answer a number of questions posed to him by members of the media. Keep this in mind the NFL has no monopoly on domestic violence, it’s occurred in all professional leagues and college too. League offices, owners, college athletic directors, coaches and civil courts must address domestic violence in a serious tone. No longer should this issue continue to be swept under the rug based on the celebrity of the individual.
This is my call
Two Mizzou basketball freshmen have been suspended for reported involvement in criminal activity. They have been suspended prior to setting foot on the floor of Mizzou arena in their first meaningful game. The two have been charged with third degree assault which according to information provided by the school is a non-felony in the State of Missouri. Everyone deserves a second chance and so do these two. The second incident they become history, Mizzou needs no “Jamesis Winston” types on the team. This is an embarrassment to the school and its program and I must call it as I see it.
I’m a little more cautious
Last year I was optimistic as the Lakers season approached. I was certainly aware Kobe Bryant would be sidelined until December or January. Despite this fact the team Mike D’Antoni had begun to assemble looked good. Too bad it was only a mirage for me and other Laker fans; sometimes what we see is not always what we get. The Lakers got off to a fairly good start in fact in late December they were hovering around the .500 mark. The roof caved in shortly thereafter and it wasn’t all the fault of Coach D’Antoni. Kobe returned earlier than expected but only played six games before succumbing to injury once again. He would be sidelined for the balance of the season and then injuries set in with various teammates. The starting lineup was often based on who was healthy as the Lakers suffered through and injury riddled season, the worst in memory.
How bad, a game against the Cavs they could only dress eight players, injuries and player fouls left them with only four players available at the end of the game. Looking back and looking ahead it appears the roster is set. The Lakers are younger at several positions yet have a veteran look. Questions remain especially regarding the defense but even that should be slightly improved above the almost non-existent defense of last season. Byron Scott has a long history with the Lakers, as Magic Johnson’s sidekick he was beneficiary of a number of scoring opportunities. Despite his ability as the shooting guard on those Showtime teams he played defense. Scott and the front office must re-brand this team and continue to utilize the present talent to its ability. Kobe has signed off on the efforts by the front office to revitalize the team, if Kobe’s okay so am I.
Does he have a plan?
General Manager Sam Henke has a plan for resurrecting the fortunes of 76ers basketball. Philly fans have suffered for the last few years and certainly this past season was no different as trades devastated the team. It may have all started in June at the 2013 NBA Draft; the team would select 6-11 Nerlens Noel from Kentucky with the number one pick. They made the selection aware a mid-season injury would sideline him until January. As it turned out Noel missed the 2013-14 season, then the trades began. Henke made trades which for the most part became 2014 draft picks. With the third pick in the 2014 draft the 76ers could have chosen any number of “healthy” players.
The Henke brain trust chose 7-0 Joel Embiid of Kansas whose injury would prevent him from being available until----wait for it, wait for it----January. Fans might be singing the Huey Lewis song; “The future looks so bright I gotta wear shades.” 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. If Noel and Embiid fulfill their expected promise plus an assortment of young talent the future does look bright. If you check out the roster Jason Richardson (33) is the only member over the age of 30. I believe long suffering Philly fans deserve a successful team based on the moves over the past several years, we shall see if 2014-15 is nothing similar to years past.
Friday, September 19, 2014
We are almost there
Summer is over; well not officially autumn doesn’t begin until September 22nd. In roughly two weeks NBA training camps open. Shortly thereafter colleges will open practice and then “Midnight Madness. “ We are almost there; I can hear basketballs bouncing and shoes squeaking. I’m certainly ready for the season, how bout you?
Jersey history
I’m unsure if you saw the wedding photo on any website. The return of LeBron James to Northern Ohio made one groom so happy he used a unique method of expressing his joy. He outfitted his best man and all the groomsmen in various Cavs number 23 jerseys. I didn’t count the number in the wedding party however it must have been 6 or 7 different jerseys. Most likely the jerseys worn by the group represented the Gordon Gund (1983-2005) era right up to and including the Dan Gilbert (2005-present) ownership. Unlike the Cavs three of the most storied franchises in the NBA have undergone few jersey changes since their inception.
Cavs jerseys have undergone color transformations but few design changes over the years. Those three franchises, the Celtics, Knicks and Lakers of the three the Celtics have undergone the fewest change of all. Other than summer league you tune into a Celtic game you know right away the team in either green or white is the Celtics. As for the Knicks the classic road blue jersey with orange lettering and the home white with orange lettering has been in use since forever. The 1960 Lakers wore road blue and white home. Jack Kent Cooke owned the NHL Kings and at the time he purchased the Lakers he wanted both teams clothed in the same color jerseys.
I may be wrong
On more than one occasion I’ve moaned about the lack of big men in the game today. There may have been a slight oversight on my part; a recent edition of the Sporting News contained a list of the Top 10 collegiate centers. I’m not going through the complete list let’s just state I failed to include incoming freshman to my conclusions. Guess what they are 7 feet tall for the most part, the shortest was incoming Kansas freshman Cliff Alexander. At 6-9 240 pounds Alexander is not exactly a tiny specimen. Sporting News believe 6-10 265 pound freshmen Jahlil Okakor as the best of the best. It's possible Okafor may become Coach K’s best ever big man. Now if only Kareem Abdul Jabbar could be available to teach one or more of these prospects to shoot his patented sky-hook.
So you don’t agree
I don’t tweet or instagram so I couldn’t do anything except send an email. Because Stephen A. Smith has often mentioned social media I believe email might no longer be used by Smith. I’ve said time and time again Smith and everyone is entitled to their opinion and view of a particular subject matter. I write about basketball because I love it, I was never ever good enough to play even at the high school level. I’m unsure of Smith’s basketball background as for Dr. J. that’s a different story.
I listened intently as Dr. J. described basketball players of his era and earlier. He stated he found it difficult to declare Michael Jordan or LeBron James the best ever. Dr. J. said there was no intent on his part to disparage them it’s plain and simple we see the players in front of us. We don’t see Bill Russell or Elgin Baylor we see Kevin Durant and LeBron James. The wide angle television shot caught Smith twisting his face and squirming in his chair while listening to Dr. J. It was quite evident Smith had problems with Dr. J.’s view of stars of today.
Summer is over; well not officially autumn doesn’t begin until September 22nd. In roughly two weeks NBA training camps open. Shortly thereafter colleges will open practice and then “Midnight Madness. “ We are almost there; I can hear basketballs bouncing and shoes squeaking. I’m certainly ready for the season, how bout you?
Jersey history
I’m unsure if you saw the wedding photo on any website. The return of LeBron James to Northern Ohio made one groom so happy he used a unique method of expressing his joy. He outfitted his best man and all the groomsmen in various Cavs number 23 jerseys. I didn’t count the number in the wedding party however it must have been 6 or 7 different jerseys. Most likely the jerseys worn by the group represented the Gordon Gund (1983-2005) era right up to and including the Dan Gilbert (2005-present) ownership. Unlike the Cavs three of the most storied franchises in the NBA have undergone few jersey changes since their inception.
Cavs jerseys have undergone color transformations but few design changes over the years. Those three franchises, the Celtics, Knicks and Lakers of the three the Celtics have undergone the fewest change of all. Other than summer league you tune into a Celtic game you know right away the team in either green or white is the Celtics. As for the Knicks the classic road blue jersey with orange lettering and the home white with orange lettering has been in use since forever. The 1960 Lakers wore road blue and white home. Jack Kent Cooke owned the NHL Kings and at the time he purchased the Lakers he wanted both teams clothed in the same color jerseys.
I may be wrong
On more than one occasion I’ve moaned about the lack of big men in the game today. There may have been a slight oversight on my part; a recent edition of the Sporting News contained a list of the Top 10 collegiate centers. I’m not going through the complete list let’s just state I failed to include incoming freshman to my conclusions. Guess what they are 7 feet tall for the most part, the shortest was incoming Kansas freshman Cliff Alexander. At 6-9 240 pounds Alexander is not exactly a tiny specimen. Sporting News believe 6-10 265 pound freshmen Jahlil Okakor as the best of the best. It's possible Okafor may become Coach K’s best ever big man. Now if only Kareem Abdul Jabbar could be available to teach one or more of these prospects to shoot his patented sky-hook.
So you don’t agree
I don’t tweet or instagram so I couldn’t do anything except send an email. Because Stephen A. Smith has often mentioned social media I believe email might no longer be used by Smith. I’ve said time and time again Smith and everyone is entitled to their opinion and view of a particular subject matter. I write about basketball because I love it, I was never ever good enough to play even at the high school level. I’m unsure of Smith’s basketball background as for Dr. J. that’s a different story.
I listened intently as Dr. J. described basketball players of his era and earlier. He stated he found it difficult to declare Michael Jordan or LeBron James the best ever. Dr. J. said there was no intent on his part to disparage them it’s plain and simple we see the players in front of us. We don’t see Bill Russell or Elgin Baylor we see Kevin Durant and LeBron James. The wide angle television shot caught Smith twisting his face and squirming in his chair while listening to Dr. J. It was quite evident Smith had problems with Dr. J.’s view of stars of today.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Why not
Bruce Levenson is selling his ownership share of the Atlanta Hawks. This move is prompted by the racially tinged email he wrote two years ago that recently surfaced. So far only one name has surfaced indicating a desire to purchase the team, Bruce Davis an attorney and son of music mogul Clive Davis. I’m going to toss out another name one whose said nothing to date and I’m spending someone else’s money. She’s made no statement but I believe Oprah Winfrey should consider purchasing the Levenson share.
We assume Winfrey was straightforward when her name surfaced regarding sale of the Clippers. Of course Winfrey backed out when the dollars reached what she considered “an astronomical amount. “ Two points, although no money amount has been established it’s got to be far less than the sale price of the Clippers. The NBA would no longer be a “boys club” adding a high profile female such a Winfrey to its ownership group. Despite recent events the NBA has led the way for professional sports teams in diversity.
Is it that big a deal?
A number of folks will likely be upset with this so you are warned in advance. I’m pleased the USA beat Serbia to capture the gold in the FIBA World Cup. The game wasn’t close as the USA won easily 129-92. I’m unsure who said it but indicated “it wouldn’t have been a big deal if the USA lost the championship.” A number in the media reported how well-constructed they believed the Spanish team was built. In addition to the Gasol brothers there was Ricky Rubio, Serge Ibaka and other NBA veterans. This led many to conclude this team and talented team could cause Team USA problems. The US had no LeBron or Griffin, Durant tried out however he returned home early indicating he was exhausted.
George was injured prior to the first cuts while Anthony decided to stay home. The ageing Kobe was injured and unable to compete. In fact Charles Barkley even predicted the “US would lose to Spain.” Of course the match up didn’t occur due to Spain being upset by France. Consider this point most of the teams finishing in the upper portion of the competition had numbers of NBA players on their roster. Basketball has truly become an international game and it‘s become more and more difficult to dominate the world. FIBA athletes are no longer in awe of NBA players as they may have been when the 1992 Dream Team took the court.
“Mr. Bigshot”
Chauncey Billups announced his retirement at age 37. I realize there are folks who believe he should have retired years ago however that’s another story. Its likely Billiups will miss selection to the Naismith Hall of Fame; he left Colorado after his sophomore year so the college HOF is out of the question as well. Billups played for 9 teams which may offer the impression he was a journeyman player. That is certainly far from the case, he scored over 15,000 points (15.2 ppg) and 5,000 assists (5.4 apg). Billups won two gold medals, the 2007 FIBA Americans Championship and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. In addition Billups was a 5X NBA All Star and NBA World Champion with the Pistons. As for the nickname Mr. Bigshot came at an earlier stage of his career, Billups could always be called on to take the big shot at a crucial point of a game.
Bits n Pieces
I just read Knicks owner James Dolan claims “he’s going to leave Phil Jackson alone. “ I believe him for a couple of reasons, PJ doesn’t need the money and Dolan knows it. The first time he pulls a “Jerry Jones” move on PJ he’s likely headed out of NYC.
Recently I wrote of Larry Brown and his coaching success at the NCAA and NBA level. For reasons we cannot fully elaborate Brown is the exception to most college coaches. The NBA rarely reaches into the collegiate ranks for head coaches. First-rate college coaches such as John Calipari and Rick Pitino returned to college after lukewarm NBA success.
My how the fortunes of the Cavs have changed. The team has established a monthly lottery for those desiring to purchase single-game tickets. We assume one could no longer walk up to the box office and purchase a ticket on the day of the game. Change certainly exists in Cleveland and Northern Ohio with LeBron's return.
The Wichita State Shockers finished last season 35-1, one of the keys to this highly successful season was Fred VanVfleet. The 5-11 VanVfleet is the outstanding point guard for that Shocker team. His numbers certainly would not be considered outstanding, 11.6 ppg and 5.4 assists per game. He committed 48 turnovers in 36 games which provides you an idea how skill he is with the ball. 55% field goal shooter and 83% from the free throw line.
Bruce Levenson is selling his ownership share of the Atlanta Hawks. This move is prompted by the racially tinged email he wrote two years ago that recently surfaced. So far only one name has surfaced indicating a desire to purchase the team, Bruce Davis an attorney and son of music mogul Clive Davis. I’m going to toss out another name one whose said nothing to date and I’m spending someone else’s money. She’s made no statement but I believe Oprah Winfrey should consider purchasing the Levenson share.
We assume Winfrey was straightforward when her name surfaced regarding sale of the Clippers. Of course Winfrey backed out when the dollars reached what she considered “an astronomical amount. “ Two points, although no money amount has been established it’s got to be far less than the sale price of the Clippers. The NBA would no longer be a “boys club” adding a high profile female such a Winfrey to its ownership group. Despite recent events the NBA has led the way for professional sports teams in diversity.
Is it that big a deal?
A number of folks will likely be upset with this so you are warned in advance. I’m pleased the USA beat Serbia to capture the gold in the FIBA World Cup. The game wasn’t close as the USA won easily 129-92. I’m unsure who said it but indicated “it wouldn’t have been a big deal if the USA lost the championship.” A number in the media reported how well-constructed they believed the Spanish team was built. In addition to the Gasol brothers there was Ricky Rubio, Serge Ibaka and other NBA veterans. This led many to conclude this team and talented team could cause Team USA problems. The US had no LeBron or Griffin, Durant tried out however he returned home early indicating he was exhausted.
George was injured prior to the first cuts while Anthony decided to stay home. The ageing Kobe was injured and unable to compete. In fact Charles Barkley even predicted the “US would lose to Spain.” Of course the match up didn’t occur due to Spain being upset by France. Consider this point most of the teams finishing in the upper portion of the competition had numbers of NBA players on their roster. Basketball has truly become an international game and it‘s become more and more difficult to dominate the world. FIBA athletes are no longer in awe of NBA players as they may have been when the 1992 Dream Team took the court.
“Mr. Bigshot”
Chauncey Billups announced his retirement at age 37. I realize there are folks who believe he should have retired years ago however that’s another story. Its likely Billiups will miss selection to the Naismith Hall of Fame; he left Colorado after his sophomore year so the college HOF is out of the question as well. Billups played for 9 teams which may offer the impression he was a journeyman player. That is certainly far from the case, he scored over 15,000 points (15.2 ppg) and 5,000 assists (5.4 apg). Billups won two gold medals, the 2007 FIBA Americans Championship and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. In addition Billups was a 5X NBA All Star and NBA World Champion with the Pistons. As for the nickname Mr. Bigshot came at an earlier stage of his career, Billups could always be called on to take the big shot at a crucial point of a game.
Bits n Pieces
I just read Knicks owner James Dolan claims “he’s going to leave Phil Jackson alone. “ I believe him for a couple of reasons, PJ doesn’t need the money and Dolan knows it. The first time he pulls a “Jerry Jones” move on PJ he’s likely headed out of NYC.
Recently I wrote of Larry Brown and his coaching success at the NCAA and NBA level. For reasons we cannot fully elaborate Brown is the exception to most college coaches. The NBA rarely reaches into the collegiate ranks for head coaches. First-rate college coaches such as John Calipari and Rick Pitino returned to college after lukewarm NBA success.
My how the fortunes of the Cavs have changed. The team has established a monthly lottery for those desiring to purchase single-game tickets. We assume one could no longer walk up to the box office and purchase a ticket on the day of the game. Change certainly exists in Cleveland and Northern Ohio with LeBron's return.
The Wichita State Shockers finished last season 35-1, one of the keys to this highly successful season was Fred VanVfleet. The 5-11 VanVfleet is the outstanding point guard for that Shocker team. His numbers certainly would not be considered outstanding, 11.6 ppg and 5.4 assists per game. He committed 48 turnovers in 36 games which provides you an idea how skill he is with the ball. 55% field goal shooter and 83% from the free throw line.
Monday, September 15, 2014
.
Celebrity website or news gatherer?
Until last spring most of us familiar with TMZ believed its purpose was to gather celebrity news. Now TMZ is in the forefront of the two biggest sports stories this year. TMZ is responsible for Donald Sterling no longer owning the Clippers. They were able to secure a tape where Sterling made what many construe to be racist remarks. Sterling’s history outside of basketball may have entered into the decision in his judgment. TMZ released on two occasions the elevator tape involving former Ravens running back Ray Rice assaulting his then fiancée and now wife.
Release of the second video forced the hand of Commissioner Roger Goodell. We are unsure of the next order of events. Did the Ravens release Rice first and the life-time ban by the NFL applied afterwards? The latest from TMZ; “Former Hawk Dominique Wilkins is attempting to purchase the Atlanta Hawks.” The timing of this report may have been driven by the report of impropriety in the Hawks front office. One last question, the number of news sources working and a celebrity website is first with a news story is mind-boggling. I’m unsure at this point if we can discount any future news or sports story TMZ reports.
"Close the borders”
I’ve mentioned previously one of my friends chief complaints has been Mizzou seemed to recruit everywhere except inside the State of Missouri. Mizzou football Coach Gary Pinkel coined the phrase “Close the borders” his intent was to allow no quality football recruit to escape the state. I’ve always maintained; “Some kids don’t care to remain in Missouri while others leave to play for a Bill Self or a Roy Williams.” Mizzou received a verbal commitment from 4-star prospect Cullen VanLeer. VanLeer is a 6-4 shooting guard from Pacific (MO) about 40 miles from downtown St. Louis.
Mizzou and Coach Anderson now has verbal commits from both sides of the state. 6-7 225 pound power forward Kevin Puryear committed earlier in the month. Puryear is from Blue Springs located in metro Kansas City. As for the season Mizzou fans have no idea what 2014-15 holds, as mentioned previously a new coach is in place along with the coaches new system. Lastly the SEC should be improved over last season where Kentucky and Florida led the way, Georgia, LSU and Arkansas all appear improved. To date there appears to be no question on Mizzou recruiting despite the depature of Frank Haith to Tulsa.
He led them to the Promised Land
I can imagine what could have been can’t I? Okay I’m not asking permission just informing you. Kansas City might still be in the NBA if Kings management hadn’t been so shortsighted. I was reminded of Moses Malone watching NBA TV and a program titled NB80’s. Malone was a 6-10 215 pound talent when he graduated from high school in Virginia in 1974. He was headed to Maryland but decided in favor of the ABA’s Utah Stars who drafted him. Remember in that day the NBA did not draft high school talent. In 1976 the NBA and ABA merged and the Stars alone with a number of ABA teams were dissolved. These former ABA players were placed in a pool and drafted by NBA teams. This is the Kansas City portion of this story, teams would draft in order of their recent completed season. The Kings had the third worst record in the NBA, the Bulls going first chose 7-2 center Artis Gilmore. Next up where the Blazers who held the Hawks pick, they went with power forward Maurice Lucas.
As for the future Gilmore would go on to score over 24,000 points and would be elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame. As for Lucas he would be key to the Blazers 1977 NBA Championship Bill Walton stated as much. Number 20 worn by Lucas would be retired by the Blazers. The Kings with the third pick choose---are you ready for the name? They picked Ron Boone and with the fifth pick the Blazers would chose Malone although he never suited up for them. Ron Boone whom the Kings picked was a serviceable player but nowhere near the talent Malone would become. The ABA was not the NBA but Malone had come into the league from high school and finished the season with 18.8 ppg and 14.6 rebounds a game. The 76ers had a very talented team with Dr. J., George McGinnis, Kobe Bryant’s dad Joe and others competed but never won a championship until the team acquired Malone. Moses Malone would led the 76ers to the promised land of an NBA Championship.
This move is unusual
Thon Maker and his brother Matur are headed to Canada. Basketball talent has headed south from our northern neighbor this time it’s the reverse. The Maker brothers were born in the Sudan emigrated to Australia and eventually to the US. The elder brother Thon is the number one high school prospect in the Class of 2016. Thon is extremely thin for a 7-footer as is his brother. The brothers have enrolled at Athletes Institute an Orangeville a prep school some 50 miles from Toronto. Guardian for the youngsters indicates he made this move based on the schools strength and conditioning program. I certainly have no authority in this decision however it is a little confusing. Athletes Institute is likely a good school but to make a move strictly on the basis of strength and conditioning sounds a little strange to me.
Celebrity website or news gatherer?
Until last spring most of us familiar with TMZ believed its purpose was to gather celebrity news. Now TMZ is in the forefront of the two biggest sports stories this year. TMZ is responsible for Donald Sterling no longer owning the Clippers. They were able to secure a tape where Sterling made what many construe to be racist remarks. Sterling’s history outside of basketball may have entered into the decision in his judgment. TMZ released on two occasions the elevator tape involving former Ravens running back Ray Rice assaulting his then fiancée and now wife.
Release of the second video forced the hand of Commissioner Roger Goodell. We are unsure of the next order of events. Did the Ravens release Rice first and the life-time ban by the NFL applied afterwards? The latest from TMZ; “Former Hawk Dominique Wilkins is attempting to purchase the Atlanta Hawks.” The timing of this report may have been driven by the report of impropriety in the Hawks front office. One last question, the number of news sources working and a celebrity website is first with a news story is mind-boggling. I’m unsure at this point if we can discount any future news or sports story TMZ reports.
"Close the borders”
I’ve mentioned previously one of my friends chief complaints has been Mizzou seemed to recruit everywhere except inside the State of Missouri. Mizzou football Coach Gary Pinkel coined the phrase “Close the borders” his intent was to allow no quality football recruit to escape the state. I’ve always maintained; “Some kids don’t care to remain in Missouri while others leave to play for a Bill Self or a Roy Williams.” Mizzou received a verbal commitment from 4-star prospect Cullen VanLeer. VanLeer is a 6-4 shooting guard from Pacific (MO) about 40 miles from downtown St. Louis.
Mizzou and Coach Anderson now has verbal commits from both sides of the state. 6-7 225 pound power forward Kevin Puryear committed earlier in the month. Puryear is from Blue Springs located in metro Kansas City. As for the season Mizzou fans have no idea what 2014-15 holds, as mentioned previously a new coach is in place along with the coaches new system. Lastly the SEC should be improved over last season where Kentucky and Florida led the way, Georgia, LSU and Arkansas all appear improved. To date there appears to be no question on Mizzou recruiting despite the depature of Frank Haith to Tulsa.
He led them to the Promised Land
I can imagine what could have been can’t I? Okay I’m not asking permission just informing you. Kansas City might still be in the NBA if Kings management hadn’t been so shortsighted. I was reminded of Moses Malone watching NBA TV and a program titled NB80’s. Malone was a 6-10 215 pound talent when he graduated from high school in Virginia in 1974. He was headed to Maryland but decided in favor of the ABA’s Utah Stars who drafted him. Remember in that day the NBA did not draft high school talent. In 1976 the NBA and ABA merged and the Stars alone with a number of ABA teams were dissolved. These former ABA players were placed in a pool and drafted by NBA teams. This is the Kansas City portion of this story, teams would draft in order of their recent completed season. The Kings had the third worst record in the NBA, the Bulls going first chose 7-2 center Artis Gilmore. Next up where the Blazers who held the Hawks pick, they went with power forward Maurice Lucas.
As for the future Gilmore would go on to score over 24,000 points and would be elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame. As for Lucas he would be key to the Blazers 1977 NBA Championship Bill Walton stated as much. Number 20 worn by Lucas would be retired by the Blazers. The Kings with the third pick choose---are you ready for the name? They picked Ron Boone and with the fifth pick the Blazers would chose Malone although he never suited up for them. Ron Boone whom the Kings picked was a serviceable player but nowhere near the talent Malone would become. The ABA was not the NBA but Malone had come into the league from high school and finished the season with 18.8 ppg and 14.6 rebounds a game. The 76ers had a very talented team with Dr. J., George McGinnis, Kobe Bryant’s dad Joe and others competed but never won a championship until the team acquired Malone. Moses Malone would led the 76ers to the promised land of an NBA Championship.
This move is unusual
Thon Maker and his brother Matur are headed to Canada. Basketball talent has headed south from our northern neighbor this time it’s the reverse. The Maker brothers were born in the Sudan emigrated to Australia and eventually to the US. The elder brother Thon is the number one high school prospect in the Class of 2016. Thon is extremely thin for a 7-footer as is his brother. The brothers have enrolled at Athletes Institute an Orangeville a prep school some 50 miles from Toronto. Guardian for the youngsters indicates he made this move based on the schools strength and conditioning program. I certainly have no authority in this decision however it is a little confusing. Athletes Institute is likely a good school but to make a move strictly on the basis of strength and conditioning sounds a little strange to me.
Friday, September 12, 2014
"What can Brown do for you?”
I borrowed the headline from the television commercials and print ads United Parcel Service once used. The 1988 NCAA Championship and the 2004 NBA Championship share a common factor. Both the Kansas Jay hawks (‘88) and the Detroit Pistons (‘04) had 73-year old Larry Brown as their head coach. No one would disagree the roster of a team is key to winning however the coach was key in both teams winning. The 1987-88 Kansas team finished with one of their worst records in recent history. Then come the NCAA run where Brown cajole, preached and coached “Danny (Manning) and the Miracles” to the 1988 NCAA Championship.
Even with the successful run Kansas finished 27-11 one of the worst records for an NCAA Champion. Talk to any Laker fan and they will inform you no way would the Lakers lose the 2004 NBA Championship. The Lakers had Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal plus a quality bench. Two key factors were to work in favor of the Pistons. That Hall of Fame Laker team forgot the game was still spelled T E A M. The other factor Larry Brown sat on the Pistons bench detailing strategy. Brown is still coaching and teaching; the AARP coach is at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. To prove he’s still got it SMU finished 15-17 in his first year at the helm, last season they finished 27-10.
My original intention was to ignore this
A racist tinged email Bruce Levenson majority owner of the Hawks wrote two years ago surfaced over the weekend. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver indicated almost immediately Levenson will sell his share of the team. The email written to the Hawks general manager indicated “white people were scared to attend Hawk games because of black people.” This issue may be Atlanta as much as racial, prior to this story breaking I’ve talked to several folks who currently live there or have at a point. These friends indicated to me Atlanta is a little strange regarding its sports teams. I’ve not checked attendance figures however the baseball Braves, the NFL Falcons and the NBA Hawks have never been experienced record gates.
I’m in Kansas City with “just a little” knowledge of Atlanta sports why Levenson doesn’t understand Atlanta’s sports history is a mystery to me. One other note there have been two NHL teams which referred to Atlanta as home neither plays there now. Attendance for Atlanta’s NHL franchises may have not been paramount in them leaving however it certainly may have played a factor. Someone might say hockey in the south, well Tampa Bay, Carolina and Miami continue play. “Free speech” advocates will rush to Levenson’s defense, they will inform you he’s the owner and he is denied freedom of speech. This is a different age; we cannot continue to operate with early 20th Century mentality. An individual in Levenson’s position and everyone else needs to think first and consider their private actions could become public.
Bits n Pieces
The Bulls are the latest team to contact Ray Allen. News reports indicate a number of NBA teams are attempting to secure his services for the upcoming season. Several of my acquaintances have made it known to me Kobe needs to retire. No doubt Kobe is at the end of the road however they certainly haven’t made the same statement about Allen.
You may have missed this or maybe you didn’t know him. Jim “Bad News” Barnes died at age 62. Barnes was a talented basketball player when he emerged from Providence. He could have played in the NBA when he first came out of college but chose the ABA. The desire to be a thug rather than a basketball player cut short of what could have been a brilliant career.
Several years back sportswriter Jason Whitlock (who played football in college) attempted to inform us “NBA players were out of control.” He wrote a stinging article after the NBA held its All-Star Game in Las Vegas. I have no doubt there were incidents however Whitlock paint a broad picture of the NBA out of control. Bad behavior whatever this case should be condemned in light of the problems of the NFL. It appears Mr. Whitlock was simply pandering to an audience who believes he writes the truth while others believe he attempts to stir up controversy where none actually exist.
Introduction of the latest Air Jordan’s prompted a response I thought interesting. The writer pointed out; “Jordan hasn’t played in years, he’s not involved in the design and he’s getting paid for nothing.” I would like to question the writer; “what’s wrong with getting paid?" Jordan is not actually getting paid for nothing he is being paid for his name.
I borrowed the headline from the television commercials and print ads United Parcel Service once used. The 1988 NCAA Championship and the 2004 NBA Championship share a common factor. Both the Kansas Jay hawks (‘88) and the Detroit Pistons (‘04) had 73-year old Larry Brown as their head coach. No one would disagree the roster of a team is key to winning however the coach was key in both teams winning. The 1987-88 Kansas team finished with one of their worst records in recent history. Then come the NCAA run where Brown cajole, preached and coached “Danny (Manning) and the Miracles” to the 1988 NCAA Championship.
Even with the successful run Kansas finished 27-11 one of the worst records for an NCAA Champion. Talk to any Laker fan and they will inform you no way would the Lakers lose the 2004 NBA Championship. The Lakers had Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal plus a quality bench. Two key factors were to work in favor of the Pistons. That Hall of Fame Laker team forgot the game was still spelled T E A M. The other factor Larry Brown sat on the Pistons bench detailing strategy. Brown is still coaching and teaching; the AARP coach is at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. To prove he’s still got it SMU finished 15-17 in his first year at the helm, last season they finished 27-10.
My original intention was to ignore this
A racist tinged email Bruce Levenson majority owner of the Hawks wrote two years ago surfaced over the weekend. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver indicated almost immediately Levenson will sell his share of the team. The email written to the Hawks general manager indicated “white people were scared to attend Hawk games because of black people.” This issue may be Atlanta as much as racial, prior to this story breaking I’ve talked to several folks who currently live there or have at a point. These friends indicated to me Atlanta is a little strange regarding its sports teams. I’ve not checked attendance figures however the baseball Braves, the NFL Falcons and the NBA Hawks have never been experienced record gates.
I’m in Kansas City with “just a little” knowledge of Atlanta sports why Levenson doesn’t understand Atlanta’s sports history is a mystery to me. One other note there have been two NHL teams which referred to Atlanta as home neither plays there now. Attendance for Atlanta’s NHL franchises may have not been paramount in them leaving however it certainly may have played a factor. Someone might say hockey in the south, well Tampa Bay, Carolina and Miami continue play. “Free speech” advocates will rush to Levenson’s defense, they will inform you he’s the owner and he is denied freedom of speech. This is a different age; we cannot continue to operate with early 20th Century mentality. An individual in Levenson’s position and everyone else needs to think first and consider their private actions could become public.
Bits n Pieces
The Bulls are the latest team to contact Ray Allen. News reports indicate a number of NBA teams are attempting to secure his services for the upcoming season. Several of my acquaintances have made it known to me Kobe needs to retire. No doubt Kobe is at the end of the road however they certainly haven’t made the same statement about Allen.
You may have missed this or maybe you didn’t know him. Jim “Bad News” Barnes died at age 62. Barnes was a talented basketball player when he emerged from Providence. He could have played in the NBA when he first came out of college but chose the ABA. The desire to be a thug rather than a basketball player cut short of what could have been a brilliant career.
Several years back sportswriter Jason Whitlock (who played football in college) attempted to inform us “NBA players were out of control.” He wrote a stinging article after the NBA held its All-Star Game in Las Vegas. I have no doubt there were incidents however Whitlock paint a broad picture of the NBA out of control. Bad behavior whatever this case should be condemned in light of the problems of the NFL. It appears Mr. Whitlock was simply pandering to an audience who believes he writes the truth while others believe he attempts to stir up controversy where none actually exist.
Introduction of the latest Air Jordan’s prompted a response I thought interesting. The writer pointed out; “Jordan hasn’t played in years, he’s not involved in the design and he’s getting paid for nothing.” I would like to question the writer; “what’s wrong with getting paid?" Jordan is not actually getting paid for nothing he is being paid for his name.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
I'll take the new guy
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has only been on the job since February 1, 2014. His NFL counterpart Commissioner Roger Goodell assumed office in September of 2006. We might tend to believe the more seasoned Goodell would have an advantage in handling controversial issues, not true. Controversy arose in the NBA from Donald Sterling comments Silver was swift. After investigating the matter Silver banned Sterling from attending games and forced Sterling to sale the team. The sale took time to complete because it had to be resolved in a civil court. The NBA made its decision quickly and forthright.
As for Mr. Goodell with the exception of a revised domestic violence policy he's remained pretty much secluded regarding the Ray Rice assault. The release of the latest elevator tape by TMZ Sports have proven the NFL drug its feet investigating the February 2014 assault of Rice's then fiancee. The larger issue is the conflicting stories emanating from the NFL office and elsewhere. "We (the NFL) requested the tape but didn't receive it" while another report indicated; "The NFL never made such a request." As for commissioners right now I'll take Adam Silver's leadership and speedy action over that exhibited thus far by Roger Goodell.
Make no mistake about it!
Don’t misunderstand me; Larry Laker remains a loyal fan of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. I remain a fan of the Black Mamba despite the diminishing returns he offers on the court after 19 All-Pro seasons. A number of remember after Shaquille O’Neal left the Lakers they suffered a downturn (much like this past season). At the time Kobe made loud noises announcing his intentions to seek a trade. Of course a change in the fortunes changed Kobe’s mind. Because the trade never occurred I can only speculate on what I might have done but here’s what I believe would have occurred.
I know my loyalties would have been divided; I would have remained a fan of Kobe and due to my long-time allegiance to the Lakers would have remained a fan. I’m unsure if this same exists for my wife’s cousin, Jerry appears to have changed teams. After hearing him laud the exploits of LeBron and the Heat for the last four years the tone of his conversation has now switched to the Cavs and their off-season moves. Once the season begins I wonder if Jerry will root for LeBron and the Heat. In early September I’m unsure if that’s the case.
I’m not so sure
Answers.com contained an account of “The All-Time Top 10 NBA busts.” The list consisted of high school players who were drafted but failed to establish careers. I’m not going to detail the entire list if you are a student of the game the names are probably familiar. You might remember the name Kwame Brown drafted number one in 2001 by the Wizards. After failing with the Wizards he bounced around the league playing for a number of NBA teams. Robert Swift was the 12th pick in the 2004 draft by the Sonics, Swift is only 28 years old but last played in the NBA in 2009.
These two and others were not talented enough to play at the NBA level while injuries impacted others. One of those “others” may have been Jonathan Bender from Picayune Mississippi. The 7 foot 230 pound Bender was the 5th pick in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft. A draft day trade sent him from the Raptors to the Pacers. Injuries would curtail the NBA career of this former McDonalds All-American. Kwame Brown and Robert Swift couldn’t play at the NBA level we can only guess what Bender might have accomplished if not beset by injuries.
Do they miss the cut
Anxiously I’ve followed Scott Gleeson’s column in USA Today everyday. Gleeson is forecasting his field of 68 for the NCAA Tournament next spring. The anxiety on my part does he see enough in my Mizzou Tigers to include them? As mentioned previously departed Coach Haith did not leave the cupboard bare as did Mike Anderson before him.
In addition new Coach Kim Anderson and staff have stepped in adding additional talent to the roster. The returning talent plus freshman plus a new coaching scheme totals a gigantic mystery for the Mizzou faithful. Gleeson has listed teams 68 through 44 as this is written, there is no intention to knock any team but surely Mizzou even with its multitude of changes should be better than either Robert Morris (67) or Texas Southern (68).
A hire outside the box
Most of you are probably unfamiliar with Marist College located in Poughkeepsie (NY). The New York school competes in the MAAC along with conference rivals Iona, Rider and Niagara just to name a few. Marist hired Coach Mike Maker to replace Jeff Bower, it should be noted Maker was a highly successful coach at the Division III level.
If this account sounds familiar it should, I’m referring to Mizzou hiring Kim Anderson. Anderson too had several successful seasons at Division II University of Central Missouri. Anderson was hired coming off an NCAA Division II Championship appearance. Perhaps the key difference for Maker and Anderson will be the recruiting process because both have tasted past coaching success.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has only been on the job since February 1, 2014. His NFL counterpart Commissioner Roger Goodell assumed office in September of 2006. We might tend to believe the more seasoned Goodell would have an advantage in handling controversial issues, not true. Controversy arose in the NBA from Donald Sterling comments Silver was swift. After investigating the matter Silver banned Sterling from attending games and forced Sterling to sale the team. The sale took time to complete because it had to be resolved in a civil court. The NBA made its decision quickly and forthright.
As for Mr. Goodell with the exception of a revised domestic violence policy he's remained pretty much secluded regarding the Ray Rice assault. The release of the latest elevator tape by TMZ Sports have proven the NFL drug its feet investigating the February 2014 assault of Rice's then fiancee. The larger issue is the conflicting stories emanating from the NFL office and elsewhere. "We (the NFL) requested the tape but didn't receive it" while another report indicated; "The NFL never made such a request." As for commissioners right now I'll take Adam Silver's leadership and speedy action over that exhibited thus far by Roger Goodell.
Make no mistake about it!
Don’t misunderstand me; Larry Laker remains a loyal fan of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. I remain a fan of the Black Mamba despite the diminishing returns he offers on the court after 19 All-Pro seasons. A number of remember after Shaquille O’Neal left the Lakers they suffered a downturn (much like this past season). At the time Kobe made loud noises announcing his intentions to seek a trade. Of course a change in the fortunes changed Kobe’s mind. Because the trade never occurred I can only speculate on what I might have done but here’s what I believe would have occurred.
I know my loyalties would have been divided; I would have remained a fan of Kobe and due to my long-time allegiance to the Lakers would have remained a fan. I’m unsure if this same exists for my wife’s cousin, Jerry appears to have changed teams. After hearing him laud the exploits of LeBron and the Heat for the last four years the tone of his conversation has now switched to the Cavs and their off-season moves. Once the season begins I wonder if Jerry will root for LeBron and the Heat. In early September I’m unsure if that’s the case.
I’m not so sure
Answers.com contained an account of “The All-Time Top 10 NBA busts.” The list consisted of high school players who were drafted but failed to establish careers. I’m not going to detail the entire list if you are a student of the game the names are probably familiar. You might remember the name Kwame Brown drafted number one in 2001 by the Wizards. After failing with the Wizards he bounced around the league playing for a number of NBA teams. Robert Swift was the 12th pick in the 2004 draft by the Sonics, Swift is only 28 years old but last played in the NBA in 2009.
These two and others were not talented enough to play at the NBA level while injuries impacted others. One of those “others” may have been Jonathan Bender from Picayune Mississippi. The 7 foot 230 pound Bender was the 5th pick in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft. A draft day trade sent him from the Raptors to the Pacers. Injuries would curtail the NBA career of this former McDonalds All-American. Kwame Brown and Robert Swift couldn’t play at the NBA level we can only guess what Bender might have accomplished if not beset by injuries.
Do they miss the cut
Anxiously I’ve followed Scott Gleeson’s column in USA Today everyday. Gleeson is forecasting his field of 68 for the NCAA Tournament next spring. The anxiety on my part does he see enough in my Mizzou Tigers to include them? As mentioned previously departed Coach Haith did not leave the cupboard bare as did Mike Anderson before him.
In addition new Coach Kim Anderson and staff have stepped in adding additional talent to the roster. The returning talent plus freshman plus a new coaching scheme totals a gigantic mystery for the Mizzou faithful. Gleeson has listed teams 68 through 44 as this is written, there is no intention to knock any team but surely Mizzou even with its multitude of changes should be better than either Robert Morris (67) or Texas Southern (68).
A hire outside the box
Most of you are probably unfamiliar with Marist College located in Poughkeepsie (NY). The New York school competes in the MAAC along with conference rivals Iona, Rider and Niagara just to name a few. Marist hired Coach Mike Maker to replace Jeff Bower, it should be noted Maker was a highly successful coach at the Division III level.
If this account sounds familiar it should, I’m referring to Mizzou hiring Kim Anderson. Anderson too had several successful seasons at Division II University of Central Missouri. Anderson was hired coming off an NCAA Division II Championship appearance. Perhaps the key difference for Maker and Anderson will be the recruiting process because both have tasted past coaching success.
Monday, September 8, 2014
They were first
3-point baskets have become as much a part of basketball as rebounds and assists. That’s not always been the case, a number of fans probably believe the 3-point basketball began in the wild and wooly days of the American Basketball Association. Not true, the 3-point basket was first utilized by a long ago pro league no longer in existence. The American Basketball League or ABA was founded by the late Abe Saperstein. Saperstein was the founder and owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, in the early days of the NBA the Globetrotters would often play the preliminary game. Due to this “arrangement” Saperstein became upset was upset because the NBA refused to grant him a franchise in Los Angeles. His hope the league he founded would eventually be able to compete with the more well-known NBA. The ABL began in 1961 and ceased business operations December 31, 1962. In addition to the 3-point basket a number of other future noteworthy events would occur during the time the league operated.
The Cleveland Pipers franchise was owned by George Steinbrenner who would later gain notoriety as owner of the baseball Yankees. The Celtics hired the legendary Bill Russell as player-coach in 1966; the media proclaimed him the first African-American to coach a major league sports team. He was the first African-American coach in the NBA but not the first in professional basketball. Steinbrenner’s Cleveland team hired John Mcclendon in 1962 to coach the team. Mcclendon’s Pipers defeated the Kansas City Steers and claimed the 1962 ABL Championship. In the fall of 1962 ABL teams began play but ceased operations December 31, 1962, the Steers were declared ABL Champs sitting in first place of the 8 team league. The ABL had no television contract, in addition a number of the franchises suffered from poor financial backing. The ABL unlike the ABA was never able to secure the services of NBA players. Of interest though once the league folded a number of ABL players made their way onto NBA rosters.
Corner the market
How many networks is there telecasting college basketball? No need to count them it just seems even with increased networks ESPN continues to dominate the market in hires. Three college coaches have been added for the upcoming season, Stan Heath, Craig Robinson and Jim Calhoun. How their talents will be utilized has not been determined to date.
The City by the Bay
Not that city the other one---Oakland also sits on the bay. Most probably think of San Francisco when you say; “City by the Bay.” Oakland has a city population a little over 400,000 which is certainly small compared to New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. Oakland has produced a tremendous amount of basketball talent over the years beginning with number six Bill Russell. Over the years the NBA talent pool includes Brian Shaw, Antonio Davis, Gary Payton and more recently Damian Lillard just to name a few.
I really couldn’t include former Celtic Paul Pierce, although born in Oakland he grew up in the Los Angeles area. The latest Oakland talent is 6-11 210 pound Ivan Rabb of Bishop O’ Dowd High School. This is certainly no prediction of future success but says Rabb is a talent at this level. He’s a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2015 by Rivals and ESPN Recruiting Nation. All the usual players are recruiting him however he’s made no decision on a college. He may not leave the State of California since Cal, UCLA and USC all have offered scholarships.
He’s developing game
If you are a certain age you might remember the late Manute Bol. Bol was one of the tallest players in the NBA standing 7 feet 7 inches tall. With that height you might think rebounding/defense player however neither was his specialty. This native of Sudan became a 3-point specialist for a number of NBA teams. The Kansas City metro has a significant Sudanese population so it was probably natural Manute would settle here after retirement. The father chose suburban Olathe (KS) to re-locate his family. After leaving the game Manute became a tireless humanitarian traveling back and forth to provide aid relief to his native Sudan, Manute died of acute kidney failure in 2010.
With 10 offspring it would be expected a number take up the game and follow in their father’s footsteps. One of those sons is Bol Bol, this son is a 14 year old beginning his freshman year at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. Because the younger Bol began playing basketball as a youngster and has gained basketball skills his dad never fully developed. Bol at 6-10 is thin as a rail; he may not have an NBA career however his development will continue. He’s another area prospect I plan on scouting this winter.
3-point baskets have become as much a part of basketball as rebounds and assists. That’s not always been the case, a number of fans probably believe the 3-point basketball began in the wild and wooly days of the American Basketball Association. Not true, the 3-point basket was first utilized by a long ago pro league no longer in existence. The American Basketball League or ABA was founded by the late Abe Saperstein. Saperstein was the founder and owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, in the early days of the NBA the Globetrotters would often play the preliminary game. Due to this “arrangement” Saperstein became upset was upset because the NBA refused to grant him a franchise in Los Angeles. His hope the league he founded would eventually be able to compete with the more well-known NBA. The ABL began in 1961 and ceased business operations December 31, 1962. In addition to the 3-point basket a number of other future noteworthy events would occur during the time the league operated.
The Cleveland Pipers franchise was owned by George Steinbrenner who would later gain notoriety as owner of the baseball Yankees. The Celtics hired the legendary Bill Russell as player-coach in 1966; the media proclaimed him the first African-American to coach a major league sports team. He was the first African-American coach in the NBA but not the first in professional basketball. Steinbrenner’s Cleveland team hired John Mcclendon in 1962 to coach the team. Mcclendon’s Pipers defeated the Kansas City Steers and claimed the 1962 ABL Championship. In the fall of 1962 ABL teams began play but ceased operations December 31, 1962, the Steers were declared ABL Champs sitting in first place of the 8 team league. The ABL had no television contract, in addition a number of the franchises suffered from poor financial backing. The ABL unlike the ABA was never able to secure the services of NBA players. Of interest though once the league folded a number of ABL players made their way onto NBA rosters.
Corner the market
How many networks is there telecasting college basketball? No need to count them it just seems even with increased networks ESPN continues to dominate the market in hires. Three college coaches have been added for the upcoming season, Stan Heath, Craig Robinson and Jim Calhoun. How their talents will be utilized has not been determined to date.
The City by the Bay
Not that city the other one---Oakland also sits on the bay. Most probably think of San Francisco when you say; “City by the Bay.” Oakland has a city population a little over 400,000 which is certainly small compared to New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. Oakland has produced a tremendous amount of basketball talent over the years beginning with number six Bill Russell. Over the years the NBA talent pool includes Brian Shaw, Antonio Davis, Gary Payton and more recently Damian Lillard just to name a few.
I really couldn’t include former Celtic Paul Pierce, although born in Oakland he grew up in the Los Angeles area. The latest Oakland talent is 6-11 210 pound Ivan Rabb of Bishop O’ Dowd High School. This is certainly no prediction of future success but says Rabb is a talent at this level. He’s a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2015 by Rivals and ESPN Recruiting Nation. All the usual players are recruiting him however he’s made no decision on a college. He may not leave the State of California since Cal, UCLA and USC all have offered scholarships.
He’s developing game
If you are a certain age you might remember the late Manute Bol. Bol was one of the tallest players in the NBA standing 7 feet 7 inches tall. With that height you might think rebounding/defense player however neither was his specialty. This native of Sudan became a 3-point specialist for a number of NBA teams. The Kansas City metro has a significant Sudanese population so it was probably natural Manute would settle here after retirement. The father chose suburban Olathe (KS) to re-locate his family. After leaving the game Manute became a tireless humanitarian traveling back and forth to provide aid relief to his native Sudan, Manute died of acute kidney failure in 2010.
With 10 offspring it would be expected a number take up the game and follow in their father’s footsteps. One of those sons is Bol Bol, this son is a 14 year old beginning his freshman year at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. Because the younger Bol began playing basketball as a youngster and has gained basketball skills his dad never fully developed. Bol at 6-10 is thin as a rail; he may not have an NBA career however his development will continue. He’s another area prospect I plan on scouting this winter.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Bruise Brothers
Rick Mahorn was featured in an ESPN 30 for 30 feature on “The Bad Boys”. This account has nothing to do with the Pistons rather it’s a report on the tandem Mahorn was part of dubbed the Bruise Brothers. Back in the day if you played the Bullets (Wizards) you had better prepared yourself to be bumped, bounced around and maybe bruised. The pair was really not brothers, they were big, and they played bruising basketball (which was allowed at the time). In addition both were nearly identical in height and weight, the difference Ruland was white and Mahorn was black. 6-10 275 pound Jeff Ruland played center and 6-10 260 pound Rick Mahorn was the power forward.
Neither of them were particularly good shooters but that’s not why they were on the floor. Win or lose opponents of the Bullets knew by the time the game was over it was necessary to spend an inordinate amount of time in the whirlpool. The pair arrived in the NBA from Iona and Hampton respectively, the combo was eventually broken up when Ruland was traded to the 76ers and Mahorn to the Pistons. Ruland retired in 1993 while Mahorn retired in 1999. Since retiring both have served as head coaches in a number of locations. Funny when I we hear players of today complaining about “rough play”, they would refuse to walk on the court against the “Bruise Brothers” Jeff Ruland and Rick Mahorn.
Kansas basketball needs help (maybe)
As usual Bill Self and Kansas continue to recruit talented players to Lawrence, there is an exception. There is a continuing problem with the point guard position. It’s not the fact Self failed to address the issue, the highly touted point guards in the Class of 2014 chose locations other than Kansas. Point guard was shaky last year and now Naadir Tharpe who played minutes has transferred. There are three point guards on the roster however each comes up short and one is an incoming freshman.
The Jayhawks have returning talent Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden Jr., in addition highly touted freshman Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander arrive on the scene. This crop of players requires someone to “get them the ball. “ Kansas had another outstanding year however as was pointed out problems at the point were evident. Can Self manage to circumvent his teams’ problem this upcoming season or will one or two of the returnees step up their game? Kansas fans are anxious for the answer. Interesting in that several fans believe there is no problem.
A name change (for me)
At the end of the 2012-13 season the Hornets became the Pelicans, the close of the next season saw the Bobcats change to the Hornets. We are one move short of a name
change----the Thunder. The name Sonics belongs to Seattle and we realize the name had to remain there; there is nothing unique about the name Thunder. If we hear Knicks, New York City immediately comes to mind, how about the Rockets? How about the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston?
Whenever we see Celtics the belief is Boston should be in front of the name, it’s an iconic connection. If we read or hear the name Lakers we identify the Los Angeles team. Of course we realize there are no large bodies of water except the Pacific Ocean yet the name prevails. The Lakers will never change the name it arrived with them in 1960 from their Minneapolis move. Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes a motto which is still used on occasion. .
A new arena?
Note the question mark at the end of the headline, allow a brief explanation. The Los Angeles Clippers are signed to a 20+ year lease at Staples Center and that’s part of the problem. “They (whoever they are) declare the Clippers don’t have the most lucrative lease in the NBA they would be better off in another arena.” If the previous statement is true could new owner Steve Ballmer break the lease and somehow “build” a new arena? All we can do at this point is speculate however consider the following conditions. In these tough economic times it’s highly doubtful a new arena could be built entirely with public funds. Ballmer an owner with deep pockets would be expected to make a substantial contribution to any planned arena. Just check out construction costs of the last three arenas built, the figures provided are based on 2014 dollars.
The $259 million dollar Toyota Center (Houston) opened in 2003. Next up was Amway Center in 2010 (Orlando) with construction cost totaling $519 million. The latest is Barclays Center in Brooklyn which opened in 2012; it was built at a cost of $1 billion dollars. Please note these arenas were constructed with a mix of public, private and owner funds. As costs escalate it might be more and more difficult for citizens to believe these coliseums are necessary for the welfare of the community. This is pure speculation on my part however this could occur. Several years back before Seattle the Maloof brothers former owners of the the Kings were exploring a move to Los Angeles. Reports circulated the Honda Center in Anaheim was to undergo an upgrade. Honda is fairly new opening in 1993, it seats 18,336 for basketball and once served as home base for the Clippers from 1994 through 1999.
Rick Mahorn was featured in an ESPN 30 for 30 feature on “The Bad Boys”. This account has nothing to do with the Pistons rather it’s a report on the tandem Mahorn was part of dubbed the Bruise Brothers. Back in the day if you played the Bullets (Wizards) you had better prepared yourself to be bumped, bounced around and maybe bruised. The pair was really not brothers, they were big, and they played bruising basketball (which was allowed at the time). In addition both were nearly identical in height and weight, the difference Ruland was white and Mahorn was black. 6-10 275 pound Jeff Ruland played center and 6-10 260 pound Rick Mahorn was the power forward.
Neither of them were particularly good shooters but that’s not why they were on the floor. Win or lose opponents of the Bullets knew by the time the game was over it was necessary to spend an inordinate amount of time in the whirlpool. The pair arrived in the NBA from Iona and Hampton respectively, the combo was eventually broken up when Ruland was traded to the 76ers and Mahorn to the Pistons. Ruland retired in 1993 while Mahorn retired in 1999. Since retiring both have served as head coaches in a number of locations. Funny when I we hear players of today complaining about “rough play”, they would refuse to walk on the court against the “Bruise Brothers” Jeff Ruland and Rick Mahorn.
Kansas basketball needs help (maybe)
As usual Bill Self and Kansas continue to recruit talented players to Lawrence, there is an exception. There is a continuing problem with the point guard position. It’s not the fact Self failed to address the issue, the highly touted point guards in the Class of 2014 chose locations other than Kansas. Point guard was shaky last year and now Naadir Tharpe who played minutes has transferred. There are three point guards on the roster however each comes up short and one is an incoming freshman.
The Jayhawks have returning talent Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden Jr., in addition highly touted freshman Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander arrive on the scene. This crop of players requires someone to “get them the ball. “ Kansas had another outstanding year however as was pointed out problems at the point were evident. Can Self manage to circumvent his teams’ problem this upcoming season or will one or two of the returnees step up their game? Kansas fans are anxious for the answer. Interesting in that several fans believe there is no problem.
A name change (for me)
At the end of the 2012-13 season the Hornets became the Pelicans, the close of the next season saw the Bobcats change to the Hornets. We are one move short of a name
change----the Thunder. The name Sonics belongs to Seattle and we realize the name had to remain there; there is nothing unique about the name Thunder. If we hear Knicks, New York City immediately comes to mind, how about the Rockets? How about the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston?
Whenever we see Celtics the belief is Boston should be in front of the name, it’s an iconic connection. If we read or hear the name Lakers we identify the Los Angeles team. Of course we realize there are no large bodies of water except the Pacific Ocean yet the name prevails. The Lakers will never change the name it arrived with them in 1960 from their Minneapolis move. Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes a motto which is still used on occasion. .
A new arena?
Note the question mark at the end of the headline, allow a brief explanation. The Los Angeles Clippers are signed to a 20+ year lease at Staples Center and that’s part of the problem. “They (whoever they are) declare the Clippers don’t have the most lucrative lease in the NBA they would be better off in another arena.” If the previous statement is true could new owner Steve Ballmer break the lease and somehow “build” a new arena? All we can do at this point is speculate however consider the following conditions. In these tough economic times it’s highly doubtful a new arena could be built entirely with public funds. Ballmer an owner with deep pockets would be expected to make a substantial contribution to any planned arena. Just check out construction costs of the last three arenas built, the figures provided are based on 2014 dollars.
The $259 million dollar Toyota Center (Houston) opened in 2003. Next up was Amway Center in 2010 (Orlando) with construction cost totaling $519 million. The latest is Barclays Center in Brooklyn which opened in 2012; it was built at a cost of $1 billion dollars. Please note these arenas were constructed with a mix of public, private and owner funds. As costs escalate it might be more and more difficult for citizens to believe these coliseums are necessary for the welfare of the community. This is pure speculation on my part however this could occur. Several years back before Seattle the Maloof brothers former owners of the the Kings were exploring a move to Los Angeles. Reports circulated the Honda Center in Anaheim was to undergo an upgrade. Honda is fairly new opening in 1993, it seats 18,336 for basketball and once served as home base for the Clippers from 1994 through 1999.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
The “Manimal"
As I prepared this story I thought; “I wonder how many NBA players Morehead State has produced.” The school located in Morehead Kentucky is about 75 miles from Lexington home of the Wildcats. Of course the University of Kentucky dominates the headlines nationally. Morehead State has produced six NBA players in its history the first in 1959 and the latest in 2011. The Nuggets made Kenneth “Manimal“ Faried the number 22 pick in the 1st round of the 2011 NBA Draft. He’s been the best NBA player the schools’ produced thus far.
We should have figured he’d be an “animal” on the boards based on his Morehead numbers, 13, 13 and 14.5 rebounds a game. These rebounding numbers from a 6-8 225 pound power forward. Playing for the Nuggets he managed to make the NBA All Rookie Team and was chosen the NBA Rising Stars Challenge MVP. Faried is never going to wow anyone with his scoring or rebounding numbers however his blue collar work will astound. I doubt if the Nuggets run plays for Faried. Watch his NBA game continue to grow over the next several years.
Bits n Pieces
Wolves’ fans initially appear pleased with the Love trade. Oftentimes when an established star is traded or leaves in free agency fans have been known to voice objections (See Cavs fans four years ago). Preliminary reports indicate ticket sales have risen since the Love for Wiggin’s trade. Maybe the explanation is simple, Wolves fans wanted him gone since he wanted out.
After flirting with Under Armour Kevin Durant made his decision, he’s sticking with Nike for a reported $285 million. The Under Armour brand established in 1996 is a new player in the shoe department only offering footwear since 2006. If they had been able to secure the services of Durant he would have been the highest profile athlete to date.
Occasionally I have an opportunity to “scout” an athlete up close. I plan to check out 6-7 225 pound Kevin Puryear‘s game this winter. Puryear a senior at Blue Springs South High School verbally committed to Mizzou recently. Blue Springs is located about 20 miles from downtown Kansas City (MO).
I’m pleased the NBA and NCAA are addressing head trauma seriously. I have no statistics however it would appear the risk of concussion is higher in football and soccer. With that said it’s still a good idea for basketball players who suffer head injuries to be medically cleared before returning to the basketball court.
The future?
I’ve often stated it’s impossible to see into the future, this is certainly no intent to prognosticate simply pose a question. Bruce Pearl was highly successful at Tennessee however he was fired due to NCAA violations. He was forced to the sidelines for a
3-year period until a show-cause hearing before the NCAA. After meeting with the NCAA Pearl was cleared and Auburn hired him. Pearl hit’s the recruiting trail immediately and the old Pearl magic is apparent. One of these early recruits maturity could be considered questionable.
Trayvon Reed is a 7-1 240 pound prospect; he committed to Maryland however an incident caused the school to withdraw their offer. Reed stole a candy bar and was arrested attempting to elude police. He accepted responsibility for his actions claiming he’d been drinking. There is no doubt on Reed’s talent at least at the high school level it’s his maturity that’s called into question. As for Reed he’s enrolled in prep school but will be “eligible” to play at Auburn in December. The question more revolves around Pearl than Reed, is he headed down the same path that led to his termination at Tennessee?
My curiosity got the best of me
A Laker fan website posed the question; “Who is your least favorite Laker coach”? With any poll it certainly cannot be considered scientific or accurate. I checked it out because I was curious how Laker fans would vote. D’Antoni won easily with 47%; not surprising considering his team set an all-time won-loss record. He was followed in the vote by Mike Brown at 36%, then Magic Johnson 8% and Dell Harris 7%. Sometimes over the course of time fans forget historical events. Magic and Kareem had retired, James Worthy and Byron Scott’s game had aged. The defense anchored by Michael Cooper was no longer preeminent as it once had been.
The Lakers finished below .500 for two consecutive seasons before Harris took over the team. I will defend Harris for this fact alone, he inherited a Laker team that finished below .500 and led them to a 48-34 record. Each year after that first season they won an increasing number of games culminating with a 61-21 record in the 1997-98 season. The team made the playoffs every year during his tenure however he was never able to lead them to a championship. The failure of his teams to advance in the playoffs probably led to his downfall as Lakers coach, Harris was fired 12 games into the 1998-99 season.
As I prepared this story I thought; “I wonder how many NBA players Morehead State has produced.” The school located in Morehead Kentucky is about 75 miles from Lexington home of the Wildcats. Of course the University of Kentucky dominates the headlines nationally. Morehead State has produced six NBA players in its history the first in 1959 and the latest in 2011. The Nuggets made Kenneth “Manimal“ Faried the number 22 pick in the 1st round of the 2011 NBA Draft. He’s been the best NBA player the schools’ produced thus far.
We should have figured he’d be an “animal” on the boards based on his Morehead numbers, 13, 13 and 14.5 rebounds a game. These rebounding numbers from a 6-8 225 pound power forward. Playing for the Nuggets he managed to make the NBA All Rookie Team and was chosen the NBA Rising Stars Challenge MVP. Faried is never going to wow anyone with his scoring or rebounding numbers however his blue collar work will astound. I doubt if the Nuggets run plays for Faried. Watch his NBA game continue to grow over the next several years.
Bits n Pieces
Wolves’ fans initially appear pleased with the Love trade. Oftentimes when an established star is traded or leaves in free agency fans have been known to voice objections (See Cavs fans four years ago). Preliminary reports indicate ticket sales have risen since the Love for Wiggin’s trade. Maybe the explanation is simple, Wolves fans wanted him gone since he wanted out.
After flirting with Under Armour Kevin Durant made his decision, he’s sticking with Nike for a reported $285 million. The Under Armour brand established in 1996 is a new player in the shoe department only offering footwear since 2006. If they had been able to secure the services of Durant he would have been the highest profile athlete to date.
Occasionally I have an opportunity to “scout” an athlete up close. I plan to check out 6-7 225 pound Kevin Puryear‘s game this winter. Puryear a senior at Blue Springs South High School verbally committed to Mizzou recently. Blue Springs is located about 20 miles from downtown Kansas City (MO).
I’m pleased the NBA and NCAA are addressing head trauma seriously. I have no statistics however it would appear the risk of concussion is higher in football and soccer. With that said it’s still a good idea for basketball players who suffer head injuries to be medically cleared before returning to the basketball court.
The future?
I’ve often stated it’s impossible to see into the future, this is certainly no intent to prognosticate simply pose a question. Bruce Pearl was highly successful at Tennessee however he was fired due to NCAA violations. He was forced to the sidelines for a
3-year period until a show-cause hearing before the NCAA. After meeting with the NCAA Pearl was cleared and Auburn hired him. Pearl hit’s the recruiting trail immediately and the old Pearl magic is apparent. One of these early recruits maturity could be considered questionable.
Trayvon Reed is a 7-1 240 pound prospect; he committed to Maryland however an incident caused the school to withdraw their offer. Reed stole a candy bar and was arrested attempting to elude police. He accepted responsibility for his actions claiming he’d been drinking. There is no doubt on Reed’s talent at least at the high school level it’s his maturity that’s called into question. As for Reed he’s enrolled in prep school but will be “eligible” to play at Auburn in December. The question more revolves around Pearl than Reed, is he headed down the same path that led to his termination at Tennessee?
My curiosity got the best of me
A Laker fan website posed the question; “Who is your least favorite Laker coach”? With any poll it certainly cannot be considered scientific or accurate. I checked it out because I was curious how Laker fans would vote. D’Antoni won easily with 47%; not surprising considering his team set an all-time won-loss record. He was followed in the vote by Mike Brown at 36%, then Magic Johnson 8% and Dell Harris 7%. Sometimes over the course of time fans forget historical events. Magic and Kareem had retired, James Worthy and Byron Scott’s game had aged. The defense anchored by Michael Cooper was no longer preeminent as it once had been.
The Lakers finished below .500 for two consecutive seasons before Harris took over the team. I will defend Harris for this fact alone, he inherited a Laker team that finished below .500 and led them to a 48-34 record. Each year after that first season they won an increasing number of games culminating with a 61-21 record in the 1997-98 season. The team made the playoffs every year during his tenure however he was never able to lead them to a championship. The failure of his teams to advance in the playoffs probably led to his downfall as Lakers coach, Harris was fired 12 games into the 1998-99 season.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Hoyas giving back
Georgetown will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a new athletic building in September. The John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center will be named in honor of the schools long-time former basketball coach. The $62 million dollar facility will be constructed entirely through philanthropy. Patrick Ewing and his agent David Falk contributed $3.3 million to construction of the building. Celtic and ex-Hoya Jeff Green also donated $1 million to the project.
For the second time
The Lakers invited free agent Michael Beasley to town for a work out a few weeks back. Currently there are 13 players on the roster and most likely two more will be added. The Lakers failed to sign Beasley so I concluded they decided against adding him to their roster. My take might not be quite correct; they invited several players to a work out last week including Beasley for the second time. Stand by for further news on Laker roster additions.
He barely saw the floor
Duke basketball last season was all about 5-star prospect Jabari Parker, lost somewhere in the mix was a local area talent. Ottawa Kansas is about 50 miles from downtown Kansas City Missouri, the city is the home to Semi Ojeleye 6-6 215 pound small forward. Ojeleye a 4-star prospect headed off to Duke last summer and got lost somewhere in the crowd, he barely saw the floor his freshman year. Maybe he’s just not as talented as many in the area believed or maybe his timing wasn’t good. Ojeleye signed with Duke in September 2012 while Parker committed three months later, to compound the predicament both played the same position.
We don’t always receive what we want
A great amount of pro/con debate has raged since the Paul George injury. The only owner I’ve heard voicing a negative opinion has been Mark Cuban. I held a conversation with a friend and we came to the same conclusion. Our preference would be a return to the days of collegiate players competing in FIBA/Olympics endeavors. We agreed utilizing NBA players most likely assumes a victory for the USA. John detailed for me the amount of money the Pacers will lose with no George in the lineup. If we looked at this issue strictly on the basis of finance we could conclude no team could afford to lose a star NBA player. On the other hand NBA players routinely play a number of non-FIBA games during the summer. Who know if George might have been severely injured playing in a pick-up game? We don’t always receive what we want, I want a return to collegiate players representing the US but that is highly unlikely.
The uni-brow
We have no idea what the future might hold as I’ve often stated. Baring injury I’d take ½ of 1 percent of Anthony Davis’s salary over the course of his career. The Pelicans made a wise choice drafting the 6-10 power forward from Kentucky. There was no sophomore drop-off for Davis check his numbers. His scoring rose from 13.5 ppg to 20.8, his rebounding numbers went from 8.2 to a significant 10.0 per game. Shooting a sizzling .513 from the floor last season he managed to raise his field goal percentage to .519. There are probably few questions regarding his play the key remaining question can he lead the Pelicans upward and into the playoffs? That question remains unanswered and only time will tell.
After the dust settled
The Kevin Love to Cleveland trade is official, after everything settles what does the future hold? I’ve stated a number of times I an unable to predict the future (I don’t work for ESPN) however lets look at the Wolves. They will be an awfully young team a number unable to legally purchase liquor. On the roster is small forward Shabazz Muhammand (21), they drafted UCLA’s Zach Lavine (19) in the 2014 draft. In the Love trade the team acquired Andrew Wiggins (19) and power forward Anthony Bennett (21) plus small forward Thaddeus Young (26).
Veteran point guard Ricky Rubio is an old man at age 23, the balance of the roster is made up of twenty-something’s. There are three players age 31 and one whose 30 that’s it. We could state the 2014-15 Wolves have a great deal of P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L however they are young. It’s going to be difficult for this young team to learn how to win at the NBA level. Be patient Wolves fans I like the future of this this team. In addition I believe in Coach Flip Saunders, given time he should be able to mold these youngsters into a cohesive team.
Georgetown will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a new athletic building in September. The John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center will be named in honor of the schools long-time former basketball coach. The $62 million dollar facility will be constructed entirely through philanthropy. Patrick Ewing and his agent David Falk contributed $3.3 million to construction of the building. Celtic and ex-Hoya Jeff Green also donated $1 million to the project.
For the second time
The Lakers invited free agent Michael Beasley to town for a work out a few weeks back. Currently there are 13 players on the roster and most likely two more will be added. The Lakers failed to sign Beasley so I concluded they decided against adding him to their roster. My take might not be quite correct; they invited several players to a work out last week including Beasley for the second time. Stand by for further news on Laker roster additions.
He barely saw the floor
Duke basketball last season was all about 5-star prospect Jabari Parker, lost somewhere in the mix was a local area talent. Ottawa Kansas is about 50 miles from downtown Kansas City Missouri, the city is the home to Semi Ojeleye 6-6 215 pound small forward. Ojeleye a 4-star prospect headed off to Duke last summer and got lost somewhere in the crowd, he barely saw the floor his freshman year. Maybe he’s just not as talented as many in the area believed or maybe his timing wasn’t good. Ojeleye signed with Duke in September 2012 while Parker committed three months later, to compound the predicament both played the same position.
We don’t always receive what we want
A great amount of pro/con debate has raged since the Paul George injury. The only owner I’ve heard voicing a negative opinion has been Mark Cuban. I held a conversation with a friend and we came to the same conclusion. Our preference would be a return to the days of collegiate players competing in FIBA/Olympics endeavors. We agreed utilizing NBA players most likely assumes a victory for the USA. John detailed for me the amount of money the Pacers will lose with no George in the lineup. If we looked at this issue strictly on the basis of finance we could conclude no team could afford to lose a star NBA player. On the other hand NBA players routinely play a number of non-FIBA games during the summer. Who know if George might have been severely injured playing in a pick-up game? We don’t always receive what we want, I want a return to collegiate players representing the US but that is highly unlikely.
The uni-brow
We have no idea what the future might hold as I’ve often stated. Baring injury I’d take ½ of 1 percent of Anthony Davis’s salary over the course of his career. The Pelicans made a wise choice drafting the 6-10 power forward from Kentucky. There was no sophomore drop-off for Davis check his numbers. His scoring rose from 13.5 ppg to 20.8, his rebounding numbers went from 8.2 to a significant 10.0 per game. Shooting a sizzling .513 from the floor last season he managed to raise his field goal percentage to .519. There are probably few questions regarding his play the key remaining question can he lead the Pelicans upward and into the playoffs? That question remains unanswered and only time will tell.
After the dust settled
The Kevin Love to Cleveland trade is official, after everything settles what does the future hold? I’ve stated a number of times I an unable to predict the future (I don’t work for ESPN) however lets look at the Wolves. They will be an awfully young team a number unable to legally purchase liquor. On the roster is small forward Shabazz Muhammand (21), they drafted UCLA’s Zach Lavine (19) in the 2014 draft. In the Love trade the team acquired Andrew Wiggins (19) and power forward Anthony Bennett (21) plus small forward Thaddeus Young (26).
Veteran point guard Ricky Rubio is an old man at age 23, the balance of the roster is made up of twenty-something’s. There are three players age 31 and one whose 30 that’s it. We could state the 2014-15 Wolves have a great deal of P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L however they are young. It’s going to be difficult for this young team to learn how to win at the NBA level. Be patient Wolves fans I like the future of this this team. In addition I believe in Coach Flip Saunders, given time he should be able to mold these youngsters into a cohesive team.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)