“Mama there goes that man”
Former broadcaster, player and Coach Mark Jackson coined the phrase used as a headline. We are unsure if he originated the phrase however its’ believed he was the first we first utilized it. Mark Jackson played for the Knicks but this is the other Jackson Phil whose president and general manager of the team. The “other” Jackson has been known to stoke controversy in the media. We are not sure when it first began however stories first began surfacing while Jackson served as coach of the Bulls. His feuds with General Manager Jerry Krause may have begun the trend; this pattern continued as Jackson jousted with fans and media while coaching the Lakers.
Jackson upset many a Sacramento fan by referring to the city as a “cow town.” Kings fans began a pattern of bringing cowbells to the arena and ringing them during periods of the game. For the last several years director, writer and actor Spike Lee has been the self-appointed number one Knicks fan. Lee might be number one however Phil Jackson doesn’t think much of his effort. The PJ quote; “Spike is an avid Knicks fan who doesn’t know anything about basketball.” Lee is producing a documentary on the triangle offense the basis for the PJ quote on the other hand we know PJ’s history in manipulating the media and all concerned.
He remains a favorite
All last season I was probably the one Laker fan defending Pau Gasol. I saw many of the letters wanting him traded and several wanting him amnestied, I took them all in stride. Besides injury I blame a portion of his poor season on Mike D’Antoni and his inability to utilize the talent of Gasol effectively. Sure Gasol has aged but he’s not exactly over the hill, want proof? The Lakers have had 25 coaches in their history the 67-87 record D’Antoni recorded is the worst of the bunch. That probably seems hard to believe with Mike Brown serving as head coach previously, the Lakers were 42-29 during his tenure. Back to the subject Pau Gasol, it’s my belief and mine alone he was one of the keys in them winning the 2009 and 2010 NBA Championships.
Need proof of Gasol’s remaining talent, the Bulls have no problem signing the 34-year old free-agent. They must believe he has “some gas left in the tank” they even dumped Carlos Boozer in order to secure the services of Gasol. I believe a portion of Durant’s issue with a number of Laker fans they wanted more than he was capable of delivering. They believed as a 7-footer “he should rebound the ball better” or “he plays power forward but certainly isn’t dominant, he‘s more a finesse player.” You must wait awhile on this next statement to prove me wrong. Although Gasol is no longer a Laker I believe his number will eventually be retired, wait and see. I‘ll still root for the skillful Gasol unless he‘s playing my Lakers.
Bits n Pieces
I guess I can’t really complain about chasing championship rings. Shawn Marion late of the Mavs recently signed with the Cavs. I’m unsure who is pulling the strings at this stage however it appears management is not returning to the previous LeBron years. They intend to surround him with as much talent as they can draft/trade or sign as free agents.
Think John Calipari is telling the truth? The Cavs were reported to have offered him the head coaching job prior to hiring David Blatt. In any event Calipari “Says he wouldn’t have left his Wildcats job even if he knew LeBron was headed home to Cleveland.” Why leave when you are more popular than any elected official in the State of Kentucky.
Speaking of LeBron did you see or hear the story on the Cavs pre-season game versus the Heat. I was viewing the game however didn’t see the incident. During a portion of the game it was reported LeBron set a “pick” for former teammate Norris Cole. I’m unsure of Cole’s tenure with the Heat however I believe he’s been there at least three seasons.
LSU had a unique NBA Draft history much earlier than Kentucky. In 1990 Chris Jackson (later to become Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) a 6-1 point guard was drafted number 3 in the first round of the 1990 draft. A year later 7-0 285 pound Stanley Roberts was chosen 23rd in the first round. One year after that 7-1 325 pound Shaquille O’Neal was made the number 1 pick in the 1992 draft.
I hope I’m not repeating an earlier story, I’m watching the pre-season game between the 76ers and Celtics. Seeing Celtics Coach Brad Stevens on the sidelines cause me to reflect on the story. Stevens on a third date with his wife (while both were in college) took her to a high school basketball game.
He’s hurt
Injuries have always been a part of the game; you name it the NFL, MLB or the NBA. Teams are often impacted by the injury list; others might accuse me of rationalizing but look at last years Laker team. They were decimated by injuries however they may have overcome a portion of the injuries if an effective coach had been in place. Training camp and the injury bug has appeared once again. The Lakers Nick Young hurt, verdict out 6-8 weeks. The Thunder has lost Kevin Durant to a broken bone he’s out 6-8 weeks too. Swaggy P. led the Lakers in scoring last season while Kevin Durant had an MVP season. Which team should we suppose is hurt the most by its missing in action player?
2015 NBA Draft
As this is written the NBA is yet to set the date for the June draft. I’m not rushing things but decided to check out a couple of mock draft sites. The two I follow most frequently are remarkably similar. NBADraft.net list Emmanuel Mudiay who will have a year under his belt playing as a pro in China. Duke’s Jahlil Okafor is listed as the number one pick by DraftExpress.com. Who becomes the number one choice, a 6-5 190 pound point guard or a 6-11 277 pound center? On the other hand Kentucky’s Karl Towns or Cliff Alexander at Kansas could move up and become that number one pick. Neither Victor Oladipo (Magic) nor Cleanthony Early (Knicks) were number one draft picks but there is a point here. Both players managed to raise their draft stock their last season in college.
