There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
“What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet“ Wm Shakespeare
Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau, Bulls management and fans might have some difficulty with the Shakespeare quote. Sure the prospect of a full Rose recovery is sweet however that’s not been the case. I hope this is not considered an indictment against the former MVP. Injuries forced Rose to the sidelines for much of the last two seasons, in fact he’s played but 42 out of a possible 162 games during this period.
We expected a near return to form or at least a portion of the skill he exhibited in the past. For much of the early 2014-15 season Rose has been in and out of the lineup with various injuries. I’m borrowing this statement; “there is a difference between an injury and playing hurt.” None of us can get inside the head of Derrick Rose so this account might be totally off base. In conclusion we’ll continue to wait for the sweet smelling game Rose once produced.
Bits n Pieces
My wife has a tendency to call me out at times; this is one of those times. For reference check the lead story I wrote on November 26. My wife claims “I got it wrong about Cari Champion.” She says “Champion may have misunderstood the Jeannie Buss statement.” I guess I must quit reading between the lines.
Coach K. was certified in some circles for a statement he made regarding Okafor. He hinted his prized freshman was probably headed to the NBA after his freshman year. Several in the media wanted to know why Coach K. was pointing out the door to the talented freshman. Why is there condemnation of the coach when 99% of us believed at the time he enrolled Okafor was headed to the NBA after his first collegiate season.
I was checking out scores and came across the Grambling St-Notre Dame results. I believe I have a sense of humor however sometimes one’s attempt at humor falls on deaf ears. I mentioned last year a studio analyst provided the score of a game and stated; “I didn’t realize Wichita was a state.” A reference to the school named Wichita State, if he’d thought a moment he’d realize a number of schools have “state” as part of their name. Besides the two schools above there is Cleveland State, Wayne (MI) State, Boise (ID) State and Pittsburg (KS) State just to name a few.
Despite what you might believe (of me) the basketball world does not revolve around the Lakers. Maybe that’s the problem; the Lakers have been good so long the media (especially ESPN) must focus on the downturn in their fortunes. There is one difference for me there are a number of NBA teams playing poorly right now. Despite what ESPN would desire us to believe the Lakers are not bad because of Kobe’s contract.
One addition to my sports idiot list
I wonder if it is me or them---members of the sports media. Do they really believe their often brash pronouncements or do they make them to provoke people like me? I am unsure if I can answer the question however I have an addition to my sports idiot list. I have discovered often the folks making provocative statements cover the wide world of sports they do not cover college or the NBA exclusively. With the disclaimer out of the way here goes, the focus is the Boomer and Carton program on the CBS Sports Network. We know the Knicks are not good however this morning Carton is complaining about the team and Phil Jackson being in Los Angeles rather than New York. The report is Jackson was in Los Angeles receiving medical treatment, which rankled Carton too.
Anthony left a game the team lost with back spasms Carton left us with this little jewel.
“He (Anthony) will begin to miss games if the team becomes worst.“ This is a point-by-point objection to Carton’s rant. Point number one anybody who follows the NBA realizes the Knicks problems are not going to be resolved in a short space of time, in this instance roughly 15 games. Point number two last time I checked Derek Fisher was the head coach not Phil Jackson. Jackson was not hired to coach he was hired as president. Point number three as for the medical trip to Los Angeles PJ gets a pass in this regard. If you have a physician in Los Angeles you trust implicitly why is it necessary to locate one in New York especially if you have the financial power to fly coast to coast periodically. I have no ability to look inside Carmelo Anthony’s brain and determine his fitness or willingness to play neither does Carton.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
That is plain stupid
Laker President Jeannie Buss on ESPN’s First Take recently. Jeannie says; “We believe it will take three years to become a competitive team again.” Co-host Cari Champion then says; “So you are in year three?” Jeannie immediately said; “No, we are in year one.” I’m trying to figure out how Champion could figure the team is in year three when they have had 3 coaches in the last 4 years. Year one started over the summer with the hire of Byron Scott as head coach. A head coach along with the front office must have time to re-tool a team.
Whoa
If the season ended as this is written Los Angeles would miss the playoffs. You probably thought I was referring to the Lakers it is the cities other team the Clippers. They are two games above .500 with a 7-5 record. Wasn’t this the year they were suppose to contend for the Western Division Championship? Doc Rivers record details for us he was and is a good coach.
The high scoring Lob City machine is now giving up almost as many points as they are scoring, 102.4 points per game while yielding 101.2. We know Chris Paul can score the ball however they are in trouble when he’s the team leader. The season has barely started there is ample time for the team to correct its problems. The question remains will the Clippers live up to the pre-season media hype?
Why leave
I am viewing the post-game interview with Kentucky’s John Calipari. The thought crossed my mind why would Calipari, Bill Self, Roy Williams, Sean Miller or others leave. Leave for where you ask the NBA of course each of the names excepting Miller I believe has been approached to become a head coach in the NBA. The first issue, few college coaches have managed to taste success in the NBA, I can only think only one success story current SMU coach Larry Brown. Mike Montgomery and Lon Kruger may be the most recent to have moved from college to the NBA. Both triumphed at the college level but failed at the NBA level. In college the coach is in charge, in the NBA it is a player’s league.
They may be the best
We could go back to 1962, which was the year the Pistons drafted the late Reggie Harding. Harding did not begin play until the 1963-64 season however he became the first. He was the earliest high school player to play in the NBA without college experience. Harding had a checkered NBA career however other high school players would follow. Moses Malone in the 1974 ABA draft was followed by the 76ers choosing Daryl Dawkins a year later. A number of others followed some made the grad while other simply couldn’t play at the NBA level. The policy of allowing high school players in the draft changed, the 2005 NBA Draft contained the last high school players.
Malone was good enough to make it to Springfield (MA) and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Malone may not be the best ever; the best ever high school players remain active. One now plays in Ohio the other in Southern California. Kobe Bryant will be elected to the Hall of Fame before LeBron James but it has nothing to do with who’s the best. Kobe at 36-years old is on the downhill side of a brilliant career, 5-time NBA Champion included in his resume. He’ll be elected year five after his retirement. LeBron James will turn 30 in December so he’s got several quality years in front of him. Multiple league leading scorer, two-time NBA Champion just a tiny portion of his resume. This is not a debate as to whose the best it’s a simple statement to say the best two high school players are still lacing their basketball shoes.
Bits n Pieces
Keep this name in your data bank; Vanderbilt University received a verbal commitment in August from D’Jery Baptiste. This 7 foot 250 pound center Class of 2015 prospect attends Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano Texas. Video of Baptiste in action is available on You Tube for you to check out if you care.
Michael William "Mike" Krzyzewski or Coach K. Duke basketball coach is a winner. He’s won at all levels except the NBA. Don’t be fooled I’ve been convinced he’s not coaching in the NBA simply due to his lack of desire. Everyone claimed this was the weakest Team USA since NBA players began play. Coach K. coached this team to a gold medal win.
The Spurs have won 5 championships but have never been repeat champions. The Celtics (back in the day) Lakers, Bulls, Rockets, Pistons and Heat all won successive NBA crowns. I wonder if never winning two championships in a row may be a contributing factor why NBA fans take on the Spurs is so different than for others?
It’s okay to lose a game, not really allow a brief explanation. I was upset when Mizzou lost the game against the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Later Mizzou played Arizona in the Maui Classic and lost 72-53. Did I forget to mention Arizona as this is written is the number 3 team in the nation?
-------Larry Laker
That is plain stupid
Laker President Jeannie Buss on ESPN’s First Take recently. Jeannie says; “We believe it will take three years to become a competitive team again.” Co-host Cari Champion then says; “So you are in year three?” Jeannie immediately said; “No, we are in year one.” I’m trying to figure out how Champion could figure the team is in year three when they have had 3 coaches in the last 4 years. Year one started over the summer with the hire of Byron Scott as head coach. A head coach along with the front office must have time to re-tool a team.
Whoa
If the season ended as this is written Los Angeles would miss the playoffs. You probably thought I was referring to the Lakers it is the cities other team the Clippers. They are two games above .500 with a 7-5 record. Wasn’t this the year they were suppose to contend for the Western Division Championship? Doc Rivers record details for us he was and is a good coach.
The high scoring Lob City machine is now giving up almost as many points as they are scoring, 102.4 points per game while yielding 101.2. We know Chris Paul can score the ball however they are in trouble when he’s the team leader. The season has barely started there is ample time for the team to correct its problems. The question remains will the Clippers live up to the pre-season media hype?
Why leave
I am viewing the post-game interview with Kentucky’s John Calipari. The thought crossed my mind why would Calipari, Bill Self, Roy Williams, Sean Miller or others leave. Leave for where you ask the NBA of course each of the names excepting Miller I believe has been approached to become a head coach in the NBA. The first issue, few college coaches have managed to taste success in the NBA, I can only think only one success story current SMU coach Larry Brown. Mike Montgomery and Lon Kruger may be the most recent to have moved from college to the NBA. Both triumphed at the college level but failed at the NBA level. In college the coach is in charge, in the NBA it is a player’s league.
They may be the best
We could go back to 1962, which was the year the Pistons drafted the late Reggie Harding. Harding did not begin play until the 1963-64 season however he became the first. He was the earliest high school player to play in the NBA without college experience. Harding had a checkered NBA career however other high school players would follow. Moses Malone in the 1974 ABA draft was followed by the 76ers choosing Daryl Dawkins a year later. A number of others followed some made the grad while other simply couldn’t play at the NBA level. The policy of allowing high school players in the draft changed, the 2005 NBA Draft contained the last high school players.
Malone was good enough to make it to Springfield (MA) and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Malone may not be the best ever; the best ever high school players remain active. One now plays in Ohio the other in Southern California. Kobe Bryant will be elected to the Hall of Fame before LeBron James but it has nothing to do with who’s the best. Kobe at 36-years old is on the downhill side of a brilliant career, 5-time NBA Champion included in his resume. He’ll be elected year five after his retirement. LeBron James will turn 30 in December so he’s got several quality years in front of him. Multiple league leading scorer, two-time NBA Champion just a tiny portion of his resume. This is not a debate as to whose the best it’s a simple statement to say the best two high school players are still lacing their basketball shoes.
Bits n Pieces
Keep this name in your data bank; Vanderbilt University received a verbal commitment in August from D’Jery Baptiste. This 7 foot 250 pound center Class of 2015 prospect attends Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano Texas. Video of Baptiste in action is available on You Tube for you to check out if you care.
Michael William "Mike" Krzyzewski or Coach K. Duke basketball coach is a winner. He’s won at all levels except the NBA. Don’t be fooled I’ve been convinced he’s not coaching in the NBA simply due to his lack of desire. Everyone claimed this was the weakest Team USA since NBA players began play. Coach K. coached this team to a gold medal win.
The Spurs have won 5 championships but have never been repeat champions. The Celtics (back in the day) Lakers, Bulls, Rockets, Pistons and Heat all won successive NBA crowns. I wonder if never winning two championships in a row may be a contributing factor why NBA fans take on the Spurs is so different than for others?
It’s okay to lose a game, not really allow a brief explanation. I was upset when Mizzou lost the game against the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Later Mizzou played Arizona in the Maui Classic and lost 72-53. Did I forget to mention Arizona as this is written is the number 3 team in the nation?
Monday, November 24, 2014
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
Rand University
Rand is an unincorporated town in the State of West Virginia, its where former NFL All Pro wide receiver Randy Moss was raised. Rand University Is the title of the latest ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries this one focusing on Randy Moss. Hold on a minute I realize Moss had a long and distinguished NFL career as a wide receiver. I discovered (you probably were aware) Moss was also an outstanding high school basketball player.
Moss was a 6-4 shooting guard who from the video had hops. Remember all those leaping catches he made during his NFL career? Those moves may have come directly from the basketball court as the film detailed several dunks. Could Moss have played college basketball or even the NBA? We are long past the time frame to respond however based on skills Moss demonstrated in football why he couldn’t have been a success in basketball, baseball or track and field.
Part II
I wrote a response to a story written November 14, the writer was attempting to point out Kobe Bryant wanted to leave Los Angeles for the Knicks. The writer said “Kobe wanted an opportunity to play for Phil Jackson and the chance to win another championship.” I can sign off on one of the two---the desire to play for PJ. I hope Knick fans did not think my critical response was a slap in the face aimed at their team.
As this is written both stand, 3-10, the prospects for either to win a championship is remote at least for the near future. As for others, Philly is 0-12, Thunder 3-11 the Cavs stand 5-6. Can you explain the fixation ESPN and other media have with the Lakers? Consider this little gem with the exception of the 76ers and Lakers it was expected the won-loss record of the others would be superior-----correct? This is not intent to rain on anybodies parade its simply to point out injuries, age and other factors can severly affect a team.
"Sacramento” Kings
The Royals/Kings have set up home in several cities over the course of the history of the franchise. The team moved from Rochester (NY) to Cincinnati (OH) to Kansas City (MO) and finally Sacramento. Last weeks TNT telecast during a lull in the Kings-Bulls game the camera focused on retired Kings Jerseys in the rafters. Play by play announcer Marv Albert was correct identifying Bob Davies and the fact he played for the Rochester Royals. As for the others Albert eroded, he identified Nate “Tiny” Archibald and Sam Lacey as members of the “Sacramento” Kings. Wrong Marv both played for the Kansas City version of the Kings, Archibald and Lacey retired prior to the Sacramento move.
Dress for success
Years ago, there was a book with the above title. It detailed the who, what and why of men’s fashion. For many of you prior to the days of business casual the successful man wore a suit and tie. I pay strict attention to wardrobe choices of those men around me. It is not an attempt to access anything about the man just an eye for men’s styling. Recently ESPN.com writer Myron Medcalf provided us his Top 10 of best dress college coaches. I have no disagreement with Medcalf placing Rick Pitino of Louisville in the top spot.
As for his inclusion of Florida’s Billy Donovan, that is another matter. He defends his selection of Donovan “claiming that he (Donovan) doesn’t need the jacket to be fashionable. He’s comfortable with just a shirt and tie because his shirts and ties are always in harmony.” I would like to see Donovan prior to tossing his suit jacket aside in order to make my own judgment. I do not believe I remember ever seeing him completely decked out. Just a thought.
This is rare
Jabari Parker is the exception; he was drafted by the Bucks and appears to be happy. In recent years we’ve witnessed players drafted by small market teams, they usually lead to these conclusions. They force a trade (see Stevie Francis 1999 draft) or they sign with the small market team and play through the rookie contract. Once they become free agents they sign with a large market team (a host of players). As for Parker his stance might be different for several reasons, first Milwaukee is roughly 2 hours drive time from his Chicago home.
Two it’s my belief Parker is the second coming of Grant Hill, not the injury plagued Hill the Hill who before injuries appeared to be headed to the HOF. A number of scouting reports said Parker was not very athletic, my counter statement is it really necessary to be a super athletic to make it in the NBA? Duke and the ACC is not the NBA there are aspects of his game he must fine-tune, I have no doubt that will occur. Everyone missed the boat on the Blazers Damian Lillard; nobody picked him as Rookie of the Year. The 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year will be somebody overlooked or it could be Jabari Parker and not Andrew Wiggins
-------Larry Laker
Rand University
Rand is an unincorporated town in the State of West Virginia, its where former NFL All Pro wide receiver Randy Moss was raised. Rand University Is the title of the latest ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries this one focusing on Randy Moss. Hold on a minute I realize Moss had a long and distinguished NFL career as a wide receiver. I discovered (you probably were aware) Moss was also an outstanding high school basketball player.
Moss was a 6-4 shooting guard who from the video had hops. Remember all those leaping catches he made during his NFL career? Those moves may have come directly from the basketball court as the film detailed several dunks. Could Moss have played college basketball or even the NBA? We are long past the time frame to respond however based on skills Moss demonstrated in football why he couldn’t have been a success in basketball, baseball or track and field.
Part II
I wrote a response to a story written November 14, the writer was attempting to point out Kobe Bryant wanted to leave Los Angeles for the Knicks. The writer said “Kobe wanted an opportunity to play for Phil Jackson and the chance to win another championship.” I can sign off on one of the two---the desire to play for PJ. I hope Knick fans did not think my critical response was a slap in the face aimed at their team.
As this is written both stand, 3-10, the prospects for either to win a championship is remote at least for the near future. As for others, Philly is 0-12, Thunder 3-11 the Cavs stand 5-6. Can you explain the fixation ESPN and other media have with the Lakers? Consider this little gem with the exception of the 76ers and Lakers it was expected the won-loss record of the others would be superior-----correct? This is not intent to rain on anybodies parade its simply to point out injuries, age and other factors can severly affect a team.
"Sacramento” Kings
The Royals/Kings have set up home in several cities over the course of the history of the franchise. The team moved from Rochester (NY) to Cincinnati (OH) to Kansas City (MO) and finally Sacramento. Last weeks TNT telecast during a lull in the Kings-Bulls game the camera focused on retired Kings Jerseys in the rafters. Play by play announcer Marv Albert was correct identifying Bob Davies and the fact he played for the Rochester Royals. As for the others Albert eroded, he identified Nate “Tiny” Archibald and Sam Lacey as members of the “Sacramento” Kings. Wrong Marv both played for the Kansas City version of the Kings, Archibald and Lacey retired prior to the Sacramento move.
Dress for success
Years ago, there was a book with the above title. It detailed the who, what and why of men’s fashion. For many of you prior to the days of business casual the successful man wore a suit and tie. I pay strict attention to wardrobe choices of those men around me. It is not an attempt to access anything about the man just an eye for men’s styling. Recently ESPN.com writer Myron Medcalf provided us his Top 10 of best dress college coaches. I have no disagreement with Medcalf placing Rick Pitino of Louisville in the top spot.
As for his inclusion of Florida’s Billy Donovan, that is another matter. He defends his selection of Donovan “claiming that he (Donovan) doesn’t need the jacket to be fashionable. He’s comfortable with just a shirt and tie because his shirts and ties are always in harmony.” I would like to see Donovan prior to tossing his suit jacket aside in order to make my own judgment. I do not believe I remember ever seeing him completely decked out. Just a thought.
This is rare
Jabari Parker is the exception; he was drafted by the Bucks and appears to be happy. In recent years we’ve witnessed players drafted by small market teams, they usually lead to these conclusions. They force a trade (see Stevie Francis 1999 draft) or they sign with the small market team and play through the rookie contract. Once they become free agents they sign with a large market team (a host of players). As for Parker his stance might be different for several reasons, first Milwaukee is roughly 2 hours drive time from his Chicago home.
Two it’s my belief Parker is the second coming of Grant Hill, not the injury plagued Hill the Hill who before injuries appeared to be headed to the HOF. A number of scouting reports said Parker was not very athletic, my counter statement is it really necessary to be a super athletic to make it in the NBA? Duke and the ACC is not the NBA there are aspects of his game he must fine-tune, I have no doubt that will occur. Everyone missed the boat on the Blazers Damian Lillard; nobody picked him as Rookie of the Year. The 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year will be somebody overlooked or it could be Jabari Parker and not Andrew Wiggins
Friday, November 21, 2014
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
Remix
I believed we heard the last of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, riding to his rescue is comedian Dave Chappelle. In an interview in GQ Chappell said “he shouldn’t have lost his team over a secret recording.” Chappell might be correct in the series of events however there are two sides to every story. I wonder if the comedian considered this might be a case of retribution for the past public history of Sterling.
I‘m reminded
Watching the Kentucky-Kansas game play by play announcer Dan Shulman said; “Kentucky has 9 McDonalds All Americans.” Former Mizzou Coach Norm Stewart once questioned about the players on his team responded with this quote; “We don’t have any McDonalds All Americans but we do eat there.” On a serious note there were significant events we can examine from the Tuesday night match, I’m focusing on number 32 and 11. Kansas lost its game against Kentucky 72-40 a 32 point loss.
The 32 point differential was the largest for a Kansas team in a loss dating back to the 1982 season. The other number is 11 the number of shots Kentucky’s length managed to block during the game. I lost count of the misses, shots that may have been altered by the presence of a Kentucky defender. Take heart Kansas you played the number one team in the nation and its likely you will be the 2014-15 Big 12 champion. In addition its likely Kentucky will never be capable of playing this well again?
Speaking of Kansas
An acquaintance of mine (Kansas fan) said; “I should get over my animosity with Kansas no longer playing Mizzou.” I took his advice the only probably several of his “friends” have failed to heed his advice to me. It was reported a number of Kansas fans were laughing out loud when they heard University of Mo-Kansas City had beaten Mizzou 69-61. Early season or not a 32 point “beat-down” by Kentucky (72-40) over Kansas is historic on a number of levels. In conclusion be real, real careful who you laugh at you may discover someone later laughing at you.
Zero tolerance
We cannot be sure if the NBA acted in response to the fury surrounding the NFL’s Ray Rice or Adrian Peterson. Hornets forward Jeff Taylor had been suspended earlier however later pleaded guilty in a civil trial. He pleaded guilty to “misdemeanor domestic violence assault and malicious destruction of hotel property.” His earlier suspension plus the NBA suspension will total 24 games without pay. The NBAPA is appealing the suspension that should be expected. The NBA, NFL and other organizations have adopted a zero tolerance policy regarding domestic violence. The abuser will no longer escape with little if any penalty being levied.
“Takin’ Care of Business”
In 1973 Bachman Turner-Overdrive a rock band had a hit with “Takin’ Care of Business.” The same statement could certainly be made of the Cavs LeBron James. As an 18-year old LeBron signed with a well-known agent and we assumed that would be lasting. He would later terminate the contract with that agent and sign a deal with his home-boys. We said in unisons, “that’s a big mistake to hire guys you know personally, some of them you grew up with.
Today LeBron is worth $53 million in endorsements alone. Among those whose products he’s endorsed are McDonalds, Coca-Cola and of course Nike. Maverick Carter, Rich Paul and crew have become wealthy but so have their chief product LeBron James. Someone might say check back in 20 years and see if the money is still rolling in. Despite our concerns LeBron’s crew has taken care of business. We seriously doubt if his lifestyle will be very much different from that of today.
Come on Charles
Dan Patrick was questioning Charles Barkley on his morning show. Patrick made the mistake of mentioning the Laker win over the Rockets the previous night. Barkley (who is often critical of Dwight Howard) said; “The Lakers are still a terrible team and besides the fact (Dwight) Howard was out of the lineup.” I am a realist I know the Lakers will not make the playoffs however; I do not fully understand Barkley. Barkley and Shaq are the leading critics of Dwight Howard’s overall game. Hey Charles, if I used your correlation can I toss out the 76 games Kobe missed last season. To detail how injuries can affect a team consider this little gem. After two weeks of the season, the Lakers won-loss record is better than the Thunder.
-------Larry Laker
Remix
I believed we heard the last of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, riding to his rescue is comedian Dave Chappelle. In an interview in GQ Chappell said “he shouldn’t have lost his team over a secret recording.” Chappell might be correct in the series of events however there are two sides to every story. I wonder if the comedian considered this might be a case of retribution for the past public history of Sterling.
I‘m reminded
Watching the Kentucky-Kansas game play by play announcer Dan Shulman said; “Kentucky has 9 McDonalds All Americans.” Former Mizzou Coach Norm Stewart once questioned about the players on his team responded with this quote; “We don’t have any McDonalds All Americans but we do eat there.” On a serious note there were significant events we can examine from the Tuesday night match, I’m focusing on number 32 and 11. Kansas lost its game against Kentucky 72-40 a 32 point loss.
The 32 point differential was the largest for a Kansas team in a loss dating back to the 1982 season. The other number is 11 the number of shots Kentucky’s length managed to block during the game. I lost count of the misses, shots that may have been altered by the presence of a Kentucky defender. Take heart Kansas you played the number one team in the nation and its likely you will be the 2014-15 Big 12 champion. In addition its likely Kentucky will never be capable of playing this well again?
Speaking of Kansas
An acquaintance of mine (Kansas fan) said; “I should get over my animosity with Kansas no longer playing Mizzou.” I took his advice the only probably several of his “friends” have failed to heed his advice to me. It was reported a number of Kansas fans were laughing out loud when they heard University of Mo-Kansas City had beaten Mizzou 69-61. Early season or not a 32 point “beat-down” by Kentucky (72-40) over Kansas is historic on a number of levels. In conclusion be real, real careful who you laugh at you may discover someone later laughing at you.
Zero tolerance
We cannot be sure if the NBA acted in response to the fury surrounding the NFL’s Ray Rice or Adrian Peterson. Hornets forward Jeff Taylor had been suspended earlier however later pleaded guilty in a civil trial. He pleaded guilty to “misdemeanor domestic violence assault and malicious destruction of hotel property.” His earlier suspension plus the NBA suspension will total 24 games without pay. The NBAPA is appealing the suspension that should be expected. The NBA, NFL and other organizations have adopted a zero tolerance policy regarding domestic violence. The abuser will no longer escape with little if any penalty being levied.
“Takin’ Care of Business”
In 1973 Bachman Turner-Overdrive a rock band had a hit with “Takin’ Care of Business.” The same statement could certainly be made of the Cavs LeBron James. As an 18-year old LeBron signed with a well-known agent and we assumed that would be lasting. He would later terminate the contract with that agent and sign a deal with his home-boys. We said in unisons, “that’s a big mistake to hire guys you know personally, some of them you grew up with.
Today LeBron is worth $53 million in endorsements alone. Among those whose products he’s endorsed are McDonalds, Coca-Cola and of course Nike. Maverick Carter, Rich Paul and crew have become wealthy but so have their chief product LeBron James. Someone might say check back in 20 years and see if the money is still rolling in. Despite our concerns LeBron’s crew has taken care of business. We seriously doubt if his lifestyle will be very much different from that of today.
Come on Charles
Dan Patrick was questioning Charles Barkley on his morning show. Patrick made the mistake of mentioning the Laker win over the Rockets the previous night. Barkley (who is often critical of Dwight Howard) said; “The Lakers are still a terrible team and besides the fact (Dwight) Howard was out of the lineup.” I am a realist I know the Lakers will not make the playoffs however; I do not fully understand Barkley. Barkley and Shaq are the leading critics of Dwight Howard’s overall game. Hey Charles, if I used your correlation can I toss out the 76 games Kobe missed last season. To detail how injuries can affect a team consider this little gem. After two weeks of the season, the Lakers won-loss record is better than the Thunder.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
KU versus UK
I’m viewing Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption. They are debating the importance of tonight’s Kansas-Kentucky game. I don’t agree with either of them it’s far too early to be a must win game for either school. It might be far better in the school’s had an open date to play one another in late February or March. We’d have a much better idea which is the superior team.
Really!!!
Wonder why we rarely hear these complaints from NFL fans. Many of us follow the NBA much closer than the NFL, perhaps this development may have occurred at some point in the past. Have you heard this comment previously about the NBA? “How can an NBA team finishing at or below .500 make the playoffs is the comment. The .500 or below scenario team could play out this season in the NFL.
In the NFC South the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are currently tied for first place with 4-6 records. The Carolina Panthers are 3-7-1 in second place; to be clear this is written November 17 with a significant regular season yet to be played. One or more of the NFL teams mentioned has time to improve their record; it is possible an NFL team could finish at or below .500.
The season
In recent years I cannot remember an off-season the NBA dominated the headlines as much as it did during the summer of 2014. A rich NBA draft in June may have kicked off the proceedings followed by a number of high-profile coaching hires. It concluded with free-agency and perhaps the biggest free agent name changing teams. Northern Ohio and Cleveland rejoiced when LeBron James announced “I’m coming home.” This move and others associated with the Cavs maintained the spotlight on them most of the summer. The free agent saga of Carmelo Anthony, “do I want to win a championship or get paid.” We believe he chose the money, fans of Anthony might believe I’m tossing rocks at him that’s not my intent just a simple explanation as I see it. As for new Knicks Coach Derek Fisher can he make a smooth transition from player to coach? Knick fans are certainly anxious to determine this.
In South Beach a number of fans are disappointed at the departure of LeBron, the Heat most likely won’t win the 2015 NBA Championship but are certainly not an awful team. Will Russell Westbrook rein in his game in and allow the Thunder to effectively compete for a championship? Further out west we could look toward the Warriors and ask the question can Steve Kerr move into the role of coach? Working in the front office of a team is certainly far different than managing 15 egos. The Rockets remain a question mark for me (and others). On paper a very talented team but you know the saying; “you don’t play games on paper.” Ownership drama is over in Southern California, can Doc Rivers manage to coach his Clippers to success in advancing to a championship?
A Kobe sighting
Not that Kobe---- this Kobe’s last name is Paras (Par-raas). He‘s a 6-6 guard/ forward from Manila in the Philippines, this Kobe moved to Los Angeles and in his junior year of high school. He must have skills UCLA has offered him a scholarship and he’s accepted the offer. There are a number of videos available of him in action on YouTube. As usual this is no prediction of future success at any level. For at least the next two years there will be two Kobe’s playing basketball in Los Angeles.
Love him or hate him
I’ve mentioned in the past I have a love/hate view of Mavs owner Mark Cuban. He’s insightful and promotes innovated changes for the NBA, love it. He says incredibly stupid things, hate him. The hate, everybody and their brother complains about NBA teams tanking (losing on purpose). We’ve heard these complaints regarding the 76ers last year and even this year (Mavs 120 76ers 70). I’m unsure if he actually uttered the statement however the media ran with a story indicating Cuban had stated; “The Thunder should consider tanking.” This might be a reference to both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant missing with injuries. The NBA is the only pro league the issue of losing games on purpose is being discussed.
I’ve never heard of this being an issue in the NFL, MLB or the NHL. Once upon a time a bad team lost games because they were bad. The 1973 76ers finished the regular season with 9 wins and 73 losses a .110 percentage. A shortened season caused the 2012 Bobcats (Hornets) to finish with a 7-59 record. In neither instance was there any mention about losing games on purpose. I have no authority to ban tanking from the NBA vocabulary however it continues to concern me. For fans to discuss tanking is far different than an NBA owner entertaining the issue especially with the media. What do you think?
-------Larry Laker
KU versus UK
I’m viewing Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption. They are debating the importance of tonight’s Kansas-Kentucky game. I don’t agree with either of them it’s far too early to be a must win game for either school. It might be far better in the school’s had an open date to play one another in late February or March. We’d have a much better idea which is the superior team.
Really!!!
Wonder why we rarely hear these complaints from NFL fans. Many of us follow the NBA much closer than the NFL, perhaps this development may have occurred at some point in the past. Have you heard this comment previously about the NBA? “How can an NBA team finishing at or below .500 make the playoffs is the comment. The .500 or below scenario team could play out this season in the NFL.
In the NFC South the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are currently tied for first place with 4-6 records. The Carolina Panthers are 3-7-1 in second place; to be clear this is written November 17 with a significant regular season yet to be played. One or more of the NFL teams mentioned has time to improve their record; it is possible an NFL team could finish at or below .500.
The season
In recent years I cannot remember an off-season the NBA dominated the headlines as much as it did during the summer of 2014. A rich NBA draft in June may have kicked off the proceedings followed by a number of high-profile coaching hires. It concluded with free-agency and perhaps the biggest free agent name changing teams. Northern Ohio and Cleveland rejoiced when LeBron James announced “I’m coming home.” This move and others associated with the Cavs maintained the spotlight on them most of the summer. The free agent saga of Carmelo Anthony, “do I want to win a championship or get paid.” We believe he chose the money, fans of Anthony might believe I’m tossing rocks at him that’s not my intent just a simple explanation as I see it. As for new Knicks Coach Derek Fisher can he make a smooth transition from player to coach? Knick fans are certainly anxious to determine this.
In South Beach a number of fans are disappointed at the departure of LeBron, the Heat most likely won’t win the 2015 NBA Championship but are certainly not an awful team. Will Russell Westbrook rein in his game in and allow the Thunder to effectively compete for a championship? Further out west we could look toward the Warriors and ask the question can Steve Kerr move into the role of coach? Working in the front office of a team is certainly far different than managing 15 egos. The Rockets remain a question mark for me (and others). On paper a very talented team but you know the saying; “you don’t play games on paper.” Ownership drama is over in Southern California, can Doc Rivers manage to coach his Clippers to success in advancing to a championship?
A Kobe sighting
Not that Kobe---- this Kobe’s last name is Paras (Par-raas). He‘s a 6-6 guard/ forward from Manila in the Philippines, this Kobe moved to Los Angeles and in his junior year of high school. He must have skills UCLA has offered him a scholarship and he’s accepted the offer. There are a number of videos available of him in action on YouTube. As usual this is no prediction of future success at any level. For at least the next two years there will be two Kobe’s playing basketball in Los Angeles.
Love him or hate him
I’ve mentioned in the past I have a love/hate view of Mavs owner Mark Cuban. He’s insightful and promotes innovated changes for the NBA, love it. He says incredibly stupid things, hate him. The hate, everybody and their brother complains about NBA teams tanking (losing on purpose). We’ve heard these complaints regarding the 76ers last year and even this year (Mavs 120 76ers 70). I’m unsure if he actually uttered the statement however the media ran with a story indicating Cuban had stated; “The Thunder should consider tanking.” This might be a reference to both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant missing with injuries. The NBA is the only pro league the issue of losing games on purpose is being discussed.
I’ve never heard of this being an issue in the NFL, MLB or the NHL. Once upon a time a bad team lost games because they were bad. The 1973 76ers finished the regular season with 9 wins and 73 losses a .110 percentage. A shortened season caused the 2012 Bobcats (Hornets) to finish with a 7-59 record. In neither instance was there any mention about losing games on purpose. I have no authority to ban tanking from the NBA vocabulary however it continues to concern me. For fans to discuss tanking is far different than an NBA owner entertaining the issue especially with the media. What do you think?
Monday, November 17, 2014
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
I’m extremely disappointed
I didn’t witness the UMKC-Mizzou game in person or on television. I am dissecting the game via the box score which is likely unfair. Kim Anderson’s Mizzou Tigers suffered a “flat tire” as the “new” coach lost his first game. The Tigers had played a couple of exhibition games but this was the first game against a D-1 opponent. The University of Missouri-Kansas City upended the Tigers 69-61, has UMKC under second year coach Kareem Richardson turned the corner? The team finished 8-24 two years ago 10-20 last season under Richardson. Is UMKC on the way up and Mizzou on the way down? That question and others remained to be answered, stay tuned for future developments.
Will he?
Names from the past and at least one from the present day accomplished this feat. Jim Brown, Bo Jackson, Charlie Ward, Donovan McNabb and Jameis Winston are just a few of the individuals. The previously named athletes competed in two sports while enrolled in college. With the exception of Winston who remains in college the skill set of the others may have allowed them to play professionally in another sport. In the ‘30’s and ‘40’s competing in two sports wasn’t that unusual, this trend may have continued up through the ‘50’s.
Increased competition and classroom work made it extremely difficult for athletes to continue this duo pursuit. Where am I going you might ask? You might be unfamiliar with the name Drew Lock, he’s from suburban Lee Summit is headed to Mizzou next fall. Lock is a 6-3 shooting guard rated a 3-star prospect by Rivals. As for the football portion he’s rated a 4-star by the same website and is considered the number one high school quarterback in the State of Missouri. We’ll have no answer on Lock until next year however it appears he intends to play football and basketball.
Hear that?
I’m referring to the yelling, screaming maybe even profanities aimed at John Calipari and Kentucky basketball. Why all the debate is aimed at the two principals mentioned? The early signing period found Kentucky rushing to the head of the class once again in acquiring potentially talented basketball prospects. 6-11 210 pound Skal Labissiere from Cordova (TN) has announced he’s headed for Lexington. He’s the number five prospect in the Class of 2015 by Rivals.com. Labissiere from Haiti came to the U.S. after the devastating 2010 earthquake in the Caribbean nation. Distributing the basketball to Labissiere and other Kentucky players will be 6-3 point guard Isaiah Briscoe. Briscoe is from Newark (NJ), Rivals list Briscoe number nine in its 2015 rankings. ESPN Recruiting Nation now believes Kentucky has gained the top spot among all schools in 2015 recruiting.
I’m pointing the finger
ESPN leads the way however there are others, they remind us daily how terrible the Lakers are. They point fingers at Kobe Bryant, owner Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak as the source. Perhaps one or more of the individuals are responsible or indirectly responsible for the current plight of the Lakers. I’d like to add one more name a name everyone overlooks.
I’m adding former commissioner David Stern to the list. For all the innovation he brought to the NBA this is certainly one black eye for many Lakers. You remember the story the Lakers traded for Chris Paul and Stern vetoed the trade “in the best interest of the NBA. “ Instead of the Lakers having to trade for the missing Steve Nash the younger Paul would be in place. Its likely Paul Gasol would have been replaced at the power forward position too.
-------Larry Laker
I’m extremely disappointed
I didn’t witness the UMKC-Mizzou game in person or on television. I am dissecting the game via the box score which is likely unfair. Kim Anderson’s Mizzou Tigers suffered a “flat tire” as the “new” coach lost his first game. The Tigers had played a couple of exhibition games but this was the first game against a D-1 opponent. The University of Missouri-Kansas City upended the Tigers 69-61, has UMKC under second year coach Kareem Richardson turned the corner? The team finished 8-24 two years ago 10-20 last season under Richardson. Is UMKC on the way up and Mizzou on the way down? That question and others remained to be answered, stay tuned for future developments.
Will he?
Names from the past and at least one from the present day accomplished this feat. Jim Brown, Bo Jackson, Charlie Ward, Donovan McNabb and Jameis Winston are just a few of the individuals. The previously named athletes competed in two sports while enrolled in college. With the exception of Winston who remains in college the skill set of the others may have allowed them to play professionally in another sport. In the ‘30’s and ‘40’s competing in two sports wasn’t that unusual, this trend may have continued up through the ‘50’s.
Increased competition and classroom work made it extremely difficult for athletes to continue this duo pursuit. Where am I going you might ask? You might be unfamiliar with the name Drew Lock, he’s from suburban Lee Summit is headed to Mizzou next fall. Lock is a 6-3 shooting guard rated a 3-star prospect by Rivals. As for the football portion he’s rated a 4-star by the same website and is considered the number one high school quarterback in the State of Missouri. We’ll have no answer on Lock until next year however it appears he intends to play football and basketball.
Hear that?
I’m referring to the yelling, screaming maybe even profanities aimed at John Calipari and Kentucky basketball. Why all the debate is aimed at the two principals mentioned? The early signing period found Kentucky rushing to the head of the class once again in acquiring potentially talented basketball prospects. 6-11 210 pound Skal Labissiere from Cordova (TN) has announced he’s headed for Lexington. He’s the number five prospect in the Class of 2015 by Rivals.com. Labissiere from Haiti came to the U.S. after the devastating 2010 earthquake in the Caribbean nation. Distributing the basketball to Labissiere and other Kentucky players will be 6-3 point guard Isaiah Briscoe. Briscoe is from Newark (NJ), Rivals list Briscoe number nine in its 2015 rankings. ESPN Recruiting Nation now believes Kentucky has gained the top spot among all schools in 2015 recruiting.
I’m pointing the finger
ESPN leads the way however there are others, they remind us daily how terrible the Lakers are. They point fingers at Kobe Bryant, owner Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak as the source. Perhaps one or more of the individuals are responsible or indirectly responsible for the current plight of the Lakers. I’d like to add one more name a name everyone overlooks.
I’m adding former commissioner David Stern to the list. For all the innovation he brought to the NBA this is certainly one black eye for many Lakers. You remember the story the Lakers traded for Chris Paul and Stern vetoed the trade “in the best interest of the NBA. “ Instead of the Lakers having to trade for the missing Steve Nash the younger Paul would be in place. Its likely Paul Gasol would have been replaced at the power forward position too.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Sign on the dotted line
Two Mizzou verbal commits made it official on Wednesday, November 12 was the first day of the early signing period. 6-7 225 pound power forward Kevin Puryear and 6-4 195 pound shooting guard Cullen VanLeer made their commitment official. Both athletes are 3-star prospects in the Class of 2015 according to Rivals.com.
This is stupid
There is no doubt in my mind Kobe Bryant hates playing on a bad Laker team. For him to demand a trade to the Knicks is just plain stupid in my view. Alex Johnson a writer for Gimmesports.com makes that claim in a November 11 story. He basis his view on comments made by former Laker Rick Fox on a telecast. Kobe wants to be reunited with Phil Jackson and to have another opportunity to close out his career with another NBA championship before he retires. I could be wrong however it’s my belief Johnson has taken the Fox comment out of context. He’s written an article to provoke guys like me and I fell into his trap. This is my counterpoint why the trade will not occur.
1. The Knicks are not a championship caliber team nor in two years.
2. Kobe Bryant has a no-trade clause in his contract, he must approve a trade.
3. The author makes no mention of any player(s) the Knicks intend to trade for Kobe.
4. Unless Carmelo Anthony is headed to the Lakers think the Knicks can afford both?
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”
Ever heard of the old expression above? I always took it to imply “don’t beat up verbally or physically someone who may be or might be rewarding you financially.” Frank Kaminsky at Wisconsin probably needs to take the expression to heart. After bursting on the national scene the 7-foot power forward/center had thoughts of leaving for the NBA. Kaminsky decided to return to school noting; “The NBA looks flat out boring.” Tell us Frank what you really think.
I believe it’s me
I’ve had no argument with anyone who says the NBA regular season is too long. I do have a problem when you try to apply NFL standards to basketball. Mike Greenberg and his partner were discussing the issue of shorting the season. This paraphrases the view expressed by Greenberg. He stated; “There are so many games (television) no one game becomes a must-see.” The NFL plays 16 regular season games once a week (excluding Monday, Thursday), if the NBA reduced its schedule to 70 games we might still be left without a must-see game. Hey Greenberg I have no issue with you regarding a reduction in games, I do have an issue with the fact you are looking for must-see games. They simply cannot exist in the NBA if the league was only playing 50 or 60 games a season.
Missed this one
2015 is almost upon here, the annual NBA All Star will be held after the first of the year. The game will be held February 15 but under different circumstances. This could only occur in New York City with two teams and two buildings. Barclays Center home of the Nets will serve as host for the Friday and Saturday activities including the slam dunk championship. Madison Square Garden the Knicks home will host the All Star game. Maybe you remember when this was originally announced; I probably was aware at the time but forgot. Hope your memory is better than mine.
Two Mizzou verbal commits made it official on Wednesday, November 12 was the first day of the early signing period. 6-7 225 pound power forward Kevin Puryear and 6-4 195 pound shooting guard Cullen VanLeer made their commitment official. Both athletes are 3-star prospects in the Class of 2015 according to Rivals.com.
This is stupid
There is no doubt in my mind Kobe Bryant hates playing on a bad Laker team. For him to demand a trade to the Knicks is just plain stupid in my view. Alex Johnson a writer for Gimmesports.com makes that claim in a November 11 story. He basis his view on comments made by former Laker Rick Fox on a telecast. Kobe wants to be reunited with Phil Jackson and to have another opportunity to close out his career with another NBA championship before he retires. I could be wrong however it’s my belief Johnson has taken the Fox comment out of context. He’s written an article to provoke guys like me and I fell into his trap. This is my counterpoint why the trade will not occur.
1. The Knicks are not a championship caliber team nor in two years.
2. Kobe Bryant has a no-trade clause in his contract, he must approve a trade.
3. The author makes no mention of any player(s) the Knicks intend to trade for Kobe.
4. Unless Carmelo Anthony is headed to the Lakers think the Knicks can afford both?
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”
Ever heard of the old expression above? I always took it to imply “don’t beat up verbally or physically someone who may be or might be rewarding you financially.” Frank Kaminsky at Wisconsin probably needs to take the expression to heart. After bursting on the national scene the 7-foot power forward/center had thoughts of leaving for the NBA. Kaminsky decided to return to school noting; “The NBA looks flat out boring.” Tell us Frank what you really think.
I believe it’s me
I’ve had no argument with anyone who says the NBA regular season is too long. I do have a problem when you try to apply NFL standards to basketball. Mike Greenberg and his partner were discussing the issue of shorting the season. This paraphrases the view expressed by Greenberg. He stated; “There are so many games (television) no one game becomes a must-see.” The NFL plays 16 regular season games once a week (excluding Monday, Thursday), if the NBA reduced its schedule to 70 games we might still be left without a must-see game. Hey Greenberg I have no issue with you regarding a reduction in games, I do have an issue with the fact you are looking for must-see games. They simply cannot exist in the NBA if the league was only playing 50 or 60 games a season.
Missed this one
2015 is almost upon here, the annual NBA All Star will be held after the first of the year. The game will be held February 15 but under different circumstances. This could only occur in New York City with two teams and two buildings. Barclays Center home of the Nets will serve as host for the Friday and Saturday activities including the slam dunk championship. Madison Square Garden the Knicks home will host the All Star game. Maybe you remember when this was originally announced; I probably was aware at the time but forgot. Hope your memory is better than mine.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
The Chuckster at his best
On Monday I wrote of the Charles Barkley-Laker fast. Should we guess the Laker win on Sunday night will now force the Chuckster to locate another motivating factor to lose weight? Seriously I thought it was funny, over the years Sir Charles has made a number of interesting if not controversial proclamations. Remember the comment he made regarding Yao Ming? *“Barkley proclaimed on TNT's Inside the NBA show (2002) that if Yao managed to score 19 points in a game this season, he would kiss the posterior of fellow analyst Kenny Smith.” Many including Sir Charles questioned Yao Ming’s NBA talent. *Desert News Nov 22, 2002”
NBA TV
I confess I view NBA TV far more than the other pro sports networks. I’m unsure if we can state they are best, we can say they were the first pro sports network to begin telecasts. NBA TV went live in March 1999, the NFL Network followed in Nov 2003. The NHL Network ((Oct 2007) and MLB Network (Jan 2009) were to follow later. Turner Broadcasting System operates NBA TV which allows personalities such as Ernie Johnson, Kenny “the Jet” Smith and Charles Barkley to appear on NBA TV and TNT telecast. NBA TV is available on most cable systems in the U.S. plus DirecTV and Dish Network. The network is distributed to a number of broadcast systems throughout the world so Dennis Scott, Steve Smith and Brent Barry have a large following.
“Hey, we’re over here”!
The above headline is likely to have become the Grizzlies theme. I would suggest this team might be a mirror image of the Spurs. No, they don’t play the same style of basketball it’s just the fact they are not flashy yet manage to win. Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are the “bricks” of this competitive team. We can state with conviction (minus injuries) they are 50 win club annually but that’s the problem. With a collection of talented athletes they never ever climb to the top of the mountain. Lionel Hollins was forced out yet they still continued to win. Memphis fans are seriously waiting on this team to effectively compete for an NBA Championship.
I‘m the dummy
Much as I hate to admit it I’m the dummy, an ESPN program broadcasts a stupid report and I fall for it. The latest The SportsNation crew and “Do Kobe Bryant’s teammates hate him?” I can offer no proof to the contrary maybe they do hate Kobe. I would submit for consideration the following. Jodie Meeks and Jordan Farmar left the Lakers signing with the Pistons and Clippers respectively. Jordan Hill, Xavier Henry and Wesley Johnson chose to resign with the Lakers although they too had the opportunity to go elsewhere. If they hate Kobe at the level the ESPN crew claims don’t you think they might try and find another team Meeks and Farmar did?
“Sit down Norm”
Back in the day of Mizzou Coach Norm Stewart games in Lawrence Kansas fans would chant; “Sit down Norm’! This was a reference to Stewart standing and coaching from the sidelines. This is not a history lesson on Stewart rather it reflects comments I’ve heard regarding Kobe Bryant. More than one person has informed me Kobe needs to sit down (retire).
Funny thing, I’ve never heard them make that statement regarding Kevin Garnett. Garnett suffered through his worst season (6.5 ppg) as a member of the Nets. How about Ray Allen (9.6 ppg) late of the Heat, he’s supposed to be working on several deals including reuniting again with LeBron. There are probably several players I’ve omitted, it’s unnecessary to list all of them. The point fans (Kobe haters I believe) are pointing fingers at him while overlooking Garnett, Allen and others.
“The Invisible Man”
Although I claim to be a movie buff I have no idea how many different versions of The “Invisible Man” have been released. Research indicated the original movie was released in 1933. There is real-“Invisible Man“, no movie magic------his name is Elgin Baylor. Baylor 1959 NBA Rookie of the Year also he would eclipse 20,000 points. He was an 11X All-Star and Naismith Hall of Fame honoree. Those are but a few of the honors accorded this former Laker power forward.
Baylor played for the Lakers from 1958-1971. In fact Baylor actually played for the Minneapolis Lakers before heading west when the team moved in 1960. His jersey number 22 has long been retired however Laker management has ignored him for reasons unknown. Change will occur, on November 16 the Lakers will honor Baylor at half-time and fans will receive a replica jersey 22. This might be a first step to honor the legendary Laker power forward. .
On Monday I wrote of the Charles Barkley-Laker fast. Should we guess the Laker win on Sunday night will now force the Chuckster to locate another motivating factor to lose weight? Seriously I thought it was funny, over the years Sir Charles has made a number of interesting if not controversial proclamations. Remember the comment he made regarding Yao Ming? *“Barkley proclaimed on TNT's Inside the NBA show (2002) that if Yao managed to score 19 points in a game this season, he would kiss the posterior of fellow analyst Kenny Smith.” Many including Sir Charles questioned Yao Ming’s NBA talent. *Desert News Nov 22, 2002”
NBA TV
I confess I view NBA TV far more than the other pro sports networks. I’m unsure if we can state they are best, we can say they were the first pro sports network to begin telecasts. NBA TV went live in March 1999, the NFL Network followed in Nov 2003. The NHL Network ((Oct 2007) and MLB Network (Jan 2009) were to follow later. Turner Broadcasting System operates NBA TV which allows personalities such as Ernie Johnson, Kenny “the Jet” Smith and Charles Barkley to appear on NBA TV and TNT telecast. NBA TV is available on most cable systems in the U.S. plus DirecTV and Dish Network. The network is distributed to a number of broadcast systems throughout the world so Dennis Scott, Steve Smith and Brent Barry have a large following.
“Hey, we’re over here”!
The above headline is likely to have become the Grizzlies theme. I would suggest this team might be a mirror image of the Spurs. No, they don’t play the same style of basketball it’s just the fact they are not flashy yet manage to win. Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are the “bricks” of this competitive team. We can state with conviction (minus injuries) they are 50 win club annually but that’s the problem. With a collection of talented athletes they never ever climb to the top of the mountain. Lionel Hollins was forced out yet they still continued to win. Memphis fans are seriously waiting on this team to effectively compete for an NBA Championship.
I‘m the dummy
Much as I hate to admit it I’m the dummy, an ESPN program broadcasts a stupid report and I fall for it. The latest The SportsNation crew and “Do Kobe Bryant’s teammates hate him?” I can offer no proof to the contrary maybe they do hate Kobe. I would submit for consideration the following. Jodie Meeks and Jordan Farmar left the Lakers signing with the Pistons and Clippers respectively. Jordan Hill, Xavier Henry and Wesley Johnson chose to resign with the Lakers although they too had the opportunity to go elsewhere. If they hate Kobe at the level the ESPN crew claims don’t you think they might try and find another team Meeks and Farmar did?
“Sit down Norm”
Back in the day of Mizzou Coach Norm Stewart games in Lawrence Kansas fans would chant; “Sit down Norm’! This was a reference to Stewart standing and coaching from the sidelines. This is not a history lesson on Stewart rather it reflects comments I’ve heard regarding Kobe Bryant. More than one person has informed me Kobe needs to sit down (retire).
Funny thing, I’ve never heard them make that statement regarding Kevin Garnett. Garnett suffered through his worst season (6.5 ppg) as a member of the Nets. How about Ray Allen (9.6 ppg) late of the Heat, he’s supposed to be working on several deals including reuniting again with LeBron. There are probably several players I’ve omitted, it’s unnecessary to list all of them. The point fans (Kobe haters I believe) are pointing fingers at him while overlooking Garnett, Allen and others.
“The Invisible Man”
Although I claim to be a movie buff I have no idea how many different versions of The “Invisible Man” have been released. Research indicated the original movie was released in 1933. There is real-“Invisible Man“, no movie magic------his name is Elgin Baylor. Baylor 1959 NBA Rookie of the Year also he would eclipse 20,000 points. He was an 11X All-Star and Naismith Hall of Fame honoree. Those are but a few of the honors accorded this former Laker power forward.
Baylor played for the Lakers from 1958-1971. In fact Baylor actually played for the Minneapolis Lakers before heading west when the team moved in 1960. His jersey number 22 has long been retired however Laker management has ignored him for reasons unknown. Change will occur, on November 16 the Lakers will honor Baylor at half-time and fans will receive a replica jersey 22. This might be a first step to honor the legendary Laker power forward. .
Monday, November 10, 2014
Say what
The Lakers have become Charles Barkely’s favorite target. We knew there would be early season problems. As for the TNT analyst he claims he’s going to refuse to eat until they win a game. I wonder if the “ol” Chuckster has gained a few extra pounds and the Lakers become an easy out, I have no proof just sayin’.
Do me a favor please?
If you read the About Me on the right side of the page you might have a minor view about my love affair with the Lakers. In addition I have a fondness of basketball at all levels. I’m no former athlete in fact in fact although I played I wasn’t capable enough to earn a spot on my high school team. Words eye view is written from a fans perspective, in addition there are no claims regarding my ability to analyze talent or scientifically dissect portions of the game. If you share my basketball infatuation send the link to a buddy or acquaintance. Thanks.
http://larry-laker.blogspot.com/
Pop does what Pop do
The headline above is not correct English but I wanted to be emphatic. The Spurs will play the Rockets for the first time in the early season. I haven’t check the number of games the Spurs has played but it can’t be that many. Coach Popovich has chosen to “rest” Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter. An ESPN reporter said earlier today; “The game is on national television.” You think Pop really cares the game is nationally telecast?
Broadcasters can be characters too
A couple of stories have been written regarding the number of characters that have existed in basketball. You know who they are the folks whose vocabulary sometimes includes unusual and often funny sayings. Past focus been players and coaches however a number of these characters exist behind the microphone too. College basketball analyst Dick Vitale’s vocabulary includes “aircraft carrier” his description of a big man and “He’s a PTPer tonight, baby!” prime time performance by the player. Those are but a few of his sayings; Vitale is not alone there have been others past and present day broadcasters. The late Chick Hearn Laker play by play broadcaster could be included in the discussion. How bout these gems; “the eggs are coolin', the butters getting hard and the jello is jiggling” translation the Lakers have won the game.
Another from Hearn; "He got caught with his hand in the cookie jar" a foul was called on the player. "There are lots of referees in the building, only three getting paid” players are complaining about being fouled and the officials don’t agree. Former Knick and longtime analyst Walt Frazier belongs in the discussion. “Dishing and Swishing” or “Out-muscling and Out-hustling” and finally “Wheeling and Dealing.” I’m going to leave it up to your imagination to define Frazier’s view of the action on the court. The late Johnny Most legendary Celtics broadcaster may have not originated any sayings but listen to that voice. Most sounded as if he’d smoked 4 or 5 packs of cigarettes. I almost overlooked veteran college color man Bill Rafftery. Just a few of his gems; “Count your Chiclets” a blow to the mouth or “And the Kiss off the glass” a shot banked off the glass. Finally this Rafftery gem; “Return to Sender” mail returned as undeliverable or in Raff’s indicating the shot was blocked.
Cable and satellite
I hate to go ol skool on you however checking Mizzou’s 2015-15 schedule prompted this account. Every game on the schedule will be televised; this is certainly not a first but a reminder of an earlier era. Once upon a time basketball faithful were only able to view a select number of games. Locally prior to the existence of cable or satellite we had one Big 8 game which was a Saturday only event.
Some time later the networks CBS and NBC would begin hosting a nationally televised game thus we had the possibility of viewing two Saturday games. Forget about “Big Monday” or any other weeknight game college basketball on television was a Saturday only event. College games were played during the week however rarely were they televised. Television coverage of the NCAA Championship was even limited with mostly weekend telecasts; we’ve come a long way from the dark ages.
The Lakers have become Charles Barkely’s favorite target. We knew there would be early season problems. As for the TNT analyst he claims he’s going to refuse to eat until they win a game. I wonder if the “ol” Chuckster has gained a few extra pounds and the Lakers become an easy out, I have no proof just sayin’.
Do me a favor please?
If you read the About Me on the right side of the page you might have a minor view about my love affair with the Lakers. In addition I have a fondness of basketball at all levels. I’m no former athlete in fact in fact although I played I wasn’t capable enough to earn a spot on my high school team. Words eye view is written from a fans perspective, in addition there are no claims regarding my ability to analyze talent or scientifically dissect portions of the game. If you share my basketball infatuation send the link to a buddy or acquaintance. Thanks.
http://larry-laker.blogspot.com/
Pop does what Pop do
The headline above is not correct English but I wanted to be emphatic. The Spurs will play the Rockets for the first time in the early season. I haven’t check the number of games the Spurs has played but it can’t be that many. Coach Popovich has chosen to “rest” Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter. An ESPN reporter said earlier today; “The game is on national television.” You think Pop really cares the game is nationally telecast?
Broadcasters can be characters too
A couple of stories have been written regarding the number of characters that have existed in basketball. You know who they are the folks whose vocabulary sometimes includes unusual and often funny sayings. Past focus been players and coaches however a number of these characters exist behind the microphone too. College basketball analyst Dick Vitale’s vocabulary includes “aircraft carrier” his description of a big man and “He’s a PTPer tonight, baby!” prime time performance by the player. Those are but a few of his sayings; Vitale is not alone there have been others past and present day broadcasters. The late Chick Hearn Laker play by play broadcaster could be included in the discussion. How bout these gems; “the eggs are coolin', the butters getting hard and the jello is jiggling” translation the Lakers have won the game.
Another from Hearn; "He got caught with his hand in the cookie jar" a foul was called on the player. "There are lots of referees in the building, only three getting paid” players are complaining about being fouled and the officials don’t agree. Former Knick and longtime analyst Walt Frazier belongs in the discussion. “Dishing and Swishing” or “Out-muscling and Out-hustling” and finally “Wheeling and Dealing.” I’m going to leave it up to your imagination to define Frazier’s view of the action on the court. The late Johnny Most legendary Celtics broadcaster may have not originated any sayings but listen to that voice. Most sounded as if he’d smoked 4 or 5 packs of cigarettes. I almost overlooked veteran college color man Bill Rafftery. Just a few of his gems; “Count your Chiclets” a blow to the mouth or “And the Kiss off the glass” a shot banked off the glass. Finally this Rafftery gem; “Return to Sender” mail returned as undeliverable or in Raff’s indicating the shot was blocked.
Cable and satellite
I hate to go ol skool on you however checking Mizzou’s 2015-15 schedule prompted this account. Every game on the schedule will be televised; this is certainly not a first but a reminder of an earlier era. Once upon a time basketball faithful were only able to view a select number of games. Locally prior to the existence of cable or satellite we had one Big 8 game which was a Saturday only event.
Some time later the networks CBS and NBC would begin hosting a nationally televised game thus we had the possibility of viewing two Saturday games. Forget about “Big Monday” or any other weeknight game college basketball on television was a Saturday only event. College games were played during the week however rarely were they televised. Television coverage of the NCAA Championship was even limited with mostly weekend telecasts; we’ve come a long way from the dark ages.
Friday, November 7, 2014
It may just be me
I’m viewing the Wolves-Nets game and I kept staring at 6-11 Wolves center Nikola Pekovic. I thought “he looks familiar to someone I’ve seen.” Then it hit me, if you are into movies like me check out a still of Jack O’Halloran from the 1980 Superman II movie. O’Halloran a former heavyweight boxer stands 6-6, in the movie he played the villain by the name of Non. On the other hand it might be me, maybe they don’t look alike at all.
Twins
Have you seen the Adidas commercial featuring Dwight Howard and his “double”? Of course his double is about 6 or 7 inches shorter than Howard’s 6-10 frame. A number of brothers have played in the NBA; there have been father-son combos but few twins. The NBA is rather young by comparison to other pro sports having begun play in 1946. Records may be incomplete however this is a culmination of that research. The first reported twins to have played in the NBA were likely the Collins brothers. Jason and Jaron were teammates at Stanford they were in the 2001 NBA draft class. It should be noted one twin is taller than the other Jason is listed as 7 feet while brother Jaron is 6-11. Jarron currently serves as a player development coach for the Warriors; his brother was on the Nets roster last season but is currently on no NBA teams’ roster.
There are two sets of twins currently active on NBA rosters. Robin and Brook Lopez both
7-footers also played their college ball at Stanford, they were drafted in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft. Robin currently plays for the Suns Brook is a member of the Nets. To date Brook has probably had the more successful career although both are valued members of their teams. The Lopez twins play the center position as for the Morris twins they are power forwards. Markieff and Marcus Morris refined their basketball skill while enrolled at Kansas University. Both were drafted in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft however there is a difference with these two. Both brothers play for the same team the Phoenix Suns. Markieff was drafted by the Suns; Marcus was originally chosen by the Rockets but traded to the Suns in 2013. It should be noted Markieff is the older brother by 7 minutes.
Bits n Pieces
Watching the guys on Inside the NBA discuss Halloween Shaq said; “I quit Trick or Treating when I was 13. The guy answering the door said; aren’t you a little big?” Former Coach Dale Brown conducting a basketball clinic at a military base inquired; “How long have you (Shaq) been in the service son? "I'm too young for the service, sir, I'm only 13.” Shaq stood 6 feet 8 inches and wore a size 17 shoe at 13.
The 50th Anniversary of the NBA saw a Top 50 All-Time players list. Students of the game know all of them; Michael Jordan, Jerry West and Bill Russell are just a few of the names. The Open Court crew held an interesting discussion on NBA TV. The conversation was the Top 50 players and the next 10 who might be added. We know there will be no official additions to the list but check the list, who do you believe would be added if there was an addendum to the list.
I listen to SMU’s Larry Brown; he believes Emmanuel Mudiay heading to China to play professionally could set a dangerous trend. Brown states he could see others in the future following Mudiay. I don’t believe he’s upset over losing this 5-star prospect just stating his belief. On the other hand if a youngster desires to play in the NBA they want to head that direction as soon as possible.
You might not find this as funny as I did. Discussing the Cavs slow start Dan Patrick said; “Kyrie Irving is a point(s) guard, Rajon Rondo is a point guard he passes the basketball.” Patrick was discussing the change in today’s NBA with score first point guards. No need to name players you know who they are.
I’m viewing the Wolves-Nets game and I kept staring at 6-11 Wolves center Nikola Pekovic. I thought “he looks familiar to someone I’ve seen.” Then it hit me, if you are into movies like me check out a still of Jack O’Halloran from the 1980 Superman II movie. O’Halloran a former heavyweight boxer stands 6-6, in the movie he played the villain by the name of Non. On the other hand it might be me, maybe they don’t look alike at all.
Twins
Have you seen the Adidas commercial featuring Dwight Howard and his “double”? Of course his double is about 6 or 7 inches shorter than Howard’s 6-10 frame. A number of brothers have played in the NBA; there have been father-son combos but few twins. The NBA is rather young by comparison to other pro sports having begun play in 1946. Records may be incomplete however this is a culmination of that research. The first reported twins to have played in the NBA were likely the Collins brothers. Jason and Jaron were teammates at Stanford they were in the 2001 NBA draft class. It should be noted one twin is taller than the other Jason is listed as 7 feet while brother Jaron is 6-11. Jarron currently serves as a player development coach for the Warriors; his brother was on the Nets roster last season but is currently on no NBA teams’ roster.
There are two sets of twins currently active on NBA rosters. Robin and Brook Lopez both
7-footers also played their college ball at Stanford, they were drafted in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft. Robin currently plays for the Suns Brook is a member of the Nets. To date Brook has probably had the more successful career although both are valued members of their teams. The Lopez twins play the center position as for the Morris twins they are power forwards. Markieff and Marcus Morris refined their basketball skill while enrolled at Kansas University. Both were drafted in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft however there is a difference with these two. Both brothers play for the same team the Phoenix Suns. Markieff was drafted by the Suns; Marcus was originally chosen by the Rockets but traded to the Suns in 2013. It should be noted Markieff is the older brother by 7 minutes.
Bits n Pieces
Watching the guys on Inside the NBA discuss Halloween Shaq said; “I quit Trick or Treating when I was 13. The guy answering the door said; aren’t you a little big?” Former Coach Dale Brown conducting a basketball clinic at a military base inquired; “How long have you (Shaq) been in the service son? "I'm too young for the service, sir, I'm only 13.” Shaq stood 6 feet 8 inches and wore a size 17 shoe at 13.
The 50th Anniversary of the NBA saw a Top 50 All-Time players list. Students of the game know all of them; Michael Jordan, Jerry West and Bill Russell are just a few of the names. The Open Court crew held an interesting discussion on NBA TV. The conversation was the Top 50 players and the next 10 who might be added. We know there will be no official additions to the list but check the list, who do you believe would be added if there was an addendum to the list.
I listen to SMU’s Larry Brown; he believes Emmanuel Mudiay heading to China to play professionally could set a dangerous trend. Brown states he could see others in the future following Mudiay. I don’t believe he’s upset over losing this 5-star prospect just stating his belief. On the other hand if a youngster desires to play in the NBA they want to head that direction as soon as possible.
You might not find this as funny as I did. Discussing the Cavs slow start Dan Patrick said; “Kyrie Irving is a point(s) guard, Rajon Rondo is a point guard he passes the basketball.” Patrick was discussing the change in today’s NBA with score first point guards. No need to name players you know who they are.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Carolina (Blue) Lakers
My buddy probably figures the Lakers should change their colors to Carolina blue, he comes to this conclusion based on the number of former Tarheels on the roster, part of the management or broadcast teams. There are not large numbers of former North Carolina players working for the Lakers however it may be of interest to several readers. On the roster are power forward Ed Davis and shooting guard Wayne Ellington. In the front office serving as general manager since 2001 is Mitch Kupchak. Working as studio analysts for the Time Warner Cable Sportsnet broadcast team are James Worthy and Antawn Jamison.
MSG or the Mecca
Madison Square Garden has often been referred to as the mecca of basketball. Were you aware the arena at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza is the fourth building to bear the name Madison Square Garden. The first arena was in use from 1879 to 1890 and the second from 1890 to 1925, the third MSG opened in 1925 and remained in use until 1968. In February 1968 the present building on Pennsylvania Plaza opened. MSG has undergone two major renovations (1989-91 & 2011-13) yet remains the oldest NBA arena in operation.
As for sporting events the Garden serves as home base for the NBA Knicks, the NHL Rangers, the WNBA Liberty and St. John’s University. The pre-season and post-season NIT Tournament is held annually in the Garden as is the Big East Tournament. The arena is also utilized for concerts, Ringling Brothers Circus and serves as host for up to 320 events yearly. It’s likely there will be fifth Madison Square Garden constructed at some future date. The Penn Plaza address is operating on a 10-year lease granted in 2013 by the city council.
An exclusive club
Watching the Knicks-Hornets game on NBA TV many of us had the opportunity to see Carmelo Anthony reach a milestone. Anthony became the latest member of the NBA’s 20,000 point club. He reached this landmark occasion on a 3-point basket thus becoming the 40th player in NBA history to cross that threshold. As for other future candidates the Heat’s Dwayne Wade at age 32 has an outside chance although injuries have reduced his time on the court. If Kevin Durant of the Thunder maintains his present scoring pace and manages to avoid any long-term injuries he is likely to be next.
Where are they now
This is the first of a planned regular feature. Remember Felipe Lopez who was the next great NYC baller? Lopez was born in the Dominican Republic however his family moved to U.S. when he was 14 years old. He would attend Rice High School where this 6-5 shooting guard gained a national following. Lopez became a McDonalds All American and college offers began to pour in. He decided to remain in the city choosing instead to play at St. John’s University (1994-98). Gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated many believed he was headed for an All American career at the school.
His tenure in college was good but certainly never reached the level many expected. Lopez would later become the 24th pick in the 1st round of the 1998 NBA Draft which proved to be the high water mark. A brief 4-year career playing for 3 NBA teams he left the NBA at the young age of 28. Lopez was a good player never a great one, he was over-hyped by the sports media. Where is he today you ask? Now 39 years old he heads the Felipe Lopez Foundation which works with at-risk youth, the foundation is housed at the church he attends, In addition Lopez serves as an ambassador for NBA Cares
He’s a guard
Thon Maker is a well-known basketball name although he’s only 17 years old. The most recent news account dealt with Maker’s guardian deciding to move the youngster from a high school in the U.S. to Canada. Maker’s is attending the Athletic Institute of Canada about 50 miles from downtown Toronto. The move has not changed his Rivals rating they continue to rank him the number one prospect in the Class of 2016. Video is available of him in action at the John Lucas Camp in Louisville Kentucky. Maker is moving up and down the court with the skill of a guard which is certainly unusual for a 7-footer, check it out on YouTube. I’m only kidding about the guard bit he’s projected as a center or at the very least a power forward.
My buddy probably figures the Lakers should change their colors to Carolina blue, he comes to this conclusion based on the number of former Tarheels on the roster, part of the management or broadcast teams. There are not large numbers of former North Carolina players working for the Lakers however it may be of interest to several readers. On the roster are power forward Ed Davis and shooting guard Wayne Ellington. In the front office serving as general manager since 2001 is Mitch Kupchak. Working as studio analysts for the Time Warner Cable Sportsnet broadcast team are James Worthy and Antawn Jamison.
MSG or the Mecca
Madison Square Garden has often been referred to as the mecca of basketball. Were you aware the arena at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza is the fourth building to bear the name Madison Square Garden. The first arena was in use from 1879 to 1890 and the second from 1890 to 1925, the third MSG opened in 1925 and remained in use until 1968. In February 1968 the present building on Pennsylvania Plaza opened. MSG has undergone two major renovations (1989-91 & 2011-13) yet remains the oldest NBA arena in operation.
As for sporting events the Garden serves as home base for the NBA Knicks, the NHL Rangers, the WNBA Liberty and St. John’s University. The pre-season and post-season NIT Tournament is held annually in the Garden as is the Big East Tournament. The arena is also utilized for concerts, Ringling Brothers Circus and serves as host for up to 320 events yearly. It’s likely there will be fifth Madison Square Garden constructed at some future date. The Penn Plaza address is operating on a 10-year lease granted in 2013 by the city council.
An exclusive club
Watching the Knicks-Hornets game on NBA TV many of us had the opportunity to see Carmelo Anthony reach a milestone. Anthony became the latest member of the NBA’s 20,000 point club. He reached this landmark occasion on a 3-point basket thus becoming the 40th player in NBA history to cross that threshold. As for other future candidates the Heat’s Dwayne Wade at age 32 has an outside chance although injuries have reduced his time on the court. If Kevin Durant of the Thunder maintains his present scoring pace and manages to avoid any long-term injuries he is likely to be next.
Where are they now
This is the first of a planned regular feature. Remember Felipe Lopez who was the next great NYC baller? Lopez was born in the Dominican Republic however his family moved to U.S. when he was 14 years old. He would attend Rice High School where this 6-5 shooting guard gained a national following. Lopez became a McDonalds All American and college offers began to pour in. He decided to remain in the city choosing instead to play at St. John’s University (1994-98). Gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated many believed he was headed for an All American career at the school.
His tenure in college was good but certainly never reached the level many expected. Lopez would later become the 24th pick in the 1st round of the 1998 NBA Draft which proved to be the high water mark. A brief 4-year career playing for 3 NBA teams he left the NBA at the young age of 28. Lopez was a good player never a great one, he was over-hyped by the sports media. Where is he today you ask? Now 39 years old he heads the Felipe Lopez Foundation which works with at-risk youth, the foundation is housed at the church he attends, In addition Lopez serves as an ambassador for NBA Cares
He’s a guard
Thon Maker is a well-known basketball name although he’s only 17 years old. The most recent news account dealt with Maker’s guardian deciding to move the youngster from a high school in the U.S. to Canada. Maker’s is attending the Athletic Institute of Canada about 50 miles from downtown Toronto. The move has not changed his Rivals rating they continue to rank him the number one prospect in the Class of 2016. Video is available of him in action at the John Lucas Camp in Louisville Kentucky. Maker is moving up and down the court with the skill of a guard which is certainly unusual for a 7-footer, check it out on YouTube. I’m only kidding about the guard bit he’s projected as a center or at the very least a power forward.
Monday, November 3, 2014
“When it rains it pours”
For those who might be unfamiliar the headline it’s an old adage. It simply implies life events sometimes will expand; a small problem can often grow into a larger one. That might be the question asked by Thunder fans, Kevin Durant, Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb all on the sidelines nursing injuries. Last Thursday more devastating news occurred as guard Russell Westbrook was injured during the second quarter. The mercurial Westbrook suffered a broken bone in his shooting hand. As this is written there is no timetable how many games he might miss. It’s still early the vast majority of the NBA season remains in front of us, how these team injuries will impact the Thunder is undetermined.
Hate that word
As this is written the Lakers first two games have been blow-out losses. A fan said; “We should trade Kobe and just tank the season.” For Laker fans the season has been mixed, the return of Kobe Bryant has been good the lack of talent----well. First of all the Lakers are not going to trade Kobe as for losing games on purpose to enhance draft position. I’d rather the Lakers (or any other team) to go 0-82 making an effort to win rather than losing games on purpose. Prior to the season start the NBA Board of Governors discussed a change in the draft lottery but failed to enact any changes. The draft lottery was originally established to prevent teams losing on purpose. It now appears there is need to tweet the lottery in some manner.
Finally
Last Wednesday ground breaking ceremonies were held for Sacramento’s downtown arena. The $477 million dollar is intended to be open at the start of the 2016-17 NBA season. This yet to be named arena will accommodate 17,500 spectators for basketball. The long-delayed project (20 years) will now proceed to completion, its quite possible this may have not occurred under the Kings previous ownership group. In fact the Maloof brothers signed an agreement at one point and then back out of the proposal.
It’s not just me
No one will ever mistake 6-10 235 pound Jordan Hill for Kareem or even Dwight Howard. The aforementioned players manned the center position for the Lakers at one time. At present Hill occupies the center position for Byron Scott’s Lakers. Recently Hill had a quote for the media, he indicated “If Mike D’Antoni had returned he wouldn’t be with the team.” Hill went on to say; “He didn’t feel he fit the system the former coach ran thus he played limited minutes.” On the other hand we heard Jeff Van Gundy recently praise D’Antoni for the innovated change he‘s brought to NBA offenses. In this instance I’m not going to disagree with Van Gundy I only have a short response to him. “Hey Jeff what has D’Antoni won with his offense, isn’t defense just as important as offense?”
What’s the cut-off point?
At times my commentary may have been critical of an individual or a team. I truly hope it hasn’t appeared my remarks could be construed as mean-spirited. It appears at least two in the media can dish it out but don‘t response well when the critical remarks are aimed at them. This is a condensed discussion regarding a recent ESPN First Take and Stephen A. Smith. I am unfamiliar with the initial tweet Smith sent out aimed at boxer Floyd Mayweather however I heard the boxers’ response. Mayweather is no saint in my view he has skeletons in his closet. I’ll provide the shortened version of the tweet by Mayweather.
He said; “Last time I checked I’ve never seen Stephen A. shoot a basketball or toss a football etc. etc.” I believe Mayweather intended to point out it’s easy to sit and view an athletic event it’s a different matter to compete. Skip Bayless immediately came to Smith’s defense stating; “We (media) have a responsibility to report what we see and our assessment of the individual or team.” I could say okay, I would not want to restrain anyone from free expression. The problem for many in the media is they believe their view is only one that’s valid. They often become disturbed when they are criticized, I say if you make critical remarks expect to receive it in turn.
For those who might be unfamiliar the headline it’s an old adage. It simply implies life events sometimes will expand; a small problem can often grow into a larger one. That might be the question asked by Thunder fans, Kevin Durant, Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb all on the sidelines nursing injuries. Last Thursday more devastating news occurred as guard Russell Westbrook was injured during the second quarter. The mercurial Westbrook suffered a broken bone in his shooting hand. As this is written there is no timetable how many games he might miss. It’s still early the vast majority of the NBA season remains in front of us, how these team injuries will impact the Thunder is undetermined.
Hate that word
As this is written the Lakers first two games have been blow-out losses. A fan said; “We should trade Kobe and just tank the season.” For Laker fans the season has been mixed, the return of Kobe Bryant has been good the lack of talent----well. First of all the Lakers are not going to trade Kobe as for losing games on purpose to enhance draft position. I’d rather the Lakers (or any other team) to go 0-82 making an effort to win rather than losing games on purpose. Prior to the season start the NBA Board of Governors discussed a change in the draft lottery but failed to enact any changes. The draft lottery was originally established to prevent teams losing on purpose. It now appears there is need to tweet the lottery in some manner.
Finally
Last Wednesday ground breaking ceremonies were held for Sacramento’s downtown arena. The $477 million dollar is intended to be open at the start of the 2016-17 NBA season. This yet to be named arena will accommodate 17,500 spectators for basketball. The long-delayed project (20 years) will now proceed to completion, its quite possible this may have not occurred under the Kings previous ownership group. In fact the Maloof brothers signed an agreement at one point and then back out of the proposal.
It’s not just me
No one will ever mistake 6-10 235 pound Jordan Hill for Kareem or even Dwight Howard. The aforementioned players manned the center position for the Lakers at one time. At present Hill occupies the center position for Byron Scott’s Lakers. Recently Hill had a quote for the media, he indicated “If Mike D’Antoni had returned he wouldn’t be with the team.” Hill went on to say; “He didn’t feel he fit the system the former coach ran thus he played limited minutes.” On the other hand we heard Jeff Van Gundy recently praise D’Antoni for the innovated change he‘s brought to NBA offenses. In this instance I’m not going to disagree with Van Gundy I only have a short response to him. “Hey Jeff what has D’Antoni won with his offense, isn’t defense just as important as offense?”
What’s the cut-off point?
At times my commentary may have been critical of an individual or a team. I truly hope it hasn’t appeared my remarks could be construed as mean-spirited. It appears at least two in the media can dish it out but don‘t response well when the critical remarks are aimed at them. This is a condensed discussion regarding a recent ESPN First Take and Stephen A. Smith. I am unfamiliar with the initial tweet Smith sent out aimed at boxer Floyd Mayweather however I heard the boxers’ response. Mayweather is no saint in my view he has skeletons in his closet. I’ll provide the shortened version of the tweet by Mayweather.
He said; “Last time I checked I’ve never seen Stephen A. shoot a basketball or toss a football etc. etc.” I believe Mayweather intended to point out it’s easy to sit and view an athletic event it’s a different matter to compete. Skip Bayless immediately came to Smith’s defense stating; “We (media) have a responsibility to report what we see and our assessment of the individual or team.” I could say okay, I would not want to restrain anyone from free expression. The problem for many in the media is they believe their view is only one that’s valid. They often become disturbed when they are criticized, I say if you make critical remarks expect to receive it in turn.
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