There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
I’m a hater too
Much as I don’t like to admit it I’m a hater too. I hate the Clippers but not for the reasons you might believe. I’m sick of ESPN on SportsCenter and their website referring to the Clippers as “Lob City” or any of the other nicknames hung on this team. Okay I get it, Blake Griffin, Andre Jordan and company can dunk the basketball routinely. After years of futility under Donald Sterling the Clippers have become a really good team. They have become good but yet to really prove anything.
Once the playoffs begin the basketball court becomes much smaller. Playoff basketball routinely demands half-court basketball. Rarely do you see playoff teams tossing lob passes defense becomes a premium. The Clippers can play that style of basketball they have failed to do it the last two years once the playoffs arrive. Is this the year the Clippers compete for the Western Conference crown? Is this the year they lay the Lob City nickname to bed by competing once the playoffs arrive?
The complete story
Sometimes it’s quite easy to sit on the sidelines and make a judgment call. I’m guilty you’re guilty and Dennis Rodman is certainly guilty. We are keenly aware of the dreadful start of the Knicks season. In a recent interview Rodman claimed “The triangle is easy I picked it up in 15 minutes.” We don’t know the entire truth of the Rodman statement however an ESPN scribe pointed out; “When Rodman joined the Bulls they had (Michael) Jordan and (Scottie) Pippen.” His comment made me think isn’t that interesting. His comment regarding Carmelo Anthony can be stated very simply. If Anthony wants to win as he claims he must become skilled at sacrificing portions of his game.
Dennis Rodman on Derek Fisher as the coach of the Knicks. I have no idea of Fisher’s impact at this point however this is what I see. There are far too few games thus far to state the guy can’t coach. Despite the Rodman view from what I’ve read of others the offense is difficult to learn. I think the ESPN reporter was correct it might be easy to learn an offense a team is running. Tell us Dennis beside Fisher the coach and Jackson the president who else with the Knicks is familiar with the triangle offense. We conclude with the Warriors and Steve Kerr, Rodman was questioned on the Warriors record. Rodman said; “Kerr ain’t coaching @##%***. We can conclude the mercurial Rodman certainly didn’t miss anybody with the body shots he dished out.
Earl “The Pearl” Monroe
I thought I knew all there was to know about Monroe but found out something brand new. According to Wikipedia he was given a nickname I was unaware. “His high school teammates at John Bartram High School called him "Thomas Edison” because of the many moves he invented.” Monroe a Philly legend in high school headed to Winston-Salem then a D-II school. In 1967 his senior year he averaged 41.5 points per game and was named NCAA College Division Player of the Year.
In the May 1967 NBA Draft Monroe would become the 2nd pick of the first round by the Baltimore Bullets (Washington Wizards). No question Monroe could score however NBA opponents were to discover the nickname applied to him in high school was true. Monroe would be 1968 NBA Rookie of the Year an NBA Champion later (1973) with the Knicks. Perhaps chief honors were being selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-time Team and his selection to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
“Twins from a different mother”
The headline is really a play on words; it references Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker of the Wolves and Bucks. Prior to the emergence of Joel Embiid the two talented wing players jockeyed back and forth as to which one would be chosen number one in the 2014 NBA Draft. Neither the Wolves nor Bucks are very good we’ve only glimpse them through highlights unless you live in one of their home cities. I’ve often stated numbers don’t give us a true picture of an athlete however this might be the easiest method to compare the two. Note there numbers are almost eerie.
Wiggins 12.4 ppg, 1.4 apg, 3.9 rebounds
Parker 12.5 ppg, 1.7 apg, 5.7 rebounds
The figures represent their play through games of December 11. Prior to the season I made a bold prediction Parker would be named Rookie of the Year. If their numbers remain this close can I say “Co-Rookies of the Year?”
Are we forever haunted by our past?
We make a misstep in life and some will never forget it. Allow me to explain, when it was announced Chris Webber was interested in purchasing the Hawks out come the boo-birds. In 1993 near the end of the NCAA Championship game Webber called a timeout for his Michigan team. Michigan had no timeouts remaining which allowed North Carolina to shot a technical foul shot. Am I missing something, why did the writer choose to make that a point of concern in 2014? We all make crucial mistakes in life, unless there is a pattern of repeated misbehavior why is it necessary for some to mention shortcomings we all have skeletons in our closets.
Coach Kelvin Sampson left Oklahoma under a cloud of suspension; he was forced to resign at his next stop Indiana. NCAA violations in the past sidelined him for a number of years. Sampson is now head coach for the Houston Cougars. Bruce Pearl was a winner at Tennessee before an NCAA violation sidelined him as well; he’s been hired to coach the Auburn men’s basketball team. Errors in judgment were made, in the case of the coaches the errors caused them to lose their jobs. In the case of Sampson and Pearl they should be forbidden from ever coaching again in life----right? Just kidding, until you error repeatedly everyone deserves a second chance---maybe a third.
