There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker

Noteworthy
The duties of assists in basketball generally lie with the point guard of a team. That’s not to say other players have no responsibility to pass the basketball. 7-1 Wilt Chamberlain owns practically every scoring record in the NBA yet managed to lead the league in assists during the 1967-68 season. Paul Pressey would arrive in the NBA in 1982 spending most of NBA career with the Bucks. He became quite skillful passing the basketball despite the fact he was the teams small forward. The media coined the phrase point-forward to describe his talent. Later the Bulls Scottie Pippen would arrive in the league and also become adept at ball distribution.

How good was Pippen in distributing the basketball? He would go on to establish the assist record for small forwards that is until this week. Two milestones in succession for LeBron James in recent weeks. Last week he passed Allen Iverson in scoring, this week he surpassed Pippen and has now established a new assist record for small forwards. Mario Chalmers was the point guard for the Heat we recognize the true “point” played the small forward position. He’s just turned 30 years of age and baring injury LeBron should have five or six more productive years. This should provide him ample time to establish other significant records.

Career ending
We might pose the question is the career of Derrick Rose over? That might be the case after the latest Rose injury to the same knee. A torn meniscus requiring surgery and will sideline him for the balance of the season. A significant number of Bulls and NBA fans were rooting for this talented point guard to return to full effect after missing most of the past two years. The likelihood of the Bulls competing for an NBA championship has shrunk considerably due to this injury. This is no obituary on Rose’s career hopefully he’s able to return; with a bit of luck he can adjust his game. Please don’t expect the MVP Rose to return he will never be seen again. The slashing player we once witnessed must now adapt his game and become a jump shooter.

The jump hook
Players have been shooting the hook shot since like forever; the jump hook is “new” by comparison. Billy “The Hill” McGill is given credit for originating the shot, the 6-9 McGill certainly could score. Wilt Chamberlain should also be credited with aiding the development of the jump hook; it was Chamberlain guarding McGill in a pick-up game. The story goes the “undersized” McGill didn’t want his shot blocked by the 7-1 Chamberlain who was swatting everything aimed at the basket. The hook shot had long been a staple for many years by several NBA players. No one had ever shot it in the manner of McGill, that first jump hook went in the basket much to Chamberlains’ surprise.

Who is McGill you might ask he played at Utah and in 1961-62 led the nation in scoring with a 38.8 ppg average in 26 games. He accomplished this in a day there was no three-point line. McGill was selected the first pick in the 1962 NBA draft by the Chicago Zephyrs who later would become the Baltimore Bullets. He was unable to duplicate the same types of numbers in the NBA he compiled while in college. Playing for a number of teams his career lasted until 1970 and his last season was spent as a member of the ABA Dallas Chaparrals. Unfortunately after his basketball career ended he became heavily in debt and even homeless for a time. McGill died last year at age 74 of natural causes.

In Riley we trust
What’s your view, who do you trust most Matt Moore of CBS Sports or Pat Riley president of the Heat? A writer who covers the sport versus one who lives the sport.  Moore suggested the Heat should consider trading Hassan Whiteside while his trade value is high. Over the last 10 games as a starter Whiteside is averaging nearly 15 ppg, 14 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots a game. Moore believes the 7 foot 265 pound Whiteside will “come down to earth” and when it occurs he will have little if any trade value. After all we are discussing a second round pick and the 33^rd player chosen in the 2010 draft. Moore believes the Heat should consider trading Whiteside while he’s a hot commodity.

Whiteside could be the second coming of Michael Olowokandi. He was drafted number one in the 1998 draft and was out of the NBA by 2007. Kareem Abdul Jabbar was a Clipper coach and was assigned to tutor Olowokandi. It was reported Olowokandi stated he’d received all the lessons from Abdul Jabbar he believed he needed. Would anyone had figured in 1984 Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon was destine for the Naismith Hall of Fame? Granted Olajuwon was a number one pick however his offensive game was somewhat limited at the beginning of his NBA career. Do the Heat keep Whiteside hoping he’s not the second coming of Olowokandi or do they figure he might become the next Olajuwon?

Is he the second coming of white chocolate?
Anybody out there remember Jason Williams, his best NBA years were probably spent with the Kings. Williams a.k.a White Chocolate was a magician with the basketball, behind the back passes you name it he did it. The problem for teammates unless you were paying attention you might get hit in the back of the head. Williams last appeared in an NBA jersey as a member of the Grizzlies in 2011.

Jordan McCabe at 5-10 is slightly smaller than the 6-1 Williams in addition Williams out weighs him (180 versus 150). Well McCabe is just a freshman in high school plenty of time to continue growing his game as well as his height. The youngster has begun play for Kaukauna High School Kaukauna (WI); his home town is about 120 miles north of Milwaukee. Because he’s entering his freshman year he’s proved nothing however his moves on the court are worth checking out, Google his name at your earliest opportunity.