There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
Unfortunate news
I certainly don’t want to be the harbinger of bad news however this is not good. The ESPN NBA page read; “Durant out 4-6 months”. This becomes one more continuing epidemic of injuries beseting the Thunder this season. Russell Westbrook continues his scoring and assist run without capable teammates they might not advance far in the playoffs. Serge Ibaka is also on the sidelines with an injury, although he’s
In action now we are aware of the series of injuries Westbrook has suffered. This downturn for the Thunder is too bad they are not a favorite of mine however I hate they may be unable to compete due to injury.
Friday
Today is the day of news surprises, first up was the Kevin Durant injury update. Later it became the Steve Lavin story as it was announced he was stepping down. I haven’t followed St. John’s basketball closely enough so I am unable to offer any insight. I will simply repeat the news release by the school indicating Lavin and the school decided to part ways after five seasons.
Saturday
Coaching change continued into the next day. Saturday evening we received word Texas had relieved Rick Barnes after 17 years at the helm. This was not news in a true sense; Texas was to contend for the Big 12 Championship in 2014-15 but underachieved once again. Barnes team made the Field of 68 however they were quickly eliminated. The agreement to terminate his services might be based on available talent in Texas. I believe there are vast amounts of basketball talent in the state, in addition plenty of money for a basketball budget. Here is the issue for me, Texas would like to think it belongs in the same conversation with Duke, North Carolina and Kansas and I don‘t think so. Consider this any discussion of the aforementioned schools athletics our first first thought is basketball. As for Texas its fall football and spring football. Basketball is popular in the state and at Texas University but certainly not on the level of a Duke, North Carolina and Kansas.
Officiating 101
Early on I realized the difficulty with officiating basketball; in fact it might be the most difficult of all sports to officiate. I checked out the last two minutes of the
Kentucky-Notre Dame game over and over again. Did the officials make the correct call on the out of bounds play? How about the block/charge call, was the ND player “sliding over”? The “bad” Mark Cuban makes an appearance in this account because his player was hurt during a game. As I’ve often stated I don’t want to see any player injured but it does occur. The Mavs Monta Ellis was injured recently and forced Cuban to tweet; “It's criminal how Monta doesn't get calls Pushed.Hit in face.Hit on arm.Im tired of turning in calls.Fans need to post video to wake NBA up.” I didn’t see the play so unlike
Kentucky-Notre Dame maybe Cuban is correct although I doubt if he‘s 100% correct. I believe it’s safe to state NBA, college and high school officials don’t have vendettas against players, coaches or teams. It will never occur but I would to suggest Cuban try officiating a middle school or high school game. I believe he’d discover the difficulty in making every call a correct one.
The assist
Pistons guard Reggie Jackson had a monster game recently, 23 points and 20 assists. Before he went down with an injury in January Brandon Jennings had a 20 point 20 assist game. Those games caused me to wonder; who might hold the single game record for assists? Surprise, surprise it’s not Magic Johnson or John Stockton two names you might be familiar with.
It’s not Isiah Thomas either who lead the Pistons Bad Boy teams for several years. Time’s up its Scott Skiles whose served as head coach at several NBA stops; this former player holds the single game record with 30 assists while he was a member of the Magic. Occupying the second, third and fourth place is retired Jazz point guard John Stockton with 28, 27 and 26 assists. As for Magic he’s up there but not as high as we might have first believed. Magic had two 24 assist games during his Laker career.
basketball-reference.com
I’m guilty too
The sport world pays far too much attention on Division I basketball. I took time on Saturday to view the Division II Championship between Florida Southern 35-1 and Indiana (of Pennsylvania) 31-6. The key reason we attend or see more D-I games 80-90% of NBA players arrive in the league via a D-I program. ESPN, Fox Sports, YES, NESN and the other sports networks blowup our television sets with Division I games.
Unless we have a championship match such as today the Division II basketball is virtually ignored by the networks. I’m unsure how much coverage is provided locally. I give you example Mizzou’s main campus is 150 miles from Kansas City and the main campus of Kansas is a little under 50 miles.
Division II Rockhurst University is about 15 minute’s drive time from my home, I have no idea of their won-loss record. The media focus in Kansas City is on “the big-time” programs as it might be in other portions of the country. Unless you a student or affiliated with a Division II program you probably have no idea what’s going on. For those who might be unfamiliar with Kansas City the University of Missouri-Kansas City is located across Troost Ave from Rockhurst. Division I UMKC has operated for a number of years with a
television-radio package. As for Rockhurst on the other side of the street live streaming of the games is available. The game was won by Florida Southern 77-62, the trophy would sit beside the 1981 championship trophy.
Friday, March 27, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
Thanks but no thanks
Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall headed to Alabama? I don’t think so despite reports indicating the school will offer him the head coaching position. A better question might be why, football reigns supreme at Alabama and will always remain number one. Basketball is an afterthought in comparison to Alabama football? Truth is spring football might be more important to Crimson Tide faithful than basketball.
It’s likely at some point Marshall might indeed leave Wichita State for another job. The school he chooses will be one basketball is on or near the same level of football. We need look no further than Kansas for an example; the football program has been a non-factor for several years. Despite an inept football program some of the best basketball talent in the nation continues to head toward Lawrence Kansas.
Can they do it?
Fans of the Warriors don’t get upset with me, I love the Splash Brothers. I cannot remember in recent memory such a sharp shooting backcourt. It’s likely one of the brothers (Steph Curry) will be named NBA MVP. My concern; “live by the jump shot die by it.” If you have followed basketball any length of time you’ve heard the old adage. In the playoffs the game slows, the emphasis is the game in the paint. Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezelis are certainly talented enough but can they complete the task that lies in front of them. Can both play lock down basketball in the paint as required in the playoffs?
As for the Cavs despite the return of LeBron and the acquisition of Kevin Love I had questions. Maybe I didn’t give this blended team enough time to come together then Anderson Varejao goes down with a season-ending injury. The Cavs made a couple of player acquisitions but I believe the best may have been acquiring 7-foot center Timofey Mozgov. It’s a long way till June and this is no declaration of an east-west match just a quick view of what I perceive to be the leaders.
Bits n Pieces
Denver basketball has a Kansas City connection if only briefly, allow me to explain. The American Basketball Association was founded in 1967 with an intended 11 franchises. Kansas City would have been an original member if an arena had been available. This is interesting because Municipal Auditorium was in use. In any event the franchise was re-located to Denver failing to play a single game in Kansas City. The Larks played the 1967 before becoming the Rockets. In 1974 the team was re-named the Nuggets, and 1976 they moved into NBA under the Nugget name. The Nuggets along with the Spurs, Nets and Pacers would be the only ABA franchises to merge with the NBA.
He’s better than LeBron well at least in one area; I’m referring to Luke Kennard a 6-5 180 pound guard from Franklin Ohio. This season he eclipsed the Ohio boys scoring record which had been set by one LeBron James. Kennard is a Rivals 5-star prospect and is headed to Duke in the fall. Speaking of talent 6-10 230 pound Thomas Bryant remains uncommitted as this is written. One of the many schools making an offering is Mizzou. A local radio guys clams if Mizzou fails to secure the services of Bryant the program falls apart. Strong statement regarding a prospect we believe will be good but consider the fact he’s a HIGH SCHOOL prospect.
Although they sit side by side and have for a number of years they are different as night and day. As for me it’s far easier listening to Kenny Smith dissect the game and other aspects of game over Charles Barkley. It’s just my observation Smith’s details are much clearer than those of Barkley.
Kansas basketball was supposed to be loaded with one n done athletes. Although they have talent on the roster they have proven they are not ready for the NBA. Kids with aspirations don’t always listen to advice but here goes anyway. Its likely Cliff Alexander is history however his case is different from the others. Kelly Oubre needs to return to school the same goes for sophomore Wayne Selden
-------Larry Laker
Thanks but no thanks
Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall headed to Alabama? I don’t think so despite reports indicating the school will offer him the head coaching position. A better question might be why, football reigns supreme at Alabama and will always remain number one. Basketball is an afterthought in comparison to Alabama football? Truth is spring football might be more important to Crimson Tide faithful than basketball.
It’s likely at some point Marshall might indeed leave Wichita State for another job. The school he chooses will be one basketball is on or near the same level of football. We need look no further than Kansas for an example; the football program has been a non-factor for several years. Despite an inept football program some of the best basketball talent in the nation continues to head toward Lawrence Kansas.
Can they do it?
Fans of the Warriors don’t get upset with me, I love the Splash Brothers. I cannot remember in recent memory such a sharp shooting backcourt. It’s likely one of the brothers (Steph Curry) will be named NBA MVP. My concern; “live by the jump shot die by it.” If you have followed basketball any length of time you’ve heard the old adage. In the playoffs the game slows, the emphasis is the game in the paint. Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezelis are certainly talented enough but can they complete the task that lies in front of them. Can both play lock down basketball in the paint as required in the playoffs?
As for the Cavs despite the return of LeBron and the acquisition of Kevin Love I had questions. Maybe I didn’t give this blended team enough time to come together then Anderson Varejao goes down with a season-ending injury. The Cavs made a couple of player acquisitions but I believe the best may have been acquiring 7-foot center Timofey Mozgov. It’s a long way till June and this is no declaration of an east-west match just a quick view of what I perceive to be the leaders.
Bits n Pieces
Denver basketball has a Kansas City connection if only briefly, allow me to explain. The American Basketball Association was founded in 1967 with an intended 11 franchises. Kansas City would have been an original member if an arena had been available. This is interesting because Municipal Auditorium was in use. In any event the franchise was re-located to Denver failing to play a single game in Kansas City. The Larks played the 1967 before becoming the Rockets. In 1974 the team was re-named the Nuggets, and 1976 they moved into NBA under the Nugget name. The Nuggets along with the Spurs, Nets and Pacers would be the only ABA franchises to merge with the NBA.
He’s better than LeBron well at least in one area; I’m referring to Luke Kennard a 6-5 180 pound guard from Franklin Ohio. This season he eclipsed the Ohio boys scoring record which had been set by one LeBron James. Kennard is a Rivals 5-star prospect and is headed to Duke in the fall. Speaking of talent 6-10 230 pound Thomas Bryant remains uncommitted as this is written. One of the many schools making an offering is Mizzou. A local radio guys clams if Mizzou fails to secure the services of Bryant the program falls apart. Strong statement regarding a prospect we believe will be good but consider the fact he’s a HIGH SCHOOL prospect.
Although they sit side by side and have for a number of years they are different as night and day. As for me it’s far easier listening to Kenny Smith dissect the game and other aspects of game over Charles Barkley. It’s just my observation Smith’s details are much clearer than those of Barkley.
Kansas basketball was supposed to be loaded with one n done athletes. Although they have talent on the roster they have proven they are not ready for the NBA. Kids with aspirations don’t always listen to advice but here goes anyway. Its likely Cliff Alexander is history however his case is different from the others. Kelly Oubre needs to return to school the same goes for sophomore Wayne Selden
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
RPI
For years we have been told; “Don’t use any of the Top 25 polls to measure a teams strength the RPI is much more accurate.” What exactly is RPI some might ask? *The Rating Percentage Index, commonly known as the RPI, is a quantity used to rank sports teams based upon a team's wins and losses and its strength of schedule.” I’m not going to attempt a numbers check just simply state I don’t believe RPI is as accurate as we might be led to believe. We need to check no further than the Big 12 Conference to provide proof. .
The Big 12 Conference spent the 2014-15 season at the top of the hill. After the first weekend of NCAA play only 2 (West Virginia & Oklahoma) of the conferences 7 schools remain. Doesn’t matter if it was a buzzer beating shot or a 20 point loss it still counts the same. Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas all exited stage left after but one game, Kansas played two games before they left. Next time someone quotes RPI I’m not going to argue with them let’s say I will greet it with a degree of skepticism.
*Wikipedia
Bits n Pieces
Ohio State Coach Thad Matta says; “Greg Oden is working out (at Ohio State) and could make another run at it.” Sorry coach I don’t doubt your words I’m just unsure if Oden will ever return. The first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft has been devastated by a series of injuries. The Heat needing height was not convinced he had “any gas left in the tank” they released him at the close of last season.
I refrain from speculating on issues but not this time. I will be shocked, no surprised if Kevin Love signs with the Cavs. I’ve never doubted his talent it appears at the end of the season he’s still trying to adjust his game to his new team. Here’s my spin, Love was “The Man” with the Wolves plenty of shots and the offense ran through him. The Cavs have Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith plus a guy named LeBron taking a bunch of shots.
I’ve made a big deal about 74-year old Larry Brown however he was not the oldest active coach until now. 80-year old Jim Smith announced his retirement from Saint John’s University Collegeville (MN). He’s coached this Division III school 51 years and finishes his career with a 786-556 record.
Did you see the game or the highlight of the R.J. Hunter shot? Hunter of Georgia State sunk a deep 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds on the clock. The basket gave his school an upset win over Baylor. Don’t be surprised to hear the commissioner call his name in June. He’s a 6-5 180 pound shooting guard.
Haters will continue to hate especially if they are Laker haters. News of Steve Nash retiring didn’t surprise me he’s seen little action in his three years as a Laker. It’s sad that injuries even at his advance age provided little for Laker fans to appreciate. Naturally the haters had to provide us their two cents worth plenty of commentary to the announcement. Guess what, 2 cents is exactly what their view is worth.
We can fix it
There’s been plenty of back and forth argument on the NBA age limit. One party claims the academics are out of control. Those players headed for the league only attend class for the fall semester. Others say the NBA is restrictive with its age limit; their squabble is you can do almost anything legal at 18 except purchase alcohol. As for the owners they yell about paying multi-million dollar salaries to young unproved talent. The fix for to this dilemma for all parties concerned is the NBA D-League. You scream how is the D-League able to address this problem? Guys smarter than me could address this but this is what I see:
1. Raise the salary level, $400 is certainly more than an 18-year could earn weekly at a fast-food restaurant. The salary is peanuts compared to pay in Europe or China. The only advantage at this point to play in the D-League is it might be easier for an NBA scout to see you rather than an international trip.
2. Restructure the D-League; infuse funds into the league to make it viable in the public eye. The league is minor league however fans and the public would view it differently if it was made known. Example; if you check out any sites; ESPN, CBS Sports none have a link to the D-League.
3. This last part I’m unsure how to implement without the appearance of tampering. This is tied in with item 1, I’ll use the term recruit those 18-year olds it’s believed to have no college intentions. No need of sham ACT/SAT test, why force them to attend college.
-------Larry Laker
RPI
For years we have been told; “Don’t use any of the Top 25 polls to measure a teams strength the RPI is much more accurate.” What exactly is RPI some might ask? *The Rating Percentage Index, commonly known as the RPI, is a quantity used to rank sports teams based upon a team's wins and losses and its strength of schedule.” I’m not going to attempt a numbers check just simply state I don’t believe RPI is as accurate as we might be led to believe. We need to check no further than the Big 12 Conference to provide proof. .
The Big 12 Conference spent the 2014-15 season at the top of the hill. After the first weekend of NCAA play only 2 (West Virginia & Oklahoma) of the conferences 7 schools remain. Doesn’t matter if it was a buzzer beating shot or a 20 point loss it still counts the same. Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas all exited stage left after but one game, Kansas played two games before they left. Next time someone quotes RPI I’m not going to argue with them let’s say I will greet it with a degree of skepticism.
*Wikipedia
Bits n Pieces
Ohio State Coach Thad Matta says; “Greg Oden is working out (at Ohio State) and could make another run at it.” Sorry coach I don’t doubt your words I’m just unsure if Oden will ever return. The first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft has been devastated by a series of injuries. The Heat needing height was not convinced he had “any gas left in the tank” they released him at the close of last season.
I refrain from speculating on issues but not this time. I will be shocked, no surprised if Kevin Love signs with the Cavs. I’ve never doubted his talent it appears at the end of the season he’s still trying to adjust his game to his new team. Here’s my spin, Love was “The Man” with the Wolves plenty of shots and the offense ran through him. The Cavs have Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith plus a guy named LeBron taking a bunch of shots.
I’ve made a big deal about 74-year old Larry Brown however he was not the oldest active coach until now. 80-year old Jim Smith announced his retirement from Saint John’s University Collegeville (MN). He’s coached this Division III school 51 years and finishes his career with a 786-556 record.
Did you see the game or the highlight of the R.J. Hunter shot? Hunter of Georgia State sunk a deep 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds on the clock. The basket gave his school an upset win over Baylor. Don’t be surprised to hear the commissioner call his name in June. He’s a 6-5 180 pound shooting guard.
Haters will continue to hate especially if they are Laker haters. News of Steve Nash retiring didn’t surprise me he’s seen little action in his three years as a Laker. It’s sad that injuries even at his advance age provided little for Laker fans to appreciate. Naturally the haters had to provide us their two cents worth plenty of commentary to the announcement. Guess what, 2 cents is exactly what their view is worth.
We can fix it
There’s been plenty of back and forth argument on the NBA age limit. One party claims the academics are out of control. Those players headed for the league only attend class for the fall semester. Others say the NBA is restrictive with its age limit; their squabble is you can do almost anything legal at 18 except purchase alcohol. As for the owners they yell about paying multi-million dollar salaries to young unproved talent. The fix for to this dilemma for all parties concerned is the NBA D-League. You scream how is the D-League able to address this problem? Guys smarter than me could address this but this is what I see:
1. Raise the salary level, $400 is certainly more than an 18-year could earn weekly at a fast-food restaurant. The salary is peanuts compared to pay in Europe or China. The only advantage at this point to play in the D-League is it might be easier for an NBA scout to see you rather than an international trip.
2. Restructure the D-League; infuse funds into the league to make it viable in the public eye. The league is minor league however fans and the public would view it differently if it was made known. Example; if you check out any sites; ESPN, CBS Sports none have a link to the D-League.
3. This last part I’m unsure how to implement without the appearance of tampering. This is tied in with item 1, I’ll use the term recruit those 18-year olds it’s believed to have no college intentions. No need of sham ACT/SAT test, why force them to attend college.
Monday, March 23, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
“Play a Villanova game”
One of the analysts covering the NCAA Tournament stated “the only way Kentucky loses is for somebody to play a Villanova game.” For historical reference Georgetown was 35-3 on a 17 game win streak in 1985. The school was attempting to repeat as champions having won the 1984 NCAA Championship. Another tidbit to consider Villanova was an 8 seed and to date remains the highest ever seed to win a championship. Villanova playing a control game upset the Georgetown Hoyas 66-64. As for the 2015 Kentucky Wildcats they shot a paltry 37% from the floor in it’s game against Cincinnati. They blocked 9 shots and caused Cincinnati to turn the ball over 14 times. These were key to Cincinnati shooting 31.7% from the floor.
Sunflower Showdown
For those unaware the State flower of Kansas is the sunflower. A Missouri legislator once attempted to introduce a bill to declare the sunflower a “noxious weed.” As you can see the border rivalry even extends to the flower. We share a border and the flower sometimes can be seen growing on the western side of Missouri. As I mentioned the two schools less than 200 road miles apart haven’t played one another since 1993. Kansas more specifically Bill Self refuses to schedule Wichita State. Last season Gregg Marshall proposed a home and home series plus a third and deciding game would be played in Kansas City (MO) at Sprint Center a neutral site.
The basis for his refusal might be shared with a former Mizzou coach. Coach Norm Stewart was reported to have the same policy with Division I schools in the State of Missouri. Even more interesting might we suspect the NCAA placed the two Kansas schools in the same bracket realizing the story behind the story? This is written on Saturday prior to the Sunday match, I have no idea who wins. This is one of those occasions I’ll go out on a limb. I predict the winner will come from the State of Kansas. Just kiddin’ let’s say this---Kansas will probably win but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Wichita State won. Addedum--notice how I played this safe, we know the final outcome Wichita State 78 Kansas 65
A second chance
Marshall University produced guard Hal Greer, his career in the NBA lasted from 1959 to 1973. Greer was one of the early pioneers to exceed 21,000 points. Also playing basketball from the school is a name more familiar to many of today’s fans Mike D’Antoni. Former NFL receiver Randy Moss might be more familiar to most of you. Heat center Hassan Whiteside played his college ball at Marshall. If we succeed every time the first time we might become complacent.
We might believe “this is easy or this is what’s supposed to occur.” Emerging from Marshall the 33rd pick in the second round might led us to believe “he can’t play; he slipped into the 2nd round.” We tend to believe that was the case for Whiteside of the Heat. In addition “if he couldn’t play for the Kings his ability must be limited.” As I’ve mentioned in the past it’s often been stated big men have a tougher time adjusting to NBA play. At 7 foot and 265 pounds Whiteside certainly had the size his skill was certainly called into question.
Sometimes our dreams are deferred and unfulfilled; Whiteside continued to grow his game in the D-League, China and Lebanon. His emergence allowed Chris Bosh to move back to his position of power forward. Since this was written Bosh went down with a season ending illness. The Heat was one point losers against the Wolves however Whiteside’s effort wasn’t the cause in fact it might have been a larger margin if not for his effort. Whiteside had a career high 24 points on 12 for 13 shooting which included 20 rebounds 3 steals and 2 blocked shots.
An NBA TV host indicated “He’d (Whiteside) had come out of nowhere,” he was quickly corrected by another without mentioning his basketball journey. The emergence of Whiteside has been two-fold, his work to improve his skill plus the opportunity to play major minutes thanks to the Heat. The only downside to this point appears to be his maturity, after two altercations he was suspended for a game. After talking to him Dwayne Wade expressed his concerned about the value of Whiteside to the Heat effort.
It’s still a good tourney
There are several 20 win teams in the tourney; I’m referring to the NIT dubbed the Not Invited Tournament. This tournament was given the dubious nickname once the NCAA expanded the number of teams to 68. The NIT first played in 1938 is actually a year older than the NCAA Tournament; the prestigious tourney became faced with hosting “left-over’s.” We can be sure athletes on these teams don’t believe they are second class. I listened to Jay Bilas (whom I respect) discuss several schools that were not invited to the NCAA’s. Colorado State (27-6), Old Dominion (24-7) and Murray State (27-5) are just a few headed to the NIT. These and several others were not invited due to their strength of schedule.
Where is the real power?
This is worth a re-visit; I’d mentioned how many in the local media were extolling the strength of the Big 12. They pointed out the conference RPI proved the point. As of Sunday March 22nd Central Time the ACC is 9-0 in games played. Prior to the beginning of the afternoon games the power Big 12 stands 3-4 hardly what most of the experts believed. I’m not trying to trash the conference I have said to all concerned since January it’s not as strong as advertised. What do you think?
-------Larry Laker
“Play a Villanova game”
One of the analysts covering the NCAA Tournament stated “the only way Kentucky loses is for somebody to play a Villanova game.” For historical reference Georgetown was 35-3 on a 17 game win streak in 1985. The school was attempting to repeat as champions having won the 1984 NCAA Championship. Another tidbit to consider Villanova was an 8 seed and to date remains the highest ever seed to win a championship. Villanova playing a control game upset the Georgetown Hoyas 66-64. As for the 2015 Kentucky Wildcats they shot a paltry 37% from the floor in it’s game against Cincinnati. They blocked 9 shots and caused Cincinnati to turn the ball over 14 times. These were key to Cincinnati shooting 31.7% from the floor.
Sunflower Showdown
For those unaware the State flower of Kansas is the sunflower. A Missouri legislator once attempted to introduce a bill to declare the sunflower a “noxious weed.” As you can see the border rivalry even extends to the flower. We share a border and the flower sometimes can be seen growing on the western side of Missouri. As I mentioned the two schools less than 200 road miles apart haven’t played one another since 1993. Kansas more specifically Bill Self refuses to schedule Wichita State. Last season Gregg Marshall proposed a home and home series plus a third and deciding game would be played in Kansas City (MO) at Sprint Center a neutral site.
The basis for his refusal might be shared with a former Mizzou coach. Coach Norm Stewart was reported to have the same policy with Division I schools in the State of Missouri. Even more interesting might we suspect the NCAA placed the two Kansas schools in the same bracket realizing the story behind the story? This is written on Saturday prior to the Sunday match, I have no idea who wins. This is one of those occasions I’ll go out on a limb. I predict the winner will come from the State of Kansas. Just kiddin’ let’s say this---Kansas will probably win but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Wichita State won. Addedum--notice how I played this safe, we know the final outcome Wichita State 78 Kansas 65
A second chance
Marshall University produced guard Hal Greer, his career in the NBA lasted from 1959 to 1973. Greer was one of the early pioneers to exceed 21,000 points. Also playing basketball from the school is a name more familiar to many of today’s fans Mike D’Antoni. Former NFL receiver Randy Moss might be more familiar to most of you. Heat center Hassan Whiteside played his college ball at Marshall. If we succeed every time the first time we might become complacent.
We might believe “this is easy or this is what’s supposed to occur.” Emerging from Marshall the 33rd pick in the second round might led us to believe “he can’t play; he slipped into the 2nd round.” We tend to believe that was the case for Whiteside of the Heat. In addition “if he couldn’t play for the Kings his ability must be limited.” As I’ve mentioned in the past it’s often been stated big men have a tougher time adjusting to NBA play. At 7 foot and 265 pounds Whiteside certainly had the size his skill was certainly called into question.
Sometimes our dreams are deferred and unfulfilled; Whiteside continued to grow his game in the D-League, China and Lebanon. His emergence allowed Chris Bosh to move back to his position of power forward. Since this was written Bosh went down with a season ending illness. The Heat was one point losers against the Wolves however Whiteside’s effort wasn’t the cause in fact it might have been a larger margin if not for his effort. Whiteside had a career high 24 points on 12 for 13 shooting which included 20 rebounds 3 steals and 2 blocked shots.
An NBA TV host indicated “He’d (Whiteside) had come out of nowhere,” he was quickly corrected by another without mentioning his basketball journey. The emergence of Whiteside has been two-fold, his work to improve his skill plus the opportunity to play major minutes thanks to the Heat. The only downside to this point appears to be his maturity, after two altercations he was suspended for a game. After talking to him Dwayne Wade expressed his concerned about the value of Whiteside to the Heat effort.
It’s still a good tourney
There are several 20 win teams in the tourney; I’m referring to the NIT dubbed the Not Invited Tournament. This tournament was given the dubious nickname once the NCAA expanded the number of teams to 68. The NIT first played in 1938 is actually a year older than the NCAA Tournament; the prestigious tourney became faced with hosting “left-over’s.” We can be sure athletes on these teams don’t believe they are second class. I listened to Jay Bilas (whom I respect) discuss several schools that were not invited to the NCAA’s. Colorado State (27-6), Old Dominion (24-7) and Murray State (27-5) are just a few headed to the NIT. These and several others were not invited due to their strength of schedule.
Where is the real power?
This is worth a re-visit; I’d mentioned how many in the local media were extolling the strength of the Big 12. They pointed out the conference RPI proved the point. As of Sunday March 22nd Central Time the ACC is 9-0 in games played. Prior to the beginning of the afternoon games the power Big 12 stands 3-4 hardly what most of the experts believed. I’m not trying to trash the conference I have said to all concerned since January it’s not as strong as advertised. What do you think?
Friday, March 20, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
It’s not over yet
The NCAA tournament is far from over we are in the first day of action. Upsets usually occur however these were supposed to be wins for the Big 12 Conference. Kansas City media has done a great deal of braggin’ about the strength of the Big 12 since last December. Somewhere near the middle of the regular season I expressed my belief this outlook was mistaken. I’m curious of the media observations after the first day of the tourney. Number 14 Georgia State upset number 3 Baylor. To take this one step further Iowa State also a number 3 lost to another UAB also a number 14. Number 6 Butler wasn't an upset however Texas a number 11 seed and Big 12 member went down too.
One n done
This is written March 13th and there is no resolution concerning Kansas freshman Cliff Alexander. To take this one step further according to ESPN the NCAA is yet to interview him. The former McDonald’s All American was expected to play his freshman year then head straight to the NBA. Alexander would join the parade of one n done athletes upward bound, that may not be the case now. Alexander had issues adjusting to the college game and Bill Self’s schemes. He managed to sit more than he played during this first year of college.
Coach Self had nothing to do with the latest benching it was the NCAA. It’s been reported a relative of Alexander may have received improper payments. If this report should be valid naturally the player would be declared ineligible. It’s also been reported Alexander’s family has retained an attorney. Let’s speculate assume the NCAA investigation clears him it’s likely his basketball mission at Kansas is over. Alexander might be inclined to head for Europe or China and attempt a pro career. If he manages to grow his game playing professionally the NBA could possibly call one day.
Brothers
There are a number of brothers with NBA careers, few occasions have siblings managed to play for the same team at the same time. There have been exceptions in fact the Suns once had two sets of brothers on their team. The Suns drafted Marcus Morris in 2011; in 2012-13 they made a trade with the Rockets for his twin brother Markieff. The brothers were reunited as they had been when playing for Kansas. At this years trade deadline the Heat concluded a trade with the Suns for point guard Goran Dragic and his brother Zoran. The younger Dragic was sent to the D-League but has been re-called and the brothers are both on the Heat roster.
The coach
I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage “coaches are hired to be fired.” It depends on the perspective, allow me to explain further. How about South Carolina’s Frank Martin, he’s now in his third year and is yet to register a winning record. His previous five teams at Kansas State resulted in 20 win seasons. Whether it was Martin recruits or something else Bruce Weber’s first two teams won 20 plus games. They were supposed to compete for the 2014-15 Big 12 championship. Kansas State concluded the season with a 10-8 conference record 20-13 overall. Nevada’s David Carter was fired after one winning season in five years; in 2012 they were selected to play in the NIT post-season tourney. DePaul terminated Oliver Purnell after five seasons at the helm and more recently George Mason relieved Paul Hewitt after four years at the helm.
All the coaches had been winners in the past or had ample time to turn around a program. That is not the case with Mizzou’s Kim Anderson. Local sports talk radio has centered on Anderson and whether Mizzou should retain his services, in light of a new athletic director hire. Anderson has/was a winner at Division II University of Central Missouri for 12 years. Mizzou is not the only school with a first year coach attempting to stamp a program with his initials. Coaches Kelvin Sampson and Bruce Pearl also faced the same situation; unlike Anderson Sampson and Pearl have experience at the Division I level. Sampson’s Houston team finished with a 4-14 conference record and 12-18 overall. How about former Tennessee Coach Pearl? His Auburn Tigers also finished with a 4-14 record and 13-19. The point Sampson and Pearl and Anderson must be given adequate time to build their programs.
Jim Boeheim
Three years from now Jim Boeheim of Syracuse will retire. In this instance it’s not an age issue that’s impacted him he’s younger than Larry Brown at SMU. The improprieties the NCAA uncovered may have impacted the 70-year old Boeheim to set a retirement date. Boeheim indicates he will appeal his 9-game suspension dealt out by the NCAA. Is the Boeheim legacy tarnished, likely for now? Will it be forgotten no but 10 years from now maybe sooner it will be a footnote on his bio. Think about this time brings about healing in the eyes of the public, past sins are forgiven.
-------Larry Laker
It’s not over yet
The NCAA tournament is far from over we are in the first day of action. Upsets usually occur however these were supposed to be wins for the Big 12 Conference. Kansas City media has done a great deal of braggin’ about the strength of the Big 12 since last December. Somewhere near the middle of the regular season I expressed my belief this outlook was mistaken. I’m curious of the media observations after the first day of the tourney. Number 14 Georgia State upset number 3 Baylor. To take this one step further Iowa State also a number 3 lost to another UAB also a number 14. Number 6 Butler wasn't an upset however Texas a number 11 seed and Big 12 member went down too.
One n done
This is written March 13th and there is no resolution concerning Kansas freshman Cliff Alexander. To take this one step further according to ESPN the NCAA is yet to interview him. The former McDonald’s All American was expected to play his freshman year then head straight to the NBA. Alexander would join the parade of one n done athletes upward bound, that may not be the case now. Alexander had issues adjusting to the college game and Bill Self’s schemes. He managed to sit more than he played during this first year of college.
Coach Self had nothing to do with the latest benching it was the NCAA. It’s been reported a relative of Alexander may have received improper payments. If this report should be valid naturally the player would be declared ineligible. It’s also been reported Alexander’s family has retained an attorney. Let’s speculate assume the NCAA investigation clears him it’s likely his basketball mission at Kansas is over. Alexander might be inclined to head for Europe or China and attempt a pro career. If he manages to grow his game playing professionally the NBA could possibly call one day.
Brothers
There are a number of brothers with NBA careers, few occasions have siblings managed to play for the same team at the same time. There have been exceptions in fact the Suns once had two sets of brothers on their team. The Suns drafted Marcus Morris in 2011; in 2012-13 they made a trade with the Rockets for his twin brother Markieff. The brothers were reunited as they had been when playing for Kansas. At this years trade deadline the Heat concluded a trade with the Suns for point guard Goran Dragic and his brother Zoran. The younger Dragic was sent to the D-League but has been re-called and the brothers are both on the Heat roster.
The coach
I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage “coaches are hired to be fired.” It depends on the perspective, allow me to explain further. How about South Carolina’s Frank Martin, he’s now in his third year and is yet to register a winning record. His previous five teams at Kansas State resulted in 20 win seasons. Whether it was Martin recruits or something else Bruce Weber’s first two teams won 20 plus games. They were supposed to compete for the 2014-15 Big 12 championship. Kansas State concluded the season with a 10-8 conference record 20-13 overall. Nevada’s David Carter was fired after one winning season in five years; in 2012 they were selected to play in the NIT post-season tourney. DePaul terminated Oliver Purnell after five seasons at the helm and more recently George Mason relieved Paul Hewitt after four years at the helm.
All the coaches had been winners in the past or had ample time to turn around a program. That is not the case with Mizzou’s Kim Anderson. Local sports talk radio has centered on Anderson and whether Mizzou should retain his services, in light of a new athletic director hire. Anderson has/was a winner at Division II University of Central Missouri for 12 years. Mizzou is not the only school with a first year coach attempting to stamp a program with his initials. Coaches Kelvin Sampson and Bruce Pearl also faced the same situation; unlike Anderson Sampson and Pearl have experience at the Division I level. Sampson’s Houston team finished with a 4-14 conference record and 12-18 overall. How about former Tennessee Coach Pearl? His Auburn Tigers also finished with a 4-14 record and 13-19. The point Sampson and Pearl and Anderson must be given adequate time to build their programs.
Jim Boeheim
Three years from now Jim Boeheim of Syracuse will retire. In this instance it’s not an age issue that’s impacted him he’s younger than Larry Brown at SMU. The improprieties the NCAA uncovered may have impacted the 70-year old Boeheim to set a retirement date. Boeheim indicates he will appeal his 9-game suspension dealt out by the NCAA. Is the Boeheim legacy tarnished, likely for now? Will it be forgotten no but 10 years from now maybe sooner it will be a footnote on his bio. Think about this time brings about healing in the eyes of the public, past sins are forgiven.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
Winning can become contagious
As I watched SMU defeat UConn I had a momentary thought, 74-year old Larry Brown is not going to be around forever. The coach has remolded SMU basketball and made it relevant one again. The school was once considered a football only institution; basketball was just a secondary sport but no more. As for talent until recently we must return to the ‘50’s to locate the first significant player. The late Jim Krebs was a 1957 All American forward. According to Wikipedia Krebs raised the level of basketball so significantly the result was Moody Coliseum present home of the Mustangs was built. Krebs would later play in the NBA for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers however would die in a tragic off-court accident at age 29.
Jon Koncak played his high school ball in Kansas City and headed to SMU; his NBA career ran from 1986 through the 1996 for the Hawks and one season as a member of the Magic. I checked the records prior to the last two seasons under Brown we must travel back to 2000-01 to uncover an SMU team with two consecutive 20 win seasons. Under Brown SMU registered a 27-10 last season and 27-8 this season prior to the NCAA Tournament. Once Brown decides to step down the administration must conduct a nationwide search to continue the winning tradition established again by the coach. Alum and fans don’t get upset with me I‘m not trying to push Brown out the door. I’m a Larry Brown fan and look forward to him remaining head coach as long as he desires.
Another record
I stated previously forward LeBron James is breaking or setting records on a weekly basis. This time the record is one belonging in Cavs history, LeBron broke the assist record of Mark Price. My curiosity led me to check the teams past on nba.com/cavaliers/history. Price had distributed 4,206 assists during his tenure with the team. For those who might be unfamiliar Price played the point so did John Bagley and Terrell Brandon. We arrive at Brad Daughtery the first non-point guard on the list; he’s in 6th place on the Cavs all-time list. I missed this one, at some point LeBron also passed Price for most 3-point baskets made. Despite the short period he spent in Miami LeBron will soon own the majority of Cavs records.
Bits n Pieces
I hate to be wrong however I must fess up I missed this one. I predicted the SEC would have as many teams invited to the NCAA Tourney as the Big 12. I was wrong, final score Big 12 7 schools SEC 5 schools.
We’ve got to admit Coach Cal is quite a salesman. He recruits kids who could play major minutes at other schools and convinces them to play a reserve role at Kentucky. I seriously doubt if another coach could accomplish this feat.
Okay call me a hater if you must; “I’m from Missouri show me.” After watching the Rockets beat the Clippers yesterday I believe they are pretenders and not contenders. They are a lock for the playoffs as for NBA Champions?
We might overlook University of California-Irvine but not a member on the team’s roster. Mamadou N’Diaye stands 7-6 and weights in at 300 pound. The sophomore’s numbers are only average and he is raw, bold prediction from yours truly. N’Diaye from Senegal in West Africa will receive an NBA invitation in two years. I didn’t say he’d be drafted but he will be in the league.
“You can run but you can’t hide”
The above quote is attributed to the late Joe Louis former heavyweight boxing champion. He was reported to have made the statement regarding an opponent who avoided facing him in the ring. We could make the same statement regarding Bill Self. For a number of reasons Self has avoided playing Wichita State. Last season Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall proposed a home and home series, a third game would be played at a natural site Kansas City was mentioned.
Self might not desire to play the game however the NCAA has a different mindset. The two Kansas schools are in the same Midwest Regional in Omaha. If Wichita State is able to survive against Indiana and Kansas captures its game against New Mexico State the battle for the hearts of basketball fans in the State of Kansas will begin in earnest. Wichita State and Kansas lie about 180 miles apart or two hours and change drive time. Such a short distance these two Division I teams have not played one another since 1993.
This is interesting
No public funds will be expended building the Warriors San Francisco arena. The 18,000 seat arena will priced in the neighborhood of $600 million dollars. The yet to be named arena will open for the 2018-19 NBA season. I believe it has become more and more difficult to secure public funds to build stadiums and arenas for sports franchises. In these tight economic times citizens are reluctant to vote in favor of taxation for millionaire team owners. The only exception to my memory is the NFL Packers; at one time individuals could purchase shares of the team. Perhaps this model will become the wave of the future. I’m sure citizens would approve if their only requirement was to purchase tickets to the event rather than the building.
-------Larry Laker
Winning can become contagious
As I watched SMU defeat UConn I had a momentary thought, 74-year old Larry Brown is not going to be around forever. The coach has remolded SMU basketball and made it relevant one again. The school was once considered a football only institution; basketball was just a secondary sport but no more. As for talent until recently we must return to the ‘50’s to locate the first significant player. The late Jim Krebs was a 1957 All American forward. According to Wikipedia Krebs raised the level of basketball so significantly the result was Moody Coliseum present home of the Mustangs was built. Krebs would later play in the NBA for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers however would die in a tragic off-court accident at age 29.
Jon Koncak played his high school ball in Kansas City and headed to SMU; his NBA career ran from 1986 through the 1996 for the Hawks and one season as a member of the Magic. I checked the records prior to the last two seasons under Brown we must travel back to 2000-01 to uncover an SMU team with two consecutive 20 win seasons. Under Brown SMU registered a 27-10 last season and 27-8 this season prior to the NCAA Tournament. Once Brown decides to step down the administration must conduct a nationwide search to continue the winning tradition established again by the coach. Alum and fans don’t get upset with me I‘m not trying to push Brown out the door. I’m a Larry Brown fan and look forward to him remaining head coach as long as he desires.
Another record
I stated previously forward LeBron James is breaking or setting records on a weekly basis. This time the record is one belonging in Cavs history, LeBron broke the assist record of Mark Price. My curiosity led me to check the teams past on nba.com/cavaliers/history. Price had distributed 4,206 assists during his tenure with the team. For those who might be unfamiliar Price played the point so did John Bagley and Terrell Brandon. We arrive at Brad Daughtery the first non-point guard on the list; he’s in 6th place on the Cavs all-time list. I missed this one, at some point LeBron also passed Price for most 3-point baskets made. Despite the short period he spent in Miami LeBron will soon own the majority of Cavs records.
Bits n Pieces
I hate to be wrong however I must fess up I missed this one. I predicted the SEC would have as many teams invited to the NCAA Tourney as the Big 12. I was wrong, final score Big 12 7 schools SEC 5 schools.
We’ve got to admit Coach Cal is quite a salesman. He recruits kids who could play major minutes at other schools and convinces them to play a reserve role at Kentucky. I seriously doubt if another coach could accomplish this feat.
Okay call me a hater if you must; “I’m from Missouri show me.” After watching the Rockets beat the Clippers yesterday I believe they are pretenders and not contenders. They are a lock for the playoffs as for NBA Champions?
We might overlook University of California-Irvine but not a member on the team’s roster. Mamadou N’Diaye stands 7-6 and weights in at 300 pound. The sophomore’s numbers are only average and he is raw, bold prediction from yours truly. N’Diaye from Senegal in West Africa will receive an NBA invitation in two years. I didn’t say he’d be drafted but he will be in the league.
“You can run but you can’t hide”
The above quote is attributed to the late Joe Louis former heavyweight boxing champion. He was reported to have made the statement regarding an opponent who avoided facing him in the ring. We could make the same statement regarding Bill Self. For a number of reasons Self has avoided playing Wichita State. Last season Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall proposed a home and home series, a third game would be played at a natural site Kansas City was mentioned.
Self might not desire to play the game however the NCAA has a different mindset. The two Kansas schools are in the same Midwest Regional in Omaha. If Wichita State is able to survive against Indiana and Kansas captures its game against New Mexico State the battle for the hearts of basketball fans in the State of Kansas will begin in earnest. Wichita State and Kansas lie about 180 miles apart or two hours and change drive time. Such a short distance these two Division I teams have not played one another since 1993.
This is interesting
No public funds will be expended building the Warriors San Francisco arena. The 18,000 seat arena will priced in the neighborhood of $600 million dollars. The yet to be named arena will open for the 2018-19 NBA season. I believe it has become more and more difficult to secure public funds to build stadiums and arenas for sports franchises. In these tight economic times citizens are reluctant to vote in favor of taxation for millionaire team owners. The only exception to my memory is the NFL Packers; at one time individuals could purchase shares of the team. Perhaps this model will become the wave of the future. I’m sure citizens would approve if their only requirement was to purchase tickets to the event rather than the building.
Monday, March 16, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
Your thoughts
This is written ahead of the NCAA selection announcement, later this afternoon the field 68 teams will be announced. For the most part we have no idea of who the teams are. The media has been ripe speculating on the number one seeds. As for the others there are automatic qualifiers and teams that won conference post-season tourneys. Hampton University won the Mid-Eastern Conference playoff so they arrive with a 16-17 record. UAB enters the tourney with a 19-15 record, Robert Morris 19-14 and Manhattan 19-13. There may be other schools I might have missed a cursory search provided proof of my point. Alum and fans of these institutions please don’t get upset with me.
I just question the wisdom of including team with less than stellar records. A portion of this change is based on the NCAA expanding the field of teams. From 1975-1978 the field was 32 times later it was increased from 40 to 48. In 1985 it became 64 teams and remained at that number until 2001 increasing to 65. In 2011 the number was raised to 68 where it lies at present. There was conversation about allowing additional teams which I would register an emphatic no. We have one team below .500 and three teams barely over the number the addition of more teams might only increase the likelihood of losing or sub par records. This is just me, I’m a party of one what do you think?
Missed this one
I’m always anxious when I compile an “all-time list” for fear I might overlook someone who should be included that’s what occurred last week. I missed former television host Bob Barker and the television quiz program he made famous The Price is Right. Barker served as host of the quiz program from 1972-2007 however he might have first gained a degree of notoriety on the basketball court. The 91-year old Barker attended Drury University (Springfield MO) on a basketball scholarship. He never completed college; World War II (1941) interrupted his academic and basketball career. Honors as a broadcaster and animal rights activist are far too numerous to detail; check out the nongenrian on the net if you have a chance.
“The Admiral”
He was nicknamed the admiral although he never rose to that level. If he’d remained in the navy it’s highly likely he would have risen to that rank. David Robinson entered Annapolis at 6-8 with the intent to make the navy a career however he grew to 7-1 by his senior year. He became an All American and his fate was sealed it would be the NBA over command of a destroyer. See Robinson was too tall to serve on active duty so he was allowed to serve two years. The Spurs would select him as the first pick in the first round of the 1987 NBA draft. Robinson and Coach Greg Popovich would arrive at nearly the same time; Robinson would become the first building block to the long playoff run experienced by the Spurs.
One the other names hung on Robinson was “Mr. Nice Guy” hinting his lack of toughness. He might not have looked tough on the court however his long distinguished record speaks for itself. He was Rookie of the Year in 1987, 2X NBA Champion, 1995 NBA MVP, 10X NBA All Star selection and Olympic champion. The list is far from complete and only represents a short list of the honors accorded Robinson. Likely one of the highest honors was his 2009 selection to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Robinson continues to give back involving himself in several civic and community activates. As for his naval career he left the service as a lieutenant junior grade.
Home for the NBA no longer
Tired of hearing me complain about no NBA in Kansas City, well I’m not by myself several other citizens’ might share my plight. The game only exists on television for many of the residents listed below. It should also be pointed out a number of the franchise moves occurred in the early days of the NBA. This was a period the NBA was attempting to become a full-fledged major league. Leadership believed the time had come for the league to move from many of its smaller markets. With that said movement in large markets didn’t always pan out either for a variety of reasons. As an example San Diego has been home base for two (2) franchises and today has neither. In the first case the Buffalo team moved and would become the San Diego Rockets, several years later they would move to Houston.
In 1978 the NBA awarded San Diego the expansion Clippers, former owner Donald Sterling would moved the team to Los Angeles in 1984. Milwaukee and Minneapolis lost the Hawks and Lakers however they now have the Bucks and Wolves. The Tri-Cities Blackhawks require a further explanation; the team represented Moline/Rock Island Illinois and Davenport Iowa. Mileage between the locations is in close proximity but how the games were divided between the three cities is a mystery to me. The team would move to Milwaukee and the named shortened to the Hawks. Later their journey would include a stop in St. Louis and a final move to Atlanta in 1968. As for the others a majority of its citizens with the possible exception of Seattle residents might not remember when their city served as home to an NBA team.
Ft. Wayne
Rochester
Syracuse
Cincinnati
Baltimore
Vancouver
Seattle
Who’s your MVP?
It’s difficult to remember a year the NBA MVP race was so wide open. In the past talk centered on LeBron, Durant, Rose, Kobe and Nash. We “knew” by the All Star break who would win the award. The 2014-15 season is totally different we have no idea who wins. This is in any order the leaders are; the Rockets James Harden, Warriors Steph Curry and LeBron James of the Cavs. Are there others, you bet there are? Russell Westbrook who’s been on an “Oscar Robertson” pace should be in the discussion.
Despite missing a significant number of games Kevin Durant deserves consideration. We could add Clipper Chris Paul to the mix and Damian Lillard of the Blazers. We could add teammate LeMarcus Aldridge to the discussion. I’ve read a number in the media are reluctant to include the Pelicans Anthony Davis but I believe his name should be included too. Which of the players mentioned should it be? On the other hand maybe there is someone I omitted? No one from the defending NBA champ Spurs is listed, they have suffered a significant number of injuries this season.
Friday, March 13, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
Bits n Pieces
I doubt Clipper guard Dahaty Jones should expect a Christmas card from Draymond Green of the Warriors. After the recent match Green was being interviewed after the game and Jones bumped him exiting the court. Was the bump intentional probably, was it worth a $10,000 fine certainly not. Jones would later indicate he was appealing the fine.
In other news it was announced Dwight Howard is resuming workouts planning to return. Most interesting to me (and maybe others) the Rockets don’t appear to have missed a beat since Howard left the lineup. Is he that critical to the Rockets playoff hopes?
College coaches once reigned supreme but no more. Several big name coaches have suffered consequences of improprieties in the programs in recent years. The first coach may have been former UConn coach Jim Calhoun. Next to undergo scrutiny was Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. The clock is ticking on Carolina’s Roy Williams and Duke’s coach K.
The Lakers backcourt might resemble last years Mizzou’s court. Injuries allowed Jordan Clarkson to move into the starting lineup at the point. His backcourt mate at Mizzou Jabari Brown wasn’t drafted but played for the Laker summer league team. Brown was recently signed to a 10-day contract, Mizzou united again.
Swaggy P.
You might remember I wrote the sports world lacks characters today. The characters of the recent past were known to make outrageous sometimes controversial statements. It seems the numbers of irrepressible sport characters grows smaller and smaller each year. Just a few from the past include former Oklahoma basketball Coach Billy Tubbs, so was the late Casey Stengel former Yankee manager. We might include Jets quarterback Joe Namath who guaranteed a Super Bowl victory although his team faced the highly favored Baltimore (Indianapolis) Colts. I’m going to add a new name to our list, Nick Young a.k.a. Swaggy P. Anytime a microphone is in sight of him there’s no telling what he might say. With him we can simply say what comes up comes out of his mouth. Welcome to the list Swaggy P., the list of unforgettable sports characters you deserve it. Swaggy is injured now and there have been few opportunities to hear from him. Are there other characters I may have missed, think about it?
I was divided
SMU beat Tulsa 67-62 I was divided in my sentiment. See Larry Brown coaching the Mustangs of SMU has been a long-time favorite of mine. Of course you know Tulsa is coached by former Mizzou head man Frank Haith. The win cemented SMU’s first place finish (15-3) over the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (14-4) in the American Conference. Its likely Brown’s Mustangs will receive an NCAA invite however Haith’s Golden Hurricane team might be on the bubble. In their home and home match SMU managed to win both, they won the first game February 7th 68-57. Who made the statement 74-year old Larry Brown couldn’t coach today’s players?
Basketball may have been the start
Sometimes life’s journey lies in a different direction other than basketball. Several celebrities played the game before eventually deciding their life’s pursuit might lie in another course. Imagine there may have been no Purple Rain if he’d pursued basketball. Prince Rogers Nelson a.k.a. Prince according to his coach was a talented point guard and valued 6th man. Prince played middle and high school ball but complained because he wasn‘t a starter. Despite his anger at 5 feet 2 inches music rather than basketball was the better choice. George Clooney’s resume includes several box office successes, if Hollywood has a royalty list he’s at or near the top. basketball and baseball in high school. According to reports Clooney actually had a tryout with the Cincinnati Reds. Just think Angelina Jolie may have never met Brad Pitt if he’d continued to play basketball.
Pitt may have remained in Missouri never venturing west to California and Hollywood. Once Pitt arrived in high school he dropped the sport for tennis, swimming and track. Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington also has a basketball background; Washington was on the Fordham University basketball team. This actor first demonstrated his prowess on the basketball court along side teammate Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Warren was the point guard on the first of long-line of NCAA wins for UCLA. Warren might be best described as a character actor although he had a leading role in the Hill Street Blues television series which ran from 1981-1987. At 6-6 the late actor Chuck Connors surely must have had another career. He did indeed, in the early ‘50’s he played for the Celtics and the baseball Dodgers. In those days pro sports seasons did not overlap as they do today.
-------Larry Laker
Bits n Pieces
I doubt Clipper guard Dahaty Jones should expect a Christmas card from Draymond Green of the Warriors. After the recent match Green was being interviewed after the game and Jones bumped him exiting the court. Was the bump intentional probably, was it worth a $10,000 fine certainly not. Jones would later indicate he was appealing the fine.
In other news it was announced Dwight Howard is resuming workouts planning to return. Most interesting to me (and maybe others) the Rockets don’t appear to have missed a beat since Howard left the lineup. Is he that critical to the Rockets playoff hopes?
College coaches once reigned supreme but no more. Several big name coaches have suffered consequences of improprieties in the programs in recent years. The first coach may have been former UConn coach Jim Calhoun. Next to undergo scrutiny was Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. The clock is ticking on Carolina’s Roy Williams and Duke’s coach K.
The Lakers backcourt might resemble last years Mizzou’s court. Injuries allowed Jordan Clarkson to move into the starting lineup at the point. His backcourt mate at Mizzou Jabari Brown wasn’t drafted but played for the Laker summer league team. Brown was recently signed to a 10-day contract, Mizzou united again.
Swaggy P.
You might remember I wrote the sports world lacks characters today. The characters of the recent past were known to make outrageous sometimes controversial statements. It seems the numbers of irrepressible sport characters grows smaller and smaller each year. Just a few from the past include former Oklahoma basketball Coach Billy Tubbs, so was the late Casey Stengel former Yankee manager. We might include Jets quarterback Joe Namath who guaranteed a Super Bowl victory although his team faced the highly favored Baltimore (Indianapolis) Colts. I’m going to add a new name to our list, Nick Young a.k.a. Swaggy P. Anytime a microphone is in sight of him there’s no telling what he might say. With him we can simply say what comes up comes out of his mouth. Welcome to the list Swaggy P., the list of unforgettable sports characters you deserve it. Swaggy is injured now and there have been few opportunities to hear from him. Are there other characters I may have missed, think about it?
I was divided
SMU beat Tulsa 67-62 I was divided in my sentiment. See Larry Brown coaching the Mustangs of SMU has been a long-time favorite of mine. Of course you know Tulsa is coached by former Mizzou head man Frank Haith. The win cemented SMU’s first place finish (15-3) over the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (14-4) in the American Conference. Its likely Brown’s Mustangs will receive an NCAA invite however Haith’s Golden Hurricane team might be on the bubble. In their home and home match SMU managed to win both, they won the first game February 7th 68-57. Who made the statement 74-year old Larry Brown couldn’t coach today’s players?
Basketball may have been the start
Sometimes life’s journey lies in a different direction other than basketball. Several celebrities played the game before eventually deciding their life’s pursuit might lie in another course. Imagine there may have been no Purple Rain if he’d pursued basketball. Prince Rogers Nelson a.k.a. Prince according to his coach was a talented point guard and valued 6th man. Prince played middle and high school ball but complained because he wasn‘t a starter. Despite his anger at 5 feet 2 inches music rather than basketball was the better choice. George Clooney’s resume includes several box office successes, if Hollywood has a royalty list he’s at or near the top. basketball and baseball in high school. According to reports Clooney actually had a tryout with the Cincinnati Reds. Just think Angelina Jolie may have never met Brad Pitt if he’d continued to play basketball.
Pitt may have remained in Missouri never venturing west to California and Hollywood. Once Pitt arrived in high school he dropped the sport for tennis, swimming and track. Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington also has a basketball background; Washington was on the Fordham University basketball team. This actor first demonstrated his prowess on the basketball court along side teammate Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Warren was the point guard on the first of long-line of NCAA wins for UCLA. Warren might be best described as a character actor although he had a leading role in the Hill Street Blues television series which ran from 1981-1987. At 6-6 the late actor Chuck Connors surely must have had another career. He did indeed, in the early ‘50’s he played for the Celtics and the baseball Dodgers. In those days pro sports seasons did not overlap as they do today.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
What you see might not be what you get
Sportswriter Bill Rhoden made a comment on ESPN’s Sports Reporters I think we should all consider. He was referencing Syracuse athletics particularly basketball and Jim Boeheim. Rhoden focused on the fact Boeheim was a member of the Hall of Fame. Consider athletes must wait a minimum of five years before they become eligible for the hall on the other hand several coaches have been honored while still actively coaching. Improprieties can and do occur at any point in life we cannot choose the place nor the time.
Due to the NCAA report and length of time it’s difficult to defend Boeheim or anyone else with a HOF resume. In this socially conscious age it’s difficult to hide anything from public scrutiny. As for the past we have no reading on HOF baseball players of the ‘30’s; we don’t even have an idea on players of the ‘50’s these were a different age. This is the voice in the wilderness crying for change. There will be no modification to the voting process however don’t be shocked or even surprised when Syracuse type stories are exposed.
Speculation
It is far easier for me to speculate on draft choices versus free agents. Its clear free agents can (and often) play one team against another so I will leave that to the experts. As for the 2015 draft I’m all over the map regarding the Lakers. The interior defense would be aided by defensive minded Willie Cauley Stein from Kentucky. His teammate 7-foot Karl Anthony Towns would add offensive punch to a weak Laker frontcourt, 6-11 Myles Turner from Texas also appears to be a talent. Small forward Kelly Oubre Jr’s stock has risen significantly since the beginning of the season. After little play early on the 6-7 Oubre moved into the starting lineup for Kansas and has been one of their best players.
Another talent is Duke’s Justise Winslow this 6-6 small forward has distinguished himself despite being a freshman too. As for the backcourt 6-5 180 pound shooting guard/point guard D’Angelo Russell from Ohio State may be available. Emmanuel Mudiay also a 6-5 guard might also be available, he‘s playing in China at present. It’s likely the very best college player will be chosen ahead of the Laker pick, I’m referring to 6-11 270 pound Jahlil Okafor. As for Euro athletes there is Kristaps Porzingis 7 footer from Lativa who should also be a first round pick. Also 6-8 200 pound shooting guard/small forward Mario Hezonja might be the choice. With the exception of Cauley Stein (junior) Mudiay (China) and the Euro prospects all are freshman, it says to us youth continues to be served.
Free throw------FREE
My wife does not share my passion for basketball which is okay, most of the time we share very little related to the game, 99% of the time we are not in the same room viewing a game. On those rare occasions we are in the same room she chastises me for fussing at players who miss free throws. Mizzou having a poor season would have one more win had guard Wes Clark hit two critical free throws. I informed my wife “There is no excuse for anybody to shoot lower than 80%.” I thought for a moment and corrected myself; “maybe at least 75%.” Think a moment, how many times have you seen your favorite team or a player especially at the college level miss a vital free-throw. We cannot just look at that missed free throw and claim that’s why my team was a loser.
The free-throw problems of Shaquille O’Neal are the stuff of legend. Rajon Rondo is fast approaching Shaq on the free-throw line. This is rare; for the most part backcourt players are usually superior at the line in comparison to frontcourt players. Rondo is becoming the exception to the rule. Today’s players are better conditioned and better trained all except at the free-throw line. I mentioned this story previously. Bud Lathrop a long-tenured local high school coach was interviewed on the subject. Lathrop said; “When we finished running drills and I allowed my team to free-lance a significant number would be shooting from the 3-point line. Rarely would anyone be at the free-throw line shooting.”
“Where number one”
That chant is age old; college teams have yelled the refrain for years at games. The same college team voted number one in pre-season is the same one at the end of the regular basketball season. I didn’t bother with checking the weeks between the pre-season poll and week 18 (last one). Its likely Kentucky was number one weeks two through 17 anyway. This is certainly not the first time a team has accomplished the feat of being number one and ending the season in the same slot. UCLA during the Alcindor/Walton and Wilkes era must have accomplished a similar feat. I checked last years poll and surprisingly Wichita State finished the regular season 31-0 but finished in second place. Bet you can't guess who was number one in the 2013-14 pre-season polls? I will save you it's the Kentucky Wildcats, a name and team you are familiar with.
-------Larry Laker
What you see might not be what you get
Sportswriter Bill Rhoden made a comment on ESPN’s Sports Reporters I think we should all consider. He was referencing Syracuse athletics particularly basketball and Jim Boeheim. Rhoden focused on the fact Boeheim was a member of the Hall of Fame. Consider athletes must wait a minimum of five years before they become eligible for the hall on the other hand several coaches have been honored while still actively coaching. Improprieties can and do occur at any point in life we cannot choose the place nor the time.
Due to the NCAA report and length of time it’s difficult to defend Boeheim or anyone else with a HOF resume. In this socially conscious age it’s difficult to hide anything from public scrutiny. As for the past we have no reading on HOF baseball players of the ‘30’s; we don’t even have an idea on players of the ‘50’s these were a different age. This is the voice in the wilderness crying for change. There will be no modification to the voting process however don’t be shocked or even surprised when Syracuse type stories are exposed.
Speculation
It is far easier for me to speculate on draft choices versus free agents. Its clear free agents can (and often) play one team against another so I will leave that to the experts. As for the 2015 draft I’m all over the map regarding the Lakers. The interior defense would be aided by defensive minded Willie Cauley Stein from Kentucky. His teammate 7-foot Karl Anthony Towns would add offensive punch to a weak Laker frontcourt, 6-11 Myles Turner from Texas also appears to be a talent. Small forward Kelly Oubre Jr’s stock has risen significantly since the beginning of the season. After little play early on the 6-7 Oubre moved into the starting lineup for Kansas and has been one of their best players.
Another talent is Duke’s Justise Winslow this 6-6 small forward has distinguished himself despite being a freshman too. As for the backcourt 6-5 180 pound shooting guard/point guard D’Angelo Russell from Ohio State may be available. Emmanuel Mudiay also a 6-5 guard might also be available, he‘s playing in China at present. It’s likely the very best college player will be chosen ahead of the Laker pick, I’m referring to 6-11 270 pound Jahlil Okafor. As for Euro athletes there is Kristaps Porzingis 7 footer from Lativa who should also be a first round pick. Also 6-8 200 pound shooting guard/small forward Mario Hezonja might be the choice. With the exception of Cauley Stein (junior) Mudiay (China) and the Euro prospects all are freshman, it says to us youth continues to be served.
Free throw------FREE
My wife does not share my passion for basketball which is okay, most of the time we share very little related to the game, 99% of the time we are not in the same room viewing a game. On those rare occasions we are in the same room she chastises me for fussing at players who miss free throws. Mizzou having a poor season would have one more win had guard Wes Clark hit two critical free throws. I informed my wife “There is no excuse for anybody to shoot lower than 80%.” I thought for a moment and corrected myself; “maybe at least 75%.” Think a moment, how many times have you seen your favorite team or a player especially at the college level miss a vital free-throw. We cannot just look at that missed free throw and claim that’s why my team was a loser.
The free-throw problems of Shaquille O’Neal are the stuff of legend. Rajon Rondo is fast approaching Shaq on the free-throw line. This is rare; for the most part backcourt players are usually superior at the line in comparison to frontcourt players. Rondo is becoming the exception to the rule. Today’s players are better conditioned and better trained all except at the free-throw line. I mentioned this story previously. Bud Lathrop a long-tenured local high school coach was interviewed on the subject. Lathrop said; “When we finished running drills and I allowed my team to free-lance a significant number would be shooting from the 3-point line. Rarely would anyone be at the free-throw line shooting.”
“Where number one”
That chant is age old; college teams have yelled the refrain for years at games. The same college team voted number one in pre-season is the same one at the end of the regular basketball season. I didn’t bother with checking the weeks between the pre-season poll and week 18 (last one). Its likely Kentucky was number one weeks two through 17 anyway. This is certainly not the first time a team has accomplished the feat of being number one and ending the season in the same slot. UCLA during the Alcindor/Walton and Wilkes era must have accomplished a similar feat. I checked last years poll and surprisingly Wichita State finished the regular season 31-0 but finished in second place. Bet you can't guess who was number one in the 2013-14 pre-season polls? I will save you it's the Kentucky Wildcats, a name and team you are familiar with.
Monday, March 9, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
Oh, really?
The ACC has always been basketball first and other sports vying for second place in the hearts and minds of fans and alum. I believe when we consider the Big 10 it’s probably considered a football first conference. It’s my belief the Big 8/12 conference was once football leaning it appears basketball is now in the lead. As for the SEC football has long been the dominant sport despite the Kentucky Wildcats.
For years its been Kentucky and the rest of the SEC. Basketball might not be on the level of other conferences however it’s improving. Early in the basketball season one of the local sports radio host was laughing out loud comparing Big 12 basketball to the SEC. I could be wrong however I believe the SEC will have same amount of teams make the “Big Dance” as the basketball driven Big 12.
Jim Boeheim
Syracuse and Jim Boeheim have been one of those most successful college basketball programs in the nation. In addition I’ve always been a fan of Boeheim so this is not intended as an indictment against him. Rather than Boeheim this is an indictment of Soren Petro host of a morning program on WHB-810. Petro is a Syracuse graduate and in the past voiced his love all things connected with Syracuse basketball. As for former Mizzou coach Frank Haith that’s a different matter. I’m unsure at what point Petro became disenchanted with the coach. Petor has allowed his radio audience to believe he doesn’t think much of Haith’s coaching or recruiting ability.
Last season Haith received a 5-game suspension based on improprieties occurring while he served as head coach at Miami. I’m unsure this may have been the beginning of this changed view of Haith. I’m not going to repeat the Miami story it’s been covered on several other occasions. As we have discovered Boeheim has issues as well, the NCAA has suspended Jim Boeheim for 9 games. In addition they took 12 scholarships over a four year period and vacated 108 of his wins. Haith is a winning coach first at Miami then Mizzou and so far at Tulsa. I’m anxious to hear what Petro has to say about Haith going forward after the revelations at Petro’s alma mater. If you believe your favorite school is innoncent of any improprities well what can I say.
Where are they now?
I hope you believe me when covering prospects I often hesitate. We often fall prey to hype and believe the ability of an athlete is often greater than their ability. That might be the case of Luis Felipe Lopez more commonly known as Felipe. Lopez was born in the Dominican Republic but moved to New York City as a youngster. He would grow up to become a school-boy basketball legend in the city. The basketball world was placed on notice when his smiling face was displayed on an SI cover. The heavily recruited McDonald’s All American chose to remain in the city; he chose to attend St. John’s over a number of possible destinations.
No early entry for Lopez he remained all four years at St. John’s. His numbers while not eye popping were above average which led many to believe the NBA was clearly in his future. He was made the 24th pick in the first round of the 1998 by the Spurs. His rights were traded to the Vancouver (Memphis) Grizzlies where he remained for two years. He was traded to the Wizards and later played for the Wolves, 2002 was the last year Lopez would play in the NBA. He ended his NBA career with 5.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and one assist per game. Lopez has served as a broadcaster for Spanish-language networks.
He makes his decision
Stephen Zimmerman has actually not made up his mind yet. This is prompted by Bishop Gorman senior reducing the number of schools he’s considering. The 7-foot 230 pound Zimmerman is rated the number 11 prospect in the Class of 2015 by Rivals and number 10 on ESPN’s Recruiting Nation. His revised list not in any order consists of Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Arizona and UNLV. Best guess on my part he attends Arizona or hometown UNLV.
New Zealand
This southwestern Pacific island nation plays basketball too in fact even has a pro league. Steven Adams of the Thunder is the third player from that nation to play in the NBA. Don’t be surprised if Tai Wynyard is the next NBA player from the Pacific Island nation. He’s not in the states yet although he will be very soon he toured several colleges before making a decision. You may not realize John Calipari’s reach extends to New Zealand but that’s the case. Wynyard a 6-9 230 pound forward decided on Kentucky and play for Calipari. Since he’s not graduated high school it’s likely we’ll not see him in action until 2016. As for the pronunciation of his first name Tai is pronounced Ty.
You got to be kiddin’
Last week I quoted Tony Kornheiser describing Clippers guard Austin Rivers. He said; “He’s always had a sense of entitlement” Rivers isn’t the only one. There is a group of Kansas fans who also suffer the same conviction. Last week the NCAA vacated a number of victories Syracuse won. Word begin circulating among a number of Kansas fans they should be awarded another NCAA championship. In this instance they are referring to the 2003 NCAA Championship, Syracuse defeated Kansas 81-78. Check the 1971 championship game, UCLA defeated Villanova. Much later it was discovered Howard Porter of Villanova had signed an ABA contract during his senior year.
Villanova is listed as runner-up however Most Outstanding Player Howard Porter’s name has been omitted but not the second place finish of his school. At the point this is written I'm reading two different versions of the penalty one in the Los Angeles Times and the other in the Kansas City Star. The Star piece claims "The 108 games Syracuse vacates goes back to 2004 thus the championship remains intact." Sorry Kansas faithful you must satisfy yourself with your 1952, 1988 and 2008 NCAA championships. You probably are not happy but keep in mind you have two more championships than Syracuse. In addition keep this in mind with the eventual retirement of Boeheim Syracuse has almost certainly won it's only NCAA championship.
-------Larry Laker
Oh, really?
The ACC has always been basketball first and other sports vying for second place in the hearts and minds of fans and alum. I believe when we consider the Big 10 it’s probably considered a football first conference. It’s my belief the Big 8/12 conference was once football leaning it appears basketball is now in the lead. As for the SEC football has long been the dominant sport despite the Kentucky Wildcats.
For years its been Kentucky and the rest of the SEC. Basketball might not be on the level of other conferences however it’s improving. Early in the basketball season one of the local sports radio host was laughing out loud comparing Big 12 basketball to the SEC. I could be wrong however I believe the SEC will have same amount of teams make the “Big Dance” as the basketball driven Big 12.
Jim Boeheim
Syracuse and Jim Boeheim have been one of those most successful college basketball programs in the nation. In addition I’ve always been a fan of Boeheim so this is not intended as an indictment against him. Rather than Boeheim this is an indictment of Soren Petro host of a morning program on WHB-810. Petro is a Syracuse graduate and in the past voiced his love all things connected with Syracuse basketball. As for former Mizzou coach Frank Haith that’s a different matter. I’m unsure at what point Petro became disenchanted with the coach. Petor has allowed his radio audience to believe he doesn’t think much of Haith’s coaching or recruiting ability.
Last season Haith received a 5-game suspension based on improprieties occurring while he served as head coach at Miami. I’m unsure this may have been the beginning of this changed view of Haith. I’m not going to repeat the Miami story it’s been covered on several other occasions. As we have discovered Boeheim has issues as well, the NCAA has suspended Jim Boeheim for 9 games. In addition they took 12 scholarships over a four year period and vacated 108 of his wins. Haith is a winning coach first at Miami then Mizzou and so far at Tulsa. I’m anxious to hear what Petro has to say about Haith going forward after the revelations at Petro’s alma mater. If you believe your favorite school is innoncent of any improprities well what can I say.
Where are they now?
I hope you believe me when covering prospects I often hesitate. We often fall prey to hype and believe the ability of an athlete is often greater than their ability. That might be the case of Luis Felipe Lopez more commonly known as Felipe. Lopez was born in the Dominican Republic but moved to New York City as a youngster. He would grow up to become a school-boy basketball legend in the city. The basketball world was placed on notice when his smiling face was displayed on an SI cover. The heavily recruited McDonald’s All American chose to remain in the city; he chose to attend St. John’s over a number of possible destinations.
No early entry for Lopez he remained all four years at St. John’s. His numbers while not eye popping were above average which led many to believe the NBA was clearly in his future. He was made the 24th pick in the first round of the 1998 by the Spurs. His rights were traded to the Vancouver (Memphis) Grizzlies where he remained for two years. He was traded to the Wizards and later played for the Wolves, 2002 was the last year Lopez would play in the NBA. He ended his NBA career with 5.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and one assist per game. Lopez has served as a broadcaster for Spanish-language networks.
He makes his decision
Stephen Zimmerman has actually not made up his mind yet. This is prompted by Bishop Gorman senior reducing the number of schools he’s considering. The 7-foot 230 pound Zimmerman is rated the number 11 prospect in the Class of 2015 by Rivals and number 10 on ESPN’s Recruiting Nation. His revised list not in any order consists of Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Arizona and UNLV. Best guess on my part he attends Arizona or hometown UNLV.
New Zealand
This southwestern Pacific island nation plays basketball too in fact even has a pro league. Steven Adams of the Thunder is the third player from that nation to play in the NBA. Don’t be surprised if Tai Wynyard is the next NBA player from the Pacific Island nation. He’s not in the states yet although he will be very soon he toured several colleges before making a decision. You may not realize John Calipari’s reach extends to New Zealand but that’s the case. Wynyard a 6-9 230 pound forward decided on Kentucky and play for Calipari. Since he’s not graduated high school it’s likely we’ll not see him in action until 2016. As for the pronunciation of his first name Tai is pronounced Ty.
You got to be kiddin’
Last week I quoted Tony Kornheiser describing Clippers guard Austin Rivers. He said; “He’s always had a sense of entitlement” Rivers isn’t the only one. There is a group of Kansas fans who also suffer the same conviction. Last week the NCAA vacated a number of victories Syracuse won. Word begin circulating among a number of Kansas fans they should be awarded another NCAA championship. In this instance they are referring to the 2003 NCAA Championship, Syracuse defeated Kansas 81-78. Check the 1971 championship game, UCLA defeated Villanova. Much later it was discovered Howard Porter of Villanova had signed an ABA contract during his senior year.
Villanova is listed as runner-up however Most Outstanding Player Howard Porter’s name has been omitted but not the second place finish of his school. At the point this is written I'm reading two different versions of the penalty one in the Los Angeles Times and the other in the Kansas City Star. The Star piece claims "The 108 games Syracuse vacates goes back to 2004 thus the championship remains intact." Sorry Kansas faithful you must satisfy yourself with your 1952, 1988 and 2008 NCAA championships. You probably are not happy but keep in mind you have two more championships than Syracuse. In addition keep this in mind with the eventual retirement of Boeheim Syracuse has almost certainly won it's only NCAA championship.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
I’m curious
It was announced another potential buyer indicated a desire to purchase the Hawks. By my count this is either the third or fourth group/individual in the mix. I have one question why do I continue to read “nobody is watching the NBA.” I can’t speak for you but I certainly wouldn’t spend my finances on something not beneficial to me or my family. Might I remind you what Steve Ballmer paid for the Clippers last year? In addition there were at least two other bidding for that franchise? Next time you read something from a writer regarding the NBA that doesn’t make sense chances are it was written by a hater.
They didn’t lose
I heard the statement once again last week, “Kentucky needs to lose a game before the NCAA tourney.” This is one of the invalid 99 reasons we might hear; “it will relieve the pressure on them.” My response would Isn’t Kentucky and any other team under pressure to win? Second to that I’ve never believed there was such a thing as a good loss. I guess after the close win by Kentucky over Georgia will revive the conversation once again.
What I believe
Austin Rivers must prove to me (and maybe others) he can play successfully at this level. I’m borrowing this from ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser “Rivers has long had a sense of entitlement.”
Princeton women belong in the same conversation with the Kentucky men’s team. The team is 27-0 and 11-0 in the Ivy League. I apologize ladies for overlooking your stellar record thus far.
Despite being fired by the Nuggets Brian Shaw CAN coach. He spent time as an assistant sitting next to Phil Jackson and Frank Vogel. He’s ol skool which causes a conflict with many of today’s athletes. In addition NBA coaches are not given adequate time to re-brand a team.
Despite what many skeptics believe I still think the regular college season is important. A number of conferences have post-season tourneys allowing a 4th or 5th place team to win the conference. Wonder how many 3rd or 4th NCAA champions have accomplished the feat----just wondering.
Bits n Pieces
This is not surprising news Ray Allen ain’t playing for anybody this season. Many believed he might return to action as a member of the Cavs. No amount of convincing by LeBron could budge Allen off the couch.
After successful surgery the Bulls announced Derrick Rose will be out 4-6 weeks. That’s time enough for him to return near the end of the season. Rose would also be available for the playoffs, the question is can he return in a timely manner or will it be next season?
I’m watching the Heat-Pelicans game, the play by play guy says; “Henry Walker with the basket for the Heat.” I stared intently at my television screen and thought to myself. “That guy looks like Bill Walker who played at Kansas State.” I was correct after checking the net, his name is; William Henry Walker. I guess he must have decided to begin using his middle name.
Hassan Whiteside has demonstrated impressive numbers in this break-out season. The only negative has been his free throw shooting. Across the board his numbers has risen significantly over the almost two prior years he spent with the Kings. His free-throw shooting has actually improved although he suffers the downfall of most big men; he’s at .568.
It seems LeBron James is breaking records on a weekly basis. LeBron passed Jesus Shuttlesworth a.k.a. Ray Allen this week who was number 21 in NBA scoring. LeBron has an outside chance to pass Patrick Ewing this season. Next year he will eclipse Laker great Jerry West and the Pacers Reggie Miller.
On both sides
A sports radio host here is on Mizzou and Kim Anderson’s back. He claims Mizzou has not done a good job over the years recruiting in-state athletes. “Since Anthony Peeler (‘88) was drafted 20 players have entered the NBA from the State of Missouri and only one Kareem Rush attended Mizzou.” He’s correct few basketball players from the state have chosen to attend Mizzou. My count didn’t match his number although it was close; I’m not going to quibble over the numbers only his view. He further stated “Mizzou fails to recruit in the St. Louis region.” He’s correct again only one player from St. Louis chose Mizzou as their landing spot and this player was not skilled enough to play in the NBA.
Mizzou coaches don’t bother recruiting St. Louis was his claim. I’m not sure if that is totally true however score two points for the radio guy, now it’s my turn. If this host looked next door at the Kansas program he’d discovered several noteworthy facts. The State of Kansas has a smaller population than Missouri, where do they acquire their talent? It certainly ain’t inside the state, check the roster of Kansas players annually. You will find at most three maybe four players from the state, in some years the in-state number might even be lower. Have they closed the borders, not quite talent has escaped from the State of Kansas too. Willie Cauley-Stein at Kentucky and Semi Oleleye who was recruited by Duke and is headed to SMU are just a couple to mention.
-------Larry Laker
I’m curious
It was announced another potential buyer indicated a desire to purchase the Hawks. By my count this is either the third or fourth group/individual in the mix. I have one question why do I continue to read “nobody is watching the NBA.” I can’t speak for you but I certainly wouldn’t spend my finances on something not beneficial to me or my family. Might I remind you what Steve Ballmer paid for the Clippers last year? In addition there were at least two other bidding for that franchise? Next time you read something from a writer regarding the NBA that doesn’t make sense chances are it was written by a hater.
They didn’t lose
I heard the statement once again last week, “Kentucky needs to lose a game before the NCAA tourney.” This is one of the invalid 99 reasons we might hear; “it will relieve the pressure on them.” My response would Isn’t Kentucky and any other team under pressure to win? Second to that I’ve never believed there was such a thing as a good loss. I guess after the close win by Kentucky over Georgia will revive the conversation once again.
What I believe
Austin Rivers must prove to me (and maybe others) he can play successfully at this level. I’m borrowing this from ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser “Rivers has long had a sense of entitlement.”
Princeton women belong in the same conversation with the Kentucky men’s team. The team is 27-0 and 11-0 in the Ivy League. I apologize ladies for overlooking your stellar record thus far.
Despite being fired by the Nuggets Brian Shaw CAN coach. He spent time as an assistant sitting next to Phil Jackson and Frank Vogel. He’s ol skool which causes a conflict with many of today’s athletes. In addition NBA coaches are not given adequate time to re-brand a team.
Despite what many skeptics believe I still think the regular college season is important. A number of conferences have post-season tourneys allowing a 4th or 5th place team to win the conference. Wonder how many 3rd or 4th NCAA champions have accomplished the feat----just wondering.
Bits n Pieces
This is not surprising news Ray Allen ain’t playing for anybody this season. Many believed he might return to action as a member of the Cavs. No amount of convincing by LeBron could budge Allen off the couch.
After successful surgery the Bulls announced Derrick Rose will be out 4-6 weeks. That’s time enough for him to return near the end of the season. Rose would also be available for the playoffs, the question is can he return in a timely manner or will it be next season?
I’m watching the Heat-Pelicans game, the play by play guy says; “Henry Walker with the basket for the Heat.” I stared intently at my television screen and thought to myself. “That guy looks like Bill Walker who played at Kansas State.” I was correct after checking the net, his name is; William Henry Walker. I guess he must have decided to begin using his middle name.
Hassan Whiteside has demonstrated impressive numbers in this break-out season. The only negative has been his free throw shooting. Across the board his numbers has risen significantly over the almost two prior years he spent with the Kings. His free-throw shooting has actually improved although he suffers the downfall of most big men; he’s at .568.
It seems LeBron James is breaking records on a weekly basis. LeBron passed Jesus Shuttlesworth a.k.a. Ray Allen this week who was number 21 in NBA scoring. LeBron has an outside chance to pass Patrick Ewing this season. Next year he will eclipse Laker great Jerry West and the Pacers Reggie Miller.
On both sides
A sports radio host here is on Mizzou and Kim Anderson’s back. He claims Mizzou has not done a good job over the years recruiting in-state athletes. “Since Anthony Peeler (‘88) was drafted 20 players have entered the NBA from the State of Missouri and only one Kareem Rush attended Mizzou.” He’s correct few basketball players from the state have chosen to attend Mizzou. My count didn’t match his number although it was close; I’m not going to quibble over the numbers only his view. He further stated “Mizzou fails to recruit in the St. Louis region.” He’s correct again only one player from St. Louis chose Mizzou as their landing spot and this player was not skilled enough to play in the NBA.
Mizzou coaches don’t bother recruiting St. Louis was his claim. I’m not sure if that is totally true however score two points for the radio guy, now it’s my turn. If this host looked next door at the Kansas program he’d discovered several noteworthy facts. The State of Kansas has a smaller population than Missouri, where do they acquire their talent? It certainly ain’t inside the state, check the roster of Kansas players annually. You will find at most three maybe four players from the state, in some years the in-state number might even be lower. Have they closed the borders, not quite talent has escaped from the State of Kansas too. Willie Cauley-Stein at Kentucky and Semi Oleleye who was recruited by Duke and is headed to SMU are just a couple to mention.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
There is a distinction between lack of talent and lack of effort!
-------Larry Laker
My bad
Prior to the start of the NBA season I wrote a glowing report on the Lakers Jeremy Lin. I envisioned Lin in the starting lineup leading the team to numerous victories. My vision was incorrect based on later developments; Lin while remaining on the roster has taken on a reserve role. From all indications this move was made by the coach due to the player being a liability on defense. Lin isn’t bad defensively it seems he’s had lapses at times during games.
Former Mizzou Tiger Jeremy Clarkson was a question mark; he played well in the NBA Summer League however he “disappeared” once the season began. Whether it was injuries are his grit he made his way into the lineup. The question might be is the 6-5 Clarkson a point or shooting guard? Over the last 10 games he’s averaged nearly 14 points and 4 assists per game shooting .464 from the floor. Clarkson’s numbers are certainly not outstanding nonetheless Clarkson’s been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreary season.
"I'm from Missouri--you'll have to show me”
The statement is age old; I’ve read several explanations over the years. I believe Dictionary.com might offer the best. It says the statement is an idiom; “unwilling to accept something without proof; skeptical.” There are a number of players and teams that must “show me.” These are a few I see, you might not agree however you might add several I may have missed. Several of these “show me” issues must go into next season.
1. Mizzou’s Kim Anderson won at the Division II level are you a D-1 winner?
2. Chris Paul are you a playoff leader, can you direct your team deep in the playoffs?
3. Dwight Howard can you lead the Rockets to a championship?
4. Atlanta Hawks- annual playoff team how far can you advance this season?
5. Kentucky-prove to the world you are the best college team in the nation.
6. Frank Haith provide Mizzou alum evidence they were wrong for forcing you out.
7. Jim Buss will you step down as you said if you can’t turn the Lakers around?
8. 76ers, assembling draft picks or really attempting to win games?
9. Can Danny Ainge overall the Celtics and they become contenders again?
10. Phil Jackson and the Knicks--enough said.
He’s number one
Allow this upfront disclaimer; I’m not rushing anybody out of college. It’s my belief we all will be surprised if he returns for his sophomore year. Jahlil Okafor stands 6-11 and weighs a solid 270 pounds; the youngster is NBA ready according to Duke’s Coach K. His coach was criticized in some circles for making the statement immediately after Okafor began play for Duke. My take Coach K. was only reflecting the climate of today’s college game; super talents will continue to leave early for the NBA. My only advice from this corner is for the young man to “grow” because the league pays 7-footers more $$$$.
As for Okafor he’s a throwback in a sense, he’s a back to the basket center something we rarely see in this day and age. I like the idea we’ll witness no sighting of Okafor shooting three-point shots, if by chance the ball is in his hands and the clock is winding down well that‘s different. Although this account reflects on Okafor there will be others who leave school after their freshmen year, we might be shocked if any return of the super talents return for their sophomore year. Let’s not fool ourselves quite complaining about one and done college players. The hope in this corner is for an athlete to educate themselves however my mama didn’t raise no fool. Until the NBA Players Association changes it objections we’ll continue to witness Okafor and others leaving for the NBA after but one year.
Bits n Pieces
I’ve been reading complaints for years regarding Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. I’m referring to the fact he “plays his players far too many minutes.” The amount of time spent on the court plus limited practice time eventually breaks the body down. True or untrue it’s not just Derrick Rose checked out the number of Bulls sidelined this season.
I especially enjoy a feature of basketball-reference.com. An athlete with limited minutes on the court or games played they project his numbers the course of a full game. Utilizing projected numbers the Heats Hassan Whiteside’s numbers are outstanding. 15.9 rebounds, 4.0 blocked shots and 17.9 points per game.
33 in a row
The 1971-72 Lakers won 33 games in a row a streak that remains intact to this day. In 2013 the Miami Heat came close winning 27 games. Bill Russell stated; “If they open the archives 100 years from now it’s likely the (33 game) streak will never be broken.” Can you imagine a team avoids losing a single game during a two month period, that’s home and road games? The Lakers won every game played during November and December? They would continue to win into January however they would lose on January 9 1972 to the Bucks.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar (then a member of the Bucks) and Oscar Robertson would lead the way to victory; Kareem scored 39 points versus the 15 by Wilt Chamberlain. Once the streak was broken the Lakers continued to win but not in so dramatic fashion. They would reach the NBA Finals lose the first game and then win four straight to win the NBA championship. This was the first of several NBA Championships the Lakers would win in Los Angeles. In the final game Chamberlain scored 24 points and pulled down 22 rebounds. He was named MVP of the series averaging 19.4 ppg, 23.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
-------Larry Laker
My bad
Prior to the start of the NBA season I wrote a glowing report on the Lakers Jeremy Lin. I envisioned Lin in the starting lineup leading the team to numerous victories. My vision was incorrect based on later developments; Lin while remaining on the roster has taken on a reserve role. From all indications this move was made by the coach due to the player being a liability on defense. Lin isn’t bad defensively it seems he’s had lapses at times during games.
Former Mizzou Tiger Jeremy Clarkson was a question mark; he played well in the NBA Summer League however he “disappeared” once the season began. Whether it was injuries are his grit he made his way into the lineup. The question might be is the 6-5 Clarkson a point or shooting guard? Over the last 10 games he’s averaged nearly 14 points and 4 assists per game shooting .464 from the floor. Clarkson’s numbers are certainly not outstanding nonetheless Clarkson’s been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreary season.
"I'm from Missouri--you'll have to show me”
The statement is age old; I’ve read several explanations over the years. I believe Dictionary.com might offer the best. It says the statement is an idiom; “unwilling to accept something without proof; skeptical.” There are a number of players and teams that must “show me.” These are a few I see, you might not agree however you might add several I may have missed. Several of these “show me” issues must go into next season.
1. Mizzou’s Kim Anderson won at the Division II level are you a D-1 winner?
2. Chris Paul are you a playoff leader, can you direct your team deep in the playoffs?
3. Dwight Howard can you lead the Rockets to a championship?
4. Atlanta Hawks- annual playoff team how far can you advance this season?
5. Kentucky-prove to the world you are the best college team in the nation.
6. Frank Haith provide Mizzou alum evidence they were wrong for forcing you out.
7. Jim Buss will you step down as you said if you can’t turn the Lakers around?
8. 76ers, assembling draft picks or really attempting to win games?
9. Can Danny Ainge overall the Celtics and they become contenders again?
10. Phil Jackson and the Knicks--enough said.
He’s number one
Allow this upfront disclaimer; I’m not rushing anybody out of college. It’s my belief we all will be surprised if he returns for his sophomore year. Jahlil Okafor stands 6-11 and weighs a solid 270 pounds; the youngster is NBA ready according to Duke’s Coach K. His coach was criticized in some circles for making the statement immediately after Okafor began play for Duke. My take Coach K. was only reflecting the climate of today’s college game; super talents will continue to leave early for the NBA. My only advice from this corner is for the young man to “grow” because the league pays 7-footers more $$$$.
As for Okafor he’s a throwback in a sense, he’s a back to the basket center something we rarely see in this day and age. I like the idea we’ll witness no sighting of Okafor shooting three-point shots, if by chance the ball is in his hands and the clock is winding down well that‘s different. Although this account reflects on Okafor there will be others who leave school after their freshmen year, we might be shocked if any return of the super talents return for their sophomore year. Let’s not fool ourselves quite complaining about one and done college players. The hope in this corner is for an athlete to educate themselves however my mama didn’t raise no fool. Until the NBA Players Association changes it objections we’ll continue to witness Okafor and others leaving for the NBA after but one year.
Bits n Pieces
I’ve been reading complaints for years regarding Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. I’m referring to the fact he “plays his players far too many minutes.” The amount of time spent on the court plus limited practice time eventually breaks the body down. True or untrue it’s not just Derrick Rose checked out the number of Bulls sidelined this season.
I especially enjoy a feature of basketball-reference.com. An athlete with limited minutes on the court or games played they project his numbers the course of a full game. Utilizing projected numbers the Heats Hassan Whiteside’s numbers are outstanding. 15.9 rebounds, 4.0 blocked shots and 17.9 points per game.
33 in a row
The 1971-72 Lakers won 33 games in a row a streak that remains intact to this day. In 2013 the Miami Heat came close winning 27 games. Bill Russell stated; “If they open the archives 100 years from now it’s likely the (33 game) streak will never be broken.” Can you imagine a team avoids losing a single game during a two month period, that’s home and road games? The Lakers won every game played during November and December? They would continue to win into January however they would lose on January 9 1972 to the Bucks.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar (then a member of the Bucks) and Oscar Robertson would lead the way to victory; Kareem scored 39 points versus the 15 by Wilt Chamberlain. Once the streak was broken the Lakers continued to win but not in so dramatic fashion. They would reach the NBA Finals lose the first game and then win four straight to win the NBA championship. This was the first of several NBA Championships the Lakers would win in Los Angeles. In the final game Chamberlain scored 24 points and pulled down 22 rebounds. He was named MVP of the series averaging 19.4 ppg, 23.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
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