Basketball from a fans perspective
Who wrote the report?
Scouting reports have proven key in accessing the potential of an athlete. What they cannot do is provide us insight into the drive or what I like to refer to as the heart of an athlete. We know for a fact no one performs at the max skill level in every facet of the game that’s a given. I found it interesting a company utilized Step Curry in advertising their product. They have Curry reading an assessment from a 2009 draft report on him. "He will have limited success at the next level, do NOT rely on him to run your team.” Curry’s game has flaws as do others but the statement “limited success” really jumps off the page at us. I wonder if the scout who made the assessment continues to work in the same capacity.
Faith in Haith
I remain a Frank Haith fan despite the “bad blood” that exists between him and several of the Mizzou family. A number of the Tiger faithful blame Haith for last season’s 9-23 record the worst in school history. Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown and others left Mizzou and they were the bulk of the offense (and defense). Maybe Haith might be responsible for fanning the flames of discontent; “I could have won 20 games had I remained at Mizzou.”
There is no method to prove Haith’s point so the question might be unrealistic. The cupboard wasn’t exactly bare at the time Haith departed for Tulsa. I affirm once again I’m okay with the Kim Anderson hire but it was clear several players were not. The bulk of the roster last season was comprised of Haith recruits Anderson failed to win over. Several Haith recruits remain however Anderson has added players he’s recruited to the mix. The 2015-16 season should prove to be interesting.
For real?
Under his Ball Don’t Lie column Yahoo’s Eric Freeman wrote; “Is Dwight Howard still a superstar?” My question for Freeman and you did Howard ever fit that role? I can remember his days with the Magic and if we subtract the last two years he appeared on the road to superstardom. No one can get inside Howard’s head to decide what is really going on but the impression is he’s all fun and games. He never gained an offensive game despite having Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon as tutors. The offensive game ship has likely sailed at age 30 players don’t usually get better.
At this stage of Howard’s career his best asset might be defending the basket and rebounding the ball. The talents (defense and rebounding) led Dikembo Mutombo into the Naismith Hall of Fame despite the fact he exhibited a very limited offensive game. Truth is Howard’s offensive game is superior to that of Mutombo so you get the point. I once wrote (and still believe) Howard might be one of those athletes who prefer a supporting role. It could be his poor free-throw shooting impacts his game and he fears taking charge. In conclusion Dwight Howard just might be a very good player but superstar----I have my doubts.
Championship wins
How do you total championship wins and losses I guess it depends on your perspective or vested interest? Sounds simple enough but allow me to expound on this question. Several Kobe haters have stated; “Kobe won three of his championships while Shaq was a teammate.” Okay figure this one out, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith claims; “I don’t count LeBron’s championship losses (2 wins-4 losses). Last season he was exhausted and had no help.”
What a dim-witted statement by Smith, come on I thought you were better than that. In an earlier account Smith stated the Jerry West NBA logo should be changed. He believed it should be more reflective of players of this generation, he further mentioned the number of NBA Championships Jerry West teams had lost. Hey Stephen A. you can’t have it both ways, it appears you have an out of the ordinary view of NBA history.
