Basketball from a fans perspective
Help is on the way
Several years ago I bowled against a real fun loving guy. He was an unpaid comic making his teammates and the opposition laugh with jokes and stories. Whenever it was his turn to bowl he'd head to the rack for his bowling ball and proclaim; "Help is on the way." That might be the case for Kansas basketball, the help could be 6-11 260 pound Udoka Azubuike. He attends high school in Jacksonville (FL) but is originally from Nigeria. He's rated the number 27 player and a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2016.
The program has suffered from a lack of rebounding and defense thus far. 6-9 Cheick Diallo has started slowly part of it NCAA mandated the other adjusting to big time basketball. I'd stated previously it was be a mistake for Diallo to leave early so hopefully he want repeat the mistake of Josh Selby and Cliff Alexander. He continues the trend of African big man at the school, Joel Embiid from Cameroon and Diallo from Mali. Added to this list from the continent will be Azubuike.
Bits n Pieces
This may have occurred in the past I don't remember. We are introduced to a prospect via social network. His name is Robert Bobroczky; he's from Romania and stands 7-6 at age 15. He plays for U16 Stella Azzurra Roma an amateur team based in Rome. He appears extremely skinny and certainly will require coaching if he is expected to play at the next level Euro or the NBA.
Revenist history where you mention a sports occurance that wouda, shouda couda occur. An example just last month December 2015 a Celtic fan came up to me and said; "If Kendrick Perkins hadn't got hurt we would have won." I thought for a moment "He's referring to the 2010 NBA Championship between the Lakers and Celtics that was played six years ago." I thought "why bring this up now?" I hope I've never revisited a sports moment in my life and moaned because my favorite team lost a game or series.
There were few questions regarding Greg Oden at the time he left Ohio State. NBA stardom was predicted by many in fact a writer compared him to the Legendary Bill Russell. An assortment of injuries have prevented him from reaching the level many predicted for Oden. He's now playing basketball in China and by all accounts his play appears outstanding. Maybe the NBA is no longer in his future but maybe a long pro career will exist in China. Stephon Marbury was certainly able to re-invent himself and is a basketball icon.
Kristaps Porzingis stands 7-3 and weighs 240 pounds; as this is written his weight could become an issue. Reports are the long NBA season has caused him to lose pounds, not unusual for a rookie adjusting to NBA life. His parents are in the U.S. and his mom fixes him a large breakfast every morning to maintain his weight.
Dual of the Titans
The SEC-Big 12 challenge has a different twist this year, number one Oklahoma (17-2) is matched against un-ranked LSU (13-7). There is more to the story of these teams facing one another, in my opinion the top two players in the nation will face off in this game. They will not guard one another except on switches because they play different positions. Buddy Hield is a 6-4 shooting guard on Oklahoma's team while the 6-10 Ben Simmons is a forward for LSU. Both players are prime candidates for college player of the year. This is written ahead of the game we can only hope it lives up to the game we hope. Here's to both players not getting in foul trouble and playing major minutes.
Not yet
The Warriors are doing a number on the rest of the NBA. It's yet undetermined if the all time win record will be tied or even broken. I hate to use another sport but they remind me of the 2015 Royals. There was not quit in the Royals many times they came back from a deficient to win a game, this effort was culminated in a World Series win. As for the 76ers they were ahead of the Warriors with seconds left in the game. Ball inbound passed to Harrison Barnes in the right corner. He takes a 3-point shot which swishes the net game over---Warriors 108 76ers 105. It's now February can they maintain the pace one and avoid injuries two.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
"Don't be that guy!"
Blake your Kia commercials portray a far different Blake Griffin than we see. You seem like a totally cool due in those car ads. The only negative many of your fellow NBA brethren accuse you of being a flopper, is it actually true? You certainly are talented no doubt about that. You were injured on the basketball court during the Christmas game; you broke the bone in your hand off the court. We saw a photo of you standing next to the equipment manager you at nearly 6-9 towered over him. What could he have said or done that caused you to punch him not once but twice. Reports are you first swung on him inside a restaurant and then a second time outside. It's now reported you will be out another 5-6 weeks due to this incident. "Don't be that guy", that guy who fails to control his aggression.
Please note
Recently a story began circulating accusing LeBron James of being a Coach Killer. Directly or indirectly he may have been involved in Blatt's firing as for the others the are questionable. Remember the stories we heard when LeBron first arrived in South Beach. It was rumored Eric Spoelstra was on the way out the door. The two might not have been on the same page but managed to work out their differences. The Heat coach is still in place he didn't get fired by the Coach Killer but what about the others?
Management pulled the plug on Paul Silas, Brendan Malone (interim) and Mike Brown it's likely LeBron wasn't involved. As for the other Cavs coaches Byron Scott and Mike Brown (the second time) were fired while LeBron was in Miami. It should be noted the relationship between a coach and star player can sometimes be tenuous. One more fact David Blatt might have been hired with the best intentions circumstances changed quickly. Blatt was hired believing a re-build must be accomplished. Less than a month later July 11 to be exact LeBron announced he was returning to Cleveland.
Say what
We have been comparing player A with player B since the beginning of time. Often this is the only method to access the ability of a player. Sometimes our comparasions are off base I'll explain. Seth Greenberg college analyst was asked for his assessment of LSU's Ben Simmons. After offering his view to Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless they were to provide their input. Earlier in the week Magic Johnson had compared Simmons to LeBron James. Stephen A. Smith compared Simmons to Walter Berry which brought an immediate disagreement from Greenberg. For those who might not be familiar Berry he along with Chris Mullin and Mark Jackson were part of the successful St. John's teams in the mid '80's.
Berry played two years at St. John's while Simmons is but a freshman at LSU. The only method of comparison is stats but even that becomes an issue. The NCAA only begin tracking assists in 1984, Berry played the 1984-1985 and 1965-1986 season bu no assist numbers are available for him. I am unable to uncover any verification of Berry's ability to deliver the ball. His two years at St. John's resulted in 20.1 and 9.9 rebounds a game. Simmons is 19.8 12.7 and 4.9 assists per game. As for the physical side, Berry was 6-8 and 215 pounds while Simmons is 6-10 and 239 pounds. Sorry sports fans I take more stock in what a former coach (Greenberg) might say over a media member.
Longevity
This is an interesting fact courtesy of ESPN Stats. "Since Gregg Popovich was hired in the '96-'97 season there have been 221 coaching changes in the NBA." Although it wasn't mentioned we guess this includes the Cavs replacing David Blatt with Tyronn Lue. Popovich is likely the only NBA coach we can state with conviction has job security. He will leave the coaching ranks when he decides to leave.
"Don't be that guy!"
Blake your Kia commercials portray a far different Blake Griffin than we see. You seem like a totally cool due in those car ads. The only negative many of your fellow NBA brethren accuse you of being a flopper, is it actually true? You certainly are talented no doubt about that. You were injured on the basketball court during the Christmas game; you broke the bone in your hand off the court. We saw a photo of you standing next to the equipment manager you at nearly 6-9 towered over him. What could he have said or done that caused you to punch him not once but twice. Reports are you first swung on him inside a restaurant and then a second time outside. It's now reported you will be out another 5-6 weeks due to this incident. "Don't be that guy", that guy who fails to control his aggression.
Please note
Recently a story began circulating accusing LeBron James of being a Coach Killer. Directly or indirectly he may have been involved in Blatt's firing as for the others the are questionable. Remember the stories we heard when LeBron first arrived in South Beach. It was rumored Eric Spoelstra was on the way out the door. The two might not have been on the same page but managed to work out their differences. The Heat coach is still in place he didn't get fired by the Coach Killer but what about the others?
Management pulled the plug on Paul Silas, Brendan Malone (interim) and Mike Brown it's likely LeBron wasn't involved. As for the other Cavs coaches Byron Scott and Mike Brown (the second time) were fired while LeBron was in Miami. It should be noted the relationship between a coach and star player can sometimes be tenuous. One more fact David Blatt might have been hired with the best intentions circumstances changed quickly. Blatt was hired believing a re-build must be accomplished. Less than a month later July 11 to be exact LeBron announced he was returning to Cleveland.
Say what
We have been comparing player A with player B since the beginning of time. Often this is the only method to access the ability of a player. Sometimes our comparasions are off base I'll explain. Seth Greenberg college analyst was asked for his assessment of LSU's Ben Simmons. After offering his view to Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless they were to provide their input. Earlier in the week Magic Johnson had compared Simmons to LeBron James. Stephen A. Smith compared Simmons to Walter Berry which brought an immediate disagreement from Greenberg. For those who might not be familiar Berry he along with Chris Mullin and Mark Jackson were part of the successful St. John's teams in the mid '80's.
Berry played two years at St. John's while Simmons is but a freshman at LSU. The only method of comparison is stats but even that becomes an issue. The NCAA only begin tracking assists in 1984, Berry played the 1984-1985 and 1965-1986 season bu no assist numbers are available for him. I am unable to uncover any verification of Berry's ability to deliver the ball. His two years at St. John's resulted in 20.1 and 9.9 rebounds a game. Simmons is 19.8 12.7 and 4.9 assists per game. As for the physical side, Berry was 6-8 and 215 pounds while Simmons is 6-10 and 239 pounds. Sorry sports fans I take more stock in what a former coach (Greenberg) might say over a media member.
Longevity
This is an interesting fact courtesy of ESPN Stats. "Since Gregg Popovich was hired in the '96-'97 season there have been 221 coaching changes in the NBA." Although it wasn't mentioned we guess this includes the Cavs replacing David Blatt with Tyronn Lue. Popovich is likely the only NBA coach we can state with conviction has job security. He will leave the coaching ranks when he decides to leave.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
The All-Star Game
After three games on the job Cavs Coach Tyronn Lue is the Eastern Conference All-Star Game coach. It certainly sounds strange coaching the All-Stars after less than a month at the helm. The All-Star game is scheduled in Toronto February 16; Lue was announced as head coach of the Cavs on January 23. This set of circumstances occurred due to David Blatt being terminated by the Cavs. The Cavs have the best record in the east which means their coach becomes All-Star Game coach.
Is there enough room?
At some point during the 2016-17 NBA season a statue of Shaquille O’Neal will be erected outside Staples Center, my first thought are they going to be able to find room? Let’s see at present there is boxer Oscar De La Hoya, NHL great Wayne Gretzky and legendary Laker broadcaster Chick Hern. As for the players Lakers Jerry West, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar all have statues. You do recognize in 5 years or so Kobe Bryant will be set for the same honor. This is a shared building, NHL hockey, boxing and NBA basketball I have one question. Why are there no statues of any Clipper players?
Bits n Pieces
A different take of a condition, former Pacer and current broadcaster Reggie Miller and I disagree. Awhile back I wrote of my belief Kobe Bryant taking the bulk of Laker shots was inhibiting the growth of the Laker youth. Well Miller disagrees with my view stating; “Who takes the shots if Kobe doesn’t, the youngsters don’t know how to make shots.”
Cheick Diallo might be one and done at Kansas but he would be making a tragic mistake if he leaves early. He would follow in the footsteps of Josh Selby and Cliff Alexander who believed they were ready for the NBA and discovered they weren‘t. Diallo is a 6-9 220 pound shot-blocking small forward who needs work on his offensive game. The youngster from Mali in West Africa has only been playing the game three years.
Fans can be quite expressive in their views and sometimes they often have insight many paid media lack. I was reading an article on Ben Simmons and the writer made a great statement in my opinion. “Any GM that drafts a player over Ben Simmons needs to be fired.” Strong statement by a couple of basketball fans.
In another instance the discussion centered on players from different eras. A fan wrote; “When we make comparisons of past players what’s to say they couldn’t adjust as well.” Makes sense to me, why couldn’t Celtic shooting guard Bill Sharman (1950-1961) make adjustments to defensive specialist Laker Michael Cooper’s (1978-1991) efforts to guard him? We might state Suns point guard Kevin Johnson (1987-2000) could discover some manner to effectively distribute the ball against Steph Curry’s Warriors.
He’s sorta local
Basketball fans in the metro are proud of Tyronn Lue becoming head coach of the Cavs. This is no endorsement he’s going to be successful however we hope that’s the case. Lue is actually from Mexico (MO) a town located 164 miles east of Kansas City. His family moved to the suburb of Raytown when Lue was in high school, he would distinguished himself on the basketball court his junior and senior year at Raytown High School. His college choice was a little different choosing football theme Nebraska over Mizzou (44 miles from Mexico) or Kansas University some 36 miles away.
Although only 6-feet tall he proved he was able to play competitive basketball and would remain at Nebraska through his junior year. He was the 23rd pick in the 1st round of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Nuggets who would trade his rights to the Lakers. He would go on to an 11 year career playing for a number of NBA teams. He began serving as an assistant coach on Doc Rivers staff in Boston and followed him to the Clippers. In 2014 he became a Cavs assistant and the rest of the story you know.
The All-Star Game
After three games on the job Cavs Coach Tyronn Lue is the Eastern Conference All-Star Game coach. It certainly sounds strange coaching the All-Stars after less than a month at the helm. The All-Star game is scheduled in Toronto February 16; Lue was announced as head coach of the Cavs on January 23. This set of circumstances occurred due to David Blatt being terminated by the Cavs. The Cavs have the best record in the east which means their coach becomes All-Star Game coach.
Is there enough room?
At some point during the 2016-17 NBA season a statue of Shaquille O’Neal will be erected outside Staples Center, my first thought are they going to be able to find room? Let’s see at present there is boxer Oscar De La Hoya, NHL great Wayne Gretzky and legendary Laker broadcaster Chick Hern. As for the players Lakers Jerry West, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar all have statues. You do recognize in 5 years or so Kobe Bryant will be set for the same honor. This is a shared building, NHL hockey, boxing and NBA basketball I have one question. Why are there no statues of any Clipper players?
Bits n Pieces
A different take of a condition, former Pacer and current broadcaster Reggie Miller and I disagree. Awhile back I wrote of my belief Kobe Bryant taking the bulk of Laker shots was inhibiting the growth of the Laker youth. Well Miller disagrees with my view stating; “Who takes the shots if Kobe doesn’t, the youngsters don’t know how to make shots.”
Cheick Diallo might be one and done at Kansas but he would be making a tragic mistake if he leaves early. He would follow in the footsteps of Josh Selby and Cliff Alexander who believed they were ready for the NBA and discovered they weren‘t. Diallo is a 6-9 220 pound shot-blocking small forward who needs work on his offensive game. The youngster from Mali in West Africa has only been playing the game three years.
Fans can be quite expressive in their views and sometimes they often have insight many paid media lack. I was reading an article on Ben Simmons and the writer made a great statement in my opinion. “Any GM that drafts a player over Ben Simmons needs to be fired.” Strong statement by a couple of basketball fans.
In another instance the discussion centered on players from different eras. A fan wrote; “When we make comparisons of past players what’s to say they couldn’t adjust as well.” Makes sense to me, why couldn’t Celtic shooting guard Bill Sharman (1950-1961) make adjustments to defensive specialist Laker Michael Cooper’s (1978-1991) efforts to guard him? We might state Suns point guard Kevin Johnson (1987-2000) could discover some manner to effectively distribute the ball against Steph Curry’s Warriors.
He’s sorta local
Basketball fans in the metro are proud of Tyronn Lue becoming head coach of the Cavs. This is no endorsement he’s going to be successful however we hope that’s the case. Lue is actually from Mexico (MO) a town located 164 miles east of Kansas City. His family moved to the suburb of Raytown when Lue was in high school, he would distinguished himself on the basketball court his junior and senior year at Raytown High School. His college choice was a little different choosing football theme Nebraska over Mizzou (44 miles from Mexico) or Kansas University some 36 miles away.
Although only 6-feet tall he proved he was able to play competitive basketball and would remain at Nebraska through his junior year. He was the 23rd pick in the 1st round of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Nuggets who would trade his rights to the Lakers. He would go on to an 11 year career playing for a number of NBA teams. He began serving as an assistant coach on Doc Rivers staff in Boston and followed him to the Clippers. In 2014 he became a Cavs assistant and the rest of the story you know.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
“Don’t be that guy! “
In this instance it’s me, I’m that guy! A website titled www.givemesports.com on every occasion posts teaser headlines. This is not a website I visit with any regularity it pops up on one of the social media sites I am a part of. Curiosity always forces me to click on the site to read the teaser story. I went to the site figuring I would read some sort of devastating news on Kobe’s latest injury.
“Kobe Bryant makes massive announcement about his career-its bad news.” The story detailed Kobe’s retirement and really offered nothing of subtenant value we didn‘t already know. An uncounted amount of brain cells, vision and oxygen was wasted by me reading a story that contained no value. In closing I’m the dummy for clicking on the site; “Don’t be that (me) guy!” Don’t click on to luring headlines just cause they appear enticing.
It wasn’t me
The Clippers continue to beat up teams with losing records. That’s not all bad as this is written they are 11-3 despite no Blake Griffin in the lineup. Griffin is not the problem it’s the bench, the bench. In a recent game against the Raptors they turned a lead over to the reserves who squandered it before losing 119-94. Doc Rivers confirmed this fact in his post-game press conference. Just who are the reserves and how do we measure their contributions. Many reading this are familiar with ESPN’s John Hollinger PER or player efficiency rating.
It’s intended to bring together all player contributions into a single number. Consider this on the plus/minus scale every Clipper starter was a plus as for the reserves it was a far different story. Jamal Crawford led the way with a -33 followed by the coach’s son with -28 and two others with -26 and -25. Doc when are you going to discover Austin is not a very good NBA player. According to Hollinger the league average is 15.0 which says “he’s a pretty good player.” Rivers is 9.04 which translates to “Definitely renting” one level above 5.0 D-League. Am I being too harsh on young Rivers I don’t think so.
The New York Knicks
I don’t believe anyone will confuse the Knicks for the Cavs, Bulls or even Heat. The teams mentioned are prime contenders to win the Eastern Conference Championship this season. Truth is told one of them might even win the NBA in 2016. The Knicks will not be in the mix for the championship however they are better than last season. As this is written the Knicks are two games below .500 sitting at 22-25 certainly not great by any means but consider this. I checked the Knicks 2014-15 schedule, on are near this time last year they stood 9-37.
They have a long ways to go in order to become a really good team. Carmelo Anthony’s “me” approach to basketball has modified his game to fit a team concept. Kristaps Porzingis will continue to grow his game (and height) while Robin Lopez has been adequate at the center position. Jose Calderon and Arron Afflalo at the guard positions have been an upgrade over last season. Despite some of the negative comments regarding Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson it appears given time they are on course to return the Knicks to winning ways.
History repeating itself
If you are a certain age you tend to believe an event only occurred once and for the first time. That is not always the case sometimes the event is forgotten or overlooked. Many have hinted and a number said it out loud; “LeBron James was involved in David Blatt being fired.” How about other instances in the past of coach-player turmoil? We tend to forget in an earlier time Magic Johnson’s fingerprints were all over Coach Paul Westhead being fired.
The Westhead firing came a short 6 months are so after the coach had led them to an NBA Championship the prior season. Remember Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy, they were butting heads at the time they were with the Magic. On May 21 2012 the Magic requested Van Gundy leave the building and not return three months later Howard was traded to the Lakers. There might be other examples of coaching player conflict the events mentioned stand out for me. I’m sure if you care to research it’s likely you might uncover other examples.
“Don’t be that guy! “
In this instance it’s me, I’m that guy! A website titled www.givemesports.com on every occasion posts teaser headlines. This is not a website I visit with any regularity it pops up on one of the social media sites I am a part of. Curiosity always forces me to click on the site to read the teaser story. I went to the site figuring I would read some sort of devastating news on Kobe’s latest injury.
“Kobe Bryant makes massive announcement about his career-its bad news.” The story detailed Kobe’s retirement and really offered nothing of subtenant value we didn‘t already know. An uncounted amount of brain cells, vision and oxygen was wasted by me reading a story that contained no value. In closing I’m the dummy for clicking on the site; “Don’t be that (me) guy!” Don’t click on to luring headlines just cause they appear enticing.
It wasn’t me
The Clippers continue to beat up teams with losing records. That’s not all bad as this is written they are 11-3 despite no Blake Griffin in the lineup. Griffin is not the problem it’s the bench, the bench. In a recent game against the Raptors they turned a lead over to the reserves who squandered it before losing 119-94. Doc Rivers confirmed this fact in his post-game press conference. Just who are the reserves and how do we measure their contributions. Many reading this are familiar with ESPN’s John Hollinger PER or player efficiency rating.
It’s intended to bring together all player contributions into a single number. Consider this on the plus/minus scale every Clipper starter was a plus as for the reserves it was a far different story. Jamal Crawford led the way with a -33 followed by the coach’s son with -28 and two others with -26 and -25. Doc when are you going to discover Austin is not a very good NBA player. According to Hollinger the league average is 15.0 which says “he’s a pretty good player.” Rivers is 9.04 which translates to “Definitely renting” one level above 5.0 D-League. Am I being too harsh on young Rivers I don’t think so.
The New York Knicks
I don’t believe anyone will confuse the Knicks for the Cavs, Bulls or even Heat. The teams mentioned are prime contenders to win the Eastern Conference Championship this season. Truth is told one of them might even win the NBA in 2016. The Knicks will not be in the mix for the championship however they are better than last season. As this is written the Knicks are two games below .500 sitting at 22-25 certainly not great by any means but consider this. I checked the Knicks 2014-15 schedule, on are near this time last year they stood 9-37.
They have a long ways to go in order to become a really good team. Carmelo Anthony’s “me” approach to basketball has modified his game to fit a team concept. Kristaps Porzingis will continue to grow his game (and height) while Robin Lopez has been adequate at the center position. Jose Calderon and Arron Afflalo at the guard positions have been an upgrade over last season. Despite some of the negative comments regarding Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson it appears given time they are on course to return the Knicks to winning ways.
History repeating itself
If you are a certain age you tend to believe an event only occurred once and for the first time. That is not always the case sometimes the event is forgotten or overlooked. Many have hinted and a number said it out loud; “LeBron James was involved in David Blatt being fired.” How about other instances in the past of coach-player turmoil? We tend to forget in an earlier time Magic Johnson’s fingerprints were all over Coach Paul Westhead being fired.
The Westhead firing came a short 6 months are so after the coach had led them to an NBA Championship the prior season. Remember Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy, they were butting heads at the time they were with the Magic. On May 21 2012 the Magic requested Van Gundy leave the building and not return three months later Howard was traded to the Lakers. There might be other examples of coaching player conflict the events mentioned stand out for me. I’m sure if you care to research it’s likely you might uncover other examples.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
No Duncan, no matter
The final score read 120-90 as the Warriors ran the table on the Spurs. Sure there was no Tim Duncan however I doubt the outcome would have been different. Were the Spurs ready to play you might ask, a Gregg Popovich team is always ready to play they were just outmatched Monday evening. Is this proof the Warriors are the best of the best---maybe. In a playoff series the outcome could change however trust me the Warriors are very, very good.
“Put up or Shut up”
I’m unsure the time-period I wrote the account it was prior to the start or immediately after the college season began. I attempted to provide an assessment of the Big 12 Conference as I foresaw it. This is close as I remember to what was written; “Despite what they say about the strength of this conference nobody beats Kansas, other members must prove to me they are capable of beating Kansas. In March its likely Kansas emerges as regular season champions for the 12th straight year.” Well guess what the power teams in the Big 12 told me to shut up. Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Iowa State and Oklahoma have taken on Kansas with little hesitation; the only win by Kansas was against current conference leader Oklahoma and that was a double-OT win at Allen Fieldhouse. .
On Monday night Kansas was an 85-72 loser to Iowa State; Kansas fans will point out all the losses occurred on the road which is true. This must have been uneventful victory for the ISU faithful they didn't bother with rushing the court. Consider this fact in years past it didn’t matter where Kansas played, you don’t win 11 championships in a row just winning at home. 16-4 is quite good however in late January that’s totally unlike Kansas basketball. The regular season is far from over there is time for Kansas to improve, let’s see what Bill Self does over the remaining portion of the season. Don’t buy into the Kansas hype they just might not be that good.
Arkansas Ace
Hamburg is located in Southern Arkansas close to the Arkansas-Louisiana State line; its 2014 population is estimated to be 2,810 souls. The Bears now play at the Division 1 level however from 1937 until 1993 they competed at the NAIA level. In 1983 a slim youngster arrived on campus to play in the school band although he played in high school he wasn’t good enough in high school to earn a basketball scholarship. The 6-1 Scottie Pippen would earn a scholarship after earning a roster spot as a walk-on candidate.
By his senior year earning All-American honors he attracted the attention of NBA scouts, it didn’t hurt his stock he’d grown 5 inches while at Central Arkansas. In 1987 he became the 5th pick in the first round by the Seattle Sonics. The Sonics would trade his rights to the Bulls for Olden Polynice (look him up). As they say the rest of his story is NBA history. Pippen might be the best basketball player the state has ever produced that’s why I’ve dubbed him the “Arkansas Ace." As for this writer I believe there might be no Michael Jordan without a Scottie Pippen, there is no Batman without Robin.
Check the record
I’m sure a number of folks might not appreciate this account. A number of Cavs fans might believe this is an indictment on LeBron James that is not the intent; these are observations of a neutral observer. I believe David Blatt received a raw deal, “Damn if you do, Damn if you don’t.” From the coaches perspective; I have the acknowledged best player in the NBA as a member of my team. As the coach and leader of men I am to lead them to heights expected by ownership. What did I accomplish you ask? Well in my first year as an NBA coach my team finished in first place in the Central Division with a 53-29 (.646) record. We also made our way through the playoffs and played for the NBA Championship before eventually losing to the Warriors 4 games to 2. As for this season after getting off to a rather slow start we are in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-11 record.
We missed Kyrie Irving early but he’s returned and we have shown improvement. Kevin Love is still adjusting to his role but demonstrating progress. There are others who sustained injuries that inhibited our early season progress. Despite the negatives and an 83-40 record in less than two full season management decide to replacement me. My coaching resume was impeccable short of NBA experience but given time I could have made the necessary adjustments. Maybe Cleveland was the wrong fit for me from the beginning, if we check history it appears 2.6 years is about the length of coaching tenure in Cleveland. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says; “Blatt lost the locker-room” and he goes on to explain “many of the players had turned the coach off and that was the basis for the change.” Windhorst is one of a limited number of NBA beat writers who writes truth and not speculation.
No Duncan, no matter
The final score read 120-90 as the Warriors ran the table on the Spurs. Sure there was no Tim Duncan however I doubt the outcome would have been different. Were the Spurs ready to play you might ask, a Gregg Popovich team is always ready to play they were just outmatched Monday evening. Is this proof the Warriors are the best of the best---maybe. In a playoff series the outcome could change however trust me the Warriors are very, very good.
“Put up or Shut up”
I’m unsure the time-period I wrote the account it was prior to the start or immediately after the college season began. I attempted to provide an assessment of the Big 12 Conference as I foresaw it. This is close as I remember to what was written; “Despite what they say about the strength of this conference nobody beats Kansas, other members must prove to me they are capable of beating Kansas. In March its likely Kansas emerges as regular season champions for the 12th straight year.” Well guess what the power teams in the Big 12 told me to shut up. Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Iowa State and Oklahoma have taken on Kansas with little hesitation; the only win by Kansas was against current conference leader Oklahoma and that was a double-OT win at Allen Fieldhouse. .
On Monday night Kansas was an 85-72 loser to Iowa State; Kansas fans will point out all the losses occurred on the road which is true. This must have been uneventful victory for the ISU faithful they didn't bother with rushing the court. Consider this fact in years past it didn’t matter where Kansas played, you don’t win 11 championships in a row just winning at home. 16-4 is quite good however in late January that’s totally unlike Kansas basketball. The regular season is far from over there is time for Kansas to improve, let’s see what Bill Self does over the remaining portion of the season. Don’t buy into the Kansas hype they just might not be that good.
Arkansas Ace
Hamburg is located in Southern Arkansas close to the Arkansas-Louisiana State line; its 2014 population is estimated to be 2,810 souls. The Bears now play at the Division 1 level however from 1937 until 1993 they competed at the NAIA level. In 1983 a slim youngster arrived on campus to play in the school band although he played in high school he wasn’t good enough in high school to earn a basketball scholarship. The 6-1 Scottie Pippen would earn a scholarship after earning a roster spot as a walk-on candidate.
By his senior year earning All-American honors he attracted the attention of NBA scouts, it didn’t hurt his stock he’d grown 5 inches while at Central Arkansas. In 1987 he became the 5th pick in the first round by the Seattle Sonics. The Sonics would trade his rights to the Bulls for Olden Polynice (look him up). As they say the rest of his story is NBA history. Pippen might be the best basketball player the state has ever produced that’s why I’ve dubbed him the “Arkansas Ace." As for this writer I believe there might be no Michael Jordan without a Scottie Pippen, there is no Batman without Robin.
Check the record
I’m sure a number of folks might not appreciate this account. A number of Cavs fans might believe this is an indictment on LeBron James that is not the intent; these are observations of a neutral observer. I believe David Blatt received a raw deal, “Damn if you do, Damn if you don’t.” From the coaches perspective; I have the acknowledged best player in the NBA as a member of my team. As the coach and leader of men I am to lead them to heights expected by ownership. What did I accomplish you ask? Well in my first year as an NBA coach my team finished in first place in the Central Division with a 53-29 (.646) record. We also made our way through the playoffs and played for the NBA Championship before eventually losing to the Warriors 4 games to 2. As for this season after getting off to a rather slow start we are in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-11 record.
We missed Kyrie Irving early but he’s returned and we have shown improvement. Kevin Love is still adjusting to his role but demonstrating progress. There are others who sustained injuries that inhibited our early season progress. Despite the negatives and an 83-40 record in less than two full season management decide to replacement me. My coaching resume was impeccable short of NBA experience but given time I could have made the necessary adjustments. Maybe Cleveland was the wrong fit for me from the beginning, if we check history it appears 2.6 years is about the length of coaching tenure in Cleveland. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says; “Blatt lost the locker-room” and he goes on to explain “many of the players had turned the coach off and that was the basis for the change.” Windhorst is one of a limited number of NBA beat writers who writes truth and not speculation.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
This is getting silly about now
I believed it was a funny story at one point in time. You remember Jordan the 10-year old Knicks fan who took a selfie crying at the NBA Draft? It’s been reported he’s written a letter imploring the NBA to add Kristaps Porzingis to the All Star team. He’s doing this under threat by stating; “I might need to start booing again.” I believe it’s time for Jordan’s parents to quit encouraging this youngster it‘s not funny anymore at least to me. It’s possible last June was Jordan freely expressing himself since that time I question if a number of stories are genuine.
The Polls
Polls offer no proof of a team’s strength or ability, I believe they are
attention-grabbing especially when they differ so greatly. January 25th polls are:
Associated Press USA Today Coaches Poll
1. Oklahoma 1. North Carolina
2. North Carolina 2. Oklahoma
3. Iowa 3. Kansas
4. Kansas 4. Iowa
5. Texas A&M 5. Texas A&M
The last one
Temple beat SMU 89-80 on Sunday, the Mustangs fall from the ranks of the undefeated. In 2015 many believed (including me) Kentucky would run the table and they almost accomplished the feat. They didn’t lose their first game until falling to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tourney. It’s extremely difficult for a college team to go through a season undefeated anymore. The last time a team went through the season undefeated was 40 years ago, Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosier team finished the 1976 season 32-0. Six other teams have also accomplished the feat, they are;
1956 San Francisco Dons
1957 North Carolina Tarheels
1964 UCLA Bruins
1967 UCLA Bruins
1972 UCLA Bruins
1973 UCLA Bruins
Source: About Sports March 22, 2015
Tank
I despise the word tank; once upon a time it had two general definitions. The one most familiar to us is a container for liquid of various types. The second definition is a large treaded military vehicle with an artillery gun in the top portion of the vehicle. Lately the word has acquired a third definition; it’s used to characterize an NBA team losing games with the express purpose to improve its position in the draft. The 76ers have been accused of this practice for the past three seasons. Many Laker fans believe the 2015-16 is done already and the team might as well prepare for the June draft.
This is not the view of Larry Laker and I must share this information with Laker fans, as for others you might as well finish this because you’ve read this much of the piece. As for the 2016 NBA Draft and its impact on the Lakers; “Its Top 3 protected for 2016 and 2017, unprotected in 2017. If the 2016 ends up going to the Sixers, the 2018 pick goes to Orlando, top 5 protected. If they keep the 2016 pick and the 2017 pick goes to the Sixers, then the 2019 pick goes to Orlando unprotected. If they keep the 2016 and 2017 pick, 2018 and 2019 picks go to Orlando.” Hope you were able to follow the information provided a test will be given later.
Source: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed
This is getting silly about now
I believed it was a funny story at one point in time. You remember Jordan the 10-year old Knicks fan who took a selfie crying at the NBA Draft? It’s been reported he’s written a letter imploring the NBA to add Kristaps Porzingis to the All Star team. He’s doing this under threat by stating; “I might need to start booing again.” I believe it’s time for Jordan’s parents to quit encouraging this youngster it‘s not funny anymore at least to me. It’s possible last June was Jordan freely expressing himself since that time I question if a number of stories are genuine.
The Polls
Polls offer no proof of a team’s strength or ability, I believe they are
attention-grabbing especially when they differ so greatly. January 25th polls are:
Associated Press USA Today Coaches Poll
1. Oklahoma 1. North Carolina
2. North Carolina 2. Oklahoma
3. Iowa 3. Kansas
4. Kansas 4. Iowa
5. Texas A&M 5. Texas A&M
The last one
Temple beat SMU 89-80 on Sunday, the Mustangs fall from the ranks of the undefeated. In 2015 many believed (including me) Kentucky would run the table and they almost accomplished the feat. They didn’t lose their first game until falling to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tourney. It’s extremely difficult for a college team to go through a season undefeated anymore. The last time a team went through the season undefeated was 40 years ago, Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosier team finished the 1976 season 32-0. Six other teams have also accomplished the feat, they are;
1956 San Francisco Dons
1957 North Carolina Tarheels
1964 UCLA Bruins
1967 UCLA Bruins
1972 UCLA Bruins
1973 UCLA Bruins
Source: About Sports March 22, 2015
Tank
I despise the word tank; once upon a time it had two general definitions. The one most familiar to us is a container for liquid of various types. The second definition is a large treaded military vehicle with an artillery gun in the top portion of the vehicle. Lately the word has acquired a third definition; it’s used to characterize an NBA team losing games with the express purpose to improve its position in the draft. The 76ers have been accused of this practice for the past three seasons. Many Laker fans believe the 2015-16 is done already and the team might as well prepare for the June draft.
This is not the view of Larry Laker and I must share this information with Laker fans, as for others you might as well finish this because you’ve read this much of the piece. As for the 2016 NBA Draft and its impact on the Lakers; “Its Top 3 protected for 2016 and 2017, unprotected in 2017. If the 2016 ends up going to the Sixers, the 2018 pick goes to Orlando, top 5 protected. If they keep the 2016 pick and the 2017 pick goes to the Sixers, then the 2019 pick goes to Orlando unprotected. If they keep the 2016 and 2017 pick, 2018 and 2019 picks go to Orlando.” Hope you were able to follow the information provided a test will be given later.
Source: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed
Monday, January 25, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Bits n Pieces
Did you witness Auburn’s student body storm the court when the Tigers beat Kentucky recently? Earlier in the week the same scenario occurred as West Virginia upset then number one Kansas. As much as I believe there is an opportunity for a serious injury to occur court storming continues. I’m unsure if it will occur again at Auburn they were fined $100,000. More interesting I believe the Big 12 (WV and Kansas) has a rule prohibiting court storming. Yet as I was finishing this it happened once again, Oklahoma State upset Kansas in Stillwater (OK).
UCLA and its basketball fans should be excited about the arrival of Lonzo Ball in the Fall Quarter 2016. The 6-6 point guard led his undefeated Chino Hills (CA) Huskies to a 100-75 victory over High Point (NC) a short time ago. Mr. Ball had 15 points 10 rebounds and 18 assists in the win, did I mention Lonzo has two young siblings on the team. LiAngelo is a junior while LeMelo is freshman and the brothers combined for 65 of the 100 points.
Clash of the Titans was so nice it was necessary to do it twice. Well that might be an exaggeration on my part however there were two movies about this tale of Greek mythology. The first movie was released in 1981 and a re-make was done in 2010. Their might be a number of players with Greek heritage on the Spurs and Warriors but this Clash of the Titans is not mythology this is the real deal. The two NBA teams with the best record in the league face off against one another tonight. The Spurs enter the game 38-6 and a 13 game win streak, 10-0 in the last 10 games. As for the Warriors they stand 40-4 with a modest four game winning streak, 8-2 in their last 10. The Spurs announced Tim Duncan would not play due to a sore knee as this was being completed.
Maybe I spoke too soon
I must admit I had no idea what part of the nation Williams College was located. I had to research and discover it’s located in Williamston (MA) about three hours from Boston or New York City. Williams plays a Division III schedule and that’s the significance of the story. Remember me once stating basketball talent seemed to all be located in Division I schools---well I was wrong. We could cite Duncan Robinson as our case in point, at the time Robinson graduated high school nobody wanted him. Not literally but there were no Division I scholarship offers despite an outstanding high school career.
This 6-7 forward found himself at Williams where he averaged 17.1 ppg during his freshman year. It’s quite possible he would have remained at Williams if not for his coach. The Williams coach decided to seek employment at another school which caused Robinson to search for another school. Fast forward to the present, Robinson is enrolled at Michigan and is the second leading scorer on the roster. The season is early and we have no idea if he maintains his present pace. This we do know he can play whether it’s Division III or Division I basketball, perhaps the talent gap is not as great as we might be led to believe.
No argument from me
A SI.com story rated the Top 100 college basketball players this season. Rather than walk you through the list I’ll concentrate on the top three. At three they listed LSU’s Ben Simmons; two was Kris Dunn of Providence. At one they chose shooting guard Buddy Hield of Oklahoma. No argument from me, I haven’t witnessed a great deal of play for Dunn but trust he can play at a high level. As for Hield I’ve had several opportunities to see him play including his
46-point explosion against Kansas.
On June 23rd Commissioner Silver will step to the podium to announce the first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. I believe we all will be surprised, no shocked if we hear a name other than Ben Simmons. I know you and I continue to hear the same stories; “He’s got no outside shot” or “He’s too passive at times.” I don't like to focus on numbers alone however freshman Simmons are outstanding 19.6 points & 12.6 rebounds a game. Even more interesting his assists exceed those several pure point guards (5.1) noteworthy for a 6-10 forward. It's highly unusual for a forward to hand out assists at this level.
Bits n Pieces
Did you witness Auburn’s student body storm the court when the Tigers beat Kentucky recently? Earlier in the week the same scenario occurred as West Virginia upset then number one Kansas. As much as I believe there is an opportunity for a serious injury to occur court storming continues. I’m unsure if it will occur again at Auburn they were fined $100,000. More interesting I believe the Big 12 (WV and Kansas) has a rule prohibiting court storming. Yet as I was finishing this it happened once again, Oklahoma State upset Kansas in Stillwater (OK).
UCLA and its basketball fans should be excited about the arrival of Lonzo Ball in the Fall Quarter 2016. The 6-6 point guard led his undefeated Chino Hills (CA) Huskies to a 100-75 victory over High Point (NC) a short time ago. Mr. Ball had 15 points 10 rebounds and 18 assists in the win, did I mention Lonzo has two young siblings on the team. LiAngelo is a junior while LeMelo is freshman and the brothers combined for 65 of the 100 points.
Clash of the Titans was so nice it was necessary to do it twice. Well that might be an exaggeration on my part however there were two movies about this tale of Greek mythology. The first movie was released in 1981 and a re-make was done in 2010. Their might be a number of players with Greek heritage on the Spurs and Warriors but this Clash of the Titans is not mythology this is the real deal. The two NBA teams with the best record in the league face off against one another tonight. The Spurs enter the game 38-6 and a 13 game win streak, 10-0 in the last 10 games. As for the Warriors they stand 40-4 with a modest four game winning streak, 8-2 in their last 10. The Spurs announced Tim Duncan would not play due to a sore knee as this was being completed.
Maybe I spoke too soon
I must admit I had no idea what part of the nation Williams College was located. I had to research and discover it’s located in Williamston (MA) about three hours from Boston or New York City. Williams plays a Division III schedule and that’s the significance of the story. Remember me once stating basketball talent seemed to all be located in Division I schools---well I was wrong. We could cite Duncan Robinson as our case in point, at the time Robinson graduated high school nobody wanted him. Not literally but there were no Division I scholarship offers despite an outstanding high school career.
This 6-7 forward found himself at Williams where he averaged 17.1 ppg during his freshman year. It’s quite possible he would have remained at Williams if not for his coach. The Williams coach decided to seek employment at another school which caused Robinson to search for another school. Fast forward to the present, Robinson is enrolled at Michigan and is the second leading scorer on the roster. The season is early and we have no idea if he maintains his present pace. This we do know he can play whether it’s Division III or Division I basketball, perhaps the talent gap is not as great as we might be led to believe.
No argument from me
A SI.com story rated the Top 100 college basketball players this season. Rather than walk you through the list I’ll concentrate on the top three. At three they listed LSU’s Ben Simmons; two was Kris Dunn of Providence. At one they chose shooting guard Buddy Hield of Oklahoma. No argument from me, I haven’t witnessed a great deal of play for Dunn but trust he can play at a high level. As for Hield I’ve had several opportunities to see him play including his
46-point explosion against Kansas.
On June 23rd Commissioner Silver will step to the podium to announce the first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. I believe we all will be surprised, no shocked if we hear a name other than Ben Simmons. I know you and I continue to hear the same stories; “He’s got no outside shot” or “He’s too passive at times.” I don't like to focus on numbers alone however freshman Simmons are outstanding 19.6 points & 12.6 rebounds a game. Even more interesting his assists exceed those several pure point guards (5.1) noteworthy for a 6-10 forward. It's highly unusual for a forward to hand out assists at this level.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Bits n Pieces
I was writing an account and I glanced at the crawl that came across the television screen. It read: "Cavs have fired David Blatt." The news was not shocking there have been stories circulating for awhile problems existed between the coach and LeBron. Anytime there is a coach-player dilemma the winner is always(fill in the blank). I don’t believe Blatt is a bad guy he’s got plenty of coaching experience just not NBA. Tyronn Lue (from suburban Kansas City) is the new coach.
UConn got a jump start on 2017 recruiting with this latest announcement. 5-star prospect Zach Brown from Miami (FL) announced he was headed to Storrs (CT). The 7-1 250 pound Brown might be the best center in the Class of 2017 and he wears number 33. Hall of Fame player Kareem Abdul Jabbar wore 33 throughout his prep, college and NBA career. I am not stating he’s the next Kareem just pointing out a fact.
This is short and to the point, why must certain members of the media debate Kobe Bryant a starter in the All Star Game? Kobe is having a poor last season in his NBA career--check, Kobe is not popular with a large segment of NBA fans--check. Despite the negatives he managed to accumulate 1.9 million fan votes, who stuffed the ballot box?
What’s up with President of Basketball Operations Doc Rivers? He signs Josh Smith last summer expecting the Clippers bench would be improved. At the midway point of the season Doc Rivers the coach discovers Smith has trouble adjusting and trades him from whence he came. Doc trades him to a Western Conference contender back to the team that eliminated his last season, what’s that about Doc?
Clearly the leader
I remember last season debating with myself who should be NBA Rookie of the Year. Andrew Wiggins was in the mix however my pick Jabari Parker was injured early and missed the season. Of course we know Wiggins was chosen the 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year. We are at the midway point of the season the race might be concluded already. I believe the number one pick
Karl-Anthony Towns is the runaway winner. Towns has competition from a couple of good rookies, the 76ers Jahlil Okafor and the Knicks Kristaps Porzingis are running second and third depending on who you read.
Despite critical remarks by many in the media the Lakers D’Angelo Russell is having a fair rookie campaign. His chief problem Okafor drafted behind him is experiencing a better rookie campaign so far. As for Towns the Wolves rookie is scoring at 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds a game, he ain’t too bad from the field shooting at .532. The 7-foot center was not able to demonstrate his offensive game at Kentucky due to the system Coach Calipari ran. The Wolves have been the beneficiary of the budding talent. Towns was a defensive presence anyway and it’s a matter of adjusting it for the NBA. The future of the Wolves looks bright at this point thanks to adding Karl-Anthony Towns.
I’m suffering
This was mentioned previously but I thought it worth a re-visit. I have been subject to much abuse thus far in this NBA season. I know you don’t wish to hear about 16 NBA Championships you wanna know what’s going on in 2016. Well it’s not good with either the Clippers or Lakers at Staples Center this season. I guess Clipper fans can claim their team has a winning record and will make the playoffs, beyond that is a mystery.
Back to the Lakers believe me I thought my Lakers would play better this season but that’s not been the case to date. I continue to sport my Laker gear in public, a bracket on my automobile license plate reads: “Los Angeles Lakers”. As for Magic Johnson he’s at “war” again with Jimmy Buss and the manner Buss is running (or ruining) the Laker brand. Sitting here in the heart of the nation I remain a loyal faithful fan despite my suffering, I haven’t built a bonfire and burned any of my Laker gear. I haven’t resorted to wearing a paper bag on those public occasions when I’m exposed as a fan.
As much as I love Magic Johnson the player I’ve had issues with Magic Johnson the Laker executive. This time I believe he might be correct its time for Jim Buss to turn over the operations of the team to his sister. There is no method to prove this but I believe Jeanie Buss should assume owner responsibility she would allow basketball people to make basketball decisions. Every move by Dr. Buss did not always turn out successful but there is one key difference between father and son. The father appeared to have keen insight to moves whether it was trading a player or changing a coach. Son Jimmy seems to lack a panoramic view of the decisions he’s been forced to make. Despite the negatives expressed I believe given time (and Jim’s exit from operations) the Lakers will prosper again. I look forward to the day when I hear the familiar chant again; “Beat L.A., Beat L.A.” reverberate throughout a number of opposition arenas.
Bits n Pieces
I was writing an account and I glanced at the crawl that came across the television screen. It read: "Cavs have fired David Blatt." The news was not shocking there have been stories circulating for awhile problems existed between the coach and LeBron. Anytime there is a coach-player dilemma the winner is always(fill in the blank). I don’t believe Blatt is a bad guy he’s got plenty of coaching experience just not NBA. Tyronn Lue (from suburban Kansas City) is the new coach.
UConn got a jump start on 2017 recruiting with this latest announcement. 5-star prospect Zach Brown from Miami (FL) announced he was headed to Storrs (CT). The 7-1 250 pound Brown might be the best center in the Class of 2017 and he wears number 33. Hall of Fame player Kareem Abdul Jabbar wore 33 throughout his prep, college and NBA career. I am not stating he’s the next Kareem just pointing out a fact.
This is short and to the point, why must certain members of the media debate Kobe Bryant a starter in the All Star Game? Kobe is having a poor last season in his NBA career--check, Kobe is not popular with a large segment of NBA fans--check. Despite the negatives he managed to accumulate 1.9 million fan votes, who stuffed the ballot box?
What’s up with President of Basketball Operations Doc Rivers? He signs Josh Smith last summer expecting the Clippers bench would be improved. At the midway point of the season Doc Rivers the coach discovers Smith has trouble adjusting and trades him from whence he came. Doc trades him to a Western Conference contender back to the team that eliminated his last season, what’s that about Doc?
Clearly the leader
I remember last season debating with myself who should be NBA Rookie of the Year. Andrew Wiggins was in the mix however my pick Jabari Parker was injured early and missed the season. Of course we know Wiggins was chosen the 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year. We are at the midway point of the season the race might be concluded already. I believe the number one pick
Karl-Anthony Towns is the runaway winner. Towns has competition from a couple of good rookies, the 76ers Jahlil Okafor and the Knicks Kristaps Porzingis are running second and third depending on who you read.
Despite critical remarks by many in the media the Lakers D’Angelo Russell is having a fair rookie campaign. His chief problem Okafor drafted behind him is experiencing a better rookie campaign so far. As for Towns the Wolves rookie is scoring at 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds a game, he ain’t too bad from the field shooting at .532. The 7-foot center was not able to demonstrate his offensive game at Kentucky due to the system Coach Calipari ran. The Wolves have been the beneficiary of the budding talent. Towns was a defensive presence anyway and it’s a matter of adjusting it for the NBA. The future of the Wolves looks bright at this point thanks to adding Karl-Anthony Towns.
I’m suffering
This was mentioned previously but I thought it worth a re-visit. I have been subject to much abuse thus far in this NBA season. I know you don’t wish to hear about 16 NBA Championships you wanna know what’s going on in 2016. Well it’s not good with either the Clippers or Lakers at Staples Center this season. I guess Clipper fans can claim their team has a winning record and will make the playoffs, beyond that is a mystery.
Back to the Lakers believe me I thought my Lakers would play better this season but that’s not been the case to date. I continue to sport my Laker gear in public, a bracket on my automobile license plate reads: “Los Angeles Lakers”. As for Magic Johnson he’s at “war” again with Jimmy Buss and the manner Buss is running (or ruining) the Laker brand. Sitting here in the heart of the nation I remain a loyal faithful fan despite my suffering, I haven’t built a bonfire and burned any of my Laker gear. I haven’t resorted to wearing a paper bag on those public occasions when I’m exposed as a fan.
As much as I love Magic Johnson the player I’ve had issues with Magic Johnson the Laker executive. This time I believe he might be correct its time for Jim Buss to turn over the operations of the team to his sister. There is no method to prove this but I believe Jeanie Buss should assume owner responsibility she would allow basketball people to make basketball decisions. Every move by Dr. Buss did not always turn out successful but there is one key difference between father and son. The father appeared to have keen insight to moves whether it was trading a player or changing a coach. Son Jimmy seems to lack a panoramic view of the decisions he’s been forced to make. Despite the negatives expressed I believe given time (and Jim’s exit from operations) the Lakers will prosper again. I look forward to the day when I hear the familiar chant again; “Beat L.A., Beat L.A.” reverberate throughout a number of opposition arenas.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
He said it
Former coach and current ESPN basketball analyst Seth Greenberg description of a current college team. Greenberg said; “They got guys shooting who can’t guard and guys guarding who can’t shoot.” I think that might say it all about this team.
“Actions speak louder than words”
At the time NBA fans discuss the Spurs talk always gravitates to Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker. Kawhi Leonard’s name comes up but it’s likely he’s an afterthought although he‘s become a valued member of the Spurs. There is a clear reason; Leonard is one of those guys who believe his actions on the court speak volumes about his volume of work. There is no requirement on his part to discuss his game----it’s just plain good. In 2011 Leonard would become the 15th pick in the first round by the Pacers his draft rights were traded to the Spurs that evening. Leonard played at San Diego State for Steve Fisher one of the best coaches at the collegiate level.
Fisher too receives little praise when discussing quality coaches/teachers of the game. Because San Diego State games are on television so late those in Midwest and East Coast time zones had little opportunity to see Leonard play. Once he reached the NBA that first year with the Spurs playing part-time he managed to score 7.9 ppg. Since then he’s raised his scoring average each year, Leonard is no one-dimensional player he excels on the defensive end too. The 6-7 230 pound Leonard was NBA Finals MVP in 2014 and All NBA Defensive Second Team. In 2015 he was All NBA Defensive First Team and NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
It‘s not just me
"Austin Rivers on Clipper hate: People feel like our team complains" was the headline. NBA writer James Herbert wrote the article for CBSSports.com. First allow a disclaimer I wrote a critical story regarding the Clippers awhile back. It was written at a time the Clippers were not playing particularly good basketball. Although Blake Griffin has been injured since Christmas they have actually played better ball with him out of the lineup. Although the team has seen an improvement in play do we perceive the Clippers as being any different from previous Clipper teams?
The biggest obstacle in front of them is lacking bench strength allowing for deep playoff run. If we check the Western Conference the Warriors, Spurs and Thunder appear to have the power. Can the Clippers win the Western Conference Championship? Of course they won’t face all the aforementioned power teams. All is necessary for this team to accomplish is to win and win big; it’s not enough to make the playoffs every season and lose in the second round.
“Don’t be that guy!”
Two realities, the 76ers are terrible (worst than my Lakers) and Jahlil Okafor is a talent. Okafor has had a couple of off the court issues which might point out his sometimes lack of maturity, as for his dad that’s a different matter. Let’s set the stage for this explanation, in a recent game Okafor’s dad is seated behind the 76er bench. He’s yelling at 76er Coach Brett Brown, reports indicate it got so bad Okafor on the bench had to ask his dad to dial it down. We know the 76ers are bad, in addition we could see Okafor might be frustrated with losing. As for his dad that’s another story, “What was he thinking?”
He said it
Former coach and current ESPN basketball analyst Seth Greenberg description of a current college team. Greenberg said; “They got guys shooting who can’t guard and guys guarding who can’t shoot.” I think that might say it all about this team.
“Actions speak louder than words”
At the time NBA fans discuss the Spurs talk always gravitates to Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker. Kawhi Leonard’s name comes up but it’s likely he’s an afterthought although he‘s become a valued member of the Spurs. There is a clear reason; Leonard is one of those guys who believe his actions on the court speak volumes about his volume of work. There is no requirement on his part to discuss his game----it’s just plain good. In 2011 Leonard would become the 15th pick in the first round by the Pacers his draft rights were traded to the Spurs that evening. Leonard played at San Diego State for Steve Fisher one of the best coaches at the collegiate level.
Fisher too receives little praise when discussing quality coaches/teachers of the game. Because San Diego State games are on television so late those in Midwest and East Coast time zones had little opportunity to see Leonard play. Once he reached the NBA that first year with the Spurs playing part-time he managed to score 7.9 ppg. Since then he’s raised his scoring average each year, Leonard is no one-dimensional player he excels on the defensive end too. The 6-7 230 pound Leonard was NBA Finals MVP in 2014 and All NBA Defensive Second Team. In 2015 he was All NBA Defensive First Team and NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
It‘s not just me
"Austin Rivers on Clipper hate: People feel like our team complains" was the headline. NBA writer James Herbert wrote the article for CBSSports.com. First allow a disclaimer I wrote a critical story regarding the Clippers awhile back. It was written at a time the Clippers were not playing particularly good basketball. Although Blake Griffin has been injured since Christmas they have actually played better ball with him out of the lineup. Although the team has seen an improvement in play do we perceive the Clippers as being any different from previous Clipper teams?
The biggest obstacle in front of them is lacking bench strength allowing for deep playoff run. If we check the Western Conference the Warriors, Spurs and Thunder appear to have the power. Can the Clippers win the Western Conference Championship? Of course they won’t face all the aforementioned power teams. All is necessary for this team to accomplish is to win and win big; it’s not enough to make the playoffs every season and lose in the second round.
“Don’t be that guy!”
Two realities, the 76ers are terrible (worst than my Lakers) and Jahlil Okafor is a talent. Okafor has had a couple of off the court issues which might point out his sometimes lack of maturity, as for his dad that’s a different matter. Let’s set the stage for this explanation, in a recent game Okafor’s dad is seated behind the 76er bench. He’s yelling at 76er Coach Brett Brown, reports indicate it got so bad Okafor on the bench had to ask his dad to dial it down. We know the 76ers are bad, in addition we could see Okafor might be frustrated with losing. As for his dad that’s another story, “What was he thinking?”
Friday, January 22, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
????
I’ll explain the question mark headlines, please read on. I haven’t been witness to every game Hassan Whiteside has played; I’ve seen enough to believe it would be tragic for the Heat to trade him. There were questions regarding Whiteside’s value, the line read; “Hassan Whiteside has become an incredible individual talent, but halfway through his contract year we’re still not sure if he’s helping or hurting the Heat.” So read the CBSSportline.com story, they compiled numbers relating to Heat scoring and defense when he was on the floor versus off. After I read the account I thought this is pure caw-caw they should have witnessed his recent game against the Nuggets. Whiteside had a triple-double in an unconventional manner.
His stat line read 19 points 17 rebounds and 11 blocked shots as the Heat squeezed by 98-95. Whiteside is currently leading the NBA in blocked shots with nearly four a game and is in fourth place in rebounds with 11.3 game. The seven foot Whiteside is a decent scorer from the floor (12.3 ppg) but certainly doesn’t conjure reminders of Kareem, Shaq, Hakeem or some other high scoring center of the past. Whiteside’s game is similar to other players in their third year in the NBA; there are elements of his game requiring improvement. After being drafted in 2010 he bounced around the D-League and China before his breakout year in 2014-15. If he continues to mature and based on play to date I certainly would enjoy being his agent.
Shooting clinic
I didn’t see the game so I’m not going to describe the events, I was watching Iowa State upset number one Oklahoma. I can only guess the Warriors must have conducted a shooting clinic on the Cavs. The box score indicates the Warriors shot 54.1% from the two-point line and 47.5% from the three line. Even more fascinating this feat was achieved at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena. The final score read Warriors 132 Cavs 98.
This is interesting
Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan is certainly one of the young talents in the NBA. Before delving into the story allow me to clarify a couple of facts. DeRozan grew up in Los Angeles in addition he will become a free-agent this summer. A recent headline on CBSSport.com’s NBA page caught my attention. One headline read; “DeRozan wants to be Raptor “my whole career”. Four lines below; “Report, Lakers eyeing DeRozan I Exploring trades.” The humor for me two stories on the same player inches apart on the same page. DeRozan could be just talking; the lure of playing at “home” for the Lakers (minus Kobe) could be the ultimate draw.
Point of clarification
I was critical of former Mizzou Coach Frank Haith last Friday; he performs the same role as any other coach of a major sport. That coach cannot and is not always aware of all activity relating to his or her team. The troubling factor for me (if true) Haith left within days after becoming aware the NCAA was to conduct an investigation of Mizzou basketball. Even more disconcerting is Haith’s attorney releasing a statement proclaiming his clients innocence, this was done we are led to believe because the NCAA report named no party. There is a problem a cloud of suspension follows Haith from Miami to Mizzou on to Tulsa.
This is no forecast of future problems at Tulsa but as my friend might say; “They (Tulsa) need to make sure to cross all the T’s and dot all the i’s.” Allow me to affirm once again I was a convicted believer and one of the most ardent supporters of Frank Haith. I remained firm at the time news broke regarding an NCAA investigation at Miami; I thoroughly studied the events as best I could long-distance. I believed Haith was being scapegoat for improprieties of the Miami football program. Final decision was made and Haith would remain at Mizzou but would be suspended for the first 5 games of the season, even then I remained in the coach’s corner. Haith’s now been touched by a hint of improprieties with two different programs Miami (FL) and Mizzou. At this point can Haith be trusted to run a clean program? There are three Mizzou commits headed to Columbia next fall hopefully they will not change their minds.
????
I’ll explain the question mark headlines, please read on. I haven’t been witness to every game Hassan Whiteside has played; I’ve seen enough to believe it would be tragic for the Heat to trade him. There were questions regarding Whiteside’s value, the line read; “Hassan Whiteside has become an incredible individual talent, but halfway through his contract year we’re still not sure if he’s helping or hurting the Heat.” So read the CBSSportline.com story, they compiled numbers relating to Heat scoring and defense when he was on the floor versus off. After I read the account I thought this is pure caw-caw they should have witnessed his recent game against the Nuggets. Whiteside had a triple-double in an unconventional manner.
His stat line read 19 points 17 rebounds and 11 blocked shots as the Heat squeezed by 98-95. Whiteside is currently leading the NBA in blocked shots with nearly four a game and is in fourth place in rebounds with 11.3 game. The seven foot Whiteside is a decent scorer from the floor (12.3 ppg) but certainly doesn’t conjure reminders of Kareem, Shaq, Hakeem or some other high scoring center of the past. Whiteside’s game is similar to other players in their third year in the NBA; there are elements of his game requiring improvement. After being drafted in 2010 he bounced around the D-League and China before his breakout year in 2014-15. If he continues to mature and based on play to date I certainly would enjoy being his agent.
Shooting clinic
I didn’t see the game so I’m not going to describe the events, I was watching Iowa State upset number one Oklahoma. I can only guess the Warriors must have conducted a shooting clinic on the Cavs. The box score indicates the Warriors shot 54.1% from the two-point line and 47.5% from the three line. Even more fascinating this feat was achieved at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena. The final score read Warriors 132 Cavs 98.
This is interesting
Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan is certainly one of the young talents in the NBA. Before delving into the story allow me to clarify a couple of facts. DeRozan grew up in Los Angeles in addition he will become a free-agent this summer. A recent headline on CBSSport.com’s NBA page caught my attention. One headline read; “DeRozan wants to be Raptor “my whole career”. Four lines below; “Report, Lakers eyeing DeRozan I Exploring trades.” The humor for me two stories on the same player inches apart on the same page. DeRozan could be just talking; the lure of playing at “home” for the Lakers (minus Kobe) could be the ultimate draw.
Point of clarification
I was critical of former Mizzou Coach Frank Haith last Friday; he performs the same role as any other coach of a major sport. That coach cannot and is not always aware of all activity relating to his or her team. The troubling factor for me (if true) Haith left within days after becoming aware the NCAA was to conduct an investigation of Mizzou basketball. Even more disconcerting is Haith’s attorney releasing a statement proclaiming his clients innocence, this was done we are led to believe because the NCAA report named no party. There is a problem a cloud of suspension follows Haith from Miami to Mizzou on to Tulsa.
This is no forecast of future problems at Tulsa but as my friend might say; “They (Tulsa) need to make sure to cross all the T’s and dot all the i’s.” Allow me to affirm once again I was a convicted believer and one of the most ardent supporters of Frank Haith. I remained firm at the time news broke regarding an NCAA investigation at Miami; I thoroughly studied the events as best I could long-distance. I believed Haith was being scapegoat for improprieties of the Miami football program. Final decision was made and Haith would remain at Mizzou but would be suspended for the first 5 games of the season, even then I remained in the coach’s corner. Haith’s now been touched by a hint of improprieties with two different programs Miami (FL) and Mizzou. At this point can Haith be trusted to run a clean program? There are three Mizzou commits headed to Columbia next fall hopefully they will not change their minds.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Bits n Pieces
Youth basketball players reading this please store in your memory bank. Every time you jump in the air attempting a pass there are three likely occurrences and only one is satisfactory. The other occasions I believe you can figure out without any hints.
The Count is at work once again tracking the Warriors attempt to break the single season NBA win record. Last week the Pistons beat them in a game played in Detroit. The Warriors stand 36-5 as this is written, going forward they must finish the regular season 37-4. If the Warriors are able to accomplish this feat they would finish 73-9 and eclipse the 72-10 mark set by the Michael Jordan Bulls in ’95-’96.
Several states were represented at the time McDonald’s chose its All-American Boys Prep Basketball team. Where is the best basketball played in the nation? This is not intended to be proof however the overwhelming majority of 24 athletes are from Texas, California and Florida. John Calipari has the single largest number of recruits with four headed to Kentucky this fall.
There is never any excuse for bad behavior you can check it out for yourself on YouTube. Oregon State’s Jarmal Reid tripped referee Tommy Nunez after believing he’d been fouled and the official failed to blow the whistle. He’s received at least a four game suspension for his actions. Referees have made bad calls since the days of James A. Naismith, attacking an official are not the means to address the issue.
Finally
I’m unsure if an athlete transferring to your favorite college can be classified as good news. Lately there’s been nothing but bad news for Mizzou on the basketball court. The losses on the court have been compounded by NCAA infractions from the 2013-14 season. All wins were vacated and no post-season play plus losing scholarships. In any event Jordan Barnett a 6-6 forward announced he was leaving Texas and transferring to Mizzou.
Barnett from St. Louis played limited minutes for the departed Rick Barnes and his replacement Shaka Smart. I guess the question might be can Barnett play? I really have no idea but at least its positive news emanating from Columbia (MO) and it’s an arrival rather than a departure. Barnett will eligible to play the fall semester of 2016.
Thon Maker
He’s gained weight but still checks in at a thin 223 pounds, there are guards who weigh more than 7-1 Thon Maker. I’m watching his Athlete Institute team against Findlay Prep. The ESPN broadcaster clarified a question for me; I had wondered why Maker was no longer listed on ESPNU Recruiting Nation prospects. Although Maker attended high school in the U.S. once he moved to Canada he came off the ESPNU list. It’s a nation thing rather than talent the game analyst said; “If he’d remained in the U.S. he would be a top five prospect.”
Other than viewing AAU YouTube highlights this was my first opportunity to witness Maker in action. Athlete Institute was a loser 73-59 however Maker had a good game, 16 points 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. Just in case you might have wondered Maker made it clear he has no intentions to pull a “Mudiay.” Last year Emmanuel Muiday announced he was headed to SMU and at some point changed his mind and departed for a pro career in China. Mudiay would return in time for the 2015 NBA Draft and is now a member of the Denver Nuggets.
Bits n Pieces
Youth basketball players reading this please store in your memory bank. Every time you jump in the air attempting a pass there are three likely occurrences and only one is satisfactory. The other occasions I believe you can figure out without any hints.
The Count is at work once again tracking the Warriors attempt to break the single season NBA win record. Last week the Pistons beat them in a game played in Detroit. The Warriors stand 36-5 as this is written, going forward they must finish the regular season 37-4. If the Warriors are able to accomplish this feat they would finish 73-9 and eclipse the 72-10 mark set by the Michael Jordan Bulls in ’95-’96.
Several states were represented at the time McDonald’s chose its All-American Boys Prep Basketball team. Where is the best basketball played in the nation? This is not intended to be proof however the overwhelming majority of 24 athletes are from Texas, California and Florida. John Calipari has the single largest number of recruits with four headed to Kentucky this fall.
There is never any excuse for bad behavior you can check it out for yourself on YouTube. Oregon State’s Jarmal Reid tripped referee Tommy Nunez after believing he’d been fouled and the official failed to blow the whistle. He’s received at least a four game suspension for his actions. Referees have made bad calls since the days of James A. Naismith, attacking an official are not the means to address the issue.
Finally
I’m unsure if an athlete transferring to your favorite college can be classified as good news. Lately there’s been nothing but bad news for Mizzou on the basketball court. The losses on the court have been compounded by NCAA infractions from the 2013-14 season. All wins were vacated and no post-season play plus losing scholarships. In any event Jordan Barnett a 6-6 forward announced he was leaving Texas and transferring to Mizzou.
Barnett from St. Louis played limited minutes for the departed Rick Barnes and his replacement Shaka Smart. I guess the question might be can Barnett play? I really have no idea but at least its positive news emanating from Columbia (MO) and it’s an arrival rather than a departure. Barnett will eligible to play the fall semester of 2016.
Thon Maker
He’s gained weight but still checks in at a thin 223 pounds, there are guards who weigh more than 7-1 Thon Maker. I’m watching his Athlete Institute team against Findlay Prep. The ESPN broadcaster clarified a question for me; I had wondered why Maker was no longer listed on ESPNU Recruiting Nation prospects. Although Maker attended high school in the U.S. once he moved to Canada he came off the ESPNU list. It’s a nation thing rather than talent the game analyst said; “If he’d remained in the U.S. he would be a top five prospect.”
Other than viewing AAU YouTube highlights this was my first opportunity to witness Maker in action. Athlete Institute was a loser 73-59 however Maker had a good game, 16 points 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. Just in case you might have wondered Maker made it clear he has no intentions to pull a “Mudiay.” Last year Emmanuel Muiday announced he was headed to SMU and at some point changed his mind and departed for a pro career in China. Mudiay would return in time for the 2015 NBA Draft and is now a member of the Denver Nuggets.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Not surprised anymore
Remember back to last season, the Top 25 polls were steady throughout most of the college season. Don’t misunderstand there were upsets however nothing like this season. I unsure about you but I’m no longer surprised to check the scores and read or hear of an “upset.”
He said!
We don’t know where the account acquired legs, in any event if John Calipari is true to his word he claims he’s remaining at Kentucky. Interesting the story circulating about “wanting a $120 million 10 year contract” came from somewhere didn‘t it? Even more worthy of note two teams were mentioned in the report the Kings and Nets. Lionel Hollins was relieved by the Nets and they will be searching for a coach, is George Karl's job in jeopardy with the Kings?
“Stay in your lane”
The above headline would appear to driving instruction---it is kinda. All drivers are aware they remain in their lane but it also applies in discussions. Tony Korheiser used the term on Mike Wilbon during a discussion on their program. He said to Wilbon; “Why are you bringing basketball into a discussion on football?” I’d heard the same argument used last week between Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless. Once again the subject was football and firing football coaches was the topic.
In an attempt to validate his view of the subject matter Smith went to the NBA to provide justification. Smith cited the Warriors firing Mark Jackson and replacing him with Steve Kerr. There might be a few cross-over areas but I believe football ain’t basketball and vice-versa, if you can’t prove the point of your sports argument perhaps it might not be as valid as you believe---stay in your lane.
Bits n Pieces
I just decided I’m going to purchase an NBA team. The league seems unwilling to re-locate franchises at this point so my team must remain in its present city. This shouldn’t present too much of a problem, I will have a corporate jet standing by to fly me to the city. On other occasions I’ll use NBA League Pass for those games I can’t attend. Oh I forgot I must win the lottery to accomplish this financial undertaking right now.
I think I was deceived, after watching the brilliant Kansas-Oklahoma game I thought this team (Kansas) is good. There are no super teams this year and I certainly wasn’t applying that status to the Jayhawks. Kansas played almost opposite of last weeks game, I realize it was a road game but 21 turnovers and little bench production. Bill Self knows West Virginia plays a full-court pressing defense he didn‘t appear to have his team ready. Brent Musberger might have said it best; "They (Kansas) look totally out of sync.”
They are sometimes terse in their response when questioned by the media. At times they appear to have an adversarial relationship with many media members. In the NFL we have Patriots Coach Bill Bilichick, in the NBA Spurs Coach Greg Popovich. Knicks President Phil Jackson if still coaching would be a member of the group. I might be mistaken but I’m going to include Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle I the group. There is one trait that rings true for all they are winners. All have won multiple NBA or NFL Championships with the exception of Carlisle. There might be others but these guys are in the forefront.
There are some evenings I am almost totally consumed by basketball. I began this evening watching SMU play Eastern Carolina and followed that game watching LSU and Ole Miss. In between I checked in on the Pacers at Celtics and then Heat at Clippers. I switched to USC-UCLA for a minute and then changed channels and watched San Diego State win a close game over Colorado State. As you can see I have no life I am totally fixated on basketball at times.
Who are these guys?
The line from the 1969 classic movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid “Who are those guys?” The reference was the posse that was chasing after the two criminals. Well nobody is chasing anyone but I believe we’d all like to know “Who are those guys” ESPN polled when ranking All-Time NBA point guards? The poll chose Magic Johnson first and Oscar Robertson number two no issue on my part. John Stockton at three is questionable however his bio speaks loudly. I cannot in my small mind believe they listed Steph Curry at four and Isiah Thomas in fifth place.
There is a longevity factor here, Curry has nowhere near the amount of NBA mileage Thomas has. Curry (in my view) is more a shooter than a passer. Curry and Thomas would swap positions on my list. As for the small forward position I found it no shock they chose LeBron James number one. How about Julius “Dr. J.” Erving, Elgin Baylor, John Havlicek, Scottie Pippen or Rick Barry. Are you stating all the aforementioned are better than LeBron? The game has changed so much its difficult to compare the 1950’s Elgin Baylor with the 2000’s LeBron James.
Not surprised anymore
Remember back to last season, the Top 25 polls were steady throughout most of the college season. Don’t misunderstand there were upsets however nothing like this season. I unsure about you but I’m no longer surprised to check the scores and read or hear of an “upset.”
He said!
We don’t know where the account acquired legs, in any event if John Calipari is true to his word he claims he’s remaining at Kentucky. Interesting the story circulating about “wanting a $120 million 10 year contract” came from somewhere didn‘t it? Even more worthy of note two teams were mentioned in the report the Kings and Nets. Lionel Hollins was relieved by the Nets and they will be searching for a coach, is George Karl's job in jeopardy with the Kings?
“Stay in your lane”
The above headline would appear to driving instruction---it is kinda. All drivers are aware they remain in their lane but it also applies in discussions. Tony Korheiser used the term on Mike Wilbon during a discussion on their program. He said to Wilbon; “Why are you bringing basketball into a discussion on football?” I’d heard the same argument used last week between Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless. Once again the subject was football and firing football coaches was the topic.
In an attempt to validate his view of the subject matter Smith went to the NBA to provide justification. Smith cited the Warriors firing Mark Jackson and replacing him with Steve Kerr. There might be a few cross-over areas but I believe football ain’t basketball and vice-versa, if you can’t prove the point of your sports argument perhaps it might not be as valid as you believe---stay in your lane.
Bits n Pieces
I just decided I’m going to purchase an NBA team. The league seems unwilling to re-locate franchises at this point so my team must remain in its present city. This shouldn’t present too much of a problem, I will have a corporate jet standing by to fly me to the city. On other occasions I’ll use NBA League Pass for those games I can’t attend. Oh I forgot I must win the lottery to accomplish this financial undertaking right now.
I think I was deceived, after watching the brilliant Kansas-Oklahoma game I thought this team (Kansas) is good. There are no super teams this year and I certainly wasn’t applying that status to the Jayhawks. Kansas played almost opposite of last weeks game, I realize it was a road game but 21 turnovers and little bench production. Bill Self knows West Virginia plays a full-court pressing defense he didn‘t appear to have his team ready. Brent Musberger might have said it best; "They (Kansas) look totally out of sync.”
They are sometimes terse in their response when questioned by the media. At times they appear to have an adversarial relationship with many media members. In the NFL we have Patriots Coach Bill Bilichick, in the NBA Spurs Coach Greg Popovich. Knicks President Phil Jackson if still coaching would be a member of the group. I might be mistaken but I’m going to include Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle I the group. There is one trait that rings true for all they are winners. All have won multiple NBA or NFL Championships with the exception of Carlisle. There might be others but these guys are in the forefront.
There are some evenings I am almost totally consumed by basketball. I began this evening watching SMU play Eastern Carolina and followed that game watching LSU and Ole Miss. In between I checked in on the Pacers at Celtics and then Heat at Clippers. I switched to USC-UCLA for a minute and then changed channels and watched San Diego State win a close game over Colorado State. As you can see I have no life I am totally fixated on basketball at times.
Who are these guys?
The line from the 1969 classic movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid “Who are those guys?” The reference was the posse that was chasing after the two criminals. Well nobody is chasing anyone but I believe we’d all like to know “Who are those guys” ESPN polled when ranking All-Time NBA point guards? The poll chose Magic Johnson first and Oscar Robertson number two no issue on my part. John Stockton at three is questionable however his bio speaks loudly. I cannot in my small mind believe they listed Steph Curry at four and Isiah Thomas in fifth place.
There is a longevity factor here, Curry has nowhere near the amount of NBA mileage Thomas has. Curry (in my view) is more a shooter than a passer. Curry and Thomas would swap positions on my list. As for the small forward position I found it no shock they chose LeBron James number one. How about Julius “Dr. J.” Erving, Elgin Baylor, John Havlicek, Scottie Pippen or Rick Barry. Are you stating all the aforementioned are better than LeBron? The game has changed so much its difficult to compare the 1950’s Elgin Baylor with the 2000’s LeBron James.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
The Count
One of the characters (puppets) of the PBS program Sesame Street is The Count. If you are unfamiliar with The Count he's dressed in a manner similar to Count Dracula the vampire. During his appearances he conducts himself in the manner of his name------ he counts. I am going to assume the role of The Count and keep a running total on the Warriors this season. The Warriors can experience only 6 more losses between now and April. That’s the formula for the Warriors to break the existing won-loss record set by Michael Jordan’s Bulls. Do the math, the Warriors have 36 wins 3 losses which totals 39 wins with 43 regular season games left. In order to win 73 games the Warriors must win 37 games while losing only 6. Is it possible to establish a new record of course it is, can they do it? NOTE: After this was written the Warriors beat my Lakers so they have one more win.
Had to get out of town
Since Norm Stewart was asked to step-down in 1999 Mizzou basketball has been on a roller coaster, the problem the coaster has gone downhill more often than up over the years. A reporter for the Kansas City Star once wrote; “Mizzou fans constantly expect something bad to occur.” The statement is not too far from the truth it seems as though something bad usually off the court manages to impact the program in a negative manner, that’s the case with the latest news. Consider this fact Kim Anderson is the fourth coach since the departure of Stewart. This coaching change has caused Mizzou to struggle on the court much of the last two seasons.
If you have read Word eye view any length of time you know I have been a defender of former Coach Frank Haith, no more. The school admitted a number of NCAA violations occurred dating back to 2011. 1. “In December 2013, the NCAA received reports of potential violations. A verbal notice of investigation was given MU on April 14, 2014. Four days later, Haith left the Tigers to take the coaching position at Tulsa.” Maybe he had to get out of town.
Here’s the problem for me (and maybe others) Haith’s attorney claimed his client was not at fault the NCAA did not name him a party to the violations. Mizzou wins for 2013-14 are vacated no post-season basketball this year and forfeiture of scholarships over the next two years. The problem for me is I feel betrayed; I was one who maintained “Faith in Haith.” On the court I hope this is not a knee-jerk reaction on my part. I’m worried; I’m concerned after seeing Arkansas run Mizzou out of its own building. I didn’t check their record but the Razorbacks came into the game with nearly the same won-loss as the Tigers. Losing 94-61 at home certainly is concerning, I realize Kim Anderson is only in his second year but I believe all of Mizzou nation expect improvement. With the limitations placed on Mizzou it will be difficult to recruit in the future. Is the Mizzou program dead---not yet but it’s certainly on life-support.
1. Missourian
Go figure
I was caught off-guard on this story, we received news in December Dolph Schayes had died at the age of 87. This Bronx (NY) native spent all but one year of his brilliant NBA career as a member of the Syracuse (NY) Nationals. The Nats as they were nicknamed would locate to Philadelphia after the Warriors left for San Francisco in 1963. That team would be re-named the 76ers; Schayes spent his last year in the NBA as a 76er. Schayes could play he would become a 12-time NBA All Star; he was a member of the 1955 NBA Championship team.
After his career ended he would be inducted in the Naismith Hall of Fame, the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was honored by the NBA being selected to both the NBA 25th and 50th Anniversary Teams. A player with such a distinguished NBA career and recognition had their number retired years ago. The 76ers drafted Nerlens Noel in 2013 and awarded him jersey number 4 the same number he wore at Kentucky. Number 4 was the same number Schayes had worn through out most of his NBA career. The 76ers finally decided to retire the number, and it’s going to be hung from the rafters, however Noel will continue to wear number 4.
I understand honoring the man it certainly should have been done while Schayes was alive but it’s the 76ers what should we expect? You say ‘Schayes only played one year in Philadelphia” which is true. If you check the list of retired NBA jerseys you will discover several never played in the franchise city at least Schayes did play in Philadelphia. Examples, Nate Archibald played for the Kings in Kansas City and Oscar Robertson while the franchise called Cincinnati home. Neither has probably ever seen the basketball floor in Sacramento.
My BFF
10-year old Jordan and Kristaps Porzingis might now be Best Friends Forever. Jordan is the youngster who took a selfie of himself crying the night of the draft. He did this at the time Commissioner Silver announced the Knicks were choosing Porzingis with their first pick. Since then Jordan's view of Porzingis has changed, a photo of Jordan and his family along with Porzigis was circulated earlier this month. More recently an Instagram photo of Jordan and Porzingis has been taken. Jordan asked why he booed the selection claimed; “I thought it would take him 3-4 years” that sounds like a 10-year old listening to an adult conversation. If you’d like to check out the latest photo it’s posted as cryingknicksfan.
The Count
One of the characters (puppets) of the PBS program Sesame Street is The Count. If you are unfamiliar with The Count he's dressed in a manner similar to Count Dracula the vampire. During his appearances he conducts himself in the manner of his name------ he counts. I am going to assume the role of The Count and keep a running total on the Warriors this season. The Warriors can experience only 6 more losses between now and April. That’s the formula for the Warriors to break the existing won-loss record set by Michael Jordan’s Bulls. Do the math, the Warriors have 36 wins 3 losses which totals 39 wins with 43 regular season games left. In order to win 73 games the Warriors must win 37 games while losing only 6. Is it possible to establish a new record of course it is, can they do it? NOTE: After this was written the Warriors beat my Lakers so they have one more win.
Had to get out of town
Since Norm Stewart was asked to step-down in 1999 Mizzou basketball has been on a roller coaster, the problem the coaster has gone downhill more often than up over the years. A reporter for the Kansas City Star once wrote; “Mizzou fans constantly expect something bad to occur.” The statement is not too far from the truth it seems as though something bad usually off the court manages to impact the program in a negative manner, that’s the case with the latest news. Consider this fact Kim Anderson is the fourth coach since the departure of Stewart. This coaching change has caused Mizzou to struggle on the court much of the last two seasons.
If you have read Word eye view any length of time you know I have been a defender of former Coach Frank Haith, no more. The school admitted a number of NCAA violations occurred dating back to 2011. 1. “In December 2013, the NCAA received reports of potential violations. A verbal notice of investigation was given MU on April 14, 2014. Four days later, Haith left the Tigers to take the coaching position at Tulsa.” Maybe he had to get out of town.
Here’s the problem for me (and maybe others) Haith’s attorney claimed his client was not at fault the NCAA did not name him a party to the violations. Mizzou wins for 2013-14 are vacated no post-season basketball this year and forfeiture of scholarships over the next two years. The problem for me is I feel betrayed; I was one who maintained “Faith in Haith.” On the court I hope this is not a knee-jerk reaction on my part. I’m worried; I’m concerned after seeing Arkansas run Mizzou out of its own building. I didn’t check their record but the Razorbacks came into the game with nearly the same won-loss as the Tigers. Losing 94-61 at home certainly is concerning, I realize Kim Anderson is only in his second year but I believe all of Mizzou nation expect improvement. With the limitations placed on Mizzou it will be difficult to recruit in the future. Is the Mizzou program dead---not yet but it’s certainly on life-support.
1. Missourian
Go figure
I was caught off-guard on this story, we received news in December Dolph Schayes had died at the age of 87. This Bronx (NY) native spent all but one year of his brilliant NBA career as a member of the Syracuse (NY) Nationals. The Nats as they were nicknamed would locate to Philadelphia after the Warriors left for San Francisco in 1963. That team would be re-named the 76ers; Schayes spent his last year in the NBA as a 76er. Schayes could play he would become a 12-time NBA All Star; he was a member of the 1955 NBA Championship team.
After his career ended he would be inducted in the Naismith Hall of Fame, the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was honored by the NBA being selected to both the NBA 25th and 50th Anniversary Teams. A player with such a distinguished NBA career and recognition had their number retired years ago. The 76ers drafted Nerlens Noel in 2013 and awarded him jersey number 4 the same number he wore at Kentucky. Number 4 was the same number Schayes had worn through out most of his NBA career. The 76ers finally decided to retire the number, and it’s going to be hung from the rafters, however Noel will continue to wear number 4.
I understand honoring the man it certainly should have been done while Schayes was alive but it’s the 76ers what should we expect? You say ‘Schayes only played one year in Philadelphia” which is true. If you check the list of retired NBA jerseys you will discover several never played in the franchise city at least Schayes did play in Philadelphia. Examples, Nate Archibald played for the Kings in Kansas City and Oscar Robertson while the franchise called Cincinnati home. Neither has probably ever seen the basketball floor in Sacramento.
My BFF
10-year old Jordan and Kristaps Porzingis might now be Best Friends Forever. Jordan is the youngster who took a selfie of himself crying the night of the draft. He did this at the time Commissioner Silver announced the Knicks were choosing Porzingis with their first pick. Since then Jordan's view of Porzingis has changed, a photo of Jordan and his family along with Porzigis was circulated earlier this month. More recently an Instagram photo of Jordan and Porzingis has been taken. Jordan asked why he booed the selection claimed; “I thought it would take him 3-4 years” that sounds like a 10-year old listening to an adult conversation. If you’d like to check out the latest photo it’s posted as cryingknicksfan.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
“Don’t be that guy!”
Folks say John Calipari is not the greatest X and O coach but also say he can recruit. Athletes head to Kentucky with the next stop being the NBA Draft and a lucrative contract. See where I’m going with this, good coach great recruiter and inflated head. Whoa, where did Calipari’s inflated head come into the discussion you ask? Every time an NBA coach resigns is fired or retires Calipari’s name is mentioned as a possibility to return to the NBA. A news story broke indicating the NBA has reached out once again to Calipari.
The coach is supposed to have informed the Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets he would return to the NBA for a 10-year $120 million dollar contract. A number of you are too young to remember the ‘96-’97 Knicks Calipari’s first year as head coach of the Knicks. 2½ years later he would depart with a 72-112 record failing to provide proof he can coach successfully at the NBA level. “Don’t be that guy” who is a good college coach but attempts to convince us (offering no proof) his worth a payout close to the national debt.
I don’t know
The ESPN NBA page is still posing the question can the Warriors break the all-time team won-loss record. It’s quite possible for the Warriors to win 73 games, as this is written they are 33-2 leaving 40 regular season games. The math indicates the Warriors must win 40 of their next 47 games to eclipse the record, a difficult task but certainly not impossible. The key for the Warriors is to avoid major injuries to key players. I’m not hatin’ just attempting to point out the difficulty in breaking this record. On the other hand I’ve heard folks say; “What good is it to establish a new record and fail to win the NBA Championship?”
Laying in the Weeds
We have focused this NBA season on teams, players and other stuff. Our concentration has been the swift start by the Steph Curry Warriors and the second season of LeBron’s return to the Cavs. In addition the rookies, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristpas Porzingis and Jahlil Okafor appear they are primed and ready for long careers in the NBA. Teams expected to compete but undistinguished to date have also been newsworthy, the Clippers, Rockets and Pelicans. In the bombardment of NBA reports the Spurs of San Antonio have been completely overlooked. Sure they picked up LaMarcus Aldridge in the off-season but the Spurs are old. Check out these numbers, Tim Duncan (39) Manu Ginobili (38) David West (35), Matt Bonner (35) and Boris Diaw 33 years old.
Point guard Tony Parker is also 33 years old, it would appear most of the Spurs might have already received their AARP cards prior to the start of the season. This team is old nobody expects them to compete for an NBA title. Guess what sports fans the Spurs are laying in the weeds quietly playing darn good basketball. Unfortunately for NBA rivals they forgot to inform the Spurs they couldn’t compete for a title. As this is written the Spurs stand 32-6 and sit in first place in the Southwest Division. Will they provide “Timmy” a going away gift in the form of an NBA Championship? Check back in June and see how this turns out.
Football---how about basketball
If you say LSU your immediate thoughts go toward their football program. Over the years Louisiana State University and SEC football have gone hand in hand. The school has turned out a number of talented basketball players over the years. If you thought Ben Simmons was the only talent to enroll at football driven LSU allow me to introduce a number of past talents who played for the Baton Rogue School.
Lots of times we tend to gauge a players success based on their NBA impact and that’s not always a good barometer. We could begin with the legendary Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich both Hall of Fame players. As for Maravich he’s remains the all-time NCAA leading scorer despite the fact he never had the benefit of a 3-point line. Maravich would score 3,667 points in four seasons a record which will never be eclipsed.
Shaquille O’Neal
Stanley Roberts
Chris Jackson (Mahmound Abud-Rauf)
Rudy Macklin
Glenn “Big Baby” Davis
Brandon Bass
Randy Livingston
Stromile Swift
Marcus Thornton
Tyrus Thomas
DeWayne Scales
LSU has never won an NCAA Championship in basketball and maybe that’s why the school is often overlooked regarding basketball talent. LSU 4 Final Four appearances plus 6 Elite Eight finishes and has appeared in over 20 NCAA tournaments.
“Don’t be that guy!”
Folks say John Calipari is not the greatest X and O coach but also say he can recruit. Athletes head to Kentucky with the next stop being the NBA Draft and a lucrative contract. See where I’m going with this, good coach great recruiter and inflated head. Whoa, where did Calipari’s inflated head come into the discussion you ask? Every time an NBA coach resigns is fired or retires Calipari’s name is mentioned as a possibility to return to the NBA. A news story broke indicating the NBA has reached out once again to Calipari.
The coach is supposed to have informed the Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets he would return to the NBA for a 10-year $120 million dollar contract. A number of you are too young to remember the ‘96-’97 Knicks Calipari’s first year as head coach of the Knicks. 2½ years later he would depart with a 72-112 record failing to provide proof he can coach successfully at the NBA level. “Don’t be that guy” who is a good college coach but attempts to convince us (offering no proof) his worth a payout close to the national debt.
I don’t know
The ESPN NBA page is still posing the question can the Warriors break the all-time team won-loss record. It’s quite possible for the Warriors to win 73 games, as this is written they are 33-2 leaving 40 regular season games. The math indicates the Warriors must win 40 of their next 47 games to eclipse the record, a difficult task but certainly not impossible. The key for the Warriors is to avoid major injuries to key players. I’m not hatin’ just attempting to point out the difficulty in breaking this record. On the other hand I’ve heard folks say; “What good is it to establish a new record and fail to win the NBA Championship?”
Laying in the Weeds
We have focused this NBA season on teams, players and other stuff. Our concentration has been the swift start by the Steph Curry Warriors and the second season of LeBron’s return to the Cavs. In addition the rookies, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristpas Porzingis and Jahlil Okafor appear they are primed and ready for long careers in the NBA. Teams expected to compete but undistinguished to date have also been newsworthy, the Clippers, Rockets and Pelicans. In the bombardment of NBA reports the Spurs of San Antonio have been completely overlooked. Sure they picked up LaMarcus Aldridge in the off-season but the Spurs are old. Check out these numbers, Tim Duncan (39) Manu Ginobili (38) David West (35), Matt Bonner (35) and Boris Diaw 33 years old.
Point guard Tony Parker is also 33 years old, it would appear most of the Spurs might have already received their AARP cards prior to the start of the season. This team is old nobody expects them to compete for an NBA title. Guess what sports fans the Spurs are laying in the weeds quietly playing darn good basketball. Unfortunately for NBA rivals they forgot to inform the Spurs they couldn’t compete for a title. As this is written the Spurs stand 32-6 and sit in first place in the Southwest Division. Will they provide “Timmy” a going away gift in the form of an NBA Championship? Check back in June and see how this turns out.
Football---how about basketball
If you say LSU your immediate thoughts go toward their football program. Over the years Louisiana State University and SEC football have gone hand in hand. The school has turned out a number of talented basketball players over the years. If you thought Ben Simmons was the only talent to enroll at football driven LSU allow me to introduce a number of past talents who played for the Baton Rogue School.
Lots of times we tend to gauge a players success based on their NBA impact and that’s not always a good barometer. We could begin with the legendary Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich both Hall of Fame players. As for Maravich he’s remains the all-time NCAA leading scorer despite the fact he never had the benefit of a 3-point line. Maravich would score 3,667 points in four seasons a record which will never be eclipsed.
Shaquille O’Neal
Stanley Roberts
Chris Jackson (Mahmound Abud-Rauf)
Rudy Macklin
Glenn “Big Baby” Davis
Brandon Bass
Randy Livingston
Stromile Swift
Marcus Thornton
Tyrus Thomas
DeWayne Scales
LSU has never won an NCAA Championship in basketball and maybe that’s why the school is often overlooked regarding basketball talent. LSU 4 Final Four appearances plus 6 Elite Eight finishes and has appeared in over 20 NCAA tournaments.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
“Coming to America---maybe”
In 1988 Paramount released ‘”Coming to America” the movie told the story of an African prince played by Eddie Murphy and his journey to America to find a wife. Prince Akeem (Murphy) his assistant Semmi (Arsenio Hall) had several adventures while adjusting to life in America. Life might imitate art but this time the story begins in China rather than a fictional African kingdom.
Zhou Qi is a 7-2 209 pound center on the radar of many NBA scouts; Qi is from Henan about 600 miles south of the capital Beijing, he’s only 19 and might not submit his name for the 2016 draft. His name is listed on a number of mock draft sites for example SI.com lists him as their number 20 choice, Draftexpress.com has him at 13 and Hooptrends have him at 14. Whether he arrives next year or not eventually Qi might be “Coming to America.”
I won’t pretend
A lawsuit has been filed by a group attempting to delay construction on the planned San Francisco arena. The opposition group claims emergency traffic to a nearby hospital would be impacted by traffic and parking surrounding the arena. A fan in favor of the project wrote a letter which sums up the issue pretty clearly for me.
I’m paraphrasing portions of her letter; “The Warriors play 41 home games out of 82 and the majority of those games are at night. 41 dates out of 365 days and besides the fact people don’t always go to the emergency room at night.” I won’t pretend to have all the answers to this issue perhaps its more than a traffic issue. Unless there are environmental issues I think most of us might find difficulty understanding the basis for this suit.
Urban Basketball
Has the University of Missouri-Kansas City turned the corner on its basketball program? We pose the question because a number of folks envisioned UMKC turning into another Louisville or UCLA. UMKC would become successful and become a magnet for local and national high school kids, the school would become an urban basketball power. Unfortunately a number of speed bumps prevented the program rising to the level hoped. UMKC began play at the NAIA level and in 1990 became Division I. UMKC played an independent schedule for several years with hopes of a conference affiliation.
UMKC would join the Mid-Continent Conference which later was re-named the Summit League. In 2013 they left that conference to become a member of the Western Athletic Conference. While this move was occurring the school reached out and hired Kareem Richardson Rick Pitino’s assistant at Louisville. The first year under Richardson UMKC finished 10-20 and 7-9 in the conference, last season they were 14-19 but improved to 8-6 in the WAC. As the Kangaroos begin conference play they stand 8-8 their best non-conference record in recent history.
Don’t get it twisted
I mentioned earlier the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame changed its guidelines for player induction. Instead of a 5 year wait after retirement the period was reduced by a year which meant Shaq, Yao Ming, Iverson and several other former players would eligible in 2016. Drum roll please as names are announced, one name caused more opposition than others Yao Ming. I copied two of them word for word; “yao is a hall of famer? I know what he meant to the China community but his career in the association was average at best.” or “Still don’t get Yao. He wasn’t the 1st, he had a mediocre career, and while I understand he helped the sport in China that doesn’t mean he’s HOF material.” The two writers (and maybe others) failed to understand it’s not the NBA Hall of Fame it’s the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Any former player selected must have impacted the game in a significant manner and that certainly fits Yao Ming. One respondent was correct Yao was not the first Chinese player but he certainly might have had the greater impact. In addition if we look at this issue strictly on the numbers we could question the Drazen Petrovic. His NBA numbers are below those of Yao, a tragic automobile accident shorten Petrovic’s career. Injuries did the same for Yao in a career that may have been greater if not cut short. In related HOF news the selection committee announced it will shut down its ABA commission. Prior to the merger between the NBA-ABA players it was decided to include ABA players for enshrinement. Players in the ABA had been overlooked for consideration the commission was given the task of selecting outstanding ABA players.
“Coming to America---maybe”
In 1988 Paramount released ‘”Coming to America” the movie told the story of an African prince played by Eddie Murphy and his journey to America to find a wife. Prince Akeem (Murphy) his assistant Semmi (Arsenio Hall) had several adventures while adjusting to life in America. Life might imitate art but this time the story begins in China rather than a fictional African kingdom.
Zhou Qi is a 7-2 209 pound center on the radar of many NBA scouts; Qi is from Henan about 600 miles south of the capital Beijing, he’s only 19 and might not submit his name for the 2016 draft. His name is listed on a number of mock draft sites for example SI.com lists him as their number 20 choice, Draftexpress.com has him at 13 and Hooptrends have him at 14. Whether he arrives next year or not eventually Qi might be “Coming to America.”
I won’t pretend
A lawsuit has been filed by a group attempting to delay construction on the planned San Francisco arena. The opposition group claims emergency traffic to a nearby hospital would be impacted by traffic and parking surrounding the arena. A fan in favor of the project wrote a letter which sums up the issue pretty clearly for me.
I’m paraphrasing portions of her letter; “The Warriors play 41 home games out of 82 and the majority of those games are at night. 41 dates out of 365 days and besides the fact people don’t always go to the emergency room at night.” I won’t pretend to have all the answers to this issue perhaps its more than a traffic issue. Unless there are environmental issues I think most of us might find difficulty understanding the basis for this suit.
Urban Basketball
Has the University of Missouri-Kansas City turned the corner on its basketball program? We pose the question because a number of folks envisioned UMKC turning into another Louisville or UCLA. UMKC would become successful and become a magnet for local and national high school kids, the school would become an urban basketball power. Unfortunately a number of speed bumps prevented the program rising to the level hoped. UMKC began play at the NAIA level and in 1990 became Division I. UMKC played an independent schedule for several years with hopes of a conference affiliation.
UMKC would join the Mid-Continent Conference which later was re-named the Summit League. In 2013 they left that conference to become a member of the Western Athletic Conference. While this move was occurring the school reached out and hired Kareem Richardson Rick Pitino’s assistant at Louisville. The first year under Richardson UMKC finished 10-20 and 7-9 in the conference, last season they were 14-19 but improved to 8-6 in the WAC. As the Kangaroos begin conference play they stand 8-8 their best non-conference record in recent history.
Don’t get it twisted
I mentioned earlier the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame changed its guidelines for player induction. Instead of a 5 year wait after retirement the period was reduced by a year which meant Shaq, Yao Ming, Iverson and several other former players would eligible in 2016. Drum roll please as names are announced, one name caused more opposition than others Yao Ming. I copied two of them word for word; “yao is a hall of famer? I know what he meant to the China community but his career in the association was average at best.” or “Still don’t get Yao. He wasn’t the 1st, he had a mediocre career, and while I understand he helped the sport in China that doesn’t mean he’s HOF material.” The two writers (and maybe others) failed to understand it’s not the NBA Hall of Fame it’s the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Any former player selected must have impacted the game in a significant manner and that certainly fits Yao Ming. One respondent was correct Yao was not the first Chinese player but he certainly might have had the greater impact. In addition if we look at this issue strictly on the numbers we could question the Drazen Petrovic. His NBA numbers are below those of Yao, a tragic automobile accident shorten Petrovic’s career. Injuries did the same for Yao in a career that may have been greater if not cut short. In related HOF news the selection committee announced it will shut down its ABA commission. Prior to the merger between the NBA-ABA players it was decided to include ABA players for enshrinement. Players in the ABA had been overlooked for consideration the commission was given the task of selecting outstanding ABA players.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
“Don’t be that guy!”
This is intended to become a regular feature of Words eye view. It’s proposed to ask the question; “What was he (she) thinking. “ The recent Jazz-Rockets game and Salt Lake City is the location. Rockets guard James Harden is standing at the free-throw line preparing to shot and a Jazz fan decides to shine a laser in Harden’s eyes. Unsure if it was Harden or the referee who spotted the laser however the culprit was caught. The guilty party is banned from all NBA arenas for 1-year.
Bits n Pieces
I have been one of the biggest critics of those gruesome medium blue colored Thunder jerseys. I’ve seen high school teams with snappier looking uniforms. What I’m seeing tonight must be alternate jerseys; they are orange with navy blue stripe on both sides of the shorts and tops. They have a navy blue OKC on the front of the jersey along with blue numerals. I pronounce them in the category of “I like.”
Oklahoma lost the classic match last Monday to Kansas; Buddy Hield did all he could to aid the Oklahoma cause in the triple-overtime loss. The 6-4 guard scored 46 points on 13 for 23 from the floor (56%), 12-14 from the free-throw line 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Currently Hield is listed as the 22nd pick on www.nbadraftexpress.com and number 8 on www.nbadraft.net. This is no forecast of NBA success however Hield will definitely be drafted.
Do you remember the night of the draft a television camera caught a young Knick fan taking a selfie of him? He was crying when the commissioner announced the Knicks selection of Kristapas Porzingis. Recently an instagram photo surfaced of him and his parents, in the photo he’s in a Kristapas Porzigis jersey. Can we guess the youngster may have changed his mind? In a related story Porzingis claimed doctors advised him he’s not finished growing. Currently listed at 7-3 he could grow another 3 or 4 inches. That is real scary for the NBA.
Earl Watson was a journeyman player in the NBA however he’s a local guy. Watson from Kansas City Kansas graduated from Washington High School and then played his college ball at UCLA. In 2001 Watson was drafted by the Sonics in the second round of the NBA Draft. The shakeup in the coaching staff of the Suns saw Watson becoming an assistant coach, a shout out to a local guy.
They are best
I just checked the RPI (Real Time Ranking) of the college basketball conferences. The Pac-12 ranks first in strength of schedule however the Big-12 is number one in the nation. The Big-12 may have been the strongest in 2014-15 however the issue (for me at least) little if any success in the NCAA Tournament. In the past Kansas has been the only conference member to regularly advance deep into the tournament. The question is it fair to use the NCAA Tournament as a gauge for a conference?
“Don’t be that guy!”
This is intended to become a regular feature of Words eye view. It’s proposed to ask the question; “What was he (she) thinking. “ The recent Jazz-Rockets game and Salt Lake City is the location. Rockets guard James Harden is standing at the free-throw line preparing to shot and a Jazz fan decides to shine a laser in Harden’s eyes. Unsure if it was Harden or the referee who spotted the laser however the culprit was caught. The guilty party is banned from all NBA arenas for 1-year.
Bits n Pieces
I have been one of the biggest critics of those gruesome medium blue colored Thunder jerseys. I’ve seen high school teams with snappier looking uniforms. What I’m seeing tonight must be alternate jerseys; they are orange with navy blue stripe on both sides of the shorts and tops. They have a navy blue OKC on the front of the jersey along with blue numerals. I pronounce them in the category of “I like.”
Oklahoma lost the classic match last Monday to Kansas; Buddy Hield did all he could to aid the Oklahoma cause in the triple-overtime loss. The 6-4 guard scored 46 points on 13 for 23 from the floor (56%), 12-14 from the free-throw line 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Currently Hield is listed as the 22nd pick on www.nbadraftexpress.com and number 8 on www.nbadraft.net. This is no forecast of NBA success however Hield will definitely be drafted.
Do you remember the night of the draft a television camera caught a young Knick fan taking a selfie of him? He was crying when the commissioner announced the Knicks selection of Kristapas Porzingis. Recently an instagram photo surfaced of him and his parents, in the photo he’s in a Kristapas Porzigis jersey. Can we guess the youngster may have changed his mind? In a related story Porzingis claimed doctors advised him he’s not finished growing. Currently listed at 7-3 he could grow another 3 or 4 inches. That is real scary for the NBA.
Earl Watson was a journeyman player in the NBA however he’s a local guy. Watson from Kansas City Kansas graduated from Washington High School and then played his college ball at UCLA. In 2001 Watson was drafted by the Sonics in the second round of the NBA Draft. The shakeup in the coaching staff of the Suns saw Watson becoming an assistant coach, a shout out to a local guy.
They are best
I just checked the RPI (Real Time Ranking) of the college basketball conferences. The Pac-12 ranks first in strength of schedule however the Big-12 is number one in the nation. The Big-12 may have been the strongest in 2014-15 however the issue (for me at least) little if any success in the NCAA Tournament. In the past Kansas has been the only conference member to regularly advance deep into the tournament. The question is it fair to use the NCAA Tournament as a gauge for a conference?
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
“I’m from Missouri Show Me”
This is written prior to tonight’s Kansas-Oklahoma game. If we look at the polls Oklahoma is the number one team in the nation while Kansas is number one too. That’s no typo, in the USA Today Coaches Poll Oklahoma is atop the poll with Kansas sitting in second place. If we check the Associated Press Top 25 they have Kansas in first place followed by Oklahoma in second. This anomaly (two teams being number one) may have occurred in the past but I doubt they played each other as will occur tonight. Kansas is a 5 point favorite due to it being a home game for Kansas. Side bar here; I wrote Kansas has been a consistent winner in basketball historically in the latter years little of that talent is home grown. The latest example of not acquiring that talent might be Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield.
Hield from Bahamas played high school ball at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita Kansas. The Jayhawks had plenty of opportunity to scout him while he played 2 hours drive time from Lawrence. Coach Self indicated in a Kansas City Star article; “We under-recruited (Hield) him”. Consider this tidbit from last Saturday night the Jayhawks played number 23 Baylor also a home game for Kansas; they totally destroyed Baylor 102-74. This past Monday I wrote the Big 12 wants to stick out hits chest bragging about the strength of its basketball teams. After viewing the Baylor Bears being totally destroyed Saturday evening what should we expect from the Oklahoma Sooners tonight? The outcome might be different Oklahoma may win however “I’m from Missouri (they must) show me.”
NOTE: In a game for the ages the Kansas Jayhawks won a triple overtime match 109-106. Oklahoma playing in Allen Fieldhouse played much better than I expected but came up short.
Did you know?
I’m unsure if there is history here or not at the same time I’m uncertain if any school has begun a game with a taller lineup. In a game earlier the University of California Irvine Gauchos trotted out these starters against Chapman College. UCI starters were 7 foot 6 inches, 7 foot 2 inches, two others stood 6 foot 10 and “tiny” Shawn Ray at 6 foot 8 inches was the smallest starter if we dare use the term. The Gauchos won the game 65-51 and registered 13 blocked shots.
Race issue
The father of 76er guard Kendall Marshall has apologized, allow me to state that upfront. We know the mess the 76ers team is on the basketball court but to claim racism for the basis his son is not playing is a stretch. Marshall’s dad took to twitter complaining about his son’s lack of playing time. He hinted racism was the basis for Marshall’s lack of play. After investigating the story I discovered Marshall was coming off a torn ACL sustained while a member of the Bucks. In addition Ish Smith who became a teammate in the middle of December has played better and reduced the minutes of Marshall. It should be noted Marshall and Smith are African American, if Marshall’s time on the court had been reduced by a white player I could understand his rant. Just my thoughts fans you might formulate a different opinion.
Say what?
Don’t know where ESPN’s Chris Broussard been hiding out but he surfaced recently. He appeared long enough to drop this tidbit of information; “Kevin Durant could go to the Warriors.” We know next season Durant becomes a free agent and a number of NBA teams will be seeking his services. I certainly am not doubting the talent issue here I’m questioning the chemistry issue.
Harrison Barnes doesn’t command the basketball but neither does Durant. With the Thunder Durant only shares the ball with Westbrook and Ibaka. Would there be enough basketballs to go around dividing shots between Curry, Thompson, Green and Durant? Can’t say this move by Durant couldn’t happen I I just seriously doubt it.
“I’m from Missouri Show Me”
This is written prior to tonight’s Kansas-Oklahoma game. If we look at the polls Oklahoma is the number one team in the nation while Kansas is number one too. That’s no typo, in the USA Today Coaches Poll Oklahoma is atop the poll with Kansas sitting in second place. If we check the Associated Press Top 25 they have Kansas in first place followed by Oklahoma in second. This anomaly (two teams being number one) may have occurred in the past but I doubt they played each other as will occur tonight. Kansas is a 5 point favorite due to it being a home game for Kansas. Side bar here; I wrote Kansas has been a consistent winner in basketball historically in the latter years little of that talent is home grown. The latest example of not acquiring that talent might be Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield.
Hield from Bahamas played high school ball at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita Kansas. The Jayhawks had plenty of opportunity to scout him while he played 2 hours drive time from Lawrence. Coach Self indicated in a Kansas City Star article; “We under-recruited (Hield) him”. Consider this tidbit from last Saturday night the Jayhawks played number 23 Baylor also a home game for Kansas; they totally destroyed Baylor 102-74. This past Monday I wrote the Big 12 wants to stick out hits chest bragging about the strength of its basketball teams. After viewing the Baylor Bears being totally destroyed Saturday evening what should we expect from the Oklahoma Sooners tonight? The outcome might be different Oklahoma may win however “I’m from Missouri (they must) show me.”
NOTE: In a game for the ages the Kansas Jayhawks won a triple overtime match 109-106. Oklahoma playing in Allen Fieldhouse played much better than I expected but came up short.
Did you know?
I’m unsure if there is history here or not at the same time I’m uncertain if any school has begun a game with a taller lineup. In a game earlier the University of California Irvine Gauchos trotted out these starters against Chapman College. UCI starters were 7 foot 6 inches, 7 foot 2 inches, two others stood 6 foot 10 and “tiny” Shawn Ray at 6 foot 8 inches was the smallest starter if we dare use the term. The Gauchos won the game 65-51 and registered 13 blocked shots.
Race issue
The father of 76er guard Kendall Marshall has apologized, allow me to state that upfront. We know the mess the 76ers team is on the basketball court but to claim racism for the basis his son is not playing is a stretch. Marshall’s dad took to twitter complaining about his son’s lack of playing time. He hinted racism was the basis for Marshall’s lack of play. After investigating the story I discovered Marshall was coming off a torn ACL sustained while a member of the Bucks. In addition Ish Smith who became a teammate in the middle of December has played better and reduced the minutes of Marshall. It should be noted Marshall and Smith are African American, if Marshall’s time on the court had been reduced by a white player I could understand his rant. Just my thoughts fans you might formulate a different opinion.
Say what?
Don’t know where ESPN’s Chris Broussard been hiding out but he surfaced recently. He appeared long enough to drop this tidbit of information; “Kevin Durant could go to the Warriors.” We know next season Durant becomes a free agent and a number of NBA teams will be seeking his services. I certainly am not doubting the talent issue here I’m questioning the chemistry issue.
Harrison Barnes doesn’t command the basketball but neither does Durant. With the Thunder Durant only shares the ball with Westbrook and Ibaka. Would there be enough basketballs to go around dividing shots between Curry, Thompson, Green and Durant? Can’t say this move by Durant couldn’t happen I I just seriously doubt it.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Where does he rank?
My barber hit me with this question before I left. “Where does Kobe rank in the list of All-Time Lakers?” I informed him “I don’t won’t to place a position number but Kobe ranks in my Top 5.” Now that I’m at home and can sit and think about his question I’m going to provide you my verdict, they are not in any sort of order. I thought it noteworthy to give you an idea who arrived via the draft, free-agency or a trade.
Magic Johnson
*Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Jerry West
Elgin Baylor
Kobe Bryant
James Worthy
George Mikan
*Wilt Chamberlain
*Shaquille O’Neal
*Jamaal Wilkes
Honorable mention
Gail Goodrich
Michael Cooper
*Pau Gasol
*Hap Hairston
*Byron Scott
*Acquired in a trade or free agency
Bold indicates enshrinement in the Naismith Hall of Fame.
It should also be noteworthy Shaq is likely to be elected to the HOF in the summer and Kobe will be elected in four years. 10 All-Time Laker greats 9 in the HOF and 2 likely enshrined at a future date.
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
For Clint Eastwood fans the above is the title to the 1967 Western which in my view provided a bump in his career. This is not about the movie it’s the arena situation in the city by the bay----San Francisco. The Good----the Warriors announced in the spring of 2012 they intended to build a new arena to replace Oracle in Oakland. The new 18,000 seat $1 billion dollar arena would be built across the bay in San Francisco. The Bad----environmental issues forced a change the first location was deemed unacceptable back to the drawing boards. A secondary location was chosen but the bad continued with a fight regarding the impact of traffic on game nights. The Mission Bay Group cited a belief there would be difficulty getting to the UCSF hospital due to traffic, parking and other issues.
Despite the reported issues the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10-0 approving the second site and it appears full speed ahead on the project-----hold on just a moment there is more. The Ugly----the Mission Bay Group which has spearheaded arena opposition indicate they are not finished, they intend to file a lawsuit preventing construction of the arena. Ground breaking is planned for 2016 with a grand opening for the arena set for 2018 do you believe that’s possible? Right now I believe it’s more likely the Warriors win the next two NBA Championships then the arena be completed by 2018. The arena will be built the lands been purchased at this point it becomes a time issue. This is not intended to be a complete account of all activities only an attempt to capture the major events.
Somebody else maybe
This is the year somebody other than Kansas is suppose to win the Big 12 regular season championship. Iowa State looks strong so do Oklahoma and Baylor perhaps we could include Oklahoma State in the mix. We might add Texas to the list however the new coach and new system they might need time. How much will Cheick Diallo aid the pursuit of Kansas is still unclear at this point however he is defiantly a talent. The question can Diallo mesh his skills with the holdovers on the roster? I pose the question once again, is this the year somebody other than Kansas wins the Big 12 regular season crown? If I were a betting person I wouldn’t place money on my last statement.
Last season I looked at Kansas prior to the season and the cupboard looked pretty bare. The Jayhawks finished 27-9 (13-5 in conference play) so much for my down season prediction. I’ve said this before and continue to believe the Big 12 is not as strong a basketball conference as it claims. If it’s as strong as it claims how come one school could win 12 regular season championships in a row? In addition how could that one school be the only one able to advance deep into the NCAA Tournament every year. The Wooden UCLA teams did this back in the day however there are no more super teams how does Kansas do it? Its good coaching and a world-wide recruiting base which have become the building blocks.
Where does he rank?
My barber hit me with this question before I left. “Where does Kobe rank in the list of All-Time Lakers?” I informed him “I don’t won’t to place a position number but Kobe ranks in my Top 5.” Now that I’m at home and can sit and think about his question I’m going to provide you my verdict, they are not in any sort of order. I thought it noteworthy to give you an idea who arrived via the draft, free-agency or a trade.
Magic Johnson
*Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Jerry West
Elgin Baylor
Kobe Bryant
James Worthy
George Mikan
*Wilt Chamberlain
*Shaquille O’Neal
*Jamaal Wilkes
Honorable mention
Gail Goodrich
Michael Cooper
*Pau Gasol
*Hap Hairston
*Byron Scott
*Acquired in a trade or free agency
Bold indicates enshrinement in the Naismith Hall of Fame.
It should also be noteworthy Shaq is likely to be elected to the HOF in the summer and Kobe will be elected in four years. 10 All-Time Laker greats 9 in the HOF and 2 likely enshrined at a future date.
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
For Clint Eastwood fans the above is the title to the 1967 Western which in my view provided a bump in his career. This is not about the movie it’s the arena situation in the city by the bay----San Francisco. The Good----the Warriors announced in the spring of 2012 they intended to build a new arena to replace Oracle in Oakland. The new 18,000 seat $1 billion dollar arena would be built across the bay in San Francisco. The Bad----environmental issues forced a change the first location was deemed unacceptable back to the drawing boards. A secondary location was chosen but the bad continued with a fight regarding the impact of traffic on game nights. The Mission Bay Group cited a belief there would be difficulty getting to the UCSF hospital due to traffic, parking and other issues.
Despite the reported issues the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10-0 approving the second site and it appears full speed ahead on the project-----hold on just a moment there is more. The Ugly----the Mission Bay Group which has spearheaded arena opposition indicate they are not finished, they intend to file a lawsuit preventing construction of the arena. Ground breaking is planned for 2016 with a grand opening for the arena set for 2018 do you believe that’s possible? Right now I believe it’s more likely the Warriors win the next two NBA Championships then the arena be completed by 2018. The arena will be built the lands been purchased at this point it becomes a time issue. This is not intended to be a complete account of all activities only an attempt to capture the major events.
Somebody else maybe
This is the year somebody other than Kansas is suppose to win the Big 12 regular season championship. Iowa State looks strong so do Oklahoma and Baylor perhaps we could include Oklahoma State in the mix. We might add Texas to the list however the new coach and new system they might need time. How much will Cheick Diallo aid the pursuit of Kansas is still unclear at this point however he is defiantly a talent. The question can Diallo mesh his skills with the holdovers on the roster? I pose the question once again, is this the year somebody other than Kansas wins the Big 12 regular season crown? If I were a betting person I wouldn’t place money on my last statement.
Last season I looked at Kansas prior to the season and the cupboard looked pretty bare. The Jayhawks finished 27-9 (13-5 in conference play) so much for my down season prediction. I’ve said this before and continue to believe the Big 12 is not as strong a basketball conference as it claims. If it’s as strong as it claims how come one school could win 12 regular season championships in a row? In addition how could that one school be the only one able to advance deep into the NCAA Tournament every year. The Wooden UCLA teams did this back in the day however there are no more super teams how does Kansas do it? Its good coaching and a world-wide recruiting base which have become the building blocks.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Not that Yogi, the other one
It seems like Yogi Farrell has been at Indiana for 6 or 7 years. Of course that’s an exaggeration however the point guard is now in his senior year and the NBA possibly awaits him. There are a number of negatives in front of the Indianapolis native that say “He can’t play in the NBA.” The first obstacle is his size, at 6-0 178 pounds he might be considered too small for the NBA. The second might be his shot; his field goal percentage isn’t sparkling kind of like a Rajon Rondo. Working in Ferrell’s favor is his leadership at the point.
About the nickname, his given name is Kevin however mom hung Yogi on him as a baby. If you thought it was for the late baseball great Yogi Berra you are wrong. In 1958 the Hanna-Barbera Studios created a cartoon bear and named him Yogi Bear (probably a take on the baseball player). Yogi Bear lived in Jellystone National Park and was always searching the park to devour the contents of picnic baskets. Kevin’s mom claimed as a baby he ate “everything” in sight so she nicknamed her son Yogi.
Who advances?
A number of folks say I’m too tough on the Clippers. I’m only attempting to point out its going to be very tough to advance in a tough Western Conference. As I indicated earlier the Clippers will be a playoff team it’s advancing to play for the championship I question. Who stands out right now, the Warriors are playing at a greater level than last season. How about the “old” Spurs who always are lying in the weeds waiting to pounce?
The Thunder after a period of average play appear to be primed for a run. The balance of the field in the Western Conference is a mix bag, Dallas, Memphis, Houston and Utah. As this is written the Mavs are the only one of the aforementioned teams above .500. It’s unlikely the Spurs and Warriors play one another in the first round so matchups will impact any team advancing out of the West. Which team plays for the NBA Championship your guess is a good as mine with one exception I don’t believe that team will be the Clippers however.
Great expectations
This is not intended to be a first hand account I didn’t see the game from the beginning. I’m disappointed with the action on the court I’ve witnessed so far by LSU too many turnovers. The addition of Ben Simmons and an outstanding freshman class I believed we’d all see better play from LSU than we’ve seen so far. The LSU Tigers non-conference schedule has certainly been a bumpy road. ACC Wake Forest would be a tune up for SEC Conference play beginning next week; the Tigers have Wake Forest at their place.
You might believe this would be advantage Wake Forest playing at home, I don’t think so. I don’t believe any of us expected LSU to be a Top 25 team or compete for a national championship expectations were higher than what we’ve seen so far. Perhaps it’s me not giving Wake Forest enough credit tonight for playing an impressive game. Final score read Wake Forest 77 LSU 71; the Tigers go into conference play with a record of 7 wins and 5 losses.
The entertainer
This past Sunday Meadowlark Lemon died at age 83. He was the Harlem Globetrotters for a significant number of years, the team and he would become good will ambassadors of basketball world-wide. I didn’t know until his passing Lemon turned down a baseball contract to play for the Trotters, R.I.P. Meadowlark Lemon.
Well---maybe
Breaking the NBA won-loss record set by the Michael Jordan Bulls was a topic of discussion early on. The rapid pace set by the Warriors made for the topic valid. With no Curry in the lineup last night the Warriors lost to the Mavericks, the Mavs won 114-91. I’m terrible with numbers but believe this correct the Warriors now have a 29-2 record. That would leave 51 regular season games remaining; the Warriors must play at a .862 clip (44-7) in order to win 73 games. Can they break the NBA’s all-time won-loss record you might ask? Yes, this is certainly more feasible in my mind than Curry winning 7 NBA Championships.
Not that Yogi, the other one
It seems like Yogi Farrell has been at Indiana for 6 or 7 years. Of course that’s an exaggeration however the point guard is now in his senior year and the NBA possibly awaits him. There are a number of negatives in front of the Indianapolis native that say “He can’t play in the NBA.” The first obstacle is his size, at 6-0 178 pounds he might be considered too small for the NBA. The second might be his shot; his field goal percentage isn’t sparkling kind of like a Rajon Rondo. Working in Ferrell’s favor is his leadership at the point.
About the nickname, his given name is Kevin however mom hung Yogi on him as a baby. If you thought it was for the late baseball great Yogi Berra you are wrong. In 1958 the Hanna-Barbera Studios created a cartoon bear and named him Yogi Bear (probably a take on the baseball player). Yogi Bear lived in Jellystone National Park and was always searching the park to devour the contents of picnic baskets. Kevin’s mom claimed as a baby he ate “everything” in sight so she nicknamed her son Yogi.
Who advances?
A number of folks say I’m too tough on the Clippers. I’m only attempting to point out its going to be very tough to advance in a tough Western Conference. As I indicated earlier the Clippers will be a playoff team it’s advancing to play for the championship I question. Who stands out right now, the Warriors are playing at a greater level than last season. How about the “old” Spurs who always are lying in the weeds waiting to pounce?
The Thunder after a period of average play appear to be primed for a run. The balance of the field in the Western Conference is a mix bag, Dallas, Memphis, Houston and Utah. As this is written the Mavs are the only one of the aforementioned teams above .500. It’s unlikely the Spurs and Warriors play one another in the first round so matchups will impact any team advancing out of the West. Which team plays for the NBA Championship your guess is a good as mine with one exception I don’t believe that team will be the Clippers however.
Great expectations
This is not intended to be a first hand account I didn’t see the game from the beginning. I’m disappointed with the action on the court I’ve witnessed so far by LSU too many turnovers. The addition of Ben Simmons and an outstanding freshman class I believed we’d all see better play from LSU than we’ve seen so far. The LSU Tigers non-conference schedule has certainly been a bumpy road. ACC Wake Forest would be a tune up for SEC Conference play beginning next week; the Tigers have Wake Forest at their place.
You might believe this would be advantage Wake Forest playing at home, I don’t think so. I don’t believe any of us expected LSU to be a Top 25 team or compete for a national championship expectations were higher than what we’ve seen so far. Perhaps it’s me not giving Wake Forest enough credit tonight for playing an impressive game. Final score read Wake Forest 77 LSU 71; the Tigers go into conference play with a record of 7 wins and 5 losses.
The entertainer
This past Sunday Meadowlark Lemon died at age 83. He was the Harlem Globetrotters for a significant number of years, the team and he would become good will ambassadors of basketball world-wide. I didn’t know until his passing Lemon turned down a baseball contract to play for the Trotters, R.I.P. Meadowlark Lemon.
Well---maybe
Breaking the NBA won-loss record set by the Michael Jordan Bulls was a topic of discussion early on. The rapid pace set by the Warriors made for the topic valid. With no Curry in the lineup last night the Warriors lost to the Mavericks, the Mavs won 114-91. I’m terrible with numbers but believe this correct the Warriors now have a 29-2 record. That would leave 51 regular season games remaining; the Warriors must play at a .862 clip (44-7) in order to win 73 games. Can they break the NBA’s all-time won-loss record you might ask? Yes, this is certainly more feasible in my mind than Curry winning 7 NBA Championships.
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