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.
