Basketball from a fans perspective
SMU’s gain is Duke’s loss
Semi Ojeleye left Ottawa (KS) for Duke in 2013, a true student athlete he ran into a numbers problem at Duke. Buried at the end of the bench had nothing to do with his budding talent it’s the fact he made the wrong choice. This is no criticism of Coach K. its reality; in any event Ojeleye decided to transfer and his school of choice would become Southern Methodist University and Larry Brown.
You might ask the question can Ojeleye play we believe he’s talented enough to prove the point. The youngster set the 4-year scoring record for boy’s high school basketball for the State of Kansas. This fall and winter we’ll all have an opportunity to see the 6-8 230 pound forward in action; in addition Ojeleye might have something to prove to Duke and Coach K. who often failed to utilize him.
“We eat at McDonald’s”
I love the line by former Mizzou Coach Norm Stewart. Stewart questioned regarding his basketball prospects stated; “We don’t have any McDonald’s All Americans but we eat there.” Well this ain’t Mizzou its Kansas and they managed quite a coup when Josh Jackson announced he was headed to Kansas to play for Bill Self.
Of four prospect sites two list him number one, one number two and the last one number three in the nation. That should provide you an indication of the projected talent by a number of websites. They believe the 6-7 small forward is a true talent, the most interesting part of the story Michigan State in Ann Arbor is located less than 50 miles from Jackson’s Southfield (MI) home.
Talk about dysfunctional
The Lakers and 76ers are not very good; there are several problems to consider the “why”. As for the Rockets that’s a completely different story. Disclaimer I didn’t see all five games of the Rockets-Warriors series but I saw enough. I’m convinced there is no difference between the Lakers, 76ers and Rockets all three teams appear to have no direction. For the Rockets it’s much worse because there is veteran talent on the roster. Naturally the finger of blame is placed on the shoulders of the coach but that’s not the complete answer. B.J. Bickerstaff took over this team not expecting to be head coach this soon. I’ve always believed (right or wrong) a coach requires training camp to run his program, Bickerstaff didn’t have that luxury.
Dwight Howard has fallen from superstar status to just a very good player. How much injury has taken it's toll we don't know. As for James Harden the guy has never seen a shot he didn’t like and that creates a further problem for Howard. It appears neither Howard nor Harden are able to raise the level of their teammates. In addition it’s my belief Howard arrived expecting to become the focus of the offense and that has not been the case. Patrick Beverly at the point should be a back-up, small forward Trevor Ariza adequate is getting long in the tooth. It’s likely this team won’t require a make-over in the off-season. Howard is ready to move once again and that should resolve a major portion of the issues. Don’t be surprised if Beverly and several others will appear in different jerseys next season.
Speak it into existence
Where do you see yourself in five years was a question a prospective employer once asked me. Ben Simmons has an answer to the question although we don’t know if it will actually occur. Last year the LSU freshmen said; “See you next year as a Laker.” This might not occur however based on the team’s poor finish it could occur. The latest is 6-9 forward Jayson Tatum headed to Duke in the fall, he was asked in an interview where he saw himself five years down the road. His response; “Playing on the LA Lakers.” All these prospective talents are likely not headed for Southern California however that’s music to the ears of this Laker fan.
We hear and read accounts claiming Los Angeles is no longer the destination of choice but I contend it still is. The warm weather, the entertainment plus commercial opportunities would tend to be attractions to prospects. As bad as the Lakers have played the last past two seasons I’ve never read of a high school or college prospect stating he wanted to come to Los Angeles to play for the Clippers. I’m likely to get an argument from Clipper fans but the Lakers brand is still the one most easily identified. At this point in time the other team can offer more then the Lakers accept one thing, brand name tarnished a bit lately. Sorry Clipper fans your team will remain the “other team” in the eyes of Los Angeles (and many others) until they win a championship.
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors" - Weldon Drew
Friday, April 29, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Shrewd business
1/7 doesn’t amount to much return unless you are discussing television revenues. Ozzie Silna died this week; the name might be unknown to a great number of readers. Allow me to update a number reading this; he and brother Dan owned the ABA Spirits of St. Louis. As the ABA-NBA merger was consummated a number of the ABA teams were dissolved including the Spirits.
Instead of taking a one-time payment as one owner did the brothers negotiated another arrangement. As compensation for losing their franchise the brothers agreed to a 1/7 share of the television revenue of the four merged ABA teams this financial arrangement was to last until perpetuity. It’s estimated the brothers have earned about $750 million including investments since the deal was struck in 1976. R.I.P. Mr. Silna you and your brother were very shrewd businessmen. Your family and off-spring are well compensated for life.
Won’t be missed by me
Skip Bayless is leaving ESPN and his co-hosting duties on First Take. Several weeks back I ceased viewing their program since he and co-host Stephen A. Smith had worn out their welcome with me. Bayless is leaving for Fox Sports so I will never see him again; I rarely view the channel except for sports events. Fox sports talk programming doesn’t appeal to me; I did not gravitate to the network at the time Colin Cowherd moved to Fox. This might appear to be mean-spirited on my part however that is not the intent. I’ve had an on-going issue with Bayless; despite his journalistic background I believed he is an agitator.
He takes position expressly intended to get fans riled up; I admit it worked on yours truly for quite awhile. I often found myself saying; “What a dumb thing to say. “ As for his basketball wisdom let’s just say it was lacking for the most part. Similar to his co-host Bayless is full of opinions without a great deal of substance. First Take was often a match who can make the most outlandish statement. In discussing football I will forever remembering his constant preaching “Tim Tebow was a NFL quality quarterback.” That might have been the view of Bayless but not any general managers who passed on signing him.
Hmmmmmm!!
Is what we do when pondering something and that is the case here? DeAnde Ayton is Rivals number one prospect in the Class of 2017. His Rivals page indicates there are eight schools seeking his services in the fall of 2017. Recently I had an opportunity to view video of him being interviewed. It took place in a noisy high school gym and during a portion of the interview Ayton claimed “Kansas is the only school serious in recruiting him.”
You gonna tell me a 7-foot 250 pound center and Bill Self is the only coach interested in recruiting this youngster. That sounded a little strange considering his Rivals page lists Duke, Kentucky, Michigan and North Carolina as schools of interest. There is speculation why Ayton is not being heavily recruited despite being number one on most prospect sites. Word is circulating Ayton might go the “Thon Maker” route and declare for the NBA Draft.
The easier fix
I’ve been vocal this winter and into to the spring with my disappointment. My two favorite basketball teams the Lakers and Mizzou Tigers are suffering. The Lakers finished with the worst record in their history while the Tigers were close. The Tigers finished 10-21 while the 1966-67 Tigers finished 3-22 in that day college teams played fewer games. As for the question which team has a clearer path in front of them to a .500+ season? In theory we might believe it would be the Mizzou Tigers however both could be on the same plain. As I pointed earlier the Lakers could land a quality free agent and match him with Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram.
The holdovers from the back court improve a notch and the bench improve slightly the Lakers could be .500 team. The Tigers could improve too, five more recruits will arrive in Columbia this fall. The roster only contains athletes recruited by this coach, that certainly doesn’t entail everything runs smoothly but at least these are Anderson's players. Three teams ahead of them, Tennessee, Auburn and Mississippi State are likely to improve but could slide in the other direction. There are far too many variables to paint an accurate picture for next March lets just say improvement is possible in Columbia and Los Angeles.
"Attitude is altitude"-Julius "Dr J." Erving
Shrewd business
1/7 doesn’t amount to much return unless you are discussing television revenues. Ozzie Silna died this week; the name might be unknown to a great number of readers. Allow me to update a number reading this; he and brother Dan owned the ABA Spirits of St. Louis. As the ABA-NBA merger was consummated a number of the ABA teams were dissolved including the Spirits.
Instead of taking a one-time payment as one owner did the brothers negotiated another arrangement. As compensation for losing their franchise the brothers agreed to a 1/7 share of the television revenue of the four merged ABA teams this financial arrangement was to last until perpetuity. It’s estimated the brothers have earned about $750 million including investments since the deal was struck in 1976. R.I.P. Mr. Silna you and your brother were very shrewd businessmen. Your family and off-spring are well compensated for life.
Won’t be missed by me
Skip Bayless is leaving ESPN and his co-hosting duties on First Take. Several weeks back I ceased viewing their program since he and co-host Stephen A. Smith had worn out their welcome with me. Bayless is leaving for Fox Sports so I will never see him again; I rarely view the channel except for sports events. Fox sports talk programming doesn’t appeal to me; I did not gravitate to the network at the time Colin Cowherd moved to Fox. This might appear to be mean-spirited on my part however that is not the intent. I’ve had an on-going issue with Bayless; despite his journalistic background I believed he is an agitator.
He takes position expressly intended to get fans riled up; I admit it worked on yours truly for quite awhile. I often found myself saying; “What a dumb thing to say. “ As for his basketball wisdom let’s just say it was lacking for the most part. Similar to his co-host Bayless is full of opinions without a great deal of substance. First Take was often a match who can make the most outlandish statement. In discussing football I will forever remembering his constant preaching “Tim Tebow was a NFL quality quarterback.” That might have been the view of Bayless but not any general managers who passed on signing him.
Hmmmmmm!!
Is what we do when pondering something and that is the case here? DeAnde Ayton is Rivals number one prospect in the Class of 2017. His Rivals page indicates there are eight schools seeking his services in the fall of 2017. Recently I had an opportunity to view video of him being interviewed. It took place in a noisy high school gym and during a portion of the interview Ayton claimed “Kansas is the only school serious in recruiting him.”
You gonna tell me a 7-foot 250 pound center and Bill Self is the only coach interested in recruiting this youngster. That sounded a little strange considering his Rivals page lists Duke, Kentucky, Michigan and North Carolina as schools of interest. There is speculation why Ayton is not being heavily recruited despite being number one on most prospect sites. Word is circulating Ayton might go the “Thon Maker” route and declare for the NBA Draft.
The easier fix
I’ve been vocal this winter and into to the spring with my disappointment. My two favorite basketball teams the Lakers and Mizzou Tigers are suffering. The Lakers finished with the worst record in their history while the Tigers were close. The Tigers finished 10-21 while the 1966-67 Tigers finished 3-22 in that day college teams played fewer games. As for the question which team has a clearer path in front of them to a .500+ season? In theory we might believe it would be the Mizzou Tigers however both could be on the same plain. As I pointed earlier the Lakers could land a quality free agent and match him with Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram.
The holdovers from the back court improve a notch and the bench improve slightly the Lakers could be .500 team. The Tigers could improve too, five more recruits will arrive in Columbia this fall. The roster only contains athletes recruited by this coach, that certainly doesn’t entail everything runs smoothly but at least these are Anderson's players. Three teams ahead of them, Tennessee, Auburn and Mississippi State are likely to improve but could slide in the other direction. There are far too many variables to paint an accurate picture for next March lets just say improvement is possible in Columbia and Los Angeles.
"Attitude is altitude"-Julius "Dr J." Erving
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
“Lying in the Weeds”
Is it laying in the weeds or lying in the weeds, no matter. Which ever is correct those unfamiliar with the term it refers to a lethal life form usually a snake or alligator hidden waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey. Can you say that might fit the San Antonio Spurs? Okay Dub fans don’t get too upset with me I still think your team is the one to beat. On the other hand should the Spurs emerge from the Western Conference I won't be surprised I believe they are that good.
I’ve stated previously and I will repeat it again we have been mesmerized by Steph Curry and crew all fall and winter. The Dubs only lost 9 games however the Spurs only lost 6 more. Of the 15 losses the Spurs suffered only 1 occurred at the AT&T Center. Just my thoughts doesn’t make it correct and most certainly don’t bet your life-savings. On the other hand don’t be shocked or even surprised.
Remain in place
This is old news now but I thought it noteworthy it was reported the Suns were pursuing Jay Wright to fill the role of head coach. The news was not shocking, in addition to winning the NCAA Championship he’s got a .663 winning percentage. Wright’s been at Villanova since the 2001-02 in that time he’s only had two losing seasons. The last three years his teams have gone 29-5, 33-3 and 35-5 not bad. Now for the question, why in the world would Wright want to leave Villanova for the rigors of the NBA?
I guess he could consider it a challenge to build a winning NBA on the other hand it might be best to remain in place, in this instance Philadelphia rather than anywhere in the NBA. Ultimately its Wright’s decision if he leaves for the NBA so be it. Even more interesting Dan Patrick thinks if coach takes another job it won’t be in the NBA. He says; “Wright will replace Coach K. at Duke when the coach decides to retire.”
I don’t believe
Have you heard stories of the “Clipper Curse”? I Goggled Clipper Curse and uncovered a number of negative incidents affecting this franchise dating back to their beginning in Buffalo (NY). Now we need to take into consideration Donald Sterling owned the team from 1981 through 2014. The curse story was revived again when Chris Paul and Blake Griffin both succumb to injury in the same game against the Blazers. CP3 broke a bone in his hand and will be out 4-6 weeks. As for Griffin the news is even grimmer, he re-aggravated the quad and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.
If you couple this with last year’s playoff implosion it’s easy to come to that conclusion. With a 3 games to 1 lead over the Rockets the Clippers would go on to lose the series. Despite my sometimes negative view of the Clippers they are a good team, are they a championship team healthy. This question will never be answered now however I wrote weeks ago when everyone was healthy I didn’t think so. I believed and still maintain the view there would have been great difficulty getting by the Warriors or the Spurs.
Hall of Fame wait
Michigan State’s Tom Izzo will be enshrined in the College Hall of Fame later this year. Coach K, Larry Brown and John Calipari are already enshrined in various halls. ESPN’s Fran Frashchilla says; “They should wait until a coach retires before electing him to the Hall of Fame. A coach could get in trouble (example might be Jim Boeheim and Rick Pitino) with penalties or something else.” We are not part of the election committee for the Naismith or Collegiate Hall of Fame and we can’t change anything. Do you believe it’s better if there is delay in the election process?
Bits n Pieces
Checking out ESPN’s Recruiting page for 2016 the usual suspects are present. You know them, Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina along with UCLA. Interesting in that the site rated Mississippi State recruiting at number five and Harvard 11. Ben Howland can recruit and with this incoming group of youngsters he’s trying to improve on a 14-17 finish. In the case of Harvard after four straight NCAA invites “the wheels fell off the wagon” last season as the Crimson finished 14-16.
Say what---Scottie Pippen last played in 2008 for a pro team in Sweden. The writer certainly failed to research his subject matter. The publication chose the best basketball players born in each of the 50 states. They selected Joe Johnson (Little Rock) to represent the State of Arkansas. Johnson has been a very good NBA player however for some mysterious reason they overlooked The Bulls Scottie Pippen. Born in Hamburg (AK) he is in the Naismith Hall of Fame has two Olympic Gold Medals and is a 6X NBA Champion just to name a few of his accolades.
It’s probably just me I heard the voice of Jacob Poelti for the first time recently, I‘d seen him play of course. The Utah center is headed to the NBA after declaring for the draft. At the second annual College Basketball Awards Poelti received the Kareem Abdul Jabbar award as the top collegiate center. When accepting the award Poelti’s voice sounded similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger of course both are from Austria.
I understand a man-crush, what I don’t understand is several of the names mentioned to replace Byron Scott. First of all John Calipari is not leaving Kentucky for the Lakers. What can I say about Jeff Van Gundy, not much except I fail to comprehend the man-crush by many in the media regarding him? A name mentioned interesting to me is Kevin Ollie however like Calipari would he leave UConn for the Lakers?
"The only important statistic is the final score"-Bill Russell
“Lying in the Weeds”
Is it laying in the weeds or lying in the weeds, no matter. Which ever is correct those unfamiliar with the term it refers to a lethal life form usually a snake or alligator hidden waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey. Can you say that might fit the San Antonio Spurs? Okay Dub fans don’t get too upset with me I still think your team is the one to beat. On the other hand should the Spurs emerge from the Western Conference I won't be surprised I believe they are that good.
I’ve stated previously and I will repeat it again we have been mesmerized by Steph Curry and crew all fall and winter. The Dubs only lost 9 games however the Spurs only lost 6 more. Of the 15 losses the Spurs suffered only 1 occurred at the AT&T Center. Just my thoughts doesn’t make it correct and most certainly don’t bet your life-savings. On the other hand don’t be shocked or even surprised.
Remain in place
This is old news now but I thought it noteworthy it was reported the Suns were pursuing Jay Wright to fill the role of head coach. The news was not shocking, in addition to winning the NCAA Championship he’s got a .663 winning percentage. Wright’s been at Villanova since the 2001-02 in that time he’s only had two losing seasons. The last three years his teams have gone 29-5, 33-3 and 35-5 not bad. Now for the question, why in the world would Wright want to leave Villanova for the rigors of the NBA?
I guess he could consider it a challenge to build a winning NBA on the other hand it might be best to remain in place, in this instance Philadelphia rather than anywhere in the NBA. Ultimately its Wright’s decision if he leaves for the NBA so be it. Even more interesting Dan Patrick thinks if coach takes another job it won’t be in the NBA. He says; “Wright will replace Coach K. at Duke when the coach decides to retire.”
I don’t believe
Have you heard stories of the “Clipper Curse”? I Goggled Clipper Curse and uncovered a number of negative incidents affecting this franchise dating back to their beginning in Buffalo (NY). Now we need to take into consideration Donald Sterling owned the team from 1981 through 2014. The curse story was revived again when Chris Paul and Blake Griffin both succumb to injury in the same game against the Blazers. CP3 broke a bone in his hand and will be out 4-6 weeks. As for Griffin the news is even grimmer, he re-aggravated the quad and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.
If you couple this with last year’s playoff implosion it’s easy to come to that conclusion. With a 3 games to 1 lead over the Rockets the Clippers would go on to lose the series. Despite my sometimes negative view of the Clippers they are a good team, are they a championship team healthy. This question will never be answered now however I wrote weeks ago when everyone was healthy I didn’t think so. I believed and still maintain the view there would have been great difficulty getting by the Warriors or the Spurs.
Hall of Fame wait
Michigan State’s Tom Izzo will be enshrined in the College Hall of Fame later this year. Coach K, Larry Brown and John Calipari are already enshrined in various halls. ESPN’s Fran Frashchilla says; “They should wait until a coach retires before electing him to the Hall of Fame. A coach could get in trouble (example might be Jim Boeheim and Rick Pitino) with penalties or something else.” We are not part of the election committee for the Naismith or Collegiate Hall of Fame and we can’t change anything. Do you believe it’s better if there is delay in the election process?
Bits n Pieces
Checking out ESPN’s Recruiting page for 2016 the usual suspects are present. You know them, Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina along with UCLA. Interesting in that the site rated Mississippi State recruiting at number five and Harvard 11. Ben Howland can recruit and with this incoming group of youngsters he’s trying to improve on a 14-17 finish. In the case of Harvard after four straight NCAA invites “the wheels fell off the wagon” last season as the Crimson finished 14-16.
Say what---Scottie Pippen last played in 2008 for a pro team in Sweden. The writer certainly failed to research his subject matter. The publication chose the best basketball players born in each of the 50 states. They selected Joe Johnson (Little Rock) to represent the State of Arkansas. Johnson has been a very good NBA player however for some mysterious reason they overlooked The Bulls Scottie Pippen. Born in Hamburg (AK) he is in the Naismith Hall of Fame has two Olympic Gold Medals and is a 6X NBA Champion just to name a few of his accolades.
It’s probably just me I heard the voice of Jacob Poelti for the first time recently, I‘d seen him play of course. The Utah center is headed to the NBA after declaring for the draft. At the second annual College Basketball Awards Poelti received the Kareem Abdul Jabbar award as the top collegiate center. When accepting the award Poelti’s voice sounded similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger of course both are from Austria.
I understand a man-crush, what I don’t understand is several of the names mentioned to replace Byron Scott. First of all John Calipari is not leaving Kentucky for the Lakers. What can I say about Jeff Van Gundy, not much except I fail to comprehend the man-crush by many in the media regarding him? A name mentioned interesting to me is Kevin Ollie however like Calipari would he leave UConn for the Lakers?
"The only important statistic is the final score"-Bill Russell
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
"You ain't got no rings"
Have you seen any of the State Farm Insurance commercials featuring "The Hoopers"? In one of commercials DeAndre Jordan dressed as Mrs. Hopper comes running into the family room yelling "We've been robbed they took all my rings. Chris Paul as Mr. Hopper says in a calm voice; "You ain't got no rings." Little did we realize the commercial would reflect the Clippers this playoff season. Disaster struck again CP3 and Blake Griffin sustained injuries which will sideline them the balance of the 2016 playoffs.
This continues a trend for the Clippers which have seen the team eliminated year after year. The series is not over the Clippers could win this series, a better question could they escape the Spurs or Warriors with no CP3 and Griffin? The Clippers are forced to play the coaches son and 60-year old Paul Pierce as starters they are in trouble with a capital T. Reading ESPN.com I was reminded of the "Clipper Curse" which I don't believe after all Donald Sterling owned this team from 1981 through 2014. That fact alone must be taken into serious consideration for Clipper fans.
No, no
I'm going to place my thoughts on the subject before reading anyone else. I want them to convince why I should change my view. ESPN.com is reporting the Warriors Steve Kerr will be name NBA Coach of the Year. My response is why and how---before I have Dub Nation tossing rocks in my direction allow me to explain. Kerr had no control over his physical condition however surgery and recovery forced him to miss 43 games this season. Facts point out Kerr missed most of training camp, the 2015-16 season began in earnest on October 27 and Kerr returned January 22. Kerr missed roughly half a season and you tell me he’s Coach of the Year. Sorry I cannot buy it based on the information I have. I would have no disagreement if Luke Walton had been the choice the team went 39-4 with him in charge.
AARP
Tim Duncan will soon sign up for his AARP, for those outside the U.S. the initials stand for the American Association of Retired Persons. Clearly Duncan is not retired however he had birthday number 40 Monday. Playing limited minutes he might hang around till his 50th birthday.
Gone but not forgotten
There is another proposal before the city council regarding Kemper Arena former home of the Kings. Once the team departed Kansas City for Sacramento the city has experienced difficulty trying to figure out what to do with the building. How about McNichols Arena, Reunion, Cow Palace and the Silverdome? In this order the Nuggets, Mavs, Warriors and Pistons once called them home but all were replaced by bigger palatial arenas. McNichols in Denver, Reunion in Dallas and the Silverdome in Pontiac all saw the wrecking ball demolish them.
It should be noted the Silverdome was actually constructed for the NFL Lions however the Pistons also utilized the stadium for a period. The Alamodome in San Antonio opened in 1993 is still in use although the Spurs now play in the AT&T Center. Cobo Arena which also served as home to the Pistons remains in use. The Los Angeles Sports Arena and the Great Western Forum remain operational although no longer used for Laker or Clipper basketball. The Cow Palace in Daly City once served as home base for the Warriors opened in 1941 and is also still in use. This list is certainly not intended to be complete simply provide evidence of where the NBA has been.
Hated time of the year
College and high school coaches hate this time of the year. State championships have long been decided but that’s not the problem. It’s AAU basketball the coaches detest. I’m sure you’ve read many of the same articles I have college and high school coaches believe there is little game strategy. The games are often old-fashion shoot-outs. Despite this fact assistants and head coaches can often be spotted at these tournaments scouting talent.
27 tournaments began Apr 22 and are played from one end of the nation to the other. Another 23 will begin Apr 30 and run through May 1, the last tournaments are scheduled the middle portion of Aug. Expect plenty of prep basketball to be played throughout the summer, there are far too many tournaments to list them all as they say in the commercials; “check your local listings for dates and times near you.”
"Were shooting 100%--60% from the floor and 40% from the free-throw line"-Norm Stewart
"You ain't got no rings"
Have you seen any of the State Farm Insurance commercials featuring "The Hoopers"? In one of commercials DeAndre Jordan dressed as Mrs. Hopper comes running into the family room yelling "We've been robbed they took all my rings. Chris Paul as Mr. Hopper says in a calm voice; "You ain't got no rings." Little did we realize the commercial would reflect the Clippers this playoff season. Disaster struck again CP3 and Blake Griffin sustained injuries which will sideline them the balance of the 2016 playoffs.
This continues a trend for the Clippers which have seen the team eliminated year after year. The series is not over the Clippers could win this series, a better question could they escape the Spurs or Warriors with no CP3 and Griffin? The Clippers are forced to play the coaches son and 60-year old Paul Pierce as starters they are in trouble with a capital T. Reading ESPN.com I was reminded of the "Clipper Curse" which I don't believe after all Donald Sterling owned this team from 1981 through 2014. That fact alone must be taken into serious consideration for Clipper fans.
No, no
I'm going to place my thoughts on the subject before reading anyone else. I want them to convince why I should change my view. ESPN.com is reporting the Warriors Steve Kerr will be name NBA Coach of the Year. My response is why and how---before I have Dub Nation tossing rocks in my direction allow me to explain. Kerr had no control over his physical condition however surgery and recovery forced him to miss 43 games this season. Facts point out Kerr missed most of training camp, the 2015-16 season began in earnest on October 27 and Kerr returned January 22. Kerr missed roughly half a season and you tell me he’s Coach of the Year. Sorry I cannot buy it based on the information I have. I would have no disagreement if Luke Walton had been the choice the team went 39-4 with him in charge.
AARP
Tim Duncan will soon sign up for his AARP, for those outside the U.S. the initials stand for the American Association of Retired Persons. Clearly Duncan is not retired however he had birthday number 40 Monday. Playing limited minutes he might hang around till his 50th birthday.
Gone but not forgotten
There is another proposal before the city council regarding Kemper Arena former home of the Kings. Once the team departed Kansas City for Sacramento the city has experienced difficulty trying to figure out what to do with the building. How about McNichols Arena, Reunion, Cow Palace and the Silverdome? In this order the Nuggets, Mavs, Warriors and Pistons once called them home but all were replaced by bigger palatial arenas. McNichols in Denver, Reunion in Dallas and the Silverdome in Pontiac all saw the wrecking ball demolish them.
It should be noted the Silverdome was actually constructed for the NFL Lions however the Pistons also utilized the stadium for a period. The Alamodome in San Antonio opened in 1993 is still in use although the Spurs now play in the AT&T Center. Cobo Arena which also served as home to the Pistons remains in use. The Los Angeles Sports Arena and the Great Western Forum remain operational although no longer used for Laker or Clipper basketball. The Cow Palace in Daly City once served as home base for the Warriors opened in 1941 and is also still in use. This list is certainly not intended to be complete simply provide evidence of where the NBA has been.
Hated time of the year
College and high school coaches hate this time of the year. State championships have long been decided but that’s not the problem. It’s AAU basketball the coaches detest. I’m sure you’ve read many of the same articles I have college and high school coaches believe there is little game strategy. The games are often old-fashion shoot-outs. Despite this fact assistants and head coaches can often be spotted at these tournaments scouting talent.
27 tournaments began Apr 22 and are played from one end of the nation to the other. Another 23 will begin Apr 30 and run through May 1, the last tournaments are scheduled the middle portion of Aug. Expect plenty of prep basketball to be played throughout the summer, there are far too many tournaments to list them all as they say in the commercials; “check your local listings for dates and times near you.”
"Were shooting 100%--60% from the floor and 40% from the free-throw line"-Norm Stewart
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Lakers fire Scott
At approximately 10:15 Central Time Sunday evening I noted several websites were reporting the Lakers had fired head coach Byron Scott. No details were announced from the front office at the time of this news. Who replaces Scott you ask allow me to delve into my life. This is a sometimes conversation with my wife “What do you want for dinner?” My response; “I don’t want A, B or C.” I informed her I didn’t want rather than what I did. That’s the case for me I can provide you several names I don’t want as head coach. No Jeff Van Gundy or George Karl, I’m not sold on Luke Walton despite his record during the absence of Steve Kerr. The Wizards have already hired Scott Brooks so I’m safe here, please no Mike’s either Brown or D’Antoni.
I’m sure there are others I’m probably omitting but that’s okay you get the idea. Despite laying out plenty of negatives I have a good short list; Kevin McHale (former Celtic player) would never take a job with the Lakers. I still like Mark Jackson who was the true architect in re-building the Warriors. Kerr won the championship I’m not taking anything away from him just calling it as I see it. How about a true teacher Hubie Brown, I like David Blatt despite being dumped by Cleveland. I wonder if Phil Jackson has a desire to return to the coaching ranks. Finally this pure second-guessing on my part, if the Lakers intended to fire Scott why wait until after Tom Thibodeau takes another job? Does this continue to the trend of an inept operating front office led by Jim Buss?
Why
A number of early entry prospects indicate no desire to hire an agent. Simply stated they can attend NBA workouts and determine where they fit in the draft. As for a number of others they become head-scratchers and you wonder why. The list of those hiring agents is too extensive to list a number never truly escaped from the bench.
Despite limited playing time (and numbers) they are attempting to gain a roster spot at the NBA level. I guess in a manner of speaking we cannot blame them the lure of financial reward is far too great to pass. Hopefully those daring enough to hire an agent are reasonably sure of being drafted. The door is closed on these prospects returning to college so if it’s not the NBA it’s the D-League or possibly Europe.
Twitter
I have no idea if Jack White from Canberra Australia can play; the 6-7 forward is on his way to the U.S. this fall. After visiting Gonzaga he announced his intention to play for Duke on his twitter account. White’s not the first to use social media to announce his intentions it’s just different. At one point you might have seen the prospect sitting at a table with his parents and maybe his high school coach.
On the table in front of the microphone would be a number of baseball caps representing the college of his choice. When making his announcement there might be hesitation as his hand hovered over a cap. He’d finally chose one cap place it on his head and state; “I’ve decided to attend_______university.” I guess just using your twitter account might be easier and less
nerve-wracking.
Injuries
We hope our favorite player or team suffers no injuries, in sports injuries always lie beneath the surface. That’s case facing the Warriors and Steph Curry. I would hope they are able to defend the championship with a full team. We have no method of measuring but we can always ponder the question. What happens in 2015 if Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving had been healthy and available against the Warriors.
"Failure does not come from losing, but from not trying"-Larry Brown
Lakers fire Scott
At approximately 10:15 Central Time Sunday evening I noted several websites were reporting the Lakers had fired head coach Byron Scott. No details were announced from the front office at the time of this news. Who replaces Scott you ask allow me to delve into my life. This is a sometimes conversation with my wife “What do you want for dinner?” My response; “I don’t want A, B or C.” I informed her I didn’t want rather than what I did. That’s the case for me I can provide you several names I don’t want as head coach. No Jeff Van Gundy or George Karl, I’m not sold on Luke Walton despite his record during the absence of Steve Kerr. The Wizards have already hired Scott Brooks so I’m safe here, please no Mike’s either Brown or D’Antoni.
I’m sure there are others I’m probably omitting but that’s okay you get the idea. Despite laying out plenty of negatives I have a good short list; Kevin McHale (former Celtic player) would never take a job with the Lakers. I still like Mark Jackson who was the true architect in re-building the Warriors. Kerr won the championship I’m not taking anything away from him just calling it as I see it. How about a true teacher Hubie Brown, I like David Blatt despite being dumped by Cleveland. I wonder if Phil Jackson has a desire to return to the coaching ranks. Finally this pure second-guessing on my part, if the Lakers intended to fire Scott why wait until after Tom Thibodeau takes another job? Does this continue to the trend of an inept operating front office led by Jim Buss?
Why
A number of early entry prospects indicate no desire to hire an agent. Simply stated they can attend NBA workouts and determine where they fit in the draft. As for a number of others they become head-scratchers and you wonder why. The list of those hiring agents is too extensive to list a number never truly escaped from the bench.
Despite limited playing time (and numbers) they are attempting to gain a roster spot at the NBA level. I guess in a manner of speaking we cannot blame them the lure of financial reward is far too great to pass. Hopefully those daring enough to hire an agent are reasonably sure of being drafted. The door is closed on these prospects returning to college so if it’s not the NBA it’s the D-League or possibly Europe.
I have no idea if Jack White from Canberra Australia can play; the 6-7 forward is on his way to the U.S. this fall. After visiting Gonzaga he announced his intention to play for Duke on his twitter account. White’s not the first to use social media to announce his intentions it’s just different. At one point you might have seen the prospect sitting at a table with his parents and maybe his high school coach.
On the table in front of the microphone would be a number of baseball caps representing the college of his choice. When making his announcement there might be hesitation as his hand hovered over a cap. He’d finally chose one cap place it on his head and state; “I’ve decided to attend_______university.” I guess just using your twitter account might be easier and less
nerve-wracking.
Injuries
We hope our favorite player or team suffers no injuries, in sports injuries always lie beneath the surface. That’s case facing the Warriors and Steph Curry. I would hope they are able to defend the championship with a full team. We have no method of measuring but we can always ponder the question. What happens in 2015 if Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving had been healthy and available against the Warriors.
"Failure does not come from losing, but from not trying"-Larry Brown
Monday, April 25, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Anymore siblings?
Duke is losing a number of players to graduation and NBA early entry. Among that number is 7 foot center Marshall Plumlee. We might check to be sure however I believe he’s the “baby” of the basketball playing brothers. They have a sister who plays volleyball at Notre Dame. Even more unique this trio all played for Coach K., Miles drafted in 2012 now plays for the Bucks.
Mason was drafted in 2013 and is a member of the Blazers. Unlike his brothers Marshall is headed for military service, enrolled in Army ROTC at Duke. He will be commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant at some point in 2016. This story reminds us of another serviceman Ensign David Robinson. He also stood 7 feet tall far too tall for submarine service. After his Navy commitment was complete he returned to civilian life and became a valued teammate of the Spurs.
Rookie of the Year
The Wolves Karl-Anthony Towns is the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year. It’s not been announced yet but that’s only timing this is written ahead of the announcement. The youngster adapted to NBA play much quicker than many expected, maybe his play at Kentucky might be the reason. We witnessed glimpses however Coach Cal’s platoon system saw Towns play not a great deal of time on the court. The 7-foot Towns scored nearly 19 points, 11 rebounds a game while shooting .542 from the floor.
In addition the free-throw line is not this big-man’s Kryptonite as he shot 81% from the line. Town’s led the way as the young Wolves have improved their record over last season. With Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and other Wolve pups the future looks extremely bright in the Twin Cities. If they can retain this corps of players less the possibility of free agency and injury they should continue to improve.
Junior college
I’m often unsure of junior college players; they have an advantage over incoming freshman because they have played at least one season at a higher level. This certainly enhances their skill and game experience. There is a downsize to junior college prospects sometimes they have great difficulty adjusting to Division I as much as any incoming freshman might.
Mizzou received a commitment from a 6-3 combo guard. Jordan Geist will arrive in the fall from Ranger Community College in Ranger (TX) about 100 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Geist was a second team All-American during his only school year. Five players were dismissed or transferred so there definitely is an open space for Geist.
We overlooked him
No argument the Lakers have been pretty bad over the last several years, who do we blame? We could point the finger of blame at Jimmy Buss, Mitch Kupchak, Mike Brown or Mike D’Antoni; we could include Byron Scott or somebody else. I submit for your examination former Commissioner David Stern as that somebody else. Let’s journey back to 2011; the Lakers and Hornets (Pelicans) consummated a trade with Chris Paul headed to the Lakers. Pau Gasol would go to the Rockets, Lamar Odom and three other players plus a draft pick would head to the Hornets. The NBA had taken over operation of the franchise while a search was conducted for new ownership. Acting as owner Commissioner Stern stepped in and vetoed the trade “In the best interest of the NBA.”
Several days later Paul was traded to the Clippers and the rest is history. In the recent past you have been highly critical of Paul mainly his poor sportsmanship. I’m not going to deny my previous stance however I don’t remember ever stating he couldn’t play. I questioned also if he would be considered a superstar. As for the Lakers w/o Paul injuries to Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Andrew Bynum never continued to excel. You might ask if the Paul trade had not been overturned would the Lakers be any better. That question will remain unanswered because we have no method to provide one. Let’s just say for all the major accomplishments of the David Stern years it’s my belief he laid the foundation for the wreck that’s become the Lakers.
"You can never have enough talent"-Pat Riley

Anymore siblings?
Duke is losing a number of players to graduation and NBA early entry. Among that number is 7 foot center Marshall Plumlee. We might check to be sure however I believe he’s the “baby” of the basketball playing brothers. They have a sister who plays volleyball at Notre Dame. Even more unique this trio all played for Coach K., Miles drafted in 2012 now plays for the Bucks.
Mason was drafted in 2013 and is a member of the Blazers. Unlike his brothers Marshall is headed for military service, enrolled in Army ROTC at Duke. He will be commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant at some point in 2016. This story reminds us of another serviceman Ensign David Robinson. He also stood 7 feet tall far too tall for submarine service. After his Navy commitment was complete he returned to civilian life and became a valued teammate of the Spurs.
Rookie of the Year
The Wolves Karl-Anthony Towns is the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year. It’s not been announced yet but that’s only timing this is written ahead of the announcement. The youngster adapted to NBA play much quicker than many expected, maybe his play at Kentucky might be the reason. We witnessed glimpses however Coach Cal’s platoon system saw Towns play not a great deal of time on the court. The 7-foot Towns scored nearly 19 points, 11 rebounds a game while shooting .542 from the floor.
In addition the free-throw line is not this big-man’s Kryptonite as he shot 81% from the line. Town’s led the way as the young Wolves have improved their record over last season. With Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and other Wolve pups the future looks extremely bright in the Twin Cities. If they can retain this corps of players less the possibility of free agency and injury they should continue to improve.
Junior college
I’m often unsure of junior college players; they have an advantage over incoming freshman because they have played at least one season at a higher level. This certainly enhances their skill and game experience. There is a downsize to junior college prospects sometimes they have great difficulty adjusting to Division I as much as any incoming freshman might.
Mizzou received a commitment from a 6-3 combo guard. Jordan Geist will arrive in the fall from Ranger Community College in Ranger (TX) about 100 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Geist was a second team All-American during his only school year. Five players were dismissed or transferred so there definitely is an open space for Geist.
We overlooked him
No argument the Lakers have been pretty bad over the last several years, who do we blame? We could point the finger of blame at Jimmy Buss, Mitch Kupchak, Mike Brown or Mike D’Antoni; we could include Byron Scott or somebody else. I submit for your examination former Commissioner David Stern as that somebody else. Let’s journey back to 2011; the Lakers and Hornets (Pelicans) consummated a trade with Chris Paul headed to the Lakers. Pau Gasol would go to the Rockets, Lamar Odom and three other players plus a draft pick would head to the Hornets. The NBA had taken over operation of the franchise while a search was conducted for new ownership. Acting as owner Commissioner Stern stepped in and vetoed the trade “In the best interest of the NBA.”
Several days later Paul was traded to the Clippers and the rest is history. In the recent past you have been highly critical of Paul mainly his poor sportsmanship. I’m not going to deny my previous stance however I don’t remember ever stating he couldn’t play. I questioned also if he would be considered a superstar. As for the Lakers w/o Paul injuries to Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Andrew Bynum never continued to excel. You might ask if the Paul trade had not been overturned would the Lakers be any better. That question will remain unanswered because we have no method to provide one. Let’s just say for all the major accomplishments of the David Stern years it’s my belief he laid the foundation for the wreck that’s become the Lakers.
"You can never have enough talent"-Pat Riley

Sunday, April 24, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Please can you do me a favor?
If you enjoy reading Words eye view can you recommend it to a friend or acquaintance? I would appreciate it greatly.
Who is he trying to convince?
The Pistons Stanley Johnson has pronounced himself “The LeBron Stopper.” Reminds me of a claim made during 2001 or 2002 by Reuben Patterson. Patterson then a member of the Blazers anointed himself “The Kobe Stopper.” I’m unsure if these two did this to stoke them up for the challenge or actually believed their words.
On the other hand maybe they were attempting to “get inside” the opponents head. As for Johnson’s claim his Pistons are 0-3. In the three games LeBron’s scored 69 points shot 29 of 59 from the floor along with 25 rebounds and 21 assists. Patterson was never able to stop Kobe, make it more difficult for him to shot yes that’s likely. I also remember several outstanding games played against the Kobe stopper.
It could take place
Wizards Coach Randy Wittman was fired after his team finished with a .500 record 41-41. There were an abundance of name coaches mentioned but one of the names was a little surprising to me. Because of his friendship with Kevin Durant former Thunder Coach Scott Brooks might be considered a good choice for the Wizards job. Pending free-agent Durant is from the Washington D.C. region. Brooks is a capable coach however his track record is a little suspect to me.
While having Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka as his first unit he was unable to raise the level of play to the championship level. His 2011-12 team reached the NBA Finals but each year thereafter fewer and fewer wins. Brooks was fired at the end of the 2015 season. Was Brooks hired with Durant in mind? I’m not going to claim any inside information however if Kevin Durant leaves Oklahoma City the Wizards might be on his short list but not the first possible stop.
Bits n Pieces
I’m guilty I admit it; I have sometimes become mesmerized by YouTube highlights of basketball prospects. I will continue to read valid scouting reports and not consider video the deciding factor in accessing talent. As I mentioned previously AAU basketball highlights don’t often showcase skills required at the collegiate and especially the NBA level. I believe Thon Maker has taught all of us a lesson.
This is interesting; I’m looking ahead to the Recruiting Nation Class of 2017 prospects. The number three prospect Michael Porter Jr.’s school is about 12 minutes drive time to Mizzou Arena and Mizzou is not on his list. Mohamed Bamba a 7-foot prospect from Harlem (N.Y.) and the number four prospect does have Mizzou on his list of perspective schools. Harlem is 16 hours and 27 minutes drive time from Columbia (MO).
“I’ll be back” was the line above first uttered by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the first of a family of Terminator movies. That line could also be utilized by Duke and Coach K. Sure they lose Brandon Ingram to the NBA along with seniors Marshall Plumlee and Amile Jefferson. The cupboard is not exactly bare Grayson Allen returns but Duke struck gold in the recruiting department. Arriving in the fall will be Rivals number two prospect 6-10 220 pounds Harry Giles. 6-8 205 pound Jason Tatum and number three will be joined by 6-3 guard Frank Jackson number 10. Also in the mix will be the number 41 prospect 6-8 215 pound Javin DeLaurier. Several websites list Duke as either the number one or number two school in the 2016-17 pre-season poll.
Aren’t you tired of media members using the term; “my sources”? The reigning King of this line has got to be ESPN’s Chris Broussard. I’m reasonably sure Broussard’s parents love him, so do his wife and siblings. I’m not sure if I do based on how often I’ve found him to be inaccurate in the past. His latest; “I think Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah all could be moving on to different teams this off season.” Of course it’s a possibility one or two maybe all three are history but with Broussard who knows.
"Hard works beats talent when talent doesn't work hard"-unknown
Please can you do me a favor?
If you enjoy reading Words eye view can you recommend it to a friend or acquaintance? I would appreciate it greatly.
Who is he trying to convince?
The Pistons Stanley Johnson has pronounced himself “The LeBron Stopper.” Reminds me of a claim made during 2001 or 2002 by Reuben Patterson. Patterson then a member of the Blazers anointed himself “The Kobe Stopper.” I’m unsure if these two did this to stoke them up for the challenge or actually believed their words.
On the other hand maybe they were attempting to “get inside” the opponents head. As for Johnson’s claim his Pistons are 0-3. In the three games LeBron’s scored 69 points shot 29 of 59 from the floor along with 25 rebounds and 21 assists. Patterson was never able to stop Kobe, make it more difficult for him to shot yes that’s likely. I also remember several outstanding games played against the Kobe stopper.
It could take place
Wizards Coach Randy Wittman was fired after his team finished with a .500 record 41-41. There were an abundance of name coaches mentioned but one of the names was a little surprising to me. Because of his friendship with Kevin Durant former Thunder Coach Scott Brooks might be considered a good choice for the Wizards job. Pending free-agent Durant is from the Washington D.C. region. Brooks is a capable coach however his track record is a little suspect to me.
While having Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka as his first unit he was unable to raise the level of play to the championship level. His 2011-12 team reached the NBA Finals but each year thereafter fewer and fewer wins. Brooks was fired at the end of the 2015 season. Was Brooks hired with Durant in mind? I’m not going to claim any inside information however if Kevin Durant leaves Oklahoma City the Wizards might be on his short list but not the first possible stop.
Bits n Pieces
I’m guilty I admit it; I have sometimes become mesmerized by YouTube highlights of basketball prospects. I will continue to read valid scouting reports and not consider video the deciding factor in accessing talent. As I mentioned previously AAU basketball highlights don’t often showcase skills required at the collegiate and especially the NBA level. I believe Thon Maker has taught all of us a lesson.
This is interesting; I’m looking ahead to the Recruiting Nation Class of 2017 prospects. The number three prospect Michael Porter Jr.’s school is about 12 minutes drive time to Mizzou Arena and Mizzou is not on his list. Mohamed Bamba a 7-foot prospect from Harlem (N.Y.) and the number four prospect does have Mizzou on his list of perspective schools. Harlem is 16 hours and 27 minutes drive time from Columbia (MO).
“I’ll be back” was the line above first uttered by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the first of a family of Terminator movies. That line could also be utilized by Duke and Coach K. Sure they lose Brandon Ingram to the NBA along with seniors Marshall Plumlee and Amile Jefferson. The cupboard is not exactly bare Grayson Allen returns but Duke struck gold in the recruiting department. Arriving in the fall will be Rivals number two prospect 6-10 220 pounds Harry Giles. 6-8 205 pound Jason Tatum and number three will be joined by 6-3 guard Frank Jackson number 10. Also in the mix will be the number 41 prospect 6-8 215 pound Javin DeLaurier. Several websites list Duke as either the number one or number two school in the 2016-17 pre-season poll.
Aren’t you tired of media members using the term; “my sources”? The reigning King of this line has got to be ESPN’s Chris Broussard. I’m reasonably sure Broussard’s parents love him, so do his wife and siblings. I’m not sure if I do based on how often I’ve found him to be inaccurate in the past. His latest; “I think Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah all could be moving on to different teams this off season.” Of course it’s a possibility one or two maybe all three are history but with Broussard who knows.
"Hard works beats talent when talent doesn't work hard"-unknown
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Ana--what?
“Analytics often involves studying past historical data to research potential trends, to analyze the effects of certain decisions or events, or to evaluate the performance of a given tool or scenario. The goal of analytics is to improve the business by gaining knowledge which can be used to make improvements or changes.” Who do you side with Charles Barkley or Rockets GM Daryl Morey?
Barkley: “I’m not worried about Daryl Morey. He’s one of those idiots who believe in analytics.”
Morey: “Best part of being at a TNT game live is it is easy to avoid Charles spewing misinformed biased vitriol disguised as entertainment.”
Business Dictionary
This can’t be correct---is it?
Speaking of the Rockets they dumped HOF player and Coach Kevin McHale early in the 2015-16 season. To my knowledge there was no indication former assistant B.J. Bickerstaff would inheriet the job full-time. Reports are circulating the Rockets list of coaches includes Jeff Van Gundy. Didn’t owner Les Alexander fire Van Gundy in 2007? Morey was on the job as GM was he in agreement with the actions of his boss?
Blame me
Warrior fans it’s my fault, yesterday I published an account of consecutive playoff winning streaks. What happens the Warriors lose 97-96 to the Rockets so I take the blame for them losing? On the other hand the loss could have something to do with a certain point guard not in the lineup.
This is good
There’s not been a great deal of good news coming from Mizzou nation in the past few months. I’m not sure if this qualifies as positive but I believe it is. If you remember I wrote of the defections from the program and the fact the roster will now reflect all Kim Anderson recruits.
One of the incoming recruits is 6-6 small forward Willie Jackson; he’s responsible for another addition to the Mizzou basketball program. Jackson from Cleveland (OH) is a buddy to Frankie Hughes a 6-3 shooting guard. Hughes is from Garfield Heights a city part of the Cleveland metroplex. On April 10 Hughes verbally committed to Mizzou, this is no assertion on either players’ capability however change is in the air.
The Jim Buss lament
I provided the incorrect information for you, I believed Laker co-owner Jim Buss said he would step down if he couldn’t make the team contenders again. That statement is true the portion that is incorrect is the time-line. I believed it to be the end of the 2016 season which I communicated, a writer for a Laker fan website indicates the date is 2017. This might appear to work in favor of Buss however I’m not too sure.
Consider this fact the Lakers won-loss record has declined each year since Buss made the promise he would step down. To borrow and slightly change the Rick Pitino line when he coached the Celtics; “Kobe Bryant isn’t walking through that (training camp) door.” IF Kevin Durant signs with the Lakers, IF the Lakers retain a top three pick in the draft. IF that top three pick manages to have a decent rookie season. That’s far too many IF’s for me to believe could occur in a single season.
"Basketball is a team game. That doesn't mean all five players take the same number of shots" Dean Smith
Ana--what?
“Analytics often involves studying past historical data to research potential trends, to analyze the effects of certain decisions or events, or to evaluate the performance of a given tool or scenario. The goal of analytics is to improve the business by gaining knowledge which can be used to make improvements or changes.” Who do you side with Charles Barkley or Rockets GM Daryl Morey?
Barkley: “I’m not worried about Daryl Morey. He’s one of those idiots who believe in analytics.”
Morey: “Best part of being at a TNT game live is it is easy to avoid Charles spewing misinformed biased vitriol disguised as entertainment.”
Business Dictionary
This can’t be correct---is it?
Speaking of the Rockets they dumped HOF player and Coach Kevin McHale early in the 2015-16 season. To my knowledge there was no indication former assistant B.J. Bickerstaff would inheriet the job full-time. Reports are circulating the Rockets list of coaches includes Jeff Van Gundy. Didn’t owner Les Alexander fire Van Gundy in 2007? Morey was on the job as GM was he in agreement with the actions of his boss?
Blame me
Warrior fans it’s my fault, yesterday I published an account of consecutive playoff winning streaks. What happens the Warriors lose 97-96 to the Rockets so I take the blame for them losing? On the other hand the loss could have something to do with a certain point guard not in the lineup.
This is good
There’s not been a great deal of good news coming from Mizzou nation in the past few months. I’m not sure if this qualifies as positive but I believe it is. If you remember I wrote of the defections from the program and the fact the roster will now reflect all Kim Anderson recruits.
One of the incoming recruits is 6-6 small forward Willie Jackson; he’s responsible for another addition to the Mizzou basketball program. Jackson from Cleveland (OH) is a buddy to Frankie Hughes a 6-3 shooting guard. Hughes is from Garfield Heights a city part of the Cleveland metroplex. On April 10 Hughes verbally committed to Mizzou, this is no assertion on either players’ capability however change is in the air.
The Jim Buss lament
I provided the incorrect information for you, I believed Laker co-owner Jim Buss said he would step down if he couldn’t make the team contenders again. That statement is true the portion that is incorrect is the time-line. I believed it to be the end of the 2016 season which I communicated, a writer for a Laker fan website indicates the date is 2017. This might appear to work in favor of Buss however I’m not too sure.
Consider this fact the Lakers won-loss record has declined each year since Buss made the promise he would step down. To borrow and slightly change the Rick Pitino line when he coached the Celtics; “Kobe Bryant isn’t walking through that (training camp) door.” IF Kevin Durant signs with the Lakers, IF the Lakers retain a top three pick in the draft. IF that top three pick manages to have a decent rookie season. That’s far too many IF’s for me to believe could occur in a single season.
"Basketball is a team game. That doesn't mean all five players take the same number of shots" Dean Smith
Friday, April 22, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Trivia
An acquaintance posed the question to me; “I wonder if the Warriors can break the all-time playoff win streak too.” I informed him I had no idea who held the streak but would search for an answer. The Lakers and Pistons had consecutive winning streaks over two seasons.
Lakers won 13 in a row June 1988-June 1989
Pistons won 12 in a row May 1989-May 1990
Spurs 12 in a row May 1999-June 1999
Lakers 12 in a row June 2000-June 2001
The Nets and Spurs each won 10 consecutive games
Pearl
Dwayne ‘Pearl’ Washington was given the nickname because his game was similar to Earl Monroe. He may have been as much to credit for the rise of Big East basketball as many of the Hall of Fame coaches. This Pearl left the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and headed north to play at Syracuse for Jim Boeheim.
Pearl would become an All-American at Syracuse and place his imprint on the school and the conference in the 1980’s. Pearl wasn’t able to transfer his Syracuse skill to the NBA so his career was brief. Last summer he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had surgery in the fall. Pearl died this week at the young age of 52, R.I.P. Dwayne ‘Pearl’ Washington.
Would you take this job?
The Kings will conduct an interview with Mike Woodson to fill the head coaching position. The former NBA player’s bio includes several stops as an assistant; he’s with the Clippers serving in the same role. Woodson’s served as a head coach with the Hawks and the Knicks. From the outside there are three or four NBA franchises that appear to be run in a chaotic manner. The Kings have got to fit someplace in that grouping of teams.
Wolves are howling
The Wolves got their man, former Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau finalized a 5-year deal. Thibodeau will wear “two hats’ serving as president of basketball operations and coach of the Wolves. He will teach this young team how to play tough hard-nosed defense. The only lesson for this coach is to reflect on his Bulls experience and limit starter minutes and effectively use the bench one of the complaints voiced by a number of Bulls fans.
Funny
In connection with the above story the NBA pages on ESPN.com and CBSSports.com had similar headlines. After both wrote the Wolves hired Thibs they finished the sentence by saying; “Lakers missed out.” Exactly what did the Lakers miss we might ask? We have no idea if the Lakers reached out to the coach they claim to be evaluating Byron Scott. The Laker brain-trust (I use the term very loosely) is operating in stealth mode at the present.
"Winning is more related to good defense than good offense"-Dr. Jack Ramsey
Trivia
An acquaintance posed the question to me; “I wonder if the Warriors can break the all-time playoff win streak too.” I informed him I had no idea who held the streak but would search for an answer. The Lakers and Pistons had consecutive winning streaks over two seasons.
Lakers won 13 in a row June 1988-June 1989
Pistons won 12 in a row May 1989-May 1990
Spurs 12 in a row May 1999-June 1999
Lakers 12 in a row June 2000-June 2001
The Nets and Spurs each won 10 consecutive games
Pearl
Dwayne ‘Pearl’ Washington was given the nickname because his game was similar to Earl Monroe. He may have been as much to credit for the rise of Big East basketball as many of the Hall of Fame coaches. This Pearl left the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and headed north to play at Syracuse for Jim Boeheim.
Pearl would become an All-American at Syracuse and place his imprint on the school and the conference in the 1980’s. Pearl wasn’t able to transfer his Syracuse skill to the NBA so his career was brief. Last summer he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had surgery in the fall. Pearl died this week at the young age of 52, R.I.P. Dwayne ‘Pearl’ Washington.
Would you take this job?
The Kings will conduct an interview with Mike Woodson to fill the head coaching position. The former NBA player’s bio includes several stops as an assistant; he’s with the Clippers serving in the same role. Woodson’s served as a head coach with the Hawks and the Knicks. From the outside there are three or four NBA franchises that appear to be run in a chaotic manner. The Kings have got to fit someplace in that grouping of teams.
Wolves are howling
The Wolves got their man, former Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau finalized a 5-year deal. Thibodeau will wear “two hats’ serving as president of basketball operations and coach of the Wolves. He will teach this young team how to play tough hard-nosed defense. The only lesson for this coach is to reflect on his Bulls experience and limit starter minutes and effectively use the bench one of the complaints voiced by a number of Bulls fans.
Funny
In connection with the above story the NBA pages on ESPN.com and CBSSports.com had similar headlines. After both wrote the Wolves hired Thibs they finished the sentence by saying; “Lakers missed out.” Exactly what did the Lakers miss we might ask? We have no idea if the Lakers reached out to the coach they claim to be evaluating Byron Scott. The Laker brain-trust (I use the term very loosely) is operating in stealth mode at the present.
"Winning is more related to good defense than good offense"-Dr. Jack Ramsey
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Duke or Kentucky
6-10 250 pound Marques Bolden is undecided, he’s deciding between Coach K. and Coach Cal. Bolden is Rivals number 16 and ESPN 100 number 20 in the Class of 2016. Bolden is from Desoto (TX) in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro.
Have you seen it?
Under Armour plans a 3-second commercial every time Steph Curry scores a 3-point basket. I’ve only seen one ad but its funny, Curry holding a basketball picks up a single brick from a stack says; “What’s this? “
He might become the tallest
Perhaps we are all aware Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis stood 7 feet 3 inches tall, bet you might not be aware three other players are in the NBA the same height. Porzingis played major minutes the others were strictly reserves. The quartet represent the tallest players in the NBA however next season they might be looking up to a competitor. UC-Irvine junior Mamadou Ndiaye has decided in favor of the NBA over remaining in school. Ndiaye from Senegal in West Africa stands 7 feet 6 inches tall and weighs a sturdy 300 pounds. This past season Ndiaye averaged 12.1, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots a game. In a February game against Long Beach State Ndiaye set a school record registering 11 blocked shots in the game.
You might remember the first game of the season the Anteaters (yes that’s their nickname) started the tallest lineup in college basketball history. They had 7-6 Ndiaye at center along with a 6-10 point guard and 7-2 shooting guard. Also in the game was a 6-8 and 6-10 forward. As for Ndiaye’s draft status or can he play at the NBA level are questions which remain unanswered at this time. After all the late Manute Bol who stood even taller at 7 feet 7 inches Bol managed a 10-year career with a number of NBA teams. Bol had limited basketball skills but his height and shot blocking played a key. With Ndiaye’s shot blocking ability it’s possible an NBA team might be willing to take a chance on him.
We couldn’t afford it
You haven’t heard me moan in quite awhile about no NBA basketball in Kansas City. I’ve considered the fact in 2016 we might not be able to sustain an NBA franchise based on our population and disposable income. What if Greg Luckinbill had been a Ewing Kaufmann type purchasing the Kings with no intent to move them out of town. Mr. Kaufmann saw it as a civic duty for baseball to remain in Kansas City once the A’s departed for Oakland. He‘s the one reason major league baseball remains viable in Kansas City with the Royals. Would the Kings have remained here if Luckenbill had not purchased the team with the express purpose of moving? I’m not exactly sure Kansas City could afford NBA basketball in 2016, the Kings left in 1985 a time the cost of living was a great deal lower than present. I did some research lets check some 1985 prices for a number of items and compare them with 2016.
Gasoline
$1.20 a gal 1985 - $1.90 range a gal 2016
Dodge Charger
$6,203.00 1985 price - $27,995 2016 price
2 bedroom home-a number of variables but assume the same amount of down payment and in the same general portion of the country
$84,000 1985 - $108,400 2016
Kings game ticket
$25.00 estimate 1985 - $46.32 2016
These figures are not meant to be precise however they are as close as I was able to uncover, check out other metro areas which approximate the size of Kansas City. Minneapolis-St Paul has a metro population of 3.28 million and Pittsburg 2.3 million. The Twin Cities have the MLB Twins, NFL Vikings, NBA Wolves and NHL Wild. Pittsburg has the MLB Pirates, NFL Steelers and NHL Penguins. Bottom line I’m unsure if Kansas City has the population base (2.087 million) or desire for adding an NBA team to the existing NFL Chiefs, MLB Royals and MSL Sporting Kansas City teams.
"Being afraid on the court mean's you are not confident of your skills"-Michael Jordan
Duke or Kentucky
6-10 250 pound Marques Bolden is undecided, he’s deciding between Coach K. and Coach Cal. Bolden is Rivals number 16 and ESPN 100 number 20 in the Class of 2016. Bolden is from Desoto (TX) in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro.
Have you seen it?
Under Armour plans a 3-second commercial every time Steph Curry scores a 3-point basket. I’ve only seen one ad but its funny, Curry holding a basketball picks up a single brick from a stack says; “What’s this? “
He might become the tallest
Perhaps we are all aware Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis stood 7 feet 3 inches tall, bet you might not be aware three other players are in the NBA the same height. Porzingis played major minutes the others were strictly reserves. The quartet represent the tallest players in the NBA however next season they might be looking up to a competitor. UC-Irvine junior Mamadou Ndiaye has decided in favor of the NBA over remaining in school. Ndiaye from Senegal in West Africa stands 7 feet 6 inches tall and weighs a sturdy 300 pounds. This past season Ndiaye averaged 12.1, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots a game. In a February game against Long Beach State Ndiaye set a school record registering 11 blocked shots in the game.
You might remember the first game of the season the Anteaters (yes that’s their nickname) started the tallest lineup in college basketball history. They had 7-6 Ndiaye at center along with a 6-10 point guard and 7-2 shooting guard. Also in the game was a 6-8 and 6-10 forward. As for Ndiaye’s draft status or can he play at the NBA level are questions which remain unanswered at this time. After all the late Manute Bol who stood even taller at 7 feet 7 inches Bol managed a 10-year career with a number of NBA teams. Bol had limited basketball skills but his height and shot blocking played a key. With Ndiaye’s shot blocking ability it’s possible an NBA team might be willing to take a chance on him.
We couldn’t afford it
You haven’t heard me moan in quite awhile about no NBA basketball in Kansas City. I’ve considered the fact in 2016 we might not be able to sustain an NBA franchise based on our population and disposable income. What if Greg Luckinbill had been a Ewing Kaufmann type purchasing the Kings with no intent to move them out of town. Mr. Kaufmann saw it as a civic duty for baseball to remain in Kansas City once the A’s departed for Oakland. He‘s the one reason major league baseball remains viable in Kansas City with the Royals. Would the Kings have remained here if Luckenbill had not purchased the team with the express purpose of moving? I’m not exactly sure Kansas City could afford NBA basketball in 2016, the Kings left in 1985 a time the cost of living was a great deal lower than present. I did some research lets check some 1985 prices for a number of items and compare them with 2016.
Gasoline
$1.20 a gal 1985 - $1.90 range a gal 2016
Dodge Charger
$6,203.00 1985 price - $27,995 2016 price
2 bedroom home-a number of variables but assume the same amount of down payment and in the same general portion of the country
$84,000 1985 - $108,400 2016
Kings game ticket
$25.00 estimate 1985 - $46.32 2016
These figures are not meant to be precise however they are as close as I was able to uncover, check out other metro areas which approximate the size of Kansas City. Minneapolis-St Paul has a metro population of 3.28 million and Pittsburg 2.3 million. The Twin Cities have the MLB Twins, NFL Vikings, NBA Wolves and NHL Wild. Pittsburg has the MLB Pirates, NFL Steelers and NHL Penguins. Bottom line I’m unsure if Kansas City has the population base (2.087 million) or desire for adding an NBA team to the existing NFL Chiefs, MLB Royals and MSL Sporting Kansas City teams.
"Being afraid on the court mean's you are not confident of your skills"-Michael Jordan
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Two notes
Changed my mind, the other day I indicated Words would return to a Monday, Wednesday and Friday publishing date. For the time being it will continue to be published daily. The NBA Playoffs similar to the NCAA Tourney far too many games to attempt updates on all the games.
Quiet please!!!
Didn’t want to say it too loud but ESPN.com is wrong! The NBA page of ESPN.com April 18 stated; “50 years ago today Bill Russell took the reigns of the Celtics and thus became the first black coach in a major sport.” Well that’s not exactly correct; Russell was preceded by another four years previously. ESPN is mistaken if we look at the ABL the American Basketball League. As mentioned previously the league attempted to rival the NBA but only lasted a short time. They played the 1961-62 season and part of the 1962-63 season.
Among the teams were the Cleveland Pipers owned by George Steinbrenner who would later own the baseball Yankees. Piper general manager hired John McLendon as head coach, McLendon had coached North Carolina College from 1941-52, 1953-54 he coached Hampton Institute. From 1955 through 1959 he led Tennessee A&I (now Tennessee State). His Tennessee team won three consecutive NAIA Tournaments while he was at the helm.
Technically ESPN might be correct because the ABL lasted only 1 ½ years however that’s not what history might say. I failed to mention in November McClendon will be honored a second time by the College Basketball Hall of Fame. The first time in 2006 it was as a contributor to the game later this year he will be enshrined as a coach. The legendary McClendon died in October 1999 at the age of 84.
I tire of
Media members who “get inside players head” and decide what they are thinking. I’ve got news for those who chose this approach 99 % of the time they have no idea what they are talking about. Do they have opinions on the subject matter they are discussing I would say most certainly. The error is to give you the impression they know what Joe is/was thinking is totally ridiculous. All of us (including this writer) are guilty of formulating inaccurate or incorrect opinions on a subject or an individual.
Decisions, decisions
I’ve expressed my concern regarding Laker Coach Byron Scott. As this is written we have no idea if stays or goes. Naturally a great number of rumors are circulating about the possibility of a coaching change for the franchise. Decisions of any type cannot be made on “feelings” alone you must have solid proof yes or no on the matter or issue. That’s the dilemma for me as I read reports of a coaching search.
A Laker fan website has tossed out the name Scott Brooks former Thunder coach should Scott be moved. I cannot come up with or think a single negative though about this choice except I don’t have a good feeling about his coaching ability. Naturally the Lakers are mum at this point on firing or retaining Scott. I suppose if he’s hired I will repeat my past view, I believed Mike Brown, Mike D’Antoni and Scott initially were good hires.
"If I walk in a home and a kid disrespects a woman, his mother or grandmother, then I'm out....I want recruit them" - John Calipari
Two notes
Changed my mind, the other day I indicated Words would return to a Monday, Wednesday and Friday publishing date. For the time being it will continue to be published daily. The NBA Playoffs similar to the NCAA Tourney far too many games to attempt updates on all the games.
Quiet please!!!
Didn’t want to say it too loud but ESPN.com is wrong! The NBA page of ESPN.com April 18 stated; “50 years ago today Bill Russell took the reigns of the Celtics and thus became the first black coach in a major sport.” Well that’s not exactly correct; Russell was preceded by another four years previously. ESPN is mistaken if we look at the ABL the American Basketball League. As mentioned previously the league attempted to rival the NBA but only lasted a short time. They played the 1961-62 season and part of the 1962-63 season.
Among the teams were the Cleveland Pipers owned by George Steinbrenner who would later own the baseball Yankees. Piper general manager hired John McLendon as head coach, McLendon had coached North Carolina College from 1941-52, 1953-54 he coached Hampton Institute. From 1955 through 1959 he led Tennessee A&I (now Tennessee State). His Tennessee team won three consecutive NAIA Tournaments while he was at the helm.
Technically ESPN might be correct because the ABL lasted only 1 ½ years however that’s not what history might say. I failed to mention in November McClendon will be honored a second time by the College Basketball Hall of Fame. The first time in 2006 it was as a contributor to the game later this year he will be enshrined as a coach. The legendary McClendon died in October 1999 at the age of 84.
I tire of
Media members who “get inside players head” and decide what they are thinking. I’ve got news for those who chose this approach 99 % of the time they have no idea what they are talking about. Do they have opinions on the subject matter they are discussing I would say most certainly. The error is to give you the impression they know what Joe is/was thinking is totally ridiculous. All of us (including this writer) are guilty of formulating inaccurate or incorrect opinions on a subject or an individual.
Decisions, decisions
I’ve expressed my concern regarding Laker Coach Byron Scott. As this is written we have no idea if stays or goes. Naturally a great number of rumors are circulating about the possibility of a coaching change for the franchise. Decisions of any type cannot be made on “feelings” alone you must have solid proof yes or no on the matter or issue. That’s the dilemma for me as I read reports of a coaching search.
A Laker fan website has tossed out the name Scott Brooks former Thunder coach should Scott be moved. I cannot come up with or think a single negative though about this choice except I don’t have a good feeling about his coaching ability. Naturally the Lakers are mum at this point on firing or retaining Scott. I suppose if he’s hired I will repeat my past view, I believed Mike Brown, Mike D’Antoni and Scott initially were good hires.
"If I walk in a home and a kid disrespects a woman, his mother or grandmother, then I'm out....I want recruit them" - John Calipari
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
20 years?
I’m writing this the day of Kobe’s last game; I was an adult when Kobe arrived in the NBA so I didn‘t view his game as an impressionable youngster. As for the 20 years I have no idea where they went except I must stop and realize he’s played for the Lakers that length of time. In addition my life has evolved as well. I remember the entire talk pre social network what was to occur. The Lakers were clearly not in a position to draft the 17-year old but Laker General Manager Jerry West loved the kid. West would pull all stops to acquire Kobe which included trading his starting center Vlade Divac.
A number of you might remember Divac from his years as the Kings center; he was drafted by the Lakers with the 26th pick in the first round of the 1989 draft. As for Kobe the coach at the time Del Harris kept Kobe’s butt stapled to the bench which we believed was degrading to him. I remember later in the playoffs against the Jazz he shot two air-balls in a game. The shots affected the game but not the series it proved to us Kobe was unafraid of the challenge of taking a crucial shot at crunch time. Over the course of his 20-year career he would take many buzzer beating shots as he became an assassin.
I would be painting an untrue picture if I failed to cover the most traumatic period of his life the rape charge. In Colorado he had sexual relations with a hotel worker who would later claimed he raped her. Kobe was charged and the preliminary portion of the trial began. In a charter he was flying back and forth between Colorado to Los Angeles in order to play for the Lakers. In today’s climate he would have been suspended almost immediately. Cut to the chase an out of court settlement was reached Kobe paid a large undisclosed sum of money to the plaintiff and it was over. Kobe never duplicated MJ in championships but did manage to win a total of five, he was NBA MVP, 2X NBA Finals MVP, an 18X NBA All Star just a few of the accolades bestowed upon Kobe Bean Bryant.
Defense, defense
From high school to college into the NBA fans often yell the chant defense. Although we love offense defense wins just as many games. We acknowledge defensive players but a Steph Curry will create more headlines than Hassan Whiteside. If you are asking the question who’s Whiteside you better check. I thought it silly at the time ESPN stated Khawi Leonard should be considered for co-MVP it certainly was not intended to degrade the Spurs forward. I checked his numbers at San Diego State and Leonard might be one who's NBA game might actually be superior to his collegiate game. His coach and San Diego State fans might disagree with this assessment but that's the appearance I've concluded.
Leonard was announced as NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row.
Although Leonard’s defense is the emphasis the guy can score. The 6-7 small forward shot .506 from the floor for a 21.2 ppg average in addition he grabbed nearly seven rebounds a game. The media focus for the Spurs has been on Tim Duncan because he’s been there for so many years. It’s my belief the “true” leader of the team is Khawi Leonard. Even more interesting he’s one athlete who might never acquire an inflated ego. He’s still driving his 1997 Chevy Tahoe from high school. Before you jump to any conclusions the vehicle is not “tricked-out” it’s in the original state.
Can you say strange?
I’ve written about the curious and odd musical chairs involving Dave Rice, Tubby Smith, Chris Beard and now Marvin Menzies. Keep in mind the moves occurred over a period of time. Follow the bouncing ball…..coaching moves please. Rice is fired at UNLV in January so the Las Vegas school hires Beard as his replacement. Smith leaves Texas Tech for Memphis; Beard on the job at UNLV for two weeks departs for Texas Tech where he once served as an assistant.
We can imagine how UNLV must have felt believing they had a coach who departed in less than two weeks. Pending approval by UNLV Regents Marvin Menzies would be hired to replace Beard. Now New Mexico State is left in the cold and must locate a replacement for Menzies. I’m unsure if I can remember events of this type ever occurring in the coaching ranks. Did you follow all the moves successfully?
"No one is bigger than the team. If you can't do things our way, you're not getting time here and we don't care who you are" - Gregg Popovich
20 years?
I’m writing this the day of Kobe’s last game; I was an adult when Kobe arrived in the NBA so I didn‘t view his game as an impressionable youngster. As for the 20 years I have no idea where they went except I must stop and realize he’s played for the Lakers that length of time. In addition my life has evolved as well. I remember the entire talk pre social network what was to occur. The Lakers were clearly not in a position to draft the 17-year old but Laker General Manager Jerry West loved the kid. West would pull all stops to acquire Kobe which included trading his starting center Vlade Divac.
A number of you might remember Divac from his years as the Kings center; he was drafted by the Lakers with the 26th pick in the first round of the 1989 draft. As for Kobe the coach at the time Del Harris kept Kobe’s butt stapled to the bench which we believed was degrading to him. I remember later in the playoffs against the Jazz he shot two air-balls in a game. The shots affected the game but not the series it proved to us Kobe was unafraid of the challenge of taking a crucial shot at crunch time. Over the course of his 20-year career he would take many buzzer beating shots as he became an assassin.
I would be painting an untrue picture if I failed to cover the most traumatic period of his life the rape charge. In Colorado he had sexual relations with a hotel worker who would later claimed he raped her. Kobe was charged and the preliminary portion of the trial began. In a charter he was flying back and forth between Colorado to Los Angeles in order to play for the Lakers. In today’s climate he would have been suspended almost immediately. Cut to the chase an out of court settlement was reached Kobe paid a large undisclosed sum of money to the plaintiff and it was over. Kobe never duplicated MJ in championships but did manage to win a total of five, he was NBA MVP, 2X NBA Finals MVP, an 18X NBA All Star just a few of the accolades bestowed upon Kobe Bean Bryant.
Defense, defense
From high school to college into the NBA fans often yell the chant defense. Although we love offense defense wins just as many games. We acknowledge defensive players but a Steph Curry will create more headlines than Hassan Whiteside. If you are asking the question who’s Whiteside you better check. I thought it silly at the time ESPN stated Khawi Leonard should be considered for co-MVP it certainly was not intended to degrade the Spurs forward. I checked his numbers at San Diego State and Leonard might be one who's NBA game might actually be superior to his collegiate game. His coach and San Diego State fans might disagree with this assessment but that's the appearance I've concluded.
Leonard was announced as NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row.
Although Leonard’s defense is the emphasis the guy can score. The 6-7 small forward shot .506 from the floor for a 21.2 ppg average in addition he grabbed nearly seven rebounds a game. The media focus for the Spurs has been on Tim Duncan because he’s been there for so many years. It’s my belief the “true” leader of the team is Khawi Leonard. Even more interesting he’s one athlete who might never acquire an inflated ego. He’s still driving his 1997 Chevy Tahoe from high school. Before you jump to any conclusions the vehicle is not “tricked-out” it’s in the original state.
Can you say strange?
I’ve written about the curious and odd musical chairs involving Dave Rice, Tubby Smith, Chris Beard and now Marvin Menzies. Keep in mind the moves occurred over a period of time. Follow the bouncing ball…..coaching moves please. Rice is fired at UNLV in January so the Las Vegas school hires Beard as his replacement. Smith leaves Texas Tech for Memphis; Beard on the job at UNLV for two weeks departs for Texas Tech where he once served as an assistant.
We can imagine how UNLV must have felt believing they had a coach who departed in less than two weeks. Pending approval by UNLV Regents Marvin Menzies would be hired to replace Beard. Now New Mexico State is left in the cold and must locate a replacement for Menzies. I’m unsure if I can remember events of this type ever occurring in the coaching ranks. Did you follow all the moves successfully?
"No one is bigger than the team. If you can't do things our way, you're not getting time here and we don't care who you are" - Gregg Popovich
Monday, April 18, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Give credit
I held a discussion with a friend about the NBA, naturally the conversation drifted to the 60 point performance by Kobe in his final game. I mentioned to him “Who are the haters going to find now to hate.” My friend said; “It was good Michael Jordan played before the advent of social media. Everything LeBron James and Kobe have done is scrutinized. If LeBron does X it’s what was he thinking, if he does Y he must be guilty and Z could be something totally different.”
I must add my thoughts to those of my friend; “The growth of sports talk radio and television has created an additional audience of folks to “judge” the actions of LeBron, Kobe and others.” I wonder how Jason Whitlock and Stephen A. Smith would feel if we had the ability of critiquing their work on a daily basis. Would they be spotted at the coffee machine or in the break-room longer than the allotted time? Would they miss a deadline for a story that was to be written? The point is they are human beings subject to mistakes the difference is LeBron, Kobe and others “work” is in front of us all for display purposes.
An explanation
I believe it is time once again for the explanation, what’s the explanation you might ask? The fact Words eye view is written and published 12 months a year about basketball. As the basketball season winds down I’ve been asked; “Why don’t you write about football?” Other than occasionally mentioning another sport Words is written specifically for and about basketball. If you want to read about another sport you might want to search the web for another blog. This publication will attempt to cover basketball at its various levels.
Trivia
Maybe somehow you can make this into a trivia question for your friends. Steve Kerr was a reserve guard on the ‘95-’96 Bulls team which held the All-time win record of 72-10. Steve Kerr is the coach of the ‘15-’16 Warriors who went 73-9 establishing a new NBA record for wins in a single season.
The NBA draft
I don’t know about you but I’m curious where Thon Maker lands in the draft. We must wait till June 23rd roughly two months to determine his draft position. Technically Maker will be the first high school player in the draft in 10 years. My curiosity is peaked by what I’ve read, one mock site lists him as the number 20 pick in the first round while another has him three picks higher. One mock places him in the second round as the 10th pick. Maker’s athleticism plus a 9 foot standing reach and 7 foot wingspan might be too tempting for a team to pass. An NBA team might draft him realizing the reward might not be immediate it could be two or three years away.
Not only is there more to life than basketball, there is lot more to basketball than basketball
Phil Jackson
Give credit
I held a discussion with a friend about the NBA, naturally the conversation drifted to the 60 point performance by Kobe in his final game. I mentioned to him “Who are the haters going to find now to hate.” My friend said; “It was good Michael Jordan played before the advent of social media. Everything LeBron James and Kobe have done is scrutinized. If LeBron does X it’s what was he thinking, if he does Y he must be guilty and Z could be something totally different.”
I must add my thoughts to those of my friend; “The growth of sports talk radio and television has created an additional audience of folks to “judge” the actions of LeBron, Kobe and others.” I wonder how Jason Whitlock and Stephen A. Smith would feel if we had the ability of critiquing their work on a daily basis. Would they be spotted at the coffee machine or in the break-room longer than the allotted time? Would they miss a deadline for a story that was to be written? The point is they are human beings subject to mistakes the difference is LeBron, Kobe and others “work” is in front of us all for display purposes.
An explanation
I believe it is time once again for the explanation, what’s the explanation you might ask? The fact Words eye view is written and published 12 months a year about basketball. As the basketball season winds down I’ve been asked; “Why don’t you write about football?” Other than occasionally mentioning another sport Words is written specifically for and about basketball. If you want to read about another sport you might want to search the web for another blog. This publication will attempt to cover basketball at its various levels.
Trivia
Maybe somehow you can make this into a trivia question for your friends. Steve Kerr was a reserve guard on the ‘95-’96 Bulls team which held the All-time win record of 72-10. Steve Kerr is the coach of the ‘15-’16 Warriors who went 73-9 establishing a new NBA record for wins in a single season.
The NBA draft
I don’t know about you but I’m curious where Thon Maker lands in the draft. We must wait till June 23rd roughly two months to determine his draft position. Technically Maker will be the first high school player in the draft in 10 years. My curiosity is peaked by what I’ve read, one mock site lists him as the number 20 pick in the first round while another has him three picks higher. One mock places him in the second round as the 10th pick. Maker’s athleticism plus a 9 foot standing reach and 7 foot wingspan might be too tempting for a team to pass. An NBA team might draft him realizing the reward might not be immediate it could be two or three years away.
Not only is there more to life than basketball, there is lot more to basketball than basketball
Phil Jackson
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
He’s in the draft
It appears Zhou Qi is headed to the NBA; the second priority for the 7-2 Qi is to gain weight he’s only got 212 pounds packed on his slender frame. That’s not to say he can’t play Kristaps Porzingis arrived “light in the pants” and managed to survive his first year in the NBA. Porzingis was a little heavier at 230 pounds I might add to the discussion. How does Qi rate on the NBA’s radar you might ask? Mock draft site draftExpress.com has Qi as the 27th pick in the first round. NBADraft.net has him the 16th pick in the second round. If drafted he certainly will arrive in the NBA with less fanfare than fellow countryman Yao Ming.
Shocked--better believe it
Often when a news event is concluded I say to myself; “I figured that would be the decision.” There are other occasions I’m downright shocked when a decision or judgment is rendered. This is one of those times; the NBA cleared 7-1 Thon Maker for the 2016 NBA Draft. If you remember the story age was not an issue Maker had already turned 19. The question involved his high school graduation of 2015 although he was technically in school. This is what I’ve discovered Maker did indeed graduate last June however he spent this year in “prep school." I’d written earlier Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said Maker would require extensive time in the D-League.
There is no disagreement on Maker’s work ethic he appears driven to improve his game. The NBA ruling could prove a “slippery slope” for the NBA going forward. Could we see others believing they were talented enough attempt the same route. The fear of injury probably contributes to the rush to be paid. You certainly could be hurt playing at any level but why take a chance in college or Europe when you can just “sit” for a year. I’m not saying this scenario will play out in the future but it easily could. The NBA should either change the rule and allow high school players in the draft again or have a similar case play out in the future.
Working with youngsters
In a bit of surprising news to yours truly Kobe Bryant indicates “he’s going to work with the youngsters.” I guess I could see him in training camp working with the guards especially. What I find most interesting is the Kobe haters always say; “I don’t like him cause he’s arrogant.” Tell haters who was any more arrogant and aloof than Michael Jordan? Everybody can’t be Steph Curry or LeBron James, despite errors in his life he kept it real on the court. He made no bones about being an assassin, “I’m gonna bust down the door and force you to respect me on the basketball court.”
Canadian basketball
On more than one occasion Words eye view has mentioned the growth of basketball in Canada. Without conducting any sort of survey I’m sure NHL hockey is number one followed by CFL football. Based on the numbers of Canadian players playing in U.S. colleges’ basketball in Canada might be more popular than the baseball Bluejays.
Notice I said may be more popular just a view which may or may not be correct. In any event the number one college prospect in 2016 is yet to make his commitment that would be Thon Maker. He’s the 7-1 210 pound do everything player, he’s at Orangeville Prep in Orangeville Ontario. As for others these are names of note and their commitment:
Justin Jackson 6-8 210 pound forward UNLV
Isiaha Mike 6-8 200 pound forward Duquesne
Koby McEwen 6-3 175 pound guard Utah State
Eddie Ekiyor 6-8 215 pound forward Xavier
The disclaimer this is no indicator of future success by any of the names mentioned including Maker. This is intended to provide further proof of the growth of high school basketball in Canada.
NOTE: Prior to publication Thon Maker announced his intention to submit his name for the 2016 NBA Draft.
He’s in the draft
It appears Zhou Qi is headed to the NBA; the second priority for the 7-2 Qi is to gain weight he’s only got 212 pounds packed on his slender frame. That’s not to say he can’t play Kristaps Porzingis arrived “light in the pants” and managed to survive his first year in the NBA. Porzingis was a little heavier at 230 pounds I might add to the discussion. How does Qi rate on the NBA’s radar you might ask? Mock draft site draftExpress.com has Qi as the 27th pick in the first round. NBADraft.net has him the 16th pick in the second round. If drafted he certainly will arrive in the NBA with less fanfare than fellow countryman Yao Ming.
Shocked--better believe it
Often when a news event is concluded I say to myself; “I figured that would be the decision.” There are other occasions I’m downright shocked when a decision or judgment is rendered. This is one of those times; the NBA cleared 7-1 Thon Maker for the 2016 NBA Draft. If you remember the story age was not an issue Maker had already turned 19. The question involved his high school graduation of 2015 although he was technically in school. This is what I’ve discovered Maker did indeed graduate last June however he spent this year in “prep school." I’d written earlier Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said Maker would require extensive time in the D-League.
There is no disagreement on Maker’s work ethic he appears driven to improve his game. The NBA ruling could prove a “slippery slope” for the NBA going forward. Could we see others believing they were talented enough attempt the same route. The fear of injury probably contributes to the rush to be paid. You certainly could be hurt playing at any level but why take a chance in college or Europe when you can just “sit” for a year. I’m not saying this scenario will play out in the future but it easily could. The NBA should either change the rule and allow high school players in the draft again or have a similar case play out in the future.
Working with youngsters
In a bit of surprising news to yours truly Kobe Bryant indicates “he’s going to work with the youngsters.” I guess I could see him in training camp working with the guards especially. What I find most interesting is the Kobe haters always say; “I don’t like him cause he’s arrogant.” Tell haters who was any more arrogant and aloof than Michael Jordan? Everybody can’t be Steph Curry or LeBron James, despite errors in his life he kept it real on the court. He made no bones about being an assassin, “I’m gonna bust down the door and force you to respect me on the basketball court.”
Canadian basketball
On more than one occasion Words eye view has mentioned the growth of basketball in Canada. Without conducting any sort of survey I’m sure NHL hockey is number one followed by CFL football. Based on the numbers of Canadian players playing in U.S. colleges’ basketball in Canada might be more popular than the baseball Bluejays.
Notice I said may be more popular just a view which may or may not be correct. In any event the number one college prospect in 2016 is yet to make his commitment that would be Thon Maker. He’s the 7-1 210 pound do everything player, he’s at Orangeville Prep in Orangeville Ontario. As for others these are names of note and their commitment:
Justin Jackson 6-8 210 pound forward UNLV
Isiaha Mike 6-8 200 pound forward Duquesne
Koby McEwen 6-3 175 pound guard Utah State
Eddie Ekiyor 6-8 215 pound forward Xavier
The disclaimer this is no indicator of future success by any of the names mentioned including Maker. This is intended to provide further proof of the growth of high school basketball in Canada.
NOTE: Prior to publication Thon Maker announced his intention to submit his name for the 2016 NBA Draft.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
What next?
First it was corporate names attached to stadiums and arenas across the country. We’ve now moved to another level corporately, the NBA approved ads on jerseys beginning in the 2017-18 season. Euro teams have embraced this concept for a number of years but I think it’s cheesy. You question me by stating the Nike Swoosh and Adidas name is clearly visible on jersey. The commish claims the league will earn $100 million in annual revenue so as we can see this all about the financial reward.
Trust me
Any time someone says trust me you immediately become suspicious. That’s the case here I’m asking for you to trust me. Orlando “Tubby” Smith has left Texas Tech to accept the vacated head coaching position at Memphis. Why you might ask so I’ll speculate the Big 12 is one of the strongest basketball conferences in the nation however Texas Tech is on the bottom rung of schools and not a destination for high profile prospects. Sorry Red Raider fans but sometimes the truth hurts.
After inheriting a program headed “south” Smith was able to secure an NCAA bid in his third season in Red Raider country with a 19-13 record. The previous two years the team had finished below .500. Although Smith is leaving after a short period of time Memphis will allow him to compete in the American Conference with a greater degree of success. The conference has several competitive teams; UConn, SMU, Temple and Tulsa to name a few. Memphis has a rich basketball tradition unlike Texas Tech which should bode well for Smith in recruiting. Trust me I believe the hire of Smith is good for Memphis.
Can you say dominos?
Don’t unpack your suitcase might be Chris Beard’s adage. He left his Arkansas-Little Rock job after one year when the head coaching position opened at UNLV. After being on the job at UNLV exactly two weeks his suitcase is packed again this time he’s headed for Texas Tech. Tubby Smith leaving for Memphis is a partial cause of the movement. Seven years ago Beard served as an assistant at Tech in addition Beard has family in Lubbock (TX).
Nobody is watching
“Nobody is watching the NBA” is the speech uttered at times. Last season the association set an all-time attendance record. The record set last season was eclipsed this year, 21 million chose to attend games in ‘15 and that figure rose to 22 million in ‘16. I haven’t seen television viewer numbers however I must believe they too may have increased.
Oil and water
I’ve never attempted to mix oil with water because there was no ocassion. On television I’ve witnessed off-shore oil spills it appears the oil simply lies on top of the water, it doesn‘t mix. George Karl is oil and Boogie Cousins is water or vice-versa, the Kings front office should have been aware of the coaches history with many of his players. As I pointed out the front office is just as much to blame for the mess the Kings have become. Imagine Karl’s surprise boarding a flight and discovering Cousins and Rondo were not aboard. Neither player was injured; the front office excused both from the road trip without consulting the coach.
What next?
First it was corporate names attached to stadiums and arenas across the country. We’ve now moved to another level corporately, the NBA approved ads on jerseys beginning in the 2017-18 season. Euro teams have embraced this concept for a number of years but I think it’s cheesy. You question me by stating the Nike Swoosh and Adidas name is clearly visible on jersey. The commish claims the league will earn $100 million in annual revenue so as we can see this all about the financial reward.
Trust me
Any time someone says trust me you immediately become suspicious. That’s the case here I’m asking for you to trust me. Orlando “Tubby” Smith has left Texas Tech to accept the vacated head coaching position at Memphis. Why you might ask so I’ll speculate the Big 12 is one of the strongest basketball conferences in the nation however Texas Tech is on the bottom rung of schools and not a destination for high profile prospects. Sorry Red Raider fans but sometimes the truth hurts.
After inheriting a program headed “south” Smith was able to secure an NCAA bid in his third season in Red Raider country with a 19-13 record. The previous two years the team had finished below .500. Although Smith is leaving after a short period of time Memphis will allow him to compete in the American Conference with a greater degree of success. The conference has several competitive teams; UConn, SMU, Temple and Tulsa to name a few. Memphis has a rich basketball tradition unlike Texas Tech which should bode well for Smith in recruiting. Trust me I believe the hire of Smith is good for Memphis.
Can you say dominos?
Don’t unpack your suitcase might be Chris Beard’s adage. He left his Arkansas-Little Rock job after one year when the head coaching position opened at UNLV. After being on the job at UNLV exactly two weeks his suitcase is packed again this time he’s headed for Texas Tech. Tubby Smith leaving for Memphis is a partial cause of the movement. Seven years ago Beard served as an assistant at Tech in addition Beard has family in Lubbock (TX).
Nobody is watching
“Nobody is watching the NBA” is the speech uttered at times. Last season the association set an all-time attendance record. The record set last season was eclipsed this year, 21 million chose to attend games in ‘15 and that figure rose to 22 million in ‘16. I haven’t seen television viewer numbers however I must believe they too may have increased.
Oil and water
I’ve never attempted to mix oil with water because there was no ocassion. On television I’ve witnessed off-shore oil spills it appears the oil simply lies on top of the water, it doesn‘t mix. George Karl is oil and Boogie Cousins is water or vice-versa, the Kings front office should have been aware of the coaches history with many of his players. As I pointed out the front office is just as much to blame for the mess the Kings have become. Imagine Karl’s surprise boarding a flight and discovering Cousins and Rondo were not aboard. Neither player was injured; the front office excused both from the road trip without consulting the coach.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
“I did it my way“
The first line from the Frank Sinatra classic recorded in 1968 is;
And now the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain
The next stanza ends with the words; “I did it my way.” The final box score reads Lakers
101 Jazz 96 Kobe Bryant scored 60 points on 22-50 (44%) from the floor. Leave it to Kobe to overshadow the Warriors who broke the NBA all-time win record the same evening. It’s okay Kobe haters you won’t have him around any longer-----you’ll have to find another target for your vitriol.
They did it
Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors they did it they eclipsed the record, they won 73 games and only lost nine times. In January or February Larry Laker stated the record established in the ‘95-‘96 by the Bulls would remain intact. Sorry Warriors fans I missed this one however I’m not too proud to admit I was wrong. In addition Warriors sharpshooter Step Curry takes a victory lap too. 402 three-point baskets in a single season when no one had made even 300 in a season.Curry would finish his record breaking performance with 46 points and 10-19 from the
3-point line.
????
P.E.R. or player efficiency rating is a measurement devised by John Hollinger of ESPN. Checking players’ number at the end of the line is their P.E.R. I understand it’s “John Hollinger’s all-in-one rating which attempts to boil down all a players’ contribution into a single number.” Positives, (scoring, rebounding etc.) are taken into consideration along with negatives (turnovers, missed shots etc.)
A player with a 15 is a good player, 22.5 is an All-Star. Players scoring 25.0 and higher are considered exceptional (weak MVP, strong MVP and runaway MVP). I’m not attempting to be judgmental of P.E.R. however I question if it will come into common usage by all elements of the media rather than ESPN alone. For guys who love numbers this is a perfect barometer for the rest of us---well.
Jack
A number of people are identified by one name, Madonna, Cher, Sting, Sade and Mr. T. Okay technically Mr. T is not a single name but you get the idea. If you say Lakers, Staples Center and Jack they belong as one. Jack who you ask, Jack Nicholson a Laker season ticket holder since 1972. Jack’s not abandon the ship yet, he remains a loyal fan of his team the Los Angeles Lakers.
Next?
I believe it was February when I stated Kings Coach George Karl would be fired any day, well that day has arrived. Although I mentioned Karl has a propensity of falling out with coaches and front office this time it may not be all him. I didn’t realize since the 2006-07 season the name plate on the coach’s door has been changed eight times.
We could look in a southern direction toward Los Angeles and the Lakers we could see a dysfunctional front office. Journey eastward in the direction of Philadelphia and the 76er franchise we could find further evidence of a malfunctioning front office. Although the team’s won-loss is superior to both the Lakers and 76ers the teams’ front office is just as chaotic.
“I did it my way“
The first line from the Frank Sinatra classic recorded in 1968 is;
And now the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain
The next stanza ends with the words; “I did it my way.” The final box score reads Lakers
101 Jazz 96 Kobe Bryant scored 60 points on 22-50 (44%) from the floor. Leave it to Kobe to overshadow the Warriors who broke the NBA all-time win record the same evening. It’s okay Kobe haters you won’t have him around any longer-----you’ll have to find another target for your vitriol.
They did it
Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors they did it they eclipsed the record, they won 73 games and only lost nine times. In January or February Larry Laker stated the record established in the ‘95-‘96 by the Bulls would remain intact. Sorry Warriors fans I missed this one however I’m not too proud to admit I was wrong. In addition Warriors sharpshooter Step Curry takes a victory lap too. 402 three-point baskets in a single season when no one had made even 300 in a season.Curry would finish his record breaking performance with 46 points and 10-19 from the
3-point line.
????
P.E.R. or player efficiency rating is a measurement devised by John Hollinger of ESPN. Checking players’ number at the end of the line is their P.E.R. I understand it’s “John Hollinger’s all-in-one rating which attempts to boil down all a players’ contribution into a single number.” Positives, (scoring, rebounding etc.) are taken into consideration along with negatives (turnovers, missed shots etc.)
A player with a 15 is a good player, 22.5 is an All-Star. Players scoring 25.0 and higher are considered exceptional (weak MVP, strong MVP and runaway MVP). I’m not attempting to be judgmental of P.E.R. however I question if it will come into common usage by all elements of the media rather than ESPN alone. For guys who love numbers this is a perfect barometer for the rest of us---well.
Jack
A number of people are identified by one name, Madonna, Cher, Sting, Sade and Mr. T. Okay technically Mr. T is not a single name but you get the idea. If you say Lakers, Staples Center and Jack they belong as one. Jack who you ask, Jack Nicholson a Laker season ticket holder since 1972. Jack’s not abandon the ship yet, he remains a loyal fan of his team the Los Angeles Lakers.
Next?
I believe it was February when I stated Kings Coach George Karl would be fired any day, well that day has arrived. Although I mentioned Karl has a propensity of falling out with coaches and front office this time it may not be all him. I didn’t realize since the 2006-07 season the name plate on the coach’s door has been changed eight times.
We could look in a southern direction toward Los Angeles and the Lakers we could see a dysfunctional front office. Journey eastward in the direction of Philadelphia and the 76er franchise we could find further evidence of a malfunctioning front office. Although the team’s won-loss is superior to both the Lakers and 76ers the teams’ front office is just as chaotic.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
They not flashy
I realize the headline is not grammatically correct the Kansas City Royals are always on the outside looking in. Despite winning the World Series and in two consecutive fall classics the “experts” look past them to others. In the NBA it’s the Spurs and despite the fact both the baseball and basketball team play in smaller metro areas of the nation it’s the teams.
“They just not flashy,” both the Royals and Spurs win without a great deal of acknowledgement by the media. It’s often been stated Gregg Popovich has the privilege of having Tim Duncan anchor the Spurs for 19-years. The statement is true however it’s more than the Duncan factor. With two games remaining the Spurs are 65-15, few are actually paying attention for two reasons. The mercurial run of the Warriors and the fact they not flashy.
No, the other Jones
If you know anything about golf history you state the name Bobby Jones and one of the greatest golfers in history come to mind. This is the other Bobby Jones the one who played basketball and played it quite well. You say how I could make this statement about a guy with an 11.5 ppg and 6 rebounds a great player. The numbers don’t tell the true story of this Carolina Tarheel who would first play for the Nuggets while in the ABA.
A medical check uncovered an irregular heartbeat and it was reported the Nuggets believed his health would become an issue; they traded him after the 1977-78 to the 76ers. He would move from a starter’s role to sixth man where his career blossomed. Just a few of his accolades; NBA Champion (1983), 4X NBA All-Star, 8X All Defensive First Team, NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1983). In the ABA he made the All-Rookie First Team and was 2X All ABA Defensive Team. Bobby Jones was one of the best sixth men to ever play in the NBA.
I can speculate with the best
The Lakers have a need for a center that can play; Roy Hibbert has proven he cannot play at least for the Lakers. The Lakers have a large amount of money to spend on acquiring free-agents. I just learned the Heat don’t have the Bird rights for Hassan Whiteside. I’m going to link the paragraph to provide you an idea where I’m headed. The Lakers have a dire need for a center; Roy Hibbert cannot play any longer at a high skill level. The Lakers have a large amount of money to spend on free-agents and the Heat has no Bird rights to Hassan Whiteside.
1. The Bird Rights “allows a team to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents at an amount up to the maximum salary.” The Lakers will not become a better team immediately however upgrades at two positions would enhance this team significantly. Imagine this Whiteside at center, Ingram or Simmons at small forward, Randle at power forward. The guards could change but currently its D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson whether Russell goes is yet to be determined. That sounds exciting to me make it happen Jeannie. Notice I said Jeannie because brother Jimmy Buss will step down as he promised. The only question is the coach; I’m not sold on Luke Walton replacing Byron Scott. I could coach that Warriors team maybe not to 70 wins but wins and I have limited experience coaching.
1. Wikipedia
Don’t bother me
I’m not an ESPN Insider so I couldn’t read the piece Chad Ford wrote. Several respondents were complaining about Ford’s inaccuracy with his mock draft in the past. Guess what people it doesn’t bother me one bit for a couple of reasons. We are not privy to team strategy meetings we have no idea of the order of selection and who is chosen. I cannot defend Ford except to say it’s a best guess on his part based on workouts and information he gathers as a member of the media. We can’t check his record but we can look at the 2015 NBADraft.net mock versus actual:
Mock Actual
1. Minn-Karl Anthony Towns 1. Minn-Karl Anthony Towns
2. Lakers-D’Angelo Russell 2. Lakers-D’Angelo Russell
3. Philly-Jahlil Okafor 3. Philly-Jahlil Okafor
4. Knicks-Emmanuel Mudiay 4. Knicks-Kristaps Porzingis
5. Magic-Kristaps Porzingis 5. Magic-Mario Herzonja
6. Kings-Mario Herzonja 6. Kings-Willie Cauley-Stein
7. Denver-Justise Winslow 7. Denver-Emmanuel Mudiay
8. Detroit-Stanley Johnson 8. Detroit-Stanley Johnson
9. Charlotte-Frank Kaminsky 9. Charlotte-Frank Kaminsky
10. Miami-Myles Turner 10. Miami-Justise Winslow
I can’t speak for Chad Ford’s mock because I can’t see it but it certainly doesn’t look as if NBADraft.net was very far off. If you notice the selection order was off by one or more positions. In another instance the only solid miss would be including Myles Turner in the Top 10 of their mock.
They not flashy
I realize the headline is not grammatically correct the Kansas City Royals are always on the outside looking in. Despite winning the World Series and in two consecutive fall classics the “experts” look past them to others. In the NBA it’s the Spurs and despite the fact both the baseball and basketball team play in smaller metro areas of the nation it’s the teams.
“They just not flashy,” both the Royals and Spurs win without a great deal of acknowledgement by the media. It’s often been stated Gregg Popovich has the privilege of having Tim Duncan anchor the Spurs for 19-years. The statement is true however it’s more than the Duncan factor. With two games remaining the Spurs are 65-15, few are actually paying attention for two reasons. The mercurial run of the Warriors and the fact they not flashy.
No, the other Jones
If you know anything about golf history you state the name Bobby Jones and one of the greatest golfers in history come to mind. This is the other Bobby Jones the one who played basketball and played it quite well. You say how I could make this statement about a guy with an 11.5 ppg and 6 rebounds a great player. The numbers don’t tell the true story of this Carolina Tarheel who would first play for the Nuggets while in the ABA.
A medical check uncovered an irregular heartbeat and it was reported the Nuggets believed his health would become an issue; they traded him after the 1977-78 to the 76ers. He would move from a starter’s role to sixth man where his career blossomed. Just a few of his accolades; NBA Champion (1983), 4X NBA All-Star, 8X All Defensive First Team, NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1983). In the ABA he made the All-Rookie First Team and was 2X All ABA Defensive Team. Bobby Jones was one of the best sixth men to ever play in the NBA.
I can speculate with the best
The Lakers have a need for a center that can play; Roy Hibbert has proven he cannot play at least for the Lakers. The Lakers have a large amount of money to spend on acquiring free-agents. I just learned the Heat don’t have the Bird rights for Hassan Whiteside. I’m going to link the paragraph to provide you an idea where I’m headed. The Lakers have a dire need for a center; Roy Hibbert cannot play any longer at a high skill level. The Lakers have a large amount of money to spend on free-agents and the Heat has no Bird rights to Hassan Whiteside.
1. The Bird Rights “allows a team to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents at an amount up to the maximum salary.” The Lakers will not become a better team immediately however upgrades at two positions would enhance this team significantly. Imagine this Whiteside at center, Ingram or Simmons at small forward, Randle at power forward. The guards could change but currently its D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson whether Russell goes is yet to be determined. That sounds exciting to me make it happen Jeannie. Notice I said Jeannie because brother Jimmy Buss will step down as he promised. The only question is the coach; I’m not sold on Luke Walton replacing Byron Scott. I could coach that Warriors team maybe not to 70 wins but wins and I have limited experience coaching.
1. Wikipedia
Don’t bother me
I’m not an ESPN Insider so I couldn’t read the piece Chad Ford wrote. Several respondents were complaining about Ford’s inaccuracy with his mock draft in the past. Guess what people it doesn’t bother me one bit for a couple of reasons. We are not privy to team strategy meetings we have no idea of the order of selection and who is chosen. I cannot defend Ford except to say it’s a best guess on his part based on workouts and information he gathers as a member of the media. We can’t check his record but we can look at the 2015 NBADraft.net mock versus actual:
Mock Actual
1. Minn-Karl Anthony Towns 1. Minn-Karl Anthony Towns
2. Lakers-D’Angelo Russell 2. Lakers-D’Angelo Russell
3. Philly-Jahlil Okafor 3. Philly-Jahlil Okafor
4. Knicks-Emmanuel Mudiay 4. Knicks-Kristaps Porzingis
5. Magic-Kristaps Porzingis 5. Magic-Mario Herzonja
6. Kings-Mario Herzonja 6. Kings-Willie Cauley-Stein
7. Denver-Justise Winslow 7. Denver-Emmanuel Mudiay
8. Detroit-Stanley Johnson 8. Detroit-Stanley Johnson
9. Charlotte-Frank Kaminsky 9. Charlotte-Frank Kaminsky
10. Miami-Myles Turner 10. Miami-Justise Winslow
I can’t speak for Chad Ford’s mock because I can’t see it but it certainly doesn’t look as if NBADraft.net was very far off. If you notice the selection order was off by one or more positions. In another instance the only solid miss would be including Myles Turner in the Top 10 of their mock.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Publishing note
The close of the collegiate basketball season would entail lesser amounts of basketball news. Due to this factor beginning Monday April 18 Words eye view will return to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday format. Thanks to each of you who read Words and hopefully enjoy it. I never claimed to be correct so if you disagree with a take of mine that is okay just continue to read.
Sign on the dotted line
The spring National Letter of Intent signing period for basketball begins April 13 and runs through May 18, for Division II the end date is August 1. The early signing period in the fall begins November 9 and concludes November 16. A perspective student-athlete can verbally commit at any point he is unable to sign with a school.
All though the majority of prospects have signed LOI (Letters of Intent) there are a few key who yet remain unsigned. 6-7 guard Josh Jackson Rivals number one is yet to sign, in addition number 12 prospect 6-6 guard Terrance Ferguson remains uncommitted. NOTE: Before I could publish this account Jackson announced via twitter he was committing to Kansas.
Haters
Over the years I’ve encountered a significant number of Laker haters. I didn’t realize until recently hatred of teams exists at the collegiate level as well. Walk into a room in the nation and say; Duke, unless you are in Durham it’s likely your reception would be met with boos and hisses. The same might go for Kentucky or North Carolina. There are other teams in the land I’ve failed to mention but I hope you get the picture. Certainly in recent years I cannot add winner behind the name of the Lakers. As for the others notice they all have successful programs maybe that’s what brings out the haters you suppose.
In second place
Finishing behind Warren Jabali in Kansas City basketball days gone by is most likely Lucius Allen. Allen played on the Kansas side of the metro at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City Kansas. How good was Allen, he was good enough to receive a basketball scholarship to UCLA. This was the ‘60’s a time-period UCLA ruled the basketball world. Allen would team with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and win two championships.
Allen was the number three pick in the first round of the 1969 by the Seattle Sonics; he would play for three other NBA teams during his 10-year NBA career. He would return home in 1977 and play for two more years with his hometown Kansas City Kings. Allen was a 2X NCAA Champion at UCLA and second team All-American in 1968. Allen would become an NBA Champion with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971.
Larry Laker held hostage
Okay I exaggerate I’m not really being held hostage; this is day four but comes a further explanation. It’s ESPN’s First Take I’m boycotting because the other co-host Skip Bayless is a slight notch below that of his broadcast partner. Guess what----when 9:00 a.m. Central Time rolled around I almost changed the channel. I thought why provoke myself so I turned the channel to a movie. I enjoyed the movie far more than hearing Smith and Bayless going back and forth, all is good.
Publishing note
The close of the collegiate basketball season would entail lesser amounts of basketball news. Due to this factor beginning Monday April 18 Words eye view will return to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday format. Thanks to each of you who read Words and hopefully enjoy it. I never claimed to be correct so if you disagree with a take of mine that is okay just continue to read.
Sign on the dotted line
The spring National Letter of Intent signing period for basketball begins April 13 and runs through May 18, for Division II the end date is August 1. The early signing period in the fall begins November 9 and concludes November 16. A perspective student-athlete can verbally commit at any point he is unable to sign with a school.
All though the majority of prospects have signed LOI (Letters of Intent) there are a few key who yet remain unsigned. 6-7 guard Josh Jackson Rivals number one is yet to sign, in addition number 12 prospect 6-6 guard Terrance Ferguson remains uncommitted. NOTE: Before I could publish this account Jackson announced via twitter he was committing to Kansas.
Haters
Over the years I’ve encountered a significant number of Laker haters. I didn’t realize until recently hatred of teams exists at the collegiate level as well. Walk into a room in the nation and say; Duke, unless you are in Durham it’s likely your reception would be met with boos and hisses. The same might go for Kentucky or North Carolina. There are other teams in the land I’ve failed to mention but I hope you get the picture. Certainly in recent years I cannot add winner behind the name of the Lakers. As for the others notice they all have successful programs maybe that’s what brings out the haters you suppose.
In second place
Finishing behind Warren Jabali in Kansas City basketball days gone by is most likely Lucius Allen. Allen played on the Kansas side of the metro at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City Kansas. How good was Allen, he was good enough to receive a basketball scholarship to UCLA. This was the ‘60’s a time-period UCLA ruled the basketball world. Allen would team with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and win two championships.
Allen was the number three pick in the first round of the 1969 by the Seattle Sonics; he would play for three other NBA teams during his 10-year NBA career. He would return home in 1977 and play for two more years with his hometown Kansas City Kings. Allen was a 2X NCAA Champion at UCLA and second team All-American in 1968. Allen would become an NBA Champion with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971.
Larry Laker held hostage
Okay I exaggerate I’m not really being held hostage; this is day four but comes a further explanation. It’s ESPN’s First Take I’m boycotting because the other co-host Skip Bayless is a slight notch below that of his broadcast partner. Guess what----when 9:00 a.m. Central Time rolled around I almost changed the channel. I thought why provoke myself so I turned the channel to a movie. I enjoyed the movie far more than hearing Smith and Bayless going back and forth, all is good.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Can he play?
A number in the media covering basketball are insightful and informative. I have found Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports to report without inflating a story. This is his view of the Thon Maker story which could change but currently says; “Thon Maker is not ready for the NBA and will spend several years in the D-League.” Do we become mesmerized by YouTube videos of Maker and other high profile athletes? Often these are tidbits of information and incomplete because they often last less than five minutes.
In addition with high school athletes the videos are often AAU action which can also be questionable sometimes. One website I utilize lists the strength and weakness of top basketball prospects, I checked out their site on Maker and can state with conviction none of the weaknesses are insurmountable. Given time and Maker’s work ethic these weaknesses can be overcome but that’s the problem. All indications point to the fact this youngster is not ready to play at the NBA level at least for now.
Best ever
The metro population of Kansas City is smaller by comparison to NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago or Dallas-Fort Worth. Basketball talent is home grown but in smaller numbers than other parts of the nation. We travel back in time to the play that would be considered the greatest talent to emerge from this metro area. Naturally this subject will cause debate among the citizenry here but here we go anyway. After consulting a number of basketball aficionados the best ever is Warren (Armstrong) Jabali. For those outside the metro or too young allow a brief detail of him. Armstrong as he was known in high school was a 6-2 205 pound do everything player at Central High School in the city. He played all five positions on the court and it was no surprise for him to out leap players two or three inches taller.
Over the years stories are often embellished but in the early ‘60’s this feat was uncommon at the high school level. An opposing player stole the ball and was racing down the court for a lay-up. Armstrong was in pursuit but 3-4 steps behind him, he tossed the ball up toward the backboard and Armstrong went up at the same time smacking it against the board where it landed near enough for a Central player to retrieve the ball. Not uncommon now but in that day few sophomores were on varsity teams, they usually played on junior varsity teams but not Armstrong. He was so good upperclassmen players looked to him for leadership on the basketball court.
Recruited by several Big-8 schools he would chose Wichita State. Jabali was the 3X First Team Missouri Valley (freshman were not eligible in that period) while at Wichita State. Jabali would be drafted by the New York Knicks in 1968 but chose the new ABA over the more established NBA. Many believe Jabali could have played in the NBA however the year prior 1967 the Knicks drafted Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Jabali would be selected Rookie of the Year in 1969 playing for the Oakland Oaks (ABA). He was a member of that ABA Champion team the year and was also named series MVP. Jabali would go on to be named a 4X ABA All-Star and several other honors before injuries curtail his career. Jabali would retire in 1975 after playing a brief 7 years in the ABA with several teams. He would leave the game with 17.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, July 2012 he died at the age of 66.
Not going to deal with it
I’ve arrived on the scene to praise D’Angelo Russell rather than criticize him. I said it before his issue with Swaggy P. was stupid on his part. He asked for forgiveness and it’s a closed subject for me. I’m not sure either mid to late December I decided the Lakers had made a mistake. They had the opportunity of drafting big man Jahlil Okafor and they chose a 6-5 point guard. It’s my belief Coach Scott could have done a better job with him Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown.
Its tough adjusting to NBA play but Scott didn’t do any of the trio’s a favor pulling them in and out of the starting lineup. Back to Russell he can improve his field goal percentage and free-throw shooting. All and all he had a fairly good rookie year. His numbers are 3’s across the board, 13.1 ppg, 3.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds not outstanding but certainly respectable. Recently he broke a 22-year old 3-point record for baskets established by Nick Van Excel. I have no idea what direction the Lakers take in the off-season as for me Russell is a keeper. Under the right type of coach I believe he will have a long NBA career.
Can he play?
A number in the media covering basketball are insightful and informative. I have found Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports to report without inflating a story. This is his view of the Thon Maker story which could change but currently says; “Thon Maker is not ready for the NBA and will spend several years in the D-League.” Do we become mesmerized by YouTube videos of Maker and other high profile athletes? Often these are tidbits of information and incomplete because they often last less than five minutes.
In addition with high school athletes the videos are often AAU action which can also be questionable sometimes. One website I utilize lists the strength and weakness of top basketball prospects, I checked out their site on Maker and can state with conviction none of the weaknesses are insurmountable. Given time and Maker’s work ethic these weaknesses can be overcome but that’s the problem. All indications point to the fact this youngster is not ready to play at the NBA level at least for now.
Best ever
The metro population of Kansas City is smaller by comparison to NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago or Dallas-Fort Worth. Basketball talent is home grown but in smaller numbers than other parts of the nation. We travel back in time to the play that would be considered the greatest talent to emerge from this metro area. Naturally this subject will cause debate among the citizenry here but here we go anyway. After consulting a number of basketball aficionados the best ever is Warren (Armstrong) Jabali. For those outside the metro or too young allow a brief detail of him. Armstrong as he was known in high school was a 6-2 205 pound do everything player at Central High School in the city. He played all five positions on the court and it was no surprise for him to out leap players two or three inches taller.
Over the years stories are often embellished but in the early ‘60’s this feat was uncommon at the high school level. An opposing player stole the ball and was racing down the court for a lay-up. Armstrong was in pursuit but 3-4 steps behind him, he tossed the ball up toward the backboard and Armstrong went up at the same time smacking it against the board where it landed near enough for a Central player to retrieve the ball. Not uncommon now but in that day few sophomores were on varsity teams, they usually played on junior varsity teams but not Armstrong. He was so good upperclassmen players looked to him for leadership on the basketball court.
Recruited by several Big-8 schools he would chose Wichita State. Jabali was the 3X First Team Missouri Valley (freshman were not eligible in that period) while at Wichita State. Jabali would be drafted by the New York Knicks in 1968 but chose the new ABA over the more established NBA. Many believe Jabali could have played in the NBA however the year prior 1967 the Knicks drafted Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Jabali would be selected Rookie of the Year in 1969 playing for the Oakland Oaks (ABA). He was a member of that ABA Champion team the year and was also named series MVP. Jabali would go on to be named a 4X ABA All-Star and several other honors before injuries curtail his career. Jabali would retire in 1975 after playing a brief 7 years in the ABA with several teams. He would leave the game with 17.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, July 2012 he died at the age of 66.
Not going to deal with it
I’ve arrived on the scene to praise D’Angelo Russell rather than criticize him. I said it before his issue with Swaggy P. was stupid on his part. He asked for forgiveness and it’s a closed subject for me. I’m not sure either mid to late December I decided the Lakers had made a mistake. They had the opportunity of drafting big man Jahlil Okafor and they chose a 6-5 point guard. It’s my belief Coach Scott could have done a better job with him Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown.
Its tough adjusting to NBA play but Scott didn’t do any of the trio’s a favor pulling them in and out of the starting lineup. Back to Russell he can improve his field goal percentage and free-throw shooting. All and all he had a fairly good rookie year. His numbers are 3’s across the board, 13.1 ppg, 3.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds not outstanding but certainly respectable. Recently he broke a 22-year old 3-point record for baskets established by Nick Van Excel. I have no idea what direction the Lakers take in the off-season as for me Russell is a keeper. Under the right type of coach I believe he will have a long NBA career.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
My mistake
The only Denzel I knew (not personally) until recently was actor Denzel Washington. After I became aware of Michigan State all-everything guard Denzel Valentine I figured it was clear to everyone. Mom must be a fan of the Academy Award winning Washington, turns out I was wrong it was Valentine’s dad. Interviewed on television dad stated; "Denzel Washington has always been my favorite actor.” Who would have figured?
He speaks the truth
Kobe Bryant said (I paraphrase) “There is nobody on the current roster to assume the role I’m vacating.” Half of the people reading that type of statement would respond “Kobe is sure arrogant” while the other half would say; “Kobe speaks the truth.” Count me in with the latter group; the 2015-16 Lakers are a collection of young talented athletes. They have not been a cohesive unit in most of the games I’ve witnessed. There are holes remaining to be filled maybe even a different coach however that that will be covered near the end. Let’s explore the draft a moment; it’s not critical as some might lead you to believe. I’m no math major however it looks as though the Lakers might retain their pick.
If they should retain the position the question is where they fall in the draft order. They could finish first, second or third however the number two and three pick might be based on who is chosen number one. Bare with me a moment unless the Lakers finish with the top choice their pick is based on who is chosen second or third. If the Lakers maintain their pick they will choose Duke’s Brandon Ingram or LSU’s Ben Simmons or Dragan Bender from Macabbi Tel Aviv. It does no good for the Lakers or any team to continue changing coaches. The problem I have lost confidence in Byron Scott’s ability and based on the last several weeks a number of the players appeared to have as well. Former Coaches Tom Thibodeou, Mark Jackson, Mike Malone, Kevin McHale and perhaps Jeff Van Gundy are seeking employment.
She’s good
ESPN.com web page has video of Doris Burke bouncing the basketball with her right hand around her back while holding her phone and notes in her left hand walking back to the broadcast area in heels. Too feminist for you, sorry if it bothers you and others for reasons too detailed to list a significant number of men have issues when women journey into our world. In this instance I’m referring to women involved in telecasting men’s games.
As for Burke she’s got handles although she no longer plays the game competitively. She gained skill in high school and later at Providence, after graduating she left the school establishing an all-times woman’s assist record. Although her degree and Masters is not in journalism she’s become an adept at broadcasting. Burke began broadcasting the women’s games at Providence and later the men’s games. Her broadcast resume is quite extensive involving the WNBA and NBA and college basketball serving as color analyst and sports reporter.
Bits n Pieces
George Karl will soon be history as coach of the Kings; I’m not sure what could save his job at this point. The guy probably knows more basketball than me and 10 other people combined. Although his coaching resume is extensive he doesn’t communicate at times with his players and front office. As I indicated previously he develops issues with management and or his players. A Denver radio station has reported “The Kings have asked Karl to resign on several occasions.”
I heard a comment on the NBA Draft and Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield in particular. “He’s a little undersized for a shooting guard.” I thought for a minute “Isn’t this guy 6-4”? I checked and I am correct according to NBADraft.net a portion of his scouting report reads: “Measured 6‘4.5” in shoes with a 6’8.5” wingspan and 214 pounds at the 2014 Nike Skills Academy.” In 2015 there were no significant changes except weight 215 pounds.
How about this rumor, 76ers are considering trading Jahlil Okafor in the off-season. I stated awhile back I believed if Joel Embiid returned healthy somebody had to go because both guys are legitimate centers. The 6-11 Okafor is a sturdy 275 pounds while Embiid is 7 feet and 250 pounds. Okafor finished the season at 17.5 points and 7 rebounds a game, we have no comparative numbers for Embiid he’s been sidelined since the 2014 NBA Draft.
My mistake
The only Denzel I knew (not personally) until recently was actor Denzel Washington. After I became aware of Michigan State all-everything guard Denzel Valentine I figured it was clear to everyone. Mom must be a fan of the Academy Award winning Washington, turns out I was wrong it was Valentine’s dad. Interviewed on television dad stated; "Denzel Washington has always been my favorite actor.” Who would have figured?
He speaks the truth
Kobe Bryant said (I paraphrase) “There is nobody on the current roster to assume the role I’m vacating.” Half of the people reading that type of statement would respond “Kobe is sure arrogant” while the other half would say; “Kobe speaks the truth.” Count me in with the latter group; the 2015-16 Lakers are a collection of young talented athletes. They have not been a cohesive unit in most of the games I’ve witnessed. There are holes remaining to be filled maybe even a different coach however that that will be covered near the end. Let’s explore the draft a moment; it’s not critical as some might lead you to believe. I’m no math major however it looks as though the Lakers might retain their pick.
If they should retain the position the question is where they fall in the draft order. They could finish first, second or third however the number two and three pick might be based on who is chosen number one. Bare with me a moment unless the Lakers finish with the top choice their pick is based on who is chosen second or third. If the Lakers maintain their pick they will choose Duke’s Brandon Ingram or LSU’s Ben Simmons or Dragan Bender from Macabbi Tel Aviv. It does no good for the Lakers or any team to continue changing coaches. The problem I have lost confidence in Byron Scott’s ability and based on the last several weeks a number of the players appeared to have as well. Former Coaches Tom Thibodeou, Mark Jackson, Mike Malone, Kevin McHale and perhaps Jeff Van Gundy are seeking employment.
She’s good
ESPN.com web page has video of Doris Burke bouncing the basketball with her right hand around her back while holding her phone and notes in her left hand walking back to the broadcast area in heels. Too feminist for you, sorry if it bothers you and others for reasons too detailed to list a significant number of men have issues when women journey into our world. In this instance I’m referring to women involved in telecasting men’s games.
As for Burke she’s got handles although she no longer plays the game competitively. She gained skill in high school and later at Providence, after graduating she left the school establishing an all-times woman’s assist record. Although her degree and Masters is not in journalism she’s become an adept at broadcasting. Burke began broadcasting the women’s games at Providence and later the men’s games. Her broadcast resume is quite extensive involving the WNBA and NBA and college basketball serving as color analyst and sports reporter.
Bits n Pieces
George Karl will soon be history as coach of the Kings; I’m not sure what could save his job at this point. The guy probably knows more basketball than me and 10 other people combined. Although his coaching resume is extensive he doesn’t communicate at times with his players and front office. As I indicated previously he develops issues with management and or his players. A Denver radio station has reported “The Kings have asked Karl to resign on several occasions.”
I heard a comment on the NBA Draft and Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield in particular. “He’s a little undersized for a shooting guard.” I thought for a minute “Isn’t this guy 6-4”? I checked and I am correct according to NBADraft.net a portion of his scouting report reads: “Measured 6‘4.5” in shoes with a 6’8.5” wingspan and 214 pounds at the 2014 Nike Skills Academy.” In 2015 there were no significant changes except weight 215 pounds.
How about this rumor, 76ers are considering trading Jahlil Okafor in the off-season. I stated awhile back I believed if Joel Embiid returned healthy somebody had to go because both guys are legitimate centers. The 6-11 Okafor is a sturdy 275 pounds while Embiid is 7 feet and 250 pounds. Okafor finished the season at 17.5 points and 7 rebounds a game, we have no comparative numbers for Embiid he’s been sidelined since the 2014 NBA Draft.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Missouri news
The Missouri State High School Basketball Tournament is moving. After years of play at the University of Missouri in Columbia it’s moving in 2017-18 to Springfield. The tournament will held on the campus of Missouri State University in the JQH Arena which seats 11,000. No explanation was given for the change by the State High School Association. Perhaps a smaller arena might provide a more intimate setting who really knows.
Again?
Kansas City (KS) native and interim Coach Earl Watson is in the running for the job on a permanent basis. The Suns indicate they will conduct a wide search in an attempt to hire a head coach. Among the names I read was Mike D’Antoni currently associate head coach with the 76ers. “Hey didn’t that guy coach them years ago and didn’t the Suns fire him?”
The answer to both parts of that question is yes and yes, I agree with the take of former Cavs center Brad Daugherty and ESPN studio host. “Why do we keep re-cycling coaches, go out and get somebody new.” That somebody new might be Watson, why not make the interim permanent by affording him the opportunity of his own training camp to determine if he can coach at this level.
Day three
Are you curious how my “Stephen A. Smith boycott” is progressing? In day three just great mind you and all is right with the world. Okay I exaggerate quite a bit with that statement. One issue I want to make clear I’m not anti-ESPN or even anti-Smith. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed however I resent Smith and anyone else who attempts to portray them more intelligent than us the fans. Smith and others in the media fail to realize we pay their salaries; if we cease paying for cable and satellite service see how long they maintain their positions.
Wataru Misaka
His name is probably unknown to 99% of the NBA world and they should be aware he was a pioneer. He was the first person of Asian origin to play in the NBA. Japanese-American Misaka was born in 1923 in Ogden Utah; he was drafted by the Knicks then in BAA and he played three games during the 1947-48 season for them. Interesting side note he and Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the same year Misaka with the Knicks and Robinson with the Dodgers. Although Misaka was cut after the short span he believes being let go was not racially motivated.
He stated the Knicks had an abundance of guards and that was the basis for his very brief NBA career. World War II interrupted his education at Weber State and after serving two year in the military he enrolled at Utah. Misaka was a member of the 1944 Utah NCAA Championship team. Record keeping was spotty during this period of time and I was unable to provide any of his collegiate numbers. We got to believe he could play because he stood but 5-7 and weighed 150 pounds. The 92-year old is still alive residing in the State of his birth Utah.
He’s good
This is difficult for this Mizzou fan, Bill Self refuses to play my team since they left the Big 12. Doesn’t matter he’s played Colorado and has Nebraska on the schedule for next season both former conference members? Despite this I’m on the side of Self regarding his coaching. I checked his bio and his Kansas teams have won 30+ games seven of the past 13 seasons he’s been head coach. In addition he’s won or tied for the lead in 12-straight Big 12 championships. All should be right in the Sunflower State right---well not quite. Despite a rich basketball history during that time all he can show is a single NCAA Championship. Despite the positives mentioned the day after his Kansas teams lose there is always a legion of critics wanting to assess his coaching ability.
Most of the talk is negative in tone and I’m not sure why. The one I hear often; “He doesn’t recruit the right type of players.” I’m not sure if I can respond to that statement. After two sub-par seasons by Mizzou I would have revealed in my Tigers winning 20 games. This years Kansas team won 33 before bowing out in the Elite Eight with the loss to Villanova. If Self ever gets tired of being second-guessed he can head east on I-70 about 160 miles to Columbia (MO). Kansas fans please note for all the success of Kentucky’s John Calipari and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse they only have two championships, one each.
Missouri news
The Missouri State High School Basketball Tournament is moving. After years of play at the University of Missouri in Columbia it’s moving in 2017-18 to Springfield. The tournament will held on the campus of Missouri State University in the JQH Arena which seats 11,000. No explanation was given for the change by the State High School Association. Perhaps a smaller arena might provide a more intimate setting who really knows.
Again?
Kansas City (KS) native and interim Coach Earl Watson is in the running for the job on a permanent basis. The Suns indicate they will conduct a wide search in an attempt to hire a head coach. Among the names I read was Mike D’Antoni currently associate head coach with the 76ers. “Hey didn’t that guy coach them years ago and didn’t the Suns fire him?”
The answer to both parts of that question is yes and yes, I agree with the take of former Cavs center Brad Daugherty and ESPN studio host. “Why do we keep re-cycling coaches, go out and get somebody new.” That somebody new might be Watson, why not make the interim permanent by affording him the opportunity of his own training camp to determine if he can coach at this level.
Day three
Are you curious how my “Stephen A. Smith boycott” is progressing? In day three just great mind you and all is right with the world. Okay I exaggerate quite a bit with that statement. One issue I want to make clear I’m not anti-ESPN or even anti-Smith. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed however I resent Smith and anyone else who attempts to portray them more intelligent than us the fans. Smith and others in the media fail to realize we pay their salaries; if we cease paying for cable and satellite service see how long they maintain their positions.
Wataru Misaka
His name is probably unknown to 99% of the NBA world and they should be aware he was a pioneer. He was the first person of Asian origin to play in the NBA. Japanese-American Misaka was born in 1923 in Ogden Utah; he was drafted by the Knicks then in BAA and he played three games during the 1947-48 season for them. Interesting side note he and Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the same year Misaka with the Knicks and Robinson with the Dodgers. Although Misaka was cut after the short span he believes being let go was not racially motivated.
He stated the Knicks had an abundance of guards and that was the basis for his very brief NBA career. World War II interrupted his education at Weber State and after serving two year in the military he enrolled at Utah. Misaka was a member of the 1944 Utah NCAA Championship team. Record keeping was spotty during this period of time and I was unable to provide any of his collegiate numbers. We got to believe he could play because he stood but 5-7 and weighed 150 pounds. The 92-year old is still alive residing in the State of his birth Utah.
He’s good
This is difficult for this Mizzou fan, Bill Self refuses to play my team since they left the Big 12. Doesn’t matter he’s played Colorado and has Nebraska on the schedule for next season both former conference members? Despite this I’m on the side of Self regarding his coaching. I checked his bio and his Kansas teams have won 30+ games seven of the past 13 seasons he’s been head coach. In addition he’s won or tied for the lead in 12-straight Big 12 championships. All should be right in the Sunflower State right---well not quite. Despite a rich basketball history during that time all he can show is a single NCAA Championship. Despite the positives mentioned the day after his Kansas teams lose there is always a legion of critics wanting to assess his coaching ability.
Most of the talk is negative in tone and I’m not sure why. The one I hear often; “He doesn’t recruit the right type of players.” I’m not sure if I can respond to that statement. After two sub-par seasons by Mizzou I would have revealed in my Tigers winning 20 games. This years Kansas team won 33 before bowing out in the Elite Eight with the loss to Villanova. If Self ever gets tired of being second-guessed he can head east on I-70 about 160 miles to Columbia (MO). Kansas fans please note for all the success of Kentucky’s John Calipari and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse they only have two championships, one each.
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