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.
