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
