Basketball from a fans perspective
Published Monday through Friday
I don’t laugh at mistakes by others however there are exceptions
With some subjects there are exceptions and this is one. I wouldn’t point this out if Stephen A. Smith wasn’t so doggone bombastic and loud, he leaves a little to be desired in the forecasting department. Somebody searched the net and check this out Smith INCORRECTLY picked the wrong NBA team to win the championship six years in a row. Don’t take my word check out the video for yourself.
Did you hear this?
This is hardly shocking news however it’s reported anyway. Ben Simmons has indicated the 76ers have informed him he will be their choice on Thursday. If that’s the case and the Lakers don’t pull any unusual moves Duke’s Brandon Ingram will be their pick. Everything I read about Ingram indicates he’s a talent, will he be a star is yet to be determined. His weight issue is really not an issue; I hate to do this make comparison because he’s not this player. Kevin Durant was the same height (6-10) but weighed 220 to Ingram’s reported 196. In time Ingram will gain however he might never come close to 240 pounds Durant’s present weight.
Hubie
His full name is Hubert Jude Brown but we know him as “Hubie.” To this generation of fans they only know the broadcast Hubie they might not realize his coaching resume. Sometimes it’s hard to believe this guy is 82-years old because he’s sharp in dissecting the game of basketball. From 1972-1974 Brown was an assistant with the Bucks he would serve as head coach with the ABA Kentucky Colonels until the merger in 1976.
Brown would later coach the NBA Hawks and Knicks before moving into the broadcast arena. The Grizzlies twisted his arm and he returned to coaching from 2002-2005 until health injuries forced him to the sideline. Brown’s lifetime connection to basketball allows him insight lacking in most of us. I believe him to be insightful and quite informative. He doesn’t overload you with non-basketball commentary like Jeff Van Gundy does on occasion.
The countdown
On Tuesday before Thursday’s draft the second round is of interest, we are “sure” who is picked number one or two. The name Diamond Stone has popped up as the Lakers second round choice, I’ve never seen him play although his size and stats look satisfactory. He’s 6-10 (or 11 depending on your source) and checks in at a hefty 255 pounds. His scoring was only average at Maryland (12.5 ppg) and rebounds 5.4 however in today’s NBA those numbers could be increased.
The one glaring weakness might be maturity and you might ask will that factor hold him back? It could but could you also say Boogie Cousins rapidly? He’s not considered an elite athlete however is it necessary to be number one to play center in the NBA? I’m not sure if the Lakers chose him or somebody else however the P.A. announcer at Staples might say this. Here’s the starting lineup for your Los Angeles Lakers; at center 6-11 Diamond Stone.
Biting words
“We’ve crushed them on the basketball court, and we’re going to for years because of the way we’ve built this team. Lacob told Bruce Schoefield of the New York Times. We’re light-years ahead of probably every team in structure, in planning, in how we are going to go about things.” I’d mentioned this interview previously; this is Joe Lacob Warriors owner being interviewed in early April. At that point can we state with conviction his team was about to climb to the mountains peak. Unfortunately teams must play until a champion is crowned. Could we say these words might have come back and bit Joe Lacob in the butt.
