Basketball from a fans perspective
He’s got a job
President Obama is about to leave office, his brother-in-law left earlier. Craig Robinson was unable to turn the fortunes of Oregon State around so the school terminated him in 2014. He’s served as a television anaylist for much of the last two years. On Monday the Milwaukee Bucks announced Robinson will become vice president of player and organizational development. Milwaukee is a little over 100+ miles from Robinson’s Chicago stomping grounds.
Speculation only
Earlier it was reported 76ers Coach Brett Brown was considering Ben Simmons at the point. Based on his passing skills it wouldn’t be that unusual for the 6-10 Simmons to play at the point during stretches of a game. Next up it’s the Lakers however this is pure speculation. Talk is 6-10 Brandon Ingram might be considered for the back-up shooting guard. Jordan Clarkson at 6-5 might have a height issue facing 6-7 Klay Thompson or 6-7 Jimmy Butler and other taller shooting guards. It will be interesting to see how this scenario plays out and if Ingram can play the position at this level.
“It’s all water under the bridge”
I first heard the statement above at the time I was a youngster, exactly what does it mean you might ask? “Something that has happened” or “That’s happened in the past, cannot be undone, and can longer be a consideration.” The Kansas fan didn’t bring it up I did. We held a conversation regarding Bill Self and I said; “We (Mizzou) could have hired Self but the decision was made to take Coach K.’s former player and assistant coach Quin Snyder.”
Of course Self was at Tulsa and Snyder at Duke so the decision was probably easy at the time but the incorrect hire. I’m going to deposit this in the memory banks and never mention it again. Self has tasted high level success while Snyder was a total bust at Mizzou he’s paid his dues. He served as an assistant in the D-League then an assistant at the NBA level. He’s now head coach of the Jazz, will Snyder ever gain any stature as a great coach is debatable however he’s no longer the youthful guy who once coached Mizzou. In that vain I’m going to cease holding a grudge against him.
Bits n Pieces
I hope I’m not backtracking again, saying this is the last time. Well this is the last time I will say anything about Laker Brandon Ingram and his weight. Consider this fact gaining weight could be a detriment to his NBA career. From his Summer League play he appears plenty quick up and down the court. 20 or 25 pounds added might impact his quickness and speed. As he ages as others have done he’ll acquire bulk naturally. The Lakers need to place a center or bulkier forward if LeBron pushes around Ingram too much. Consider this the 31-year old Cavs forward must deal with the youngsters speed and quickness.
Jimmer Fredette is headed to China to play professional basketball. I stated his NBA career was over and then the Knicks pulled him back for their D-League team. This time I believe he’s seen the last of the NBA except on television. Fredette is one of those guys who was a great college player but was unable to transfer the skill to the NBA. You remember Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison don’t you? There might be others I’ve omitted but you get the idea.
“Faith in Haith” was the motto around these parts for Mizzou fans. The reference was to the former Mizzou basketball coach. I believe there might be several phrases that might be exchanged and they might not be so tame. An NCAA investigation during Haith’s tenure determined boosters had provided illegal payments to players. Mizzou self-imposed sanctions were not enough for the NCAA so they placed the basketball program on a 1-year probation until August 2017.
The one glaring problem for me with the NBA is the One and Done rule. It states you are ineligible to play in the NBA until age 19 or 1-year after their high school graduation. NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com are not official however both provide us a window into the mindset of NBA officials. Of the first 10 picks in NBADraft.net’s 2017 mock there are 8 freshmen, 1 international prospect and 1 sophomore.
