Basketball from a fans perspective
Bits n Pieces
“Old” man Brad Stevens Celtics coach turned 40 on Saturday. Do you realize he’s only a few years older than some veteran NBA players? Manu Ginobili turned 39 in July. Jason Terry and Paul Pierce are now 39 while Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Andersen are 38 years old. 40-year old Andre Miller is reported to have retired but are we really sure?
I’ve never ever been fired; I’ve quit a few jobs but never fired. Maybe that’s why I find Byron Scott’s war of words strange. I guess if I’d been fired maybe I would hold a grudge too. Scott has continued to bad-mouth the Lakers and especially VP Jim Buss. I certainly have made it known I’m no fan of Buss he’s yet to prove he’s got his daddy’s jeans (or is it genes) in developing winning teams. In any event Scott claims Buss and the Lakers set him up to fail. The big difference no matter how inept he might be Buss (as owner) is highly unlikely to relinquish the reins.
The season is yet to begin and Mizzou basketball doesn’t look good. It doesn’t look good in the eyes of the media. Sure Kentucky is pre-season number one in the SEC we should expect that. As for Mizzou the media has picked them for a last place finish again, I sure hope they are wrong. Auburn and Tennessee improved however Mizzou did too; they only finished 3 games behind number 12 Tennessee.
We hope rule changes don’t slow the game down, at the advent of a new season enforcement of existing rule and news ones are added. That is the case for this upcoming basketball season. Just two that grab us, traveling will strictly be enforced and don’t be surprised to see double-fouls called.
Undefeated season
I was in a tiny minority during the 2014-15 NCAA season. Along with several million Kentucky fans I might have been the only one not residing in the state desiring the team finish the season undated. It was not to be as they lost in the semi-finals against Wisconsin finishing the season 38-1. I believe many don’t realize how difficult it is to complete a season undefeated. Over the years there have only been seven teams to win an NCAA Championship undefeated. They are:
1956 San Francisco Dons
1957 North Carolina Tarheels
1964 UCLA Bruins
1967 UCLA Bruins
1972 UCLA Bruins
1973 UCLA Bruins
1976 Indiana Hoosiers
Jerry West
Laker great Jerry West was one of the best shooting guards in NBA history. A number of you might not be aware the iconic symbol utilized by the NBA is his silhouette. West was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1960 but in the fall the team moved to Los Angeles for his rookie year, he never played for any other franchise. As for his size in the day and age of taller and taller shooting guards did you realize West stood a mere 6-2 and checked in at 185 pounds.
Although West size is above average in today’s NBA West is a point guard. The NBA of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s guys who stood 6-5 and taller were small forwards. This background is intended to inform you among the number of post-season NCAA awards there is the “The Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year”. A number of outstanding shooting guards are candidates for the award among them Peter Jok Iowa, Grayson Allen Duke and Devonte Graham Kansas.
Exercise
Every heard the story about the guy in the lower apartment? Every night around 1:00 a.m. the upstairs apartment resident would begin exercising making for a great deal of racket in the lower apartment. Night after night this routine would prevail, finally one night the resident in the lower unit woke up at 12:59 waiting for the noise which failed to occur it turned out the upstairs resident changed his exercise routine. That might have been the case for fans of Louisville basketball “waking” up in anticipation of the forthcoming routine. You remember the story a former assistant had provided women for prospective Louisville recruits.
Although a party atmosphere was supposed to exist prostitution was reported to have occurred. Before the story broke the assistant moved on to a job with UMKC who would terminate him after this news was reported. After first denying the story Louisville and Rick Pitino agreed the events might have occurred. It was determined the head coach was likely unaware of the events. He would be cited for “lack of institutional control” because the assistant was a member of his staff. Penalties wait although it’s likely they will occur next season. The talk of legacy again, Pitino and Boeheim at Syracuse are both in the Naismith Hall of Fame. It’s unlikely their names will be removed however it points out the issue regarding “active” coaches being enshrined in the hall.
