Basketball from a fans perspective
Thumb surgery
Clippers basketball might not move ahead this season because the team is “snake bit.” First it was the Blake Griffin injury now it’s Chris Paul. The Clipper point guard will undergo surgery for a torn ligament in his hand, he’s out of action six to eight weeks. The regular season will not be over in eight weeks however the Clippers could be impacted substantially based on Griffin’s return.
The beginning
I wanted to check on the latest news regarding Chase Center and WOW!! I was able to tune in to the groundbreaking ceremony for the arena on Tuesday. This state of the art arena is now cleared of all the legal entanglements, construction will soon began that will allow a 2019-20 opening for the Warriors. The team will move across the bay to San Francisco the city they first called home in 1962. The $1 billion dollar arena will be privately financed which is certainly rare for a professional sports team.
Stuff happens
The unfolding story of 6-11 Bol Bol and Bishop Miege High School requires further clarification on my part. There have been occurrences similar to Bol’s in years past so I don’t want to appear shocked. If it turns out Bol is declared academically ineligible he wouldn’t be the first nor the last. His transfer and the resulting story is almost a made for television script.
At the college level we have sometimes read stories “Player A has been declared ineligible” however we’ve never received a running total how many F’s or D’s they received. These stories make the news in college but rarely see the light of day at the high school level. Do I believe they occur at all levels of course they do however they rarely reached this level. Shame on Bol’s Bishop Miege coach for making a statement and then trying to take it back.
It’s official---it’s panic time
As a Mizzou fan I’ve been concerned for the last several weeks regarding this basketball team. We’ve entered the conference season and I’m in full-scale panic mood. Mizzou sits in last place looking up at every SEC team; there is not a single team I believe Mizzou can beat. Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU and Texas A&M are 1-4 in the conference, Mizzou 0-4. No team collegiate or NBA losses on purpose, talent impacts winning however other factors enter into the hypothesis. Besides talent the unknowns are not the same for each school.
Through television I’ve had an opportunity to see Mizzou extensively this awful season. I see talent in spots but inconsistent play, the coach has changed the lineup--changed the offense and nothing appears to work. The only remaining change is the head coach. I held a discussion with several other Mizzou fans and they provided me a coaching name I failed to mention. That coach is Lorenzo Romar currently at Washington. Would Romar leave Washington for a Mizzou program needing to be rebuilt?
“Wait till next year”
The above statement was often echoed by fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers every season. Despite outstanding teams they would lose the World Series to the Yankees every year until 1955. I’ve read nothing these are my thoughts alone, Ben Simmons should wait. The Sixers are not close to gaining a playoff spot; if they were the situation would be quite different. I’d say “come on back we need you to make this final push.” Simmons should be fully healed by training camp in the fall. The other issue is the Okafor-Noel tandem; both remain members of the team and might likely remain the balance of the season. I’ve mentioned Joel Embiid is not playing on the second night of a back to back that leaves Okafor as the starter and his numbers have been fairly good.
