Basketball from a fans perspective

Catastrophic
Back to back hurricanes an earthquake in Mexico and tragic loss of life and property in the U.S., Puerto Rico and several Caribbean nations.  The game of basketball has been affected too; The Paradise Jam Tournament pre-season tournament has been impacted by disastrous weather events.  This basketball event held in the Virgin Islands has been moved due to damage sustained from two hurricanes.  The tournament will be held in the continental United States at a yet to be determined location.  In December the Heat are scheduled to face the Nets in Mexico City.  The game has not been cancelled however there is a question if it will be played in Mexico.

Bits n Pieces
So there really is an injury issue regarding Isaiah Thomas.  At first the word was the report was a non-issue now the Cavs have announced “Thomas will not be ready for play until January.” This is not devastating news for the Cavs but might set them back a tad bit.  

Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is reported to jokingly claim “I’m too busy to sign an extension.”  Do you joke about something as serious as a new contract by claiming you are too busy?  Sounds somewhat strange to me how about you?

All summer we’ve read reports Dwayne Wade might receive a buy-out from the Bulls.  As fall begins that is likely the case, there are several teams that might bid for his services however they must consider “Flash” is 35 years old.  Wade certainly can come off the bench and provide valuable minutes however his days as a significant commodity are likely over.  

We live in a different age, critics didn’t like the idea of high profile prospects committing and then recruiting others.  In the day of AAU basketball these youngsters become acquitted even if they don’t play on the same teams.  That is the case for number 10 Rivals prospect Immanuel Quickley. The 6-4 point guard made a commitment to Kentucky and is now recruiting the number two prospect in the Class of 2018 Zion Williamson.  

I find this most interesting; I now am acquainted with two Knick fans.  That might not sound that unusual on the surface however both live in Kansas City.  One grew up in New York but employment led him to the Midwest.  As for the other acquaintance he’s like me and my allegiance to the Lakers.  I’ve been a life-long Laker fan living in Kansas City the acquaintance has been a life-long Knick fan living here….interesting.

Promise unfulfilled 
Periodically a player arrives on the scene and fails to fails to fulfill the promise.  Injuries have curtailed some while personal demons have led to the downfall of others.  Lloyd Daniels is one of those names that failed to reach his potential.  Those who saw him play might say “If only he could have stayed out of trouble he might have been great.”  In 1987 the 6-7 Daniels a guard was considered the most talented player from New York City since Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  It was reported he read at a third grade level when preparing to enter college, Daniels played at 5 area high schools.  

The late Jerry Tarkanian often recruited troubled athletes contacted Daniels and convinced him to enroll at a California junior college to improve his academics.  Daniels would later be arrested attempting to purchase drugs from undercover law enforcement.  UNLV revoked the scholarship and from that point on Daniels found himself in trouble with the law over a number of incidents.  He was once shot several times but survived.  I only had a brief glimpse when Tarkanian coached the Spurs for a brief period.  Tark added Daniels to the roster and he managed to play for the Spurs 2 seasons.  He would play a single season for another five NBA teams.  Perhaps he wasn’t as good as many believed however he becomes another with promise unfulfilled.