Basketball from a fans perspective

“Down to earth”

Maybe it’s the number of playoff-runs over the last several years.  It could be poor team play or execution on their part, on the other hand it could be something fans and the media fail to comprehend. The Cavs and Warriors have gotten off to a rather slow start in the 2017-18 NBA season.  

As this is written the LeBron’s stand three up and four down (3-4), the Warriors have a winning record although four and three (4-3) is certainly not anything to shout about.  On Sunday night the Knicks defeated the Cavs 114-95 a feat hardly anyone believed might occur especially at Quicken Loans Arena.  On the west coast the Warriors were losers to the Pistons 115-107.  Have other NBA teams improved significantly or have the Cavs and Warriors just come “down to earth?”  Those questions and others will be answered over the next several weeks and months. 

Trivia

I’d mentioned this subject previously for the most part the Knicks and Celtics have retained variations of the uniforms first worn in the mid ‘40’s to present day.  The Lakers have worn Purple and Gold so long I included them in the conversation believing that to be true however I discovered that was not the case.  Former owner and business man Bob Short moved his team in 1960 from Minneapolis to Los Angeles the colors were tweaked a bit in Los Angeles versus those worn in Minneapolis.   

Laker road uniforms were royal blue with white and powder trim, the home uniforms were white with royal and powder blue trim.  Los Angeles in script was on both jerseys, if you note the shorts Lakers was on each side of the shorts.  In 1967 under former owner Jack Kent Cooke the team would later move to the Forum (later GW Forum) where they adopted Purple and Gold.  Much later several specialty uniforms were adopted however Purple and Gold have been the staple of the franchise since the 1967 change.

Bit n Pieces

ESPN’s Michelle Beadle said; “We (ESPN) are responsible for LaVar Ball, Ben Simmons had a triple-double last night we didn’t have an assessment of the game by his dad.  We place a microphone in front of him.”  Co-host LZ Granderson and Marcellius Wiley offered an opposing view.  They claim; “This is all an act you see how he looks into the camera.  We have a dad here who loves his kids.”  Unlike Granderson and Wiley I can’t look inside the mind of LaVar Ball, I truly thought he would change once son Lonzo was drafted.  Talk is endless as Ball has continued and on non-stop as he provides one and all proof of his impact on the nation. 

Larry Brown turned 77 in September, despite the coaches age he continues his desire to teach the game he loves. Basketball has been in his blood ever since he left Brooklyn (NY) for North Carolina to play for legendary Coach Dean Smith.  A playing career as a 5-9-point guard in the ABA, head coach at several ABA-NBA stops.  Do not forget his tenure as head coach at UCLA, Kansas and SMU at the collegiate level.  Brown’s been head coach of nine NBA teams, despite this extensive resume Brown still has a desire to teach the game. 

LeBron might indeed head for Los Angeles and the Lakers next season, more and more I seriously doubt it.  At the time LeBron originally left for South Beach he complained about having no help.  If LeBron leaves this time it will be strictly on him, in addition to a more than adequate starting team there are reserves who can play the game.  They have Dwayne Wade, Jose Calderon, Channing Frye, Jeff Green, Tristan Thompson and Jae Crowder providing depth at all positions. All this firepower and defense and I’ve yet to mention the injured Isaiah Thomas who will return in January.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

It’s true

Bigfoot, UFO’s, the Loch Nest Monster and the curse of the Sixers exist.  You say you’ve heard or read of them except for a Sixers curse.  The condensed version the Philadelphia 76ers top pick is drafted and almost immediately is injured in some form or another.  Check this out Nerlens Noel (since traded to the Mavs) was the 6^th pick in the first round of the 2013 draft by the Pelicans and his rights were traded to the Sixers….bam, injury he sits out a year. 

In 2014 it was Joel Embiid the 3^rd pick in the first round,…. bam, bam he plays in 31 games in 2016 his first extended NBA play since being drafted. 2016 Ben Simmons was made the number one pick by those Sixers and then bam….bam and bam he’s injured forced to sit out last season.  Last June with a choice of either Lonzo Ball or Markelle Fultz the Sixers chose Fultz.  I just saw a crawl on NBA TV, he’s out for the next three weeks as his injured shoulder is being evaluated.  Seriously I don’t believe in Big Foot or the Loch Nest Monster however more and more I’m becoming convinced there is such a thing as a Sixers curse.

The NBA draft

I think I’ve made my position known, high school players should be allowed in the NBA draft once again.  The one and done rule is not going to be changed in the next few years however until its changed it’s the “law of the land.” Apart from Thon Maker in 2016 the last high school player to enter the NBA was in 2005.  I looked at the NBA draft through the eyes of NBADraft.net, in 2018 the site indicates Mizzou’s Michael Porter Jr. will be the top choice.  I also checked the 2019 mock, number 26 Jeremiah Tilmon and number 30 Jontay Porter. 

Naturally my preference would be all three remain at Mizzou however I’m a realist all three could be history by June of 2018.  As a Mizzou fan my hope is at least two of the three returns for their sophomore year.  Naturally I will be disappointed whatever the case might be, I’m a prime believer in higher education however I don’t believe classroom space should be reserved for athletes whose only desire is to play in the NBA.  Those words might be considered strong in some circles but that’s my belief. 

Big guards

Former Knicks president Phil Jackson has always had a liking for big guards.  With the Bulls it was MJ and Ron Harper, Harper would later play for Jackson with the Lakers.  The Lakers had a big guard named Kobe Bryant by the time Jackson arrived.  Fast forward to the 2017 draft, the Knicks would make Frank Ntilikina (ni-LEE-kin-e) the 8^th pick in the first round.  The 6-5 guard has a 7-foot wingspan which Phil probably believe could successfully translate well to the triangle offense. 

Two issues would occur impacting this thought, Phil Jackson agreed to leave the Knicks meaning the triangle would be history.  Item 2 was a series of injuries which delayed his progress once he arrived on our shores.  Ntilikina was born in Belgium but grew up in France, his parents emigrated from the African nation of Rwanda.  Another rookie to spot check during the season unless you are a Knicks fan.

A buyer…….located finally

We figured eventually Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov would locate a buyer for his team, this proposed sale is in the preliminary stage and the NBA is yet to approve it.  The initial information is this, Joseph Tsai co-founder of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba will purchase 49 percent of the Nets.  This sale will include an option to purchase controlling interest of the team in an unspecified time-frame. Barclays Center is also part of the package, the sale price was not announced but is likely to be based on the $2.3 billion dollars valuation of the Nets.         

Have I told you how________?

How much I hate the term “Mid-Major”, I hear it applied every college basketball season and the hair on the back of my neck tingles.  The ESPN headline read; “How Wichita State stopped being a mid-major.”  The term is not valid in my view as an example Southern Methodist University has a student enrollment of nearly 12,000 students but so does Notre Dame.  The difference SMU plays in the American Athletic Conference while Notre Dame plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference.  The ACC along with several others is considered “major” while the AAC is considered “mid-major.”  As you can see it has nothing to do with a school’s enrollment.    

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Teaching Lesson”

No NBA League Pass nor ESPN/Turner Sports/NBA TV I didn’t have an opportunity to see the Raptors-Lakers game. I was only able to scoreboard watch utilizing ESPN’s Gamecast.  Early on I don’t remember the portion of the game however the scoreboard pointed out the Lakers had a 17-point lead.  Considering the Lakers were serving as host against last season’s playoff Raptors I thought “Maybe they can beat these guys.” 

Well that was not quite the case, the final score Raptors 101 Lakers 92.  Evidently the coach was not pleased on Saturday morning I read Luke Walton pulled all the starters at a point they could have won the game, can you say, “teaching lesson.”  Walton stated his team had issues with their transition defense.  We often hear analysts refer to “closing out” a game, they state at times youthful teams often have problems.   

Bits n Pieces

A photo of Gregg Marshall along with four of his Wichita State players are featured in USA Today.  This account details expectations of the upcoming season and the schools’ move from the Missouri Valley to American Conference.  It got me to thinking once again Bill Self has at least two programs he doesn’t want to play, Mizzou and Wichita State.  Self has been a very successful coach especially since his arrival at KU, but I fail to understand the grudge factor.  I understand Mizzou however Wichita State is another story. 

Speaking of KU this is my friend not me.  We were discussing the KU-Mizzou “exhibition” game.  We covered a few subjects and then I said; “Kansas has sent a number of players into the NBA, but we can say only Paul Pierce has been highly successful.”  That’s not quite correct on my part I failed to mention Wilt Chamberlain.  My friend then said; “We might include Andrew Wiggins in the conversation.”  I said, yes you are correct. 

What if you gave a party and nobody decided to show up. The brand new Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit is now open, capacity for basketball is 21,000.  That’s just a number because despite opening night the Pistons have had a great deal of difficulty locating attendees. There is a solution winning always resolves regardless if its Auburn Hills or downtown Detroit.

Kobe Bryant wants Phil Jackson or Michael Jordan at his HOF induction.  Sound arrogant on his part you might say.  Whether the two individuals named will be in Springfield is a question at this point.  The portion that’s not a question is HOF for Kobe he will be a first ballot inductee.  

Bits n Pieces #2

Former NBA player turned broadcaster answered the Dan Patrick question.  Patrick asked Reggie Miller “Whose NBA feature would you’d rather have Ben Simmons or Lonzo Ball?”  With slight hesitation Miller said Simmons, I don’t remember the detail expressed but he sounded a familiar theme.  I stated earlier a co-worker indicated “Ball’s not going to become a superstar.”  I asked myself the question once again, is it necessary to have a superstar at every position?  Isn’t it just as important to have a steady dependable athlete on your side?

Despite what might appear to be a negative on my part that is not the case.  I believe injured Sixer rookie Markelle Fultz can play, he can play until its proven he can’t.  Unlike many in the media It’s difficult for me to be an entertainer I must present the picture as best I can. I cannot pronounce Fultz or Lonzo Ball unprepared to play at the NBA level. 

A recent edition of 247 Sports contained a story titled “The Best International Newcomers in College Basketball.” After reading the article the bottom portion of the page reads; “Canadian born players were not considered for this story” I guess it might be me, but I’ve never believed our friends north of the border would be included in any list of international players.  Canadian players have been crossing the border playing at American colleges for several years and some have managed NBA careers.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

I can’t pronounce his name?

It’s \YAHN-iss ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh\ according to Basketball Reference.com a.k.a. “The Greek Freak.”  I’m attempting to provide a pronunciation guide since practically everyone in the NBA cannot properly say his name correctly.  That included yours truly until I listen to him pronounce it.  Giannis Antekokounmpo was born in Greece December 6, 1994 which would indicate he’s 22 about to turn 23 years of age.  Although he was born in Greece his parents emigrated to the country from their native Nigeria in West Africa. 

Giannis stands 6-11 weighs 222 pounds is a giant man with guard skills, he’s got a 7-foot wingspan plus he runs like a deer.  The Bucks made him the 15^th pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft.  If you check out his numbers they have gone up each year since his NBA debut, the highlight for many is the assist totals.  Two years ago, it 4.3 per game and last year 5.4, what other current Big Man has similar assist totals?  I’ll save you from checking and just say none.  Giannis has been a star on the rise since his NBA debut and at this point the Bucks need to get him some help. 

Boogie

This would-feature DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins returning to Sac Town for his first game since the trade.  Anthony Davis would be sidelined for the game, so no twin tower effort would occur this evening.  At the end of the night the box score would point to a 41 point 23 rebound 6 assist game.  In it was highly accurate shooting as he registered 44 minutes on the court while shooting .560 from the floor.  Boogie led the way as his Pelican team subdued the Kings 114-106. 

Unusual Names

I cannot use World B. Free, Metta World Peace, they were Lloyd Free and Ron Artest respectfully before changing their names AFTER they arrive in the NBA.  My intent in this account was to provide unusual names that were either birth names or those given early in life, enjoy. 

God Shammgod-His name is Shammgod Wells, there were legal issues causing him to name change.

Fat Lever-As children his baby sister couldn’t pronounce Lafayette it came out as Fat.

Bimbo Coles-His birth name is Vernell.

Bol Bol-born in the U.S. however his family is from South Sudan in Central Africa.

Tree Rollins-Wayne stood 7-1 so perhaps the nickname was appropriate.

Sleepy Floyd-His given name is Eric.

Pooh Richardson-It’s Jerome.

Spud Webb-Anthony Jerome is the name.

Tacko Fall-His first name is Elhadji, he’s from Senegal in West Africa. 

This list should not be considered complete just a few of the names I could locate. 

The Windy City

I’m unsure if Chicago is the windiest city in the nation however that’s a nickname.  Winds of change has been evident for several years with the cities basketball team but there’s a problem.  We’ve seen little if any success from a high of 50 wins in the 2014-15 they have gone backward 42-42 and last season .500 41-41.  In 2015 Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg took over and his Bulls teams have gone 83-81.  Often injured native son Derrick Rose left and native son Dwayne Wade arrived, Wade has now departed too. 

The Bulls have been a revolving door, so many players have arrived and left in that time it’s difficult to list all of them.  One of the departed was Jimmy Butler who certainly became a star while wearing a Bulls jersey.  This proud franchise has fallen on tough times recently and in truth the injury to Rose impacted the team greatly, but he wasn’t alone.  Rajon Rondo was added in the belief he would duplicate his Celtic play and that proved to be a mistake of gigantic proportions.  As this is written they have begun the season with an 0-2 record. 

WOW!!!

Last season you could toss a rock into the stands from the Mizzou Arena floor and you might not hit anyone.  All that’s changed for the 2017-18 season, the school announced only single game tickets remain FOR THE SEASON!  What a drastic change from prior seasons when “Lots of fans showed up dressed as seats.”  The 15,000-seat Mizzou Arena should really be raucous this season. Perhaps it can become as intimidating to opposing teams as Cameron, the Dean Dome or Rupp Arena.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

The other brother

Bet you didn’t know this, “little” brother Jontay Porter is larger than Michael Jr.  Jontay stands 6-11 to MJPJr.’s 6-10 in addition he tips the scales at 240 pounds compared to his brothers 210.  Jontay was also a 5-star prospect by every site around the country.  We’ll find out next spring however there is a high degree of probability Jontay might be enrolled in the fall of 2018.  Jontay expressed a desire to play alongside his brother in college…..something that is highly unlikely in the NBA. 

Our focus has been on MJPJr as well it should be however “little” brother is liable to impact Mizzou basketball just as much.  If Jontay doesn’t this season surely it will occur in the 2018-19 season.  He’s not the last Porter who might be in a Mizzou uniform. Coban is a 6-3 shooting guard at Father Tolton High School in Columbia, he’s in his sophomore year.  If his brothers are any indication its likely Coban is still growing and certainly will exceed his present height.    

In the words of Snoop Dog

“LaVar Ball has placed Lonzo in the lion’s den with pork chop drawers on.”

We are not sure

Is Sixer rookie Ben Simmons a 6-10-point guard or small forward?  During the summer Sixer Coach Brown indicated Simmons might play the point at times.  With only five games played the stats indicate he’s leading the Sixers in assists with 7.4 a game.  ESPN’s stats list Simmons as a point guard although the depth chart page shows him as the teams’ starter at small forward.  Perhaps it’s not as critical a subject as detailed here, the apparent topic Simmons can play at this level.

Your definition is……..

I had one of those conversations that will remain forever unresolved.  This is written after Lonzo Ball’s second NBA game which was considerably better than game one.  I mention this fact to a co-worker and his response was interesting.  “I’m not sayin’ he can’t play I just don’t think he’s gonna be a superstar.”  I smiled and walked away pondering his statement.  I assume in my co-workers’ mind unless you play at the LeBron or Kobe level your skill is called into question.  I thought for moment about several point guards past and present we could ask the question; “are they or were they superstars?” 

What about the “Little General” Avery Johnson? I think we might find it difficult to refer to Johnson as a superstar yet as the point guard he helps guide the Spurs to the 1999 NBA Championship, in addition he was key to many playoff wins of the Spurs. We could look at Jason Kidd he never won a championship but was a key to playoff runs by the Nets and Mavs in the eyes of many is considered one of the best at the point.  I’ve never read anyone refer to him as a superstar.  How about today’s point guards, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas?  They are all good point guards but are they superstars?  I believe all those mentioned were/or very good without labeling them. 

Changed the game

Several players over the century have changed the game, their play forced the NCAA and NBA to institute rule changes.  A number below are generally accepted by most basketball fans without realizing some player was so dominate they forced change. 

George Mikan and Bob Kurland-1945 defensive goal tending

George Mikan-1951 free throw lane widen

Wilt Chambelain-1964 widen even more in the NBA

Wilt Chamberlain-1956-free throw plane, Chamberlain would toss the ball toward the basket cross the plane before it hit the backboard snatch it and dunk it.  A player cannot cross the line until the ball hits the goal or backboard. 

Lew Alcindor-The “Alcindor Rule” was instituted in the NCAA, from 1967-1975 the dunk was banned in college basketball.

It should be of note apart from George Mikan who stood 6-10 the players mentioned are 7-feet plus in height.     

Basketball from a fans perspective

Somebody other than me

There is no doubt 5-star prospect Zion Williamson is a talent, YouTube videos of his furious dunks have been circulating since his sophomore year of high school.  In his senior year Duke, Kentucky and other high-profile programs are attempting to lure him to their campus.  There are questions regarding Williamson, as an example Rivals list Williamson as 6-6 and 230 pounds while several other sites list him between 272 and 275 pounds. 

Let’s discuss the Scout report, if the information is accurate it appears Williamson should be playing tackle on someone’s football team rather than basketball.  This report questioned; “Does he have a jump shot” or “He might be too slow to play small forward at his size.” Can Williamson adapt to the college game is certainly questionable at this point.  I’m not hating on the young man these questions are not raised by fans they are legitimate questions raised by scouts. 

Funky shot

I mentioned a week or so ago Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz needed work on his free throw shooting.  It turns out Fultz has a shoulder issue requiring him to see a specialist.  Not sure yet if surgery will eventually be required.  As this was being completed came a late report indicating Fultz had gotten a cortisone shot in his shoulder area.  In addition, this entire issue has the appearance of a Top Secret or Need to Know status.  My following question might be what is it with Sixer draft picks?  If I were superstitious I’d say first round draft choices for this team are jinxed.  In any event I hope this issue is resolved even if it amounts to surgery.

And it begins again

Are you ready for some college basketball?  We have weeks remaining till teams’ tip-off the 2017-18 season.  Play will begin kick Friday Nov 10, below are early tournaments.

2K Classic                                  Nov 16-17, New York, New York

Hall of Fame Tip-Off                  Nov 18-19, Uncasville, Conn

Legends Classic                          Nov 20-21, Brooklyn, New York

Maui Invitational                        Nov 20-22, Maui, Hawaii

MGM Main Event                         Nov 20-22, Las Vegas, Nevada

Hall of Fame Classic                   Nov 21-22, Kansas City, Missouri

It is important

I watched a video containing the first NBA basket scored by several players of the past up to present day.  I read an email of complaint “discussing a bunch of guys I never heard of.”  The writer then went on to discuss the talents of LeBron James.  My desire has been for Words eye view to be topical but also provide tidbits of history regarding the game at all levels.  Without a Connie Hawkins there would have been no Dr. J., without Dr. J. no LeBron.  History might not have been your favorite subject in school and that’s okay however it is important whether we like it or not. 

He’s the man now

Kristaps Porzingis is in a position he probably never expected.  With Carmelo Anthony in Oklahoma City leadership of the Knicks now rest on his broad shoulders of Porzingis.  Last season there were mixed messages coming out of Gotham, Carmelo was the acknowledged leader, but the Knicks wanted to rid ourselves of his huge contract.  

At the same time word came departed Pres Phil Jackson was entertaining a trade for the 7-3 Latvian youngster. With the departure of Carmelo Porzingis is now the man whether he wanted the job or not.  Have you checked the Knicks roster, they have a few working parts but no true leader?   Last season the team finished 20 games below .500 as they struggled much of the year.  The emphasis on running the triangle offense is history now so Coach Hornacek can run his OWN offense.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

The Senator

Bill Bradley left the U.S. Senate in 1997, many who saw him on a vary of programs such as Meet the Press don’t know.  They don’t know politics in general and the senate was his “second career”.  Bradley from Crystal City (MO) a St. Louis suburb was an outstanding high school basketball player, given his choice of colleges he would chose Ivy League Princeton.  It’s likely he had no desire to play in the NBA because he chose Princeton due to its academics and it prepared students for government or foreign service.  

A strange thing occurred on the road to work for the government the 6-5 Bradley excelled at basketball.  After graduation Bradley would secure a master’s degree at Oxford in England. In the 1965 draft the Knicks would make Bradley a territorial pick, although from Missouri (St. Louis Hawks territory) Princeton (NJ) is in the New York City footprint.  Bradley didn’t arrive in the NBA until 1967 and would play for them until 1977.  In 1978 he was elected U.S. Senator for the State of New Jersey and re-elected three times before leaving congress in 1997.  

As for his NBA career Bradley was a 2x NBA Champion with the Knicks, he also holds the distinction of being enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.  
Bradley succeeded in the role he originally intended, no it wasn’t college or the NBA it was to serve in a government role.  Often an attempt to detail the accomplishments of one’s life falls short that is the case for William Warren Bradley a name all basketball fans should know. 

Pre-season All American

ESPN released its pre-season All-American team.  There are 3 seniors one junior and one freshman on the first team.  The freshman on the team is Michael Porter Jr. Mizzou’s 6-10 phenom.  You asking if he will he live up to the hype that’s circulated around him since last summer?  There will be no answer to the question until next April.   

Who?

Rookie Ben Simmons had a triple double for the Sixers last night.  He recorded the feat in his teams’s fourth game which tied a record established by Oscar (Big O) Robertson and later by “Hambone” Williams.  It’s likely you said; “Hambone who”?  I had to conduct research, turns out Art (his birth name) played college basketball at California State Polytechnic College in Pomona.  The 6-1 point guard’s pro career was spent with the San Diego Rockets, Boston Celtics and ABA San Diego Conquistadors, the period was 1967 through 1975.  Hambone recorded his triple-double for the Rockets.  As for his nickname he claims in junior high school someone yelled Hambone and he turned around assuming they were calling him.

Careful what you say

Eric Bledsoe will not be the first to send out a tweet and then regret it.  A little history here, the Suns have started the season 0-3 as you might be aware.  Bledsoe sent out a tweet; “I don’t wanna be here” it read.  We cannot be sure of the order whether Coach Earl Watson was fired because of the tweet or the 0-3 start.  Bledsoe is at home although there is no indication he’s been suspended he was informed by management to stay at home.   Now reports are circulating Bledsoe has likely played his last game as a member of the Suns. 

What happens next, Jay Triano has been hired to replace Watson and Bledsoe has been traded to…………..  Even more interesting was the after effect, Bledsoe claimed he was at the hair dresser with his girlfriend “and wanted to go home.”  Suns management ain’t buying that story it appears.  Relating to this story I first thought three games into the season was swift for Watson to be fired however that’s not the record.  According to ESPN Buffalo Braves Coach Dolph Schayes was fired after a single game in the 1971-72. 

Not sure if I mentioned this

Kansas City will soon have a pro team, no the NBA is not expanding.  No existing team has plans to move here and it’s not a G-League team either. This is a brand-new team in a brand-new league, the North American Premier Basketball League is the new league. The leagues founder is Dave Magley former Kansas player is the league president and chief operating officer. 

According to Magley the initial plan is 8-12 teams and so far, members are Kansas City, Seattle, Albany and Rochester (NY) plus Owensboro (KY).  The Kansas City team will play its games at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City. The league will play a 32-game schedule beginning January 1, 2018.  I’m not sure how the populace will take to minor league basketball.  I say that with KU 40 miles away and the hopefully improved Mizzou Tigers 150 miles from the city.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Trust the process”

Sixer fans have been hearing the term for several years, is this the year of fruition?  We cannot answer that question until the end of the season however the pieces of the puzzle are in place.  Adding Markelle Fultz to this group plus rising star Robert Covington excitement is in the air in Philadelphia.  After a slow start the Sixers managed to beat the Pistons 97-86 for their first win of the season.  Joel Embiid led the way scoring 30 points along with 9 rebounds.  Teammate Ben Simmons “messed around and got a triple-double” with 21 points 12 rebounds and 10 assists.  It should be noted this significant event occur in Simmons 4th NBA game.  

Sorry no story here……move along please

Bill Self considered the Mizzou-Kansas match on Sunday an exhibition game therefore no report will be available in Words eye view.  This I can report; Sprint Center was sold out and the game was made available on PPV for $40.00.  I’m sure there are sources that will allow you to discover the winner of this game, there is no report here unless Self changes his “hate Mizzou attitude.”  As for Hurricane relief the game raised over $1.75 million dollars for victims of the multiple disasters. 

Local guy

Will 2017-18 be the break-out year for Willie Cauley-Stein?  He was born in Spearville (KS) 300 miles south-southwest of Kansas City (M0) how is he local you ask.  Spearville contains less than 800 people in the town….when you are 6-10 it’s easy to stand out in Spearville.  It’s said when he began to grow in height as well as on the court the small town might inhibit his basketball maturity.  Through his AAU connection he moved to Olathe a suburban city on the Kansas side and play at Olathe Northwest High School. 

Cauley-Stein even tried his hand at football by this time he’d grown to 7 feet, imagine a QB throwing passes to a 7-foot wide receiver.  Cauley-Stein came to the attention of John Calipari who swoop in offering a scholarship to Kentucky.  Imagine this a player in Bill Self territory leaving the state, the rest is history.  Drafted by the Kings Cauley-Stein is now in his third year, I ask at the beginning is this his year?  Only time will tell but we who watched him play in high school hope so. 

Bits n Pieces

Earl Watson ex-Kansas City KS native and Suns coach was fired.  The Suns had only played three games however in those games team defense has been atrocious.  From the outside the Suns appear to not have a clue what they are doing.  They have been .500 or more only twice in the last seven seasons.  Jay Triano replaced the fired Watson who replaced the fired Jeff Hornacek.  Triano has served in the past as Raptors coach and he’s been hired on an interim basis. 

Jaren Jackson sounded familiar to me and then I remembered.  Jaren Sr. played at Georgetown and had an NBA career as a reserve for several NBA and other pro teams.  Senior retired in 2002 and begin a coaching career at several stops.  Senior stood 6-4, Junior is 6-11 and 240 pounds much bigger than his dad.  Junior is a 5-star prospect and will play for Michigan State this fall and winner.  As mentioned in an October 23^rd report Junior will join Big 10 Freshman of the Year Miles Bridges. 

The cable system in the Kansas City Metro has always contained Fox Sports Midwest.  Metro residents could see Royals baseball and a select number of Thunder basketball games.  Recently Fox Sports Midwest Plus was added to the system which has broadcast rights to Wolves games.  All this is good news for somebody like me, this provides me additional outlets for me to view NBA basketball.  So, these two Fox Midwest channels are added to the existing ESPN, Turner Sports and NBA TV coverage. 

We always talk about “guys with ice water in their veins,” simply stated the ability to take a difficult shot near the end of tight game.  That’s what occurred Sunday evening as the Wolves faced the Thunder in Oklahoma City.  Andrew Wiggins took a difficult 3-point shot and banked it off the backboard, but bank still counts.  This became the winner over the Thunder 115-113.  The game wasn’t quite what it appeared Monday afternoon the NBA office announced two errors had occurred, the key one was the pick Karl-Anthony Towns set. The NBA determined it was an illegal pick.  

Dwayne Wade went to Tyronn Lue and informed the coach he’d be available off the bench, J.R. Smith will replace him in the Cavs starting lineup.  For the first time ever, Wade will be a non-starter however he’s got a 35-year old body with plenty of playoff and regular season play on it.  Wade certainly has basketball skills remaining but if Cavs fans believed they were going to see “Flash” they are in for a surprise.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Toughest job in basketball

There was a time coaching basketball at the collegiate level was somewhat safe.  By safe meant a successful coach could have time to build his program the worst shape the more time allowed.  That view went out of style at some point in the last 10-15 years.  You don’t win enough or turn a program around you will soon find yourself looking for another job, change has accelerated in recent years.  SI.com listed 13 coaches who might have the toughest job in college basketball.  They say it’s Patrick Ewing taking over at Georgetown or Cuonzo Martin at Mizzou. 

On the other hand, it could be Chris Holtman who took over the Ohio State program after Thad Matta was fired.  It could be at Cal or Dayton or several other schools We cannot include Rick Pitino in this discussion his termination was different from others who lost their job. Sidebar, I wondered about Avery Johnson at Alabama a coach with nothing but NBA coaching experience, Johnson has adjusted much better than I expected.  Back to my original theme, I believe Ewing might have the easiest path because he’s not expected to win. 

“The truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth”

Former Louisville Coach Rick Pitino says he passed a lie detector test.  The only problem with is this, in 1998 the United States Supreme Court deemed lie detectors as unreliable.  If they could offer proof of anything don’t you think the courts would utilize them?  Sorry Rick you may indeed be innocent but just stating you took a lie detector test and passed it is no proof of innocence. 

I’m okay with this

The USA Today Top 25 Poll was released and to no one’s surprise Duke is listed number one.  Number 2 might be a surprise Michigan State coming off a 20-15 record from last season is there.  As for number 3 its Kansas and the question again will the Jayhawks be dethroned this year in the Big 12?  Chomping at their heels are West Virginia (10) and Baylor (24) however I wouldn’t hold my breath we hear the same story every year. 

As for the others Kentucky is listed at 4 and surprise, surprise Wichita State is number 10.  Number 25 is Alabama, you ask where is Mizzou, they might have the best player in the nation in Michael Porter Jr. Mizzou received votes but didn’t make the Top 25 and I’m okay with the ranking.  I think until they have a few games under their belt they will be the Tiger cubs.  Louisville is listed at 16.

It’s not fair

The comparison was natural because they are very similar in style.  In this instance it might only be me. I made this statement quite a while ago how unfair it is to compare player A with player B.  With the disclaimer out of the way allow me to proceed with that a comparison of one former player to a present one. After watching Ben Simmons in action much of his game reminds me of Lamar Odom, both are 6-10 and left-handed. 

Despite their height Simmons is adept at distributing the basketball although Simmons appears slightly better than Odom.  Simmons is not a particularly good shooter something he’s certainly got time to improve, if you remember Odom was an ordinary from distance.  The second disclaimer is this, there is no guarantee of future stardom for Simmons however it appears he’s gotten off to a good start in the NBA.  

Miles Bridges

Michigan State and Tom Izzo are normally winners, last year’s 20-15 (10-8 Big 10) is quite surprising considering the school and the coaches history. The outcome should be different this year, Miles Bridges expected to be a lottery pick chose to return for his sophomore year.  Bridges is a 6-7 230-pound small forward/guard, he was Second Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a member of the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. 

You can see where I’m going with this I hope.  Nearly 17 points and 9 rebounds a game plus 2.1 assists and nearly 2 blocks a game are impressive numbers for a high school player adjusting to college basketball.  Tom Izzo is adding a 5-star and 4-star athlete to the roster which already includes Bridges.  This probably gives us an idea why improvement is expected at Michigan State for the 2017-18 season.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Lakers win, Lakers win
This game offered little defense on either side of the court, the Lakers scored 132 points while they manage to “hold” the Suns to 130.  This game was certainly much better than his first.  Ball came close to a triple-double scoring 29 points along with 11 rebounds and 9 assists shooting .444 from the floor.  It’s likely his game to game rebound total will dip however it’s interesting his first two games have been double-digit in rebounds.  

ESPN news indicated the 29 points are the second highest total scored in a rookies first road game, Ron Brewer once scored 30 points for the Blazers in his first 1978 game. Please ESPN and others quit placing a microphone in front of LaVar Ball.  I checked out the ESPN.com NBA page and right below the account of the game was the daddy video included.  I didn’t watch it because I didn’t want to hear him running off at the mouth again. On the other hand, Lonzo’s post-game interview was so calm and non-self-serving, I believe the father could take a lesson or two from the son.

David Who?
That’s the question asked by college basketball fans across the nation.  In truth Louisville fans might be asking the same question, who is this guy replacing Rick Pitino?  At 6 feet 11 inches tall David Padgett might be the tallest active college coach.  He played his college basketball first at Kansas and finished at Louisville.  Un-drafted after college he played professionally in the Canary Islands and Spain before becoming an assistant at IUPUI.  He would become Director of Operations and later an assistant coach at Louisville. Padgett was named interim head coach in September at the time Pitino was relieved of his head coaching responsibilities.

His shot needs fixing
Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz needs help, help in an unexpected area.  We are accustomed to poor shooting big men Wilt, Shaq and others I’ve likely omitted.  The significant difference Fultz is a 6-4 point guards, the players mentioned are 7-foot giants.  As for Fultz it’s highly unusual for a guard to shoot poorly from the line.  I had an occasion to witness him at the line in the first game of the season.

It’s difficult for me to describe but it appears his shoot is almost a side arm toss at the basket.  I said toss because both free-throws were bricks, we guess there must be an assistant coach working with Fultz. Doesn’t matter about the height I adopt the Rick Barry statement on free throw shooting “It’s a free-throw.”  Barry shot 86% from the line his rookie year, that would be the small number over a 14-year ABA-NBA career.

Once upon a time
Watching Sixer Robert Covington in action against the Wizards Cavs I was reminded of college basketball history.  Covington played his college ball at Tennessee State in Nashville, he comes from a line of NBA players who played at this historically black university. Over the years Tennessee State like other HBCU’s across the south has witnessed smaller and smaller numbers of its athletes on NBA rosters. In the 1950’s prior to much of the nation being integrated Tennessee State in the NAIA was a powerhouse.

From 1957 through 1959 Tennessee State won three consecutive NAIA Championship quite an accomplishment. The names of many of the players might be unfamiliar today however look them up, Dick Barnett, John Barnhill and others were key to consecutive NAIA Championships, Barnett and Barnhill would go on to have successful NBA careers.  Truck Robinson and Anthony Mason would later arrive in the NBA from Tennessee State.  The two are the highest profile players produced by the school before Covington arrived in the NBA. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

I’m disappointed

I believe my critique of the Clippers during the summer focused on them competing in the Western Conference race.  I think I said something along the lines the Lakers were still the Kings of L.A., Clippers remain in second (or third place). Teams lose games all the time be they elementary or middle school.  Losing extends into high school, AAU, college and the NBA.  I am truly disappointed in what I witnessed tonight in the Clippers-Lakers game.  I don’t have a problem with 7-footers shooting 3-point shots but doggone make some of them Robin Lopez.  I expected to see a new and improved Brandon Ingram this season in this first game I saw the Ingram of last year. 

Lonzo Ball gets a pass, he’s a rookie and though he didn’t shoot particularly well I’m still okay with his play.  No argument the Clippers are a better team, but the Laker effort made them look like the Globetrotters versus the Washington Generals.  The Lakers are a young team, the Lakers are a young team I must continue to repeat that to myself all season long.  There are numerous times you have difficulty past the game.  ESPN’s NBA page contains video of Stephen A. Smith interviewing LaVar Ball, I witnessed the game but not the interview nor do I plan on seeing it.  As terrible as I believed the Lakers shot from the floor the Clippers were even worst although they won the game, Clippers 39.3, Lakers 40.7.  Final score Clippers 108 Lakers 92.

The City

Back in the day the San Francisco Warriors of Nate Thurmond and Rick Barry introduced a jersey which would become a classic.  The Celtics, Knicks and Lakers jerseys have remained pretty much the same throughout the teams’ history.  Today it quite common for NBA teams to wear multiple variations of their jersey. 

The old Warriors jersey which has become the new Warriors jersey was unique it was introduced at a time there was little imagination in jersey design.  In this old photo we see 24 Rick Barry handing off the ball to number 24 center Nate Thurmond.  Thurmond was a Warrior from 1963-1974 so my guess is the jersey was introduced at some point in the early to mid-1970’s.  NOTE: I pose this question previously once the team moves to Chase Center will they become the “San Francisco” Warriors again?    

I forgot

Until I saw the Slamonline.com photo and read the story I’d forgotten, there was Chris Webber in a Warriors jersey.  With the first pick in the first round of the 1993 draft the Magic drafted Webber but traded his rights to the Warriors in exchange for Penny Hardaway the number three pick.  The Magic wanted point guard Hardaway to team with Shaquille O’Neal.

Despite being selected rookie of the year Webber had continuing issues with Coach Don Nelson.  Webber wanted an escape so badly he left the Warriors after but one season accepting a sign-and-trade to the Bullets (Wizards).  Webbers best years were spent as a member of the Kings perhaps that is the chief reason we forget about the brief period Webber wore a Warrior jersey.  Webber would return to the Warriors his last season (2008) in the NBA.

Wednesday Night Live

The second night of the young NBA season was witness to several players having outstanding games on Wednesday evening.  Despite terrific games all didn’t register victory.  Hassan Whiteside scored 26 points and grabbed 22 rebounds but his Heat team fell to the Magic 116-109.  Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points and 13 rebounds as the Bucks beat the Celtics 108-100. 

The Uni-brow Anthony Davis had a 33-point 18 rebound game but it wasn’t enough as his Pelican team lost to the Grizzlies 108-91.  The Sixers lost their game against the Wizards 120-115 but we can see why Sixer Nation is excited.  Joel Embiid in limited minutes scored 18 points along with 13 rebounds teammate Ben Simmons was 18 and 10.  Former Laker D’Angelo Russell had a great start with the Nets scoring 30 points along with 5 assists and 3 rebounds the Nets came up short against the Pacers 141 130.  

Not expected

I read the headline and thought for a moment “Agent: Hayward unlikely to return this season”.  To date I’ve never broken any bones nor do I have any medical training.  For Gordon Hayward walking is possible in a brief period of time, the physical effort required to play NBA basketball is a far different matter. I’m sure Hayward wants to prove his value to Celtic fans, I’m sure fans wanted to see him in action in Celtic green.  We hope he returns in 2018-19 playing at the same level as his Utah days.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Skip Bayless is a clown!

There are times I'm really unsure what Skip Bayless is all about.  Is he an entertainer or a member of the media?  I've seen and heard from him less frequently now that he works for FS1, I indicated earlier I don't watch Fox Sports much.  For years on ESPN's First Take I listened to him ramble on and on and on.  

"If Gordon Hayward is gone, maybe for the season, Lebron's path to losing a sixth final gets even easier."  That was the first tweet sent out by Tweedle Dumb in response to Hayward breaking his ankle.  Hayward's basketball career in jeopardy and this is the first response from Bayless, something is seriously wrong with that type of response from this man.  I guess this is his continuing effort along with Stephen A. Smith to continue stirring the "pot of controversy."

"Close the border"

Otto Porter Jr. and Bradley Beal share a connection beyond being Wizard teammates.  Both are rising stars in the NBA, please note I didn't say All-Stars it was rising.  It wasn't college Porter Jr. was at Georgetown and Beal at Florida.  Both are from the Show Me State-Missouri.  Porter born in St. Louis but grew up in Sikeston about 150 miles south of St. Louis.  The St. Louis born Beal attended Chaminade Prep in Creve Coeur in St. Louis County. 

At the time both were in high school Mizzou was listed as a possible destination although I believed it was highly unlikely.  My observation turned out to be correct as both left the state.  It would be too much to expect Cuonzo Martin to "close the border" and recruit as many talented athletes in Missouri as possible.  Nothing is guaranteed athletes are going to be drawn to many of the high-profile programs across the nation.  I don't speak for the coach but I'd certainly like to see a portion of the future talent in the state like Porter Jr. and Beal remain at home. 

Change

The world has changed forever, much as some of us desire we cannot stop change.  We must attempt to adjust to it as best possible.  Think about movies for a moment consider the advances made in the industry just in the last 15 years, in this instance I’m referring to the technology portion.  As for others they desire to return to the nostalgic time period of the 1950’s.  At the time the NBA instituted the age 19 and 1 year after high school they had no idea, this would change the basketball landscape forever.  Kids had been leaving college for the ABA and the NBA for a while that’s not exactly a new thing.    

The one and done rule forced many athletes to play one year of college basketball either at a U.S. college or overseas in one of many pro leagues.  Over the years we’ve had mix results, for every LeBron James or Kobe Bryant we also had Robert Swift and Kwame Brown.  The NBA commissioner indicates he wants to explore change and I’ve long held the belief change is required.  We use the term student-athlete however a few athletes have no desire to place student in front of their name. This is not to say they have no desire to acquire knowledge the athletic allows them to stand apart from other students.  We cannot return to the ‘50’s but maybe the NBA and the colleges could begin addressing this issue and come to an acceptable conclusion for both parties. 

Bits n Pieces

I’m not exactly sure how this works out what do you think?  The Sixers want to place a minute’s restriction on Joel Embiid on the court.  The fewer minutes on the court the less likelihood of injury but that’s the problem.  By now despite his limited time on the court we’ve discovered Embiid is quite competitive, I’ve come to believe if there was any way he could have been on the court sooner than last season he would have been there.  I’m going to check the next few weeks box scores to see if the Sixers stick to the commitment. 

Rick Pitino wants to be paid, his attorney intends to file a lawsuit against Adidas to recover money.  It’s been reported Pitino is/was one of the highest paid coaches in college basketball with an annual salary estimated at $7 million dollars a year.  I’m going to spare you the legalese the party of the first part stuff and simply say he wants his money.  Adidas must believe they were in the right to void this personal services contract, we shall see how the court views this matter eventually. 

I’m watching the Spurs-Wolves and Mark Jones mentioned Pau Gasol and his brother Marc.  I thought for a moment there have been several brother combos are there any other active brothers?  There are Marcus and Markieff Morris, the Plumlee brothers Miles and Mason.  Then we have Brook and Robin Lopez plus Jrue and Justin Holiday, If I missed any brothers it was unintentional.