Basketball from a fans perspective

Miz zou   

Mizzou registered a badly needed win over the Vanderbilt Commodores 74-66 in Nashville on Tuesday evening.  Turnovers which have plagued this team were kept at a nominal level (13) and they registered 15 assists to the Commodores 11.  Mizzou shot a blistering 58% from the floor.  Mizzou was led in scoring by Porter, not that guy, younger brother Jontay who came off the bench with 24 points.  Starter Jordan Barnett was the second leading scorer with 17 points.  For all the naysayers especially those on WHB-810 sports radio should consider this, Mizzou won 8 games all last season, the win on Tuesday is number 19.   

As fierce a competitor as there was

John Starks might have been one of the toughest guys I can recall, he stood 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 190 pounds.  He played in the days the NBA allowed much more physical play than it does now.  Starks was a shooting guard at a period many NBA teams were drafting taller players for the position.  It didn’t matter to Starks, he battled all of them and gave them no quarter, the Knicks would often face Michael Jordan and his Bulls during this period.  On defense or offense Starks held his own against all including the 6-foot 6-inch Michael Jordan.  How he arrived in the NBA is interesting, Starks was undrafted at the time he left Oklahoma State, he first signed with the Warriors as a free-agent but only lasted a year. 

Starks played for teams in the Continental Basketball Association and World Basketball League before landing with the Knicks.  How he became a Knick is a story, signed as a free-agent a training camp injury kept him on the roster.  During a scrimmage Starks went up for a dunk over Patrick Ewing who pushed him to the floor twisting his knee.  The knee had not healed by the end of December and the Knicks couldn’t release him injured.  Later he moved into the starting lineup Starks personified the tough defense of the Pat Riley led Knicks of the 1990s.  Starks played for several other NBA teams however it was the Knicks where he made his mark during a 14-year NBA career.  Tough, relentless check out the video below and you will witness several Bulls players being posterized.  Starks now works for the Knicks in a front-office capacity. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCTfxOrX4k8

A change

At some point in December or January I pronounced Sixer point guard Ben Simmons Rookie of the Year.  In fact, I might have stated this twice, now I’m not so sure if Simmons is that choice.  Allow me a brief explanation, Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz has fought an uphill battle for recognition since the season started.  Although Mitchell was a first-round choice he fell outside the Top 10 having been picked by the Jazz at 13. 

To compound the lack of notoriety Mitchell plays in Salt Lake City which is not often featured on national television games.  The last bit of information as this is written the Jazz are one game above .500.  Despite the “negatives” explored previously Mitchell can play, the 6-foot 3-inch shooting guard is the leading scorer for the Jazz at 19.6 points per game.  If Ben Simmons is not Rookie of the Year Donovan Mitchell certainly is.   

King of Los Angeles 

Debate might be entertained daily by Clipper and Laker fans; which Los Angeles team is the best.  Over the last 5 or 6 seasons Larry Laker is forced to admit it was the other team, this year for a variety of reasons they are as close as they have been in quite a while.  As this is written the Clippers are slightly ahead in the win column 31 wins versus the 26 for the Lakers.  If the season ended today neither team makes the playoffs in the west.  As we prepare for the remainder of the season who will be crowned King of Los Angeles, will the Clippers retain their crown or relinquish it to the Lakers?     

We are hearing the term again

We are hearing the term “tanking” once again floating about the NBA, the Mavs and owner Mark Cuban has seen a 3-figure fine after word got out they planned on tanking.  I can’t speak to the NHL, I don’t follow the sport and no little of its workings.  As for the other sports that’s a different matter.  The National Football League plays 16 regular season games, major league baseball 162.  NFL games are played once a week plus there are fewer games, makes it quite difficult to “lose on purpose.”  With a regular season running from April to October the same scenario might apply to baseball too many games and too long a season to see a team purposely lose games. 

Fingers were pointed at the Sixers for several years, they were pointed at my Lakers last season.  Let’s just suppose Team A. loses on purpose to secure a higher draft pick, with the lottery there is still no guarantee they get the top choice, the odds work in their favor based on won-loss but again no slam dunk.  Number two even securing the top pick is it always assured you draft the best player who can contribute right away.  We can look at the Sixers and Joel Embiid, looks as though they struck gold but its two and one-half years later.  How about the Cavs and 2013 number one pick Anthony Bennett, Turns out he couldn't play and he's now in the G-League?   

Basketball from a fans perspective

Got any spare change?

I’ve mentioned this in the past, every time an NBA franchise goes on the market several potential buyers line up.  The Rockets were purchased last September, and the reported sales figure was $2.2 billion.  Prior to that sale the previous was the Hawks which had a $850 million price tag in April 2015.  All that’s changed now according to Forbes.  On February 7 for the first time in history Forbes reported all 30 NBA franchises are valued at $1 billion. 

If you want to purchase an NBA team in 2017 you’d better, ensure you have very deep pockets.  As for the teams, the Knicks are in first place followed by the Lakers and Warriors, all three exceed $3 billion in net worth.  The poor, poor New Orleans Pelicans as the lowest worth team are only valued at $1 billion.  Television contracts are listed as the chief reason for the increase value in NBA franchises.  Those Hawks purchased in 2015 are now valued at $1,150 billion.   

Bits n Pieces 

I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard plenty of commentary on Michael Porter Jr. playing.   I’m not sure if the Mizzou forward is the topic throughout the nation he is here.  Despite what might believe ESPN ask general managers what they thought.  The article says, “More than 10 general managers and front-office executives said he should come back and play.”  This view is based solely on how he looks in practice.  Practice versus game conditions are a whole other thing, I’m sure if Porter doesn’t believe he's ready to play he'll shut it down.  Not the media's decision but the NBA and Porter.  

Stan Van Gundy Pistons coach went on a rant surprise, surprise it had no connections to his team.  He went off on the NCAA “One of the worst organizations in sports”, the NBA One-n-Done rule.  I'm not going to provide you a running commentary, read it yourself and formulate your own opinion.   

One of the local sports TV guys says: “Devonte Graham (Kansas) should be a candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year.”  No doubt Graham’s had a great senior season as Kansas won its 14^th straight Big 12 conference championship.  If I had a vote the honor would go to Trae Young of Oklahoma.  The difference between the two, Graham is a contributor on a team with parts, Young is Oklahoma basketball, there are few parts.  NOTE: It appears Young will lead NCAA Division I schools in scoring and assists an accomplishment that has never occurred in college basketball previously.  

No, he ain’t Hakeem

I’ve watched quite a few games plus highlights of the Sixers Joel Embiid in action this season.  The footwork of the Big Man around the basket reminds us of Hakeem Olajuwon, I wonder if its soccer or just plain ability.  You know the old saying: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  Don’t confuse my statement I didn’t say he was as good as Hakeem, check out the video below and see what you think.  
    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNc22Q-anrk

He’s leaving school

We begin speculating on which freshman might be leaving school after April.  No doubt a few names might be a surprise, there is one name more likely to be known than others.  The one freshman we are certain is leaving is Deandre Ayton of Arizona.  Three websites, Bleacher Report, Tankathon and NBADraft.net all have Ayton listed in the top spot. 

To add to the fact all three sites placed Ayton as number one prior to last Friday’s announcement on Coach Sean Miller.  Have you seen the 7-foot 1 inch 250-pound youngster in action, parts of his game are raw, but the youngster certainly exhibits talent and skill?  With the possibility of sanctions forthcoming there is no requirement for him to remain at Arizona, he will be the number one pick in the 2018 draft.     

Basketball from a fans perspective

Bits n Pieces

This is gonna upset several Cavs fans.  David Fizdale former Grizzlies coach says: “The Cavaliers did exactly what they needed ahead of the trade deadline to put themselves back in championship contention.”  Fizdale has more basketball experience than me and I can agree with his statement.  The portion I might depart from Fizdale is the champion part.  The 2018 NBA Champion will be _________, notice I left it blank but it will not be the Cavs.   

In the wake of the Arizona-Sean Miller fallout comes this response.  Once again, the athlete rather than a family member might be guilty.  Notice I said might be, we don’t know at this point however freshman Deandre Ayton’s name has been mentioned in early reports.  An attorney for the family of Ayton has asked the FBI, NCAA and the university to clear his name.  I believe we all understand the reasoning, whether its done or not remains in the hands of the agencies.     

It’s me…. I know it

I’m watching the Warriors and Thunder and it dawn on me once again.  California’s nickname is “The Golden State” adopted in 1968, how does a state motto apply to one team Golden State Warriors?  Once upon a time the Warriors had the words San Francisco across the front of their road jerseys.  Once the team moved across The Bay the belief must have been “We can’t be the San Francisco Warriors in Oakland.” 

As for other sports teams in several pro sports we have the Minnesota Wolves, Vikings and Twins but that’s somewhat understandable, the name represents the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.      

In other portions of the nation we have the Tennessee Titans of the NFL although all their games are played in Nashville.  We have the baseball Texas Rangers, but they represent the huge Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.  The Nets were “New Jersey” and several other names before moving permanently to Brooklyn adding the borough in front of their name.  So, there you have it sports teams with the state as a portion of their name.   

NBA Ready   
You might not be familiar with the headline term, I’ve heard it applied to arenas throughout the nation and world.  Simply stated the arena is adequate for NBA play, we could apply that term to an arena but how about a metro area?  I said I didn’t intend to cry about no NBA basketball in Kansas City so just cool it while you read this.  My city got one shot, it came up short the Kings left town and the NBA has never again looked in this direction…. why? 

On the other side of the state St. Louis is in a comparable situation after the Hawks departed for Atlanta, the NBA has never looked back.  As for others it’s been far different, Charlotte’s had two NBA teams, they lost the Hornets to New Orleans and much later were granted an expansion team.  The Bobcats (now Hornets) became the cities replacement team.  San Diego has no NBA team currently but once the Rockets and Clippers called the city home. 

The Warriors left Philadelphia for San Francisco however the Sixers later replaced them. The expansion Chicago Packers (Zephyrs) departed the city for Baltimore but were replaced by the Bulls.  Quit your moaning, residents of Seattle could make a similar claim.  That’s true however anytime NBA expansion is Seattle is always the first city mentioned, Kansas City is an afterthought.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

He’s headed elsewhere

The investigation of Arizona basketball is far from over.  What we do know late Friday Shaq’s son, Shareef O’Neal de-committed from Arizona.  The 6-foot 9 inch forward must have decided Arizona might be facing serious penalties in the wake of the phone call.  The phone call that was taped with head coach Sean Miller discussing paying $100,000 to ensure phenom DeAndre Ayton enrolls at Arizona.  It’s not clear at this point if Ayton received the money or a family member.  If Ayton was the recipient, he will be declared ineligible immediately.  As for Miller it's likely Arizon terminates his contract, this story has additional chapters remaining, this is only the beginning.   

Headed to the NBA?

We cannot be sure until the June draft however we believe one of the names called will be that of Landry Shamet.  Shamet is a 6-foot 4-inch combo guard who plays for Wichita State, his name is listed on several mock draft sites.  He just might be one of those guys not highly touted in high school but grew his game at the collegiate level.  Embarrassing for me Shamet played for Park Hill High School in Kansas City.  I would be less than honest if I told you I knew of Shamet prior to Wichita State, I didn’t but no matter.  I know who Landry Shamet is now and I'm hoping he earns a roster spot on some NBA team just because he's a Kansas City kid.   

You’ll do what?   
Your team has an athlete like Steph Curry, great outside shooter and point guard.  The opportunity exists for you as general manager to acquire a Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns what do you do?  Do you change your offense from an outside-in game to an inside-out one?  I don’t know about you, but the answer is simple for me, despite the emphasis today on small ball the game remains that of a big man.  That’s my view, I ask several acquaintances for their opinion.  One said: “I suppose the premise being that you throw down low and then it opens up Curry outside.

Embiid is a bit of a wild card, as he doesn't exclusively play from the post and likes to shoot the 3, so you may have to change his style a bit.”  Another said: “Never going to have a Kareem or Wilt again. Remember how when Hakeem down in Houston started developing a mid-range jump shot and how it made him one of the top 3 players in the game.”  Finally, the last friend said: “I watched Embiid one night this week and thought he might fit as a big man for the Dubs. He moves well. Big’s can’t just set up in the post in today’s game.”  There you have it the views of four fans of the game, what do you think?   

 “The Death Penalty”

The title above has nothing to do with capital punishment, it represents an NCAA ruling on infractions.  It denotes the harshest penalty that can be given a school.   There have only been five instances The Death Penalty has been imposed the last was 1987.  The Southern Methodist University football team was the culprit, football was penalized to the point some believe the program has never recovered. 

This is a condensed version of the full Louisville story; the university was forced to vacate wins from 2011 through 2015 which included the 2013 NCAA Championship.  Earlier the university was banned from postseason play in 2016 plus scholarship reductions and recruiting limitations.  This might be the tip of the iceberg for the university although we cannot be for sure, the interim president appears to challenge a portion of the ruling.  In addition, former Coach Rick Pitino who was fired has filed suit against the university.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Damn, were in a tight spot!”

That was the line uttered twice by the Ulysses Everett McGill character portrayed by George Clooney in the 2000 movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou.”  Fans of college basketball believe the same thing, damn were in a tight spot.  The basketball programs, the Hall of Fame coaches and other connections to the game have been smeared once again.  We are reading players receiving money from an agent, not just one but several names have been reported. 

Unlike previous scandals this was not point shaving it was receiving loans into the thousands of dollars.  As this was being written we read Lonzo Ball said NCAA players should be paid, there’s an issue I see the pros and cons of the argument.  College basketball has endured scandals in the past it will survive this one too.  This investigation is not yet complete, hopefully the NCAA and other organizations will work together and attempt to close the door on these types of incidents. 

This is a correction

Several people believe the Koch brothers are the most important citizens of Wichita.  They might have the most money but the honor I speak of belongs to Coach Gregg Marshall.   Marshall’s been the coach at the central Kansas school since 2007, he first served as an assistant at several schools before his first head coaching job.  Marshall was hired at Winthrop (SC) in 1998 and led the school to a 198-83 record before his hire at Wichita State.  There were 11 wins and then 17 wins in his first two years, since then it’s been all uphill for Marshall and the Wichita State Shockers. 

His 2013-14 team almost completed a perfect season, 18-0 in the Mo Valley and 35-1.  I irate many my friends by stating Wichita State has often been the best Division I team in the State of Kansas.  After a history in the Mo Valley Conference Wichita State is in its first year in the American Athletic Conference.  A few schools might come calling again after the season, Marshall will mull them over as usual.  He might leave Wichita State one day, but don't hold your breath.   

Clippers arena

You might believe the headline is a reference to Staples Center however that is not the case.  I don’t remember the date at some point Clippers owner Steve Ballmer indicated he wanted “his own arena.”  A story I read indicated management was upset with the schedule arrangements.  According to an article the Lakers had priority on dates then the Kings other venues and finally the Clippers. 

I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information it represents my reading.  The City of Inglewood was mentioned as a possible destination and then talk became baby steps, a practice facility and an 18,000-seat arena were the keys to the development.  Inglewood has begun an environmental review process, so it appears the proposed development is picking up speed.  

Laker for life   

If you read my bio you will discover I’ve been a Laker fan all my life.  I have maintained my loyalty through favorite Laker players traded and the downturn after the death of Dr. Buss.  I was not pleased with developments but held my tongue from the coaching revolving door.  The choice of Mike Brown, Mike D’Antoni as head coach can only be termed a failure.  Phil Jackson sitting by the phone waiting on a phone call from Jim Buss and he hires somebody else. 

Overpaying veterans Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov and some other strange moves by the front office.  The team appears to be upward bound with a nucleus of youthful talent.  Word is circulating once again involving LeBron James and him becoming a Laker next season.  I have maintained my allegiance through a series of player and front office moves, this one will be the last.  I DON’T WANT LeBron James on my Laker team, I said it and I ain't afraid to stand by it.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

“I’m back”

No, it’s not Michael Jordan this time however he is a Michael, his last name is Porter Jr.  He arrived on campus with so much hype last summer, NBA lottery pick before he’d played his first game for Mizzou.  MPJr played a total of 2 minutes then a back injury suffered during the summer forced Porter to the sidelines, a resulting surgery had him inactive until the announcement on Thursday.  His doctors have given him clearance to begin play again.  It’s not been clarified as this is published if Porter will see action on Saturday when Mizzou faces Kentucky.   

The Land down under

Dante Exum arrived in the NBA from Australia ahead of Ben Simmons, most interesting both athletes had similar paths to the NBA.  The fathers of Dante Exum and Ben Simmons played college ball in the U.S. but journeyed to Australia to play professionally.  Cecil Exum played at the University of North Carolina while Dave Simmons was at Oklahoma City University.  Dante Exum and Ben Simmons hold dual citizenship since both were born in Melbourne Australia.   

Dante’s mother and father are both American citizens while Ben has an American father and an Australian mother.  Dante and Ben arrived in the NBA with lofty expectations however to date only Simmons has played at a high skill level.  Drafted in 2014 in the first round by the Jazz injuries have held the 6-foot 6-inch Exum to limited play.  Simmons is on his way to winning NBA Rookie of the Year honors while Exum continues to struggle impacted by injury.  

Bits n Pieces

This is a smooth move, Larry Nance Jr. traded to the Cavs made a change, he’s switching jersey numbers from the 24 he wore with the Lakers to number 22.  The significance of the conversion, his dad Larry Nance Sr. wore number 22 while a   member of the Cavs.    

Trent Williams might not be headed to Mizzou but just in case I located video of the 6-foot 3-inch Williams in action.  The Gillette Community College point guard was quite impressive, a true point guard looking to distribute the ball rather than taking the shot.  His numbers speak volumes, 7.9 assists, 6.4 rebounds and 14 points a game while shooting 57% from the floor.  Calm down Larry Laker we don’t know if he can play at the Division I level.   

I'm probably wrong but I think the Warriors have reached a point they are ready for the playoffs.  The NBA season is an 82-game grind, it is playing in Houston one night and San Antonio the next.  I believe the Warriors become bored with the regular season, just my thought but certainly worth considering.  

Strange and unusual journey of Kawhi

We’ve hardly heard the name Kawhi Leonard mentioned this season, Leonard has played a grand total of 9 games in the 2017-18 season.  Now comes word on   February 21 he might be done for the season.  This is the strange issue; his groin injury is reported to have been sufficiently healed according to reports, he’s been medically cleared to play.  Leonard has elected against returning to the active roster. 

This from Coach Popovich he “would be 'surprised' if Kawhi returns this season”.  Is there something going on we are unable to see as fans?  Just from what I know about Leonard he doesn’t appear to be a problem type of player, but his situation is clearly a mystery.  I am uncomfortable trying to figure out this matter, I have a San Antonio connection.  I'm going to reach out and see if they can shine additional light on the subject.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

Phi Slama Jama

Sports teams have been given nicknames over the years, a few for basketball are Showtime (Lakers), Bad Boys (Pistons) or The Dream Team (1992 U.S. Olympic Team).  The Houston Cougars in 1982-83 were nicknamed Phi Slama Jama, the name was a reference to the numerous dunks registered by the Cougars during their games.  With the likes of Clyde “The Glide” Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon and company they once recorded 13 dunks in a game. 

Olajuwon would later correct the spelling of his first name to Hakeem.  All the starters plus several reserves were a fast-break high wire act.  We are unsure to this day if the team ran any plays.  As good as this team was top to bottom they would be losers in the 1983 NCAA Championship game.  They lost to North Carolina State 54-52 in what must be considered one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Championship history, see for yourself, paste the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubCybJk-IAY&t=39s

Turrrible

I realize the word is spelled T E R R I B L E, on the occasions Charles Barkley says it sounds as though he’s saying: turrrible.  Mizzou’s game against Ole Miss on Tuesday was turrrible I should have figured it might turn out like this.  Ole Miss losers of like six games or something in a row, head coach stepped down the day prior.  Mizzou was ripe for an upset, I lost count of how many shots taken early in the game Mizzou missed. 

Most were not bad shots they just couldn’t locate the basket.  In the second half after allowing Ole Miss a large lead Mizzou came roaring back only to allow them to tie the game and win it in OT.  Did I mention the turnovers oh well can’t cover the whole thing?  This loss sucked big time, although the score was close (90-87) I'd almost prefer to get blown out than lose an ugly game like this....oh well it is what it is.   

Jacksonville Who?

That was the title of a documentary telecast by NBA TV, it’s focus was the championship run by the 1970 Jacksonville University team.  The school had two 7-foot players in the starting lineup at the same time.  7-foot 2-inch Artis Gilmore was at the center position along with 7-foot Pembrook Burrows playing power forward.  I wasn’t sure, the documentary confirmed my belief this was the first twin-tower combo in basketball history.  Jacksonville would face UCLA for the NCAA Championship that year.       

Jacksonville lost the 1970 championship game 80-69 but finished the season with a 27 and 2 record.  Rather than detail any additional information see it for yourself, it’s worth 90 minutes of your time.  As for a couple of the participants Gilmore went on to a Hall of Fame career playing for several ABA-NBA teams.  Burrows drafted by the Sonics in the third round didn’t make the team and passed on playing in Europe.  Instead his career was spent in law enforcement, he would go on to become the tallest Florida Highway Patrolman in their history.   

Slow news day

One of the local hosts on 610 Sports Radio who never, ever discusses the NBA chose to relate an NBA story.  I didn’t listen to the conversation from the beginning, so I have no idea how it began.  He “appeared” critical of Warriors Coach Steve Kerr for allowing players to coach the team at a point.  Even stranger he takes this one step further indicating this arrangement would not work in the NFL.  Although not present in today’s baseball there have been playing managers, same for the NBA.  Despite appearing to take an adversarial view of the Kerr move he contradicted his argument……. really strange. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

A change

A recent NCAA ruling represents a change in policy by the body which never occurred in past years.  Bradley University is not the 1950 NCAA Champion City College of New York remains champ, the same scenario for the 2003 Kansas Jayhawks, Syracuse is champion.  Both schools, CCNY and Syracuse were discovered later to have committed violations which caused a negative light to shine on their program.  There have been hints regarding other schools over the years however up till today no NCAA Championship was ever vacated. 

2018 has brought about a change, the NCAA determined the 2013 NCAA Championship win by Louisville is now invalid.  Runner up Michigan becomes the de-facto champion for 2013, does it really change anything for the Wolverines and their fans?  My point of reference is the Missouri State High School Championship.  In the late 1990’s Pembroke Hill led by brothers Jaron and Kareem Rush won three consecutive state championships.  Years later the championships were vacated due to improprieties uncovered.  Those of us who witnessed the play find it difficult to see the runner-up as champion.  (A future story on Louisville will follow soon)

A starting point

Fran Fraschilla of ESPN was describing the play of Luka Doncic who hails from Slovenia which I found interesting, Doncic will be a lottery pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.  Fraschilla compared Euro basketball to AAA baseball, for those unfamiliar with AAA allow a brief explanation.  “AAA or triple A is the highest MLB level, and where players are most likely to be called up to the parent Major League team.”

An increasing number of players from Europe have arrived in the NBA but as I stated in the past I wasn’t quite sure of the level of play.  I will hold onto the Fraschilla comment the next time a potential NBA player from the EuroLeague might be headed for the NBA.  If you are reading this in France, Germany, Spain or some other Euro nation don’t take this as a slam at basketball in Europe.  Just consider a few athletes born in this country with star emblazoned on their forehead fail to carve out a niche in the NBA.   

Wow

A report from Brian Windhorst of ESPN is unfortunate if true.  His narrative on Markelle Fultz indicates the Sixers might choose to sit the point guard down for the balance of the season.  Injuries are sometimes difficult to overcome, his shoulder which has impacted his shooting might be as much mental as physical according to Windhorst. 

The news is not quite as damaging as it could be considering the outstanding play of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and other Sixers.  As for Fultz if he is forced to sit out the balance of the season all he needs to do is talk to Embiid and Simmons.  Injuries kept both of them off the court in their rookie year however look at their outstanding play now, hopefully Fultz will be able to duplicate their accomplishment.   

This is funny to me

I wish you heard it, Jalen Rose shut down Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman this morning on ESPN’s First Take.  The co-hosts are certainly entitled to their opinions however there comes a point. I love when a former player such as Rose can be a guest on the program and articulate enough to destroy their point of view.  Afterall Rose saw the discussion as a former player something neither Smith or Kellerman can claim.  

Thanks, but no thanks

Disney Corporation owners of ESPN, ABC and several others are a commercial enterprise.  The companies have been established to yield profits, in the following few sentences an explanation why I refuse to pay.  ESPN.com for years has teased us with “news”, we check the site and it’s under ESPN Insider.  The website is free however the Insider portion is a pay to read column.  Most of the time the information eventually becomes public knowledge.  If it’s an earth-shattering story, we’ll be provided the information the same day by ALL news sources.  I will say once again to ESPN, thanks but no thanks. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

Private conversations

We have no idea what took place in conversation with LaVar Ball prior to the draft.  I’m going to speculate and say Magic Johnson said: “We are going to draft your son”, there likely was no additional conversation.  I imagine there was no need to inform Ball to tone his rhetoric down, the belief might be with his son the second pick there was no requirement to continue talking.  Well it didn’t work out that way, Ball talked and talked and talked. 

Much of the conversation dealt with son Lonzo and his Laker connection.  You always have one more bridge to cross and I believe it’s now been crossed.  The latest in LaVar’s comment “He would have Lonzo opt out if the Lakers DID NOT add LaMelo and LiAngelo to their roster.”  Who is LaVar fooling, he truly believes he can back the Lakers into a corner.  I wonder if he’s stopped to consider the Lakers could trade Lonzo since it will be three or more years before these series of events could likely occur.   

I did what I said I would

I informed you last week I refuse to watch the NBA All-Star game.  I followed through with my boycott, I watched not one second of play in the game.  In fact, you might have a better clue who played well, who played bad etc.  As for the other events that was a different story, I missed seeing Spencer Dinwiddie win the Skills Competition. 

This is all after the fact, but I picked Devin Booker to win the 3-point shooting contest.  Booker won scoring 28 points the highest point total ever recorded.  As for the Slam Dunk contest Donovan Mitchell was the winner although I wasn’t particularly impressed with his dunks.  I missed on this one, I’d picked Larry Nance Jr. as the winner prior to the contest.  If you have access to NBA TV, they are likely to re-run the events including the game if you care to view it.   

2018 mock draft

In the 2018 NBA Mock Draft there have been position changes regarding the top pick but that’s about all.  Projected Top 10 is comprised of 1 international player (Luka Doncic) and junior Mikal Bridges at Villanova plus sophomore Miles Bridges at Michigan State.  The balance of the list is freshman.  I have traveled back and forth on the issue of high school players in the draft.  I now am solidly on the players side for several reasons. 

Chief among those reasons the NBA is restricting employment by age which is a discriminatory practice.  Truth be told many high school players have not proven NBA worthy, on the other hand we could make the same statement regarding several 4-year players.  What I find most interesting outside the Top 10 is one Jontay Porter of Mizzou, Tankathon.com/mock draft has him as their number 18 choice.  Porter should be a high school senior instead of a college freshman, he re-classified to play in 2017-18.  

Home cooking?

One team went to the free-throw line 35 times the opposition twice, this must have been a grade school game…. right?  No, it was a game between Big 12 opponents Kansas and West Virginia, the game was played in Allen Fieldhouse.  The Jayhawks were winners on Saturday 77-69.  West Virginia’s Bob Huggins complained about the officiating in the post-game press conference.   

I checked the box score on ESPN’s website and sure enough it indicated Kansas made 35 trips to the line while West Virginia only twice.  I don’t know if the Huggins complaint was valid, I didn’t witness the game, the box score is the only method to uncover what might have occurred.  It details West Virginia whistled a disproportionate number of time over that of Kansas.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

NBA 'Is Gonna Overtake All the Other Sports'

First it was Kareem Abdul Jabbar and now its Jerry West.  The NBA logo is based on the likeness of West and he claims his sport is going to surpass all others.  I’m not going to go into detail as to why West or Kareem for that matter have taken this stance.  Read BleacherReport February 18 for complete detail.  This is the portion I found interesting. 

Last week Kevin Keitzman 810 Sports Radio in Kansas City took an opposing position, he produced stats which indicate NFL viewership numbers exceed all other sports.  That might be true however NFL television numbers were down in 2017.  The question becomes whose opinion do we value that of Kareem and West or Keitzman? 

Hall of Fame Class

The HOF committee announced its finalists for the Class of  2018, 13 names were announced.  Among the names were Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Chris Webber and Maurice Cheeks just to name a few.   Finalist must receive 18 of the 24 possible votes to be enshrined.   

King of speculation

I once boasted “I was the King of speculation!”  That might be correct however this is one time I’m gonna remain on the sidelines.  A “bomb” is about to be dropped on college basketball, at least that’s the opinion of several sports websites.  The investigation that resulted in Rick Pitino being fired is not yet complete.  I'm not going to speculate on the outcome.   

Streaking no more

Work prevented me from seeing the game, LSU won 64-63 so I’m guessing Mizzou might have had an opportunity to win the game at the end.  The box score is no indicator, so I won’t take it any further.  The five-game winning streak is over, it’s now time to prepare for battle with Ole Miss on Tuesday and begin another winning streak.   

The upside

We don’t know the future for the Lakers Isaiah Thomas, but we know what occurs June 21.  The NBA will hold its draft that evening and the Lakers will have a pick.  The Sixers hold the Lakers first round pick from a prior trade, thanks to the Thomas-Frye acquisition they now have the Cavs pick which is number 25.  I certainly cannot speculate in February who the Lakers might choose but I believe they might be able to draft a player who will continue the upward trend of the franchise.   

Lehigh University
I must admit although I was familiar with the name Lehigh I had no idea where the school was located.   It’s about 70 miles north of Philadelphia in Bethlehem Pennsylvania.  Lehigh is listed in a book titled Hidden Ivies, 50 Top Colleges that rival the Ivy League.  The university is a bastion of educational pursuits although they compete in the sports field as a member of the Patriot League. 

Lehigh guard C.J. McCollum was made the 10^th pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft by the Blazers.  Now in the middle of his 5^th year in the association his star continues to rise as a valued member of the Blazers.  I was curious I wondered: “How many players in the NBA are from Lehigh.”  Real GM indicates the number to be one, that one of course is C.J. McCollum hidden gem no more.    

Basketball from a fans perspective

“I am more than an athlete”

The words above are in a neon sign outside the offices of LeBron James in Los Angeles.  My desire was for Words eye view was to focus strictly on basketball, since that time I’ve discovered there are occasions which reach beyond the basketball court, this is one of those times I believe warrant a change.  Fox News host Laura Ingraham said recently: “Keep the political commentary to yourself.” 

She made this regarding a statement made by Cavs forward LeBron James.  I might not agree with the political views of LeBron James however I respect the right for him to express his view.  We have several folks who tend to believe athletes have no say so in the social fabric of this nation.  I say Ingraham and others are totally wrong, I would state we are first citizens and then basketball players or stockbrokers or computer specialists.

Hmmmmm

Arsenio Hall had a catch phrase on his former late-night television variety and talk program.  He would tell a story and then say: “These are things that make you go hmmmm.”  In this instance there is only one thing that makes me go hmmmm, what position does he play.  I’m referring to a Kansas City Star story on E.J. Liddell the top target for Mizzou in 2019.  Liddell is a Rivals 4-star prospect and attends Belleville East High School in Belleville Illinois.  The city is about 20 miles from East St. Louis Coach Martin’s former home town. 

I referenced the Arsenio Hall phrase because of this portion of the story.  “Liddell’s height has made him tough to project as a college player. He is too short to be a power forward or center, and he doesn’t have the skillset of a wing.”  I haven’t witnessed Liddell in person or on television however he must be playing power forward or center.  At 6 feet 7 inches and 225 pounds it appears Liddell could be a shooting guard, no requirement to handle the ball in the manner of a point guard.  The Star reporter certainly didn’t mention that possibility. 

5 feet 9 inches

Isaiah Thomas is the shortest player in the NBA, that’s today he's not the shortest in the leagues history.  Muggsy Bogues who stands 5 feet 3 inches tall holds that record.  My team has acquired players in the past I wasn’t particularly thrilled to have part of the team.  At this point we can insert Dwight Howard’s name.  Thomas certainly has an offensive game his height causes defensive problems.  From my perspective the Lakers have little if any problem scoring the basketball the issue is on the defensive side.  Before I get too bent out of shape the future for Thomas must be determined.  His contract will expire at the end of the season and we shall see what his future holds, until then I will refrain from further commentary.        

The coach
With 200 wins it should be significant to look-back at Mizzou Coach Cuonzo Martin’s coaching career.  In 10 years at various stops Martin registered only one losing season, that would occur in his first year at Missouri State, the 2008-09 Bears finished with an 11-20 record.  Two negatives regarding this coach, they say “he’s not a great X and O coach” or “He certainly has changed jobs a great deal.”  Well let’s explore both declarations. 

It’s hoped assistant coach Chris Hollender along with other members of the staff will aid Martin and the Tigers now and into the future.  The issue of changing jobs has been dealt with in the recent past.  A quick response might be Martin was never in danger at any point of being fired.  Moving from Missouri State to Tennessee was an upward bound move, as for his move from Tennessee to Cal that’s a little more difficult to explain.  It was reported for unexplained reasons many of the Vols legion of fans were pining for Bruce Pearl.  They loved Pearl despite the fact NCAA violations were registered.   

It’s his decision 

I believe Michael Porter Jr. has come to a decision, I think if the medical staff gives him the okay to play for Mizzou he’ll be on the court.  No doubt there is concern on his part “what if I re-injure my back or suffer another injury?”  That certainly is a possibility but its also a risk he plans on taking.  Why…. he’s a player who loves the game and only the back injury has kept him from doing what he does. I had issues at the time Porter first expressed a desire to return but I'm okay now.