Basketball from a fans perspective

I’m mad!!!

This Laker fan is truly upset WITH HIS team, the deadline trade on Thursday left me with a sour taste in my mouth.  Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. are headed east for Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye.  Thomas is an outstanding shooter but is a liability on defense at 5 feet 9 inches.  At this stage 34-year old Channing Frye is strictly a 3-point shooting specialist.  Clarkson (Mizzou guy) has an enormous contract, as for Larry Nance Jr. his high-flying dunks were exciting, but shooting was uneven. 

The basis for the trade on the Lakers side is to clear up cap space to compete for free-agents this summer.  The upside for the Lakers both Thomas and Frye have expiring contracts.  This trade will improve the Cavs chances of winning a championship however I seriously doubt they escape the east.  They won’t be required to play the Raptors and Celtics but either can knock them out of the playoffs.  Although I’m no Cavs fan tomorrow we are going to explore the house cleaning minus the two players mentioned already.    

Part Deux

This is a continued story from yesterday between radio sports talk show host Kevin Keitzman and former television sports director Jack Harry.   Harry mentioned Coach K. is not very demonstrative hinting Mizzou’s Cuonzo Martin might be the same type of person.  Keitzman’s says: “I don’t like Coach K”, I guess that provides us where this guy's head is.  

Twin Towers

In 1970 Pembrook Burrows and Artis Gilmore playing for Jacksonville University might have become the first twin towers in basketball history, both players stood 7-feet tall and played as a tandem.  Gilmore would go on to a distinguished ABA-NBA career and would be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame, as for Burrows he would go on to become the tallest Florida Highway Patrolman in department history. 

In 1983 the Houston Rockets would draft 7-foot 4-inch Ralph Sampson with the first pick in that year’s draft, in 1984 they drafted 7-foot Hakeem Olajuwon and formed their Twin Tower version.  A few years later another tandem would come into prominence David Robinson and Tim Duncan with the Spurs.  

It was reported David Robinson entered the naval academy as a 6-foot 6-inch plebe, he would grow to 7 feet 1 inch by his senior year far too towering for submarine duty.  The U.S. Navy allowed him to leave his Navy obligation early and in 1987 the Spurs made him their top pick.  In 1997 those Spurs would draft 7-foot Tim Duncan from Wake Forest and the Robinson-Duncan duo would began a reign of terror on NBA opponents. 

Andrew Bynum and Paul Gasol had a brief period of play while members of the Lakers.  Although neither is 7 feet tall they are close and prior to the injury they were an offensive and defensive juggernaut, the injured Boogie Cousins (6-11) and Anthony Davis (6-10).  There might have been others, these players mentioned are the only one's of note I believe.  

A coach who doesn’t want to win?

I know the headline above sounds crazy but that’s what Stephen A. Smith hinted this morning.  In this instance the discussion centered on the Super Bowl and Coach Bill Belichick.  See the coach benched a Patriots player and he never returned to the game.  In fairness I didn’t hear Smith say the coach didn’t want to win but hinted as much.  We are taught as small children when playing the sport whatever it might be the objective is to win the game.  Of course, due to circumstances we don’t always win, I must admit I turned on First Take after the discussion had begun so hopefully I’m wrong and misunderstood Smith’s view of winning.