Basketball from a fans perspective

Disappointments & Accomplishments

The college basketball season will be complete on Monday evening.  The NBA champion will not be crowned until June, the majority of NBA players will join us watching the playoffs in person or on television.  Every basketball season produces ups and downs, these are just a few.

Disappointments

*The on-going scandal in college basketball which has cost several coaches jobs and has involved a few players.  We know that cheating in some form exists its disappointing when it’s so blatant.   

*Michael Porter Jr. able to play so few games for Mizzou.   

*As they say injuries are always part of the game but its terrible when so many NBA players are sidelined for major portions of the season.  No need of listing them I might miss someone. 

*Clipper fans need to adopt the old line of the Brooklyn Dodgers, “Wait till next year.”

*No NBA team in Kansas City (I had to slip that one in).

*Officiating issues in the NBA. 

Accomplishments 

*Oklahoma’s Trae Young accomplished a feat perhaps only Oscar Robertson may have.  Young led D-I schools in scoring and assists. 

*The season may have ended on a disappointing note but Cuonzo Martin was an outstanding hire by Mizzou.  

*Sixer Ben Simmons placing his name on the NBA Rookie of the Year trophy at the beginning of the season.   

*Improved play by the Lakers.  

*Joel Embiid proved he was on the road to superstardom, the wait was worth it for Sixer fans.

*Despite the noise of apparently pay-for-play scandal the 2017-18 season has been a good one.   

The season is too long, too many players and teams to cover.  These are my highlights what about yours?  

I was nice compared to him

Colin Cowherd, Fox Sports was highly critical of Russell Westbrook.  On a recent broadcast after giving us numbers on his 3-point shooting late and admitting Westbrook was talented.  Cowherd used the term MVMe…. opps MVP in his commentary about last season’s honoree.  See you thought it was just me that had an issue with the Thunder point guard.  The Thunder will continue to “swim in the shallow end” of the playoff pool, they could wade into deeper water but will never accomplish the feat with Westbrook dominating the ball.   

Choice announced

We indicated earlier the head coaching hire at Louisville would be a well-known coach.  Despite the issues under Rick Pitino this school is one of a number of high-profile basketball programs in the nation.  The school announced Chris Mack would become the new coach replacing the departed Pitino.  Mack’s served as head coach at the school at Xavier for nine years, he’s a proven winner, the nearest one of his teams came to a losing record was a 17-14 finish in the 2012-13 season.  I’m unsure who returns for Louisville and how the recruiting picture looks, Mack should be able to stabilize a season fraught with chaos for Louisville basketball.  

Laker centers  

The Lakers have a rich history of exceptional centers, the fan website Lakers Nation provided us the best five in the team’s history. Surprise, surprise they included Andrew Bynum in their list:

Kareem Addul Jabbar
George Mikan
Shaquille O'Neal
Wilt Chamberlain
Andrew Bynum

       

       The only argument I might have is including Andrew Bynum in the list, it’s not a talent issue rather a longevity issue for me.   My list would omit Bynum but add either Vlade Divac or Elmore Smith.  If the names are unfamiliar especially Smith Google his name check out his stats with the Lakers.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

The NBA A.L.

The title reflects the NBA After LeBron, this is for my wife’s cousin and several acquaintances who appear to believe the NBA will fall apart once LeBron leaves.  I have a statement for them, the NBA will not fall apart once LeBron retires, the league existed long before him and it will exist long after he leaves the game.  How do I know, think about this fact for a moment?  

In 1999 nobody but family, friends and teammates knew the name LeBron.  College scouts saw him as a talent but had no method to determine he’d rise to the level of icon.  In 10 years’ time another athlete of near notice I said near skill level will arrive in the NBA. Just check out the NBA of 2018, less LeBron it’s biggest and brightest stars are all under age 30.  Some of those stars are in their early to mid-20’s which means they can only get better. 

How about these names:

Karl-Anthony Towns

Julius Randle

Lonzo Ball

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Joel Embiid

Ben Simmons

Kristaps Porzingis

Anthony Davis

I’m sure I omitted several young talented players, but I hope you understand my intent.  We have no method of determining how or if injuries will impact the careers of those listed and others, the belief in the players listed is strictly based on play we witness currently.  Don’t misread this I didn’t say they were better than LeBron in fact I didn’t even state say they would ascend to his level of play.  What I am stating with a continuing influx of talent the NBA should be in decent shape into the future. 

Class of 2018

A portion of the class has been announced, Grant Hill, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Maurice Cheeks.  They will be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in August along with several others the quartet are the headliners, other names are forthcoming.   

Conspiracy Theorist

You know who they are, in serious tones they discuss the Loch Ness monster, Big Foot and the Jersey Devil.  Don’t get me wrong there are probably a few unknowns existing in the world, give me proof not theories.  They exist in basketball particularly the NBA, I’m sure you’ve heard of the “Frozen Card”!  In 1985 Patrick Ewing at Georgetown was expected to be the top pick that year.  1.“Commissioner David Stern then drew an envelope from inside to determine who would pick first.

In a move that would create controversy for years to come, the envelope Stern drew was the one belonging to the New York Knicks.  They drafted Ewing, as expected, beginning a fifteen-year relationship.”  Another, Game six of the 2002 playoff series between the Kings and Lakers.  All we need to do is listen to the claims of former NBA referee Tim Donaghy.  He made claims that officials regularly favored one team over another.  It should be of interest to anyone unfamiliar with the history Donaghy was convicted of criminal activity relating to gambling and spent time in prison. 

1.  Wikipedia

Triple-Double

Don’t be surprised if you see an uptick in rebounds for Russell Westbrook.  As this is written the Thunder have 9 games remaining, he leads the NBA in assists at 10.2 and scoring 25.4 points per game.  Westbrook is sitting at 9.7 rebounds a game which is outstanding for a 6-foot 3-inch athlete.  He’s not made any statement, but I’d bet money (if I were a gambler) Westbrook likely desires to raise his rebound number.  Oscar Robertson first establish the triple-double record, no player had ever tied the record until last season.  Robertson accomplished the feat once, bet money Westbrook would like to establish a record all his own.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

“When it rains it pours”

You may be familiar with the headline, it simply means when one dreadful thing occurs a second (or third) often follows.  You know the series of events for Isaiah Thomas.  As the Celtics made their playoff run an injury forced him out of the lineup, then in August 2017 he along with others was traded to the Cavs for Kyrie Irving.  It didn’t stop there, Thomas was unable to play until the first of the year.  From there it appeared he and Cavs forward LeBron James bumped heads, at the trade deadline in February Thomas was traded to the Lakers.  He’s been forced to the sidelines once again, he will have arthroscopic surgery on Thursday.  Thomas is coming up on free-agency, how will that affect his chances is unknown. 

WHAT, he exclaimed loudly?

Stephen A. Smith makes some incredibly strange statements at times, Wednesday morning proved no different. The Cavs experienced a beat down 98-79 to the Heat, according to Smith the Cavs were losers because they were out experiencing the night life of South Beach.  The Cavs like other NBA teams are comprised of grown men with plenty of disposable income.  Despite the fact they have plenty of money they also have the responsibility of playing at the top of their game.  Smith is trying to persuade us the party aspects were the reason for the Cavs losing in a blow-out.  Who is Stephen A. Smith and who is he trying to persuade his version of this issue is correct, it certainly ain't me.   

Bits n Pieces
The National Letter of Intent period for basketball players is fast approaching.  It begins April 11 and for Division I teams ends May 16, Division II schools have a longer time-period their expiration date is August 1.  All those verbal commitments become official at the time the player signs his name on the dotted line.  

I believe it was ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla who made the statement.  He was the analyst for another game but during a lull in action he and his broadcast partner held a brief discussion on freshman big men.  Fraschilla said: “Marvin Bagley III (Duke) will be a center at the next level.”  Bagley stands 6 feet 11 inches but checks in at 234 pounds.  Fraschilla is one of those in who’s word I take stock. 

We know why Lonzo Ball doesn’t drive to the basket as most do…. poor free-throw shooting.  It’s likely he’s afraid of the line and embarrassing himself.  With the departure of Shaq fans probably believed they had seen the last Laker to shoot poorly from the line, not so as this is written Ball is at 46%.  This is difficult to believe Shaq never shot that low in any of the years he was with the Lakers. 

The case of the disappearing white player in the NBA was discussed by ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap.  He addressed the subject with Jerry West, Wayne Embry and Mike Dunleavy Sr., three former players and NBA executives.  It was pointed out the number of American white players drafted in the NBA has steadily declined gone over the last 20 or so years while the number of white European players has continued to rise significantly.  See it and draw your own conclusions for the decline in white American players. 

I hope I’m not too tough

A friend took an exception to my column on LiAngelo Ball.  I have often said I’m just a fan, in addition I attempt to base my conclusions on NBA scouts, coaches and others with expertise.  If you didn’t read my account I said: “G-League or Europe for Ball”.  On the other hand, it might be beneficial for Ball to not be drafted.  He could seek out an NBA team of his choice (not the Lakers) and earn a roster position.  I believe what I read and hear regarding Ball and will stick to my conclusions until proven wrong. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

The Fast and the Furious

A considerable number of college players announce they are headed for the draft.  For fear of overlooking someone I’m going to cease reporting names with two exceptions.  The first is Duke’s Grayson Allen, he’s not leaving school early because he’s a senior.  He’s got a reputation that has nothing to do with ability….it’s his emotional meltdowns on occasion.  The guy can shoot at the college level and should, notice I said should be able to transfer that to the NBA provided he lands with the right team.  I think of J.J.Redick, he too played at Duke and many including this writer didn’t think much of his NBA chances at the start.  He’s managed a serviceable career to this point.   

Allen needs to address his anger management issues fully; NBA players will break his body in half if he arrives in the league with an attitude.  We hear from Lithuania and LiAngelo Ball, he’s the middle brother and former UCLA player.  His agent indicates they are submitting paperwork for his name to be included in the 2018 NBA draft.  Unlike Allen who may have a 60-75% chance of being drafted the percentage for Ball is much lower.  Scouts contend he is the least talented of the brothers, perhaps it’s the G-League or Europe for him it’s certainly not the Lakers despite statements attributed to his daddy.   

New player?

After missing 68 games Markelle Fultz came off the bench for the Sixers and onto the floor.  The number one pick by the Sixers in the 2017 NBA draft played the first four games of the season.    October 23, 2017 was the last time we witnessed Fultz in action on the basketball court.  He missed all those games with a shoulder injury, early it was discovered Fultz was shooting the ball in an unorthodox manner.  Eventually he was shut down and doctors performed surgery on the shoulder.  Brett Brown indicated it was a matter of Fultz deciding if he was ready to play, point guard Fultz scored 10 points along with 8 assists and 4 rebounds.  He only shot .385 from the floor but that could be "rust", I was unable to witness the game so I'm going to locate video and see how he looks on the court.   

New coach

Dan Hurley formerly head coach at University of Rhode Island is announced as the new head coach of UConn, Hurley replaces the fired Kevin Ollie.  Hurley has a job on his hands according to my reading, although Ollie won an NCAA championship that occurred early in his tenure.  The school moved from the Big East Conference to the American Conference in 2013.  Those closer to the program than this writer claimed recruiting or lack thereof was a contributing factor in the demise of Ollie.  Hopefully Hurley will have a greater success than the departed Ollie.   

“I love Walter”

Walter McCarty emerged from Kentucky to play for the Celtics and other NBA teams.  Anytime McCarty sank a 3-point basket former coach and television analyst Tom Heinsohn would proclaim over his mic “I Love Walter.”  After McCarty retired from the NBA the former Kentucky Wildcat held several assistant coaching positions the most recent with the team that drafted him the Celtics.  On Thursday it was announced Evansville native Walter McCarty was named head coach of the Evansville Purple Aces.  McCarty has now come full circle, born and raised in Evansville from there to the University of Kentucky and the NBA and back to Evansville to coach the Purple Aces.  Good luck to him, I can almost hear Heinsohn right now: “I love Walter.”     

Basketball from a fans perspective.   

Headed for the NBA

Word came late Monday afternoon Michael Porter Jr. of Mizzou announced he was leaving school for the NBA.  I just wonder what the season might have been if MPJ had played more than three games.  In any event I’m sad and happy at the same time, he’s a lottery pick and will hear Commissioner Adam Silver step to the podium and say: “With the _____ pick in the 2018 draft the _______ select Michael Porter Jr. from the University of Missouri.”  This selection will be somewhere between 3 and 7.  Ohio State junior Keita Bates-Diop is passing on his senior year.  The Big 10 Player of the Year is a 6-foot 7-inch small forward.  NBADraft.net has Bates-Diop as a second-round draft choice while Tankathon.com lists him as a first round pick. 

“Trust the process”  

The above headline became a refrain for Sixer fans although many had difficulty with it.  Have you heard the adage about “Patience being a virtue”?  It is a virtue because I’m one who is not very patient with issues that directly affect my life.  As for my basketball teams that’s a different matter.   Mizzou has turned the corner and I believe headed toward bigger and better times, the Lakers are making progress, but they are still below .500.  I suffered in both instances but certainly unlike Sixer fans, the team would lose and gain a high draft pick who wouldn’t or couldn’t play.  The Sixers have finally turned that corner, they will make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. 

They will not be odds on favorite to win an NBA championship this season, there is a “minefield” of Raptors, Cavs and Celtics in front of them.  We don’t know if Markelle Fultz can play at a high skill level but even that’s no deep concern.  In the 2018 draft the Sixers have the 10^th and 23^rd pick in the first round and in the second round they have the 36, 39, 53 and 60^th pick.  As I may have indicated earlier they are not going to add six athletes to their roster it’s likely a number might be traded for a veteran presence.  Whoever originated the term “Trust the process” probably didn't believe it would take this long, the Sixers should be considered a genuine playoff threat into the future.   

“Make him them an offer he they can’t refuse”

Cuonzo Martin is not assuming the Marlon Brando role in the movie classic The Godfather; however, he did make two offers.  One of the athletes had been on Mizzou’s radar in the past the other dropped out of the sky relatively speaking.  Earlier this month Mark Smith announced he was leaving Illinois, I didn’t read the headline just the fact Mr. Basketball for Illinois is gone.  Smith a former Rivals 4-star prospect last season was highly recruited by Mizzou’s Martin. 

The 6-foot 4-inch shooting guard has yet to decide where he is headed however the Mizzou faithful find this very interesting.  The initial information indicates Smith would be forced to sit out the 2018-19 season, but it’s clear Martin must believe he’s worth it.  Blake Hinson a 6-foot 6-inch 230-pound power forward also received an offer from Mizzou.  Hinson attends Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire (KS) the school that produced Buddy Hield.  I say “he dropped in out of the sky” because unlike Smith this prospect was not known to be on Mizzou’s radar.    

Looking at him

I think numerous Russell Westbrook fans imagine I don’t like the guy, that is not the case.  I just happen to believe he’s never adequately merged his talent with those of his teammates past and present.  What about the present, the Thunder added two NBA All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Paul George this season.  There were “bumps” in the road early attempting to merge three outstanding talents which is understandable.  We are near the end of March and the Thunder have 7 games remaining, they will make the playoffs but how far will they advance? They must win 4 games to surpass last season’s won-loss record despite adding Anthony and George to the lineup.  I don't wish to refer to Westbrook as the issue but its difficult to not see him as the problem.   

Number 10

Sixer Ben Simmons recorded his 10^th triple-double Saturday evening against the Wolves firmly establishing his name in the record books.  15 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists while shooting .556 from the floor, he led the way to a 120 to 108 victory over the Wolves.  Simmons does everything well on the basketball court except shoot jump shots and free-throws.  Both of those shortcomings will likely be summer school lessons as he enhances his game.  One publication claimed Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz was moving up, as I've stated previously Mitchell is a talent however Simmons is clearly the 2018 Rookie of the Year.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

Your reply Mr. Mushnick 

Southern Cal announced the hiring of Eric Mobley as an assistant coach.  According to the report Mobley has 11 years of head coaching experience at the AAU level.  Mobley also has two high profile sons in high school one a junior and the other a sophomore.  Where is Phil Mushnick when you need him?  He wrote a scathing piece in the New York Post December 2, 2017 hinting “something was ethically wrong with Mizzou hiring Michael Porter Sr. as a coach.” 

Later sons Michael Jr. and Jontay committed to Mizzou.  To be fair Mushnick also mentioned Kansas which hired Ed Manning as an assistant back in 1983, later son Danny would commit to play at Kansas.  Those mentioned are not the only instance of a relationship hire at the collegiate level, there are others but there is no need of a further explanation.     

If we are discussing eithics I wonder if Mr. Mushnick has ever been involved in hiring a family member or friend for the New York Post.  I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday, I realize improprieties abound in big time recruiting, all we need to do is look at the on-going FBI investigation of college basketball.  The hiring of Mobley, Michael Porter Sr. or Ed Manning in 1983 don’t violate any NCAA rules.  

Remember when

I’m unsure of the timeframe, shortly before or near the beginning of the season LaVar Ball became upset with the Chino Hills basketball coach?  For those who might have forgotten I will refresh your memory.  The coach replaced two roster members Ball trained and wanted on the team despite the fact LaVar was not the head coach.  In a juvenile move LaVar pulls son LaMelo Ball off the Chino Hills team and says he’s going to home school him. 

Later daddy would secure a contract for LaMelo and LiAngelo to play at the professional level in Lithuania.   Poor Chino Hills, what would they do without LaMelo and two of LaVar Ball’s trained athletes on the team?  How about winning the California D-I State Championship?  “I think the team showed they are more than one individual player,” coach Dennis Latimore was reported to state.  I wonder who that statement might be aimed at?     

Geography update

It's been pointed out on the NCAA telecast on more than one occasion Clayton Custer and Ben Richardson of Loyola Chicago are lifetime teammates.  They began play on a third grade elementary team, this paring continued through high school.  This you might not know if you are not from the area, Overland Park Kansas is part of the Kansas City metro.        

He’s forgotten now

George Ireland died in 2001 at the age of 88, he played basketball at Notre Dame, but it was coaching where he made his mark.  He was head coach at Loyola of Chicago from 1951-1975 and is noted for winning the 1963 NCAA championship.  Ireland wanted to win, he started 4 black players at a time there was an unwritten rule on how many black athletes you could play at a time.  He probably received a great deal of criticism, but Ireland likely didn’t care he just wanted to win.  His players claim he was a stern task master as a coach, one of his players tells the story.

“He sat us all down in the stands and said, “I’m not looking for friends here.  I have enough friends.  I have four friends and they are all related to me.”  On Saturday night the television camera located one of the Loyola players from that 1963 championship team in the stands.  Former guard Jerry Harkness was there to see his school defeat Kansas State.  That Loyola team with four black players in the starting lineup might have been indirectly responsible for Texas Western (Texas-El Paso) winning the NCAA championship three years later with five black starters.     

Basketball from a fans perspective.   

Rambler?

What is a Rambler I thought, the nickname for the Loyola of Chicago basketball team?  According to Dictionary.com there are three definitions. 

1.  A person, animal, or thing that rambles. 

2.  Ranch house 

3.  Any of several climbing roses having clusters of small flowers

Maybe I can add my own definition, “a defensive minded gritty team which forces its will upon the opposition.”  This unknown team came from a relatively unknown conference the Missouri Valley, the conference is not one of the Power Five conferences in the nation.  I’m reminded of the scene in the movie Hoosiers.  Small town Hickory High School was to play a larger enrollment urban school in the state tournament.  Coach Dale (Gene Hackman) believing his team might be overwhelmed had them measure the distance of the lane and the floor to the basket.  The basket is still 10 feet off the floor whether its Manhattan Kansas or Chicago Illinois.  Kansas State made a valiant run toward the end but had too much ground to make up.  Final score Loyola Chicago Ramblers 78 Kansas State Wildcats 62, the Ramblers punched their ticket for the Final Four.   

The explanation

They haven’t said it directly but hinted loudly, these I believe are the thoughts of several female readers.  “Why don’t you include coverage of the WNBA and women’s college and high school basketball in Words eye view?”  First, it has nothing to do with play!  Girls and women can play the game in fact there are aspects that might be superior to that of boys and men…. particularly the fundamentals. 

I don’t follow women’s basketball as closely as I do that of the men and boys.  At the same time, I certainly know the names without having to research them, UConn Women and Coach Geno Auriemma, the late Pat Summit and Tennessee, Rebecca Lobo and Lisa Leslie.  There are others I may have slighted by not mentioning their name, this was certainly not on purpose.  Going forward I will make an effort to include stories of interest which involve the women’s game.   

Injuries

We’ve heard the following statement since we first began following sports; “Injuries are part of the game” or something similar.  That’s certainly a fact however when it possibly affects a championship that’s disturbing, especially to key members.  Steph Curry missed six games and the first one back he’s injured (MCL sprain).  As this is written there is no indication if surgery is required or how soon he returns.  In Boston Kyrie Irving is preparing for “minimally invasive” surgery on his left knee, in the manner of Curry we have no idea when he returns to action.  So, there you have it, two vital members of two playoff bound teams suffering injury.  Hopefully both will return in time to become contributors to the effort of their teams to secure an NBA championship.   

He declares for the draft

As teams are eliminated from the NCAA Tournament one by one athletes have announced their intention to play in the NBA rather than return to college.  The latest to toss his hat into the ring is Texas A&M forward Robert Williams.  Sophomore Williams is a 6-foot 10-inch 240 pound forward, in any event the mock sites are familiar with him.  NBADraft.net list him number 17 on their site while Tankathon.com has him listed as number 13.   

Basketball from a fans perspective.   

You got a problem with this?

Back in the day comments regarding Wilt Chamberlain went something like this.  “He scores a great deal of points, but his team doesn’t win.”  The teams Wilt played for won they just didn’t win many championships, his counter has always been “Russell (Bill) had better teammates.”  That was somewhat true, but the lack of few championships forever hung on Chamberlains neck like a mill stone.  

In the NBA of today we could make the same type of declaration regarding the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook. Last season Westbrook tied the triple-double record of Oscar Robertson, no one had accomplished the feat since the retirement of Robertson in 1974.  This season Westbrook is performing at a record pace, as for the Thunder they sit in 5^th place and are playoff bound.  Despite this fact, can they beat the Rockets, Warriors and Pelicans in a 7-game series?  I’m sure Westbrook fans might not be pleased with this commentary however there is one method to shut me up.......play for an NBA championship.   

Canadian basketball

Over time I’ve attempted to profile the growth of Canadian basketball.  In 2013 the Cavs made Anthony Bennett the top choice in the NBA draft, the following year Andrew Wiggins was the pick by the Cavs and his rights traded to the Wolves.  Wiggins would be named Rookie of the Year in 2015, both are Canadian.  Kelly Olynyk of the Heat and the Cavs Tristian Thompson are also from Canada, technically the Bucks Thon Maker is also Canadian.  The Lakers have Tyler Innis, the Pacers Cory Joseph and the Nuggets Jamal Murray. 

There are other Canadians I omitted who play are in the NBA, the point I believe basketball in Canada might be more popular than Canadian football.  The NBA has long been aware of talent north of the border now we have a pending All Star game.  The first Signature All-Canadian Showcase will be played April 23 in a Toronto suburb, the best high school players in the nation will gather to play one another.  It should be of note the NBA League office has approved this game.  The number one Rivals prospect in the Class of 2018 R.J. Barrett headed to Duke will participate.   

Wow!!!

The Hornets scored 140 points against the Grizzlies in a regulation game, the Grizz mailed this one in scoring but 79 points, they are apparently counting down to the end of the season.  Kemba Walker scored 46 points shooting .722, 13-18 from the floor and 10-14 from the 3-point line.  In addition, he didn't miss a single free-throw with a 10-10 from the line.    

I don’t feel so bad now

I was depressed for about 12 hours after Florida State beat my Mizzou Tigers.  Seeing how FSU has progressed in this tournament to the Elite 8 I don’t feel so bad.  It wasn’t just the 75-60 victory over Gonzaga they are a solid team and far better than I believed, in this tournament of upsets, I'm unsure how far they progress.   

Coaching tree
Coach Gene Keady has quite a coaching tree, Keady’s had several coaching stops but is most associated with Purdue University where he served from 1980-2005 as head coach.  I was researching information on Cuonzo Martin when I discovered this material.  In addition to the Mizzou coach playing for and beginning his coaching career at Purdue, there are others.  It’s likely there are other coaching trees which might contain larger numbers nevertheless I thought it interesting and worth sharing with you. 

Bruce Weber-Kansas State

Steve Lavin-former UCLA & St. John’s

Kevin Stallings-Pittsburg

Matt Painter-Purdue

Linc Darner-Green Bay

Cuonzo Martin-Mizzou 

Basketball from a fans perspective.   

A man of his word

Nobody can claim Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports is not a man of his word at least in this one instance.  Cowherd made a pre-season prediction and bet “the Sixers would not win 40 games during the 2017-18 season.”  Despite the fact number one draft pick Markelle Fultz played but four games and has missed the major portion of the season the Sixers had an outstanding season, in addition they  will earn a playoff berth. On Wednesday evening the Sixers won game 40 beating the Grizzlies 119-105.  Cowherd man of his word was seen rocking an Embiid jersey today on his radio/television program.   

He’s on the way to college the NBA

Anfernee Simons a 6 foot 4 inch shooting guard is headed for the NBA instead of college.  After consulting with his parents he’s on his way out of high school and you ask how can he do this?  Do you recall Thon Maker of the Bucks, he played an extra year and was age 19 by the time of the 2016 draft.  The same scenario plays out for Simons, he’s enrolled at IMG Academy in Florida, Simons graduated high school in 2017 and will turn 19 prior to the draft.  If he’d chosen to attend college Rivals.com list Simons as the number 13 prospect in their Class of 2018.  As for his NBA prospects, ESPN.com list him at 19 in their mock draft page while NBADraft.net omits him completely. As for the Tankathon site they list Simons at 18.  

“Hey, didn’t you say”

Just yesterday you didn’t feel qualified to judge potential NBA talent?  That is an emphatic yes, that’s exactly what I stated however I believe it’s okay to judge draft position.  Allow me to further explain, Evan Sidery of SBNation wrote on March 21 his third revision of the 2018 NBA draft.  My disagreement is his top pick, he lists Luka Doncic at the top or number one draft choice, DeAndre Ayton of Arizona two.  Sidery provides us the basis for his selection of Doncic as number one, however I’m going to provide you why it’s not going to occur.  The youngster is a combo type, shooting guard/small forward even scouts admit he’s not an athletic type, but his other skills make up for this shortcoming.  Don’t confuse the issue, Doncic is likely a number two or three choice. 

The original version 

Dwight Howard is only 32 years old, he sometimes is the shadow of the player who once was a dominate force in the NBA.  I’m attempting to point out the All-Star we witnessed play in Orlando is only a shadow of his former self.   I’m unsure of the issue that curtailed major portions of his career.  On Wednesday the “old” Howard was on display as he scored 32 points and snatched 30 rebounds off the boards.  He becomes the first 30-30 player in the NBA since 2010.  Howard led his Hornets team to a 111-105 victory over the Nets.  The only downside Howard received a technical foul which was number 16, that's an automatic suspension for the next Hornets game. 

Basketball from a fans perspective.   

An élite basketball program

Louisville basketball has received a “black eye” regarding alleged illegal activities.  This one the second under Rick Pitino forced the school to terminate the contract of the coach.  Despite these negatives Louisville remains a prestige program along with Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and UCLA.  With an international reputation the school must conduct a wide scale search to find the next Louisville coach. 

I thought at one-point interim Coach Dave Padgett might be retained but that may have been for continuity purposes.  Padgett on Pitino’s staff faced the “Babe Parelli condition.”  Parelli was a good quarterback on a bad Packers team, at the time the legendary Vince Lombardi took over Parelli figured he was a keeper due to his previous record.  Lombardi cut him: “Nothing personal you represent the old Green Bay Packers, I’m building a new Green Bay Packers team here."  Certainly not fair but Padgett might conjure visions of the departed Pitino since he was on the former coach’s staff.    

Battle Los Angeles

The above title is from a 2011 sci-fi movie, a squad of U.S. Marines battle an alien invasion of earth and Los Angeles becomes the final area to stop the invasion.  The 2018 Battle Los Angeles is not a movie rather it’s a battle for the hearts and minds of Los Angeles NBA fans.  As this is written the Clippers stand 37-33 while the Lakers are 31-39 a mere six games apart with weeks remaining in the NBA season.  It’s likely one of the Staples Center tenant misses the playoffs although it’s possible both miss the cut. 

I stated a few weeks back my belief one team is ascending (Lakers) and one descending (Clippers).  The Lakers have continued the process of infusing youthful players in starting and reserve roles.  Several veterans have been traded except for Luol Deng who remains glued to the bench.  Laker youth have replaced the grizzly veterans and play a much greater role now than the beginning of the season.  To be fair the Clippers made several off-season moves to improve the team however resulting injuries and the deadline trade of Blake Griffin have yet to prove successful.  It should be interesting over the next 6 to 7 weeks to see how this Battle of Los Angeles turns out.    

Speaking of Los Angeles

ESPN gathered a panel of writers with LeBron being the subject, a few projections were made for the balance of his NBA career.  The one I found most interesting is his destination.  32% of the panel believe LeBron would remain with the Cavs (my view), finishing in second place was the Lakers with 22% was the Lakers and the Rockets in third with I believe 20%.  The Clippers were 0.5% or something close to that number.  This is certainly not a scientific in the least bit, but I did find it interesting the thoughts of a group of writers.

“We are the Champions, my friends”    

The Yellowjackets of Graceland University are likely singing one of the lines from the 1977 Queen classic: “We are the Champions; my friends and we’ll keep on fighting til the end.”  They become the 2018 NAIA champion beating LSU-Alexandra in OT on a last-minute basket 83-80.  Graceland is in Lamoni Iowa about two hours’ drive-time north of Kansas City (MO).  It’s easy to understand why cheering might have been more in favor of Graceland.  This was historical, the first time for Graceland University in the NAIA tournament and the first win for the school.  Congratulations are in order for the Yellowjackets of Graceland University.   

I’m not that good

I’ve witnessed a great deal of basketball over the course of my lifetime.  That includes youth, middle school, high school and college basketball.  Of course, the NBA is included in this account especially those college players attempting to gain employment in the NBA.  Several players come to mind who I though had “star” written over them but failed miserably at the NBA level, on the other hand there have been a number who cause me to say: “Where did he come from.” 

Yesterday I cover several college players who announced they intended to leave school for the NBA.  I began reading comments regarding Mohamed Bamba, Trae Young and a few others.  I could include from several of the observations they should remain in school.  They have no skills to play at the next level or at least that’s the belief of the writers.  I thought for a moment, if these guys are so good at evaluating talent why are they not working as scouts for an NBA team.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

He’s ROY!

Fans of the Jazz and Donovan Mitchell this is no slap at your team or Mitchell.  Recently ESPN.com’s NBA page wrote a story indicating the Jazz guard was gaining ground on Ben Simmons for Rookie of the Year.  There is no argument Mitchell is experiencing an outstanding rookie season.  As for Simmons he recorded his ninth triple-double on Monday as he raises the bar for triple-doubles in a player’s rookie year.  In the 108-94 win by the Sixers Simmons only scored 11 points but snatched 12 rebounds off the boards along with 15 assists, the second time he tied his high game total.   

Can he make the transition?

We know Penny Hardaway could play the game, he demonstrated it first in high school and then the University of Memphis.  Later he would become an NBA All-Star, injuries shortened his career, but the 6-foot 7-inch Hardaway might have been one of the first combo guards in the NBA.  Hardaway would become a high school coach encouraged by a childhood friend, on Tuesday he was named head coach at Memphis replacing Tubby Smith. 

Now the work begins, can Hardaway like other NBA players manage a new career?  Patrick Ewing is also coaching his alma mater, Avery Johnson is at Alabama and Dan Majerle is coaching Grand Canyon.  Those are but a few of the current former NBA players now coaching at the collegiate level.  The success or lack of success varies, with any coaching change time is required to build your program.  Hardaway will be given time, likely the next two season to turn the program around.   

And the next name to announce……

I believe DeAndre Ayton and Allozo Trier of Arizona might have been the first to announce NBA intentions.  Mizzou’s Michael Porter Jr. says he is weighing his decision, we believe it will occur it’s just a matter of when.  Trae Young at Oklahoma has made his intentions known, he too is headed to the association.  Sidebar, have you ever wondered why it’s the National Basketball Association rather than National Basketball League?  The Basketball Association of American and the National Basketball League two competing leagues came together in a 1949 merger to become an “association.”  Back to the subject matter Young becomes the latest college player to leave college after his freshman year.  As this account was being finished Mohamed Bamba at Texas declared his intention to leave school for the NBA. 

The new jerseys   

I made this statement previously, I must send a shout out once again to the NBA for the new jerseys, the change has been quite refreshing.  The venerable franchises, the Knicks, Celtics and Lakers maintain their classic jerseys while adding a little different styling to their alternate jerseys.  In addition, I was really concerned at the time I first heard NBA jerseys would be utilized for commercial purposes.  I envisioned those of the WNBA and some Euro teams, the logo practically over shadows the team name and number in several instances.  The NBA jerseys look good, the logos are not intrusive, and you can read the advertised name on close-in television shots.

High school, then the NBA

I’ve gone back and forth on the issue of allowing high school players in the NBA draft, hopefully this is my last switch.  If you provided me 49 reasons why high school players shouldn’t be allowed in the NBA I can give you 50 reasons that say why not.  As this is written the FBI investigation which has been hanging over college basketball since the start is yet to be completed.  What are we hearing about the investigation, to this point unlike previous college basketball scandals it appears this one didn’t involve point shaving, but it did include money. 

Money reported to have been paid to coaches or players, so the base is finance.  Over the last few years we’ve heard talk regarding pay for college athletes, people that ain’t happening.  Football and basketball are revenue producing sports, do we pay those athletes more money than swimmers or soccer players?  There have been several draft mistakes, high school players drafted who couldn’t play for a variety of reasons at the NBA level.  I can provide you the names of five or six high draft picks who spent four years in college and failed to produce in the NBA.