Basketball from a
fans perspective
You don’t say
This is one of those discussions you must read, I have no method of documenting any of it. If you’ve read Words a period, you might be aware of my desire for NBA basketball here again. I’ve given up crying the blues because there are a few factors working against my desire principally finance. The financial question of owning an NBA team is not as critical as I believed.
I held a conversation
recently with two friends and they provided me the same response, they claim
there are plenty of “fat-cat” millionaires in the metro who could afford to own
a team or partner with someone else.
Despite my belief the metro area of 2.5 million folks is too small one
friend offered this tidbit. Soccer team
Sporting Kansas City has blown up in popularity and attendance in recent years,
they are a new franchise. The baseball
Royals and NFL Chiefs might not lead their leagues in attendance but are not at
the bottom. If my friends are correct I
wonder, why Mr. X has remained hidden?
I’m always amazed
There are always “red flags’ regarding an NBA prospect, manner of behavior, mature and other issues I may have omitted. I’m always amazed at the number who decide player A. is not NBA material. This is beyond casual fans, it extends to sports talk radio and television. A local radio guy was discussing Oklahoma’s Trae Young in mid or late March. In his small mind he decided Young was not NBA ready because his field goal percentage and assists had taken a tumble. He made this conclusion without discussing the talent surrounding Young. It will never occur but unless as indicated there are issues ahead of the draft how can you decide in April or May a player might not be ready for NBA play. It might be more advisable to wait until January or February for a decision and even then, you might miss.
I’m always amazed
There are always “red flags’ regarding an NBA prospect, manner of behavior, mature and other issues I may have omitted. I’m always amazed at the number who decide player A. is not NBA material. This is beyond casual fans, it extends to sports talk radio and television. A local radio guy was discussing Oklahoma’s Trae Young in mid or late March. In his small mind he decided Young was not NBA ready because his field goal percentage and assists had taken a tumble. He made this conclusion without discussing the talent surrounding Young. It will never occur but unless as indicated there are issues ahead of the draft how can you decide in April or May a player might not be ready for NBA play. It might be more advisable to wait until January or February for a decision and even then, you might miss.
We don’t know if the Knicks
Kevin Knox can play, from draft night we believe he was not the choice of the
fans gathered, a chorus of boos were heard when his name was announced. How many prospects had average to below average
rookie years and blossomed in their second or third year? The Lakers Brandon Ingram might be a recent
example, his sophomore year far exceeded his rookie year, how much you ask? It was enough for the Lakers to quash any
talk of his name being included in a package for Kwahi Leonard. This short account will fail its intent, a
year from now we’ll still hear the same story prior to their NBA debut. “I don’t know why __________ drafted him,
he’s not ready to play at this level. He
needs to _________ and ___________.” I
left the team empty along with the comments, insert what you believe we might
hear.
Way above average
Japanese citizen Rui Hachimura is 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 225 pounds. Statistics indicate the average male in Japan stands 5 feet 7 inches tall. Who is Hachimura you ask, he’s entering his sophomore year at Gonzaga in August. We might be unfamiliar with him, but the NBA has taken note of the youngster from Sendai Japan. Sendai is a city of more than 1 million citizens located in the northern portion of the island nation. As for the height issue, his Japanese mom is likely average height while his father is from Benin a nation in west Africa. NBADraft.net identify him on their 2019 NBA mock draft as the number 6 prospect. Keep an eye on Hachimura and see if he continues progressing toward the NBA.
Way above average
Japanese citizen Rui Hachimura is 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 225 pounds. Statistics indicate the average male in Japan stands 5 feet 7 inches tall. Who is Hachimura you ask, he’s entering his sophomore year at Gonzaga in August. We might be unfamiliar with him, but the NBA has taken note of the youngster from Sendai Japan. Sendai is a city of more than 1 million citizens located in the northern portion of the island nation. As for the height issue, his Japanese mom is likely average height while his father is from Benin a nation in west Africa. NBADraft.net identify him on their 2019 NBA mock draft as the number 6 prospect. Keep an eye on Hachimura and see if he continues progressing toward the NBA.
He needs a letter
(and more)
Fans likely tuned into Friday’s Mavs game to see Luka Doncic in action. Although we witnessed a good game disappointment abounded. All we saw of the youngster was several shots of him on the Mavs bench and a half-time interview. The reason for Doncic being planted on the bench has nothing to do with injury. He’s yet to secure his buyout from his former Real Madrid team, in addition the Mavs have not received a letter of release from FIBA. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle indicates Doncic is prohibited from any type of activity related to basketball, at this point it’s unclear if Doncic will be able to play this summer. Comparable to the Warriors and Cavs Doncic was playing in a championship match up till three weeks ago, he likely needs rest too.
Fans likely tuned into Friday’s Mavs game to see Luka Doncic in action. Although we witnessed a good game disappointment abounded. All we saw of the youngster was several shots of him on the Mavs bench and a half-time interview. The reason for Doncic being planted on the bench has nothing to do with injury. He’s yet to secure his buyout from his former Real Madrid team, in addition the Mavs have not received a letter of release from FIBA. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle indicates Doncic is prohibited from any type of activity related to basketball, at this point it’s unclear if Doncic will be able to play this summer. Comparable to the Warriors and Cavs Doncic was playing in a championship match up till three weeks ago, he likely needs rest too.
Wichita
The city is only 200 miles from here so maybe I will be able to track his progress. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see N’Faly Dante in action as he plays for a Kansas City based AAU team during the summer. This soon to be high school junior plays for Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, he’s only been in the U.S. two years arriving from the west African nation of Mali.
The city is only 200 miles from here so maybe I will be able to track his progress. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see N’Faly Dante in action as he plays for a Kansas City based AAU team during the summer. This soon to be high school junior plays for Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, he’s only been in the U.S. two years arriving from the west African nation of Mali.
The account I read indicated
Dante is still learning English however we know for the sure the 6-foot 11-inch
230-pound Dante has “picked up a
basketball” based on YouTube highlights.
Kansas and several other schools have arrived on his doorsteps with
offers. Despite the evolution of the
game of basketball it continues to remain a big man’s game for those able to
adapt. It appears Dante might be one of
them, his star is brightly shining and he’s only a high school junior.
