Basketball from a fan’s perspective

We know what he said, but
Kyrie Irving forced the trade from the Cavs, he was reported to have said “He wanted to lead his own team.”  The Cavs did him a favor trading him to the Eastern Conference contender Celtics.  Irving was unable to finish his Celtics season due to injury but then came reports.  Over the summer we heard he wanted the Knicks.  Okay, financial capital and one of the entertainment centers of the nation, the endorsement potential for an All-Star player might be astronomical.  Then reality set in (not for Irving…me), what’s wrong with this picture one might ask?  The Knicks finished last season with 29 wins, as for the Celtics it was 55. 

The numbers explain why the Celtics made the playoffs and the Knicks missed them.  New management is in place with the Knicks, but it might be at least two years before they are a playoff contender.  It might be even longer to see them as a potential championship team.  The Eastern Conference now finds LeBron on the other side of the country, the Raptors remain formidable, but they might be the only threat to the Celtics playing for the championship in 2019.  If Irving truly wants the Knicks so be it, if he wants to win right now he’s got to remain a member of the Celtics.  Just my thoughts what do you think?

Black Hole
Are you familiar with the term Black Hole?  Rather than provide my unscientific view I believe a    technical explanation might be more appropriate.  “A black hole is a region of spacetime exhibiting such strong gravitational effects that nothing—not even particles and electromagnetic radiation such as light—can escape from inside it.”  Scientist believe a black hole can swallow any entity in the universe. 

In any event that was the term applied to former Celtic great Kevin McHale as he was interviewing Larry Bird.  It reminded me of a story I once read about McHale, teammates were said to refer to him as “The Black Hole.”  It was said once the ball was passed inside to the 6-foot 10-inch McHale it was never seen again.  Teammates said McHale rarely dished the ball to a teammate…. hence “Black Hole”.  The basketball would never escape from McHale’s hands unless a shot was taken by him be it a basket or a miss.    

Wikipedia

Winning Basketball-101
How do you create a winning basketball program?  If you are Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin, you change the mentality surrounding the environment.  The only example I can cite is a football account.  It was reported at the time Vince Lombardi took over the NFL Packers they were terrible.  The quarterback of that team was pretty good, he said as much to Lombardi.  The coach’s response, “You represent the old Packers I’m building a new Packers.”  Later the quarterback was released but would find employment with another team completing a good football career. 

Martin certainly didn’t cut anyone in that manner he did make it known change was evident.  If we look around the country winning programs have coaches and staffs who can recruit.  These teams Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas receive large amounts of publicity without payment being required.  Recruiting quality players plus winning, in this instance continuous winning.  Nothing like Wooden’s UCLA teams that would be an impossible feat.  Consider this, every season several teams hold their collective breaths hoping to qualify for the NCAA tournament.  The Duke’s the Carolina’s and others know in advance they have earned a berth.  There you have it the three keys recruiting, winning and tradition. 

What to expect
For the first time in forever the Spurs will sport a brand new look this season.  The “glue” that allowed them to win NBA championships and compete successfully is absent.  It’s up to Pop to really do that coaching thing this season.  This is not reflective of the team’s starters they are a veteran group.  Pau Gasol at center, Rudy Gay, small forward, LaMarcus Aldridge, power forward and DeMar DeRozan shooting guard. 

Although somewhat long in the tooth this group can ball with most NBA teams, it’s the reserves that become the question.  The Spurs always had a Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker come off the bench to provide a spark for the team.  Ginobili is retired and Parker is now a Hornet, who does Pop call on to fill the void?  Barring major injury even in the Wild Wild West the Spurs make the playoffs.  Unlike past years this Spurs team is unlikely to be a serious threat to win an NBA championship.