BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERPECTIVE

Silence the critics
Opposing athletes that are good whatever the sport is likely to hear boos but in high school?  Nico Mannion’s Pinnacle High team faced Horizon last week.  Mannion is a 6-foot 3-inch combo guard who’s committed to Arizona next fall.  How did he silence the crowd, Mannion led the way in a 100-68 blowout win?    

He was fired
The Bulls fired Fred Hoiberg on Monday after a 5-19 start, he joins a long list of college coaches who attained success at the collegiate level but have failed in the NBA.  Perhaps the belief might be, “This guy can coach at the college level maybe he can do the same at the NBA level.”  I heard a media member state, “Injuries impacted the play of the Bulls” and that might be true however check the record. 

Hoiberg might be a nice guy but in 2 1/3 years he’s never had a team finish above .500.  We have concluded coaching prowess is not transferable, the field is strewn with the corpses of NBA coaches from the college ranks.  Below is a glimpse of a few coaches successful at one level and a failure at the another.  Many of those below returned to the collegiate level and embarked on success while others are no longer coaching at any level. 

John Calipari
Rick Pitino
Lon Kruger
Leonard Hamilton  
Tim Floyd 
Mike Montgomery
Jerry Tarkanian    

The basketball bounces at the same height however there are differences in the game that require more space and time than necessary.  You can likely surmise your own conclusions based on conversation with friends and acquaintances who follow the game.  If we could look at one bright spot it might be the Celtics and their hire of Brad Stevens.  Although the Celtics have stumbled out of the gate thus far it appears the coach can relate and impart directions to a collection of NBA athletes.  NOTE:  One of the names on the list of coaches is Tim Floyd who was hired and fired by the Bulls too.  Hoiberg was a basketball player for Iowa State and played for Tim Floyd.                  
5 seasons of the year
Bet you didn’t know there are 5 seasons during any one year.

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Basketball 

I’m ready to move him   
Lonzo Ball is at the edge of the cliff for me, I no longer see him viable as the Laker point guard.  Remember I wrote at the beginning of the season I thought Ball had turned the corner to improved shooting and aggressiveness.  We are here December 2, 2018 and I’m concerned.  It’s unnecessary for the Lakers to depend on Ball to score however that’s what is a bother for me.  Not just the lack of scoring the accuracy of the shot, let’s check the last 5 games. 

.375 shooting ain’t gonna cut it in the NBA no matter who you are.  We’ve witnessed Jason Kidd and more recently Ricky Rubio not shooting particularly good from the field but there is a difference.  Both players and maybe several others I failed to mention were/or more aggressive than Ball.  In my defense of Ball I stated the Lakers should not trade him.  At this point I’m ready for him to play in another zip code other than Los Angeles.  He doesn’t hold much trade value but packaged with other players the Lakers might be able to secure a veteran player.