BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE
Injuries
We all remember first hearing the term, “Injuries are part of the game.” It’s true they are, the Lakers have faced the issue with LeBron James and later Lonzo Ball being sidelined. There are others omitted however the worst tragedy is those causing an athlete to miss the season. That’s the case for Pacer guard Victor Oladipo, since he was acquired in a trade last season Oladipo has been the heart and soul of the Pacer team. He suffered a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his right knee. Rather than Google the term I will relay what I read thanks to CBSSports.com.
Injuries
We all remember first hearing the term, “Injuries are part of the game.” It’s true they are, the Lakers have faced the issue with LeBron James and later Lonzo Ball being sidelined. There are others omitted however the worst tragedy is those causing an athlete to miss the season. That’s the case for Pacer guard Victor Oladipo, since he was acquired in a trade last season Oladipo has been the heart and soul of the Pacer team. He suffered a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his right knee. Rather than Google the term I will relay what I read thanks to CBSSports.com.
They contacted a surgeon to discuss the
injury, the short version Oladipo could be ready for the 2019-20 NBA
season. The long version says he will
require months and months of rehab and even then, he might lose some of the explosiveness
he once possessed. The final issue is
the mental part which relates to the prior sentence. Will he be able to slam the ball or sprint
down the court as he did prior to the injury?
Those questions and others cannot be answered until late August or early
September. This is one NBA fan who hopes
Oladipo can return close to the form he exhibited prior to the injury.
I listen
If you read Words eye view for any length of time you realize one thing. I have a great deal of opinions, I must confess often the views expressed are a culmination of information from several of you. That is the case here, I receive usable advice from a few friends who I perceive to have vast amounts of basketball knowledge. In this instance my summation regarding Mizzou’s Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. is captured from various sources.
If you read Words eye view for any length of time you realize one thing. I have a great deal of opinions, I must confess often the views expressed are a culmination of information from several of you. That is the case here, I receive usable advice from a few friends who I perceive to have vast amounts of basketball knowledge. In this instance my summation regarding Mizzou’s Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. is captured from various sources.
At 6 foot 10 and 252 pounds when he’s on
the court he often demands a double-team, that issue appears to be the crux of
his foul problems. It was mentioned
during one telecast most of his fouls have come on offensive moves around the
basket, Tilmon Jr. needs a big man coach.
I wonder who works with Tilmon Jr. on the Mizzou coaching staff? Bottom line the talent is still there, as a
sophomore he needs work on portions of his game. Isn’t that the case with most athletes?
“Free” throw
In the Warrior-Celtic game Draymon Green bricked two free-throws but managed to grab his errant shot. He passed the ball to Steph Curry who was fouled with seconds remaining and the Warriors holding a two-point lead. Curry stepped to the line and a graphic on the television screen indicated he’d recorded 42 free-throws in a row. Naturally he sank both free-throws sealing the victory for the Warriors. I thought for a moment how many “Draymons” have been saved by a sharp shooting teammate at the line.
In the Warrior-Celtic game Draymon Green bricked two free-throws but managed to grab his errant shot. He passed the ball to Steph Curry who was fouled with seconds remaining and the Warriors holding a two-point lead. Curry stepped to the line and a graphic on the television screen indicated he’d recorded 42 free-throws in a row. Naturally he sank both free-throws sealing the victory for the Warriors. I thought for a moment how many “Draymons” have been saved by a sharp shooting teammate at the line.
Curry is shooting .930 from the line but
is not in first place this season, that honor belongs to Malcolm Brogdon of the
Bucks at .961. Brogdon averages 2.3
free-throw attempts and makes 2.3, as for Curry he averages 5 trips to the line
per game and makes 4.6 of them. There are
six other NBA players shooting .900 and a very significant number at .800+. We don’t discuss those below .800, EVERY
NBA player should be at least at that level. Hall of Fame honoree Rick Barry continues to
stress it’s a free-throw, nobody is guarding you. I subscribe to the Barry view and maintain
there is little excuse for being poor at the line especially at the NBA
level.
The Sixers honor him
Many of us might have believed his number had already been retired, in this instance the reference is the Sixers and the late Moses Malone. The number 2 Malone wore while a member of the team was not retired. This number is special in that he was one of key pieces aiding the Sixers to win an NBA championship. In February his jersey will be officially retired and hoisted to the rafters at Wells Fargo Center. In addition, a statue of the big man will also be erected outdoors nearby. Are you like me, “Isn’t his number retired already?” No not yet however this honor will be conferred for Malone soon.
Many of us might have believed his number had already been retired, in this instance the reference is the Sixers and the late Moses Malone. The number 2 Malone wore while a member of the team was not retired. This number is special in that he was one of key pieces aiding the Sixers to win an NBA championship. In February his jersey will be officially retired and hoisted to the rafters at Wells Fargo Center. In addition, a statue of the big man will also be erected outdoors nearby. Are you like me, “Isn’t his number retired already?” No not yet however this honor will be conferred for Malone soon.
