BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

Where is the school located
Wofford College has cracked the Top 25, this week the Terriers are number 24 on the AP Top 25 and tied for 25 in the Coaches poll.  Wofford has a 24-4 record and occupies first place in the Southern Conference.  Where exactly is the school located you ask, it’s in Spartanburg South Carolina.  It’s  a private school affiliated with the United Methodist Church.  

Tanking
One of the subjects discussed on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday dealt with tanking.  I hate discussing the issue of losing on purpose however I must admit it does exist.  It might not be as much of an issue in other sports as it is in the NBA.  The explanation is simple, in the NFL the Chiefs draft quarterback Pat Mahomes who leads them to an improved record.  Because Mahomes cannot play defense a poor effort in that department causes the Chiefs to miss appearing in the Super Bowl.    

As for the NBA should the Knicks be able to draft Zion Williamson they will not become championship contenders but are likely to improve.  In the NFL teams have a 53-man roster, in baseball it’s 25.  Each NBA team contains only 14 players on their roster.  The losing Cavs didn’t make the playoffs but won 18 more games in LeBron’s rookie season.  Every team in the lottery hopes they are drafting the next LeBron or Kobe to make for a championship team.  One very talented player can improve the quality of play for an NBA team.  

Not much to smile about
Injuries, trades and an 18-game home losing streak, those are the experiences of Knicks fans this season.  The 2018-19 season has been quite painful for Knick fans, not a great deal to cheer about.  Big man Mitchell Robinson might be one of the few bright spots to emerge this season.  Robinson was the number 36 pick in the second round on the 2018 NBA draft, his bio says Western Kentucky, but he never actually played at the university.  You might remember his back and forth movement which ultimately ended with him withdrawing all together.  He decided to spend the season training in preparation for the NBA draft. 

The back and forth movement which ended with him not enrolled at all.  He spent all last season training for entry into the NBA.  The 7-foot 240-pound Robinson is a work in progress on the offensive end, as for his defense we can state with conviction he’s NBA ready.  Kristaps Porzingis gone in a trade, Enes Kanter was waved in February.  The moves leave Robinson behind DeAndre Jordan on the depth chart but how long will that last.  Jordan is only 30-years of age however there is no guarantee as this is written he re-signs with the Knicks.  The Knicks are bringing Robinson alone slowly, can we say raw with a capital R?  In Tuesday’s game off the bench Robinson scored 17 points along with 14 rebounds and 6 blocked shots leading to a 108-103 victory over the Magic. 

The GOAT
About 99% of the time I remove myself from all arguments relating to greatest of all time.  The reason is clear, Russell Westbrook scores a triple-double in every game.  Prior to Westbrook Oscar Robertson was the only NBA player to accomplish the feat for a full season.  Question, is Westbrook better than Robinson?  The Celtics have won 17 NBA championships, a number occurred when there were only 7 other NBA teams.  Whose better those Celtics or the Showtime Lakers, Jordan Bulls or today’s Warriors? 

How about the NBA logo which is the silhouette of Jerry West, I’ve heard several pundits claim the NBA needs to change it to represent a more present-day player?  Who replaces West is it LeBron, Kobe, Michael Jordan or someone else?  How about one more example, Hakeem Olajuwon is the NBA’s all-time blocks leader with 3,830.  Remember they were not tracking blocked shots for the major portion of Wilt Chamberlain’s career.  His number for 112 games we can track indicates he likely block 8.8 a game*, projected over the course of his career he would certainly exceed the number registered by Olajuwon.  We could argue with proof Chamberlain is the GOAT at blocked shots.    

*2kmtcentral.com

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

I didn’t watch the game
Sports talk radio is sometimes a source of information however not in all cases.  Prior to this account I’m sure it’s not an easy task to host a radio show for 4 hours every day 5 days a week.  At the same time hopefully, stupid comments by a host are kept to a minimum, I’ll give you an example.  This host was discussing the number of block shots Kansas registered against Kansas State. 

He appeared to be unsatisfied when the box score only credited Kansas with 6 block shots for the game.  His description appeared to detail Kansas-State players may have been hit on the arm as they attempted shots.  He questioned why those missed shots were not counted as blocked shots, he claimed Kansas had 5 during one sequence of play.  I didn’t watch the game, from his description of the action he doesn’t know the rules of the games. 

Accentuate the Positive  
I’m old but not old enough to remember this 1944 hit tune.  The headline is the title, the first stanza:   

“You’ve got to accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

Latch on to the affirmative

Don’t mess with Mister In-Between”

That song certainly applies to the Mavs Luka Doncic or any other NBA rookie or maybe a veteran player.  You might remember I once mentioned a scouting report which reported the negatives of Doncic.  A person often cannot do anything about those negative things (don’t shoot free-throws well, not a good defender etc.) you don’t perform well.  You must concentrate on those elements of the game you do well and “Don’t mess with Mister In-Between.”  You figure that one out, you are as free as your mind will allow for what might be the in-between. 

Whose fault is it?   
Like a newly caught fish placed in the boat the Lakers are flopping about.  They were clearly on the road to an improved team with the addition of LeBron James.  The Lakers are now trending in the opposite direction, whose fault is it?  Well we could find plenty of individuals to look toward.  How about beginning with Luke Walton, there have been complaints about his constantly changing starting lineup.  Most of the time the lineup changes have not occurred due to injury.  How about the biggest player name, LeBron doesn’t escape without criticism?  The December 25^th injury that kept him out of the lineup is understandable. 

The Rajon Rondo, Lonzo Ball (still out) injuries are reasonable too.  As for the “other” we are unsure if LeBron through Rich Paul started the “Anthony Davis to the Lakers story.” First it was player A being traded then its player B and before we knew it the entire team excepting reserves was headed to New Orleans.  Then the Pelicans said no trade, but the damage was already done.  The egos of several youthful Laker players were damaged, they failed to look at the NBA as a business.  Magic Johnson doesn’t escape free either, some of his non-moves are questionable too.  Whose fault is it the Lakers might miss the playoffs?  Jeanie Buss, Magic the front office and coaching staff, team members….did I miss anyone?

Power 5 Conference 
The term is generally mentioned when we discuss football, despite this it also applies to basketball.  The Power 5 Conferences are:

ACC
Big Ten
Big 12
Pac-12
SEC

Last year’s NCAA champion Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference.  Counting last year and going back 30 years there have been a total of 7 NCAA champions from non-Power 5 universities.  They are UConn with 4 wins, Villanova 2 and UNLV 1. 

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

The 2019 NBA champion is ___________
Note in the headline above there is a blank space behind is, there is a reason for this.  It’s quite interesting how the movement of one player has created a domino effect.  The player I speak of is LeBron James.  James leaving the Eastern Conference Cavs has opened the door for other contenders.  We have no idea near the end of February who will be crowned 2019 champion.  The Sixers have made trade deadline deals to strengthen their roster.  The Bucks as this is written have the best won-loss record in the NBA, in addition the Raptors are lurking in the weeds. 

On the other hand, the Celtics cannot be counted out plus the Pacers despite losing Victor Oladipo.  That’s the list of contenders in the east, what about the west?  The defending champion Warriors have played up and down all season however come playoff time that might be a different matter.  The surprising Nuggets are the only legitimate contenders in the west in my estimation.  The Kings, Thunder, Rockets and Blazers certainly are talented however this writer must be convinced any of them can win a championship.  With such a wide-open field especially in the east it’s extremely difficult to project a winner, how about your view?

Despite what is believed they play defense
I for one will be shocked if LeMelo Ball plays college ball, there are far too many questions for a university to consider. It matters not if he and his older brother were payed while in Lithuania the youngest son signed with an agent.  That is a giant no-no at the top of the list for any team considering a scholarship.  Although Enes Kanter is now in the NBA he first attempted to enroll at Kentucky.  The NCAA would not approve Kanter’s effort due to similar issues raised regarding compensation.  The other issue, every scouting report I read indicate LeMelo might succeed “Bill Murray” in Space Jam, you remember, don’t you?  Just in case you need a reminder check out the YouTube link. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIV_9--awCI 

This leads us to the 2020 NBA draft, the one and done rule will have been rescinded by then so Ball would be eligible.  The negatives mentioned in his game is an NBA team willing to take a chance on him?  Allow me to revise the question, will an NBA team be able to deal with him and LaVar Ball? 

Try and not get too excited
If you’ve read this publication for a period, you might note one thing.  The focus at the youth level is at least age 16…. you ask why.  I’ve seen far too many YouTube videos of 4 and 5-year-old phenoms who disappear.  They appear outstanding but fail to progress or the competition catches up with them.  Several years ago, the Kansas City Star contained a story on “The best 8^th grade basketball player in Kansas City.”  There was no explanation as to how the reporter arrived at his conclusion. 

We can rest assured he couldn’t have witnessed every 8^th grade talent in Kansas City play.  As this youngster reached high school the competition got taller and just as skillful, in some instances more proficient.  The young man was talented enough to play at the high school level however Division I was out of the question.  I believe he did play at the collegiate level at an NAIA school.  The short version, talent can be exhibited at various levels of competition.  Its not necessary for you to adopt my view however I try and not get too excited regarding pre-teen talent on the court. 

He still can’t shoot from the field 
The headline reference is regarding Sixer point guard Ben Simmons.  I continue to read and hear complaints about his inability to shoot an acceptable percentage from the floor.  At times when Simmons does shoot his driving skill often produces layups and dunks rather than jump shots.  Everything is driven by numbers check those in his second full season…. I did.  Simmons averages about 16 points a game however the Sixers don’t require him scoring it’s the other things. 

Can you say triple-double, Simmons flirts with one nearly every time he walks onto a basketball court?  Rather than dwell on the negatives it would be refreshing if these “experts” would look at the total game of Simmons.  They need to be reminded (again) of a non-shooting 6-foot 9-inch point guard.  His name was Ervin “Magic” Johnson and he too had no range on his shot, by the time he retired from the game his shot was quite reliable.  I’m not stating Simmons is as good as Magic, but he does have one advantage, he’s taller.  Simmons measures 6-foot 10 inches compared to the 6-foot 9-inch Magic.   

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

There must be a reason
Those close to the Gonzaga basketball program probably have the answer, significant numbers of international players arrive on these shores annually to play collegiate basketball.  Gonzaga seems to be the clear leader in attracting talent from foreign shores.  That is the case with this story, Gonzaga will welcome 16-year old Omur Ballo to the campus this summer.  Ballo is the top international prospects on everyone’s radar.  For you who want numbers he’s a 6-foot 10-inch 240-pound center from the west African nation of Mali.  Ballo has a reported 7 foot 6 inch wingspan and plays at the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City.  This Rivals 5-star prospect will enroll in summer school and be included in the list of 2019 prospects.  

The beat-down
I’ve never witnessed a Bill Self team suffering such a beat-down as that which occurred Saturday evening.  Texas Tech came out from the locker room as if their hair was on fire, they played at that level all evening long.  It wasn’t just scoring baskets Tech played tight belly button defense forcing the Jayhawks into numerous turnovers.  The Jayhawks managed to shoot a respectable 46% from the floor but Tech was a blazing 61% sinking 16 3-point baskets along the way.  The final score read Texas Tech 91 Kansas 62, the Jayhawks have 6 conference losses on their resume now.  The 15 consecutive conference title streak for the Jayhawks is in real jeopardy now.  After the Saturday night match Kansas must prepare to play league leading Kansas State in about 48 hours.    

There are collegiate records 
We checked out the NBA awhile back how about university and college single game records?

Points
100 Frank Selvy Furman non-D-I
72 Kevin Bradshaw U.S. International D-I

Rebounds
51 Bill Chambers Wm & Mary pre-1973
35 Larry Abney Fresno State 2000-post 1973

Assists
22 Trae Young Oklahoma 2017 tie with 3 others

Blocked shots
16 Mickell Gladness Alabama A&M 2007

The NBA connection to the NFL
A couple of NFL quarterbacks appreciate NBA basketball, they appreciate it to the point they are willing to invest their money in the product.  Aaron Rogers has been a member of the Green Bay Packers since 2005 and the starting quarterback for the Packers since 2008.  Roger’s also happens to be one of the owners of the NBA Milwaukee Bucks.  Rogers has been a 1 percent team owner for well over a year, there is no $$ estimate on the cost of his share. 

On the west coast Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is part of an investment group hopeful in acquiring a franchise for the city.  In closing we move to the broadcast booth where we meet Ahmad Rashard, he’s been closely identified with the NBA over the course of his career in television.  Few remember or even realize Rashard once ran pass patterns as a wide receiver for 10 years in the NFL for the Cardinals, Bills and Vikings.

It’s difficult
Words eye view is compiled from several sources including .com websites.  Recently I came across a 2019 NBA mock draft.  The writer had Ja Morant listed as number 6 or 7, naturally this peak my curiosity.  Every mock site I’ve seen list the Murray State point guard anywhere from 2 through 4.  After I read his analysis, I scratched my head, he detailed every negative aspect of Morant’s game he could uncover.  As I’ve often stated we have no idea who makes the grade and who fails in an NBA draft. 

With that said what do we categorize as success, I will cite a couple of examples that might be construed as negative.  LaRue Martin was made the number one pick in the 1972 draft by the Blazers, he failed to have the NBA career many believed he might have.  His response was simple, he “was able to take care of his family.”  The Clippers made Michael Olowokandi the top choice in the 1998 draft, over the course of a 9-year career he too never experienced a career of a number one.  Despite this apparent low we must take into consideration he was paid the entire time.      

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

Next stop…. Hall of Fame
Dwayne Wade’s already indicated this is his last NBA season, Dirk Nowitzki might as well echo that too.  The mind says I can still play at a high skill level, the body is saying “No you can’t.”  Both Wade and Nowitzki have been NBA champions an accomplishment only a select number of players have accomplished this feat.  Both will be missed by NBA fans especially those in Miami and Dallas.  The headline said, next stop the Hall of Fame enshrinement.  The only question at this point who introduces Wade and who introduces Nowitzki to the Hall of Fame audience?

I’m getting old
Leave it to the barber shop crew to straighten me out from my earlier report. You might remember on Friday I stated I’d never seen a basketball shoe explode in the manner of Duke’s Zion Williamson.  The gathering in the shop reminded me this had occurred much earlier to LeBron James.  Boy, I must be getting old because I didn’t remember this ever happening in the past.  Once home, I began a search on my computer for YouTube video and sure enough I discovered they were correct.  Not only did LeBron have an “exploding” shoe so did Manu Ginobili and Aaron Gordon.  My search concluded after I discovered three other athletes beside Zion who experienced a shoe blow-out.  At this point my search concluded, there might be additional players.    

He brings his lunch pail to work everyday 
Serge Jonas Ibaka Ngobila better known as Serge Ibaka was the 24^th pick in the 2008 NBA draft.  It’s likely he’s never seen the city that drafted him, by the time he headed to training camp the Seattle franchise had relocated to Oklahoma City.  Ibaka originally from the Congo in Central Africa arrived in the NBA extremely raw although he’d played professionally in Europe. 

Over the course of his NBA career first with the Thunder the 6-foot 10-inch 235-pound Ibaka demonstrated a constant work ethic.  Television analyst love to talk about athletes who do all the dirty work, rebound the ball, clog the lane setting picks and occasionally score.  It’s often been said “they bring their lunch pail to work.”  The work ethic Ibaka first displayed with the Thunder have proven invaluable to the Raptors as they continue their quest to the top of the NBA mountain.    

Drafted number one
For a brief period, Murray State’s Ja Morant was the top draft pick with one mock.  Since then he’s slid back to number two and in some sites 3 or 4.  With the NBA and its big man belief I wondered how many guards had become the top pick in the NBA draft.  For this purpose, my research is only going to date back to 1990:

1996 Allen Iverson
2008 Derrick Rose
2010 John Wall
2011 Kyrie Irving
2016 Ben Simmons
2017 Markelle Fultz 

In nearly 30 years only 6 guards have been drafted number 1, note Andrew Wiggins (2014) was omitted from the list.  Although drafted as a shooting guard the Wolves play him at small forward. 

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

He said what?
At this point we’d forgotten Lonzo Ball was a team member.  He’s been on the injured list so long I can’t remember when he last played but that’s not the subject.  The MOUTH THAT ROARED……LaVar Ball had an interesting comment when interviewed.  The elder Ball was extolling the talent of his son, Colin Cowherd then said something like this.  “That might be true, but he was injured last season and he’s been injured this season.” 

LaVar Ball, “It’s Luke Walton’s fault, he (Lonzo) can’t stay warmed up when he’s pulled in and out of games.”   For your information Lonzo Ball sprung his left ankle on January 19, I had to check the record because it was true, I didn’t remember the date of his last game.  Last season Ball played in 52 of the Lakers 82 games.  It would appear rather than Walton being the crux of the problem it might be the fact Lonzo just might be injury prone. 

There are some who really need a life
I’m paraphrasing a conversation heard on local sports talk radio. 

Caller: “You suppose someone could have gotten a hold of Zion Williamson’s shoes and sabotaged them?” 
Host: “I wouldn’t put it past somebody although I doubt it, players often change shoes game to game.”  

It’s been mentioned in the past some Americans have a pre-occupation with conspiracy theories.  This just might be one, because the caller wasn’t on the line long enough, he was unable to set the stage for the crime.  Let’s use our imagination and see if we can prop up the story.  An unknown person tired of the hype bribes the student manager for a pair of Zion’s shoes.  This person pays the student-manager $2,000 and then proceeds to cut several thin slices from each shoe.  He returns the shoes to the manager and is hoping that is the pair Zion chooses to wear that evening.  Zion goes out on the floor and the first hard cut one of the shoes comes apart, well it could happen couldn’t it?

Possible change
Although not official there is a proposal the NBA age limit be reduced from 19 to age 18.  This move if approved would allow high school athletes in the draft once again.  This action must be ratified by the NBAPA prior to being implemented.  In my view this should be endorsed for several practical reasons.  This would do away with the one and done athletes and provide scholarships for additional student-athletes.  This fails to address every issue, there will never be a return to the good ole days with athletes remaining in school four years.  It does address a complaint of many of the universities and colleges across the nation.  Hopefully it will be amended in time for the 2020 NBA draft. 

Dallas, this is not the classic television drama 
This is written about the “new” Mavericks, the 2019-20 version.  The starting lineup is:

PG Jalen Brunson
SG Tim Hardaway Jr.
SF Luka Doncic
PF Kristaps Porzingis
C Maximillian Kleber 

Except for the center position (which is fluid at this writing) the lineup appears workable IF, notice the cap underlined if.  Key is Porzingis anywhere close to regaining the skill he displayed early in his NBA career with the Knicks.  Second is the wunderkind Doncic fully embracing his role at the point.  The Mavs traded away their first-round pick in the 2019 draft, they have available a mid-second round pick.  That says free-agent help in acquiring reserve help.  The big difference between the Mavs and others they have a solid team currently, the changes for next season might result in earning a playoff berth.    

Mizzou prospect
Mizzou head coach Cuonzo Martin and assistant Cornell Mann must have thought highly of Sam McNeil’s ability, after a visit with him they made an offer on February 20th.  Who is McNeil you might ask, he appears to be one of those guys who is a later bloomer?  He came out of high school not highly rated but has been outstanding in his freshman year, in addition to Mizzou he's received offers from several other programs. 

McNeil is a 6-foot 4-inch shooting guard currently enrolled at Sinclair Community College in Dayton Ohio?  McNeil a freshman has games of 40, 47 and 55 points this season and a scoring average of 30 points per game, 49% shooting and 41% from the 3-point line and 89% from the line.  Two questions, there are several schools with offers on the table, does McNeil choose Mizzou?  The second question if he does pick Mizzou can he transfer at least a portion of this prolific scoring to the Division I level?   

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

The exploding shoe and the after effect
It didn’t really explode, if you saw the Duke-North Carolina game you witnessed the event.  Duke’s Zion Williamson attempting a cut, slipped and his Nike shoe literally disintegrated in front of our eyes.   Twisting his knee Williamson was forced to the sidelines and missed the balance of the game.  North Carolina then proceeded a beat-down on the Dukees winning 88-72.  I haven’t read an update however it was said Wednesday evening “He’d suffered a mild right knee sprain.” 

The aftermath of the PG 2.5 PE shoe failure impacted Nike first as the stock tumbled significantly.  The company indicated it would conduct a full-scale investigation to determine why the shoe came apart in the manner it did.  We cannot fully delve into the mechanics of the shoe, we’ve gone from canvas Converse Chuck Taylors to many brands being manufactured from leather and composite material.  That was only the beginning, numerous media persons, former and active players have spoken with one voice. 

They have stated in unison Zion Williamson needs to sit down for the remainder of Duke’s season.  I’m not sure how I feel about this matter, if he continues to play the balance of the season Williamson could risk further injury possibly impacting his draft status.  On the other hand, he attends Duke with the intention to play basketball.  We cannot point fingers at the NCAA this time as Boogie Cousins did, they are not the culprits it’s the NBA with its no high school players in the draft rule. 

As for me
The ESPN.com NBA page contained a story on former NBA official Tim Donaghy on Tuesday morning, you remember him, don’t you?   He pleaded guilty to betting on games although there was never any proof, he fixed games.  I’m providing a platform for an issue I detest, cheating.  I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday cheating goes on in various forms in the NBA, NFL, college and all other sports.  Find it, address it and conclude the story, as for me it’s my belief cheaters never win in the end.  Their reputation is forever tainted in some circles. 

Update   
Unless you live in the Bay Area you might have not kept up with construction for Chase Center Arena.  The Warriors will move next fall from Oracle in Oakland to San Francisco and a new arena.  Chase Arena with a seating capacity of 18,064 is slightly smaller than 19,000 seat Oracle Arena.  The only announced planned arena in other NBA news is the Clippers arena in Inglewood.  As mentioned previously the arena would replace Staples Center as home for the Clippers, this project is tied up in litigation.  Probably no matter the arena is tied up in legal matters.  The Clippers are tied to the lease at Staples until 2024 thus ample time to resolve any pending legal matters.          

And you thought you knew geography
If for instance you said college basketball and Nevada your thoughts immediately focused on UNLV.  After all the late Jerry Tarkanian-built UNLV basketball into a national power.  His successors continued the winning trend but nowhere near the level of Tark the Shark.  As for the other school, Eric Musselman arrived for the 2015-16 season and led the University of Nevada-Reno to national prominence.  As for the headline it’s aimed at me and not you.  

It was reported two players who hail from the east coast believed they were headed for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.  They didn’t realize until much later the University of Nevada-Reno is closer to San Francisco (218 road miles) than it is Las Vegas 438 road miles.  The campus in Reno had intermittent success over the years prior to Musselman’s arrival, anytime Nevada basketball was discussed it centered around UNLV.  The school in addition to winning consistently sent several talented players into the NBA.  That situation exists no more, Eric Musselman is responsible for placing Reno on the map despite some of us having no idea where it was located.    

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

Rivalry
The Kings and Lakers were battling for Western Conference supremacy back in the day, a media member mentioned rivalry.  Shaq said, “You have to beat someone occasionally for it to be a true rivalry.”  Kansas State claims they have an in-state rivalry in Kansas, other than a few weeks ago it had been ages since K-State had beaten Kansas.  How about Duke-North Carolina is it a true rivalry, allow me to explain it this way. 

Just last week I’m standing in between two guys one a North Carolina graduate the other graduated from North Carolina State.  Both tried to convince me that was the real rivalry, Duke wasn’t in the discussion.  UCLA-USC was once a rivalry but both programs have not played at the level they once did.  Mizzou and Arkansas should be a natural rival since the two SEC schools share a border.  In addition, Arkansas coach Mike Anderson once upon a time coached Mizzou.  I’m sure there are other rivalries omitted this is but a few. 

Did you read this?
Wunderkind Zion Williamson laid some knowledge on us.  He says as a high school freshman he stood 6 foot 3 inches and weighed 175 pounds.  Three years later he’s 6 foot 7 and a reported 280 pounds.  The growth spurt of 4 inches might not be that uncommon gaining 100+ pounds is certainly unusual.  The unusual part the speed and leaping ability of Williamson might have increased greatly during this height and weight gain. 

The coach, is he that important
College coaches are vitally important in two areas, recruiting and winning.  You cannot have one (winning) without the other (recruiting), how does the recruiting part work?  We are not going to discuss under the table efforts only those appearing valid.  Example former NBA player Tyler Hansbrough played at North Carolina before being drafted.  How did a McDonalds All American make his way east, Hansbrough is from Poplar Bluff Missouri?  Hansbrough attended one of Roy Williams clinic while the coach was at Kansas. 

The coach made an impression on Hansbrough and he became a prospect for Kansas.  By the time Hansbrough graduated high school Williams had moved to North Carolina.  Want another example, In the NBA coaches are generally not as important as in college.  Mitchell Robinson now a member of the Knicks originally committed to play at Texas A&M for Rick Stansbury.  Stansbury would later leave for Western Kentucky and just like that…. BAM Robinson decides instead to attend Western Kentucky.  There are other examples those are but two that come to mind immediately.  Is the coach that important, in college that’s an affirmative?   

Tell me something I don’t know
Often sports talk radio can sometimes provide an answer to a discussion topic.  On other occasions we are provided information we are likely aware.  This is a recent example; a couple of local radio guys were discussing the new pro football league the AAF.  One of the hosts stated, “The first game beat the numbers for a national telecast NBA game.”  Several us might not find that news very shocking.  The world takes a different view of American football however the sport rules the airways here, it doesn’t matter if it’s August or an AAF game in February.  Basketball particularly the NBA have made inroads in viewership nevertheless  football still rules the airways.     

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

Scouting reports 
Whenever I read scouting reports, I focus on the areas designated as a player’s weakness.  This is not a focus on negatives in my mind it represents the real world.  Oftentimes players fail to gain a roster position due to limitations in their game.  That fails to take into consideration a player might have a weakness which could be corrected.  Scouting reports only go so far, they never take into consideration that players will to succeed.   Consider this pre-draft report on the weaknesses of Luka Doncic.

“He can be considered marginally average athlete by NBA standards ... Not overly long, more of an average actually... His first step is slow even for European standards ... Not a very good leaper of one foot, his good jumps come of two feet ... Must continue working on his body ... He lost some flexibility while he was bulking up.” * Have these issues all been addressed by the Mavs rookie and raised to an acceptable level?  It’s highly likely these and others haven’t been rectified however Doncic is still having an exceptional rookie season with the Mavs.  So, there you have it, the basis why I focus on the weaknesses of a player.   

*NBADraft.net  

Bits and Pieces
LaMelo Ball claims Southern Cal and Kansas have contacted him regarding an offer. I have no doubt this might have occurred, I doubt the “new” angry NCAA grants him eligibility.  The dad claims both sons received no compensation while playing basketball in Lithuania.  That might well be the case, but two issues present themselves immediately.  1.  LaMelo may have received no payment however he signed with an agent.  2.  Although there has been nothing but whispers to date both programs are going to be highly scrutinized by the NCAA due to their connection to the Adidas scandal. 

I’m not promoting player pay for athletes but this one about knocked me out.  A report says the cheapest ticket for tonight’s North Carolina-Duke game at Cameron Indoor are priced at $2,500.00.  Yes, we realize Zion Williamson is responsible for a portion of this figure, but wow is all I can say. 

I’m not a proponent of violence but Skip Bayless of Fox Sports needs a slap upside his head.  On the program Skip and Shannon: Undisputed he and co-host Shannon Sharp were discussing the greatest international NBA player.  The discussion centered on Dirk Nowitzki and Sharp said, “He’s the second greatest international player behind Dream (Olajuwon).”  At this point Bayless tossed out the name Manu Ginobili offering nothing but his opinion.  I will admit the former Spurs guard was a key contributor to all those championships, he will be in the Hall of Fame one day.  As for Olajuwon he’s already there (HOF) and in my opinion the best international player to date. 

Everything written is not published
If you've read Words eye view any length of time, I've got news for you.  Oftentimes a story or an account becomes dated or the story line changes.  The changes often invalidate my view of the event or events.  Prior to publishing a decision must be made to run the story or kill it.  As researcher, writer and publisher plus 7 days a week it’s easy to see the issue.  There are times the news moves faster than I’m able to provide a viewpoint.  As for the historical aspects of basketball coverage that’s easy, once it’s occurred it’s in the books. 

The only requirement is to provide an accurate picture of the event(s).  Despite what might be construed as a negative it’s not.  My hope and desire are to present as accurate a picture as I can of basketball news at all levels.  I admit my bias, I’m loyal to the Lakers and Mizzou.  There might be stories on the two programs in every issue although an attempt is made to avoid it as much as possible.  Enjoy Words eye view, it will continue daily until the NBA draft.  At some point in July well begin publishing Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Again, thank you for being a loyal reader, if you are new thanks for finding us.

Bits n Pieces
For the month of January and the 3^rd month in a row Luka Doncic was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month.  Trae Young earned the honors for the Eastern Conference.  Young also earn the honor in November.   

We held a discussion recently which included LeBron James Jr., dads made it known he’d like to play an NBA game with his eldest son.  Also, there is a question regarding coach K., it seems Sr. is fond of the Duke coach.  Sr. has mentioned he’d like his son to play for the coach however there is an issue.  Will he still be on the job at 76-years of age?  Coach K. would turn 77 before the end of Jr.’s freshman year, as stated in the headline “Not tryin’ to kick him out the door” but he might be retired.  His health is apparently good however Duke might have a mandatory retirement policy.      

Mark Smith wanted a transfer, his commitment to Illinois didn’t work out for him.  Although he’d been Mr. Basketball in Illinois his adjustment to college basketball turned out to be rough.  Smith’s 5.8 ppg average certainly wasn’t enticing in the least bit however maybe there might have been another reason for transferring.  Smith transferred but Mizzou Nation had no idea the 6-foot 4-inch shooting guard would be one of the bright spots in an average Mizzou season.  As this is written he’s scoring at a 12.6 clip along with a sparkling .475 from the 3-point line.