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.