Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Vanderbilt

Two names reported to be on Vanderbilt’s short list to replace Bryce Drew are John Thompson III and Jerry Stackhouse.  Thompson’s coaching resume includes a 13-year stint as head coach at Georgetown.  As for Stackhouse the NBA veteran player has never held a head coaching position at the collegiate level but has G-League experience being in charge. 

He can’t play

At least he can’t play at the NBA level, that’s the view of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas.  His description is that of Zion Williamson, he even goes so far as to refer to him as a possible NBA bust.  Well now, Agent 0 as he was nicknamed had an extensive NBA career.  We can rest assured he knows the NBA but is he correct?  Several players arrive in the NBA with “holes” in their game, realist like me understand Williamson is not going to dominate in the NBA in a similar manner to the collegiate game

I’ve mentioned this in the past I’ve witnessed several athletes I thought would have solid NBA careers and were in Europe or the G-League in a short period.  In the case of Williamson, I’m not quite as brave as Agent 0, I cannot pronounce Williamson a bust until he is matched against NBA competition.  Even then the question might not be fully answered we need look no further than ROY race this season.  Luka Doncic left the starting blocks early and was 20 meters ahead of everyone until January, after the first of the year Trae Young was right on his heels.  Can you say everyone needs an adjustment period Agent O?

Hot property

Few folks in the basketball world are familiar with the name Ben McCollum.  With the number of coaching vacancies, we might not hear his name mentioned but we should.  McCollum is head coach of the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats.  His team won it’s second NCAA Division II tournament in three years finishing 38-0 perhaps that’s the issue.  It seems moving up in the coaching ranks requires a McCollum to intern at the Division I level prior to assuming head coaching duties.  Is that really a requirement or do we believe that to be the case?  Certainly, recruiting is far different at the Division I level. 

McCollum can check with Kim Anderson who tasted much success at the University of Central Missouri but gained no traction while head coach at Mizzou.  As for McCollum his resume is excellent, in 10 years as head coach his NMS teams have won 241 games while losing only 75 (.763).  He’s experienced only two losing seasons and those occurred in his first two years.  His teams have played in the post-season every year of the 10 except 3.  Perhaps that’s the rub, he’s a Division II coach, I cannot imagine UCLA or some other blue blood program hiring him.  I could see a mid-major school desiring a fresh-face (he’s 37-years old) to run their program might check him out. 

History is sometimes unkind  

The statement is made because some believe the best of anything occurs right now.  They downgrade the sports accomplishments of the past stating, “They were few teams and fewer athletes.”  Part of their belief is correct; today’s athletes are far superior to those of the past.  At the same time do we simply toss out the accomplishment of past athletes?  Bleacher Report mentioned Wilt Chamberlain’s record setting 1961-62 season.  Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points, 25.7 rebounds and nearly 40 minutes a game.  It’s difficult in 2019 to imagine domination to that degree in the NBA.    

Just as sure as I read it, I knew I would see “The Letter”. you know the one I’m referring too.  The fan attempting to point out the NBA was different back then.  He is correct, Chamberlain’s first year the NBA consisted of 8 teams, by the time he retired in the 1972-73 season there were 17 teams.  This is where the fan and I part ways, he wants to look simply at the era and decide the game was no good because there were fewer teams.  There is a good bet on my part if the NBA was reduced suddenly from 30 teams to 17 several players would be without a job.  Not because they can’t play but fewer teams demands you take the best of the best.  Guys who are the 14^th or 15^th player on today’s NBA teams would find themselves playing in the NBA G-League or somewhere in Europe.