Basketball from a
fan’s perspective
From all indications
It appears the Lakers will hire Tyronn Lue as their next head coach, this concerns me on so many levels please allow me to explain. We must briefly return to the past and the Cleveland Cavs. The 2014-15 Cavs lost the NBA championship, the following season the team got off to a fast start. If my memory is correct, they had won 30 of their first 41 games when head coach David Blatt was fired. True or untrue it was reported Lue was de-facto head coach, roster members listened to him more often than Blatt. After Lue took over the Cavs won their first and only NBA championship to date.
The Cavs lost their
next two finals appearances and year three with no LeBron in the lineup we
witnessed Lue fired six games into the season.
My concern is not an X and O matter I’m sure Lue has a basketball view
point it’s the other thing. The NBA for
years has been a player’s league, we can understand Lue has a friendly
relationship with LeBron James. My
concern is down the road a bit, it’s possible LeBron could be history in two
years what occurs then. Can Lue motivate
and execute a game plan without a LeBron in the lineup? We shall see what unfolds in the future for
this Lakers franchise.
“Live by the jump
shot”
If you’ve followed basketball NBA or college you’ve heard the phrase. “Live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot,” the explanation is simple. Distance shooting is going to cause several missed shots if you are not on…. ask Steph Curry. The normally sharpshooting guard was 7 for 23 from the floor against the Rockets. His poor shooting alone didn’t cause the Warriors to lose the game, but it certainly didn’t help.
If you’ve followed basketball NBA or college you’ve heard the phrase. “Live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot,” the explanation is simple. Distance shooting is going to cause several missed shots if you are not on…. ask Steph Curry. The normally sharpshooting guard was 7 for 23 from the floor against the Rockets. His poor shooting alone didn’t cause the Warriors to lose the game, but it certainly didn’t help.
Although the
distance is greater the NBA has become more a 3-point shooting league than at
the collegiate level. Perhaps you saw
the graph indicating 3-point attempts continue an upward trend. I know what you’re thinking, the
inside-outside offense is antiquated. It
might be but I’m much rather see a center take a 5-foot shot than a perimeter
player taking a 3-point attempt. There
are exceptions, you must be Steph Curry except for Saturday night.
Who is he?
Based on a comment by a friend I’m attempting to cover several NBA stars of the past. In this installment his name is Chet Walker and he’s 79-years old now. Walker was the 12th pick in the second round of the 1962 NBA draft by the Syracuse Nationals. He made the all-rookie team his first year and moved with the franchise to Philadelphia when the team was re-born as the Sixers.
His speed on the court caused him to be nicknamed “Chet the Jet.” In 1969 Walker arrived in Chicago and finished his NBA career as a member of the Bulls. He was a key member of the 1967 NBA champion Sixer team; it should be of note the following. Three Hall of Fame Warriors and four Sixers including Walker would be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. Chet Walker a name from the past you should be familiar with.
Based on a comment by a friend I’m attempting to cover several NBA stars of the past. In this installment his name is Chet Walker and he’s 79-years old now. Walker was the 12th pick in the second round of the 1962 NBA draft by the Syracuse Nationals. He made the all-rookie team his first year and moved with the franchise to Philadelphia when the team was re-born as the Sixers.
His speed on the court caused him to be nicknamed “Chet the Jet.” In 1969 Walker arrived in Chicago and finished his NBA career as a member of the Bulls. He was a key member of the 1967 NBA champion Sixer team; it should be of note the following. Three Hall of Fame Warriors and four Sixers including Walker would be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. Chet Walker a name from the past you should be familiar with.
Either it is or it
isn’t
The question becomes “Is the NCAA investigating Arizona basketball?” I’m not referring to Stephen A. Smith’s claim, he’s offered nothing but reports he's supposed to have heard around campus. The Arizona Daily Star claims Arizona is under investigation, the school says, “We are not under investigation but fully intend to cooperate with the NCAA.”
This issue revolves around a report DeAndre Ayton and one other athlete’s family was paid for them to attend the school. Allow clarification here, I’m not naive enough to believe improprieties of all types don’t exist especially regarding college basketball. I hope I’m not one of the legions, the rush to judgement before confirmation of an account. There is no desire to restrict media coverage however some need to curtail their activity. If you cannot reveal your sources the story you are attempting to report might not carry much weight.
The question becomes “Is the NCAA investigating Arizona basketball?” I’m not referring to Stephen A. Smith’s claim, he’s offered nothing but reports he's supposed to have heard around campus. The Arizona Daily Star claims Arizona is under investigation, the school says, “We are not under investigation but fully intend to cooperate with the NCAA.”
This issue revolves around a report DeAndre Ayton and one other athlete’s family was paid for them to attend the school. Allow clarification here, I’m not naive enough to believe improprieties of all types don’t exist especially regarding college basketball. I hope I’m not one of the legions, the rush to judgement before confirmation of an account. There is no desire to restrict media coverage however some need to curtail their activity. If you cannot reveal your sources the story you are attempting to report might not carry much weight.
