Basketball from a
fan’s perspective
The coach
Several of you took exception to my commentary regarding the hiring of Frank Vogel. I’m not going to convince you to my side you’ve indicated you are not pleased with the move. I cannot fathom hiring a coach for a single player, that’s the scenario if Tyronn Lue had been hired. Lue’s since claimed he’s more than the coach most believe. As for Vogel’s bio his contract was not renewed by the Pacers and the Magic fired him so I guess we could say he’s been fired twice.
As for Lue he’s only been fired once by the Cavs after an 0-6
start in 2018. An extensive coaching resume is
no guarantee of success however Vogel is only 3 years older than Lue; he’s
coached at the NBA level for several years.
As stated early this is no attempt to convince you Vogel is a good hire,
this is simply my effort to point out differences. We acknowledge this is a player’s league and
certainly the desire is for LeBron to be comfortable with Vogel. I’m looking at this hire beyond the 3 years or so left for LeBron as a player.
Minus the wedding dress
In the 2012 NBA draft, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the second pick in the first round by Charlotte. Also chosen in the first round was Thomas Robinson at five and Royce White the 16th pick, neither of them is currently on an NBA roster. It should be of note the 35th pick in the second round continues play and at a high skill level. The name is Draymon Green of the Warriors and his game is somewhat molded after Dennis Rodman. Green gets under opposing players skin with legal and maybe sometimes illegal play. His volatile temper often is troublesome for his teammates, coaches and officials.
In the 2012 NBA draft, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the second pick in the first round by Charlotte. Also chosen in the first round was Thomas Robinson at five and Royce White the 16th pick, neither of them is currently on an NBA roster. It should be of note the 35th pick in the second round continues play and at a high skill level. The name is Draymon Green of the Warriors and his game is somewhat molded after Dennis Rodman. Green gets under opposing players skin with legal and maybe sometimes illegal play. His volatile temper often is troublesome for his teammates, coaches and officials.
In foreign arenas the opposition is generally
greeted with half applause and some booing, for Green probably little if any
applause but certainly a large course of jeers and shouts of disapproval. What else does he do, how about shooting and rebounding the
basketball. For a power forward he can
efficiently distribute the ball for a skillful assist. The Splash Brothers and others receive the
vast amount of coverage by the media. Green
is the heart and soul of the Warriors; without him they don’t win. He’s the present-day version of Rodman minus
the wedding dress. To this point we
haven’t seen Green in that attire and there are serious doubts if it ever
occurs.
No, at least for now
The subject of NBA expansion was a topic of discussion at the NBA finals, commissioner Silver indicated there were no plans to add teams soon. The next portion of his interview I found most interesting. These are not Silver’s words but similar, “Several Canadian and American cities have expressed interest in acquiring an NBA franchise.”
No, at least for now
The subject of NBA expansion was a topic of discussion at the NBA finals, commissioner Silver indicated there were no plans to add teams soon. The next portion of his interview I found most interesting. These are not Silver’s words but similar, “Several Canadian and American cities have expressed interest in acquiring an NBA franchise.”
I find his statement interesting and this is pure speculation
on my part, there are likely 3-4 cities vying for an NBA franchise. Several Canadian cities have enough
population to support an NBA team, with NHL hockey and Canadian football would
an NBA addition fit? South of the border
several cities might be interested in an NBA team. I’m in the business of projection so let’s take
a guess on the cities:
Seattle-Must be at the top of the list for obvious reasons
Toronto-Finance is there a group indicates a desire for NBA basketball
Vancouver-Do they wish for NBA basketball return after a bad experience
Louisville-The NBA would compete with Louisville basketball, would it work
San Diego- Abundant population, too close to neighbor Los Angeles
Kansas City-I won’t defend my home city, writers privilege
Toronto-Finance is there a group indicates a desire for NBA basketball
Vancouver-Do they wish for NBA basketball return after a bad experience
Louisville-The NBA would compete with Louisville basketball, would it work
San Diego- Abundant population, too close to neighbor Los Angeles
Kansas City-I won’t defend my home city, writers privilege
The NBA does what the NBA wants, there should be a cut-off on
the number of teams the addition of more than four teams can be detrimental for
the sport.
It’s time
It’s time for the Naismith Hall of Fame committee to revise its policy regarding entry. NBA players are ineligible until several years after they retire, no such policy exists for coaches and that’s the issue that impacts collegiate coaches. Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino was fired at Louisville, it had nothing to do with his won-loss record. Pitino was caught in the middle of “pay for play” scandal. The coach has maintained he’s not guilty however the improprieties occurred under his watch.
It’s time for the Naismith Hall of Fame committee to revise its policy regarding entry. NBA players are ineligible until several years after they retire, no such policy exists for coaches and that’s the issue that impacts collegiate coaches. Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino was fired at Louisville, it had nothing to do with his won-loss record. Pitino was caught in the middle of “pay for play” scandal. The coach has maintained he’s not guilty however the improprieties occurred under his watch.
North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Hall of Fame member was
involved in an academic scandal regarding several Carolina players. Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim at Syracuse
has also had his issues. Hall of Fame
coach Larry Brown has seen UCLA, Kansas and SMU all placed on probation by the
NCAA after he left the programs. I’m not
calling out any of these coaches I’m simply pointing out my belief the Naismith
committee needs to implement the same policy for coaches it does for former players.
