Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Bits n Pieces  
3-point basket maker Kyle Korver was waived by the Suns on Tuesday.  Can the Lakers be waiting for him and perhaps Andre Igoudala as well?  By my count there are 15 players on the roster, someone or at least two someone’s might be traded or released. 

Tacko Fall all 7 foot 6 inches of him continues to defy the current status quo.  Despite everybody and their brother playing small ball he’s playing limited minutes for the summer league team.  After shooting 23% from the line in college he even looked good going 2 for 2 from the line in the Monday evening contest.  Can Tacko earn a roster spot on the Celtics, only time will tell?

Again, does this make sense, Russell Westbrook traded anywhere?  First came the report he was headed to the Rockets.  Today we read he likes the Heat; I wonder if he’s surveyed the Heat roster?  The roster has Jimmy Butler who’s worn out his welcome in Chicago, Minnesota and Philly.  All is peace and love if Westbrook is traded to the Heat we should suppose. 

ESPN’s college basketball guru Joe Lunardi placed Kansas in the number one position on his NCAA bracketology.  Several others have the Jayhawks as the top team in college basketball.  As for Lunardi and company I’m certainly not here to claim they are wrong.  This I will say, Kansas was primed to win conference championship number, I forget but its double digit.  I’m going to wait until April 2020 before calling this one. 

Speaking of the college game I’m almost as excited to see Memphis as I am the new look Lakers.  Penny Hardaway has managed to recruit a great deal of talent to the school on the banks of the Mississippi River.  He’s even battling Rick Barnes at Tennessee for the state’s top talent.       

Clippers best team in Los Angeles (on paper)!   
Kawhi Leonard announced his intention to sign with the Clippers and the “earth shook.”  Vegas oddsmakers moved the Lakers out of first place to somewhere behind the Clippers as the best bet to win the NBA championship.  A closer inspection might prove the Clippers may not be as glittery as advertised, no argument Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are a dynamic duo.  What about the balance of the team and the reserves?  Can we state Patrick Beverly at the point is a bulldog on defense, yes, he most certainly however he’s going to score you few points?       

Kansas City guy Landry Shamet becomes the shooting guard, can he perform at a high skill level, only time as a starter will tell.  At center the Clippers have Ivica Zubac who’s demonstrated he’s got talent, is there enough skill to lead to a championship?  Lou Williams is instant offense off the bench and Montrezl Harrell is the energizer bunny with his scoring, rebounds and defense now as a reserve.   Besides the starters and the two top reserves do the Clippers have much behind those named?  They have veteran reserve players who must step up to the challenge if the Clippers are to contend for an NBA championship.  I’m sure Clipper fans will not be pleased reading this, I must call it as I see it.  Let’s not refer to the Laker bench as weak until you check out your own house first. 

Ahead of draft night
The Pelicans picked up the option of Jahlil Okafor, this is quite a change from roughly one year ago.  It was believed by many his NBA career might have concluded; after an outstanding rookie season his production had become less than stellar.  He was dealt by the Sixers to the Nets and prior to the 2018-19 season signed with the Pelicans as a free agent, the move plus personnel moves allowed him to move into the starting center position. 

As for the immediate future it looks quite bright, he’s got Zion Williamson on one side and Brandon Ingram on the other.  In addition, he’s got Lonzo Ball to toss lobs near the basket so you can see there’s optimism for the 7-foot center.  He attributes a portion of his re-birth as a player to a mostly vegan diet and I might add a change of scenery didn’t hurt either.  We don’t know for sure what occurred in Brooklyn as for the Sixers it’s easy to figure out.  Two high draft picks (He and Joel Embiid) competing for playing time someone had to go.