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                  December 2,  2019

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

They are going to lose

Every evening or afternoon the Lakers play my first thought, ‘They are going to lose.’  Part of this is based on a winning streak, in the same instance as a losing streak the loss (or in this instance) the win can end at anytime.  It didn’t end Monday evening, they defeated the Spurs 114-104 for their 8^th straight win.  Even more interesting this winning streak is the longest for the Lakers since the 2011-12 season.  As the de-facto general manager, I’m always looking at making improvements to the bench.  I’m thinking Andre Iguodala and saying to myself, ‘I hope we can pick him up.’

Smacked in the mouth

Butler took Mizzou to the woodshed and spanked their behinds on Monday evening at the Hall of Fame Classic.  Final score was not indicative of the battle, Butler jumped out immediately to a 12-3 start and it was all downhill for Mizzou from that point on.  I’ve witnessed Cuonzo Martin team’s lose games in the past I’m just unsure if I’ve seen Mizzou totally dominated as they were in this game.  The second half was pretty much even but at that point the teams were simply trading baskets.  Mizzou was unable to really stop Butler which led to their downfall.  I’m unsure what to expect from Mizzou on Tuesday night facing either Stanford or Oklahoma.  

Depends on your perspective

In 2011 consumer advocate Ralph Nader wrote a letter to former NBA commissioner David Stern.  Bottom line he wanted the NBA to quit playing games on Christmas Day December 25.  His view was players, stadium workers and all associated with game production should be home with their families on this day.  It sounded quite noble but never really gained any traction with anyone other than Nader.  Every year as we approach Thanksgiving and then Christmas the issue comes to mind again, there is an additional issue. 

The NFL Lions and Packers have played on Thanksgiving Day for a longer period than NBA Christmas games.  In both instances we see the holidays as gathering of families, I have my theory but it’s just that.  Nader might have believed the NBA was a far easier target to attack over the NFL, the league has a greater following and in addition it was/is America’s sport.  In 2008 Nader offered a critical opinion of NBA officiating, this has been an on-going issue, but the question why was it necessary for this consumer advocate to insert himself in the middle of it?  Just an opinion, doesn’t make it correct. 

He ain’t going nowhere….soon

Andre Iguodala’s photo has literally been placed on a wanted poster, at the bottom the teams reportedly interested in the veteran guard are the Clippers, Lakers and Rockets and perhaps other teams.  Although it was generally believed the Grizzlies would release him apparently that’s not the case in the past nor in the future.  Although Iguodala is not active the Grizzlies intend to hold Iguodala “hostage” until the right deal comes along for them. 

Grizzlies management have made it known if any of the above parties want to add him to their roster a trade must be arranged to acquire him.  I asked a fellow Laker fan on Saturday ‘You think the Lakers should try to pick him up?’  There was an emphatic yes by the barber shop patron and Laker fan.  So, there you have it, a player the above teams and perhaps others covet.  What prevails here, the Lakers have a couple of warm bodies they could trade but the question will the Grizzlies approve it?  

The Spurs

Playoff and championship basketball are an annual event in San Antonio.  The last time the Spurs missed the playoffs, Titanic was the number one movie, Bill Clinton was president and Elton John registered the Top 100 hit that year with “Something About the Way You Look Tonight.”  The top television program was out of this world, it was X-Files.  We witnessed the 1996-97 NBA season with the Spurs finishing with a 20-62 won loss record.  The following season the team drafted Tim Duncan, wonder what happened to that guy? 

In any event the Spurs find themselves in an unusual position, i.e. a losing record, as this is written they are 5 up and 8 down.  They retired Tony Parker’s jersey recently and the retired Spurs who attended the ceremony made for a competitive team.  It’s more than just losing Kawhi Leonard to a trade.  Those who replaced Robinson, Ginobili, Johnson and Duncan have not played at the level we are accustomed to seeing play Spurs basketball.  With retirement of all the players coach Pop remains in place.  I trust Pop if he wants to coach, given time the Spurs will return.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The coach
Other than NBA coverage Division I basketball is the second most covered topic for Words eye view.  That’s not to say other levels of basketball are not competitive.  That’s the topic in this account, unless you live in the area Philadelphia University might be an unknown.  The school competes at the Division II level which makes it somewhat anonymous.  In addition, the school’s changed names over the years and is now known as Philadelphia University through a merger. 

Through the name changes Herb Magee has served as head coach, in fact he was hired prior to the 1967-68 season when the school was then known as Philadelphia Textile.  Can you imagine this in 52 years the programs only experienced three losing seasons under Magee?  With over 1,000 wins Magee joined an exclusive club last week, the victory over Kutztown last week placed Magee with Coach K.  Both coaches have over 1,100 wins on their respective resumes which certainly is remarkable and noteworthy. 

Texas Shootout
The game wasn’t on ESPN/TNT or NBA TV, I’m sure the game was telecast on Fox Sports Southwest but it’s not on the system in Kansas City which is logical.  The game was of interest, Mavs versus the Rockets two of the three Texas teams.  I utilized ESPN’s Gamecast feature on their NBA.com page.  I noted when I first click on the Mavs had a 60 something to 40 something lead.  My first thought, ‘The Mavs must be smoking on offense and the Rockets cannot seem to contain them.’  The score continued to mount, and I really had no idea of the quarter because I was paying more attention to the scoring. 

I noticed on the side of the screen the countdown had begun when it read 0.00 the Mavs had a 78 to 60 lead.  Oh well I’ll wait for the 4^th quarter to begin, when I fully checked the stats imagine my shock when I discovered 78-60 was the HALFTIME SCORE!  As this is written I’m waiting for the second half to begin, all I can say is for the Rockets to give up such a large amount of points in a half…wow.  The Rockets close the gap, at the end of 3 its Mavs 105 Rockets 95.  Final score Mavs 137 Rockets 123, this must have been quite a shootout. 

Bits n Pieces
The Hall of Fame Classic should provide a test for Mizzou.  The Tigers face Butler University in a Monday evening match.  Going into the game Butler is yet to lose they have a sparkling 4-0 record.  I don’t know much about this team, but this Indiana school has a rich basketball history and tradition.

I just checked the history; do you realize it’s as if the Kings never called Kansas City home?  Consider the timeline, the Cincinnati Royals moved here in 1972 and left for Sacramento in 1985 a total of 13 years.  1985 to 2019 is 34 years so you see where I’m coming from.  At least two generations of Kansas Citians were born grew to adulthood without realizing the NBA standings once contained the name Kansas City Kings.  

Sierra Canyon High School is a coeducational private high school located in Chatsworth which is metro Los Angeles.  The basketball roster includes the sons of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.  ESPN.com announces 15 Sierra Canyon games will be available for viewing by a national and world-wide audience.  Much of the schedule will be telecast on ESPN3, while other games will be split between ESPN2 and ESPNU.  If you don’t mind paying you can view this first season of Bronny James and Zaire Wade as teammates. 

The countdown continues for Knicks coach David Fizdale.  It’s just a matter of time before he’s eventually fired, does he deserve to be terminated might be your question?  We really cannot answer that or anything else for that matter.  It was pointed out in this publication the belief he’s not been allowed enough time to turn the team around.  In addition, the coach cannot secure free agents or arrange trades which might boost their win total.  The Knicks front office seems to lack direction (and effort) in how to re-build this team.

Two NBA players are going to be a little cash short this month.  The Clippers Patrick Beverly fined $5,000 for flopping.  I didn’t see it in real time, check out the video on NBA.com or another source for yourself.  It’s quite clear Beverly needs additional acting lessons.  It must be an LA thing; the Lakers Rajon Rondo was fined a hefty $35,000.  Rondo was fined for having physical contact with Thunder guard Dennis Schroder, verbal abuse of an official and not leaving the court in a timely manner when ejected. 

The top two

This is not 2015, you realize that fact, that was the year the Knicks made Kristaps Porzingis the number four pick in the first round.  The word heard draft night from coast to coast ‘Who is this guy?’  Technically the question was not true NBA scouts and most mock draft sites which are unofficial were acquainted with Porzingis.  Late 1^st round and 2^nd round International players are an unknown, if your name pops up in the lottery area, we’d better pay attention. 

That is the case here, his name is Theo Maledon and he’s a 6-foot 5-inch point guard.  And your next question, ‘Can he play?’  I have no idea however nbadraft.net list him as the number five pick currently on their site.  As for nbadraftroom.com has him listed in the 9^th position.  From Israel we have Deni Avdija, currently he plays for Maccabi Haifa and is a 6-foot 8-inch small forward.  For his ranking nbadraft.net has Avdija at 8 and nbadraftroom.com list him at 9.  So, there you have it, the top two International athletes who are foreign born.    

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

My reputation precedes me…maybe
Saturday morning witness my every other week visit to the the barber shop for my haircut and shave.  I’m unsure how the question came about, a patron who I didn’t know asked me, ‘Are the Lakers going to win the championship?’  I was more surprised than shocked by his question.  My desire is to never go wild and crazy with a response except the folks I know well.  ‘If you remember last season, they (the Lakers) were playing good basketball until LeBron was injured December 25^th.  They should make the playoffs beyond that I’m going to wait.’

There was a key reason for my cautious approach, LeBron had missed few NBA games while playing for Cleveland (twice) and the Heat, he would miss 17 straight games in Purple and Gold the most he’d ever missed in the regular season.  The team didn’t crash and burn but came close as many of the roster was decimated by injuries.  The Lakers decided to shut LeBron down for the last six games of the season to allow his groin to fully heal.  LeBron missing a total of 23 games had never occurred in his career.  I had to call it as I see it, yes, I’m pleased but cautiously optimistic.   

What I don't know  
I have no idea if Mizzou commit Jordan Wilmore stands 7 feet 3 inches as 247Sports claims or the 7 feet 2 inches Rivals claims.  I have no idea how much he weighs 247 Sports says it 245 while Rivals says its 275 pounds.  The difference between the two sites continues, 247 ranks him a 3-star prospect while Rivals awards 0 stars.  I have no idea if Wilmore can continue to develop his talent into the future.  Those of us who follow the game acknowledge there is a “Grand Canyon” leap from high school basketball to Division I.  

The Mizzou staff was familiar with Wilmore although most in Mizzou Nation had probably never heard of him. I love me some Steph Curry, he’s revolutionized the game, I love a quality Big Man even more.  Can’t help it I continue to remain old school regarding center play.  Hopefully this Class of 2020 prospect continues to develop his senior year of high school and will be ready for collegiate play next fall.  Perhaps Wilmore just might be one of those prospects beneath the radar, after all despite being the son of an NBA player Steph Curry arrived in the NBA as an unknown.  On November 13 the verbal became official as Wilmore signed on the dotted line. 

We understand why, this is certainly different
I checked out the Western Division NBA standings on November 23.  You will be almost as shocked as me, the Warriors are in last place 3 up and 14 down.  We certainly understand why, teams can prepare for everything except injuries.  No Klay, no Steph and now D’Angelo Russell out plus other assorted missing in action.  I heard a studio host say; “(Steve) Kerr’s really going to coach this team.”  I remember writing prior to the season I believed the Warriors were playoff worthy, I believed they were a long shot to win a championship.  Now I believe any postseason play is certainly out of the question. 

Steph will return at some point soon; Klay just might return prior to season’s end.  By the time both are in the lineup the playoffs might be a distant hope.  Veteran teams don’t often look toward the draft for help however the Warriors hand might be forced.  We have no idea where they might settle in the draft lottery but let’s suppose based on their record its 1 through 5.  It’s either the Memphis Big Man James Wiseman or shooting guard Anthony Edwards of Georgia.  His stock is rising is rising in the eyes of scouts, would the Warriors be willing to draft LaVar…. sorry my error I meant LaMelo Ball?  The remaining balance of what might be considered lottery are comprised of mostly guards. 

Bit and Pieces

No, not those Capitals, if I said Washington Capitals, you’d immediately think of the NHL team…. wrong.  The names are not even spelled the same, the NHL team is spelled Capitals and the former NBA team Capitols.  What did you say, you’ve never heard of the NBA team?  Legendary coach Red Auerbach coached the team from 1946-1949.  The Capitols were a charter member of the Basketball Association of America being formed in 1946, in 1949 they moved into the NBA in 1951 the team folded.  There was no NBA team with Washington on its jersey until the 1974-75 season. 

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has produced a great number of generals, statesmen, business executives, politicians, astronauts and even a U.S. President.  West Point has also been the starting point for two of the most successful college basketball coaches in the history of the game.  The U.S. Military Academy at West Point provided Bobby Knight his coaching start and later Knight had a point guard named Michael William Krzyzewski.  That guard would later coach Army before beginning his own coaching career at Duke.

It appears (probably untrue) a coach whether it’s college or the NBA must be no taller than 6 foot 5.  We believe Big Men don’t make for good coaches; do we really believe that?  John Thompson standing 6 foot 10 was one of the game’s all-time winningest college coaches.  Former player Patrick Ewing (7 feet) is following in the footsteps of his former coach.  After years of interviews at various NBA and colleges Georgetown hired Ewing in 2017.  Will Ewing be allowed enough time to implement his system and recruit the players he requires?  Building a successful college team is a work in progress, let’s wait and see.   

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

He wasn’t the first
In 2010 Jeremy Lin’s name was added to the Warriors roster and it was believed he was the first Asian-American to play in the Basketball Association of America predecessor to today’s NBA.  Not actually correct, in the 1947-48 season Wataru “Wat” Misaka a Japanese American played three games for the Knicks.  Misaka predates even Yao as the first Asian player in the NBA.  He was the point guard on a Utah team which won the 1944 NCAA tournament and the NIT in 1947. Misaka was a 5-foot 7-inch 150-pound point guard in his playing days. 

He later said he held no ill will toward the Knicks or the NBA despite the fact he only played those three games.  Misaka indicated Carl Braun was one of the guards and the Knick roster was guard heavy.  Others looked at his race as an issue although he claims he never believed that was a problem.  It was 1950 when Chuck Cooper became the first African American player in the NBA.  As for Misaka he died the other day at the age of 95, after his playing days were over, he returned to Salt Lake City and lived there until his death.  Wataru “Wat” Misaka a basketball and NBA pioneer who should be familiar to all. 

We must return to the days of Wilt
The USA Today headline asked the question, ‘Can James Harden really average 40 points per game in a season?’  Currently “The Beard” is averaging 38 points a game in this early NBA season, I decided to research the question.  I began a search of scoring champions of the past, in the 1986-7 season Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 points a game the most recent.  I continued to go back in time before I came across the 1962-63 Wilt Chamberlain 44.8 points per game. 

Just think that was a drop off, the previous year he’d averaged an amazing 50.4 points a game. As for Harden in the present NBA age of more travel, we have more teams plus back to back games and a wide variety of defenses to negate an offensive player.  It might be extremely difficult for Harden to continue scoring at his current pace.  On the other hand, I try to never say never, and I’ll give you two examples. 

Example one, I told the story previously, a co-worker once asked me if Dennis Rodman would ever be enshrined in the Hall of Fame?  I stated an emphatic NO which of course turned out to be incorrect, in 2011 Rodman was enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame.  Example number two, I said Russell Westbrook would never duplicate Oscar Robertson.  He’d never be able to average a triple-double for a season, not only did he accomplish the feat once but two more seasons thereafter. 

A 2020 tournament already
Mizzou is scheduled to play in the Hall of Fame Classic on Monday November 25^th, that’s quite interesting Mizzou is yet to play in a 2019 tournament but have announced plans for a 2020 tournament.  The Myrtle Beach Classic scheduled for November 19-22, Mizzou’s been invited along with Utah State, Loyola of Chicago, Penn, Charlotte, Dayton, Nebraska and Pitt. 

On the surface the teams for Myrtle Beach should make for quite a competitive tournament.  I believe pre-season tournaments are usually held in warm weather climates this one I am not so sure.  As I was completing this account, I checked the afternoon temperature in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and discovered it’s not much warmer than Kansas City in the middle of November.  Rest assured Myrtle Beach doesn’t get the snow and ice dumped on us in metro Kansas City annually. 

How many?
Although I’ve never lived in Los Angeles, I’ve made no secret of my longtime love affair with the Lakers.  I continue to read comments from Clippers fans claiming Laker fans are arrogant.  There might be as many arrogant fans on both sides, want an example?  In a discussion a Laker fan pointed to the 16 championships the team’s won.  A Clipper fan offered a counterpoint by indicating only 11 were won in Los Angeles.  The others had to be discounted since they were won while the team was in Minneapolis.  This was an effort by this fan (and Doc Rivers) to lower the number of championships. 

Let’s check out other sports teams’ championships.  The Kings website indicates they were NBA champions in 1951, that championship was won in Rochester (NY) not Sacramento.  The Warriors have won championships in California, they also won in 1947 and 1956 when they were the Philadelphia Warriors.  The NFL Colts won two NFL finals and one Super Bowl while the team was in Baltimore.  The baseball Dodgers and Giants won World Series while located in Brooklyn and New York respectively.  See how silly this argument is for all concerned, individuals even coaches cannot decide the validity of a championship? 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Isn’t this interesting
This story involves the National Basketball League (Australia).  No, it’s not about LaMelo Ball or RJ Hampton fooled you, didn’t I?  An article detailed for us several American NBA players are investing in the NBL.  It’s said they view this as a possible steppingstone to purchasing an NBA team.  The list of former and current NBA players investing in the NBL is interesting, Zach Randolph, Al Harrington, Josh Childress, Shawn Marion, Dante Exum and Matt Walsh. 

It was mentioned in the article the NBL has been cash strapped for a few years, this infusion of American dollars has allowed the league to expand its footprint globally.  Did you know there are 13 Australians currently in the NBA, most gained their playing skill in the NBL?  As for prospective NBA owners this would appear to place them on the ground floor of the action.  

Guess who
Despite the views of some we hear the NBA does indeed play defense, several individuals and teams are more effective at the task than others no argument from me.  The leader or leading teams don’t always win in the playoffs, but it certainly helps.  Playing tough hard-nosed defense helps a team over the course of the regular season and into the playoffs.  Again, I’ve indicated on more than one occasion I hope to not appear too excited, it’s still early in the season.  The Lakers are now tied with the Jazz giving up the least amount of points 101.1 a game.  As the NBA season develops this figure will change, it will go up or down but it’s a good sign.  We witnessed the Lakers finishing in 16^th place giving up 111.8 points per game in 2018-19.

They call him coach
The jury might be out concerning the ability of Suns head coach Monty Williams.  Is he a good coach, we cannot answer that question at this time?  This we do know he’s experienced tragedy in his life, but he maintains his faith provided him strength.  Just in case you were unaware while serving as associate head coach of the Thunder his wife died in an automobile accident in February 2016. 

His wife’s vehicle was struck head on by a driver who crossed lanes after losing control of the vehicle.  As for life after such a tragic event he said; “Quitting is not an option…you just gotta keep moving forward.”  That certainly gives us an idea of his strength.  Some are concerned about Suns owner Robert Sarver and his relationship with the team.  Will Sarver allow Williams to develop the team without interference? 

Heard in an arena near you 
Music has been an important component at basketball games in the modern era.  We are not sure who is responsible for the selection, but this is what we generally hear during jump balls. 

Jump around-House of Pain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdxCfAb-ROM

Jump-Pointer Sisters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZmC_QOuZns

Jump-Kris Kross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwr3mvtbLg8

Jump-Van Halen  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-potK_7Ts

Note the oddity, we have three songs titled Jump yet all of them have different lyrics.

He’s got no skin in the game
If you are unfamiliar with the headline it simply states, “One has no reason to not be truthful in their comment or view.”  In this instance we speak of Aaron Brooks, this former NBA veteran is now playing for the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL.   Australia is a long way from the U.S., the NBL is some distance from the NBA however it is professional basketball. 

With that out of the way allow me to say Aaron Brooks believes his teammate is very talented, talented enough to play in the NBA.  Of course, Brooks is referring to LaMelo Ball and the fact he believes Ball is equipped to play in the NBA.  So, we have evidence from yet another source with NBA credibility who claims this Ball will be NBA ready by June.  It’s been mentioned the NBL season is much shorter than the NBA, the NBL season ends in February.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Yesterday
We posed the question of great players who might have been average athletically, to yesterday this is strictly opinion.  Yesterday I indicated the names mentioned were provided by friends, the former player named in this profile is originated by yours truly.  Wednesday morning on NBA TV after providing the nightly scores the host briefly profiled Chris Mullin.  My immediate thought, ‘There’s a name that we should include in our number.’  Mullin was a good player but became much better as a member of Run TMC.  That was the nicknamed Warriors fans dubbed Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. 

This trio was one of the most lethal in the NBA during the middle 1980’s through the middle 1990’s.  Was it this group that allowed Mullin to excel, we don’t know but how about the old show tune? “You've got to accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative, Latch on to the affirmative” etc.  it’s possible however perhaps he accentuated those things he did well while Mullin would spend the last portion of his NBA career as a member of the Pacers and would retire from that team.  After Mullins retirement the former St. John’s player sports was enshrined in both the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. 

All-time Knicks team
Who is on your all-time Knicks team, selected members of the 1970 and 1973 NBA championship teams must be included in the number?  Despite this fact over the years several players have become household names without winning a championship.  Well here goes, see if they might be included on your all-time team.  These Knicks are not placed in any order just names. 

Willis Reed
Walt “Clyde” Frazier
Dave DeBusschere
Bill Bradley
Patrick Ewing
John Starks
Bernard King
Charles Oakley
Earl Monroe
Mark Jackson
Richard Guerin

SMH
For those unfamiliar with the title it simply means shake my head.  You read or see news, it could involve a relationship, you don’t know what to do or what to think.  On Wednesday the NCAA announced a decision regarding Memphis freshman James Wiseman, he’s   suspended until January 12.  Wiseman will miss play in 11 additional games.  His family must donate $11,500 to a charity of their choice, the figure represents the amount they received for moving expenses.  From the standpoint of Wiseman and the university this is a good news day, overall, I’m not sure what if anything was resolved.  Remember the narrative of Silvio De Sousa, the Kansas forward was forced to sit out parts of two seasons involving financial improprieties? 

Until, the one and done rule is rescinded there will likely be another “Wiseman” next season.  And once again the NCAA will return to its 1950 book of rules and regulations prior to a decision.  A friend stated 'The NCAA makes decisions by tossing darts while blindfolded.'  I laughed when I read a statement by one of the local television stations.  They questioned if the family had the ability to repay, they don’t know Michael Ray Richardson.  In 1978 Michael Ray was projected to be a top pick in the draft.  The story is reported although I cannot document it, he reportedly walked into a Denver Mercedes dealership and left with a new Mercedes, no down payment no nothing just his signature.  We can rest assured Wiseman’s parents will plan on something similar. 

The upcoming season for Mizzou   
I was a little surprised at the latest BPI ratings, you ask what is BPI?  “BPI is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance for the rest of the season. BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is.” BPI was designed by ESPN’s analytics group for the purpose above.  Other than playing Top 25 Xavier (losing in OT) the schedule for Mizzou has not been too imposing. 

The Hall of Fame Classic kicks off Monday November 25 Mizzou plays Butler at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.  The following Tuesday Mizzou will face either Stanford or Oklahoma, in any event the latest BPI list Mizzou at 69.  If the season ended today Mizzou would not be invited to the NCAA tournament but there is an upside.  Possible injuries, grades and other issues we cannot foresee which impact the season.  This Mizzou fan is keeping his fingers crossed hoping the team returns to the NCAA Tournament.  

Why do we suppose
ESPN’s NBA.com page on Wednesday contains the box score of the Maine Red Claws Tuesday game.  Why in the world is a G-League game worth placing on the front page of their NBA page?  Well it was Tuesday, and it was Taco Tuesday somewhere especially in Portland Maine home of the Red Claws.  We really have the answer before asking the question, the Red Claws have 7-foot 6-inch Tacko Fall on their roster.  He didn’t start the game but contributed 14 points off the bench.  The video posted on the page showed Tacko going back up off a missed shot and dunking the basketball. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The question was asked  
Can a great player lack athleticism be considered notable?  That was the question I posed to several friends?  For this purpose and blog let’s check out the basketball players they named.  I didn’t supply any name in this profile they did, I’m only providing the summary.   We begin with Wes Unseld who spent the bulk of his NBA career with the Bullets (Wizards).  Unseld stood 6 foot 7 and checked in at 245 pounds yet battled Chamberlain, Kareem and other 7-footers of his era.  He averaged 14 rebounds a game during his NBA career his specialty.  Unseld would rebound the ball and toss an outlet pass half-court to a streaking teammate for an easy layup or dunk.  Unseld may have been best in the business but was barely athletic. 

This would be incomplete without adding the name of Earvin “Magic” Johnson.  Magic was at his best in running an offense, his no-look passes to teammates were…well Magic.  There was no jump shot when he arrived in the NBA, it was more a push shot and he couldn’t have elevated more than 2 inches off the floor.  The All-Time leading scorer in the NBA wasn’t very athletic, no matter Kareem had a hook shot no one could ever block.  That and longevity is the basis for him becoming the scorer he was.  We close with Celtic great Larry Joe Bird, Bird certainly fit our profile.  Bird like the others, but boy could this guy play the game at a high skill level.  The players profiled and maybe others played the game cerebrally which likely made up for their lack of athleticism.   

I can’t imagine why
As this is written we have no idea of James Wiseman’s status, will the NCAA allow him to miss a few games or will they declare him ineligible for the season.  Both have occurred with athletes in the past.  Those questions are yet to be answered however I’m scratching my head in wonderment.  Regardless of his status how is that going to affect his draft stock, ESPN television and .com are posing that very question? 

Just for grins let’s check out some recent history, if you check the Knicks roster it indicates Mitchell Robinson played at Western Kentucky.  That’s not entirely true, Robinson was indeed enrolled at the school, he left school once then returned and finally left for good.  Robinson played not one single minute of a single Western Kentucky game.  In the 2018 NBA Draft the Knicks made Robinson a 2^nd round pick, if its determined Wiseman has NBA capability bottom line he will be drafted. 

My new name…. naive
I few weeks ago I said, “I sure hope Mizzou is able to get a commitment from ________.”  I was greeted with this statement from an acquaintance, “They must ensure they offer him enough money.”  There are schools as this is written in trouble with the NCAA, next season there will be others and the following season and so forth and so on.  I’ve concluded I’m the most naïve person around despite my age, I refuse to believe much of the nation’s coaches are cheating. 

I refuse to believe John Calipari, Coach K. and Roy Smith bend the rules intentionally.  The word we hear routinely, “They never catch any of the Blue Blood programs.”  Might it be those programs are not cheating but in your heart of hearts you believe they are?  Did you stop and consider a youngster might just want to play at that school or play for a legendary coach?  This simple account is not going to silence you and that’s not my intent.  My hope is you consider the fact the school or coach might not be the crook you perceive them to be.  

Change the name part deux
You might remember the team name change suggestions we covered recently.  It got me to ponder another team…. the Brooklyn Nets.  Notice it Nets not New York but Brooklyn, it’s no state nor a city.  How come a team in New York City has a borough name instead of the city, I’m glad you asked the question?  We can blame or point a finger at those interest that harken to an earlier time.  Los Angeles is home to the baseball Dodgers but that’s not always been the case.  From 1884 through 1957 the baseball team played in the borough of Brooklyn. 

For unknown reasons the baseball team never had New York in front of the team name.  The ABA Nets once had New York on their name but once they moved to New Jersey a name change occurred.  We’ve read once it became clear an arena was being built in Brooklyn elements in the borough wanted the name revived.  We must consider 3-4 generations have been born in Brooklyn since the Dodgers departed for the west coast.  This generation has no memory of the baseball team except through their grandparents, great-uncles and aunts.  This is a shortened answer why an NBA team has the borough as part of their name rather than a city or state like other professional teams.  

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

”Who are those guys?”
We’ve discussed the 1969 western movie classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  At least two points in the movie a posse is chasing the two outlaws and Cassidy (Paul Newman) or Sundance (Robert Redford) take turns uttering the sentence; 'Who are those guys?' Sunday’s starting lineup contained only one guy from the past playoff and championship teams, Draymond Green.  ESPN's Power Rankings on Monday list the Warriors at number 30, how the mighty have fallen.  Injuries have wrecked whatever hope the Warriors had of at least earning a playoff berth.  

That's the downside of this issue, you say there might be an upside to this debacle?  Free agency, possible trades and draft choices lie in the future for the Warriors.  Is that immediate future satisfactory for Dub Nation accustom to winning consistently?  Insert patience at this point in the conversation, take this from a Lakers fan whose suffered for the past 6 seasons.  Where are the Lakers in the above mentioned power rankings?  How about number one, see there is light at the end of the tunnel.  There is a bright future if Warriors management plays their cards correctly. 

Showtime II
Kobe Bryant was at Staples Center for the game against the Hawks, Laker past and Laker present LeBron James greeted one another during a lull in game action.  This fan is cautiously optimistic, the Clippers are yet to play Kawhi Leonard and Paul George together.  The Celtics have started the season much faster than many expected.  What can I say about the 2019-20 Lakers, after years of below average seasons the team is playing at a high skill level?  Thanks to LeBron James, AD and company they have returned to the play we remember from The Forum and later Staples Center. 

NBA teams can all score the ball, what most don’t do very good is defend.  This is most exciting for me this Lakers team plays great team defense, the Magic lead the league with 99.9 points a game, behind them are the Jazz at 100.2 and the Lakers 100.6.  I must continue to remind myself the NBA season is a marathon not a sprint.  In closing this is for Laker fans, don’t go overboard, I know you (and me) are pleased with the team’s play.  We have months and months of season remaining prior to even begin thinking about the playoffs, final score Lakers 122 Hawks 101.

The television history
The NFL is celebrating anniversary number 100 in 2019, despite the years the league did not become the national pastime many claim until 1958.  NFL Network games had been telecast however many believe the championship game that year broadcast on television move into another realm.  We could make a similar statement regarding the NBA however unlike the NFL we cannot point to date or year; television was a key component of the league’s growth in popularity.  History informs us the first national telecast of an NBA game began in the 1953-54 season with the defunct Dumont Television Network. 

Television was still in its infancy back then, due to the limited number of stations the following season NBA broadcasts were moved to the NBC Network.  NBC would hold the NBA broadcast rights until 1962.  Over the next few years broadcast moved between ABC, CBS, and back to the NBC Network once again.  Viewership exploded during NBC tenures and it probably had little to do with the network, Michael Jordan and his Bulls came to the forefront and became an outstanding team for the network to telecast. 

In the 2002-03 season ABC once again became the broadcast partner, a few years earlier with the advent of cable and satellite television broadcast rights were extended to the USA Network and later TNT along with ESPN.  The NBA began broadcasting its exclusive brand with the introduction of NBA TV.  So now NBA games are available on an assortment of platforms including streaming. The number of foreign networks is too extensive to list however we can say with certainty.  There is likely nowhere in the world you cannot witness NBA games, you might be forced to rise early in the morning, but they are likely available.    

Bits n Pieces 
Speaking of television, we are there, that time of the year basketball coverage dominates our sets.  In the instance of college, we are talking early April as for the NBA it’s the middle of June.  Games will be available for us to view every weeknight, Saturday afternoon and evening.  This same scenario plays out on Sunday once the college and NFL seasons conclude…don’t you just love it? 

The expectation is the hope he’s a clone of his older brother, i.e. Giannis. That might be the sentiment of Laker fans toward Kostas Antetokounmpo who will turn 22 years old in November.  Based on his recent past he’s experienced one run of the mill collegiate season at Dayton University.  In 2018 the Mavs made him the 60^th pick in the second round of the draft, in July 2019 Kostas was waived by the Mavs and the Lakers signed him 3 days later.  The Lakers hope he becomes his brother however they could have unrealistic expectations.  Although he’s still currently on the roster he’s likely to spend the majority of the 2019-20 season with the South Bay Lakers; this season might be the ultimate test on his future.