Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Published Monday through Friday weekly

“They’re here!”
The words spoken by little Carol Ann about their television in the 1982 movie Poltergeist.  The movie told a story of a family haunted by unearthly spirits.  As they often state sometimes art imitates life the spirits have returned in the form of “Laker Haters.”  These spirits after being somewhat absent have resurrected themselves from the dead.  After five seasons of missing the playoffs and playing generally poor basketball at times the Lakers have begun the 2019-20 season on an uptick. 

For the Lakers and their fan’s, it’s good they have begun the season in this manner.  This is really a blip on the radar in all honesty, the NBA season is a marathon, a good start doesn’t always equate a good season.  Despite this fact Twitter is claiming the Lakers are already the most hated team in the NBA.  I think its downright funny, hardly a peep out of most of them for the last 5-6 years.  We shall see what eventually prevails over the course of this long season. 

Boy, we sure didn’t see this coming
Most NBA mock drafts placed James Wiseman as the top pick in the 2020 NBA draft.  With millions of dollars in his future it might be difficult for the 7-foot 1 inch 245-pound Big Man to remain in school.  It was almost guaranteed he would declare for the draft after interning his freshman year.  The breaking news hit us like a load of bricks, Wiseman’s been declared ineligible after but one game.  Was it his high school transcripts or something along those lines, not quite? 

It’s being reported the Nashville born youngster was “moved” to Memphis by the financial support of his high school coach Penny Hardaway. Hardaway was later hired as head coach at Memphis, the NCAA considers this enabling and thus Hardaway was identified as a booster.  This story is breaking news, at this point we don’t know if Penny and Memphis will file an appeal.  At the same time is the fight worth it, Wiseman likely would be history anyway after a season.      

As this account was completed Memphis received an emergency exemption to allow Wiseman to play in Friday’s game.  I'm not defending the actions of Memphis but consider the NCAA is all over the map on many of its actions. They indicate Wiseman declared ineligible was financial related. Last season they ruled Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa for a similar reason.  At some point over the summer/fall the NCAA ok'd De Sousa to play yet announced Kansas basketball committed major violations related to his recruitment, SMH.

Bits n Pieces
Celtic fans you can blame me if you wish, I’ll take the blame.  Some might remember a story this past Thursday discussing the return of Gordon Hayward.  He’d returned to the form he exhibited while a member of the Jazz.  Just when it appeared, he was going well he fractures his hand in his teams’ game versus the Spurs.  All is not lost a broken bone(s) in his hand should healed much faster than his leg injury, he should be able to return before the end of the season. 

The load management issue rose up and bit the Clippers in the butt!  The NBA at first ok’d Kawhi Leonard sitting out the game on Wednesday against the Bucks.  The NBA was okay until Doc Rivers was reported to have given inconsistent report on the health of Leonard, bottom line the Clippers were fined $50,000.  It would appear if load management of a team member is to be utilized in the future management should be very, very careful. 

This story was mentioned previously however some may have missed it and it might require a re-visit.  One of the barbers in the shop is a big time Kansas basketball fan.  In 2014 he said; “Andrew Wiggins is playing to not get hurt!”  It was his view because everybody figured he was leaving for the NBA after his freshman year I agreed with him.  Since the 2014 NBA draft through the present we continue to hear the same message about Wiggins now with the Wolves.  Perhaps Wiggins is just one of those players so smooth it appears he’s not committed.