Basketball
from a fan’s perspective
“The ship be
sinking”
The statement above is not grammatically correct however
that’s what he said. He is Michael Ray
Richardson then a member of the Knicks in the 1978-1982 time period. The Knicks were not playing very well and
when a reporter approached Richardson after a game the statement above was his
response. Michael Ray could have been so
much better if drugs hadn’t become prevalent in his life. Drugs forced him out of the NBA and though he
could appeal the ban he never returned.
Michael Ray spent the balance of his pro career among several
Euro teams. Why he never appealed the
ban only he can answer the question. We
could pose the same question to O.J. Mayo, the 3rd pick in the 2008
NBA draft never matured. Drafted by the
Wolves he would play for the Mavs and Bucks before drugs led to a mandated
suspension by the NBA. This week Mayo
decided to join a Chinese team although out of the NBA since 2016 he could have
applied for reinstatement. Why did Mayo choose
China over the NBA, only he can answer the question?
A second (or third)
look
The person writing this is a fan no more than that, I claim
no ability to spot raw talent. With that
statement concluded I will proceed with this account. Early in the collegiate season Anthony
Edwards name became prominent, it was assumed he would head to the NBA. He was a high-profile athlete and not the 5-star
prospect usually attracted to Georgia. I
had but one opportunity to see him in action, can I state a second or third
look is required.
Edwards Georgia Bulldogs only played Mizzou once, so I was
anxious to see him in action. He scored
23 points in the game but despite their poor record Mizzou beat Georgia. Edwards shot 36% from the floor and 25% from
the 3-point line, he was 2-4 from the free-throw line. I wasn’t particularly impressed by Edwards offensive
skill at least in this game. I’m going
to depend on the insight of others and just state Mizzou’s defense might have
been the chief reason Edwards experienced such a poor game.
We are unsure
The chief reason John Beilein is no longer head coach of the
Cavs rest with management. We are unsure
at times what it takes for a coach to move from the collegiate level to the
NBA. The number that succeed at this
task are few, we could count Oklahoma City’s Billy Donovan in the number. Also Brad Stevens with the Celtics is also one who made the move successfully, in an
earlier period there was Jack Ramsey and Larry Brown.
The late Dr. Jack, Jack Ramsey coached successfully at St.
Joseph’s prior to becoming the Sixers head coach in 1968. As for Brown he coached at several college
stops along with several NBA head coaching positions too. The reason why the jump is so demanding is
difficult to uncover in just a few short sentences. As mentioned previously Bill Self better be
darn sure if he intends to coach at the NBA level. The road to success is littered with those
who couldn’t do the job yet were successful in college. Self might check first with John Calipari,
Rick Pitino or John Beilein.
No NBA in Kansas
City
Despite what you might have heard or read Kansas City is not close to
an NBA return. There are several
reasons, the chief one Sprint Center.
NBA basketball requires calendar dates which affect concerts and other
events. The ownership group has the
arena booked to the hilt, basketball games to a half empty arena would
drastically affect the revenue stream.
John Sherman popped up at the time David Glass decided to
sell the baseball Royals, most in the area were totally unfamiliar with
Sherman. Is there an “NBA Sherman” here,
someone desiring to own an NBA franchise?
We don’t have an answer because we didn’t know Sherman existed prior to
his purchase. The NFL Chiefs have called
this city home for nearly 60 years without a local owner. Where is the NBA Sherman, he’s someplace
here, he’s yet to step forward?
