Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Big Shot Rob

That was the nickname given former NBA player Robert Horry. This is a trivia question you will win every time. Celtic great Bill Russell has 11 NBA championship rings, who is in second place? Guarantee someone will claim Michael Jordan, others might say Kareem, and neither is correct. The answer is Horry who played for the Rockets, Suns, Lakers, and Spurs during his time in the NBA.

Horry has 7 championship rings, one more than both MJ and Kareem. We’ve heard the term right time right place, that certainly applies to Horry although he certainly was not last off the bench. One might look at his career 7.0-point scoring average and wrongly conclude he had little if any value as an NBA player. He was not nicknamed Big Shot for no reason, time after time Horry would hit a clutch shot winning a game for the team.

There is no doubt the greatest clutch shot perhaps in Laker history was chronicled by Horry. To set the stage the Lakers were 24 points down in the second half of their playoff game versus the Kings. If the Lakers lose this game, they will face an 0-2 deficit. Rather than describe the shot check out the video link below and you see the 3-point shot by Horry that won the game and tied the series for the Lakers. The Lakers win on to win that series by the way.

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

Load management

Through-out the 2019-20 NBA season we heard the term almost daily. With the NBA season on pause the discussion on load management also subsided. This is the practice of NBA players taking the afternoon or evening off although not injured or ill. This has become common place although several players like LeBron refuse to sit. There are other players who use load management to full advantage. The issue has caused a division among NBA fans, several see the policy as okay while others are critical. What side of the issue are you on?

I am guilty but so are you

The late heavyweight boxing champion Muhammed Ali would make the statement all the time if there was mic nearby, “I am the greatest.”  It became part of his lexicon and Ali was the best of his craft for several years. We use the term “greatest” utilizing it to athletes in a varied number of sports, it is my belief we are guilty of applying it too literally at times. My view of the term is simple, a generational athlete no matter the sport. He or she comes along and adds something we have never witnessed previously.

This athlete arrives on the scene in cycles, on the professional level teams add new roster members every season, the generational athlete arrives every 10-15 years. As an example, the NBA adds 60 players each season to team rosters. Several of those players go on to have outstanding careers but do they become the stuff of legend? The quick answer is no, example we will use two teammates. Scottie Pippen was a great player; his teammate Michael Jordan was generational and has almost become legendary the longer he is retired. I am always hesitant to use the term greatest without some serious consideration.

Hindsight  

We say shoulda, coulda, woulda for a variety of reasons, chief being turning left when we could have turned right.  Example, Nick Ziegler wrote in fansided.com 3 players the Lakers should have drafted over Moritz Wagner.  Wagner drafted 25^th in the 2018 NBA draft spent the season either injured or with the South Bay Lakers.  In July 2019 he was part of a trade sending him to the Wizards, I can agree to a point the Lakers could have drafted the 3 players he listed but that’s where the draft becomes tricky. 

One of the players Ziegler mentions was point guard Landry Shamet now with the Clippers.  Shamet (from Kansas City) was drafted by the Sixers with the 26^th pick, he proved to be steady and due to the Markelle Fultz injury (since traded to the Magic) Shamet played more than he would have under ordinary circumstances.  He’s been a steady player for the Clippers, injuries witnessed him inserted into the starting lineup at times during the 2019-20 season.  With the 34^th pick the Hornets chose Devonte Graham, his first year was rather unimpressive. 

Graham’s sophomore year became his break-out season, this point guard moved from 4.7 points and 2.6 assists to 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game.  The Lakers had center Mitchell Robinson come in and work out for them.  Laker Nation was sure he would be the pick at 25, the Knicks chose him in the second round with the 42^nd pick.  Not true in all cases however late first round and second round picks don’t often approach lofty heights on the court.  Ziegler is correct, they should have chosen one of the 3 over Wagner but that’s the gamble of an NBA draft.