Basketball from a fan’s perspective

There are 8

By late July, every top high school prospect has chosen an institution of higher education, this year is quite different for several reasons.  Certainly, at the top of the list is COVID-19 which curtailed state championships and AAU summer basketball.  Rivals Class of 2020 list 150 high school players across the nation, these are not necessarily the best in the nation, but they are as far as Rivals is concerned.  Of the 150 prospects 8 chose a professional path rather than college.  Moving into the professional ranks is not that unusual however this might be the largest number to ever decide in favor of a pro career.   

Less than a week away

We are 10 days (as this is written) from the re-start of the NBA season.  Utah at New Orleans and the late game has the Clippers at the Lakers, of course all will be played in Orlando.  What type of play should we expect, I can only speak for myself I am ready regardless of the level of play?   

The first time

This is somewhat connected to the above account, for the first time in forever.  The NBA Draft will be held Tuesday August 25 which is about a month from now.  Although no details other than the date have been announced we guess it will be a virtual draft like one conducted by the NFL earlier in the spring.  Unless there is a drastic change over the next four weeks, we are still unclear who the top pick might be.  Who is picked number one is only important to that team and athlete?  

In previous years we had a clue who the top pick might be, in 2020 it is a roll of the dice.  At least two mock draft sites have Georgia’s Anthony Edwards as the top pick.  As for another, cbssports.com NBA page indicates the choice might be James Wiseman University of Memphis Big Man.  Despite this information I am not exactly sure this is the case; I believe it depends on which team is up first in the lottery.  Unlike the NFL draft held in April the NBA Draft will be conducted while teams are completing the seasons and prior to the playoffs.   

Like father not always like son

Bronny James is on the basketball player just like dad LeBron.  Will he taste success at the same level of his famous father?  That question is unanswered at this point but check out others in the recent past.  Both Marcus and Jeffrey Jordan managed college basketball careers, neither was able to reach the height of Father Michael. 

Much earlier we looked at Rick Barry’s offspring Scooter, Drew, and Jon all except Scooter experienced NBA life although nowhere close to their dad.  Youngest son Canyon Barry is currently playing in the G-League, does he have the NBA in his future?  Perhaps the best move might be that made by Grant Hill and Patrick Mahomes, Hill is retired now however Mahomes is active.  Neither son took of the sport of their fathers, Grant’s father was an NFL running back and Patrick’s father a major league pitcher.   

Bits n Pieces

The late George Mikan wore jersey number 99 for the Minneapolis Lakers, he was the first legitimate good Big Man in the NBA.  Checking NBA rosters, I discovered there is another jersey wearing 99 on the scene, 7-foot 5 inch 311-pound Tacko Fall is sporting the number.  Tacko remains a work in progress although it is interesting the Celtics kept him on a 2-way contract.  This contract allowed him to spend time playing on their G-League team as well as the Celtics.   

St. Thomas a Division III program now holds a unique distinction.  The NCAA approved the move of this former Division III school to compete in Division I, they become the first school in modern history to move this type of move.  The St. Paul (MN) school was the 2011 and 2016 NCAA Champions in Division III, they will join the Summit League in the fall.  

Mavs owner Mark Cuban tells Dan Snyder owner of the NFL Washington team to “man-up.”  Recently it was reported there were instances of sexual harassment by members of the NFL franchise.  Cuban should know, he went through a similar situation with his Mavs in 2018.  It was discovered there was widespread harassment within the Mavs.  Once given the information Cuban issued a public apology and contributed $10 million to women’s organizations.  He went about making internal changes regarding reporting these types of incidents. 

It was mentioned previously St Louis had an NBA to prior to the arrival of the Hawks.  The St. Louis Bombers folded in 1950 however they were an original member of the BAA (1946) and arrived in the NBA with the merger between the BAA and NBL.  The only player who might have a recognizable name was “Easy” Ed McCauley.  McCauley had the distinction of playing for both St. Louis teams, the Bombers and later in his career a trade brought him to the Hawks.  In 1960 McCauley was enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame.