Basketball from a fan perspective

What could have been better---I checked the box score from Friday’s game at least three times, although I witnessed game action I tuned into highlights on NBA TV, ESPN, and TNT.  Searching for something or one thing I believe the Lakers might have not been at the top of their game, I found it.   After double-checking it wasn’t what I originally perceived.  Let’s just say the entire cast played an outstanding game especially reserve Dwight Howard. 

He and JaVale McGee were benched versus the Rockets small lineup, yet both were seen by the television cameras leading the cheers.  With a bigger Nuggets lineup both were given the opportunity to play.  Howard inserted into the lineup defended the Nuggets Nikola Jokic admirably, in addition he managed to score 13 points on 4-5 shooting from the floor.  The Joker is the best passing Big Man in the NBA, between McGee and especially Howard his passing skills were blunted. 

The Nuggets were unable to do anything with AD as he scored 37 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.  LeBron had a pedestrian game scoring but 15 points however that came with 12 assists.  Do I expect the Nuggets to repeat their Game 1 effort tonight…hardly?  They will come out prepared to do battle, Mike Malone and staff will adjust.  As you can see, we know why the Kings are in such terrible shape, they had Malone as their head coach at one point and fired him.   

The NBA Bubble---The Bubble, that was the proposal on a re-start of the NBA season.  All teams would play the remainder of their schedule in Orlando.  Once players, coaches, and associated personnel arrived they would not be allowed to leave The Bubble.  Several players for a variety of reason did leave; on the return they were quarantined before allowing them to go back to their respective team. 

Once in The Bubble players would test to ensure COVID-19 had not followed them or not spread to others in the NBA community.  As this is written not a single player has been tested positive and we are now down to four teams.  Probably the most interesting part of the story no home court advantage.  Once the playoffs started, we must assume the best team wins, not a single team can claim “They lost due to the other guy having home court advantage," it just doesn't exist in The Bubble.  

Draft Combine, kind of---Parts of NBA business is still being finalized, that is the case of the NBA Draft Combine but not really.  In years past all the prospects gathered in Chicago and underwent all kinds of workouts, this included a height and weight check.  In 2020 this is how the combine will work:

Between September 21 and October 16 players will journey to the nearest NBA team to begin the process. 

League officials will run the players through the drills in addition to medical testing.

No team personnel from that market will be part of this process.

This is not intended to be complete but provide you a thumbnail sketch of this updated NBA Draft Combine in the year of Covid. 

Wonder why--- It doesn’t matter where you play the game, it could be in Denver or Dubai, Venice Italy or Venice California, Paris France, or Paris Texas.  The regulation height for a basketball goal is 10 feet or 304.8 centimeters above the floor.  Have you ever been curious enough to uncover how Dr. James Naismith decided on that height in the original 13 Rules of Basketball?   

Perhaps I’m providing information you were already aware of.  For those who don’t know I’m happy you asked the question, in 1891 the peach basket Dr. Naismith hung was attached to the railing on the running track of the Springfield (MA) YMCA.  The height of the railing was exactly 10 feet above the floor.  The 7-foot giants able to reach the basket with dunks and other shots today were quite uncommon back then, the average American male stood a little over 5 feet 8 inches.