Basketball from a fan perspective

Bits n Pieces---Breaking news on Monday came word Doc Rivers is out as Clippers coach.  Not a great deal of detail is known as this is written, as additional information is known it will be passed on to you.  

The father says one thing and the son says something else.  LaVar Ball says, “The Warriors are not a good fit for my son”, LaMelo Ball says, “I’m my own man.”  Is there a power fight in the Ball family?  Is the son informing the father you need to allow me to make my own decisions?   

He returned---I wanted to check the history, Phil Jackson left the Lakers at the end of the 1993-94 season.  There were issues with Kobe and Shaq in addition management refused to meet his salary request, so he resigned.  He resigned in 1994 only to return in 2005, his Laker team would win two more championships in 2010 and 2011.  Why the history lesson you ask, allow a short answer? 

Reports continue to circulate the Rockets are entertaining a re-hire of Jeff Van Gundy.  This has nothing to do with his coaching ability rather the fact they fired him in 2007.  Being terminated is no reason for a permanent Scarlett Letter however what does it say about your organization.  Unlike with Jackson he chose to leave and later return, the Rockets appear willing to re-hire a guy they could have kept all along, oh well.   

Who you got? ---Most in the nation are probably rooting for the Heat to win the 2020 NBA Championship.  That might be the case except the pocket surrounding Los Angeles, in addition there are isolated Laker fans here and there not living in Southern California.  I maintain (without offering any proof) there are more Laker fans throughout the nation and world than any other NBA team.  As for the return the last time the Lakers were in this neighborhood was 2010, for the Heat it was 2013.  Those rooting against the Lakers will inform you they are rooting for the Heat because:

*They hate LeBron

*They hate the Lakers

*They are sick of hearing talk about the Lakers (that could tie into the one above)

*They hate the State of California

Do you notice a common theme here, perhaps its imagination on my part?  If it is, I apologize in advance.     

Kentucky Wildcats--The 2020 NBA Championship will be decided by athletes from the same team, either the Lakers win or the Heat.  Regardless the winner of note will be Kentucky basketball.  Former Wildcats Rajon Rondo and Anthony Davis will be on one sideline for the Lakers while the Heat send out Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo also former Wildcats. 

Even more interesting 3 of the 4 played for Coach John Calipari, former Coach Tubby Smith was at the helm for Rajon Rondo. That makes Rondo the “old man” of these former Wildcats at 34-years of age, although Herro and Adebayo are close in age neither were teammates while at Kentucky.  Adebayo played one season for Kentucky in 2016-17 while Herro was there in 2018-19, both left after their freshmen year for the NBA.   

2020 Draft Combine---Earlier we reported the 2020 version of the NBA Draft Combine will be held in phases.  The first phase was held yesterday and proved interesting in one aspect; LaMelo Ball was the only potential lottery pick who chose to attend.  Taking a pass were James Edwards, Georgia, James Wiseman, Memphis and Obi Toppin, Dayton.  Whether this trio and others decide to attend future sessions is unknown at this point.  As for Ball deciding to appear it’s your guess as to why, in recent years potential top candidates avoid the combine.