Basketball from a fan perspective

My Top 10 NYC basketball players

Over the generations New York City basketball has turned out a who’s who list of outstanding basketball talent over the years.  Once upon a time the great majority of the city’s talent remained in the metro, they attended St. John’s, Columbia, Iona, Rutgers, and others.  All that’s changed now in more recent years, high school talent has left the city in droves for other programs    throughout the country. 

Metro NYC continues to produce some of the best basketball talent in the nation it’s just visible elsewhere.  A recent example would be the Knicks top 2020 pick Obi Topping, born in Brooklyn he played his basketball at the University of Dayton.  As for the history even basketball hotbeds like Chicago, Los Angeles and others cannot compete with this list.  Keep in mind we are discussing high school talent; we are excluding any pro career they might have experienced.  

  1.Kareem Abdul Jabbar

  2.Julius Erving

  3.Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald

  4.Kenny Smith

  5.Kenny Anderson

  6.Stephon Marbury

  7.Billy Cunningham

  8.Roger Brown

  9.Connie Hawkins

10.Bernard King

Our list is the top 10 athletes believe to represent the best of the best high school basketball talent.  There are several others who could have been included but were omitted, it certainly wasn’t intentional your list might contain them.  We could have included Albert King, Felipe Lopez, Lance Stephenson, Sebastian Telfair, Rafer Alston and Ron Artest who barely missed my cut.  Although my decision was difficult I must state the names mentioned and perhaps others were excluded due to space rather than talent in choosing my Top 10 All-Time greatest list.  

We do what we do

This is written November 24; additional player changes might have occurred by the time you read this account.  As of this date several websites and talking heads on television have awarded grades to NBA teams regarding the draft and free agency.  Let’s check a little closer, first I too fall into the trap as well so this should not be considered a complete rather reality.  Awarding letter grades is the method we are accustomed; it provides us an imaginary litmus test. 

Despite the grade the following is what a grading system fails to provide, we believe the Clippers signing Kawhi Leonard is an A, we cannot see load management making it a C+ or perhaps a B grade.  In 2013 the Cavs made Anthony Bennett of UNLV the top pick in that year’s draft, we later discovered Bennett couldn’t play effectively at the NBA level.  Scouting reports at the time indicated he would be an “effective pro.”  For those old enough to remember the name one account had him rated as Larry Johnson prior to injury. 

These two examples are cited as evidence grading systems often fail us.  Probably the best approach to make regarding the draft and free agency is one of caution.  That is the issue, many want to be the first to say, “I told you so” is why we often overlook potential landmines.  We have no ability to see into the future if that’s the case perhaps the Clippers and Cavs would have taken a different course.  On the other hand, with all the information in front of them make the same decision. 

2020 deaths

As we head for the midnight hour 2020 has been a traumatic year punctuated by the pandemic that took full effect in March.  The year started January 1, the first day of the year came the announcement of the death of David Stern former NBA Commissioner and the man generally given credit for building the NBA what it is today.  Stern had fallen ill while at dinner but died in January of the year.  Near the end of the month came word of the helicopter crash killing Kobe Bryant his daughter and 7 other passengers and several others.  2020 would see many well-known names in the world of basketball die, the names are not in any date order.  The basketball world mourned their loss, please not the team they are most associated with is provided.       

Tommy Heinsohn-Celtic player and broadcaster

John Thompson-former Georgetown coach

Lute Olson-former Arizona head coach

Wes Unseld-Bullets and former head coach

Jerry Sloan-Longtime Jazz coach and former player

Mike Storen-ABA Commissioner

Fred ‘Curly’ Neal-Harlem Globetrotter

Cliff Robinson-Blazers  

Naturally, this list should not be considered complete, there are several names omitted.  Our desire was to focus on the names familiar to most with basketball history, R.I.P.

Basketball from a fan perspective

Not a surprise

This is a report for those who didn’t know earlier (including me).  This portion was clear to most of us, we understood Emoni Bates had left Ypsilanti High School after his sophomore year to enroll in a prep school founded by his father.   We didn’t pay much attention until high school teams began play and that’s when this writer began an investigation.  Ypsi Prep is a “basketball factory” no more no less, what about academics you might ask. 

We are pleased you are curious; Ypsi Prep is affiliated with a school which provides online learning, this school is responsible for the academic side of Ypsi Prep.  We believe the academics although online must be compatible with in class institutions in the State of Michigan.  Ypsi is not recognized by the Michigan High School Athletic Association so there will be no opportunity to win another state championship for Bates and team. 

The upside of a move like this for Bates and others, they can travel freely playing the best competition in the country.  This writer did not fall off the turnip truck yesterday, I was aware similar type arrangements existed with several prep schools.  Who pays the travel fees for Ypsi Prep and other schools across the nation?  This is the soft underbelly of competitive basketball that causes much uneasiness.  We cannot do anything to change the course of this ship, the hope is none of the “students” get lost sailing off course along the way. 

???

The University of Arizona announced on Tuesday the school would not participate in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.  It appears this is an effort to punish itself for issues raised by the NCAA investigation.  The second most interesting portion of this announcement there was no mention of Coach Sean Miller’s role anywhere in the notice.  At this point we have no idea what future action might be taken by the NCAA; this is little more than a slap on the wrist based on the charges leveled by the NCAA. 

Arizona removing itself from the tournament is interesting, should we suppose Kansas might take a similar stance?  Remaining in front of Arizona are five Level 1 charges the same amount Kansas basketball currently faces.  Back in the summer Kansas Coach Bill Self threaten to sue the NCAA, a search fails to indicate any action has taken place.  We are in a holding pattern regarding Kansas basketball for now. 

Closed

Generally, when a small business is not open a CLOSED sign is usually visible on the door or window.  As for the NBA that’s a slightly different matter, the NBA is open for business however the setting is going to vary depending on your location.  Witnessing highlights of the weekend games a game a small gathering of fans was noted in one city.  What exactly is the NBA policy in this pandemic climate, it depends on the location?  After checking NBA.com we discover a mix bag of information, most teams are allowing no fans period based on local mandates.  As for others it’s a different matter, a small number of fans can attend the games.  The majority indicate at the end of January the issue will be checked to determine if a change is okay.    

I liked him back then 

Most of us first heard the name Dennis Schroeder the night of the first 2013 NBA Draft.  He was the 17^th pick by the Hawks back then and was among the new breed of combo guards.  In his 4^th year he moved into the starting lineup where all his numbers continued to climb.  July 2018 saw him traded to the Thunder where he assumed a backup role behind Russell Westbrook, he would continue in that role behind Chris Paul. 

November 2018 witnessed a trade to the Lakers in exchange for Danny Green, after expressing excitement the next statement bothered a number in Laker Nation.  Schroeder indicated he should be the starting point guard; he made the statement despite being runner up to the 6^th Man of the Year in the 2019-20 season.  He said this despite LeBron James essentially playing the point last season and leading the league in assists.  After four games Schroeder has settled into his role as a starter, does he remain in that role through the season.  We don’t know however after the first two games it appears; he is suited for the role of starter.

Basketball from a fan perspective

Brick City

We knew early Klay Thompson would be missing in action for the season. Despite half of the Splash Brothers absent we expected improved play by the Warriors over last season.  After all they had holdovers Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Draymond Green.  Those veterans plus a bench would take up some of the slack with the absence of Thompson.  Top draft pick James Wiseman could be introduced slowly to NBA play and have adequate time to adjust. 

Oh well sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men often don’t work out as planned.  As an example, Wiggins and Oubre Jr. must have received building permits, we say this based on the number of bricks produced thus far.  Both might have an issue standing on a pier and tossing a pebble into San Francisco Bay based on their shooting percentage.  Veteran Green injured is yet to make an appearance and then Marquese Chriss too was lost for the season with an ankle injury.  We are left with Steph Curry and James Wiseman and the other guys to try and correct this ship listing to the port side. 

Throwback

Sunday evening the Lakers were rocking the 1960 throwback jerseys, they faced the Wolves minus KAT.  Karl-Anthony Towns with a dislocated left wrist injury was forced to miss the game.  It probably wouldn’t have mattered as the Lakers won the game easily 127-91.  Kyle Kuzma replaced Anthony Davis who was out of the lineup and he certainly made up for AD who was missing due to a calf injury. 

Kuzma must have hit his first 4 shots all 3-point baskets, from there it was all downhill for the Wolves.  How bad was it you ask; the Lakers had a 22-point lead at the half and LeBron had only scored 7 points?  The second half of the game witnessed the Lakers letting up on the gas and coasting to the victory.  LeBron sat down shortly before the end of the 3^rd quarter and would not play the balance of the game. 

Kuzma led the way in this game however others contributed to the victory, especially Marc Gasol.  Cynics indicated the Lakers might suffer with rim protection with no Dwight Howard or JaVale McGee.  Gasol might have curtailed that talk with a solid game of 12 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists from the center position.  Oh, Gasol who can’t jump 2 inches had 4 blocked shots.  The remainder of the season will not be as easy for the Lakers as we witnessed Sunday evening.  In addition, injuries, and the specter of COVID loom over the Lakers and the rest of the NBA. 

A bump in the road

The case for misleading numbers, after two games Wizards guard Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple double.  He’s at 18 points, 13 rebounds and 13.5 assists per game but that’s only a portion of the story.  Westbrook is shooting 36.6% from the field and 0.00 behind the 3-point line, he’s missed all 6 of his attempts.  He is now 32-years of age with 12-years of wear and tear on his body, he’s no longer that 25-year-old athlete who could leap out of the gym. 

It’s often been pointed out Father Time remains undefeated.  What’s that you say, “LeBron James is older and has more mileage on his legs and body than Westbrook” no argument from me with that statement.  The difference is LeBron’s game is not hard driving 100% of the time, don’t misunderstand the statement allow me to elaborate.  The game for LeBron to me appears steady and methodical, he’s not trying to go 500 mph which Westbrook still operates like that now. 

“The more things change the more they stay the same”

The time is short, in 6 months the NBA Draft will be upon us once again.  Checking our usual sources, we see little change, at the top of most mock drafts a significant concentration of college freshman.  At this point we have no idea how the 2020-21 college season turns out, yet NBA scouts contend these young men are “ready for the rigors of NBA play.”  Just a few years ago, there were claims the D-League (now G-League) would negate one and done youngsters, turns out this never came to fruition. 

Then it was said the NBA Players Association would vote in favor of allowing high school players in the draft again, at least through 2020 that’s yet to occur.  Just this past summer the G-League selected a few highly touted high school seniors, these youngsters would form an elite team and better prepare them for the NBA.  The elite team is so new it’s difficult to determine its future impact regarding the NBA Draft.  Where does that leave us at the end of the year, right back where we began?  The upcoming draft will be comprised of a significant number of one and done prospects.  Will the landscape regarding the draft ever change, we just don’t know at this time?      

Basketball from a fan perspective

WOW!!!!

The NFL Chiefs and Falcons game was my focus; I didn’t see the Clippers-Mavs from the beginning.  I changed to NBA TV with minutes remaining in the first half, imagine my shock with the scored displayed at the bottom of the screen.  The half time score read Mavs 77 Clippers 27; this account should not be considered complete since I saw so little of the first half.  It was just as bad in the second half for me but even worst for the Clippers.  I went to sleep in my favorite chair and as I awoke as I heard the announcer providing the final score. 

It read Mavs 123 Clippers 73; most NBA fans were aware Kawhi Leonard would be sitting this one out.  After an erratic elbow by teammate Serge Ibaka stitches were required for Kawhi, but his absence shouldn’t result in a loss of this magnitude.  The game sat an NBA record, the largest half-time deficient in NBA history.  Someone stated the Clippers don’t have a real leader…that might be the case based on the outcome of this game.  One additional note, it was pointed out all required of the Mavs in theory was to score 1 point in the second half of the game.  If we check the math we discover the half time spread was the same as the end of the game.     

Friends & Fans

Several reading yesterday’s Words eye view might believe I was too tough on James Hardin yesterday.  I never maligned his talent or ability to play the game we love.  He is just like several professional athletes; he’s become a celebrity and with that status comes extra benefits.  Those benefits entail deciding where you want to play basketball, his status is no different in a sense than others.  Way back when Kareem Abdul Jabbar requested the Bucks trade him, years later we read he wanted his hometown Knicks. 

The Bucks traded him to Los Angeles where he’d played his college basketball, he would begin play with the Lakers.  Fast forward several generations, we cannot give you the day and date the late Kobe Bryant requested the Lakers trade him.  The circumstances why the trade was requested are unclear in my memory however it did occur.  Fortunately, somehow Kobe was placated and retired a Laker.  As for Hardin the remarks made yesterday have nothing to do with the talent, he demonstrates on the basketball court.  Can he change portions of his game to accommodate the desires of another NBA team is the question at hand? 

Empty arenas

The NFL and college football season has witnessed fans present although on a limited capacity basis.  As for the NBA and college basketball the situation is far different.  Athletes in football and basketball are playing without mask except on the sidelines it’s the issue of air.  Basketball is played indoor versus football played in the open air.  We are led to believe in the open air COVID is less likely to occur, as for basketball it looks different.  If the TV camera is aimed at the court the lack of fans is not quite as evident, pumped in crowd noise helps but it can be distracting at times.  The crowd cheering sometimes fails to follow the action accurately on the court, despite this issue within protocol it remains good to have basketball NBA and college played. 

SEC Conference play    

Mizzou escaped an upset last week as the Bradley Braves almost took out Mizzou in a game won by the Tigers 54-53.  As conference play begins the road ahead looks plenty tough.  On December 30 Mizzou serves as host to the Tennessee Vols, that game is followed up by a visit on January 2 to Fayetteville Arkansas and the University of Arkansas.  No need of looking ahead any further let’s just say the SEC race ahead looks difficult, how tough is it? 

The SEC is not Big 12 tough, it certainly isn’t at the ACC level either however Mizzou must bring its A game for every match this season.  The 2020-21 year is the Year of Cuonzo Martin for several reasons, number one he’s convinced all who will listen this is his best team since his arrival at Mizzou.  Despite the hiccup experienced last week versus Bradley it appears this team is ready to compete, naturally there are issues which cannot be addressed in this short account.  At the end of the season hopefully Mizzou Nation will witness a return to competitive play on the basketball court.  

Basketball from a fan perspective

Can you say he was a champion?

If you checked the late K.C. Jones NBA numbers, you might wonder why he was held in such high esteem in NBA circles.  During his career, his scoring average was a lowly 7.4 ppg along with 4.3 assists, numbers which certainly fail to display his championship pedigree.  Jones might be proof we sometimes focus too much on numbers rather than heart.  As former Rockets Coach Rudy Tomjanovich once said, “Never underestimate the heart of a champion.”  Can you say Jones was a champion, the term certainly fit the former Celtic player and coach who died on Friday?

Jones was a winner prior to his arrival with the Celtics, he was a 2-time NCAA Champion with the University of San Francisco along with teammate Bill Russell.  He would join Russell with the Celtics and win 8 NBA Championships; from there he was a 2-time NBA Champion assistant coach.  Later Jones won 2 championships coaching his former Celtic team.  He was enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.  Patrolling the sidelines as a coach Jones always seemed calm and restrained, beneath that reserved appearance was a guy who always wanted to win.  R.I.P. K.C. Jones, the basketball world will miss you. 

M.I.A.

Every Top 25 poll for the last two weeks contained two SEC schools, one of them Tennessee, somewhat expected under Rick Barnes over the last several seasons.  Cuonzo Martin and Mizzou certainly would be a surprise in almost all circles.  Most SEC writers had the Tigers pegged for middle of the pack in the conference race.  During half time of the Virginia-Gonzaga game on Saturday CBS analyst Seth Davis and Clark Kellogg were questioned which teams were a surprise thus far. 

Davis named the University of Texas and Kellogg named Cuonzo Martin and Mizzou.  Prior to conference play there is one team we always expect to see in the Top 25 is M.I.A. in the early season.  The Kentucky Wildcats are nowhere to be seen in fact they have a losing record for the first time since John Calipari arrived.  As we indicate conference play is yet to start and the coach has a history, do we expect Kentucky to remain M.I.A. the balance of the season.  That question remains unanswered at this point, stay tuned for further updates.

“Oh no you ain’t”

I held a conversation with a friend over the summer, although he played football in college, this was a basketball story.  John told me an account which had me rolling on the floor with laughter, he said during a portion of a pickup game he decided to go up for a dunk, he said his body told him “You are not going to try to do that are you?”  He finished the account by informing me he dunked the ball but said “that was the last time for me.” 

More recently I read an account of former NBA player David West, drafted in 2003 he retired in 2018 after playing for several teams.  When did he know it was time to retire, “I tried to post up Josh Hart a couple times…And I couldn’t post him up.  Literally during the game, I’m (telling myself), Yo, if you can’t move this cat, you gotta go__it’s time.”  This just reminds us of the statement we’ve often heard, “Father Time remains undefeated.” 

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego James Hardin

A number might remember the old PBS series which ran in the early to mid ‘90’s, I took liberty by changing the end title.  Where in the World is James Hardin, we ask the question, but we have the answer.  His body is in Houston, his head is elsewhere because he certainly indicates he wants his head to join his body at some point.  Jeff Van Gundy must believe we know nothing about basketball, during a brief discussion while providing commentary on the Mavs-Lakers game he mentioned Hardin and his talent.  No one to my knowledge is disputing the talent it it’s the other things he brings to the table.  The NBA trade deadline is January 25, I’m going to join the chorus in stating James Hardin will be traded by that date.  To whom is the question at this point since Hardin has a short list of possible destinations.   

Basketball from a fan perspective

Sadness in the NBA

Legendary Celtic player and coach K.C. Jones died on Friday; he was 88-years old.  Playing for the Celtics back in the glory days he, Sam Jones and Bob Cousy were part of the legendary NBA Championship backcourt.  As additional details are made available expect to read an additional account in Sunday's Words eye view.   

Look what I discovered

My wife and I were driving home, and a tune came on the radio.  A portion of the lyrics sung by the artist contained the words “24 seconds” and it caused me to think, “I told my wife, as much as I know about basketball and especially the NBA, I have no idea how the league arrived at a 24-second clock?”  Well, I had to discover the answer, for many of you too young the leagues not always operated with a clock. 

“The NBA introduced the 24-second shot clock during the 1954-55 season to speed up the game.  The number 24 was devised by Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone, who divided the game’s 48 minutes into 120, the average of 60 shots per team in games played from the previous three seasons.”   Like anything else over time, the average number of shots has probably varied up or down however the NBA continued to use the 24 second shot clock as it’s barometer. 

ESPN.com

Bits n Pieces 

By now you are aware the Clippers spoiled ring night for the Lakers, the Staples Arena co-tenants won the opening night match 116-109.  Even funnier is one of the ESPN guys announcements ahead of SportsCenter and I paraphrase, “The Clippers made the Lakers sit up and take notice, stay tuned for details.”  I laughed out loud when I heard his comment, this was Game One.  There are 71 more games to play and rest assured the Lakers wanted to win but consider this fact.  Didn’t the Clippers win their first match last season against the Lakers, wonder how the 2019-20 NBA Championship concluded?    

James Harden continues to expand his list of possible destinations; added to his wish is Boston and Portland.  It would be difficult for me to envision him in the same backcourt with Dame Lillard, after all matching him with another talent appeared to cause him a problem.  Earlier he announced he was okay with playing for the Knicks or Sixers, it appears “The Beard” is willing to play almost anywhere except Houston.  Most of the games we saw Harden dominated the basketball despite the presence of Russell Westbrook last season.   

This disclaimer up front, this is certainly no prediction of future NBA stardom.  The Warriors James Wiseman got off to a good start in his first regular season pro game.  The 7 foot 1 Wiseman in 24 minutes was 7-13 from the floor, he pulled down 6 rebounds and scored 19 points.  The leader of the team Steph Curry indicated the rookie had a good game.  Wiseman might have had the best start of any rookie thus far. 

Why must you do it, you know what I’m referring to?  A story on the NBA or sports in general, your response is to write a letter which has 0 connection to the account in front of us.  I’ll give you an example, a company ad featuring rings in the likeness of those awarded champions.  The first letter read; “What about honoring the troops who are serving.”  Nothing wrong with the statement but what does that have to do with the subject at hand?  “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing”-Steven Covey

Now we understand

Aminu Mohammed attends a Springfield MO high school, based on that fact alone there was a glimmer of hope the 5-star prospect might choose Mizzou.  After all Springfield is but a short 162-mile journey to Columbia home of Mizzou.  Mohammed made his decision known, he committed to Patrick Ewing and Georgetown basketball.  The verdict might have not been that difficult for Mohammed, we discovered after his commitment he’s from Washington D.C.

How he managed to find his way to Springfield MO and attend Laboratory School remains a mystery.  Perhaps someone in Springfield or D.C. knows the story in detail.  As for the numbers Mohammed is a 6-4 200-pound shooting guard, Mohammed is rated the number 15 prospect by Rivals.com in the Class of 2021.  In any event he remains one of several talented athletes we remain anxious to see in action at the collegiate level. 

Basketball from a fan perspective

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COVID strikes

We figure it would occur sooner or later, with no NBA teams in the bubble a game would be postponed sooner or later, the later occurred Wednesday evening.  A game between the Thunder and Rockets was shelved as the Rockets failed to have enough players available for the match.  The game was suspended in accordance with the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols.  In addition, the NBA fined James Hardin $50,000 due to protocol violation. 

The NBA reviewed video of Hardin socializing at a nightclub with no mask.  For those who might believe the league is overstepping its bounds consider this bit of information.  The NBA adopted a rule for its employees, and it is clear one of those is wearing a mask while in public.  It should be apparent by now Hardin desperately wants out of Houston; he certainly is going about it in a strange manner.  Perhaps losing money he hopes to prove how serious his intentions are. 

The decision 

I am faced with a dilemma of epic proportions, I’m still unsure how to proceed.  It’s NBA League Pass time again and now I can subscribe and only see Laker games however that’s the problem.  Road games the Lakers play in East and Midwest Time Zones are no problem even games played in Rocky Mountain Time Zones.  As for Pacific Time that’s another matter, games are aired in Kansas City with a starting time of 9:00 or 9:30 p.m. 

These games generally end around midnight unless heaven forbid, they go into overtime.  You see my quandary, the eyelids become rather droopy about 11:00 p.m. and much as I might desire to see a game to its conclusion sleep begins to dominate and cloud my desire.   One might say “Why not DVR the game” which is certainly a partial answer, in no way am I watching the game live the next day.  In this information age it’s impossible for a sports fan to shut him or her off from scores, news, and other bits of information from the previous night’s action. 

He said it, not me                          

From time to time, you’ve heard me whine and complain about no NBA basketball in Kansas City.  Since 1985 the metro has witnessed few games except an occasional annual exhibition, those no longer occur as NBA teams now tend to remain closer to home even pre-season.  On what might be termed a State of the NBA address on the eve of another season we heard the word…EXPANSION. 

Nothing set in stone however Commissioner Silver mentioned adding new team(s) would add needed additional revenue.  There were no cities mentioned by the commissioner which might be included in expansion, but we are aware of the names.  They are Seattle, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and possibly a metro Virginia location.  Whenever or wherever expansion occurs it will require an owner with deep, deep pockets.  It’s mentioned NBA teams never remain on the market long so ownership might not be as difficult as one might believe. 

The key to winning

The short answer there is no key the door is slammed shut, a team must have the ability to bust down the door by being bold and risking it all.  If we speak strictly of the NBA, the front office (including the coach) and ownership must be in sync are a key.  There is no ownership group desiring for the team to lose on purpose except in rare cases.  The two examples will remain locked in my brain because I have no ability to provide my hypothesis.  Daryl Morey left Houston for Philadelphia; the belief Morey will find the key leading the Sixers to championship success. 

Previously Sam “Trust the Process” Hinkie oversaw the effort in Philadelphia, there are several in Sixer Nation who might question the success the team experienced.  The Rockets under Morey had a successful record while he was in place earning a playoff berth every season, a championship however eluded them.  We could look elsewhere like Sacramento, the Kings have changed coaches, changed front office personnel but have failed to earn a playoff berth in 10 seasons.  Not to just pick on the teams mentioned, we could explore the subject with the Wizards, Suns (pending Chris Paul), and of course the New York Knicks.  Once again, the door to success remains shut until you bust that sucker down. 

 

Basketball from a fan perspective

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Ugly

What an ugly win, the reference is the Mizzou-Bradley game played last night, Mizzou managed to beat Bradley 54-53 Tuesday evening.  The tough defense exhibited both made for one of the ugliest matches you might ever witnessed without becoming extremely ill.  Mizzou wins a game shooting 25% from the floor in their own gym, Bradley shot much better at nearly 37%. Mizzou’s proficient 3-man backcourt would see only Xavier Pinson playing close to his normal game versus Mark Smith & Dru Smith.  

Pinson would finish the game with 15 points but was a paltry 4-13 from the floor.  With so many missing shots there were rebounds galore for both teams of the offensive and defensive variety.  Big Man Jeremiah Tilmon (6-10 260 pounds) came alive in the second half finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds after suffering foul trouble.  As my cousin stated, “Ugly but we use to lose those games.  At the end of the year nobody hardly remembers those.”  Melvin is correct at the end of the season we’ll look at this as a win and that’s all.   

What do you think?

 “I can guarantee you one thing, tall skilled beats small skilled all the time…a small skilled beats a big stiff all the time…I would’ve loved having a Draymond Green guard me, I don’t care how many threes, what he would do.  He couldn’t grow enough to guard me.”  The words of former Celtic great Kevin McHale.  Allow a further explanation, McHale was nicknamed “The Black Hole” for a reason. 

Science claims stars and other matter entering a black hole disappear never to emerge again.  That was a claim by Celtic teammates, if they passed the ball into McHale don’t expect to see it returned, he’s taking the shot.  A writer noted this about the statement: “He’s talking about basketball in his era.”  This person is attempting to inform us McHale and others couldn’t play in the NBA of today.  In my view that is far from the truth, aspects of any sport changes over generations.  Many of us fail to take into consideration highly skilled athletes could play no matter the era. 

The Zen of Alex Caruso

“The definition of Zen is slang for feeling peaceful and relaxed.”  That might be the case for Laker reserve guard Alex Caruso or simply a case of “water rising to its highest level,” Caruso was a starter in one the games in the Laker Championship series.  Did we mention Caruso went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft, did we reveal he paid his dues playing in the G-League and developing his game?  What do we believe might be the Zen of Alex Caruso, it’s simple, “A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don’t realize the position they’re trying out for.”  Caruso said, “It’s like going to a job interview thinking you’re going to be the CFO of the company, and they’re looking for someone to clean the bathrooms.”  Thus, the lesson or Zen of Alex Caruso ends at this point.    

It is easy to understand

Spurs center David Robinson retired in 2003, if you unfamiliar with him that’s easy to understand.  Despite a Naismith and FIBA Hall of Fame enshrinement he’s usually not included in a discussion of all-time great NBA centers.  His background, the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, how in the world did he arrive in the NBA from a service academy might be a question?  The military service academies have provided several NFL players however the NBA has been a far different story.

The issue might be simply a height matter, generally 6 foot 7 inches is the maximum height of a military officer.  That was the case with Robinson at the time he qualified for and entered Annapolis.  No way could anyone have predicted he would grow to 7 foot 1 over the next 4 years, his height would prevent him from serving aboard a nuclear submarine.  The military service commitment required was reduced and Robinson began play for the NBA Spurs as a 24-year-old rookie.  He would play until 2003 and was a 2-time NBA Champion and NBA MVP in 1995.  The honors mentioned are just a few Robinson earned during a brilliant amateur and professional career. 

Basketball from a fan perspective

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I’m not psychic

If you read the Sunday edition of Words eye view you know the story.  I painted myself on the side of Kyle Kuzma, I wanted him to remain a Laker (at least for the foreseeable future).  Well, that’s what occurred on Sunday with the announcement, Kuzma will sign a 3-year extension and will remain a Laker.  

Don’t get too excited

Awhile back you read an optimistic article regarding Laker guard Talen Horton-Tucker, the second-year guard’s breakout in the exhibition season has made for a pleasant surprise.  Keep in mind although the report sounded awesome please don’t become too excited.  Once the regular season commences THT will face a varied number of opposition players and defenses as well.  He is not coming off the bench and scoring 33 or even 19 points every time out in this upcoming season. 

The hope by Frank Vogel is THT will be an upgrade to the reserve rotation, it’s documented once LeBron sat down last season for a rest scoring dropped.  If memory serves me, I believe the reduced scoring ranged from 5-10 points with no LeBron on the floor.  As this is written it’s unclear if Dennis Schroder will start or continue in a reserve role however let’s assume, he’s a reserve at the point.  It appears in position less basketball THT might become “Rajon Rondo” for the 2020-21 Lakers, as for the balance of the roster and the season in general I’m cautiously optimistic. 

Whatever the decision is made on paper Laker reserves might be starters on other teams.  As this is written Kyle Kuzma, THT, KCP, Caruso, Cook and several others return, we add newcomers Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, and Wesley Matthews to this mix.  Can these holdovers and newcomers barring injury defend the championship?  The Lakers finished the exhibition season undefeated but that could be misleading playing the Clippers and Suns twice a peace.  We must wait until June 2021 for that answer NBA Championships are decided on the court and not on paper. 

Mizzou basketball

Don’t worry if you haven’t seen Mizzou basketball in the early season.  For your information update they are in the Top 25 in several polls, they are led in scoring by their 3-guard offense.  The balanced scoring would indicate opposing defenses cannot focus on a single member, Mark Smith (14.8), Dru Smith (14.6) and Xavier Pinson (14.2) all within percentage points in scoring.  Apart from Pinson they shoot the 3 effectively, Mark at 48.3% and Dru 35.3%.  Mizzou as a team is shooting an effective 31% clip from the 3-point line. 

Jeremiah Tilmon on the injury list and foul trouble often last season appears to have figured it out now.  Although Tilmon fouled out against Illinois he’s remained in action in other games and is the team leader with 7.4 rebounds a game.  Unlike many of today’s team’s Mizzou at the free throw line is an effective 76.1% as a team with Mark the team leader at 93.3%.  Cuonzo Martin teams at all stops play tough belly button to belly button defense and this one is no different from the others.  As mentioned earlier the SEC race is going to be tough however barring injuries, Mizzou should be competitive in 2020-21. 

Tell us

Do you want James Hardin on your favorite team, allow me to rephrase that statement?  If he is traded it will likely be to a team of his choice not yours?  If your team is the Celtics, Hornets or Blazers or some other team he ain’t headed your direction.  If it’s the Heat, Sixers, or Knicks maybe so, as for the Knicks it might be difficult to determine what they might give up in a trade.  At one time we might have believed with Russell Westbrook gone things might settle down in H-Town. 

That appears to not be the case, Hardin’s made it clear John Wall or not he wants out.  No argument on Hardin’s talent as a shooter there are other issues which might cause a team to hesitate.  Can you say, “locker room cancer,” will teams be willing to take on not only the personality but the ball stopper.  It often seems the basketball ceases to move once in the hands of Hardin.  He’s not selfish his assist numbers are always good, but he does slow the team’s offense.  There is no clear answer, we must wait to see how this plays out.  Keep in mind talent is not the issue, it’s the other things. 

What transpired

The constant moaning by yours truly might not have occurred if history had taken a slightly different course.  We read at the time the American Basketball Association was formed in 1967 Kansas City was awarded a franchise.  Unable to secure play dates the franchise was moved to Denver without playing one game in Kansas City.  1967 was long before T-Mobile Center was built and before Kemper in 1974, Kemper would become home to the Kings from that point until 1985 when they departed for Sacramento. 

Municipal Auditorium was available back in 1967, what transpired with the pending franchise that caused them to leave?  That is the question that will remain unanswered, no one associated with the City of Kansas City nor Municipal is in place to answer the question. In any event the franchise moved to Denver becoming the Rockets who morphed into the Nuggets.  Much later the Nuggets would become one of four ABA franchises moving into the NBA once the merger occurred in 1976.