Words eye view

Basketball from a fan perspective

You just don’t know

Once again, the Tigers disappoint, they have reached the stage Mizzou Nation has no clue which team shows up.  On Saturday playing Arkansas for the second time would there be a return match like the January 2^nd game.  Mizzou won that first meeting 81-68 at Fayetteville, this time they have the Razorbacks on their home court.  Final score in OT, Arkansas 86-81 but it was more that causes confusion for us. 

This team is currently ranked number 10 in the nation, on Monday the floor will drop out beneath them.  They will likely not drop out of the Top 25 wherever they land should not be a surprise.  How do you go 2 minutes and 50 seconds of OT and not score a point?  In addition, several key free-throws were missed, and Mizzou is generally a good team from the line.  Most of Mizzou Nation is like me, you just don’t know which team shows up for the game. 

Can you say re-alignment?

The NBA requires re-alignment in my view regardless of future expansion.  The Memphis Grizzlies are in the Western Conference, they should be in the east.  Memphis is in the Central Time Zone same as Chicago and Milwaukee.  The latter cities play in the Eastern Conference of the NBA.  As for Memphis the city is located on the eastern side of the Mississippi River which clearly indicates it’s in the east. 

How did this occur, simple the franchise was in Vancouver British Columbia Canada?  That made them a Western Conference team when the franchise moved it remained in the west. No argument, the Thunder are in the Western Conference but the Northwest Division?  The franchise is in the division with the Jazz, Nuggets, Wolves and Blazers.  That’s easy to explain the Seattle Sonics were once grouped with them, at the time the franchise moved to Oklahoma the location remained the same.       

Imagine this?

Recently NBA TV featured an interview with the high school coach of James Harden.  Unfortunately, I was unable to hear too much of the interview however it did prompt this account.  Witnessing the talent of a James Hardin, Kareem or others at a youthful age should we suppose their coaches saw their potential?   We could ask a similar question of a youth football, baseball, hockey, or soccer coach, keep in mind we reference a career coach.  It’s my belief without offering proof even amateurs can foresee potential at times. 

How about Steph Curry, his dad was an NBA player however the son’s talent develop slowly, this is not a reference to a Kobe Bryant or LeBron James.  We never had an idea the two mentioned would reach the heights they did, but we could see the potential.  We are discussing the player who slowly developed his talent over time with work and coaching.  It’s said Steph Curry was not a highly sought talent when he graduated high school, there were few scholarship opportunities.  Curry’s become an NBA star; however, I’d bet money his high school coach didn’t say to anyone “He will probably be in the NBA someday!”  Practice, practice, and more practice and one can become a star…sometimes. 

St. Louis pro basketball 

Depending on one’s age there might be quite a few St. Louis residents who remember the Spirits of St. Louis.  Yes, the city had an American Basketball Association team in the last 2 seasons the ABA existed prior to the NBA-ABA merger.  Earlier to that time the city was home to the Hawks from 1955 through 1968 before the franchise moved to Atlanta.   

Most don’t realize the city had professional basketball prior to the Hawks, the St. Louis Bombers existed from 1946 through 1950.  The Bombers were an original member of the Basketball Association of America which merged with the National Basketball League in 1949 forming the NBA of today.  In the 4 seasons the Bombers were active they had a winning record, there is no indication why the team folded in 1950.  The city would wait 5 years before the NBA would return with the Hawks.  The question now becomes will the NBA ever return to The Gateway City?