Words eye view

Basketball from a fan perspective

It is what it is

Anthony Davis left the game Sunday night against the Nuggets.  It was thought to be his Achilles acting up again, he would have an MRI done to detail the setback.  On Monday afternoon it was announced AD will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks, turns out it was a calf strain rather than the Achilles.  There is not much the Lakers can do beyond plugging in a replacement for AD. 

I’ve not read of his stand-in however it’s likely to be Kyle Kuzma, Markieff Morris or LeBron James.  If it is James it’s likely Kuzma moves to small forward and Wesley Matthews plays somewhere.  Whoever the replacement might be they will be unable to produce the numbers of AD.  Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game, it is what it is, and the Lakers can only hope AD’s replacement will be able to halfway compensate for his loss.   

They wonder why I have a problem

Riddle me this, riddle me that…how does Kansas drop out of the Top 25 poll one week and return the following week?  The explanation, it’s Kansas basketball and its history…they beat then number 23 Oklahoma State at home, that was followed by TWO WINS versus Iowa State at home and on the road.  Just in case you might not be aware Iowa State is the worst team in the Big 12, currently 0-11 in the conference and 2-14 overall.    

Father time remains undefeated 

I’m sure you’ve heard this adage as often as me, “Father time remains undefeated.”  Your definition might be different from mine, simply stated an athlete’s game must evolve.  You cannot continue to play the game at the same skill level at 22 versus age 32.  That is the case for the Wizards Russell Westbrook, for years his pure athleticism allowed him to play at an accelerated level. 

An athlete must make changes even slight to account for the lessoning of athletic skill, we must factor in injuries to the equation they too can affect the game.  When the late Kobe Bryant returned after his Achilles injury, he wasn’t the same player.  He would only play two additional years before he retired the ability to will his team to a win was no longer available.  There are others who were slowed by age or injury, in some instances they adapted their game to continue play. 

We could mention Ron Harper who played for the Bulls and Lakers, he was unlike the early Ron Harper drafted by the Cavs.  Due to injury and other factors Harper’s game changed, per wikipedia.org “reinventing himself as a big perimeter defender, ball handler, and mid-range scorer.”  Back to Westbrook his issue appears to be stubbornness, he is slow to change.  His game has declined over the last 2-3 years, yet he’s made no course corrections. 

Bits n Pieces 

“All the world’s a stage” Is a line from William Shakespeare’s As You Like It spoken by Jaques in Act II Scene VII Line 139?  This certainly ain’t Shakespeare but we do indeed have several actors.  In this instance we speak of the talking heads who populate our television sets in a variety of formats.  They are loud, obnoxious, and opinionated to the point they believe their view of an issue or subject is the only one that counts.  This is the general belief, 85% or so of what we often hear is an act designed to stoke up the audience viewing the program.  No more I ain’t fallin’ for the okey doke anymore I know it’s an act.  Whatever is stated is often for effect, “How can I appear more controversial than (fill in the blank).”

Luka Garza in the NBA, certainly not exactly a shocking statement.  After all the 6-foot 11-inch 260-pound Garza has numerous positives working in his favor but let’s check out the negatives.  “His lack of mobility will be a huge liability on defense at the NBA level and he will likely get abused in the pick and roll” says nbadraftroom.com.  He’s projected as a late first round to mid second round pick.  Why Garza will be in the NBA drafted or as a free agent is his shooting.  He’s nearly 60% from the floor and 45% from the 3 line.  Despite his size he’s only average at rebounding the ball which isn’t the worst thing in the world.  The Lopez twins have made an NBA career without being skilled at rebounding the basketball.