Words eye view

Basketball from a fan perspective

This date in NBA History

On February 17, 1994 the Spurs David Robinson recorded a quadruple double versus the Pistons.  His line:

34 points 10 rebounds 10 assists 10 blocked shots

Whenever we begin discussing great centers of the past Robinson’s name is always among the missing, why I am not sure.  

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

It’s been a considerable number of years since I last read the classic written by Robert Louis Stevenson or saw the movie.  The ending is a little fuzzy at this point, this part I remember, Dr. Jekyll perfected a concoction which allowed his alter ego to spring forth.  This other version of himself was Mr. Hyde who was totally unlike Dr. Jekyll, this is the Mizzou Tigers.  On Tuesday especially at a point the good Dr. Jekyll & Tigers were at play, they even had a 13-point lead at a time. 

And then BAM, the bad Mr. Hyde & Mizzou appeared as they went to sleep on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.  They allowed Georgia back in the game to an 80-70 win.  Mizzou and Georgia might be on the same level however it’s my belief the Tigers might be a bit better, of course Tuesday night certainly didn’t prove it.

Perhaps I need to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde again to determine the outcome for Mr. Hyde, as for the Mizzou Tigers outcome I’m unsure how it turns out.  The balance of the season and the NCAA Tournament must be the decider. I had to laugh out loud at scoopswithdannymac.com, Danny Mac wrote “Watching Mizzou Basketball Will Drive You Crazy.”  I believe that fits me and several others in Mizzou Nation. 

Didn’t take into consideration the real estate

Awhile back we discussed the dollar value of each of the 30 NBA franchises.  There was a change at the top, the Knicks remained number one in the NBA in value.  The Golden State Warriors moved into second displacing the Lakers who previously held the position.  What caused the change you ask; it was real estate that allowed the Warriors to move ahead of the Lakers. 

A financial expert pointed out the Warriors opening the $1.4 billion Chase Center in 2019 was the basis for the surge ahead of the Lakers.  Just in case you forgot or wondered about the Lakers you still gonna need $4.6 billion, the figure represents the 2021 net worth of the team.  As for the remainder of the top 5 the Bulls come in at four and the Celtics at five.

Senegal in da house

My focus is always on Big Men no matter where they might play in the world, that is the case here.  A name we might hear announced in the 2021 NBA draft is Ibou Dianko Badji, he’s a 7-foot 1 inch 230-pound Big Man.  Badji plays for FC Barcelona in Spain but originally hails from the west African nation of Senegal.  According to scouting reports his offensive game is raw however he shines on the defensive end with his shot blocking ability.  Here we go again, their words not mine one scouting report indicates his defense is compared to Dikembe Mutombo.

He’s got a nose for the basketball

By the time you read this Clint Capela of the Hawks should still be the NBA’s league leader in rebounds.  Capela stands 6 foot 10 and is 240 pounds certainly not huge by NBA standards.  What does Capela do well, “He’s got a nose for the basketball.”  If there is a rebound to be had he’s going to do his best to grab it.  Capela is one of a handful of basketball player who believes the ball is coming off the rim belongs to him. 

We could include Andrew Drummond of the Cavs in the count as well, the 6 foot 10 Drummond is always a double-double man.  Dennis Rodman and others certainly had/have the same mentality.  Rodman played for several NBA teams that didn’t require him to score, this allowed the 6-foot 7 228-pound Rodman time to become expert in rebounding the basketball.  He certainly qualifies as an expert, few guys with his height have manage to lead the NBA in rebounding and he accomplished these 7 consecutive years (1992-1998). 

The late Moses Malone stood 6 foot 10 but weighed 260 pounds, it was claimed he would sometimes pad his rebounding numbers by knocking the ball off the rim and going back up again. A coach can teach rebound positioning, but you must study angles as Rodman did.  It was claimed in practice Rodman would build a mental note the direction the ball would bounce off the rim.