Basketball from a fan’s perspective

"I failed my way to success." -Thomas Edison

What to expect

Actually, the headline should be corrected, we don’t know what to expect.  We are discussing Mizzou transfer guard DuJuan Gordon.  Here I sit smack in the middle of Big 12 country, yet I never witnessed him play.  The reason…Kansas State was one of the worst teams in the conference.  Kansas State most likely had few viewers for their games apart from alumni, administration, students and fans.  Mizzou senior Mark Smith headed to K-State and Gordon transferred to Mizzou, I made a joke about a trade however its more than that.  The coaching staff at Mizzou must have scouted Gordon to the point they believe he can adjust to the program.  Of the transfers thus far, he is the biggest mystery, his numbers at K-State are average however the hope of Mizzou Nation he can play.   

Bits n Pieces 

This is not intended as a slam at Lloyd Pierce, I really don’t know much about him.  I do know former player and long-time coach Nate McMillian.  The change in the fortunes of the Hawks has been quite noticeable around the NBA.  Pierce was fired as Hawks coach on March 1 and replaced by the veteran Nate McMillian who was an assistant.  The Hawks were 14-20 at the time the coaching change was made, since the change the team has been one of the hottest in the NBA with 17 wins versus 6 losses. On March 1, the Hawks were in 11^th place in the Eastern Conference playoff race they are now 4^th as this is written.  The formerly under achieving Hawks are now in 1^st place in the Southeast Division of the NBA.

The recent NCAA Championship reminds us of another time a winning team was forced to sit at home.  Can you imagine, this team finished the regular season with a 24-2 record 12-2 in the conference yet wasn’t invited to the NCAA or NIT post season tourneys.  That scenario wouldn’t occur today however fewer teams were invited to the NCAA in 1970-71.  The team, the Southern Cal Trojans went through their non-conference schedule undefeated, the two games they lost…UCLA.  Earlier Notre Dame has stopped the UCLA winning streak at 88 but the Bruins would finish 29-1 and win the 1971 NCAA Tournament over Villanova 68-62.

Do you remember the name Kai Sotto, he’s the 7-foot 2-inch center who played this past season with G-League Ignite?  His agent announced Sotto is headed to Australia and the NBL to play for the Adelaide 36ers.  He arrived on these shores to improve his game and earn a spot in the NBA; his agent indicates that is still the desire for the young man from the Pacific island nation of The Philippines. 

He’s back, well not quite but Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball will return before the end of the season.  You remember he suffered a wrist injury which required surgery, at first it was believed he would miss the balance of the season which apparently is not the case.  The remaining question will he be able to return to the lead in the rookie of the year race.  Anthony Edwards of the Wolves and Tyrese Haliburton of the Kings improved their position with the absence of Ball.

Finally the A Rod and Marc Lore group failed to mention the fact the Lynx of the WNBA were also part of the announced sale of the T-Wolves franchise.  Why this important bit of information was not included is a mystery to us all.