Basketball from a fan’s perspective

“Good coaches tell you where the fish are, great coaches teach you how to find them.” – Kobe Bryant

Bits n Pieces 

Much as I hate to type this, without a healthy AD the Lakers will not repeat as NBA champions. In fact, they could lose this series versus the Suns, I’m unsure which was most disheartening to Laker Nation on Sunday. Losing Game three 100-92 or AD going down with yet another injury, I’m beginning to believe last season might have been the perfect storm. The key players (AD & LeBron) were healthy for the bulk of the season. A healthy Laker team was able to compete and win a championship. 

Former Jazz center Mark Eaton died on Saturday the result of a bicycle accident. Eaton was one who player who spent his entire career with one team this being the Jazz. He was the center for that (John) Stockton to (Karl) Malone duo which won several games for the Jazz of that era.  There was no requirement to score for the 7-foot 4-inch giant, he blocked shots and clogged the lane effectively with his 275-pound body. In 1985 and 1989 Eaton was chosen Defensive Player of the Year, Eaton was 64-years old at the time of his death. His journey in basketball is quite interesting, playing a reserve role in high school Eaton went to work immediately thereafter as an automotive mechanic, can you imagine driving into that  shop and being greeted by a 6-foot 11-inch (at the time) person, R.I.P. big guy?

I forget, you forget, they forget…maybe. My memories good, yes on occasion I must hand write reminders or add them to my iPhone to aid me. We are all guilty at times, we forget all sorts of events we even forget portions of a conversation or even a statement made during a conversation. With that said perhaps I’ve been too harsh with many of those in sports media. Apart from the actors (and you know who they are) in a 3-hour radio or television broadcast that media person might tend to forget what he or she might have stated. Okay they get a pass at this point, it’s the actors I have issues with be they card carrying members or former athletes. Despite what some in the public might believe in my opinion they are not in place to entertain; they are to inform.  

In this part of the country on radio or television not much discussion of the NBA exists, I understand and have become accustomed to that fact. What I don’t understand when there is a comment for it to be negative for no apparent reason. A local radio guy claimed, “There was 0 interest in the playoffs.” Was he discussing locally, he never made that clear? I always wish to be informed, don’t toss out information without providing a source and expect me (and others) to believe it. If a story is speculation in Off the Dribble always there is an attempt to point that detail out. 

Blue Blood programs

The headline is the term we apply to those basketball programs steeped in tradition. You know them annually they are in the Top 25 usually, most often the Top 10. You know the names Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas and UCLA. There might be an argument in some circles including UCLA in the count, check out their NCAA championship history. If your statement, is they have won anything recently you would be correct. There is an issue, if we exclude UCLA, we might as well omit Kansas too, they haven’t won the tournament since 2008. By wins they are in order:

Kentucky 2,329

Kansas 2,323

North Carolina 2,294

Duke 2,214

Temple 1,945

Is that a shocker, Temple University in 5^th place all-time wins? If we look at the basketball history the school’s been playing since the 1894-1895 season there has been little turnover in the coaching ranks. Despite this fact there are two coaches who stand out. The late Harry Litwack coached the Owls from 1953-1973, compiling a 373-193 won-loss record and the late John Chaney. Chaney was head man from 1982-2006 and his record during this time was 741-312, combined the two coaches won 1,114 games.

Stay the course

After playing for the NBA championship last season most including me expected a deeper future run by the Heat. They have now been eliminated in the first round by the Bucks and now are ready for the off season. What me worry appears to be the view of long-time president Pat Riley. He indicates the Heat have a nucleus of young players and will stay the course. If we check out their roster, we might understand why Riley takes this position. The Heat are only long in the tooth in a few areas Goran Dragic, Trevor Ariza and 40-year-old Udonis Haslem.  

There are a few other veterans including Jimmy Butler aged 31, the balance of the roster is in their 20’s. The Heat played for a championship last season with a youthful roster. I’m unsure the full story this season however I trust Pat Riley.  If he indicates they need to stay the course I’m a believer in his words. With a couple of draft picks and maybe a free agent pickup they will likely be okay. After all the Heat won 40 games with this roster finishing in second place in the Southeast Division. The only question as this is completed, I have no idea the status of those roster members unnamed. Are of losing any of the core once the free agency period begins. 

Bill Bradley, Renaissance Man-Part I

After retirement NBA players have pursued several varied occupations. Bill Bradley is the only one who served as senator in the U.S. Congress, but we are getting ahead of the story. Bradley was born 77 years ago in Crystal City Missouri about 50 miles south of St. Louis, he excelled in sports, particularly basketball. Bradley excelled in the classroom as well enhancing his academic standard. An All-State basketball player there were numerous basketball scholarships, but he chose Ivy League Princeton. Then as now Ivy League schools offered no athletic scholarships.  There were numerous honors accorded him while he was enrolled at Princeton All American, College Player of the Year and other honors. At the time the NBA had in place territorial draft picks.

“In the first 20 years of the BAA/NBA, the league was still trying to gain the support of fans who lived in or near the teams' home markets. To achieve this, the league introduced the territorial pick rule to help teams acquire popular players from colleges in their area who would presumably have strong local support. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick and then select any player from within a 50-mile (80 km) radius of its home arena. Although the territorial picks were selected before the draft, these picks were not factored into the overall selection count of the draft; therefore, the first non-territorial pick of the draft was considered the first overall pick.” It was stated Princeton (New Jersey) was one mile closer to New York City over Philadelphia thus Bradley became a Knicks draft pick. Bradley although drafted didn’t report immediately, he was in Europe attending Oxford University.

Wikipedia