Basketball from a fan’s perspective

“I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.”  Michael Jordan

I just don’t see it

I can readily admit it, there are aspects of any sporting event I don’t see. It’s not because my eyes are not concentrating on the television screen or if in person, I have a poor seat. With televised games I must depend on the announcer to inform me if the pitcher tossed a slider or curve ball, I just don’t see it. The same scenario applies for the football analyst, there are times action occurs I just don’t see it.

It’s the same in basketball, I continue to read “Andre Drummond is not a good fit, he clogs the lanes and has not been effective.” How can I tell if Drummond is allowing enough space, I just don’t see it, if he misses a chip shot or fails to snatch a rebound that I can see clearly the other…well? There are aspects of a Laker game with my eyes glued on the screen I miss portions of the action. I would feel a little more comfortable if Frank Vogel or Anthony Davis informed me “Drummond is clogging the lane” because I just don’t see it.

Five-star athletes

I hold out hope a second Michael Porter Jr. is headed to Mizzou, this one plays an injury free season and is off to the NBA. Is my belief necessary to sustain a winning basketball program? Blue Blood programs such as Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas have been the destination for many of the nation’s top basketball talent. The question is posed again is it a requirement to load your program with McDonald’s All Americans to win? There are two schools that come to mind that break the mold, they are successful without a great number of five-star athletes or McDonald’s All Americans.

They are practically on both ends of the country, Jay Wright at Villanova in Pennsylvania and Mark Few at Gonzaga in Washington state. Don’t misunderstand both coaches have recruited high profile players they appear to secure the services of tier 2 kids who they believe fit their program. Does it mean they won’t try to recruit high profile athletes, certainly not? Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is headed to the NBA from Villanova, he declared a few weeks ago. This is not the lone example there are others, Rui Hachimura is in his rookie year with the Wizards. Where did Hachimura play his college ball, I’m glad you ask the question it was Gonzaga? 

Prep schools

If we look at the history of prep schools, they are not a new thing, research indicates some go back to the American Civil War period (1861-1865). These schools were founded strictly for academic purposes, all that’s changed now. In recent years we have become accustomed to high profile athletes sometimes leaving their local high school for a prep institution. This move by the athlete is undertaken for two reasons, A. to raise the GPA for college entrance or B. to prepare the youngster for a professional basketball career.

Let’s check the B. question, it seems every year we discover a brand-new prep school so there must be a lucrative reward for the founders of these establishments. They certainly emphasize academics but face facts they are basketball or football “factories.” Their purpose is producing basketball or football talent for the next level be in college or pro careers. You know the names of most of these prep schools no need of naming names. Does this appear to be a complaint on my part, far from it just a brief look at one of the pieces of 21^st Century youth basketball. The other is the growth of AAU basketball, that will be explored later. 

Program or talent

The Sixers Joel Embiid is one player under consideration for Most Valuable Player, we saw evidence of it recently.  Many of the Kansas faithful love to provide us the fact Embiid’s journey began at KU. Despite their view what’s yours, is it the program or talent that allows a player to rise to the highest level? If we use the former Kansas center as our source consider this, he arrived at Kansas with potential but that’s about all. Memory says he was not the starter at the post until near the middle of his freshman season. Beside the athlete who is indirectly responsible for him becoming the best of the best.

Next, we check out up Laker shooting guard Talen Horton-Tucker who just turned 20 years of age last November. It’s been mentioned on more than one occasion he almost “missed” the draft completely; he was the 46^th pick in the second round of the 2019 draft. He’s nowhere near Embiid’s level however the Laker coaching staff sings his praises. Like Embiid he only spent his freshman year at Iowa State, that program’s been down for a few years, so the question becomes it strictly Horton-Tucker who’s risen to the next level? Let’s check out a few more.

We can ignore this past basketball season however for the last few years John Calipari and Kentucky have sent numerous players to the NBA, we could point to Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns as examples. We close this mentioning Jae Morant, lightly recruited attended mid-major Murray State. 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year, in his second year with the Grizzlies he is a rising star. No knock at Murray State but it’s clear with him (and others) it’s talent rather than the program. Can we conclude its more likely the talent shines through over the program, what occurs Blue Blood programs and several others attract the top talent in the nation? That talent matriculates to the NBA without a great deal of help from the coaching staff APPARENTLY!