Basketball from a fan’s perspective

“I don’t get no respect”

The line above is from the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield but also belongs to Paul George or something similar according to him. His monster game (41 points, 13 rebounds & 6 assists) led the way to a 116-103 victory over the Suns. I’m not sure the timing of his statement to the media but we guess it occurred after the game, he claims to be like Dangerfield. PG alone managed to stave off the Clippers being eliminated in the Western Conference Finals.

“It’s a fact I’m picked on more than other stars.” That might be considered a strong statement from PG however I believe he’s probably about three or four places behind Kevin Durant then Russell Westbrook. The leader of course is LeBron James although I seriously doubt if PG believes that. Part of the “no respect” can be laid at the feet of PG, there is no argument regarding his talent he is truly an exceptional athlete. What we see he’s come up short on several occasions when called on to step up. I applaud his effort in this game, with no Kawhi can PG lead the Clippers back from the edge of the cliff?

Why now?

Former Bulls great Scottie Pippen is much in the news, he’s accused his former coach Phil Jackson of being racist. On the surface that’s certainly a strong statement but why now? Pippen points out two past events as his measuring stick. After the Laker threepeat Phil Jackson left but later returned to win in 2009 and 2010. During the time he wasn’t coaching the Lakers Jackson wrote a book which was somewhat critical of Kobe Bryant, that’s one. Item two, in the 1994 playoffs the coach detailed a plan whereby Toni Kukoc would take what became the winning shot.

Pippen was agitated at the plan with the ball going to Kukoc rather than him, when the timeout concluded Pippen refused to return to the court. Pippen’s decided there where racist reasons for Kukoc to take the shot, on the other hand consider this possibility. Michael Jordan had left the Bulls to play baseball, could Jackson be utilizing Pippen as a decoy? Fact, Pippen was certainly closer to Jackson than me or any other lay person. The question will other Bulls players come to the aid of Pippen and affirm his view?  The final question, is this new “news” based on the Pippen book? Is he attempting to drive up book sales? We know for a fact he was not pleased at his portrayal in the documentary The Last Dance, we shall see how this eventually plays out.

Globetrotters in the NBA

I’m unsure how to take this, are they serious or is there an underlying story here? In case you were not aware recently the Harlem Globetrotters contacted the NBA wanting to be granted franchise status. This world traveling entertainment team has a historical connection to the NBA. It was said back in the “minor league” days of the NBA the Trotters would often play the first game of a double-header, the NBA in the nightcap. It was said many attendees left after the entertaining Trotters played their game leaving little crowd for the NBA team.

That was then this is now; the Trotters no longer have the appeal they once did despite the fact several NBA pioneers played with them. How about Wilt Chamberlain who left Kansas prior to his senior season, it was different then. He would play for the Trotters for one season and then the NBA where he would become a legend. The Hawk, the fabled Connie Hawkins banned by the NBA in 1961, it was play for the Trotters or he would have been forced to sit at home. Back then there was no Euro basketball, no G-League or any other method to play basketball. These two and others were allowed to refine their basketball skills before eventually playing the pro game. I hope this is not misconstrued, I’m not anti-Globetrotters I’m just not sure why the NBA and especially now.  

Best of the best

If we discussed the best college basketball programs over the past 10 years where is Gonzaga?  If I said they have the 4^th best record in that time frame is that surprising? Although the school is a Division, I program they are often ignored by most college basketball fans, and the question might be why? There are several factors to consider the why. The Bulldogs play in the Pacific Time Zone, games are not highlighted on SportsCenter. West Coast Conference basketball is not viewed in the same manner of the Big XII or ACC.

 

The Bulldogs play in the Pacific Time Zone, games are not highlighted on SportsCenter.

West Coast Conference basketball is not viewed in the same manner of the Big XII or ACC

      Why is there no item 3, because in my view there are only two valid reasons why Gonzaga basketball receives no love. If you care you can provide item 3 for the basis of little respect. Over the span of 10 years Gonzaga has won 314 games while losing 82. There are few programs with that type of winning record over the time frame mentioned, Kentucky, Kansas and maybe Duke but few others. Don’t expect Gonzaga to be undefeated going into the NCAA Tournament as in 2021 but they will be in attendance.

July 29

The NBA draft will be here before we realize it, which talent are MY Lakers probably checking?  We have no inside information just mock draft sites, to add to the confusion 5 mock draft sites have the Lakers drafting 5 different players. With that comment here are the names:

Ziarie Williams-6-foot 8 small forward Stanford (former teammate of Bronny James)

Miles McBride 6-2-point guard West Virginia

Cam Thomas 6-5-shooting guard LSU

Isaiah Jackson 6-10-center Kentucky

Chris Duarte 6-6-guard Oregon

Confused, I certainly am and for good reason. Each of these talents might provide a different dynamic to the Lakers.  I have no idea who they chose however this I certainly would like to see; this draft choice be developed in the same manner as Talen Horton-Tucker.  Given playing time this draft choice could eventually move into the starting lineup. We shall see what occurs on July 29 because it could be someone completely different. The hope is they don’t trade the pick unless it’s for a proven veteran who can aid the cause. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Déjà vu

We know the definition of Déjà vu, but the following is a dictionary description. According to Merriam-Webster it’s “The illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time.” That’s what we might have at this point, there is a report circulating which is yet to be confirmed. The Kawhi Leonard story continues to evolve, it is being reported he is upset with the Clippers medical staff. He believes the knee injury he suffered during their series with the Jazz was misdiagnosed. Hey, wasn’t a supposed misdiagnosis the basis for Kawhi leaving San Antonio in 2018, as the late Yogi Berra might say “It’s déjà vu all over again”?

We are treated to a series of mix reports on Kawhi, incredibly talented basketball player but still very much a man of mystery. The unknown part we are never fully aware of his intentions, he is a private person we understand that fact, but he plays in a very public venue the NBA. Since Game four of the Jazz series, we believed he would return to the lineup eventually and continue to aid the Clipper cause. If they should lose against the Suns (and they will) how about his future with the Clippers? Will his teammates look toward him in a positive light now and into the future? We don’t have an answer for that question at present however we certainly intend to follow this evolving story. 

Sorry…I’m a skeptic

The definition, “1. Not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations. 2. relating to the theory that certain knowledge is impossible.” Definitions from the Oxford Languages. That’s me, I am unsure about two teams the Bucks and Clippers. Don’t confuse the statement I’m unsure if they are NBA champion material, notice I didn’t say either team wasn’t good the question for me is one of heart. It’s been my belief for several years no matter the sport you’ve got to want it over the other guy.

I’m unsure if it’s a Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant will or something else. I recall watching the 2004 NBA championship and believed in my heart, there is no way these Pistons are beating my Lakers, yet they did. Those Pistons had something the Lakers lacked in that championship series. In 2021 the Bucks and Clippers have been knocking on the door trying to get in but somehow always manage to come up short. If I look back 3-4 years injuries might have derailed their championship aspirations I just don’t remember. I’d like one or both teams to prove me wrong, win the whole thing so you can shut me up, I’m out.

Dallas

The continuing saga in Dallas follows the former television series as it unfolds, yes, it is almost a soap opera. It’s reported former coach Rick Carlisle gave an endorsement to the hire of Jason Kidd. Some believed the head coaching job should have gone to Carlisle’s top assistant Jamahl Mosley. Is this a soap opera or what, Mosley was supposed to have a closer bond with superstar Luka Doncic than the departed coach? It’s said Carlisle felt threaten by the link of these two. Now your first question might ask the question do we have any proof of this report?

That would be an unequivocal no, we cannot document any portions of this account. Despite this fact there is a belief portions of the series of events are more “fire than smoke.” There is no reason to believe the situation will not eventually be resolved but there remains a question. Mark Cuban has always appeared to be a “different type” of owner, could a portion of this apparent disorder lie with the owner? Cuban has always appeared to operate his team in an unbridled manner. In the meantime, the Nets have contacted the Mavs regarding Mosley, since there are no additional details, we can only assume they might be entertaining a hire. As for the future of the Mavs it appears good despite several missteps. The Mavs are certainly in a better position than either the two other Texas teams, Spurs and Rockets.

The Replacements

This is no reference to the 2000 movie starring Keanu Reeves that was a football story, this is basketball. Several longtime and legendary coaches are at that point, they are looking toward retirement, who replaces these guys? Roy Williams at North Carolina has retired so has Oklahoma’s Lon Kruger, Duke’s Coach K. will retire in 2022. As for Jim Boeheim of Syracuse the clock is ticking, on the other hand Rick Pitino (68 years old) returned to the game when he could have retired. West Virginia’s Bob Huggins will turn 68 prior to the 2021-22 season. Even John Calipari has announced publicly Kentucky will be his last coaching stop. 66-year-old Michigan State coach Tom Izzo announced he’s got no intention to retire soon.

Who replaces these longtime and some of them legendary coaches, well North Carolina’s made one of the first moves hiring former Tarheel player and assistant coach Hubert Davis? The replacements haven’t been identified yet but they are out there. They might not become head coach at their present post, but they will carry on the game given a chance. As a reminder patience is required for any coach to implement his program, this is a reminder of just that. This major university hired a new head coach. In the coaches first three seasons his team won 38 games while losing 47, what might have occurred if a decision was made to fire that coach. The school in our story is Duke University, the coach Michael William Krzyzewski a.k.a. Coach K.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

That’s entertainment…I’m not

This account somewhat reminds me of that old Beatles tune, “With a Little Help from my Friends.” The stanza reads

 

“Oh, baby I get by

(By with a little help from my friends)”

Several of my friends have claimed I become too upset by the rhetoric of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Fox Sports host Skip Bayless plus Jason Whitlock and others. They inform me these media members are only entertainers, they only hope to amuse rather than truly inform. Well, I don’t believe in what they do, in writing this blog my hope is to provide valued information for the reader. It might be a historical nature or something else, one thing for sure you know its purpose is to inform not entertain. At the same time, I must admit I have views which you may or may not agree and that’s okay too, it’s unnecessary for us to agree on everything. 

Game four

In a playoff series most look at Game one to determine an eventual winner and that’s okay. Not me, Game four has always been the decider as to how a series will eventually turn out. I have no analytics to back up this statement just a belief. Saturday evening the Suns went quite a way in conquering the Clippers 84-80 although the game was certainly ugly. In all honesty the game was brutal as both teams had difficulty scoring, the Suns managed to shoot 36% and the Clippers and even lower 32.5%. The Suns now take a commanding 3 games to 1 lead as they head back to Phoenix.

This series is far from over however its going to be difficult for the Clippers to win 3 straight games with two of them to be played in Phoenix. On the other hand, perhaps Kawhi returns to the lineup and this all changes. We cannot help but wonder what might have been, the injury to Kawhi must be far more serious than we first believed. Have you ever heard the expression “Whistling past the graveyard?” It simply implies despite the dread of walking at night past the cemetery you are unafraid of the situation, not scared…that’s the Clippers. Tyronn Lue claims overcoming a 3-1 deficit is “doable.” He could be correct; the Clippers could win tonight’s game but they ain’t winning this series. 

It’s not about the money

The Hawks won the first game versus the Bucks and lead the series 1 game to 0, the series is now tied as the Bucks won Game two. Despite the smooth start interim head coach Nate McMillan indicates he’s unsure if he wants the job permanently. You might have noticed the word interim is bold and underlined, McMillan says he’s not interested in remaining on the job. McMillian claims he’s set financially and doesn’t need the money and at this point with no other information we must trust his word.

The Hawks were treading water until March 1 of this year, that’s the date head coach Lloyd Pierce was fired, and assistant McMillan took over from him. For those who might be aware the Hawks coach hasseveral coaching stops in his past in addition he’s a McMillan former player. Based on his comment we should believe him when he claims he’s set  financially. Perhaps he was just the right guy at the right time in March or maybe it was something else. That something else being a players-coach, not surprising since it was mentioned earlier, he was a former player. 

A new start 

In 2015 when the University of Texas hired Shaka Smart I thought this would be a good move, one for the school and for Smart. Well, it was sort of, when he compiled a good 109-86 non con record. On the other hand, the record for the Big 12 Conference was not that good (51-56). The recruiting appeared to be okay it seemed Texas never made any headway with Smart as head coach. In 2015 my words come back to bite me, I said “He can recruit great talent and not leave the State of Texas.”

That statement is fact, Texas once thought of as football only produces a wealth of high school basketball talent. Whether it was recruiting or something else his time in Austin did not turn out as expected. Now what are the expectations for his new job at Marquette? How about 30,000 feet in the air, I believe he’s returned to a mid-major program the type he first came into prominence. What’s expected in year one is unknown, I have no idea who left, who remains and who’s incoming. I believe we should see an uptick in play by the 2022-23 season, Marquette is exactly where Shaka Smart needs to be. Could I be incorrect, of course I could we must just wait and see.

Is the NCAA in serious trouble might be a question?

This is strictly supposition, there is no real danger for the NCAA yet. What should be taken seriously is an exploratory look at the effort of this organization to regulate collegiate athletics. A bill in Congress if passed would allow college athletes to form unions. The word union is considered a profanity in some circles so that might become a problem passing legislation to curtail the NCAA. This is a statement made earlier by yours truly but remains accurate, there is a requirement for a body to regulate colleges. That’s been the problem, uneven legislation by this body. The example of basketball players Mark and Dru Smith was detailed, both transferred to Mizzou at nearly the same time. One was ruled okay to begin play in the fall while the other (after appeal) was still forced to sit out the season.

No explanation made other than yes on one, no on the other. More recently the example is Kansas basketball and coach Bill Self, the NCAA last season announced the school was guilty of serious infractions. We waited and waited and waited for judgement to be revealed. Just this spring a representative for the NCAA announced, “A verdict would be made within the next year.” No wonder Self decided to fight back by indicating he intended to sue the NCAA. Due to both stories being nearby I became familiar with them, perhaps anyone reading this might be acquainted with similar accounts. In any event we shall see how far Senators Chris Murphy and Bernie Sanders effort progresses. NOTE: After this was written the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling which impacts athletes like no other. There is no intention to provide a detailed overview the information is available for your review on several sights.   

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Mr. Big Shot

During his NBA career Chauncey Billups was nicknamed “Mr. Big Shot” for his clutch shooting. Well, he’s got another job now, he’s now head coach of the Blazers. Although not official it was reported Billups will be named coach. After a career lasting 17 seasons playing for several NBA teams, he retired in 2014. Last season Billups took on the role of assistant coach for the Clippers. The former point guard had made it known for a while he wanted an opportunity to become a head coach in the NBA.

This is a good hire in more ways than one, according to reports Dame Lillard is described as pleased with the hire. Billups finds himself in the same position of Ime Udoka with the Celtics, the Blazers infused a “fresh face” into the coaching ranks. Both new hires are in a different position, they are taking the reins of winning programs. No requirement to build, just coach a bunch of talented players to become better. Good luck to Billups in this new role and I applaud the Blazer organization like the Celtics.

That’s the reported figure

It’s been reported a topic of discussion for the NBA Board of Governors January meeting will be league expansion. The 30 team NBA intends to add two teams, leaders for the expansion franchises at this point would appear to be Seattle and Las Vegas. The unofficial figure being tossed about is $2.5 billion and with that the question becomes “who can afford to own an NBA team?” Possessing an NBA team is like other enterprises, a prospective owner is certainly not required to have $2.5 billion in hand. Chances are good that owner must prove he’s got a certain amount of cash designated by the NBA for a down payment.

There must be a proven financial record indicating solvency of that individual or the partnership. The public has no working knowledge of the process, as an example that prospective owner could be allowed 5-6 years to pay in full, we just don’t know the conditions of a sale. The background check will cover more than financial viability, there is no timetable for completion of these steps. Let us just say they will be accomplished as expeditiously as possible. It was 2004 the last time the NBA expanded; the Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets) expansion team began play. In closing this little nugget for you, at the time the Kansas City Kings were sold in the mid 1980’s the sale was concluded for $10.5 million. The 2021 Sacramento Kings have a net worth of $1.83 billion, talk about inflation and other factors.

He might not seek the spotlight over others

React to this if you will, a recent publication claimed with Coach K. retiring John Calipari would become the face of college basketball. Coach K. has an ego so does Roy Williams and Mark Few, with these named coaches and others they get the job done without the national spotlight. It appears (careful Big Blue Nation) Calipari relishes the limelight. In addition to being a winning coach Calipari knows how to recruit talent. Check out how many of his players dot the NBA landscape so the coach can recruit.

Strange as it might seem I cannot imagine Calipari in the shadow of anyone including Coach K. I saw a news story almost 3 years old, asked about retirement the wily Calipari answered the question with his typical bravado. He’s a youthful 62 years of age which says he should be good for at least 3-5 more years. John Calipari is a coach who never saw a mike or camera he didn’t relish. 2020 was the first year we don’t remember seeing him at the NBA draft, he is almost always there. On the other hand, if your basketball program produces a significant amount of talent that might be the reason. Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Willie Cauley-Stein, Jamal Murray and others, you get the point.

Bill Bridges

The late Bill Bridges is not in any hall of fame, most of you reading this probably have never heard his name. What’s so special about the man, allow a brief detail of this Hobbs New Mexico athlete. Bridges was all Big 8 (Big 12) three seasons and an All American his senior year. During the period he played at Kansas freshmen were ineligible to play varsity, schools at the time had freshmen teams. Bridges was prolific at rebounding the basketball despite the fact he stood but 6 foot 6 and 228 pounds. The numbers, 13.2 points and 13.9 rebounds a game during his three seasons at Kansas. In 1961 Bridges was drafted by the NBA Chicago Packers (now Wizards) but chose to play for a startup league the American Basketball League.

Bridges would distinguish himself in the league playing for the Kansas City Steers however the ABL only lasted one full season. After the ABL began play in the fall of 1962 the league ran out of money and folded December 31. Despite the fact Bridges was known for his board work he set the scoring mark for the league with a 55-point game. After the ABL went out of business Bridges found his way to the NBA and he would play 13 years for the Hawks, Lakers, Sixers and Warriors. In NBA history four players have recorded 35 rebounds or more in a playoff game, they are Wilt Chamberlain, Willis Reed, Bill Russell and Bill Bridges. Over the course of his NBA career Bridges was a unique double-double man, his numbers are even 11.9 points and 11.9 rebounds a game. In 2015 Bridges died at the age of 76, one of the giants of the game despite his stature.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

He’s got a job

Technically Jason Kidd already had a job, he was on the staff of the Lakers that is until Friday. Early Friday afternoon he was named head coach of the Mavs replacing the departed Rick Carlisle. In addition to the Kidd announcement the team also revealed Nico Harrison has been brought on board to run basketball operations and serve as general manager of the team. Back to Kidd a moment, this is his third head coaching position, he’s been at the helm at Brooklyn and Milwaukee prior to this hire.

Although I have been clamoring for fresh blood so far, the Celtics have been the only one to make a bold move with the Ime Udoka hiring. The Pacers went with the “safe” guy in hiring former Mavs coach Rick Carlisle who resigned earlier. It’s being reported for Mavs player Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic campaigned for Kidd to be hired. There are head coaching positions to be filled in Orlando, Washington D.C., Portland and New Orleans. 

Don’t believe everything you read

The numbers on the Hawks Trae Young indicate he stands 6 foot 1 and weighs 180 pounds. I have serious doubts if either number is valid, I believe he’s shorter than the listed figure and might be closer to 160 pounds. Despite this fact there are at least two areas I have no doubt, despite his stature Young is fearless, and he is a deadeye shooter at times beyond the arc. Young’s not the second coming of Steph Curry (who is) yet but he’s on the road. His stature reminds me and maybe others of Allen Iverson. Don’t you find it interesting the two best players in the 2018 draft were traded for one another?

What do we know about Ime Udoka?

The first thing we might note Udoka played for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, he spent most of his time as a reserve player. He would go on to play for several other teams and then came retirement. Udoka would return to San Antonio and become an assistant coach for Popovich, he worked in San Antonio for 8 years prior to a move to the Sixers in the same capacity.

In 2020 Udoka was hired as an assistant to Steve Nash with the Nets and from there you have his brief but nearly complete history. Udoka’s resume looks good however there is a key here, Udoka becomes the “new” guy. He’s not a coach who was fired or resigned at one franchise and showed up at another (see Rick Carlisle). Also, on the good side Udoka has a good team with the Celtics, not a great team but certainly good. These Celtics are playoff quality so that’s certainly a good thing, hopefully Udoka will be able to hit the ground running and maintain that Celtic pride. 

Should I Stay or Should I Go

Darling, you got to let me know

Should I stay or should I go?

If you say that you are mine

I’ll be here till the end of time

So you got to let me know

Should I stay or should I go? 

That’s the 1^st verse of the 1981 hit by the Clash Should I Stay or Should I go, I’m going to apply it to the Lakers Andre Drummond. Before we investigate this case allow me to state up front, Drummond should only be retained if the $$$ are spot-on. He’s no different than anyone else in the association he wants to get paid. Now that’s out of the way lets proceed, since the Lakers have been eliminated, we have received mix messages regarding the Laker post man. Half the populace wants to get rid of him the other half believe he deserves a second look. In this instance that second look entails training camp with Anthony Davis and LeBron James available.

The critics claim “Drummond didn’t do this, or he couldn’t do that.” We also heard “Drummond clogged the lane not allowing Anthony Davis room to operate.” This is not stating those issues raised didn’t exist a training camp might have alleviated some of this. Drummond is not a prolific shot blocker however he certainly was better than Marc Gasol. There was no argument regarding his rebound totals, they were far superior to Gasol. There are two areas the veteran Gasol performed better, his 3-point shot and passing skills. We have no idea what occurs in the future but this I believe. If the Lakers decide to go in another direction, I’m okay but this post player must have the skills of Drummond/Gasol. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The Eyes 

The television camera focused on Trae Young at some point I believe in the middle of the 3^rd quarter. I don’t remember the score, but I do remember the eyes, I been told I don’t notice an individual’s eyes. There was no panic or “deer in the headlights” look from the young Hawks point guard. Trae looked as though he was saying “We ain’t losing this *&0%# game.” The diminutive point guard led the way for his Hawks scoring 48 points and dishing out 11 assists. Trae’s 3-point shooting was off but no matter as he continued driving to the basket shooting floaters and 3 point shoots all evening long. If we total the points plus the assists (59) Trae Young was responsible for 51% of the Hawks scoring.

Trae’s effort along with those of John Collins and Clint Capela aided the cause in the Hawks 116-113 victory over the Bucks. This is no declaration the Hawks win this series, Giannis and company are not going to roll over to borrow this line from the Dylan Thomas poem. The Hawks “Do not go quietly into the night” expect a fight to the finish, can we say a 7-game series…that’s quite possible. It’s been reported Giannis Antetokounmpo was not pleased with the shimmy by Trae on Jrue Holliday during the game. The suggestion to the Bucks forward you might want to try to slow Trae Young down a bit. You and the other Bucks are not going to stop him.

The evidence (maybe)

“I just received a text from somebody very, very close to the situation in Philadelphia about Ben Simmons. This is a quote, this is not me, this is them. ‘He doesn’t work. He doesn’t listen. And everyone around him is family and he is constantly babied.’ That is the word out about Ben Simmons.”  This from Smith’s First Take program on Tuesday. I have a couple of problems with this type of reporting. Smith gives us what is supposed to be inside information yet will not reveal who authored the text.

Does this teammate and we guess it’s a teammate have an issue with Simmons? If he does “Why tell tales in school”, why isn’t he man enough to discuss the issue with the teammate over providing Smith gossip. That’s exactly what this is, in a court of law (I ain’t no lawyer) this would be considered hearsay evidence. Come on Stephen A., I thought you were better than this. On the other hand, you have proven to us maybe you’re not. What do you think public, is it okay to verbally slay someone with words without them being able to respond? I’m going to reply for Simmons, “Hey Stephen A., I can do something you can’t. I can play professional basketball in the NBA no matter what you think of my game.” 

Dallas

The story in Dallas continues to develop with news on Thursday of the hire. The Pacers announced they hired Rick Carlisle as their next head coach even signed him to a 4-year contract. So much for the thought the coach might have been burned out after 13 years in Dallas but wait there’s more. Didn’t Carlisle coach the Pacers previously?  From 2003-2007 Carlisle was head coach of the team, after the 2006-07 season Larry Bird fired him after the team finished below .500. Who said you can’t go home well technically it’s not home it’s just the fact he’s coached at Indiana previously?

In Dallas, the rumor mill will continue regarding Carlisle and young superstar Luka Doncic. As first mentioned, the former coach and his superstar were “head butting” one another. The addition of Kristaps Porzingis has not turned out to be the bonanza it might have initially been viewed. There are even reports Doncic and Porzingis also had issues with one another. Where do we go from here, the first step is hiring a coach Doncic wants? Don’t kid yourself that will be one of the keys in hiring the Carlisle replacement. The other issue, what to do with Porzingis, that is all until the next installment. 

The first family

In this instance we are not discussing President Biden and his family, it’s Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. News recently broke “family” members are not pleased with the direction the team has taken over his two seasons. When the Pelicans hire a head coach, he/she will become the third coach for this budding superstar. At the time Zion was drafted by the Pelican Alvin Gentry was head coach, he was fired after the 2019-20 replaced by Stan Van Gundy who was recently fired after one season.

According to reports “The Family” wants Zion to play for a more stable NBA franchise, they are supposed to place part of the blame for this dilemma on president of basketball operations David Griffin. The question becomes is this Zion behind the scenes “speaking” for the family or is it actual members? We don’t have that answer as this is written however this development remains somewhat in flux. We are confident of one factor; the Pelicans don’t wish to trade Zion unless he forces them into a corner and demands it. This is another continuing story as we await additional updates.   

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

A new coach 

As this is written it is not confirmed, news reports indicate the Boston Celtics will hire Ime Udoka as head coach. Udoka's been serving as an assistant with the Nets, this former Spurs player began his coaching career as an assistant on the staff of Gregg Popovich.  

 

Comic Relief

Shaquille O’Neal discussing Ben Simmons missing free throws is classic, in fact that’s so good Shaq should consider taking his comedy show on the road. “Mister I Make em when they Count” was a career .527 career free throw shooter. One season Shaq was .422 from the line was his lowest, the high was the sparkling .622 he shot in the middle of his NBA career. TNT desires him to critique games along with Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley and that’s okay.

It might be a good idea for Shaq to avoid any discussion relating to the words Free Throw. No doubt Simmons has issues at the line but so do several other veteran players. Russell Westbrook is the first that comes to mind, we always expect guards like Westbrook to shoot better than front court players. Westbrook arrived in the NBA an .800 shooter from the line, the last three seasons have seen him shoot .656, .763 and .656. Those are not terrible numbers but certainly below par for a quality guard like Westbrook. 

Draft Lottery

The NBA held its annual Draft Lottery on Tuesday evening, The Pistons were guaranteed to finish in the Top Four. And just like that it occurred, for the first time in 51 years the Pistons will have the opportunity to pick the top player in this year’s draft. In case you wondered Bob Lanier was that pick in 1970 and after his career concluded he would be enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. Now a pause at this point, this is no declaration Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham or anyone else for that matter is headed to this type of honor it’s strictly for demonstration purposes. This is simply an indication the Pistons franchise could be on the rise in the next several years.

An update

Recently we reported on 6-foot 11-inch EJ Onu senior at Shawnee State (Ohio). We are aware it’s a team game however it should be pointed out Onu aided the school in finishing the season with an overall 31-2 record (18-1 in the conference). The school capped off this phenomenally successful season by winning the NAIA Basketball Championship in Kansas City March 23, 2021. It’s clear it doesn’t matter where you play the game if it appears you have a measure of talent the NBA will beat a path to your door. Doesn’t matter the location it could be Lexington Kentucky, Ann Arbor Michigan or in this case Portsmouth Ohio.

All-time Kansas City Kings Team

We must face facts; the Kings had a somewhat pathetic history while Kansas City was home. Most of the problem was due to poor to average coaching which includes management. The large majority was based on drafting and trading for average and in some instances below average NBA players. How could we compile a top team, well it wasn’t easy however this is it? Just in case some of the names are unfamiliar check NBA.com or YouTube. 

Nate “Tiny” Archibald point guard-most are familiar with his championship Celtic years, he first demonstrated his talent while playing in Kansas City. He remains the only player to win the scoring and assist title in the same season (1972-73).

Otis Birdsong shooting guard-The sharpshooter from the University of Houston had the ability to score on anyone or defense. Like others on this list Birdsong didn’t finish his career in Kansas City but boy could he score the ball.

Sam Lacey center-He wasn’t much of a scorer although he quite a dependable rebounder. He was a skillful passer out of the post, three times while here Lacey averaged over 5 assists per game for the season.

Eddie Johnson forward-He stood 6-foot 7 inches and was a smooth shooter. His career was on an upward trend as the Kings departed for Sacramento. He would later distinguish himself playing for the Suns and had an above average NBA career in my view.

Scott Wedman forward-neither of those named were power forwards but I’m making an exception including both. Wedman’s scoring average was not great (13.2) but with the Celtics he became a valued reserve player unlike the period with the Kings where he was a starter.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

A clock

Over the years LaVar Ball has been one of those persons you attempt to ignore. For me it’s always been his arrogant attitude, perhaps it’s all smoke and mirrors but who really knows except him. Recently when youngest son LaMelo was named Rookie of the Year I went on record. I stated, “Maybe he’s due more credit than I’m giving him.” A reader and friend took me to task by stating the adage, “A broken clock is correct twice a day.” I guess he believes I was giving LaVar far too much credit for the success of LaMelo and Lonzo earlier. 

He said it

I once indicated I watch bits and pieces of most sports talk programs, that was the case on Tuesday morning. Keyshawn, JWill and Zuban, former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson said, “Everything Stephen A. Smith says he believes.” If that is the case Smith believes two present day players are superior to four enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. The players in question are the Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell completing his 4^th year in the NBA, Smith declared Mitchell “The best player in Jazz history.” We guess Smith’s never heard of Karl Malone, John Stockton or Adrian Dantley all in the hall.

Smith went further later, after the triple double game registered by Devin Booker, he declared the Suns shooting guard the next Kobe Bryant. As for his time the 2020-21 season was Booker’s 6^th year in the NBA. I believe Smith is correct in two instances, both Mitchell and Booker are ascending on the talent scale. These two as with most players of this generation are likely superior athletically to any of the three Hall of Fame players apart from Kobe Bryant. I could be missing the point here however I don’t believe that to be the case. Once again Smith’s voiced HIS opinion on a subject I disagree with, does that make him wrong…NO.

Top 10

What’s your Top 10 high school basketball areas in the nation, I’m going to provide you mine. Before I list them, I must inform you they are not in any order. 

Los Angeles

New York City

Dallas-Fort Worth

Chicago

Atlanta

Houston

Detroit

Minneapolis

St. Louis

Philadelphia

Memphis

You notice the count is 11, I couldn’t figure out which metro to delete so my Top 10 is 11. Did you note my home Kansas City Missouri metro is missing? 

Headed for the NBA...maybe

Ochai Agbaji declared for the NBA draft on April 8, more recently Agbaji received an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine. The annual combine will be held June 21 to June 27 in Chicago, for those unfamiliar with this event potential draftees are run through a series of drills. There are NBA personnel on hand to gauge the potential draft status of this year’s corps of college players. Agbaji certainly is considered a late bloomer, he was rated a 3-star prospect in high school at Oak Park High School in Kansas City.

It would appear Agbaji may have wanted Kansas more than the school wanted him. He wasn’t highly recruited and based on the roster depth he was redshirted his freshman year. His status changed due to several injuries Kansas suffered that year. Pressed into service that first year Agbaji experienced several highs and some lows as he adjusted to Division I play. Agbaji recently completed his junior year, whatever occurs we hope the best for this local young man, good luck Ochai Agbaji.

Wait…there’s more

We have been informed global warming is causing glacier ice to melt rapidly, the north and south polar caps are thawing much faster than any intended action by the NCAA. You might have believed it was just Kansas basketball ON HOLD, how about Oklahoma State basketball?  OSU coach Mike Boynton questioned the NCAA on pending penalties and has been told “any day now” for the last five months. Over a year ago the governing body levied sanctions against the school.

OSU has appealed the sanctions but are yet to hear anything from the NCAA. The charges, 1 “OSU received a postseason ban and a scholarship reduction June 5, 2020, for the actions of a former assistant coach who since been fired.” This account is not intended to defend the actions of OSU, apparently, they admit guilt but are appealing the penalty. Why can’t the NCAA give the school a simple answer, it’s unnecessary to drag out every penalty levied.    

 1. The Score June 16, 2021

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

What is it?

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time you are aware of this fact. I’m not a fan of Doc Rivers, I don’t hate him I don’t even dislike him. For me, the problem is far simpler I just don’t believe he’s a particularly good coach. It was the belief by a number this was the year for the Sixers, all season long for a variety of reasons they appeared to play up and down. Injuries certainly caused a portion of this see-saw effort. From 2013-2020 as head coach of the Clippers they were regular season winners but when it came to the playoffs that was a different matter. 

You counter saying, “Doc Rivers won it all in 2008”, I would agree with the statement however the forces at work were quite different. We had two talented players (Kevin Garnett & Ray Allen) joining perennial All Star Paul Pierce, this team was molded at the right time. All wanted an NBA championship and they excelled for it that season resulting in the win. The following season the trio would lose to the Magic in the playoffs 4 games to 3 and that was the end for it in Boston for Rivers. 

Rivers would move on to the Clippers and the game became Lob City as Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and others played a high wire act around the basket. I wish Rivers could prove me wrong, but I believe the Sixers as presently constructed will do okay in the regular season, they will earn a playoff berth. From Monday morning’s headlines,” Rivers unsure Simmons can be point guard of championship team.” If you don’t know who has the answer? They are unlikely to win the grand prize with Rivers as head coach, just my thoughts. 

Bits n Pieces

Two years ago, I declared Joel Embiid the best center in the NBA, I’m not so sure now. I can no longer tolerate the spin moves that become turnovers or the ill-advised 3-point shot attempts. We expect guards to have a significant number of turnovers not centers. At 7 feet and 280 pounds Embiid should be taking more shots in the paint than 25-30 feet from the basket. We hoped Doc Rivers would change the culture, but it appears not much has changed in Philadelphia. 

James Jones was named NBA Executive of the Year. We might question, was the honor strictly based on the GM orchestrating the Chris Paul trade? As you are aware that trade has been key to the excellent play of the Suns thus far. The team improved from 34 wins last season to 51 this season and the second seed in the Western Conference. Although Paul is covid restricted and did not play the Suns managed to win the first game of the Western Conference finals against the Clippers 120-114.

In connection with the above story, we had no idea what might occur in the first Western Conference opening game. We knew ahead of time Chris Paul was covid restricted, in addition we were aware Kawhi Leonard would not play. Could we witness more Clipper magic, an unexpected player taking charge of the game? Well, it did occur, but it would be Devin Booker of the Suns who came to play on Sunday. Booker the shooting guard took on the role of point guard, he would score 40 points and snatch down 13 rebounds, he also managed to dish out 11 assists leading to the 120-114 win. What a great time for Booker to accomplish his first triple double. 

It’s difficult to repeat as an NCAA basketball champion in this age, a better question will Baylor be able to defend its Big 12 championship. Scott Drew is sitting on top of the world as his Bears won both in 2021. The Kansas Jayhawks thanks to recruiting and the transfer portal appear to be prepared for the season. In Austin Chris Beard replaces Shaka Smart so Texas should be competitive as well. As this is written we don’t know West Virginia but we know Bob Huggins, at Oklahoma State Cade Cunningham will be playing in the NBA but what about the remaining Cowboys. Those are the programs believed to be competitive, Baylor and Scott Drew have their work cut out for them, but they will be prepared for battle. The Big 12 basketball conference perhaps best in the nation.

This one is a little difficult to believe

I’m unsure of the date without checking, I wrote there was no issue for me if the NBA chose co-Rookies of the Year. It’s been done on at least two occasions in the past, it was the Hornets LaMelo Ball and the Wolves Anthony Edwards I had in mind. By now you are aware Ball was accorded the honor over Edwards but that’s where the problem began. There’s been much wailing and gnashing of teeth since the NBA announced Ball as the winner. There were the conspiracy theorists along with at least one website in particular calling foul.

This was their argument, “Ball missed 21 of the 72 games while Edwards played in all 72.” The theorists only provided us the view “The NBA had the fix in allowing Ball to win.” I’d like to ask them a question. The father LaVar Ball has been a public embarrassment to the NBA going back to oldest son Lonzo’s draft his time with the Lakers. Stan Van Gundy’s been fired but who called for him to let go first…I believe it might be Father Ball. Why in the world would the NBA have any desire to provide LaVar Ball with additional propaganda to use? You are aware of my standard statement, “I’m from Missouri you must show me.” Talk is cheap prove the vote was fixed in favor of Ball. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

No…. please don’t do it!

We have now heard it a second time, Russell Westbrook to the Lakers. I am not signing off on this one, Westbrook from 5-6 years ago but not this version. The reason why now, the Lakers found themselves woefully lacking in offense at times this past season. Westbrook its believed would invigorate the offense that suffered with no AD and LeBron in the lineup. Despite his ability to rebound and distribute the ball Westbrook’s shooting has fallen off the edge of the earth.

Would Westbrook be willing to curtail his shooting on a Laker team? We are discussing possible adjustments, the Lakers are a better team than the Wizards with AD and LeBron alone. There are too many potential problems for this to work successfully in my view. As an example, Andrew Drummond was criticized all around for clogging the lane, with a Westbrook in the lineup that might be a continuous issue. The key matter for us to discuss is $$$, it would be difficult to see how the Lakers could afford to pay Westbrook. All we read indicates the Lakers are over the salary cap, we shall see if this rumor has legs.

It’s over

We are not speaking of the NBA championship, but the pre-season and early hype is over. In December Las Vegas had the odds heavily in favor of a Lakers-Nets 2021 NBA championship, that will not occur as you are aware. The Lakers were bested early by the Suns and Saturday evening we witnessed the Bucks beating the Nets in OT 115-111. What might have been was seriously impacted by events beyond anyone’s control, injuries affected both teams. We always say injuries are part of the game we are just unsure if they ever affected two odds on favorites in this manner.

The Lakers coming off the 2020 championship and the Nets with the triple combination of Durant, Irving and Hardin (sounds like a law firm). For the Lakers it was early as AD went down in February and LeBron in March both missing significant time. They returned before the end of the season but were they fully healed? For the Nets James Hardin suffering injury earlier was “suppose” to be ready to play, he went out with an injury in the first minute of the first game. Later Kyrie Irving would also suffer injury missing valuable time. Kevin Durant would be the only one to play and boy did he play, it just wasn’t enough to allow the Nets to win. What about next season for the two, both the Lakers and Nets will be re-tooled in some manner. We are just uncertain how each team will look next season. 

How about including her too

We heard the names Becky Hammon of the Spurs, even Kara Lawson current Duke woman’s coach has been mentioned in the discussion of becoming the first female head coach in the NBA. One of the names overlooked in this search is Teresa Weatherspoon, she’s been an assistant on the Pelicans staff. Beyond that her basketball history is quite diverse she played in the WNBA for several years. After her playing career was over, she went into coaching first as an assistant.

In 2008 Weatherspoon was hired as head coach by Louisiana Tech where she was a successful coach with a 99-71 won-loss record, in 2020 she was hired by the Pelicans as an assistant coach. Spoon as she is nicknamed is also a Naismith Hall of Fame inductee in the Class of 2019.  A friend voiced concern whether the NBA would take this bold step, he mentioned the length of time it took Patrick Ewing to be hired. I believe you always have time to do the right thing…hear that NBA?

Draft Lottery

The NBA will conduct its annual Draft Lottery on Tuesday June 22, who wins? All the teams win provided they land in a position to draft that talent which takes them over the top. On the surface this draft appears deep indicating there is potential ability beyond those who might be chosen in the lottery portion. There are a total of 14 participating teams, it’s weighted therefore the worst a team’s record it’s likely their odds improve.

Depending on your age you might ask, “Why does the NBA conduct a lottery?” Prior to the lottery a variety of methods was utilized a coin flip being most common. The key issue, teams with the two worst records could be in the same conference and the NBA probably wanted to avoid that possibility. In addition, it was said the Rockets purposely were losing games toward the end of the season to position themselves for the top pick. With the first pick in 1983 the Rockets chose Ralph Sampson, the following season losing on purpose it’s believed the Rockets in 1984 again had the top pick. In the 1984 draft they chose Akeem (Hakeem) Olajuwon, and the rest is NBA history.   

Sam Presti

One of the websites I regularly read contained this account on Friday evening. “Thunder GM Sam Presti has accumulated 19(?) first round picks over the last 7 years.” I attempted to return to the site but could not locate it, that’s why there is a question mark behind the number of picks. Whatever the case, Presti might be one of the nicest guys going but as the Janet Jackson hit goes, “What Have You Done For Me Lately.” It seems accumulating draft choices without showing progress on the court really serves no purpose in my view.  If we check the Thunder’s won-loss record over the last three seasons they appear to be going in a reverse direction.

The Thunder have been on a downward spiral from 49 wins to 44 and the recently completed 72-game season witnessed them finishing with a 22-50 record. Sorry fans just picking up draft picks without improvement on the court is not impressive to me. With any issue we cannot just look at one thing and claim that is the basis for below par play, coaching and personnel at hand certainly factor into the equation. I’m just not ready to pat Presti or anyone else on the back for that matter until evidence is provided. In fairness to him the Thunder have been a competitive team during much of the time he’s been general manager. I hope it doesn’t appear I’m being negative on purpose; I would just appreciate visible proof of improvement which is not evident to this writing.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The curse is over…if it ever existed

Headed into Game 6 the Clippers were aware they would be without Kawhi, turns out that would be no problem.  At one point they managed to fall behind by 25 points still, no problem. Why was there no problem you might ask, the Clippers had Terrance Mann on their side? Who is Terrance Mann, well he’s a second-year guard who played his college basketball at Florida State? Mann exploded for 39 points leading the way to his team’s 131-119 win over the top seeded Jazz. For the first time in their 37-year history in Los Angeles the Clippers will play for the Western Division Championship. Who said anything about a Clipper curse and just who is this Kawhi person?

What time is it…. Game time?

By the time you read this the Bucks or the Nets will be declared the winner of Game 7. This is written early Saturday morning in anticipation of tonight’s action, you have the answer prior to me. You can stop reading at this point if you desire. Who wins this especially important game, we know in advance there will be no Kyrie Irving also missing in this vital game is suppose to be James Hardin? All the evidence would tend to say Bucks win however there is an issue with that assumption. We witnessed the play of Terrance Mann for the Clippers on Friday evening, does a Nets player step up and perform on a similar level?

The other issue, the Bucks despite their talent at times appear to lack that killer instinct. With all the intangibles to consider the team advancing to face the Hawks or Sixers will be the Bucks If this should be the outcome half of you will say, “They should have won 2/3 of the Nets offense is injured. If Nets manage to overcome the handicap you might state, “I expected this they have no go to guy other than Giannis” or something like that. I will be sitting in front of my television set in my Man Cave awaiting a Bucks win not because I am a fan, they should be the better team. Did you note I underlined should be, therefore I have an out in case they lose?

He does comedy in addition to coaching 

Tyronn Lue's got jokes, he should try out for Kings of Comedy with his latest statement (and I paraphrase). "The Clippers have advanced in the playoffs and Laker fans should be rooting for them." He should ask Spike Lee and others if they want the Nets to win. As you are aware Barclays Center is in Brooklyn, Lee was born and raised in Brooklyn, we believe he still lives in the borough.

This lifelong Knicks fan has claimed he’d never root for the Nets; you get the picture Tyronn?Do Yankee fans root for the Mets and vice-versa, how about Cubs and White Sox fans. Did the coach forget the fact it was said the Clippers lost their last two regular season games to avoid playing the Lakers? How about former Clipper coach Doc Rivers, maintenance personnel at Staples Center covered Laker championship banners and jerseys during Clipper games. In all my years I’ve never heard a fan of either franchise claim they cheer for the other team.     

Free throw

Hall of Famer Rick Barry’s classic line, “It’s a free throw…nobody is guarding you.” Try telling that to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ben Simmons who struggle from the line. Has their poor shooting cost their teams a game or two, probably? This is the portion difficult for many of us to understand. We could use Magic Johnson as an example, he was slightly above average from the line when he arrived in the NBA in 1979. By the time he retired his career free throw percentage stood at .848, two seasons witnessed him shooting .911 and .904 from the line.

How did Magic Johnson manage to improve his free throw shooting… probably practice, practice and more practice? As for Rick Barry he should know a thing or two about shooting from the line, over the course of his 10-year NBA career he shot .900. Two years prior to retirement Barry shot his all-time high with .947 for the season. Who knows, this might be totally unfair to Giannis and Simmons, it’s been reported the great Wilt Chamberlain would sink shot after shot from the line in practice.  Once the game began it was a far different matter.  Despite playing 82 games in the 1967-68 season Chamberlain recorded his lowest figure ever .380, the highest number registered was his third year in the NBA when he shot .613 from the line.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Dallas

There is on-going drama in Dallas, but this time JR, Sue Ellen and Bobby are not the principal characters. Okay I understand several reading this might be too young to remember the classic television series by that name, it was broadcast from 1978 to 1991. This has nothing to do with that except Dallas is also the location of our story. Where to begin, how about Mavs superstar guard/forward Luka Doncic. Luka is upset, Donnie’s been fired and now Rick has resigned, okay we’ll attempt to detail the issues as best we can.

Why is Luka upset; he’s displeased with coach Rick Carlisle. Perhaps that factor alone might have been one of the driving forces in Carlisle resigning after 13 years on the job. Luka is also upset Donnie Nelson serving as general manager for the Mavs over 20 years was fired. It was Nelson’s scouting that brought Luka to the Mavs attention and later the draft, it’s reported the two have a close relationship. Appearing to be in the middle of this turmoil is a name unfamiliar to most of us outside of Dallas, his name Haralobos Voulgaris.

Voulgaris is the Mavs Director of Quantitative Research and Development and former professional gambler, according to reports Voulgaris has owner Mark Cuban’s ear. Don’t become confused this apparent drama is not being blamed on him alone, it appears there are bunches of moving parts. We have been reading since the Mavs ended their playoff run Kristaps Porzingis is also unhappy. Despite the apparent turmoil its reported Luka wants to sign an extension with the Mavs as he approaches free agency.  There are issues that impact us we have no guarantee of their outcome, same here there is no intent on my part to confirm Luka remains part of the Mavs future. We must continue to scrutinize this story as it develops over the next few days and weeks. 

Once upon a time

Major league baseball and NFL football once witnessed blockbuster trades, they are mostly a thing of the past now. Large scale player movement comes in the form of free agency rather than trading partners. Trades still transpire in those sports but certainly not to the degree they once did, only the NBA remains in the epic trade business. In a sign and trade deal the Celtics acquired Kemba Walker in July 2019; on Friday, a month short of two years Walker is on his way to the Thunder. Moving to the Celtics in the trade are Al Horford who returns to Boston from two years ago along with Moses Brown, also part of the package are a 2021 first round pick and a 2025 second round pick. On the surface it would appear the Celtics are the winner in this trade receiving help in the form of three players immediately and one in three years.

Rule No. 9

I didn’t know the number however I was aware it existed. What is Rule No. 9, this rule provides specifics on the amount of time a shooter must take for his shot from the free throw line. 1. “The shooter shall be above the free throw line and within the upper half of the free throw He shall attempt the free throw within 10 seconds of controlling the ball in such a way that the ball enters the basket or touches the ring.” This is brought to your attention due to the inordinate amount of time it’s taking Giannis Antetokounmpo to shoot his free-throws. Giannis has two areas of his game that often betray this talented power forward, shooting from distance and his shot from the line. In closing my research proved fruitless, I remember a game an official stepped in because the shooter was taking too long. The ball was awarded to the opposition, unfortunately I am unable to locate it. 

https://official.nba.com rule-no-9-free-throws-and penalties

Not gonna do it…well

It’s unfair to compare a present-day player with one of the past. We do it all the time, we do it because it places that player side by side with the veteran. We can foresee how that player might adapt to play in the NBA. Of course, we know it’s not fair or even accurate, but we do it all the time. With the disclaimer up front here goes. Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham versus Magic Johnson, how do they compare? Most likely when the draft is held July 29 the first name commissioner Silver announces is that of Cunningham.

Magic stands 6 foot 9 inches, Cunningham 6 foot 8, we realize Magic’s gained weight since his retirement however his play weight was 225 pounds the same as Cunningham.  It appears Cunningham is a better shooter from the floor while Magic is a better assist man, they are excellent at the free throw line at 80%+. Magic was the top pick in the 1979 draft by the Lakers, Cunningham will be the top pick by the Rockets, Pistons, Magic or Thunder. Magic had an advantage; he was drafted by the Lakers who were a +.500-playoff team. None of the teams in the Cunningham sweepstakes are anywhere close to that level of play.    

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Another one bites the dust

Thursday afternoon came word another NBA coach will no longer be on the sidelines. This time it’s somewhat of a surprise as Rick Carlisle of the Mavs is leaving after 13 seasons at the helm. Carlisle led the Mavs to their lone NBA championship and why now? That subject will be detailed later for your reading. Carlisle becomes the 7^th NBA coach fired, resigned or promoted (Brad Stevens) since the end of the season to this point.

I’m unsure if there’s ever been a period when NBA teams were replacing this number of head coaches. Oh well, infuse some new blood…my call has been to stop recycling coaches throughout the association. Be bold, hire a name but someone brand new. Give them the opportunity to determine if they have the skill required to coach at this level. NOTE: There is trouble in Dallas with a capital T., it will be covered in detail tomorrow.  

Minimum wage

It’s been posted on several occasions the Lakers lack cap space enabling them to offer Andre Drummond and Dennis Schroeder the financial compensation they might desire. A member of the media must have questioned if Drummond was willing to sign for the veteran minimum. Before proceeding consider this past statement, on more than one occasion I’ve mentioned I have no desire to discuss salaries of athletes. It’s been my long-held belief for several years all professional athletes no matter the sport are paid an insane amount of money.

Back to the question at hand, the vet minimum for an NBA player is $925,000 annually, according to research information we believe the contract Drummond signed earns him $22.12 million. A better question might have been to ask the media person, “Are you willing to continue working at your same salary while the cost of living picks up speed?” The answer is simple no one wants less money even Drummond just to remain with the Lakers. If he leaves the Lakers don’t be shocked, there are other NBA teams who might be willing to meet his salary demand as a free agent. 

He reinvented himself 

Quin Snyder was either fired or resigned in February 2006 as coach of the Mizzou Tigers.  After initial success, the Mizzou program had run into recruiting violations all of which were laid at the feet of Snyder. Looking back perhaps Snyder was too young at the time he was hired (33 years old) and there might have been a maturity factor. In 2007 he was hired as head coach of the Austin Toros the Spurs G-League affiliate. We don’t know this to be a fact however we believe the Toros playbook might have come directly from that of the Spurs Gregg Popovich. Snyder remained in Austin until 2010 when he was hired as an assistant by the NBA Sixers. In 2011 he moved to the Lakers in the same role and 2012 saw him in Moscow with CSKA as an assistant.

Snyder returned as an assistant for the NBA Hawks 2013-14, the following year the Jazz hired him as head coach. The first two seasons the Jazz record was below .500, since then his teams have earned a playoff berth in successive years. The 2020-21 Jazz team is the number one team in the west, how far they go is unknown at this point. Quin Snyder is 54 years old now, the baptism of fire might be his tenure at Mizzou, it appears he’s grown and working for a succession of quality coaches (Larry Brown, Greg Popovich to name a few) he’s learned much. It might be added here Snyder is a highly intelligent dude holding a law degree from Duke and an M.B.A. from the Duke Fuqua School of Business. There are probably a few in Mizzou Nation that remain resentful regarding Snyder, I happen to not be one of them. He is successful now and hopefully he will be into the future because it all started for Snyder in Missouri. 

The college landscape 2021-22

The transfer portal leaves questions for most basketball programs across the nation. As for high school recruiting that’s a different story, we really don’t have an idea how the freshmen will adapt but we can guess based on recruiting talent. We can state with certainty Juwan Howard’s made the transition from NBA assistant to college head coach in a speedy fashion, it’s not only the X and O factor but Michigan recruiting,

Howard’s done a good job in that area as well as most .com sites award Michigan the top spot in recruiting for 2021-22. What’s most interesting the Big Boys don’t always win the recruiting wars if we consider the list of schools. If we look at the Top 25 recruiting it contains several mid major programs. We observe the fact Gonzaga, Creighton, Dayton and Memphis in the number to name just a few on the list. It should be noted Marquette is listed in the Top 25 on most of these sites, Shaka Smart should inherit a talented team.

Is change forthcoming

The Harden Rule might soon be in effect for the NBA, before proceeding let’s briefly check the past. It seems every time a player arrives on the scene and dominates or impacts the game change is usually made. In 1964 the NBA widen the lane from 12 to 16 feet to curtail Wilt Chamberlain, did it work you be the judge? Later Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) dominated basketball his sophomore year at UCLA. What did the NCAA do, they banned the dunk in college basketball the following season?

The ban would remain in effect for 10 years until the 1976-77 season when it was repealed? They didn’t identify Alcindor by name, but his prowess was written all over this rule. Back to the subject at hand, James Harden makes a move then attempting the shot he’s “somewhat leaning” into the defender. Whistle blows foul on the defender and that’s the issue. The prevailing belief is Harden and Trae Young have an unfair advantage with these moves. At this point there is no guarantee it will be passed, if it is we can blame James Harden first and Trae Young second.