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.