Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday & Friday  

Bits n Pieces  

With my schedule and life pursuits I have witnessed very little Olympic coverage…even basketball. From the comment I would guess Jayson Tatum is not starting for Team USA, Tatum must have been crucial to their 119-84 win over the Czech Republic. This from Gregg Popovich, “I just told Jayson to act like he’s playing the Spurs. Every time he plays us, he scores 90.” Typical dead pan humor from one who is reported to be humorless. 

It’s only a number, on the other hand it is important to a player. Rookie Cade Cunningham has worn   number 2 through his freshman year at Oklahoma State, we are sure he probably wanted it with the Pistons but there was a problem. Number 2 was retired; it belonged to the late Piston coach Chuck Daly. The number represents the two Pistons championships (1989, 1990) while Daly served as head coach. Piston management contacted the Daly family, and they gave permission to provide the number to Cunningham.

Kansas City’s Landry Shamet is on the move again, this time to the Suns who become his 4^th NBA team. The 24-year-old Park Hill High School and Wichita State athlete was drafted by the Sixers but was traded to the Clippers. The Nets acquired him in a trade however draft night witnessed him being trading again this time to the Suns. All that movement for such a young player might be misleading to several. Shamet in a short space of time has become a valued reserve for each of these teams, the Suns acquired him to enhance their bench. 

“Too short. Too slow. With luck, maybe a career in Turkey,” those are the actual draft notes of Mark Jackson (who would later become his coach) on Steph Curry. Proving once again you cannot read the heart of an athlete (or any other person).  Generally, by the time of the NBA draft the growth cycle is complete, rarely does anyone gain additional speed. There are elements we can never see only experience. The will to win, the ability to overcome, those are internal and impossible to see. 

He’s a walking dinosaur  

We talk about the demise of the Big Man in the game, perhaps it’s not entirely their fault.  Consider this fact, can you name a true point guard besides Chris Paul? There are plenty of guys in position less basketball claiming they play the point but do they really? It’s my contention 99% of them are “shoot-first” point guards, Paul is a walking dinosaur. He might be the last remaining true point guard; I’ll give you time to come up with a second one. Rajon Rondo is nearing the end of his career, but he too is a throwback to the days of the true point guard. It’s been said LeBron James loved when he and Rondo were on the court at the same time.

Okay you point at Russell Westbrook; he’s been near the top of the NBA every season in assists, once again I must question whether he is a true point guard. You might state Paul’s not won anything however his situation might be unique. He’s made several moves over his career and playoff injuries must be taken into consideration. This shoot first or combo guard mentality didn’t begin yesterday the NBA trend has been heading that direction for several years. Steve Francis might not be the beginning however he’s the name that comes to mind. Arriving in the NBA in 1999 as a point guard his speed and shooting plus his assists made him valuable to the Rockets back then. There are no more guys scoring 9, 10 or 12 points a game and dishing out 10 or 11 assists a game, we say Big Men are lacking in the game. Perhaps it’s the other way around, the issue there are few true point guards anymore. Example, the Clippers placing Patrick Beverly in the position and referring to him as a point guard.  

I offer you the proof

Below this account is the one originally written, it’s been lined through, but I wanted to ensure you it was written. I wrote it believing the Kansas athletic department should take the lead in the departure of Texas and Oklahoma. I decided not to publish it after a conversation with a friend (a member of Jayhawk Nation). I wrote Kansas should take the lead to maintain the Big XII Conference and keep it from imploding, I was wrong. My friend aimed his ire not at Texas or Oklahoma but in a different direction…toward the Big XII commissioner.

My friend pointed out other than the “attack” letter Bob Bowlsby sent to ESPN he’s done nothing else. Realizing the position requires diplomacy I don’t believe my friend was stating Bowlsby needed to attack Texas or Oklahoma for their move. Okay they are gone, has the commissioner reached out to any schools to replace them? Has Bowlsby attempted to ensure eastern time zone West Virginia remains in the conference? Exactly what has he done since his letter to ESPN? At this point The University of Kansas with its rich basketball history is key for the Big XII to continue. Must they reach out to this commissioner, or should it be the other way around? If he makes no move, we might see Kansas bolt for the Big 10 or ACC too.

If they were smart

Kansas University is now the leader of the pact, Texas and Oklahoma are de-facto now. Instead of allowing the Big XII to crumble at their feet the Jayhawks should begin looking at additional teams. That is if they don’t have other aspirations (Big 10, ACC) in mind. How do you maintain the Big XII as a power conference? You add four teams to raise the conference back to 12 teams. I’m assuming West Virginia will decide to leave so they too must be replaced.

Who are the candidates the Big XII could add: Several folks will not be pleased with the suggestion these are mine, Southern Methodist University, University of Houston, Missouri State and Wichita State? Wichita State is the lone school without a football program but that shouldn’t be a basis for not considering them. In closing I know ahead of time what the cynics will say, none of the schools are from Power 5 conferences. That’s true however does it matter if the intent is to keep the Big XII from going the way of the Southwest Conference or The Great Midwest Conference.