Basketball from a fans perspective

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“Playoff” Rondo

That became his nickname, after average play during the season and the first part of the playoffs “Playoff Rondo” came to the forefront. His shooting plus assists were keys to the Lakers winning the 2020 NBA Championship but then he left the Lakers only to return. Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo cleared waivers, the next step for Rondo is to sign again with the Lakers (done on Tuesday). My Lakers have made a few unusual off-season moves to return the team to championship form.

Of all the moves this one is the strangest for me, stranger than acquiring Russell Westbrook as an example. Sure, Rondo can play in spurts but is it necessary to give the 35-year-old a roster spot a more youthful but unproven player might take? The Lakers must do something even stranger than this for my allegiance to wane, Rondo becomes just one question for me. Perhaps by the time the season begins there will be additional concerns on my part. Rondo has one guy in his corner LeBron James. It was reported two years ago LeBron and Rondo were on the same page didn’t matter if they were on the floor at the same time. We know this to be a fact, Rondo wants to get paid and he wants to win, we are not sure of the sequence.

The body measurements

According to information uncovered George “The Iceman” Gervin stood 6 foot 7 inches and weighed 180 pounds. Emoni Bates is reported to be 6 foot 8 and 201 pounds, don’t get ahead of the account. There has existed a concern about a weight issue, it’s clear the lack of bulk didn’t affect Gervin much. This is no attempt to claim the youngster will have a Naismith Hall of Fame career such as Gervin however there are a few gems to uncover. We read LeBron James thinks it’s good Bates will play for Penny Hardaway who should be able to teach him the ins and outs of playing at the collegiate (and hopefully NBA) level. LeBron points to a condition mentioned previously, Bates is only 17 years old.

He will not be old enough to submit his name for the 2022 NBA Draft so it’s likely he’s at Memphis two years. This has also been mentioned, with NIL ability at hand Bates will certainly not suffer any financial strain while at Memphis. Although he’s ineligible for the draft there is speculation, he might leave Memphis after a single season. The thought process is why would this be necessary? In the G-League or Australia a new coach, system and teammates requiring tweaking. If he remains at Memphis there would be a degree of adjustment to newcomers, he would be familiar with the coach and his system. I know what you are thinking he must make an adjustment once he reaches the NBA, that’s true but an entirely different change. 

Second round choices

We know talent exists in the NBA into the second round of the draft. Rather than attempt to point out the best allow us to check out current and past NBA players. We begin with Spurs guard Manu Ginobili the 57^th pick in 1999, he almost missed the draft completely. There are only 60 players chosen each June, so you see the basis for the statement. How about Draymon Green of the Warriors, he was made the 35 pick in 2012? The 2021 MVP was a second-round choice, Nikola Jokic a.k.a. “The Joker” pick 41 in 2014 by the Nuggets. Smooth shooting Alex English was the 23^rd pick in 1976 (lesser number of NBA teams at the time).

English is double-double athlete, enshrined in the college basketball and Naismith Hall of Fame, outstanding. Next up Dennis Rodman a.k.a. “The Worm,” he was able to carve out an exclusive role, at 6 foot 7 inches he led the NBA in rebounds 7 times during his career. Rodman also enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. We close with the late Dennis Johnson, most associate him with the Celtic championship teams although he played for other NBA teams. Johnson was pick 29 in 1976, he is also in the Naismith Hall of Fame. There are others we could include in this brief look at quality second round picks, guards Mark Price, Maurice Cheeks and Jeff Hornacek. We include Paul Milsap, Toni Kukoc, Marc Gasol and the late Jerome Kersey in our count. There are names unfamiliar to you check them out in NBA history.

The Battle of Los Angeles

Don’t allow the headline to confuse you there is no war going on in Los Angeles. The reference is the battle for the hearts and minds of Angelenos. The Clippers are a slight bit ahead having advance further in the playoffs than the injury plagued Lakers. Then it occurred at once after the Clippers were playoff eliminated Kawhi Leonard underwent surgery. It’s been reported the surgery to repair his right anterior cruciate ligament was successful. The rehab process begins at this point, there is no timeline for his return to action. The best guess is late February or early March, Kawhi could miss the season which would be detrimental for the Clippers. Back to the present, August 1 he became a free agent and after a brief period he re-signed with the Clippers.

Meantime their co-tenets at Staples made a bold move, getting Russell Westbrook says, “We win now and not later.” It’s not all cake and ice cream for the Lakers, they must figure out a method to blend the game of Westbrook to that of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Excluding the trio this Laker team will look quite different from the team we saw opening night of the 2020-21 season. Kuzma, Harrell, KCP, Drummond and Schroeder…all gone. In 2019-20 it was the Lakers clearly ahead winning the 2020 NBA championship despite the pandemic shutting down the season for a time. This past season it was clear at a point the Clippers were the winner regardless of the fact they did not win the ultimate prize. It is still paramount we do not get in front of our skis, the Lakers primarily due to injury did not defend their championship many believed they were the favorite. They might indeed appear from the west in 2022, if they do it’s the Bucks or Nets, they must beat to win championship number 18.

You are the judge

The NBA G-League first began play in the 2001-02 season as the NBA Developmental League, it was hoped at the time it would become the destination of those players with no desire to attend college. In 2017-18 Gatorade became the title sponsor thus a name change to G-League. Former commissioner David Stern saw it as the NBA’s minor league, whether it’s turned into what was the hope is still up for debate, so you are the judge. Several NBA players have spent time in the G-League but until recently we really could debate proof of its value.

Until G-League Team Elite began play we could say few prospects who began their pro career were able to graduate to the NBA. We are finally beginning to see evidence with Team Elite NBA talent is being developed. If this trend is to continue the NBA must scout talent, they must find those who have no desire to attend college. On the other hand, we could look at former Laker guard Alex Caruso. Undrafted Caruso spent time in the G-League eventually making the Laker roster and now the big payday. The contract he signed with the Bulls is $37 million so we can see the value of the G-League for him.

EuroLeague

Over the past the NBA has seen an ever-increasing number of Euro athletes arriving on American shores. Because the league is on the other side of the world few are familiar with it apart from NBA scouts & executives. The league first began play in 1958, in 2000 it was re-branded as the EuroLeague. There are eighteen teams spread throughout the European continent, they are as far west as Madrid Spain, far north as St. Petersburg and Moscow Russia. Maccabi Israel might be the most southern of all the teams.

If we check the number of championships won by a team that would be Real Madrid Baloncesto or in English Real Madrid Basketball, they are winners of ten. Guess it should not be surprising considering the amount of talent sent to the NBA from this team, Luka Doncic, the late Drazen Petrovic, Arvydas Sabonis are just a few of the names. Right behind Real Madrid is CSKA Moscow with eight championships, Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel and Panathinaikos B.C. in Greece are tied with six apiece. This is but a brief look at Euro basketball, like the NBA the EuroLeague has also seen an explosive growth in fan attendance and talent. The talent is evidence by the number of international players, at last count it stood at 104 and next season there will be additions.