Basketball from a fans perspective

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Paint dries much faster

I certainly claim no expertise in this area, I believe there are fast drying paints on the market. Within a short space of time a room could be fully dry or nearly so, where am I going with this story you ask? It was reported a week ago (maybe longer I’m unsure) DeAndre Jordan late of the Nets and Pistons would accept a buyout. Once the buyout was complete and he cleared waivers Jordan would sign with the Lakers.  From those of us in Laker Nation we believed that move was solid as we waited and waited and waited. No DeAndre Jordan news, what the heck is taking so long for him to clear waivers and sign? Then it arrived, no proclamation but a report on Thursday indicating the veteran center had signed a 1-year contract.

Two issues at the beginning, a masterful job must be conducted by Frank Vogel and staff to mold all the moving parts (acquired free agents) into a working cohesive unit. The second issue it would appear Marc Gasol is now history, he is a much better shooter from distance over Jordan but weaker in other areas. I realize he’s older than LeBron however the skill set of the Laker forward (point) exceeds that of Gasol. With the return of Dwight Howard plus Jordan plus AD it would appear quite difficult for Gasol to warrant PT. As this was completed it was announced Gasol had been traded to the Grizzlies. It is just a short time now to September 28 the start of Laker training camp. I’m sure many are questioning NBA basketball at a time we are just beginning the NFL season. This is America, this is what we do, enjoy the ability to watch both sports at the same time. 

It’s too bad 

A few can remember seeing Bill Russell or Magic Johnson in action during their prime or near the end of career in person, others might have seen them play on television. We cannot make the same statement regarding the American Basketball Association; the league went out of business in 1976. Despite the fact four ABA teams were absorbed into the NBA there was no merger in a true sense. As you are aware the Nets, Spurs, Nuggets and Pacers were the ABA survivors. We mentioned previously the remaining players were placed in a pool and NBA teams drafted them but the point here, the NBA might have wanted the talent over adding the teams. The ABA would have never survived, the league was drowning in red ink but it’s our contention near the end the talent with the established NBA was near the same level. Don’t confuse the statement NEAR is not stating on the same level. At that time there were more NBA teams over the 6-7 existing ABA teams.

Those who might have been too young have seen video of Dr. J., Moses Malone, George Gervin and others of that era. We have evidence of their skill thanks to the time they played in the NBA (and YouTube). With no national television contract for the ABA little video evidence exists today.  It’s our contention the ABA changed the course of professional basketball. Consider this, the NBA game of that era was slow and methodical while the ABA played a wide open “run and gun” type of offense. The ABA originated the 3-point basket, held the first slam dunk championship in 1976 the merger year. No national television contract plus finance forced the league to eventually accommodate the larger and more established NBA. An “ABA” would have a great deal of difficulty existing today, the financial requirements far exceed those of America in 1967. It’s reported an expansion NBA team could be about $1 billion at the present. Sadly, it’s over, there will NEVER be another ABA like the one existing between 1967-1976, R.I.P. American Basketball Association.

Is it over for Jahlil Okafor?

The Nets have released him, Okafor is but 25-years old but his tenure in the NBA just might be over. He was the third pick in the 2015 draft by the Sixers, but his fate might have been sealed very early in his NBA career. If you remember he’d been drafted by the Sixers after they drafted Joel Embiid a year earlier, injuries will sideline Embiid it seemed almost continuously. 

Okafor would find playing time with the absence of Embiid, but the injury bug would later strike him too. In addition, there was Nerlens Noel factor who was drafted in 2013. From the Sixers it was the Nets then the Pistons and back to the Nets, on September 9 Okafor was released. There are doubts another NBA team will pick him up at this stage. Injuries, the change to small-ball and finally Okafor’s attitude. All the items mentioned may have been contributing factors in this once promising talent to be considered a bust. There remains hope for Okafor if not the NBA he could always seek playing time in Europe.

Never again 

The 2020-21 NCAA Championship saw Gonzaga accomplish a rare feat at the time they played Baylor, the Spokane Washington school had won 31 consecutive games an amazing accomplishment. College teams rarely achieve this feat of winning without a loss, in the 2014-15 season Kentucky had several close games but managed to play in the semi-finals undefeated, they had a sparkling 38-0 record. Kentucky would lose to Wisconsin and finish with a 38-1 record, prior to that we’d have to return to the distant past. Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers won the 1976 NCAA Championship with a 32-0 record, we’d have to travel back a few more years to uncover the next few teams.

UCLA under John Wooden dominated college basketball in the middle ‘60’s up through the middle ‘70’s. The Wooden led Bruins finished in 1972 and 1973 with identical records 32-0 as they won it all. Wooden’s first NCAA Championship team was in 1964, the Bruins finished that championship season 30-0. They say records are made to be broken however in this day it is difficult to see an undefeated NCAA Championship team. Players leave school early for the NBA, in other instances injury might affect a competitive team and finally this fact. We have high school players headed to Australia and the G-League bypassing college all together. Never say never although it might be difficult for an undefeated college team to ever win a championship.