Basketball from a fans perspective

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A decision has been reached

Monday October 18 Off the Dribble will begin with a Monday through Friday publishing schedule. No longer will there be a weekend edition available. There is a hope this accommodates your basketball desires. This update is always subject to change however its believed this will be beneficial. Thank you for continuing to read this publication over the years.

Bits n Pieces 

News reports indicate LiAngelo Ball will sign a contract and return to the G-League. It was believed he might stick with the Hornets as a reserve player however that didn’t work out. Much as I hate to say it Gelo appears to be the least talented of the brothers. Why make that statement, if he NBA talent he would be the 12^th or 13^th man on a team’s roster. Don’t fool yourself, NBA teams might not share scouting reports, but they all analyze available talent.

Nets coach Steve Nash talked to the media, he said he is prepared to have Kyrie Irving available for road games only. This continues to be an ever-developing story, will he, or won’t he? One of the barbers told me this past Saturday, “Kyrie doesn’t want to play anymore but he is making too much money to just quit.” That’s one man’s opinion and it might not be correct however it would appear Irving’s got to decide and soon.

The term and use of Load Management in the NBA, what are your feelings? We know the thoughts of former Pacer and Hall of Fame player Reggie Miller…not much. He claims the NBA has made it a softer league. “I felt guilty when I didn’t play, even when I had a sprained ankle and I was able to play at 70, 75 percent, and I knew I could go.” The long NBA season plus travel plus possibility of injury we can understand the need for occasional rest. On the other hand, not picking on him, Kawhi Leonard might be a leader in “Load Management”. Where is Kawhi, recovering from surgery due to an injury despite load management during this earlier season?

He was never that serious 

There are occasions you read a story and it surprises, not the content but the person who made the statements. That is the case here, Kareem Abdul Jabbar has certainly been a voice however there are few instances we’ve heard him discuss a former contemporary as this case. Darryl Dawkins died in 2015 at the age of 58, when he arrived in the NBA from Maynard Evans High School in 1975, he was NBA ready at age 18. Dawkins stood 6 foot 11 inches and 251 pounds, think of Shaquille O’Neal however there was one issue.

Despite his god given talent and ability he never appeared to take the NBA game in a serious way. Dawkins appeared to be more content at times with breaking backboards (which he did twice) and naming his dunks. There is no argument from anyone who played against him or saw him on the court Dawkins was a force around the basket, few were willing to stand in his way on a drive to the basket. His career numbers a modest 12 points along with 6 rebounds a game, certainly numbers we wouldn’t expect from such an imposing presence.

Recently Kareem Abdul Jabbar said; “Darryl spent so much time being a clown and not focusing on the finer aspects of the game. Darryl was just incredibly and physically gifted like Shaq. But he didn’t understand his potential and use it the right way.”1. This is another example; he was the catalyst behind his last stop in the NBA. Playing for the Pistons it was said Chuck Daly did not play him in a game. This from teammate Isiah Thomas when Darryl boarded the team bus “Hey Chuck, if you don’t put me in the game tomorrow, I’m gonna show up at your house and I’m gonna be in your backyard waiting.” He appeared to threaten Daly so what does the coach do? You don’t threaten a coach even in a joking manner. The Pistons cut him the next day, Darryl would go on to play in foreign destinations and eventually close out his basketball career in 1995 as a member of the Globetrotters. There might be players with lesser talent that proved far more valuable to their team than Darryl Dawkins.

USA Today

He will be missing

It’s possible Gonzaga could experience a better 2021-22 season over that of Baylor who beat them for the 2021 NCAA championship. Pre-season polls place the Spokane Washington school at or near the top in most polls. When the Bulldogs kick off (that football term again) against Dixie State on November 9 a familiar face will be missing from the bench. No, it’s not a player who left for the NBA or transferred its coach Mark Few. The coach will sit out this game and all activities leading up to the college basketball season. Few will be missing the first game due to a DUI in early September. The coach apologize for the incident and expressed thanks to his family and program for supporting him.