Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Surgery

The Nuggets Michael Porter Jr. is to undergo back surgery and is out for an undetermined time. We’ve read no medical update however this surgery removes MPJ from the lineup for the balance of the season. Our chief concern this will become the second operation on his back. The question might be asked “how many times can you have successful back surgery and return to action?” Differing scenarios make for a range of answers.

As an example, if one works in an office environment a return to labor might not be earth shattering news. On the other hand, if that individual is a day laborer the story might be quite different and that’s the problem as we see it. To play at the high skill level the NBA demands an athlete must have physical tools as mental. Please don’t get the wrong impression in reading this, never say never is always the case. It’s our hope MPJ returns to action when possible and continues at the same level we’ve seen in the past.

Introducing….

7-foot 5-inch Oliver Rioux currently enrolled at IMG Academy in Bradenton Florida. I did not mention despite the height Rioux is only 15-years old. As for the young man’s height that’s easy to understand, his father stands 6 foot 8 and his mom 6 foot 2. Rioux has two brothers one is 6 foot 9 the other 6 foot 8, his sister is 6 foot 1. Video exists of the teen in action, and it appears he moves skillfully on the court. IMG staff is working with Rioux on a variety of drills to improve his dexterity, footwork and other areas.

This from an IMG coach, “He holds the ball high something taller players sometimes fail to do.” Although no stats have been provided to date Rioux appears to be quite solid in the weight department and unlike others appears prepared for the battle in the paint. Home for the youngster is Montreal Canada although he’s played for Real Madrid, check out his Instagram page. In closing one other coach is quoted “I could see a professional career in his future.” 

A skirmish, not a battle

In military battles small encounters are often referred to as a skirmish. The term skirmish certainly would be NBA basketball in Los Angeles, although questions surrounded both franchises they would compete. November 30 finds a slightly different story existing. The Lakers are 11-11 (.500) while the Clippers are slightly better 11-10 (.524), despite the record if the season ended today both earn a playoff berth. Truth is neither Los Angeles team has played particularly good basketball.

As for the WHY, only average play to this point, injuries have affected both teams in an unexpected manner especially the Clippers. Unlike the media I have no ability to peer into the future, believe it neither do they. Let’s simply say both have an opportunity to finish the season strong and increase their playoff position. As for stories surrounding Laker Coach Frank Vogel, I believe he finishes the season at the helm, the same applies for Coach Tyronn Lue. Bottom line, as players on both teams return to action and adjust, we should see better play.

Big Man

If you are a regular with Off the Dribble you know the score, I love Big Man basketball. I hate to see Big Men especially in the NBA standing at the 3-point line shooting. The book says “33% to 37% is an acceptable/average number”, let’s just say anything below that number is not good. Although he takes the shot often Joel Embiid is 33% for his career which says he is okay but a down low game in my view would be much better. Where am I going with this story, I’m headed to Mizzou and Big Man Jordan Wilmore? Wilmore is no place close to Embiid in skill level although at 7 foot 3 and 300 pounds he is near him in stature.

The Mizzou Big Man didn’t see the court much as a first-year player, as a sophomore Cuonzo Martin’s inserted him into the starting lineup. The result Wilmore had an unexciting game of 11 points along with 5 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in his team’s 54-37 win over Northern Illinois. I don’t subscribe to ESPN3, so a bit of this account was provided to me by an associate who saw the game. Wilmore’s scoring was done mostly on dunks but even that’s okay to me, it details he can move around the basket. I believe it was highly unusual when Wilmore signed last year because he is not the typical Cuonzo Martin recruit. The coach tends to recruit guards and taller forwards not 7-foot Big Men, it should be interesting to see his continued development.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

I’m back

This is the first post-Thanksgiving edition of Off the Dribble. Thank you for being patient while I celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends. I was not only starving for turkey but the NBA as well, being in Dallas I had the opportunity to see the Mavs in action against the Wizards. In a highly competitive game on Saturday evening, the Wizards managed to overcome a brief lead by the Mavs. This is the neat part, I got to see Luka the Don and Kristaps Porzingis in action and in person for the first time.

For the Wiz it was Kyle Kuzma, Bradley Beal and KCP who was key to the win. For those who might be geographically challenged OKC is closer to Kansas City than Dallas but there is a problem…weather. We have winter in the plains which includes a part of Missouri and Oklahoma. The ability for me to see another NBA game in person is based on the weatherperson’s forecast and my ability to brave the elements. In any event I hope your Thanksgiving was as enjoyable as mine. Sidebar, entertainer Jamie Foxx (movie Ray) was at the game, Foxx was born and raised in Terrell about 32 miles east of Dallas.

Bits in Pieces

Just like the Terminator in the 1984 classic Dickey V. might have uttered the same statement “I’ll be back.” Dick Vitale was given the okay by the medical staff the 82-year-old returned to the game he loved. First diagnosed with lymphoma Vitale is undergoing chemo. He was the color commentator as number one Gonzaga took on number five Duke and his return might have been more important than the Gonzaga-Duke matchup.

As said here often LeBron James doesn’t require me to defend him but I must. Not defend LeBron but question why idiot fans are escorted out of arenas yet can return easily. The latest example occurred last week while the Lakers visited Indiana. We saw the video with LeBron pointing them out to the game official and then asked to leave. There is a line that should never be crossed, that line is involving a players family which its reported this woman manage to carry out.

KU fans you have a good team...much better than last season. Think you have an invite to the NCAA Tourney upcoming? That's certainly true however in the Big XII race the Baylor Bears will be quite good once again. Hold on a moment didn't they lose a bunch of players after last season? Yes they did but early reports indicate they have borrowed the Mark Twain quote, "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

How disappointed…wait and read

This is now old news but allow me to rant a moment. I am extremely disappointed in Mizzou’s loss to Wichita State, it wasn’t the loss itself the way it occurred. How is this team going to compete in the competitive SEC with stats they presented last Friday? A team cannot shoot 35% from the floor and 11% from three and expect to win, from the free throw line Wichita State shot poorer than Mizzou. I certainly am not bragging about the 53.8% Mizzou registered from the line. I guess we should have expected as much after first the embarrassing loss to UMKC.

As for the coach Cuonzo Martin is one of my favorites, since he arrived on the scene there have been no academic failings as with past head coaches. In addition, Martin does a capable job of recruiting especially the St. Louis metro region but that makes for another question. If the coach is recruiting the types of players, he wants on his team we need to see results. The issue might be where does Mizzou go from here? Up next is Paul Quinn, then the schedule becomes extremely tough. This is no slam at their programs but if Mizzou cannot remain on the court with UMKC and Wichita State how can they compete against SEC rivals Kentucky, Tennessee and others?

Steeped in tradition

The arena is still in use although it is not the high traffic arena it once was. Wilt Chamberlain played in the building so did Walt Frazier, we could make the same statement about other former greats be they college or the NBA. The arena once held the record (9) for the most NCAA Championships in the nation although its long since been broken as the NCAA has moved the game into football stadiums. The second year (1940) of the NCAA Tournament existence saw the championship game played in the building.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or the NAIA Championship game is played in the building. Willis Reed, Zelmo Beaty, Elmore Smith came to prominence playing for their respective NAIA teams. The list of former greats who played in Municipal Auditorium is far too many to count. The building is part of a larger complex built in 1936 consisting of a Music Hall for plays and concerts and The Little Theatre part of the auditorium holds a ballroom, in addition to basketball the arena has held crowds captivated by circus performances. This symbolic building has continued to serve, the arena is home court for the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Opps....A day early!!!

My error, this edition of Off the Dribble is the last until Monday November 29. Please enjoy this and we’ll see you on the other side, enjoy Thanksgiving.

The altercation

I’m not going to defend LeBron James for the ugly incident that occurred Sunday evening. In the Lakers game against the Pistons, he was ejected from the game due to an elbow he threw which landed on the Pistons Isiah Stewart. LeBron will serve a one game suspension for the elbow and Stewart two games. Why do we always seem to miss the point example, a website claimed, “Michael Jordan was never ejected from a game during his career.”

Exactly what is this website trying to prove by pointing out this difference? It appears instead of focusing on the altercation once again we get caught up in a GOAT debate so we must assume that was the purpose. Once again, we missed the mark, the NBA of the ‘80’s especially the officiating was far different from that of 2021. It’s probably a good thing Michael Jordan was never ejected from a game, does that fact make him a better player? I hope you don’t believe this is intended as a defense of LeBron and his actions that is simply not the case. His behavior was severe however please cease comparing one generation of players to that of another, the game has change over the years.

“You are what you eat”

We read Wizard Kyle Kuzma’s first act with his money was hiring a chef. He said he grew up eating McDonalds and Godfathers Pizza, his family history said he needed a change. The story reminded us of a long-ago NBA player, he told the story of his arrival in the NBA. Being single at the time and probably little cooking skills it was strictly fast food for him. He said a veteran player pulled him aside one day and said, “You keep eating like that you will be out of the league in three years.” 

We don’t know what occurred with this player and his adjustment to his eating habits, but we know that player had an extended career in the NBA. We’ve got to believe he adjusted his eating habits to support an NBA career. The NBA is far different than other sports, it’s a marathon and not a sprint. 82 games played from the middle of October to the middle of June if we include those playing for the NBA Championship, often back-to-back games and the travel. Try as you might teams cannot avoid injury, as an NBA player you can take of yourself by eating properly.

This is it

I want to revisit an earlier account this one involving Cuonzo Martin. He’s got no room to spare the 2021-22 season becomes a make a break for the coach. The Mizzou program is certainly not in the toilet as it had been under the previous coach. The problem Martin’s not led Mizzou to the penthouse either, in this instance I’m certainly not talking NCAA Championship. Most in the media are not impressed with Mizzou’s roster but here is the catch. Mizzou finishes 10^th or lower and Martin is replaced. Who replaces him, an unknown assistant? Go out and obtain a name coach have risk, here’s an example.

Prior to the Martin hire one of the names being circulated for the Mizzou job was Bruce Pearl who was serving as head coach at Auburn. Except for the first two seasons and the 2020-21 season Pearl’s been a winner however he’s got baggage. Despite past problems an issue at Auburn rose while Pearl was coach, an assistant coach was arrested by the FBI for corruption and bribery. The assistant was fired however no blow back occurred affecting the head coach. If and that’s a large IF Martin is replaced it is going to cost, is Mizzou athletes prepared to pay the price? We have no answer until we arrive there, if this appears negative that is not the case. I’m a fan of Cuonzo Martin however the wolves are howling at the door about the coach.

Death Valley

There are 500 road miles between Death Valley California and Sacramento. I’m going to give Sacramento a new name, it’s now Death Valley #2, the place coaches go to die. On Sunday, the Kings did it again firing head coach Luke Walton. Let’s do a quick count, Rick Adelman was one of the most successful coaches in franchise history, when Adelman left in 2006 the door closed. With Walton’s firing Alvin Gentry although interim head coach now becomes the 11^th head coach since Adelman left. Winning is more than the coach, the front office must be effective too with wise draft choices and even wiser trades and free agents. This mess is certainly more than the coach, two of the number were George Karl and Michael Malone two coaches successful at other NBA stops.

820

My recollection at the time Kyrie Irving announced he was headed to the NBA. I said he can’t be ready to play in the NBA he’s only played 11 games for Duke. I was proven wrong; Irving was named 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year. Since then, he’s been an NBA Champion and has received accolades for his play but there are questions. Irving could have played in 820 games during his career. Through his time with the Cavs, Celtics and now with the Nets he’s played a total of 582 games. Coming into this season injuries, load management and now COVID he’s missed 1/3 of the games he could have played. Now we realize injuries can force a player to the sidelines, in addition we now have load management as an issue.

If we look at Irving’s career the nearest to a complete season played was his 4^th year while a member of the Cavs, he played 75 games that year, in 2019-20 with the Nets he played but 20 games. Where am I going with this might be your question, value? How valuable is an athlete who is often missing on the court no matter how talented that athlete might be? Irving is missing again; in prior years it was injury forcing him out of the game. This time he is sitting out due to a cause he’s taken on, his failure to follow the mandate of New York City regarding COVID. Just how valuable an employee is Irving with so much missing time? In October demonstrators protested outside Barclays Center on the COVID policy and shouted, “Let Kyrie play” and “Stand with Kyrie.” Despite his absence Irving has fans on his side but they forget an interesting side. Irving might not be playing but lucrative shoe contracts have allowed him to continue his present lifestyle.

No flopping allowed

The Mizzou-SMU game caused me to say WHAT! SMU had just scored a basket and Mizzou had inbound the basketball and were headed up court. The official blew his whistle-stopping play, “did I miss a foul or was it something else?” Turns out it was something else, a new rule is in place this season in college basketball. The play-by-play announcer began a brief explanation. If a game official suspects a player has flopped trying to draw a foul the game is stopped. The player is notified the official believes he flopped, if that same player should have a second occurrence in the game, he will be assessed a technical foul. It is believed this new rule will cut down on players flopping.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Thanksgiving  

This morning’s edition is the last daily for Off the Dribble until Monday November 29, we are taking a pause for the Thanksgiving holiday. Unfortunately for me unlike the Big Boys when I decide to take off there is no method in place to continue publication. With that said please check back with us next week and thereafter. Thank you for being a loyal reader of this blog and those who celebrate Thanksgiving please enjoy your family and the holiday.

"Can anybody play this game?"

The longtime Yankee manager Casey Stengel was well known as a quote machine, I borrowed his quote because it certainly fit the first half of Mizzou's Sunday night game. Mizzou Nation witnessed the team sleep walk through the first half of their game against SMU. At the half Mizzou had scored but 18 points, in the second half the Tigers came alive, they managed an 80-75 win in OT and will now face Florida State tonight in the Jacksonville Classic.  Mizzou did not shoot particularly well from the floor (37%) but was a sizzling 42.9% from three. I'm still not sure what to make of this team except they sure have grit. 

Bits n Pieces 

The Kings have fired head coach Luke Walton. He will be replaced by interim Alvin Gentry who’s been a head coach at two NBA stops. The firing is certainly not surprising news since Walton has been on the hot seat for at least two seasons. It’s not always the coaches fault anytime a team reaches this stage, but the Kings have not been wise in the NBA Draft. In addition to the draft Walton’s fallen into disfavor with members of the team. You know the old adage, “It’s far easier to fire the coach than a team.”

He might be the next big name basketball star on the horizon. His name is Sterling Henderson however he’s better known by his nickname, it’s Scoot. Scoot is a 6-foot 2-inch 195-pound point guard and instead of play at Kell High School in Marietta Georgia it’s Team Elite in the G-League for this 17-year-old. He decided in favor of the G-League over college, Australia or somewhere else. His age makes him the youngest professional in American basketball history. As for the future despite the early accolades bestowed on the young man it will be 2023 before we see his name in the NBA Draft. Keep the name Scoot in your memory for the future.

NBA Blackout Rules is this story, my confusion from last NBA season extends into this new season. My hometown Kansas City Missouri sits almost geographically in the middle of the nation. Denver is roughly 604 road miles west of here, as for Oklahoma City it’s a little bit closer 350 miles south and west of us. Nugget and Thunder games are blacked out on NBA TV but if the games are scheduled on ESPN/TNT/ABC we in Kansas City can see them. Here Bally Sports Midwest enters the picture, we can view selected Thunder games on Bally but no Nuggets. Most interesting blackout rules have been done away by the NFL, as for baseball and hockey I’m unsure of their rules.

Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun is retiring once again, if you remember the history the 79-year-old Calhoun retired from UConn where he won three NCAA Championships. Calhoun had unretired in 2017 and went back to work at Division III St. Joseph. Calhoun would become the first men’s coach at this formerly women’s institution, his teams went 47-17. In other college news Dick Vitale has been released from the hospital, he’s been given permission by his medical team to resume work. 82-year-old Dickie V. will be the analyst for ESPN tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. Central as number one Gonzaga faces number two UCLA.

Watching the UMass-Army game on Saturday I mentioned this story to my wife. If a discussion is held on NBA players from the school few names come to mind and there is a reason. UMass is an afterthought any time we are discussing the best, despite that outlook few realize one of the NBA élites played the game at UMass. Basketball enthusiasts know the name, it’s Julius “Dr. J.” Erving. When Erving graduated from high school he enrolled at UMass and played at the school two outstanding seasons before he applied for “hardship” entry into the ABA in 1971. In those two seasons he scored at a 26.3 point per game clip and despite being 6 foot 7 averaged 20.3 rebounds a game. 

Who is the next Euro player to arrive?

Due to the difficulty of viewing Euro game’s, we must depend on mock draft sites to find possible targets for NBA teams. Euro basketball promotes no more snickers among fans as it might have done at one time, far too many players have arrived on this continent and proven their worth. We could make the same statement about those arriving from the African continent, for now the focus is Europe. Was Stephen A. Smith being his bombastic self when Kristaps Porzingis was drafted? Was the ire at his Knicks for drafting Porzingis or did he really know who the guy was?

Those of us reading mock sites knew of the name, we didn’t know he could play in the NBA, but we knew the name. Later we could make a similar statement about Luka Doncic, the name was familiar to us, but could he play? The days of laughing at the prospect of Euro players is long gone, a number can play just as a crop of American players. Keep in mind every single American player drafted is top notch talent, we can detail three or four high picks who are no longer in the NBA. With that said let us check out a couple of mock sites for Euro names. These names offered at the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season.

Nikola Jovic 6 foot 10-Serbia

Carlos Alocen 6 foot 5-Spain

Ousame Dieng 6 foot 9-France

Tristan Vukcevic 6 foot 11-Serbia

Jayson Tchicamboud 6 foot 5-France

Ibou Dianko Badji 7 foot 1-Senegal

I’m giving this story more space than needed

Those who follow the NBA game are familiar with the name Enes Kanter. He is presently a member of the Celtics, but he’s got one other job…chief critic of LeBron James. There is really no requirement to place myself in the middle of this verbal battle, but I will. Kanter’s latest effort is to attack LeBron for his association with Nike and how the shoes and apparel are manufactured. It’s probably a good thing Kanter didn’t decide on Michael Jordan rather than LeBron. As for the story on production that’s for another post right now we focus on Kanter and his persistent verbal attacks on LeBron. The question for us is why Kanter has taken on the role of becoming the chief LeBron hater? By the time you read this it’s quite possible the verbal feud between the two might have been concluded, we certainly hope that is the case.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

A good start

Ex-Mizzou Tiger Kim English has moved from the playing court to the coaching ranks. He was hired after serving as an assistant coach at a couple of college stops, this past summer George Mason hired him. We have no idea how good a coach he might become since this is his first attempt at this level. English has gotten a good start leading George Mason to a 4-0 record as this is written. The number four win was against number 20 Maryland on Wednesday evening.

Is Mizzou paying attention to English and possibly considering a hire at some future date, now don’t get the wrong impression we are not replacing Cuonzo Martin. This just might be an opportunity to hire a coach with Mizzou connections. Mizzou is one for one in that area, Norm Stewart moved from the playing court to the bench and led the program successfully for 32 years. The other former player hired as head coach was Kim Anderson who missed the mark, we can say Mizzou is 1-1 in hiring coaches with Mizzou connections, could English make it two?

Fact versus Opinion

Suns owner Robert Sarver is being investigated by the NBA; I have no intention to detail the case against Sarver. In addition, there is no rush to judgement on my part as I did the last time in an earlier instance. That was the case involving former Clippers owner Donald Sterling. I remember reading letter after letter from fans claiming “They (NBA) cannot force him to sell his team.” The writers were not defending the actions of Sterling they were simply trying to point out the NBA couldn’t force him out of the league. Guess what the NBA did just that, they forced Sterling out and the franchise was sold to Steve Ballmer. Now the purpose of this exercise, there is a vast difference between fact and opinion.

Those defenders of Sterling “claimed” mistakenly the league could not force him out. Those defenders of Sterling did not have access to the NBA Bylaws and Rules of Operation, when the case was presented to the NBA Board of Governors, they voted Sterling out. Although Sterling later sued the NBA it was dismissed by a federal judge. Understand, there is no argument against someone voicing his opinion on any subject matter. In this instance the writers defending Sterling were voicing an incorrect view because it was their opinion and didn’t reflect the facts. Although Sterling was forced to sell the team he was compensated at its present value ($2 billion) which far exceeded the $12.5 million he paid in 1981 when he bought the Clippers.

Hiding in the weeds

In the NBA, our focus has been on the less than spectacular play of the Lakers. In addition to the Lakers, we have also noted the meteoric performance of the Warriors as they lead the Western Conference, lost in this news is the Suns. The Western Conference defending champion Suns have been on the same plane as the Warriors. On Wednesday, the Suns won their 10^th straight game, most pre-season media reports showed they would finish behind the Lakers at the end of the season. We might ask the question how did they manage this feat, i.e., sparkling play?

The key continues to be point guard Chris Paul; he’s turned 36 now but continues at a high skill level but it’s not Paul alone. It wasn’t Paul last season and the same could be said this season, sharpshooter guard Devin Booker continues to produce similar numbers to last season. The key to the Suns success thus far are forwards Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder. Post man DeAndre Ayton continues to rebound the basketball but once again it’s not just Ayton, reserves have answered the call for the Suns. Lost in all this brilliant play is the quiet steady hand of head coach Monty Williams, as this is written the Suns have 11 wins and 3 losses. They are one full game behind the Warriors, are these two teams to fight it out for Western Conference supremacy, we shall see how this develops?

Names that flow easily    

There are names associated with sports we are accustomed to hearing; the names flow easily from our lips. Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Staples Center, whoa…hold on a minute. In Los Angeles Staples Center is no more, the home of the NBA Lakers, NHL Kings, WNBA Sparks and other events will soon be changing names. Effective December 25 the 20,000-seat arena will no longer use the name Staples Center hung outside the building for the last 20 years. On the date mentioned the arena will become Crypto.com Center in a $700 million naming rights agreement.

As for the name Crypto.com, it’s a cryptocurrency platform and exchange headquartered in Singapore. This is going to be interesting, the media will likely have no problem with the name change, as for fans that might be a slightly different question. Standby, rest assured fans will come up with comical names for the arena you can bet money on that occurring. The new name is not difficult to pronounce it’s just the name itself. One writer voiced his view and said this, “It will always be Staples Center to me.” I can agree with his statement, arenas or stadiums require a name that flows easily, Crupto.com Center ain’t it.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Would it be any different?

The Warriors arrived in the borough of Brooklyn ready to do battle, they would face the "pre-season" choice for champion Nets in this highly expected match. Somebody forgot to inform the Warriors they were underdogs as they went up, around and through the Nets scorching them for 117 points while surrendering but 99. The usual guys showed up for the Nets, James Harden with 24 points assisted by Kevin Durant with 19 were the scoring leaders. Bruce Brown chipped in with 14 points but that was it from the Nets side, oh I forgot Kyrie Irving failed to score. On the Warriors side Steph Curry led the way with 37 points however four others scored in double-figures as the Warriors team shot almost 52% from the floor.

The Invisible Man (Andrew Wiggins) scored 19 points followed by Jordan Poole with 17. With 12 wins and only 2 losses this Warriors team is the talk of the NBA, we expected them to be improved over last season but not meteoric hot. In closing I hope you caught my slam at Kyrie Irving, he sits when there is no requirement for his actions. Funny all the vitriol aimed at Ben Simmons, and we hear truly little about Irving. Both players sit for distinct reasons, one is viewed as a villain (Simmons) while the other (Irvin) is viewed as the people’s champion in some eyes. Klay Thompson and James Wiseman are close to a return date, with one or both returning to action they can only help the Warriors in their Western Conference pursuit.

He is annoying as hell!

Lonzo Ball has now moved to the Bulls, his younger brother LaMelo is beginning his second season with the Hornets. Melo is coming off his Rookie of the Year honors and just might prove to all he might be the most talented of the three brothers. Middle brother LiAngelo is playing in the G-League, he must have just missed the cut to earn a roster position with the Hornets. LiAngelo too might find himself on an NBA roster one day.

Father of the brothers LaVar has been annoying as hell, but he and Richard Williams share a common trait. Both fathers trained their offspring to immense success and should be due the credit. Williams without any skill in the field of tennis trained daughters Venus and Serena so well they became tennis champions. Although less visible now in the early days Richard was LaVar just not quite as vocal. As for the Ball brothers they are being compensated financially well and the endorsements. LaMelo has signed a shoe and apparel deal with Puma while Lonzo sports Kobe 5 Proto although there is no sign, yet he’s signed with Nike.

Freshman of the Week

Are we over the top on this kid or does he have real potential? The “kid” we are discussing is Emoni Bates Memphis first-year student, he was named American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week after but two games. The skinny 6-foot 9 talent is yet to be nailed down to one position. Coach Hardaway looked at Bates ability to distribute the ball and thought him a “point-guard.” At this time, we are unsure if he’s a point guard, shooting guard or small forward, his continued development will be the decider.

It should be of note there will be no rush to the NBA for Bates, his age makes him ineligible for the 2022 NBA Draft. Despite this fact he’s not tied at the hip to Memphis, there is the possibility of play in Australia or G-League or something else. On the other hand, depending on Bates relationship to the coach and teammates he might decide to return to Memphis for his sophomore year. Whatever the case we should enjoy this talent and watch his continued development. As we said earlier Memphis basketball is must see basketball this season.

Perhaps they knew something

Let’s begin saying I’ve admired Patrick Ewing from his playing days at Georgetown. This admiration continued onto his NBA career in fact we can say he is the New York Knicks. After Ewing retired from the game, he would become an NBA assistant but that is where the questions began. He’s had four stops as an assistant, but this is the issue, Ewing’s interviewed for head coaching jobs throughout the NBA. He was never hired, and we believed maybe he didn’t interview well or was there something else?

Might that something else be an inability to serve as a head coach despite his personal accolades. Finally, Ewing was hired but it wasn’t at the NBA level, Georgetown where he first came to national prominence hired him. We are now in the 5^th year of Ewing as head coach of the Hoyas, and we’ve seen little upward movement. Check out the yearly win totals since the Ewing hire, the most games won is 19 in his second year. Since then, his teams have won no more than 15 games in any season. So, what should we expect in the 2021-22 season, we need to be surprised the Hoyas should exceed expectations?

The dream continues

We introduced Kai Sotto in this blog two years ago, this 7-foot 2-inch youngster is from the Pacific Island nation of The Philippines. He’s long held the dream to play in the NBA, this dream would carry him to the United States where he began play for The Skill Factory in Atlanta. Later it would be Team Ignite in the G-League as he continued to develop his game, now 19-year-old Sotto is currently playing in Australia. It’s the NBL Adelaide 36ers and Sotto is hoping to duplicate the success of LaMelo Ball.

It’s not the fact he wasn’t a prospect because D-I programs tried to recruit him. Sotto is now a solid 232 pounds and expecting a pro career in the NBA he intends to gain more bulk. Jalen Green and Jordan Clarkson have Filipino heritage however they were born in the United States, Sotto wants to be the first native son to play in the NBA. His journey to Australia rather than a college team offers us confirmation he intends the NBA to be in his future someday.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

You owe me an apology

This is aimed at Mizzou Coach Cuonzo Martin; you owe me an apology for the loss. Heading into the Monday night game the University of Missouri-Kansas City was rated number 262 among Division I schools. Cuonzo’s Mizzou Tigers were rated 100 yet lost to UMKC and It was not by a little bit, UMKC came into Columbia and blew the sides out of Mizzou Arena winning 80-66.  It is early in the season but this loss stings big time, now if you attend or have attended UMKC or a member of alumni you are probably most pleased. Those of us who are part of Mizzou Nation are totally embarrassed, that is all.

The Empire Strikes Back

No, this is not a reference to the Star Wars movie rather the imperialist view the NCAA has of itself. We mentioned Oklahoma State basketball was ruled ineligible for post season play by the NCAA. This was based on a 5-year-old incident in which the school was found responsible. To clarify the issue further OSU was guilty, a former assistant coach was the culprit in the matter which found the school at fault, there is no attempt to negate that part of the story.

This next part is the further result of actions by the NCAA. Coach Mike Boynton and AD Chad Weiberg met with the media after the news was made public to voice their objections to the NCAA ruling so what occurred thereafter? From the perspective of the NCAA “Do these mortals who stand for Oklahoma State dare to question the NCAA on a decision we’ve concluded”? The NCAA in its response used terms such as “unacceptable”, “inappropriate”, “unethical” and “potentially dangerous.” So, we have a body that claims it is responsible yet cannot cope with being criticized. Reminds us of the motto of President Harry Truman, “If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.”

Bits n Pieces

At Off the Dribble it’s always the hope to supply you early notification of a prospect. That is the case here, his name is Somtochukwu Cyril and he’s receiving offers as he enters his junior year of high school. Not that unusual to have offers on the table but Cyril is new to these shores having arrived last year from Nigeria. The 6-foot 11-inch 240-pound Cyril is enrolled at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga Tennessee. Currently Florida, Kansas, Georgetown, Memphis, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Tennessee have offers for Cyril a Class of 2024 prospect. A YouTube search for Cyril in action proved unsuccessful. Despite the emphasis on small ball there is still a requirement for Big Man basketball.

Early season bigtime matches, State Farm Champions Classic number 1 Kansas beat unranked Michigan State 87-74. In other action it was number 9 Duke in Coach K.’s last season over number 10 Kentucky 79-71. Saturday evening found two ranked teams playing with number one Gonzaga facing number 5 Texas with Gonzaga the winner 86-74. Generally, we find college teams playing tune up games, generally they don’t schedule top notch competition this early in the season.

The Memphis Tigers have a perfect record thus far with 2 exhibition wins and 2 regular season wins. The two regular season games have not come against top notch competition however they were Division I opponents. We had a great deal of interest how first-year student Emoni Bates would adjust to the college game. In the three games Bates has managed to blend his on-court game with those of his new teammates. The season is young and there will be tough games ahead for Bates, as we said earlier Memphis basketball in 2021-22 should be outstanding.

He’s The Man

Despite being the NBA Deputy Commissioner, few know Mark Tatum. He’s got a unique heritage; his mom is Chinese who grew up in Vietnam and his dad is from Jamaica, Mark was born in Vietnam too. As a youth his family moved to the United States where Tatum would continue his growth and academics. He would graduate from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1987 and later graduate from Cornell University and the Harvard Business in 1991 and 1998, respectively.

He worked in corporate America before joining the NBA in1999, Tatum’s held various roles in the league prior to becoming deputy commissioner. Tatum assumed the role of deputy to Adam Silver on the same date of Silvers hire. We are only familiar with Tatum from his duties as host for the second round of the NBA Draft and the draft lottery, he’s got more roles than simply conducting these two events. As the NBA continues to extend its international footprint what better person to have in charge than Tatum with his international heritage. One of those key roles held was negotiating the television contracts for ABC/ESPN/TNT. This but a thumbnail sketch of the guy we usually see only twice a year, the Draft Lottery and NBA Draft. 

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

A petition was begun

Prior to Sunday’s NFL action a select group of “fans” generated a petition on change.org. These special folks wanted the Chiefs to bench starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After the Super Bowl loss in February the team has not performed at the level fans expected. No single player is irreplaceable but who these fans were suggesting replacing Mahomes was never made clear. This is a basketball blog why are you discussing the Chiefs and NFL? The single reason, most (including media members) have no idea what it takes to run a professional team. Fans sit in their Lazy Boy recliner drinking alcoholic drinks and believe we have all the answers.

My indignation is aimed at the media as well, for me I rarely watch TNT’s Inside the NBA, ESPN’s NBA Today and NBA Countdown! I don’t make the statement believing I’m all knowledgeable on the NBA or basketball in general, I do it for the fact I want information not entertainment. For me, the game is the entertainment, there is no requirement for me to see Charles Barkley criticized the view of Kenny Smith or Shaquille O’Neal. Give me information I can use which often is lacking in these programs. As for fans, we can fall back on the definition. “A fan or fanatic, sometimes also termed an aficionado or enthusiast, is a person who exhibits strong interest or admiration.”  I hope you focused on the word derived from fan i.e., “fanatic” do you sometimes fit the description or do you know someone that applies?

The experiment is over…

Remember how I expressed my concern with the LAkers trading for Russell Westbrook. A .com site has proposed the LAkers trade Westbrook to the Knicks for a bunch of players. Yes, Westbrook can be a turnover machine at times, but we knew that fact when he was acquired. We’d hope the other things he brings to the table would override that issue, but trading Westbrook is silly. The LAkers are not at the top of the NBA standings but they are not at the bottom either.

Thus far there have been bad losses and OT wins and part of this occurring with no LeBron in the lineup. To suggest Westbrook be traded after 14 games is not only silly it’s stupid. Westbrook’s has produced three triple-double games and barely missed on another four. This member of Laker Nation is not blinded to the turnovers and hopefully that will be addressed once LeBron is able to return to the lineup. Westbrook will not be forced to run the offense as much with the help of LeBron. I continue to claim if the LAkers are playing this poorly by December 25^th radical changes must be implemented. Until then we in The Nation must remain calm.

Kansas City…home of sports architects

Sprint Center (now T-Mobile) was the brainchild of various architects who call Kansas City home. The arena was designed with NBA and NHL hockey in mind, although neither sports franchise exists here the architects do. Besides T-Mobile Center below is a partial list of those arenas with a Kansas City connection.

American Airlines Arena-Miami

Little Caesars Arena-Detroit

Fiserv Forum-Milwaukee

United Center-Chicago

State Farm Arena-Atlanta

Barclays Center-Brooklyn

Wells Fargo Center-Philadelphia

TD Garden-Boston

Ball Arena (Pepsi Center)-Denver

Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse-Cleveland

AT&T Center-San Antonio

Amway Center-Orlando

Moda Center-Portland

As you can see almost half the NBA arenas currently in use were designed or partly designed by a Kansas City based architectural firm. Despite no NBA team architects from the city’s fingerprints are all over arena designs throughout the league.

Now we know the full story

Below is another story about the NCAA which continues to wield its power in a highly unusual manner. The NCAA is upset with the Athletic Department at Oklahoma State due to statements they made which displeased them. As for this account it’s Mizzou basketball and the recent incident where Mizzou guard DaJuan Gordon was forced to sit and couldn’t play in the game against Central Michigan. We had been led to believe the NCAA had forced the former Kansas State guard to the bench.

On Friday Coach Cuonzo Martin explain the details of the suspension. “He played in one game that was certified, Martin said. “Martin said the event in question was sanctioned by the NBA, but not the NCAA.” Martin said neither Gordon nor the Missouri staff knew he was doing anything wrong by playing in the summer league game.” * How is an athlete to be fully aware of all the rules and regulations the NCAA imposes on student-athletes?

*missouririvals.com

The offspring not so well

We believe son’s follow their father’s in the game of basketball. We don’t know whether it’s a force issue or just the desire to do what dad did. The unfortunate, apart from Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry the play of the sons exceeds that of the fathers. In most circles Michael Jordan is considered the best to ever play the game, Marcus and Jeffery Jordan managed to play collegiately but neither came remotely close to the skill level of their famous father. Neither son was good enough to earn a look by an NBA team.

 We could make the same statement for the offspring of Rick Barry; Barry too is enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Jon, Drew and Brent had NBA careers but nothing close to dad Rick. If you are a certain age, you might not remember what a talent Bill Walton was prior to injury. Injury and all without checking we could say his numbers exceed those of son Luke. The career of Tim Hardaway Jr. has been good however it comes in second to dad Tim Hardaway Sr. for most NBA fans. This list certainly is incomplete the idea was to show you several father-son combos who played in the NBA. There are instances the careers of the fathers have been more successful than their offspring.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

No retirement for now

The Warriors Steph Curry has reached the top of the world in basketball or at least that was the thought. Only the honor of being enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame awaited the point guard. Oh, you say there is another distinction missing Curry is yet to receive. Yes, there is the jersey Steph wore while he played at Davidson. Depending on the school an athlete must have received his degree for his jersey to be retired. Despite Steph’s outstanding pro career with the Warriors that jersey might be retired prior to the one he wore at Davidson. Two things could take place, Steph could return to school and receive his undergraduate degree, or the policy might change allowing his jersey to be retired.

Batman and Robin---apparently not the case!

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were keys to the championship run of the Bulls in the ‘90’s. We always believed MJ was Batman with Scottie taking on the role of Robin, we have since discovered all is not good between the two. Perhaps it was always there but the ESPN series Last Dance might have opened a festering wound. On television and in the media, Scottie began to distance himself from MJ in speaking of his time with the Bulls. Scottie detailed the day-to-day actions of MJ and Bulls management and how it affected him.

In fact, if we took a poll currently most believe the two might not like one another although it certainly was clear on the basketball court. All we can do at this point is guess why this rift has developed between the two. Perhaps it was there all along and we just never noticed it. Speaking of tossing folks under the bus Scottie moved on to his days with the Houston Rockets. Scottie claims the 1997-98 Rockets Super Team he joined was a failure, the team had “an old Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley’s lack of dedication”, Pippen’s words not mine. In closing one point is clear, have you noticed nary a word spoken from MJ on his former teammate? We can conclude it’s clear MJ doesn’t care what Scottie has to say at this time.

The decision 

Two talented NBA players are sidelined, and neither one is injured. We know the story on Kyrie Irving, no requirement to detail that any further…no movement exists. The other is Sixer Ben Simmons who is still incognito. We don’t have all the details on Simmons, nor do we need to detail them here. It was thought by many (including this writer) this issue would be resolved by the middle of November. Although I once believed the issues with Simmons and the Sixers would be worked out that apparently is not the case.

Simmons is still an incredibly talented athlete despite his poor to average ability to shoot from anywhere over 15 feet. If I’m the GM of X team I refuse to gut my team to obtain Simmons however I would certainly try a trade to get his services. The problem at this point apparently is a meeting of the minds, talk with teams hasn’t progressed to an acceptable level to arrange a trade. This part is pure speculation by me however I believe this next statement to be true. Ben Simmons would prefer to play anyplace in the NBA except in Philadelphia.

Hair

The title is not a reference to the 1968 Broadway Rock Musical with the same title. In this instance the discussion is hair on the head or in the case of athletes such as Michael Jordan no hair. In this age, the shaved or bald look is in vogue with athletes. We see a delegation of athletes with dreadlocks, braids, cornrows, ponytails, Afros and other hair styles. Hair rarely causes an issue in the workplace except on occasion, this account is one example. A local high school basketball coach decided in addition to his focus on offense and defense he would emphasis hair stylings for his team. “Each athlete will maintain a neat, well-trimmed haircut”, as the Kansas City Star noted “What defines neat and well-trimmed?”

The only problem the coaches edict violated a school district policy already in place prohibiting discrimination based on the choice of one’s hairstyle. Is this a cultural issue since the coach is white and there are black team members? There is no quarrel on my part with the coach in one instance, a coach oversees team policy, he becomes the decider on policy except in this instance. He cannot enforce any rule which violates that in place by a higher authority, in this instance we are discussing the power of the school district. We should take one fact into consideration we (especially in America) are living in a different age. You might read this account and claim we are usurping the authority of the coach; we believe that is not the case. If you disagree with my take that’s okay too.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

No bragging

The LAkers survived on Wednesday evening, they won in an OT game over the Heat 120-117. You will hear no bragging from this corner, no braggadocious on my part until I believe the Lakers play a “complete” game. The LAkers with a 7-win season thus far finds 3 of those wins occurred in OT. I realize the Lakers have been handicapped by injury, but I refuse to use that as an excuse. LeBron or no LeBron this veteran team should play smarter basketball. With two of the losses coming against the Thunder the LAkers must play better. Have I given up, of course not I remain a loyal despite my disappointment in their poor to average play to date?

Letters of Intent

Mizzou announced the signing of two expected prospects for next season and one unknown. Forward Aiden Shaw and guard Christian Jones signed LOI after verbally committing earlier. Jackson Francois a walk-on also signed a letter of intent, now for a little background on these Class of 2022 prospects. Aidan Shaw is a 6 foot 8-inch 190 pound 4-star prospect, he’s a wing who plays at Blue Valley High School in Stillwell Kansas; the city is in metro Kansas City Missouri. Christian Jones is a 6-foot 6-inch 190-pound combo guard from the home of the head coach East St. Louis Illinois, he’s a 3-star combo guard. Jackson Francois is a 6 foot 3 shooting guard, he’s at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas and is the son of the new Mizzou Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois. 

Why is this shocking?

A website (unconfirmed) claims NBA general managers are scared to trade for Nets guard Kyrie Irving. We don’t know if the story is valid but why is this shocking if true. We are not discussing talent; he is among the most gifted players in the NBA it’s the other things. This probably sounds strange in reading due to the stance taken in the past in this blog. There have been individuals earlier who sacrificed their career to make a better world, Curt Flood in baseball is a name that comes to mind first. The difference between Irving and Flood is $$$, the Nets guard is in a secure financial position in the world.

That was not the case for Flood who suffered in two ways, he eventually returned to the game but was nowhere near the player he was on leaving. As for the money he certainly was compensated but probably never made up for the money lost. Perhaps a trade is the answer, Irving sent to a team far from New York City which allows him to play this season. At this point two events must occur to rectify the situation, covid must be eradicated (not likely soon) or Irving is traded. This is also unconfirmed; a fan claims Irving has missed 65% of his team’s games during his career. The question might be how valuable are you in missing that considerable number of games?

Big Man-Ball is no more…kinda

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn declared for the 2021 NBA Draft; the 7-foot 285-pound center would later withdraw his name. Former Kansas center Udoka Azubuike was a first round draft pick by the Jazz in 2020. The 6-foot-10-307-pound Azubuike only saw action in 15 games last season, why it might be as simple as the Big Man is no more in the NBA. The Warriors drafted 7-foot James Wiseman from Memphis however his rookie season was cut short due to injury. Will he be able to move into the Warriors lineup in the 2021-22 season? We’ve covered this subject in the past, but it appears the NBA wants Big Men who can stretch the floor i.e., a 3-point threat. If we look at the 2022 mock draft by two websites it has 10 Big Men centers including Cockburn, they say will be drafted. These are not in any order of draft status:   

Mark Williams 7-foot, Duke  

Ibou Badji 7-foot center, Senegal  

Walker Kessler 7-1, Auburn

Yannick Nzosa 6-11, Congo  

N’Faly Dante 6-11, Oregon.

Ariel Hukporti 6-11, Germany

Hunter Dickinson 7-1, Michigan

Khalifa Diop 6-11, Senegal

Jalen Duran 6-11, Memphis

We have no idea if these traditional Big Men will be drafted or can adapt to the NBA of today. Interesting fact, athletes have continued to grow to considerably larger heights than most it is up to coaches to prepare them to play in the modern NBA.

The unicorn

There I go, using the word I hate in describing a basketball player…Unicorn. Chet Holmgren’s first game was quite outstanding. The 7-foot 1 inch 190-pound (ya, he’s skinny) Holmgren did this, 14 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocked shots and 6 assists. Sure, the game was played against Dixie State, there are two changes forthcoming for the school. 

The first has already occurred, they have moved from Division II to Division I. Second to that the name will change, the school is found in St. George Utah will soon become Utah Tech. Back to Holmgren as the top prospect in the Class of 2021 he became the highest profile prospect Gonzaga’s ever recruited. Ever seen a 7-foot unicorn (dang I said it again) dribble the length of the court, how about the ability to dribble around his back? There will be a period of adjustment for Holmgren and Gonzaga however he should become a valued member of the Bulldogs.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Confusion reign’s once again

Guard DaJuan Gordon transferred to Mizzou from Kansas State after last season was complete. The box score for the Mizzou-Central Michigan game did not list Gordon in the lineup. It turns out Gordon didn’t play on Tuesday in the 78-68 victory over Central Michigan. According to the St Louis Post-Dispatch Gordon was suspended by the NCAA for the game. What did he do, it seems Gordon played in a non-sanctioned game over the summer? Did he receive financial compensation for his play in this game, once again we are confused by the actions of the NCAA. In other Mizzou news this should be of note, in years past Saturday Night Live ran a segment titled Bizzaro World.

In this Bizzaro World, Kansas is eliminated as the destination for a prospective talent and Mizzou is still workable? Could this really be the case or is it something else, truth is Kansas is out of the running while Mizzou is kinda in the picture? Mark Robinson a 6-foot 7 wing from Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita has reduced the number of schools, in the running for his services Duke, UCLA and Mizzou. Did you just read that last sentence correctly…Mizzou? This 5-star prospect in the Class of 2022 will make his decision known among the three schools mentioned. Mizzou has an outside chance however its likely Robinson’s choice is liable to be either Duke or UCLA. As for the basis for his interest in Mizzou, before Sunrise he attended Bishop Miege High School in the Kansas City metro

NBA records that will never be broken

You might have heard the saying, “Records are made to be broken.” that adage has validity except in exceedingly rare instances. A writer for The Score detailed 5 records that will never be broken. It’s interesting 2 of the 5 unbreakable records were covered previously in Off the Dribble. We wrote of the 100-point scoring game of Wilt Chamberlain which occurred March 2, 1962. The nearest attempt to eclipse the record occurred on January 22, 2006.

That was the evening Kobe Bryant torched the Raptors for 81 points, I was an NBA League Pass subscriber and I sat in front of my television as shot after shot was sunk by Kobe. I said to myself “He’s (Kobe) going to break Wilt’s scoring record.” That was not the case as he came up 19 points short, but it was an amazing game. November 5, 1971, the Lakers beat the Baltimore Bullets (Wizards) 110-106, they would not lose another game for two months. This team with Wilt Chamberlain at center along with guards Jerry West and Gail Goodrich was plain unbeatable. The Bucks led by Kareem Abdul Jabbar would halt the streak beating the Lakers 120-104 on January 9, 1972.

Fans want a winner

This is written ahead of the Wednesday evening game. The schedule has the 1 win and 9 loss Pistons at the 1 win 9 loss Rockets, someone will end the evening with 2 wins the other with 10 losses but its more than the game. Fans want a winner and neither team is winning at this point and that upsets fans. The first statement might be “We need to trade ________ “or “We should have signed______ while they were free agents.” Next up its likely the coach is the one on the hotseat but that shouldn’t always be the case. As an example, if LAker Coach Vogel is under consideration it’s understandable. The LAkers are supposed to compete for the NBA Championship, yet they hover around the .500 mark.

The hope for fans of the Pistons and Rockets are not so glamorous. The Pistons under Dwayne Casey finished last season 20-52, Stephen Silas is a first-year coach, his Rockets finished 17-55 last season. Hopefully, you see where this is headed, we have two coaches whose teams are not anywhere close to being competitive. We are not going to look at the past only the future, Casey and Silas need adequate time to build competitive teams. Casey is in his fourth year but still requires time to build HIS team. Silas is in a different situation, only in his first year at the helm Silas requires at least three years to mold the Rockets into the type of team he wishes. Will both coaches be given time, time to build a competitive team? Only the passage of time can answer that question.

The barn door is wide open

You are wondering, how does that headline impact basketball. It comes from an old saying, “It’s too late to close the barn door when the cows (or horses) have already escaped.” It’s easily understood, if the barn door had remained closed there would be no need for an animal roundup. In this instance we are referencing college basketball talent, Yahoo Sports listed 10 athletes that will possibly be one and done prospects. The season has just begun, and we are discussing who is leaving for the NBA. Is this issue bothersome…of course but there is really nothing that can be done about it? Despite the efforts made the larger number of first-year students are enrolled for their freshmen year only.

What’s occurred to curtail the one and done athlete, practically nothing. A small number have chosen foreign shores LaMelo Ball might be the most recent example for us to review having played in Australia prior to his NBA debut. The jury is still out on G-League talent from the 2021 NBA Draft. Taken in that draft were Jalen Green by the Rockets, Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors and Isiah Todd Buck. It should be of note all three were NBA first round choices in the draft. Yet to make an impact is Overtime Elite a startup league in 2021. They are recruiting talent that’s yet to finish high school, the league says 16-18 years can earn incomes over $100,000 annually. I’m unsure if I had a 16-year-old I would allow him to quit high school to play professionally. The overwhelming amount of talent continues to head off to college for one year, despite the landscape change this will continue to be the choice of most.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Outstanding games by all

Andre Drummond was inserted in the Sixer starting lineup with Joel Embiid covid restricted. The Sixers lost their game against the Knicks but if not for Drummond it might have been worst final score. Drummond scored 14 points and pulled down 25 rebounds. Steph Curry led the way as the Warriors won game 9, he scored 50 points along with 10 assists as his team topped the Hawks. Russell Westbrook registered his first triple double aid the LAkers in an OT win. Westbrook had 17 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds, on the other side the Hornets LaMelo Ball scored 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a losing effort. Adding in the Laker win was Anthony Davis with 32 points and 12 rebounds, from the LAkers bench Carmelo Anthony would arrive scoring 29 points.

I’m not following through

Recently Shaquille O’Neal went on record claiming “I could handle Wilt Chamberlain” or something close to that. I ask a couple of co-workers, “Should I response in Off the Dribble,” both said “No, he (Shaq) is just trying to get clicks.” Despite their recommendation I’m going to respond anyway, we are overwhelmed with these types of comments, players of this generation claiming they were better than the veterans. Chris Bosh even weighed in on the issue claiming, “I was better than Bill Russell.” What’s the deal with Bosh, O’Neal and others? Shaq has always been one of my personal favorites, the raw power he showed while playing the post was a thing of beauty. In addition, his play was key to the three championships the Lakers won in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

No telling the count of championships this Laker team might have won if he and Kobe Bryant could have managed to place their egos in check, but that’s another story. Wilt Norman Chamberlain arrived in the NBA in 1959 drafted by the Warriors then in Philadelphia. Wilt was 7 foot 1 and weighed 275 pounds versus Shaq at the same height but 325 pounds. Are there doubts of Wilt’s strength, there is no record he ever broke a backboard as others did but he revealed his muscle in a nationally televised game. All the first half of this game Wilt had dunked on the basket, early in the second half it was discovered Wilt managed to break the metal hoop which supports the net. The game was stopped while the arena maintenance crew changed the basket, which is strength. Now could Shaq have played bully ball against Wilt; we have no idea. This I believe the outcome would result in which team won the game.

All American Teams

I’m unsure about you, I can’t remember the last time I read of an All-American College Basketball Team. It seems in this age of One and Done, G-League and Australian play an increasing number of athletes are no longer playing college basketball. Jae Morant of the Grizzlies might be an exception, he returned to Murray State and left after his sophomore year for the NBA. We can make the same statement about the Knicks Obi Toppin, he also returned for his second year before leaving for the NBA. It’s likely there are other NBA players who returned to school but these two are the first that come to mind. Overall fewer and fewer high-profile athletes stay in school for any length of time.

Once All-American teams consisted of seniors and juniors, on occasion a highly touted sophomore or first year player might earn a spot. Recently The Sporting News and 247Sports announced their All-American teams for the 2021-22 season and a strange thing occurred. The team assembled by 247Sports was made up of first year players only. There is danger with this type of set-up, we realize the giant leap needed to move from high school to collegiate level basketball. I certainly have no intent to sit anyone up for failure however let’s be real it just might occur. The names chosen by 247Sports certainly have the high school credentials to succeed but we just don’t know. Have All-American teams gone the way of the dinosaur, no longer a relevant thing or is it just me?

What did I expect?

The LAkers would be 11-0 currently, just kidding folks. What did I really expect, certainly not a 6-win 5 loss record? I believed an adjustment with new teammates would take time, my guess the LAkers would be 8-3 or at least 7-4. LeBron is out of the lineup but the glitch we are witnessing appears to be more serious. Are Vogel’s rotation the problem? Two of the 5 Laker losses have come against the Thunder, I’m not trying to trash the Thunder but their record as this is written is 3 wins and 6 losses.

If not for the LAkers they would have only one win. Not able to see all the games due to my Midwest base it appears the main issue, sustaining leads. With the exception I believe of the Blazer game in losses the LAkers appeared unable to sustain an advantage, in the instance of the Thunder it was large. There is still time to change the culture however at this point excuses won’t do; this is a veteran team which should be able to come together.

NBA records that will never be broken

You might have heard the saying, “Records are made to be broken.” that adage has validity except in exceedingly rare instances. A writer for The Score detailed 5 records that will never be broken. It’s interesting 2 of the 5 unbreakable records were covered previously in Off the Dribble. We wrote of the 100-point scoring game of Wilt Chamberlain which occurred March 2, 1962. The nearest attempt to eclipse the record occurred on January 22, 2006.

Wilt just loved to eat

The legend that is Wilt Chamberlain continues to supply us stories, this one on his eating prowess Teammate Jerry West claimed he saw a meal one evening while the LAkers were in a Kansas City hotel. This from the recollection of West. “I open the door and he’s got a towel tied around his neck, (and) he’s got a pair of basketball shorts on. That’s all he had on, “West explained. “I look around and I said, ‘Oh my God, what is this guy doing?’ There three (giant) racks of ribs, there were six 7 Ups---he drank 7 Up like it was water

There were two one-pound brisket sandwiches…Coleslaw, potato salad, barbecued beans, barbequed chicken. I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen here tonight?” West says Chamberlain went out and grabbed 25 rebounds.* We add to the discussion Pelicans forward Zion Williamson; the injury that sidelined him will heal in time the other part is under debate. Reports continue to circulate Williamson is on the north side of 300 pounds. If Williamson had the height of a Chamberlain or a Shaq probably no issue but at 6 foot 6 that’s a great deal of weight on his frame. He is asking for future knee problems unless he reduces his weight. We don’t know if the weight is muscle or fat, we tend to believe it’s likely fat although we have no method to prove this.

*www.sportscasting.com Nov 8, 2021