Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

How you like me now?

The headline is borrowed from the rapper Kool Moe Dee’s 1987 hit one of many. Russell Westbrook could easily be making the same statement, how you like me now? Those in the media (and fans too) were ready to run him out of SoCal. Slow to adapt were among the sentences we heard about Westbrook. Look at this, in the Tuesday victory against the Celtics he scored 24 points and dished out 11 assists all while shooting 56% from the floor. The shooting, over the prior four games has been 50, 42.9, 62.5 and 55.6% from the floor. 

I remember you Larry Laker didn’t you offer critical remarks about Westbrook with the Thunder and elsewhere? Yes, I once did, my problem was the game I saw him play while a member of the Thunder, Rockets and Wizards. Rest assured this is a WIP (work in progress) for Westbrook and the Lakers. The window is slowly closing on his NBA career, if Westbrook hopes to win a championship the time is now. There is no bold statement the Lakers will win anything with Westbrook in the lineup, possible injuries aside they will earn a playoff berth. How far do they go from just earning a playoff berth ask the point guard? Am I ahead of the curve, as this was being completed a dot.com website cited as much? Trust me I said it first not the dot.com site. 

Bits n Pieces 

That earthquake you felt recently was HBCU Texas Southern upsetting number 20 Florida. No, there really was no earthquake as far as I know. I didn’t see the game but the final score 69-54 might say two things. Either TSU played a remarkable game or Florida played an incredibly bad one. In any event TSU is to be applauded for the big-time win.

Allow me to introduce Yohan Traore a 6-foot 11-inch 227-pound power forward. Traore is rated the number 4 prospect in Rivals Class of 2022 and plays for Dream Christian Academy in Napa California. The youngster arrived on our shores from France to finish his high school education and get added basketball training. Traore has over 22 offers and currently remains uncommitted, among those vying for his services are LSU, Kansas, Michigan, UCLA and others.

We are weeks removed from the official groundbreaking ceremony held on September 17 for the Intuit Dome. Steve Ballmer’s dream to move his Clippers from Staples Center (.com arena doesn’t flow) to his own arena has begun in earnest. Bulldozers and other assorted equipment have begun moving dirt around the planned $1.8 billion arena in Inglewood. The timeline for completion the Clippers begin play in the fall of 2024 when the Staples Center lease expires.

What!

This can’t be correct…. can it? A report is circulating on the internet the Pelicans Zion Williamson is 330 pounds, if true that is far over the reported 285 pounds, he weighed his rookie year. It would appear either Williamson has not drifted far from the kitchen, or he is not training seriously. If he continues down this path, he is likely to eat his way out of the NBA. In an earlier time, this literally occurred, a player did eat his way out of the NBA.

His name is John “Hot Plate” Williams, drafted out of LSU in 1986 as the 12^th pick in the first round by the Bullets (Wizards). The 6-foot 8-inch Williams arrived in the NBA at 235 pounds, in year six the Bullets suspended him which later became the 1991-92 season. Williams was talented but he says depression and family drama was the cause of his compulsive eating. How much did he weigh at a point, how about 300 pounds? He drifted out of the NBA after playing for two other teams, his basketball career would conclude in Europe playing for four teams. The point of course his career at least in the NBA might have been much longer if not for his eating problem along with depression.

“Tossing in the towel”

The headline is an old boxing term, in the match the trainer or manager believes his man is losing so he tosses a towel or sponge into the ring. That is a signal to the referee to stop the fight and declare the other boxer the winner. I am ready for that same gesture to be made for my Mizzou Tigers. As written weeks ago I wasn’t expecting them to fight it out with Kentucky, Tennessee or another team for the SEC crown. This is what was expected, a competitive team extended an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Now Mizzou will not only miss the tournament, but the NIT committee might bypass them as well.

What occurred, how did this team go south so quickly might be the next question? We must ask Cuonzo Martin for that answer because the head coach has information, we as fans don’t see or made aware. I will close this short piece by saying I believe in this coach, but it appears the continuing problems we see have surpassed his ability to fix them. Last Saturday, the nation saw SEC Alabama knock off Gonzaga rather convincingly. Despite the victory it’s possible Alabama might not be the best team in the SEC but with them plus other conference schools the road ahead for Mizzou appears rocky.