Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

A surprise in the standings 

Have you checked the Central Division Standings? If you are a Bulls fan you are aware as for others it’s a surprise. You probably expected the defending NBA Champion Bucks to be firmly established in first place. That is not the case although the Bulls are only in first place by one game over the champions. The most interesting part this same team finished last season below .500 with a 31-41 record. The clear difference is at two positions, Lonzo Ball at the point and DeMar DeRozan at small forward.

The other addition is reserve Alex Caruso, all three Bulls are additions over last season. Ball and DeRozan arriving in trades and Caruso in a trade. In addition, holdovers Zach LaVine at shooting guard and Nikola Vucevic at center continue their sparkling play. Bulls reserves have been contributors to the turnaround in the team’s fortunes as well. In addition, hats off to Coach Billy Donovan, the change of scenery to Chicago has benefited him as well. What occurs from here is still a question mark, this Bulls team will earn a playoff berth. How far the team goes beyond the first round is an unknown question as this is written. It is clear we underestimated this Bulls team, we allowed them to sneak up on the NBA.

Another legend gone

Mid-day on Friday we received word; legendary Celtic guard Sam Jones had died. During his brilliant career with those Celtic championship teams his bank shot was a guarantee. The 88-year-old Jones had been in failing health recently. There is so much to write about Jones there is a fear on my part something important might be omitted, you can read reports of others to ensure you have the complete story on this Celtic legend. Jones was a 10-time champion with the Celtics, in addition he was enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.

One note from his past you might find interesting, it’s been reported the late Red Auerbach then coach of the Celtics drafted Jones from North Carolina Central without ever seeing him play. Auerbach certainly struck gold with his selection; Jones was a key contributor for the Celtics with his ever-present bank shot. We see players today use the backboard in a comparable manner, but no one ever perfected the shot like Sam Jones. It didn’t matter if it was the left or right side of the basket, if Jones shot it generally it was going in the basket for a score. Copy and paste the YouTube video below on your browser and note how many of Jones shots were of the bank selection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmiARaf4lJs

Can he play center…permanently?

The Lakers have made a switch, we have no idea if it is permanent. LeBron James has been moved into the center position. The last two games have seen him playing the five. On Friday we saw Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan firmly planted on the bench and neither saw action in the game against the Blazers. The Blazers were impacted by health and safety protocol plus injuries, so LeBron was not matched against 6 foot 11 Jusuf Nurkic or his backup 6 foot 11 Cody Zeller.

Paired against Larry Nance Jr. LeBron torched the Blazers for 43 points along with 14 rebounds and included in the point total was several thunder dunks. LeBron was assisted by Russell Westbrook with a “controlled” triple-double of 15 points, 12 assists and 13 rebounds. He would shot 50% from the floor and only committed 4 turnovers. It was a good win (139-108) however I’m waiting for this type of game to become a continuing occurrence. Incidentally, this phenomenal game by LeBron occurred the day after his birthday the number is 37. He certainly is not the LeBron of 27 but he continues to play the game at a high skill level. Don’t like the public positions he often takes, that’s okay but you cannot doubt his talent.

Bits n Pieces  

The Lakers traded 35-year-old Rajon Rondo for 28-year-old Denzel Valentine. Reports are the Lakers have no intention to keep Valentine, he will be waived to create an open roster spot. If Valentine is released exactly what this move entails is yet to be determined, one report has the Lakers attempting to trade for Myles Turner the 6-foot 11 center of the Pacers. The question might be can this trade be consummated, i.e., do the Lakers have enough to make it worthwhile for the Pacers? The focus is more than Turner, perhaps there’s another name the Lakers might be entertaining. One of the names is guard Marcus Smart, the question would the Celtics be willing to trade their best defender to the Lakers of all teams?

It was believed former WNBA player Becky Hammon would become the first women’s coach in the NBA. That achievement might still occur however the first female assistant to be hired in the league is reported to be moving to the WNBA Las Vegas Aces. She will sign a 5-year contract to coach the Aces, her reported departure is outstanding news for the WNBA and the Aces. Gregg Popovich broke ground when he hired Hammon in 2014, it was generally thought she would become head coach with Popovich taking on the role of president. Popovich turns 73-years old this month and the clock is ticking on how long he intends to remain on the bench coaching. In any event this is the WNBA’s gain and a loss for the NBA, good luck Becky in your new job.

On a recommendation by his doctor one of the voices of college basketball Dick Vitale is taking off. “Dr. Zietels says I have pre-cancerous Dysplasia on the vocal cords. Bottom line is I need to rest them—my voice needs a T.O., BABY!” As many are aware Vitale has been in treatment for cancer this past year. Those familiar with Dickey V. recognize the enthusiasm in his words, Mr. Excitement continues to resonate with large numbers of college basketball fans around the nation.