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A throwback game

This Martin Luther King Holiday one of the many games scheduled could be considered a throwback to a previous era. The game featured a rarity, two Big Men battling for supremacy in the middle. No, it wasn’t Chamberlain against Abdul Jabbar nor was it Thurmond against Bellamy, it was Purdue versus Illinois. Illinois Big Man Kofi Cockburn 7 feet 285 pounds facing Purdue Big Man Zack Edey 7 foot 4 295 pounds. We might also state it was Jamacia (Cockburn) against Canada (Edey).

Purdue was the winner in double OT, Edey was the winner in both instances, he outdueled Cockburn 20 points to 10. In addition, Edey totaled 8 rebounds to Cockburn’s 5 and finally the winner. Number 4 Purdue took down 17 Illinois 96-88. No, it wasn’t a throwback game in the traditional sense, this match between Big 1G rivals featured 3-point shooting something that didn’t exist in the days of Chamberlain and Abdul Jabbar. Check out an earlier written account below on Big Man Cockburn and the possibility of his NBA future.

We didn’t expect this

At the beginning of the NBA season the “experts” laid out their view of the 2022 NBA Champion. Most said the Nets would be crowned champions while others thought it would be the Lakers. Smaller numbers picked last season’s finalist the Suns, others figured the Bucks would repeat. Finally, there was an even smaller number picking the Warriors, they believed with Steph getting help from Klay Thompson, well you get the picture. Bet none of them picked the Grizzlies to win it all, at this writing we have three teams with 30+ wins, the Suns, Warriors and the GRIZZLIES!

Yes, the team from The Home of the Blues is playing with the Big Boys and performing well. Other than Ja Morant the Grizz remain somewhat of an unknown team, but they know how to play the game. Most of us don’t know the head coaches name, he is Taylor Jenkins and he’s been on the job since 2019. Taylor has served as an assistant in the G-League and with the NBA Hawks and Bucks, at 37 he is the second youngest head coach in the NBA. You don’t win 11 games in a row as the Grizz did recently without having an effective team. We are getting ahead of ourselves; the Grizzlies might not become NBA Champions however we can say in 2021-22 they are authentic.

Almost

Mizzou almost beat A&M however almost certainly cannot be considered satisfactory. After roaring out to a lead against the Texas school they would lose the lead and eventually the game 67-64. “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades” is the quote familiar to some. “Being nearly successful or accurate is not the same as being successful or accurate; being close to achieving something does not provide any benefit.” At the present Georgia appears to be the only SEC team Mizzou might be capable of beating. There might be a win or two ahead like Alabama however upsets (which they would be) are impossible to project. The road ahead for Mizzou appears chock full of land mines with Alabama, Auburn, non-conference Iowa State and A&M again in the immediate future.

Is there a place for him?

The “him” is Illinois Big Man Kofi (KO fee) Cockburn (Co-burn) at the University of Illinois. Cockburn stands 7 feet tall and checks in at 285 pounds, so he qualifies as a Big Man. Is he a potential NBA prospect in today’s NBA with the emphasis on small ball and 3-point shooting? As this is written the youngster from Jamaica is scoring at nearly a 22 point and 13 rebound a game clip. On top of his efficient scoring and rebounding he is shooting a blistering 62% from the floor. One report indicates Cockburn is a 2^nd round draft prospect, “Needs to improve his face-up game.

Must extend his shooting range” is one scouting report, this from another. “Overall, he’s not the most natural fit in today’s NBA but he’s such a powerful presence on the floor that he’ll find a way to make his mark. Look for him to rise up draft boards.” Two scouting reports detailing the adverse side, this was done on purpose for a simple reason. The positives expressed by scouts exceed the negatives expressed. On July 29 will the commissioner or his deputy will step to the podium and say, “With the ___________ pick in the 2022 draft the __________ select Kofi Cockburn from the University of Illinois.”

Las Vegas vs. Kansas City

The question is when, the NBA will expand to 32 teams? After failing to entertain the question under the late David Stern his successor Adam Silver indicates expansion is/has been under discussion. Seattle will get the first franchise that’s a slam dunk no requirement for further discussion on the matter. Why are we discussing it now, it’s come up again as 2021 ends and we move into 2022? As for the competition Las Vegas has several advantages over Kansas City. First Las Vegas has served as host for NBA Summer League play for umpteen number of years something Kansas City cannot claim. According to reports the median income in Vegas is about $2,000 more annually than in Kansas City. The city is new to the professional ranks with the NHL Golden Knights coming into existence in 2017 and the NFL Raiders moving to the area in 2020.

Despite the longtime connection to the NBA reports indicate there is no grassroots effort to secure a franchise for Las Vegas. As for Kansas City its record supporting the NFL Chiefs, MLB Royals and MLS Sporting Kansas City is established, in addition there are plans in place to build a stadium exclusively for women’s soccer. The two cities are even in at least two aspects, 1. both have NBA ready arenas and 2. oddly the arenas have the same corporate name T-Mobile in front of the entrance. Finally in closing there is a grassroots organization in place to secure a franchise for Kansas City. All the city requires is for a billionaire to step to the forefront. Could it be Royals owner John Sherman who was relatively unknown or well-known Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes? On the other hand, it could be a name unfamiliar to all. Anytime we begin this type of discussion it’s always believed we are talking expansion team. This team for Seattle, Las Vegas or Kansas City could be an existing franchise, could it be New Orleans or an unknown?