Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

NBA Trade Deadline

We are fast approaching the NBA Trade Deadline; February 10^th will occur shortly. Will a blockbuster trade be made prior to the deadline? My Lakers need help however youth is the assistance most required in Los Angeles. The Nets have not played as expected however Kevin Durant (now injured) has been the only constant. We’ve mentioned in the past the up and down year of James Hardin, and the other guy playing on the road exclusively. What about the Sixers, will they try to trade Ben Simmons since it appears he will never return? The Suns, Warriors and Bucks appear to be capable of sustaining play without adding additional talent. That becomes speculation because one or all might seek a deal or two. The Sixers have played well despite the fact Simmons has been missing all season, do they make a deal not including a guy name Ben. It’s likely the only moves occurring will be of a minor nature, on the other hand.

Are there any point guards left?

Of course, there are point guards in college and the NBA, the point (sorry for using the word) the role has changed. If we said a guard who passes first and shoots second that might describe the Suns Chris Paul that’s about all. The remainder are “combo-guards” i.e., guys who score almost as much as they run a team’s offense. We are unsure if we can point toward the date, we might have had the first combo guard. The first combo might have been Oscar Robertson who arrived in the NBA in 1960. Pete Maravich with his shooting and great passing skill might be considered too.

It is my contention this type of guard play arrived much later; we might view Allen Iverson of the Sixers. Iverson at 6-foot 150-pound guard was expected to be a point guard upon his 1996 NBA arrival. Early in his NBA career then coach Larry Brown conceded Iverson was a “shooting” guard or perhaps combo would be the appropriate term applied. Unlike many of the point guards in the recent past this new breed could score just as easily as their other teammates on the court. Think the early Derrick Rose prior to his injury and others…guys who were drafted in the NBA with their shooting skills being as important as passing.

The Blazers Dame Lillard is injured but he too would be considered a combo guard along with the new guys Trae Young of the Hawks and LaMelo Ball of the Hornets. The best of the best right now is Ja Morant of the Grizzlies, there are others who might have been overlooked however it’s hoped you get the point. We mentioned Chris Paul at the beginning of this account and to clarify a point. Paul can score the rock as they might say however he is more concerned with distributing the basketball to teammates. Similar to Big Man post play which is no longer evident the days of a pure point guard have waned.

Is he a legitimate prospect?

November 2021, we reported on Jamarion Sharp of Western Kentucky. Sharp in his junior year was the Division I leader in blocked shots and continues in early February. The question is he a prospect certainly won’t be known until this June or maybe June 2023. The tallest player in Division I basketball (7 foot 5) continues to draw attention. This profile is an addendum to what you read in November. Sharp’s father is 6 foot 9 and his mom stands 6 foot 5 which provides us a clue where the young man might have gained his height.

How about his “engine”, does he really desire to play at the next level? He admits early on he didn’t love the game and it’s developed slowly. It was the person who would become his high school coach the driving force behind his basketball. Over the course of high school, junior college and at Western Kentucky Sharp has developed limited offensive skill. What is prominent is the blocked shot area, his game demonstrates imposing talent. His skill at blocking shots might be worth a look by a few top NBA teams. Sharp could become a specialist playing limited minutes for a veteran team. There will be additional reports on the young man as the Western Kentucky season continues to unfold.

You went where you could play

Last year we discussed how I hate the term Mid-Major BCS which has wormed its way into collegiate basketball discussions. It’s my understanding the term is used as a measurement for Division I basketball. Why is term so Mid-Major so bothersome… tell me what exactly is a Mid-Major? It’s conference affiliation and not student enrollment, that’s clear as an example if we just used enrollment as a barometer Notre Dame could be considered in that realm with an undergraduate enrollment of 9,000+.

On the other hand, Sam Houston State in Huntsville Texas has over 20,000 students. Notre Dame plays in the ACC while Sam Houston is a member of the WAC. The interesting part of this discussion athletes generally go where they can play. Sometimes an athlete is not highly recruited (see Ja Morant) versus athlete coaches are attempting to out race the other to recruit (Zion Williamson), one attends Murray State and the other Duke.