Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

This is funny

The piece of writing is strictly click bait, “The Los Angeles Clippers are now the best team in LA” the headline read. This from basketballnetwork.com caused me to almost fall out of my chair with laughter. If this was 2014 or 2015 it would make sense, both seasons the Clippers won 56 and 53 games respectively. This is February 6, 2022, the Clippers are .500, 27-27 while the Lakers are 26-28. We must admit the Clippers are better at least in the standings but that’s about all. We are still awaiting the Clippers first NBA Championship; the truth goes much deeper.

How about a Western Conference Championship win which has never been accomplished? Once the Clippers win the western conference, they move on to the NBA Championship. Win there and they need only 16 more and they would be tied with the Lakers. Why do you suppose Clipper owner Steve Ballmer is building his own arena, even he admits it’s necessary to get out from under the shadow of the Lakers? The Clippers are a capable team, when healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are among the most talented athletes in the NBA. The competition as to which team is the best in Los Angeles is easily proven, it lies on the basketball court and championships won.

What position does he play?

I didn’t see the Friday night game of Luka Doncic, I wish I had. Luka the Don scored 33 points snatched down 13 rebounds and dished out 15 assists. He would lead the way for the Mavs in their 107-98 win over Embiid’s Sixers. The box score indicates he played the point, is that really true? At 6 foot 7 and 230 pounds he’s a small forward…correct? It might be possible for him to play a little at power forward or maybe in some instances at center. Oh well, we know for sure Luka the Don is an NBA force now and into the future.

Philly Big Men

In a discussion of Philly Big Men, we could be talking about Darrell Imhoff (you say who?), it could be Moses Malone or Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins. In this instance we are speaking of the two best scoring and rebounding Big Men in the city’s rich basketball history. Even more interesting both played at the same university decades apart from one another. In 1959 the Philadelphia Warriors made 7-foot 1 290-pound Wilt Chamberlain the top pick in that years draft. He’d actually left Kansas University the previous year however rules prohibited him from playing in the NBA. Chamberlain would spend a season with the Globetrotters prior to the NBA. He would then go on to play for them in Philadelphia until 1962 when the team was sold, and Chamberlain moved with them as they became the San Francisco Warriors.

In 1965 Chamberlain would return to the city in a trade and begin play for the former Syracuse Nats. The team had moved from New York to Philadelphia replacing the Warriors. The Nats were re-born as the 76ers and nicknamed the Sixers, a nod to the city’s connection to the American Revolution. Chamberlain would later be traded to the Lakers; however, the focus of this account is Philadelphia. In 2014 the Sixers made Joel Embiid from Kansas University the 3^rd pick in that year’s draft. Injuries would delay Embiid’s impact on the basketball court. Year three would become a breakout for the 7-foot 1 280-pound native of Cameroon. Since then, his progress on the basketball court has increased exponentially, will Embiid ever replace Chamberlain in Philly basketball history? That is highly unlikely although the point of this piece is simple, lightning can strike twice in one place although it might skip generations which it has in this instance.

A change

On February 1 you read Chet Holmgren vs Emoni Bates, we discussed the future of last season’s top two high school athletes. This focus is on the slender Holmgren 7 feet and a “hefty” 195 pounds. We believed Holmgren might require another season of college ball to be ready for the NBA in 2023. All that might be in the rear-view mirror now, despite his rather thin frame he just might be ready to move up to the next level. Will he decide in favor of an NBA career at the end of his freshman year at Gonzaga?

We have no answer at this point---in fact, we don’t even have a hint we have yet to see the youngster interviewed thus far. His last five games Holmgren’s scored 23, 12, 21, 22 and 11 points, the rebound totals were 12, 11, 9, 9 and 12. What might be more impressive are the rebound totals and blocked shots (15) Holmgren registered during that period. It’s always essential to score baskets however snatching rebounds and blocking shots provide us proof Holmgren is not a one-dimensional athlete. We cannot determine the future however it is likely in June we might hear Commissioner Silver say, “With the ________pick in the 2022 NBA Draft the _________ choose Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga University.”

This is different

Justification for a losing coach, that’s the case for Mizzou Coach Cuonzo Martin. Although the coach is plus .500 during his tenure this season’s team has been less than spectacular. There are forces at work voicing opinions he should be fired; I hope Martin is not fired for a number of reasons. The first reason, a new coach brings in a new plan which the existing roster must absorb quickly. This roster was recruited by the departed coach and his staff, who remains and who goes. You say they haven’t played that well anyway which is true, how about one more season under this group, it could change the outlook? Second, who replaces Martin, there are assistant coaches who are anxious to prove they can coach a Division I program in a Power 5 Conference.

We must say no to an assistant, if a change is made it must be an existing head coach plus he must have a winning history. To compound this issue the administration must pay a name coach big $$$ to leave his present school while paying off the remainder of Martin’s contract. The upside for Martin, to date there have been no classroom or recruiting issues while Martin has served these last few years. That’s a key for me and perhaps others the Mizzou basketball program contains integrity. Perhaps someone who shares my view could provide additional thoughts why Martin should remain however it’s not our decision. Martin will sit down after the season with the athletic director, and they will decide on a course of action for the future. Will it be another year, or will the coach be shown the door, we don’t know at this point? There is a single vote despite the record he remains in place, that by yours truly.