Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

The head man   

Sam Presti is one of those NBA wunderkind given the fact he will turn 45 years of age in November. Presti’s been GM of the Sonics/Thunder since 2007 which makes him 30 years old when first hired.  Although he’s not been on the job quite as long as Presti Chiefs GM Brett Veach is cut out of the same cloth, both men are considered keen evaluators of talent. A friend mentioned the fact “At one time the Thunder had Harden, Westbrook and Durant on the same team.” For reasons far too numerous to report all now play for different teams, we might include Serge Ibaka making that trio a quartet. There have been other talented players over time acquired through the draft or trade that have appeared in a Thunder jersey.

Since the team’s arrival in Oklahoma City, they have registered a number of major wins culminating in a number of playoff runs.  In 2012 the Thunder lost in that season’s NBA finals to the Heat since that time they made the playoffs 7 of the next 8 seasons. The Thunder have never returned to the level allowing them to compete for a championship since that 2012 Thunder team. The failure of the Thunder to play good basketball over the last three seasons certainly could be laid at the feet of Presti however there is probably more to the story.  As for the future in OKC country it remains solid as Presti continues to add talent to the roster. We can look at stud point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has developed into, shooting guard Josh Giddey would appear to have future stardom written on his forehead. Did Presti do it again in drafting Chet Holmgren, that choice will remain an unknown for at least another year due to injury.

Save the Lakers

The latest effort by a dot com site to save the Lakers is really not workable for me. This site has the Lakers acquiring Klay Thompson of the Warriors, how do we suppose the Warriors are willing to “give” up on Thompson? The writer claims Jordan Poole’s services must be retained. The sharpshooting guard is on his rookie contract, the Warriors must pay him if they intend to retain his services. There are others besides Poole that are supposed to have forced Warriors management into this position.  

Thompson after missing all most two seasons had an impressive 32 game and playoff season in returning to the lineup. There is the age factor to consider, Thompson will be 33 years old before next season ends, he is certainly on the downhill side of his career. The other issue to consider is his now history of injury. Perhaps the writer of this proposed trade sees that beneficial in the Lakers acquiring Thompson. In closing I will state with the win now attitude of LeBron and Laker management maybe they make it work. For me the age plus injury factor must be given consideration before signing off on such a deal, I don’t want age addition I want age subtraction i.e., a younger team.

Best cross over all time

This is a matter of opinion, I happen to believe Allen Iverson a.k.a. The Answer had the best cross over ever. Tim Hardaway arrived in the NBA from Texas-El Paso in 1989, he might have brought a different dimension to the game. Hardaway took a “Killer Crossover” to the NBA, but he would be displaced and move into second place in 1996 when Iverson arrived from Georgetown University. Rather than continue to dialogue on the issue it might be much better to see Iverson in action. Check out the YouTube video below and see if you don’t agree with me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsv3qr33s8M

There is always more than one reason

Magic rookie Paolo Banchero was born and grew up in Seattle. An NBA theme website pointed this out and posed the question regarding Seattle in the NBA. Fan letters begin pouring in why the NBA left Seattle and guess what most letter writers were incorrect. There’s not just one reason the franchise is now located in Oklahoma City. It’s my contention Oklahoma City resident Clay Bennett intended to move the team from the very beginning. For those who contend there was an attendance issue regarding the Sonics that’s only partially true.

Bennett and company claimed Key Arena (now Climate Pledge) needed to be replaced, there was a search throughout the metro for a location to build another arena but that fell through. Whether it was the Bennett group or the city it’s unclear without delving into the past. What is most interesting the city reached an agreement with Bennett allowing the team to move earlier than plan. The conditions allowing the move are quite interesting, the name Sonics would not move with the team and all existing NBA team records would remain in Seattle. The Thunder records belong to Oklahoma City alone. This is as close to the series of events as can be detailed, naturally there are some elements omitted. The hope was to clear up some of the confusion that might have been caused by some.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Bits n Pieces   

We can’t be exactly sure however Tacko Fall’s short NBA career might be over. The 7-foot 6-inch Fall went undrafted in 2019 but spent time with the Celtics and most recently the Cavs over the last three seasons. It’s reported Fall’s signed a one-year contract with Xinjiang of the Chinese Basketball Association. Will this allow the gigantic Fall enough experience to return to the NBA? We don’t have the answer but will follow his progress as best possible. I happen to be a fan of the Big Man from Senegal; the key problem is change. If Fall had arrived in the NBA a generation ago there would likely be no question. With his height and a solid 311 pounds there’s no doubt in my mind Big Man Fall would be coached extensively.

Former Hall of Fame player Barry Sanders was one of the best running backs in NFL history. He retired from the Detroit Lions in 1999 at the age of 31 years, most believed he could have played at least two or three years more. For Sanders when he said it was over, he meant it was the end of his NFL career all spent with the Lions. Recently came news Nicholas Sanders had become a walk-on candidate for the Michigan State Spartans. Young Sanders approximates his father stature and weight at 5 foot 9 and 170 pounds. Why basketball over football is unknown, despite that fact here’s hoping he earns a role with the Spartans.

I must confess, I’ve never read the 13 original rules. At the time Dr. James Naismith “invented” basketball he laid out rules for the game. I love to say he invented the game because unlike most sports this one did not derive from something else…example. American baseball has its origins in cricket although some might argue this view. As for basketball the 13 rules were published in 1891 with implementation of the game. I just learned today dribbling was not the original method of moving the ball. The ball had to be passed forward player to player. “A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on the floor which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop. After two 15-minute halves and five minutes of rest, the team with more scores would win the game.” In addition to no dribbling evidently traveling didn’t exist either. Just that brief explanation says this is not the game I see today, LOL.

It's going to be published anyway

In many cases accounts in this blog can be written up to a week in advance. Naturally in some instances the information or event might change prior to publishing. Generally, the account is deleted and is never read by you. In the instance of this Russell Westbrook story, it will be published regardless. As this is written Westbrook remains on the Laker roster, it would appear the team heads into the season with him in place. What occurs going forward, how about this view…Westbrook comes off the bench as a reserve? It could materialize but the question would Westbrook be so upset he would demand a trade immediately?

Naturally, none of the questions can be answered as this is posed. If Westbrook is willing to accept this role its likely to make the Lakers a better team in my view. The mercurial point guard becomes the leader of the reserve unit, it’s my belief there would be less pressure on Westbrook to produce in this role. It appears at least that’s the report Darvin Ham’s desire is for Westbrook to shoot strictly from the corners. The shot in the corners is less distance to the basket than any other location on the court. I have no numbers but if the Lakers are making the suggestion, it would appear he’s better from 3-distance in the corners. Is this farfetched, a figment of my imagination believing this change might work. All this becomes null, and void should the Lakers be able to secure a trade for Westbrook. NOTE: Of course, this was written prior to the Patrick Beverley trade.

Is he the problem?

As they might say, take this as a grain of salt…it is pure speculation. Nets Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving complained about management specifically coach Steve Nash. Before I begin this account allow me to state up front Nash is headed to the Naismith Hall of Fame, that’s the good. The bad, at the time the Nets hired him many of us questioned, why hire a guy with zero coaching background? In 2014 the Nets hired Jason Kidd with no prior coaching history, we can say that was kind of a success. After finishing his first season with a 44-38 record Kidd quit after the Nets failed to advance in the playoffs.

So that’s our background, hire a guy with no prior coaching experience and the team was okay. This was probably the thought process of Nets management, if we hire Nash, he should be able to duplicate the effort of Kidd especially with an improved lineup. We say all the time, what we foresee on paper is not always the end result and that was the case here. Nets management had no idea a city covid mandate would sit Irving for the greater portion of the season. At the time Irving declared his desire to play somewhere else he named Nash as a culprit. We are weeks from training camp, and it appears both stars will remain in a Nets jersey so what occurs?

Emoni Bates update

We first read of Emoni Bates when he was a 16-year-old, now the story is quite different. Back then a scout wrote “If the NBA allows high school players to be drafted Emoni Bates will be the first in ages.” Two things occurred; the age 18-rule remains in effect in 2022 into 2023. College has been a roller-coaster for Bates, it’s been nowhere near what was expected. Bates struggles were quite evident this past season, that’s what caused him to transfer from Memphis to Eastern Michigan. The road to the NBA will be no easier once he’s back in his home state playing basketball in fact it might become even tougher. There are occasions I find stuff I’m not looking for and that is the case here.

My two primary mock sites list Bates name but certainly nowhere near you might believe. The primary sites I utilize (nbadraftroom.com & nbadraft.net) have Bates drafted but in the second round far from what we might have believed just a short time ago. We see him projected either the 44^th or 55^th prospect depending on which mock site is utilized. Besides money there is one other issue with being a second-round pick. That player might not be drafted at all, over the years we have seen a number of players miss being drafted. This all could change if Bates has a breakout year at Eastern Michigan. We shall see how this plays out in the 2022-23 college basketball season. Despite what might appear to be a negative account I still desire the youngster to earn high marks.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

Where did the summer go?

What became of summer, one might ask the question for two reasons, pre-school to university level all are open again. Second to that we are roughly a month away from the first preseason game. Question, why does the NFL refer to their matches as exhibition games while the NBA denotes its games as “preseason?” That is your question of the day, in any event September 30 the defending champion Warriors will face the Wizards in Japan.

This becomes interesting for more than one reason, native son and Wizard forward Rui Hachimura should see action in the game. Half a world away the Clippers will have the Israeli National team Maccabi Ra’anana as an opponent, the game will be played in Seattle Washington. So, two noteworthy events, a Japanese born NBA player will suit up for a game in his native land. The NBA returning to Seattle once again even if it is only a preseason game, on October 3 the Clippers will return once again to the city where they will be matched against the Blazers.

“I don’t get no respect”

If you are a certain age, you might remember the late Rodney Dangerfield. Whenever you saw his standup comedy routine somewhere in the act you would hear him uttered the words “I don’t get no respect.” Fans, alumni and others could probably make the same statement about St. Louis Billikens men’s basketball. For an eternity it seems inside and outside the state anytime college basketball was mentioned Mizzou was in the forefront of the conversation. There are a myriad of reasons why this view existed and there will be no attempt to detail all. One reason might be a larger footprint, over time Mizzou’s competed in the Big 8, Big XII and the last few years in the SEC all Power 5 Conferences.

The Billikens are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference, prior to that it was the Missouri Valley so unfairly the school was tagged as a “Mid-Major” by some. Here we’ll pause a moment, it’s been my long-held contention just like cream rising to the top a team plays competitive basketball doesn’t matter if it’s a Power 5 Conference or Mid-Major. Another story exists which cannot be confirmed, its mentioned long-time Mizzou coach Norm Stewart refused to schedule SLU. For a time perhaps the basketball at Mizzou was better than SLU but that certainly begin changing 6 years ago or so. The school hired Travis Ford as head men’s basketball coach and this one-time Mizzou guard began to make changes. In 2019 St. Louis University earned an invitation to the NCAA Tournament however 2020 saw them sit at home despite the fact they eclipsed the record of the previous team.

The last two seasons we witnessed SLU being invited to the NIT, as for the 2022-23 season the Billikens are ranked in the Top 25 in most pre-season polls. If we look at just the non-conference schedules the Billikens will face more competitive teams than the Tigers which probably should be expected. Over the period Ford’s been at SLU the fortunes of Mizzou have gone up and down, with Mizzou having no continuous winning pattern. Where is Mizzou in the Top 25 you might ask, I can state with disappointment nowhere to be found which saddens this member of Mizzou Nation. Currently, at least through last season the best basketball in Missouri was being played at Chaifetz Arena on the campus of St. Louis University rather than Mizzou Arena in Columbia.

I’ve calmed down a bit

If you read the Friday edition of Off the Dribble you are aware this member of Laker Nation is not pleased with the latest move by my team. Members of Laker Nation have dealt with an unhealthy relationship with guard Russell Westbrook. The team compounds the issue and acquires “bulldog” Patrick Beverley. I’d mentioned the two players are clearly enemies so how does this work? Do the Lakers trade Westbrook and there is no further issue, on the other hand the Lakers could well keep him. Are Beverley and Westbrook on the floor at the same time, as for the bench we certainly cannot see them seated next to one another? The problem for most of us basketball especially the NBA is visually an “offensive” picture.

Fans whether in person or watching on television often miss elements of the defensive side of the game. We are told the Dennis Rodman’s and the Bruce Bowen’s are good defenders however often they are just names as the box score details little detail for us. This I remember from two years ago, while a member of the Clippers I remember a game that saw Beverley blocking a late shot attempt by LeBron James. Of course, Beverley wasn’t guarding LeBron all game long, I believe it might have been a switch which placed the 6 foot 1 Beverley on the 6-foot 9 LeBron attempting a corner shot. If LeBron sank the basket, it would have resulted in a Laker win. Reluctantly I am forced to admit Beverley brings a different dynamic to the Lakers one missing much of last season and that is lockdown defense.

Like the move or not I am forced to accept a trade I didn’t want however it wouldn’t be the first time. LeBron James arrived as a free agent however I didn’t want him on the team, I’ve accepted him now so maybe that might be Beverley…maybe. Some might remember an earlier piece, I said this. “I was appalled when the Lakers acquired Westbrook, then I said to myself maybe it will work. By the conclusion of the season, I’d seen enough.” In fairness to Westbrook to a degree he might have been forced into a corner. LeBron James missed a great deal of time and AD was practically missing in action for most of the second half of the season. Westbrook might have been forced to carry the offensive load of the team when that wasn’t the belief at the beginning of his time with the team. 

Devastating news

The Thursday afternoon news was drastic for Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren. The team announced the potential unicorn would miss the 2022-23 NBA season due to injury. He was playing in the CrawsOver Pro-Am event, at the time he suffered the injury Holmgren was defending LeBron James. The injury is described as a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, since I never attended medical school or heard of the injury I’m going to provide a definition for me and some of you.

“A Lisfranc injury isn’t life threatening but is still profoundly serious. Because the Lisfranc joint is so important to your ability to walk, run or move, breaking any of the bones in it-or injuring any of the ligaments and tendons supporting it-can have an enormous impact on your quality of life.” There you have it the medical description of the injury, can Holmgren return to NBA play? There is no doubt, the larger question will he look anywhere similar to the pre-unicorn we witnessed prior to the injury.

Fans of the Thunder are likely devastated with the news of the injury. All we have been reading and hearing the length of last basketball season Holmgren was too thin. For all who believe Holmgren’s thin frame caused the injury listen to the words of Sam Presti Thunder general manager on the injury. “It’s an acute injury, it’s an impact injury. It’s a figment of the alternate reality of the internet. But it's not reality. Other words, no his frame had nothing to do with it.”

Basketball from a fans perspective

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What to do…what to do

The Lakers pulled off a trade although it wasn’t the one most in Laker Nation (me included) believed would occur. Instead of Kyrie Irving arriving it would be Patrick Beverely. The Lakers acquired the 34-year-old defensive specialist in exchange for guard Talen Horton-Tucker and forward Stanley Johnson. I voiced my concern to a fellow member of Laker Nation. I expressed my belief Beverely can’t toss the ball in the ocean, I said they need scoring. He said, “Ya that’s right but if you can’t score you keep the other guy from scoring.”

Teams made inquiries about Horton-Tucker, but the Lakers always indicated they were not interested in trading him. As for Beverely he follows in the realm of Dennis Rodman and more recently Bruce Bowen. Rodman and Bowen were never expected to score but play tough hard-nose defense. Hopefully that will be the case for Beverely because this member of Laker Nation is not pleased. Despite my displeasure with the news, I am not turning in my Laker Nation card. As for Russell Westbrook he is more likely history with the Lakers now more than ever…how do I know? He and Beverely are adversaries, they have had more than a few difficulties while playing on opposing teams. I find it extremely difficult to believe they will sign a peace accord.

Bound for a pro career 

This is an introduction to one of the names recognized as an ascending basketball prospect, he's Matas Buzelis. He’s a 6-foot 10-inch shooting guard/small forward and the Rivals number 7 prospect in the Class of 2023. Buzelis has just begun his senior year at Sunrise Christian Academy in metro Wichita. As for home that’s Hillsdale Illinois a tiny populated village close to Moline Illinois/Davenport Iowa. As for the future Buzelis signed with G-League Elite and will begin a pro career in the fall of 2023. Due to his spindly frame, he’s been nicknamed the Praying Mantis, in any event check out the video of Buzelis in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1KPlQGMH9I

I’m a dinosaur, I’m willing to admit

On more than one occasion I’ve stated my difficulty with accepting much of which is disguised as “sports news” today. Try as I might the majority of times it’s simply ignored, then at a point it becomes overwhelming. Every time I promise myself “I’m not going to pay attention to what they say or do that next thing pops up.” Once again, we are discussing Skip Bayless Fox Sports and Stephen A. Smith ESNP. If you’ve viewed or read the words of Fox Sports Skip Bayless, you are aware he’s got a hate thing for LeBron James. He made a positive statement recently about LeBron at the expense of son Bronny James. Video (you might have seen it) was circulating on young Bronny dunking the ball on a break. This from Bayless; “Your dad would have done it better he would have used his left hand.” My first thought “This is a 17-year-old kid, there are many his age committing crime and mayhem.

Bayless decides to point out the Bronny dunk was with the right hand over his left, does that really matter in the Big Picture? Taking this matter one step further, hey Skip answer this for us. Could you dunk with either hand as 17-year-old, better yet have you ever dunked a basketball? You, Skip are a pathetic individual, there I said it. This doesn’t end here, wait there is more…Mr. Smith. Stephen A. decides to weigh in on an issue and this is the quote. “I’m hearing Jonathan Kuminga is shortchanging the Warriors, he lacks discipline.” The statement made by Smith might be correct but how do we know if its true? Is there anybody besides the Warriors coaching staff to provide us with a “He’s right?” We, know for a fact Kevin Durant despises Smith based on many of the comments he’s made about Durant over the years. Okay folks, Bayless and Smith have the right to say and write whatever they wish however oftentimes its more opinion over actual fact. Oftentimes there is no proof, “my sources” are not proof to me. Social media sports much in evidence in today’s climate is just not for me.

My dad can beat up your dad!

This is a story of two little boys in disagreement one says to the other the “My dad can beat up your dad!” A farfetched story, one little boy represents American basketball and the other Euro basketball, is this really that important or is the Euro League better than the NBA? Once upon a time I viewed Euro basketball as higher level than Division I but not on the same level of the NBA. There is a different view shared by former NBA player Mario Herzonja. He’s gone on record indicating his belief Euro League is much tougher. He said, “No offense to LeBron, but a guy like Luka Doncic is so much harder to defend---and we have 8 Luka’s here in Europe. The skill level is so much higher here.”

I believe Mario is correct but so am I, allow a brief explanation for my statement. At one time I believe Euro players did not play at the same skill level of American players, the gap has narrowed over the past several years. I can truthfully admit there are portions of the game played in the United States that are not as good as in the past. Europe has sent a number of very talented players into the NBA over the years, but I do have one question for Mario. When was the last time an NBA Olympic team from the U.S. failed to win a gold medal? I’ll provide the information for Mario and you, Latin America Argentina won gold in 2004 and in 1988 it was the former Soviet Union. This is not a fight I wish to have but just saying it as Mario states is offering us no proof his view is correct.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Drama versus Docudrama

You might remember late spring or early summer I trashed “Winning Time: the rise of the Lakers dynasty.” Not only was it me but several former players and members of the Lakers staff took issue with the HBO program. Jerry West went so far as to sue the producers of the creation. Magic Johnson one of those we heard complain about Winning Time announced there would be a forthcoming television production giving us “his side” of the Showtime era. It’s here, the anti-Winning Time drama would be titled “Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers,” it would be available on the streaming service Hulu. In early August Hulu presented Legacy, so far, I haven’t seen the firestorm the earlier production created.

I don’t subscribe to Hulu so I was forced to delay my viewing until I could see it at a friend’s home. I was able to see the first two episodes and found it so much more refreshing the Winning Time. Former Laker players were interviewed, members of the Buss family, Laker staff and even Paul Westhead who was fired as Laker coach. My thought after seeing the first two episodes how interesting listening to them describe Dr. Buss and hear Magic discuss his relationship to the late Dr. Buss. My conclusion, Legacy is much superior to Winning Time. The Legacy docudrama is in a different realm from the Winning Time drama and the reason is obvious. In one instance we have a writer taking liberty with the history versus the history discussed by the participant(s).

Bits n Pieces 

The league will kick off its 75^th Anniversary season on October 18. In action that evening will be the Sixers visiting the Celtics, game time is 6:30 p.m. Central. The nightcap has the defending champion Warriors serving as host for the Lakers, start time for the late game is 9:00 p.m. Central. 

You read or heard the story on television or in print, since his death Bill Russell’s number has been retired. In my account I noted several players currently wear the number. A story on ESPN’s NBA page features a photo of the Bulls Alex Caruso (6) guarding Laker LeBron James (6), you are aware players currently wearing that number will be “grandfathered.” As for the future this is what occurs, once a player retires, or should he change teams the number can no longer be issued. The only reason this is being written is prompted by the headline story on the sites NBA page, it’s titled “Who will be the last player to wear number 6?” My question to you is this really that important in the big picture of NBA events?

Udonis Haslem of the Heat will soon join some pretty exclusive company. The 42-year-old power forward signed a one-year contract and will complete 20 years as a member of the Heat. There have been only two other players with 20 years with the same franchise, they are Kobe Bryant Lakers and Dirk Nowitzki Mavs. Just in case you might have wondered I did some quick research; Vince Carter likely holds the record. He played in the NBA 22 years, of course all of years were not spent with the same team. Carter played for 8 NBA in his time. Robert Parrish, Kevin Willis, and Kevin Garnett all played 21 years but like Carter they appeared in more than one teams jersey.

Our focus has been on son Bronny James for a number of reasons. First off Bronny is the oldest offspring of LeBron and Savannah James and two he’s headed off to college graduating in the Class of 2023. We should also pay attention to “little” brother Bryce, he’s only little in age not size. He is reported to stand 6 foot 6 in height a full 3 inches taller than Bronny. In any event the 15-year-old Bryce received his first scholarship offer and it’s from Duquesne University.   

You can’t do that!

LeBron James is wrong, so too is Shaquille O’Neal and we can include the late Kobe Bryant. In all three instances the players named gave themselves nicknames. The unwritten rule for nicknames claims you cannot give yourself one, it must be given to you by someone. LeBron became The King, Shaq anointed himself Superman and Kobe became The Black Mamba. To my knowledge in all three instances the players provided us the name and we just followed suit. Nothing like some of the names of the past, there was Big Shot Rob. That was a reference to Robert Horry who always seemed to hit crucial and winning shots. Earlier there was Big Game James Worthy, the speedy Worthy almost always rose to the occasion when the game was on the line or in doubt. Vinnie Johnson’s role was like that of Horry, he would come off the Pistons bench providing instant offense hence Microwave became his call sign. 

His birth name was Ervin, when a Lansing writer saw his skill on the court with a basketball hung Magic on him, from that point on his name simply became Magic. If I were a wagering person, I suppose many might believe Magic is actually the name on his birth certificate. Wilt Chamberlain was The Dipper or Wilt the Stilt, Julius Erving became The Doctor because it was said, “Watch how he operates” on the basketball court. Gary Payton’s propensity for defense cause him to be nicknamed The Glove, we suppose Hakeem Olajuwon became The Dream because it rhymed with his first name. We had Pete Maravich who was tagged Pistol Pete due to his prolific shooting from the floor. There were others, Allen Iverson given the nickname The Answer and George “Ice Man” Gervin because shooting the basketball Gervin was cold as ice shooting the ball under pressure. It appears as we move further into the 21^st Century nicknames like dinosaurs have become a thing of the past, it seems fewer and fewer players and the media have concluded an athlete needs a nickname. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Load management plus injuries

On Sunday I wrote of the NBA west and the outlook for the upcoming season. A YouTube account caught my eye recently and I believe it’s worth a few words so here goes. Skip Bayless said the Clippers were disrespected not being including in the Christmas NBA schedule. I then listened to the words of his co-host Shannon Sharpe, he said Kawhi Leonard hasn’t played ____ number of games since his NBA Championship season with the Raptors. I left the number blank because I don’t remember the count, this required a lookup to determine the total. With the Spurs, Raptors and Clippers Leonard’s not come close to playing a full season in 10 years of NBA play.

As for Sharpe I must provide a correction to a portion of his statement. The record indicates Leonard played 74 games with the Spurs in the 2016-17 season, as for the championship season with the Raptors he played 60 games that season. Leonard’s two seasons with the Clippers are 57 and 52 games, do you see a pattern here? I have no hidden agenda I’m simply pointing out what Sharpe mentioned and what is a recurrence. It’s my contention the Clippers only go so far without Leonard in the lineup. Paul George is certainly a talent but he’s not on the same level. I’m quite sure some of you especially those in Clipper Nation will see this as a “Hate Leonard” story. That is not the case I’m simply reporting on his past history, hopefully his season is complete culminating in an NBA Championship.

The non-conference schedule is out

Mizzou released the non-conference portion of the 2022-23 schedule, this is not in order of dates just an account. The first game Dennis Gates coaches will be against Ivy League Penn, and it’s scheduled Friday November 11 in Columbia. Mizzou will play Wichita State at Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas at home and UCF in Sunrise Florida. The Annual Braggin’ Rights Game against Illinois will be played in St. Louis at the Enterprise Center, this one is scheduled for Thursday December 22.

Also on Mizzou’s schedule is Iowa State, Coastal Carolina and SIEU. For the first time in memory Mizzou will face an HBCU school other than in NCAA Tournament play. Mississippi Valley State will be the opponent in Columbia on Sunday November 20. SEC conference play will be released later, this last bit of information by ESPN tourney Guru Joe Lunardi shocked me out of my seat. Lunardi places Mizzou as an early bubble team to earn a berth in the tournament, keep in mind this means absolutely nothing, but it is interesting, nonetheless.  

What do you think?

My view is probably different than most on this subject. We are discussing those who made it in the NBA versus those who are simply titled a bust. Allow a brief explanation and two teams, the Blazers and the Cavs. LaRue Martin is 72-years old now, in 1972 the Blazers made him the first pick in that year’s draft. You might remember reading about him in this blog earlier, in any case it was a different era regarding scouting back then. In spite of scouting Martin try as he did, he was just unable to adjust to NBA play. Instead of Martin the Blazers could have chosen Bob McAdoo, Paul Westphal or a guy by the name of Julius Erving all enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. The 1975-76 season would be his last in the NBA, he failed at the NBA level however we can say his life outside of basketball has been successful.

The saga of Greg Oden’s been documented in the recent past, in 2007 with all the hype surrounding his play at Ohio State the Blazers made him the number one pick in that year’s draft. Unlike Martin years earlier who failed to adjust his play it appeared Oden had the tools…injuries impacted his career to the extent he left the NBA after 2016. There is one more team for us to check, the Cavs of Cleveland along with DaJuan Wagner and Anthony Bennett. Believe it or not Wagner once scored 100 points in a high school game. At Memphis playing for John Calipari Wagner would score over 20 points a game and his coach believed he was ready for the NBA. His rookie year with the Cavs Wagner managed to score a modest 13 points a game and though his shooting percentage was low (37%) he was on the road to NBA success.

The next two years would witness Wagner struggle with injuries and lucrative colitis which eventually caused him to have half his colon removed. Wagner would miss the next season attempted a comeback with the Warriors but never returned to form. In 2013 Anthony Bennett was the heir apparent next NBA star while playing at UNLV. Bennett was made the number one NBA pick in 2013 by the Cavs but that was the high point. He averaged 4 points 3 rebounds in 13 minutes a game play that season. After a couple of NBA stops, Bennett has continued play in Europe. In closing we’ve detailed four players two for the Blazers and two for the Cavs. Not a single player is a bust, we all have value it’s just a fact. A number of athletes fail to generate an NBA career due to talent while injuries impact the potential capability of several others. There are other teams containing similar scenarios our examination was the Blazers and Cavs only. 

Don’t believe everything you read

The headline doesn’t apply to what you might read here. Just joking, try as I might on occasion stories have been published in Off the Dribble containing incorrect information. This is a partial correction to an earlier interpretation regarding Bronny James, the son of LeBron is receiving offers to play in college. The latest is reported to be from Penny Hardaway and his Memphis team. 

Earlier there were two HBCU schools, North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central with proposals for the 4-star athlete. Also offering a scholarship for the 6-foot 3 190-pound combo guard is Oregon, Ohio State and Southern Cal. If I discover the error(s) I will do my best to correct it (or them) and not “bury” the correction. It will be interesting to discover what school Bronny decides to attend. Oregon is reported to be in the lead for his services however I believe there is an outside chance the youngster heads for Memphis, stay updated on this one.

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The Western Conference mine field

The road leading out of the west to the NBA championship is spread far and wide with land mines. Most of the teams appear capable of emerging to face the Eastern Conference Champion. We begin this very short report with a report on the Clippers. Fans are excited with the addition of point guard John Wall, the belief he will allow them to Escape from Los Angeles. Should I point it out, okay the 1996 movie featuring Kurt Russell…okay enough of that. In addition to Wall, they see a healthy Kawhi Leonard return after missing last season along with Paul George provide many in Clipper Nation with happy thoughts. There is certainly no intent on my part to burst their bubble, they might have forgotten about the defending champion Warriors. Steph Curry and crew will be another year older but just as feisty as the previous season.

In Arizona we have the Suns, with an outstanding regular season they managed to come up a little short in the playoffs. The Suns return practically everyone who played a vital role in their 64-win season including Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton. Laying in the weeds are the Grizzlies, Ja Morant and company, they came up a little short however they are ready for battle too. They really can’t hide this time around…we see you. In the southwest we cannot overlook the crew from Texas, Luka and the Mavs will be poised once again for a deep playoff run. Certainly, in the mix are the Jazz, Nuggets and Wolves, we remain unsure of their impact although all three should certainly be competitive. The experts claim the Lakers with no Kyrie will come up short this season. That well could occur however I have serious doubts if there is a healthy LeBron and AD in the lineup. They are younger but that may be a hinderance. This is certainly no attempt to shortchange the Eastern Conference, it will be just as competitive however my focus is almost always on the west.

Not this year but next

I know practically nothing about Jerome Tang except for one fact. We are looking ahead to the Class of 2023 recruiting in 247Sports.com and guess who is in the Top 10…Kansas State? To compound that news guess who is missing from the Top 10…the Kansas Jayhawks? Now all of us realize there is a vast difference between recruiting and a winning product on the court. Back to Tang, I know he was an assistant at Baylor, it’s claimed his recruiting led to many of the successful teams Baylor’s experienced in recent years.

As for the balance of school’s on the list Duke is currently number one which is kind of a shocker, athletes by now are aware Coach K. is no longer in place. Once play begins in the fall Duke will be led by Jon Scheyer. By no means is this list of teams complete, at the same time we have another year of high school action on the calendar. These committed and yet to be committed prospects have plenty of time to change their minds. Nevertheless, this remains an interesting report, Kansas State always in second place (sometimes third if we count Wichita State) in the hearts and minds of many in the state might be ready for a move.

Number 16

The Lakers announced jersey number 16 belonging to Pau Gasol will be retired next season. The date is March 7, 2023, his jersey will be hoisted on the wall next to all the Laker greats. Some have expressed their belief Gasol doesn’t deserve this honor, no me in that number. The Lakers acquire Gasol in a February 1, 2008, trade with the Grizzlies. He really had no time to practice with the team, his first game 5 days later would see Gasol score 20 points and pull down 12 rebounds. He and Kobe would become a duo almost instantly. Gasol playing alongside Kobe aided the cause in the Lakers three consecutive NBA Finals appearance. They won the grand prize, the 2009 and 2010 NBA Championship thanks in part to Gasol. Number 16 will be placed in the rafters of the arena beside those of other Laker greats. Just in case you wondered George Mikan’s 99 is not retired however he and others who played while the franchise was in Minneapolis are honored. Just in case you may have forgotten the names of those hanging in Crypto.com Arena they are:

Elgin Baylor

Kareem Abdul Jabbar

James Worthy

Kobe Bryant

Jerry West

Wilt Chamberlain  

Shaquille O’Neal

Magic Johnson

Gail Goodrich 

Jamal Wilkes.

Some are very good at their task

Despite my endless complaining there are some in the media who provide basketball insight I highly respect. They are not the yellers and screamers I hear routinely during any given week. These individuals are able to effectively communicate without making the story about them. Please note this is not in any order just my thought process. We kick off with Adrian Wojnarowski long-time senior NBA Insider, Woj knows his NBA basketball and can almost always be depended on to secure the story first and without all the drama of...never mind. This name might be unknown to many because unlike Woj he’s rarely visible.

Mike DeCourcy covers the college game and can be read in The Sporting News; on occasion he could pop up on talk sports radio during the season. DeCourcy while opinionated doesn’t beat you over the head with his belief. Jay Bilas of ESPN also provides vital information regarding the college game. He doubles by covering the NBA draft providing the commentators with information on many of the collegiate players. Fran Fraschilla a former coach works for ESPN and covers the college game included is extensive travel allows him to see numerous Euro players in action.

Fraschilla has added much to NBA draft night coverage with his knowledge of international basketball. There are two women I must include in this account, although they continue to work at their craft, I’m sure they have no reason to be singled out as female. ESPN’s Doris Burke and media member Jackie McMullen provide us globs of basketball knowledge and insight into the game. We close with Jon Rothstein college basketball insider for CBS Sports, he provides vital information on all aspects of the college game. So, there you have it media members I enjoy, if someone is missing from the list consider it an oversight of my memory.

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LeBron signs extension

The Lakers have him for two more seasons and that’s about all. I will not mention the money because that always brings out negative comments. You know most of them, “We need to pay police and emergency responders” or this one, “Educators need to be paid more.” There are probably 500-600 more reasons I refuse to discuss pay for athletes. I place it in the same category of entertainers, we are entertained either on television or in person by the exploits of LeBron and others. 

We could make the same statements regarding any entertainers, they are all overpaid in some eyes. If you care to entertain a discussion of salary that’s okay but it will not be at the top of my list. Finally, are some athletes overpaid… your darn straight. So is the guy next to you on the assembly line or in the next cubicle, you put out twice as much product as he does yet both of you are earning the same salary. Is there a book somewhere that states everything in life is reported to be fair and equal. If you manage to locate that particular manuscript, please let me know where I can purchase a copy?

We don’t have the networks

Monday, we discussed the Christmas Day NBA games on December 25. We don’t have the network information, but we have the times, all are Eastern Time:

12:00 p.m. Sixers vs Knicks

  2:30 p.m. Lakers vs Mavs

  5:00 p.m. Bucks vs Celtics

  8:00 p.m. Grizzlies vs Warriors

10:30 p.m. Suns vs Nuggets

A truce

This past Sunday we reported the war of words between Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari and football coach Mark Stoops. To refresh your memory Calipari being his sometimes-abrasive self-announced to all the world Kentucky’s basketball practice facility had a leaky roof. His words, “This (Kentucky) is a basketball school” which football coach Stoops immediately took offense. Stoops said he thought his football team competed in the SEC or something similar. The two coaches have gone back and forth at one another in the media, from all indications neither party has sat down to discuss the matter on a face-to-face basis. I thought at a point this was a joke to generate publicity however it appears this is an actual feud. Maybe its time for the athletic director to schedule a meeting with the two parties to clear up the matter.

Social concern

This week the NBA announced there will be no games scheduled November 8. The NBA believes it is vital for its athletes and the public to be informed on issues and candidates in the fall election. The league hopes this will allow an assessment of various races and then cast votes on Tuesday. This effort was just announced so as sure as I’m sitting here there will be those who find fault with this effort. I applaud the NBA with this move, as long as a particular candidate(s) is not endorsed there is no obstacle I could foresee. What do you think, is this a good move by the NBA from your perspective?

Misfortune

Allow me to state at the beginning, I don’t believe in bad luck or curses. I heard the story but never believed the Curse of the Billy Goat laid on the baseball Cubs in 1945. Okay back to our sport basketball and in this instance a discussion of the Blazers. Over the course of the teams existence (1970) there have been a number of exceptionally talented players wearing a Blazer jersey. At the same time a number of players were drafted who never reached the level expected. The first name might be that of 6-foot 11-inch LaRue Martin, most of you have no idea so allow an explanation. In the 1972 NBA draft Martin was made the top pick that year ahead of Bob McAdoo and Julius Erving as example. To be fair Erving had been drafted the previous year and was playing for the ABA Virginia Squires.

At that time the NBA wouldn’t allow underclassmen to be drafted the ABA had no such rules. Back to Martin a moment, he lasted until 1976 with the Blazers never fulfilling the promise it was believed when drafted. Consider this fact, despite not having the playing career most expected his college degree allowed him success in the business world. We’ve discussed Bill Walton previously, the 6-foot 11-inch Walton was also a number one pick by the Blazers. Unlike Martin he was able to attain success on the basketball court even leading them to their only NBA championship until a series of injuries derailed his career. He played for the Clippers and with the Celtics he would become a valued 6^th man for them. Up till now this has been a Big Man history, guard Brandon Roy changed that. He was the 6^th pick in the first round of the 2006 draft. Roy was the real deal until he was beset with injuries, from that season until 2011 he was a member of the Blazers.

In 2012 Roy played one more season before retiring at the age of 28. Roy’s remained close to the game as boys’ basketball coach at Nathan Hale and then Garfield High School. A year after Roy was drafted the Blazers chose 7-foot Greg Oden rather than Kevin Durant in 2007 with the number one pick. The saga of Oden’s also been documented previously, it was said “He was the second coming of Bill Russell”. His defensive prowess was that good, once again injuries would derail another Blazer and he left the team after the 2012 season. Oden played a few more years before retiring for good in 2016. Keep in mind there are years of separation in this account, the Blazers had a number of outstanding players and teams. It would appear plagued by injuries the franchise with the exception of the 1977 championship never reached the level Blazer fans and maybe even management hoped would occur.

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Princeton offense

Pete Carril died on Monday at the age of 92 years, he invented the Princeton offense while coaching at the school.  Carril was head coach at the school from 1967 to 1996, his teams won 514 games losing 261 during his tenure. 13 Ivy League Championships came his way during this time. His 1975 team won the NIT that season and this part of his bio is interesting. Carril had one season and that was 11-12 at Lehigh before his hire of head coach at Princeton. After his retirement he worked for the NBA Kings for a time as an assistant coach. Carril was honored by being enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame, Pete Carril a basketball legend, R.I.P. coach.

Then there is this

This is not written as the voice of authority just an opinion. Las Vegas in the NBA, the commissioner and the NBA are quiet about an expanding the league. Once this occurs Seattle and Las Vegas will become franchise number 31 and 32 but how does this impact LeBron James? The ageless one has often spoken of his desire to play alongside his son(s) in the NBA, this is nice however it could present an obstacle. In this instance we are only partially discussing age over an ownership issue. Let’s face facts, the NBA wants LeBron an owner even if it’s only as a partial owner.

You know they always say, “Timing is everything” and that’s what is presented here. You can be a player-coach in the NBA however you are not permitted to be an owner-player. We have no idea how long LeBron intends to play but he’s liable to become an owner before either of his son’s make an appearance in the NBA. If this scenario appears negative on my part that is not the case. It would appear to me LeBron will be required over the next year or so to decide which issue is most important to him. From my view I’d love to see LeBron as an NBA owner and it should come, I’m just cannot pinpoint a day and date. The question will LeBron chose ownership over the opportunity to continue a Hall of Fame NBA career playing with one or more of his son’s?

The road ahead

I cannot think of a coach with a more difficult task ahead then these two. In this instance I speak of Matt McMahon at LSU and Dennis Gates at Mizzou. Both will begin the season with new teams and new players. As for Gates technically a few Cleveland State players transferred to Mizzou. As for both coaches LSU and Mizzou fired their basketball coaches at the end of last season. In some instances, the remaining players left immediately while others continued until the new coach arrived and then departed. I cannot speak for LSU however Gates (and we assume) McMahon had to begin recruiting immediately with a gutted roster.

Mizzou was left with three holdover players, since there was only one true senior the remaining roster members said bye-bye. Generally speaking, a new coach is given two to three years for a team to embrace his plan, as for McMahon and Gates will the timeline be lesser or greater? It should also be of interest both coaches arrive on campus from mid-major schools, McMahon from Murray State and Gates arrived by way of Cleveland State. Both coaches are near the same age, McMahon is 44 and Gates is 42 years old. Their effort should be noteworthy as Power 5 schools search out future basketball coaches for their programs. Other than assistants based on these two will AD’s look for the “best” candidate available? 

It's good they will play in separate arenas

Construction is progressing on the Intuit Dome future home of the Clippers. Several might believe Laker fans are upset with this development, far from it in my observation. Most Laker fans probably never wanted to share an arena with the Clippers in the first place. At the time Steve Ballmer became owner a number in Laker Nation wanted him to move the team to Seattle. After all this former Microsoft guy is from that area, that was only a hope in the minds of a few. Ballmer and company are in Los Angeles to stay that’s the principal reason he believes the Clippers need their own building.

Consider this fact besides Los Angeles only New York City has two NBA teams, but even they play in separate arenas, the Knicks are in venerable MSG and the Nets play in Barclays Center. NFL teams in the past and present day have often played in the same stadium however there is a vast difference, NFL games generally only play once a week. There is a possibility an NBA team might play 3-4 games in a week’s time. A brief look at the history for those who might not be familiar with it, the Lakers moved from Minneapolis in 1960. The Clippers arrived in Los Angeles in 1984 from San Diego. Although Southern Cal’s had these teams since 1984, they have never shared an arena until 1999 when Staples Center (Crypto.com) opened. As for the Intuit Dome the arena will be quite spectacular in its design and the amenities it will contain when it opens in 2024. Rest assured Laker fans are just as pleased with the planned opening of Intuit Dome as those in Clipper Nation.

Just a couple of history notes, the Lakers played at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena from 1960-1967. Owner Jack Kent Cooke had a dispute with the city and decided to build his own arena which completed became the Forum. The Clippers moved from their San Diego home to Los Angeles in 1984, they played in the Sports Arena home until 1999. In the fall of 1999, they joined the Lakers and began play in the Staples (Crypto.com) Arena. In September 2021 owner Steve Ballmer announced the Clippers would build their own arena and would begin play in 2024.

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Christmas games

This is always interesting, have you noticed the Christmas games (December 25) are always announced ahead of the regular season schedule? In any event, here are the teams involved:

Lakers at Mavs

Sixers at Knicks

Suns at Nuggets

Bucks at Celtics

Grizzlies at Warriors

Game times schedules were not indicated, the best guess east coast teams will probably play early games. They will likely be followed by the Suns and Nuggets and then Grizzlies and Warriors will be the late game. Naturally if the times are known you will be advised. As for television coverage it will be spread between ESPN, TNT and ABC.

We’ve discussed that talent thing previously

Reading the headline, you will remember talent is an issue we’ve discussed from time to time in this blog. There is no one reason why talent prevails in one athlete over that of another. In this instance we are discussing basketball however it could apply to any sport where an athlete plays at a higher level than his or her competitors. Luka Donic’s father Sasha believes he’s got an answer for the accomplishments of his son thus far in the NBA, his belief is below and might provide us a different thought. 

1.“Other kids have talent, too, but dream of millions of dollars and lose focus on basketball. Sasa explained that will other hoopers his age got excited about money and fame, Luka was focused on adding skills to his arsenal by studying the game of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and the likes.”

On the other hand, someone might argue with this view, they might say Luka’s not won anything which is certainly true. Leading your team into the playoffs is an accomplishment however it’s not the ultimate reward. I can see this, there is a magic (catch that word) in the manner he plays the game, he is driven to excel. Is Sasa correct, his son is succeeding because he is focused on accomplishing a task at the highest level in the game he loves? If you think about it Sasa might be on to something after all if you hit the mark the millions of dollars will come your way as a reward…right?

1. basketballnetwork.net   

This is interesting

Those in Mizzou Nation have no idea if Dennis Gates is a winner. We believe that to be the case based on his record at Cleveland State, of course that school is a mid-major basketball program versus Power Five Mizzou. We’ve covered the tremendous strides Gates’s made since his spring hire but let’s look ahead. Worth repeating are the names Aiden Shaw, Trent Pierce and Anthony Robinson II. The distinctive recruiting feature of these prospects all appear to be highly qualified based on their rating. Awarding stars are no clue to excellence however it’s the only measurement of talent we have. Technically 4-star and 6-foot 8 wing Aiden Shaw is a Cuonzo Martin recruit, that changed with the coach being fired.

Shaw de-committed but after meeting with Gate’s was arrival and meeting with the youngster convinced him to remain pledged to Mizzou. Next up was point guard Anthony Robinson II, a 3-star Class of 2023 prospect and we add the name Trent Pierce another Class of 2023 athlete, he’s a 4-star small forward. Everything being equal 5 scholarships remain for the 2023-24 collegiate season. Can the group of 5 plus the trio profiled blend their game to that of Mizzou’s present roster? It should be of further interest rivals.com ranks the 2023 Mizzou recruiting class 20^th in the nation. For those who follow Duke, Kentucky or some other traditionally ranked team might not see this as a big deal. For us in Mizzou Nation we are unaccustomed to be ranked this high and certainly nowhere close to the Top 20 in recruiting.

Yes, a plumber actually did play in the NBA

Some of you reading this might remember the debate former player JJ Redick had on ESPN recently, the debate began over the legacy of Suns point guard Chris Paul. When Mad Dog Russo brought Bob Cousy’s name into the debate Redick went full blast, he claimed “Cousy couldn’t dribble with his left hand, he was being guarded by plumbers and fireman.” Redick might not have been aware there actually had been a plumber in the NBA at one time.  

The late Normie Glick spent the 1949 season as a member of the Minneapolis Lakers, Glick played his college basketball at Loyola Marymount. According to basketballnetwork.com Glick didn’t receive a scholarship after high school. What did he do, he became a plumber before beginning play at Marymount and then the NBA. As for Glick possibly guarding Cousy he stood 6 foot 7 so it probably didn’t occur unless it would have been on a switch, Glick was a forward. Despite Redick attempting to make his point in the form of a joke he actually provided us an interesting bit of NBA trivia.

Say it ain’t so

There was a point in time the National Invitation Tournament had almost as much prestige as the NCAA Tournament in the minds of basketball fans. Those days are gone and for a variety of reasons, chief among them the NCAA increasing the number of participating teams. By doing this the NIT was deprived of competition. As an example, back in the Lew Alcindor days UCLA’s cross town rivals Southern Cal had an exceptional season. They would lose only two games and both losses were to UCLA, the NCAA hadn’t expanded at the time, so they accepted an invitation to play in the NIT. Today that Southern Cal team would play in the NCAA Tournament.

It should also be of note there was no post-season tournament play at the time. More and more with NCAA expansion the NIT became known as the Not Invited Tournament or not extended an NCAA invitation. As for the history, the tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to covid, in 2021 all the games were moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth metro. Now comes word the NIT is moving from venerable Madison Square Garden and New York City. In 2023 Las Vegas will serve as host, the following season 2024 it will be Indianapolis. Opening rounds will continue to be held on college campuses across the nation. Few are aware of this fact; the NIT actually predates the NCAA Tournament having been held in 1938 for the first time. In 1939 the first NCAA Championship Tournament was held, will the NIT Tournament ever return to New York, that question remains unanswered for now?  

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Up next

I know, we just finished the 2022 NBA Draft, but we always look ahead. This is done to discover that next budding NBA talent that can be added to a team’s roster. In this instance we’ve profiled Victor Wembanyama previously, since then I’ve conducted additional research on the 18-year-old. This is the part I find most interesting, generally mock draft sites disagree on who will be drafted in the top position. In this instance, I was unable to uncover a single dissenting site. I must snicker, I wonder if these 2023 mock sites are copying one another. This I do know; I ended my research with a count of 5 mock sites which listed Wembanyama at the top, there might be possibly more.

Each of the 5 sites project Wembanyama to be the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, I’ve even read some consider him the best draft pick since LeBron James in 2003. That is a daring statement to make regarding an 18-year-old prospect. We are aware Euro basketball is good but it’s not the NBA, how will Wembanyama manage to adjust to bigger, faster and bulkier talent? At 7 foot 3 and 220 pounds he appears to have all the tools. This you might find interesting nbadraftroom.com indicates he is (Kristaps) “Porzingis ++, faster Rik Smits.” He’s Kristaps Porzingis twice as good if that is the indication. Depending on your age the name Smits might not be familiar. Rik Smits had a good NBA career all with the Pacers running from 1988-2000. In addition, I like the defensive presence I’ve seen on several YouTube videos.

Check the videos below and see him in action, all negatives up till now can be corrected with additional coaching and gaining weight, the single area of concern is injury. At this point Wembanyama has suffered a bunch of “knick-knack injuries” as Shaq might describe them. These are injuries which have sidelined the youngster at times, up to this point none of them major. They certainly are of interest if Wembanyama is expected to compete in the rough and tumble world of the NBA. Finally, in closing we read stories about NBA teams “tanking” to place themselves in position to draft youngsters. I hate to hear those types of reports, the NBA has enough issues in the eyes of some without reading these type of accounts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF0oDlhPn2o&t=285s

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCsdgSXal-4&t=10s

A surprise

Career block shot leaders at each position were quite interesting for me (and maybe you too). A website basketballword.com provided that information for us. Hakeem Olajuwon at the center position…that was certainly no surprise at least for me. The small forward and power forward leader was a different matter. Several might be more familiar with the son; in this instance we are discussing the father Larry Nance Sr. He is the career block shot leader at the power forward position; most remember him from the period he played for the Cavs

It was the Suns who drafted him, his NBA career ran from 1981-1994. During his career, the highflyer blocked 2,027 attempted shots. Now for the surprise for me for more than one reason, Julius Erving, Dr. J. is the career leader in block shots for small forwards. The 6-foot 7 Dr. j. blocked 1,117 attempted opposition shots; most are familiar with the latter portion of his career spent with the Sixers. From 1971-1976 he played for the ABA Virginia Squires and New York Nets. As present and future players careers evolve some of these individual records could be eventually eclipsed however, they are through the 2021-22 NBA season.

There is in-fighting…not really

I’m sure there have been “fights” between college football and basketball programs, rarely do they become public. We are aware how gregarious Kentucky’s John Calipari can be at times. A leaking roof at the school’s 15-year-old practice facility had come to his attention, and this was the comment. “This is a basketball school. It’s always been that. Alabama is a football school. So is Georgia. I mean they are. No disrespect to our football team.” Calipari went on starting an apparent basketball-football feud. In less than two hours Mark Stoops football coach tweeted “Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC?”

This feud is funny in a sense, Calipari and Stoops in a fight for the hearts and minds of Big Blue Nation. Rest assured this is probably not a real issue between the two coaches. It will be resolved behind closed doors however if I choose sides, I must agree with coach Cal. If you are discussing sports and you say Alabama your thoughts go in the direction of football, I could say the same for Georgia although both schools have basketball programs. The roof is need of repair we get that; at the same time coach Cal is correct. In a discussion of college sports there are a number of schools who are noted as football or basketball inclined, if we mention Kentucky in a conversation the first thought is basketball not football. Sorry coach Stoops that’s the real world.

Winning

Most of the so-called experts have indicated they are not impressed with Laker off season moves. Of course, they claim all this is out the window should the team somehow acquire Kyrie Irving. In discussing the Lakers, I informed a fellow member of Laker Nation “I’d rather lose with youngsters than win with oldsters.” That might appear a concession to a losing team or season far from it, allow for an explanation. The window for winning with a veteran team would tend to be somewhat smaller than one filled with young players in my view.

Now comes the question will LeBron James or other members of the Lakers buy into my observation…hardly. As a veteran team their desire is to win right now. Although a young team might face bumps in the road they are learning, learning how to win. That last statement might sound strange however it is true, young teams must adapt and discover how to win. In closing I like the off-season moves thus far by the Lakers however keep this in mind. Sending a veteran team on the court night after night remains no guarantee of success, we could look at the 2021 Champion Bucks as an example. That Bucks team certainly earned a playoff berth however they failed to repeat as champions.