Basketball from a fans perspective

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I can be easily fooled

How about this for an example, I’ve often repeated this story. At the time Emoni Bates was a high school sophomore he was projected as NBA ready. This was not me rather what I (you too) read about the youngster. Fast forward to 2022 and we discover that is not the case. As Bates enters his sophomore year of college, I am unsure if he’s a bonafide college prospect. There’s a saying, “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me”, it’s a simple explanation. If someone takes advantage of me twice, I only have myself to blame I don’t believe that to be the case for Victor Wembanyana. Teams are salivating at the opportunity to draft him, how about this statement from an unidentified NBA GM, “It feels like a race to the bottom like we’ve never seen.” The 2023 draft might reflect that of 1984 when Hakeem Olajuwon was drafted number one by the Rockets. We are at a unique time regarding the 2023 mock draft, for the first time in my memory all concur.

Can you believe it, 14 mock sites place Victor Wembanyama in the top slot of their mock draft. Wembanyama will still be a teen (age 19) when drafted number one in June 2023. Now comes the ugly word ‘tank’, NBA teams losing on purpose in order to improve their draft position. I have gone on record several times indicating I can't stand to think a team would lose on purpose just to improve its draft position. Back to the profile, in his second game Wembanyama led his Metro 92 team to victory 112-106 over Team Elite. The teen Big Man once again filled the box score with 36 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and 4 assists. One of the problems for me is separating outlook from fact and that is the case for Wembanyama. I was surprised but not shocked by a number of the letters I read, perhaps 98% of the writers were positive toward the youngster.

The other 2% negative comments had nothing, but their opinion to back up disapproving observations regarding Wembanyama. “He only had 4 rebounds” (first game),” to me it’s a little difficult to snatch rebounds when one is shooting 7-11 from the three-point line. One writer even claimed, “I could guard him, “I’d stripped the ball with his height.” Turns out the letter writer admitted he was 5 foot 8, where do these negative folks come from. Finally this one, “He’s too thin for the NBA” one writer stated. Must I remind the person of Kevin Durant before he arrived in the NBA or how about Kristaps Porzingis? There is no guarantee Wembanyama accomplishes anything in the NBA, I’d like for him to appear first in a game before deciding to pick his effort apart on paper as many of these “Stephen A. Smiths” have done. We depend on the experts to provide us sound advice, that is the case here, I have yet to read a negative comment by a credible source, have you about Wembanyama? Asked his height, Wembanyama indicated he was 7 foot 3 the last time he measured himself barefooted. If we add an inch or inch and a half for shoes that makes him 7 foot 4 or 7 foot 5 on the court.

The Sky Hook 

Did you realize the dunk was banned in college basketball for a time. Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) was the culprit while enrolled at UCLA. For those too young there might be a question as to why?  Beginning in the 1967-68 season the dunk was banned for 10 years. According to the NCAA, the dunk “was not a skilled shot.”  The rules committee stated that the suspension was also imposed due to harm concerns of individuals who might contest the attempt.

In their analysis, they documented 1,500 incidents in which a player was injured near the backboard in the preceding year.” You might find this difficult to believe now but the ban created a monster shot for Alcindor. He began perfecting a hook shot which Bucks broadcaster Eddie Doucette would dub ‘The Sky Hook.’ Broadcasting Bucks games back in those days the announcers sat in the upper portion of the arena unlike announcers of today. Doucette claimed it look as though the shot was coming out of the sky at his level.

NBA expansion

Once the NBA expands (and it will) we’ve discussed the fact Seattle is a slam dunk. The NBA is ready to move to that portion of the Pacific Northwest. I seriously doubt if there would be a problem locating an owner willing to lay down large sums of money to purchase the franchise. That story will be covered in another account, what about the second franchise…that would be Las Vegas. I hate to admit it, but Vegas has moved in front of my hometown of Kansas City, I can provide you 7 reasons why Las Vegas will be chosen. These belong to me, it’s possible you might have an additional basis.

NFL Raiders and NHL Golden Knights

NBA Summer League

AAU Summer Tournament

NBA exhibition games host

WNBA Aces

G-League Ignite

Las Vegas in the conversation by many including the commissioner

Suddenly Las Vegas is booming with professional sports teams. The Golden Knights expansion team arriving in 2017, the WNBA Aces moving from San Antonio in 2017 and the Raiders moving from Oakland in 2020. G-League Team Ignite after three seasons in Walnut Creek California moved to Henderson Nevada a Las Vegas suburb. There are probably additional reasons Las Vegas will likely be the city of choice over many others including my hometown.   

Bits n Pieces 

Earlier you read a NBL team faced the Suns in Seattle last week. The attendance for the game was acceptable but nothing worth becoming exciting. I wrote I believed the Monday game with the Clippers facing the Blazers would be a much truer test for Seattle and its NBA fans. The box score read a reported 18,440 fans were in attendance for the game in Climate Pledge Arena. One game certainly wasn’t a make-or-break future for Seattle however the sold-out building is certainly a good sign for the city.  

Don’t forget about me might be the word from Scoot Henderson, Vincent “Scoot” Henderson is the teen 6-foot 2-inch point guard from Team Elite of the NBA G-League. His two games versus Metro 92 caused us to focus on him with a national and world audience viewing his game on television. For those unfamiliar with him he reclassified and instead of college this 5-star point guard decided on the G-League. He’s now in his second year and will likely be the number two draft pick in 2023. You might ask why he’s probably the number two choice, this is the year of Victor Wembanyama. Regardless of who is the top pick we know for a fact there will be two teens at the top Henderson and both 19-years old.

Absent up to this weekend in Laker training camp was point guard Dennis Schroder. News reports indicate the speedy guard had visa issues which prevented his travel from Germany to the U.S. The signing of Schroder with the Lakers caught me off guard, this was a move surprising to me and perhaps other Laker fans too.

I didn’t read the story only the headline, those reading this might have a clearer picture than me of the dispute. Despite that fact I believe Draymond Green is history with the Warriors. The man believed to be the heart and soul of the team clearly stepped over the line. As fans we often have no idea of what occurs in practice but when a member slugs another and there is video that’s news. Jordan Poole is in concussion protocol and it’s likely he returns in time; Green is reported to have left the team to “clear his head.” If this incident occurred in the day of the Bad Boy Pistons, its likely it would be no big deal. In the 21^st Century NBA this type of behavior is no longer tolerated. As for Green he’s enough of a talent a team would be willing to sign him.