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Basketball from a fans perspective

It wasn’t that close

Mizzou won game number 17 and 5 th in the SEC over LSU 87-77. Believe me when I state the game was not as close as the final score would indicate. Mizzou had 4 players in double figures with Kobe Brown leading the way with 26 points. It seemed as though LSU outrebounded the ball better however the final stats indicate it was only by a 32-30 margin. It was the offensive rebounds as LSU had a 12 to 4 advantage. Mizzou managed to score 17 points as the result of LSU turnovers.

Mizzou’s largest lead was 18 points while LSU never held a lead, Mizzou had a 15 point lead with a little over two minutes remaining in the game. Should Mizzou have beaten LSU…that certainly is the case however they didn’t concede an inch to Mizzou. The part of the box score I love by these Tigers, assists. They had 26 of them, there was one instance the ball was passed around the perimeter with three players touching the ball. The third player receiving the pass shot in a three-pointer. The point I’m attempting to make, the passers just as easily could have taken the shot but had no issue giving up the ball for what they considered a better shot.

The last portion is a discussion of coach Dennis Gates and his impact. First of all it is totally unfair in my view to compare Gates to Dennis Tang at Kansas State. I don’t won’t to get into “my dad can beat up your dad” debate but look around. There is no other coach that’s impacted a basketball program in the manner of Gates. You might remember all the noise we heard about Mizzou’s soft schedule? We had the same issue with the hire of Gates.

The others

Larry Bird did something farfetched by today’s standard, he was drafted in 1978 by the Celtics but didn’t play. With another year of eligibility he returned to Indiana State. History says Red Auerbach was aware of his status but drafted him anyway with knowledge he wouldn’t be in the Celtic lineup until the following season. Once in the Celtic lineup Bird would go on to become NBA Rookie of the Year. What about the others, Bird was the 6 pick in the draft but what about the careers of the others. The Blazers with the top draft choice that year chose Mychal Thompson, his best years were spent as a member of the Lakers.

Thompson was a huge contributor to several of the Laker Championships won during the 1980’s. The second pick was point guard Phil Ford chosen by the Kansas City Kings. Ford was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1979, later an injury would cut his NBA career short playing only 7 seasons for the Kings, Nets, Bucks and Rockets. Kentucky player Rick Robey was the 3 pick and had an 8-year career but most of it in a reserve role. Michael Ray Richardson drafted by the Knicks might have been second only to Bird. He too had an 8-year career but was barred by the NBA due to substance abuse issues. Purvis Short spent 13-years in the NBA and had a 17.3 point per game average. So there you have a brief look at the players drafted ahead of Larry Bird.

The demise of the Big XII

Now that I have your attention allow a further explanation. The Big XII Conference is going nowhere although this time next season it might look different. Those of you reading this are aware Texas and Oklahoma are departing for the SEC. We are hearing both schools desire it sooner rather than later so how does that impact the newcomers. Will Cincinnati, UCF, Houston or BYU all petition their present conference to leave? Will one, two are three maybe all four compete in the 2024-25 season as members of the Big XII? My gut tells me it wasn’t Oklahoma but the University of Texas the ringleader in this move.

Even more interesting one of the reasons Mizzou is now in the SEC is because of Texas. An in balance of revenue sharing is what we read, i.e. Texas was receiving more television revenue than other Big XII schools. Please don’t try and call me out on the last statement it’s only what I read, as often stated don’t slay the messenger I’m only repeating another guy’s report. Reading this you might come to the conclusion I’m opposed to the future whatever occurs. That is not the case, the planned moves are going to occur whether I like them or not. I only have one desire, Texas and Oklahoma to receive as much grief from KU fans as they dished out to Mizzou.  

The NBA in Kansas City

Did you realize Kansas City might still be in the NBA except for a series of events. I came across this account and wanted to share with you again. The American Basketball Association was born in 1967 with the intention to begin play in 11 cities, one of the franchises to be placed in Kansas City. The Kansas City franchise was never given a name, nor did it ever play at least here. History indicates the principal problem was a basketball arena. This would have been prior to Kemper or T-Mobile Center being built. In 1967 the downtown Municipal Auditorium was the primary basketball arena in use at the time. Despite negotiations adequate play dates were either not available or there was a lease space issue.

Prior to the start of the season the franchise would be moved to Denver without playing a single game in Kansas City. The Denver Larks were born but they would never play under that name, shortly before beginning play they were changed to the Rockets, and they would play as the Rockets until 1974 being re-named the Nuggets. The Nuggets would continue play as an ABA franchise until being absorbed into the NBA in 1976. I prefer to not use the term merger for several reasons, a number of the ABA teams went out of business and the NBA really chose the teams they wanted. This included the Nuggets which we discussed, Pacers, Nets and Spurs. So Kansas City had a pro team which eventually became an NBA team and who knows, we might still have the franchise operating.

That’s what I once heard

A number of you might have heard the old story, “Who was the only guy to hold Michael Jordan under 20 points a game?” This was a joke pointed at Dean Smith Jordan’s coach at North Carolina. The offensive scheme of Smith did not allow Jordan to fully display his talent. Once Jordan reached the NBA, we discovered he might be a better NBA player than he was in college. The latest player to duplicate the Jordan rookie year is Paolo Banchero of the Magic. The 6 foot 10 Banchero played at Duke last season but declared for the NBA draft after his freshman year. Check these numbers out: 

 Duke 17.2 points a game           Magic 20.7 points a game

          field goal .478                              field goal .433

          rebs 7.8 a game                          rebs 6.4 a game

          3 pt. .338                                    3 pt .316

In fairness Banchero’s Duke numbers represent his complete freshman year, his numbers with the Magic represent a little more than half of the NBA season. Up through the end of January 2023 you can see there’s been no drop off in his production.