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Basketball from a fans perspective

He played in the NBA

Baseball folks, even older fans probably don’t realize this, if you are unfamiliar with the name don’t worry. Dick Groat former major league baseball player died April 27; he was 92 years old. Although Groat played for more than one team the shortstop is closely associated with the Pittsburg Pirates where he spent his most productive years. Groat retired in 1967 while a member of the Giants but begin his major league career with the Pirates playing with them from 1955 through 1962. Prior to baseball there was basketball, Groat played at Duke University, how good was he at basketball?

Groat was named a Two-Time All-American Basketball player and found his way to the NBA. In the 1952 NBA Draft Groat was made the 3^rd pick in the first round by the Fort Wayne Pistons (Detroit). The 5-foot 11-inch Groat would play the 1952-53 season scoring 11.5 points along with 2.7 assists that season. As you might surmise baseball would become his career sport, could Groat have blossomed in the NBA that remains an unknown. In 2007 he was enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame and 2011 saw him bestowed with the same honor in the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. Dick Groat one of the few multi-talented athletes good enough to receive an honor in two sports, R.I.P.

Intensity

Playoff NBA is different from regular season NBA and that is good and bad. The good of course is seeing top notch play for 48 minutes something missing at times during regular season games. Players diving on the floor for loose balls, the blocked shot, in a Laker game I saw the Grizzlies have two shots in a row swatted away. The bad, there have been a bunch of front-line performers missing…sidelined with injuries. We cannot be sure; the injuries could be the result of the long season plus playoffs. In any event NBA playoff basketball is certainly a must-see television event unless you live in a city where you can see the action in person.   

Who to pick

The pick has now been solidified; the Lakers will have the 17^th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Now the question becomes who do they choose? This is all speculation at this point but consider this fact. Michael J. Porter Jr. coming off an injury fell to the Nuggets at in movies not in real life, or could it? Prior to injury in most 2018 mocks MJP was projected number 2 or 3, he fell to the Nuggets at 14. With the 17^th pick    the Lakers will lie just outside the lottery so there should be a quality athlete available. Now with that settled who should the Lakers choose? Two sites have differing views, nbadraft.net has the Lakers picking Maxwell Lewis, a 6-foot 7 guard/forward from Pepperdine. As for the other mock site, nbadraftroom.com believe the pick to be Jett Howard, also 6 foot 7 from Michigan.

I am looking at the present roster, at small forward we acknowledge LeBron is 38-years old. On the depth chart behind LeBron are several youthful but veteran players. We could look toward the power forward position, although Jarred Vanderbilt is less glued in the position behind him the same scenario exists. There are a number of youthful veterans, I could make the same statement at the point and shooting guard too. I hope you see where I’m going here, the Lakers certainly could be aided by an infusion of another youthful player but who? A Big Man, AD is playing the post but it certainly would be great if they could locate a quality post player. After Wemby excluding those who remain in school one of the following post players should be available at 17:

Adem Bona – UCLA 6 foot 10

James Nnaji – Barcelona 6 foot 10

Zach Edey = Purdue 7 foot 4

This is the upside I might hope; I’m speculating AD remains injury free and will continue to play center. There is no requirement to toss him into the fire of immediate NBA play, i.e. there would be no baptism of fire. The first-year post man could be brought in slowly, if necessary, there might be time with the South Bay Lakers. In addition he would be further schooled with the Laker Summer League team.

When he’s ready

This is not the account I first drafted, what I wrote and declined to publish involved money and the athlete. The amount of money the Clippers had paid Kawhi Leonard based on the time he’s played the last two years. Somehow Stephen A. Smith caused this change, I watched and listened as he pontificated on the reason why Leonard “should retire.” Smith didn’t question future pay, he said Leonard should be paid for the length of his contract it’s the other part that didn’t sit well with me. Over the course of time I’ve witnessed a number of players in all sports suffer debilitating injuries, I’ve not been a personal witness but have read of the work required to return to the game they love.

Sometimes these athletes (besides Leonard) have suffered a second or third injury after the first rehab yet they work at a return. No one who plays the game at a high skill level desires to be sidelined, including Leonard. In basketball Bill Walton, Sam Bowie, and Joel Embiid just three of the names that returned from injury after injury to the game. Embiid drafted in 2014 missed his first two seasons, in season three he managed to play only 31 games. What might have occurred if these and others in the past had Stephen A. Smith in their ear on ESPN demanding they retire due to their continued injury history? This I believe without offering you any proof, despite hints at load management Leonard has worked hard to return to the game. Unfortunately it appears he is one of those athletes who is injury prone. The decision to retire or not belongs to Kawhi Leonard and not Stephen A. Smith.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

I missed this account

The Heat are about to send the Bucks home thanks to Jimmy Butler. The 6-foot 7 inch small forward led the way, scoring 56 points in a thrilling 119-114 victory. In Butler’s case it wasn’t just tossing up shots for his point total. He shot 67.9% from the floor (35% from 3) and 83.3% from the line. Butler’s game allowed the Heat to take a commanding 3 games to 1 lead, is this series over? We shall see, I believe the Bucks might have a degree of fight remaining in them. Enough fight to win 3 games in a row might be a monumental task on the part of the Bucks.

He said it

I read the headline on my television, “We haven’t lost a series PF and Kawhi were available” that was the quote attributed to Clipper coach Tyronn Lue. I like Lue; I’d mentioned from his sophomore year in high school it was the Kansas City metro where he fully developed his basketball skill. That was then this is now, in Tuesday night’s matchup there was no PG or Kawhi…both looked comfortable in civilian clothing on the Clipper bench. As for my Kansas City homie he might be correct, the Clippers might not have ever lost a playoff series.

The key problem is health, neither of the two can manage to avoid injury. Those who stood in the gap for the absent two, Powell, Batum, Westbrook and Gordon made a magnificent effort especially in the 4^th quarter. The final score would read Suns 136 Clippers 130, I believe it is time for change with these Clippers.I remember what I wrote at the beginning of the NBA season. As a member of Laker Nation I reluctantly had to admit the Clippers were the best NBA team in Los Angeles. That is certainly not the case at least on April 26, 2023, no matter the outcome of last night’s Lakers-Grizzlies game. I’m borrowing this from a media member, “Kawhi Leonard might have reached a point (soon to be 32-years) he’s at the Brandon Roy stage.” Some of you may remember the talented Clipper guard, Roy, could not remain healthy enough to sustain his NBA career. After a number of starts and stops he would retire in 2013 at the age of 29. There are few instances I suggest a team trade a player, that is the case here.

The Clippers should make a trade and acquire whatever is possible in exchange for Kawhi Leonard. He’s been load managed all season and is still unable to see action come playoff time, the most critical period. This is year four for the PG-Kawhi tandem and they have little to show for it. What occurs next season for them, should both be retained? A friend made this statement to me, “They are always talking about Anthony Davis yet Kawhi is allowed to escape criticism.” As this account was completed came devastating news, Kawhi has sustained a torn meniscus in his right knee. More than likely rehab of this type probably entails half or maybe all of next season so he certainly cannot be traded. What a dilemma the Clippers face going into the season.

Everyone’s got an opinion 

This is certainly no intent on my part to speak for you…just a few random thoughts. The explosion of sports talk radio plus television in various forms dominates the airways of today. I’ve mentioned this is the past and it still remains, we are provided with a great deal of information divided in this manner. Roughly 10% of the information received on a daily basis is actual “news” the other 90% is strictly opinion. There are times when the opinion can be quite persuasive while offering us no real proof. These personalities are certainly entitled to their beliefs and to voice them, however this is a two-way street. Just because its expressed fails to take into account I must be forced to believe it.

In a manner of speaking I miss the old days of sports talk radio or television when hosts took telephone calls. Occasionally there would be a GOTCHA moment, that caller would be just as informed maybe more so than the host. Most often when bluster didn’t work the host often stated, “We must move on to other callers.” That is the problem today, the talk is all one-way…it’s outgoing with little if any pushback. This morning from a New York City television host, “Aaron Rogers is in New Jersey now, the best quarterback in the NFL.” Hey fella, I’d like to introduce you to Patrick Mahomes two-time Super Bowl Champion and two-time NFL MVP. I must figure out a method to extricate myself from this cycle of caw-caw.

No hate

It might appear in some circles I hate Charles Barkley, that is not the case. In fact I don’t even dislike him, my issue I believe he receives far more credit for stuff than is due him, allow me to cite an example. The afternoon local talk radio guy played one of the comments Barkley made during the prior evening NBA game. Barkley was pontifying on the NFL and the number of fans attending USFL and XFL games. “These folks don’t know 10 players on any of the teams” or similar words.

This radio guy was talking of Barkley in the manner he was an outstanding prophet, “He tells it like it is.” Well Barkley might just do that but this is my take. Barkley began by talking about the “great job the NFL had done in marketing itself.” True, there is no argument from me however the USFL and XFL is not the established NFL despite Barkley’s statement. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to acknowledge the NFL is the most favored sport in this nation. I’m just not sure why Barkley is credited with insight on a matter all of us can easily see.

Published Monday thru Friday    

Basketball from a fans perspective

Don’t poke the bear

LeBron James claims he’s got no time to pay attention to the rhetoric of Dillon Brooks. You might believe that statement I happen to disagree with it, it’s my belief LeBron hears all and sees all. “It’s not my first rodeo” was the follow up statement provided for us to mull over. After the game on Inside the NBA Shaq made this statement, “Brooks said he wasn’t going to respect LeBron till he scored 40 points on him, well 20 and 20 is 40.”

As for Shaq his math was slightly off, the box score actually read 22 points and 20 rebounds. AD didn’t shoot the ball particularly well scoring but 12 points, his 4 blocked shots give him a total of 19 for the series so far. The Grizzlies could have won this game, they remain quite a competitive team. The final score in the OT read Lakers 117 Grizzlies 111. The teams return to Memphis for a Game 5 match on Wednesday, it will be available on TNT unless you live in the area. The question, do the Lakers close it out or will the home team return to Game 2 form? We must wait for the outcome this evening to discover.

Undrafted NBA talent

We’ve discussed the NBA Draft from the college and international perspective. There must be an understanding that all talent doesn’t necessarily arrive in the “front door,” a number come in through the side door i.e. undrafted. Probably the most visible undrafted talent currently is guard Austin Reaves. His story has been detailed numerous times since he signed with the Lakers three years ago. Udonis Haslem of the Heat is retiring after a 20-year career in the NBA, he was a free-agent signing.

Over the years a number of incredibly talented players made a name for themselves in the association despite not being drafted. One even managed to be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame, that would be Ben Wallace who spent his most productive years as a member of the Pistons. Another name from the NBA’s past John Starks was a standout guard for the Patrick Ewing Knick teams. Avery Johnson, when there were pure point guards, did just that. He was a key to much of the playoff and championship success of the Spurs. Although he’s not currently an active coach there are two coaching stops on his resume. Just a few past and present NBA veterans who arrived in the league undrafted.

Gates brothers

It’s possible Dennis and Armon Gates might see each other a little more often. It won’t occur this upcoming season but it should thereafter. After four years at Oregon the younger brother of Dennis was recently hired as an assistant by Oklahoma head coach Moser. According to information uncovered Armon only spent a year in Eugene Oregon, prior to that it was four years in Nebraska as Doc Sadler’s assistant.

There were two or three other coaching stops for Armon prior to him taking the Nebraska job. As this is written allow me to point out Oklahoma will soon be moving into the SEC where brother Dennis is serving at Mizzou. This is going to be quite interesting with the brothers facing one another in a sibling rivalry. Reports indicate Armon is an excellent recruiter so that becomes the second area. Can you imagine the brothers in the same airport maybe seeing the same player a day or so apart? Stuff like that only occurs in movies not in real life, or could it?

It's too bad

Coaching the Clippers is like playing basketball with one hand tied behind your back. You are able to see the floor, you are fully aware of the in-game adjustments required. Despite the best efforts to make adjustments and sub players and do the other stuff your team still winds up losing Game 4. The difficult part of this equation to discuss Lue has $1.5 million in salaries (Leonard & George) per game between the two but they are generally seated nearby to Lue unable to play.

Paul George is out with injury and so is Leonard, however he becomes a whole other story. Keep in mind both players are injured which prevents them playing. Lue is coaching his rear end off and has no evidence to provide proof of his effort for you. The Clippers still have an opportunity to win Game 5 but hardly the series. Who becomes the culprit should they lose this playoff series, is it Coach Lue, Kawhi Leonard or Paul George? Owner Steve Ballmer is certainly not receiving his money’s worth from this team.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

 Harry Truman

As far as we know the 33^rd president was not a basketball fan, he might have played the game in his youth so what’s the connection? Truman coined a phrase which I’ve used often, “If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.” Evidently it is now time for the Grizzlies Dillon Brooks to extract himself from the kitchen based on what we read. As this is written I have no idea who wins this series between the Lakers and Grizzlies.

Regardless of the outcome Brooks has allowed the basketball world to familiarize themselves with his name. He wants to be the second coming of Dennis Rodman/Bill Laimbeer/Bruce Bowen. Check some NBA history in case the names are unfamiliar to you. In any event you know the story on Brooks, talk…talk…talk, he told us he wanted to play LeBron James before the match was even confirmed. He talked some more regarding LeBron’s age and other things and then the incident. In the third quarter in Game 3 as LeBron was dribbling the ball up the court Brooks delivered a blow to LeBron’s private area. Was it an acting job and the blow was not as severe as we might believe, that’s certainly possible? The result was an immediate ejection by game officials for Brooks.

Then it occurred Sunday afternoon…the interview. Brooks in an AP interview blamed “Fans and the media for making him the villain.” I almost fell out of my chair laughing after reading his comment and my thought was simple. You, Dillon Brooks brought all this on yourself and are blaming others for your actions…keep it real man and that ain’t real. You wouldn’t talk to the media after the game yet a day later had no problem opening up with a bogus defense of yourself.

He's headed for the NBA

Sunday, April 23 11:59 p.m. was the cut-off for college players to declare for the NBA draft. We read reports minutes before that Emoni Bates announced via Instagram he was headed for the NBA. Nothing’s changed for me, you might remember recently I wrote of my belief Bates should remain in school. I’m unsure if I mentioned this portion of the story, ESPN+ was added by yours truly to see Eastern Michigan games. I ain’t no scout but made the determination Bates required another season of college ball. The problem is that Ypsilanti is home for Bates but Eastern Michigan was not a good fit for him.

This is not an intended criticism of the city, coach or school…the basketball program I witnessed was not very good. What I hoped might occur Bates would enter the transfer portal and find another school but that’s changed now, what does the future appear for Bates? Bates is listed as a late first round draft pick or he might last into the second round, then again, he might discover he’s passed over entirely. Bates can look at the Austin Reaves story and sign a free-agent contract. If a team indicates he needs additional seasoning, then it’s off to the G-League so. As a last resort there is always Australia or Euro basketball so you can see there are options for Bates.

Rockets coach

Late Monday afternoon came word the Rockets intend to hire Ime Udoka as their next head coach, Udoka replaces Stephen Silas who was terminated. Immediately after reading the account I began reading letter after letter reminding us why Udoka was fired from his head coaching duties for the Celtics. There is no disagreement by me, Udoka “forced” the Celtics to fire him not over the teams record but an HR issue. I said at the time and maintained that view he was not very wise, I also remember saying there was no requirement to place him on a permanent time-out.

After Steve Nash was fired Udoka’s name was mentioned as a replacement, I said at the time it was too soon. The Celtics are playing outstanding basketball this season thanks in part to the plan Udoka laid out for them. I believe Joe Mazzulla who replace Udoka is a good coach however he inherited much of what was already in place. Depending on the set of circumstances I believe everyone deserves a second chance and besides the fact it’s yet to be proven the guy can’t coach. Udoka got caught in an HR issue which forced the Celtics to fire him. If this hire with the Rockets is affirmed, I’m all for it, good luck coach.

The Lakers made a bad move

Seeing Russell Westbrook in action in the playoffs I can agree with the commentary I heard. The commentator made the claim he believed the mercurial guard “received too much finger pointing for the lack of Laker success.” This member of Laker Nation is forced to admit this but the question becomes why? Realizing the ball needed to be in the hands of Russell, why did Laker management and LeBron believe this match would work? LeBron commands the basketball no matter where he’s played and I have no issue with that fact.

Laker management should have been more aware of the ball dominating Westbrook than me. So as much as I have praised the Laker moves since the trade deadline, they receive an F for past efforts. The F for acquiring Russell Westbrook believing he could mold himself into a new role with the Lakers. I remember questioning the move at the time but gradually accepted it believing it would work. Westbrook still can’t throw the ball in the ocean at times, in addition there is the turnover factor. Despite these issues his ability to drive and rebound remain consistent. I eventually joined the masses imagining Westbrook was the problem and that observation was incorrect. The real culprits in this matter was Laker management and LeBron James.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Saturday afternoon & evening

Sixers-Nets - The Sixers would face the Nets with no Joel Embiid, the Sixer Big Man would be ruled out of Game 4 when an MRI revealed a right knee sprain. With an opportunity to close this out the Sixers unsure of Embiid’s future status stepped up and close out the series 96-88. Tobias Harris along with James Harden and Tyrese Maxey padlocked the game and series. Based on the turmoil that existed at one point Jacque Vaughn and crew should still be saluted.

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Clippers-Suns - Russell Westbrook had a monster game for the Clippers. With no Paul George and Kawhi Leonard he did his best, scoring 37 points and playing an all-around great game. Unfortunately they came up short against the Suns losing 112-100, this gives the Suns a commanding 3 Games to 1 lead. The series is not over, however the Clippers have quite a mountain in front of them. Someone on the Clippers besides Westbrook has got to step up if they intend this series to continue.

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Bucks-Heat -The Bucks appear to be lethargic with no Giannis available, his back issue kept the Bucks forward unavailable again. This is not intended to paint a picture of total domination, there was an effort made. The Heat led by Jimmy Butler (30 pts) were just too much for them. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 23 points as they succumbed to the Heat 121-99.

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Lakers-Grizzlies - In the nightcap, Dillon Brooks poked the bear and the bear poked back. The Lakers beat the Grizzlies 111-101 and the game was actually not as close as the final score might indicate. I believe there are several athletes who must prepare themselves for games by antagonizing the opponent. That would be the case for the Grizzlies Brooks. I was surprised to discover Brooks, not Draymond Green led the NBA in techs during the season. As for the game, Brooks was 3 of 13 from the floor (23.1%) while his adversary LeBron James was playing a remarkable game. Was that the basis for hitting LeBron in a private area, Brooks was immediately ejected? With no apparent suspension for Brooks we shall see what prevails tonight. A magnificent effort by Grizzlies point guard Jae Morant returning from injury, 45 points and 13 assists.

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An oddity

I wasn’t close enough to Raptors basketball to determine what went wrong with their season. This I do know, the Raptors fired Nick Nurse. The oddity in this, Nurse becomes the second former Coach of the Year the team has dismissed. The 2019-20 season saw Nurse named Coach of the Year in the NBA, in 2017-18 Dwayne Casey received the same selection. 

It’s now official

We have read reports since last fall Victor Wembanyama would be the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Seeing Wembanyama in action against NBA G-League Elite in October 2022 only picked up the pace. The game saw a number of NBA scouts and front office personnel along with NBA players in Las Vegas to see him play. One veteran player after another provided us with their view of Wembanyama’s possible future.

Despite the praise expressed there were some negative opinions voiced by a few NBA players including Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal. We heard terms like “generational player” and this one from Jay Bilas. “If 18-year-old LeBron James was in this draft there would be a question on who is the top pick.” All the talk positive and negative is just that, what does the future hold for this youngster? Perhaps Wemby might decide to remain in France and not cross the Atlantic Ocean. After all he’s on top of the world in France, on Friday afternoon all that was put to rest with this news. It is now official, Victor Wembanyama formerly submitted paperwork.

In the 2023 NBA Draft we’ll hear his name called and early, he will be the first name at worst number two. As for the future we don’t know if Wemby is a generational player but at least we’ll have an opportunity to see him in action against NBA talent. I don’t know about you but I can hardly wait for May 16 (draft lottery) and June 22 (NBA Draft). Other than the prospect of NBA play Wemby claims (at least for now) there is no such thing as a “bad NBA team.” He is willing to go to Detroit, Houston, Charlotte or Portland.

And you thought it was only me

There will be no NBA basketball in my hometown unless it’s the exhibition variety. Despite that a number of folks would still like to see the game return to Kansas City. From all my whining over the years you thought I was the lone individual pining for NBA basketball in KC. Since the Kings departed no one holding office has expressed any interest in the game returning, at least one of the past mayors spoke in a negative tone when it was mentioned.

The current mayor doesn’t see it that way regarding the NBA and the hope for some in Kansas City. During covid the NBA was contacted and Kansas City was proposed as a temporary home for the Toronto Raptors. That move didn’t come to fruition but we gathered Mayor Lucas had an interest in the NBA especially for his city. Recently one of his Facebook postings was noted by me regarding the Kings. Here’s what Mayor Lucas posted last week with the Kings first win. "Congrats on the playoff win tonight to the Kansas City Kings (in absentia).” I think that gives us a little idea of the mayor’s thoughts.  

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Three’s a crowd…or more

There is no off season for Coach Gates and staff, they are working this spring and likely into the summer. The fruit of their labor is another prospective talent headed to Columbia. Committing to Mizzou is 6-foot 3 Caleb Grill, he’s an add-on to what might seem an overabundance of guards. Grill is an excellent three-point shooter and was enrolled at Iowa State this past season. I’ve provided the good, how about the bad. The youngster was kicked off the team at Iowa State prior to the season being completed which is a red flag. With human resource issues in place there is no mention as to WHY he was dismissed at Iowa State. Allow me to state at this point I trust the coach and his staff until proven otherwise. With that said it’s time to welcome Caleb Grill to the ZOU, hopefully this move will prove beneficial for Mizzou and Grill and the parties will be pleased with the decision.

NBA Coach of the Year

I’m writing this without knowledge of the vote totals, Sacramento Kings Coach Mike Brown was named 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year. The Kings earned a playoff berth in the first season under Brown but wait there is more. Do you realize (okay maybe you do) the last time the Kings earned a playoff berth the President of the U.S. was George W Busch. Let’s see we had Obama for two terms, Trump for one and now Biden in the middle of his first term…that much time.

No Country for Old Men won the Academy Award as the best picture, it grossed $171.6 million, enough of the look back what about now. The Kings are a legitimate contending team, how far they go in the playoffs is unknown at this point. The accomplishment this season and into the playoffs has been a talented team. Besides that fact a young team needs a steady hand at the helm steering the ship of state named the Sacramento Kings, congratulations Coach Brown. How about this tidbit, Mike Brown with two playoff wins is now the second winningest Kings coach in history. Rick Adelman had 34 wins, 11 coaches successive coaches behind Adelman registered 0 playoff wins before Brown’s.

Wemby

A great deal has been written about the French phenom Victor Wembanyma by me. Over the last 7-10 days I have read numerous writers and looked at a considerable number of videos of Wemby in action. Shaq and Charles Barkley are cautious in their assessment of Wemby which is certainly their prerogative. On the other hand Jay Bilas of ESPN refers to him as a generational player. Bilas said this, “If 18-year-old LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama were in the same draft it might be a difficult decision.” We can easily be fooled by the hype, we thought Anthony Bennett could play in the NBA. We believed (or the Cavs did) as he was made the top choice in the 2013 NBA Draft. It was only a short time later we discovered there was a difference between UNLV Bennett and one in a Cavs jersey.

This is not to say Bennett couldn’t play the game, he just lacked the skill level to play successfully at the NBA level. I’ve written more than one account of Emoni Bates, High School Gatorade Player of the Year, stardom was predicted early. Headed into what might be his junior year there remains a question of his ability. I remember one scout wrote this while Bates was a high school sophomore. “If the NBA does away with the age 18 rule Bates will be the top pick.” Both Bennett and Bates are examples of buying into the hype by many. I am going to continue to follow the progress of Wemby for one reason alone, to date I’ve read more positive accounts than negative. There will be no immediate assessment, we must wait long past the June draft to determine who was correct.

I wonder

The local talk radio guy is discussing the Lakers-Wolves game. Among the things he said, “The Lakers have two hall of fame players (LeBron James & Anthony Davis) the rest of the team is average guys” or similar words. I thought about his statement for a moment while I pondered a response. The first part I find an issue, Anthony Davis has a “few miles to travel” before he’s considered Naismith Hall of Fame ready. No argument from me AD is a budding superstar, the holdup at this point are injuries. The second part of his statement I found most egregious, “two (hall of fame) players.” How many NBA teams might you suppose have multiple talented roster members?

How about the Suns maybe with Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Can you name any other teams? My focus goes to the Warriors trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Someone might challenge me including Paul with the Suns and Green with the Warriors but they are super talented. What was the radio guy talking about, was he just not impressed with the Lakers roster or something else. I would challenge him to name any other NBA team with the exception of those named with more than three hall of fame players. It’s unnecessary for an All-Pro at all five positions, a team should be able to blend the talent of its role players with its more talented roster members. I guess if you have four hours of airtime to fill daily, I guess you can experience brain farts from time to time.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Who suffers the most?

Plenty of folks in Laker Nation will be satisfied with nothing less than an NBA Championship. That will not be me, with their slow start this past season I’m simply happy they earned a playoff berth. In my view there are two franchises that will suffer the rath of fans if they fail to win a championship, the Clippers and the Suns. Because both teams are in the Western Conference, they just might decide who represents the west. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have played few games together although they have been teammates since 2019.

There have been complaints about AD missing games, George and Leonard exceed AD by a mile. The Clippers have a competent coach in Tyronn Lue but he no longer plays the game he only coaches it. Dwight Powell is a talented player and there are other talented players but the Clippers always seem to come up short. Is this the year they rid themselves of the cloud hanging over the franchise? The Suns are somewhat in the same condition, Chris Paul is so important to this franchise but injuries have impacted his post-season play. Acquiring Kevin Durant should certainly give them an advantage over whomever they might meet.

A revisit

Should UConn be included with other Blue Blood basketball programs? This question has been debated since April 3^rd when the Huskies won their 5^th NCAA Championship. I’ve listen to the arguments by those who have inside knowledge of the game, also I’ve read comments of fans. If we check out the records former coach Jim Calhoun won three in 1999, 2004 and 2011. Another past coach Kevin Ollie won it all in 2014 and April 3^rd it was Dan Hurley. Does the number of wins alone entitle a program to be considered Blue Blood? Although UCLA has won 11 championships, I’ve read some want to discount them because the last one occurred in 1995.

Folks offer a counter argument using the length of time between championships as a judgement of whether the school should be considered Blue Blood. If we use this as our barometer should Indiana be included, they have also won 5 championships but the last in the Bobby Knight era. Jayhawk Nation won’t appreciate this next statement but I must call it as I see it. Kansas has won 4 championships, the most recent in 2022. Around here I’ve heard talk they could have won in 2020 if covid hadn’t force cancellation that year. We can look at this possibility because the Jayhawks were particularly good in 2019-20 but championship quality. That remains a question no one can answer. Until I hear a more convincing argument, I am going to deem UConn a Blue Blood program even if you don’t agree.

No television

The doom and gloom folks want us to believe no one is watching the NBA. They always appear to use television as the barometer and I understand why. I’m not sure where television viewership of the NBA stands however it’s not the single measurement. Let’s travel back in time to the late ‘70’s to early ‘80’s. The NBA had a real problem back then, at that time it was television alone. Fans quit attending NBA games in droves, the reason is the league had a full-blown drug problem with a number of players. Fast forward to the present day as I tried to point out recently television viewership is so fractured now how can “They” tell who is watching what?

We have satellite now and so many streaming services it’s difficult to provide you with a complete list. We are taking the word of the NBA but the league claims it set an all-time attendance record in the 2022-23 season. There were a record 791 sellouts which eclipsed the previous record of 760 set during the 2018-19 season, in addition the arenas were filled to an all-time 97% capacity. All of this is just hot air, we can choose to believe it or not. I certainly can state there are problems inside the NBA, there are problems because people run stuff. My continuing argument, it’s not as bad as many would lead you to believe. Next time you read an account disparaging the NBA check it out with caution.

No need apply

Purdue’s Big Man Zach Edey is declaring for the NBA draft, to bad it’s 2023 instead of 1983. The opening sentence is quite simple, the 7-foot 4 305-pound Edey finds few teams desiring his services. It’s got nothing to do with his ability or potential we are in the era of small ball. Athletes of similar build are expected to play on the perimeter and shoot three’s. Edey is slightly slow of foot but can score and rebound the ball when it’s called for. In addition he plays decent but not great defense, with those negatives working against him there can be only two courses in his immediate future and neither will work in his favor.

Edey is told by NBA scouts he’s a second-round draft choice or he is lacking skill in a particular area which leaves him on the outside. I have concluded (maybe in error) NBA coaches seem unable to mold Big Man play into small ball. I’m not sure if this next statement is correct but here goes. The Warriors drafted 7-foot 240-pound James Wiseman in 2020 with the intention of moving him into their lineup. Injuries early in his NBA career impacted his growth and although he showed promise the Warriors decided to go in another direction. Two months ago Wiseman was traded to the Pistons, he’s shown a degree of promise since the trade. Everything cycles so at some point (I don’t know when) we’ll see a return to Big Man play.

Best basketball team in Missouri

Because I’m a proud member of Mizzou Nation you probably read the headline and came to one conclusion…” He’s talking about Mizzou.” That is not the case and it’s not Saint Louis University, Missouri State or some other program. It’s not even a college program, it’s a high school, Link Academy located in Branson in the heart of the Ozarks. Why do I make this claim, the Link Academy Lions are the 2023 GEICO Nationals as they won the championship finishing the season with a 27-1 record. With a first-year coach the school’s only loss was to Montverde Academy. How was Link able to accomplish this task in such a short space of time, this in only the second year of the school’s basketball program? We’d have to ask coach Bill Armstrong for the answer to that question. Looking ahead I checked Rivals Class of 2024 prospects and several Link athletes are listed.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Is this MMA or basketball?

I’m no fan of MMA although I understand portions of it. The idea is to beat the crap out of your opponent by any means necessary, that might go for MMA but not the NBA. On the other hand maybe it does, by now I’m sure you saw the video from the Kings-Warriors game. The Kings Domantas Sabonis found himself on the floor jostling for a loose ball. Sabonis appears to grab the leg of Warrior forward Draymond Green.

Green, trying to extricate himself, plants a number 14 (I have no idea of his shoe size) in the chest of Sabonis before heading back down the court. Shortly thereafter game officials stop the action and head over to the monitors. Based on their review Sabonis was given a technical foul and Green awarded two which meant ejection. I have no intention to debate who was right or who was wrong but that appears to be the case for the Kings. In addition to winning the game Green will receive a suspension for one game.

“Get outta my building”

The time has become shorter and shorter, I’ve written on more than one occasion the Clippers will have their own arena. Construction is moving at a steady pace on the arena in Inglewood at the intersection of Century Boulevard and Prairie Avenue. Intuit Dome will be ready for the start of the Clippers 2024-25 season which is not that far away. This state-of-the-art basketball arena will seat 18,000 Clipper fans and much more for concerts and other events. You might ask the question why the Clippers and Lakers share the same arena. For that content we must return briefly to the past to uncover the why of that question.  At the time Staples Center (Crypto.com) was in the planning and construction phase the Lakers plus the NHL Kings signed contracts as tenants.

The Lakers and Kings indicating they intended to share dates and become tenants in the building. Both teams would move from the Great Western Forum to this arena when it opened in 1999. The Clippers began playing in 1994 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, for unknown reasons some months before the October opening the Clippers decided they would join the other Los Angeles pro teams in Staples Center. The arena remains the only one shared by two NBA teams; if we check on the east coast no such situation exists. Venerable Madison Square Garden continues as the home of the Knicks, in 2012 after calling several arenas home moved into Brooklyn and Barclays Center. A brief account of why one city has an arena shared by two NBA franchises. Laker fans are looking to the day and probably saying out loud, “Get outta my building.”

Bits n Pieces

We expect players at the NBA level to be confident in their abilities. With that said what do we expect from the Grizzlies except that exhibited, on the basketball court rather than the media. The Grizzlies have several players who love to talk smack. I thought it was just Dillion Brooks issuing a challenge “I want to guard LeBron” or something similar prior to Game one. Later we heard from Desmond Banes who said, “Lets see if Rui Hachimura has a second game (29 points) like his first game.”

A players health is the prime consideration once we are into the playoffs. Laker Nation holds its breath every time AD has a pained look on his face, is it his ankle or knee or something else? The Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo went down on Sunday and never returned to action. As this is written there are no reports if he will be able to return to action soon. In the Lakers-Grizzlies game, Ja Morant landed on an already injured hand, he immediately left the game for the locker room. He was later spotted sitting on the bench but announced an uncertainty if he’d be able to play on Wednesday.

I watched Sunday night as Kawhi Leonard provided us proof he’s still got game. He went up, over and around Suns defenders as he scored 38 points in 42 minutes. What I saw was Leonard moving smoothly almost without looking as if he broke a sweat glide over the court leading to the 115-110 win. Unless the Suns get their act together this might be a miss again despite the addition of Kevin Durant.

Dink Pate a 6-foot 7 shooting guard from Dallas Pinkston High School is headed to the G-League. Pate, a 5-star prospect is in the Class of 2024 but is reclassifying to 2023. This from ESPN.com, “The whole idea of why I started playing basketball was to be a pro. G-League Ignite brings me one step closer to my dream.” Pate just turned 17 in March so once he begins play, he will be the youngest pro player in G-League history.

Are we about to see a change in the NBA? The Warriors are in a 0-2 deficit not impossible but certainly in a perilous position. Monday’s 114-106 win by the Kings places them in an advantageous position. Keep in mind I haven’t seen every minute of the two games but one thing is evident. I’m unsure if its Sacramento or something else, the Kings sure look much faster than the Warriors. They are running the legs off the Warriors in these first two games. Steve Kerr better figure out a method to slow the Kings down before this thing is over quickly.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

See him at a high skill level

You can agree or not with my take, a local sports guy said, “The Lakers have two HOF players on the roster, AD and LeBron.” I mentioned this to a co-worker and this was his response. “I can see LeBron definitely but I would question AD.” There was no requirement on my part to disagree, the statement was not made by me. Second to that I have a huge threshold in my mind that qualifies one for the Naismith Hall of Fame. As for AD the talent and ability are certainly much in evidence, his game on Sunday was outstanding. I’ve seen games where he scored more points, the same could be said for rebounding the ball. The combination of stuff is what impresses me the most, especially the 7 blocked shots…the 3 steals could be added to his defensive effort.

Shooting .588 from the floor on a wide variety of shots the Grizzlies were forced to double-team him at times during the game. Everyone has an Achilles Heel and for AD it’s quite obvious it’s injuries. When healthy he’s offered us proof why he is among the best in the NBA, however the legion of fans remain unconvinced of his talent. Jokes have been made about his durability; AD picked up the nickname “Street Clothes” because he’s spent so much time on the injury list. What I find most interesting across the hall at Crypto.com Arena no one is making jokes about Kawhi Leonard. In closing is AD HOF worthy, you become the judge? I checked out on this one because of my past, another co-worker once asked me, “Is Dennis Rodman going in the HOF?” My response was a swift NO which proved me incorrect a few years later.

Emoni Bates sighting

I must admit I’ve become obsessed with Emoni Bates; I’ve followed this youngsters progress since he was a high school sophomore at Lincoln High School in Ypsilanti Michigan. I believed the hype got to me early due to him being named High School Gatorade Player of the Year as a sophomore. The next few years would witness a number of questionable moves made by his father. Just in case you may have forgotten, the father pulled his son from public school to a charter school he founded.

That was the first questionable move, the second declassifying allowing Emoni to enroll in college as a 17-year-old. He committed to Michigan State and later decided it would be Memphis and Penny Hardaway. I’m unsure what to consider Bates commitment to Memphis, it began on solid footing he was in the starting lineup. At some point in his freshman year Bates was moved to the bench, the explanation is unclear at this point. For the first time in his life Bates became a reserve player and by the middle portion of his freshman year an injury would sideline him for the balance of the season. We can certainly state his start at the college level was underwhelming, it was no surprise when Bates decided to transfer. He would return home and enroll at Eastern Michigan for his sophomore year and that became another miss. It was a miss because the basketball program was not good.

Bates had a good sophomore year but it was difficult to determine if he raised his level of play due to Eastern Michigan being such a poor team. We are now at mock draft time, most list Bates as a mid to late second round choice. One mock site projected Bates as pick number 28 in the first round, as this is written there’s been no declaration of his intention. Based on his youth (and the team) I believe he really needs another season of play to enhance his game that much further, hopefully both occur. He remains and helps Eastern Michigan improve the program and his game as well.

This actually occurred in an NBA game

Just when you think you might have heard it all you hear (or read of) one more thing. While researching for my blog I came across this bit of NBA trivia. Eric Money (1974-1980) played for both teams in the same NBA game…you say that’s impossible. You are correct however this is how it occurred; we must travel back in time to November 8, 1978. Richie Powers game official had given three technical to a Nets player and three to the coach. The rules were no different at that time and the two resulted in expulsion.

The techs might have allowed the Sixers to shoot extra free-throws, final score Sixers 123 Nets 117, or was it? The Nets filed a protest with the league office and they were in agreement, an officiating error had occurred. Money was in the lineup for the Nets in that November game but in between time had been traded to the Sixers. The commissioner ruled the 3^rd and 4^th quarter would be replayed and this occurred March 23, 1979. If you check box scores for both games you will note as a starter Money scored 23 points for the Nets, in the protest game as a reserve for the Sixers it was Money with 15 points. The NBA is Fantastic.

Part II

This account is partially based on a radio interview I heard with Gary Parrish CBS Sports and one of the local radio guys. Parrish made a statement which I found quite interesting; he is enthusiastic about the Transfer Portal. He said, “Instead of 3 freshman and a transfer coaches want one freshman and 4 transfers.” That represents the opinion of Parrish and certainly doesn’t reflect all college coaches, he also mentioned the NIL now plays a part in an athletes decision making, he used Duke’s Kyle Filipowski as an example. Many thought the stretch 4 Filipowski might be headed for the NBA. Parrish says guys like him “Might have returned based on the money he will earn due to NIL.

In his Way too early Top 25 plus 1 he places heavy emphasis on the growth of SEC basketball and the downward trend of the Big XII. In fact this is a direct quote, “We could see the SEC number one in football and basketball.” He went on to mention his belief the quality coaches at work at the conference have been the contributing factor. This part I found interesting and funny at the same time; Parrish added John Calipari’s name to the list of quality coaches, you might remember this is the same radio guy who claimed, “Calipari only recruits NBA talent.” You can check out Parrish’s Top 25 plus one if you care, I’ve mentioned this previously Parrish is one of those in the media who talks and I listen.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Lakers win, Lakers win!

It’s but one game the first one, Lakers 128 Grizzlies 112. There were plenty of hero’s so I’m not going to bore you with all the details. An exceptional game by Rui Hachimura with 29 points off the bench and Austin Reaves scored 23 points. AD tweaked his shoulder but still managed to score 22 points along with 12 rebounds and get this, 7 blocked shots. I’m not going to repeat the names but a couple of NBA veterans made this observation the previous day, “LeBron looks tired." I’m sure that might be true to a degree but checking the box score fails to provide proof of their statement. 

50% shooting and 21 points, 37% from three along with 11 rebounds and 5 assists. I’m unsure if we could find a number of other 38-year-old athletes with similar numbers. The Lakers were down 6 at the half but played especially good in the second half of the game. LeBron and AD were 3 of 4 from the floor in that critical 4th quarter, yet combined their contribution along with the balance of the team totaled 32 points. The Grizzlies are a tough young team and this win by the Lakers means nothing if they fail to win the series. Game 2 will be Wednesday night; the Lakers must be prepared for the Grizzlies will come out breathing fire.

They can play too

Basketball, particularly in the NBA, has become a game of height over the years. Teams place great emphasis on acquiring talent but also to ensure they have adequate height advantage. How often have you heard this term, “They are undersized,” for me it was numerous. This past season, despite having a 6-foot 10 and 7-foot 2 player on the roster the tallest starter in Mizzou’s lineup stood 6 foot 8. 

Even with the emphasis on height we saw 5 foot 8 Markquis Nowell lead Kansas State in the recent NCAA Tourney. Just for your info NBA rosters at this time contain three players standing 5 foot 9 and 7 who are 6 feet tall. Nowell declared for the NBA Draft, do we suppose some team might be willing to take a chance on him? In the NBA’s past we can debate the importance of Spud Webb (5-7) or Earl Boykins (5-5) to their NBA teams yet they managed to compete. They countered the old argument, “A Big Man must prove he can’t play the game while a little man must prove he can.”

750K

Yes, that is correct, the Mavs and owner Mark Cuban are being fined $750,000. You remember the exercise at the close of the season. A number of Mavs players sat when there were questions on their ability to play. After an investigation by the NBA a decision was reached that there was no valid reason for the players to sit. I wasn’t sure at the time because the Mavs were fighting to get into the playoffs. I believe a win (which didn’t occur) would place them in the playoffs.

I certainly questioned the move at the time and now we discover this move was about draft choices. The Mavs owed the Knicks from the Kristaps Porzingis trade back in 2019. In any event the NBA said, “This was conduct detrimental to the league.” If you followed the ownership career of Mark Cuban this is not uncommon or unusual. The Mavs owners had conflicts with former commissioner David Stern and current leader Adam Silver. As I stated at the time, this off season for the Mavs should be quite interesting as they attempt to work their way through the predicament.

Mizzou and Memphis

Details have not been released yet however an announcement is pending. Mizzou and Memphis plan a home and home series beginning in the fall. The Blue & White Tigers of Memphis will face off against the Black & Gold Mizzou Tigers at Mizzou Arena with a yet to be announced date. Mizzou will visit FedEx Forum during the 2024-25 season. The exciting part of this pairing is Memphis and it’s rich basketball history dating back to the days of Gene Bartow (1970-1978). In other news late Friday evening Tamar Bates announced he was headed to Mizzou.

This 6-foot 5 wing took an unusual journey to eventually land in Columbia. A Kansas City (KS) native and former IMG athlete was heavily recruited by former coach Cuonzo Martin. He decided in favor of Texas, Shaka Smart departed Texas for Marquette and Bates wanted out. Mizzou once again attempts to recruit him however his choice became Indiana. As players were added the Indiana backcourt became crowded with less playing time for Bates. I have no idea if he can play or even a good fit that must be determined later. What I do like, Gates and staff not giving up on a prospect and that is the case for Bates. Hopefully this will be a high reward addition.  

Parity

The NFL has long mentioned parity with its league over the last several years, I guess it’s intended to allow as many teams as possible to compete successfully. To my knowledge it’s never been touched on in the NBA although certainly in the 2022-23 season it should have been mentioned. If you check the Atlantic and Pacific Divisions of the NBA you will note a significant event. For the first time in my memory all teams finished above .500 in their respective divisions.

If we check the Pacific Division, we can see the race was super tight over the Atlantic. The Kings finished in first place with a 48-34 record while the last place Lakers had a 43-39 record finishing 5 games in front of the Lakers. The Atlantic Division was not quite as tight a race, the first place Celtics won 57 games while the last place Raptors were 41-41. As for this member of Laker Nation I can make this statement, if the Pacific Division had been as competitive as the Atlantic there is no way the Lakers make the playoffs pure and simple.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

The decision

Today’s edition becomes the last daily version until late summer, Off the Dribble will become a Monday-Friday publication. As I pointed out recently the college basketball season is complete except in a few instances. Become accustomed to a Monday-Friday publication and I thank old readers, new readers and all who love basketball. I will attempt to do the best I can, providing vital basketball news and notes for you.

The real MVP

Behind by 19 points at a time the Bulls came back and beat the Raptors 109-105 on the Raptors home court. How did it occur, well Zach Lavine scored 38 points but not appearing in the box score was the real MVP? Diar DeRozan, 9-year-old daughter of Bulls guard DeMar was the real MVP of the game. All throughout the game anytime a Raptors player was shooting free-throws a loud scream was clearly picked up by the television mics.

We heard from DeMar after the victory, he indicated his daughter begged to attend the game so he allowed her to miss a day of school to travel with him and the Bulls to Toronto. You say Diar’s screams are my imagination well check this out. During the season the Raptors shot 78.4% from the line, Wednesday evening they were 18 for 36, an anemic 50%. To top it off Pascal Siakam was on the line shooting three free throws, he managed to hit but one. DeRozan said his daughter wants to attend tonight’s game but he said no way, she’s not going to miss two school days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Ke2w2KPvc

What’s your opinion?

On occasion you hear or maybe you are a participant in a conversation causing you to shake your head. You say to yourself “What is he/she thinking? Two television talking heads held this conversation. “I’m a Kobe fan but not one of the Lakers, with him no longer on the team I don’t root for them.” The other one said, “Kobe overlaps everything, if you were a fan of his you are a Laker fan. I was a LeBron fan not a Cavs or Heat fan so I continue to root for him on the Lakers.”

I must agree with the latter view, from a distance I admired LeBron but certainly wouldn’t have considered myself a fan. Honestly, I am truly unsure if I’m actually a fan although I certainly see his value to the Lakers. As for the first guy, I’m uncertain how you can root for the player but not the team. It seems to me they might overlap with one another. In that scenario the first guy wanted Kobe to score and dunk to the highest level during his game. At the same time he says, “I didn’t care if the Lakers won the game, I was only interested in what Kobe accomplished.” What do you think, are you a fan of a player and not the team?   

Help wanted

The help wanted sign outside Mizzou Arena is an indication a Big Man is needed. For those who might not be aware the Tigers came up woefully short in two areas, defending the paint and rebounding the basketball. Since the season ended 6 foot 10 Mohamed Diarra decided to place his name in the transfer portal. Remaining on the roster is 7-foot 2 245-pound Mabor Majak by way of South Sudan, Cleveland State and now Mizzou. We don’t know if Majak can play his floor time during the season was certainly microscopic.

I’ve got to believe coach Gates must deem there is talent with the Big Man from the African continent. If that is not the case why bring him from Cleveland State to Mizzou? In another area I wrote my hope 7 foot 5 Jamarion Sharp would choose Mizzou after placing his name in the transfer portal. Sharp has all the tools that would be beneficial to the program, he rebounds the ball decently and is an expert shot blocker. Despite what might seem to be a doom and gloom account there is a 7-foot post player headed for Mizzou in the fall. My chief concern for Jordan Butler is his youth, it’s a mighty leap from high school basketball to SEC play.

The Glove

Gary Payton was given the nickname The Glove for his “belly button” defense on the opposition and his on the court trash talking. Early in his NBA career he was quite a thorn in the side of teammates as well we are led to believe. Recently this headline in Basketball Network caught my eye, “Better hope he doesn’t die, because nobody on this team would be going to the funeral.” So this gives us an idea he was not loved by a portion of his teammates, the writer claimed Payton only had two friends on the team before he left for the Bucks. From 1990 through 2003 he and Shawn Kemp were the glue which aided the ascension of the Sonics. Payton was honored as NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1996, that season saw Payton lead the league in steals.

From 1994 through 2002 he was a 9x NBA Defensive First Team member. Although the emphasis is his defensive prowess Payton could score, that was just not his primary role. In the 1999-00 season Payton scored at a 24.2-point game a clip. It was said Payton did change but I wonder if there was this issue. It might have been the case Payton wanted teammates defensive efforts to be as rigorous as his. You are aware of the issue; I can’t refer to it as the “Kobe Bryant” condition because Payton preceded him in the NBA. What is the condition, “Why are you playing at 95% when I at 100%” which probably rubbed more than one teammate in the wrong manner. Payton wore the jersey of four other NBA teams but he is best known for his time with the Sonics, in 2013 he was enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. His son Gary Payton II has been in the NBA since 2016.

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No excuse

Everyone, especially those in Laker Nation was aware Rudy Gobbert and Jaden McDaniels would be missing for the Wolves. Gobbert due to suspension and McDaniels sidelined by injury. I’m not sure what the game was, however, it appeared to be executed to perfection for a time. With little inside game except for KAT the Wolves rushed out to a double-digit lead at times. It helped Laker shooting was particularly good from the floor. The second half of the game proved to be different, defense contributed to the Wolves shooting sliding downward. As the clock ticked down and the game tied, the ball in LeBron’s hands, he dribbled down the right side of the court. Seeing Dennis Schroeder in the opposite corner shot a bullet pass cross court to the guard. With little hesitation Schroeder took the shot with 1.4 seconds remaining and sunk a three pointer,

The final score read Lakers 98 Wolves 95, that was not quite the end expected. Once the Wolves inbounded the ball it was in the hands of Mike Conley who took a three-point shot hitting the side of the backboard. Game over, not quite, AD fouled Conley on the shot attempt and the Wolves guard stepped to the line sinking all three free throws tie game. In the overtime the Lakers escaped with a 108-102 victory and will now face the Grizzlies. Despite AD’s brain fart as LeBron described it, AD contributed 24 points 14 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. As for LeBron it was 30 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. The true hero in a reserve role Dennis Schroeder contributed 21 points including the apparent winner. Afterwards it was mentioned this was the second time Schroeder was in this position…he missed the crucial shot that time. As usual Charles Barkley was unimpressed stating “They (Lakers) didn’t deserve to win this game tonight. This was all about the Wolves choking this game away.” Guess what Charles despite your comment the Lakers won anyway. 

Bits n Pieces 

This is about Wemby and Ball, I’m going to retract a statement I made just a short time ago. Looking toward the NBA Draft I projected teams I felt would be the best fit for Victor Wembanyama, one of the team’s I omitted from the Wemby draft was the Charlotte Hornets. I didn’t provide you with a reason for this view but have now changed my mind, that’s my prerogative. The Hornet roster contains LaMelo Ball, the best of the brothers in all aspects of the game. Can you imagine a bullet pass to a streaking Wemby or a lob for a spectacular dunk? So now the change, the Hornets will be one of the teams I say okay if they draft Wemby. The Rockets become that team, leadership is in chaos. No Wemby for them (I hope).

The letters came pouring in and most of them were negative. I’m unsure who initiated it but it wanted to wish good luck to Mizzou players in the NBA playoffs. One of the names mentioned was Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. and many of the letters I read had nothing positive to say about MPJ. Honestly, he’s had a better NBA career than the single season he played at Mizzou. At Tolton High School in his junior year it was 28.5 points and 11.8 rebounds a game, I’m sure no one expected those numbers at Mizzou. There was a belief MPJ would play more than 3 games and score more than 10 points a game.  

“What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports is going on”, with the Mavs. Owner Mark Cuban is all about winning, he file a protest with the NBA over a near end of the season game. The league turned him down but contrast that with the last third of the season or so. You might have seen the same graph I saw; it    detailed the Mavs slide downward culminating with playoff elimination. It wasn’t Jason Kidd who sat Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Kidd said as much. The Mavs will be closely monitored by me over the next few weeks and months.

Did you realize?

I saw a profile on Kevin Durant and I’d forgotten how many jerseys he’s worn in the NBA. Back in the old days a player playing for that number of teams might have been deemed a journeyman. With that said here goes, Durant was drafted by the Sonics and played in Seattle his first year, as for the others it became the:

Thunder

Warriors

Nets

Suns 

Technically speaking the Sonics/Thunder was essentially the same team with a different name and city. As for the others it was three seasons with the Warriors, four seasons with the Nets and this spring the trade to the Suns. I guess that is the new age, no one spends a lifetime with a team unless your name is Dame Lillard. LeBron’s worn a Cavs, Heat and now Laker jersey, at age 38 is this the last NBA jersey he might wear?

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It’s that time of the year again

The college basketball season ended with UConn winning the NCAA Championship on April 3. There will be a number of college players choosing a school, in addition the transfer portal work is yet to be complete. There is college basketball and amateur news but it slows at this point. On Sunday the NBA ended its season although there remains the playoffs, draft lottery, the draft itself. Certainly cannot forget NBA free agent signings beginning July 1 but NBA news becomes slower too. What does that entail you ask, well Off the Dribble production slows as well? At this point I’m attempting to decide the weekly publication schedule. I’m unsure if it becomes a Monday through Friday or a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday periodical.

More than just him

An NBA viewer said, “We should put some respect behind Russell Westbrook’s name. He helped the Clippers lock up the 5^th seed and finished the season 11-5.” No argument from me on this matter, however I’d like to offer this tidbit. No one player is responsible for a team’s record, it remains a team game. The number of minutes one plays can drastically affect performance if not in tune with his teammates. In addition major injuries can also impact on a team’s performance. As for the Lakers they finished with the second-best record in the NBA with an 18-8 and earned a 7^th place seed. You can draw your own conclusions this is my belief. Unless I gain insight to additional information, I’m going to say I respect Westbrook. At the same time I believe he was a contributing factor to the poor play up to the trade deadline.

His body betrayed him

In 2007 Greg Olden had NBA All Pro stamped on his forehead. How good was his potential, he forced Kevin Durant into second place in that year’s draft? Oden’s single season at Ohio State solidified what many scouts and front office people believed about the 7-foot post player. The Blazers holding the number one pick chose Oden and from that point on he suffered injury after injury after injury. Finally in 2012 the Blazers gave up and decided to wave Oden, he would later sign a one-year contract with the Heat. Consider this fragment of information out of 328 Blazer games Oden was only able to see action in 60 of them.

I located a YouTube video referring to Oden as a bust which I believe is far from the truth. Over time a number of players such as Hasheem Thabeet (2009), Anthony Bennett (2013) would qualify as busts. These two and several others were not good enough to play at the NBA level. Oden’s case was far different, he had all the tools, injuries severely impacted his hope for an NBA career. After a couple of off the court issues Oden returned to Ohio State and completed his degree. He is currently an assistant coach at Butler University working for his former Ohio State Coach Thad Matta. The brief history of Greg Oden who failed to impact the game as many hoped most of all one Greg Oden.

Transfer Portal

These are the words of a friend, “I like the transfer portal because players are ready to play.” He went on to discuss the adjustment period required for freshmen players which is true. Sometimes a number are prepared for the change while others it might take the season or maybe their sophomore year. Our discussion centered on Mizzou basketball and the number of transfers would prove key to the success. Mizzou basketball was not the only program to benefit from the transfer portal, just the one nearest to my heart. As an example I don’t remember the name but I know you heard the same account I did.

An athlete traveled from junior college to a Division I program and transferred to one of the teams in the Sweet 16. Not all transfers proved beneficial, I must admit as much success as Mizzou experienced there was one portal player who provided little help. Kansas State certainly benefited from the play of Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson in their deep NCAA Tournament run. Let me not kid you, teams must continue to recruit high school talent even if it’s only for a single season, however transfers have certainly proven their value and will continue to do so. The only remaining question, why was it really necessary for transfers to sit out a semester in the first place?

2023 NBA Draft

The teams qualifying for the lottery are complete with the end of the 2022-23 NBA season. The lottery order itself will not be determined until May 16. The Athletic has determine each team’s odds to secure Victor Wembanyama or the top pick.

  

  1.Pistons (14%)

  2.Spurs (14%)

  3.Rockets (14%)

  4.Hornets (12.5%)

  5.Blazers (10.5%)

  6.Magic (9.0%)

  7.Wizards (6.8%)

  8.Pacers (6.8%)

  9.Jazz (4.5%)

10.Mavs (3.0%)

11.Thunder (1.8%)

12.Magic (from Bulls, 1.7%)

13.Raptors (1.8%)

14.Pelicans (0.5%)

A couple of thoughts, the Pelicans certainly were not rooting for the Lakers. This has nothing to do with playoff implications rather a regular finish. The Pelicans probably liked what they saw with the 2-10 start by the Lakers since their first-round pick was conveyed to them through the AD traded. They lose in the Wembanyama sweepstakes that’s for sure. I mentioned previously the top pick (in my view) should go to the Pistons or Rockets.