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Basketball from a fans perspective

Change…maybe?

After the transfer portal closed, college basketball information became almost nil. Once NBA free agency and Summer League play concludes news comes to a screeching halt, it too becomes really slow. Based on this fact I’ve been pondering a publishing change. Last summer if I remember correctly Off the Dribble was published Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. In my mind such a schedule might have caused confusion for some of you. I ain’t saying this is great prose you are reading it’s just the fact my desire is to continue publishing on a regular schedule. No decision has been reached yet it’s just something I am deliberating.

Why not

Normally I attempt to avoid unnamed sources but in this instance I agree. It's been reported an unnamed GM says if ESPN analyst Mark Jackson really wants to coach again he should take an assistant coaching job. The fact that he’s seeking a coaching job has never been made clear first of all. Second to that I agree with the GM for a single reason. We could look at Maurice Cheeks as an example, he’s been fired by the Sixers and Pistons yet he’s been an assistant coach with the Bulls since a 2020 hiring.

The dean of head coaches is currently not working anywhere but check out the journey of Larry Brown. Brown’s time as a head coach extends back to his days in the ABA, he’s also coached UCLA and Kansas basketball. His NBA resume extends to the Pistons, Knicks and Bobcats (now Hornets). In 2021 this veteran became an assistant to Penny Hardaway with the University of Memphis. The names mentioned are but two former head coaches who served and or presently serving as assistants. If Mark Jackson wants a job as sources indicate perhaps he needs to swallow his pride and take on the role of assistant coach. On the other hand maybe Jackson is satisfied with the large sums of money ESPN pays him.

Laker news

A great number of moving parts and we are just beginning. The first gem is from LeBron, I’m not an Instagram user but he’s reported to indicate the 2023-24 season will be his last in Purple and Gold. Someone might be concerned with this news, not me. LeBron will be 39 years old by the time the season ends, he’s played at a high skill level far beyond scores of NBA players. If he should desire to latch on to another team in order to play with Bronny so be it. I think the Lakers are on the right track with their roster and if he can remain healthy Anthony Davis assumes the leadership role for this team. LeBron will be around at least for another full season, time for AD to move up to his planned new role.

I think 98% of Laker Nation was ready to run Rod Pelinka out of Southern California. With the smooth tradeline deals the season was resurrected and the Lakers made a playoff run few believed possible as late as February. As for the present the team waived Mo Bamba not shocking news, since the trade deadline deal Bamba’s been injured and saw little action for the Lakers. Does Anthony Davis now assume the role of starter at the center position, AD’s made it known it’s not his favorite. Battling Jokic and Embiid can wear a body down and with his injury history no need of going further with this.

This is where the story becomes really interesting. It’s being reported Brook Lopez will sign with the Lakers once free agency begins. Lopez is 35 years old but would bring a veteran presence to the position plus a valuable commodity. Although the guy is 7 feet tall and 280 pounds he is deadeye from three. Lopez shot .374 for the Bucks last season, in fact in the 5 seasons he played for the Bucks his lowest percentage from three was .314. Should the Lakers sign him don’t expect a ton of rebounds, the forte of Lopez has always been his offense although he ain’’t bad on the defensive side either. That is the latest Laker news to date, I’m quite sure more will be forthcoming.

Boy, we have a controversy

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup games will take place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.  The dates are August 25 through September 10. There will be 32 teams participating in the world cup games including the United States. The U.S. team has been embroiled in a bit of controversy not from its administration but the participants themselves. As an example, Rui Hachimura whose birthplace is Japan intends to play for the U.S. As this is written we are unsure if this has created a rift with Japan.

The Italians are upset with Paolo Banchero because he gave them verbal authorization he intended to play for Italy and then changed his mind. For those who might be unfamiliar with his heritage Banchero’s father is Italian while his mom is from the U.S. Finally we close this out with Austin Reaves, as this is written it’s unclear what nation he will play for. Reaves was born in Newark Arkansas however his grandmother was born in Germany and Reaves has a German passport. European teams have space for naturalized players and Reaves would qualify. As this story continues to develop updates will be provided.

Published Monday thru Friday    

Basketball from a fans perspective

It’s now official

The Spurs took out their tape measure to check Victor Wembanyama. Measuring him without shoes he stands 7 feet 3 ½ inches in height, I read this is standard policy for NBA teams to measure the height of their roster. Boban Marjanovic is listed at 7 feet 4, technically he’s the tallest active player in the NBA although I wouldn’t place any bets on that fact. My only question, why does Wembanyama look so much taller standing next to athletes who are 7 feet tall?

I’m sure a number of you will not find this as funny as me. Someone produced a sheet with the Spurs logo at the top. Underneath the Spurs team logo is a Bandwagon Application, you must list your name and the next line your former team. Behind that the reason for leaving your former team is some other stuff, then you must sign it and date it. I’m sure there are folks who will not find that as funny as me. This I believe, there will be legions of Spurs fans rooting for the team because of Wemby. As for the height thing I’m sure in shoes Wemby is 7 foot 4 inches, besides the fact no one plays the game barefooted anyway.

Unequal justice-addendum

If I get it wrong my desire is to correct the error as soon as convenient. You might remember I pointed out the bogus justice system of the NCAA, I said Bill Self was suspended three (3) games at the start of last season. The correct number should have read four (4), in addition I rechecked a couple of other facts. Self and his top assistant were taken off the recruiting trail for part of the summer. I could provide no further details regarding the number of weeks or months.

Some reading this on Tuesday would assume it was aimed at Self and Kansas basketball…that’s only partially true. The real culprit is the antiquated NCAA and how it manages to dispense justice unequally. No requirement of a re-read just these tidbits of information. Kansas basketball received more level one violations than LSU yet Will Wade received stiffer punishment than Self. Other than the 4-game suspension and prohibited from recruiting during a portion of the summer the NCAA closed the case on Kansas basketball. As for Wade he received a 10-game suspension and a 2-year show cause penalty for recruiting.

Where does he go from here?

The name Emoni Bates is known to most in the basketball world. The former wunderkind is now a professional player having been drafted by the Cavs on June 22. If you ask 10 fans their opinion regarding Bates you are liable to receive 10 different answers, the majority of which might be negative. A number of events in his past has painted a somewhat adverse portrait. In some instances there were circumstances beyond his control as an example. Soon after being awarded the Gatorade Player of the Year his father pulled him from Ypsilanti High School and enrolled his son in another school.

That “other” was a prep school founded by his father. I cannot detail what occurred that one season Bates played at the prep school. The next occasion was reclassification by Bates, he graduated high school a year early. The next episode was the selection of a college, was Memphis his choice or was it his dad? The freshman year was up and down mostly down, Bates saw less and less playing time. Once he sustained an injury his days at Memphis were probably numbered, which turned out to be true. A decision was made to return home and Bates enrolled at Eastern Michigan. Bates found himself as the “team”, the Eastern Michigan roster could offer him little help. I was able to view several games and felt Bates required another year of seasoning although deep down I believed that wouldn’t occur.

Despite my belief in an additional season of play that wouldn’t happen. Bates declared for the NBA draft and I wondered if he would be chosen. None of the three mocks I use contained his name. At some point in late spring his name was listed on one mock site, then another and finally all three. All indicated Bates would be a second-round pick which happened, the Cavs made him the number 49 pick. The next stage of his life is almost exclusively in his hands, he must have been impressive in working out for several NBA teams. I certainly am rooting for Bates to earn a roster spot with the Cavs but I don’t believe I’m alone.

He’s been quiet for too long

Dennis Rodman has been far too quiet for far too long. He figured it was time for the 2023 crowd to discover his name. Before I tear into Rodman allow me to make this statement. For a guy who stood 6 foot 7 and 228 pounds he was the greatest at rebounding the basketball than anyone in the leagues history. He’s been enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame as well, which certainly provides credence of his outstanding NBA career.

With that out the way allow me to state he must have fell out of bed and bumped his head. For reasons beyond my comprehension he’s decided to attack Larry Bird. Before I begin allow me to state the facts, how can you successfully compare players from different eras? In June 2023 Rodman has decided Larry Bird wasn’t as good a player as most of us have been led to believe. The Rodman quote, “If Larry Bird played in this era, I think he’d be in Europe. He’d be somewhere over there. His game was fit for Boston at that time, in the 80s. Today’s world, oh hell no. I’m not downplaying him cause he’s a great player at that time, as I was, but there’s no way.” Their careers did overlap, Bird played in the NBA from 1979-2000, Rodman from 1986-2006. I found Rodman’s statement to be somewhat disingenuous to Bird.

We could state in truth Bird was certainly not the most athletic player of the era but he could certainly ball. My further question, why did he choose to single out Bird and further confuse by contrasting him with Nikola Jokic? The two don’t play the same position, Bird was a forward, Jokic is a center. Surely there were other players during Rodman’s career he could have chosen. Rodman certainly had one advantage NBA championships, his career indicates there were 5 while Bird only had 3.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Is Lonzo Ball’s career over?

Once NBA players begin suffering injuries lasting season long their basketball career sometimes becomes in jeopardy. A number of players have been sidelined for a season and have been able to return, they appear to not lose any effectiveness, the question might be is this truly the case? I could cite Derrick Rose and Kawhi Leonard as examples that first come to mind. Without offering you any proof it’s my belief they are never able to play at the level they did prior to injury. We now have load management in place throughout the NBA, we can debate whether it actually benefited Kawhi Leonard. The latest player for us to check is the Bulls Lonzo Ball.

The Bulls announced recently that Ball will miss the 2023-24 season and we are in June. An announcement this early on Ball in my non-medical mind indicates this is very serious and just might be career ending. I’ve read that some are pointing to the Big Baller brand shoes Lonzo wore early in his NBA career. The shoes could be the problem however there is no method to substantiate this as fact. In addition we saw Zion Williamson while at Duke “blow out” a Nike brand shoe. Rest assured there are probably those out there who believe the continuing injury problems for Williamson are related to his choice of shoes. This is really too bad for Ball we believe he wants to be on the basketball court and that just might never occur again.

How tall       

It doesn’t matter if Victor Wembanyama stands 7 foot 4 or 7 foot 5 he will not become the tallest player in NBA history. There are two former players who exceed him, Gheorghe Muresan and the late Manute Bol. Both of them were measured at 7 foot 7 inches, Shawn Bradley and Yao Ming stood 7 foot 6 while Chuck Nevitt was listed at 7 foot 5. NBA records indicate the late Mark Eaton, Rik Smits and Ralph Sampson all were 7 foot 4. Also in the group is current NBA player Boban Marjanovic, you might have noticed he’s got several other pursuits besides basketball. Have you seen the 7 foot 4 Marjanovic in his villain role in John Wick 3?

How about the Marjanovic television commercials for State Farm Insurance and Goldfish Crackers. Before closing this I’m going to point to a YouTube video I located. An individual claiming to be a medical professional made a claim I found unbelievable. This doctor asserted Wemby will be injured this upcoming season, with diagrams and the sort he details leg and foot problems suffered by taller athletes. Without any medical or professional training I believe each of us realizes the risk of playing professional basketball. Doesn’t matter if you are 7 foot 4 or 6 foot 4 the injury factor is always present. To me it certainly appears to be a reach to decide in advance if someone will suffer an injury prior to sitting foot on an NBA court.

Why did it take so long?

The Tennessee A&I (now Tennessee State) Tigers won 3 consecutive NAIA championships; this series of landmark events changed college basketball history. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic tournament was won by Tennessee A&I in 1957, 1958 and 1959. I’d written previously that the dominance of UCLA basketball had most fans thinking John Wooden’s Bruin teams accomplished the task first. The Tiger team is now enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame thanks largely to the efforts of a single former player. Dick Barnett played on those teams and had a prominent NBA career, he would become the driving force as he campaigned tirelessly for the team to be honored.

We might ask the question why did it take so long? Several circumstances could have been contributing factors, the first snootiness. The NAIA comprised of mostly smaller enrollment schools never had the prestige of the much larger NCAA institutions, that might be at the top of the list. The second reason might be racism, some might find that difficult to believe based on the inclusiveness of basketball but 57 years elapsed between 1959 and 2019. Tennessee A&I beating a bunch of white schools in basketball might have been difficult to deal with during the height of the civil rights movement of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. The College Basketball Hall of Fame should be the next institution to enshrine Tennessee A&I after all the three championships were won just a few blocks from the Hall at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. In addition Dick Barnett is now 86-years old, it’s time for millennials or Gen Z to assume this cause.

Free agents

Our view was obscured by the NBA playoffs and eventual championship round. From there it was the NBA draft, we had an inkling free agency was approaching however it wasn’t in the forefront. I can’t speak for you but free agency was in the back of my mind. Suddenly we are here, Friday June 30 free agency begins for a host of players. A significant number of these players are unrestricted free agent while others are restricted.

The number is far too extensive to detail all of them but I do have a question. Should we suppose all the number might be moving on to new teams? There are a few who might have overpriced themselves despite their desire. Dennis Schroeder left the Lakers the first time due to this issue. Schroeder didn’t receive the offer he felt was due him and later discovered his value was not that high. He would later sign with the Celtics for nearly the same amount of money the Lakers were paying him. Below are just a few of the unrestricted free agents including one Dennis Schroeder.

Russell Westbrook

Kyrie Irving

Draymond Green

Derrick Rose

Brook Lopez

Robin Lopez

Dennis Schroeder

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Basketball from a fans perspective

The job is not open!

In this day and age it’s unusual for a college coach to remain long-term at his place of employment. There are several factors involved, the first is winnings. Coaches who don’t win are terminated routinely and sometimes quickly but there is more. Successful coaches at one school are always seeking to step up to more lucrative positions, this is the first example for me although there are others. Dennis Gates left Cleveland State a mid-major program for Mizzou in a Power 5 conference. Despite the information just provided there are coaches on the job for several seasons.

Around this part of the country the focus is on Bill Self at Kansas and his long-term, he’s been at the helm for Kansas basketball since the 2003-04 season, 20 years. That certainly places Self in exclusive company but he’s not alone, there are a number of coaches exceeding his time. As an example Leonard Hamilton at Florida State beats Self by one year, Gonzaga’s Mark Few’s has been on the job since the 1999-00 season. Tom Izzo’s been prowling the sidelines at Michigan State 1995-96. At the top of the list is Greg Kampe at Oakland University, Kampe’s been head coach there since the 1984-85 season. Despite the movement of college coaches a number have been leading their programs for years now.

Bits n Pieces 

He’s 19-years old and hails from France, in addition he was just drafted by the Spurs. You probably said yes, I’m familiar with Victor Wembanyama but this is not Wemby I’m discussing. Every word in the initial sentence is correct however the discussion doesn’t center on the 7-foot 5 prospect. This athlete is Sidy Cissoko and he played for NBA G-League Team Elite, he was the pick number 44 in the 2023 NBA draft. He’s from Saint-Maurice a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris. This is interesting as well, although he played in the G-League Cissoko has competed against Wemby in the past. Cissoko is listed as a guard forward, he stands 6 foot 8 and 200 pounds and is a guard/forward.

I know…I know what you are saying, we just completed the 2023 draft, why are you looking at next year? For one reason, France could finish in the top slot once again in the draft. Say what, yes France could have the top pick once again. His name is Zaccharie Risahcer, he’s a 6-foot 9 200-pound guard/forward who plays for JL Bourg in Bourg-en-Bresse, France. Bourg-en-Breese is located south and east some 454 km from Paris. 

He’s number one on one mock draft site and the number two choice on two other mock sites. What do we know about this youngster, not a great deal although it appears he is on the radar of NBA scouts. He is 18-years old and like fellow countryman Wemby will be 19-years of age by the time the 2024 NBA draft occurs. Risahcer was born in Spain however he was there because his mom accompanied his dad who played professionally for Baloncesto Malaga.

This is only funny to me but that’s okay, some might remember I wrote of this once before. The statement was made by one of the Kansas City sports talk radio guys. This guy back in late March or April claimed John Calipari Kentucky teams are no longer exceptional because he only recruits NBA prospects. While viewing the NBA draft the television camera caught a shot of Calipari. I guess if you are on the air 3-4 hours you can uttered some really dumb statements. Think about the radio guy’s statement a moment, does it really make sense? Do you really believe Calipari or any coach for that matter is only interested in drawing potential NBA talent to his program? The coach can still recruit despite the view of radio guy.         

Why

Stephen A. Smith is not the only one but he is one of the most vocal. Stephen A Smith and others have decided in their own minds Dame Lillard needs to play somewhere other than Portland. The Blazers are an average team right now, they are not terrible but not very good either. As constructed they are a longshot to win an NBA championship, this means Dame might possibly retire with no opportunity to win a ring. If this should occur Dame would join a legion of great players without an NBA championship.

Charles Barkley, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing, Elgin Baylor are just a small contingent of Naismith Hall of Fame players denied the ultimate NBA accomplishment. This is the issue as I see it, until Dame decides he’s ready to go it’s not up to Stephen A Smith or anyone else to determine the future for him. I might close by stating Stephen A. Smith and others certainly are entitled to their own opinions except in certain instances. This is one of those instances where the decision to go or stay rest entirely with the individual and not a media member.

Unequal justice

A number will claim “You are just writing this because you are a Mizzou fan.” I admit I’m a Mizzou fan however this is actually more about unequal justice by that body referred to as the NCAA. We must look back briefly to the past for the complete story. In 2019 Kansas basketball and Bill Self was cited for 5 level 1 violations by the NCAA. Once the NCAA came to a conclusion the “punishment” for Self was a  three (3) game suspension, to my knowledge nothing beyond that for Self.

More recently LSU basketball and Will Wade were named by the NCAA, the school was cited for 3 level 1 violations. The school decided to make a change, they fired Wade and he is now serving as head coach at McNeese State however the story fails to end there. Over the weekend the NCAA issued punishment for Wade, he would receive a 10-game suspension and a two-year show cause order. Every case is certainly not the same and that is not my intent here. The portion I fail to understand is less “wrongdoing” by Wade over Self but he receives more time in the penalty box (I know that’s hockey). You figure that one out if you care.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

“Best player over best fit” 

The Lakers adopted the headline above in the 2023 draft. I make that statement while admitting I know practically nothing on either of the Laker picks in the 2023 draft. With pick 17 they chose combo guard Jalen Hood-Schifino from the University of Indiana, Hood-Schifino is 6-foot 6 inch and 215 pounds. He first chose was hometown University of Pittsburg but later he changed his mind and enrolled at Indiana, he left after his freshman season declaring for the NBA draft. Pick number 47 saw the Lakers choosing Maxwell Lewis a 6-foot 7 inch small forward from Pepperdine. I found this interesting, Lewis did not play his freshman year of high school because the school had no basketball team.

The information update indicates Lewis made a solid impression when he came in for workouts for the Lakers. Now for the part I cannot detail at this point, the Lakers roster is not set. Other than Hood-Schifino and Lewis there is an unknown factor. Second, Darvin Ham appears hesitant to play rookies preferring veterans. I’ve seen neither Hood-Schifino nor Lewis in action but no matter I don’t have a true picture of what a scout might look for. Most of us in Laker Nation and I are forced to adopt a wait and see on Hood-Schifino and Lewis.

The Lakers signed two-way contracts on guard D’Moi Hodge and center Colin Castleton. Hodge is a 6-foot 4-inch shooting guard, starting his basketball at Cleveland State Hodge followed Dennis Gates to Mizzou and continued commendable offensive and defensive play for the Tigers. Unlike Hodge I am unfamiliar with Castleton except for basic information. He’s a 6-foot 11-inch 230-pound power forward/center, after beginning play at Michigan he transferred to Florida. Also signing with the Lakers is 6-foot 9 forward Alex Fudge also from Florida. Naturally at this point it’s quite difficult to determine if any of these non-drafted players earn a roster spot.

Now for the balance

The 2023 NBA draft proved quite interesting in the players chosen and the why. This was quite different, the Hornets choice of Brandon Miller was met with a chorus of boos from fans. It appears they preferred the pick to be Scoot Henderson. This entails work on and off the court to convince the legion of Hornet fans. Elsewhere I began reading about Bilal Coulibaly in late winter or early spring, he was moving up on most mock draft sites. Despite this fact did we expect him to be pick 7, I have serious doubts? That was just the first of several surprises, how about pick 26? We were familiar with Belmont University but maybe not the player, his name is Ben Sheppard. Those in Mizzou Nation hoped Kobe Brown would be drafted, most mock drafts placed him mid to late second round pick.

The Clippers surprised us and made Brown pick number 30 in the first round, he is now guaranteed more money as a first-round choice and probably earns a roster spot at least through his rookie season. Returning to Mizzou and playing for Dennis Gates has proven valuable to him. I know for a fact Brown was on nobody’s mock site last September. The second round of the draft proved interesting; I don’t ever remember as many draft right trades as witnessed by us in history. The surprises continued in the second round; several highly touted college players failed to hear their names called. I could site Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe and UConn’s Adama Sanogo would be examples of names we didn’t hear announced. The Cavs chose Emoni Bates with pick number 49, the former Gatorade High School Player of the Year who almost missed the draft entirely. In closing the promise of free agency is there, look at veteran Fred Van Fleet and Austin Reaves who were not drafted. We must wait for a period to determine the depth of this draft, right now I’m going to state it appears deep and talented.

What was it

A young Shaka Smart caused the college basketball world to set up and take notice. His VCU team would not be shortchanged, in the 6 seasons Smart was at the helm they never won less than 26 games. VCU received an NCAA invite every one of those seasons, His 2011 team earned a Final Four berth. Smart was hired in 2015 replacing Rick Barnes and my thought at the time was explicit. The State of Texas rich in high school basketball talent I said Smart might not be forced to leave the state. Although the record at Texas was not bad it failed to measure up to what many believed capable. Smart’s team’s won 109 games from 2015-21 but the most in a single season was 2019.

That Texas team didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament but was NIT Champion. 2021 would be the last for Smart, although there were two years remaining on his contract he decided to make a change. Hired at Marquette his first team was 19-13. This recently completed season found the team finishing with a 29-7 record, they would close in the Round of 32 in the tournament. I have a theory but am unable to offer any proof other than an opinion. Where outside forces key to the disappointment at Texas, after all look at his VCU and Marquette record. The ball manages to bounce the same no matter of the location but Power 5 Texas may have been too much for Smart, just a thought without offering you any proof.

Change your mind 

I’m sure a number of you are similar to me, you sometimes formulate an opinion from those around you. There are instances where your view might be opposed to the majority. As I’ve aged my opinions have gone along these lines, I believe it but it’s unnecessary for you to agree with me. There are people who will argue with you attempting to convince you to their train of thought, not me. I state my position and unbelievably I can change my opinion at times. Where am I going with this you might ask, in the direction of most of our local talk radio hosts. There are several radio and TV host who bother me when it comes to the NBA, they have been known to say, “What where you are watching last night, it certainly wasn’t the NBA game?”

Locally the sports guys here claim “Kansas City is the soccer capital of America,” I cannot argue against that statement except at one address. That address is my place of residence, I don’t hate soccer or NHL hockey for that matter it’s just the fact you’d never see either game on television at my household. Working in the reception area of my company I see a considerable number of people in the public eye. Kansas City has no NBA team yet this is what I saw in just one day and less than 4 hours. The first customer arrived wearing a Nuggets baseball cap, okay they won the championship he just decided to wear it because. Less than an hour later the second customer I spotted had a Nets baseball cap, I thought for a moment that’s different. The third customer before 11:00 a.m. had a Lakers tee shirt on. This is not intended to say Kansas City is full of NBA fans, in this instance I’m simply stating the sports talking heads are not always correct in their observations.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

2023 NBA draft

I have an acquaintance who claims, “I never watch the NBA draft.” This same person admits he’s more than a casual fan of the NBA. This is not me; draft night is one of the highlights for me and I almost always try to ensure I’m parked in front of my television. Two rounds and 60 players, there are a few noteworthy events of this draft. No way can I provide information on all. To no one’s surprise we witnessed the Spurs choosing Victor Wembanyama as the top pick. The second pick would be a mystery, mock sites had a mix of who that might be, would it be Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson.

Turns out it would be Miller chosen by the Hornets, Henderson at three would be the choice of the Blazers. The Thompson twins Amen and Ausar were picks four and five by the Magic and Pistons. With that I will turn to the fashion of the evening. As for the fashion choices they followed the stylings of the past. The suit worn by Wembanyama appeared to have a belt across the back of it. The no socks look was evident by most of those in the early portion of the draft. The suit jacket with no shirt was evident but the winner is Gradey Dick of Kansas. Dick was chosen by the Raptors at 13, his wardrobe choice was a red turquoise jacket along with a turquoise shirt. Utah chose Keyonte George, his selection was a suit with a leopard pattern. The draft ended far too late for complete coverage, Monday additional detail will be provided thanks. 

Bits n Pieces

If you caught the latest sports news you are aware Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway’s been suspended for three games. The NCAA is charging him and his program with recruiting violations and violating head coaching responsibilities, the suspension is tied into two home visits by the staff. This was classified as a Level II violation by the NCAA but I have a question. This is not to say the Memphis coaching staff is innocent of the charges but once again a mid-major school is being punished by the NCAA. Needless to say we have probably not heard the last of this, it is being reported Hardaway intends to appeal the suspension.

There is work occurring in arena news other than Inglewood, Intuit Dome has been in the forefront but what about the present building the Clippers occupy? Crypto.com Arena opened in 1999, then known as Staples Center and is now 24 years old. Renovation work was the plan for the home of the Lakers, NHL Kings and for a time the Clippers. Because winter sees the greatest usage of the arena the renovations will occur during the summer months. This refurbished process begun in 2022 will continue through the summer of 2023 and 2024. I’m not going to detail the work but just state once the renovation is complete the tenants will have a practically brand-new arena. The area the tenants notice most are the locker rooms which will be refreshed and reimagined.

For this breakdown of the 2023-24 season I’m excluding the incoming portal transfers for Mizzou. We finally have an idea of who returns versus who left. Hopefully the coaching staff will be able to blend the transfers in with the holdovers. Returning are guards Kaleb Brown, Nick Honor, Jackson Francois and Sean East. Also in the count are forwards Aidan Shaw and Noah Carter along with center Mabor Majak. Honor, East and Carter played starter minutes with Shaw mostly in a reserve role. As for the others, Brown, Francois and Majak saw little action this past season. This member of Mizzou Nation believes these holdovers plus the transfers should make for a competitive team. My anticipation is a Mizzou team capable of competing in tough SEC.

MJ dealing

I probably know the names of 4-5 NBA owners, the other team owners I have no idea of their name. Among the names I could rattle off for you, James Dolan Knicks, Jeanie Buss Lakers, Mark Cuban Mavs, Dan Gilbert Cavs and Michael Jordan Hornets. Jordan is likely the best-known owner based on his time as a player for the Bulls and Wizards. There are probably folks who know Jordan is an owner over that of James Dolan. A portion of this account is not reported as fact, perhaps we’ll be able to confirm it at some point. Recently it was announced Michael Jordan was selling his majority share in the Hornets although he’d retain minority interest. In 2010 MJ purchased the majority share in the Hornets for a reported $175 million.

It’s stated in the recent sale of the Hornets MJ conveyed the majority share of the franchise to minority stockholders. The next part of the story cannot be confirmed although the media announced price of the sale was a cool $3 billion which makes MJ quite a smooth operator. Since I’m not skilled in this area I have no idea if true how much MJ might have earned in this deal. I can say this with a degree of comfort, MJ might be just a tad bit wealthier now than he was in 2010. We hear numerous accounts of professional athletes in all sports squandering their fortune. To this date at least no one can claim that is the legacy of MJ, it appears he along with Magic Johnson and a few others have managed their wealth earned from playing basketball exceedingly well.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Who is second…or third?

Unless the earth rotates in the opposite direction or the sun rises in the west this will occur tonight. Commissioner Adam Silver will step to the mic and make this announcement. “With the first pick in the 2023 NBA draft the San Antonio Spurs select Victor Wembanyama from Boulogne Metropolitans 92.” Now, that’s out of the way the question becomes who is drafted second or third? Will it be point guard Scoot Henderson of G-League Team Ignite or Brandon Miller wing from the University of Alabama? The balance of the draft at least through the first 15 or so picks might be heavily influenced by which of these players the Hornets choose.

The sites I regularly utilize say this, tankathon.com believes the Hornets will select Henderson. As for nbadraft.net and nbadraftroom.com they indicate the pick will be Miller. As for the second round, all three sites indicate Emoni Bates of Eastern Michigan remaining in the draft and being choice of a team. Of special interest to Mizzou Nation the name Kobe Brown, the three sites are all over the map on Brown, they have him low, middle or near the bottom of the second round. I talked to a friend who follows the NBA, I was surprised when he indicated he’s got no interest in draft. NBA teams acquire talent utilizing other methods but the draft remains exciting for me. Besides my favorite team I remain excited determining where a particular player might land. 

 Part II

And your question might be “Where is Part I,” technically speaking that was game changing athletes published on Tuesday? The basis for the follow up is youth, a 20-something reading my list said, “I’m going to take your word on some of these players because I never heard of them.” Yes that is certainly understandable based on someone’s age. In Part II I will attempt to explain to him and you why each made my list. Beginning with Bill Russell, the NBA always played defense but nobody played it to the skill level of Russell. He was not a great offensive player but he could rebound the ball and play defense. It’s really too bad the NBA didn’t track blocked shots until long after he retired. I’d bet money he must have led the NBA every season of his illustrious career, a game changer. How good must you be when the NBA was forced to widen the lane?

They did that once after Wilt Chamberlain arrived in the league in 1960, Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a game and in another he pulled game he pulled down 55 rebounds. The lane was widen because it was believed Chamberlain had an unfair advantage over the opposition. It was more than simply scoring that made Chamberlain a game changer. A few years later a NYC youngster by the name of Louis Ferdinand Alcindor would emerge from Power Memorial HS and dominate the game. He would journey across the nation to UCLA to play for the legendary John Wooden. Alcindor alone was responsible for the NCAA banning the dunk, it was believed at 7 foot 2 he held an unfair advantage. What made Alcindor who later became Kareem Abdul Jabbar become a game changer? It was referred to as the skyhook, a shot Abdul Jabbar utilized to great results, opposing centers were never able to block the shot. Abdul Jabbar was able to become the NBA’s all-time career leading scorer until this past season when LeBron James broke the record he’d established. Two game changers arrived in the NBA in 1979, one’s team was on the east coast the other on the west coast. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had dueled one another for the NCAA championship with Magic’s Michigan State team winning. In the NBA they played for two of the NBA’s storied franchises, Bird with the Celtics and Magic with the Lakers. It seemed the NBA championship became a duel between these two teams every year in the early to late ‘90’s.

It was once said, “Who is the only person to hold Michael Jordan below 20 points in a game?” The answer was Dean Smith his coach at North Carolina, once MJ arrived in the NBA it became a whole different ballgame literally. It was said MJ hates to lose at anything golf, cards or basketball. There was team help but MJ was the leader of those 6 championships won by the Bulls, a game changer. LeBron James is the only current active game changer, he’s led the Heat, Cavs and Lakers to NBA championships, just this past season he became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. James is creeping toward retirement but has defied Father Time playing at a high skill level into his late 30’s. So there you have it a very brief description of those athletes I believe caused an evolution in how NBA basketball was played. They were truly the game changers.

I hope

A mock second round pick is never guaranteed to occur, despite that fact this is news. There is tankathon.com which projects Mizzou’s Kobe Brown as pick number 43 by the Blazers. If Brown is drafted by the Blazers what are we looking at might be the question? I would categorize the Blazers as a “tweener”, they are not really terrible but they are not really good either. They have some talent beyond that of Dame Lillard.

We could say Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic add a degree of talent so we shall see if this draft scenario comes into existence. The 6-foot 8 Brown was a key factor in the greater than expect record Mizzou achieved this past season. The bulk of the team had left once Cuonzo Martin was fired, that’s understandable he recruited them. Brown could have walked out the door too but decided to remain, he would become the leader of this revamped Mizzou team. I guess for this reason alone I anticipate he earns a roster spot on an NBA team even if he’s not drafted.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

He’s arrived

On Monday of this week a flight landed at Newark’s Liberty International Airport from Paris France. The aircraft contained hundreds of passengers including a 7 foot 5 inch guy by the name of Victor Wembanyama. Wemby arrived on these shores in preparation for tomorrow night’s NBA draft. According to news reports there was a host of fans waiting for him, there were requests for autographs which he gladly acknowledged. 

I thought it interesting one report indicated Wemby signed a Spurs jersey. Can he do that, sign the jersey of a team he’s not been drafted yet LOL. This might be the most exciting draft since 2003 when LeBron James was made the top pick that year. Wemby had time to check his ability at another sport, he was asked to toss the first pitch at a Yankees baseball game. Is there anything this guy can't do, he wiil become a marketing bonanza in my view similar to what's occurred with the NFL Chiefs Patrick Mahomes. 

76 Place

Drawings were provided recently detailing the planned new home of the Sixers. The 18,500-seat arena will be constructed with private funds but there is opposition to the plan. 76 Place is to be constructed  in the Market East District of Philadelphia, this area is the Chinatown section of the city. That issue will be dealt with and hopefully resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. The question might be asked, why such an early start on a building with a 2031 planned opening. This is what I discovered:

2022-2024: Approval of construction permits from city and state

2024-2026: Stadium engineers and developers design arena

2026-2027: Portions of Fashion District Philadelphia demolished

2028-2031: Construction of 76 Place at Market East

Why do the Sixers need a new arena, after all Wells Fargo Center opened in 1996? Probably the key issue, Comcast Spectacor owns Wells Fargo Center. With no ownership stake the Sixers derive no revenue from events held in the arena, with their own building that goes away. The information listed indicates there will be adequate public transportation to 76 Place.

*A portion of the information, courtesy Wikipedia

Number 2 worldwide

Despite the comments of cynics basketball remains the number 2 sport in the world. Only football (soccer) is more popular throughout the world. As for the other professional sports inroads have been made. In baseball Latin America has continued to produce talent from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela and a host of other countries. At one point the roster of the Royals listed a player from Brazil, a nation producing few major league baseball players. As for the NFL and football the story is much the same. There have been a few foreign-born players taking up the game and several have experienced NFL careers.

The number in baseball and football is small potatoes compared to the amount of talent in college basketball and the NBA. Some have suggested the U.S. is no longer producing basketball talent at the rate it once did. At the same time they point toward the ever-increasing numbers of foreign-born players. That’s a topic for another time and place. I maintain the best basketball in the world remains here and not overseas anywhere. If we looked at one area it would appear the Balkan Nations of Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia are producing the bulk of college and NBA talent. I welcome foreign born players be it college or the NBA.

SMH

We have a local sports radio host who made this statement about John Calipari. “He’s too busy recruiting NBA talent so his Kentucky team suffers.” Those are not the host exact words but close on hearing this comment I almost drove onto the sidewalk. I thought for a moment that doesn’t make sense, if Calipari is recruiting NBA talent exclusively that says his Kentucky teams should be superior to others. That is not the case however some of the talent recruited failed to play at the level the coach wanted. Before I proceed any further allow me to state I’m a fan of Calipari, I’m unable to judge his coaching philosophy however his coaching record provides proof he’s a winner at three schools.

Cal’s won 790 games over the course of his coaching career, I guess radio guy is assessing the coach based on his last two seasons at Kentucky. The last two teams earned NCAA berths although they didn’t advance very far in the tournament. Hey radio guy, coach Cal hasn’t forgotten how to coach despite what you might desire your listeners to believe. As for those stories circulating the coach is in trouble with the AD and administration. I’m just not too sure there is more smoke there than fire. It’s my belief the coach will not be fired, he could decide to take another job however I find that a little difficult to believe. Kentucky basketball is at the top of the mountain, coaching anywhere else might be considered a step down.  

I don’t think so

As you are aware Joel Embiid was the 2023 NBA MVP, he finally was able to eclipse that of Nikola Jokic although Jokic continued playing at a high skill level. As for Embiid although he’s now an American citizen his birthplace was Cameroon on the African continent. This continues a trend; the previous two MVP’s were won by Nikola Jokic and prior to that Giannis Antetokounmpo won two consecutive MVP’s. We have been witness to the ever-increasing number of international players in the NBA. Despite what many see as a positive others see it as a negative.

Panic began to set in heard from coast to coast, north to south. “We are not producing basketball talent as we once did, the world is catching up with the American game.” That last statement is partially true in my opinion, the European and African continent are certainly producing skill talent in greater numbers than previous. There is no worry on my part I believe the talent produced abroad can only make the NBA game that much greater. What is so funny to me many Americans claim the game but it really doesn’t belong to us. Dr. James A. Naismith who invented the game was a Canadian he just happened to begin the game in Springfield Mass.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Game changing athletes   

Best ever NBA draft pick, will Victor Wembanyama’s name be mentioned in the same tone as the others you are about to read? We toss out the term generational athletes however it’s my contention the time frame for entry of great players might be a lesser period of time. Generally we use the term generation indicating about a 20-year interval. It’s my contention that great players have arrived in the NBA in a shorter timeframe. With that said let’s begin the roll call, who are the athletes on my list who changed how the game is played? I begin my list with Bill Russell who was drafted into the NBA in 1956,

Russell was followed in 1959 by Wilt Chamberlain. It would be 10 years (1969) before the game added Lew Alcindor who would become Kareem Abdul Jabbar. 10 years later (1979) the NBA draft witnessed two names being added, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. In 1984 Michael Jordan became the next name added to the list, in 2003 the name LeBron James would be added to completing the list to the present day. Consider this fact since 1947 thousands of athletes have played in the NBA, in my view those named significantly changed how the game is played. Did I omit a number of players? That certainly is a possibility however you are free to add those you believe I might have missed. Will Wemby’s name be added to the list several years from now?

????

Apparently Bradley Beal is now a member of the Suns. The Wizards guard was acquired in a trade for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and a host of second round draft choices. My first thought, we can forget the Laker talk about Paul headed to play for them. My initial response caused me to smh, why you might ask? There is no argument on my part that Devin Booker, Kevin Durant plus Bradley Beal make for an offensive juggernaut. We can toss in Deandre Ayton to the mix, it should be clear to you they are a complete team…maybe?

Shamet was the capable first reserve and he’s apparently gone now, is there someone on the roster to replace him? I’m sure members of Suns Nation believe I’m trashing the team that is certainly not the case. There is one other factor to consider…injuries, we don’t like to discuss them however they do occur. Booker, Durant and Beal with the Wizards missed games this past season. The Lakers did eventually compete but a large number of the losses they suffered can be attributed to LeBron James and Anthony Davis missing in action. I’m never going to say never however I’d rather adopt a wait and see how this move plays out.

What he said

We’ve heard from a number of parties regarding Victor Wembanyama and his thin frame. They detailed accounts how NBA veterans will push the slender rookie all over the court. We really have no idea of the Gregg Popovich plans for Wemby but hopefully he follows a course laid out by Sam Mitchell. Mitchell, an NBA TV analyst former player and coach made a statement recently about Wembanyama. It certainly made sense to me, see what you think.

This from Mitchell, “I wouldn’t play him (Wembanyama) against Embiid or Jokic, I’d play him at small forward. After he’s been in the league awhile and gained weight I then move him to the power forward.” Wemby at 7 foot 5 (in shoes) is 210 or 230 pounds depending on your source. Playing small forward would allow the youngster time to adjust to NBA play without being pushed around by centers or power forwards. On the surface I believe he should be able to compete with most small forwards. The Spurs have made it known Wemby will only play a few Summer League games.

Bits n Pieces

In news of a humorous nature this circulated on the net. At least one source claims the Sixers James Harden had acquired a Ph. D recently. My first thought was that’s valuable, I was aware Harden attended Arizona State although I knew practically nothing about his academic background once he reached the NBA. Turns out James Harden does have an advanced degree however this James Harden doesn’t play in the NBA for the Sixers. This Harden is also black, he received his Ph. D from the Stanford School of Medicine’s Immunology Program last year.

Wilt Chamberlain’s rookie season of 1959-60 was certainly notable for a multitude of reasons unheard of until his entry. That season Chamberlain won not only Rookie of the Year but was also selected as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, this would only occur one other occasion in NBA history (Wes Unseld). Last week the jersey Chamberlain wore that rookie season was sold at auction, it was sold for $1.79 million. Both the jersey and shorts were authenticated prior to the record sale, it’s been reported this was the largest merchandise sale in history for apparel prior to 1980.

I almost missed this one, Bob Huggins, a veteran college basketball coach at West Virginia resigned this past Saturday. This move was prompted by two incidents since the close of the basketball season. The first incident Huggins uttered a homophobic slur on a radio program. As a penalty Huggins would be suspended 3 games once the season started and receive a $1 million reduction in salary. This past Friday the former coach was arrested while driving under the influence, on Saturday he resigned. Huggins is 69-years old so his coaching career is over but what about the other? He was just enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame last September.

Did you receive your email?

One of the emails in my flow read Adam Silver. My first thought it was spam or junk email, but that turned out to not be the case. Please keep in mind I don’t feel special, all I did was follow the game I have long loved. Perhaps you received an email too, congratulations to you. Below is the email I minus the headline reading Thank You:

Dear_______

 

I hope you enjoyed this NBA season – one of the most competitive and unpredictable seasons in the history of our league. And none of it would have been possible without passionate and dedicated fans like you.

Fortunately for basketball fans everywhere, there is so much to look forward to this summer with the NBA Draft and NBA Summer League around the corner and the WNBA season in full swing. Stay up to date on the latest league news with the NBA and WNBA Apps.

On behalf of the NBA and our teams and players, thank you for all your support.

Sincerely,

Adam Silver

NBA Commissioner

 

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Basketball from a fans perspective

The suspension

It will be a 25-game suspension for Ja Morant next season, the term utilized by the NBA is “reckless conduct” which certainly fits. Many in the media projected varying lengths of punishment, the most severe I read was a yearlong suspension. I have no insight just an opinion, I based my belief on cases of the past involving punishment by the league. This incident is not drug related nor was there violence involved, I shared my belief with acquaintances Morant would be out 25-30 games. As for the ruling by Adam Silver, he’s not David Stern, many including me have voiced the opinion if Stern were still commissioner the suspension would have been much longer.

In any event hopefully the time away from basketball will serve as adequate punishment for Morant. I anticipate he undergoes some type of professional counseling during his time away from basketball. In addition the possibility of mom and dad in his ear, who knows maybe they have but it’s not been evident. The suspension if upheld is without pay, rest assured he is going to feel the pain the loss of $7.6 million in salary although he certainly remains wealthy by comparison to most of us. Morant is a role model to legions of youthful fans; he’s got to get his act together for that simple reason alone. Certainly, the NBA community would love to see this talented athlete in action without the extra baggage he carries.

They were first

The majority of you reading this account might have believed the UCLA Bruins were the first collegiate team to win three consecutive national championships. The Bruins accomplished this from 1967 through 1969. The first school to win three consecutive national championships was the Tennessee A&I Tigers an HBCU school. The Tigers of the 1950’s were coached by the legendary John McClendon; McClendon learned the game from its inventor James A. Naismith who was the athletic director at the University of Kansas.

The Tigers won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or NAIA championship in 1957, they turned around and won again in 1958 and 1959. McClendon has been enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame; in a separate ceremony that Tiger team was also enshrined in Naismith. In 1968 the school underwent a name change and became Tennessee State a name more familiar to most of us today. For additional detail on this team check out The Dream Whisperer on NBA TV which premieres today at 2:00 p.m. Central Time.

The early draft

Can you imagine this, commissioner Silver announces Victor Wembanyama as the first pick. Later we hear Wemby claim “I have no interest in playing basketball.” That story actually occurred, in 1947 the late Clifton McNeely was the first draft pick by the Pittsburg Ironmen that season. The Basketball Association of America held its first draft and McNeely a 5-foot 10 guard from Texas Wesleyan was the choice. The record is unclear why McNeely refused to play professional basketball.

The history says his coach indicated the talent was certainly there. In any event McNeely would become a high school basketball coach and educator. Later he would return to Texas Wesleyan to secure a master’s degree. He would become assistant principle and later principle of two different high schools. In 1985 he retired from his administrative job with the Irving Independent School District in Texas, McNeely died in 2003 at the age of 84. The brief history of the man who could have been the first draft pick ever but chose a life of educating youth over basketball.

In 1948 the BAA Providence Steamrollers made the late Andy Tonkovich the first pick in that year’s draft. Tonkovich played his college basketball at Marshall earning third team All American honors by the Helms Athletic Foundation, Tonkovich was a 6-foot 1 inch guard. Similar to McNeely whom you just read Tonkovich’s mark in history is also quite interesting. He would begin play with the Steamrollers but quit at mid-season after playing but 17 games.

Tonkovich would sign with the Wheeling Blues of the All-American Basketball League as player coach. Apparently he never looked back after this move playing and coaching for them through the 1952 season. It’s said after he retired Tonkovich became a high school coach and physical education teacher, in 1973 he was enshrined in the NAIA Hall of Fame. He died in 2006 at the age of 83. If you are wondering his BAA average in those 17 games, 2.6 points per game. As you can see the predecessor of the NBA got off to a rough start with its first picks in 1947 and 1948.

Say What?

Have you heard the reports, the Lakers are looking at trading the number 17 pick on Thursday for veteran help. In my view I prefer to build a team in a manner similar to what the Nuggets have done. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the only starter the Nuggets didn’t draft, that is an ol skool belief. Nowadays fans desire instant gratification, that is certainly true of some members of Laker Nation. After all with 17 NBA championships I guess it’s easy to become spoiled. 

As for the proposed move, if the Lakers intend to do this I’m okay with it except in one instance. I don’t want a veteran player no matter how talented that’s got baggage. My definition of baggage is a game not amenable to another system. I can provide you two examples of how I define this, Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley. Despite the apparent talent they brought to the table both were lacking that; you know what it is.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

An MPJ apology

I owe a sincere apology to Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. for what I wrote. Some of you might remember I authored a list of Mizzou players winning NBA championships, somewhere in the discussion I besmirch the reputation of MPJ by saying he was missing in action at Mizzou. I pointed to the fact he only played 3 games in Black and Gold before declaring for the NBA draft. MPJ did not intentionally injure his back, for whatever the deep-down reasons he committed to Mizzou.  

After an All-American High School season his intention was to play in a Mizzou jersey. The fall of his freshman year MPJ arrived on campus as a projected NBA lottery pick, with that in mind looking back none of us (including me) truly expected him to play a sophomore year. He’s not been an NBA superstar but certainly has played exemplary basketball for the Nuggets once his back fully healed. To Mizzou Nation (and others) I’m sorry I missed the boat on this one, I salute MPJ as an NBA champion and former Missouri Tiger.

Philly legend

Whenever a discussion of the GOAT occurs, we rarely hear Julius Erving’s name mentioned. Dr. J. along with a number of others changed the game in a positive manner. Perhaps the reason some of us fail to acknowledge his game might be based on his start. Erving left the University of Massachusetts for the ABA for a simple reason. At that point in time the rival NBA did not allow entry unless an athletes class had completed 4 years of college. Naturally with such a rule in place a number of talented players decided to cast their fate with this startup league (1967) and Erving was one. Looking back at his ABA days and to a degree the NBA I’m unsure if Erving was that great an outside shooter. It was the other things that made him a basketball legend.

Earlier we covered Erving’s attempt to play for an NBA team but the legal process prevented that from occurring. The question was posed in an earlier account how exactly did Erving arrive in Philadelphia was the question…money? It wasn’t the amount demanded by Erving but rather by an owner. I’d mentioned the shaky foundation of the ABA by this time, Erving playing for the cash-strapped Virginia Squires was traded to the New York Nets. At this point we have a merged league, the Knicks (knowing the prowess of Dr. J.) wanted $$$ for “moving into their market.” The Nets owner at the time refused to pay, offering Erving’s contract to the Knicks among several NBA teams. After being turned down by them Erving’s contract was then offered to the Sixers. There are additional portions of the story left out but this is the basis for how Erving became a Philly legend.

We now have the number

Unlike his brother Kaleb Brown decided in favor of Mizzou. This is not tossing brother Kobe under the bus, he saw an opportunity and grabbed on to it. It’s almost a sure bet the older Brown sibling will be   drafted or at least sign a free agent contract. Younger brother Kaleb entered the transfer portal this spring but chose to return to Mizzou. Now the “meat and potatoes” of this account…Mizzou’s roster. Thanks to Power Mizzou we are informed there are 19 roster members currently, despite this fact only 15 can suit up at any one time.

What does this entail for Dennis Gates and staff, there will be plenty of competition for playing time. The roster of 19 includes 6-foot 5 shooting guard Isiaih Mosley and 7 foot 2 Mabor Majak both appeared infrequently in the lineup this past season. Mosley is the apparently talented guard who transferred from Missouri State while Majak was not on scholarship but eventually was awarded one. Now the real dilemma begins, if we leave Mosley and Majak out of the count there 17 players remain on the roster. I don’t wish to say this in advance but it’s likely there is an early transfer based on opportunities to play. I guess we could consider this a good thing having an apparent abundance of talent.    

Bits n Pieces 

We can state the Spurs are conducting due diligence regarding the team’s future. The Spurs just might not draft Victor Wembanyama however I seriously doubt it. The Spurs medical staff flew to France to meet with the youngster although they are yet to draft him. We have no idea if Wemby took a full-scale physical examination but that’s likely to have occurred. What else is going on in San Antonio you might ask? The Spurs announced they will hold an introductory press conference on June 24, who do they plan on introducing we might inquire? 

I’ve read the NFL Cowboys ownership prior to Jerry Jones approached the NFL draft in this manner. They would draft the best athlete available, this meant they could have an all-pro cornerback starting. If the best athlete was a cornerback they drafted him, your question might be why am I going with this account? All three mock sites I utilize have the Blazers drafting Scoot Henderson from G-League Team Elite. Henderson would be pick number 3 in the 2023 draft, what’s wrong with this picture you might ask? The Blazers have Dame Lillard at the point, Henderson is also a point.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

He didn’t just drop out of the sky

I’m unsure how many times the Nuggets were the featured team on national television games, I don’t believe it’s been very often. Despite this fact even though most were unaware they have been a very good basketball team for a number of years. The 2023 championship validates just how good they are especially Nikola Jokic. The Joker has been the NBA’s MVP for two consecutive seasons and could have won for the third time in 2023, he is a walking triple-double machine. I held a discussion with a fellow basketball fan and we both agreed.

Jokic doesn’t appear athletic in fact he appears rather ordinary as he moves around the court. He’s got an assortment of unorthodox shots that cause you to say to yourself, “How did that go in the basket?” At 6 foot 11 Jokic is probably the best 3-point shooting Big Man in the NBA, I believe he’s more accurate than Joel Embiid from distance. Nowhere is it written you must be athletic to play at this level, Jokic is proof you make best use of the tools you have. Basketball remains a team game but without the play of Jokic this Nuggets team loses to the Heat. We are asked about starting a team and who you would choose. I have no issue if given a choice of a center I’d have no issue in picking Nikola Jokic.

High school talent in the NBA  

What might you suppose is the city/metro producing the most NBA talent? Naturally larger population-based parts of the nation will generate more talent that’s to be expected. The research presented is not mine, it’s about three years old but the numbers are probably close to current. The Los Angeles metro is the second largest in the nation in population so it seems natural. The overwhelming wealth of high school talent that’s led to the NBA. These home-grown products from Los Angeles include Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and James Harden to name just a few, that’s number 1.

We head to the middle west and the Chicago metro, again a highly populated area that produces great numbers of NBA talent. The home-grown talent from this part of the country is named Anthony Davis, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Kendrick Nunn and others. Coming in at number 2 in producing NBA talent is the Chicagoland metro. This might be surprising to some; it was for me Philadelphia at number 3 has displaced New York City as a hotbed for high school basketball into the NBA.

In Philadelphia we begin our count with the Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus, Kyle Lowrey along with Jameer Nelson and a host of other past talent. The Dallas-Fort Worth metro is another highly populated part of the country, DFW is number 4 in producing high school talent. Julius Randle, Chris Bosh, Marcus Smart and Myles Turner and several past NBA players grew up in the metro. Closing out in the number 5 position is the Seattle Washington area which has also produced an abundance of high school/NBA talent. Zach LaVine, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson and Dejounte Murray are just a few of the names.

It's a new league

The 2023 NBA draft will feature twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, both are projected lottery picks.  Amen is probable as a combo guard while brother Ausar is listed as a shooting guard, both stand 6 foot 7 in height. This is not a focus on the twin brothers but rather the league, Overtime Elite where they continued polishing their basketball skill. We are accustomed to talent arriving in the NBA from the G-League and Australia however this is different, it’s a new league. Overtime Elite or OTE was born in the 2021-22 season, and there are a number of benefits OTE offers over that of some of the other leagues. As an example there is NO requirement to finish high school although encouragement is offered in the form of an academic program.

In addition there is pay, players receive $100,000 plus a signing bonus. There are a number of other benefits for the participants ages 16-20. On reading this I have concerns; my hope is proper guidance is provided to avoid players from “over-spending.” In addition there is chaperoning of these young men. It should be noted that the OTE board of directors consist of former NBA players Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony and Jay Williams. Another former NBA player Damian Wilkins is the general manager and head of basketball operations. A contract was signed in November 2022 with Amazon Prime Video to telecast 20 games a season for the next three years. OTE continues to sign American and international players for this upcoming season, the 6-team league’s foundation appears solid and it would look as if they should be operating for quite a while.

Intuit Dome update

Construction has continued at a steady pace at the southeast corner of Century Boulevard and Prairie Avenue in Inglewood. The address is the Intuit Dome soon to become the new home of the Clippers. The Intuit Dome will be completed in time for the 2025-26 NBA season, 2024-25 will become the last time the Clippers share space at Crypto.com arena. This project is more than just constructing an arena, it will be the centerpiece of a 28-acre mixed used development. This future would include a 150-room hotel along with ancillary retail with parking for over 4,100 vehicles.

The cost tag of the arena alone is projected at $1.2 billion which makes it one of the most expensive NBA arenas to date. In the 40 years of operation in Los Angeles, unlike the Lakers the Clippers have never had a “home” for an extended period. In addition the Clippers will be owners unlike the Lakers and Kings who are tenants at Crypto.com arena. This arena project initiated by owner Steve Ballmer will move the Clippers from the shadow of the Lakers. Of course many in Clipper Nation will argue they have never had an issue but don’t believe it. Anytime retired Laker jerseys are covered during Clipper games tells us a different story.