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Basketball from a fans perspective

It ain’t that big a deal…or is it?

I caught a portion of NBA TV analyst Steve Smith’s discussion on Cavs rookie Emoni Bates. Smith was describing how impressed he was with Bates’ play this summer. Sure summer league is not real, rookies are matched against other rookies or second year players. No real practice probably little emphasis on defense but it still requires a player score the ball. That’s exactly what Bates has done for the Cavs in this brief excursion into professional play.

His numbers are modest, 16 points and 6 rebounds a game but a sizzling 35.9% from three. The Cavs were a 50-win team last season, in addition they are a young team. The winning plus the youth of this team might prove a hinderance for Bates to earn a roster spot. Despite the negatives working against him I’m one rooting for him to earn playing time with the Cavs, he’s only 19-years old so he should fit in with the youthful Cavs. Coach Bickerstaff has plenty of decisions ahead of him regarding his team. Does one of those critical decisions involve Emoni Bates, we must wait and see for that answer?

Buyer’s remorse

Scoot Henderson drafted by the Blazers will become a star…that’s my bold prediction in late July 2023. He’s got all the tools to be an excellent point guard in the NBA, I’ve got no argument with Jeff Smith. Smith is the media scribe who wrote the Spurs might “regret passing on Henderson in the future.” He wrote this prior to Henderson or Wembanyama seeing real game action in the NBA. We get it, if this were any draft other than 2023 Henderson would likely be the top pick. I question if Brandon Miller might be chosen over Henderson but that’s an argument for another time.

The doomsday mystics continue to forecast doom and gloom for the future of the NBA, that’s really okay if they believe that picture they are painting. I happened to disagree with them, face it friends this is not your daddy’s NBA. There are elements within the game that have changed most of the changes have made the game better. Allow me to state this up front I’m not a fan of the play in tournament, maybe I’ll become accustomed to it but not right now. Back to the question of incoming talent, there is no doubt these athletes are skilled enough to play basketball at its highest level. The question becomes do they have the mindset, I can say in earnest the top three have the gene. For me it’s the will to play the game and continue to grow their game as long as they are in the association.

Is he going to be in demand?

At this point in July Mizzou Nation has no idea what unfolds in the second season for basketball coach Dennis Gates. It’s been documented previously so there is no requirement to go over his past coaching history. He was hired by an athletic department disappointed with the direction the program was headed under Cuonzo Martin. As I stated at the time of the Gates hire he assembled a staff and went to work immediately recruiting a team. Mizzou finished the regular season with a 25-10 record including a victory in the NCAA Tournament. The schedule becomes tougher this upcoming season, Gates is no longer the new guy. Opposing coaches have an inkling of their game strategy but let’s suppose this occurs. We are going to look ahead without the benefit of being there. Mizzou’s record is slightly better than in the coach’s first year, what occurs if this happens?

The name Dennis Gates begins circulating throughout the coaching world as jobs open in the college ranks. Will the athletic department be prepared to raise his salary in order for him to remain at Mizzou? Mizzou is a member of a Power 5 conference, despite this fact it might not be considered a prestigious destination. I realize some in Mizzou Nation might be upset with that statement however allow me to explain. If or when John Calipari leaves Kentucky a national search for his replacement will begin, I could make the same statement for Bill Self at Kansas. It was unnecessary for North Carolina and Duke to look elsewhere they hired “family members” in Hubert Davis and Jon Scheyer. The fit for Mizzou is far different which tells me this, should Dennis Gates continue his winning and I hope that is the case. The school had better be prepared to pay the coach large sums of money to retain him.

One more planned arena 

Construction is moving swiftly on the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers. Owner Steve Ballmer’s palace has a planned opening in the fall of 2024, they will now be separated officially from sharing space with the Lakers. On the east coast 76 Place is in the works although there is no construction yet, preliminary drawings of the arena have been released. The 18,500-seat home for the Sixers is planned for a 2031-32 season opener. But wait there is one more arena on the horizon, this one I refer to as “The Wemby Arena.” That’s not the official name of this arena, there’s been nothing formally done as this is written. The talk is strictly in the planning stage. According to news reports the county administration of Bexar County is exploring a downtown San Antonio arena to replace AT&T Center. The present home of the Spurs is relatively new having been opened in 2002.

Despite the fact this development would be an entertainment and sports development complex. In addition to the basketball arena a baseball stadium for the minor league team would be adjacent, I would envision this something like we have in Kansas City. This might change in the future however Arrowhead Stadium home of the Chiefs sits next door to Kaufmann where the Royals play baseball. You might ask why a replacement arena is required after AT&T has been in operation for such a relatively few years. There are sources who believe the drafting of Victor Wembanyama changes the picture for San Antonio. These elements appear to believe foot traffic will increase significantly for those wanting to see Wemby in action and they are relying on the fact he will become a star. As you can see if this comes to fruition this will be similar to the United Center in Chicago. It was said Michael Jordan was the basis for the Bulls moving from Chicago Stadium (opened in 1929) to the then brand-new United Center.