Basketball from a fans perspective

The unplanned outcome

The final score read Kansas 73 Mizzou 64, that was certainly not the outcome this member of Mizzou Nation wanted however that’s it. Takeaways, naturally I’m going to mostly focus on the good part. I was very pleased the Tigers didn’t appear intimidated by that boisterous Allen Fieldhouse crowd. Mizzou was not run out the building in a manner I’ve seen of other teams. In the second half they could never dent the Kansas lead which lead to the loss.

The rebounding margin weighed heavily in favor of Kansas and it proved once again to be a contributing factor to the loss. From the floor Mizzou didn’t shoot bad, they actually outshoot Kansas from three. In addition Mizzou had 16 assists to the 11 of Kansas and from the line it was 87% to 69.2%. Looking toward the SEC race the only troubling area for me is rebounding the basketball, the coaching staff has got to drill it into Mizzou’s heads they must hit the boards much better. Mizzou can place this game in the rearview mirror and prepare for Seton Hall on December 17.   

Are they fixed

The win on Friday evening allowed the Clippers to continue their winning streak, they now have 11 wins and 10 losses. Because they are winning, are the issues of the past now in the rear-view mirror, let’s take a closer look? The last 10 games have seen the Clippers win 7 games while losing only 3 but a closer inspection indicates there are questions to be answered. Of the wins 3 of them came against teams they should have beaten, teams with losing records, 2 against the Spurs and 1 against the Jazz.

In that schedule of games the only significant victory was the one they registered against the Nuggets on December 6. In the mix was a win and loss against the Warriors, the Clippers have shown signs of life however the question remains are they playing their best basketball? I found this statement by PJ Tucker telling in a manner of speaking. “There’s not enough basketballs on the planet for this team,” was the veteran Clipper forward serious or just joking? There is plenty of basketball remaining and time for them to get their act together.

On the decline

Has the NBA caught up to Dub Nation, I pose the question based on the evidence? I just witnessed them lose in OT to the Thunder 138-136, there is no shame losing to the Thunder. The team from Oklahoma is among the best in the NBA this season but it was the manner they lost, careless passes and committing fouls at inopportune times. The foul was committed by none other than Draymond Green who was once the glue for this team. In regulation Steph Curry shot in a three and at the other end of the court this occurred, on a missed shot the ball bounced to Chet Holmgren.

Holmgren was some distance past the 3 line but with the shot clock ticking down and little time remaining in regulation the rookie tossed up a shot and it was clear on television without replay Green fouled him. Holmgren takes his shots from the line and ties the game. I had no intention to be a harbinger of doom but some of you might remember prior to the season it was communicated this might be a rough year for the Warriors despite having Steph, Klay, Green and others. The Warriors are in 5th place in the Pacific Division of the NBA which is last place. If the season ended today (or tomorrow) the Warriors miss the playoffs.

Bad, really bad

Steph Curry might be this generation’s Rick Barry, the reference is outstanding at the free throw line. Back in the day Barry retired from the NBA with a lifetime average of 90.0% from the line. Curry is even better with 90.9%, to remind you again this was the Barry statement. “It’s a FREE THROW, nobody is guarding you” which probably says you should make your shots from the line. There are some terrible shooters, in history Wilt Chamberlain (51.1%) and Shaquille O’Neal (52.7%) were among the worst of the worst. To compound the issue Shaq once said, “I make ‘em when they are needed” which isn’t true looking at his career. Bleacher Report compiled a list of the worst free throw shooters in the last decade, several of the names were a surprise to me.

I believe most of us were aware Ben Simmons is a poor shooter from the field but that poor shooting also applies to the line as well 56.0%. Let’s add the name Mason Plumlee, over his career it’s been 56.7% from the free throw line. Dwight Howard is no longer in the NBA however his effort at the line echoes that of Plumlee 56.7%. What’s the problem with poor free throw shooting, there probably is no single answer. It was said poor free throw shooting was a Big Man’s lament but I don’t know if that’s true. Dirk Nowitzki stood 7 foot yet during his NBA career was 87.9% from the line. 7-foot 4 Victor Wembanyama is shooting a respectable 77% from the line while his counterpart 7 foot 1 Chet Holmgren is 87.9%. Can we conclude this by stating effective free throw shooting is similar to other facets of the game, practice and more practice to become proficient at the craft.

Worth another look

I’ve covered John McClendon previously but I felt he should be looked at again. McClendon’s basketball career was rich with historic events, how about this one? He learned the game from Dr. James A. Naismith the inventor of the game. By this time Naismith had left the east coast and became a teacher at coach at the University of Kansas. As a black student McClendon was prohibited from playing on the Kansas basketball team, he graduated in 1936 and from there a series of coaching stops and innovations can directly be attributed to McClendon. Basketball at that time was slow paced, the ball was walked up the court after a basket was scored, McClendon changed that with a fast break brand of basketball.

In addition there was the zone press and 4 corners offense. I mentioned the stops, North Carolina Central, Hampton, Tennessee State, Kentucky State and Cleveland State. His Tennessee A&I (State) team won the national championship in 1957, 1958 and 1959. McClendon would later be hired at Cleveland State in 1967 becoming the first black coach at a predominantly white institution. Historians name Bill Russell as the first black coach in professional basketball, McClendon was second having been hired in 1969 by the Denver Rockets (Nuggets) of the American Basketball Association. McClendon’s a double honoree having been enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. John B. McClendon Jr. a name from the rich history of basketball that you should know.