Basketball from a fan’s perspective

I must call it as I see it

The Bucks are one of the best teams in the NBA, they have been contenders for Eastern Conference supremacy since the beginning of the season. Despite this fact management decided to move in another direction, they fired coach Adrian Griffin. This was done because there were concerns regarding the teams defensive efforts, this decision was made despite the fact one of their best defenders Jrue Holiday was traded in the off season. Dame Lillard is an outstanding offensive player however his defense is behind that exhibited by Holiday.

In any event in the 5 games played under Doc Rivers the Bucks have won only one thus far. The winner was played against the Mavs resulting in a 129-117 victory. The Bucks are winners, they were under former coach Griffin and current coach Rivers, the question becomes do they have enough to play for an NBA championship? I must place the disclaimer near the end of this account, I’ve mentioned in the past I’m no fan of Doc Rivers. The belief in this corner his coaching cache is vastly overrated based on the sum. The Bucks under him will reach the playoffs because they have that much talent. As for winning a championship that’s another matter, this is an ongoing story which definitely calls for a re-visit down the road a bit.

Division II basketball

There are over 300 Division II basketball programs across the nation. Similar to Division III basketball media coverage is certainly limited unless we live in the city or area. We sometimes have no idea of these schools and limited knowledge of their location. In this part of the country we have several Division II programs, the best of the best is Northwest Missouri State in Maryville. The town is located 100 some miles north of Kansas City, the record is outstanding. Currently they are 17-4 overall and 13-2 in their conference. The Bearcats have won the NCAA Division II championship in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. As for the others this is written February 5, the standings might have changed so keep that in mind.

We have West Texas A&M located in the Texas Panhandle in Canyon, for those who do geography Canyon is located about 18 miles south of Amarillo. The Buffs have compiled an 18-win record versus 1 loss at present. Next up in our order is Minnesota State, located in Mankato, the city is about 90 miles south of the Twin Cities. The Minnesota State Mavericks have 19 wins and 1 loss thus far. Next up Nova Southeastern, Florida located in Fort Lauderdale, the Sharks have compiled a 15-2 record. Fort Lewis College is in Fort Lewis Colorado, the Skyhawks record is 17 wins and 2 losses. Dallas Baptist University in Dallas Texas, the Patriots have 16 wins versus 2 losses. If I missed including your school it was not intentional, I utilized information from ncaa.com. This list represents the top 5 Division II programs in the nation.

Yes I do

A friend mentioned this, “You certainly like Big Men play” and my response was the title of this account. I have been in error, I’ve blamed Steph Curry and Warriors success for small ball or inside out offense. It was more than Curry alone, it was AAU basketball being a contributing factor too. The game has evolved, it will never return to the battles of the past with Wilt and Kareem battling one another in the paint. The problem as I see it, teams containing Big Men are always talking about “stretching the floor” which is code for shooting three’s. Nothing wrong with that mindset as long as your post man is not jacking up shot after shot from that distance. In addition what does the future hold for guys like Purdue’s Zach Edey? Although Edey stands 7 foot 4 and weighs 300 pounds we continue to read reports he might not be drafted in June.

This statement is made despite him being named National Player of the Year last season, he’s on track for the 2023-24 season too. Has the game changed that much where a scout would say “20 years ago Edey would have been a Top 10 pick.” My argument for years has been guys haven’t quit growing many continue to eclipse 7 foot plus in height. I’ve mentioned his name previously, Mizzou has 7-foot 300-pound Peyton Marshall arriving in the fall, I’m quite anxious to see him in action. I’ve seen video of him in high school but that hardly is a true test, despite this factor his play reminds me of a young Shaquille O’ Neal. According to 247sports.com Marshall is projected to be the 10th best post prospect out of 55 players in the Class of 2024. Does the high rating indicate he will be prepared for Division I play, that question can only be answered once he is in action? We can state in truth emphasis on the post has certainly waned but that fails to indicate its disappeared completely.

Kansas City’s other NBA team

After reading the headline I’m sure you are scratching your head, you are trying to figure out what team? The condensed version and then the detailed account, KC was awarded a franchise in the American Basketball Association. The franchise was then moved to Denver without playing a single game in KC, they were first named the Larks then the Rockets and finally the Nuggets. Got that I hope, now for the detail of the events. In the spring of 1967 10 cities and Kansas City would make up the American Basketball Association which would begin play in the fall. The history indicates the franchise here could not secure enough dates at Municipal Auditorium.

It's unclear if additional locations were sought for the games but the Auditorium had a date conflict. In any event being unable to gain the dates needed the commissioner suggested the franchise be placed in Denver. Once the team moved to the Rocky Mountains they were named the Larks the state bird of Colorado. The Kansas City owners underfinanced were forced to sell the major share of the team to a Denver trucking company, the Denver group gave the team a new name…Rockets. They would play as the Rockets from their 1967 inception to 1974. In the fall of that year they were re-named the Nuggets the name the team plays under to this date. In 1976 the Nuggets would become one of the four ABA franchises the NBA took in thus becoming a part of the older league. So ends my tale how the Denver Nuggets began play 603 miles and a nearly 9-hour drive time trip on Interstate 70 west from Kansas City.