Basketball from a fan’s perspective

This appears to be about right

I admitted my math shortcomings, I cannot verify if this information is correct. This appears to be about right based on my belief, these are not my figures so I cannot credit anyone again they are not mine:

2.9% high school seniors play college basketball

1.3% of those players are drafted by NBA teams

0.03% high school players are drafted by NBA teams

I remember this as if it was yesterday, I was made aware the high school sophomore I just met provided me a glimpse of his future. He informed me, “I want to go to Kentucky and play for coach Cal!” I certainly am in no position to rip apart anyone’s dream or hope. I knew upon meeting him this would not occur, I hadn’t seen him play but heard nothing about him on any recruiting sites. Unless he was a late bloomer heading to Kentucky this was highly not to occur. To end the story he was talented, the young man earned a scholarship to a Division II school. I am unsure if he graduated but there was no NBA, there was no Europe or Australia either.

It’s more than him

Jontay Porter has been in the news for the wrong reasons. The Raptors player has been suspended while the NBA conducts an investigation on his reported gambling. I’ve not read the detail, this is not intended to focus on Porter rather the past. I am old-fashioned, as mentioned previously gambling has always bothered me with its connection to sports. We could return briefly to the “Black Sox scandal” of 1919, gambling interest succeeded in attaching themselves to various White Sox players.

This effort was done to fix the World Series to the advantage of the gamblers. We could fast forward to the college basketball betting scandal, it would occur twice in 1950-51and 1960-61. There are other instances of sports gambling that managed to tarnish the game but those are the ones that stand out for me. We are at a point DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and other sites have become tolerable in the eyes of the NFL, NBA and MLB management. I refuse to listen to those who will yell and scream about a sporting event being “fixed.” I’m like the little boy who sticks his fingers in his ears while loudly singing or humming in an effort to not hear the complaints.

No longer on the market

I’ve been reporting for nearly two years the Wolves franchise was being sold. Although Wolves and Lynx owner Glen Taylor was selling the teams he wanted them to remain in the Twin Cities. At a point in time a story hinted the Lynx might be moved but that apparently was untrue. As for the latest development the For Sale sign in front of the teams Taylor owns has been discarded. You are probably asking the question as I did…why?

This is what I read, owner Taylor claims baseball’s A-Rod and partner Marc Lore did not meet stipulations of the sale, based on this he indicated the team was no longer on the market. This is where the story becomes confusing, both A-Rod and Lore claim “they met the conditions Taylor wanted.” Despite the fact the teams are no longer for sale Taylor indicates he will continue negotiations with A-Rod and Taylor. I don’t know about you but that certainly sounds like double talk to me. “I’m not selling the team but intend to negotiate with the guys I claim didn’t meet the conditions of the sale.”

The importance of scouting…maybe

2017 the NFL Chiefs struck the mother lode in the draft. That draft saw the Bears choose Mitch Trubisky with the second pick, the ups on the advice of scouting reports moved up in the draft to acquire Patrick Mahomes. Since then Mahomes has been a consistent touchdown maker, he’s also led the Chiefs to wins in three Super Bowls. As for Trubisky he’s now with the Bills, he was unable to deliver at the level projected. In the NBA Damian Lillard a.k.a. Dame played his college basketball at Weber State in Ogden Utah, I’m quite sure in 2012 the question might have been asked…who? Was he simply overlooked based on where he played? There may have been a question about his ability however Lillard was made the number 6 pick in that draft

We could add Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson to our list. Playing at Tulsa and later Mizzou he became the 46th player chosen in the second round of the 2014 draft. Clarkson was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2021. One more player for us to check out is now in the Naismith Hall of Fame. Without checking fully he might be the only NBA player Division II West Texas State A&M has ever produced. His name Maurice ‘Mo’ Cheeks the brilliant point guard for the Sixers of Dr. J., Moses Malone and others, the Sixers drafted him in 1978 with the 36th pick in the second round. There are other NBA players these are but a few who may have been overlooked by a few scouts at a point in time. One more consideration, we have no ability to see inside someone and their desire to succeed. In the instances detailed these players clearly had talent however some scouts assessing their potential couldn’t see the drive or the will to achieve.