Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Injuries

We acknowledge the fact they occur but sometimes we fail to see injuries as a cause. Instead some of us make jokes about a team’s losing record rather than looking at the root cause. That’s the issue of Mizzou basketball for the 2023-24 season, it’s not helped the fact Mizzou is a member of the tough, tough SEC. The problem, it’s difficult to determine what might have occurred if the players were injury free. Returning guard Kaleb Brown underwent season ending surgery in November due to a stress reaction in his left shin. Portal transfer Jon Tonje is out for the season with a foot injury. Portal transfer Caleb Grill injured his wrist in December and was out 5-7 weeks.

Another portal player Jesus Carralero Martin suffered a foot contusion January 27. I have no idea what they might have accomplished injury free but missing all together certainly didn’t help. In addition Sean East II the Tigers leading scorer was also absent from games due to injury. Earlier I mentioned those returning players who played below par this season. Could these missing players be a major reason for the horrendous season suffered by Mizzou? In addition did those healthy play below par due to little if any help? This becomes an exercise with no answer, it’s difficult to make up ground when its constantly sliding away from you. If this sounds as if it’s an excuse so be it, I don’t think so. There will be no bag worn over my head by this member of Mizzou Nation and don’t fire the coach.

Get the ball

If we check the NBA record on single game rebounds Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell’s fingerprints are vivid. Wilt registered 55 rebounds while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors November 24, 1960. It’s interesting because he set the record against Russell’s Celtics. In second place is Russell with 51, he accomplished his number against the Syracuse Nationals February 5, 1960. We arrive at 42 before we locate a name other than Wilt or Russell.

His name, Nate Thurmond while playing for the Warriors who by then had moved to San Francisco, his game was against the Pistons. What is most interesting to me is the 40 rebounds of Jerry Lucas, Lucas was 230 pounds but he “only” stood 6 foot 8. As for the reason there are no totals of that number in today’s game it’s easy to explain. Over the years the game has changed significantly and that virtually makes it impossible to accumulate similar numbers. We can say in truth these rebounding numbers will never be duplicated again. Kevin Love snatched down 31 rebounds in a 2010 game against the Knicks, that’s the highest rebound total in the last 20 years.

The window is half closed

2024 is the year of the Clippers, this is what should occur. They win the Western Conference Championship, they go on to play and win the NBA Championship too. In June, the Los Angeles Clippers will be crowned 2024 NBA Champions. The story you just read is a fictional account of what is supposed to occur for Clipper Nation in June, will the description projected be a finished product or will the Clippers come up short once again? They will earn a playoff berth, as this is written they are the number 4 seed in the Western Conference.

Playoff basketball begins in earnest in April so we have a ways to go before this commences. What about the future, is the window of opportunity slowly closing for the Clippers? I cannot answer the question however speculation sometimes runs rampant for me. This is the likely ending, if the Clippers fail to win a championship in 2024 this squad of players will fail to accomplish the task. I happen to believe the George/Leonard/Hardin assembly will not win it all, in truth this is a more likely outcome. Steve Ballmer will continue to build his team and another group of Clippers win the first NBA Championship to hang in the Intuit Dome.

Bits n Pieces

Basketball is in Victor Wembanyama’s DNA, my research uncovered this bit of information. His grandfather and grandmother on his mother’s side both played the game, it is reported his grandfather was a French professional. Growing up in Le Chensay near Paris we might imagine it was Felix Wembanyama who influenced his son but only to a point. Wemby’s gone on record indicating his father trained him on his leaping ability. It was his mother 6 foot 3 Elodie de Fautereua who was the basketball influencer in the family, mom played on the French national team, as for Felix his was track and field. As for siblings, Wemby has a younger sister and brother both of whom also play, sister Eve stands 6 foot 1 while brother Oscar is 6 foot 6. This is the condensed version of the Wembanyama family tree.

The McDonald’s All-American Game is scheduled for April 2 in Houston’s Toyota Center, it will be available on ESPN but that’s only part of the story. Team East will be led by 6-9 Cooper Flagg who plays for Montverde Academy in Florida, as you are aware Flagg is headed to Duke in the fall. Team West has Airious Bailey on its roster, this 6-8 forward plays at McEachern High School in Powder Springs Georgia about 22 miles east of Atlanta. Baily is headed north to New Jersey to play for Rutgers. As a sign of the times the majority of players either attend prep or charter schools, few East or West players attend public high schools.

When the Bucks visited the Sixers recently the home crowd booed Doc Rivers at the time team introductions were made, it got me to thinking there are other city’s this scenario could repeat itself. I came in late Monday evening and found his Bucks playing the Clippers, the game was being played in Milwaukee so he’s safe I would guess. I wonder if the Bucks have any games remaining on their schedule against the Magic at home, Doc could get booed there as well. I wonder if there is a home game on the schedule against the Celtics remaining on the Bucks schedule. I guess you can gather Doc Rivers has made the rounds as a head coach in the NBA.