Basketball from a fans perspective

What does act 2 hold for them 

The Spurs managed to strike gold in 2023, they drafted Victor Wembanyama with the first pick. Wemby experienced a rookie season much better than projected by many of the naysayers. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year for 2024. From my vantage point looking at the numbers he could have easily been chosen Defensive Player of the Year too. Despite striking gold in acquiring Wemby it is clear the Spurs need help in order to improve.

Wemby was Act 1, what occurs for the Spurs in their Act 2? I believe at least for now they are not mentioned as a destination for any major free agents. Based on that issue alone the draft is likely the best route for the Spurs to trek. The Celtics are NBA champions due to a couple of trades however Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown were draft choices. The Spurs could approach a rebuild in the same manner, what is their greatest need? Consistent guard play and that is apparent if we check the mock draft sites ahead of the action on Wednesday. They could choose Stephon Castle a 6-foot 7 shooting guard late of UConn with the 4th pick. The Spurs also have the 8th pick as well, will they draft and trade or hold onto the pick?

It’s possible to choose a fellow French youngster to team with Wemby, that could be 6 foot 9 Tidjane Salaun. He’s listed as a power forward however 210 pounds says ‘small forward’ to me. The Spurs also have two picks in the second round of the draft, any players added here are unlikely to earn a roster position. The danger the Spurs are already young, adding these two plus holdovers makes them a really young team.

Things you thought you might never hear

I might add at the end of the headline…from me. I miss Jeff VanGundy from NBA games, I would bet large sums of money you thought you’d never hear that from me, I also miss Mark Jackson too. ESPN/ABC in their infinite wisdom decided to move in another direction. Steady Mike Breen remains at the head of the broadcast team. As for his supporting cast I’ve read and heard from a number of NBA fans regarding Doris Burke as a replacement. 99% of the negative stuff I’ve read is about her appearance rather than her ability to analyze the game.

I don’t dislike JJ Redick as an analyst however he’s been almost invisible in the games I’ve seen. So that’s ESPN/ABC’s A Team, there appears to be a B Team and a C Team. I’m not sure of the order so go with me on this. I love Mark Jones and whoever is analyzing the game, it’s been Richard Jefferson for the most part. Ian Eagle and Kevin Calabro are both veteran broadcasters I am unsure which one Grant Hill has been the analyst. Jeff’s brother Stan Van Gundy is only okay but certainly not on the level of his younger brother. Hubie Brown at 90 years of age continues to defy time and the ability to accurately analyze the game he must love. After all at his age he could be doing something other than broadcasting NBA games.

Larry Bird Rights

What are they and how will they affect the team in Los Angeles? First things first, this I located on the web. “In the NBA, Bird rights, also known as the Qualifying Veteran Free Agent Exception, are a rule that allows teams to re-sign their own players for larger salaries, even if it means going over the salary cap. The rule is named after Larry Bird and is part of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.” How does this affect the Clippers, they have Paul George and James Harden with Bird Rights, and Russell Westbrook with early Bird Rights.

The status of Westbrook status calls for further examination so here goes. “Prior to an arbitrator ruling in June 2012, all players that were waived and changed teams lost their Bird rights. Using this exception, a team can re-sign its own free agent for either 175% of his salary the previous season, or the NBA’s average salary, whichever is greater.” That is the status of Westbrook regarding his future. In all three instances the Clippers will be required to make impactful economic decisions regarding their roster. NBA free agency begins July 1, 2024, but believe me the Clippers front office has been looking at this economic matter for quite a while now. What do you suppose occurs, will they re-sign all three or allow 1 or maybe 2 to leave? The Clippers, through a series of trades will not have their own first round draft choice until the 2030’s, that places them in quite a quandary.

They have mortgaged the future for a win now attitude, that says to me they keep Harden and allow George and Westbrook to ‘walk.’ This is not being critical of the front office they probably believed all the pieces were in place to win an NBA championship. The next few weeks and months should prove interesting for the Clippers as they attempt to make several well-thought-out decisions. These player decisions must be made by the front office while preparing a move to Inglewood and the Intuit Dome in the fall.

It’s officially that time

The clock now reads 0, the countdown is over, schools can now began recruiting incoming high school juniors. They are unable to sign on the dotted line but to prove no one is hidden this bit of information. According to Mizzou’s fan website Rock M Nation coach Gates and staff have identified and made offers to 23 Class of 2026 prospects. At the top of Mizzou’s list is an athlete from Arkansas. His name, JJ Andrews and he is a 6-foot 5-inch 195-pound shooting guard.

Andrews attends Little Rock Christian HS in Little Rock Arkansas. It matters not where someone calls home, if you are a proven talent Gates is going to recruit you. This aggressive recruiting is far different from previous head coaches at Mizzou. They appeared content to sign second and third tier players, that is not the case for this staff. I told you the McDonald’s All-American story related to long-time coach Norm Stewart. Asked one day by a reporter if Mizzou had any McDonald’s All Americans on the roster, the coach said “No, but we eat there.” Given time and success on the basketball court it will occur i.e., McDonald All Americans at Mizzou.