Basketball from a fans perspective

 A reminder

On Monday July 15 Off the Dribble changes again, pointed out previously the summer slowdown is in full effect. The Olympics is upcoming and there is a trickle of basketball news however publishing 7 days a week is no longer necessary. In addition this change allows me flexibility with my schedule. The blog will begin publishing 4 days a week, exactly how the schedule unfolds will be detailed on Monday. I hope you will continue to be a faithful reader, thanks in advance.  

Nepotism

The definition of nepotism according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is: “favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship.” We know the term exists, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company’s daughter or son is hired without reservation. The small business on the corner moves from its grandfather founder who turned the business over to his son, that son would then hire his son who eventually becomes the owner. Hope I didn’t confuse you with that explanation. Nepotism has probably existed since the founding of the nation yet it rarely upsets us except in rare instances, this is one of those. Before I go further allow me to inform you the portion of the Bronny James story that upset me. Bob Meyer former NBA executive said, “Rich Paul is calling teams, don’t take Bronny James…if you take him he’s headed to Australia.”

This implied threat by Paul bothered me, beyond that in the spring I wrote of my desire for Bronny to continue learning the game. I wrote of my belief Bronny James wasn’t ready for the rigors of NBA play. I stated my belief he needed another year of college play. Well he didn’t listen to me as he later declared for the NBA draft. The Lakers I believe are fighting for their playoff lives, my hope they wouldn’t draft a player they couldn’t plug in immediately. Well sure enough that’s what they did drafting Bronny as the 55th player in the 2024 NBA draft, the deed is accomplished whether I like it or not. He will spend the bulk of the season playing for the South Bay Lakers as he learns the intricacies of NBA play. One further issue, he is junior and not senior it is quite possible he will not play at the level of his more famous father. If his numbers parallel that of his coach (JJ Redick) I will consider him a success. Redick had a 15-year NBA career and scored over 12,000 points.

It's always existed

Gamblers have placed bets on sporting events since the beginning of time. The difference in 2025 the wagering is legal for the most part. Understand this, a story on ESPN.com’s NBA page prompted this. The Grizzlies Zach Edey might be the favorite to win 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year but it didn’t stop there, the reader was provided Edey’s odds before and after his breakout Summer League debut. I am a voice crying in the wilderness on gambling they love the fact they can place bets on sporting events. The story reveals Edey was a longshot to win (+2000) rookie of the year, he is now +600 along with Alex Sarr at ESPN Bet,

Edey is also at the same number for DraftKings and FanDuel. A fan wrote “Why is Jontay Porter ban for life in the NBA yet players committing domestic violence on a family member are allowed to return?” I have no answer for the question just a concern, I will further state if wagering is what you do that’s okay for me. This is not a morality issue with yours truly it’s just the fact it cheapens the sport. This is a poor example but I’m going to use it anyway. I haven’t filled out an NCAA Tournament bracket in years. This is what it caused me to do, at a point I was forced to choose against a team I am a fan. Why in the world would I desire to vote against the Lakers to win just because DraftKings or FanDuel suggested it would a good move on my part.

The injury

Do you think the Sixers could have beaten the Celtics and thus played for the 2024 NBA Championship? That question is certainly entertaining for Sixer Nation however for the balance there is a question. Joel Embiid came into the season as the NBA MVP and was expected to play at that level again. Unfortunately, an injury would sideline him during the season, come playoff time it might be debatable how effective he was. But wait, there is help on the way in the form of Paul George, Andre Drummond and others. In addition they resigned Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr., as for Maxey he experienced a breakout season.

For PG the Sixers managed to sign him as a free agent, he remains an outstanding talent despite the passage of time. Drummond should provide Embiid time off the court during the regular season, its hoped Embiid will be playoff ready. Buddy Hield arrived from the Kings but had no time to unpack his suitcase. He was traded to the Warriors for a 2031 second round pick. Eric Gordon arrives with some NBA mileage on his body but should provide a valued relief role. In the NBA draft the Sixers chose guard Jared McClain from Duke in the first round and Adem Bona center from UCLA in the second. All in all it appears the Sixers experienced a good draft and free agent additions. The question, do they have enough to compete with the Knicks and Celtics for Eastern Conference domination? The answer for that question must wait until June 2025.

Arena news

The Clippers are headed for Inglewood and the Intuit Dome, no more sharing anything with the Lakers. I take that back, in the list of standings they must continue to share the name Los Angeles with that other team. How about elsewhere around the nation like Oklahoma City? As you are aware late last year voters in the city approved a new arena to replace Paycom. This replacement arena would guarantee the Thunder remain in the city for the next 25 years after it opens in 2029. A site location has been selected, the map indicates its directly across the street from Paycom which is somewhat strange for me. The arena opened in 2002 as the Ford Center, based on that date by the time the new arena opens it will be 27 years old. Can we say in unison a wrecking ball might be in the future for Paycom?

Although there’s been no groundbreaking yet it appears this project is full speed ahead. Further south in San Antonio it was mentioned the Spurs looking at Wemby desire a new stadium. This addition to the downtown portion of the city is still in the discussion stages, there appears for now little movement. If we travel east to Philadelphia we discover not a great deal of movement on this project either as this is written. One might express concern as to why the Sixers need a new arena. The Sixers present home Wells Fargo Center is probably adequate however there are other factors to consider. The chief issue they don’t own the building so the Sixers derive no revenue, 76 Place would be theirs exclusively for play dates and the ever-important revenue streams. Musical concerts and other events would surely be scheduled as well. That is all the information for a time, expect to read additional notes soon.