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.  

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”

The 1966 Clint Eastwood movie classic reminds me of what I witnessed on Friday evening. The Good: That would be Laker rookie Dalton Knecht and his smooth shooting. Once again he led the team in scoring with his 25 points and his percentage from the field was much improved. I could easily be fooled however it is clear he should find a spot in the Lakers rotation. JJ Redick must see a portion of his game in the youngster indicating he intends to draw plans for Knecht 4. The Bad: I realize this is Summer League play and there is no time for practice or to work on specific aspects of the game. For the most part the Lakers on the floor appeared totally different than their Rocket counterparts.

There were a few bright spots for the Lakers however for the most part the execution offensively and defensively was only average. I’m unsure of all the Rockets who played as a team they looked more efficient in both areas as they won the game 99-80. The Ugly: I hope this doesn’t appear to be piling on Bronny James, the youngster shot terrible from the floor. He is spot on defensively and has no issue sharing the basketball with teammates. As for the shooting he began the game something like 2 for 4 from the field, from that point on it was all downhill. Bronny finished the game 3 for 14 from the floor and 0 for 8 from three. I admit my guilt, the ESPN hype has captured my attention. The young man is a second-round draft pick which should give us an idea of his ability, he’s not a lottery pick despite ESPN. Next up for the Lakers is the Boston Celtics on Monday.

Who is it

The best NBA player from France ever, that’s easy its Tony Parker. The Spurs drafted Parker in 2001 and he played for them through 2018. Playing the point guard position he was key to four of the Spurs championships won in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014. You might wonder the point I’m attempting here, the NBA draft last month saw two players from France drafted 1-2. I’m watching a Summer League game as the Hawks battle the Wizards, number one draft pick Zaccharie Risacher faced number two draft pick Alex Sarr in the game.

Risacher would score 18 points for the Hawks while Sarr had 12 for his Wizards. The Wizards won the game Friday evening 94-88, this might be the first of what may be countless games these French youngsters might face against each other. As for the question I posed at the beginning of this story, the best NBA player to date ever to emerge from France has been Tony Parker however that might not be for very much longer. There’s a very tall guy by the name of Victor Wembanyama who is in the running for the best French NBA player but he’s got company. Tonight a television audience and those inside Thomas & Mack Arena saw Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr competing for the best NBA player France has ever produced.

The “other” rookie

The spotlight for the Lakers after the draft and Summer League play has brought on scrutiny focused on Bronny James. The reason for this is clear, he’s the son of LeBron James, father and son teammates. Although much was discussed and written about Dalton Knecht picked at 17 he was just about ignored. That echoes Knecht’s early basketball…being ignored, the second-round pick (B. James) receiving more attention than your first-round pick. Graduation from high school saw 0 offers for the youngster, that’s the basis for him attending and playing at junior college. From there it was Northern Colorado a Division I school for two seasons and finally Tennessee.

He’s “old” by rookie standards, in April Knecht observed his 23rd birthday. If you check mock draft sites most placed him as high as the 5th pick and the highest might have been somewhere in the Top 10. The Lakers must have been quite excited to draft him with pick 17. His Summer League play has begun rather slow however his third game might provide us a look at his inclusion in the Laker rotation. The shooting from the field could still be improved however it was 20 points, 9 rebounds and one assist. As for his field goal percentage I am comforted with the fact it will improve. Comfortable enough to believe as a member of Laker Nation I have reservations about the upcoming season. I have a bunch of questions, none of them related to Knecht 4.

It’s a different time

There is no basis for the issue, it could be social media or just the fact communications have exploded. This matter seems to occur in the NBA over NFL football or MLB. A fan or sometimes a former professional decides X player’s skill set would not allow him to play in this age. In this instance it involves three Naismith Hall of Fame players Dennis Rodman, Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas. Rodman announces to the world, “If Larry Bird was active today he’d be playing in Europe.”

Rodman was arguing the point we often here expressed today, players of the past could not translate their skill and talent level to the NBA game of today. Animosity exists between Rodman and Bird which could have carried over from their playing days, who knowns, perhaps that might be the basis for this take to a degree. Guess who comes to the rescue defending Bird…his former adversary Isiah Thomas. Realize this, Rodman and Thomas were once teammates when they both played for the Pistons. Thomas called out Rodman indicating he was wrong about the ability of Bird. These types of arguments will continue into infinity without any sort of resolution. It makes me wonder sometimes the basis for them.