Basketball from a fans perspective

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End of the Road

By now you realize my continuing fascination with tying a basketball story to a movie or music. That is the case here, In 1992 the R&B group Boyz II Men had a smash hit titled End of the Road, but in 2024 the question is asked again. Has Russell Westbrook reached the End of the Road for his NBA career? The leagues former MVP has slipped several notches since that time, as example the latest. The Clippers and Jazz agreed to a sign and trade deal, it is being reported Westbrook will be waived and he will then join the Nuggets. How many teams is it now, allow a count.

Drafted by the Thunder in 2008, it was later the Rockets, then the Wizards, Lakers and Clippers and now Jazz then Nuggets. Will Westbrook help the Nuggets of course he will but the player we witnessed play for the Thunder no longer exists. He will turn 36-years old during the season and the question is asked again. Westbrook has more games behind him than in front of him. As for when he eventually signs with the Nuggets I said he’d help. If he is expected to replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope I have my doubts. The area missing most from his game is shooting…the only way Westbrook scores now is drives to the basket. Teams now fail to cover him from distance realizing one fact. He was never a good shooter, over time whatever was left has disappeared.

The before and the after 

Bronny James followed his “breakout game” with another sterling effort. In this game against the Cavs it was 13 points on 5 for 10 from the floor. Keep in mind the numbers are not going to boggle you however it appears…it appears Bronny’s made adjustments. After appearing lost and sometimes confused early in his first few games the last two Summer League games have been wins for the team and Bronny. Check this out, it was 4.3 ppg and 23% from the floor.

It’s now 12.5 ppg and 48% shooting. Please don’t become confused in this account, I continue to believe what most in sports media are saying Bronny will spend the bulk of his year with the South Bay Lakers. If this sounds as an excuse so be it and I’m repeating it again. As a reserve player at Southern Cal he hardly saw the court, Bronny must spend major minutes in the G-League adjusting to the NBA game. He appears to have all the tools to play at the NBA level but again the warning. Don’t expect him to duplicate the game of his father, they are two far different basketball players.

Yes it’s me, but maybe you too

As a basketball fan I’ve always been preoccupied with height. The game, at least in the modern era, has traveled in that direction, what I’ve read it was the late 1940’s before a players stature became important. I suppose back then it was “Can you play the game.” I came across this in reading and wanted to share it with you. While playing with Team USA Kevin Durant declared Joel Embiid is not 7 feet tall. Durant stated he’s 6 foot 9 and Embiid cannot be that tall. This is what I find interesting about the statement, I’ve been reading for years opposing players have claimed Durant is 6 foot 11 and not the 6 foot 9 listed on his bio. Around this same time the photo of the French Olympic team was released.

I said if Rudy Gobert is actually 7 foot 1 then Wemby is closer to 7 foot 5, on the other hand is Gobert as tall as indicated? There are numerous other examples, Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey measures 7 foot 4 but is he really that tall? At the University of Florida 7 foot 9 Oliver Rioux has arrived on campus ready to play in the fall. I’m going to close this exercise, Mizzou freshman Peyton Marshall measures 7 feet tall although one sight claims he’s actually 6 foot 10. I’ve told this story before and its repeated here regarding Willis Reed. While the Knick great was attending college at Grambling his coach once asked him, “How tall are you?” Reed was reported to have said “6 foot 9.” The coach made this statement, “You are 6 foot 10, they (NBA) will pay you more at that height.” Maybe you are like me fixated with the height of Big Men basketball players.

The French Invasion

If you thought we witnessed the last of the French imports in the NBA draft you can forget that. I was looking ahead to the 2025 draft and discovered there are a couple of more prospects on the way. At this point I have no idea if 2024 picks Zaccharie Risacher or Alex Sarr will become stars, despite this fact some decision maker must have thought they had ability since they were drafted 1 and 2 in the first round. Guess what, there are two more French players projected as lottery choices.

They are Nolan Traore who is a 6-foot 4 185-pound point guard. Traore is from Chennevieres-sur-Marne which I’ve read is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris. The mock draft site nbadraft.net projects him as the 6th pick in 2025. He is joined by Noa Essengue a 6-foot 10 200 pound forward, home for Essengue is Orleans in North Central France, he’s projected as the 11th pick in the first round. As you can see French prospects are going to continue to arrive on these shores.  

How many…..a bunch

I actually begin this account in another direction but shifted the focus. How many college basketball coaches do you believe are presently serving, is the total number 600 or maybe it’s 900 or more? By the information I uncovered there are more than 1,300 men’s coaches across the landscape of the nation. Even more interesting, the most high-profile Division I programs are not the largest number. D-I is represented by Duke, UCLA, Kansas and others.

There are 362 coaches and programs at present at Division I. The next level is Division II, there are 304 coaches and programs, we have West Virginia State, Southern Nazarene, University of MO-St. Louis and more. This next level is what I found most surprising, Division III which I believe offers no scholarships total 424. Schools at this level are NYU, Randolph-Macon, Keene State and more the largest single number. There are 230 NAIA coaches and programs, examples at this level of competition are Arkansas Baptist, Baker University, Central Methodist University and more.