Basketball from a fans perspective

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Do you remember

A few weeks ago the mayor of Philadelphia called a press conference. Mayor Sherelle Parker announced the Sixers new arena would not be constructed in New Jersey although she didn’t mention the opposition bid. Mayor Parker indicated there was an agreement made between her and the Sixers, therefore the $1.5 billion 76Place arena would be constructed in the city. The mayor further indicated the agreement would be presented to the city council the following week.

So we had a done deal however it quickly unraveled, a representative of merchants in the Chinatown portion of the city came forth and indicated they would contest the decision. Now a second (or is it third) group have surfaced with the intent to fight this effort. A group of Philadelphia clergymen have come forward expressing their concerns regarding the project. Legislation plans are to be presented for action later this month is the latest word. The timeline we presume of the Sixers indicates the new arena should be ready by the start of the 2031-32 NBA season, stay tuned for further developments on this ever changing story.

Who are they

Anthony Davis is one of my favorite Laker players, he’s got skill but there is a glitch. More than once in the past AD has expressed the fact he doesn’t like playing center although he stands 6 foot 10 and 253 pounds. As this is written it appears he will man the post again in the 2024-25 season but what about the future? Could the Lakers choose one or more of the following, I decided to take a look at the projected top Big Men who could appear in the 2025 NBA draft. Most names are probably unfamiliar to us but here goes anyway.

Thanks to nbadraftroom.com these names are considered the top Big Men prospects for 2025. At the top of the list is Rocco Zikarsky, this Australian youngster is 18-years old and plays for the Brisbane Bullets. Zikarsky stands 7 foot 3 and 227 pounds, he played first at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra Australia. If Zikarsky is drafted don’t expect him to arrive and take over but he is a talent. Next up is a name covered previously Khaman Maluach, he’s a freshman at Duke. Maluach stands 7 foot 2 and 235 pounds, he’s from South Sudan and arrives at Duke from the NBA Academy in Africa. 

Up next is Zvonimir Ivisic a 7 foot 3 220 pound center, he hails from Croatia…his talent will be on display at Arkansas this upcoming season. At Kansas will be Flory Bidunga from the Congo, Bidunga is 6 foot 10 and 220 pounds. Bidunga will also be moved slowly adjusting to basketball at the collegiate level. Last on the list of Top 5 post players is Patrick Ngongba II who will also play for Duke. He’s 6 foot 11 and 235 pounds, Ngongba is from Fairfax Virginia. Perhaps one are more of these prospects will have a breakout season and head for the NBA. In addition there might be someone else like Hansen Yang 7-1 Big Man from China or Ryan Kalkbrenner also 7-1 who plays at Creighton.

Dinosaur?

You remember them don’t you…that group of “experts” who made the claim? They said “Zach Edey’s game is a throwback to the early days of basketball, no one plays like that now. Why in the world did the Grizzlies draft him at 9?” The Lakers drafted Dalton Knecht with the 17th pick, my hope was Edey wouldn’t be chosen extremely high therefore the Lakers would have an opportunity to draft him. The guy who returned to school last year because he wasn’t ready apparently is now. Keep in mind the season is just now starting although Edey’s exhibited some rather strong play to date in the exhibition season.

Currently his post-up numbers are higher than The Joker and Embiid, they will go down once the season begins but at this pace his game is NBA ready. One additional area is his hook shot, standing 7 feet 4 and 305 pounds he's almost immovable to dislodge him once he’s established position. Before you go running off searching for his rookie card these final words. I have no intention of misleading you, given time it’s my belief Edey will become a force in the NBA. Is he Kareem, Shaq or Hakeem in the post…nope but he will continue to refine his game. The NBA should wake up and take notice of this budding talent I did from his junior year at Purdue on.

The future

I shared my thoughts regarding the Clippers with a friend and I am now sharing them with you. I told him as much as I hate to admit it the last few years the Clippers playoff outlook was much brighter than my Lakers. As for the future of the Clippers (barring free agent signings or dynamite draft picks) the future is not so bright. There is 33-year old Kawhi Leonard with a history of injury…some have kept him out of the lineup for major portions of the season. The majority of this was written prior to the news Leonard would be sidelined at least through the early portion of the season. Behind him is 35-year old James Harden who remains a talent too but certainly no longer the 2018 NBA MVP James Harden.

After losing veterans Paul George in free agency and trading Russell Westbrook who remains. If I check ESPN’s depth chart they place Terrance Mann in the starting lineup at shooting guard along with Derrick Jones Jr. at the small forward. Both players are serviceable NBA veterans however neither is likely to frighten an opposing team. The balance of the team plus reserve players don’t strike fear in the heart of anyone. If I am in the shoes of Lawrence Frank I am preparing for the 2024-25 season with an eye on pending free agents for 2026 and beyond. Despite what might appear a doom & gloom report the Clippers could shock me and everyone else. They could earn a playoff berth as for championship aspirations that is highly unlikely for the foreseeable future. With that said they should enjoy their first season playing in the Intuit Dome.