Basketball from a fans perspective

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Stuff I don’t understand

A bunch of things exist we have no comprehension or understanding of the purpose, ESPN’s laid one on me. I could simply ignore it but the question is what’s the intention? For years it seems the worldwide leader has included +/- in their NBA box scores. Allow a further explanation, I knew ahead of time the Spurs lost the game against the Clippers. I decided to check Wemby’s numbers and was amazed that he recorded 9 blocked shots in the game and then it occurred.

At the end of his total was -21, what the heck was that about was my first thought, this is the ESPN explanation. “+/- denotes team’s net points while the player is on the court.” What am I missing here, Gary Payton II scored two points in the Warriors victory over the Wizards for the game his +/- was +4. I am going to ask a few co-workers who like me might be confused by ESPN’s method of assessing a players contribution to the game. On the other hand I could check a few other sites or simply ignore that portion of ESPN’s box.  

Too soon?

Duke’s Cooper Flagg is but 17-years old, you remember he reclassified and technically should be in his senior year of high school. As for the game the 6 foot 9 shooting guard/forward played his first official game Monday night against Maine. The Blue Devils beat Maine 96-62 thanks in part to the game Flagg played, he wasn’t his team’s high scorer preferring to defer his game to teammates. Check this out as he filled the box, 18 points on 6-15 shooting which included 7 rebounds 5 assists and 3 steals.

This effort represented the first regular season game for Flagg, in addition with such a lopsided win I’m unsure the strength of Maine. I declared him “ready for the NBA” however Keenan warned me this is far to early to make that type of declaration. Sometimes I witness play by a prospect and tend to believe “he’s on his way to an outstanding career.” Is Flagg ready for the NBA after all he’s only played a single college game but it appears he’s ready for play at the next level. Check ESPN, Fox Sports and the ACC if you desire to see him in action prior to the NBA.

Nobody knew

This is written November 4, 2024, however this bit of news is just now coming to the forefront. Boston Celtic forward Jayson Tatum says, “I was disappointed the Lakers didn’t draft me.” I was so confused for a minute I had to re-check the 2017 NBA draft history because I just didn’t remember. There it was, smacked me right in the face. The Lakers had the second pick in 2017, they chose Lonzo Ball, the next pick belonged to the Celtics who chose Tatum.

Can I say the Lakers swung and missed on this pick, no doubt Ball possessed talent but this news certainly causes me to ponder “What if.” Of course Ball was exchanged in a trade that brought AD to the Lakers. In 2020 the Lakers won it all in the bubble thanks in part to AD, last season the Celtics won the championship but this is the disparity. Tatum has an opportunity to win several more for the Celtics. Ball’s NBA career is on a thread, if he returned to the Lakers a championship might be possible but not likely. Much as this Laker fan hates to admit it the Celtics clearly won in 2017 and just might continue to win into the future for a time.

You know my saying don’t you…

Without checking I’m unsure who first said it, “I’m from Missouri, you’ve got to Show Me.” I just finished reading a Laker fan website article on Christian Wood. As you are aware surgery has prevented him from playing early season games, it appears his time is a late October early November appearance. I certainly don’t wish to appear negative but I was disappointed by what he exhibited on the court last season. The prior season the 6 foot 8 214 pound Wood had been a sparkplug for the Mavs in the playoffs, in his first for the Lakers I was not impressed by what I saw.

This season there is a different mindset, Wood says he intends to play with a vengeance. Was I expecting too much, perhaps the rotation pattern of the departed Ham didn’t allow Wood to play at his peak. In any event it appears JJ Redick is excited with the prospect of Wood returning to the lineup. Reddick indicates Wood’s game adds a different flavor to the mix. In any event I sure hope the coach is correct because the numbers in Dallas led me to believe the Lakers had signed a stud. What I saw this past season stud might have been changed to dud. In closing I would say to Wood, come one guy prove me wrong.

It's okay you can laugh

While researching I came across this jewel, someone produced the First Team All Name team for college basketball 2024-25. I checked the roster of Rhode Island to make sure no one was playing a joke on me. In addition we are months ahead of April 1 so they must be true, with that said here goes:

Always Wright-guard Rhode Island

Po Boigh King-guard NC Central

Gob Gob-guard Kansas City

Supreme Cook-forward Oregon

Kai Yu-center Liberty

Tennessee Rainwater-guard/forward Utah Tech 

Basketball from a fans perspective

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It begins tonight

Are you ready, college basketball begins tonight with a slate of games scheduled throughout the nation. Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Florida and Alabama are just a few of the schools beginning play. The early portion of the season those above and others generally play a light schedule. Up till now the opposition has been scrimmages against other roster members, now they face real opposition beginning now. Later Kansas will be matched against North Carolina and Duke, Kentucky will also play North Carolina and afterwards it’s Purdue. These games and others will be played before conference play begins business-like in January.

Attention-grabbing 

I’ve mentioned this previously, research has allowed me to stumble onto stories on more than one occasion. What you are about to read is one of those instances. I have no idea how good (or bad) Cal basketball will be for the upcoming season. Despite my statement they likely have a roster containing a few athletes with renown family members. Some reading this might remember Peja Stojakovic, he was a sharpshooting forward for the Kings who spent the bulk of his career during the team’s most successful years to date. Peja has a son on the Cal team, Andrej who is a 6 foot 7 205 pound guard.

I’m sure Cal fans hope Andrej shoots the rock like his dad. Moving on from there also on the roster is Hugh Vandeweghe a 6 foot 7 215 pound forward, his family connection is Uncle Kiki. Kiki first played at UCLA before beginning his NBA career play for several teams. Stephon Marbury II is a 6 foot 1 170 pound point guard, his father Stephon Sr. after playing at Georgia Tech was a member of quite a few NBA teams. The father left the NBA in 2010 and journeyed to China where he became a legendary player in the Chinese Basketball Association. There are likely other basketball programs with similar connections, I thought this story might be noteworthy for some.

He's got goals

During my work career I’ve always been encouraged to set goals. The purpose I believe is to establish a plan which over time will lead to success. In the instance you are about to read it is goal setting however it certainly is a slight bit different. The Warriors Draymond Green has been an integral part of the success of the team over time. Green has long been a source of technical fouls, these have often led to a victory by the opposition.

The NBA doesn’t actually track them however ESPN claims Green has received double-digit techs in each of the last 10 seasons. After your reading check this portion out, “I’m gonna have less than 10 technical fouls this year,” Green said. “I might even make a decision to keep it even less than eight, but I’ve got to make a conscious decision and I don’t even know if I want to keep it at eight. But I’m definitely going to have less than 10."  That's it, his explanation. 

There is no need

You might remember a Top 10 NBA draft pick purchasing a home or a vehicle for his family be it mom or mom and dad. That’s done after signing that first check that says, “welcome you have arrived.” That scenario might play out for a number of 2025 NBA draft picks but not Cooper Flagg. The Duke freshman has been conducting business prior to him being possibly the number one draft choice in 2025. As you are aware Name, Image and Likeness has changed the college landscape significantly.

In late summer you read Flagg signed a shoe and apparel deal with New Balance. Although the company is not on the level of Nike, Air Jordan or Adidas having Cooper endorse their apparel should raise their name in the marketplace. In late October Gatorade made the announcement, they signed Flagg to their brand. In both instances the dollar amount of these agreements is not mentioned, despite the fact we have no idea of the financial arrangement of either they are likely significant. Although he’s certainly not at the level of Patrick Mahomes we could see the number of commercials and guess the amount of money Flagg could potentially earn in the future with a good management team.

JJ Redick’s team

The Lakers opening night roster certainly appears to have JJ Redicks fingerprints all over it. Three roster members will work under 2-way contracts which entails spending time with the South Bay Lakers but could spend up to 50 games with the parent club. Just who are these newbies, first note neither of the three were drafted by the Lakers. A name mentioned much earlier is Christian Koloko who is now cleared to play and is ramping it up with the South Bay Lakers, hopefully at some point in the not too distant future that approval to play should occur. 

Next is French pro player Armel Traore a 6 foot 9 215 pound forward, he went undrafted in 2024. Colin Castleton was waived and a two-way contract was extended to Quincy Olivari a 6 foot 3 point guard. Olivari played at Xavier but like Traore went undrafted in 2024. I can only believe Redick and the coaching staff saw something in these three to believe they had value. This can be affirmed by waiving Castleton despite his 6 foot 10 250 pound size. In spite of my apparent excitement with the beginning of the NBA season I remain in a holding pattern. As I often say, “I’m from Missouri you’ve got to Show Me” which says I expect improved play from the Lakers.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Are they better

The Lakers had an “uneven” win against the Raptors on the road Friday evening, the score 131-125. As this is written it became victory number 4, what about last season? The Lakers have 4 wins and 2 losses, last season they were 3 wins and 3 losses so are they better? That depends on the opposition, after game 6 last season it was a short losing streak before they were able to win another game. I’m really unsure if this years team is better than last season, the two keys LeBron James and AD are one year older.

The key difference I see thus far the coach has maintained the same lineup. If you remember last season former coach Darvin Ham’s starting lineup was always in change. Jarred Vanderbilt continues to remain on the sidelines, it does the Lakers no great favors if their best defender is unable to play. Vanderbilt continues to remain on the day to day list. Christian Wood is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, he is out until late December or early January. The other Christian (Koloko) is working out for the South Bay Lakers, how soon he will be ready for action is unclear as this is written. As a team the Lakers are shooting the 3 better than last season, so concludes this short report.

Bits n Pieces of Information

Nicholas Randall is a 6 foot 7 inch 225 pound forward, he hails from St. Louis although he's at Compass Prep in Chandler Arizona for school. This Class of 2025 prospect verbally committed to Mizzou on Monday which is quite interesting from this perspective. Mizzou’s former coach Cuonzo Martin grew up in the St. Louis area, one of the basis for his hire was the ability to recruit the St. Louis metro. For unexplained reasons Mizzou has never recruited well in St. Louis, which is ripe with high school talent, maybe a change might be forthcoming with the Randall commitment. 

Did you know Duke freshman Cooper Flagg has a twin brother, Ace is a 6 foot 7 180 pound guard. Although they share DNA Ace is not on the same basketball and skill level of Cooper. Ace journeyed to Montverde Academy with his brother but is unranked by prospect sites. In addition he didn’t reclassify as his brother so he is a Class of 2025 prospect. Ace has decided to commit to a school and in this instance he will be returning home. Home for the Flaggs is Newport Maine and Ace indicates he intends to enroll at the University of Maine located in Orono less than 50 miles from his front door in Newport.

This is different, once the NBA season began I noticed a change in the box score. Two websites, espn.com/nba and cbssports.com/nba have changed their box score. In both instances their box scores reflect “positionless” basketball. The names are in the box score as they normally would be however there is no position listed for the player. As an example the Kings box score from the Tuesday game against the Jazz, I cannot determine whether De’Aaron Fox played center or shooting guard. On the Jazz side did Jordan Clarkson play the point or shooting guard? I realize players sometimes play more than one position during a game however I don’t like this change.

The shot clock 

The 24-second shot clock was formally adopted by the NBA in the spring of 1954. Keep in mind the NBA back then contained a smaller number of teams, the NBA championship was concluded in April 1954. The clock would not It come into use until the 1954-55 NBA season, of course this change drastically affected the game. No longer could teams simply stall or hold the ball as would sometimes occur. The instance that stands out possibly occurred in a November 22, 1950, game.

The Fort Wayne Pistons defeated the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18. Yes, that was the final score, it was said the Pistons fearful of the great George Mikan held the ball for minutes without taking a shot. For the entirety of the game the Pistons had a meager 13 shot attempts. Adoption of the clock speeded up the game and accelerated scoring in the NBA. And now we arrive at the 70 year anniversary of the shot clock, and understand this, a shot clock has been adopted in college and at most high schools although there are some exceptions.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

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He’s headed to BYU

The Utah school long associated with the Mountain West and West Coast Conference is now a Big 12 member. The change appears to have affected football and basketball recruiting. Of course it could be coaching which has brought about a change as well. Most familiar with high school prospects are familiar with the name AJ Dybansta, he is considered by all sites number one for 2025. Dybansta attends Utah Prep in Hurricane some 300 road miles south of Salt Lake City.

It turns out a publication I was unfamiliar with has made an interesting observation. Calvin Barrett in lawlessrepublic.com wrote “AJ Dybansta is 100% projected to commit to BYU.” This 6 foot 9 210 pound forward was born and grew up in Brockton MA, his first stop was Prolific Prep in Napa California prior to enrolling at Utah Prep. There you have it, according to Barrett, Dybansta will announce his commitment to attend BYU. Besides the coaching staff at BYU one Calvin Barrett will have his fingers crossed hoping his prediction comes to fruition.

An early look

Sometimes we fail to realize how difficult a jump it is from college or Euro basketball to the NBA, it’s early but a quick look at the top two draft picks in 2024. Zaccharie Risacher was the top pick chosen by the Hawks and Alex Sarr was the second pick by the Wizards. As you might remember both prospects hail from France, in addition should we guess the success of Victor Wembanyama might have been an influence. In any event both 19-year old’s have begun their NBA careers somewhat slowly, Risacher is scoring at a 9.2 ppg clip while Sarr is 8.0.

Talent certainly exists at a different level and as mentioned the adjustment to the NBA. We could use the teammate of Sarr as the example Bilal Coulibaly, last season the guard scored at a 9.1 ppg clip for the Wizards. This season through four games he’s doubled his scoring output (18.8), there could be factors not evident impacting Coulibaly. A portion has got to be adjustment, will he continue at this pace…check back at the end of the season. As for the two rookies profiled Risacher and Sarr unless there are serious concerns about their development we’ll see how each progresses through the season. Even that might not be a true barometer if we look at Coulibaly rookie’s season versus early year two.

The coach or the school

When it comes to college recruitment there is always a question, whether it is the coach or the school. In the instance of UConn it could be both, Dan Hurley and his team are hot commodities these days. Hurley and UConn are coming off back to back NCAA championships so that certainly aids the cause. The latest pledge comes from Jacob Furphy a 6 foot 6 inch wing from Australia if the country and name sound familiar it should.

He's got an older brother Johnny who played his freshman year at Kansas and is now a rookie on the Pacers. Jacob becomes the 4th commit for UConn for 2025 and now they have the number 2 recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports. Furphy’s played for the NBA Global Academy and also with the Australian Youth National Team. This from 247Sports, “While he’s not the most physically gifted or athletic, Furphy uses his acumen and skillset to impact the game as a shooter, facilitator, rebounder and initiator on the court.” So it appears the coach is more comfortable at UConn over the Lakers.

“Make it rain”

There have been NBA players in the past and up to the present with the ability to shoot proficiently. It doesn’t matter whether they are starters or reserve players, it’s been said they “make it rain” as shot after shot finds the bottom of the basket. Buddy Hield is one of those players able to rain down shots since his days at the University of Oklahoma. Tuesday night with Steph Curry sidelined due to injury Hield was inserted into the lineup and did what he always does…score buckets. Hield recorded 28 points on 50% shooting from the floor and a sizzling 63.6% from three and 100% from the line.

Hield’s played for a number of NBA teams but in this instance it’s his value as a shooter that’s made him a prized player over his career. During the summer Hield was traded to the Warriors in a six team trade and was expected to perform in the same manner he exhibited on Tuesday. There have been a few players over the NBA’s history with a game similar to Hield. Hield was a starter in this game however generally he comes off the bench and shoots…and shoots…and shoots. Hield is unlikely to gain admittance to the Hall of Fame however anytime a discussion on lights out shooters in the NBA is held, we must include the name Buddy Hield.

He’s in the Hall of Fame

During a discussion at work I told Charley “I bet you didn’t realize the Kansas City Kings had an opportunity to acquire Moses Malone.” Yes, that Moses Malone, the one who led the Sixers to the 1983 NBA championship, that Moses Malone who was later honored by his selection to the Naismith Hall of Fame. Thanks to researching this issue I came across this fact, it was the 1976 ABA-NBA expansion. The best ABA players were placed in a pool and NBA teams had an opportunity to choose the best based on their won-loss record. In that draft the Bulls chose center Artis Gilmore (in the Naismith Hall) with their initial pick

Next up the Blazers would chose power forward Maurice Lucas. The Kansas City Kings, with the third pick chose 29-year guard Ron Boone, the Pistons chose Marvin Barnes. Then it occurred, the Blazers at five would select the 21-year old Malone. I have no method to prove my point but believe capital might have been the deciding factor. Although we are talking 1976 dollars the salary demanded by a young Malone was likely much higher than Boone would have commanded. Malone was only two years into his career which later resulted in an NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP and later Hall of Fame selection. I’m conducting revision history with this take, the Kings might have remained in Kansas City if ownership hadn’t been so stingy.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday

The coach or the school

When it comes to college recruiting there is always a question, is it the coach or the school. In the instance of UConn it could be both, Dan Hurley and his team are hot commodities these days. Hurley and UConn are coming off back to back NCAA championships so that certainly aids the cause. The latest pledge comes from Jacob Furphy a 6 foot 6 inch wing from Australia if the country and name sound familiar it should.

Jacob’s got an older brother Johnny who played his freshman year at Kansas and is now a rookie on the Pacers. He becomes the 4th commit for UConn for 2025 and now they have the number 2 recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports. Furphy’s played for the NBA Global Academy and also with the Australian Youth National Team. This from 247Sports, “While he’s not the most physically gifted or athletic, Furphy uses his acumen and skillset to impact the game as a shooter, facilitator, rebounder and initiator on the court.” So it appears the coach is more comfortable at UConn over the Lakers.

“Make it rain”

There have been NBA players in the past and up to the present with the ability to shoot proficiently. It doesn’t matter whether they are starters or reserve players, it’s been said they “make it rain” as shot after shot finds the bottom of the basket. Buddy Hield is one of those players able to rain down shots since his days at the University of Oklahoma. Tuesday night with Steph Curry sidelined due to injury Hield was inserted into the lineup and did what he always does…score buckets. Hield recorded 28 points on 50% shooting from the floor and a sizzling 63.6% from three and 100% from the line.

Hield’s played for a number of NBA teams but in this instance it’s his value as a shooter that’s made him a prized player over his career. During the summer Hield was traded to the Warriors in a six team trade and was expected to perform in the same manner he exhibited on Tuesday. There have been a few players over the NBA’s history with a game similar to Hield. Hield was a starter in this game however generally he comes off the bench and shoots…and shoots…and shoots. Hield is unlikely to gain admittance to the Hall of Fame however anytime a discussion on lights out shooters in the NBA is held, we must include the name Buddy Hield.

He’s in the Hall of Fame

During a discussion at work I told Charley “I bet you didn’t realize the Kansas City Kings had an opportunity to acquire Moses Malone.” Yes, that Moses Malone, the one who led the Sixers to the 1983 NBA championship, that Moses Malone who was later honored by his selection to the Naismith Hall of Fame. Thanks to researching this issue I came across this fact, it was the 1976 ABA-NBA expansion. The best ABA players were placed in a pool and NBA teams had an opportunity to choose the best based on their won-loss record. In that draft the Bulls chose center Artis Gilmore (in the Naismith Hall) with initial pick

Next up the Blazers would chose power forward Maurice Lucas. The Kansas City Kings, with the third pick chose 29-year guard Ron Boone, the Pistons chose Marvin Barnes. Then it occurred, the Blazers at five would select the 21-year old Malone. I have no method to prove my point but believe capital might have been the deciding factor. Although we are talking 1976 dollars the salary demanded by a young Malone was likely much higher than Boone would have commanded. Malone was only two years into his career which later resulted in an NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP and later Hall of Fame selection. I’m conducting revision history with this take, the Kings might have remained in Kansas City if ownership hadn’t been so stingy.

Bits n Pieces of Information

Nicholas Randall is a 6 foot 7 inch 225 pound forward, he hails from St. Louis although he’s at Compass Prep in Chandler Arizona. This Class of 2025 prospect verbally committed to Mizzou on Monday which is quite interesting from this perspective. Mizzou’s former coach Cuonzo Martin grew up in the St. Louis area, one of the basis for his hire was the ability to recruit the St. Louis metro. For unexplained reasons Mizzou has never recruited well in St. Louis, which is ripe with high school talent, maybe a change might be forthcoming with the Randall commitment. 

On Wednesday you might have read “A medical issue for Big Men.” somewhat connected to that account is this Laker Big Man story. The Lakers received positive news on Tuesday, you remember the story regarding Christian Koloko? The 7 foot 1 235 pound Koloko originally drafted and signed by the Raptors has a 7 and ½ inch wingspan, he’s been medically cleared by the NBA to play. Naturally, his conditioning is not up to par so expect to see him in the South Bay lineup getting his game up to speed. My best guess we’ll see Koloko in the Laker lineup sooner rather than later although Jaxson Hayes has provided a degree of depth at the post giving Anthony Davis relief.

Did you know Duke freshman Cooper Flagg has a twin brother, Ace is a 6 foot 7 180 pound guard. Although they share DNA Ace is not on the same basketball and skill level of Cooper. Ace journeyed to Montverde Academy with his brother but is unranked by prospect sites. In addition he didn’t reclassify as his brother so he is a Class of 2025 prospect. Ace has decided to commit to a school and in this instance he will be returning home. Home for the Flaggs is Newport Maine and Ace indicates he intends to enroll at the University of Maine located in Orono less than 50 miles from his front door in Newport.

This is different, once the NBA season began I noticed a change in the box score. Two websites, espn.com/nba and cbssports.com/nba have changed their box score. In both instances their box scores reflect “positionless” basketball. The names are in the box score as they normally would be however there is no position listed for the player. As an example the Kings box score from the Tuesday game against the Jazz, I cannot determine whether De’Aaron Fox played center or shooting guard. On the Jazz side did Jordan Clarkson play the point or shooting guard? I realize players sometimes play more than one position during a game however I don’t like this change.