Basketball from a fans perspective

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How hot you ask

The daytime temp on our nearest neighbor the planet Venus is 462 degrees Celsius (864 degrees Fahrenheit). Guess what I just read, there is little difference between the daytime and nighttime temperature. The Cleveland Cavs are not that hot only slightly below, on Monday evening they won game number 12, they have not lost a game since the season has begun. How its done, “teamwork makes the dream work,” of course it’s much more involved than simply rolling the ball on the court. This start is the most in the NBA since the 2015-16 Warriors who streak out to a 24-0 record, they finished the season 73-9 setting a record. This Cavs team is led by guard Donovan Mitchell and his 23.7 ppg average but leading the way from the bench is coach Kenny Atkinson who’s had a couple of stops in the NBA. Is this regular season Cavs or playoff Cavs, that is yet to be determined.

No, he’s not there yet

A .com site named The Bounce posed the question in this manner, “Is Anthony Edwards the next Steph Curry?” The account detailed how Ant Man is shooting three’s at an increasing number, at the same time he’s not just jacking up shots. His shot from distance is at an outstanding percentage, the question is that enough? For me it’s a No, he’s not there…yet. Before I began a comparison I wish to look at the detail of an athletes complete game. Over the course of his career Curry has been such a prolific shooter as it tends to blind us to other aspects of his game, I certainly plead guilty. An early season game would see Curry not shooting effectively at the beginning of the game so what did he do?

He began to skillfully pass the ball to teammates aiding their scoring thus leading to a win for his Dubs. What did I do, consult the latest stats to help prove my point. Leaving the scoring out of the equation we discover in 7 games Curry is dishing out 6.3 assists a game, that’s good if we add in his scoring. There is no disagreement Ant Man is an amazing talent what about the other stuff? In 10 games he’s played thus far his assist number is 3.8 a game, certainly a respectable number. I know what you are saying I’m comparing a point guard (Curry) to a shooting guard which is true however I didn’t begin this comparison The Bounce did.

Playing the point

I wrote of the Spurs game recently that Chris Paul was in action, he is the last. No, it’s got nothing to do with his age although just like LeBron he’s also 39. We’ve discussed the change in basketball over the years and there are a number we could point toward. The decline of post play, the emphasis on 3 point shooting and the disappearance of the true point guard. All NBA rosters today contain point guards however do they fit the role of Bob Cousy, Lenny Wilkens plus many others of the past? The Dubs have Steph Curry, in Indiana there is Tyrese Haliburton…Thunder fans love the play of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.

SGA as he's nicknamed is the best combo guard in the NBA today. Is Jamal Murray or D’Lo point guards in the traditional sense…I’ll answer with an emphatic NO. The key difference as I see it is the combo guard looking for his shot as much as passing the basketball. In the days of Cousy and Wilkens the responsibility of a point guard was to sit up a team’s offense. Don’t misunderstand or believe this is a complaint, rather it’s a compliment on the change. A number of point guards in the 1950’s couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean. This was not their fault it was the manner the game was played in those days. I’d rather have 5 on 5 play rather than 4 on 4 strictly due to the offensive capability.

Why now…not then 

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are in the Naismith Hall of Fame, Pierce is also in the College Basketball HOF as well, that offers proof of their ability. What about prior to the NBA you might ask, well Pierce attended classes at Kansas for three years and decided to head for the NBA. As for Garnett he was one of the few that headed for the NBA immediately after high school. The route utilized by Garnett is no longer available, we have the 1 year rule after high school to adhere to. Where am I going with this rant, back to Garnett and Pierce, especially Garnett.

*“Some of these kids I’m watching now, I’m like, ‘They don’t need to go to college.’ He (Cooper Flagg) didn’t. AJ Dybantsa…he’s another problem right now. Why we waiting’?” For those unfamiliar with his name the 6 foot 9 200 pound Dybantsa is the top prospect for 2025 on everyone’s prospect website. Although I agree with both Garnett and Pierce there are elements that state it ain’t gonna occur. The first and most formidable is the NBAPA i.e., players association. Every time the issue of allowing high school players in the draft the union has expressed opposition to a change in the present policy. There is no disagreement with them on the matter, if they believe these youngsters are NBA ready then it is possible they are.

*nbaonclutchpoints.com