Basketball from a fans perspective

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There are others

At a point in time big men began to play a much larger (get it) role in basketball. I’ve mentioned this previously the old adage, “A little man must prove he can play while a Big Man must prove he can’t.” Fortunately there remain a wealth of talented players who are 6 feet and smaller in stature. As you are aware the Cavs have gotten off to one of the best starts in NBA history as they prepared for their Wednesday game.

Understand this they had 17 wins under their belt with only a single loss. As the evening closed they lost their second game of the season and first at home to the Hawks. Hawks guard Trae Young was the culprit as the 6 foot 1 (185.42 cm) point guard scored 20 points and dished out 22 assists. The assist number is the largest single game assist record thus far, Hawks 135 Cavs 124. I should also mention point guard Trae Young checks in at 164 pounds (74.3891 kg). In Memphis Scotty Pippen Jr. continues to prove he belongs in the NBA, 19 points 7 rebounds and 4 assists. The 7 rebounds are an interesting number for a 6 foot 1 (185.42 cm) point guard who checks in at 170 pounds (77.1107 kg).

Operating under a two-way contract Yuki Kawamura must have been impressive enough to earn a roster position with the Grizzlies. Because Morant and Pippen Jr. are in front of him on the depth chart Kawamura’s time has been limited but the 5 foot 8 (172.72 cm) point guard must have earned the trust of the coaching staff. So there you have it, Kawamura, Young and Pippen Jr. plus other players of smaller stature provide us proof there remains a place for “little men” in basketball and the NBA.

Not what I expected

By now the beat down administered by the Suns is a memory, not for me. The reason this is written Wednesday morning after the Tuesday loss. It’s still early but perhaps the Lakers fooled me, maybe they are not as competitive as I first believed. Durant and Beal returning to the Suns lineup after injury plus Devin Booker…too much for the Lakers but where does that leave them? In the West the Thunder, Rockets, Grizzlies and the surprising Warriors appear better at least for now. You noticed I didn’t include the Nuggets in the count, they are not playing proper basketball.

Their coach has indicated this in a recent press conference, I believe eventually they will return to play at a championship level. I wonder if it matters much since the Nuggets appear to have the Lakers number. Where does that leave my team, at this point battling the Clippers, Kings, Mavs and Wolves for a playoff spot? Did I leave anybody out, as you can see the West is certainly more competitive than the East. Any attempt for a playoff berth this season will require a Herculean effort by the Lakers. Can it be accomplished, of course, however, they can afford few beat downs similar to the one they experienced this past Tuesday.

The Great Escape

The headline is not a reference to the 1963 classic movie by the same title but it could have been. The final score read Kansas 75 Duke 72 and a last second miss by Duke might have sent the game into overtime. The game was almost a tale of two halves, it was all Kansas in the first half and practically all Duke in the second. I’m sure those reading the last sentence will disagree however it’s based on one fact alone. The first half of the game saw the Blue Devils shooting in the 30 some percentage range, they ended the game shooting 50% from the floor with 42.3% from three.

The Blue Devils actually outshot Kansas from the floor by a bit (49.1%). The stifling defense of Kansas sometimes double teaming Cooper Flagg took him completely out of his game. Although he only scored 13 points Flagg managed to shoot 50% for the game. Hunter Dickinson center for Kansas was ejected from the game with a flagrant foul, how much that impacted the outcome is an unknown for me. Dickinson after a fast start offensively was 0 for 5 from the floor at a point, he finished the night with 11 points shooting 36% from the floor. Kansas received help from KJ Adams, Zeke Mayo and Dajuan Harris Jr. allowing them to win this tough battle and permitting the win. Until someone beats them Kansas deserves its number one ranking among all schools.  

Too much

Writing this I am reminded of the old adage, “A coach (manager) receives too much credit when his team wins and too much blame when they lose.” In this case am I giving interim coach Mitch Johnson too much credit for the recent success of the Spurs? As most are aware legendary coach Pop has been sidelined with a health issue, he is reported to have suffered a minor stroke. When or if he returns the Spurs leadership is clearly in the hands of Johnson. I knew nothing about Johnson so a decision was made to uncover a few facts about him.

He’s 37-years old and was a point guard at Stanford, he went undrafted in the 2009 NBA draft. Johnson played one season in the G-League and from there moved into the coaching ranks in 2016. His first job was an assistant with the Austin Spurs of the G-League, in 2019 he moved over to the parent team as an assistant. On November 2 Johnson was named interim coach due to Pop’s medical condition. This is not the same Spurs team as in Wemby’s rookie season, his play has improved. In addition to that veteran Harrison Barnes and wily point guard Chris Paul have been added to the roster. The Spurs drafted ROY contender Stephon Castle and he is playing valued minutes. As you can see the Spurs are improved on the court, I ask you can part of the resurgence be attributed to coach Johnson you decide?