Basketball from a fans perspective

Published daily except Tuesdays & Thursdays

WOW!!!

One of these things is not like the other, a new NBA arena in OKC, San Antonio and Philly. If you guessed Philly you might have been shocked as I was upon hearing the news. For months it seems we’ve been reading about the Sixers desire for their own arena in downtown Philadelphia. On Sunday came the news that 76 Place will only exist in our memory, the Sixers will remain at Wells Fargo Center at least for now. You might remember a major reason for this venture Sixer management wanted to play in a building they owned. The Sixers share Wells Fargo with the NHL Flyers and other events, naturally ownership of the arena would allow the Sixers the best dates they desired which doesn’t exist.  

The news which shocked all except the insiders is this, the Sixers ownership and Comcast have agreed to build a new arena in South Philly. In a strange twist NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell were directly involved in the conclusion of this project. In an unusual resolution it now appears the Sixers will eventually play in their own arena however it will not be in the area of the city they first planned. The victor (if there is one) in this wrestling match is yet to be determined, as additional details are made known I will attempt to update you. So it would appear for now the issue of a new arena for the Sixers is technically resolved. Anything at this point from me would be pure speculation which I will not delve into until more detail is provided.

The first installment

Some might remember in the initial Matrix, the plot was to determine if Mr. Anderson was The One. I don’t remember now in what portion the other characters discovered he was the one, even Neo wasn’t sure himself doubting it up to a point. The question for the University of Missouri, is Dennis Gates “The One," the one who will establish a long run of successful basketball teams? Much of Mizzou Nation hopes that is the case because the history for basketball has not been very stable since Stewart left the scene back in 1999.

For some of you unfamiliar with the name, Norm Stewart served as Mizzou basketball coach from 1967-1999. During his time at the helm a number of quality teams and players led Mizzou to Big 8 Championship seasons, however the NCAA tourney was a far different matter. Ever since the forced retirement of Stewart it seems there have been continuing issues with a succession of coaches. There have been 6 head coaches hired who either were fired, resigned or took other head coaching positions after several years. The number might not seem like a massive number based on the years however it appeared none of the hires were able to provide stability or better yet able to build a cohesive program. It wasn’t all bad, Mizzou turned out some competitive teams, in addition there were a number of talented players who managed NBA careers.

Dennis Gates was hired with few players remaining on the roster, despite this fact he was able to lead the team to a successful season and an NCAA invitation in his first year.. Last season a series of injuries caused the team to flat out stink, they failed to win a single conference game. If you check the history numbers only Kim Anderson, who was a disaster, and Dennis Gates thanks to last season have losing records. Despite what you just read in my last statement just like in The Matrix movie and it’s sequels Dennis Gates is The One.

Am I off base?

A friend voiced objection to my concern, apparently he didn’t agree with me which is okay. A .com site listed the top 10 high school basketball players in the State of Missouri. After checking the list I found it objectionable for this reason alone. 5 of the 10 athletes they named attend Link Academy in Branson Missouri. For those who might not be familiar with Link it’s comparable to Montverde, Oak Hill, Montrose and other prep schools across the nation.

This is my objection, of the 5 athletes named none have home Missouri zip codes. Don’t misunderstand my rant, for me this is not a talent issue rather it’s a location issue. Because the roster is comprised of non-Missouri residents it’s not valid to me. I realize some of you reading this believe I am being too fussy in my observation, it’s possible a number of you don’t agree with my take and that’s okay too. My question to you who live in Florida, Virginia and other portions of the nation, do you have a similar circumstance in your area of the nation?

The problematic Jimmy Butler

I held off any discussion surrounding the Pat Riley-Jimmy Butler feud because I was awaiting a resolution. It remains unresolved however it’s my belief the Heat will make a trade, the bigger question who can afford Butler? In this instance his huge remuneration might be secondary to the “baggage” which might be included. Drafted by the Bulls in 2011 after 6 seasons he evidently decided The Windy City didn’t suit him. It was on to the Wolves, he only lasted there a season after calling out Karl-Anthony Towns and others on the team. Next stop it was the Sixers in 2018, he didn’t last long in Philadelphia either.

It was reported he turned down a contract extension, next stop South Beach in 2019. He’s been suspended by the Heat and President Pat Riley for “Conduct unbecoming” that’s the military term. Nowhere in this story have I stated Jimmy Butler couldn’t play, far from it he is one of the most talented players in the NBA. Beyond that issue he’s become a thorn in the side of another franchise. This series of events will end, I’ve read and heard comments from former NBA players. They have lined up behind Butler claiming Riley is old school in his dealings with Butler. I cannot counter that argument, the one thing Riley remains the decision maker, based on that fact alone Butler’s time with the Heat will be over before the NBA’s trade deadline.