Basketball from a fans perspective

This is the reason

It is unclear whether Stephen A. Smith was targeting Bronny or LeBron James in his remarks. What is certain, however, is that Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the NBA’s premier players. As an NBA Champion and perennial All-Star, Giannis has earned numerous accolades. Additionally, several of his brothers have been on NBA rosters at various times, though their current status requires further research. One of Giannis's brothers played for the Lakers, although he did not frequently appear on the court. The relevance of this to Bronny James lies in the question of whether the Antetokounmpo brothers were in the NBA due to Giannis's success or their own merits.

Stephen A. Smith is known to have a contentious relationship with LeBron James. While the draft status of the Antetokounmpo brothers remains uncertain, it is clear they once held positions within the NBA. The debate continues as to whether their presence was attributed to Giannis's influence or their individual talents. Regarding Bronny James, I have previously stated that he could benefit from an additional year of college play. I maintain that perspective, believing he may not yet be prepared for the rigors of daily NBA competition. Nonetheless, based on his performance with the South Bay Lakers, Bronny demonstrates significant potential.

You either do or you don’t 

I've read your letters, and many of you complain about college basketball as much as the NBA. It's not my job to make you appreciate the game; you either do or you don't. Most complaints might be valid from your perspective but differ from true college basketball fans' views. Some common issues include name, image, and likeness rights. Many claim, "It's ruined college basketball." Similar concerns were raised about NBA early entry, saying, "It will ruin college basketball," or "They're not attending classes for the spring semester because they're headed for the NBA."

Regarding name, image, and likeness, consider that college coaches earn significant pay through their players' efforts and can leave with a contract buyout. Pay for play arose because an athlete wasn’t compensated for his image being used in a product. Another major complaint is the transfer portal. It's not perfect but prevents issues like those Mizzou faced when two transferring players received inconsistent rulings on their eligibility. One was allowed to play immediately the other was not, this was not a classroom issue or anything similar. One concern with the portal is that players should only play for two teams unless there are extenuating circumstances. Currently, several players are playing for their third or fourth team. After reading you still dislike college basketball, that's okay; this blog is not for you.

The third option

Is Austin Reaves a viable third option for the Lakers? This question arises considering LeBron James and Luka Doncic are your starters. Please not that this analysis is written ahead of the publish date, so some of the statistics may have changed by the time you read this. Currently, Reaves is having a career season, even with LeBron and Luka on the roster. is being asked based on having LeBron James and Luka Doncic as starters. This is written ahead of the publish date so a portion of the numbers might be changed by the time you read this so keep that in mind. His career scoring average is 13.2 points…he is currently averaging nearly 20 points per game.

Reaves is shooting 36% from three so there is that element of his game. He can score baskets, the former Oklahoma guard has proven that but what about the other stuff? The other stuff being the defensive side of his game, the 6 foot 5 Reaves is not the top defender at shooting guard in the NBA. Despite this fact he’s not as bad as some would have you believe. Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are league leaders at a 109 score, Reaves at 117.9 is number 18 in the NBA. I mentioned this once before, Laker great Magic Johnson once stated, “I wasn’t a good defender but I learned how to play team defense.” This has been an interesting journey for Reaves…undrafted because he told NBA teams “I want to make the choice myself.” Free agent signing with the Lakers and the rest of the story is still being written.

“He wouldn’t do that…would he?”

We are at the end of the college basketball season, the NCAA Champion will not be crowned until the first weekend in April, then the drama begins. Decisions will be made by a number of basketball players, “Should I declare for the NBA draft?” One of those names we follow is Cooper Flagg, his decision might be more critical than others considering he’s the top projected pick. What about this possibility occurring, the NBA Draft Lottery is held May 12, the last date to withdraw from the draft is June 15.

Let’s suppose Flagg aware of which team has the top pick decides “I don’t want to go there or play for them.” He could return to Duke for his sophomore year as he’s suggested on at least two occasions the past few weeks. This is a different age, Flagg is being compensated financially with NIL and New Balance Apparel. Someone might question the injury issue if he should return to Duke and that certainly is a possibility. What do you think, am I off base with the portrait I am attempting to paint? Perhaps Flagg is thinking NBA all along and I am the one inventing a story that’s not there.