Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Tuesday, Thursday plus Saturday & Sunday

His destination was the Knicks...then it wasn't

He’s got four NBA Championships and two MVP trophy’s on his resume, Steph Curry is in the twilight of his NBA career as this story is presented. The only problem, I cannot document if the series of events unfolded in the manner I am about to impart to you. This we do know, Curry’s headed for the College and Naismith Hall of Fame after he retires one day but that’s another story. How did he wind up with the Warriors is the question, he wanted the Knicks and they wanted him. The 2009 NBA Draft saw Curry high on everyone’s scouting report. Nobody was going to be drafted ahead of Blake Griffin at the top however there were questions behind him, the Grizzlies had the second pick and wanted Curry. The Grizzlies indicated without a workout they were unwilling to draft him, it seems dad Dell didn’t like the fit for his son in Memphis, the pick for the Grizzlies would become Tyreke Evans.

Up next were the Wolves and they did something really strange, they drafted Rickey Rubio from Spain and with the following pick Jonny Flynn both point guards. We are at the 7th pick and the Warriors, the Knicks have the 8th pick. Don Nelson former coach and then working in the Warriors front office wanted Curry principally because he was acquainted with father Dell and had known Steph as a toddler, Del always had Steph around the game from an early age. It was said Nelson was aware that the Knicks wanted Curry, the diminutive point guard had even indicated a desire to play for the Knicks in Mike D’Antoni’s high powered offense. Draft night commissioner David Stern went to the mic and made this announcement; “With the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft the Golden State Warriors select Stephen Curry from Davidson College.” The following pick made by the Knicks was Jordan Hill who lasted but one season with the Knicks. Thus ends the story why Curry never managed to call Madison Square Garden home although that might have been his initial choice.

Is his issue resolved? 

Over the past few weeks, Jazz draft pick Ace Bailey has attracted national attention for his actions off the court rather than on it. For those who might be unfamiliar with the story Bailey was chosen this past Wednesday as the 5th pick by the Jazz, a selection he objected to, along with several other teams. He had previously voiced objections and even refused to work out for a team. This is written early Saturday morning, media reports on Friday indicated that Bailey was headed to Salt Lake City to meet with Jazz team officials.

This issue is not an anomaly it is not uncommon for athletes to be drafted by teams they have reservations about. A brief summary highlights some notable examples in the past. In the NFL there were former quarterbacks John Elway and Eli Manning and running back Bo Jackson, in the NBA it was former player Steve Francis who was the second pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. These athletes and others have expressed serious objections for several reasons, possibly related to the team or the location. It appears that Bailey may be resolving his concerns, or at least moving beyond them.

Midnight Madness

This college basketball tradition continues to occur annually however it fails to hold the attraction it once did. “Midnight Madness is an annual event celebrating the upcoming college basketball season in which a team opens its first official practice to the public, often combining it with a pep rally and other fan-friendly activities.” The NCAA had strict guidelines in place at one time, no basketball practice prior to October 15. Who started this event, it was the late Lefty Drissel when he served as coach for the Maryland Terrapins.

Based on this NCAA rule Drissel initiated practice for his Maryland team at 12:03 a.m. on October 15, 1971, the earliest date permitted by the rules at that time. Although the practice was slow at first additional colleges and universities nationwide started to follow the trend established by Drissel and Maryland, signaling the start of the basketball season. In recent years, regulatory changes have made the NCAA less rigid than it once was. At the present time, players at the University of Missouri are actively preparing for the upcoming season. The exact official rules are somewhat unclear due to the ever evolving impact of the NCAA and the courts. Nevertheless, starting on October 15, schools will be hosting Midnight Madness activities across the nation.

Portions from Wikipedia

Meanwhile…

The 2025 NBA Summer League begins play July 10, teams will compete through July 20. The games will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center and Pavillion on the campus of UNLV. There will also be preliminary summer league events in California and Salt Lake City, with the California Classic scheduled for July 5-6 and 8, and the Salt Lake City Summer League on July 5, 7, and 8, according to NBA.com. Guess what, it’s been announced the initial game in Las Vegas will feature Cooper Flagg’s Mavs versus Bronny James and his Lakers. There are other rookies and second year players to check out in action, games will be televised on NBA TV and an assortment of games on ESPN and its family of channels.

Is this a beginning trend, allow me to explain what you are about to read is part opinion and part fact…check it out. The number of college players declaring for the NBA draft is down this year over last season. This is the speculative portion, a member of the media claims the downward trend can be attributed to Name, Image and Likeness. This is the unknown, there is no effective method to determine the dollars expended on college basketball players with sums varying among scores of athletes. If this trend continues we could witness a shift, no longer will freshman rush off to the NBA after one year. Not having figures to present it appears a number of players are just as comfortable receiving NIL funds as that of an NBA team. Due to the fact this is the first year we’ve witnessed a downward trend it’s difficult to determine if it will continue, nevertheless it certainly is something to consider.

I’ve mentioned Xavian Lee’s name in the recent past, at the time he was at Princeton but was contemplating an NBA future. For those who might not remember Lee is a 6-foot 4 180 pound point guard, home for him is Toronto Canada. After playing three years at Princeton first it was the NBA and later he decided to utilize the transfer portal. Lee is now enrolled at Florida and will play for the defending NCAA Champions. Lee begin his basketball journey at the Cresent School in Toronto, later he transferred to Perkiomen an independent college preparatory boarding and day school in Pennsburg Pennsylvania. Just in case you wondered about the school’s location Pennsburg is about 50 miles north of Philadelphia. The following is one scout’s assessment, “Possesses lead guard upside with good passing, vision, and handle. Can potentially thrive in pick-and-roll action at the next level.”

We can add the Wolves to the list of NBA teams desiring a new arena, after being eliminated in the playoffs the new ownership group is looking in two areas. Owners Marc Lore and A-Rod will finalize the agreement where they assume ownership from Glen Taylor. Next on the agenda is likely the NBA Draft and beyond that plans for a new arena. I didn’t realize it but Target Center is the second oldest NBA arena in use behind MSG. Because this plan is in an early stage there is nothing to report except the owners want to replace Target Center. Over the next few weeks and months as information develops I will attempt to keep you apprise of developments.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Tuesday, Thursday plus Saturday & Sunday

This is a first I believe

I cannot take credit for this bit of information it belongs to Etan Thomas, this former NBA player is now retired but has ventured into the world of the written word. In any event Thomas pointed to the fact that all five starters for Duke’s basketball team were drafted into the NBA. This is certainly not to state that any of the five will be successful or have lasting careers but just the fact it occurred. Consider some of the great college teams of the past, I can think of two or three roster members being drafted or signing free agent contracts. As I indicated in the headline this is a first I believe:

Cooper Flagg forward-Mavs

Kon Knueppel forward-Hornets

Khaman Maluach center-Suns

Sion James guard-Hornets

Tyrese Proctor guard-Cavs

Hire me

The 2025 NBA Draft has come and gone, as this is written there is no head coach in place for the Knicks. A number of names have been mentioned some even interviewed however this occurred. The 2025 draft and whoever is hired had no input regarding the choice of Mohammed Diawara a 6-foot 8 wing from France. That issue aside check out the picture at least as of now for the 2025-26 NBA season. The Knicks were contenders for the Eastern Conference championship this past season, they beat the defending champion Celtics. The Knicks would lose to the Pacers and thereafter Tom Thibodeau was fired. Despite having no coach they might be the second best NBA team in the east with a question mark behind that statement.

Consider the changes in just a matter of weeks with both the Celtics and Pacers. Jrue Holiday is gone so too is Kristaps Porzingis, they will be replaced but there is no Jason Tatum until late in the season if at all, this team is a shadow of itself. The Pacers will return much intact but have a vital missing piece, we discovered Tyrese Haliburton “drives the bus” for this team, him missing who steps up to accept the role as leader? That leaves the Cavs as the only true contender for Eastern Conference supremacy which says to me…if you are interviewed for the Knicks job take it under conditions. Probably 95% of us believed Tom Thibodeau was safe until he wasn’t, If this were me being hired I’d demand a 4 or 5 year contract. If Knicks management fires Thibodeau with his winning record nothing but a championship will satisfy management. An extended contract ensures I will be paid while searching for another job should I be fired…am I too blunt in my assessment, I don’t think so.

Round two    

We are surveying the second round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, the choices on the initial first round were somewhat predictable. The world knew ahead of time Cooper Flagg would be the top pick by the Mavs, he was followed by Dylan Harper to the Spurs and VJ Edgecombe to the Sixers. There were a few players who moved down in the first round, it’s my belief the available talent was the basis here. The only real shocker was Hansen Yang picked at 16, he was chosen by the Grizzlies but is headed to the Blazers.

Yang who hails from China was a familiar name however most mock drafts placed him as a second-round pick. In round two the Wolves kick off the evening activities and repeating round one only the first five picks will be profiled beginning with Rasheer Fleming wing from St. Joseph, his rights traded to the Suns. Up next was Noah Penda a wing from France, he’s headed to the Magic, then it was wing Sion James from Duke, he was chosen by the Hornets. Ryan Kalkbrenner the 7 foot post player is also headed to the Hornets. The Sixers take post Johni Broome, he was at Auburn. The Lakers were at 55 but they made moves allowing them to move up allowing them to draft Adou Thiero wing from Arkansas.

What are they seeking

All are aware the Suns were a hot mess this past season, with Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker they under achieved. The first of many moves was the trade of Durant to the Suns but wait there is more. The Suns acquired Mark Williams in a trade, remember him? He was headed to Laker Land until the Lakers decided it wasn’t a good deal. Draft night Big Man Khaman Maluach from Duke was made the 10th pick and then this occurred, as part of the Durant trade Maluach’s draft rights were sent to the Suns.

In the second round the Suns drafted Liam McNeely UConn wing. So what unfolds for the immediate future for the Suns, should we suppose new coach Jordan Ott will play a twin towers offense after all he’s now got two 7 footers on his team? I’m making the statement because Williams, although slowed by injury had been the starter at the post for the Hornets. Maluach is certainly raw offensively however his upside appears quite enticing, he brought a defensive presence to Duke as a freshman. This is a developing story based on the acquisition of these two players. Williams when healthy contributed 15 points, 10 rebounds and 60% shooting from the floor for the Hornets. This will be a developing story over the next few months.

The future NBA could be exciting

Recently the NBPA Top 100 Camp was held in Rocky Mount North Carolina. Rest assured there were high school players in attendance that didn’t have celebrity parents however a bunch did. This certainly should give us an idea that the future of professional basketball will continue to be in great shape. Behind the prospects name is the year of their high school graduation should they not reclassify. Check out some names and the fathers:

Abdul Aziz (2026) and Malik Olajuwon (2027)-Hakeem Olajuwon is the brothers father.

Isaiah and Carter Barnes (2027)-twin sons of former NBA player Matt.

Erick Dampier Jr. (2028)-his dad is Erick Dampier Sr. who spent 16 years in the NBA.

Obinna Ekezie Jr. (2027)-son of Obinna Ekezie Sr., he played in the NBA for 5 seasons.

Tahj Ariza-son for Trevor Ariza who played 18 seasons in the NBA.

Kaden and Kalek House-twin sons of former NBA guard Eddie.

Brandon Bass Jr. (2026)-son of Brandon Bass Sr. who spent 12 years in the association

Reese Alston (2027)-depending on your age you might be familiar with Rafer and his 11 year NBA career.

It is reasonable to expect some of the players listed here will fail to earn a spot on an NBA roster. What is so interesting to me and perhaps you as well, the number of offspring who’s excelling at least for now the same sport as their father.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Tuesday, Thursday plus Saturday & Sunday

It’s here

The initial round of the NBA Draft took place Wednesday evening, it would have been shocking if anyone other than Cooper Flagg had been selected as the top choice in the 2025 draft. On the morning before the draft, Today co-host Craig Melvin conducted an interview with Flagg covering various subjects. Subsequently, Melvin referred to a brief list of first-round NBA picks. He named Shaquille O’ Neal, LeBron James, Allen Iverson and Magic Johnson as if that’s not placing even more pressure on the 18 year old Flagg.

With the exception of James, who is still an active player, all those named are in the Naismith Hall of Fame, James will also be enshrined as soon as he’s eligible. Before I begin a brief venture into the past of the NBA Draft and one name in particular that pops up every year at this time, Greg Oden. He’s 37 years old now, the Blazers made him the number one pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. The question was why not, 7-foot tall and 273 pounds plus this caveat. An NBA scout claimed “We are looking at the next Bill Russell” this based on his one season at Ohio State. Some report Oden as a bust, I say an emphatic no. There were a series of injuries over his brief NBA career which prevented him from playing at the level expected. In the recent past we discovered a number of guys that were just not talented enough to play in the NBA, I refuse to make that statement regarding Oden.

Meanwhile lets return to 2025 and the first round of the draft, who’s the second pick after Flagg? As for Newport Maine, the town of 3,158 souls is now officially the basketball capital of America. Dylan Harper standout Rutgers guard was made the second pick by the Spurs and with the third pick the Sixers chose guard VJ Edgecombe. The Hornets pick is Kon Knueppel at 4 from Duke, he will probably be a wing player. This report will conclude with pick number 5 by the Jazz, that would be Ace Bailey wing from Rutgers.

The second coming…perhaps

His name is Marcis Ponder, he’s from Orlando Florida and the thought might be he is the second coming of Shaquille O’ Neal. Ponder stands 6-foot 11 (or 6-foot 10 depending on your source) and he checks in at a brawny 327 pounds. As for the Shaq reference check out YouTube video of Ponder in action for West Oaks Academy High School. He bully’s opponents however his size versus 99% of his opponents must be taken into consideration. I have no idea of who Ponder’s faced but none could be close to him in size. So far 18 schools have offered him a scholarship including the likes of Tennessee, Kansas, Illinois plus Auburn and Alabama.

For me it says apparently there remains a Big Man game in basketball and several schools are willing to develop it. As this is written Ponder’s visited no campuses but that will occur at some point during his senior year of high school. There is video of him in action, check it out and see if you think his game resembles Shaquille O’ Neal. Now for the disclaimer, Ponder has yet to prove anything as I indicated earlier in this account its far easier to dominate talent at the high school level. It is less easy at the collegiate level and needless to say the NBA is a far different matter. In this instance I’m going to allow Ponder to develop his game, I intend to follow his progress into college and possibility the NBA.

As usual no evidence is provided

NBA players have no desire to play in Memphis, it’s got nothing to do with the Grizzlies. It’s a safety issue according to one Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, he claims “Cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel like it’s the safest environment. I’m talking to local officials.” Ja Morant Grizzlies guard took issue with the take of Smith and naturally a response was required. Let’s did a little deeper into this story, allow me to say upfront I don’t believe Smith. Is he lying, maybe not is he embellishing the truth…perhaps. Usually Smith’s sources are never identified, this time he claims Jimmy Butler made the statement.

Well that must be affirmed by Butler, the other part I find more difficult to believe. Am I (or you) to believe officials for the City of Memphis would go on record with Smith indicating “We have a crime problem in the city?” Memphis is similar to other urban cities in the nation it contains a large share of criminal activity, there is no disagreement there. Of the two elements introduced I find one more a possibility than the other, please name the city officials you discussed this issue with. As for Morant he’s got problems of his own however I do agree with him in this instance in defending Memphis. Smith has little if any credibility with me on this subject for several reasons and this subject is closed for now.

This is news

Ethan Taylor, previously mentioned in this blog, is a local prospect from Shawnee (KS). He attended Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in the Kansas City (MO) suburb. Notice I said attended, that is past tense because at the end of the school year, Taylor has decided to enroll at Link Academy in Branson (MO) for his senior year. Just in case a number of you didn’t read the original account Taylor is a 7-foot, 230-pound center, as of now, he has not committed to any college,

Taylor’s made two unofficial visits to Columbia home of the University of MO, road miles is about 202 miles and 3 hours by car from Branson. That says to me Taylor might be able to take in a few Missouri basketball games in this upcoming season provided he desires. This is no slam dunk for Missouri, there are 8 other schools who will be waiving scholarships and NIL deals in front of Taylor’s parents in 2026. As for the fact Taylor will be playing his senior year at a prep school is not surprising. That development appears to be the norm anymore for a number of high school players across the nation.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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NBA Champions

The final score read Thunder 103 Pacers 91, thus the first championship for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Prior to the start of the game I mentioned to several acquaintances I believed the Pacers had an opportunity to win. Tyrese Haliburton avoided his usual slow start registering 9 points in a brief 7 minutes of action. The Pacers were playing an even game with the Thunder until the Haliburton injury, just as soon as he went down I told my wife, “This is over.” The initial report indicated Haliburton had suffered a lower right leg injury, it’s now believed he’s suffered a torn Achilles tendon. The Pacers hung with the Thunder for a time however it was clear they were quicker to the ball and shot much better overall. A key to the game was the lock down defense played by the Thunder, the Pacers had 21 TO’s for the game.

At one point play by play announcer Mike Breen indicated the Pacers had surrendered 20 points from several of those turnovers. SGA didn’t shoot particularly in this game but led the way with 29 points and 12 assists, there was plenty of help from teammates Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso. Of all the names mentioned I must also give a shout out to Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. He might have been a ball of nerves on the inside however television cameras certainly didn’t indicate such. Also worthy of mention is Sam Presti vice president and GM of the Thunder. He along with the front office managed to assemble a talented youthful team whose average age is 25 years. Congratulations are due the Thunder, 2025 NBA Champions. Did you realize Presti was involved in drafting Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden? All are playing for other teams now but only Durant has NBA Champ on his resume.

The trade

Talk of trading one or more Suns players began at some point in midseason. The Suns loaded with talent in the opinion of many had underachieved for the season. With a payroll of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker plus Kevin Durant and others one or more of the trio might be headed for other locations. More and more it appeared the player most likely traded would be Durant, this belief became apparent several weeks ago. On Sunday weeks of speculation ended with a report he was headed to the Rockets in a massive trade deal. The Rockets would send Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and their number 10 pick in the 2025 draft for Durant.

In addition over the course of the next several years the Rockets will surrender 5 second round draft picks. On the surface it would appear the Rockets are in a win now mode rather than wait to develop additional talent however this move brings about several questions. It’s a little difficult for me to speculate on draft picks, they may develop or maybe not, they are an unknown, I can only see what is in front of me. This is what I see, the Rockets giving up a portion of their youth (Green age 23 & Brooks age 29) for a very talented but 37 year old forward in Durant. In the fall once the season begins Durant will don his 6th jersey if we count Seattle. Just in case you forgot, after the Sonics it was the Thunder, then it became the Warriors. Later it would be the Nets, then the Suns and now the Rockets.

Meanwhile…

I decided to check to determine if the Pac-12 Conference still existed. With only Oregon State and Washington State remaining, it is questionable whether the name Pac-12 is still appropriate. However, procedurally, the name continues to exist. Regarding other schools, while I cannot speak for football, the conference no longer exists in its previous form for college basketball, on September 23, 2024, Utah State joined the Pac-12. July 1, 2026, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State will become members of the conference. According to information online, there are three schools listed as affiliate members: Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Due to several schools being semi-attached to the Pac-12, it is unclear whether the conference can be considered a Power 5 school. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available to me.

I don’t always focus on a players strengths, I always check the things he doesn’t do well. I believe it determines whether a player performs the work necessary to either improve it or lessen it in the eyes of the opposition. All spring or since the announcement a steady stream of present and former NBA players have provided their opinion of Cooper Flagg. With that out the way allow me to state these are not my words, they represent the view of an NBA scout.

Concerns

Jumper consistency: This season at Duke was Flagg’s first draining 3s at a high level. Is this sustainable? He will need to prove it, since it’s a vital tool that will determine his ceiling as a player.

Advanced ball-handling: He doesn’t have great creativity off the bounce yet, which means he ends up taking tough shots or needing to make multiple pivots to get his shot off. He’s growing, but the level he ends up reaching will define his ability as a go-to scoring option.

How I plan on spending my summer, the season is now concluded. The Thunder are crowned 2025 NBA Champions. This is written ahead of the draft, I will be glued to my television Wednesday and Thursday evening. I’m always anxious to see where a number of players are headed and second to that the draft surprises. You know who they are, the guys who were not expected to be drafted. After the draft, the NBA Summer League is next on the agenda, I’m not as glued to games as if were the regular season. Despite that fact there are college and international players I want to see in action. After that Kansas City certainly doesn’t rival Las Vegas or other parts of the nation however there is plenty of AAU basketball for me to check out. NBA free agency begins June 30 so once again I’m anxious to see where a player might land, second to that is checking out who gets traded and where.    

Stingy is not my word

The ink has barely dried on the paperwork signed between the Buss family and Mark Walter. The Lakers will gradually reflect the new owner, as for the headline. One scribe indicated “Changes would occur because Walter is not as ‘stingy’ as the Buss family.” Don’t request accounting services from me, it was one of the more troubling subjects in school. At the same time I question the writer for his statement, in the same manner as me they have no idea what’s going out versus what’s coming in financially. It appears in the recent past the Lakers might have lost out on free agent bids due to finances, despite my statement I wouldn’t refer to that as being stingy. This we know, there is a salary cap in the NBA, a team exceeds the cap they pay to the league. With that issue out of the way we cannot truly embrace the future of the Lakers we can look at the Dodgers as a source of speculation.

Last year a cousin told me “I hate the Dodgers,” she went on to explain how in an effort to succeed they appear to have spent vast sums of money on acquiring players. Mark Walter owns the Dodgers in case some were unaware, from reading about the man I’m making an assumption. Although he’s worth sizeable sums of money he allows the baseball people to run the Dodgers. I guess that will not change with the Lakers, JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka should have jobs for the foreseeable future. There were/or members of Laker Nation upset with the front office for its failure to make needed moves. Remember the accounting thing I mentioned earlier, because we don’t have access to the books with the salary cap plus players’ salaries plus everything else we have no idea. As for Laker Nation, don’t expect immediate change however my belief is it will occur.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Tuesday, Thursday plus Saturday & Sunday

Win now mentality

If Laker management desires to win now versus I have no problem with that position. The larger problem as I see it the attempt to fill the center position leaves them vulnerable, we saw that firsthand against the Wolves. The Laker defense allowed defensive specialist Rudy Gobert to become an offensive weapon. We discovered Jaxson Hayes is a back-up center and should not be expected to play major minutes. With no first round draft choice it forces the Lakers to look toward a trade rather than the draft. The free agent list contains capable post players however most have expiration dates on their career. I will toss our one free agent’s name, that would be Brook Lopez although he is long in the tooth. That leaves the Lakers to make a trade which is likely the better route over free agency. The Lakers might be able to swing a trade for Nic Claxton a 6-foot-11 post player, he is a lob threat and lane clogger.

Despite being a 6-year NBA veteran Claxton is only 26 years of age. The Lakers most likely have someone other than Claxton in mind however he is my choice. I expressed this in the past and will repeat it again, the Lakers should draft a Big Man and tutor him to eventually become the starter in the post. I will list projected post players however keep in mind they might be drafted ahead of the Lakers with the 55th pick. 7-foot-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner who played at Creighton, also there is Maxim Raynaud also 7-foot-1 from Stanford. Alex Condon, 6-foot-11 Florida power forward/center, Rocco Zikarsky 7-foot-3, he’s from Australia and played for Brisbane in the NBL. Finally we have Mouhamed Faye, he played for Reggio Emilia (Italy), he stands 6-foot-10. Notice I failed to include Hansen Yang’s name with the others, this was done on purpose because I believe he is likely to return to China and not remain in the 2025 draft. NOTE: This was written ahead of the Buss family selling its share of the franchise to Mark Walter, more on that later.

Bird seed 

This topic has been discussed in the past, the fact that Larry Legend reigned supreme in two areas. Those areas were his prowess on the basketball court and his ability to talk trash, he was one of the most notorious “talkers” in NBA although few would believe the story Larry Bird made 4 straight baskets on Dennis Rodman and walked over to Pistons head coach Chuck Daly. “Who’s guarding me, Chuck? Is anyone guarding me? You better get someone on me or I’m gonna go for 30.” Recalling the game, the Worm said, “I would be all over him, trying to deny him the ball, and all Larry was doing was yelling at his teammates, ‘I’m open! Hurry up before they notice nobody is guarding me!’ After knocking down another jumper on Rodman, Bird went over to Daly again, saying, “Coach, you better get this guy out and send in somebody who’s going to D me up ‘cause it’s too easy when I’m wide open like this.”  

NBA Talk

“We were playing in Phoenix, and we were way up, we were like up 15, and we have the worst fourth quarter, we’re terrible. And Larry’s bad, Larry’s missing shots, throwing it to the other team, throwing it into the third row, and they come back and somehow they go up two. So we have an out-of-bounds play, this.” I’m taking it out, and Larry says, ‘I’m gonna bust off the play, and I’m just gonna come out and shoot a three.’ And I’m like ‘We’re down tow, no, don’t do that. Let’s shoot a two, please. to the hole, try to get fouled, let’s just get into overtime and see if we can win this game.’ And Larry says ‘Nah, man, I’m just gonna bust a three on them.’ And I’m like ‘Oh my God.’ Kevin McHale, The Dan Patrick Show “He tells the Phoenix bench, tells the coaches, ‘Yeah, I’m just gonna bust a three on you guys and just go home, I’m tired of this.’ And he gets the ball, jumps out, busts the play, comes out, gets the ball at the slot, shoots the ball; as the ball is in the air he kind of turns towards the Phoenix bench and yells, ‘Told you so!’ And he starts running to the locker room, and it went in, and I just started laughing.” 

Basketball Network

Witnessed his "So Pete (Maravich) passes the ball to Larry," (Cedric) Maxwell said. "Pete's man runs down and double teams Larry. Larry puts up some (messed) up shot and goes astray." Maravich tried to offer advice but Bird wasn't hearing any of it." And we come back to the bench and Pete goes, `Larry, Larry, you're being double teamed. You've got to pass the ball," Maxwell said. "Larry looked up and said, `If you (Maxwell) were any good, they wouldn't be double teaming me." Zing!

SI.com

Finally this one from former Hawk forward Dominique Wilkens. Wilkens new to the NBA and facing Larry Legend for the first time, Legend was causing Wilkens all kind of defensive problems. Legend kept calling him “Homes” throughout the game questioning whether he (Wilkens) was good enough to play in the NBA. At a point he took the ball up and dunked it on Legend who found himself lying on the floor. This is what he said to Wilkens, “You are okay but I’m still gonna bust 40 on you. Wilken’s ended the story by stating, “He didn’t score 40 on me, I held him to 39.”   

Pro Sports

The draft

We are 5 days from the 2025 NBA Draft as this is written, it will be held once again at Barclays Center home of the Nets. As I prepared to write this I checked the mock draft sites I follow throughout the year. There appears little movement in the Top 10 projections, beyond that it appears teams will make a decision based on who is on the board. Will a team draft a player in an area they have a surplus, that’s certainly a possibility. Unless the earth begins rotating backwards the Mavs will draft Cooper Flagg, the unknown is will they sign him.

It could occur I cannot imagine trading his rights based on what occurred earlier with the Luka Doncic move. The future of the Spurs appears promising following this draft. Holding picks 2 and 14 places them in a noteworthy position, and it would not be surprising if they traded the rights to pick 14 should an opportunity arise. It has been previously mentioned that three Duke freshmen will be drafted in the first round, with a couple potentially being lottery picks. As for the second round that remains uncertain; however, the first round is expected to feature fewer international players than usual, although no specific reason has been identified for this trend. As always, the second round includes many unfamiliar names, and with that there is no assurance that these players will participate in the upcoming season. Some international players opt to continue their careers in the Euro League, postponing entry into the NBA due to various reasons. Tamar Bates is a name unfamiliar to most, he’s a shooting guard who played at Missouri.

At the beginning of the season he was an unknown, the 6-foot 5 Bates impressed at the NBA Draft Combine. He’s named in the second round on two mock draft sites. One name to check, Hansen Yang the 7-foot-2 235 pound center who played for Qingdao in China, scouting reports are all over the map on this 19 year old youngster. This is the last report prior to the Wednesday draft. The first round will be held starting at 7:00 p.m. Central Time, the second round will be held the following evening.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Tuesday, Thursday plus Saturday & Sunday

Trading Places

One of the early Eddie Murphy movies was a 1983 release titled Trading Places. Just in case a few of you have never seen it this is the premise, Murphy was cast as a street hustler named Billy Ray Valentine and he traded places with well-groomed preppy Louis Winthrop III played by Dan Aykroyd. The two are made the subject of a bet by the Duke brothers Mortimer (Don Ameche) and Randolph (Ralph Bellamy) to determine if Valentine and Winthrop III could successfully change their roles in life. I’m not going to reveal any more of the movie just in case some of you haven’t seen it, it’s available on one of the streaming services currently.

As for the headline I believe “Trading Places” might certainly apply to Game Six on Thursday evening involving the Pacers and Thunder. With a 3 games to 2 lead I had convinced myself the Thunder would be prepared to close out the championship series, instead they “Traded Places” with the Pacers. After all the Pacers had suffered a Monday beat down 120-109. Based on that outcome of Game Five you understand why I expected a win by the Pacers on Thursday evening. The second quarter witnessed the Pacers scoring 36 points to the Thunder 17, after the half it was 18 for the Thunder and 26 for the Pacers in the 3rd quarter. Six Pacer players scored in double figures with Obi Topping leading the way with his 20. Pacer guard Tyrese Haliburton moved much better than expected although he only scored 14 points. It was more than simply scoring baskets, the Pacers played lock-down defense for much of the game. It was 21 TO’s for the Thunder with 10 for the Pacers, final score Pacers 108 Thunder 91 but it really wasn’t that close.

At one point during the game the Pacers held a 30 point lead, reserve players took over at the midpoint of the 4th quarter and the lead was reduced. With a Game 7 on Sunday if you were to ask me right now who wins this is my statement. Playing at home I expect the Thunder to be crowned 2025 NBA Champions tomorrow night. Would I be willing to wager large sums of money on what I just wrote; I don’t think so. You might say “Larry Laker you don’t appear quite as confident as you were at the beginning of this series,” that would be an affirmative. Since the beginning this series has appeared to be the Pacers climbing a mountain, can they reach the summit? 

Why does he make such astonishing statements

Numerous relatives and friends who are sports fans advise me to steer clear of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith statements. For the most part I attempt to ignore Smith; however, he continues to make controversial assertions which require me to respond. This is not his problem it’s mine I can admit that fact. The latest proclamation involves Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and the ongoing conversation about a potential trade since the end of the season. Smith commented, “Giannis will have underachieved if he doesn’t win another title.” After reading this my first thought…WHAT!

There are several points that could counter this statement. I will begin with this one, how about NBA All Stars who failed to win a championship? We could begin our count with Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Reggie Miller, and Patrick Ewing all had outstanding careers yet did not win an NBA title. If their NBA careers were assessed based on titles won, one might claim they underachieved. NBA players and others in the sports field are often scrutinized intensely. As for Smith if we approach this strictly from a media perspective, it raises the question of whether achievements should be judged by specific standards, such as winning a Pulitzer Prize in journalism. Will someone claim he underachieved since he failed to win a Pulitzer?

It’s changed once again

A friend said; “There is no need to follow college basketball, it’s now the same as the NBA.” The college basketball scene’s changed once again and a series of earth shattering events have caused this. I’m unsure of the order of events, in addition I’m uncertain if all the series of incidents are fully covered. I believe Name, Image and Likeness may have been the beginning. For the first time in amateur athletics a player could be legally paid based on commercial endorsements. The transfer portal came into being, Covid was an indirect result as players were granted additional years of play. There are reports that a handful of players have obtained 5 or 6 years of competitive play through appeal despite the fact that in the past 4 years of play had been the standard without an injury.

The next domino to fall occurred late this spring with yet another court ruling. This from AI: “A U.S. judge has approved a settlement that allows NCAA colleges and universities to directly pay their student athletes. This landmark decision, which includes a $2.8 billion settlement, enables schools to compensate athletes for the commercial use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL), both past and present. The ruling also allows for direct revenue sharing with athletes, starting July 1.” The University of Missouri recently hired a GM who I guess will perform the same role as their counterpart in the NBA or NFL. Note, this is not the first nor latest hire of a general manager by a university just one I am most familiar with. Don’t consider this complete, this represents bits and pieces of information I was able to compile.

When 

In the NBA Championship series you might have caught a glimpse of a woman on the Pacer bench or during TO’s. She is Jenny Boucek assistant coach on the staff of Rick Carlisle. Boucek played at Virginia but went undrafted in the WNBA draft in 1997, despite that fact she had a brief pro career as a player. After serving as an assistant coach for several WNBA teams she was hired as an assistant by the Kings. From there is was an assistant coach position with the Mavs and 2021 she was added to the staff of the Pacers.

The first NBA assistant coach hired was Becky Hammond by the Spurs in 2014, although she is currently coaching the WNBA Aces she has an extensive period with the Spurs. North of the border there is Brittni Donaldson assistant with the Raptors, when JJ Redick became head coach of the Lakers he added Lindsay Harding to his staff. In Memphis, the Grizzlies have Sonia Raman, as you can see these women have set a new standard serving as assistant coaches for NBA teams. Will one of them be hired as a head coach one day? For now the question remains unanswered however it will occur at some future unknown date.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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BREAKING NEWS!

Most of us were unfamiliar with the name Mark Walter, I make this statement despite the fact he was a Laker minority owner. The announcement caught all of Laker Nation off guard, the Buss family was selling its majority interest in the team. Walter’s been a long-time minority owner of the team despite the fact most of us had no inkling of this fact. A brief look at the Buss family history, Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979 for $67.5 million which included the NHL Kings and the Forum.

When Jerry died in 2013 the franchise passed to his children. Jeanie Buss has held the role of governor for the team and its reported she will continue in that role. As for Walter he is CEO and chairman of TWG Global, this from the web. “It invests across various sectors including financial services, insurance, AI and technology, sports, media, and entertainment, and merchant banking. TWG Global is also known for its motorsport division, TWG Motorsports, which manages its racing teams.” As for the sale price of the team news reports indicate it was in the neighborhood of $10 billion, currently the Buss family owns about two-thirds of the team. As for the future we should not expect immediate changes in the manner of team operations. I almost left out this very important fact, Walter also owns the Dodgers.  

Portions of this account from Yahoo Sports and Wikipedia

Missouri basketball

The SEC schedule for Missouri is yet to be finalized however the non-con portion is now complete. At first glance my impression is this, the schedule is middle of the road…it’s not too tough nor too easy. A portion and dates have already been mentioned however there were a couple of game dates that required clarification, with that said here goes:

Howard University Nov 3 (Mon) – road

Southeast MO State Nov 7 (Fri) – home

VMI Nov 9 (Sun) – home

Minnesota Nov 12 (Wed) – home

Prairie View A&M Nov 17 (Mon) – home

South Dakota Nov 20 (Thur) – home

South Carolina State Nov 25 (Tues) – home

Cleveland State Nov 28 (Fri) – home

Notre Dame Dec 2 (Tues) -road

Kansas Dec 7 (Sunday) – neutral (Kansas City)

Alabama State Dec 11(Thur) – home

Bethune Cookman Dec 14 (Sunday) – home

Illinois Dec 22 (Mon) – neutral (St. Louis) 

22 Turnovers

The final score read Thunder 120 Pacers 109, the lopsided score is easy to understand. The Pacers committed 22 TO’s during the game some forced others unforced. We’ve looked at SGA as the driving force behind this Thunder team and he is but once again help was there for him. J-Dub scored 40 points and much of it with timely scoring, did I say he played tough defense? SGA had his usual stat game, 31 points and 10 steals, but in my view this might have been the Thunder’s most complete game.

On the other side Tyrese Haliburton clearly was injured, he finished the game for the Pacers with 4 points all from the free throw line. T.J. McConnell emerged from the Pacer bench and attempted to keep the game even for a time, although he accomplished his task for a brief portion it was too much Thunder defense and offense. Even with a healthy Haliburton I’m unsure if the Pacers will contend successfully tonight. It seems to me even the games won by the Pacers they are like ants pushing a huge boulder up a hill. Excuse the symbolism, that’s been my thought. My wife asked me before Game Five who wins, I stated very quickly “I don’t know.” As for tonight’s game the Pacers could win although I have serious doubts.

His travel ticket

Kevin Durant will be playing somewhere other than Phoenix next season. As this is written that location is an unknown however he’s provided us those he preferers. They are in no particular order, the Heat, Spurs and Rockets. I have no intention to choose a destination for him but he remains an enigma for me, despite his talent the guy’s been all over the NBA. Drafted and played the last season the Sonics were located in Seattle, he would move to OKC with the team. From 2016-19 it was the Warriors, 2019-23 the Nets and 2023 to the present the Suns. He’s been an NBA champion twice with the Warriors and Finals MVP two times.

In addition Durant was named 2014 league MVP and he’s been a perennial NBA All-Star 15 times. I’m going to stop at this point, there is so much very more Durant’s managed to accomplish over his pending Hall of Fame enshrinement. There are suiters for his services not specified in HIS choice of teams so you know what that might entail. Durant could be traded to a team he doesn’t wish. What if that scenario plays out, what do we suppose occurs? Despite his travel from coast to coast I’ve never read or heard of him butting heads with a coach. Durant having issues with a teammate might be a different matter, a report has claimed his desire to leave the Warriors was based on problems with former teammate Draymond Green. I cannot confirm or deny the truth behind that story.   

The Perfect Storm

In 2000 Hollywood released a movie under the title The Perfect Storm. I’ve often wondered about the definition of the term so I decided to define it for you and me. “A perfect storm is an unusual combination of events or things that produce an unusually bad or powerful result.” For our study we intend to focus on the latter portion “powerful result.” This might apply to the Mavs, sure they traded franchise player Luka Doncic however a combination of events caused a less than successful season. This should work out well for Cooper Flagg, he can be inserted into the lineup with very little difficulty based on the returnees.

Anthony Davis remains a very talented player who missed a considerable number of games after arriving from the Lakers. He should be good to go if only he can remain healthy but it’s not just him. Veteran Kyrie Irving suffered an ACL tear March 3 and was lost for the balance of the season. Center Dereck Lively a vital contributor to the playoff Mavs the year prior only played 36 games, Daniel Gafford also missed considerable time during the season. There were others missing from the previous playoff Mavs during the 2024-25 NBA season but I attempted to provide a sketch of why the Mavs missed the playoffs. So there you have it, everyone except Irving returns healthy and adding Flagg to the lineup should aid the cause. If they can remain healthy the Mavs will compete in the Western Conference.

Oxford Language Dictionary

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Have you heard it

An old saying attributed to Percy Bysshe Shelley you may be aware, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” This is an aphorism attributed to his work in “A Defense of Poetry.” You may be wondering how this saying relates to basketball; allow me to explain. Duke University’s basketball program recently saw a huge portion of it freshman class advance to the NBA, including standout players Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, along with Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor.

The incoming freshman class for Duke includes prominent recruits such as five star Cameron Boozer, Nikolas Khamenia and Dame Sarr. We can also count Cayden Boozer and Sebastian Wilkins both four star prospects in the number. Sarr is a top international prospect arriving from Italy and FC Barcelona. Coach Jon Scheyer and his staff continue to attract exceptional talent, ensuring that Duke remains a formidable force in collegiate basketball. In several instances we have multiple point guards, power and small forwards including the holdovers. All this is likely to be sorted out by the time Duke plays its first basketball game in the fall.

Are you confused

ESPN/ABC’s Doris Burke might have broken the glass ceiling however you certainly can’t tell it. If some of you are unfamiliar with the term “glass ceiling” simply refers to women being allowed to hold positions that were exclusively male dominated. Burke is not the first woman analyst however she is first in the roll of the number one broadcast team for ESPN/ABC. I read numerous complaints regarding her broadcast style which certainly confuses me. I had to grow accustomed to Jeff Van Gundy’s broadcast stylings. It wasn’t his knowledge that bothered me it was the wandering path he would often take while conducting his role as analyst.

This stands out for me because it involved my Lakers, while broadcasting a game Van Gundy said; “The Lakers should only be allowed to hang banners of championships won in Los Angeles.” My initial thought, what do banners have to do with the game in front of us? Why is there a problem with Burke, I have few questions regarding her description of the game. At the time she first began broadcasting I read complaints regarding her appearance. My thought, how she looks certainly has nothing to do with the action on the court. Besides the fact 98% of the time she (and other broadcast members) are not appearing on camera. The headline of this account asked the question, “Are you confused?” You might not be, however, I certainly am based on the continuing number of complaints I hear and read regarding Doris Burke.

Jamaica Olympic team

Everyone wants to win, that is certainly understandable, how you go about in this attempt is a whole different story. Let’s take the Olympics as an example and the team Jamaica is assembling to compete in basketball. The roster of their team is not finalized yet but this is the issue for me, they in the same manner of other nations of the world have allowed “anyone” with a passport to play for them. I’m not picking on Jamaica they are not the first just the latest nation to allow citizens of other countries to play for them. In any event check this out, they have nearly a full roster and this I uncovered.

Only four players to date have connections to this island nation of Jamaica, they are Nick Richards who plays for the Suns. Richards was born and raised there but came to the U.S. to continue his basketball preparation. He played at Kentucky and was originally drafted by the Pelicans. We have Scottie Barnes of the Raptors, although he was born here his father is originally from Jamaica. The Thompson Twins, Ausar with the Pistons and Amen a member of the Rockets have Jamaican ancestry through their father. I am not anymore critical of Jamaica than any other nation conducting business in this manner. It just so happens this was brought to my attention, it’s not going to stop here. If (or when) I discover other nations with similar basketball rosters my intent is to report it.

They don’t need him to score

Jazz basketball has been so bad there’s not been much of a national television audience recently, few of us (including me) have had an opportunity to see Walker Kessler in action. Kessler might just be available to the Lakers this summer if they can make a trade for this post player. He played two years of college ball at North Carolina and Auburn, he was then drafted by the Grizzlies with the 22nd pick in 2022. Kessler’s rights were traded to the Wolves who then traded them to the Jazz.

Kessler stands 7-foot and checks in at 245 pounds. His scoring is average but that is not the Lakers chief concern, they have Luka, LeBron and Austin to handle that area. As for Kessler this is the exciting part, he was 13th in the NBA with 707 rebounds and 4th in blocked shots 138. Perhaps the best part, Kessler is only 23 years old so there would be no requirement to draft a youngster and groom him to eventually take over the role at some future date. This is the beauty of the information provided, the numbers he presented were accomplished in only 58 games. Kessler is at the end of his rookie contract, the Jazz could decide to sign him to a new contract. On the other hand they could trade him for at least three warm bodies one of them being sharpshooter Dalton Knecht.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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They said…not yet

My intention is to stand by the statement I made, some might remember I wrote “Whoever wins Game Four will win the NBA Championship.” The Thunder won the game 111-104 but this time they were the team facing an uphill fight. The Pacers feeling inspired by their victory in Game Three came onto the court believing they had the upper hand. Truth is they did for a major portion of the game however an NBA game is 48 minutes in length, during most of that time the Pacers were in command. It was the 4th quarter that determined the Pacers fate for this game, they held an 87-80 lead at the end of the third quarter. From that point until the end of the game the Thunder scored 31 points to the Pacers who were only able to score 17.

For Game Four SGA managed to avoid the switching defenses hung on him by the Pacers in the previous game. He led in scoring, 35 points but had 0 assists, how the heck did the Thunder win the game with no assists from SGA the clear leader in that department? Well that portion of the game is a little difficult to detail, the Thunder as a team only had 11 assists for the game. The balance of the box score looks rather strange, the Thunder shot a meager 19% from three. In this game it was the other guys, J-Dub had 27 points and Alex Caruso. Caruso the “everything” reserve guard after an underwhelming Game Three registered 20 points and had 5 steals. Who wins Game Five on Monday, I’ve mentioned my belief previously. I will state I don’t know who wins however I maintain the Thunder will be victors and become NBA Champions, but that will not occur on Monday.

Mizzou basketball

Missouri will begin play on the road for the second consecutive season, the Tigers will be in Washington D.C. on November 3 where they will face the Howard Bison. On November 9, the opponent will be Virginia Military Institute, later in the month Missouri will play Illinois Springfield a Division II institution. December 1 it will be Maryville from St. Louis also a Division II program while December 4 it will be Division II Lewis in Romeoville Illinois. The Tigers will face Kansas Sunday December 7 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. On December 14 it will be HBCU Bethune Cookman, later the Tigers will face the University of Illinois in the Braggin’ Rights Game at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

That date has not been announced however this game is usually scheduled Christmas Week. I am going to hold off reporting the date of the SEC/ACC Challenge due to conflicting information. In any event the opponent and location have been finalized, it’s likely the Tigers will be invited to play in the ACC/SEC Challenge again. This season I believe Missouri is not the great mystery it was this time last year. In addition to a number of returnees from last season plus an outstanding freshman class now sophomores. In addition Coach Gates and staff brought on talent from the portal. I really don’t have any idea of the strength of Missouri however one member of the media said he believes “Missouri is just outside the Top 25.” I cannot help but be optimistic based on my belief in coach Gates program.

Who is it

As all NBA fans are aware the Knicks are seeking to hire a new head coach following the dismissal of Tom Thibodeau. As of this writing they have encountered several refusals, it is important to note that these refusals have come from the respective teams rather than the coaches themselves. Each of the coaches named remain under contract and their current employers have refused the Knicks permission to interview them. Among those reportedly approached are Jason Kidd (Dallas), Ime Udoka (Houston), Quin Snyder (Atlanta), and Chris Finch (Minnesota).

Additionally, candidates for the interview process include former coach Mike Brown, previously with the Kings, and Taylor Jenkins, who recently coached the Grizzlies. Both Brown and Jenkins are scheduled to be interviewed for the position. A notable name missing from the list, as suggested by Shaquille O’Neal, is Mark Jackson, a former Knicks point guard, coach and broadcaster. Although initially perceived as a humorous remark, this suggestion holds significance for me. According to Hoops Nation, “The Bucks granted the Knicks permission to interview Doc Rivers, but New York declined.”

How about this

Many reading this refuse to believe Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in one game. Well I’ve got some more stuff you will find impossible to accept as true. The 1961-62 season you know the one he didn’t score 100 points, he led the NBA in scoring with a 50.4 point per game average. Imagine this he played 80 games that season, which meant he scored 50 plus points in every single game. His second year in the NBA Wilt averaged 27.2 rebounds a game in 79 games.

Not simply scoring the basketball he was a skillful passer as well, he dished out 7.8 assist per game and the following season led the NBA in that department with 8.6 assists per game. His scoring average for his fourth year in the NBA was 44.8 points per game. Two players have won Rookie of the Year and NBA MVP in the same season, Wes Unseld accomplished the feat in the 1968-69 season however Wilt accomplished it first. His double-double occurred in the 1959-60 season. As for the competition besides Bill Russell, no one blocked Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s Skyhook, nobody but Wilt. There is video of him blocking Kareem twice in the same game. 12 out of Wilt’s 14 years in the NBA he rebounded the basketball at a 21 plus a game clip. 

Is their built in bias

If you are a member of Jayhawk Nation, please refrain from reading further as the following content may be distressing. With that caution provided, let us proceed. We are several months away from the commencement of the college basketball season. The transfer portal has been finalized and the majority of high school prospects have announced their decisions. I reviewed various websites to ascertain their perspectives on the 2025-26 college basketball season. Notably, for the first time in an extended period, Kansas basketball concluded the 2024-25 season outside the Top 25 rankings.

Before delving into this analysis, I would like to reiterate my belief that Bill Self is an excellent basketball coach. Nonetheless, I contend that his teams are occasionally overrated by the media. As we approach the new season, media reports have begun to surface. According to 247Sports, Kansas is ranked sixth nationally, while On3 places them at twelfth, CBS Sports at seventeenth, and both ESPN and Fox Sports at nineteenth. Each site provides an explanation for their ranking methodology. Upon reviewing these assessments, the question arises: Is there an inherent bias favoring Bill Self and his Jayhawks? For instance, CBS Sports justifies their seventeenth ranking by stating, "This ranking is based on the Jayhawks returning one of the top seven scorers—specifically Flory Bidunga—from a team that finished 21-13 and advanced to the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament." This rationale offers limited insight into the potential competitiveness of the upcoming Kansas team.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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No fix

On television we’ve seen Paycom Center in OKC chock full of fans, the same statement could be said about Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. As for the television audience at least in the United States that’s a different matter. The audience for this championship is reported to be low comparing to the recent past. Part of the issue as I see it there are two “small market” teams representing the Western and Eastern Conference of the NBA. Check this out, I located this information on the Net from Station Index.com, the Top 100 Television Markets in the country, Indianapolis sits at 25 while OKC is 45. Neither of these metro areas are small however compared to New York City (1) or Los Angeles (2).

If we look even further on the list Houston and Detroit are 10 and 11 respectively so you can see where I’m headed. Unlike the NFL which has the small market Kansas City Chiefs (31) it’s a different matter. The NFL has a larger fanbase, across the nation large numbers flock to their sets whenever the Chiefs play. For the sake of the NBA it would be outstanding if New York or Los Angeles were playing for the championship. Unfortunately (or fortunately) neither was the best team in their respective conference. That honor belongs to the Thunder and Pacers and there is nothing the NBA or anybody for that matter can change that. Just my thoughts, the series has been highly competitive and a superior product, that’s all the NBA can hope for. If the nation is tuned out there is no easy fix except an attempt to attract more fans to the product. 

There are no Super Teams

The Bill Russell and Larry Bird Celtics, the Showtime Lakers or the Michael Jordan Bulls those teams no longer exist or do they? For the most part we see the Thunder and Pacers playing for the NBA Championship. Both teams were built primarily through the draft. Have we seen a change in how NBA teams from this point into the future are now assembled? On the other hand will the Thunder or Pacers become this generations Super Team, that remains a question at least for the foreseeable future? Okay, back to the present Game Three is barely over and this is written as if the Pacers have won the whole thing.

They ain’t won nothing yet except this past Wednesday night’s game but it is how they managed to accomplish the task in front of them. It seemed all evening long the Pacers were climbing a mountain, they would sprint ahead and the Thunder would come back tie the game or even lead for a time. This is the discussion from the Pacers side, “Let’s stop or at least slow SGA” was the statement at the beginning of the game and it sure appeared to work. SGA’s game was similar to prior games with one exception of his 6 TO’s, it seemed every trip down the floor the Pacers had a different defender on him. I’ve often heard the comment “You can’t stop a player at this level however you can make it more difficult,” that’s exactly what the Pacers managed to accomplish winning the game 116-107. The “engine” that drives the Pacers returned, he’s better known as Tyrese Haliburton, he scored 22 points dished out 11 assists and almost had a triple-double with 9 rebounds.

Haliburton might have been the engine driving the Pacers but it was actually Bennedict Mathurin who was driving the “bus.” Mathurin a reserve guard came off the Pacer bench aiding the cause scoring 27 points and playing tough defense. He wasn’t just jacking up shots, Mathurin also shot 75% from the floor with 66.7% of it coming from the three line. This description of the game is written on Thursday prior to the Friday night game. I have no idea who won last night’s game however this is what I believe, the winner of the game last night might be soon referred to as the NBA Champion next week. What do you think about the early premise, will super teams continue to prevail in the future of the NBA?    

Yet there is one more

Some of you might remember I stated no more stories regarding Cooper Flagg until after the draft. The statement was made because I had grown tired of former NBA players who questioned the talent of Flagg. The two primary players certainly have more cred than me having played in the association. Despite this fact I believe they are/were haters, allow us fans to determine if Flagg can’t play at this level. With that out of the way the report, the Mavs announced Flagg has been invited for a workout on June 17. In addition to that news the Mavs also indicated no other players had been invited to the city ahead of the draft.

This is no sure sign however the reports of the Mavs trading Flagg’s draft rights might be just that… fiction. I figure because the Mavs traded Luka Doncic in late winter why make such a trade unless Giannis Antetokounmpo is arriving in Big D? Former Mavs coach Don Nelson was in town to receive an award and indicated he was wearing Luka’s new Nikes. “Nelson said his philosophy on generational players is the one legendary coach and executive Red Auerbach taught him: Don’t trade those talents. “His philosophy was when you have a great player—Bill Russell, (John) Havlicek, Sam Jones, you name ‘em—you don’t lose that player. You keep him for a lifetime. You put his number up, and you honor that player. That’s been my philosophy.”

ESPN NBA

Thanks…but no thanks

Jay Wright former Villanova basketball coach is next to say NO to the Knicks job. What I’m reading he is a friend of Knicks GM Leon Rose plus the fact the team is loaded with his former players, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. Just like the commercial, all the Knicks need do is acquire Donte DiVincenzo from the Wolves and they could have a Villanova reunion. On a more serious note Wright indicates he wants to remain retired, it’s clear he enjoys his television gig. So what occurs from here, do the Knicks hire a coach by June 25?

That’s the date of the NBA draft, I’m sure Rose and staff could conduct the draft however that head coach whoever it might be is important. Even a newly hired coach desires to say yes or no on a particular athlete. I have no insight into the mind of the Knick brain trust however I believe we are going to be surprised when the name is announced. We’ve conducted speculation on a name and it’s my belief we are all going to be amazed. Despite coming up short against the Pacers this Knick team is good, they managed to eliminate the defending NBA champion Celtics. A tweak here and a tweak there and this team could have been playing for the championship.

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Trade the pick

It’s my desire to aid the Laker cause in their quest for a championship, I also intend that same strategy for the Spurs so here goes with that effort. In case you questioned why allow me to inform you one requested this, I have taken on this task at my own request. I have joined the Spurs front office of GM Brian Wright and head coach Mitch Johnson prior to the draft (just kidding). From all indications the number two pick will be made by the Spurs and combo guard Dylan Harper will be chosen. It’s likely Harper remains a Spur but wait there is more to the story, they also have the number 14 pick and it is highly likely they will trade the pick.

In my opinion the Spurs should acquire a talented front court player with the pick. Despite my statement that talented players should not be named Kevin Durant. Durant still continues to exhibit his skill on the court but he’s 37 years old now and it’s my belief the Spurs would be better served attempting to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo over Durant. I’m not going to detail a list of quality small and power forwards available I just happen to believe this youthful team should continue in a youth movement. This youth movement entails moving past Chris Paul even in a limited role. The Spurs are a young team who will only get better, we can look no further than Oklahoma City and see a youth movement in full effect and playing for an NBA Championship.  

They changed the landscape of the U.S. 

It might be difficult reading this in 2025 however in 1939 it was far different than today. Segregation or separation of the races existed at the time in most facets of life. As for higher education that was a slightly different matter, blacks had been allowed to compete in athletics although it was only a trickle of the vast poot of talent. The south had a strict admittance policy although many northern and west coast schools such as UCLA not only allowed black students but they competed athletically as well. The 1939 UCLA Bruins men’s team would make history, members of this team would help usher in racial change, Jackie Robinson is the name most are familiar with.

Jack Roosevelt Robinson in April 1947 would break the color barrier in baseball when he began play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. There were others, Kenny Washington would later become the first black player in the NFL after the league lifted its ban. Strange as it might seem black players were allowed in the league and then a nearly 20 year ban was placed in effect by the NFL. Woody Strode is easily the most unrecognized name, after a time playing in the NFL Strode went to Hollywood and played a supporting role in a number of movies and television from the 1950’s through the 1980’s. Strode’s bio indicates he appeared in well over 25 Hollywood productions. There were two other black players on that UCLA roster which as I mentioned was unheard of for the time, both went on to distinguished careers in law enforcement and public service.

What we learned (or didn’t)

The NBA Draft Combine often provides us timely information, I will cite you an example. Although Cooper Flagg was in Chicago he did not participate in any scrimmages, which certainly makes sense. This is what we learned, the ESPN College page which I guess is based on Duke supplied information that needs to be tweaked. He is listed at 209 pounds, his combine weight read 221 which is certainly more significant. In addition that height thing, everyplace I found had Flagg listed at 6-foot-9 inches in height. Measured without shoes Flagg stands 6-foot-7 ½ inches in height. Despite the number of positives there appear to be a number of detractors. You’ve read some of the same stuff I have, “Cooper Flagg will not be NBA royalty” or “His game is lacking ________.” If I take you back two years ago we read and heard much of the same negative talk regarding Victor Wembanyama.

We might question how that turned out, did we discover much of the negative talk about Wemby was just that…talk with not much to back it. As this is written I have no idea of Flagg’s NBA future, based on what I’ve read and heard he can play despite the comments of some naysayers. This goes for any rookie, the transition to the NBA is far more complicated than it might seem on television. You might remember this statement from several years ago, a rookie player said; “I was surprised at the speed of the game.” I don’t remember that players name but his statement has stuck with me over the years. In addition we must take into account the opportunity for significant minutes on the court. My statement has always been that one cannot learn how to play the game at any level sitting on the bench. There have been several players over the years who arrived in the NBA and we soon discovered they couldn’t play. Simply stated their game was fine tuned for college or Euro basketball and they were unable to adapt it to the NBA. 

It's different for college ball

Later you will read a brief account on my favorite NBA teams. I realize that might be shocking to some I do follow other NBA teams besides my Lakers, that’s another story for now. The Missouri Tigers are at the top of my list for several reasons, although Missouri State and St. Louis University play Division I basketball Missouri has been the best over several generations. In addition to that I live almost three miles from State Line Road, I live on the east side of the street which places me in Missouri. As for other programs it’s been the coach generally over the school allow me to explain.

I wasn’t much of a Kentucky fan until John Calipari arrived, now that he’s moved to Arkansas I don’t have the same feeling. My new/old favorite for number two is the Duke Blue Devils, always been a fan of Coach K. and Jon Scheyer has moved into place and continued the winning tradition. Right behind Duke I place Penny Hardaway and his Memphis Tigers, he tends to always turn out competitive teams. This next one probably will surprise some of you, I have Creighton and coach Greg McDermott, the coach is able to continue recruiting talent to this Omaha Nebraska school. Again with the coaches, UCLA drops a notch for me strictly due to the school’s revolving door at the head coaching position. There you have it my brief list of favorite college programs, check back with me at the end of the 2025-26 season because some schools might be among the missing.