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.