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.