Basketball from a Fan’s Perspective

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New South Philadelphia Arena

News sometimes moves faster than I can keep up, that is the case with the developments in Philadelphia. Last Tuesday I provided an update on planned arenas including this one. The arena in south Philadelphia was originally planned to be for the Sixers only, since then at least two changes have occurred. The first news indicated it would be a basketball only building, now it should be noted the NHL Flyers will also be tenants. In addition to the Flyers the expansion WNBA team will also play in the building as well. The arena has a planned 2031 opening and the WNBA team will be the only building in Philly they will ever play unless there is a construction delay.

My hometown Kansas City is part of this effort as Populous has been tasked with design. This from the Populous website, “Global design firm Populous, in collaboration with associate architect Moody Nolan, has been selected by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Comcast Spectacor to design a state-of-the-art arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.” Pardon me if I remain a little confused on portions of this story, I’d read the primary reason the Sixers wanted their own arena rather than sharing had to do with dates. It appears the NHL Flyers and Sixers will continue to juggle play dates. Sixers owners have toured Chase Center in San Francisco and the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, they indicate a strong desire to mirror these two arenas.

On the other hand

I believe an update is required here, those of you who read the Saturday edition might have become confused. There was no intent on my part to indicate Cooper Flagg was headed to a perennial NBA All Pro career and to Naismith. Flagg’s initial game was played against a bunch of Laker rookies and G-League talent, the athletes he faces in the future will be light years ahead of last Thursday’s competition. If I looked at his shooting alone there might be a question but even there it wasn’t terrible but does require work. The portion of Flagg’s game I observed most enlightening he didn’t shrink from the challenge he faced,

He as aggressive all evening, this primarily includes those areas outside of shooting the rock. In a manner similar to any other rookie he will require a “break-in” period, the truth is I expect to see a different Flagg in February versus what we might see in October. On the other hand the story I published yesterday may be way off base, perhaps Flagg manages to fall flat on his face. If that should occur and he is unworthy of the praise bestowed upon him you have my permission to laugh at me and point fingers in my direction. I once heard someone describe a rookie as the next ________, I prefer instead to see him as the best version of Cooper Flagg…stay connected for future additions to this story.

What did you say?

Marcis Ponder, a Class of 2026 prospect, is currently uncommitted, despite having received multiple offers from several schools. Ponder hails from Springfield Virginia---located just over 20 miles from Washington, D.C.—Ponder is set to begin his senior year at The Gillion Academy in August. which is located 20 plus miles from Washington D.C., in August Ponder will begin his senior year at The Gillion Academy. There has been some inconsistency regarding Ponder’s physical measurements from major recruiting platforms.

According to 247Sports.com, Ponder stands 6-foot-11 and weighs 330 pounds. Meanwhile, On3.com identifies him as a 6-foot-10, 308-pound prospect. ESPN’s Basketball Recruiting-Player Profiles claims Ponder is 6-foot 11 but weighs 260 pounds. While the discrepancy in height is minimal, the significant variance in reported weight is notable. It is anticipated that upon his arrival on campus, Ponder will likely undertake a weight management system. In an earlier report video detailed Ponder’s domination on the court comes with a question mark. With Ponder’s size in high school he probably wasn’t greatly challenged, the college game will be quite different.

He did what

This is one more Kobe Bryant story only a few are aware occurred. I read a story in Basketball Network, it confirmed most of what I read from other sources. Some might remember shooting guard Eddie Jones was drafted two years ahead of Bryant, the Lakers (through Jerry West GM) brought him in for the customary practice of a workout. The story explained among other things Bryant was equal to or exceeded Jones. Dell Harris then Laker coach claimed Bryant was the best he’d ever seen although he was described as a raw 17 year old, but wait there is more.

Jones, although certainly a quality player was traded to the Hornets in order for Bryant to assume the starters role. There is one more party to consider in this story, Nick Van Exel. He was a point guard however Van Exel was an early version of a combo guard. He was skillful at passing the ball but Van Exel was a shooter, he had to go and not because he was a problem…Van Excel would be traded to the Nuggets. Derek Fisher would be inserted into the lineup at the point, he was looking to distribute the ball, shooting was secondary to him. Oftentimes budding talent cannot be hidden or disguised, that would be the case for Kobe Bean Bryant.

Meanwhile…..

How do you measure success, we might ask Jordan Goodwin the question. Goodwin had a notable high school and later college career at St. Louis University. In 2021, he went undrafted but joined the Capital City Go-Go, a G-League team. He alternated between the G-League and the Washington Wizards through 2023. During his pro career, he moved from the Wizards to the Suns, then to the Grizzlies and their G-League team, the Hustle. In the 2024-25 season, he became a member of the South Bay G-League team, and later received a call-up from the parent club. In February, he signed a two-way contract with the Lakers, parent club, and in March, he was signed for the remainder of the season. Although his position is not guaranteed until January, it appears he has earned a permanent roster spot. His progress suggests that hard work and persistence have played a significant role in his journey.

It’s clear Yang Hansen being drafted in the first round was as much of a surprise to me as the “experts.” Most of them had the youngster from China projected in the second round not the middle of the first at 16. Chosen by the Grizzlies his draft rights were conveyed to the Blazers soon after. In his introductory press conference Yang was asked when he’s not playing basketball what were his interests. Answering in English he said; “Sometimes I sleep. All the time, sleep. I like to play PS5. And I like to eat.” The Blazers had a stealth plan in place to draft the youngster. This from the gardenreport.com, “The Blazers were on a two-year mission to land Yang Hansen.” A correction in his name is required here, years after the draft we discovered his name should have been Ming Yao instead of Yao Ming, a name modification is made at the beginning of what is hoped to be a long NBA career for the 7-foot 1 250 pound Big Man from China.

The Lakers are reported to be pursuing Al Horford of the Celtics, there are also accounts circulating Maxi Kleber might be given an opportunity to fill a role if he is not included in a trade. I admit the promise of Kleber is unknown so a deep dive was conducted on the world wide web. Kleber is from Germany, he stands 6-foot 10 and weighs 240 pounds. He arrived in the Luka Doncic trade after spending 8 years with the Mavs, the 33 year old Kleber arrived in the NBA after an extensive career playing in Germany. During his time as a member of the Mavs his lowest percentage from three was his first year (.313), his high was .410. He spent all of last season with a foot injury which is now healed, this is the reason few Laker fans are familiar with Kleber.