A fans perspective

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I was worried

Sometimes I have been worried about an issue and it turns out to be incorrect. This time the worry was real especially when it smacked me in the face. Missouri would face Kansas in the annual Border War or Bragging Rights game, the final score read Kansas 80 Missouri 60. It was a classic beat down despite the fact Darryn Peterson presumed top NBA draft pick in 2026 didn’t play a large portion of the second half. The truth is he actually was the second leading scorer with 17 points. Tre White led the way for Kansas with 20 points along with 13 rebounds.

As most are aware this game represented a return for Peterson who’d missed several games nursing an injury. As for Missouri it was clear to all Mark Mitchell had little help, the 6-foot 9 Mitchell scored 21 points but he was the offense for Missouri. The height advantage I believe they held over Kansas went away quickly, there is no requirement to shoot successfully when you are scoring baskets. Missouri managed to shoot a paltry 34% shooting from the floor and 26% of it coming from three. Wanna know how really bad the game was for Missouri? They shot a pathetic 52% from the free-throw line. Do I appear to be a disgruntled fan, you better bet I am. Despite the disappointment of the loss I still believe in this team, they will win more games than they lose even in the tough SEC.

Did he wear out his welcome

This report is strictly speculation, no one signed off nor am I claiming this is inside information. The report is Chris Paul was welcomed at first to the Los Angeles Clippers but eventually he “wore out his welcome.” Reports have emerged he was critical of the Clippers front office and was also in the ears of teammates. One account indicates Paul and assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy clashed over coaching philosophy, one story claims head coach Ty Lue “hadn’t spoken to Paul in weeks.” With that issue aside Saturday night would witness the Clippers losing once again, this time it was the Minnesota Wolves.

The game was close, the final score read Wolves 109-Clippers 106, there is a unique break in the schedule. The Clippers don’t play again until Thursday December 11 when they face the Rockets. The Clippers had lost 5 games in a row prior to a win against the Hawks, they are now on a 2 game losing streak. I have been tough on the team, despite suffering a losing record (6-18) they are not as bad as their record indicates. As this is written the Clippers are only ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference standings. Improved performance and the possibility of higher-ranked teams playing below their current level could benefit the Clippers in the standings. They can't rely on the 2026 draft, as the Thunder hold those picks from the Paul George trade.

They can’t play him

Time has run out in my opinion, Bronny James is yet to prove he can play at a high skill level in the NBA. He’s demonstrated to a point that he can compete effectively in the G-League where to be honest the play is not as high. Despite my statement it’s my belief as long as LeBron remains a Laker Bronny remains on a rotation between the G-League South Bay Lakers and the parent club. Although I initially held concerns regarding Bronny’s ability I attempted to be patient, i.e., willing to wait, after all he’d played less than a half season while at Southern Cal. As mentioned previously Bronny indicated he was transferring, the next we knew he declared for the NBA draft. Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers father and son made NBA history as father and son were on the floor at the same time.

I thought given playing time in the G-League and two Summer League appearances Bronny would be prepared for the 2025-26 season. He still appears to require additional work in the G-League. Bronny is not a shooter however that is not critical, it’s the ability to do the other things reasonably well. So far I’ve not discovered any portion of the game that I can say stands out for Bronny. I have no idea what the future holds however speculation leads me in several different directions. Once LeBron retires the Lakers waive Bronny and this becomes the fork in the road. Bronny will move permanently into the G-League or head for Europe where he can earn huge sums of money. All this is speculation however JJ Redick has a problem, he’s got a member of his roster he technically can’t play in crunch time except a dire emergency. It’s my belief Bronny has Nick Smith Jr., Gabe Vincent and maybe Chris Manon in front of him competing for time on the court.   

The All-Time winners

Which men’s basketball teams have the most wins of all time? The answer is straightforward—the so-called Blue Blood programs lead the list. Behind them are other teams that have consistently maintained successful basketball programs throughout more than a century of competition, dating back to the early 1900s and continuing through the 2024-25 season.

Kentucky – 2,422 wins

Kansas – 2,414 wins

North Carolina - 2,395 wins

Duke - 2,335 wins

UCLA - 2,025 wins

Temple – 2,010 wins

Syracuse – 2,007 wins

Notre Dame – 1,978 wins

St. John’s – 1,973 wins

Purdue – 1,953 wins

Indiana = 1,950 wins

The Top 10 list now excludes one of the hotbeds of basketball the State of Indiana, the University of Indiana earns a spot on our list at number 11. The Bloomington Indiana school has won 5 NCAA championships, 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, and 1987. The ongoing success of St. John’s and, more notably, Purdue may have led to Indiana dropping out of the Top 10 list of winningest NCAA basketball programs in the country. Are there any teams you find surprising in the Top 10? For me there are two, Temple and Notre Dame and I will explain. The late John Chaney coached Temple from 1982-83 to 2005-06, his teams almost always won 20 plus games every season. Mike Brey (2000-01 to 2022-23) had a number of seasons where his Fightin’ Irish won more than 20 games a fact I overlooked.

A re-visit

The subject of NBA Rookie of the Year was covered previously but worth another look. As was mentioned previously the history has witnessed that top pick has not always been anointed the best new player in the NBA. Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs was named 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year, he was not the first pick in the draft. Castle was the 4th pick in that draft, Zaccharie Risacher was actually the top pick in the 2024 draft by the Atlanta Hawks. In 2023 it was scripted correctly, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs was the first draft selection and he was also named rookie of the year. In 2021 Detroit Piston Cade Cunningham was selected number one however at award time Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors was accorded the honor as the top rookie.

Keep this in mind, that’s not to say the top pick should always be named NBA Rookie of the Year, in some instances the number one pick has not become NBA adjusted, there are times an athlete is required two sometimes three years to adjust to NBA play. In a number of instances we discover the fact that player at the top to put it bluntly is not that good. They might have excelled in the college game however the NBA is a whole other level. The most recent examples might be Ben Simmons (2018), Michael Carter-Williams (2014) and Tyreke Evans (2010). In the instance of this trio it’s not the fact they couldn’t play, they never reached the heights anticipated fairly or unfairly. To be fair in several instances there might be a case of wrong time, wrong team and wrong coach, that scenario can certainly impact an athletes adjustment and growth. That’s why my claim is always allow for time for a player to develop.