A fans perspectives

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Colander

If you are a cook on the amateur level or a top line chef you are familiar with a colander. Just in case I am providing a dictionary definition of the word, it’s “A kitchen utensil perforated with holes used to strain foods such as pasta or to rinse vegetables.” The defense of the Los Angeles Lakers remind me of a colander, they cannot stop anyone including the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. No game in the NBA is automatic however the Lakers were favored to with the game plus it was at home, so much for what I wrote. 135-117 was the final outcome in the Hornets favor, but check this out. The Lakers didn’t actually shoot that bad however their defense was less than desired in this game. What occurred for the Lakers to play so badly, plenty if you continue to read.

The visitors shot a sizzling 54% from the floor and a meteoric 47% from the three-point line. This is my chief concern, Luka Doncic is a lights out shooter but a suspect defender plus LeBron James is no longer than guardian he once was. So this member of Laker Nation is extremely disappointed based on the last several games. I once wrote and will repeat it, the Lakers can score with any NBA team, the problem is the D. The Lakers are not terrible ranking 9th in team offense, they are near the bottom at number 27 in defense. Teams are not dumb, they see scouting reports and decide where to attack the opposition. For the Lakers, their Achilles heel or kryptonite is definitely the three line. A team effort is required to improve the defense from this area, it’s certainly possible but a question mark for me until I can see improvement. I realize the game was a blow-out win for the Hornets but LeBron James leaving the court with one minute left in the game is inexcusable to me.

One additional issue

The other day I attempted to detail for you the problems I believe exist in college basketball. The recent news indicates gambling was omitted from the commentary. I’ve avoided discussing it in detail because of my lack of knowledge on the subject. It’s difficult for me to describe an issue of unfamiliarity and that’s what gambling and it’s tentacles are for me. A story broke last week regarding college basketball. Of course you are aware of an earlier account facing two NBA players and a coach. I fail to write about something that is not an easy fix, I make that statement because this issue has long existed in professional and amateur sports.

A simple check would be the 1919 Black Sox World Series scandal, gambling elements attempted to ‘fix’ the World Series to their benefit. 1950 and 1961 saw college basketball facing major outrage involving the game. Of course since then and up to the present time, this tendency comes about once again as it has this past week. In my view there is no method under the sun to prevent occurrences similar to last week or those that occurred in the past. The only method is to depend on the integrity of the individuals involved. Humans are going to continue to do human things be they good or bad, in essence the hope is they do the good which is right thing however there is no guarantee. Sorry, I am unable to provide you with an answer, this is far too complicated for me and that’s all I could generate.

8 points in 8.9 seconds

No one could score that many points in such a short space of time yet it occurred. From AI Overview: “Reggie Miller famously scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds (often rounded to 9 seconds) against the New York Knicks on May 7, 1995, hitting two three-pointers and two free throws to lead the Indiana Pacers to a comeback win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.” An addendum to the story, Miller was made the first pick in the 1987 draft by the Pacers but he is not the player fans wanted. Some reading this will believe I am downplaying the career Steve Alford registered. As most are aware high school football is played in the State of Indiana but the chief sport was and remains…basketball, truth is Indiana might be the only state to make that claim. In any event Alford was a hotshot high school player, he was a star prior to enrolling at Indiana.

Alford was ‘Mr. Basketball’ his senior year as the top high school player in the State of Indiana. After experiencing a good college career the NBA draft was upon us, the Pacers had a first round pick with the number 11 selection. Fans wanted the Pacers to choose Alford however that would not be the case, instead they selected a skinny 6-foot 7 185 pound shooting guard. As for Alford he slid to the second round and was made the 26th pick by the Dallas Mavericks. You know about Miller, NBA All Pro…20,000 point career scorer, Naismith Hall of Fame, 75th Anniversary NBA team…you get the picture, what about Alford you might ask? He’s managed to taste success also but in a different manner, Alford took on the role of basketball coach. Currently he’s the head man at Nevada but in 30 years of coaching at several stops he’s only had two losing seasons. Alford’s still coaching while Miller is retired and has become a broadcaster.

It’s a mystery

We arrive in the middle of January and this Mizzou team continues to remain an enigma to me. They can’t shoot free throws that’s clear,  the question are they a good team or only an average one, allow for an explanation. After Mizzou’s win on January 14 win over Auburn they have 13 wins and only 4 losses, they have 3 conference wins against 1 lost…that’s the good. We saw blowout losses to archrivals Kansas and Illinois, in addition Mizzou found a method to turn a win into a loss against Ole Miss on January 10. Coach Dennis Gates remains positive for me but there are questions from me regarding his in-game adjustments. I decided to check last season’s results and was almost shocked to see the won-loss record was close.

As I pointed out above the 2025-26 this Mizzou team is 13-4 as this is written, last season near the same period Mizzou was 14-3. As you can see we find Mizzou close to last season. This also should provide evidence of my confusion, Mizzou is one of five teams tied for first place in the conference race. The team last season received an NCAA invite but lost their game against Drake 67-57. I am impatient, as I’ve attempted to point out the coach has been an outstanding recruiter but to date despite better personnel Mizzou has not advanced at the level I hoped for. Is this the year Mizzou earns an NCAA invite and makes a deep run in the tournament, I certainly hope that is the case? In the meantime I remain excited about the incoming crop of talent arriving in August.