A fans perspectives

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Newcomers

The June NBA draft is about 6 months away, there are a number of factors that could change draft positioning. I am attempting to provide  my own “scouting report” for you, and as usual most of the high profile  prospective draft types are freshman. We do a quick check on the Top 10 prospects I intend to discuss. Cameron Boozer is profiled first, Duke basketball is a school everyone either hates or loves. Based on that fact alone there are plenty of Duke games on television and numerous opportunities to see him in action. The 6-foot 9 Boozer should be chosen somewhere in the Top 10 however there are others.

Darryn Peterson at Kansas has been in and out of the lineup, when he plays he looks NBA ready, my concern is his health…in and out of the lineup a number of times so far this season. Caleb Wilson at North Carolina also appears ready for the next level, in addition he is quite a leaper. One of the most intriguing prospects to me is AJ Dybansta BYU freshman, the only ‘hole’ in his game is his average free throw shooting. We must also see Kingston Flemings Houston point guard and Mikel Brown at Louisville. Keep in mind there are only 6 players mentioned in this brief account, it’s written in early February. By the time the draft occurs several players could possibly move into the Top 10…keep that in mind.

Looking ahead 

The SEC race is yet to be completed, we are a distance from the NCAA championship in April. Despite those two facts I’m looking toward 2026-27 for Mizzou basketball. Incoming in the fall will be the school’s highest rated prospects ever. The names have been profiled earlier but a repeat is performed here. There is Jason Crowe Jr (6-foot 3) combo guard, check any prospect site and you will see him listed at or near the top for the Class of 2026 guards and is a 5-star prospect. A similar statement could be made regarding 6-foot 9 forward Toni Bryant, he is also rated 5-star and is one of the best forwards in the class.

Forward (6-foot 6) Aiden Chronister is not ranked as highly as the two previously mentioned, Chronister is listed as a 4-star prospect. Mizzou has been without a 5- star prospect since 2017 when Michael Porter Jr. arrived on campus. No 5-star prospect in several years and then two in a single class. As was once stated “I don’t wish to place the cart in front of the horse.” In other words don’t become too excited until they are in action. No matter how highly rated a prospect there is a Grand Canyon jump between competitive high school competition and that which exists at the Division I level. As you can see these three prospects plus returning roster members should make for a competitive Mizzou team in 2025-26 and provide a foundation for the future. Just so you are clear on this it’s not Mizzou Nation alone, ESPN rates this crop of pending freshman number one in the nation. Rivals and 247Sports list this class as 3 and 6.

The best worst seat in the house

I’m sure there is quite a bit of debate on what might be considered the best seat in the house at a basketball game, in this instance we are not discussing any of the thousands of high school gyms in the nation or anything close to it. The conversation centers on NBA and college arenas, my intent is to inform you the reader which are the worst seats. I’ve had an opportunity twice to view games from a suite or sky box, my opinion…the food was tremendous. The view of the game was terrible, I felt as if I was “5 miles away from the action,” I said to myself never again (unless I’m the owner of the suite). This is only the beginning there is more…continue to read.

Contrast with this experience, once a friend acquired seats two rows behind the television broadcast crew….I thought to myself “this is great.” The only problem it wasn’t so great, standing up was a different matter. Sitting down I couldn’t see portions of the court on either end. I suppose Spike Lee and others sitting on the front row have an unobstructed view of the game which I didn’t. There is also the end zone experience to detail for you, this might sound quite strange but I could see player movement on the opposing end better than play right in front of me. I’m going to close this out with the “nosebleed” seats, those are the ones you are seated so high in the arena an oxygen mask is required. Okay, now that I’ve detailed for you the worst, how about the best? IMO, the best seat in the house is one in the middle portion of the building halfway toward the top.  

How to build an NBA winner

I am not attempting to play GM of some NBA team, the purpose is a discussion how some franchises attain success becoming winners and some rising to the championship level. NBA teams over time have used a variety of methods to build their brand effectively. The first area to look at is the annual NBA draft held in June. There are prospects whose value is unrealized, i.e. “We think they will be good but we don’t know yet.” My quick response to that would be Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, scouting reports were outstanding for the Thunder point guard. When he was drafted would anyone have projected him as a league MVP…I doubt it. Several teams have utilized the draft to build the team, examples at present would be the Spurs, Thunder and Pistons. When you check the rosters of those teams and others you will see a number of talented young players.

The few grizzly veterans on these teams play infrequently as reserves or spot starters. In all three instances these teams were cellar dwellers or close to that level but have managed to rise in the ranks by drafting talent who benefited the team. All 30 teams participate in the annual draft however others build through free agency and trades. The predominant team in my view would be my Los Angeles Lakers. Over the decades they have managed to add talent which has improved the Lakers and in some instances help them win championships. Who are the athletes they acquired in trade or signed as free agents? You are familiar with the names beginning with Wilt Chamberlain, he would lead to Kareem Abdul Jabbar to Shaquille O’Neal along with Kobe Bryant. A present day example would be the signing of LeBron James in free agency. In conclusion there is no magic formula for producing winning basketball play, of course a further key is an effective coach/general manager being in place.