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This has got to be a record

There were a few trades made prior to the deadline, one was more unusual than others. Moving from the Sacramento Kings to the Cleveland Cavaliers is one Dennis Schroder, he will soon don his 11th NBA jersey. This is not done in any order but consider the fact Schroder has now worn the jersey of the following teams:

Atlanta Hawks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Los Angeles Lakers

Boston Celtics

Houston Rockets

Toronto Raptors

Brooklyn Nets

Golden State Warriors

Detroit Pistons

Sacramento Kings

Cleveland Cavaliers 

During his NBA career I’ve never read anything negative regarding Schroder and his involvement with his coaches or teammates. It’s clear Schroder must be a valued reserve player because to my knowledge no NBA team has indicated they didn’t want him to be part of their team. I guess it might be a good idea for Schroder to keep a ‘go-bag’ so he can leave at a moments notice.

They created confusion

They had the same name, John Williams, they were never teammates but their NBA careers did overlap one another. To offer additional confusion one played his basketball at Louisiana State University and the other played at Tulane University also in the state. Nicknames help separate which one you might be discussing. One was given the nickname ‘Hot Plate,’ this was done due to his eating habits. He was 6-foot 8 and 235 pounds when drafted by the Washington Bullets (Wizards). 

He’d ballooned to 260 pounds by the time of the NBA draft in 1986 and the team placed him on a restrictive diet. Despite the weight issue ‘Hot Plate’ was a skillful passer, he was 5.1 assists for his NBA career. ‘Hot Rod’ Williams received his nickname because as a baby he made engine-like sounds when he scooted backwards across the floor. There was a physical difference over the other Willliams, Hot Rod stood 6-foot 11 and 245 pounds, drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers he culminated his 13 year NBA career at the end of the 1999 while a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

An appraisal

The final score read Mizzou 84 Mississippi State 79, I should be pleased but I’m not. Mizzou is now one game above .500 (5-4) and this becomes win number 15. It is likely Mizzou will have another 20-win season which should ensure contentment on my part…not so. Perhaps my anticipation for the 2025-26 was sat too high, it’s been my belief middle of the road in the SEC no longer is satisfactory. Dennis Gates is now in his 4th year, an NCAA invite has occurred in two of those years. There is an outside chance another invite will occur, if not the NCAA surely the NIT or some other post season tournament will see Mizzou in action.

While Gates may not admit it, I believe that players coming through the transfer portal have generally been disappointing and haven't performed to expectations. There is no requirement on my part to name them, those in Mizzou Nation are familiar with them. As a fan observing the games, it seems to me that Mizzou’s offense and defense lack clear planning at time. My main concerns include average to poor free-throw shooting, below-average three-point shooting, and most importantly, rebounding. Even though Mizzou has one of its tallest teams, they've often matched or been outrebounded by their opponents. On Sunday, I explained why I’m anxious about the future, but I remain hopeful that this top recruiting class will help change the trajectory of Mizzou basketball moving forward.

A true change…maybe

I cannot provide the date, on more than one occasion this was written or something quite similar. “Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg will not wow you with his scoring, he will do all those things to aid the development of his team.” That was then, this is now and I have no explanation except this. Flagg’s been on a scoring binge, although it’s not led to victory its proven to me (and others) his game is only requirement is to grow his effort defensively. The team has quite an injury list, missing in action for the Mavs are Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, PJ Washington and Brandon Williams. One possible factor contributing to the recent increase in scoring may be an unexpected development in Flagg's game.

Over the past five games, Flagg has recorded point totals of 18, 21, 16, 49, and 34. In these appearances, his lowest shooting percentage was 35%—occurring during the 16-point performance against the Lakers. For the remaining games, his minimum shooting percentage was 44%, and he exceeded 50% in the others. In summary, it is evident that Flagg has demonstrated a level of scoring proficiency that was not initially anticipated by me. The Mavs remain in a building mode, there is a question regarding Anthony Davis returning. He will probably be traded at some point so with Irving on the downhill side of his career could it occur? Will Flagg become the leader of these new Mavs? That question cannot be answered this season and it might not come about until some point in the future but it will occur.