A basketball fans outlook

Sunday & Monday-Wednesday-Friday & Saturday

Miami (FL) 80 Mizzou 66

There is no effort on my part to hide the score from you just in case you didn’t see the final, that’s the purpose in it being the headline. That certainly should grab your attention, Saturday morning as this is being composed I am still trying to wrap my head around the outcome of this game. How do you arrive on the court so unprepared is beyond me, the finger pointing must begin with the coach and his coaching staff. As a card carrying member of Mizzou Nation no excuse will be offered for the travesty the nation saw Friday evening.

Here is the example to use, teams playing on Friday must play again on Sunday that fails to allow enough time to scout the opposition in detail. That was not the case here, Mizzou was aware for 5 days who they would face, did the team not see or read a scouting report? Mizzou shot 36% from the floor as a team and 36% from three, that’s not going to win a team very many games. Understand this Mizzou had the taller team yet they were out rebounded 46-30, Miami had 16 offensive rebounds to the 7 registered by Mizzou. As for the shooting, Miami was 43% from the floor with 46% of it from three. The balance of numbers were pretty much even between the teams. Teams (including Miami (FL) ) must now prepare to play again today. That’s a little over 48 hours leaving little time to view video or read a scouting report with all the detail that might be required.

From all indications Mizzou had 5 full days to prepare and travel a little over 100 miles, they came out of the gate flat as a pancake. If this appears written in anger it is, I am trying to be fair to the head coach and team but this loss was embarrassing. It’s been mentioned over and over regarding the quality 2026 recruiting class, it will serve no purpose whatsoever if the coach and his staff are unable to teach them to play the game at the skill level required. Check back with me by Tuesday or Wednesday, I believe by then I will have settled down. Some might believe I’m not giving Miami the credit due them, they are a good team having won 25 games but they were aided by the inept play of Mizzou.

Can you believe it 

The Lakers came to play, of course they did but this extensive road trip has witnessed them compete against playoff caliber teams. A quirk in the schedule saw them play the Rockets twice in Houston both games resulting in victory, from there it was on to Miami to play the Heat. The truth of the matter after winning 7 games in a row I figured they would be road weary and succumb to the well-rested Heat. That’s not exactly what occurred, the evening concluded with the Lakers winners again, this time it was a 134-126 victory. Luka the Don went off with a sizzling 60 point performance.

In 38 minutes of action LeBron had 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, by the final score you might understand the Laker defense was not quite as proficient as previously. I’m going to offer the excuse of tired legs and weary travel. Although this game might have been a shooting exhibition the Lakers continued to play tough defense once again. Over the last 10 games the Lakers have won 9 of them, I don’t believe anyone could ask more of this team. Are they superior to the teams they defeated on this road trip…are they better than the Spurs or Thunder? Only time will address that question however this is certain, Laker Nation is excited once again based on the on-court action.

For me this is easy

I failed to see the outstanding game registered by Darryn Peterson of Kansas, the Mizzou game was on at the same time. I understand he scored 28 points against Cal Baptist leading the Jayhawks to victory. Despite that fact I’m still going with AJ Dybansta as my top pick should he leave for the NBA. It’s not a talent issue, it’s the health of Peterson. If these cramping issues and other assorted stuff has caused him to miss a number of games what about the NBA? He must contend with 82 of them, now I realize hardly anyone plays that number of games but I hope you get the point I am attempting to make. The season has concluded for Dybansta, despite his best effort (35 points) the BYU Cougars lose to Texas 79-71.

What’s next for the youngster might be the question, he finished the season with 894 points the third most by a freshman in NCAA history. There were some heavyweights in front of him including Kevin Durant and the leader Allen Iverson. Dybansta indicates he intends to take some time before making a decision on his future. I’ve heard more than one analyst acknowledge this fact, the 6-foot 9 210 pound Dybansta will not have to contend with some of the junk defenses he’s played against in college. Despite the fact BYU went out in the first round Dybansta remains my choice as the best college basketball player for this season and my top pick in the June draft if he should declare. This from Dybansta; “I’mma go ask (my mom). Whatever she says goes.”

Single proprietor

While many are familiar with the headlines regarding NBA ownership, it is important to note that most businesses, including NBA franchises, are typically no longer owned by single individuals. Sole proprietorship in the NBA has become quite rare; currently, Steve Ballmer, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, is believed to be the only sole proprietor now among NBA franchise owners. Recent transactions in the league highlight escalating franchise values—most notably, the sale of the Boston Celtics for $6 billion and the stated sale of the Los Angeles Lakers more recently at a cost of $10 billion. The purchase price for sports franchises have risen significantly over the past several years.

Furthermore, expansion franchise fees are estimated to range from $7 billion to $10 billion. These figures suggest that ownership groups, rather than individuals, are increasingly necessary to assemble the required capital, and the number of partners often correlates with the total cost of acquisition. However, multiple ownership partners can complicate decision-making processes. Notably, any NBA expansion requires affirmative votes from 23 of the 30 current team owners. Presently, Seattle and Las Vegas are considered the leading candidates for potential expansion franchises. Should the decision be positive its reported it would be 2031 before the new teams begin play. NOTE: As this account was being completed came LeBron James’ news. The Laker great indicated his associates will not back him in the purchase of a Las Vegas franchise. James is a partner with Fenway Sports Group and the following information I uncovered in the Atlantic publication: 

“One of those sources, who was not authorized to speak publicly for Fenway, said the global sports investment firm was out on NBA ownership in Las Vegas because of the expected cost — the league is reportedly seeking expansion fees as high as $8 billion per team.” I’m not going to pretend I have inside information regarding the financials of James however he’s like most of us only with more money. As an example my net worth is considerably larger than my available cash on hand. In addition if my net worth is $8 billion as an example would I be willing to leverage $3 billion-$4 billion on an investment that may or may not prove fruitful? For his sake, it’s my hope that James is able to purchase the Las Vegas franchise in the future or perhaps another.