A basketball fans outlook

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Folks love to hate him

Most of you reading this are acquainted with him already, as for others his name is Dan Hurley. He is the men’s head basketball coach at UConn. At 53 years of age Hurley might be one of most easily identified and successful college basketball coach in today’s game. His claim to fame, he’s won two national championships (2023 & 2024). Over the course of his career Hurley’s teams have been victorious in 349 games, 198 of them while he’s been head coach at UConn. That’s the good Hurley, how about the other Hurley? He can be abrasive at times, he is confrontational at times particularly toward game officials.

What I found interesting a local sports talk radio host even compared him to the late Bobby Knight. Despite that comparison on his part I believe that is his opinion certainly not mine based on what I witnessed or read of Knight in action especially at Indiana. After the win over Duke in all the excitement the television camera caught Hurley chest or head bumping one of the officials. Hurley could have been given a technical foul which certainly would have changed the outcome of the game. The explanation is simple, Hurley indicated he was acquainted with this particular official. If you are a Hurley hater you should have ceased reading long before now. I am a Duke fan, the hope on my part was the Blue Devils would win, despite the outcome I remain a Dan Hurley devotee.   

Meanwhile….

I haven't kept up with Stephen A. Smith recently; you may recall that I previously mentioned his proclamation. “He (Victor Wembanyama) can’t be the face of the NBA, why, because he’s not an American.” When I discussed this with a co-worker his response was simple, “Does it really matter?” If there is a face of the NBA who decides what nation that individual might call home. Of course the statement you read is one of the many dumb statements made by SAS over the course of his media career. A better question might be this, who appointed him the arbitrator of all possible unresolved issues and matters of the world.

The 49th annual McDonald’s All Star Game took place on Tuesday, March 31 from Glendale Arizona. While its overall importance may be debatable, watching the collection of talent still makes for an entertaining experience, even if it is just an all-star game. The West defeated the East by a score of 102-86. Camron Crowe Jr. (Missouri) and Caleb Holt (Arizona), both representing the West, were named co-MVPs. Toni Bryant, playing for the East and set to attend Missouri, contributed 14 points and 5 rebounds. Crowe Jr. and Bryant represent the top recruiting class in the nation and the distinguished themselves during the game. 

“I don’t regret selling, I just regret that I sold to the Adelson and Dumont families.” Those are the words of Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban, according to reports despite the sale Cuban still retains ownership in 27% of the team but no longer calls the shots. It appears the sale of his portion of the Mavs increased the size of Cuban’s financial worth significantly. I like Cuban however based on the sale he should be a happy camper, on the other hand that would not appear to be the case. There may have been other considerations involved in the sale unknown to the public.   

For the second year

The Tuesday evening Laker 127-113 victory over the Cavs became win number 50 for the season. At this point I have no idea how the season eventually plays out….will it be an NBA championship or just a deep playoff run? At this point, the question cannot be answered, however, for the second year in a row the Lakers have eclipsed the 50 win mark. The win total fails to lead the league in victory that belongs to the Thunder yet the majority of those in Laker Nation are excited. I’m unable to point out the exact date, I think it was right around the All-Star break they began to accelerate play. It was pointed out Wednesday morning that the Lakers finished March with 15 wins versus only 2 losses, that says meteoric heat to me.

With all the platitudes they remain an imperfect team, one area needing an upgrade is post defense. This is speculation, however, one of the chief reasons for the improved play I believe is due to the elder LeBron James. I imagine he’s “allowed” Luka Doncic to be the clear leader, he’s taken a back seat. For someone about to punch his Naismith Hall of Fame ticket this might not be easy on the ego. I happen to believe Sr. sees the possibility of another NBA championship although its certainly not a guarantee. Markus Smart, new guy Luke Kennard along with Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton have been key to improved play by this version of Laker basketball. As I indicated earlier there is no projection on my part on a finish the hope is it’s a good one.