A basketball fans perspective

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Sometimes it’s a “I think!”

I came across a video on a social network platform and it was insightful. Although there was no indication the narrator of the video was a Rockets fan but that would be my assumption based on his comment. He didn’t say as much but appeared to blame Reed Sheppard for the Rockets lost to the Lakers. A closer look detailed this fact, the Rockets complaining because they drafted Reed Sheppard when they had an opportunity to choose Stephon Castle. The passage of time forced me to check the fan, the NBA draft of 2024 saw this order occur, with pick number 3 the Rockets would choose Sheppard.

That move would be followed  by the Spurs who chose Castle at 4, first of all this certainly no intent to disparage Sheppard. The Rockets’ guard has time to grow his game but it’s clear the Spurs were the winners at this time. This is based on the fact Castle was named Rookie of the Year, in addition to the fact he’s become a vital part of the Spurs rotation. Now we realize Castle was coming off a year his UConn team would win a national championship but apparently there was a belief Sheppard had a better upside. To date the career of Castle has exceeded that of Sheppard by light years, that’s not to flatly state Sheppard has no NBA in his future, there is talent although it might not be at the same level of Castle.

He’s proof

This is written May 13, earlier in the week I checked Rivals.com to determine which prospect might be seeking a school. As I scroll down the list it appeared everyone had either verbally committed or had already sign. I found the only exception to be was a new name to me; Boyuan Zhang. He played his basketball at Veritas Prep which is located in Ontario, California. Zang stands 6-foot 8 and weighs 205 pounds, he is projected as a wing at the collegiate level.

Among the list of schools with offers were Illinois, UC Berkley, Oregon and Minnesota. Those schools were active in securing players during the transfer portal, he decided instead on Louisville. As you might be aware Louisville is clearly intent on bringing large numbers of talented players into its program. As for a little background on Zhang he is new to the United States, having arrived from China for his senior year of high school. The headline further reflects a broader point: basketball continues to grow as an international game. I have no intention to place Zhang’s name in front of you as a future NBA athlete however the thought is certainly possible.   

What does the future hold

My Lakers were swept by the Thunder 4-0, not much comfort with that fact. Would a healthy Luka have made a difference in the outcome, possibly but that excuse will not be lodged here? Instead I am going to look toward next season. At the top of my list to not return….Deandre Ayton, it’s difficult to see now of course, he was the top pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Suns. This Laker shortfall was not on Ayton alone but here this from Shaq. “He don’t play hard all the time” plus “He can’t complain about his role if he isn’t producing.” I will allow that to marinate with you for a period, as for LeBron that’s a different story.

At a point during the season he appeared okay with Austin Reaves and Luka Doncíc being the focal point of the offense. Who knows what next season looks like, LeBron practically carried this Laker team through their series win over the Rockets. Maxi Kleber must go because the team received little in return from him since his arrival in the Luka trade. Two players who will be gone are Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt both for obvious reasons, Luke Kennard slumped against the Thunder but took on the role intended for Knecht. As for Vanderbilt his defense was good but his shooting ability disappeared. Are there others, they sure are but this is how I see the Lakers prior to next month’s draft and possible free agent acquisitions.

The return

What do we expect with the return of Victor Wembanyama? You remember he’d been ejected in Game 4 after throwing an elbow connecting with the Wolves Naz Reid. The incident occurred in the second quarter and it led to a Flagrant 2 and his first NBA ejection. Despite the fact a large number of fans appeared to believe a suspension was in order the NBA chose to recognize the ejection as punishment enough. Of course the indirect result of the ejection for Wemby was a win by the Wolves 114-109. I can’t say this for certain, but given how cerebral he is, I expected him to have an outstanding game on Tuesday.

The final score read Spurs 126 Wolves 97, Wemby led the action scoring 18 points in the first quarter alone. He filled up the box score with 27 points 17 rebounds 5 assists and 3 blocked shots, this on 56% shooting with 40% of it from three. Despite the accolades on Wemby the game remains a team effort and there was plenty of company for him, it should be pointed out Keldon Johnson was there. After winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year he’d virtually disappeared, he came off the bench for the Spurs scoring 21 points and playing tough defense. The series returns to Minnesota for Game 6, will the Spurs prevail tonight or Wolves return the favor? If you are an NBA fan this game will be must-see television.