A basketball fans perspective

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Is he next

NBA teams are no different, all want to win games. A number desire the ultimate attainment an NBA championship. How these teams go about acquiring talent varies, some like the Thunder prefer to accumulate talent through the NBA draft. My Lakers for the most part have utilized free agency and to a degree the draft to compete successfully. There are some teams whose efforts have fallen short, one of those teams is the Minnesota Timberwolves. Beginning as an expansion team in 1989 time has seen a number of players sporting their jersey but the only players owning rings are those who once played for the Wolves. The lack of a championship certainly has nothing to do with lack of effort.

It seems over times athletes they may have drafted or acquired through trade have become champions for other franchises. Keep in mind this list of names is not complete, it represents many of the high profile athletes who wore the jersey but won a championship elsewhere. I’m going to begin this exercise with The Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett. They traded Garnett in 2007, the very next year 2008 he won a championship playing for the Celtics but he’s not the only one there are others. 2014 the Wolves traded Kevin Love and in 2016 the Cavs won their only championship to date with Love playing a vital role. 2020 witnessed Andre Wiggins being traded to the Warriors, 2022 they would become NBA champions. Is there a next for Karl-Anthony Towns, he was acquired by the Knicks in 2024 from those….Wolves. Is it luck or something else impacting the Wolves inability to secure an NBA championship?

Bits n Pieces 

His name is Yann Kamagate, he’s a 7 foot 230 pound center and attends St Francis High School in La Canada Flintridge, a city in the Los Angeles metro. 247 Sports rates Kamagate a 5-star prospect and the number 4 prospect in the Class of 2028. As this is written Arizona, Houston, Baylor, Kansas and Nebraska have made offers to him, at this point it’s still early and he’s not made an announcement of a school of choice. Kamagate was born and grew up in Burkina Faso a nation on the African continent. At this point Kamagate future might not be the NBA however he could wind up playing at a college near you.

In coaching news Jahmal Mosley was fired but landed on his feet, after being let go after 5 seasons by the Magic he was hired again. He will now take over a Pelican team which has continued to struggle, the 2023-24 season witnessed the Pelicans winning 49 games. From that high point it’s been 21 and last season 26 wins. Taylor Jenkins takes over the reins from Doc Rivers with the Bucks. In other coaching moves new president of basketball operations for the Mavs Masai Ujiri decided it was time for a change. Jason Kidd is out after 5 seasons on the job as well, no mention of a replacement yet. Back to the Magic for a moment, former Bulls coach Billy Donovan has been mentioned as taking on the role of head coach although there’s been no formal announcement.

Victor Wembanyama has already shown the basketball world how talented he is, yet Stephen A. Smith argues that Wemby cannot be the face of the NBA because he is French rather than American. I don’t believe anyone needs to be labeled “the face of the NBA.” If that title is given to someone, it simply reflects how international the game has become. The NBA has spent years expanding globally through efforts such as NBA Africa, NBA Asia, the NBA Global Academy, and the EuroLeague. International basketball is growing rapidly, and more players from around the world are developing the skills to contribute in the NBA right away. As that talent pipeline continues to grow, change is inevitable. In all seriousness SAS is entitled to his own opinion regarding a variety of subjects. My problem is the adversarial stance he often takes with those who disagree with his view of a subject. 

Blue Blood basketball    

Blue Blood basketball programs continue to exist however it’s my belief a number of changes has seen their dominance ebb. 2022 the Kansas Jayhawks won the NCAA championship, before that it was North Carolina in 2017. That was then what occurs now and into the future, no longer do we expect Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas, North Carolina along with Indiana (and others) to contend for an NCAA championship. Although the road is rough at times the advent of Name, Image & Likeness along with the transfer portal plus one n done.

All these moves have changed much about how college basketball operates in the 21st Century. Several media voices have said that many high-profile coaches chose retirement rather than adapt to everything the job requirement now demands. Many colleges and universities have even hired basketball general managers to handle these new responsibilities. Some fans say they have walked away from college basketball because of all the changes. But change is unavoidable, you either accept change or reject it. I see plenty of flaws in the game of today but I still love the game.