A fan’s perspective

Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

I’m not a hater

After reading this a number of residents in Las Vegas who are readers will boycott me. I’m not a hater, I just happen to believe Las Vegas doesn’t deserve a franchise right now. By the time this is read I’m quite sure I will be unwelcomed at least in Las Vegas. As most are aware the NBA Board of Governors met this week and one of the topics on the agenda was NBA expansion. The front runners are Seattle (clearly understandable) and Las Vegas (why). Seattle is easy to understand, the NBA should have never left the Emerald City. Even the former owner has admitted selling the team to Oklahoma interests was not a good move on his part.

As for Las Vegas you noticed I question why this city should be chosen over another, there is no argument it’s one of the top tourist destinations nationally in the nation. The NBA has long embraced Las Vegas as the home of Summer League, and the city also hosts numerous youth tournaments. Those are clear positives, but the central question remains: Do Las Vegas residents want an NBA franchise of their own? I’m not sure. Consider the NFL’s Raiders: They play only once a week, so even with a struggling team, filling Allegiant Stadium is relatively manageable. Would residents consistently attend 41 home games at an arena that has yet to be built? Seattle already has an arena; Las Vegas does not. I realize these points may not make a convincing case against NBA expansion to the city however they are my points.

Big Man Basketball

Allow me to introduce to several Marcis Ponder, he’s a 7-foot 285 pound freshman post man at Florida State University. Scouting reports indicate he’s got a “physical presence and paint protection” in his arsenal. In addition to that he’s been nicknamed “Baby Shaq” which requires an additional detail. I have no skepticism in the scouting report but Ponder is dominating high school centers, most probably don’t have enough physical presence to battle him successfully. This is where we begin this latest account regarding Big Man basketball.

I have long expressed a view in the past athletes continue to grow in stature. Yes, the game has moved outside to a degree, post players are often expected to shoot three’s which is real concern for me. In the NBA with the exception of Wemby and Joel Embiid (when healthy) most centers are suspect in shooting threes. This change in the game is the fault of Steph Curry as I’ve often expressed. His shooting prowess over the course of his NBA career has witnessed “copy-cat” basketball. The Warriors until recently have been quite successful shooting three’s why not utilize their style of basketball. I intend to track the further development of Ponder, I’m going to discover if FSU turns him into a three-point specialist.

Meanwhile….

Gee, thanks ESPN for your observation of the upcoming season for my Lakers. The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network has decided the Lakers are “Two bricks short of a full load.” That’s an old adage that may or may not apply here, I just thought I would toss it in. In any event the fellas at ESPN have decided the Lakers have not improved themselves significantly in the off season. From my Man-Cave I disagree with their assessment of the upcoming season for the Lakers. Consider this fact, the Lakers have become a younger team and in addition they have taken on a more athletic and defensive mindset. Truth is in the results, I cannot truly sit here in September 2026 and forecast a May 2027 finish. Despite what I just wrote I am forecasting a better season barring major injuries than ESPN. Aside from the injury issue a starter at power forward is the only “hole” I see, but what do I know I’m just a basketball fan.

This is an interesting take this time, rather than a straight line projection ESPNs Men’s College basketball page made the SEC forecast in this style. They predict Mizzou BB finish in a Ceiling and Floor outlook, let’s check it out. As for the Ceiling ESPN projects a 30 win total and a second place finish in the SEC. They see post-season as a Final Four. On the other hand the Floor for Mizzou is 22 wins and a 7th place finish culminating with an NCAA invite. Naturally, I would prefer a ceiling finish however there are intangibles (injuries, subpar play etc.) that make it extremely difficult from where I sit to have any kind of thought as to where Mizzou might finish.

Now and again you come across a story that appears somewhat questionable. That is the case here, Spurs shooting guard Stephon Castle is reported to stand 6-foot 6 inches in height. Now the team is reporting he’s grown to 6-foot 8, he’s sprouted two inches over the summer, but wait there is an addition to this story. Wemby, the Spurs center has been listed at several heights. The Spurs record him at 7-foot 4 but most consider him a bit taller like maybe 7-foot 5. Think a moment about this bit of news, The Alien is now listed at 7-foot 7 inches in height. Just like teammate Castle he’s also grown at least two inches over the past 2-3 months. Oftentimes it’s difficult to determine whether the information you receive is correct or not, we have an opportunity to accept the information or reject it. I like the Spurs, I could make the same statement about Castle and Wemby. Despite what I just stated I don’t believe this story one iota.