A fan’s perspective

Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

We are not a patient people

Mizzou fans (football & basketball) are at odds with the coaches, in this instance I speak of football coach Eli Drinkwitz and men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates. This look focuses on men’s coach Gates since this is a basketball blog. Gates was hired March 22, 2022, replacing Cuonzo Martin. His won-loss record at Cleveland State and Mizzou is 125 wins versus 99 losses, at Mizzou he’s 75-59 .560 percentage which is not good enough in some circles. The coach has assembled strong recruiting classes for both 2026 and 2027. Jason Crowe Jr., a 5-star combo guard from Inglewood, CA is expected to lead this Mizzou team in the upcoming season.

The primary issue for Gates to this point is advancement in the NCAA tournament, the Tigers have received an invitation two years in a row but failed to advance past the first round. We are going to discuss an exercise for the future which could occur, what happens if history repeats itself for Mizzou? Will the school terminate Gates and if so who replaces him? Mizzou went searching for a coach after Martin was dismissed, a significant number of assistants and head coaches are toiling away at institutions across the nation. Mizzou could hire an adequate replacement but they could also hire a dud. The truer test for Gates is to not necessarily win the NCAA championship, a deep run in the tournament is key for him this upcoming SEC season.

Fan favorites 

There are on occasion players that are traded or leave in free agency that become fan favorites. The hometown loves them and are extremely disappointed when they leave whatever the manner. Overtime the Lakers roster has contained those players, without any order I’m going to attempt to provide names of just a few. We might begin with Pau Gasol, the power forward was acquired in a trade with the Grizzlies, he filled a vital role becoming “Robin” to Kobe Bryant’s “Batman” when he arrived in February of 2008. Gasol with his scoring and defense were keys to winning the 2009 and 2010 NBA championship. July of 2014 he would join the Bulls as a free agent signing a 3-year contract, he would continue play ending a very successful 18-year NBA career. In 2023 Gasol was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

This Laker was nicknamed “Big Shot Rob,” his name was actually Robert Horry. January 10, 1997, Horry was acquired in a trade with the Suns, as for his nickname he was never a starter while a member of the Lakers, despite that fact as a reserve player he could always be called on to take the crucial shot. The 1997 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Kings were tied two games apiece, in Game Five the Lakers trailed by as much as 24 points but came roaring back. Horry off the bench would contribute 18 points but 3 of them became the game winner. With seconds remaining and trailing Bryant missed a driving layup, Shaq missed a close in tip, Kings center Vlade Divac swatted the ball in an attempt to run out the clock. The ball went straight to Horry at the top of the key and he calmly sank a 3-point basket, final Lakers 100 Kings 99. In 2003 he would leave the Lakers in free agency but go on to play for the Spurs securing a 17-year NBA career.

Nick Van Excel was a second round draft choice in 1993 but you might have difficulty believing that fact. Van Excel was fearless on the court and was unafraid of taking the critical shot, he sunk numerous game winners and the moniker “Nick at Night” was given him as a takeoff on the Nickelodeon channel. There are conflicting stories as to why he was traded to the Nuggets, Van Exel would continue play until 2006 retiring as a member of the Spurs. Gasol would earn hall of fame honors, the others were standout players for the Lakers during their time with the team and would become fan favorites.

How good

I saw video of the late Pete Maravich on social media recently, it prompted a question. Just how good was Maravich and could he be compared to any present day talent? Maravich was only 40-years of age when he suffered an undiagnosed congenital heart defect which caused his death. He’d retired from the game he loved at the age of 32 due to chronic, severe knee injuries. Maravich came to national prominence in 1967 playing for his father and coach Press Maravich at LSU. At LSU Pete became a sensation with his scoring and especially his passing ability. Maravich was White Chocolate long before Jason Williams arrived in the NBA, with him headed down court teammates were liable to have a pass hit them in the head unless they paid attention.

In the NBA whether it was coaching or something else he toned down his passing once he began play for the Hawks, there were issues that cropped up with teammates. In 1974 the Jazz then located in New Orleans an expansion team wanted a crowd pleaser, Maravich, a star at LSU became that player. The Jazz acquired him in a trade, although he played well the Jazz were like most expansion teams saddled with limited talent. Knee problems developed while a member of the Jazz, he moved with the team to Salt Lake City but never played much. The Jazz placed Maravich on waivers in 1980 and he signed with the Celtics where he became a part-time player. Always accurate from distance the NBA adopted three-point scoring his last season in the NBA, limited play in Utah and Boston saw him shoot 66.7% for his career. Maravich is enshrined in the Collegiate and Naismith Hall of Fame, Maravich was a star who shone brightly if only for a limited time.