A fan’s perspective

Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

Limited pressure

The adjustment from the college game to the NBA can be quite trying. The only method to adapt to NBA play is to play, PT for Laker rookies Cameron Carr and AK Okereke and second year man Adou Thiero will not be easy. The Lakers were quite busy conducting trades and signing free agents during the summer. This is certainly not intended to place additional pressures on the three but I believe they are keys to Laker success going forward. Carr was made the 24th pick in the 1st round of the 2026 NBA draft, he’s a 6-foot 5 185 pound guard with hops.

Okereke is a 6-foot 7 244 pound power forward, he went undrafted in 2026 after play at Vanderbilt. He worked his hind end off in Summer League play which saw him added to the Laker roster. The last key to future success, Thiero is a 6-foot 7 220 pound guard/small forward, he was a 2nd round pick in 2025 by the Nets however the Lakers would later trade for his draft rights. Thiero spent most of his rookie year sidelined due to injury, Summer League play demonstrated he is ready to play this season. I could be wrong maybe none of them make a significant contribution but I hope at least one of the trio is able to secure time on the court for the Lakers.

A look ahead

We are into the early weeks of school, high school football is being played but this is a look ahead. High school basketball teams will not return to action until the first week of December or so. Despite this early September date I thought a check of the Class of 2027 would be worthy. Keep in mind I haven’t seen this youngster play, I am dependent on prospect scouting sites who’ve seen Beckam Black in action. Black is a 6-foot 4 point guard from Duncanville Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro.

He enters his senior year at Southeastern Prep Academy located in Orlando Florida. Southeastern Prep plays a nationwide schedule which entails travel throughout the United States. Black is rated a 5-star prospect on multiple prospect sites is yet to commit to any school, he’s received offers from a number of programs throughout the nation. Just a few of them include Arkansas, Auburn, Duke, Florida and Kentucky an impressive list of high profile basketball programs. Stay tuned for further developments from Black and other Class of 2027 prospects.

Tiny

The headline represents his nickname, he was given that because he was on the smallish size for a game of giants. His given name is Nate Archibald, he stands 6-foot 1 and weighs 150 pounds. All these years later there are disputes on his height and weight, several claim his height and weight might be closer to 5-foot 11 and maybe 140-145 pounds. His measurements might be disputed, however, that didn’t apply to his talent. Archibald born in the Bronx didn’t begin to blossom at DeWitt Clinton HS until 1966 when he was named All-City.

That’s quite an honor for a NYC basketball player however his sketchy academics led him to Arizona Western Community College and later to UTEP. In 1970 the Cincinnati Royals made him pick number 19 in the second round.  His game began expanding, by the time the team relocated to Kansas City and renamed the Kings Archibald would become a Bonafide All Star. That first season in a Kings jersey would see him become the offense for a poor Kings team, he led them in assists and scoring. He led the NBA in minutes played, his 34 points and 11.4 assists witnessed him accomplishing a feat never duplicated again. Several years later the slower pace of Kansas City and the fact the team was not developing Archibald requested an “East Coast Trade.” The Kings would honor his request trading him to the Nets where he remained for a year and later to the Buffalo Braves. Archibald tore his Achilles and never played for the Braves, he was traded the following season to the Celtics where he resurrected his sterling NBA career. He would be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1991 and later the College Basketball Hall,

It should be noted Archibald was named a member of the 50th and 75th NBA Anniversary team. He would return to UTEP to finish his undergraduate degree just prior to the end of his NBA career. Later Archibald would acquire a master’s degree from Fordham, in addition he began a correspondent doctorate program at UCLA but indicated this method caused some difficulties for him. Archibald indicated he might complete the program at Fordham. What you just read is but a brief portion of the career and life of Nate “Tiny” Archibald.