Bits n Pieces
Has the NBA landscape changed permanently? Should the credit or blame depending on your perspective be heaped on LeBron James and Chris Bosh? These two left their respective teams to hook up with the Heat and Dwayne Wade. The first year this combo played they were good enough to earn a trip to the NBA finals, they lost to the Mavs. Of course we know 2012 turned out completely different as the crew from South Florida won its first championship. Not willing to rest on their laurels the Heat began retooling their bench over the summer signing sharpshooter Ray Allen from the Celtics and forward Rashard Lewis. Will this trend continue in the future for the Heat and other teams, rather than drafting and developing talent NBA teams will simply comb the free agent market to build or re-stock their team?

　
Scout.com list him number 9 in the nation, Rivals has him at #25 and ESPN has him at #11. Although these numbers have been in flux they reflect the latest available. This Class of 2013 prospect Kuran Iverson, how about the name Iverson? Sound familiar to you, this Iverson is a second cousin to Allen former NBA player. Kuran is still in high school but there are other differences between him and his more famous cousin. Kuran is a small forward at 6-8 but only 185 pounds, his cousin was a shooting guard barely 6 feet tall and no more than 150 pounds. Kuran’s made no decision on his college choice for next fall; we know for sure he'll be a regular in the weight room. At 6-8 (or 6-9) depending on the publication Kuran probably needs to add a minimum of 30 pounds.

　
There is no doubt the Lakers will be a superior team offensively in the upcoming season. Will they be able to dispose of the Heat or even the Thunder to win a championship, its way too early yet for that answer? Adding Steve Nash to the mix the Lakers offense shouldn't bog down like it did at times last season. I have no concerns about Nash's offensive skills my concern is his defense. Throughout his career Nash has never been a defensive standout, at 38 he's even more of a liability. Mike Brown's key mission; design a defense that allows Nash to "guard" Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker and other speedy point guards. I might be proven wrong but I think watching Nash play the point will be beneficial for 2nd year man Darrius Morris.  Morris has size (6-5) and can pass the rock; he set a single-season assist record while at Michigan. For a rookie NBA player the two most difficult positions on the court are center and point guard. Given time the tutelage of Nash and his adjustment I believe Morris's talent will be revealed to all.

Maybe it's only me; I don't ever remember summer NBA news dominated the sports headlines in this manner. All the continuing stories smack dab in the middle of baseball season and with NFL football training camps opening. NBA player movement continues to be one of the leading nightly news stories, certainly the saga of Dwight Howard is the principle reason but there are other reasons. The Olympics team has allowed us to focus on the U.S. entry comprised of NBA players, but that's not all several of the world's nations have NBA players on their rosters. In addition we might forget there was no NBA Summer League basketball last July due to the Lock-out; this also meant no Board of Governors meetings. NBA news will slow but there are a number of quality free agents yet to sign contracts. This has not been a normal NBA summer.

This is old but still funny! For any youngster reading this and fail to recognize the guy at the end of the commercial he’s Yogi Berra, former Yankee great and Hall of Fame catcher. You know what to do, cut n paste.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vnz9VAmS_A

　
The NIT and Madison Square Garden are historically intertwined, in all likelihood the NIT Tournament will never move to Barclays Center or anywhere else for that matter. 1. "The NCAA, the NIT and the Madison Square Garden Co. announced a three-year agreement to keep the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals and title game at the New York arena along with the season-ending tournament in April." The nation's second oldest basketball tournament (1938) was played a year prior to the first NCAA Basketball Tournament; in 1985 an annual pre-
season tournament was held for the first time. The NCAA Tournament began in 1938 and continued to expand the number of participating teams every few years. Schools once considered automatic locks for the NIT began to politic for the prestige of the NCAA tourney. In the eyes of the public the NIT post-season tourney began to lack the luster of the NCAA tourney with it's smaller and less attractive number of schools.  (1. Associated Press)

Bits n Pieces

The NBA announced pre-season 2012 schedule includes a number of games scheduled outside the continental United States. The NBA continues to increase it's fan base by scheduling international games.  The first game on the schedule is a match between the Hornets and Magic scheduled in Mexico City on October 7. Next up the NBA Champion Heat will journey to China to play the Clippers twice, October 11 in Beijing and October 14 in Shanghai. The concluding games will be held in the nation of our northern neighbor Canada. The Knicks and Raptors play October 19 in Montreal, the Pistons and Wolves October 24 in Winnipeg.

Often it's been noted time and time again a player is drafted by the "wrong" team. The player has little opportunity to demonstrate his skill, this occurs due to limited playing time. Sometimes it's a skill issue, the players success at the NCAA or International level fails to follow them into the NBA. Often they become the 2nd or 3rd player on the depth chart, that statement certainly applies to Darko Milicic at a couple of his stops. This wasn't supposed to end up this way Milicic had been the 2nd pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Pistons. From that point on it became a struggle to prove he belonged in the NBA. He appeared to have all the tools, 7-0 feet tall and 275 pounds an NBA body if there was one. His first coach Larry Brown was notorious for not playing rookies, eventually he only had the opportunity to play when the Pistons had a lead. The balance of Milicic's NBA career was spent moving from city to city, Orlando, Memphis, New York Knicks and Minnesota. On July 12 the Wolves waived him under the league's amnesty clause, is Milicic's NBA career over? It's certainly possible another NBA team might pick him up or his NBA career might have come to an end after 9 undistinguished seasons.

The ESPN.com headline reads: "Cornelius Elder excels at football, but basketball his true love." Ever think about how many athletes must decide between two sports? According to the story Elder was focused on football until he discovered AAU basketball. There are a number of basketball players who might have excelled in football or another sport if they had chose that path. How about 6-8 250 pound LeBron James playing linebacker for some team or speedy Tony Parker at cornerback? In the case of James he actually played football in high school, Parker probably never played football. As for other sports the Lakers Steve Nash a soccer and basketball star. With his soccer background and kicking ability he might have become an accomplished place-kicker or punter. Also there is Glen "Big Baby" Davis who played fullback, tight end and defensive end in high school. Former NBA players Allen Iverson and Charlie Ward were football standouts in high school both quarterbacks. Ward actually played both sports in college, to date the only Heisman player to play in the NBA. Kentucky basketball has incoming freshman Willie Cauley who played wide receiver at Olathe (KS) Northwest high school. Cauley played wide receiver at 6-11, can you imagine the problem he presented for six-foot defensive backs?

I love the game but 24 hours of basketball might be a little too much "made" for television. In past stories we discussed the advent of ESPN and how it changed the sports and college basketball landscape but come on 24 hours? I'm sure fans working nights will love it, they arrive home at 2:00 a.m. or later and are often forced to watch game replays. In the information age there might be no need for them to view the game, they probably checked their iPhone or some other device prior to leaving work. Night workers will be able to view live games at the same time insomnia sufferers or fans around the world. The schedule, ESPN will televise 11 games beginning Tuesday November 13. Probably the two best matchups might be Kentucky versus Duke or Kansas versus Michigan State. Neither of these games will be held on campus Atlanta is the site, the other nine games will be played on campuses spread throughout the nation.

Signing Antawn Jamison is certainly a plus move for the Lakers, Jamison is 36 years old however he's still a very productive player. This former Carolina Tar heel's numbers over his career are quite good, 19.5 ppg and shooting .451 from the field. Jamison will address several shortcomings the bench suffered last year, his offense especially 3-point shooting will be vital for Laker reserves. The Laker bench was horrific except in spots, they finished last in scoring in the NBA.  Jamison will assume the role formerly held by Lamar Odom, I like this signing and believe it might be a key to an NBA championship in 2012-13. While discussing the addition of veteran Jamison the balance of the Lakers bench will be much younger. Of course with youth there are issues chief among them, can they play at the NBA level? The rookies, center Robert Sacre and shooting guard Darius Johnson-Odom will probably receive a pass this upcoming season. This is portion of the 2011 scouting report on point guard guard Darrius Morris (age 21) from nbadraft.net. "At 20, he's got upside, but will likely take some time to be NBA ready, and learning the NBA position on the fly is a challenge." Shooting guard Andrew Goudelock (age 23) and small forward Christian Eyenga (age 23) must prove to the Mike Brown and the coaching staff they can play at the NBA level.

We are in the now---2012 but that very fact can sometimes cause a problem. We are witness to the present often forgetting past accomplishments. I wrote of the passing of Warren Jabali the greatest high school player in Kansas City basketball history. In response to the story in the Kansas City Star two letters mentioning Danny Manning and Jevon Crudup. To add some clarity in case you read the story Manning played at Lawrence High in Kansas. I've mentioned on several occasions the nearness of Lawrence however it's not considered Metro Kansas City. As for Jevon Crudup there is no argument regarding his ability, he was an outstanding athlete at Raytown South.  Crudup at 6-6 245 pounds dominated opponents of Ray South from 1986-1990.  My counter argument would be Jabali was the superior player based on the era he played (1960-1964).  This is pure conjecture on my part but I believe Jabali could have just as easily played in the NBA if he desired.  One might assume (incorrectly) he chose the ABA over the NBA due to the skill level of it's players, not so. "He had spurned the New York Knicks for the ABA and explained his reasoning to Sports Illustrated: “You bet I’m happy. The NBA thinks it has a monopoly on all the good players. The opportunity here was wide open.”  Jabail was ABA rookie of the year in 1968-69, his numbers 21.5 ppg and 9.7 rebs this for a 6-2 200 pound athlete. Injuries curtailed his career after but eight seasons, it should be pointed out he was ABA All-Pro in four of them.  (Kansas City Star & basketball-reference.com)

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/21/3716439/teammate-remembers-jabali-as-superman.html#storylink=cpy

Summer break

It's time for a break, Kentucky has been crowned NCAA champion and the Miami Heat are NBA champions. The NBA draft has concluded, most NBA free agents have either signed with their new team or at least decided on their destination. Of course that statement excludes Dwight Howard who is still pretty much in limbo. Next week Words eye view will be a Wednesday only publication until September. Monday, Wednesday and Friday publication will begin again at that point. Thank you for your loyal readership.

Patch quilt
Anybody out there familiar with patch quilts? I certainly don't claim to be an expert so I checked dictionary.com. for a definition, it offered two which I offer for your consideration. 5. "to stitch together (two pieces of cloth and a soft interlining) usually in an ornamental pattern. 6. "to sew up between pieces of material." The quilts can be purchased at a variety of stores but that's not how they first became well known. The quilts were a collection of un-matching fabric scraps sewed together by the homemaker. Where am I going with my quilt story. 

I hinted at possible future problems for the Mavs in a July 9th feature.  The Mavs will not fall enough to reach the lottery but I will be shocked if they make the playoffs. As expected they have begun retooling the team, the first signing former Hornets center Chris Kaman and acquiring Pacer guard Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones in a sign n trade deal. In addition they have signed former 76er Elton Brand from the amnesty list. Former Grizz O.J. Mayo announced he will be signing with the Mavs. All veteran NBA players however assembling a team in this manner to compete is certainly unusual. ( 5. & 6. dictionary.com)

The Lakers International Roster
It's noteworthy to point out the Lakers summer league is comprised on several international players. First up is Christian Eyenga a 6-7 210 pound forward acquired in the Ramon Sessions trade. Eyenga is from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Also on the roster is 6-10 240 pound power forward/center Julian Khazzouh from Melbourne Australia. Khazzouh played last season for the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League of Australia. Next up is Ater Majok 6-10 233 pound forward. "Ater Majok was born in South Sudan in 1987. He migrated to Sydney Australia through a refugee camp in Egypt. Upon arrival in Sydney, he bonded with a group of young men from South Sudan, called the South Stars basketball team." 1. He played briefly at UConn before declaring for the NBA draft was drafted by the Lakers in the 2011 NBA draft, he played for BK SPU Nitra (Slovakia) last season.

Greg Somogyi from Budapest Hungary, this 7-3 242 pound center played for California-Santa Barbara but went undrafted in the 2012 draft. The last player I'm reluctant to consider international because he's actually from our northern neighbor Canada. Robert Sacre was the last player chosen in the 2012 draft but that has little impact on what he intends to be his next role. This 7-0 263 pound center has already indicated he's prepared to play backup to Andrew Bynum. Sacre played his college ball at Gonzaga and originally hails from North Vancouver British Columbia. The Lakers needing an infusion of youth and depth might find room on their roster for more than just Sacre. 1. http://www.suchgreatheats.net/

Are you paying attention

There's been so much caw-caw flowing back and forth we don't know the actual truth, this is a portion of what we think may have occurred. Initially it was reported Dwight Howard was forcing a trade to the Brooklyn Nets, it was the only location he intended to play. He would not sign an extension if traded anywhere but Brooklyn, in addition he would refuse a possible trade to the Lakers. The reason for the refusal, "he wanted to create his own legacy, he couldn't accomplish this as a member of the Lakers." Since July 1 a media storm has circled around Dwight Howard and his reported comments and demands. In order for Howard to be dealt a 3-team trade had to be part of the equation, reports indicated Howard could land in Houston, Brooklyn or Los Angeles next season.

The report of a third team changed almost daily but the latest teams involved were Cleveland, Houston, Brooklyn, Los Angeles along with Orlando. What about the extension Howard said he'd only sign with Brooklyn? He's backed away from that statement yesterday, it was reported "he was okay with signing an extension if traded to the Lakers." Where are those folks who question Andrew Bynum's immaturity, are you confused as I am by this ever-changing evolving story? I guess I stand alone, the only Laker fan that's not excited about the possibility of Dwight Howard coming on-board.

Texas

I wrote of the ever increasing numbers of talent produced in Texas. I'm unsure if I mentioned this previously the Class of 2013 the first prospects all hail from the Lone Star State. Number two on Rivals list is Julius Randle a 6-9 240 pound forward from Plano Texas. This youngster indicates he has twelve schools of interest on his list, all twelve have offers on the table including Mizzou. I haven't had the opportunity to check him out yet, hopefully ESPNU will telecast one of his games for all to see. Those of you living in the Dallas Metro area Randle's enrolled at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano Texas.

They decided to not pay 

Jeremy Lin and Lin-sanity moves from New York to Houston, the Knicks chose to not match the Rockets offer. My take, I wonder if the Rockets might be throwing away money?  I'm not saying Lin cannot play I'm just saying I understand why the Knicks refused to match the Rockets offer.

The "New" New Orleans Hornets
Last season Chris Paul wanted out of New Orleans, the Hornets accommodated his request. This year it's incoming rather than outgoing, i.e. players coming to New Orleans. Dwight Howard has dominated NBA news so not as much attention has been paid to the moves of the Hornets. Of course everyone was aware of draft choices Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers, I'm talking about the other moves. The Hornets reached an agreement on a sign-and-trade deal for Ryan Anderson by sending 6-10 250 pound 2nd year man Gustavo Ayon to the Magic. The 6-10 240 pound Anderson just completed his 4th year in the NBA, he scored at a 16.1 ppg and 7.7 rpg per game clip for the Magic. Eric Gordon signed an offer sheet from the Suns but it appears the Hornets will match it, Gordon might be the only Hornet wanting out of town, they just might allow Gordon to leave. Remember I'd mentioned owner Tom Benson's desire to change the teams name one more identified with New Orleans? Well bleacherreport.com came up with four proposed name changes, the top two names were Gators ranked number two and Knights the number one choice. New Orleans Knights fits if we think about the night life of the French Quarter and Mardi Gras festivities.

From Russia with love
It's almost guaranteed the Brooklyn Nets will be a better team next season. As this is written Dwight Howard remains in Orlando and may never journey to NYC. The Nets will be a winner thanks to owner Mikhail Prokhorov and his desire for a winning team. Prokhorov opened his checkbook giving general manager Billy King and staff carte blanche to improve the team. King's key move might have been convincing Deron Williams to remain with the team as they made the move to Brooklyn. He was then able to orchestrate a trade for Hawks shooting guard Joe Johnson which might translate into the NBA's best backcourt combo. Free agent forward Gerald Wallace will also return after signing a contract extension. The team had no 2012 draft choices but King managed to trade for former Kansas point guard Tyshawn Taylor. It's likely Taylor will backup Williams at the point. The future certainly looks bright for second year man MarShon Brooks, his numbers 12.6 ppg, 2.3 apg and 3.6 rpg. Kris Humphries had career high numbers despite the off-court Kardashian drama, he's resigned with the Nets. The Heat must be favored to win the NBA championship and a force in the Eastern Conference. With the question mark Celtics and the injury to the Bulls Derrick Rose the Nets might be a force next season. If they should improve enough to make the playoffs credit certainly should be given to general manager Billy King and owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

He said what
Certainly anyone is liable to change their mind, we could make that statement regarding veteran center Marcus Camby. Near the middle of last season Camby was traded from the Portland Blazers to the Rockets. On his arrival in Houston Camby stated "this is where I want to retire" not a shocking statement for a 38-year old player on the downhill side of his career. Fast forward to July 1st 2012 and free agency Camby is exploring play for either the Heat or Knicks. He finally settled on a return to NYC and a 3-year contract with the Knicks, his second tour of duty with the Knicks. Should we assume (unless he's traded) this is his final stop prior to retirement?

Where do you recruit?
This is part two or three of a continuing argument. My buddy Ira loves Mizzou sports, we've had a long-standing augment regarding Mizzou basketball recruiting. Part of Ira's view might be attributed to Mizzou's football coach Gary Pinkel. At the time Pinkel was hired one of his first press conferences he said "he intended to close the borders." Simply stated he wanted all top-notch football recruits headed to Columbia rather than to another program. After inheriting a bad football team in 2001 he's only had three losing seasons and an overall 84-54 record. Football to basketball is apples to oranges, both requirements are not the same. In addition a smaller number of impact recruits can change the completion of a basketball program much sooner than a football program. A winning high profile program will be an automatic attraction to a youngster. All that's necessary is to look at North Carolina, UConn, Duke and several others, the program (and coach) are often keys to a teams continuing success and recruiting.

Former Lakers Disagree

"Buck" and "Big Game" James disagree on trading Andrew Bynum. Buck's his nickname you know him better as Magic Johnson and he's indicated he thinks the Lakers should trade Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard. I didn't agree with Johnson's view I pointed out what I thought were differences in each players games.  My conclusion was I could find no area Howard outperformed Bynum significantly.  Naturally I was pleased to discover Laker great "Big Game" James Worthy agrees with me. The following comments paraphrases observations of Worthy. The "Lakers would be better off keeping both Bynum and Gasol. The addition of Steve Nash should benefit the starters and the bench. The maturity factor didn't seem to bother Worthy either, he pointed out Howard had plenty of drama surrounding him too. Howard's insistence the Nets were the "only" team he'd play for.

You had to see him play
Over the weekend a hero of my youth died, his name was Warren Jabali.  Jabali was a 6-2 205 pound combo guard before the term existed.  Google his name and read the numerous stories written by opposition players and sports scribes of the time.  

Nike Hoops Summit
He is not Yao Ming's replacement, he's not the second coming. Many in this country speculated China would abandon the NBA once Yao Ming retired. No doubt Yao was responsible for increased interest in the NBA however these same folks didn't seem to realize the nation had become fans of the NBA prior to Yao's emergence. "The NBA has broadcast games in China since the mid 1980s and was the first professional U.S. sports organization to stage games in China. Fifty-one television stations in 20 or China’s 22 provinces broadcast games, including state-owned CCTV network, which shows games live in the middle of the night. Televised NBA games have an average of 558,100 viewers. NBA.com/China website averages 12 million hits a day." Sorry I got sidetracked, back to the purpose of this story you might hear the name Wang Zhelin announced in the 2014 NBA draft. Zhelin is a 7-0 251 pound center from Fujian China, he exhibited his skill during the 2012 Nike Hoop Summit held in Portland in April 2012. Zhelin was a member of the world team as it battled the junior national select team representing USA. Check him out yourself there is YouTube video available of him in action. (factsanddetails.com)

The continent of African too has become a hotbed for basketball. Football or soccer is still the number one sport but basketball certainly has made inroads. Several nations south of the Sahara have sent players to college and the NBA. While compiling information on the above story I uncovered another diamond in the rough this prospect from Zambia in southern Africa. Teammate to Wang Zhelin on the Nike Hoops Summit team was 6-11 Patson Siame. Siame is a rail-thin 215 pounds but scouts indicate "he's a raw talent." A few weeks prior to the tourney Siame signed a letter of commitment to Loyola Marymount University. In addition to further enhancement of his game I think we can envision extensive time in the weight room for this native of Zambia.

Shared view
Last Friday I wrote of my old-fashioned view to return USA basketball to it's "amateur" status. I admitted at the beginning of my story my thoughts were those of an old guy. I reasoned (incorrectly) most folks are comfortable with NBA stars representing the US. Nationalism and the desire to win entered the picture as teams around the world increased the number of "pros" on their rosters. I have no idea of Mike Hugenin's age however we share a common view. He wrote an article for Rivals.com titled "How the U.S. Olympic basketball might look if no NBA players were allowed." Hugenin even selects a team excluding NBA talent, on paper his team looks imposing. An area both of us failed to cover is possibility of injuries, we can cite Blake Griffin as an example. If team USA was comprised of collegiate players headed to the NBA injuries could still be devastating for a team but there's a difference. We can re-visit the Blake Griffin story, an injury forced him to miss the 2009 season his rookie year. The Clippers were surely disappointed but at that point had no inkling of Griffin's ability. The next season he was NBA Rookie of the Year, now that he's an established NBA player this "Olympic" injury could be devastating for the Clippers. Is it possible Hugenin's team could beat Spain or some other Olympic power? We have no method to answer the question, I might repeat the old adage, "it's too late to close the barn door after the cow gets out."

Prove to me you can playIt seems at times even I become obsessed with tall players and reach but there is a reason. The game has evolved to a point a smaller man must prove he can play the game. A coaching staff will train and develop the skill set of a taller player doesn't matter if it's high school, college or an NBA team. The same emphasis on developing a player of smaller stature doesn't ring true. That's the case with Tahj Shamsid-Deen a 5-9 point guard for Columbia High School (Decatur Georgia). This is not an general indictment I'm sure a coach or series of coaches aided Shamsid-Deen's basketball development. The senior has led his team to a 3-peat state tournament championship. There are several Division I schools he'd like to attend however only Northwestern has made him an offer to date.

Future point guard
I thought a the time Ramon Sessions arrived on the scene he would save the day for the Lakers, he's now headed to Charlotte to play for the Bobcats. Initially Sessions indicated he would return to the Lakers and then it became "let me check my value to other teams." If Sessions agent had been familiar with Lakers management he would have known they had no intention to be held hostage. After an outstanding playoff series Trevor Ariza tried this same tactic several years back. The Lakers gave him a dollar number he hesitated, by the time he was ready to make a move the team had signed Metta World Peace to replace him. Steve Nash is the Lakers point guard but waiting in the wings is Darius Morris, remember him? Morris left Michigan after his sophomore year for the NBA, the Los Angeles native was drafted by the Lakers in the 2011 draft. Morris should have ample opportunity to view Nash's play at the point next season. The difficult Western Conference race and the fact he was a rookie left little playing time during his rookie year. Morris appears to have all the tools, size (6-4) and skill (2010-11 Big Ten assists leader) in addition he set the Michigan single-season assist record of 235. We don't know if he's truly NBA ready but that could be determined over the next two seasons, he's only 21 years old he has time on his side.

Lin-sanity
It appears Lin-sanity is over, it's over in New York at least! After leading all of us to believe the Knicks would resign Jeremy Lin it appears it ain't gonna happen. At the time the story first broke on the Rockets offer I questioned if Lin might be overpaid with this contract. Official or not word soon followed "the Knicks would match the offer." Knick coach Mike Woodson went even further pointing out Jeremy Lin was "his" point guard. Maybe the $$$ might have forced the Knicks front office to consider acquiring point guard Raymond Felton again. Felton had played well for the Knicks in scoring and assists before he was dealt to the Nuggets in the Carmelo Anthony deal. During the 2011 NBA draft Felton was traded to the Blazers, I try to refrain from just looking at numbers but a side by side comparison tells the story. Lin outscored Felton 16.4 to 11.4 however Lin only played 25 games before his injury while Felton totaled 60 games played. As for assist totals they are almost dead even, Felton at 6.5 assists to Lin's 6.2.

 

Bits n Pieces

I have dinosaur thoughts at times, this is one of those times. I watched NBA-TV as Team USA was announced. I have no idea if this is a gold medal team or not but that's not the issue. I wish there was a method of reverting the professionalism that's become a part of the Olympics. No place is this more true than with basketball, I'm unsure when it first began or who to point the finger of blame. I love seeing good basketball played but is it necessary for nations of the world to utilize NBA players? The NBA game has evolved to the point there are several nations of the world a portion of their rosters comprised of NBA players as well. The clock can never be turned back, right or wrong we are locked in to this period of time.

The Battle of New York has officially begun, the turf war by the Knicks and Nets to claim basketball supremacy in "The Big Apple." The opening salvo might have been fired by the Nets when they re-signed Deron Williams, that event established their presence inside the city limits of NYC. This move was followed in quick succession by the Gerald Wallace signing and the trade for shooting guard Joe Johnson. The Knicks entered the Steve Nash sweepstakes and thought they had the upper hand however the Lakers did an end run and signed Nash out from under their nose. The Knicks response, they bargained for and secured Jason Kidd as their point guard next season. Jeremy Lin is the point guard and will be backed up by Kidd, at age 39 Kidd is still an upgrade over Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert. The wheeling and dealing is yet to be complete, Dwight Howard is still out there and claims he only wants to play for the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn's Spike Lee claims he will always remain a loyal fan of the Knicks, the jury might still be out for the balance of the New York City populace.

For the second time this year Magic Johnson and I are in disagreement. His view will gain more acceptance than mine because it's from him, my view is that of a fan. Magic says the Lakers should make the trade to acquire Dwight Howard, my view not so fast until we check the intangibles. If the trade were to occur as with anything connected with the Lakers eventually I'd accept it.

*Free throw shooting Bynum is .687 for his career and shot .692 this recent concluded season. Howard is a life-time .588 free-throw shooter who shot under .500 this past season. In close games the Lakers might be forced to take Howard out, remember Hack-a-Shaq how bout Hack-a-Howard?

*Howard had the higher scoring average 20.6 versus Bynum at 18.7, Bynum has better post moves and a variety of shots in his arsenal. It should be pointed out the Magic offense ran through Howard certainly not the case with Bynum.

*Numbers from this past season indicate Howard had a 2.7 rebound edge per game over Bynum. Blocked shots are a wash, this is an area we tend to think Howard would hold an edge, the numbers tell a different story the two are basically even.

*Surgery is always a question, can the athlete return to his previous form. Bynum has a history of injuries although he played throughout this shortened NBA season. As for Howard I have no medical training nor claim to however disk surgery really concerns me. There are a number of injuries that can impact the career of an NBA player back injuries (see Larry Johnson) certainly must be at the top of the list.

*The last issue is attitude, there is valid reason to question Bynum's sometimes juvenile attitude and approach to the game. Based on the 3-ring circus that existed in Orlando this past season I'm unsure anyone could claim Howard might be more adult than Bynum.

It appears the NBA might have the most varieties of player movement of all sports teams. In addition to the more familiar methods of movement the draft, free agency and player trades there is amnesty. News reports indicate the 76ers have amnestied Elton Brand, I thought this might be an ideal time to discuss amnesty. "Each team is allowed to waive a player without having their salary count toward the salary cap or luxury tax. One player can be waived prior to the start of any season through 2015–16, but each team is restricted to one "amnestied" player during that time. Only players signed prior to 2011–12 are eligible. Teams can claim an amnestied player at a reduced rate, with the waiving team responsible for paying the balance of the contract. The team with the highest bid acquires the player. If unclaimed, the player becomes a free agent. Teams over the salary cap can only acquire an amnestied player if he becomes a free agent, and the offer would be limited to the veteran's minimum contract." (Wikipedia)

News reports indicate Nets guard Deron Williams signed his 5-year $98M contract on an iPad. I don't own an iPad so I have no idea how they work or their capability. I thought signing a contract in that manner was certainly different and interesting. At this point in time it's difficult to speculate what technology might be in the year 2020.

Full circle

Talk about coming full circle the Houston Rockets had Jeremy Lin under contract last season but they released him. Someone or perhaps it was a group decision the Rockets coaching staff decided he had skills but might not be NBA ready. Releasing Lin allowed the Knicks to sign him and the balance of the story has been covered extensively by the media. After a successful half-season came free agency and surprise, the Rockets came calling again. This time rather than indicating he couldn't play they came calling with a $30 million dollar promise. Of course the Knicks matched the offer, 99% of the time I refrain from judgment calls on any players contract. Folks tend to forget Lin was a two guard learning the responsibilities of a point guard on the fly. I'm not doubting Lin-sanity it's real, I'm just unsure if real translates into a $30 million dollar contract. I'm sure the Knicks hope Jason Kidd will mentor Lin and hopefully all can discover if Lin-sanity is real or just phase of 20 or so games.

What jersey number

Newly acquired Laker Steve Nash must chose a new jersey number, that jersey is not available. Laker jersey number 13 is retired and hanging in the rafters at Staples Center. Wonder how the Clippers feel looking up and seeing all the Laker jerseys hanging and not a single Clipper jersey. That's the problem when two teams share the same arena. In any event back to the purpose of this story, Laker jersey 13 belongs to the late Wilt Chamberlain. As this was completed Kevin Ding of the Orange Counter Register tweeted Nash has chosen jersey 10 for next season. As for Chamberlain he played for two other NBA teams so the following numbers were not all scored in a Laker jersey but they are part of his Laker legacy and are certainly noteworthy. Over the course of Chamberlain's 14-year career he scored 31,419 points (30.1 ppg), 23,924 rebounds (22.9 rpg). Many consider Chamberlain a scoring machine only and he did indeed score a significant number of points. Proof he wasn't about scoring alone he contributed a surprising number of assists, 4,643 (4.4 apg) to his career numbers. Chamberlain held the record for most all-time points scored until Abdul Jabbar broke the record on April 5, 1984.

Can you say student-athlete over athlete-student

I'm sure those in the Los Angeles metro especially those who follow the game know the name Zena Edosomwan. Edosomwan is a 6-9 235 pound power forward Rivals rates a 4-star prospect, he's the son of a Nigerian immigrant . Edosomwan fits the role of a student-athlete, this Class of 2013 prospect is headed to Harvard to play for Tommy Amaker. Although Amaker coaches Harvard he follows in the footsteps of another highly successful Ivy League coach. Princeton coach Pete Carril compiled a 514-261 record in 29 years at Princeton in route to winning several Ivy League Championships. Tommy Amaker continues to win while recruiting scholars who just happen to be good basketball players, see Jeremy Lin.

Coach Byron

There are a number of guys I give the benefit of the doubt. I do that because I like them, I've always been partial to Cavs coach Byron Scott. I go back to the days when he was Magic Johnson's backcourt teammate, Scott was on the receiving end of many of Magic's assist. At a point in time many thought the team would turn to number 4 once Phil Jackson retired. I listen intently to an interview on the Dan Patrick Show and picked up this little gem on the Cavs draft choice. "We saw tape on Waiters (Dion) and we liked him, I went back to review tape to see what I didn't like!" Scott was describing the assessment of Dion Waiters, 6-4 215 pound shooting guard from Syracuse. Scott said "he wasn't worried about the fact Waiters didn't start a game he was there at the end of the game." (The Dan Patrick Show)

There will never be parity

The NBA can never be the NFL, i.e. large market versus small market teams. We know free agents are still attracted to New York (Brooklyn included), Boston, Dallas and Los Angeles. The aforementioned cities are certainly not the only large market teams in the NBA however the vast majority of movement takes place in those cities. I'm not saying free agents don't sign with small market teams or large market teams not mentioned but if you check the records most of the movement is between the large market teams cited. An example might be Jason Terry, large market (Dallas) to large market (Boston). I know Michael Beasley agreed to an offer by the Suns and Hasheem Thabeet agreed to sign on the dotted line with the Thunder, those are exceptions. The only teams that could afford Steve Nash were the Knicks, Mavs and Lakers. Cleveland could have offered LeBron James more money however he chose to sign with the Heat. There are examples I've overlooked however the court will be leveled when the Milwaukee Bucks compete with the Knicks for a free agent. This event will occur on the "12th of never." The NFL always talks parity something that will never occur in the NBA.

Strange move

Former Laker assistant and Mizzou head coach Quin Snyder has a new job, probably not the job most thought he might receive.  This summer he interviewed for the head coach position with the Bobcats and Magic. The Magic have yet to hire a coach but Snyder is no longer available. He's been hired as an assistant coach for CSKA Moscow.

 

 

Ray Allen and Steve Nash

Based on the number of emails Allen is receiving far more criticism for signing with the "enemy" than Steve Nash. Don't misunderstand my statement everyone in Phoenix is not pleased with the Nash signing. There is a clear reason why Allen is receiving more flack than Nash. Briefly stated the Lakers and Suns have matched up in the playoffs several times over the past several years. Early on the Suns were victors more often, recently the Lakers have become the more successful team. The last time the teams met in the playoffs two years ago the Lakers won the series 4-2. The last playoff meeting between the Celtics and Heat occurred a few weeks back, the Heat winning a tough match 4-3. I'm sure Allen joining the Heat is more displeasing to the vast majority of Celtic fans than Nash joining the Lakers. The Suns are in the early stages of rebuilding and indications were they didn't want to re-sign Nash at his present salary level. Fans of the Celtics and Suns might be upset but those are the facts.

 

"You can't teach tall"

I've uncovered another prospect for you to retain, he's 7 foot Thon Maker who just completed his 8th grade year at age 14. He is a Class of 2016 prospect originally from Australia however it's unnecessary to travel to Australia to witness him in action. Last season Maker attended Metairie Park Country Day School in Metairie (LA) near New Orleans. He looks polished and has smooth moves on the court, there is a downside to the story. At 7 feet Maker is probably a foot taller than most of his opposition, height aside the question might be asked will he continue to grow his game in the future? There's plenty of video available of him on the internet containing game action and him running through basketball drills. Check him out and see what you think the real surprise might be John Calipari hasn't offered him a scholarship yet.

Which State?
Among these states which do you suppose produces the most collegiate prospects Florida, Texas, California or New York? I have no numbers to validate the position I'm taking however Texas has begun to produce an ever increasing number of high school basketball talent. Rivals released it's top 5 prospects for 2013, they are Julius Randle the number three prospect is from Plano (Dallas) while twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison from Fort Bend (Houston) are listed as the number three and four. A long-ago joke stated Texas had two sports seasons, football and spring football that statement no longer rings true. The bulk of talent comes from the metro population centers of Dallas and Houston, however San Antonio, Austin and other areas also produce a significant amount of talent. Texas, A&M, Baylor and other schools throughout the state have benefited from this talent explosion. The state has produced so much talent in recent years it's become increasingly difficult to close the borders. The nation's colleges have been the beneficiary of Texas talent.

Mizzou and the NBA

I was pleased that Kim English and Marcus Denmon were both drafted. The second round is certainly no guarantee of an NBA success however a number of second round choices have gone on to long and distinguished NBA careers. Neither was regarded an NBA prospect last year, both had excellent senior years plus NBA tryouts that changed their status. It appears future Mizzou players might also hear their names announced, 2013 mock draft sites are projecting at least three teammates. Point guard Phil Pressey, 5-11 162 pounds, forward Laurence Bowers 6-9 210 pounds and Alex Oriakhi 6-9 240 pound transfer from UConn. Coach Haith and staff are out searching for future talent to enhance this Mizzou team over the next few years. There is a difference in recruiting, former coach Mike Anderson sought out a specific type of player one who could play his up-tempo "40 minutes of heck offense." No need to be that specific in Haith's offense, his staff can seek out athletes with a variety of skills. This is a great time to be a fan of Mizzou athletics, the excitement of a new conference (SEC) adds to the anticipation of a fruitful and productive football and basketball season.

He's a real pro

More than likely the Suns Grant Hill is not yet ready to hang up his basketball shoes. Once he does retire I could see him elected to both halls, the collegiate and Naismith after five years. Duke has sent a number of athletes into the NBA over the years but none as good as Hill, his numbers 17,044 points scored and a 17.1 ppg over a 17 year career. Many thought he would retire what has now become the middle portion of his NBA career. Injuries forced him to the sidelines after signing a free-agent contract with the Magic. He played only 4 games during the 2001-01 season and 14 games the following year, the third year he played 29 games. Once he arrived in Phoenix the trainers and weather resurrected his and extended his career. You cannot defeat Father Time however Hill was on the sidelines so frequently maybe he's only played 12 or so years. Over the course of his career Hill's been one of the good guys, one of those athletes you'd never read blaring headlines regarding bad behavior off the court. The Grant Hill of Detroit Piston days is a distant memory, with that said I still wouldn't have a problem if the Lakers chose to sign him. I could envision Hill with a championship ring on his finger in the twilight of a very distinguished NBA career.

Where are they headed?

I can't help but think the Mavs are headed in the opposite direction----downhill. I certainly don't consider myself a doom n gloom guy however the road in front of the Mavs doesn't look very promising. The unraveling of the Mavs all began last year after they won the 2011 NBA championship. In fairness to Mark Cuban he might have been looking ahead a couple of years to the time Dwight Howard and Deron Williams would become free agents. Cuban gambled, he allowed Tyson Chandler and Jose Barea to walk via free agency, the team needed to clear cap room. He rolled the dice again hoping 6th Man of the Year Lamar Odom would duplicate his previous year while a member of the Lakers. The reality of the 2011-12 season, Chandler was selected Defensive Player of the Year in a Knick uniform. Barea was one of the keys aiding the Wolves resurgence in the standings as the team won nine more games than the previous season. As for Odom we know what occurred with him, that story was detailed earlier. Last week Dallas native Deron Williams announced his intention to remain with the Nets, then Jason Terry made news. Terry valued 6th man of the Mavs signed an offer sheet with the Celtics. Point guard Jason Kidd is now headed to the Knicks to play behind Jeremy Lin should they re-sign him. With Terry leaving "Big D" Dirk Nowitzki becomes the only reliable offensive threat left but even he is a question. Nowitzki on ESPN Radio Dallas in May, "I'm too old to be part of a major rebuilding project." Is Dirk psychic, did he foresee this development two months ago? The future of the Mavs could change should Dwight Howard sign however we might ask the question (other than money) why?

Overlooked
There is not enough space and time to provide detail on the number of talented athletes even in the metro area. The exploits of Clayton Custer was brought to my attention by an acquaintance. Custer is 6-1 160 pound point guard but he certainly can score as well, he led Blue Valley Northwest to runner-up status in the Kansas State Basketball Tournament last season. BVNW lost the championship game to Wichita Heights and McDonalds All-American Perry Ellis 67-60. Clayton a sophomore starter was key to the team recording a 24-2 overall and league record 12-1. Custer is rated a 4-star prospect by ESPN and MaxPreps, Rivals awards him 3-stars. This Class of 2014 prospect from Olathe (KS) has ample time to chose Kansas State, Oklahoma, Stanford or Tulsa along with several other Division I schools.

He returns

Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy were under consideration to replace Thunder coach Scott Brooks, at least that was the media story circulating at one point. Almost immediately after the story broke gm Sam Presti termed the story baloney. Presti confirmed the baloney factor last week by signing Brooks to a 4-year contract.  For the immediate time-being it appears the nucleus of this western conference champion team will remain in place. Speculation continues to reign if this small market team can remain competitive in the large market NBA. Kevin Durant has already gone on record indicating his desire to remain in Oklahoma City, as for the others there are questions. Will the Thunder eventually draft a point guard and allow Russell Westbrook to play shooting guard? Will James Harden remain faithful in the role of 6th man or will he demand playing time?

Geography

Sometimes I too am challenged with the location of a city in the U.S. As for the State of Missouri that's a different story, now and then a town name I'm unfamiliar with makes news. If the map location is not provided and I'm curious enough I consult a state map. I've discovered familiarity does not always ring true for adults. Last Sunday the Kansas City Star featured a story on Mizzou's official move to the SEC. A writers response, "Mizzou will now be affiliated with schools from three surrounding states." His letter prompted this response, "I understand Tennessee and Arkansas but I don't get the third state." Someone was kind enough to respond and explain the third state was Kentucky. My point---why send an email, seems to me it would be far easier to consult a map rather than ask a dumb question? When I explained this story to my wife she informed me "I had no sympathy." Here's an example of my sympathy sending this person the email link to Google Maps or MapQuest.

Lack of leadership

Sacramento's Mayor Kevin Johnson is applauded by me, it appears the city might lose it's franchise but it's not due to lack of effort. Kansas City missed the boat on two separate occasions regarding the NBA, the first of course was 1985 when the Kings franchise moved to Sacramento. There was no civic effort similar to Sacramento attempting to save the franchise. The second occasion was more recently August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina had devastated New Orleans and gulf portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Damage to the city and it's infrastructure curtailed plans for the Hornets to compete later that year, Hornets ownership needed a temporary city for the team to play it's games. Eventually Oklahoma City became home to this Louisiana team, city officials of Kansas City never contacted Hornets management to suggest they visit the city. Keep in mind Kemper Arena had no major tenant occupying the building after the Kings departure in 1985. Traffic issues aside we had a 17,000 plus arena which certainly was underused at that time? Once Clay Bennett purchased the Sonics I thought this team will probably not remain in Seattle. There was talk and I can only classify it as talk "maybe Bennett will move the team to Kansas City?" I thought why would he do that when no government official even made an effort to contact him. The NBA will never return to Kansas City and it's probably just as well, it seems there's only room for the NFL Chiefs, MLB Royals and MLS Sporting KC. I love my hometown wouldn't move anywhere else at this stage however it's leaders certainly lack vision at times.

4th of July fireworks

Once again I was blindsided by a Laker move, all the noise surrounding Dwight Howard distracted me (and others too I'm sure). It was reported Wednesday by ESPN Steve Nash will become a Laker via a sign and trade deal. Is this how a team gets younger signing a 38-year old point guard? The Lakers now have a 75-year old back court. Nash played 33.6 minutes per game and shot .504 from the floor, .439 from the 3-point line. An excellent free-throw shooter throughout his career he was at .933 while dishing out nearly 10 assists per game. His scoring average was 15.7 ppg, the numbers are impressive for an old guy. The only question Nash has never been the speediest guy nor has he been a great defender. If Bynum and Gasol coordinate their defensive efforts better than last season teams with speedy point guards (Westbrook) might be reluctant to drive past Nash realizing the twin tandem is waiting at the basket. This is not a long-term deal maybe it might not even conclude in a championship but the Lakers will be competitive again. If this sign and trade is finalized I seriously doubt if Howard's headed to Los Angeles. It's been a little over 24 hours and David Stern hasn't disapproved this trade----just kiddin' folks.

Happy 4th of July

Bits n Pieces
I enjoy humor even when it pokes fun at one or more of my favorite teams. At times while researching stories I try as often as possible to read comments posted by fans. I do this because often fans have provided me invaluable information or a perspective I hadn't considered. That's the upside of this story, the downside is emails written by trolls. For those who might not be familiar with this particular definition of troll the Urban Dictionary provides us with an answer. "One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument." I share my views and opinions on selected subject matter, at the same time I would never consider my view the only view. Finally I never, ever write in an attempt to provoke or promote controversy!

I never read an explanation why the NCAA dropped it's rule limiting phone calls and texting to prospects. Might we suppose it could have something to do with the age we live in? I'm sure you are probably aware more than one prospect has tweeted his intention to enroll at ______University. It's probably old fashioned to hold a press conference to announce your school of choice.

Hornets owner Tom Benson wanted a new name for his team more closely identified with the City of New Orleans. Word is now reported the Charlotte franchise might attempt to re-acquire the Hornet name. Most are aware the Hornet expansion franchise came into existence in the City of Charlotte, when the team moved to New Orleans as often occurs they retained the original name. A franchise name change is not a simple proposition, millions and millions are involved. One might ask the question how did the present Charlotte franchise become the Bobcats? The franchise was owned by former BET chairperson Bob Johnson and Bob(cat) was chosen in his honor.

Few had heard of Kyle O'Quinn or Norfolk State before the NCAA tourney this past season. O'Quinn was key to his team eliminating my Mizzou Tigers from the field of 64. He might have been a late-bloomer, his high school team was quite good his senior year few schools were pursuing him. O'Quinn is a 6-10 241 pound power forward whose numbers across the board increased each of his four years. The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (VA) is used as a barometer by scouts and coaches to gauge NBA talent. O'Quinn from a mid-major school outperformed many from major conference schools and was selected MVP of the tourney. O'Quinn was the 19th pick in the second round by the Orlando Magic, one more New York City player from Queens.

The "Dwight Howard Story" could certainly be turned into a made for television movie. See if you can figure this one out, news stories have circulated indicating Howard only wants to play for the Nets. Why would the Lakers, Mavs and other teams attempt to secure his service if this story is true? Another question which has come forth from the news media, we don't know if it's true or not. The story that Howard doesn't want a trade to the Lakers, he wants to be the alpha-male on a team. Howard claims no role in the Stan Van Gundy firing however all the news reports cannot be in error. Howard wouldn't be the first NBA player involved in a head coach being fired. This story will eventfully run it's course, however it's resolved I would be surprised, no shocked if Howard is in a Magic uniform November 1st. As I was completing this story news broke the Hawks traded Joe Johnson to the Nets. ESPN's Chris Broussard claims the Nets have no cap room to sign Howard now. This was Broussard's twitter report Monday evening, Tuesday morning he proposes a trade whereby the Nets could acquire Howard. I think I will wait on this story to develop before further reports.

The Brooklyn Nets are moving quickly and efficiently through the early stages of free agency. Unofficially they have re-signed small forward Gerald Wallace which cannot be finalized until July 11. In addition gm Billy King swung a trade with the Hawks for All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson. Last night point guard Deron Williams tweeted he's going to remain with the Nets. NBA TV analyst Dennis Scott said "if the Nets are in New Jersey this deal is not done." I guess we could state re-signing Williams might be the first of several future moves for the franchise in Brooklyn. As for Dwight Howard his status is still unresolved as of July 3rd.

NBA Draft Special

Pre and post-draft coverage on ESPN and NBA TV was quite extensive. In fact I found myself changing channels to catch as much of each networks coverage as possible. Picture-n-picture doesn't work in this instance, I wanted to hear as much of the commentary as possible. The media personalities are just as important for me, long-time CNN and Golf Channel broadcaster Vince Cellini was hired in the spring by NBA TV. Cellini added knowledge and perspective to the NBA TV coverage. It seems I almost always hear a quote I can use, in this instance I'm unsure which media person to credit. "This is a deep draft, not from the standpoint of talent but of quality players who can help a team." That had been my observation after reading numerous stories the last several weeks.

I wasn't sure at first if KU's Thomas Robinson upset about the position he was drafted or the team. Over the last few weeks he indicated he thought he should be the second player chosen. When he dropped to the fifth position and the Kings selected him the reaction was noticeable. While he was being interviewed I noted a tear in the corner of his left eye. Losing his grandparents and mother in the space of weeks last year probably drained him emotionally. He might have been reflecting on his loss and the fact they were unable to witness what might be the highpoint of his young life.

It would be foolish for me to predict future success of any athlete, there are just too many possible variables that could affect a prospects career. I am certainly pleased Mizzou starters Kim English (Pistons) and Marcus Denmon (Spurs) were drafted. I make the statement based on comments made by fans of that team west of Kansas City, they claimed neither would be drafted. Both guys worked their butts off, neither was considered NBA prospects last year. Hopefully Ricardo Ratliffe will secure a free agent contract and show up in somewhere in the NBA.

Once again the Lakers fooled me, after several reported trade possibilities none occurred. In addition my view was the Lakers had only one choice and it was the last pick in the second round (60). The nation's leading assist man Scott Machado remained on the board all evening long. Point guard Ramon Sessions opted out of his contract and with his Laker future somewhat murky the choice had to be Machado, at least I thought. The selection of Gonzaga's Robert Sacre caught me completely off-guard not shocking but a surprise pick. I checked one of the more well-known Laker fan website, yes the majority are upset with the choice. This 7 foot 263 pound center is certainly not projected to replace Andrew Bynum, he's strictly a backup. Doesn't matter if Gasol remains with the team he's not a center, Sacre is and plus he's young. The Lakers managed to pick up Odom-----not Lamar, they made a deal with the Mavs for Darius Johnson-Odom drafted earlier in the evening. Odom is a 6-3 212 pound shooting guard from Marquette and has skills.

If you read Words eye view regularly information was provided earlier on two international prospects prior to the draft. Evan Fournier, a shooting guard from France was drafted by the Nuggets at 20. Tomas Satoranksy also a shooting guard from the Czech Republic was selected by the Wizards with the 32nd pick. It's not clear as this is written if the two will be in NBA training camps in September. It was noted last night "sometimes NBA teams have the player remain at home."

The long-suffering fans of the Knicks were disappointed once again. The Knicks had no first round pick, fans in the arena had to wait until the 2nd round and the 48th pick for an announcement of the choice. When the commissioner announced Kostas Papanikolaou from Greece the loud moans and groans could be heard throughout the Prudential Center. Papanikolaou is a 21-year old 6-9 230 pound small forward who plays for Olympiacos. The same question might apply for him as the other international players, will he be in the Knicks training camp in September?

Personally I think it's a little silly to award grades draft night. I have maintained over and over we really have no idea how good these draftees might turn out. There are always questions on an Andre Drummond (work ethic) or Perry Jones III (knee injury) but can we truly access a team's draft? My argument is the very earliest you can began assessing a draft choice is near the end of their rookie season. Steve Kyler managing NBA editor for Hoopsworld provides us this guidepost to determine how well a team conducted itself in the draft.

1 – Did you solve a real and material need?
2 – Did you grab the best talent possible, because talent always wins out?
3 – Is the team better after the picks and trades?

There are several NBA teams that don't have a clue what they are doing, I'm not going to name them you can figure them out for yourself. They stockpile players and when the team fails to produce they fire the coach or general manager or their scouts in no particular order. This scenario plays out over and over again. Those of us with no prior experience might be able to do a superior job of assessing talent. These teams are owned by "captains of industry," people who tasted success in the private sector. They are unable to duplicate their success on the basketball court.

Calipari continues to do it, every year for the last three years Kentucky has led all colleges in the number of drafted players. NBA teams drafted 6 players from Kentucky, they were followed up by North Carolina with 4 players. Players selected from the balance might be considered a little surprising. 3 players were selected from Baylor, 3 were also picked off the roster of Vanderbilt. The real shocker might be Mizzou which had more draft picks than traditional basketball power Duke and equaled the number of players from Syracuse, Marquette and Kansas. You might ask when was the last time this event occurred, how about never.

The Lakers and Celtics have been bitter rivals over the years as most are aware. Interesting this loyal Laker fan was impressed with the Celtic draft while one of the loyal and faithful was disappointed. I talked to a Celtic fan (and friend) yesterday and was quite surprised by his reaction to the NBA draft. My buddy said, "I don't like Sullinger's lack of an inside game." So much for his assessment of Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, he didn't even bother to mention the other draft pick Fab Melo former Syracuse center. I guess my assessment might be a little higher than my friend. If (big If) Melo can translate a small portion of his skill to the NBA Garnett will be allowed to move back to power forward. As for Sullinger I would be more concerned about possible back issues than leaping ability. Initially I don't think he'd be playing significant minutes which shouldn't impact any potential back problems.

Finally did you catch this draft night action? Photo shoots of the draft choice and his family members have been common place for years. The Rivers family was rounded up for a photo and a rather funny event occurred. Austin had a Hornets cap the team that just drafted him, someone gave father Doc a Hornets cap. Doc refused the Hornets cap preferring the photo be taken with him in a Celtic green cap.

The Draft

Don't forget to check tomorrow, a special edition devoted to the NBA draft will be published.

M.I.A.

They say everyone should change careers at least once in their lifetime, former Tarheel Hubert Davis will embrace change soon. He will be missing in action as an ESPN analyst this coming season, Davis is headed to Chapel Hill (NC). Davis will begin serving as an assistant coach on Roy Williams staff. No indication from the world wide leader who will occupy the seat between Rece Davis and Digger Phelps on College Gameday. Congratulations to him as he begins this new life journey.

The future of UConn men's basketball

An ESPN 5-star Class of 2014 prospect listed UConn and several other schools as possible future destinations. 2014 is two years away and the young man has adequate time to change his mind if UConn will become the school of choice. A much larger question will the basketball landscape change as well in two years time? Larry Brown at age 71 was hired at SMU thus becoming the nation's oldest basketball coach. Jim Calhoun at UConn is a close second at 70, unlike Brown health issues have dogged Calhoun over the last several years. There are problems far beyond Calhoun's health, the men's basketball academic progress has been called into question. The NCAA now has a rule in place that states failure of a school to maintain academic standards will prohibit them from post-season NCAA play. In addition the number of scholarships the school can offer are reduced. UConn could win 30 games in the 2012-13 season and still be unable to compete in post-season play. The basketball outlook in Storrs (CT) is rather murky at this point in time.

I cannot participate

There have been several stories written about NBA busts, in fact I've written at least two. In my defense I wrote the stories after the players had competed a number of years in the NBA. Unlike the good guys at NBC Sports I cannot participate prior to the draft. Five reporters weighed in on who would likely be an NBA bust. There are always questions surrounding draft choices, questionable attitude, questionable work ethic and others issues. These are but a few issues that might contribute to a player becoming a draft, the team itself might be key as well. How often has a change of scenery allowed a player to excel with one team over another. I'm uncomfortable referring to anyone as a bust until they step onto an NBA court.

New Arena

Prospective collegiate players have an established order they utilize in choosing a school. This list might not be incomplete however I read and hear the following most often:

1. The coach

2. School
3. Facilities

Item 3 has almost become as important to prospects as items 1 and 2, this scenario is certainly playing out at Oregon State University. There are arenas across the nation steeped in tradition as example KU's Allen Fieldhouse and Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Who could forget The Palestra in Philadelphia opened in 1927 and still in use. This building is the home of Big 5 Basketball (La Salle, Penn, St. Joseph's, Temple and Villanova). As the years roll by these arenas are gradually being replaced by newer and fancier buildings. This trend is certainly evident in Corvallis Oregon as groundbreaking for a new arena and training facility was recently held. Former OSU/NBA players Gary Payton and A.C. Green were invited to participate in the ceremonies. Coach Craig Robinson (President Obama's brother-in-law) announced to the gathering when he was hired four years ago a new arena was at the top of the list. A state of the art arena and adequate training facilities are very much in demand today.  Gary Payton: "OSU could now compete with the UCLA and USC and other Pac-12 schools."

You realize why

Just in case you'd forgotten do you remember why the Thunder lost? I am the culprit, I picked them over the Heat. This proves once again the difficulty in predictions. Now both franchises state they are looking at the possibility of NBA dynasties. I can say to both good look and warn them it's easier said than done. The Mavs made no dynasty pronouncements after winning the NBA championship last season. Going into the season almost all the experts picked them to defend their title, how quickly they moved from a championship to a contender. The Heat certainly proved the Thunder have holes in their game, can they patch the holes and prevent the ship from sinking before winning a championship? Kevin Durant is in Oklahoma City for the duration, as for his teammates there are questions. The Thunder certainly played inspired basketball but must contend with the Spurs, Clippers and Lakers next season in the West, yes I said Lakers. The Heat after succumbing to the Mavs in the championship round last season rose to the top. Who might contend in the East next season? Certainly a "healthy" Bulls team would be included in the mix, how about a Pacer team which played at an inspired level to a point or a Hawk team. Their are minefields spread throughout the Eastern and Western Conference, let's see who contends first before announcing a dynasty run.