Basketball from a fans perspective

Decisions, decisions
I forgot this bit of information until I read the ESPN headline, Kyrie Irving is playing for Team USA however he could just as easily play for Australia if he chose to. Remember his family moved to Australia in order for his dad to play pro ball, while there Kyrie was born.  Kyrie like a number of others has dual citizenship allowing him to play for the nation of his choice.  Born in Melbourne Australia but grew up in West Orange New Jersey.

SportsCenter
On July 22 I wrote Fox Sports 1 decided to match the grumpiness of Jason Whitlock with the sarcastic Colin Cowherd.  The program is titled “Speak for Yourself” a knockoff of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption one of the networks most popular programs.  Instead of placing “Speak” in the same time slot of the facsimile Fox Sports chose to match it against the first half hour of SportsCenter.  The remanding 30 minutes is matched against PTI.  

Good idea or bad, everything I read not connected with either network indicates viewership numbers for the Whitlock-Cowherd paring are average to slightly below. Does that state their program in danger of cancellation---I seriously doubt it.  My question why place two caustic personalities like Whitlock and Cowherd together? Is Fox Sports 1 that desperate for ratings? I’m unsure if I can provide the answer as for me I’ll take Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser of Pardon the Interruption.

Can you shout “Air ball”?
Team USA played China in a tune up game for the Rio Olympics.  I watched a little of the game but it wasn’t very competitive so I changed the channel hoping to find a movie.  I missed DeAndre Jordan shooting an air ball from the free-throw line.  You know I have issues with poor free throw shooters in fact you might remember a column written several weeks back.  I realize shooting free-throws underhand is “girly” but if it aids me on the line I’m doing it.  

Without researching I have no idea of Wilt Chamberlain’s free-throw percentage however I know it was bad.  I’ve read he would shot 70 to 75% from the line in practice but once the game began a far different matter.  I’ve heard all kinds of excuses because Big Men appear to suffer more than smaller players.  There is no explanation for poor free-throw shooting except execution at the line.  If I were Jordan I might be more embarrassed shooting an air ball than shooting underhand.  

In Kevin Durant news
ESPN financial guy Darren Rovell indicates Kevin Durant’s restaurant in Oklahoma City is closing.  The restaurant will re-open under a different name after Labor Day September 5.  This news is not particularly surprising in all likelihood the restaurant was paying Durant to utilize his name.  A number of athletes past and present have conducted business in this manner.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Waiting for the phone call
The Texas Longhorns under Shaka Smart will eventually compete with Kansas for conference domination.  Other than some current member of the conference a school with a rich basketball tradition might also be in the mix. The 10-member Big 12 has indicated for the last few years a desire to expand to 12 teams or more, one of the schools “waiting” on a call is UConn.  

UConn is currently a member of the American Athletic Conference after years in the Big East Conference.  The Huskies play football however its 1-AA, Big 12 football is FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision formerly Division I-A).  Most conference moves have been made with football in mind in this instance its basketball.  Keep in mind at this point this is all speculative on my part.  CORRECTION: my buddy indicates UConn plays Division I football 

He’s a good coach
I can’t speak for football or baseball I don’t know either sport like I do basketball. What's the requirement to be judged a “good” coach?  For years we’ve hear people say; “Phil Jackson’s not a great coach he’s never built a team.”  Jackson might not be a great coach but how many championships has he won?  On the other hand I’ve heard for years George Karl is a great coach. Karl’s won almost 2,000 games most of his teams have been playoff caliber during his coaching career however how many championships have Karl’s team won zero.  

Karl’s 1995-96 Sonic team played for the championship but lost that year to Michael Jordan’s Bulls 4 games to 2.  We could question Steve Kerr as well. Every starter and many of the key reserves were in place when Kerr took over.  How about Tyronn Lue who just won a championship with the Cavs, how do we measure his success?  He might have utilized his roster differently but all were there under David Blatt.  They couldn’t win for Blatt yet won for Lue in his first year as a head coach, in conclusion how do we determine the value of a coach especially at the NBA level?  Just winning games is no proof (see Karl).

He didn’t inform us
I hope we get it right this time around; I’m referring to the possibility of two Chinese players entering the NBA this fall and winter.  Yao Ming was the first pick in the first round of the 2002 NBA Draft.  He was not the first Chinese player but the best to date, injuries forced him to the sidelines and retirement in 2011.  

Five years later we discover his name was pronounced incorrectly sorta.  He explained in China surnames come first which is Ming in the Western world we referred to him as “Yao Ming”.  Why no correction on Ming’s part you might ask? Ming at 7-6 and 310 pounds indicated he was too “shy” to correct anyone. NBA rookies Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin are Qi and Zhelin respectively.  

“This is it”
We could be referring to the 1979 Kenny Loggins hit but it could also be the refrain of Mike Krzyzewski.  We can rest assured the coach is probably not singing the tune however as for the Rio Olympics “This is it. “  A little history first after Chuck Daly stepped down as coach of Team USA there were several missteps by succeeding teams.  The finger is first pointed at the players and then the coaches.  

One of those scrutinized was Larry Brown.  Following the Gold medal losing teams of 2004 and 2006 Jerry Colangelo was asked to step in an manage Team USA, the first task was to contact Krzyzewski to take over as head coach.  Since this change Team USA won Gold in the 2008 and 2012 games. With the Rio Games being less than a month away will Team USA win Gold again, we adopt a wait and see.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

I just discovered
There was almost a perfect storm at LSU this past season, with the highly touted Ben Simmons and several good teammates they finished 19-14 (11-7 SEC).  They missed the NCAA Tournament and decided to pass on the NIT Tournament.  Ben Simmons arrived in Baton Rouge as one of the most highly touted players in the nation and much more was expected from the team.  Did you hear the report cameras followed him all around the campus this past season?  In addition we can speculate a number of Simmons teammates might have resented all the adulation surrounding him.  Somebody said “It appeared he (Simmons) didn’t care at times.”  

That statement I find hard to believe from the time we are small children we want to win.  Perhaps Simmons was more discouraged with his teammates than just didn’t seem to care.  Part of the blame for LSU’s poor season must be laid at the feet of Coach Johnny Jones who couldn’t seem to motivate his team and Simmons to play at a higher skill level.  I managed to view a number of LSU games and several they lost I believe they should have won.  Finally one of the analyst said; “Simmons might have been better off playing for Calipari or Coach K.”  I cannot find anything wrong with that statement based on the outcome.  

Bits n Pieces
Forgive me please; I’ve often stated my objection to comparing players of different eras.  After hearing several in the media compare Ben Simmons to Lamar Odom I changed my mind.  I believe we do this because portions of their game are body might be similar to a player we recognize.  Okay since I violated my own rule allow me to explain further.  I’ve watched numerous highlights of Laker Brandon Ingram in action, he reminds me of another Carolina product Sam Perkins.  Sam was long and lean in a manner similar to Ingram.  

The local news telecast video of Cheick Diallo being introduced by the NBA Pelicans. Then 20 seconds of video of him in action at Kansas.  I thought for a minute I wonder how many games and minutes he played so I decided to check the numbers. He played in 27 games averaged 7.5 minutes scoring 3 points and grabbing nearly 2 rebounds a game.  Diallo had no intent to graduate from college when he chose to attend Kansas; his mission was the NBA which he’s managed to accomplish.  I’m not critical of Diallo I’m critical of the system that forces youngsters to attend college for a year with no intention to complete the educational process.  We continue this farce that grows “One n Done” athletes.     

A number of Euro players are usually not familiar to most fans but don’t fool yourself believing NBA teams are drafting in the dark.  If a Darko Milicic’s fails in the NBA believe me he and others have been thoroughly scouted.  Example; Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak in his post game press conference was discussing 2nd round pick Ivica Zubac.  He indicated the Lakers Euro scout Antonio Maceiras alerted him on Zubac.  Laker fans might remember Kupchak flew to Europe in March, we can rest assured it was to access Zubac and maybe other Euro talent.  

Competition
ESPN’s 30 for 30 programming ran a documentary title “Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?” The network first ran it in October 2009 but is repeated from time to time.  Those of you too young might not remember this football rival to the NFL. Originally they played a spring schedule but in order to compete with the NFL they attempted a fall schedule to their demise.  A number of people in the know interviewed believe the league failed because of greed.  There is nothing wrong with earning money however it’s the manner you go about accomplishing the task.  The Lakers have a problem too only its not greed it’s a” who is charge issue.”  I’ve written several times Jim Buss assuming the role of controller has led the Lakers into a hole.  

Several including this writer believe (have believed) sister Jeannie Buss would be much better running the franchise in its entirety rather than just the business side. Buss is similar to a number of other sports owners who believe “I’ve been successful in the business world I can do it in sports.”  On paper it sounds good however the aspects of sports are different than those of the business world.  On the cusp of a championship and his team establishing a new won-loss record Warriors owner Joe Lacob went on record.  He informed the world how they (his team) would continue to win into the future due to the manner his team was built.  We all witnessed this very short dynasty, this is not meant to be critical of the Warriors it’s just the fact Lacob looked at his team from a business perspective rather than sport.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

I’m tired
Numerous times I state I’m going to do something and then double-back on my word. I’m going to try again and hope to stick to my pledge.  It seems this past season we suffered numerous arguments regarding “whose dad could beat up the other dad.” Actually it seemed several NBA veterans had issues with many of today’s NBA players.   I fell into the trap too discussing a number of these even taking issue with Klay Thompson‘s statement.  

When Thompson made a statement about his Warrior team being better than the Showtime Lakers I did a player by player assessment.  There is no acceptable method to compare the Showtime Lakers with the Warriors although I attempted it. There were others too, “Is LeBron better than Michael Jordan or which team is better the Bulls or the Warriors. “  These are but a few instances creating discussions and even arguments at times.  No more---I hope to no longer be a willing participant in these arguments.  

AAU basketball
A number of college coaches have gone on record indicating “they hate AAU basketball.” There is no one clear concise reason but I believe I might have at least one answer. AAU basketball contains little if any offensive and defensive structure, I could be wrong.  Despite the negatives there are positives and one of those teams is MoKan Elite from the Kansas City metro.  MoKan Elite won the 17 and under Nike Peach Jam Tournament recently.  They played on Friday in The 8 Championship of the Las Vegas Classic, team CP3 defeated MoKan Elite 88 -72.

The other Aussie
We might have forgotten his name, just to remind you its Dante Exum.  He’s a 6-6 190 pound point/shooting guard from Melbourne.  The difference between him and Ben Simmons we had opportunities to see Simmons play first at Montverde Academy (FL) and this past season at LSU.  As for Exum his story was quite different.  Despite being a virtual unknown Exum would become the 5th pick in the 1st round of the 2014 draft.  We didn’t see his name in any Jazz box scores; we didn’t hear any broadcaster call out his name.  

Exum played but 22.2 NBA minutes last season, technically he‘s still a rookie. In August 2015 he sustained a knee injury while playing for the Australian National team.  Exum managed to play a single game in the NBA Summer League but that’s it. The injury along with surgery sent Exum to the sidelines for the 2015-16 NBA season. It’s interesting we have two Aussies Simmons and Exum both in the running for NBA Rookie of the Year.  There are other players vying for NBA stardom and but we have two from Australia in the same year.  

Summer basketball 
A friend said to me; “What are you going to do now with no basketball now that the NBA Championship has been decided.”  My response was quickly followed by this explanation.  “Well there’s the NBA draft, then NBA free-agency.  These events are followed up by two weeks of NBA Summer League ball from Orlando, Utah and Vegas.  Then plenty of AAU tournaments all over the nation, in early September the Naismith Hall of Fame ceremony is held and a new class are enshrined, later NBA training camps open.  In the middle of October pre-season NBA play begins.”   

Basketball from a fans perspective

Most times
My indignation is most often aimed at members of the media---this time its former players.  Ben Simmons would not play in the game he had a seat right where he could see all the action.  The first I believe to complaint is Isiah Thomas providing commentary on NBA TV, “He’s a young player, he should be playing tonight.”  Next up it was Jalen Rose on his program Jalen & Jacoby.  

Rose said; “His team (LSU) never played in the tournament why did he need rest?” At the beginning of play Simmons had experienced cramping.  In addition it was Sixers Coach Brett Brown who sat Simmons down.  There are times coaches make decisions, we might not agree but it’s their decision.  In this instance why the critical remarks when the player apparently was not the decision maker.  

“Shock Jocks”
According to Wikipedia a short definition of a shock jock; “Is a type of radio broadcaster or disk jockey who entertains listeners or attracts attention using humor and/or melodramatic exaggeration that some portion of the listening audience might find offensive.”  How do you express yourself without becoming wrapped in turmoil?  I honestly don’t have an answer however I continued to be annoyed by those in sports who believe it’s necessary to shock to either be controversial or for rating purposes.    

Fox Sports 1 has teamed two of these types together Colin Cowherd and Jason Whitlock formally of ESPN.  I suggest you check them out and see how quickly they become annoying.  On the other hand I could be completely wrong; you could be fans of the two I can‘t help but believe we have a Tweedledum and Tweedledee combo.  According to Dictionary.com the definition is; “Two persons or things nominally different but practically the same; a nearly identical pair.”  I believe that definition says it all.  

Maybe another
On June 16 we discussed the island nation of The Bahamas; we mentioned Buddy Hield would hear his name announced by Commissioner Silver.  It was also noted Hield would become the fourth NBA player from this island nation. Well there could be a fifth one in a few more years.  DeAndre Ayton lives in San Diego but was born in The Bahamas his family later moved to the U.S. 

He’s a 7-foot 235 pound center now living in Phoenix having transferred to Hillcrest Prep Academy his junior year.  Did I mention he’s a 5-star prospect and number one in Rivals Class of 2017?  The usual suspects are at the top of his list Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina and others.  Ayton’s made no commitment to date where he’s headed.  There will be continued news on this outstanding prospect.  

Excited
Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak indicted he’s excited with Ivica Zubac, somehow this youngster slipped into the second round.  Check the mock drafts of NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com.  Zubac was listed as number 16 and 27 pick respectively on each site.  This is the disclaimer watching him in action in the Summer League is not the real NBA but there are an abundance of positives in his game.  He runs the floor fairly well for a player who checks in at 265 pounds; his free-throw shooting is good for a big man. 

Zubac moves his feet on defense and blocks shots, his offensive game will grow however he’s got a decent jump hook.  He finished summer league play with a game of 16 points 11 rebounds and 6 blocked shots; he shot 62% from the floor for the summer.  The only problem I remain unsure how to pronounce his name, play by play announcers and interviewers seem to pronounce his name differently each time I hear it.  Mitch and I both are excited with the prospect of training camp.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Shocker news
It’s likely this is news to those of us in the Kansas-Missouri region rather than other portions of the nation.  Former Wichita State guard Fred VanFleet secured a multi-year contract with the Raptors. VanFleet was by-passed in the 2016 draft but managed to sign with the Raptors summer league team.  His play must have been sound enough to warrant the team signing him as a backup point guard.  VanFleet becomes one of those rare players who managed to play four years of college basketball.  

On the same team again
Jalen Rose and Chris Webber were teammates at Michigan.  Both enjoy success on the basketball court; in the NBA we could conclude Webber had more accomplishment at the NBA level than Rose.  They are both on the same team once again this time its television, one at TNT, NBA TV and the other ESPN.  Rose actually began at TNT in 2006 as a sideline reporter but moved on to ESPN where his broadcast career has blossomed.  Rose has branched out co-hosting his on program Jalen & Jacoby.  He’s journeyed quite a distant from Southwestern High School in Detroit.  

Webber upon retirement became an analyst for NBA TV Gametime.  He also performs duties on TNT’s Tuesday Night Fan Night.  Webber’s move from behind the desk to the broadcast booth serving as play-by-play analyst for a number of TNT telecast.  Both former Wolverines have involved themselves in philanthropy extensively.  Webber, Rose along with Jimmie King, Juwan Howard and Ray Jackson set a freshmen winning standard never before seen.  No one believed a coach play five freshmen and attain success.  Years later Kentucky would duplicate the success with a bevy of freshmen too however the Fab Five of Michigan did it first.  

There is an explanation
Several stories have been printed indicating Steph Curry is not well liked around the NBA.  I have no method to determine the accuracy of these accounts however it’s my belief ESPN might be partially responsible.  If you checked ESPN’s NBA page there was a column titled; “Nothin’ but Steph”.  

If you click on the link you are guided to a page full of stories regarding Curry.  This is not the first ESPN has done this while LeBron was a member of the Heat there was a column “Heat Check” or something similar.  There is no argument on my part both players are extremely talented but when you cite them in this manner opposing players might grow to be resentful.

“Skinny Legs and all”
Now that it’s warm and in some portions of the nation downright hot I have begun wearing shorts again.  I discovered my legs are skinny, how did I come to this revelation you ask?  We have a mirror resting on the floor at thigh level I‘m going to mount it on the wall.  Every time I walk into the family room I notice my skinny legs.  Then I thought a moment, the only time I witnessed Kobe Bryant in person I thought; “Boy his legs are skinny“.  

His legs don’t appear quite as skinny on television as they do in person.  Unless you are a student of ‘60’s R&B or blues you might not be familiar with the song or the artist for that matter.  In 1967 the late Joe Tex released a single titled; “Skinny Legs and all” a comical offering about a lady with skinny legs.  “Who will take the woman with the skinny legs” was one of the lyrics of the tune.  I believe if we were choosing sides for a basketball team we’d select a young Kobe “Skinny legs and all.”  By the way the video for Skinny Legs and all is available on YouTube.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Tell me
Is it necessary to provide a grade for summer league play?  Evidently ESPN thinks so whether we agree or not.  The question what might cause a player to less than a stellar performance in summer ball?  I can think of at least four there are probably others these are my initial thoughts on the subject.    

a. New teammates, adjusting to cuts, screens plus defensive rotation
b. Familiarity with a new coaching system
c. College players (the layoff between play in April and July)
d. International players having to adapt play to the NBA game

For those who manage to excel perhaps their talent exceeds that of the opposition or even teammates.  Just my thought doesn’t make it so, what do you think?

Europe or Asia
Terrance Ferguson is headed to Australia rather than his original destination. He’d committed to Arizona but has changed his mind and decided in favor of the NBA. Ferguson didn’t indicate he’s headed for the NBA but that’s the belief based on past history.  Brandon Jennings, Emmanuel Mudiay played on foreign shores choosing to skip college after making a college commitment a year later they would become NBA draft choices.  A little background on Ferguson he’s a 6-7 guard and the number 14 prospect in the Rivals Class of 2016.  

What sounds terrible for many of us might not be as bad at first thought.  If you play in the NBA you must be age 19 and one year from your high school graduation. Ferguson intends to play in the NBA so why take up classroom space with no intention to graduate or remain there.  I’m a believer in higher education but also a basketball fan, you state there are others with similar intentions.  No doubt it’s likely there are several top-notch high school prospects likely with the same mindset of Ferguson.  Our only hope is they receive sound advice from family, coaches or someone with their best intentions.   

Chinese presence
By now you are aware two players from China were selected in the 2016 NBA Draft.  If you are a follower of mock drafts 7-1 center Zhou Qi was known to you earlier he’d participated in the NBA Draft Combine.  The Rockets made Qi the number 43 pick in the second round; he’s got potential but is a rail-thin 218 pounds similar to Thon Maker. The selection of 7 foot Wang Zhelin by the Grizzlies at the 57th position was a little surprising.  

His name was known to NBA scouts however Zhelin’s skill set might be a little behind his fellow countryman.  Zhelin weighs in at 243 pounds considerably larger than Qi.  Both players remain in China for now preparing for the Rio Olympics but it appears in late September or early October both will be in their respective teams training camp.  It should be noted the two are the first Chinese players to be drafted in 10-years.

Skinny
I checked out a recent Laker press conference involving Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac.  As for Ingram the stats on my television screen read age 18 height 6-9 and weight 195 pounds.  Much has been written this spring about Ben Simmons being unable to shoot and Ingram being skinny.  This certainly is no precursor of stardom however consider these names.  Sam Perkins, Marcus Camby and Robert Horry are just a few players who arrived in the NBA slight of build.  

At this point in time I have no method to determine their rookie weight however Camby stands out for me.  I remember thinking; “They (NBA players) will break this guy in half.”  Despite my projected tale of gloom Camby managed a 17-year career in the NBA playing for a number of teams.  Ingram looks extremely quick while playing for Duke, at 18 he’s going to gain weight as he ages.  To place a weight requirement in front of him at this point I believe would be extremely stupid.  

On the other hand
Hindsight is always 20-20 they say, looking back often it’s easier to say “I shouda made a left turn instead of a right.”  Cavs management will never make that statement however fans of the team might reach that conclusion someday.  With the number one pick in the 2014 NBA Draft the Cavs chose Andrew Wiggins from the University of Kansas, I’m unsure if Wiggins ever set foot in Cleveland.  

He was part of a trade package to the Wolves in exchange for Kevin Love. Wiggins went on to be named 2015 NBA Rookie of the year; his second year witnessed his scoring average rise from 16.9 to 20.7.  Love isn’t exactly chop-liver as he’s proven a valuable resource for the Cavs. What about a 21-year old Wiggins to continue building your team around---no wonder Tom Thibodeau leaped at the opportunity to coach the young Wolves pups?  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Another giant gone
Nate Thurmond closely associated with the Warriors died on Saturday at the age of 74 succumbing to leukemia.  Warriors fans under a certain age might ask; “Who is he?”  Thurmond was one of basketballs’ greats selected a member of the Top 50 NBA Players of all-time and elected to the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.  When the Warriors drafted Thurmond in 1963 the Warriors had Wilt Chamberlain playing center which meant a position change was required.  The 6-11 Thurmond was forced to play the power forward position, in 1965 Chamberlain was traded to the 76ers allowing Thurmond to return to the center position.  

The majority of Thurmond’s career was spent as a member of the Warriors although he played for the Bulls and Cavs.  Thurmond’s defense and shot-blocking speak volumes about his talent and ability; Kareem Abdul Jabbar once said Thurmond was the toughest opposing center he faced throughout his playing career.  We have no idea how many blocked shots Thurmond registered in his career the NBA did not begin counting blocked shots until his 11th year in the league.  With that Thurmond holds a record that will never ever be eclipsed.  While a member of the Bulls Thurmond recorded a quadruple-double against the Hawks 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocked shots in the space of 45 minutes.  R.I.P. Nate Thurmond another giant gone.

“I’m not too smart”
Why do I always fall into the trap, you know the one where you compare one player to another in an effort to determine whose better.  This time its ESPN’s Mike & Mike and they are debating “Who is best in the era Tim Duncan or Kobe Bryant?”  Why an issue for debate is might be the first question, a power forward versus a shooting guard.  They never had to guard one another with the exception of switches, if this were a Kobe-Jordan debate okay otherwise the point is? 

Duncan and Kobe won five NBA Championships, Duncan was League MVP twice compared to Kobe’s single occasion.  Duncan won three Finals MVP while Kobe only won two.  As for scoring Kobe leads the way with 33,643 points while Duncan registered 26,496.  6,306 assists for Kobe compared to 4,225 for Duncan.  Duncan at 6-11 is clearly the leader without checking the records. Without explanation Mike Golic picked Duncan over Kobe so to balance this out I’m picking Kobe over Duncan.  

“Half full-half empty”
Recently I held a conversation with a Kansas basketball fan.  I said; “You realize Josh Jackson is either the number one or number two prospect depending on your source.”  I was referring to the 6-7 guard from San Diego who was an April 2016 commit to Kansas.  We also discussed those folks who claim to be fans who are critical of Bill Self.  I mentioned to him I have a co-worker (Kansas graduate) whose complained about Self the last two years about losing in the NCAA tourney.  Question how many active coaches have won NCAA Championships?  By my quick count there are 11 active coaches who won one or more championships.  That’s 11 out of roughly 500 or so Division I basketball coaches.  I’d rather go to the Big Dance every season and chance winning versus not appearing at all.   

NBA Summer League-Las Vegas
A number of the games have been quite interesting although they can be sloppy at times.  Guys haven’t had much practice or time together--errant passes plenty of air balls.  With that said still some good ball.  Mystery man Thon Maker scored 15 point and snatched down 13 rebounds against the Cavs in his first game for the Bucks.  Despite struggles with shooting Ben Simmons can play the game?  

Coach Brett Brown interviewed used the term “point forward” in describing the youngster; finally he said “Simmons could play the point.”  Brandon Ingram had a good first game and a so-so second one.  Against the 76ers Laker D’Angelo Russell did his best Kobe imitation scoring the winning basket on a 3-point shot with 1.8 seconds left in the game.  The Pelicans Buddy Hield has struggled with his shot however in time he will adjust.  Kris Dunn has looked good for the Wolves, Ricky Rubio might have heard that across the Atlantic in Spain.

Tick…tick…tick
The clock continues to tick on the careers of several NBA players.  We knew 39-year old Kobe Bryant was making one more swing around the NBA.  The retirement of 40-year old Tim Duncan caught us off guard as he retired this month.  After hinting the 2015-16 might be his last Duncan made it official.  The clock continues to tick for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Vince Carter as well.  

As a spot starter and reserve the 38-year old Pierce might have had his worst season in his career on the way to the Hall of Fame.  Will the 40-year old Garnett suit up for his 22nd NBA season remains a question?  His production suffered as much as Pierce for the Wolves.  39-year old Vince Carter is headed into his 19th year in the NBA as just an average player.  Kobe and Duncan decided enough was enough and yielded to Father Time.  As for the players mention the too must yield whether this season or next.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Where is he headed?
I believe this may have been mentioned previously but another report won’t hurt (I hope).  Michael Porter Jr. is the number two prospect in the Class of 2017 and a Rivals 5-star prospect.  The youngster attends Tolton Catholic High School in Columbia (MO) home of the University of Missouri.  Drive time from Tolton to Mizzou Arena takes less than 15 minutes; Michael Porter Sr. has been hired as an assistant coach at the University of Washington.  Washington Head Coach Lorenzo Romar is Michael Porter Jr’s Godson.  Although he’s made no decision yet I wonder what school he might commit?  This is funny, before I could publish the story on July 15 Jr. committed to play at guess where?  If you guessed Mizzou that would be incorrect.     

Mistaken
It appears I may have been out of step with several Mizzou fans and alumni; Friday I discussed Athletic Director Mack Rhodes leaving Mizzou for Baylor.  I stated I didn’t understand the departure after less than two years on the job.  It appears there are few people crying or upset about Rhodes moving on.  Several former Tigers now in the NFL sent out tweets indicating they welcomed the news.  Another tweet not associated with any of the sports program claims “Rhodes never bought into Mizzou athletics,” I guess I may have missed this one.  I’m going to offer an excuse for myself by stating I paid more attention to the sports on the field and court rather than the AD.  

I‘m shocked learning this---not
You might not like Kobe Bryant and that’s okay.  Even Kobe haters must admit the man was all about winning he had issues with players not putting out 100%.  After Dwight Howard departed for Houston all I could hear was; “Kobe ran him out of town.”  As you are aware Howard left for Atlanta recently and this week admits; “To having a rocky relationship with James Harden. “  You can continue your hatred toward Kobe if you wish but you might want to reserve space for Harden since it appears he’s performed the same feat-----run Dwight Howard out of town.  

Not surprising news
The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in sports annually awards grades to major sports leagues.  Results are quite interesting, for detail you can locate it on the net.  Briefly it states the NBA *“Received an A plus for the second year in a row for racial hiring and a B in gender hiring practices.  The league received an A for the eighth year in a row.”  As for the other leagues the NFL and MLB scored a C-.  

*Associated Press

Bits n Pieces
Do you realize now that Kevin Durant is history Nick Collison is the only one remaining.  We tend to forget Durant’s rookie year was spent as a member of the Seattle Sonics.  A teammate was center Nick Collison who remains a member of the Thunder and the only former Sonic remaining in the NBA.  

I’ve documented the struggles what to do with Kemper Arena after the downtown Sprint Center opened.  Sprint is better not just because it newer its location is more convenient to all traffic areas of the metro.  Basketball site lines are much better (in my view) than in Kemper.  From The Kansas City Star; “A nomination is being prepared and will be sent to the National Park Service to list Kemper Arena on the National Register of Historic Places because of its significance in local Kansas City cultural history.”

Signing Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng as free-agents, drafting Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac ESPN is projecting the Lakers win 25 games next season.  The win total certainly would be an improvement over the 17 they compiled in 2015-16 season.  As for me this time around I intend to be a little more cautious in my estimation.  As I have mentioned on more than one occasion I wasn’t sure what to expect in Byron Scott’s first year.  Last season I was optimistic the team would be improved even with 38-year old Kobe Bryant in the lineup.  

Western Kentucky scored a major coup in recruiting they landed Rivals 5-star prospect 
Mitchell Robinson.  Robinson number 11 on their list in the nation will be heading to Bowling Green (KY) next fall.  He’s a 7-foot 220 pound power forward/center from Chalmette (LA) part of the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Superstitious
If I believed in superstition or curses I could say I understand.  Since I don’t what in the world is going on with the sports administration at Mizzou?  At the time Mike Alden stepped down as athletic director his record of accomplishment was a mixed bag.  Loud applause for Alden in hiring football coach Gary Pinkel basketball has been a completely different subject. In basketball Alden hired and replaced four coaches during his tenure, Quin Snyder was terrible Mike Anderson adequate but with one foot out the door at his hire.

Frank Haith had baggage left-over from his time at Miami (FL) and the jury is still out regarding Kim Anderson.  Once Alden moved on he was replaced by Mack Rhoades who appeared to be a good hire but now he’s gone too.  After less than two years on the job (15 months) Rhoades left to become athletic director at Baylor.  Baylor sports might be more successful on the field and court than Mizzou but has far more “off-the field” issues to resolve.  This has got to be a financial rewarding move for Rhoades that's the only way I can understand this.  

Society and sports
A number of basketball fans are likely upset, sports and society came together.  Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade and LeBron James took the stage at the ESPYS call on athletes to promote change and urged fellow athletes to become socially active.  This was done in response to several white police shootings of black men across the nation. In another portion of the nation police officers hired for security at the Minnesota Lynx game took issue with shirts worn by the home team.

Prior to the game the Lynx wore t-shirts with the wording “Black Lives Matter.”  The officers responded to the shirts worn by the team by walking off the job.  I find it interesting the NBA has lead the way, there were no NFL or MLB players issuing any sort of statements demanding change.  The manner this quartet of players chose to voice their concern provides us an indication NBA players must operate without fear of reprisal by any of the NBA owners.

Yes I understand---I think
This is an interesting development if the report is true.  You remember last week Larry Brown abruptly resigned as head coach at Southern Methodist University.  It was reported the coach wanted a 5-year contract and the school only offered him four years, assistant Tim Jankovich was hired as Brown’s replacement.  On Wednesday ESPN Senior writer Andy Katz claims Jankovich was offered a 5-year contract, the issue of money was not a portion of the discussion.

If this report is true it becomes confusing, why did SMU offer Jankovich a 5-year while ignoring Brown’s request for the same length contract?  Could it be an age issue rather than money?  At the end of five years Brown would be 80-years old while Jankovich would be approaching age 62. Brown filled out paperwork six years ago indicating his age again if this report is correct why does it now appear to be a factor in Brown’s case?       

“Sink your damn free-throws”
Once again the NBA believes it’s addressed a problem this is in reference to “Hack a Shaq”.  A number of teams intentionally foul poor free-throw shooters in an effort to regain the basketball. As I once stated Shaquille O’Neal retired in 2011 however the title has remained because it was first used against him.  The victims of today are DeAndre Jordan of the Clippers, the Pistons Andre Drummond and Dwight Howard now with the Hawks and some I might have omitted.

The NBA in its wisdom has now mandated a rule change to address intentional fouling of a player. My question is why is it necessary to reward the Clippers, Pistons and Hawks because they have such a poor free-throw shooters on their roster.  I’m sure I can locate plenty of folks not okay with any sort of change.  I believe Hall of Fame player Rick Barry might say over and over FREE-Throw you have nobody contesting your shot.  I will take his statement further and say “Sink your damn free-throws” that’s why they are referred to as FREE!

Who are you?
Are you Nike, Adidas, Under Armour or somebody else?  I ask the question because I just purchased another pair of shoes.  Although I’m not competitive on the court anymore I still prefer basketball style shoes.  Those who know me might question me about being competitive on the court but one upon a time I was.  As for the shoes I was searching for a color and style more than brand name.  I settled on a pair and did an on-line purchase. UPS delivered a black low-cut with three silver stripes on each side white around the sole area, the brand I purchased are Adidas.  My shoe collection is nowhere near a number of you however I’ve got a mix.

I have two pair Adidas, two pair Nike one pair Reebok and one pair Converse basketball shoes. Question, do you have allegiance to a particular brand?  I have a friend all he’s got is Nike shoes, clothing and everything Nike---he loves the swoosh.  Another acquaintance focus is on Adidas across the board while a co-worker is strictly Under Armour.  My wife who doesn’t care one way or another purchased a pair of Nike’s.  To demonstrate how unattached I am to any brand as this is written I have a Nike tee shirt on with Starter basketball shorts along with the Adidas shoes which arrived yesterday---as for my athletic socks they are K-Mart specials.      

Basketball from a fans perspective

“The Big Fundamental“
The nickname Shaq gave Tim Duncan was intended to be funny but it became more than that.  I must admit at the beginning I once hated Duncan; it seemed he was always hitting a shot that led to a defeat for my Lakers.  A 19 year NBA career few could equal 5X NBA Champion, 3X NBA Finals MVP and twice NBA regular season MVP and NBA Rookie of the Year.  Those are just a few of the accomplishments during his NBA career.  Duncan is more than awards he might be the last of the good guys’ one we never expected to read involved with drugs, assaults or arguing over playing time or his contract.  This tiny bit of information is far from detailing the brilliant career of Tim Duncan.

At one point the belief had been Karl Malone was the best power forward in NBA history, Malone is now in second place.  Now that Wade has move on its likely Kobe and Duncan will be the last to play for one team their entire NBA careers. The Naismith Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame wait for Duncan in a few years.  We’ll miss Duncan’s classic bank shot in a manner similar to the Kareem sky-hook.  Surprised there was no farewell tour for Duncan last season?  I'm not although he might have been debating whether to retire he probably didn't want to draw any attention to himself.

“Whose town, my town!”
I found Tom Penn’s comment interesting the other evening viewing the Laker summer league game.  Penn worked in the front office for several NBA teams and currently serves as an NBA analyst for ESPN.  During one point of game Penn said; “I live now in L.A. and it’s still a Laker town.”  There was no purpose for him to make the statement other than to indicate the re-build has begun in earnest.  Penn made his declaration after three sub par seasons with last year being the worst in Laker history.  In addition this was made despite the superior play of the Clippers over the last 3 plus seasons.  

Landing pad
It would sure be terrific if the NBA and colleges could get together and do away with
“One n Done.”  I’m not picking on the youngster but Malik Newman might be using Kansas as a landing pad only.  This highly touted guard signed with Mississippi State and had a fairly good rookie year however problems developed with Coach Ben Howland. Newman declared for the NBA draft and perhaps didn’t receive the assurance he believed withdrew his name.

Newman failed to hire an agent so he had the opportunity to return to school but it wouldn’t be Mississippi State.  The new “landing pad” this time is Kansas where he must sit out a year.  As for you fans of the Jayhawk program it appears you’ll have a very talented athlete added to the roster.  Allow me to be the first don’t expect Newman to remain in Lawrence through his senior year, if it should occur I certainly will be shocked.

He’s on the way
You remember 76er big man Dario Saric don‘t you?  The 6-10 power forward from Croatia was drafted in 2014 by the Magic and his rights traded to the 76ers.  Saric remained in Europe and became one of those players “lost” in Sam Hinkie’s assemblage of talent.  A player Hinkie would draft but not play due to injury or something else preventing them from appearing on the basketball court.  At least with him the mystery is over as Saric indicates he’s headed to the America and the 76ers training camp.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Just like that he’s gone
Larry Brown is history, the news caught us off-guard his sudden resignation last Friday. The story behind the departure is reported to be his contract at Southern Methodist.   The administration of SMU offered the 75-year old coach a three year contract and it’s reported he wanted five years. All I can say is the school became relevant in basketball despite last seasons NCAA infractions. Brown’s first year as Mustangs coach the team finished 15-17 which was followed by 27-10, 27-7 and last years 25-5.  It’s likely this is the last stop for the Hall of Fame coach however we can never be too sure about him.

I don’t know either
This city has one of the best college basketball programs in the nation.  This legacy has existed for a number of years.--I’m referring to the University of Louisville Cardinals. From 1911 up to this past season Louisville basketball has compiled a 1778-892 record.  The school’s won three NCAA Championships the most recent in 2013.  A number of Cardinal players have managed careers in the NBA or other professional leagues throughout the years.

There is one major problem how do you pronounce the name of the city attached to the schools name?  On the surface that might appear simple its L-o-u-i-s-v-i-l-l-e.   Pronouncing it correctly might be another matter altogether, how are we expected to accomplish the task folks who live there don’t always pronounce it in the same manner?  I located the video below on YouTube, you know what to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Bn9o_L08o

People get real
After seeing Dwayne Wade’s jersey on fire I believe its time for a number of folks to get a life. People---- this is basketball it’s not a life and death issue get real.  Earlier the same scenario played out it Oklahoma City with Kevin Durant’s jersey being set on fire.  Of course this jersey burning event may have first occurred six years ago when irate Cavs fans burned LeBron jerseys when he left town for Miami.

Chasing a ring
Much has been written regarding players “chasing rings”.  Pau Gasol might be the latest having signed with the Spurs however the 36-year old Gasol might be considered a “young pup” compared to Ray Allen.  For the second or third year Allen’s dropped a hint “He might return to the NBA.” The 41-year old is not talking just any team he’s talking Warriors.  Shooters never lose the ability to score however they lose their legs and leaping ability.  Ray you need to remain retired it’s far easier than playing at 41 even as a spot player.  We know former player turned broadcaster Reggie Miller's view; “To me, it’s about your legacy versus rings.”  Reggie never won an NBA Championship but might be regarded as one of the best shooters in NBA history. That’s Reggie’s view of the issue what’s yours?  

Careful now
Both teams are criticized for a different approach with a franchise player.  Remember several years back many in the media were critical of the Lakers for signing Kobe Bryant to an astronomical contract.  Critics claimed; “The contract hinders them from signing free agents.” Don’t know if that statement was totally correct but that’s one of many we heard.  Fast forward to 2016 with Dwayne Wade and the Heat.

Wade had taken pay cuts to accommodate Udonis Haslem, LeBron James and others in previous years and expected to be paid.  The Heat patted him on the head and said “We’ll pay you but what we believe your value.”  Maybe the Laker and Heat stories are not parallel however they are somewhat similar.  By the way I heard ESPN’s Mike Golic stated; “I could see paying him over Kobe Bryant Wade had a productive year.”  Not quite correct Mr. Golic Kobe signed his “lifetime contract” prior to his previous two injury racked seasons.

Basketball from a fans perspective

He’s headed home
The NBA dominated the sports airwaves once again with the news of Dwayne Wade.  Wade was Heat basketball however he is no longer a member.  Word came early Wednesday evening Wade intended to sign a contract with the Bulls. Surprising certainly we believed his NBA career would culminate with a Heat retirement having spent 13 years in Miami. Dwayne Wade at age 34 is headed home---not to South Beach but to Chicago. It's likely he maintains a residence in Miami but Chicago is where Wade is headed. Although he played his college ball at Marquette University in Milwaukee he was born and raised in the Windy City.

The reasoning behind the switch of Wade is simple it’s a matter of $$$$. Despite being part of three Heat championships and All-Star teammates (Shaq, LeBron, Haslem and Bosh) Wade’s never been the highest paid player on his team it appears he simply wants to be paid. Wade first came on the scene for me when Marquette faced Mizzou in an NCAA tourney game. As for the game Wade ran threw, over and around the Tigers. Being unfamiliar with Wade at the time I remember saying to myself; "Who is this guy?" Over the course of three NBA Championships and 13 years we all became privy to the play of Dwayne "Flash" Wade.

Think about it 
The fury regarding Kevin Durant presently in Oklahoma and LeBron James earlier caused me to reflect on the present and past.  How many of us would leap at the opportunity for a job change that would allow us to reach our desired objectives?  I would argue few of us would turn down an opportunity at advancement from our present profession.  On the other hand we find it very easy to feel “betrayed” at the time our favorite player decides on greener pastures elsewhere.
Fans need to face facts this is a different age players no longer believe in any sort of team loyalty instead they depend on a big payday or championship.

That’s not as bad a statement as might first appear; we could debate the loyalty of NBA owners as well toward players.  Cavs owner Dan Gilbert made a number of inflammatory and derogatory statements regarding LeBron when he left the first time.  One stands out for me; “We’ll (the Cavs) will win a championship before LeBron."  wonder how that worked out for your Mr. Gilbert.  Larry Bird wouldn’t have left the Celtics same for Magic Johnson leaving the Lakers they respected one another but were fierce competitors on the court.  This is a different age and different players.  We might not like it but this is the NBA of the 21st Century.

In addition
Ian O’Connor reminded us of another “Super Team”; remember Karl Malone and Gary Payton joining forces with Shaq and Kobe?  The paring worked fairly well however they lost an NBA Championship after being highly favored.  The Heat won two NBA Championships however there were bumps in the road here and there.  The first year the "Heatles" were together they lost the series; they managed to redeem themselves by winning the next two.  In LeBron’s final Miami season they lost the championship to the Spurs.

Two championships in four years certainly noteworthy but nowhere near the promise of: "Not one, not two, not three etc?” made by LeBron at the introductory press conference.  Did you realize the Warriors had to “gut” their roster in order to afford Durant?  Missing from the Warriors championship roster are; Fetus Ezeli, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Leandro Barbosa and Brandon Rush.  The Warriors picked up Zaza Pachulia to replace Bogut, in reserve are 6-11 Anderson Varejao and rookie Damian Jones a 7-foot center from Vanderbilt.

He’s listed
Researching a story I came across an account in Ranker.com.  They listed the all-time top centers in the NBA and I found little to disagree with the order.  Jack Sikma made the list and a number might ask; “Who’s that?”  Sikma was the 8th pick in the first round of the 1977 draft by the Seattle Sonics.  The journey of Sikma is even more unusual because Illinois Wesleyan competes at the Division III level.  The 6-11 230 pound center had a 14 year career playing for the Sonics with the last 5 years spent as a member of the Bucks.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Where we goin'

I believed Mizzou basketball was on the road to recovery, the basis for my past tense check the roster.  Only a "Kentucky" could infuse six (6) new prospects into a program at one time and expect positive results. I acknowledged the number of Haith and a few Kim Anderson prospects who left the program.  Don't want to appear to be a negative hopefully brighter days are ahead.

I'm on his case

Stephen A. Smith has been highly critical of Phil Jackson and the Knicks however portions of his remarks remain suspect to me.  Smith is not pleased with the prospect of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah uniting with Anthony and Porzingis.  We know there are health considerations for the two but consider this fact.  This is the same Stephen A. who was quite critical of the Knicks for drafting Porzingis last season.  The same Stephen A. who was later forced to admit he was wrong about the pick.  In 2016-2017 two things will occur the Knicks will be improved or they will be worst they will not tread water.  As for Mr. Smith any assessment provided by him regarding the Knicks should be taken with a degree of speculation.

Moaning
Remember me crying about Roy Hibbert's play at center?  I was pleased the Lakers drafted a center but likely believed at age 19 he required seasoning.  The solution a veteran center was needed and the first day of free agency they signed Timofey Mosgov to a 4-year contract.  Wasn't he the Cavs center who bearly got off the bench during their playoff run?  Isn't he the same guy the Nuggets gave up figuring he couldn't play?  The jury is still out regarding Mosgov, I will reserve judgment until the season starts.  I make that statement because I was the guy excited to see Roy Hibbert arrive last summer.  In addition the Lakers signed small forward Luol Deng to a 4-year contract.  This move pleases me, the veteran Deng should add stability to a young Laker squad.  At this point it appears this might not be the last move by the Lakers. 

Headed for foreign shores
Remember the saga of Terrance Ferguson?  First he was headed for Alabama and changed his mind.  Then it became Arizona and that changed too, it's not that the 6-6 forward wasn't talented.  After he changed his mind on Arizona it appeared he might be headed for foreign shores.  I cited the story of Brandon Jennings and Emmanuel Mudiay both play overseas before returning in time for the NBA draft.  That is the case for Ferguson too, he announced he is headed to Australia to begin a pro career.  Expect to see this youngsters name to appear on a number of 2017 NBA mock draft sites.

Boo Cavs
Thanks Cavs you've done my Royals a disservice, all we heard was Cleveland had won nothing in 54 years.  After the Cavs won the NBA championship the baseball Indians went on a winning streak which reached 14 games in a row.  Plenty of baseball remains however 7.5 games behind the Cavs ain't good for my Royals. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

Seismic shift
The NBA draft complete and Words eye view publishes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  There are times a special edition is required and this is one.  Other than LeBron James who we believed would remain in place the second most coveted free-agent was likely Kevin Durant.  Durant announced over the weekend his decision would be finalized on Monday.  I was half-way between Dallas and Kansas City (actually on the outskirts of Oklahoma City) when I received a text message.  It simply stated; "Kevin Durant is headed to the Warriors."  

I wasn't in the drivers seat however if I had been I might have driven off the overpass everybody and their brother concluded; "Durant would resign with the Thunder."  After holding a 3 games to 1 lead in the Western Conference Finals many (including me) believed the Thunder were "there". They would return intact and not make the same mistakes they would beat the Warriors next season.  That could occur next season they could beat the Warriors however it will be without Durant.  

My "friend" Stephen A. Smith was highly critical on Monday once the decision was made.  
It's been too many years back however I don't remember Smith saying much about LeBron "Taking his talents to South Beach."  Do you suppose some of the vitoral aimed at Durant was due to the issues Smith had at the beginning of last season with Durant.  My criticism comes from a different direction all together.  

Teams acquiring players through the draft or trade is a different matter. Durant has joined a growing chorus of NBA players who believe time is not on their side, they believe it's better to jump ship and win a championship by "joining" another team.  We must adopt a wait and see how this big free-agent move turns out. I certainly feel better about this move than many in Oklahoma City, news reports indicate several Kevin Durant jerseys were burned by angry fans. Harrison Barnes signed an offer sheet from the Mavs so the Warriors required a replacement.  I believe Durant will serve that purpose very well---thank you.  

Basketball from a fans perspective  

Okay????
Best of the best free-agents Kevin Durant has provided a list of teams he plans on visiting.  One of several teams omitted are my Lakers.  Shocked, I’m not even surprised they are not on Durant’s short list.  At this point in his career if serious he’s exploring teams with the best opportunity to win an NBA Championship.  The Warriors, Spurs, Thunder, Celtics, Heat and Clippers are at the top of Durant’s list.  

The Cavs are not on his list as for the others it would appear to me the Warriors, Spurs and Thunder might be best.  At this point the Heat, Celtics and Clippers must prove they can rise to championship level.  Just my thoughts don’t make it correct.  As for other free-agent news the early report on LeBron James proved correct.  LeBron opts out of his contract and will become a free-agent.  It’s likely he’s only headed to Akron “No taking his talents” anywhere.  

Bits n Pieces
This is written and will be published long after the NBA Champions are crowned.  I don’t know who won but I can make this statement with conviction.  Jump shooting teams can win at a high level however there is a disclaimer.  The Warriors might be the exception every NBA team cannot play Warrior style basketball.  

Marquette is considered a mid-major basketball program in conversation.  Did you realize this Milwaukee Wisconsin School has sent over 50 players to the NBA since 1948?  Who are they; the Bulls Jimmy Butler, Heat Dwayne Wade and the Celtic’s Jae Crowder are three present day alum.  In years past there was Doc Rivers, Bo Ellis and Earl Tatum to name just a few.    

Reclassify is the code word for this story.  I read a story regarding an outstanding middle school prospect.  The story mentions this prospect reclassified while in lower elementary school.  What parent does this to his child no matter how basketball obsessed they might be.  It’s easy to understand why he’s a cut above the competition he’s two to three years older.

We can challenge the listed height of Kevin Durant, he’s 6-9 on the Thunder roster but he might be actually closer to seven feet tall.  A Team USA photo places Durant side by side with Kings center Boogie Cousins.  The Kings roster has Cousins at 6-11 and though Cousins is taller the difference in height is minuscule.   

Arena update
The Golden 1 Center in Sacramento is almost complete, the arena is planned to seat 17,500 for Kings Basketball, Golden 1 has a planned October 2016 opening.  In Milwaukee the planned arena there will seat 18,065 patrons.  In addition to the Bucks the Marquette men’s basketball team and future NCAA Tournament games are planned.  The arena has a planned September 2018 opening.  Interesting plans for the Chase Center were laid out prior to the others and will likely be the last to come on line.  The Warriors might win one or two championships before setting foot in side the San Francisco arena.  In fairness it might be added lawsuits have caused delays in construction of the 18,000 seat arena.   

He’s good
I was surprised when I saw the name Marc J. Spears on the ESPN NBA page.  I’ve been reading Spears for a number of years while he was employed by Yahoo Sports.  The guy is a creditable writer regarding the NBA, no explosive or exaggerated headlines while a member of Yahoo Sports. Hopefully he continues this same manner of reporting for ESPN.com.  Welcome Marc J. Spears.  

Too many games
Once again there is talk of reducing the number of regular season games for the NBA.  More interesting once upon a time the Red Sox had a pitcher (Gene Conley) who also played for the Celtics.  Conley was late reporting to the Sox every year due to the Celtics continual playoff run. He would arrive at some point in mid-May, the championship being decided.  Currently with playoffs we are playing basketball almost to the middle of June.  

Why the 82-game schedule, expansion is the basis pure and simple.  The NBA settled on its present number in 1967-68 when the San Diego Rockets and Seattle Sonics joined the league. The NBA became a 12-team league that year compared to 30 teams presently.  There is no requirement for an 82-game schedule except tradition and who says we couldn’t change that. The season is long beginning in the fall and played through June for champion teams.  62 might be a good number cut out 20 near the beginning of the season and 20 near the end to accommodate my proposal.  What do you think? 

Basketball from a fans perspective

He can coach and teach
SMU was ineligible for the NCAA Tournament this past season.  The NCAA slapped Larry Brown with a suspension and the team has been placed on probation for three years and loss of several scholarships.  “The NCAA found Brown failed to report violations when a former administrative assistant committed academic fraud on behalf of a student-athlete and he initially lied to enforcement staff about his knowledge of the potential violations.”  In all likelihood we’ll not witness SMU post-season basketball until 2019.  

Two years prior to Brown’s arrival the team finished a combined 33-34, his first year on the job the Mustangs finished 15-17.  Since then his teams have won 27, 27 and 25.  Larry Brown remains the only coach to win an NCAA Championship (Kansas) and NBA Championship (Pistons).  The only concern at this stage is his age at 75 years young how much longer does he intend to coach? This we do know Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown can teach and coach the game quite well.    

I don’t think so
SB Nation Clips Nation ran a story “Are there any former Clippers worthy enough to have their numbers retired”?  You realize this is a bone of contention for Doc Rivers especially sharing Staples Center with the number of retired Laker jerseys.  In fact he has the jerseys hidden from site during Clipper games.  In any event the account in SB Nations Clips Nation listed Bob McAdoo, Randy Smith, Danny Manning and Elton Brand.  Before we proceed I’ve believed for a number of years it’s unsound for the Kings to retire Tiny Archibald and Oscar Robertson’s jersey.  Both played for the franchise neither ever played in Sacramento.  McAdoo had a 14-year NBA career including 4.5 years with the Buffalo Braves.

Randy Smith also played for the Braves before sitting foot in California in that one year he played for the San Diego Clippers.  The others to be considered were Danny Manning and Elton Brand who are also questionable.  Let’s check it out, Manning spent 5.5 years of his 15-year NBA career as a member of the Clippers for Brand it was 7 of his 16 years.  This has noting to do with ability rather where you began your career.  Based on this fact I could see Manning and Brand before the other two.  You probably believe I’m being too strict in my interpretation of retired jersey and you could be correct.  I have an issue retiring the jersey of a player who spent little if any time in a particular city.   

How does he handle this development?
My good friend Sean will be faced with quite a dilemma this winter if this should occur.  Allow me to explain my friend is an Auburn alum however he lived in Connecticut for a number of years.  During this time he became passionate about UConn basketball and Coach Jim Calhoun. After Calhoun retired Sean remained a faithful fan to the program but now a dilemma he might never imagined has possibly surfaced. One school Auburn is an SEC school and UConn is a member of the American Athletic Conference so no problem, two schools in two different conferences.

They would never play one another-----right?  Well not exactly the two schools are scheduled to play one another although the contract is yet to be signed as this is written.  I’m anxious to see how Sean will handle this development if the schools manage to play one another.  If Sean attends the game will he sit on the Auburn side or UConn?  Maybe he changes sides at half-time in the same manner parents with off-spring playing for both teams, stay tuned for an update this upcoming season.  

Another commit
Mizzou announcing the commitment of Kedric Jacoby Kemp caught me off-guard.  My thought the school had issued all scholarships available.  Kemp is 6-9 (or 6-10) 220 pound forward; home is Layton Utah a city in metro St Lake City.  I have no idea if Kemp has game or not because he’s flown beneath everyone’s radar until now although Rivals awarded him three stars.

Bill Russell’s team
This is not a reference to Russell’s Celtics its Russell’s San Francisco Dons.  The Dons won two consecutive NCAA Championships (1955, 1956) led by Russell and a point guard who would join him on the Celtics K.C. Jones.  USF held the consecutive win streak record of 60 games until it was broken by John Wooden’s UCLA team.  January 27 1973 UCLA beat Notre Dame breaking the Don’s record and Wooden’s team would continue on up to 88 consecutive games.

Its ironic Notre would be the school that stopped the UCLA winning streak since it had begun against them. USF continued winning until the 1980’s when improprieties caused the president to shut-down the program in 1982.  For the first time in history a Division I program imposed a “death-penalty” on itself.  USF continues to play basketball however the program has never returned to its ‘50’s or even ‘80’s level.  Warriors’ fans have reason to be excited about their basketball over the last several years.  Who was first, it was Bill Russell and his San Francisco Don’s teams.