Basketball from a fans perspective

The other brother

Bet you didn’t know this, “little” brother Jontay Porter is larger than Michael Jr.  Jontay stands 6-11 to MJPJr.’s 6-10 in addition he tips the scales at 240 pounds compared to his brothers 210.  Jontay was also a 5-star prospect by every site around the country.  We’ll find out next spring however there is a high degree of probability Jontay might be enrolled in the fall of 2018.  Jontay expressed a desire to play alongside his brother in college…..something that is highly unlikely in the NBA. 

Our focus has been on MJPJr as well it should be however “little” brother is liable to impact Mizzou basketball just as much.  If Jontay doesn’t this season surely it will occur in the 2018-19 season.  He’s not the last Porter who might be in a Mizzou uniform. Coban is a 6-3 shooting guard at Father Tolton High School in Columbia, he’s in his sophomore year.  If his brothers are any indication its likely Coban is still growing and certainly will exceed his present height.    

In the words of Snoop Dog

“LaVar Ball has placed Lonzo in the lion’s den with pork chop drawers on.”

We are not sure

Is Sixer rookie Ben Simmons a 6-10-point guard or small forward?  During the summer Sixer Coach Brown indicated Simmons might play the point at times.  With only five games played the stats indicate he’s leading the Sixers in assists with 7.4 a game.  ESPN’s stats list Simmons as a point guard although the depth chart page shows him as the teams’ starter at small forward.  Perhaps it’s not as critical a subject as detailed here, the apparent topic Simmons can play at this level.

Your definition is……..

I had one of those conversations that will remain forever unresolved.  This is written after Lonzo Ball’s second NBA game which was considerably better than game one.  I mention this fact to a co-worker and his response was interesting.  “I’m not sayin’ he can’t play I just don’t think he’s gonna be a superstar.”  I smiled and walked away pondering his statement.  I assume in my co-workers’ mind unless you play at the LeBron or Kobe level your skill is called into question.  I thought for moment about several point guards past and present we could ask the question; “are they or were they superstars?” 

What about the “Little General” Avery Johnson? I think we might find it difficult to refer to Johnson as a superstar yet as the point guard he helps guide the Spurs to the 1999 NBA Championship, in addition he was key to many playoff wins of the Spurs. We could look at Jason Kidd he never won a championship but was a key to playoff runs by the Nets and Mavs in the eyes of many is considered one of the best at the point.  I’ve never read anyone refer to him as a superstar.  How about today’s point guards, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas?  They are all good point guards but are they superstars?  I believe all those mentioned were/or very good without labeling them. 

Changed the game

Several players over the century have changed the game, their play forced the NCAA and NBA to institute rule changes.  A number below are generally accepted by most basketball fans without realizing some player was so dominate they forced change. 

George Mikan and Bob Kurland-1945 defensive goal tending

George Mikan-1951 free throw lane widen

Wilt Chambelain-1964 widen even more in the NBA

Wilt Chamberlain-1956-free throw plane, Chamberlain would toss the ball toward the basket cross the plane before it hit the backboard snatch it and dunk it.  A player cannot cross the line until the ball hits the goal or backboard. 

Lew Alcindor-The “Alcindor Rule” was instituted in the NCAA, from 1967-1975 the dunk was banned in college basketball.

It should be of note apart from George Mikan who stood 6-10 the players mentioned are 7-feet plus in height.     

Basketball from a fans perspective

Somebody other than me

There is no doubt 5-star prospect Zion Williamson is a talent, YouTube videos of his furious dunks have been circulating since his sophomore year of high school.  In his senior year Duke, Kentucky and other high-profile programs are attempting to lure him to their campus.  There are questions regarding Williamson, as an example Rivals list Williamson as 6-6 and 230 pounds while several other sites list him between 272 and 275 pounds. 

Let’s discuss the Scout report, if the information is accurate it appears Williamson should be playing tackle on someone’s football team rather than basketball.  This report questioned; “Does he have a jump shot” or “He might be too slow to play small forward at his size.” Can Williamson adapt to the college game is certainly questionable at this point.  I’m not hating on the young man these questions are not raised by fans they are legitimate questions raised by scouts. 

Funky shot

I mentioned a week or so ago Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz needed work on his free throw shooting.  It turns out Fultz has a shoulder issue requiring him to see a specialist.  Not sure yet if surgery will eventually be required.  As this was being completed came a late report indicating Fultz had gotten a cortisone shot in his shoulder area.  In addition, this entire issue has the appearance of a Top Secret or Need to Know status.  My following question might be what is it with Sixer draft picks?  If I were superstitious I’d say first round draft choices for this team are jinxed.  In any event I hope this issue is resolved even if it amounts to surgery.

And it begins again

Are you ready for some college basketball?  We have weeks remaining till teams’ tip-off the 2017-18 season.  Play will begin kick Friday Nov 10, below are early tournaments.

2K Classic                                  Nov 16-17, New York, New York

Hall of Fame Tip-Off                  Nov 18-19, Uncasville, Conn

Legends Classic                          Nov 20-21, Brooklyn, New York

Maui Invitational                        Nov 20-22, Maui, Hawaii

MGM Main Event                         Nov 20-22, Las Vegas, Nevada

Hall of Fame Classic                   Nov 21-22, Kansas City, Missouri

It is important

I watched a video containing the first NBA basket scored by several players of the past up to present day.  I read an email of complaint “discussing a bunch of guys I never heard of.”  The writer then went on to discuss the talents of LeBron James.  My desire has been for Words eye view to be topical but also provide tidbits of history regarding the game at all levels.  Without a Connie Hawkins there would have been no Dr. J., without Dr. J. no LeBron.  History might not have been your favorite subject in school and that’s okay however it is important whether we like it or not. 

He’s the man now

Kristaps Porzingis is in a position he probably never expected.  With Carmelo Anthony in Oklahoma City leadership of the Knicks now rest on his broad shoulders of Porzingis.  Last season there were mixed messages coming out of Gotham, Carmelo was the acknowledged leader, but the Knicks wanted to rid ourselves of his huge contract.  

At the same time word came departed Pres Phil Jackson was entertaining a trade for the 7-3 Latvian youngster. With the departure of Carmelo Porzingis is now the man whether he wanted the job or not.  Have you checked the Knicks roster, they have a few working parts but no true leader?   Last season the team finished 20 games below .500 as they struggled much of the year.  The emphasis on running the triangle offense is history now so Coach Hornacek can run his OWN offense.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

The Senator

Bill Bradley left the U.S. Senate in 1997, many who saw him on a vary of programs such as Meet the Press don’t know.  They don’t know politics in general and the senate was his “second career”.  Bradley from Crystal City (MO) a St. Louis suburb was an outstanding high school basketball player, given his choice of colleges he would chose Ivy League Princeton.  It’s likely he had no desire to play in the NBA because he chose Princeton due to its academics and it prepared students for government or foreign service.  

A strange thing occurred on the road to work for the government the 6-5 Bradley excelled at basketball.  After graduation Bradley would secure a master’s degree at Oxford in England. In the 1965 draft the Knicks would make Bradley a territorial pick, although from Missouri (St. Louis Hawks territory) Princeton (NJ) is in the New York City footprint.  Bradley didn’t arrive in the NBA until 1967 and would play for them until 1977.  In 1978 he was elected U.S. Senator for the State of New Jersey and re-elected three times before leaving congress in 1997.  

As for his NBA career Bradley was a 2x NBA Champion with the Knicks, he also holds the distinction of being enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.  
Bradley succeeded in the role he originally intended, no it wasn’t college or the NBA it was to serve in a government role.  Often an attempt to detail the accomplishments of one’s life falls short that is the case for William Warren Bradley a name all basketball fans should know. 

Pre-season All American

ESPN released its pre-season All-American team.  There are 3 seniors one junior and one freshman on the first team.  The freshman on the team is Michael Porter Jr. Mizzou’s 6-10 phenom.  You asking if he will he live up to the hype that’s circulated around him since last summer?  There will be no answer to the question until next April.   

Who?

Rookie Ben Simmons had a triple double for the Sixers last night.  He recorded the feat in his teams’s fourth game which tied a record established by Oscar (Big O) Robertson and later by “Hambone” Williams.  It’s likely you said; “Hambone who”?  I had to conduct research, turns out Art (his birth name) played college basketball at California State Polytechnic College in Pomona.  The 6-1 point guard’s pro career was spent with the San Diego Rockets, Boston Celtics and ABA San Diego Conquistadors, the period was 1967 through 1975.  Hambone recorded his triple-double for the Rockets.  As for his nickname he claims in junior high school someone yelled Hambone and he turned around assuming they were calling him.

Careful what you say

Eric Bledsoe will not be the first to send out a tweet and then regret it.  A little history here, the Suns have started the season 0-3 as you might be aware.  Bledsoe sent out a tweet; “I don’t wanna be here” it read.  We cannot be sure of the order whether Coach Earl Watson was fired because of the tweet or the 0-3 start.  Bledsoe is at home although there is no indication he’s been suspended he was informed by management to stay at home.   Now reports are circulating Bledsoe has likely played his last game as a member of the Suns. 

What happens next, Jay Triano has been hired to replace Watson and Bledsoe has been traded to…………..  Even more interesting was the after effect, Bledsoe claimed he was at the hair dresser with his girlfriend “and wanted to go home.”  Suns management ain’t buying that story it appears.  Relating to this story I first thought three games into the season was swift for Watson to be fired however that’s not the record.  According to ESPN Buffalo Braves Coach Dolph Schayes was fired after a single game in the 1971-72. 

Not sure if I mentioned this

Kansas City will soon have a pro team, no the NBA is not expanding.  No existing team has plans to move here and it’s not a G-League team either. This is a brand-new team in a brand-new league, the North American Premier Basketball League is the new league. The leagues founder is Dave Magley former Kansas player is the league president and chief operating officer. 

According to Magley the initial plan is 8-12 teams and so far, members are Kansas City, Seattle, Albany and Rochester (NY) plus Owensboro (KY).  The Kansas City team will play its games at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City. The league will play a 32-game schedule beginning January 1, 2018.  I’m not sure how the populace will take to minor league basketball.  I say that with KU 40 miles away and the hopefully improved Mizzou Tigers 150 miles from the city.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Trust the process”

Sixer fans have been hearing the term for several years, is this the year of fruition?  We cannot answer that question until the end of the season however the pieces of the puzzle are in place.  Adding Markelle Fultz to this group plus rising star Robert Covington excitement is in the air in Philadelphia.  After a slow start the Sixers managed to beat the Pistons 97-86 for their first win of the season.  Joel Embiid led the way scoring 30 points along with 9 rebounds.  Teammate Ben Simmons “messed around and got a triple-double” with 21 points 12 rebounds and 10 assists.  It should be noted this significant event occur in Simmons 4th NBA game.  

Sorry no story here……move along please

Bill Self considered the Mizzou-Kansas match on Sunday an exhibition game therefore no report will be available in Words eye view.  This I can report; Sprint Center was sold out and the game was made available on PPV for $40.00.  I’m sure there are sources that will allow you to discover the winner of this game, there is no report here unless Self changes his “hate Mizzou attitude.”  As for Hurricane relief the game raised over $1.75 million dollars for victims of the multiple disasters. 

Local guy

Will 2017-18 be the break-out year for Willie Cauley-Stein?  He was born in Spearville (KS) 300 miles south-southwest of Kansas City (M0) how is he local you ask.  Spearville contains less than 800 people in the town….when you are 6-10 it’s easy to stand out in Spearville.  It’s said when he began to grow in height as well as on the court the small town might inhibit his basketball maturity.  Through his AAU connection he moved to Olathe a suburban city on the Kansas side and play at Olathe Northwest High School. 

Cauley-Stein even tried his hand at football by this time he’d grown to 7 feet, imagine a QB throwing passes to a 7-foot wide receiver.  Cauley-Stein came to the attention of John Calipari who swoop in offering a scholarship to Kentucky.  Imagine this a player in Bill Self territory leaving the state, the rest is history.  Drafted by the Kings Cauley-Stein is now in his third year, I ask at the beginning is this his year?  Only time will tell but we who watched him play in high school hope so. 

Bits n Pieces

Earl Watson ex-Kansas City KS native and Suns coach was fired.  The Suns had only played three games however in those games team defense has been atrocious.  From the outside the Suns appear to not have a clue what they are doing.  They have been .500 or more only twice in the last seven seasons.  Jay Triano replaced the fired Watson who replaced the fired Jeff Hornacek.  Triano has served in the past as Raptors coach and he’s been hired on an interim basis. 

Jaren Jackson sounded familiar to me and then I remembered.  Jaren Sr. played at Georgetown and had an NBA career as a reserve for several NBA and other pro teams.  Senior retired in 2002 and begin a coaching career at several stops.  Senior stood 6-4, Junior is 6-11 and 240 pounds much bigger than his dad.  Junior is a 5-star prospect and will play for Michigan State this fall and winner.  As mentioned in an October 23^rd report Junior will join Big 10 Freshman of the Year Miles Bridges. 

The cable system in the Kansas City Metro has always contained Fox Sports Midwest.  Metro residents could see Royals baseball and a select number of Thunder basketball games.  Recently Fox Sports Midwest Plus was added to the system which has broadcast rights to Wolves games.  All this is good news for somebody like me, this provides me additional outlets for me to view NBA basketball.  So, these two Fox Midwest channels are added to the existing ESPN, Turner Sports and NBA TV coverage. 

We always talk about “guys with ice water in their veins,” simply stated the ability to take a difficult shot near the end of tight game.  That’s what occurred Sunday evening as the Wolves faced the Thunder in Oklahoma City.  Andrew Wiggins took a difficult 3-point shot and banked it off the backboard, but bank still counts.  This became the winner over the Thunder 115-113.  The game wasn’t quite what it appeared Monday afternoon the NBA office announced two errors had occurred, the key one was the pick Karl-Anthony Towns set. The NBA determined it was an illegal pick.  

Dwayne Wade went to Tyronn Lue and informed the coach he’d be available off the bench, J.R. Smith will replace him in the Cavs starting lineup.  For the first time ever, Wade will be a non-starter however he’s got a 35-year old body with plenty of playoff and regular season play on it.  Wade certainly has basketball skills remaining but if Cavs fans believed they were going to see “Flash” they are in for a surprise.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Toughest job in basketball

There was a time coaching basketball at the collegiate level was somewhat safe.  By safe meant a successful coach could have time to build his program the worst shape the more time allowed.  That view went out of style at some point in the last 10-15 years.  You don’t win enough or turn a program around you will soon find yourself looking for another job, change has accelerated in recent years.  SI.com listed 13 coaches who might have the toughest job in college basketball.  They say it’s Patrick Ewing taking over at Georgetown or Cuonzo Martin at Mizzou. 

On the other hand, it could be Chris Holtman who took over the Ohio State program after Thad Matta was fired.  It could be at Cal or Dayton or several other schools We cannot include Rick Pitino in this discussion his termination was different from others who lost their job. Sidebar, I wondered about Avery Johnson at Alabama a coach with nothing but NBA coaching experience, Johnson has adjusted much better than I expected.  Back to my original theme, I believe Ewing might have the easiest path because he’s not expected to win. 

“The truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth”

Former Louisville Coach Rick Pitino says he passed a lie detector test.  The only problem with is this, in 1998 the United States Supreme Court deemed lie detectors as unreliable.  If they could offer proof of anything don’t you think the courts would utilize them?  Sorry Rick you may indeed be innocent but just stating you took a lie detector test and passed it is no proof of innocence. 

I’m okay with this

The USA Today Top 25 Poll was released and to no one’s surprise Duke is listed number one.  Number 2 might be a surprise Michigan State coming off a 20-15 record from last season is there.  As for number 3 its Kansas and the question again will the Jayhawks be dethroned this year in the Big 12?  Chomping at their heels are West Virginia (10) and Baylor (24) however I wouldn’t hold my breath we hear the same story every year. 

As for the others Kentucky is listed at 4 and surprise, surprise Wichita State is number 10.  Number 25 is Alabama, you ask where is Mizzou, they might have the best player in the nation in Michael Porter Jr. Mizzou received votes but didn’t make the Top 25 and I’m okay with the ranking.  I think until they have a few games under their belt they will be the Tiger cubs.  Louisville is listed at 16.

It’s not fair

The comparison was natural because they are very similar in style.  In this instance it might only be me. I made this statement quite a while ago how unfair it is to compare player A with player B.  With the disclaimer out of the way allow me to proceed with that a comparison of one former player to a present one. After watching Ben Simmons in action much of his game reminds me of Lamar Odom, both are 6-10 and left-handed. 

Despite their height Simmons is adept at distributing the basketball although Simmons appears slightly better than Odom.  Simmons is not a particularly good shooter something he’s certainly got time to improve, if you remember Odom was an ordinary from distance.  The second disclaimer is this, there is no guarantee of future stardom for Simmons however it appears he’s gotten off to a good start in the NBA.  

Miles Bridges

Michigan State and Tom Izzo are normally winners, last year’s 20-15 (10-8 Big 10) is quite surprising considering the school and the coaches history. The outcome should be different this year, Miles Bridges expected to be a lottery pick chose to return for his sophomore year.  Bridges is a 6-7 230-pound small forward/guard, he was Second Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a member of the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. 

You can see where I’m going with this I hope.  Nearly 17 points and 9 rebounds a game plus 2.1 assists and nearly 2 blocks a game are impressive numbers for a high school player adjusting to college basketball.  Tom Izzo is adding a 5-star and 4-star athlete to the roster which already includes Bridges.  This probably gives us an idea why improvement is expected at Michigan State for the 2017-18 season.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Lakers win, Lakers win
This game offered little defense on either side of the court, the Lakers scored 132 points while they manage to “hold” the Suns to 130.  This game was certainly much better than his first.  Ball came close to a triple-double scoring 29 points along with 11 rebounds and 9 assists shooting .444 from the floor.  It’s likely his game to game rebound total will dip however it’s interesting his first two games have been double-digit in rebounds.  

ESPN news indicated the 29 points are the second highest total scored in a rookies first road game, Ron Brewer once scored 30 points for the Blazers in his first 1978 game. Please ESPN and others quit placing a microphone in front of LaVar Ball.  I checked out the ESPN.com NBA page and right below the account of the game was the daddy video included.  I didn’t watch it because I didn’t want to hear him running off at the mouth again. On the other hand, Lonzo’s post-game interview was so calm and non-self-serving, I believe the father could take a lesson or two from the son.

David Who?
That’s the question asked by college basketball fans across the nation.  In truth Louisville fans might be asking the same question, who is this guy replacing Rick Pitino?  At 6 feet 11 inches tall David Padgett might be the tallest active college coach.  He played his college basketball first at Kansas and finished at Louisville.  Un-drafted after college he played professionally in the Canary Islands and Spain before becoming an assistant at IUPUI.  He would become Director of Operations and later an assistant coach at Louisville. Padgett was named interim head coach in September at the time Pitino was relieved of his head coaching responsibilities.

His shot needs fixing
Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz needs help, help in an unexpected area.  We are accustomed to poor shooting big men Wilt, Shaq and others I’ve likely omitted.  The significant difference Fultz is a 6-4 point guards, the players mentioned are 7-foot giants.  As for Fultz it’s highly unusual for a guard to shoot poorly from the line.  I had an occasion to witness him at the line in the first game of the season.

It’s difficult for me to describe but it appears his shoot is almost a side arm toss at the basket.  I said toss because both free-throws were bricks, we guess there must be an assistant coach working with Fultz. Doesn’t matter about the height I adopt the Rick Barry statement on free throw shooting “It’s a free-throw.”  Barry shot 86% from the line his rookie year, that would be the small number over a 14-year ABA-NBA career.

Once upon a time
Watching Sixer Robert Covington in action against the Wizards Cavs I was reminded of college basketball history.  Covington played his college ball at Tennessee State in Nashville, he comes from a line of NBA players who played at this historically black university. Over the years Tennessee State like other HBCU’s across the south has witnessed smaller and smaller numbers of its athletes on NBA rosters. In the 1950’s prior to much of the nation being integrated Tennessee State in the NAIA was a powerhouse.

From 1957 through 1959 Tennessee State won three consecutive NAIA Championship quite an accomplishment. The names of many of the players might be unfamiliar today however look them up, Dick Barnett, John Barnhill and others were key to consecutive NAIA Championships, Barnett and Barnhill would go on to have successful NBA careers.  Truck Robinson and Anthony Mason would later arrive in the NBA from Tennessee State.  The two are the highest profile players produced by the school before Covington arrived in the NBA. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

I’m disappointed

I believe my critique of the Clippers during the summer focused on them competing in the Western Conference race.  I think I said something along the lines the Lakers were still the Kings of L.A., Clippers remain in second (or third place). Teams lose games all the time be they elementary or middle school.  Losing extends into high school, AAU, college and the NBA.  I am truly disappointed in what I witnessed tonight in the Clippers-Lakers game.  I don’t have a problem with 7-footers shooting 3-point shots but doggone make some of them Robin Lopez.  I expected to see a new and improved Brandon Ingram this season in this first game I saw the Ingram of last year. 

Lonzo Ball gets a pass, he’s a rookie and though he didn’t shoot particularly well I’m still okay with his play.  No argument the Clippers are a better team, but the Laker effort made them look like the Globetrotters versus the Washington Generals.  The Lakers are a young team, the Lakers are a young team I must continue to repeat that to myself all season long.  There are numerous times you have difficulty past the game.  ESPN’s NBA page contains video of Stephen A. Smith interviewing LaVar Ball, I witnessed the game but not the interview nor do I plan on seeing it.  As terrible as I believed the Lakers shot from the floor the Clippers were even worst although they won the game, Clippers 39.3, Lakers 40.7.  Final score Clippers 108 Lakers 92.

The City

Back in the day the San Francisco Warriors of Nate Thurmond and Rick Barry introduced a jersey which would become a classic.  The Celtics, Knicks and Lakers jerseys have remained pretty much the same throughout the teams’ history.  Today it quite common for NBA teams to wear multiple variations of their jersey. 

The old Warriors jersey which has become the new Warriors jersey was unique it was introduced at a time there was little imagination in jersey design.  In this old photo we see 24 Rick Barry handing off the ball to number 24 center Nate Thurmond.  Thurmond was a Warrior from 1963-1974 so my guess is the jersey was introduced at some point in the early to mid-1970’s.  NOTE: I pose this question previously once the team moves to Chase Center will they become the “San Francisco” Warriors again?    

I forgot

Until I saw the Slamonline.com photo and read the story I’d forgotten, there was Chris Webber in a Warriors jersey.  With the first pick in the first round of the 1993 draft the Magic drafted Webber but traded his rights to the Warriors in exchange for Penny Hardaway the number three pick.  The Magic wanted point guard Hardaway to team with Shaquille O’Neal.

Despite being selected rookie of the year Webber had continuing issues with Coach Don Nelson.  Webber wanted an escape so badly he left the Warriors after but one season accepting a sign-and-trade to the Bullets (Wizards).  Webbers best years were spent as a member of the Kings perhaps that is the chief reason we forget about the brief period Webber wore a Warrior jersey.  Webber would return to the Warriors his last season (2008) in the NBA.

Wednesday Night Live

The second night of the young NBA season was witness to several players having outstanding games on Wednesday evening.  Despite terrific games all didn’t register victory.  Hassan Whiteside scored 26 points and grabbed 22 rebounds but his Heat team fell to the Magic 116-109.  Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points and 13 rebounds as the Bucks beat the Celtics 108-100. 

The Uni-brow Anthony Davis had a 33-point 18 rebound game but it wasn’t enough as his Pelican team lost to the Grizzlies 108-91.  The Sixers lost their game against the Wizards 120-115 but we can see why Sixer Nation is excited.  Joel Embiid in limited minutes scored 18 points along with 13 rebounds teammate Ben Simmons was 18 and 10.  Former Laker D’Angelo Russell had a great start with the Nets scoring 30 points along with 5 assists and 3 rebounds the Nets came up short against the Pacers 141 130.  

Not expected

I read the headline and thought for a moment “Agent: Hayward unlikely to return this season”.  To date I’ve never broken any bones nor do I have any medical training.  For Gordon Hayward walking is possible in a brief period of time, the physical effort required to play NBA basketball is a far different matter. I’m sure Hayward wants to prove his value to Celtic fans, I’m sure fans wanted to see him in action in Celtic green.  We hope he returns in 2018-19 playing at the same level as his Utah days.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Skip Bayless is a clown!

There are times I'm really unsure what Skip Bayless is all about.  Is he an entertainer or a member of the media?  I've seen and heard from him less frequently now that he works for FS1, I indicated earlier I don't watch Fox Sports much.  For years on ESPN's First Take I listened to him ramble on and on and on.  

"If Gordon Hayward is gone, maybe for the season, Lebron's path to losing a sixth final gets even easier."  That was the first tweet sent out by Tweedle Dumb in response to Hayward breaking his ankle.  Hayward's basketball career in jeopardy and this is the first response from Bayless, something is seriously wrong with that type of response from this man.  I guess this is his continuing effort along with Stephen A. Smith to continue stirring the "pot of controversy."

"Close the border"

Otto Porter Jr. and Bradley Beal share a connection beyond being Wizard teammates.  Both are rising stars in the NBA, please note I didn't say All-Stars it was rising.  It wasn't college Porter Jr. was at Georgetown and Beal at Florida.  Both are from the Show Me State-Missouri.  Porter born in St. Louis but grew up in Sikeston about 150 miles south of St. Louis.  The St. Louis born Beal attended Chaminade Prep in Creve Coeur in St. Louis County. 

At the time both were in high school Mizzou was listed as a possible destination although I believed it was highly unlikely.  My observation turned out to be correct as both left the state.  It would be too much to expect Cuonzo Martin to "close the border" and recruit as many talented athletes in Missouri as possible.  Nothing is guaranteed athletes are going to be drawn to many of the high-profile programs across the nation.  I don't speak for the coach but I'd certainly like to see a portion of the future talent in the state like Porter Jr. and Beal remain at home. 

Change

The world has changed forever, much as some of us desire we cannot stop change.  We must attempt to adjust to it as best possible.  Think about movies for a moment consider the advances made in the industry just in the last 15 years, in this instance I’m referring to the technology portion.  As for others they desire to return to the nostalgic time period of the 1950’s.  At the time the NBA instituted the age 19 and 1 year after high school they had no idea, this would change the basketball landscape forever.  Kids had been leaving college for the ABA and the NBA for a while that’s not exactly a new thing.    

The one and done rule forced many athletes to play one year of college basketball either at a U.S. college or overseas in one of many pro leagues.  Over the years we’ve had mix results, for every LeBron James or Kobe Bryant we also had Robert Swift and Kwame Brown.  The NBA commissioner indicates he wants to explore change and I’ve long held the belief change is required.  We use the term student-athlete however a few athletes have no desire to place student in front of their name. This is not to say they have no desire to acquire knowledge the athletic allows them to stand apart from other students.  We cannot return to the ‘50’s but maybe the NBA and the colleges could begin addressing this issue and come to an acceptable conclusion for both parties. 

Bits n Pieces

I’m not exactly sure how this works out what do you think?  The Sixers want to place a minute’s restriction on Joel Embiid on the court.  The fewer minutes on the court the less likelihood of injury but that’s the problem.  By now despite his limited time on the court we’ve discovered Embiid is quite competitive, I’ve come to believe if there was any way he could have been on the court sooner than last season he would have been there.  I’m going to check the next few weeks box scores to see if the Sixers stick to the commitment. 

Rick Pitino wants to be paid, his attorney intends to file a lawsuit against Adidas to recover money.  It’s been reported Pitino is/was one of the highest paid coaches in college basketball with an annual salary estimated at $7 million dollars a year.  I’m going to spare you the legalese the party of the first part stuff and simply say he wants his money.  Adidas must believe they were in the right to void this personal services contract, we shall see how the court views this matter eventually. 

I’m watching the Spurs-Wolves and Mark Jones mentioned Pau Gasol and his brother Marc.  I thought for a moment there have been several brother combos are there any other active brothers?  There are Marcus and Markieff Morris, the Plumlee brothers Miles and Mason.  Then we have Brook and Robin Lopez plus Jrue and Justin Holiday, If I missed any brothers it was unintentional.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

On no, not again
In 1985 quarterback Joe Theismann's leg was broken in a game against the New York Giants.  It was 2009 before I actually witnessed it, allow me to explain.  Every time Theismann film was shown I changed the channel not wanting to see it.  My wife and I attended a movie titled The Blind Side, the true story was a semi-biographical account of tackle Michael Oher.  For a right-handed throwing quarterback such as Theismann the left side of the line was his "blind-side."  The lights dimmed and as soon as the credits ran spliced into the movie was the Theismann injury.  

I had no choice but to see it for the first time.  An errand for my wife prevented me from seeing the Cavs-Celtics game from the start.  Once I returned home I turned on the television and Kevin Harlin and Reggie Miller were discussing the Gordon Hayward injury.  Later the television audience was informed Hayward had fracture his left ankle.  I'm sure ESPN, TNT and other broadcast networks will run video of this injury for years and years just like the Theismann injury.  Larry Laker has not seen it, will not see it and hopes to never see it.  On the other hand I will continue to go to the movies.  Final score Cavs 102 Celtics 99. 

Bits n Pieces
I could say in truth; "What game?"  My wife asked me about the Mizzou game being sold out.  My mind immediately focused on the Kentucky-Mizzou game which we discussed earlier.  Further questioning led me to understand my wife was yours truly referring to the Mizzou- Kansas EXHIBITION game on Sunday.  I had completely forgotten about the game because I considered it so insignificant.  

One game fails to make a season however I was quite impressed.  We could attribute the Warriors loss (122-121) to the Rockets on several issues.  The ring and trophy presentation delayed the start of the game......NO that's an excuse the Chris Paul led Rockets provided proof they intend to compete.  The Rockets managed to win a thrilling game on the opponents home court, keep in mind I didn't say championship I did say compete.  

I've been highly critical of former Louisville Coach Rick Pitino, I have a problem with cheating in whatever form it occurs.  Is the Adidas scandal the worst in my basketball memory?  Not even close, in 2003 there was a murder involving a Baylor basketball player, was the coach involved you ask?  The answer is an emphatic no however he became a part of the story which eventually led to him being fired.

Big Blue Madness
Actress Ashley Judd is passionate about Kentucky basketball however she's an alum, entertainer Drake is just a fan.  Big Blue Madness was held recently and a number of outstanding prospects were on hand.  Zion Williamson, Bol Bol depending on the site either the number two or three prospect in the nation.  Number 15 prospect Darius Garland was also present  Also in attendance was 2019 prospect James Wiseman a 6-10 power forward number two and a 5-star athlete.  The only comparison to Big Blue Madness might be Late Night at the Phog KU's salute to the start of the college basketball season.  

Seen them yet?
If you watched the opening night games you had an opportunity to see the Nike jerseys.  They don't look radically different for the Adidas worn by the NBA for years.  The negative a torn LeBron jersey opening night. We realize the opposition player grabbed his jersey however I don't remember Adidas jerseys tearing that easy. This is the second incident of a torn jersey so Nike must begin investigating.  Truth is we must really see how they hold up during the season before judgment.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Something you don't see everyday
This past Saturday Coach Cuonzo Martin held "Pro Day 2017".  "Mizzou's student-athletes received the opportunity to show off their skills in a normal practice environment."  There were 35 NBA personnel from 24 teams in Columbia to watch Mizzou players run through a series of basketball drills.  There are many that might dislike this development and find it offensive

A number might see this as a college basketball subjugating itself to the will of the NBA.  Let's not kid ourselves for years the NBA has utilized college basketball as a farm system.  Roy Williams, John Calipari and others have used this "wink-wink" arrangement for years as they have savor a working relationship with the NBA.  Please note I DIDN'T CLAIM these coaches or others have done anything illegal or even unethical by cultivating NBA friendships.  

I will wait
The Clippers less Chris Paul will look different this season.  Patrick Beverly acquired in the trade becomes the point guard.  He will not remind Clipper fans of Paul but will be a better defender.  The Clipper page on ESPN.com NBA page contains a interesting note....the depth chart.  I've only seen parts of one exhibition game and in that one the announcer explained "Austin Rivers is injured."  

Yes that Rivers is listed as the starter at the shooting guard.  I've let it be known for quite awhile I believed young Rivers remained in the NBA due to Doc being his coach.  My opinion is no shared across the board, for every five letters agreeing with my take I read two or three claiming "Rivers is a quality NBA player."  Rather than continue my complaint if true he's the starter I'm going to back off.  I will allow his play on the court as a starter determine his value.  

Who uses what
We sometimes focus on the shoes but what about the basketball, it's a very visible part of the sport we love.  This is a short list of the companies whose basketball's are most visible. Spalding has been in use by the NBA since 1983, it's also utilized by the WNBA and the G-league.  Wilson supplies basketballs for the NCAA game both men's and women's division.  Rawlings is the official sponsor for AAU basketball while Nike provides the EuroLeague with basketballs.  To be clear these are not the only companies producing basketballs however they corner the market in numbers.  

This is sad in so many ways
We all want to be paid, that's understandable, that's also the case for disposed Louisville Coach Rick Pitino.  This is where it gets interesting Pitino's attorney claims the coach is not fighting over his termination it's money that appears to be in question.  According to USA Today Pitino has a contract running through 2026 which would pay $40 million dollars.  

What to do, what to do?
If you've been a reader for awhile you might remember the story, I have two Laker jerseys that are not displayed.  Andrew Bynum 17 (remember him?) and Steve Nash 10 and the story follows.  Bynum after displaying talent "the wheels" fell off the wagon after the Lakers decided to trade him.  As for Nash after a HOF career in Dallas and Phoenix he managed but two years in a Laker jersey.  

Nash signed a free-agent contract and played 50 games the first year and 15 the following season before retiring.  What do I do with the jerseys became the question.  Former Lakers Norm Nixon and Rick Fox wore number 10 and 17 respectively, I thought for awhile.  Why not display the jerseys with the Lakers name prominently displayed?  If questioned I could explain the history but state; "Norm Nixon wore number 10 and Rick Fox number 17 two former Lakers who contributed significantly to the championships of this franchise."  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Almost there
Tonight the NBA which began play in 1946 kicks off the season start. The first two games find the revamped Celtics facing the revamped Cavs in Cleveland.  Later in the evening the Chris Paul led Rockets will face the Warriors with no major changes games will be available on TNT.  

Sometimes I wonder
Emeka Okafor had a sound NBA career playing for several teams.  He last played for the Wizards during the 2012-13 season.  He missed the following season due to a herniated disk in his neck, he was cleared to play last May.  Okafor is attempting a return to the NBA playing for the Sixers G-League team.  Okafor turned 35 last January he's at an age athletes are looking toward retirement  unless you are Vince Carter. Is there a message here for someone other than Okafor?  Sidebar for many of you this former UConn athlete is a distant cousin of Jahlil Okafor.  It's possible there could be two Okafor's on the Sixer roster at some future date.  

No name & Little Caesars
Although the arena under construction remains without a name work is progressing.  The 17,500 seat arena will be complete this time next year allowing the Bucks to begin play in this state of the art downtown arena.  It's not just Bucks basketball the arena will also serve as home for the Big East Conference Marquette Golden Eagles.  Two Kansas City based architect firms were involved in the design HNTB and Populous.  

As for Detroit the 21,000 seat Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit is open.  This arena's architect team HOK sports is also located in Kansas City.  The NHL Red Wings played their first game September 23 as for the Pistons the first game was held October 4.  In Milwaukee and Detroit these new arenas will serve a variety of entertainment venues other than purely sports.  

1957 NCAA Championship Game
The North Carolina Tarheels have won six NCAA Championships over the years.  All are significant however the 1957 win stands alone historically.  The game was played March 23, 1957 and when the smoke cleared North Carolina won a triple-overtime game 54-53.  Even more interesting less than 8,000 were in attendance at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.  The number in attendance for that game would be a section in a dome stadium of today's NCAA Championship.  Carolina came into the game with a 30-0 record while Kansas was 24-1 Frank McGuire a New York guy had a team largely composed of New York City players. 

Kansas was led by the incomparable Wilt Chamberlain, the Dipper as he was nicknamed was double and sometimes triple teamed most of the game.  Reading this in 2017 you might find it difficult to believe there was limited television coverage and no national broadcast, there was radio however the game was not broadcast across the nation.  The first national television broadcast of a college basketball game would not occur until 1968. In 1968 the UCLA Bruins would face the Houston Cougars in the Astrodome (since demolished), the match was dubbed "The Game of the Century."  Many believe the Game of the Century had actually been played 12 years earlier.   

Bits n Pieces 
Louisville's athletic board voted without a single dissenting vote to terminate Rick Pitino's contract, at this time the news is not exactly shocking.  The Naismith Hall of Fame is yet to comment on the coaches status in the hall.  

He stands 6-11 and checks in at 222 pounds, he glides up and down the court like an antelope.  Can he score, last season it was 22.9 ppg on .571 from the floor.  His rebound total was nearly nine a game, he dished out 5.4 assists per game. The player we are discussing is Giannis Antetokounmpo the Bucks small forward, what should we expect this upcoming season?  The sky is the limit for this athletic young man.  

Lonzo Ball says he intends to be in the Laker lineup on Thursday.  If you remember Ball was held out of the Lakers final three exhibition games after suffering an ankle injury.  Other Laker news Julius Randle will start the season on the bench replaced in the starting lineup by Larry Nance Jr. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

Don't think I'm attending
The prospect of an exciting Mizzou basketball season plus Kentucky basketball can produce astronomical results.  For those wanting to attend the February 3rd game a friend sent me a StubHub link.  The lowest price ticket is $189.99 and rises steeply to $606.00 for a seat on the baseline.  I'm sure those who follow the program expected an increase in ticket prices but did they see this coming? 

They did what?
Laker management continues to rebuild its front office however the latest change is different.  They hired a 19-year old "basketball insider" as an international scout, this scout is home-based in Turkey and lives in Istanbul.  An international scout okay, a 19-year old in the position that's a little different.  We have no method of measuring whether this is a good or bad move only the Laker front office can make that determination, this is quite unusual.  

First family of broadcasters
The Carey's come to mind anytime a discussion of sports broadcasting families is mentioned.  Granddad Harry Carey, his son Skip and grandson Chip come to mind, for the most part the Carey's have been baseball announcers.  On the other hand the Albert's are almost always identified with basketball although they too have broadcast other major sports.The eldest of the siblings is Marv Albert who once served as the voice of the Knicks from 1967-2004.  

In overlapping time Marv was the voice of the NBA on NBC during the period the network held broadcast right from 1990-2002.  In 2005 he worked for the YES Network broadcasting Nets games.  Although he's not broadcasting now Marv's younger brother Steve has served as a broadcaster for a number of NBA teams in the past. Another brother Al Albert was the voice of the Indiana Pacers and served in that capacity for other NBA teams.  Marv's son and the nephew of Steve and Al 's Kenny is the radio voice of the NHL Rangers but has also broadcast basketball.  So there you have it the first family of broadcasters the Albert's.  

It occurred again
Five star point guard prospect Immanuel Quickley committed to Kentucky last month.  Once again he is attempting to lure undeclared friend buddy Zion Williamson to Kentucky.  Quickley tweeted a picture of him and Williamson in Kentucky jerseys.  Depending on your source the 6-7 230 pound Williamson is either the 2nd or 3rd highest rated prospect in the Class of 2018.

Will this be his breakout year?
ESPN.com NBA and CBS.com NBA indicate Thon Maker will be the Bucks starting center.  he 7-1 223 pound Maker might be a little light in the pants to play center even in a small ball NBA.  Drafted in 2016 as the 10th pick in the first round he was brought along slowly for several reasons.  If you remember his bio Maker circumvented the draft arriving in the NBA directly from high school. For those who might have forgotten the account Maker born in South Sudan emigrated to Australia and then Louisana and Virginia in the U.S.  Maker graduated from a Canadian high school spending an extra year in high school thus he petitioned the NBA for entry.  The potential is there, after playing limited minutes in his rookie year is this the year?

Basketball from a fans perspective

No, no and no!!!!
I almost had my mind made up, despite my anger I was going to attend the Mizzou-KU game next Sunday.  I've changed my mind after reading Saturday morning's Kansas City Star.  "Does playing an exhibition on Sunday, Oct. 22 at Sprint Center to benefit disaster relief mean they will soon play a real basketball game?  Bill Self, the KU coach and currently the most influential man of either campus, answered that question directly.

"It doesn't have anything to do with playing Missouri, " he said, "Not one thing with playing Missouri."  Okay Bill cut out the double-talk are you sayin' you still mad at Mizzou for leaving the Big 12 Conference?  My plan now is to donate the money I intended to pay for the game directly to hurricane relief.  I can accomplish this without aiding the pompous attitude of the coach in Lawrence Kansas.  LATE UPDATE:  I will not be tempted, no television however radio will broadcast the game.  Baseball is the only sport I do radio so there you have it.  

Why not
A conversation was held on ESPN regarding Kyrie Irving.  The question; "Would the Cavs retire Irving's number after he retires?"  My response is why not, the Mizzou-KU story above holding a grudge this one is not.  Irving was a vital member of the championship Cavs team.  He might not have departed in a member pleasing to most Cavs fan but allow me to remind you of Shaquille O'Neal.  After three championships Shaq left the Lakers in a public feud with Kobe Bryant.  Time does brings about change, Laker jersey number 34 has been permanently retired and hangs in Staples next to a number of Laker greats.  There's even a statue of the Big Aristotle outside the building.  

Dicky V.
The dawn of every basketball season reminds me of this Dick Vitale story.  Vitale is now 78-years old, the former college and NBA coach provides color commentary for ESPN's college basketball telecasts.  He's been on the job since he was fired as Pistons coach which dates back to 1979.  Several years ago Vitale reduced his schedule on the number of college games.  Vitale is one of those broadcasters establishing his own style.  His extensive word vocabulary is forever connected with Vitale, diaper dandy, baby and aircraft carrier are just a few.  Vitale's over the top excitement of game action is also classic.  

Years ago I was viewing a game and my wife walked into the family room on the way to the kitchen.  She heard Vitale and asked me in a puzzled voice; "What's wrong with him?"  I simply explained that's the manner Vitale broadcast games.  Dicky V.'s had a number of critics over the years most connected with the seamy side of basketball.  In recent years he's taken a more vocal stance on many issues of the college game.  Vitale has been honored by the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.  I watched his Naismith HOF induction, the man stood before the audience with no notes and spoke for 20 minutes without repeating little if any portion of the speech.  

Eternal Optimist
A friend also a Laker fan asked me the other day what I expected this upcoming season.  My response was short, improved play and a very, very slim playoff chance in the Wild Wild West.  Laker win totals have been trending upward, 17 three years ago, two years it was 21.  Last season they won 27 games.  I expect 32-35 wins, any number beyond that total would certainly be a bonus.  At the same time I'm a realist any win total less than 27 would be extremely disappointing to me.  

 Bits n Pieces
I guess we might have a classic center dual if this one proves to be legitimate.  This might not be a Chamberlain-Russell match or a Shaq/Hakeem/David Robinson pairing however it still proved interesting.  Sixer Joel Embiid and Hassan Whiteside of the Heat faced off against one another in the game held Friday in Kansas City.  The battle on the court resulted in tweets back and forth between the two.  Center battles hearken back to the hey day of the Big Man, it's not all small ball evidently.   

We question why college basketball is sometimes in such a quandary, the NCAA has no clue what's going on.  What's even more tragic they have been lost enforcement wise for years.  After what seems like an eternity they reported tons off impropriety the North Carolina program was to have committed.  Finally when judgment day approaches they render NO VERDICT.  The NCAA is impotent as one report indicated, three years of investigation and not even a slap on the wrist for North Carolina.  They are leaving it to the school to administer punishment we assume.