Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Help Wanted

We are a growing company requiring additional personal to secure an NBA championship. 

Primary responsibilities 

Provide scoring assistance and support to the team as a reserve player.  Be able to fulfill other needs as assigned by the head coach and/or members of the coaching staff.  Willing to work in an environment featuring several diverse personalities.

The Company:  Los Angeles Lakers Inc.

Position:  Reserve guard or forward

 Mail your resume to:  Rod Pelinka, General Manager

                                    Los Angeles Lakers

                                    1111 Figueroa Ave

                                    Los Angeles, California 90015

Jay Bilas

Former Duke player, attorney and current ESPN basketball analyst.  For those unfamiliar with Bilas I wanted to provide a portion of his resume.  He listed his Top 68 college teams for 2019-20 season, I wanted to coincide his list with Mizzou combatants.  These are not in date order but the Bilas ranking of the schools. 

Mizzou faced number 15 Butler, 16 Kentucky and 33 Xavier followed by Oklahoma at 49.  Mizzou lost games against all those mentioned however they beat number 50 Illinois.  Where am I going with this account you might ask?  This might provide proof to many in Mizzou Nation the schedule might not have been as “soft” as many first believed or the team might not be as bad as speculated.  Hopefully this schedule will bode well for Mizzou’s future in the SEC race this season. 

February 6

I’m not rushing things; however, the second month of the year will soon be here.  The significance of the month might be asked by those reading this, what’s going to occur in February?  For starters there is Ground Hog Day February 2 but only in America.  We also have Valentine’s Day, if you are a male, you’d better not forget February 14. 

In between those dates February 6 will see the NBA trade deadline, this is the last date teams will have an opportunity to trade players. Teams expected to earn a playoff berth will attempt an upgrade.  Speculation exists who might be coming and who might be going to a new team.  There are far too many names floating about to mention all of them, let's wait and see if any earth-shattering trades occur between now and that date.   

It was worth it

At the time Dwight Howard left the Lakers I almost cheered, I don’t remember but I wasn’t displeased with the move.  I watched as he moved from team to team, honestly, I didn’t have a clue, but it seemed he never lasted anywhere very long.  Injuries were certainly a contributing factor in Howard’s play over the period.  During the summer the Lakers were assembling talent after the AD trade, Boogie Cousins was signed, and the team was ready.  BAM…Cousins goes down with an ACL injury while working out and a backup for JaVale McGee was needed. 

The Lakers worked out Joakim Noah and Dwight Howard, this Laker fan did a thumbs up on Noah and thumbs down on Howard.  History was at work here and I just didn’t believe Howard was a good fit, despite my advice the Lakers signed him to a non-guaranteed contract.  Yes, I thought, that’s a good idea if he doesn’t work out, he’s history.  Later we discover Howard through his agent had asked for the contract to be written in that manner.  On Tuesday January 7 the Lakers guaranteed Howard's contract for the balance of the season.  Based on his play to date Howard certainly deserves it.   

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

A block party   

We often don’t provide a great deal of coverage of defense in Words eye view; that changes now based on the result Sunday evening, protecting the basket was on display in the Lakers-Piston game.  The Lakers lead the NBA in blocked shots with 7.4 a game and Sunday night they provided evidence why.  The Lakers recorded 20 blocked shots in their 106-99 victory over the Pistons. 

Anthony Davis led the way in blocks with 8, JaVale McGee had 6.  Reserve Dwight Howard registered 5 followed by Avery Bradley with one. The Raptors were the last team in 2001 to total 20 or more blocks in a game, as for the Lakers their mark was one short of their 1998 team record.  AD also managed to add 24 points and 11 rebounds.  LeBron came up with another triple double 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. 

What Ballmer wants, Ballmer eventually acquires
This is an addendum to one written earlier.  I decided to check on one of the statements of owner Steve Ballmer made in the recent past.  “When I bought the team, I thought it was great we didn’t need to build an arena,” Ballmer told The Times. “But as we looked forward, we were at some disadvantages in Staples Center.  The Inglewood arena, he added, “is a way for us to define our own identity. … People, I think, will say, we play in the Lakers’ building. We’d like to play in the Clippers’ building. That’s what we’re working on.” *.  As you can see by the Ballmer statement, he wants the Clippers to establish a separate identity from that of the Lakers. 

As a long-time Laker fan, I question whether this will ever occur, the Clippers have called Los Angeles home since moving from San Diego in 1984.  You ask a New Yorker his favorite baseball or football team several will say Yankees while others might say Mets.  As for football it’s a battle between Giants and Jets fans.  You might have read the past comment from rapper turned actor and long-time Laker fan Ice Cube.  “The Clippers don’t have a chance to take the city. I’ve been saying this since ‘84. They need to just go, and I think Seattle really loves basketball... We have too many teams. That’s how I feel, no disrespect.”

*Los Angeles Times

https://arenadigest.com/2019/07/26/new-l-a-clippers-arena-plans-unveiled/

Chris Paul is a talent

With the death of David Stern several (including me) mentioned him voiding the Chris Paul trade.  If we return to 2011 consider this fact the NBA ran the New Orleans franchise while awaiting a buyer.  The Hornets (Pelicans) traded Paul to the Lakers on December 8, Stern acting as “owner” voided the trade stating in the best interest of the franchise Paul should remain in New Orleans.  On December 12 Paul was traded to the Clippers, since that time it was the Rockets and now the Thunder. 

As a Laker fan I was hot, I thought it was ridiculous for the commissioner to intervene in the trade.  Since then I’ve mellowed and consider this one fact, Paul’s had difficulty remaining on the court.  He’s only had one season since the trade he’s managed to play 82 games.  Would he remain healthy enough to keep the Lakers from “driving off the cliff?”  We cannot answer that question however my anger has lessened toward Stern over the years.  Several Laker fans still hold a grudge against the former commissioner, as for me it's not forgotten but it's been forgiven.   

Thanks to television (and ESPN) 

We’ve had the ability to witness a few talented players while still in high school.  This is discounting the McDonald’s and Jordan Classic games; the reference is real game action from a high school.  The most recent example of this might be Zion Williamson, a guy like me sitting in Kansas City saw him play a year prior to sporting a Duke jersey and two years prior to New Orleans.  Thanks to ESPN we witnessed play he was enrolled at Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina. 

We turned on our television and changed the channel to ESPN earlier and saw a young LeBron James play for St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron (OH).  There are others who might have been overlooked, those are the first two that come to mind when compiling this account.  The ESPN schedule is probably not complete as this is written, besides the fact Emoni Bates is only a high school sophomore.  Bates from Ypsilanti Michigan is projected to be the top draft pick in 2022. 

By that time, it’s believed the NBA will have lifted its restriction on high school entry.  Once upon a time practically every athlete attended college four years, we had no opportunity to see a youthful Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan.  Television existed then however the three broadcast networks probably had no desire to telecast high school basketball.  Even Saturday afternoons saw college basketball the top option.   

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Always a story     

Kyle Kuzma was a Laker untouchable; you noticed I said WAS.  Last summer at the time discussions were begun involving AD the Pelicans asked for Kuzma to be included in a trade.  The Lakers said no, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were a different subject.  It’s being reported the team is quietly listening to trade offers for Kuzma.  We don’t know the details what caused the flap between Kuzma’s trainer and LeBron let's just say guess who ultimately wins this match?   

Disappointment

Eventually the game became as tough as I perceived, Kentucky’s Rupp Arena is not a friendly place for visitors.  The arena packed with 22,000 Wildcat fans is easy to understand why they have such an enormous home court advantage.  In any event Mizzou managed to hang with them to nearly the half-way point of the first half before eventually falling 71-59. 

We’ve concluded Big Man Jeremiah Tilmon just doesn’t get it, he’s a junior now and continues to be hindered by foul trouble.  The promise we saw as a freshman has disappeared.  In any event Mizzou returns to action on Tuesday evening and I have no idea what to expect.  Last season Tennessee was clearly the better team, with both having 8-5 records it's difficult to make an assessment.  Hopefully Mizzou will be able to win its first conference game.   

They are good…but!

As this is written Sunday morning the Clippers have a 24-11 record, they are in 4^th place in the West.  This certainly indicates they are a very good team however there is a BUT!  Once Kawhi Leonard and Paul George signed last July many in the media pronounced them “The best team in the Western Conference.”  The high point to date, beating the Lakers twice but that might be it.  They appear to have problems with teams other than their arena mates.  Part of the matter appears having Leonard and George on the court at the same time. 

After the Grizzlies pummeled the Clippers 140-114 Saturday evening, we heard from Sekou Smith and Kevin McHale on NBA TV.  The writer and former NBA coach agreed, this game was just a bump in the road for the Clippers.  The playoffs and championship are the ultimate prize however I've always believed you play each game as if it's the 7th game of the playoffs.  Teams should play at a high level whether it's the Warriors, Hawks or Lakers.  Smith, McHale and others talk as if this team is a work in progress, question isn't that every team coming into the 2019-20 season?   

OG (Old Guy)

Sometimes we view stuff with the eyes of right now, some of us fail to consider history.  If I said Warriors championships, you’d immediately focus on 2015, 2017 and 2018 all under Steve Kerr.  Those were not the first for the franchise, they won in 1946 and 1957 while the team called Philadelphia home.  They won in the Bay area in 1975 under Al Attles, most are only casually aware of his name. 

An 8.9 point and 3.5 assist average for a career are hardly noteworthy why is he included with the other OG’s?  During his playing career he was a tough hardnose defender.  He sacrificed scoring prowess to concentrate on defending the opposing teams point guard.  The numbers don’t reflect his value to the Warriors franchise in the Philadelphia past or his later value to the Warriors in their move west.   That 1975 Warriors team won a championship due to the players first but secondly, they couldn’t have accomplished the feat without a steady hand at the helm.  He coached the Warriors through 1983 and then moved into the front office becoming GM.  Honors, he’s got a room full, most recently enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame this year. 

Prior to that his jersey numbers been retired; North Carolina A&T retired his number 22 the first in the school’s history and the Warriors have done the same.  Want more, Attles was enshrined in the Bay Area Hall of Fame in 1993.  Now serving as Goodwill Ambassador for the team Attles has been employed 58 years in some capacity by the Warriors.  There’s an OG you need to store in your memory banks for future reference.   

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Beast of the East

As much as I’m pleased at the play thus far of the Lakers my second favorite team the Sixers ain’t doing so good.  Heading into the 2019-20 season many of us including this writer believed they would dominate the East and contend for an NBA championship. All that still might occur but instead of becoming the Beast of the East as many expected they are playing like a month-old kitty. 

Instead of roaring at the opposition like the lion we believed they would become all they can do is meow like my kitten.  Even worst finger pointing has begun with Joel Embiid supposedly singling out Ben Simmons.  Embiid says, “Losing is taking a toll on me.”  The Sixers are a mix of talented players appearing to lack direction at times.  It's certainly not the 9th hour, the Sixers have an ample amount of time to change direction and play of the team.   

Head in the game

A fellow Mizzou buddy and me are texting back and forth while watching the Mizzou-Kentucky game.  The question was asked about a Mizzou player, “Are the coaches talking to him or does he just not get it?”  I informed him my belief the staff sees his play and is talking to him, but he misses the message.  Just because you play at a high skill level doesn’t say you get it; you’ve got to have your head in the game.  At half-time I changed channels to Georgia-Memphis with Memphis down 3 points with seconds remaining. 

A pass is made ahead to a Memphis player, he could have “walked”in and scored 2 points all Georgia players were on the other end of the court.  He decided in favor of a 3-point shot which would have tied the game, he missed and by this time a Georgia player was able to rebound the errant shot…game over.  The Memphis player must have imagined in his mind the opportunity to be the game hero instead of scoring a layup.  His team would have been down a point but would have had another opportunity to score.  Oh, I forgot number 17 Kentucky beat Mizzou 71-59.

Valid or not?

At the start of the NBA season much talk was made about the Lakers “soft” schedule.  After playing the Pelicans on Friday night the team enters a period, they will play teams with below or slightly below .500 records.  Once again, a reminder, rather than complain about their “easy” schedule why not send your complaint to the NBA league office? 

NBA Corporate Office

645 Fifth Avenue 

New York, NY 10022

As pointed out previously teams submit dates their respective arenas are available.  So, a reminder for the media, please forward your concerns to the above address.  Should the Lakers lose one of these next few games shame on them otherwise is your complaint really valid?   

It’s his call

Zion Williamson is on the court practicing however there is no timetable for his first NBA game.  A studio host (don’t remember the network) said, “If he’s not on the court by January 31 he should shut it down for the season.”  I found that to be a strong comment for someone not named Zion Williamson.  The decision to play this season for the Pelicans is his and his alone.  Rest assured he wants to see action this season however the decision rest with him and Pelican's medical staff.   

Bits n Pieces

Air miles between Hawaii and Maine is the furthest of any of the 50 states, 8,170 km or 5,077 miles.  The two universities met on Wednesday in Honolulu with Hawaii emerging the winner 91-51.  The Rainbow Warriors are members of the Big West Conference, all member schools are in the State of California.  The school’s travel budget is likely aided by reduced air miles between the mainland and Hawaii. 

Perhaps it was a revenge factor at work Wednesday evening we don’t know, the Blazers were in NYC to play the Knicks.  Carmelo Anthony did all he could to aid his team, Anthony led the way with 26 points however the Knicks were run away winners 117-93.  What in the world is wrong with the Blazers, they appear nowhere near the team we witnessed at play last season?

Conference play began on Saturday, a few conferences have already begun action.  Upsets, several Blood programs have been losers in the non-conference portion of their schedule.  We love upsets however most of us would rather see a Duke-North Carolina match or Michigan-Michigan State.  Perhaps it’s Louisville-Kentucky or some other rival, we are excited with the prospect of conference play.   

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Backup point guard

The Lakers are looking for a backup point guard, “Hey didn’t someone say the job belonged to Rajon Rondo?”  Yes, it did for a short period early in the season, he bolted out of the starting gate like his hair was on fire.  For the first few weeks of the season he was the man, for the last few weeks Rondo has slowed to a pace that’s caused concern. 

We knew he never was much of a shooter however early in the season he was consistently sinking open 3-point shots when left alone.  Throughout his career Rondo’s only been adequate on defense.  His lately poor shooting plus less than average defense has been a liability.  There are several names available who could fill the backup role, hopefully by February 1st or sooner GM Ron Pelinka will have made a move beneficial to the Lakers.   

Pure speculation

The report of Bill Self leaving Kansas has heated up once again, this time our source is ESPN’s Seth Greenberg who claims the coach will take the Spurs job.  He’s not pushing Gregg Popovich out the door rather the 71-year old coach might be ready to retire.  Kansas will be severely penalized by the NCAA this year, doesn’t matter if we agree with the actions of the NCAA or not.  Kansas fans are pointing fingers at North Carolina, Duke and Kentucky for past or implied improprieties. 

No argument from this corner however the NCAA is coming after Kansas and not the schools identified.  An NBA job would allow Self to stop thinking about recruiting although success at this level is no guarantee.  It’s been pointed out except for Larry Brown few college coaches have been successful at the NBA level.  Billy Donovan with the Thunder has mixed results at this time, John Bielein inherited a bad Cavs team and that’s a problem.  Will Bielein be given time to change the culture and produce a winner?  Later you will read a related account regarding Gregg Popovich.   

21^st Century post play

I watch so many games I don’t remember the opponent.  Laker reserve Dwight Howard was in the game at the five, his opposition was generally at the 3-point line.  His counterpart was not just standing there he was taking a shot from time to time.  The Lakers were forced to make an adjustment since Howard is accustomed to patrolling the paint.  Howard is not the type of center to guard the perimeter it’s always been to contain the area around the basket. 

What Howard faces has become more and more common in the NBA, Big Men shooting the outside shot extending out to the 3-point line.   This has become 21^st Century post play although that might be a misnomer.  These Big Men play the post but are generally on the perimeter.  You can name them, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Brook Lopez to name a few.  Will the game ever return to true post play, only time will tell?  For now, this is the flow of today's NBA game.   

Hope he succeeds

A few Mizzou fans remain upset at Michael Porter Jr., he arrived with much promise.  He left Mizzou without contributing very little on the court due to injury, MPJ would have been a lottery pick except for the injury.  The Nuggets made him the 14^th pick in the first round of the 2018 draft.  The Nuggets drafted him realizing he wouldn’t be on the court immediately. 

The Nuggets had enough assets in place to allow MPJ to “sit” all last season, the 2019-20 season would be his coming out party.  He’s been a reserve up till recently, MPJ started his first game and on Thursday in a reserve role he led the way to victory over the Pacers.  He came off the bench scoring 25 points in 23 minutes.  Although we barely saw him on the court at Mizzou from this corner it’s hoped he succeeds. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

NBA Marketing

The NBA and markets its athletes in a first-class manner other that of other professional sports; a large percentage of this is due to the vision of David Stern.  This is not my view alone; former players make similar statements; Stern was able to convince Madison Avenue advertisers to see the future.  A league comprised of 90% black players appealing to a fan base of 75% white America, of course changes in the society aided this effort.  Keep in mind every advertiser didn’t buy in the marketing effort initially.  The NBA was infused with talented players who aided the cause, the first might be Michael Jordan. 

He was so good it allowed Nike to create his own brand… Air Jordan.  Initially the advertising was only in the shoe market, later it would be expanding into a myriad of products in the marketplace.  This many might find difficult to believe.  Except in the cities the NBA championship occurred the games were tape delayed to other markets.  It didn’t matter in a sense, there was no ESPN, Fox Sports or other method to receive an update.  All that changed due again to the efforts of David Stern.  The only instance today we are seeing a game from last night is a replay on NBA TV or another platform.  As was pointed out yesterday the growth of the NBA since 1984 cannot all be laid at the feet of David Stern, a large portion of it certainly is.   

Change, always change

UMKC (University of Mo-Kansas City) changed names and coaches.  The team is now Kansas City Roos connecting the city to the university and its mascot.  They begin the season with a new coach in place, Billy Donlon was hired replacing Kareem Richardson.  Of the six seasons at the helm Richardson had only one team finish above .500 (18-17).  Donlon arrives from Northwestern University where he was serving as an assistant coach, this is not his first head coaching job. 

Donlon was head coach at Division I Wright State for six seasons but was fired in 2016.  Unfortunately, the basketball program has been so up and down at UMKC I’ve adopted a wait and see attitude.  Mizzou has a 7-7 record prior to the start of conference play, without checking this might be the best start in memory.  This will be UMKC’s last season in the WAC, they return to the Summit League in 2020-21.  Hopefully they should find the Summit League a better working environment than the WAC.   

Blame Steph Curry

It’s not all Steph Curry’s fault allow me to explain.  NBA All Star voting has begun, and Curry’s received enough votes to place him in 4^th place among West guards.  No argument in this corner he’s a very talented athlete but he’s only played 4 games this season, what qualifies him to be an All-Star?  I’m not just picking on Curry we can add Dwight Howard to the list as well. 

As a Laker fan I love what he’s brought to the table so far this season.  Howard is a reserve player and non-starter; exactly why does he deserve to be an All Star?  In the East Tacko Fall has received 110,000 votes, Fall is on a two-way contract.  Part of his time’s been spent with the Maine Red Claws, game total with the Celtics 3.  I understand fans vote for their favorites but that’s not always concise or correct in my view.  No All Star vote forthcoming from this address.   

Only individual accolades

At the current pace James Harden will win his second scoring title at the end of this season.  He amazes us with his patent moves in route to the basket.  The question might be how important is scoring versus winning it all?  Let’s check the last 10 league leaders, Russell Westbrook has two, Kevin Durant four.  Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade and Steph Curry have one a piece.  Of the 10 how many teams won NBA championships…none. 

Kevin Durant’s scoring titles were all won while he was a member of the Thunder, so your guess is Steph…wrong again.  His team played for the championship but fell to the LeBron James Cavs.  The last 10 NBA champion teams didn’t have the league’s top scorer on their roster.  Wilt Chamberlain was a scoring machine once totaling 100 points in a game.  Despite the fact Chamberlain led the league in scoring 11 times his teams only won two championships.  What’s the point you ask, other components of the game are just as important as scoring.  

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

David Stern

It’s been mentioned previously of all the major sports the NBA is only 73 years old. Contrast that with the NHL which is 102 years old; the NFL is 100 and baseball is over 150 years old.  There have only been five NBA commissioners in that time.  Maurice Podoloff served as commissioner from 1946-1963, he was followed by J. Walter Kennedy 1963-1975.  Larry O’Brien was commissioner from 1975-1984, David Stern who was Executive Vice President of the NBA succeeded O’Brien as commissioner. 

Although the NBA had grown under previous commissioners it appeared the league moved at warp speed once Stern took over.  Stern left office in 2014 and Adam Silver took on the role of commissioner.  The list of innovations and changes under Stern are far too numerous to list.  I once read Stern wasn’t responsible for all the innovations and changes however, he was steering the ship when they occurred.  One word to describe him, unflappable comes to mind. 

He always appeared calm even when discussing crisis issues.  Wednesday afternoon the league announced Stern died at the age of 77, in early December he suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage which ultimately led to his death.  The Kings called Sacramento home, but it could have been Seattle except for Stern.  Chris Paul might have retired a Laker if not for Stern vetoing the trade.  Who can claim they performed a task without upsetting several folks?  Leadership forces one to on occasion render sometimes tough decisions.      

$$$

DePaul, Northwestern or SMU or different from Mizzou or Kansas.  DePaul and the other two are private schools, on the other hand Mizzou and Kansas are state institutions.  Who is the highest paid state employee is our question, this next portion might surprise some and shock others?  In Missouri Governor Parsons earns $133,000 while basketball coach Cuonzo Martin is paid $2.8 million.  Next door in Kansas Governor Kelly is paid $99.600 annually, while coach Bill Self earns $4.1 million. 

The State of Missouri and Kansas are not unique by any means, perusing the list compiled by ESPN.com provides us interesting information.  The figures might not be far apart, but the basketball, football coach or someone associated with the university is the highest paid employee in each state.  The link below provides details on other states besides the two mentioned.  Rest assured most of you were likely aware of this although lacking specifics. I guess it might provide us a picture of our priorities. 

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story?_slug_=dabo-swinney-ed-orgeron-highest-paid-state-employees&id=28261213&redirected=true

A look ahead

Our calendars have flipped over to 2020, what’s ahead in the basketball world?  This is a look ahead from April forward and is a preliminary listing, it should not be considered complete.  At this point it appears August is the only slow month with little activity of note. 

April

NCAA Championship

College players declare for the draft

NBA season concludes

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (NBA)

May

NBA Draft Combine

NBA Draft Lottery

June

NBA Championship  

NBA Draft

July

NBA free agency begins and signings

NBA Summer League play

Aug

 ---

September

Naismith Hall of Fame induction

College teams can begin practice

October 

NBA regular season

November

Basketball season begins for colleges

Collegiate Hall of Fame induction

Tournament and non-conference play

Speak it into existence
The Lakers have been salivating since the season started regarding Andre Igoudala.  Iggy has hinted he wants to play for the Lakers but that’s not possible without a trade.  Unfortunately, the Lakers have no assets the Grizzlies might desire in an exchange.  Darren Collison who “retired” now wants to return to the NBA, rumor is he wants the Clippers or Lakers.  Finally, we have sitting at home Jamal Crawford.  Crawford is 39-years old; Crawford is instant offense off the bench.  Did I mention he’s 3X NBA 6^th Man of the Year?  

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Push back

I received push back regarding my account LeBron James could possibly lead the NBA in assists, the second non-point guard in league history to accomplish the feat.    A friend said, “Isn’t he actually playing the point?”  Technically that might be correct although on the depth chart Avery Bradley is listed at the point.  Perhaps we resolve the issue by borrowing the term utilized in the past…point forward.   The term probably originated at some point in the early ‘80’s.  According to research who first came up with the term is kinda fuzzy, it likely depends on who you read. 

One of the sources I uncovered indicates former NBA team member now broadcaster Marques Johnson takes credit for first using the term.  “Marques Johnson claims it was him, Tiny Archibald had been injured and the coach (Don Nelson) told Johnson to take over.  His question to the coach, ‘you want me to be the point forward?’  It’s likely you might be more familiar with another Bucks forward Paul Pressey.  He also filled the role effectively for the Bucks.  Rick Barry was never given the title although he too was an efficient passer, none of the trio mentioned ever led the NBA in assists although LeBron could accomplish the feat this season.      

Was it a mistake?

Pat Forde covers college basketball for SI.com, he’s knowledgeable and informative regarding college basketball and this is not intended to criticize his work.  Recently he detailed the events surrounding James Wiseman, what it’s meant for him, Memphis basketball and the NCAA.  Wiseman only played 7 games before the NCAA declared him ineligible, his family was required to repay funds which the NCAA claimed they should not have received.  The question becomes did Penny Hardaway understand there might be potential “landmines” in front of the effort to recruit Wiseman?  

The university issued a formidable statement and indicated they were prepared to battle the NCAA regarding the youngster, weeks later Wiseman said, “Never mind I’m headed to the NBA.”  If we face facts the NBA was in the picture long before Wiseman ever set foot on campus, Wiseman was listed as a lottery pick on every mock draft site available.  Another writer put it this way, "Wiseman doesn't need the NCAA, he doesn't need college basketball."  The other issue people continue to wag their fingers at colleges particularly the one and done rule.  

Those individuals are missing the mark, it’s the NBA they should be angry with.  The NBA players association and NBA owners have been culprit.  There are so many moving parts with this story however it appears there is only one clear winner…James Wiseman.  Commissioner Silver will announce his name in June somewhere between pick number one and five, the losers Memphis basketball and the NCAA.  Memphis basketball could face sanctions over the matter, in addition losing the benefit of Wiseman’s play at least for the 2019-20 college season.  Despite the turn of events the NCAA remains in the loser column too.  The organization has become a shark without any teeth, they are opposed to paying athletes yet have no power to do anything except bark at the States like California that has passed legislation.        

Who was he? 

Wally Pipp huh? The studio host on NBA TV used that name for Michael Porter Jr. recently, MPJ has played a reserve role for the Nuggets. An injury to Will Barton saw the former Mizzou forward him inserted into the starting lineup. What's Wally Pipp's role in baseball history? I’ll provide you a couple of hints.  😁

Yankees

First base

headache  

I didn’t hear what I thought

Viewing the results of the previous evenings NBA games, the host made a statement about winning streaks.  I understood him to say; ‘They had the longest winning streak in the NBA.’  It was my mistake, I thought he indicated the Lakers record had been eclipsed.  Imagine this an NBA team not losing a game for two consecutive months that’s what the 1972-73 Lakers accomplished.  This Wilt Chamberlain/Jerry West led team began the streak on November 5, 1972. 

On that date they beat the Baltimore Bullets (Wizards) and didn’t lose again until January 9, 1973 losing to the Bucks in Milwaukee.  The Lakers had won a record 33 games in a row.  How about other sports, the 1916 New York Giants won 26 games in a row establishing the record for baseball.  The 2008-09 NFL Colts won 23 games in a row.  Many will invalidate the Laker record claiming there were fewer teams, true there were only 17.  They cannot claim fewer games because the NBA had already begun playing an 82-game season.  

Solace

Mizzou finished its non-conference schedule Monday evening with a 91-33 victory over Chicago State leaving the Tigers with an 8-4 record.  Mizzou now heads for Lexington to play the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday.  Mizzou might be slightly better than first believed by me, of the four losses Charleston Southern was the ugliest.  Charleston Southern had a losing record at the time they played the Tigers. 

Losing to Charleston Southern especially at home was quite disappointing.  As for the other three losses if we check the competition’s record the loss is not quite the same.  Example, losing to Xavier the Musketeers currently have 11 wins and 3 losses, Butler’s won 12 games losing only 1 as for Oklahoma they have a 9-3 record.  Mizzou’s 63-56 win versus Big 10 Illinois certainly is a plus.  Most of the media indicate a belief SEC play will be down slightly this season, perhaps that will allow Mizzou to sneak up on several teams.