Basketball from a fans perspective

Game three

The final score read Bucks 120 Suns 100, the game was pretty much even until a point near the middle or so of the 2^nd quarter. The Bucks began making shots while the Suns couldn’t toss the ball in the ocean. How bad was it for the Suns, the last 9 minutes of the 2^nd quarter they scored but 9 points to the Bucks 30? Half time saw the Bucks with a 60-45 lead led ably by Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks Big Man finished with a monster game scoring 41 points 13 rebounds along with 6 assists.

Jrue Holiday aided in the win with 21 points and sinking timely 3-point baskets along with his 9 assists. On the other side Devin Booker had a terrible game scoring but 7 points in the first half and a total of 10 for the game. It was mentioned how slow it appeared the Bucks played in the first two games. Sunday night was quite the opposite as they beat the Suns to most lose balls. Despite the Suns loss I remain convinced they win the championship on the other hand I could be wrong.

“Get your sea legs”

The headline is an expression made by veteran sailors, they claim after being on land your head and stomach had to learn how to deal with the motion of the sea. I can lay claim to that statement after suffering seasickness for days, that’s not the basis for the story. Just as your stomach must become accustomed to the motion of the sea the same applies for Team USA. They must play tight hard nose defense if they expect to advance in the upcoming Olympics, Nigeria beat Team USA 90-87 in the first exhibition game.

In addition to the defense aspects of this game you can cease reading at this point if the next statement appears an excuse for the loss. The 16-member team from Nigeria has 8 players with NBA experience. In addition, veteran NBA coach Mike Brown is calling the shots for the Nigerian team. It’s most likely teams from Spain, Germany, France, and several of the Balkan nations will contain a significant number of NBA veterans. NBA players will be on the court for a few nations so Team USA must improve play over the next few weeks. 

Par for the course

Allow me to state up front I’m no fan of ESPN/ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy. This latest flap is par for the course for him. If you are unfamiliar with the incident during a portion of Game two, he made this comment about Devin Booker. “Looks like a choir boy, but he plays like a hoodlum.” It’s reported twitter blew up with many accusing Van Gundy of making a racially charged statement about Booker. The assertion wasn’t offensive to me just another example of Van Gundy making an incredibly dumb inappropriate declaration. This was reported previously but it will be repeated, the former coach turned analyst decided a few years ago the Lakers were mistaken.

During a broadcast from Staples Center he said, “The Lakers should only hang championship banners won in Los Angeles.” He wanted to exclude any banners hung while the team called Minneapolis home. To date the Thunder are the only NBA team with no connection to their past as the Sonics. This was a condition of the sale and move to Oklahoma City. My difficulty with Van Gundy has nothing to do with his basketball knowledge, as a former NBA coach I’m sure he’s got knowledge few of us fans hold. It’s the other things, as my wife often states with Van Gundy “What comes up comes out.” He appears to have no filter or maybe little thought process on what he’s about to state. From Bleacher report this didn’t occur this year, but it did during a Finals, Van Gundy decided he needed to discuss his haircuts during a broadcast. “It takes three minutes to cut my hair, and I still have to pay the full price”, tell us how does that relate to the game in front of us? 

It’s better now

It was 2012 when Mizzou left the Big 12 Conference for the SEC. The prevailing thought by many in this part of the country, “The SEC is Kentucky and Arkansas and maybe Florida” that was then this is now. Kentucky and Florida remain competitive however we’ve seen the rise of basketball programs at Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama and LSU. In between Mizzou has experienced three coaching changes, it was Frank Haith then Kim Anderson leading to Cuonzo Martin current coach. Yes, there’s been some stability issues however that’s certainly not offering an excuse just an explanation. The 2017-18 season witnessed the Tigers finishing in a 4^th place tie, that’s the high point for Mizzou basketball in the SEC.

We could be shocked however there is no hint the Mizzou team this fall is ready to compete for a conference crown. This should help you understand why several in Mizzou Nation are growing concerned over the lack of upward progress. This is the key if Cuonzo is fired who replaces him? A new coach arrives on the scene with his program and there is a delay in building a winning competitive program due to recruiting and establishment of his brand. I hope you see the dilemma this would cause for 3-4 years possibly.  If we look toward the 2021-22 season, we are led to believe the SEC will be just as competitive. ESPN’s early Top 25 list contains 5 teams, they are Kentucky (naturally), along with Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas. This is the year despite the mystery surrounding Mizzou basketball, this must be the breakthrough year regular season or an impressive NCAA post-season run. 

Talent wasn’t the issue…it was the other things

Apparently, Michael Beasley is attempting a comeback at age 32, you remember him, don’t you?  Beasley is signed to play for the Blazers Summer League team in hopes of reviving his NBA career. In 2008 Beasley owned a major portion of the basketball world, All American at Kansas State number two draft choice by the Heat. At 6 foot 9 this forward could shoot and rebound with the best, talent wasn’t the issue that saw him move from team to team it was the other things.

Attending 6 high schools, in the NBA he would become the traveling man playing for 6 NBA teams, this would include the Heat on 3 occasions.  There were also 3 seasons in the Chinese Basketball Association, as you can see, he’s been a well-traveled player. Despite the movement in checking his numbers they are not what one might first perceive, 12.4 points and nearly 5 rebounds a game for his 600 plus NBA career. Michael Beasley is an enigma, an athlete of tremendous talent who appeared to have difficulty getting his act together. Here’s hoping he manages to earn a roster spot with the Blazers in the fall, the guy can flat out play it’s the other things that have been his downfall.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Sonics trivia

The Pacific Northwest city is always in the conversation anytime NBA expansion is discussed. What about the 2007-08 season their last in Seattle. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green are the only active remaining former Sonics in the NBA, most fans don’t remember Durant was the NBA Rookie of the Year. Sam Presti was GM of the team that year and he remains in place with the Thunder. They never played in Seattle but were drafted under the Sonic banner, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Wally Szczerbiak current Knicks color analyst was traded to the Sonics and played that last season.

There are other Sonics, Jesus Shuttlesworth a.k.a. Ray Allen played for the Sonics although he was long gone prior to the Oklahoma City move. Kansas City Kansan Earl Watson played that last season, Watson had a brief NBA coaching career as head coach of the Suns. Key Arena home of the Sonics is now being refurbished and re-named the Climate Pledge Arena. The Sonics will welcome an NHL team the Kraken for the “new” arena. The question becomes can a new Sonics team be far behind. Just in case you’d forgotten or didn’t realize unlike other franchises Thunder history began in the fall of 2008. One of the conditions of the sale all team records including the name Sonics belong to Seattle.

This is not official

Although it’s yet to be confirmed a voice I trust, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski claims it’s about to occur. The Orlando Magic will soon name Jamahl Mosley head coach replacing the fired Steve Clifford. The Wizards and Pelicans are yet to name a head coach however the NBA for the most part has done what I hoped. NBA teams have given first time coaches the opportunity rather than recycle guys. The only disappointment for me is Rick Carlisle at Indiana and Becky Hammon.

Carlisle resigning in Dallas and within a short period taking the Pacers job. Hammon is a story, the promise which never came to fruition as she was interviewed but not hired anywhere. We could say Nate McMillian is in the category of a recycled coach having held the job at other stops. The difference for me he didn’t begin the season at the helm. He took over the Hawks midway through the season on an interim basis then signed a 4-year extension to remain after the playoff run of the Hawks. Who remains to be hired besides Hammon, how about Sam Cassell whose also been interviewed? 

From player to owner

We are unsure if it was a financial issue or something else that prevented earlier NBA players from ownership. In truth many have thriving businesses after retirement and might not have held any desire to become an NBA owner. A few retired NBA players have placed owner behind their name. The most famous and the only majority owner is Michael Jordan. MJ became part-owner of the Bobcats (Hornets) franchise in 2006, several years later (2010) he acquired majority interest in the team. Grant Hill joined others and purchased a majority share of the Atlanta Hawks in 2015, Hill holds the title of Vice Chair of the Board for the team.

Not much is detailed regarding Shaquille O’Neal however he owns a small stake in the Sacramento Kings. Although he’s still an active player LeBron James has moved into the owner ranks prior to retirement. James owns an interest in Fenway Sports Group which is the Boston Red Sox and holds a share in Liverpool FC soccer. In 2021 former Heat guard Dwayne Wade joined the ownership group of the Utah Jazz. Then we turn to Magic Johnson once a marginal owner with the Lakers, Magic sold his share to purchase the baseball Dodgers. In closing we should mention Kevin Garnett, the Big Ticket has long expressed a desire to become an NBA owner. We are unsure if he becomes an owner of the Wolves once the sale of the team is finalized. 

A difference of opinion

Recently I read an account from a website, don’t remember which one. It contained a story on a “Big Man” who’s game had improved so I focused on that portion. Surprise, surprise the athlete they featured stood 6 foot 9 inches. I guess that’s their definition of a “Big Man”, but it certainly misses the mark for me. There is no standard for the term however I’ve always believed it applied to any basketball player who stood 6 foot 11 or taller.

Now let’s not confuse the issue someone standing 6 foot 9 is clearly much taller than me and that height is way above average for most American males. The average height for an American male (2018) is 5 feet 9.5 inches tall. As for the world heights of males vary and this certainly shouldn’t be considered complete. In Europe, Denmark, France, Norway and Germany the average height for a male is 5 foot 11 inches. The Dinka tribesman on the African continent in South Sudan have been reported to have several of the tallest males in the world. 

Half the NBA

The Lakers came up short defending their championship, it was clear they needed an additional shooter. It was apparent none of the present roster was talented enough or capable enough to step up and aid the team. The rumors have been circulating with the Lakers picking up everybody everywhere. There is Blazer guard Dame Lillard, we then heard the name Buddy Hield of the Kings. Then it was Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan and the latest name to pop up is Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, let’s explore each possible acquisition.

Free agency is far different from arranging a trade, in that the parties agree to a dollar figure. The players listed must all be acquired through a trade; would they be willing to trade a talent to a Western Conference rival? Three of the four names are downright impossible. We could only see Buddy Hield in a trade, who do the Lakers have to offer for these talents other than Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious-Caldwell Pope or someone else. It would appear the Lakers are reluctant to include Talen-Horton Tucker in any trade talks. I would love to add any of the four mentioned to the Laker roster, with little to trade on the Lakers part this is going to be difficult to acquire any of them. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

0-2

Down in the playoffs 0-2 fails to consider a series might be over, we could look at the Nuggets just last season in the semifinals. In their series versus the Clippers, they came roaring back and won outright despite being down 3 games to 1. In 2016 the Warriors faced the same scenario down 3-1 versus the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals and won. Later in those same Finals the Cavs were down 3-1 to the Warriors and won the championship. Despite most recently last season and others in years past it’s not good playing from behind. We expected the Bucks to play better on Thursday evening and they did just not fortunate enough to register a win.

The final score read Suns 118 Bucks 108 placing the Bucks in an 0-2 deficit. For much of the game the Suns appeared much swifter than the Bucks for the second time, once again the Bucks managed to outrebound the Suns although the margin was about the same as Game one. We cannot project what might occur in the future for this series but this we can state with conviction. Come Sunday nighttime the Suns will hold a 3-0 advantage, or the Bucks win, and the series is 2-1 Suns favor. This from an NBA observer, unless the Bucks play a complete game from start to finish this Finals will be over soon. This is the issue; the Suns have played portions of the series on rocky ground but in the long run appear more stable than the Bucks.

Another addition

We made note last week 80-year-old Larry Brown has taken on another job, the longtime coach is headed to Memphis as an assistant to Penny Hardaway. It’s interesting his age says Brown has long been at a point he could have retired, but he continues.  There is a single reason, he loves the game of basketball at all levels. One more life event for Brown occurred this week, he was awarded the 2021 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

Brown’s years of coaching is remarkable, can you state he’s done it all.  In 50 years, Brown has made 14 stops as head coach, three college jobs UCLA, Kansas and SMU. His first head coaching position began way back in 1972 with the ABA and the Carolina Cougars and from there his coaching odyssey has taken Brown all over the nation. He’s got 1,098 wins as an NBA coach placing him in 8^th place among all-time winning coaches. Brown holds one record that is likely to never be broken or eclipsed for that matter. In 1988 his Kansas Jayhawks won the NCAA championship and 2005 he won it all as the head man of the NBA Pistons.

NIL

Recently you read the account of Ed O’Bannon and his fight with the NCAA. The NCAA with all that its done is guilty of a multitude of stuff. In 2021 witness the NIL being implemented, the initials stand for Name, Image, Likeness. This latest action doesn’t affect athletes in all 50 states, but several can now be paid, they can receive income while continuing to maintain their amateur status. They will be paid for their name being utilized, their image or likeness. This ruling effects athletes in Division I, II and III sports and several have already begun an effort.

As this is written none of the athletes to date will have the potential riches of Hercy Miller…that is yet. Hercy is the son of rapper Master P. and he will be a freshman on the Tennessee State basketball team in the fall. In addition, he is a millionaire WITHOUT any of his daddy’s money. Young Miller struck a $2 million deal to become a brand ambassador for Web Apps America, a tech company specializing in web, mobile and software solutions. Rest assured the young man certainly didn’t accomplish this feat on his own, it does become a landmark event for what it does for his financial status and possibly others who will follow the plan he laid out.  

The disadvantage of the SEC

I have discussed with family and friends the prospect of Mizzou returning to the Big XII. As mentioned most are opposed to the idea and for the most part they all mention the money. Mizzou receives far more revenue as an SEC member over what they might have received as a member of the Big XII. With that said what is the disadvantage of playing in the SEC? Travel, we can forget that conference teams due to air travel are no longer tied into one another by geography. In Kansas City the disadvantage is strictly media visibility.

As an example, local media will cover Texas or Baylor hundreds of miles from Kansas City but fail to mention an Arkansas or Kentucky game. The point I’m attempting to make all four schools are about the same road mile distance from the Kansas City market. Is this built-in bias due to nearby Lawrence Kansas home of the University of Kansas lying less than 50 miles from the metro? Mizzou's been a member of the SEC since 2012, you would believe by now the local media might adjust its sports coverage. Even more mystifying Kansas football has been terrible for several years yet rates higher than Alabama or Florida two SEC football powers. So that is the issue, this is no complaint about Mizzou coverage in the Kansas City market it is the fact SEC coverage is spotty.

The Big Man

We are unsure if Andre Drummond returns to the Lakers, the reason he might not return is two-fold. The amount of $$$ he desires as a free agent and his difficulty playing the post adequately. As for his post play it’s my contention he might not be as effective in the post for two reasons, lack of practice with his late acquisition (February) by the Lakers. This is the most critical part…Drummond might not have been taught properly how to handle his 6-foot 10-inch 280-pound body in the paint. The game has changed from inside out to outside in, less emphasis on post play. In Game one of the NBA Finals, we saw how effective a Big Man like DeAndre Ayton can aid a team. Ayton wasn’t the high scorer (22 points) in the game, but it was the skillful manner the Suns managed to utilize him. There were lob passes, dunks and instances where he simply tipped in errant shots.

I don’t remember seeing any of his shots made from more than 10 feet from the basket. In addition, stationed in and around the basket Ayton was a monster on the boards, he ended the night one rebound short of a 20-point, 20 rebound game. Only 3 players in NBA history exceeded Ayton in their first game, Wilt Chamberlain with 23 rebounds, Larry Bird 21 and Bill Walton 20. Granted it’s a fact Ayton might not have another game similar however he just could. Back to Drummond a moment, this is not intended to critique his game or any other current Big Man. This is simply to debate the issue once again, is there a place in the guard-oriented NBA for post play? I don’t have the answer, what do you think? I’m borrowing this from Shannon Sharpe Fox Sports host. “I would love for Andre Drummond to stay with the Lakers but won’t lose sleep if he doesn’t.”

Basketball from a fans perspective

Scottie…why?

The former Bulls great must have fallen out of bed and bumped his head. Scottie Pippen is at it again with his latest rant and he shows no signs of slowing down. The latest, he ventures back to 1997 for this one. You may have witnessed it live or if too young saw video of it. Michael Jordan telling Steve Kerr to be ready for the pass and you know the story. MJ passes the ball to Kerr who sinks the winning basket. 

Now we find out 24 years later it was a setup or at least that’s what Pippen is claiming. He is asserting MJ orchestrated this for the television cameras. That well could have been the case we don’t know the intention other than perhaps WINNING THE GAME! These are the finals, there are still cameras and television cameras all over the place. There was no reason for MJ to be pandering to the television audience. This is a promise, unless there is a cataclysmic event this will be the last Pippen report in this blog.  

The toddler of professional sports

One of the basketball websites I regularly peruse noted the NBA will celebrate its 75^th Anniversary in the 2021-22 season. That’s a big number however the NBA is a “baby” compared to other professional leagues. The National Football League began play in 1920, the National Hockey League in 1917. Although there have been changes structurally major league baseball began play way back in 1871. Keep in mind there were several professional basketball leagues that played prior to 75 years ago however those leagues went out of business. The National Basketball Association recognizes 1946 as its start date although technically that’s not correct. The Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League in 1949 to form the NBA we recognize today. 

Ed O’Bannon began the change

The NCAA landscape is rapidly crumbly, I thought it might be a good idea to return briefly to the past and the Ed O’Bannon case. Although the NCAA was found guilty there are facts which prompted this landmark court case. UCLA’s Ed O’Bannon had an outstanding college career at the school. In 1995 he led the school in winning the NCAA championship, it was only later the O’Bannon learned what the NCAA had doing all along to him and other athletes.

“In July 2009, Ed O’Bannon, a former basketball player for UCLA who was a starter on the their 1995 national championship team and the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player that year, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company, alleging violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act and of actions that deprived him of his right of publicity. He agreed to be the lead plaintiff after seeing his likeness from the 1995 championship team used in the EA Sports title NCAA Basketball 09 without his permission. The game featured an unnamed UCLA player who played O'Bannon's power forward position, while also matching his height, weight, bald head, skin tone, No. 31 jersey, and left-handed shot.”

This suit lasted until 2014 and the shorten version the NCAA was found guilty but appealed the ruling. The Supreme Court ruled against the organization, they had to pay the plaintiffs $42.2 million in fees and costs. As you can see by the outcome the highest court in the land slapped down the NCAA for its antitrust actions. There is no telling how much was earned in prior years which went directly in the pockets of the NCAA not included in this settlement. 

Wikipedia

Is he the one?

Jamahl Mosley appears to be the hot coaching candidate, he’s being pursued by two franchises. What do we know about Mosely’s background you ask, he’s 42 years old which when hired will make him one of the youngest head coaches in the NBA? The 6-foot 8-inch Mosely played basketball at Colorado, after college there were several overseas destinations playing the game prior to his move into the coaching ranks. The first job was player development coach for the Nuggets and then assistant with the franchise. From there Mosley moved to the Cavs as an assistant and in 2014 was hired in the same role with the Mavs. Mosley is reported to be the leading candidate for the Wizards and Magic head coaching position. At this point it’s unknown which team hires him, it’s likely to occur in the next week or so we should hear an announcement he’s got a job as head coach.

They were terrible…on and off the court

This is no intention to speak for Seattle residents, but we get it. For several years, the Sonics were winners including 1979 when the team won the NBA championship. In Kansas City it was slightly less glamorous, from 1972 when the franchise relocated from Cincinnati until 1985, they registered four winning seasons. That’s 13 years of delivering poor to average play for fans of the Kings. It’s been stated local fans would often attend the games to see the Celtics, Lakers or Sixers play. Teams playing near the same level of the Kings had difficulty with attendance.

The first few seasons in Kansas City they team was owned by outside interests, later the Kings would be sold to a local group of investors. It was reported at the time the team had 10 owners; we are unsure if all had equal say so in how the franchise was run. A few years prior to the sale to Greg Lukenbill several of the local owners were bought out however there were still five owners in charge. The new owner promised the team would remain in Kansas City however in a little over a year he applied to move the team to his hometown. The selling price for Lukenbill to purchase the Kings was $10.5 million 1983 dollars.

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Be led by your dreams not by your problems.” – Roy Williams

This is late

By the time you read this you will be operating on information overload, you will have read and heard numerous accounts of Game one. This is written at 10:50 p.m. Central Time, the Suns-Nuggets concluded about 30 minutes or so ago. My thoughts, I was surprised Giannis was able to play, and he did play reasonably well considering he was returning from a serious injury.  The same could be said for Mr. often M.I.A. Khris Middleton who also had a good game. It appeared most of the evening the Suns were much quicker to the ball. What I found most interesting the Bucks were actually the leaders in rebounds 47-43. Despite being outrebounded the Suns appeared to “out quick” the Bucks who appeared a little slow of foot for loose balls and rebounds.

On the side of the Suns Devin Booker didn’t shoot particularly well but still managed to score 27 points. DeAndre Ayton scored 22 points on lobs, dunks and tip ins, he also snatched down 19 rebounds. Ayton should have registered 20 rebounds; Chris Paul contested a ball which should have gone to Ayton if CP3 hadn't managed to wrestle it away from Ayton. 36-year-old CP3 was simply outstanding, 32 points 9 assists and only 2 TO’s. He shot a sizzling 63% from the floor 57% from 3 and he was 100% from the free throw line. CP3 had only 4 rebounds too bad he couldn’t have done better in that department, just kidding. When Cameron Payne replaced CP3 the game moved from sonic to hypersonic for the Suns. The Bucks will regroup and play better tonight, will they win? I have no idea, let’s just state the best team is likely to win.

Decisions, decisions

About 3 weeks or so ahead of the NBA draft college players have a decision in front of them. Part of the decision is information communicated to these athletes. They are divided into two camps, those who indicate they are remaining in the draft and those revealing they intend to return to school. There are far too many in number to mention all of them, let’s look at just a few names. Big Man Kofi Cockburn indicates he’s withdrawing from the draft although we are unsure at this point if he’s headed back to Illinois.

Kansas received good news as Ochai Agbaji and new teammate Remy Martin withdrew their names. Rest assured Bill Self feels a great deal better now than he might have 48 hours or so ago. Maryland’s Aaron Wiggins indicates he will remain in the draft. Cade Cunningham, Jalen Suggs and several other names intend to be drafted July 29. This is written July 7 so those withdrawing their names have until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to decide.

For the math qualified (which is not me)

In the summer of 2010 Carmelo Anthony was still a member of the Nuggets. We had attended a destination wedding in Las Vegas, our flight from Kansas City had us landing in Denver and taking another flight to our destination. On the return home we boarded (my term) a tram which took passengers from one terminal to another. At the second or third stop this tall guy boarded our car along with a friend.

On closer inspection I said to myself, “That’s Carmelo Anthony.” I nudged my wife and her response, “Why don’t you get his autograph?” I told her “I’m not going to bother him.” Now the math question, figure this one out if you care. What is the mathematical probability of a guy from Kansas City preparing to board a flight home arrives in Denver at the precise time Carmelo Anthony boards that same tram? No, Anthony was not on our flight so that might aid you in your computation.   

Chuck Taylor All Stars

A friend posted a photo of Dr. J. in his first college game for UMass, he informed us the good doctor scored 27 points and 28 rebounds in that first college game. My eyes were drawn to his feet and the pair of Chuck Taylor All Stars he sported. Today’s youngsters only know the shoes as making a fashion statement, back in the day Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars were the Lamborghini of basketball shoes. His given name was Charles Hollis Taylor, but his nickname was Chuck, born in 1901 he would later take up basketball and eventually he went to work for the Converse Rubber Company.

Taylor would become a salesman for the company and responsible for improvement and promotion of the shoe which later would bear his name. There was no other basketball shoe available, this is eons prior to Nike, Adidas and several other brands. It was the Chuck Taylor All Stars which set the standard. There were a smaller number of athletic shoes back then versus the present day. The second-best shoes of that period were a brand-named US Keds or P.F. Flyers. At that time even NBA players wore Chuck Taylor All Stars, most teams wore all white Taylors.

The Celtics who dominated the league during that period were the only NBA to wear the black version of Chuck Taylor All Stars. Converse with its Chuck Taylor All Stars was the only shoe true ballers of the era wanted, for years Converse dominated the basketball world with its iconic shoe.  Nike would arrive on the scene in 1984 however in the beginning they only produced running shoes. It was only years later they moved into the basketball shoe business; the world would change forever once Nike entered the market. Converse is still in business however they are owned by…you guessed it Nike.  So, there you have it the brief history of Chuck Taylor All Stars the top basketball shoe up through approximately the late 1960’s. This is unknown to most under the age of 45 or so, to them Chuck Taylors are a fashion statement. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

He remains in the draft

It was 2005, that was the last NBA draft we believe an NAIA player was selected. That players name was Robert Whaley selected with the 51^st pick by the Utah Jazz. You are like me the name is unknown because he played but briefly in the NBA. We could witness the first NAIA player selected in the 2021 draft since Whaley. 6-foot 11-inch 240-pound EJ Onu from Shawnee State in Portsmouth Ohio announced he was remaining in the draft.

We are guessing the youngster must have been informed by one or more teams he would either be drafted or given an opportunity to earn a spot through a free agent contract. Onu was a two-time NAIA All American and the 2021 NAIA Defensive Player of the Year. The significance you might ask, once upon a time the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or NAIA provided the NBA with several outstanding talented basketball players. Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen are just a few who displayed their talent at NAIA schools prior to an NBA career. It should be of note all the names mentioned are in the Naismith or College Basketball Hall of Fame.

His name is not mentioned

If we compiled a list of the Top 10 College Coaches, there are at least two names generally omitted. Certainly, Gonzaga’s Mark Few is at the top of the list but second to him might be Dana Altman at Oregon. It should be of note both Few and Altman coach in the Pacific Northwest, this concise look covers the Oregon coach but let’s briefly return to his past. Altman arrived at Kansas State after a single season at Marshall as head coach. Although his record was above .500 during his tenure it seemed he failed to deliver the promise most expected. After the 93-94 season Altman would become head coach at Creighton University. After a few average seasons, the basketball program began to develop under his leadership.

At the time Altman departed in 2010 for Oregon his Creighton teams had won 327 games while losing only 176 for a .650 winning percentage. Since his arrival at Oregon his teams have never won less than 21 games in a single season, annually, his teams earn an invitation to the NCAA tournament. Why don’t we know his name, for the same reasons we don’t know Mark Few? The Pacific Time Zone start for Oregon games and the fact he’s never played for an NCAA championship. Unfortunately, that is sometimes the barometer used to judge the degree of success. For me, any guy who is close to 700 wins for his career provides me proof he can coach. Allow me to introduce you to Dana Altman Oregon Men’s basketball coach. 

Location, location

New York has the Knicks and Nets, also the Jets and Giants. In baseball we have the Yankees and Mets also representing the city. Looking westward in Chicago, we have the baseball Cubs and White Sox. Further west in Los Angeles there are the baseball Dodgers and the Angels, we also have the Rams and Chargers plus the Lakers and Clippers. Technically not the same city but close by we have the baseball Giants in San Francisco and Athletics across the bay in Oakland. For years I’ve tried to figure out why animosity exists between Laker and Clipper fans other than the usual “My team is better than yours.” I’ve recovered from Kawhi Leonard & Paul George spurning the Lakers, since Doc Rivers left, I’d forgotten he covered Laker championships banners in Staples Center. Then with that it hit me, it’s the building every one of the cities or areas we name with more than one franchise in the same sport has its own arena or stadium the exception…. the shared space in Los Angeles.

Anytime the other teams across the nation face one another they return to their home field or court except in Los Angeles. Maybe it will exist with the NFL too because the Chargers and Rams share the same stadium. As you are aware Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is building his own arena and perhaps that will resolve some of the conflict with these two fan bases. History says the Lakers first played at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena later it was the Forum and in 1999 moved into Staples Center. After arriving from San Diego, the Clippers also played in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, they later moved to Anaheim and played at the Arrowhead Pond in the city, it was believed they would sign a permanent lease.  The deal fell through, and they would sign a contract and be included among the tenants for Staples. Clippers are the new kid on the block having several years of pathetic play while the Lakers were winning championships, that’s changed now with the Clippers becoming winners. They are yet to ascend to the top of the NBA world.

She’s not going to be hired

I will publish this anyway it’s unlikely the NBA proves me wrong. Perhaps by the time this is published Becky Hammon returns to the Spurs bench. She will not be hired for any of the remaining head coaching positions open. The NBA was pretending it was ready to hire a female as head coach however that is not the case. It is going to take a brave team owner to state, “I’m hiring ________ because she is the best person qualified to lead this team to _______.”

There is no method to determine which team will be the first, many of us believed that would be the Blazers however they chose Chauncey Billups. The NBA has been the clear winner over other professional sports in its diversity and gender hiring. The NFL has continued to promote the Super Bowl game official but who hired the first official, it was the NBA? As far as we know baseball and hockey are yet to hire its first female official and in the coaching ranks…well.

The 1971 Bucks

The Bucks were an NBA expansion team only in their third year of existence. They had struck it rich, a coin flip with the Suns would give them the opportunity to draft Lew Alcindor. Neal Walk would be selected behind Alcindor but had nowhere near the career. The 1970-71 team which would be crowned NBA champions finished the regular season with a 66-16 record. That team was quite formidable with Hall of Fame players Oscar Robertson at the point and Kareem Abdul Jabbar at center.

Other Bucks who aided the championship effort was shooting guard Jon McGlocklin now a Bucks broadcaster. They also had Lucius Allen, Bobby Dandridge and Greg Smith. They beat the overmatched Baltimore Bullets (Wizards) 4 games to 1. Those Bullets had some All Stars too, headed to Naismith from the Bullets was Earl Monroe, Wes Unseld and Gus Johnson. Perhaps the Suns will exact their revenge on the Bucks all these years later for winning the coin flip and having the opportunity to draft Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar).

Basketball from a fans perspective

A Dominican in the NBA

Any time athletics and the Dominican Republic are mentioned we think baseball.  The Caribbean Island nation has produced numerous baseball players over the years. In this instance we are discussing basketball and not baseball.  Chris Duarte is his name and at the end of the month his name will be announced in the annual NBA draft. He’s a 6-foot 6-inch shooting guard and is said to be “NBA ready” by a few scouts. Although he was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic he journeyed to New York City with his family for his last two years of high school. From there it was Northwest Florida State and on to Oregon where he refined his game even further.

Duarte is old by NBA standards as a grizzly 24-year-old, most NBA rookies are usually between 19-22. but don’t allow his age to fool you. He was Pac-12 All Defensive First Team, First Team All-Pac-12 and Third Team All American. In addition, Duarte won the 2021 Jerry West Award. Duarte is quoted as stating “I believe I’m a lottery pick”, nothing like super confidence. Several teams have brought Duarte in for a workout including my Lakers. It should be noted Duarte would not be the lone Dominican in the NBA. There was Felipe Lopez in the late ‘90’s, still active is Karl-Anthony Towns and Al Horford to name just a few.   

Everybody Hates Chris Patrick

Is Patrick Beverly a dirty player, the question is difficult to answer for a variety of reasons. If you are a fan of the Clippers, you probably see nothing wrong with his “aggressive” style of basketball. He reminds many us enforcers of the past, most recently it was probably Bruce Bowen, he spent the bulk of his NBA career with the Spurs. He was known to use several methods to play defense against opponents, like Beverly his teams didn’t expect much from him offensively defense was his forte. Prior to Bowen is one enforcer in the Naismith Hall of Fame, his name Dennis Rodman.

Rodman too used a variety of methods to “get into a players head”, Karl Malone hated, and I use the word strongly playing against Rodman. In addition to defense rebounding the basketball was his specialty. Although he stood but 6 foot 7 and weighed 228 pounds Rodman led the NBA in rebounds for 7 consecutive years, he was twice Defensive Player of the Year. Perhaps Beverly is like the others, lacking talent in one or two areas he decided to concentrate on playing tough hard-nosed defense. Is Beverly a dirty player, you be the judge. As for the recent issues Beverly had with Chris Paul there are two stories here.

Throughout his NBA career Paul has been an agitator mostly verbal, perhaps Beverly had enough after Paul sunk a 3-point basket extending the Suns lead. It’s clear Beverly is over the top, TNT’s Kenny Smith referred to him as the present-day Dennis Rodman and was roundly criticized because his co-host must have found that statement to be far from accurate. After pushing Paul in the back, he later apologized however that’s not going to save Beverly from an NBA fine. NBA league offices have suspended Beverly for the first game next season. I believe it should have been at least a week, he claims it was a move of frustration, I don’t believe that for one minute. It’s simple he continues to play bully basketball; I hope someone knocks him on his $%^(#^ too. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVGINpX9-uc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVGINpX9-uc

I’ve recovered but apparently not him

Reading Off the Dribble over time you might remember learning of a trade that never transpired. Well, technically it did occur it’s just the fact then commissioner David Stern decided to void it. Chris Paul from the Hornets (Pelicans) to the Lakers, Stern said it wasn’t in the best interest of the NBA and that was that. I had lamented the history but concluded it was in the rear-view mirror, so I satisfied myself with this fact.

Although I managed to leave this event in the past apparently former Laker Magic Johnson doesn’t feel the same way. He covered the issue on one of the numerous talk programs on ESPN just last week, he discussed Paul and his Suns team as they compete for an NBA championship. There is no doubt the Laker down years might have never occurred with Kobe Bryant at shooting guard, Chris Paul at the point and Pau Gasol at the power forward. Events occur in our lives we often have little control over, that is the case here with the trade that officially never transpired. 

Let’s go back in time

The Bucks and Suns face one another beginning tonight for the 2021 NBA championship. We mentioned the 2021 NBA champion would be new since no Lakers, Bulls, Spurs, Rockets, Celtics, Cavs or Warriors would be declared a winner. If the Suns win it will be a first time for them, as for the Bucks it will become their second championship.  For the Suns it’s 1993 all over again, that was the last time they played for the championship.

That Suns team contained Dennis Johnson, former Celtic GM Danny Ainge and a guy by the name of Charles Barkley. The Suns would lose that championship series to the Bulls led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and others. As for the Bucks they won it all in 1971 however 3 years later it would be different as they fell to the Celtics. That Bucks team contained Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. That winning Celtics team in 1974 was led to the championship by Dave Cowens, JoJo White and John Havlicek. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

Who wins?

If you are a gambler, please use another source to place your bet. The Suns will defeat the Bucks and be crowned 2021 NBA champions, how do I know? I don’t however that’s my belief based on several factors. It’s difficult to project the role of reserve players in any championship series, sometimes guys step up other times they disappear. There is no typical standard for reserve players, so my belief is based on starters for both teams. We heard someone state, “The Suns can’t stop Giannis” and we concur. It’s not a matter of stopping him that’s impossible, slow him…that is quite possible. 

It’s more than that, Khris Middleton has been hot and cold throughout these playoffs, when he’s good he’s particularly good. On the other hand, when he’s bad, you get the point.  Brook Lopez will force DeAndre Ayton to play him which may or may not work. Lopez can certainly hit the 3 but will he be consistent enough to force the Suns defense to adapt, especially Ayton. The Suns backcourt is better than the Bucks, substantially better I don’t think I would go that far, however. Elder citizen CP3 is a better point guard than Jrue Holiday, we have lights out shooter Devin Booker broken nose and all.

Booker will likely be matched most of the time against Middleton. Finally, the X’s and O’s, Suns coach Monty Williams thus far has been more forthright in making in game adjustments over the Bucks Mike Budenholzer. There are portions of this matchup either overlooked or glossed over so you must be the judge. After this is over you can laugh at me or pat me on the back. As for my lack of faith in the Bucks, consistency. “I’m from Missouri, you’ve got to Show Me” steadiness which to this date has been more in the Suns favor over the Bucks.  

It’s over

Saturday evening two significant events occurred; the Bucks beat the Hawks 118-107 to advance to the NBA Finals. They will face CP3 and his Suns team but there was another occurrence. This was the last game broadcasted by the legendary Marv Albert. This is but a brief look back at the broadcast career of Albert. It all started back in 1963, after being a ball boy for the Knicks Albert went behind the mic to fill in for Marty Glickman then broadcasting Knick games. In 1967 he would begin broadcasting Knick games permanently for the next 37 years until he was fired by owner James Dolan in 2004.

Albert was critical of the team’s poor play and the owner used that as the basis for terminating his contract although it was said Albert’s large salary was a consideration. The NBC Network began broadcasting the NBA in 1990 and he went to work there. He began double duty going to work for TNT in 1999 as well. Albert also briefly worked for the Nets at the time the YES Network began broadcasting. Albert has worked NHL Ranger games and the NFL but his association with the NBA is generally where most people recognize him. In 1997 he won the Curt Gowdy Award given by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition, there are numerous awards received by Albert over his broadcast career. He will be missed, one of the many legendary sports broadcasters now retired.

Bits n Pieces    

You read recently the Globetrotters applied to become the 31^st franchise in the NBA. The question asked but not answered was addressed on Saturday. The Trotters indicate they are willing to move wherever the NBA desires to become the league’s 31^st franchise. Officially they are the Harlem Globetrotters but there are doubts if the team remains in New York City. The population is there but does New York really require three NBA teams?

This is interesting news; Jalen Duren is now rated the number one prospect in the Class of 2022. Emoni Bates had been rated the top player until recently. Duren is a 6-foot 10-inch 230-pound power forward, he attends Montverde Academy in Florida. He’s reduced his list of destinations to five, most interesting two of them are pro leagues. The possible direction for Duren is Kentucky, Memphis, Miami, the G-League or NBL. Of course, the latter is the NBA Developmental League and it’s Club Ignite, the NBL is the National Basketball League in Australia. LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton both played in the NBL prior to their NBA debut during the 2020-21 NBA season. Perhaps the landscape has profoundly changed with the prospect of earning $$$ over college.

Earlier we profiled George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia and their new head basketball coach. Kim English former player for Mizzou is now head of the program. We are unsure who returns however they finished 13-9 and 8-6 in the conference. Hopefully English is given enough time to implement his program, a college coach probably requires a minimum of 3 years. English has been an assistant to Frank Haith at Tulsa and Rick Barnes at Tennessee prior to the 32-year old’s first job as a head coach. 

He’s given up on the NBA for now, Antetokounmpo is headed back to Greece to play for Olympiacos. In fact, they signed him to a 4-year contract. Oh, you thought I meant Giannis, no it was brother Kostas who’s been resting on the Lakers bench the last two seasons. He leaves and we really have no idea if he can play at the NBA level because he rarely was in any games. In any event good luck as he heads home to continue playing basketball.

ESPN.com is reporting former NBA player Reggie Theus will be named athletic director and head coach of Bethune-Cookman next week. If you are unfamiliar with Bethune-Cookman it’s an HBCU school in   Daytona Beach Florida. Serving as a coach is not new for Theus, he’s been head man of the NBA Kings, New Mexico State and Cal-State Northridge.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

Isn’t this interesting?

It seems daily we read an article of another NBA team reported to be interested in acquiring Ben Simmons. There is at least one key question, if half the reports are accurate, we are utterly amazed. If this guy is as flawed as many claim why are there various NBA teams supposedly attempting to trade for him? A friend claims he believes the issue(s) are between Simmons and Joel Embiid. We knew at the time Simmons arrived in the NBA there was little range on his jump shot, he’s become a “Wilt” in shooting his jump shot or free throws.

You might remember reading of the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, he could score the ball better than any player of his era, the free throw line would become his kryptonite.  For Simmons, his kryptonite is any     shot from 10 feet out and the free-throw line. Those are the negatives, lets briefly check out the positives. Simmons is a good defender, and his passing skill is on the same level or above most NBA point guards. How is the Simmons issue resolved, it’s clear he’s worn out his welcome in Philly, a trade must be arranged and Joel Embiid ain’t going anywhere? Simmons NBA career can be resurrected provided he’s traded to the “correct” team. You note that team remains unnamed.     

He’s the first 

Mizzou and Cuonzo Martin received their first commit for the 2022 college basketball season. Giving his verbal okay to attend Mizzou on Friday was Christian Jones a 6-foot 4-inch combo guard. Jones hails from the coaches fertile recruiting grounds, he attends East St. Louis HS in East St. Louis Illinois. Jones is unranked in the Class of 2022 however apparently, he’s not exactly an unknown, there are 6 schools with offers for him to attend. DePaul, Denver and Southern Illinois University represent part of the number recruiting Jones. This early in the process he always has time to change his mind since his commitment is verbal at this point. Although Jones is from the Illinois side, this is part of the St. Louis metro which is the area the head coach has his connections.

This is different

We are witnessing the play of Big Man DeAndre Ayton of the Suns in the playoffs. In this new age there are few quality post players, it’s my belief they are OUT THERE. They just haven’t been developed, one of those I believe shows promise is the Warriors James Wiseman. In his rookie year injuries impacted his development, he is probably looking toward the 2021-22 NBA season. The change in the game just details Big Men are not being schooled, athletes haven’t ceased growing to 7 feet.

One of those budding talents is Kofi Cockburn of Illinois. He scored at nearly an 18-point 10 rebound clip this past season, at some point after the conclusion of the season he submitted his name for the NBA draft. Although this 7-foot 285-pound center remains NBA bound this week, he announced he was placing his name in the transfer portal. This is the most telling portion of the story, don’t be shocked if Cockburn transfers to Kentucky. Reports indicate two former Illinois coaches are now on the staff of John Calipari. We shall monitor this matter closely to see if it becomes Kentucky or the NBA for the Big Man. 

Unfulfilled

There are occasions a player arrives on the NBA scene with little if any fanfare. Later we “discover” he can play at this level effectively. That might apply to Blazer guard Dame Miller, Weber State basketball is a hidden gem in college basketball. No doubt Dame arrived in the NBA as a hidden talent. That was not the case for Greg Oden, his 7-foot height and 273-pound frame certainly kept him from being hidden. He was Defensive Player of the Year and Consensus 2^nd Team All American in 2007 at the University of Indiana. Limited offensively it was believed he would gain that skill once arriving in the NBA. One NBA scout compared Oden to “The second coming of Bill Russell”, that reflected the belief of many throughout the NBA. 

The promise would be unfulfilled, injuries would impact his game severely. We might consider knees his “Achilles heel”, once his knees gave way, he was a shell of his former self. He would drift from the Blazers who made him the first pick in the 2007 draft to the Heat and finally the Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association. No longer left with the ability to play basketball at a high skill level Oden returned to Ohio State to complete his degree. In 2019 Oden graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sport’s industry. A plethora of injuries forced him from the game he showed such promise, hopefully he in reading this will understand. It’s not a criticism it is intended to detail the unfulfilled expectations by Blazer fans and others after 2007.

They are bonding

It was interesting, reading the account Klay Thompson gave of James Wiseman. It seems the Warriors guard invited Wiseman aboard his boat, and they sailed around the bay recently. It’s hoped both injured Warriors should be ready for the 2021-22 NBA season, Thompson to prove he’s still got it and Wiseman to demonstrate he belongs in the NBA. At draft time last season several might have believed the former University of Memphis center was not ready for the rugged play of the NBA after but 3 collegiate games.

The 7-foot Wiseman did have an up and down rookie campaign prior to an injury, he would be sidelined after a point for the balance of the season. Just checking his numbers, we discover in 39 games Wiseman scored at nearly 12 points and 6 rebounds a game, he would be a starter in 27 of those games. What do we project for Wiseman’s future is the question? Although he was limited to just a few games at the University of Memphis, he was a double-double performer there. This is all speculation at this point it is up to Wiseman to prove he belongs in the NBA; we have a belief he is capable but it’s on him to prove it. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

Leave it alone

2001 was exactly 20 years ago, 1997 was even further back. What occurred in both instances, Jason Kidd was charged with battery against his then wife, Chauncey Billups was accused of rape. In the case of Kidd, he went to court and a judgment was rendered against him. As for Billups he was charged but never convicted, it’s reported he made financial restitution to the alleged victim. The Mavs (Kidd) and Blazers (Billups) are being criticized for hiring men accused of aggression against women. This is no intention on my part to gloss over the seriousness of the events however there is a question.

If you are arrested and appear in court for judgment (Kidd) or never charged (Billups) how long must your past be mentioned as a millstone around your neck? I believe we all understand, in the Me Too age men can no longer act barbaric in the presence of women and escape Scott free. At the same time this should be two-fold, if you are punished how long must we re-visit the events of the past? If there is a pattern of behavior or the person is proven to be a serial offender that is a different story. I realize this take is not going to be pleasing in some circles, I refuse to believe a person makes one mistake and it follows them the balance of their life especially when the matter has been cleared.  

Different this year

For the first time in a while there will be a new NBA champion this month. You say to me, “There’s always an NBA champion crowned every year” and you are correct with the following exception. As this is written we have no idea who wins the whole thing, this is the first time the perennial contenders are not there. In this instance we speak of the Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Warriors, Heat, or Bulls as champions. It’s been rare but there have been NBA champions besides the teams just mentioned.

In 2019 it was the Toronto Raptors and 2016 witnessed the Cavs winning it all. Five years earlier, 2011 the Mavs were crowned NBA champions and 26 years ago Houston’s Rockets won their second of a back-to-back championship. As you might note it’s been rare when a team other than those first listed have won a championship. No requirement to return any further back in time, cynics will claim the NBA wants large market teams as champions. That well could be the thought process, the only problem what is desired and what will occur are two vastly different things. 

We wait

By now you are aware the charges Scottie Pippen leveled at Phil Jackson. The former Bulls All Star insists his one-time coach is racist, there was a question by many. Would a black player affirm the words of Phil Jackson, or would he refute Pippen? Former Laker Robert Horry was the first to speak and indicated he didn’t agree with Pippen. Would there be another, Thursday morning Shaquille O’Neal voiced his opinion on the subject. He agreed with Horry rather than Pippen, do we require a further explanation? Consider this fact, it is extremely difficult to “look” inside someone and determine their intent unless its blatant.

We can only make a judgement based on the speech or actions of that person. Short of proof we have little information to formulate an opinion whether the person is racist or not. Who is up next, do we require 2, 5 or 10 former players to say yes or no regarding Phil Jackson? As I have attempted to point out we really don’t know, what’s the basis for the Pippen charge? He remains upset about his treatment as a member of the Bulls. How about this, in the documentary The Last Dance he mentioned he was upset about his portrayal. Is Pippen simply attempting to drive up book sales or maybe there is true hurt for him? His son dying tragically, his divorce…Pippen has a great deal of baggage however no more than several of us. Unless there is some earth-shattering event connected here no worry, this is the last account in this blog.

Don’t trade the future

These are the names; most of them you know:

Jordan Clarkson 

Josh Hart 

Lonzo Ball 

Julius Randle 

Brandon Ingram 

DeAndre Hunter 

Ivica Zubac

Those are just a few of the names the Lakers have drafted over the last several years, as you are aware none are presently on the Laker roster. As you might note Laker scouts have done an excellent job of spotting talent. The downside is trading these budding talented players to acquire veteran talent which to date has resulted in a single NBA championship. We’ve covered the Laker portion of the draft which will occur at the end of the month. I’m going to camp out in Rod Pelinka’s office and consult with he and head coach Frank Vogel.

I intend to be the voice of reason, don’t trade the future, that pick on July 29 for a veteran. The wise move would be to either draft a point guard or small forward and develop him for the post LeBron James future. There is no intention to name a name however the belief here is a point guard should be that top pick. This point guard should be able to move into the lineup immediately, if the pick is not there then it should be a small forward. The criteria remains the same for both, they are inserted into the lineup immediately for their “Baptism of Fire.” Keep in mind this is just the hope of a member of Laker Nation, management will do what they do.  

The coach

As the Suns advance to play for the NBA championship, we’ve missed covering someone. We have noted little focus on the coach, Monty Williams, this will provide a brief look at the Suns leader. Williams played basketball at Notre Dame; he was thought to be talented enough to be a 1^st round draft choice in the 1994 NBA draft by the Knicks. Williams had a rather pedestrian career in the NBA which lasted to 2003. In 2005 he became an assistant coach with the Blazers, and he remained on the job until 2010. From there it was head coach of the Hornets (Pelicans).

Williams would be fired in 2015 by the Pelicans due to several issues most detailing little improvement in team play. The next season would see him on the bench for the Thunder this time as assistant head coach. It was Oklahoma City where he suffered a tragedy much worse than being fired, his wife would die in a tragic automobile accident. He decided to leave the Thunder and Brett Brown then Sixer coach reached out to him, and he came on board as a Sixer assistant. In May 2019 Williams was signed as head coach by the Suns and rewarded with a 5-year contract. It should be of note this is his second tour with Chris Paul, the two were together in New Orleans.   

Basketball from a fans perspective

“We’d be going on if Kawhi was healthy”

By the time this is read you’ve had plenty of time to digest the results of Wednesday night’s Suns victory, these are but a few more. As for the headline those are the words of Clippers shooting guard Paul George after the loss on Wednesday evening to the Suns 130-103. Okay PG let’s play “What if”, the Lakers are healthy could the Clippers have beaten them in a 7-game series? Lost in all this are the moves the Clippers made at the end of the season attempting to avoid the Lakers. We can offer you no proof, just like PG’s statement we can’t prove our testimonial is any more complete than his.

Moving on, the Suns particularly Chris Paul performed as expected. The road in front of the Suns was clear all that was required seize the moment which they accomplished, especially Paul. After scoring but 10 points in the first half of the game he exploded for 31 in the second half. The Suns can now rest, Devin Booker’s nose can heal, and they can wait for the winner of the Hawks-Bucks series. Looking toward the future for the Clippers there is a possibility Kawhi Leonard will require off-season surgery. This is speculation however if that issue should prevail will he be ready to play? In addition, can the Clippers re-sign Reggie Jackson who certainly came to the forefront in the playoffs.  

Bits n Pieces

Will Mac McClung “play” his way into the NBA? We cannot answer the question at this point but a brief return to the past. McClung would break the Virginia high school scoring record of a guy by the name of Allen Iverson. The 6-foot 3 guard would spend a single season at Georgetown and one at Texas Tech. After a back-and-forth decision it appears he’s in the NBA draft for good, he’s got no intention to return to school. Although he was invited to the NBA Draft Combine McClung’s name doesn’t appear on any mock draft sites. To compound the difficulty, McClung’s a shooting guard in a point guards body. In addition, his shooting hasn’t been eye popping at the collegiate level, we shall see what develops for his future.

Could the third son arrive in the NBA next fall? That’s just a hint currently as the Hornets are working out LiAngelo Ball the middle brother. Unlike older brother Lonzo and baby brother LaMelo the road’s been a little more difficult for him. LiAngelo has bounced around a bit, he even was signed by the Pistons for a while but never earned any playing time. At 6 foot 5 and 215 pounds he’s certainly got the size for an NBA shooting guard however teams have found him lacking. Is this Charlotte story an effort by LaMelo to get his older brother into the NBA? The question cannot be answered as this is written however LiAngelo might have portions of his game requiring work. We shall see if all three brothers are eventually sporting NBA jerseys. 

I believe we all might be waiting for the follow up, would a black player affirm the Scottie Pippen statement. Robert Horry, the maker of clutch shots voiced his opinion. Horry said he didn’t think Phil Jackson was racist. He claims the only questionable event he remembers was during a huddle. The coach used the term master in connection with events of the game and the timeout. Horry indicates he questioned Jackson who apologized saying his words may have been lost in translation. We are stuck with the words of Pippen and a partial rebuttal by Horry.

Reservations   

Wait and see, I witnessed Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham at least 3 times during the season. From my perspective his games were only average but wait there is more. I continued to see his name in the Top 5 of prospective draft choices for 2021. After the collegiate season ended Cunningham rose to the top spot and remained in that position over the last several weeks. Then I thought about Terry Porter, at the time Wisconsin-Stevens Point was at the NAIA level.

A friend had witnessed his play in the annual tournament held in Kansas City, he informed me “This guy is going to be an NBA player.” Porter would go on to have a 17-year career in the NBA along with several coaching stops after retirement, he’s now head coach at the University of Portland. Later this same friend witnessed St. Louis University’s Larry Hughes and declared him a budding star. I saw him play later and let’s just say I wasn’t impressed. He went on to a 13-year NBA career despite me holding reservations about his ability, maybe that should be applied to Cade Cunningham.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Laker news 

The Lakers are finalizing a deal to hire a replacement coach for Jason Kidd. Coming on board is David Fizdale. You might remember Fizdale was head coach at two stops, the Grizzlies and Knicks. Good luck to Jason Kidd as he departs and welcome to David Fizdale as he joins the Laker staff. It also should be of note Fizdale has a LeBron connection; he was an assistant coach when LeBron played for the Heat. In other Laker news this is yet to be confirmed, it appears Andre Drummond is reported amenable to a Laker return despite fan complaints.

You remember the objections don’t you, “Drummond was clogging the lane” or “he wasn’t allowing proper spacing for Anthony Davis and LeBron to drive.” Part of that might be no training camp with the trio, could these and other issues be worked out? We shall closely monitor this possible future move. In the case of Dennis Schroder, the report is somewhat different. You might remember last February the team offered him an $84 million 3-year contract; the word is Schroder wants at least $100 million for the same amount of time. Can we say it, BYE, BYE it’s been nice knowing you but the best move for both parties is to leave one another? On the other hand, perhaps it’s all a ploy on Schroder and his agent to increase the payday. 

Surprise, surprise

No matter the length of time I’ve witnessed NBA basketball I always manage to be surprised. Tuesday night was certainly a prime example of that, earlier afternoon came news the Hawks Trae Young would not play. An injury Young suffered would sideline him for Game three, boy was I surprised. I failed to watch the game believing the outcome would be in the Bucks favor. In addition, when valued players are missing during the playoffs I’m always bothered and that was the case here. I decided in favor of baseball and the Royals game (which was also turned out to be a mistake).

Somewhere in the 3^rd quarter I checked my phone for the Bucks-Hawks score and was shocked. The Hawks were supposed to lose this game with no Young in the lineup, someone forgot to inform them of the plan. The mistake I made expecting the Hawks to win missing Young in the lineup, we could make the same statement about Giannis Antetokounmpo. Can the Bucks close this series out without their talented forward in their lineup? Tuesday evening, I made two mistakes, 1. choosing the Royals-Red Sox game over the playoffs. 2., Missing the Hawks-Bucks was the second. The plan is to check out the Clippers-Suns despite the fact I know ahead of time Kawhi Leonard is missing, I refuse to repeat my mistake. 

He remains in place

You might have read the story Penny Hardaway was supposed to be under consideration for the Orlando Magic job. He did interview for the head coaching position however the former NBA player decided he’d remain in place. On Tuesday Penny announced his intention to remain at the University of Memphis despite meeting with representatives of the Magic. If not for a childhood friend Penny might not even be coaching basketball but that’s another story for later.

His Memphis Tigers missed the cut for the NCAA tournament but earn an invitation to the NIT which they won. Penny is adding to his coaching staff bringing on board 80-year-old Larry Brown. The longtime veteran coach has quite an extensive resume. It includes coaching stops with the Clippers, Sixers, Spurs, Pacers, Pistons, Knicks and Bobcats (Hornets), in addition he served as head coach at UCLA, Kansas and SMU. Brown remains the only head coach in history with an NCAA tournament championship (Kansas) and one in the NBA (Pistons). Should we expect great things from Memphis Tiger basketball? 

Bits n Pieces 

UConn, I believe was an original member of the Big East Conference. They left the conference for the American Athletic Conference, after 7 years UConn returned to the Big East. There might be others but that was the first school that came to mind, what’s the purpose of this column? Recently we discussed the Big XII Conference and the fact it now consists of only 10 teams; would the conference entertain adding 2 teams? I suggested Mizzou as one of the teams to return, my view was met with plenty of boos and hisses. Moves of this type are generally based on finance, that was the case here. The University of Texas was the culprit back then and might retain that role. It appears finance of the Big XII was not equally divided, Texas receiving the largest portion of conference funds.

In North Little Rock Arkansas, we have Kel ‘el Ware, he’s a 7-foot 215-pound center. He’s a Class of 2022 prospect and you know Eric Musselman Arkansas coach has reached out to the young man. Texas Tech is reported to have the inside track on Ware but that’s certainly not sat in stone. He’s received a total of 21 offers across the nation including Mizzou. No decision is forthcoming however as soon as we know you will be made aware.

The Big 12/SEC Challenge in 2021 has Mizzou facing Iowa State, the date and time of the game have not been finalized as this account is published. Mizzou had been missing for the last few years but is now facing a Big 12 opponent for the second year in a row. Last season SEC Mizzou was a winner over Big 12 TCU 102-98. Mizzou was led in scoring by the departed Xavier Pinson (36 pts) and Jeremiah Tilmon with 33 points and 11 rebounds.