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Best ever

I had no idea what to expect, Mizzou was coming off a tough win against UCF. Illinois came into the game the number 16 team in the nation so you can see my concern. My hope was a good game and hopefully a Mizzou win. This Tiger team gave me so much more than I expected as they ran past Illinois winning the game 93-71. How did they win, outstanding shooting from the floor 59% from the floor and 50% from 3pt? 

They added 23 assists and 13 steals against Illinois at one point in the game the Tigers had a 35 points lead and that was the scoring in another area. The Tigers scored an astounding 35 points off of Illinois turnovers. Senior Kobe Brown led the way with 31 points and 8 assists but it was a team effort by these Tigers. They played belly button defense on Illinois holding them to 40% shooting from the floor. Mizzou came close to playing as perfect game as possible, the team plus Mizzou Nation has 24 hours to celebrate the victory because always tough Kentucky is next as SEC play begins. 

51 years ago

It was December 22, 1971, the Lakers beat the Baltimore Bullets (Wizards) 127-120. The win became number 27 in a row breaking the professional team win record established by the 1916 New York (San Francisco) Giants.  That 1971-72 Laker team might have been the best NBA team in history despite the fact the Celtics had won more championships at the time. That team had Wilt Chamberlain-center, Elgin Baylor-small forward, Hap Hairston-power forward, Jerry West-guard and Gail Goodrich-guard.  

Envision this, four of the five starters on this Laker team are enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. I’m unsure without research if any other team might have contained a similar lineup with the exception of the Celtics. From that December 22 game they would go on to win 33 games in a row establishing the current record. Since 1972 no professional team in any sport has broken that record. The 2012-13 LeBron led Heat came close, they won 27 games in a row before their streak ended. Back to the Lakers, that team finished with a 69-13 record which has since been eclipsed by the Bulls and Warriors.

What I’d like to see

We see and some attend a number of tournament games early in the non-conference portion of the season. It’s likely to never occur however I’d like to see Division I teams in Missouri play a round robin tournament during the non-conference portion of their season. One year the tournament could be played in Kansas City, the following season it would be held in St. Louis. How it would be set up I am unable to offer any plans in advance, I would leave that to those who do that kind of stuff.

It would be great to see these teams play one another which almost never occurs. Mizzou’s played Southeast Missouri State and University of MO-Kansas City in the recent past but never the others. The “others”, Southeast Missouri State, St. Louis University and UMKC. Could it occur, of course its certainly possible. I believe without offering any proof it would be well attended. Does it sound feasible to you, it does to me?

Eastern domination

Is the NBA following the lead of the NFL, that parity thing. Generally speaking we always see the Western Conference as the dominant one. Don’t get me wrong there are very good teams in both conferences, but this season is different. In the east we have four teams with 20 or more wins, Bucks, Celtics, Cavs and Nets. Checking out the Western Conference we have none, the leaders are Nuggets, Grizzlies, Suns and Clippers with 19 each. 

This is really not critical in a sense we have ¾ of the NBA season remaining. Usually by Christmas one or two Western Conference teams are playing dominant basketball, this is a distinctive season. The defending champion Warriors suffering injuries and other stuff have been spanked big time. The Lakers also expected to contend in the Western Conference cannot seem to get out of their own way. Despite the unusual standings there is still ample time for each of the Western Conference teams mentioned and perhaps others to improve their win-loss records.   

I don’t hate KU basketball

Many friends and associates perhaps some reading the blog look at the headline and say Yaa. Contrary to popular belief that is not the case, the historical record of KU basketball has been exemplary. The small cadre of head coaches allowing them to attain the degree of success cannot be compared anywhere in the nation. I have no deep issues with anyone playing for KU with the exception of Paul Pierce. As for Pierce it’s actually an incident while a member of the Celtics involving my Lakers. In my opinion maybe the best player ever matriculated at KU…Wilt Chamberlain. I have two issues which continue and cause me to look at the school side eyed. The coach, Bill Self and the small number of arrogant students, alumni and fans. Self for his downright refusal to play Mizzou after the Tigers left the Big XII.

As I’ve pointed out on more than one occasion Nebraska and Colorado two border states also left the conference, they departed a year prior to Mizzou. I cannot remember the other school, but I read Rutgers and this unidentified school changed conferences. Because they were such fierce rivals, they scheduled a home and home (similar to what Mizzou and Kansas are doing currently). Immediately after leaving the Big XII I approached a KU fan with my belief, and this is what he said. ‘If Missouri got in the NCAA more often, they might have a chance to play Kansas.’ I realize this was one individual however it’s my belief there are a small minority of fans who possess similar arrogant attitudes toward Mizzou basketball. In closing I get it; KU is either second or third in all-time wins which speaks highly of the program. One of the coaches was the guy who invented the game. Despite these facts come down to earth, everybody fails to see KU basketball as highly regarded as you see yourself.

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An unusual stat line

Big Man Nikola Jokic’ aided the cause for his Nuggets in beating the Grizz 105-91. If you check the box score for the game, you will note 13’s across the board for the Joker. 13 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists, he shot 50% from the floor and 100% from the 3pt line. His previous game against the Hornets the line was 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists. The twice MVP winner is attempting a trifecta this season. In the past there have been several NBA players winning more than two MVP’s, three wins in a row would place Jokic’ in some exclusive company few have accomplished. You know the names all in Hall of Fame. They are Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Larry Bird but none since Bird.    

It caused me a return to his pre-draft days to determine the assessment for Jokic’ and it proved quite interesting, keep in mind this is one scout’s view. The strengths are important, but I always check what are perceived as weaknesses. “An average athlete lacking great speed and leaping ability…Foot speed is a big liability. He may struggle to stay in front of NBA athletes at the center position…Needs to improve as a post player, gain strength and develop a repertoire of back to the basket moves.” The speed part we can debate, leaping ability is a question now since he’s a constant double-double man. So there you have it, Nikola Jokic’ a.k.a. The Joker. One might ask who are the 40 players drafted ahead of Jokic’? In my view the only comparable player is his MVP rival Joel Embiid drafted at 3. Most are average to good; some are no longer in the NBA so you can easily understand my question. 

Have you heard this saying?

“The more things change the more they stay (or remain) the same.” 5-star prospect and 6-foot 11 center Makur Maker committed to Howard University a historically black college in the nation’s capital in July 2020. The landscape was to change at least that was the statement made at the time. It had been decades since a high-profile high school basketball player committed to an HBCU. For those who might not be aware of the history it was a different time. A larger number of black basketball players chose to attend HBCU’s over state or private schools. In the deep south strict segregation policies wouldn’t allow a Mississippi or Alabama black youth to attend Ole Miss or the University of Alabama.

Civil rights legislation and society changes would see these schools especially in the south begin to recruit black players. HBCU schools were no longer able to recruit the top talent in the nation. As an example today there is one black player in the NBA where once upon a time, HBCU players dominated the rosters of most NBA teams. As for Maker, it was said in 2020 “The landscape would change with his commitment to Howard.” We are two years down the road, Maker declared for the NBA draft after playing but two games when he suffered a groin injury. Maker went undrafted and would play in Australia, currently he is playing with the Wizards G-League team. As for the expected change for HBCU schools it never came about and there might be serious thoughts it just might not ever occur.

They need to make a move

Laker Nation (and sports media folks) claim the team needs to move Russell Westbrook. That might indeed be the case however it’s my contention rather than Westbrook it should be Patrick Beverly who gets the pink slip. Allow me to state this up front I was less than enthused when the Lakers chose to trade for Westbrook. I almost became violently ill when they announced the acquisition of Beverly. This doesn’t just apply for the Lakers I’ve always seen Beverly as a one-dimensional player, more than adequate on the defensive end. He couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean if you paid him (on second thought, the Lakers are paying him). I’ve mentioned in the past the scouting staff’s ability to spot talent and that might be the case for Max Christie.

The Lakers drafted Christie out of Michigan State in the second round with pick 35. I know this because I do, Christie will not impact the defensive side of the ball in the same manner of Beverly. He will score more that is a guarantee, so what do the Lakers do? Should there be a win now or build for the future attitude, my view is why not both? There is one more youngster to consider, point guard Scotty Pippen Jr., he’s also raw although his play with the G-League Lakers has been good. The Lakers called him back to the parent club so there might be minutes available for him in the future. Let’s face it they are in a jam; they are not very bad but not very good either. An infusion of youth even in a limited role for Christie and Pippen Jr. would sure beat in my mind what I’ve seen thus far…come on coach Ham make the move…please.

Really

A website bvmsports.com contained a story recently titled “Top 10 Missouri boys basketball players in the Class of 2023.” It is interesting the top four athletes on the list are all enrolled at one school, Link Academy in Branson Missouri. We probably think the best basketball players in the state might come from St. Louis or Kansas City with their large metro populations. No it’s not St. Louis or Kansas City containing the best basketball talent in the state its Branson in the Missouri Ozarks.

What comes to mind first if we discuss Branson, well how about family vacation destination. Located in   Branson is a theme park, Silver Dollar City and a significant number of entertainment venues throughout city and its surrounding area. As for the basketball question, how did this basketball talent make its way to Branson, turns out its not local talent. All four of the athletes mentioned attend Link Academy a high school containing grades 9-12.  The prep school is fairly new having opened in 2009, the hope is it becomes the IMG of the Midwest. Keep an eye on this Ozark school as it impacts boys basketball in the State of Missouri.  

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Stretch run

Gary Parrish CBS Sports confirmed what I’d written weeks ago. His words (paraphrased) “Mizzou (and Kansas State) played an adjusted schedule based on new coaches taking over. Dennis Gates and Jerome Tang worked their schedule to condition their teams to win.” I took the words of Parrish as I looked at the road ahead for Mizzou. Sidebar, this week’s KenPom has Mizzou rated number 59 in the nation which is certainly much better than most of us might have figured.

As for the recent past and present, the game and win against UCF was certainly a tough nut but nothing like the stretch run Mizzou must now face. In parenthesis are the Top 25 teams Mizzou will face beginning Thursday in the annual Braggin’ Rights game. Mizzou will face (16) Illinois, following that game will be (19) Kentucky, (10) Arkansas and Vanderbilt. No doubt they have a mountain in front of them, can they win? Of course they can, Mizzou has a roster of players who believe in themselves and trust coach Gates. It would be stupid for me to claim they will be winners in all four matches, the hope is competitive basketball.  

I knew it wouldn’t be long

At the time John Sherman purchased the baseball Royals he was an unknown name. We have the same situation in the NBA today, Mat Ishiba agrees to purchase the Suns for $4 billion. Ishiba is a billionaire mortgage lender and although his name is unknown to most of us its claimed many in the NBA are familiar with him. Why were the Suns placed on the market, you might remember commissioner Silver suspended former owner Robert Sarver. Rather than serve out a suspension Sarver decided to place the Suns on the market.

Without checking I cannot be sure of a start date, but this has also been mentioned. I can’t make the statement about other sports, as for the NBA its different. I can only think of one instance an NBA team remained on the market an extended period of time. The instance cited involved an owners death and sale of the team was delayed due to this issue. The information indicates Ishiba’s business is headquartered in Michigan, so we guess that’s where he lives. There is an additional item of interest, a report indicates Ishiba was a walk-on athlete for Tom Izzo at Michigan State and a member of the 2000 NCAA Championship team.

Top 25 by conference

The week of 12/19 the Top 25 by conference, this is no indication of conference strength strictly the numbers: 

1 West Coast

4 ACC

6 SEC

4 Big XII

4 Big10

2 Big East

1 American Athletic

3 Pac-12

Mexico City is ahead of Kansas City

Over the weekend the Spurs and Heat played a game in Mexico City. 20,160 fans were in Arena Ciudad de Mexico as the Heat beat the Spurs 111-101. Commissioner Silver indicated “one day Mexico City could have an NBA expansion team.” He’s never made a statement like that about St. Louis, San Diego, Vancouver or Kansas City or any other city to my knowledge. We must guess Mexico City’s moved in front of all those excepting Seattle and Las Vegas. Is it a bother for me, yes, it is and allow a brief explanation. The NBA can look at Mexico City or another Canadian city for expansion but why not explore all those in this nation first. I only caught a small tidbit on NBA TV unaware the game was being nationally telecast. As for the crowd it was difficult for me to judge because neither team represented a true home team. 

Zion

When healthy he can be a force on the basketball court. I speak of Zion Williamson Pelicans power forward, according to roster he checks in at 6 foot 6 inches in height and 284 pounds. A number of folks have stated since his NBA debut “He needs to lose weight, “one of the legion of critics was former NBA player Charles Barkley. As a reminder the Round Mound of Rebound also was the same height but weighed considerably less at 252 pounds. The running, jumping and general play of an NBA game can and does impact the legs, knees and feet.

Williamson now in his third year has seriously been impacted by the injury bug, boy when healthy he’s been amazing. Yes, when he’s able to play he’s been a monster on the basketball court. As for the weight issue that’s between him and his trainer, it’s not Barkley’s call or anyone else for that matter. This issue aside Williamson is now leading this team to a higher plain. As this is written the Pelicans have an 18-10 record and sit in second place in the Western Conference. The NBA season is lengthy, it remains to be seen if they can continue to play exemplary basketball.

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We stand on the shoulders of others

It’s been mentioned in this blog multiple times, the American Basketball Association went out of business in 1976. Historians have politely referred to it as a merger, everyone is included in a merger. That was not the case as the Nuggets, Spurs, Pacers and Nets were the only teams that moved into the NBA. With that understanding what occurred with ABA players, the majority were placed in a dispersal draft and chosen by NBA teams. What about the remainder, there were players not selected by the NBA. With their teams no longer operating they were tossed into neverland. Most of these players went to work on 9-5 jobs and today those who remain alive are retired from those jobs. Since that time a group has been in dialogue with the NBA, NBA Players Association over some type of pension or payment. An agreement was reached in July and payment of $24.5 million to these former players.

From Bleacher Report, “The NBA deemed that 115 players who played three or more years in the ABA or combined in the ABA and NBA were eligible for ‘recognition payments,’ not pensions.” There is no indication of the amount rendered although in Bleacher Report “Scott Tarter, the co-founder and president of Dropping Dimes, described former players’ reactions to the payments this month: “They were all literally sitting around going, ‘What the hell?’ These checks were so much bigger than many expected. Tarter called the timing ‘a Christmas miracle.” Keep in mind most of these former players are in their late 60’s and early 70’s. Whatever the amount these former players receive is long overdue and despite the length of time details a fix has been applied. As for the headline, whatever level we rise to we stand on the shoulders of others, those who came before us.

Medical emergency

I was somewhat uncomfortable with the latest development for the Lakers; Anthony Davis was out and would not return until the middle of January. Perhaps the Lakers could soldier on with Thomas Bryant occupying AD’s position. Monday afternoon came news LeBron James would be out for Monday evenings match against the Suns. I decided to check and see who else might be missing. Guards Austin Reaves and Randy Beverly would also miss the game. Before this was completed, I discovered Russell Westbrook won’t play either. I am becoming increasingly frustrated, I realize injuries are part of the game, but these Lakers…whoa.

They seem unable to remain on the court for any extended period of time. How can they even ponder a playoff run based on their current status? They are in last place in the Western Conference but has played better lately. Darvin Ham speaks of the Lakers moving in a positive direction and I have no reason to doubt him. Afterall, he sees the team up close but even the coach cannot predict an injury. It would certainly be great if the Lakers could adopt a “Next Man Up” attitude but even that might not be possible. They need the youngsters to have a baptism of fire…play them even with the prospect of losing. You cannot learn how to play in the NBA by sitting next to the coach.

Father and son

Generally this type of discussion centers on the father coaching his son, that might have occurred in the past, without research I’m unsure. This time it was a father facing the son or vice versa as opposing coaches, we had long-time coach Rick Pitino and son Rich Pitino. The elder Pitino was named coach of Iona men’s basketball in March 2020. The covid season witnessed Iona finishing with a 12-6 overall record and 6-3 in the Metro Atlantic Conference, last season it was 25-8 along with 17-3 in the conference.     

Rick is in the College Basketball Hall of Fame; son Rich probably hopes that occurs for him one day in the future. New Mexico becomes the third stop for him and after a 13-19 (5-12 conference record) last season his Lobos are 10-0 headed into this game. Sunday night would see the father-son face one another on the basketball court at the Pit in Albuquerque. The son was the winner with his Lobos winning 82 to 74 over the Gaels, and then the question what’s a Gael? Since I raised the issue, I figured I’d provide an explanation for those like me unsure. As Wiktionary explains “A member of the Gaelic-speaking peoples inhabiting Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.” For us who didn’t know the definition of a Gael we do now.

Not that unusual anymore

SI.com recently published its list of the Top 60 NBA draft prospects for 2023. After checking the names where they played, I began a count, their list contained 5 seniors. The bulk of the prospects were either college freshman, international players, Australia, G-League or OTE. I showed the list to a co-worker and after informing him about the limited number of seniors he said this. “Evidently they can’t play”, not necessarily I assured Keenan, sometimes players are slow to adapt their game.

I used Ja Morant as an example, he was drafted from Murray State after his sophomore season. Was it possible he could have been drafted after his freshman year…maybe. On the other hand the talent was evident but there were other aspects of his game requiring work. He accomplished this during his sophomore year and was made the second pick in the 2019 draft. Morant might be an exception, a larger number of prospects after tailoring are ready for the NBA after but one collegiate season. In June when you hear of a college junior or senior drafted it has little to do with lack of talent, the issue quite often is improvement in that prospects game.

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How can your value be calculated

I’m tired and he can’t help it, he in this instance is the Lakers Anthony Davis. I witnessed the play against the Nuggets, it was a smooth move up and around Nikola Jokic’ but that was it. When AD came down, his limp down to the other end of the court on defense was obvious. He was removed from the lineup for the second half of the game, fortunately for the Lakers teammates stepped up and the Lakers registered the win. Sunday evening we received the news, AD would be missing for the next month. It will be at least January 18 before he’s back on the court again and I’ve had it.

The guy cannot seem to remain on the court any length of time. I was a defender when he was given the tag “street clothes”, a reference to his continuous pattern of injuries. My question has become how can his valued be calculated when he is always injured and out of the lineup? Notice nowhere did you read where I stated he wasn’t talented. AD has tremendous Big Man talent but his inability to remain on the court for an extended time is disappointing and mind boggling to this member of Laker Nation. At this point I would have no issue if the Lakers attempted to trade him, the only problem could they locate a trading partner with AD’s injury history?

The record

After the nail biting 68-66 win over UCF I wondered, when was the last time a Mizzou team had a similar record or one exceeding 10-1. My research indicates the 1972-73 Mizzou team playing for the legendary Norm Stewart began the season 10-1 matching this team. The All-Time record is held by the 2011-12 squad which played for former coach Frank Haith. That team comprised of Marcus Denmon, Kim English, Michael Dixon Jr. and several other outstanding players. They would begin the season with 13 consecutive wins, the first loss would occur in January as they lost to K-State.

Mizzou would go on to win four additional games before suffering a second loss against Oklahoma State. That Mizzou team won 30 games (another record) before losing in the NCAA tourney and being upset by Norfolk State. The 2022-23 Mizzou team is built much different from that 2012 team, I don’t believe anyone in Mizzou Nation is expecting a repeat of that 30-win season however we shall see what develops in the competitive SEC and the NCAA tourney should that be in the future. I’ve mentioned previously this new team consist of a bunch of guys who played elsewhere. On the surface this team appears to embrace the role the coach has placed on them, kudos to coach Gates.

Always pleasing to me

Suns guard Chris Paul helped the cause in defeating the Clippers on Thursday evening. Immediately after the game he and family boarded a private plane for an east coast flight to North Carolina. Back in his youth Paul attended and played at Wake Forest, similar to a number of athletes he left school prior to completing his studies. Cross town HBCU Winston-Salem State would become the school to complete his work.

Paul graduated with a degree in Mass Communications some 19 years after beginning his NBA career. These types of stories are always gratifying to me for one simple reason. Paul, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Vince Carter and others have returned to school to complete their studies for an undergraduate degree. Despite the fact these athletes pursued a successful NBA career they felt the need to complete their education believing in the importance of it. We read and hear so many negative stories regarding athletes and education, it’s always a good thing for us to see there are a number completing the journey.

The NFL interfered

I didn’t realize Eastern Michigan was scheduled to play, besides the fact Chiefs football would have prevented me from seeing the game. The Eastern Michigan Eagles won a tight game 79-77 over Detroit Mercy, Emoni Bates was tied for team high in points with Tyson Acuff they scored 19 points apiece. The balance of numbers registered by Bates were good, he shot 42% from the floor and 50% from the 3pt line, also in the number was 6 rebounds along with 2 steals. I’m unsure if this was mentioned the last time, Bates is now listed as 6 foot 10 and is recorded as a guard/forward on the EMU roster.

Facts

The hire of Jacque Vaughn by the Nets was a significant event, more than half of the 30 head coaches in the NBA are black, Erick Spoelstra of the Heat is Filipino-American. It’s not just the NBA we can look at coaches in Division I college basketball. The figures represent the 2021-22 season, and I discovered this information. The number was 358 total and of that number 110 were black and they hold coaching positions from coast to coast. In addition I discovered black head coaches at the University of Maine and the University of Montana two states with small black populations.

How about the nations favorite sport the NFL? The number of black head coaches in the NFL stands at 3, you remember the story, don’t you? The league set up the Rooney Rule to ensure a coaching search was fair and concise. You might ask about college football, there are 13 black coaches in NCAA FBS programs out of 131 college teams. This shouldn’t be considered an attack on the NFL, college football or Major League Baseball however these sports could do a better job in their hiring practices especially since black athletes make up the majority of most rosters with maybe baseball being the exception.

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The bank is open

How would Mizzou play after being thumped last week against KU? Playing UCF in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic the question would remained unanswered until the game clock read 0.00. UCF came into the game with 8 wins and 2 losses, but I was unsure who they might have played. Johnny Dawkins always turns out a competitive team so Mizzou would be in for a fight and they were. Mizzou shot well from the field and 3pt line, but it seemed an uphill battle all the way.

UCF got off to a 10-0 start and I thought “KU hangover” although that did not prove to be the case. As usual Mizzou received scoring contributions from the team with D’Moi Hodge, Nick Honor and DeAndre Gholston. Gholston would hit a desperation 3pt bank shot from the logo with 2 seconds remaining, the final score would read Mizzou 68 UCF 66. I can make this statement without hesitation, last year’s Mizzou team would have lost this game, there is no doubt in my mind. It aids the cause tremendously having veteran leadership on this team, Mizzou with its 10-1 record prepares for the  annual Braggin’ Rights game against a very tough Illinois team on December 22.

This is difficult to determine

Writers and studio analysts (not the coaching staff) inform us Russell Westbrook needs to be traded. I become confused, I’m just a rabid fan, I am not privy to timeout discussions in the huddle. In addition I don’t read body language, all I can say is the mercurial guard has adapted. Westbrook’s adjusted to his role as a reserve. On Friday it wasn’t his play alone allowing the Lakers a win over the Nuggets 126-108 it was the other things. Anthony Davis tweaked his ankle and missed the second half of the game. Who shows up, it was Westbrook with a triple-double…off the bench!

He would score 15 points, snatched down 11 rebounds and dish out 12 assists, my question his defense. Westbrook’s never been a great defender throughout his NBA career, for the most part he uses his athletic ability. Defense is an area sometimes difficult to verify on television unless the camera focuses on one or more plays. Oh, by the way with no AD LeBron led the way in scoring with 30 points. This guy is about to turn 38 years of age December 30, he sure doesn’t play in that manner. With no AD Thomas Bryant came off the bench as well scoring 21 points pulling down 6 rebounds. The Lakers are now four games below .500 are they rolling now?

I don’t remember this Hero

Tyler Hero has been on my radar since his NBA arrival. Prior to that I couldn’t remember where he played his college basketball. I was a little surprised when it was discovered he’d played a season at Kentucky. Because the school produces a large number of NBA talent, I attempt to discover who is there. In the instance of Hero I just don’t remember him. I re-read the analysis for the 2019 draft and honestly nothing grabbed my attention.

Last season Hero was a hero as he was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year. The 2022-23 season places him in the starting lineup for the Heat. It should also be of note several scouting reports awarded Hero 4-stars which proves potential talent is not always easy to spot. In any event the Heat expect this hero to continue playing at the role he’s exhibited thus far this season. Against the Rockets Hero registered a career high in points with 41 with 10 coming from the 3pt line. The Heat haven’t played well so far but it has nothing to do with this performer.

The game that changed it all 

Most evenings during the college basketball season you turn on your television and search for a college basketball game to watch. It might not be the same network, it could be one of the ESPN family of channels, it might be Fox Sports 1 or CBS Sports Network. On the other hand you could tune into any of the Bally Sports channels. The large number of games have not always been available for your viewing pleasure. Once upon a time college basketball coverage was restricted to a Saturday afternoon game on one of the broadcast networks that was it. Imagine this the NCAA Tournament was not available anywhere close to what we see today. We can point to one game that might be considered the beginning although it was prior to cable.

It was announced as the Game of the Century, UCLA led by Lew Alcindor would face the University of Houston and Elvin Hayes. Not only would the number one and two teams in the nation face one another in the 51,000 seat Astrodome another first would occur. The game was telecast coast to coast by a patchwork of stations across the nation, the date was January 20, 1968. Lew Alcindor had sustained a scratched cornea and all week there was a question if he'd even play. The Houston Cougars managed to beat UCLA 71-69 thanks in part to the 39-point effort by Elvin Hayes. The game proved there could be a national audience for a college basketball game. We could venture a guess few either seeing the game on television or in person realized the significance. College basketball was first televised in 1940 so the game wasn’t new however the format was…a nationally televised game.

The others

Name changes are in full effect in the NBA, we’ve covered the Rookie of the Year being titled the Wilt Chamberlain Rookie of the Year award. It’s listed below along with several other changes: 

NBA All Star MVP-Kobe Bryant

Rookie of the Year-Wilt Chamberlain

NBA MVP award-Michael Jordan 

Defensive Player of the Year-Hakeem Olajuwon 

Sixth Man of the Year-John Havlicek  

Most Improved Player-George Mikan

Clutch Player of the Year (new)-Jerry West

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I can read minds

The headline is not really a true statement however I can safely predict the manner some of you will react to this account. Adam Silver said, “I would be disappointed if no woman is hired as a head coach in the next few years. Of the 30 NBA teams there are 5 with female assistant coaches. We can identify the Pacers, Kings, Grizzlies, Mavs and Pelicans as those teams. The “read minds” headline is simply this, a number of you will have a problem with the commissioner even mentioning this issue.

You can invent all sorts of objections but it’s going to occur one day. You ask the question why…I could ask you why are their male head coaches for woman’s basketball in the college ranks? If you mention the name Geno Auriemma the first thought, successful basketball coach and the second UConn. I’m reasonably sure the focus is on the successful part over he’s the school’s women’s basketball coach. Some of us have difficulty with change I think we get that but as the old hit tune goes, “Everything must change.”

“Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you”

I had the opportunity to see Jordan Clarkson play while at Mizzou. He’d transferred from Tulsa and immediately found a spot in Mizzou’s offense and defense. Although he’d distinguished himself the NBA draft was another matter, would he be drafted? That would be an affirmative and not only was he chosen he began his NBA career with my Lakers. The Wizards chose him in the second round of the 2014 draft but later traded him to my Lakers.

I’m not sure what occurred over the next few seasons, but Clarkson was eventually traded to the Cavs and from there to the Jazz. For the Jazz Clarkson was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2021, he’s now moved into the starting lineup and his NBA career numbers have accelerated. As for the headline it reflects on the fact sometimes one might excel on other occasions it’s the other way around. In this instance I’m going to state the Lakers made an enormous mistake trading Clarkson. Would his breakout occurred if he’d remain with the Lakers? I cannot answer that question however the Lakers swung and missed on this move they hoped would improve the team. 

NBA All Time Leading Scorers

If you check the scoring record of Julius “Dr. J.” Erving, you will discover he scored 18,364 points during his career. Well guess what, that scoring total is not quite correct, the number you read is the total he scored in the NBA. The points he scored while in the American Basketball Association playing for the Virginia Squires and New York Nets are not included in the total. The NBA is not picking on Dr. J. alone there are others including Moses Malone, George Gervin, Connie Hawkins plus Artis Gilmore and a host of others.  

These are athletes who began their professional careers in the ABA and later retired from an NBA team after the merger. I’m unsure but I imagine the same story exists for Rick Barry in a different manner. Barry began his career in the NBA but later jumped to the ABA for four seasons. He would return and his last 8 years would be spent with the NBA Warriors and NBA Rockets. Back to Dr. J., we could add another 9,332 points to his total which makes him as a 20,000-point scorer for his professional career. If you ask me why the NBA decided to not include the totals from both leagues, I have no answer without contacting the NBA and asking the question?    

There is a difference

What’s the difference between stuff I write in this blog and what you might hear and read. Big difference, I always attempt to point out this is my opinion on the subject matter. If you disagree that doesn’t make you wrong, you are simply stating a different view of the point at issue. I refuse to believe I have been blessed with special insight that allows me to always provide a concise answer. Should I guess that’s a New York thing to be loud, argumentative and over the top in order to prove only you have the answers. In the real world that doesn’t work…what we see on television doesn’t exist when asking for a raise.

It is pure entertainment for the television audience. As my younger friends might state its purely “to get clicks”, they want to ensure they have the capability of taking numbers to their higher ups and say look see, this is what I GENERATED. I happen to believe it takes special skill to play basketball and well especially at the NBA level. Certainly ability is required however there is nothing special about sitting in front of a television camera pontificating over an issue. Don’t get me wrong there are many in the media who do an admirable job without all the theatrics.

It's now official

Toss the geography out the window, it’s no longer important anymore to any conference. The Board of Regents has approved the move of UCLA from the Pac-12 to the Big 10. It’s believed Southern Cal will soon follow UCLA out the door as well, what becomes of the league after these two move? I cannot address the football question nor any other sports, the basketball is the only sport I feel comfortable with a comment. UCLA basketball is one of the most storied programs in the nation.

The mighty Bruins since 1920 have won 1,955 games excluding the 2022-23 season. The number of wins place them 7^th in the nation in college basketball, those in front of UCLA read like a who’s who of collegiate sports. A large number of the wins occurred while the late John Wooden was head basketball coach. Who are the others, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Temple, Syracuse and UCLA? Adding a storied program like UCLA is a giant coup for the Big 10. As this is written UCLA record stands at 9 wins and 2 losses, they are in first place in the Pac-12.

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Urban Dictionary

Off the Dribble is certainly not an original term but a further explanation follows. Some years back when this blog was first began it was titled Words eye view. Because of some confusion with the term I made the decision to change the name. After searching for a number of names I came upon the basketball term Off the dribble. I did this without consulting the Urban Dictionary which includes the term. Let’s check out the definition below.

It says, “doing something off the dribble means you are dribbling the ball, usually some dribbling move to get yourself open, before you pick up the dribble to shoot, pass or whatever.” Urban Dictionary details the term as, “Real Talk, speaking honesty, and from the heart.” After reading the definition I thought I believe that fits me. Over the years I’ve attempted to provide you my view of the basketball world as accurately as possible, in addition I put my heart and soul into this effort. I must in order to research many of the stories you read on a daily basis. Despite my approach to a title for my blog I believe I stumbled onto an outstanding name.

Once upon a time…

The NCAA might have been an efficiently run organization at one time. I cannot place a day and date, but they have had little direction for quite a few years. Remember when they charged KU and Bill Self with 5 Level one violations? Around that same time frame I believe they leveled 5 Level one charges against Sean Miller then head coach at Arizona. Self was able to retain his job however that would not be Miller’s case, Arizona fired him although Xavier would later hire him.

Back to KU, after dragging their feet for what seemed like an eternity (more like 4-5 years) the NCAA appeared to conclude nothing occurred. Self voluntarily sat out the first 5 games of the season, end of story for KU. On Wednesday came word from the NCAA that knocked my socks off, Miller was declared cleared of any charges and would face no punishment. Two former Arizona assistants would face future show cause hearings should they interview for jobs. The NCAA is stumbling, bumbling organization, they charge schools with improprieties and then are unable to provide proof of guilt.  

Best NBA Big Man

For maybe the last two seasons the debates raged, who is the best Big Man in the NBA. One might claim its Nikola Jokic a.k.a. The Joker, after all he’s a two-time NBA MVP. East of Denver in Philly to be precise folks there would have you believe its Joel Embiid. If we look strictly at the numbers, the two could be considered even. Scoring it’s Embiid almost 34 points a game versus the 23.8 of Jokic. If we check out the rebounds Jokic is the winner here, 10.1 rebounds and Embiid at 9.8.

The passing skills of The Joker place him clearly ahead in this area, 10.1 assists while Embiid is 4.8 both are outstanding for someone playing the five or post position. The field goal percentage has Jokic at 62% and Embiid at nearly 54%. To my surprise (and maybe yours) Embiid is slightly ahead of Jokic with his 32.8 compared to 31.6 from the 3pt line. Embiid has him beat at the FT Line with his 85% over the 80% of Jokic. Almost everything is based on how far a particular team advances in the playoffs. In both instances Embiid and The Joker need contributions from teammates for success, after all basketball remains a team game. Is this the year Embiid eclipses The Joker or will the Nugget center win the MVP for the third year in a row?

Their thoughts (not mine)  

I’ve indicated on more than one occasion I don’t regularly listen to local sports talk radio. The reasons vary but on occasion I do hear a noteworthy discussion. In this instance I’m talking about a morning drive time question-answer by the local radio host with veteran college basketball writer Mike DeCoursey of the Sporting News. The host wanted to discuss the Saturday game between Mizzou-KU, now keep in mind in both instances these are not word for word quotes.

When questioned about the game DeCoursey said this, "We had a basketball institution (KU) version versus a coach on the job 5 months. I like what he's (Gates) accomplished in a short period" On the way home Tuesday afternoon Garry Parrish of CBS Sports was questioned by a different host, he asked about Coach Dennis Gates these are his words not mine. "Missouri is on the road to success with this coach.” There is no doubt in my mind Mizzou Nation hoped for a different outcome…sometimes the better team wins. I hope this doesn’t appear an excuse, but I wonder, was Mizzou too hyped for the game? Sellout crowd, KU was once an archrival and other stuff.

Bits n Pieces

Steph Curry suffered a left shoulder injury and will miss a few weeks. For the defending champion Warriors this is certainly not good news, the Warriors have played up and down with Curry in the lineup. Having him sidelined for weeks might indicate a more downward slide for the Warriors. Do the Warriors have time to re-right the ship before the end of the season? The time without Curry will be a true test, will the team circle the wagons and defend their championship? We must wait and see how this season turns out for that answer.

Emoni Bates was sentenced to 18 months’ probation for his traffic arrest. You might remember back in September the Eastern Michigan forward was arrested during a routine traffic stop. The arrest resulted in two charges, carrying a concealed weapon and altering ID marks on said weapon. According to reports if Bates completes the probation his record will be expunged, both are felony charges which could be detrimental to his future should Bates fail to successfully complete probation. 

Chris Beard is in a holding pattern; he’s been suspended by the University of Texas as a result of the    domestic violence charge. Legal experts claim this entire process might not be resolve for a full year. You and I know Texas is not going to wait that length of time to determine Beard’s future. Despite all the positives this coach had going for him one negative event is likely to end his coaching career at least for the immediate future. The reason I pose Beard’s future in this manner there have been other coaches in the past with similar allegations and they eventually were able to return to coaching.

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Topsy turvy

Early NBA returns are certainly nothing like we expected. The Celtics and the Bucks appear to be the only consistent teams on December 14^th. Both teams have 20 or more victories at this point in the season. As for the others, it’s strictly topsy turvy. I’d bet large sums of money on this if I were a betting person. I could probably find NO ONE at the start of the season willing to state the Pelicans and Grizzlies would be leading the Western Conference on this date.

Both the Pelicans and Grizzlies have 18 wins and their play to date has been outstanding. The road has been bumpy for the defending champion Warriors, we had no idea they would be sitting at .500. The Jazz and Cavs after beginning the season en fuego have settled and probably at the level most expected. With Kawhi Leonard basically absent the Clippers have underwhelmed thus far, we could make the same statement about the Suns, as for my Lakers that remains a work in process. I have no idea what the playoff picture will be in April, this has been a strange unusual 1/3 of the season for me.   

It’s baseball, not basketball

The Royals owner John Sherman held a public forum discussing the planned downtown stadium. I didn’t attend however I heard nothing reported by the media to cause me excitement. It appeared (notice the wording) there was more concern voiced about downtown locations over who pays. If you’ve read this blog any length of time you are aware of the concern on my part. I checked November 22 video on Intuit Dome in Los Angeles prior to writing this. Construction is progressing unfortunately I don’t own the video so I cannot share with you what I saw. I checked all recent NBA additions and discovered this information. These arenas were built with a mix of private and public funding, they include Barclays (2012) in Brooklyn, Little Caesars (2017) in Detroit and Fiserv in Milwaukee (2018).

Chase Center in San Francisco opened in 2019, it was constructed with private funding alone. The planned new home of the Clippers the Intuit Dome in Inglewood scheduled for completion in 2024 is also privately financed. As for Kansas City, I might have missed it however nowhere in the conference was there any mention of who pays. Before someone comes to the wrong conclusion allow me to state I’m not opposed to a new baseball stadium my objection is how its funded. Being a realist I understand construction of a basketball arena is certainly more economical than a baseball or football stadium. In the instance locally it appears we are more concerned about the where or the who. Who pays is certainly a more important consideration for me over where a stadium might be built. Just the thoughts of a guy who might have to pay. There are social issues which have not been discussed here, that’s for another time and for more detail.

My thoughts

The other day I held a conversation with a friend, I informed him I don't hold grudges. On second thought there are exceptions, remember the "55"? I stated that was the number of reasons I never wanted to play KU in basketball ever. The figure was exaggerated on my part, but I do have a reason. Rutgers University in NJ had a longtime rival change conferences. The two schools immediately began to schedule a home and home series in order to continue their rivalry. In 2012 I made the mistake of suggesting a similar scenario to a card-carrying member of Jayhawk Nation.

His response, "If Missouri got into the NCAA Tournament more often, they might have a chance to play KU” as he smiled at me. Yes, I do hold grudges, not against those who play for the school, it's the others. The “others” include the KU coach as well, Bill Self appears to hold a grudge too. For years he flat out refused to schedule Mizzou, his success on the basketball court allows him to wield a great deal of power within the KU Athletic Department. I don’t know if it was a time heal for Self or a change in the administration at KU and Mizzou the Border Showdown was renewed again. The other problem for me is KC media performing a great service. They have often forced me to look toward St. Louis first or Columbia (MO) for coverage of Mizzou athletics.

New names

Despite the passage of time we continue to marvel at the play of Wilton Felton Chamberlain. The NBA is changing the names on its trophy’s that honor those individuals of the past and that includes this giant. The first trophy name change we discuss is for Rookie of the Year, it will become the Wilt Chamberlain Rookie of the Year award. Why is Wilt’s name attached to this trophy, well it might have something to do with his impact on the game his first year in the league.

In the 1959-60 NBA it consisted of only 8-teams, despite this fact the numbers produced by Chamberlain have never been approached by any NBA rookie. Check these, 37.6 points, 27 rebounds 46.1% field goals, 46.4 mpg each and every game. The field goal percentage is not special however the other stats certainly are. Did you notice there are no block shot totals, there is a starting point. The NBA did not begin tracking blocked shots until the 1973-74 season, Chamberlain retired the year previously. At the end of the 2022-23 NBA season the league will announce the first Wilt Chamberlain Rookie of the Year winner.

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Say what?

The number of international players on college campuses and in the NBA has increased significantly over time. The names have caused me some difficulty pronouncing them, what did I do, consult the spelling and then phonetically spell the names? Here’s an example the French generational 18-year-old Victor Wembanyama’s last name becomes wind-ben-yama. That should be relatively easy to pronounce for even me. The Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to cause me difficulty till I utilize the tool.

Antetokounmpo spelled phonetically becomes aan-tuth-tuh koom pow, that’s easy, isn’t it? The guy that I first remember having difficulty was former Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki. I don’t know if this tool was around when Nowitzki first arrived in the NBA, so I had to learn it the old fashion way. I had to listen to broadcasters pronounce his name until I became comfortable with it, nuh-vit-skee. There are probably other athletes I might have overlooked however I hope you understand this.

This is where we are

I couldn’t remain awake; it was too late considering work on Tuesday. I speak of the high school game between Sierra Canyon and Christ the King out of New York City. The game had an all-star component at Bronny James (LeBron) playing for Sierra Canyon was facing Kiyan Anthony (Carmelo) who tees it up for Christ the King, Bronny’s team was the winner 62-51. The game was telecast on ESPN as the games of both the fathers had been nationally telecast 20 years earlier.

“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”

19^th Century humorist and novelist Mark Twain was the author of the headline. He’s reported to have written a letter to a newspaper when reports of his death were supposed to have circulated. Well nothing so drastic occurred with the Clippers Kawhi Leonard however there is a basis for use of the headline. You might remember I’ve written at least two accounts claiming his NBA career might not be over, but his skill set may possibly have lessen due to injury.

Up to the Monday night game he’d only played in 7 of the team’s 28 games. Perhaps he read my reports (or maybe he didn’t), whatever the case he proved me wrong at least for one game. Leonard led the way in the 113-93 victory over the Celtics with 10 for 12 shooting from the floor, included in his total was 9 rebounds and 6 assists. The resurgence by Leonard comes at an appropriate time, the Clippers were playing above .500 but only 15 wins and 13 losses prior to the win on Monday. His play from this point on almost demands we see what unfolds in the future for him.

He's a potential NBA prospect

Allow me to get this out of the way first, this past Saturday KU’s Gradey Dick was not the game’s high scorer. That honor went to Kevin McCullar Jr. leading the way with 21 points. Despite that fact Gradey’s early shooting provided the lead his Jayhawks never relinquished. Mizzou was ahead 4-2 when the Jayhawk freshman began bombing away from distance. Gradey’s game total of 16 points saw him shoot 54% from the floor and 60% from the 3pt line, the downside to his game only shooting 60% from the foul line.

He also contributed 7 rebounds and 5 assists to the victory. Even more interesting the 6-foot 8 guard is a rarity, he’s from Kansas. We can state the vast majority of talent playing at KU is not home grown. Gradey was born in Wichita; he began honing his basketball skill at Sunrise Christian Academy in the city. It should be of note, two NBA mock draft sites place Gradey a first-round draft choice in 2023. If the balance of his freshman season is anything similar to what we’ve seen, you better hurry. The hurry is addressed to Jayhawk Nation because Gradey’s not going to be in Lawrence for his sophomore season.

I’m in a quandary

If you provide me enough evidence, I can agree with your view of a subject. That is the case for Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, he wrote a column for their .com site. “The Lakers still need to trade Russell Westbrook if they plan to contend, despite his recent success” was the title of the account he wrote. Quinn tossed a few roses in the direction of Westbrook with his improved play as a reserve. He then added the stuff not so good which caused me to title my account “I’m in a quandary.” The Lakers dilemma reminds me of the guy who is sawing off the tree limb he’s sitting on.

Sure the limb will come crashing to the ground however the guy sitting on it will come down too. If the improved play of the Lakers is sparked by Westbrook and he gives up defense and offense in other areas is that proof of improved play? I am seeing this from the viewpoint of an informed fan but yet I’m just that a fan. There are areas only the coach and his staff see, in addition the front office of Rod Pelinka also has an issue with the contract. Westbrook has one of the largest contracts in the NBA probably few teams might be willing to absorb based on his play in the recent past. To send Westbrook home is not going to solve the matter either, there needs to be someone to take over.

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I ain’t getting paid for this

You might remember my debate with myself a few weeks back, should I purchase ESPN+? Most of Mizzou’s non-conference games were not available on television. In addition I wanted to “scout” Emoni Bates as he transferred from Memphis to Eastern Michigan. There might have been additional reasons however those two mentioned are the basis for me purchasing the service. My only complaint thus far is the half time period, there is none. My computer screen shows the logo of the game until action starts again for the second half. Other than this little glitch I’m satisfied, as for the future you might remember this. I said I might cancel ESPN+ after the college basketball season was over in March, now I’m not so sure.

No decision made until spring

LeBron James Jr. better known as Bronny will make his decision known in the spring. Bronny is a 6-foot 2-inch combo guard, he’s a 4-star prospect in the Class of 2023. Bronny has an extensive list of schools offering scholarships. It’s reported Ohio State has the inside track but there is no guarantee he’s headed to Columbus in the fall. It should be noted the schools are not in any order of preference:

Memphis

North Carolina A&T

North Carolina Central

USC

Duke

Kansas

Kentucky

North Carolina

Ohio State

UCLA

I received pushback

The Pelicans are not moving to Kansas City or at least that’s an opinion of an associate. He listened to my comment regarding the expiration of the Smoothie King lease and the fact its reported the team is losing money. At the end of the discussion I said, “This is all speculation on my part, I have no evidence the Pelicans would move here.” This associate claims with the Chiefs, Royals and soccer there are no extra dollars to spend on an NBA team. This is the portion of the discussion that might be difficult to determine without extensive research. It was a different time however the Chiefs, Royals, Kings basketball, NHL hockey and soccer all existed in the metro at one time with a much smaller population.

Was it too much professional sports based on the population at the time? I cannot testify to the financial stability of each franchise, the NHL Scouts were the first to leave in 1976, the Kings also moved however it was after the 1984-85 season. In 1969 the metro population here was 1,073,000 folks today that number is 2,192,035, a population increase alone fails to sell tickets…it’s the product that sells. The Kings had 4 winning seasons in the 13 years Kansas City was home, there are only so many games fans will pay their hard-earned dollars to see a poor or average performance. The associate said Gayle Benson could place the team on the market and sell to a local owner, that is certainly plausible. So we close this out by stating there are far too many issues to say an affirmative yes however I wouldn’t say don’t do it because of possible difficulties.

The problem…it’s the conference

I finally figured it out, i.e. the Kansas City media issue with the Tigers. I cannot remember local media coverage of Mizzou 10-years ago only last season and in the present. The State of Missouri shares its northern border with Iowa (Iowa State) a portion of its northwestern border with Nebraska (The University of). It’s western border with Kansas (Kansas & Kansas State) and a small portion with Oklahoma (Oklahoma & Oklahoma State). Mizzou had been in the Big Six Conference (1928-1947) which morphed into the Big 7 (1948-1959) then the Big 8 and finally the Big XII. There were few changes over the decades with the majority of schools plus the fact Mizzou was in the conference all along.

In addition to length of time you might note the geography, with the exception of Colorado now in the Pac-12 the conference was linked by geography. Once Mizzou left the Big XII for the SEC the geographical connection was severed. Arkansas shares a northern border, and a tiny portion of the Tennessee border is shared with Missouri that’s it. It’s far easier to identify with Iowa State or Nebraska a distant but compacted drive versus a 14-hour drive from Columbia to the University of Florida in Gainesville. So there you have it my belief as to why the media somewhat ignores sports activity at Mizzou although the university is only a 2.5-hour drive from Kansas City. Unless Mizzou wins a national championship in football or basketball the school despite its location will always be the “other school.”

What do you think

I’ve got an opinion however yours is just as important. If you’ve read this blog for a time, you are aware there are issues with a number of the “talking heads.” No requirement for me to name them you are acquainted with most of them. They are ever present on our television sets providing us their view of an issue or player, you notice the wording underlined. I don’t know about you but oftentimes they have been incorrect in the information related to us the viewer. Despite this fact networks pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars for being wrong at times.

Are these the words of a frustrated person…not really my problem has always been dispensing information as a voice of authority. No one is correct all the time in accessing an issue or situation. Stop trying to impress us, you don’t have the answers. An opinion is not the same as an answer. I admit it a couple of co-workers push me into 21^st Century thinking. They said, “All these guys are doing is entertaining, they are just trying to get clicks.” If I came at you loud and boisterous its likely you’d pay more attention than a quiet me despite providing the same view of the matter.

 

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It was an old fashion beat down

You have the ending planned out in your mind, the only problem the finale is nowhere what was hoped or even expected. That was the case Saturday afternoon into the early evening, the Kansas Jayhawks did a number on Mizzou. I thought or rather believed going into the game Mizzou had a good chance at winning, I was unprepared for what was to occur. Mizzou’s team shooting above 50% for the first 9 games was at 33% at a point. Not only that the Jayhawks had backdoor cut after backdoor cut resulting in easy layups. It seemed all game long Mizzou was a step slow in every area. Far too many times a KU player would miss, and the ball would be tipped in on a second or third attempt.  The final score read KU 95 Mizzou 67 now Mizzou must prepare for a Saturday morning game against UCF on the road. The very ugly loss is in the rear-view mirror, no requirement to dwell on it, time to move on. UCF will have played two games Tarleton State and Ole Miss before facing Mizzou on the weekend.

One of the difficulties for me is to separate the boo-birds. I’ve read a number of email complaints about Gates and Mizzou basketball, I’m unsure if they are from fans of the program or KU gloating over the victory. One thing for sure I intend to “ride” with the coach and this Mizzou program until I discover there is an issue. Other than game outcome the only question for me and others is why Isiaih Mosley is sitting. This from the coach, ‘I anticipate Isiaih helping us without a doubt…The transition he’s going through, he’s gonna get to the other side of it and he’s gonna help us win ball games and I’m excited about it…. Everyone’s transition is different. He’ll help us without a doubt.’ (Saturday Down South, Ethan Stone Dec 10, 2022) That statement is not clear, there is an apparent problem which must be too delicate to discuss with the public. What is missing in the game against KU was a consistent scorer. Check out these numbers Mosley registered at Missouri State last season. He shot at a 20.4 point per game clip 50% from the floor and 43% from 3pt. So he’s a proven scorer, hopefully whatever the issues he will work them out soon. 

Paul Silas

We received the sad news on Sunday, long-time former NBA coach Paul Silas had passed away at the age of 79. Most probably remember him as LeBron’s first NBA coach at Cleveland. The Cavs were just one of a number of NBA teams he coached over his career. Silas moved into the coaching ranks after an NBA playing career with 5 teams, he was a three-time NBA champion 2 with the Celtics and 1 with the Sonics. Silas was enshrined in the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017 based on his All-American play while at Creighton University. His son Stephen Silas is the current head coach of the Rockets. Paul Silas a name to remember R.I.P. 

Wow

I can understand Steve Ballmer wanting out of Staples Center i.e. Crypto.com Arena. Almost everything is a reminder the arena is the Lakers building. Remember back to the time Doc Rivers was coach of the Clippers. Rivers went through this procedure where he had the arena maintenance crew cover the Lakers championship and banners of retired Lakers covered whenever the arena was home for the Clippers. Check the numbers below just in the one building

                        Lakers              Clippers

Win pct             .680                  .415

Playoff app         41                      16

Finals app          19                        0

Titles                  12                        0

As I attempted to indicate two teams cannot successfully share the same arena. In football certainly possible with teams only playing once a week. Two baseball teams could play in the same stadium although that too might cause a problem. As for the Clippers new home Intuit Dome construction appears on schedule and the arena will open in the fall of the 2024 NBA season.

Is this fair

With the change in schools (Memphis to Eastern Michigan) I made a commitment to follow Emoni Bates. As you are aware he hardly played last season and then an injury sidelined him, from there it was a return home and EMU. The problem for me I’m unsure how to make a judgement on his play since EMU is not particularly good. On Sunday they were losers against Niagara 67-60, Bates scored but 13 points however he didn’t shoot much.

He was a decent 50% from the floor and didn’t take a 3pt shot. As for the season his numbers look good, 44.2% from the floor, 41.7% from 3pt and 69% from the free throw line. Bates is scoring at 20.1 points a game, I have ESPN+ so I will be able to continue monitoring his games. The question for me and you is it worth the effort continuing to issue reports on his play based on the poor play of his team. I can close with this additional report, at least two NBA mock drafts list the 6 foot 9 Bates as a second-round pick in 2023. The only question remaining, will he leave EMU for the NBA?