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Expect the worst but hope for the best     

Those words were the lead to my social media post on the Mizzou-Bama game. I’d mentioned in the Top 25 poll Bama was listed at 3 in one and 4 in another, Mizzou certainly had their work cut out for them. Although Mizzou made several runs at Bama even taken the lead to a point they were never able to sustain it. The final score read Bama 72 Mizzou 61, as you’ve heard from the time you were in elementary school, “You live by the jump shot or die by it.” In this game Mizzou managed to perform the latter.

There were so many shots some of them right beneath the basket that became missed shots, Mizzou managed to shoot a pathetic 34% from the floor. It should also be noted in addition Brandon Miller (projected NBA lottery pick) and Noah Clowney (anticipated NBA late first round pick) managed to do a number on Mizzou’s Kobe Brown who only managed 6 points on 3 for 9 from the floor. I guess this might not be a good time to mention Coach Dennis Gates received an extension. Just kidding, he deserved it and hopefully this will place a “hands off” sign on the coaches door. In any event I must remind you again, did I have any idea Mizzou would play a semi-final game in the SEC in the coaches first year?

Who are they?

The retirement of Pau Gasol’s number 16 prompted this story. Are you familiar with the names and numbers of those hanging in the rafters of Crypto.com Arena? Some reading this might not be familiar with the names so the dates they wore Purple & Gold is also provided. 

Kobe Bryant 8 & 24, 1996-2016

Wilt Chamberlain 13, 1968-1973

Elgin Baylor 22, 1958-1971

Magic Johnson 32, 1971-1991,1996

Kareem Abdul Jabbar 33, 1975-1989

Shaquille O’Neal 32, 1996-2004

Gail Goodrich 25, 1965-1968, 1970-1976

James Worthy 42, 1982-1994

Jerry West 44, 1960-1974

Jamaal Wilkes 52, 1977-1985

Pau Gasol 16, 2008-2014

George Mikan 99, 1947-1954 Minneapolis Lakers 

For your information without a count I checked the Boston Celtics for retired numbers. The Celtics have more retired jerseys than my Lakers.

What’s the difference

Laker center Mo Bamba is out suffering a high ankle sprain, some might remember Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes suffered the same fate. When I was growing up, I remember spraining my ankles numerous times, it seemed in a few days I was fine. Now I’m hearing about a high ankle sprain, and I want to know the difference maybe you do too. This is what was uncovered on the net, “High ankle sprains involve turning inward or outward while your foot is flexed up.

Most low ankle sprains happen when the ankle rolls inward, while other low ankle sprains happen when the ankle rolls outward.” A little more information for your understanding, “Recovery time is 4-6 weeks although severe high ankle sprains can take up to six months and might require surgery.” What I experienced in my youth was just an ordinary ankle sprain. I located 8 NBA players who suffered high ankle sprains during their careers. LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook are just a few of the names.

Transfer portal

I happen to believe the transfer portal is a vital aid however it’s not the only one. Adding a player already accustomed to the college game certainly can be beneficial. Despite this fact I believe recruiting high school talent remains key to the success of any basketball program. I have no idea who arrives for the Mizzou Tigers in August, as for the recruiting at present. Several sources indicate Mizzou should have a good incoming class; I’d take that one step further. With 300+ Division I schools anyplace in the Top 50 is good territory. Below are the sites and where they rank Mizzou’s 2023 class in the nation:

247Sports #20

On3.com #32

Rivals.com #30

SI.com #22 

I believe this evidence speaks well for Coach Gates and staff in their efforts to recruit talent for Mizzou. The other portion of recruiting is the transfer portal. I have a friend who imparted these words to me, “I don’t have the patience for developing freshmen anymore.” I can agree with his statement based on the success of Mizzou this season, there are 9 seniors on this roster they are comfortable playing at Division I level unlike an incoming freshman. The adjustments required of portal players are far smaller than an incoming freshmen. I’m reminded of a quote by the late Al McGuire longtime Marquette coach. McGuire once said this; “The best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores.”

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D’Lo

Anthony Davis only scored 8 points in the game; he wasn’t injured or anything that drastic. I realize this sounds difficult to believe but this was an evening his offense was not required. The Lakers scored an amazing 61 points from reserve players, sounds strange, doesn’t it? The Lakers backcourt was a key factor scoring baskets and assisting on basket after basket to teammates as they beat the Raptors 122-112. 

The clear leader in the Friday victory was point guard D’Angelo Russell who returned to the lineup after missing the last 6 games. D’Lo scored 28 points dished out 9 assists and was 5-8 from three. Dennis Schroeder came off the bench scoring 23 along with 7 assists. This Laker team looks totally different than the one prior to the trade deadline. Even with no LeBron in the lineup they look energized. They are now one game below .500 a number I thought impossible to reach this season. Hopefully they can continue at this pace...we shall see. 

A pioneer

His name Is unknown to many today, but it should be. The late Will Robinson passed in 2008 at the age of 96 but he was a “quiet” pioneer in the sport. We can look at several major universities across the nation and see a black head coach, in fact sometimes we might see two match against one another. At one point when did this begin, this is the shorten version of that history. Times were changing black players in all sports were being recruited by teams especially in the Deep South. We’d even seen schools hiring assistant coaches but there was no black head coach until Will Robinson.

In 1971 Illinois State located at Normal Illinois hired Robinson from Pershing High School in Detroit. A move of this type certainly wouldn’t occur in this day but back then it was probably taken matter a fact. With the hire of Robinson he became the first black head coach at a Division I school in the nation. One might ask why you are always writing about the “first”, my answer is simple. Someone always goes ahead of us to lay the foundation for what is to occur later, in this instance it was Will Robinson. The coach only remained at Illinois State four years, he was age 60 when first hired. Despite his relative short tenure his teams managed to compile a 62-41 record. One of his best players was Doug Collins who went on to a playing career in the NBA and much later as a head coach.

Despite leaving Illinois State the Coach was not done working he became a scout for the Detroit Pistons and discovered Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman who would later distinguish themselves in the NBA. This tidbit of information I just discovered the Piston offered the head coaching job to Robinson, but he turned them down. They later hired Chuck Daly in his place. The names he coached in high school or discovered reads like a who’s who list. This is but a brief look at a basketball pioneer one many are probably unfamiliar with, Will Robinson.

Load Management

We’ve discussed NBA players sitting out games to “rest” and the image it creates. Like many of you I want to be fair, but this issue is a concern. For me it’s not as critical, I turn on ESPN or TNT expecting to see Kyrie Irving in action. Prior to tip off the announcers say, “Kyrie Irving will not be available tonight, he is in load management protocol.” The only money I’ve spent is my electricity and cable TV bill, I haven’t spent $150-$175 on tickets, food and parking as some of you have.

Two years ago while I was attending a Mavs game the issue never occurred, as far as I remember everyone played. All players don’t believe it’s a legitimate thing, the Knicks Josh Hart is one of them. This is what he said after the Knick’s played two overtimes in a recent game. “You’ve got people getting up at 6 a.m. doing 12 hour shifts. Those people are tired. For us, we’re playing a game. We got to keep that in perspective.” It’s not just Hart with this view rest assured there are probably other players who share his belief.

“I don’t get no respect”

This has been mentioned in the past, the headline are the words of the late Rodney Dangerfield. This standup comic would use the line I don’t get no respect often throughout his standup routine. That has become the lament of the Mizzou Tigers, part of the issue is their fault. The basketball has been atrocious for the last several seasons, although there had been a coaching change not much was expected. Despite the fact the winning (24 wins and counting) have exceeded expectations they are still ignored. I monitor the television sports news, almost always this is the order. The Kansas score is provided first then Kansas State and finally the Mizzou score.

I could understand it if the television stations were located in Kansas, only one has a Kansas address. 610 and 810 a.m. Sports Talk Radio are just as guilty. Now that I’ve gotten the rant out of my system allow me to say Mizzou 79 Tennessee 71 in the SEC Tourney, they will now face Alabama in the semi-finals. As usual Kobe Brown led the way to the victory, but this continues the trend of the entire team making significant contributions to victories this season. This has become a “Damn if you do, damned if you don’t” …Mizzou fails to win and the complainers line up, if they win the question becomes why didn’t they win by a larger margin? I said it before, and I guess I must follow through boycott local sports talk radio again.

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The strangest retirement in history

I don’t believe there is any disagreement, Jim Boeheim former Syracuse coach experienced a Hall of Fame career, in fact he actually is already enshrined. The public witnessed what I believe is the strangest retirement in history, will he or won’t he? I’m referring to the interview most of us witnessed. After 47 years at the helm apparently Boeheim is retired but maybe not. He’s got to be gone officially the school’s named Adrian Autry head men’s basketball coach.

I mentioned the 47 years what about the NCAA Championship and the huge number of NBA players his program produced over those years. Who stands out for me, it’s got to be Carmelo Anthony because he too will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame eventually. Although most of the NBA players from Syracuse might not have been all pro the list is quite extensive. We knew the clock was ticking for Boeheim and he would be retiring at some point either this year or next, but it was the manner the “retirement” interview occurred. Boeheim sounded as if the school was ready for his retirement, but he wasn’t.

Bits n Pieces

The Lakers retired Pau Gasol’s 16, Tuesday his jersey was placed alongside other Laker greats. After checking the numbers of past Laker power forwards, I concluded the 7-foot Gasol was the best ever at the position. Basketball remains a team sport, but Gasol was a key to the 2009 and 2010 NBA Championships. Quite appropriate, his jersey was placed beside that of teammate Kobe Bryant. Congratulations Pau Gasol and thank you for being a vital contributor to Laker Championship basketball.

When is a triple-double not awarded…when it is clearly bogus. On site game officials had credited Giannis Antetokounmpo with a triple-double however the league overturned it. This from AP News, “He (Antetokounmpo) grabbed a defensive rebound with about nine seconds left, knowing that left him one rebound short of 10. He hustled the ball downcourt, not near the rim the Bucks were shooting at, hesitated for a moment before throwing the ball intentionally into the bottom of the rim and catching it.”

The University of Houston along with BYU, Cincinnati and UCF will join the Big XII next season. Our focus is on the Cougars, they have been the top team in the polls most of the season. I have only seen bits and pieces of them in action this season, with the tourney upcoming I certainly plan on checking them out. What’s interesting to me is the projected move next season. The Cougars are joining maybe the toughest basketball conference in the nation, they better be prepared.

You might have heard someone make this statement in the recent past. “These players (NCAA Tourney) are trying out for NBA jobs,” that’s a bunch of horse pucky. NBA scouts and front office people are aware right now who is going to be drafted in June. Despite this previous statement of fact there are occasional surprises, they usually come out of the Draft Combine or individual workouts.

The Grizzlies Steven Adams is likely to miss the balance of the regular season. The 6-11 Adams might be almost as valuable to his team as Ja Morant being out of action. His right knee will require a stem cell injection and he will be re-evaluated in four weeks. The piece of good fortune in this injury, Adams should be able to return for the Grizzlies playoff run.

Have you checked them lately

Some (especially in Knick Nation) might remember a little while back my draft story. I hinted the poor draft history might be partially responsible for the fact the Knicks were not playing better basketball. While that might have been a contributing factor in the recent past Knick fortunes appear to have changed shortly after I published my story. They are now 10 games above .500, in addition as this is written they are on a 7-game winning streak. Even more interesting is there a rivalry with their borough competition?

The Knicks appear to have stolen some of the thunder associated with the Nets. You remember what occurred don’t you? The Nets had Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden; the Knicks couldn’t lure any free agents unlike that team in Brooklyn. They were able to acquire Jalen Brunson from the Mavs, he certainly has been a contributor to the on-court success. It’s certainly not the one player alone basketball still remains a team game. Julius Randle’s stepped his game up along with RJ Barrett and lately returning from injury center Mitchell Robinson. As for the Nets, one by one the trio left with Durant being the last.

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Playoff contention?

Tuesday evening against the Grizzlies Anthony Davis went off. AD scored 30 points pulled down 22 rebounds dished out 3 assists and blocked 2 shots. He led the way to a 113-102 win over the Grizzlies. It was more than AD, guard Dennis Schroeder had 17 points and 9 assists. It should be of note, you might have read the same story as me. A few in Laker Nation questioned why Schroeder decided to return to the Lakers. I’m going to paraphrase his quote; my time didn’t end in the manner I hoped.

The Lakers offered Schroeder a contract and he said thanks but no thanks, I can earn more in free agency. Well it didn’t quite work out as he hoped, Schroeder didn’t command the money he believed was due him. Moving on from the Schroeder story there was outstanding play by all Lakers especially Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves off the bench, these reserve players scored 17 points apiece. The headline has a question mark behind it for a single reason. The Lakers are now in 9^th place in the West and ascending upward, all this with LeBron James sidelined. Is this team in playoff contention…we just don’t know?

I dare you

The headline could have read differently, I thought about another. It would be “How arrogant of them” you remember the story, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett separately or together made an announcement. The two Naismith Hall of Fame inductees had gone on record, they stated “If you haven’t won an NBA Championship you don’t belong in the hall.” I guess both fail to take into account it’s not the NBA Hall of Fame, it’s the Naismith Hall of Fame, in any event below are 10 enshrined names. I dare either of them to contact any of the 10 and inform them “You don’t belong here.” Depending on your age you might be unfamiliar with a few of the names look them up, here goes:

Reggie Miller

Charles Barkley

John Stockton

Allen Iverson

Karl Malone

Patrick Ewing

Elgin Baylor

Tracy McGrady

Steve Nash

Alex English 

Biggest college upset

I don’t believe the regular season qualifies for biggest upset ever for one reason alone. A first-place team might still win its conference race despite losing to the last place team. The NCAA Tournament is a different matter, there is more at stake. There are 1001 key games however it’s my belief it’s the NCAA Finals that standout and there are three that standout in history. It’s also interesting all occurred close to the same timeframe, 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1988, in addition Georgetown playing outstanding basketball at the time is involved in two of the four championship games profiled.   

1982 North Carolina of Michael Jordan, James Worthy faced Georgetown comprised of Patrick Ewing and Eric “Sleepy” Floyd. The NCAA Finals that season was a shootout, Georgetown as a team shot .529 from the floor. As for North Carolina it was even higher they shot .532. If you are thinking this was a breakout game for Air Jordan, he would only score 16 points, but he did score a key basket, it was James Worthy leading the way with 28 points. With seconds remaining and Georgetown in the lead Sleepy Floyd thought he saw a teammate out of the corner of his eye, so he passed the ball. That “teammate” turned out to be Carolina’s Worthy, once he received the pass Worthy raced down to the other end of the court. He was fouled but the final score would read North Carolina 63 Georgetown 62 for that year’s championship.

1983 North Carolina State would face the Phi Slama Jama Houston Cougars. The NC State team that season exceeded expectations, they came into the championship game as a 6 seed. Houston had Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler two future Hall of Famers. North Carolina State had decent players but nowhere near the talent level of Houston or that’s what we believed. As for the game neither team shot particularly well, both were under .400 but it would be a dramatic historic ending. With Houston ahead and seconds remaining in the game NC State’s Derek Whittenburg took a long distance shot that fell short of the basket. The ball would land in the hands of teammate Thurl Bailey stationed beneath the basket; Bailey simply laid the ball in game over. The final score read NC State 54 Houston 52, thus improbable NC State would become the 1983 NCAA Champs.

1985 Villanova would face Georgetown for the championship. Georgetown had beaten Villanova twice during the regular season since both were Big East members at the time. The winner projected by most of the experts would be Georgetown however that would turn out to not be the case. In addition to their losses to Georgetown Villanova lost 8 other games for a total of 10 that year, but this game would be far different. The Hoyas of Georgetown would shoot an outstanding .547 from the floor but it was nothing compared to Villanova’s .786. Keep in mind there was no shot clock back then, the late Rollie Massimino coach of Villanova had his team hold the ball working it around the perimeter until they had a can’t miss shot. The final score saw Villanova the winner over the taller Patrick Ewing led Georgetown crew 66-64. Another unlikely NCAA Championship victor.

1988 Kansas faced Big 8 rival Oklahoma for the NCAA Championship. Larry Brown’s Jayhawks were 27-11 that season finishing in third place in the conference. Oklahoma had run roughshod over every team in the conference (including Kansas) on the road to a championship. Oklahoma had Stacey King, Harvey Grant and Mookie Blaylock all NBA bound however Kansas had Danny Manning and a supporting cast of capable teammates. How good was Oklahoma, the record indicates they averaged 102 points per game in the 39 they played that season. Danny Manning led the way scoring 31 points and pulling down 18 rebounds numbers Oklahoma with its NBA talent could not match. The final score read Kansas 83 Oklahoma 79.

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The record

He didn’t do it; although I believed Antoine Davis would break the Pete Maravich scoring record, he came up three points short. At the time I first became aware of Davis and his assault on the Maravich record I thought for sure he’d break the record. You might remember I wrote earlier the Detroit Mercy guard has been on a scoring binge during his collegiate career. Then it occurred, covid allowed Davis and others an extra year of eligibility so this is year five (2022-2023) for him.

With Davis coming up short in the last game of the regular season does the story end there, I am unsure of this based on what might occur in a few weeks. The post season CBE Tournament COULD invite Detroit Mercy (14-19) and with one additional game for Davis he could exceed the record. This is what I see wrong if he exceeds the record. It was three years of play for Maravich (freshman were ineligible back then) versus five years for Davis. No three-point baskets available for Maravich because it was yet to be an added feature for colleges. This is not a hate Davis rant, it’s clear he is an apparent talent. My objection is the time frame Davis played in versus Maravich. 

Just because you think it

Soren Petro 810 WHB apparently loves the NFL especially the Chiefs. He’s got no disagreement with me on this issue, there is one matter we do clash…it’s basketball. For the second time in less than a month he’s said to his listening audience “College and the NBA should consider starting their seasons later.” His basis is the Chiefs, they have played deep into January and February the last four years. It’s his view “We cannot follow college basketball successfully because we are tied up with football.” Rest assured in some households that might be an issue but let’s check out a few things.

If college and the NBA would adopt a later start, they certainly wouldn’t do it at the suggestion of the NFL that’s at the top of the list. Second to that his view there is a failure to connect with college basketball due to the Chiefs in the playoffs and beyond. I might suggest Petro head about 40 some odd miles to Lawrence Kansas and see the rabid fans who pack Allen Fieldhouse. In closing I understand his intent, but he fails to take into consideration the history. College basketball and the NBA have generally held steadfast to the same seasonal start. It’s the NFL which has extended it’s season into what once belonged exclusively to basketball. This ends with my belief, just because you think it doesn’t entail it’s the correct move.

We didn’t know

A name out of the past unfamiliar probably to most reading this. His name is Joe Barry Carroll, he was the first draft pick in the 1980 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. JB played in the era of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and several others, if you check out the numbers over his NBA career they are certainly above the norm. Because it appeared he often moved at his own pace he was give the tag “Joe Barely Cares”. I came across a video of JB which I’m sharing with you. It provides us a totally different impression of JB what might have believed. One of the issues I believe, in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s ESPN was just beginning and nothing close to what exists today. There was no Instagram, Facebook or other social media in existence. Check out the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5k_kPtivTY

Tell us what you know…not what you think

If you read the headline, you might be a little confused. All I am trying to say is give us the story not what you think might occur. Now there are times I might discuss an issue which could be considered speculative. I hope I’m not tossing rocks at myself but here goes with the explanation. It seems to me a local radio sports talk host has an obsession with Mizzou’s Dennis Gates over K-State’s Jerome Tang. Both coaches are in their first year at Mizzou and K-State. To provide you additional background information Gates is 43 years old, Tang 56 years of age. The issue this host raised, “Which coach will remain longest at Mizzou or K-State.” If a school approached either with a promise of large sums of money anyone would be tempted to leave. It appears, notice my word this host believes Gates age plus his Florida connection would make him the prime candidate to make a move.

Additional background, Gates was a long-time assistant to Leonard Hamilton Florida State head coach. Hamilton is 74 years old meaning he should soon retire. Gates was an assistant at the school 8 years so that’s the connection this host indicates plus the prospect of Florida. My counterview, if this were Kentucky, Duke or some other Blue Blood program a coach might leap at the opportunity. I don’t wish to disparage anything, or anyone connected with the school however there is a question. What makes the FSU job so much better than Mizzou especially with the swift beginning for Gates. I believe if anyone calling for Gates waving $$$ the administration most likely would make a counteroffer. Finally if Gates said “I’m out” there is nothing Mizzou could do but accept the fact the coach might desire another job but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I can’t see that far ahead from here and I have serious doubts if radio guy can either.

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Bits n Pieces

For me this is the first time in recent memory there is no clear favorite for the NCAA Championship. I can project 4-5 teams who might wind up NCAA Champions the first Monday in April. Who are these teams, it could be Alabama or maybe Houston? On the other Purdue, Kansas or Marquette could also make a stretch run. It just might be none of the above, it could be a team I’ve failed to mention…stay tuned.

The last three years Kansas State was 11-21, 9-20 and last season 14-17. Bruce Weber departed, and Jerome Tang was hired in his place. Tang without head coaching experience managed to lead the Wildcats to a 23-8 record with play in the Big XII and NCAA Tourney remaining. Tang had two returning players when he took over the team and brought in 13 newcomers. He was selected Big XII Coach of the Year, a well-deserved honor for him. 

No irrational belief here, is this you, many in Mizzou Nation are superstitious it’s like they believe something bad is about to occur. Yes, in 1990 game officials lost track of the downs in the Mizzou-Colorado football game. Given the extra down Colorado beats Mizzou 33-31. How about the 1995 NCAA Tourney, UCLA’s 6 foot 1 Tyus Edney shooting over 6-foot 8 Derrick Grimm for the game winner with 4.8 seconds left in the game. Many in Mizzou Nation point to those two events and maybe others causes a fatalistic attitude about sports, I’m here to place all superstitions in the rearview mirror. This is the dawn of a new day; however I am cautious in stating I can only speak for myself.

The Clippers won the Sunday evening game against the Grizzlies 135-129. The win ended a 4-game Clipper losing streak, but they had to really scramble to win this one in the fourth quarter. The Clippers managed to give up 51 points in the third quarter of the game. That number hasn’t been reached very often, this game became the tenth time in NBA history a team has surrendered 50 points or more in a quarter.

I hope there is a lesson here

I failed to read in detail the defense Jalen Rose and Gilbert Arenas spoke on Ja Morant. Before someone confuses the issue, this is not a “take away the guns rant.” It’s a use common sense one, by now you are aware Morant’s been suspended, early it was reported to be two games now its indefinite. Morant posted a video on his Instagram account brandishing a handgun. We don’t know the untold number of youth and young adults who admire Morant, is he saying to them this is acceptable behavior? The Grizzlies are in second place in the west, they are not going to fall out of playoff contention. Finally Arenas is the last person I wish to hear on this type of issue. Arenas guilty of bringing a gun into the Wizards locker room to threaten a teammate. Morant’s issued a public apology so that should suffice for now. I hope this has been a learned lesson for the young man.

Load Management

I believe athletes of today are nutritionally superior to those of the past. Training regiments and other things have been contributing factors in these better conditioned athletes. This belief applies across the board to all professional athletes. In the NBA two words have come into our lexicon which are close to being profane. NBA players sitting out games, they are not injured or even recovering from injury. These players decide “I don’t think I want to play tonight.” The demands of today’s NBA players are certainly more intense than those of the past, travel being one of them. Although the league has attempted to cut back the number of back to backs, they continue to exist.

The “Texas Triangle” might be an example, the Knicks play the Spurs in San Antonio and the next night its Houston and a game against the Rockets. After a day break the trip is ended with a game in Dallas. I realize that might be a short flight, but it’s still travel. Nothing like travel to mess with your bodies clock, the East Time Zone Sixers travel across the nation to play the Pacific Time Zone Blazers, that’s three-time zone (and body) adjustments. This was mentioned previously, and I believe it’s worth exploring. A friend suggested the NBA should prohibit visiting teams from Load Management. As this account was being completed a Bleacher Report headline read: “Kawhi Leonard will Continue to Sit Back to Back Games amid Clippers Losing Streak.” How does a statement similar to that impact NBA fans? The question requires an answer, how valuable are you to a team without play?

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LeBron

The world is aware LeBron James is sidelined for at least the next 3 weeks. How do the Lakers respond with him missing, that’s difficult to determine based on these two examples. Friday night they lost to the playoff bound Wolves 110-102. Yesterday the Lakers managed to beat the playoff bound Warriors at Crypto.com Arena 113-105, AD led the way scoring 39 points with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. AD was assisted by power forward Jarred Vanderbilt with 10 points and 13 rebounds. This win leaves the Lakers at 11 outside the playoffs with 34 losses.

Consider this bit of information the Lakers are only 2 games behind the Wolves who sit in the 6 spot. I’m going to continue to root for my team to earn a playoff berth, if they miss I along with Laker Nation will be disappointed and must wait for a better outcome next season. Yes I realize LeBron will be 39-years old but despite the injury bug have you ever witnessed play at his age beyond Tom Brady. And that’s really not fair to LeBron because the two play different sports. In any event I continue to believe this team with a healthy LeBron and hale and hearty AD can beat any team in the NBA with their trade deadline roster makeover.

I’m late

Veteran NBA writer Andy Katz published a list in January of the best first year college basketball coaches. He listed Jerome Tang at Kansas State at the top, Mizzou’s Dennis Gates was number 2, I would have had them the other way around but it’s his poll. His third choice I take issue with, he’s got Sean Miller Xavier there. No argument on my part it appears Miller’s turned the program around but he’s no rookie coach. He was at Xavier previously then left for the Arizona job in 2009, he was at Arizona until he was fired last season. Get it out of your mind I’m not hatin’ on Miller because he got fired it’s the other thing. I thought Katz’s piece was about NEW first year coaches. Miller is in his first year but he’s a veteran coach performing a bang-up job at a school he formerly served as head coach.

Say what

Recently we discussed NBA expansion especially related to one of the cities. Veteran NBA scribe Eric Pincus indicates Mexico City is considered a prime candidate for expansion. While I disagreed with his take on expansion, I later discovered another potential roadblock. As some of you are aware visiting teams facing the Nuggets have one complaint unrelated to playing the home team. It’s the altitude, the criticism is always the same, players indicate they run out of oxygen quicker than when playing at home.

There is a reason for that, Denver is the highest altitude city in the NBA. Residents and Nuggets players have grown accustomed to the 5,279-foot altitude of the city. Mexico City has an altitude of 7,349 feet, f keep in mind there are sports played in the surrounding area of the city. Rest assured visiting teams from lower altitudes probably have the same criticism as visiting NBA players have about the Nuggets court. Is that issue going to be an impediment in Mexico City securing a franchise, probably not but it’s certainly worth discussing. 

SEC Defensive Player of the Year

D’Moi Hodge probably won’t be selected defensive player of the year, but he should be. Hodge leads the SEC in steals this season and has undoubtedly frustrated many a SEC opponent. This 6-foot 4-inch guard from the British Virgin Islands has followed his coach, he’d played for Dennis Gates at Cleveland State. You might ask the question is there a difference between mid-major Cleveland State and Mizzou, of course there is but don’t ask Hodge the question?

If we check his stats from Cleveland State last season, they appear practically the same as those he’s fashioned at Mizzou. As for the defense statement, in last Wednesdays action against LSU Hodge had 5 steals in the game while scoring 23 points, he was 50% from the floor shooting with 45.5% coming from the 3-line. Hodge is one of those seniors who might return in August, without naming names Dennis Gates indicated there would be a Senior Night but he expects some to return in August. 

Playing angry  

This member of Laker Nation is unworried about Russell Westbrook and Pat Beverley. Writers more with Westbrook have mentioned his revenge factor working for him. The fact he might want to prove to all there was a mistake in the Lakers trading him. The same might be said for Beverley however there is an issue here…playing angry. I’ve never played sports at a high level; I wasn’t close to good enough to play for my high school team. This I can relate, every time I faced a competitor in any sport on the playground, I had an overwhelming desire to beat them.

In some instances I remember being angry wanting to beat them so badly no matter what I managed to do they were still winners over me. I can conclude no matter how angry I got it didn’t aid me in winning. The same goes maybe more for Westbrook than Beverley, the drives to the basket are a thing of beauty for Westbrook. The problem was the other things he didn’t accomplish, it wasn’t the fact he was uncapable he appeared unwilling. Notice I said “appeared” because there are elements I’ve seen since his Thunder days that we fans fail to see. In closing this for both players, I hope they manage successful ends to the end of their careers.  

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Trap game

I thought the game against LSU might be a trap game. LSU’s losing record plus the game was in Baton Rouge all the makings of a trap, but it didn’t occur Mizzou was a winner 81-76. It turns out I may have called this wrong the close out game against Ole Miss was actually the trap game. Ole Miss had fired Kermit Davis and this team was going nowhere, they had only their pride on the line, and they played like it. Take out the streaking Tigers was paramount on the mind of Ole Miss.

This game reminded me of an MMA match, every time Mizzou landed a punch Ole Miss would deliver a return blow. After racing out to a lead Mizzou only held a 5-point lead at the half. Kobe Brown scored 17 points and Nick Carter off the bench matched him, two other Tigers were in double figures. The game wasn’t decided until the final few minutes as Mizzou was able to win 82-77, in addition to a double bye in the SEC Tourney this Mizzou team won their 23 game of the season. We must return to 2012-2013 and 2013-14 season to find a Mizzou team with an equal number of wins.

Sorry folks this screams asterisk

Jaeson Maravich claims his father would be rooting for Antoine Davis of Detroit Mercy to break the NCAA points total record. That’s his opinion and it’s okay, I have an opposing view with the manner the record was eclipsed, and my reasoning will be provided in case you didn’t read it the other day. Pete Maravich set the scoring record over three seasons, at the time the elder Maravich played freshman were ineligible to play at the varsity level.

Davis has played 5 seasons one of them being the covid year when everything was shut down in March. Players were given an additional year to play if they desired and that is the case for Davis. Maravich could shoot from distance, but the 3-point line was yet to be implemented while he played at LSU. The Maravich record is broken but there should be an asterisk placed next to Davis’s name. In addition the conditions that allowed Davis to break the record should also be noted. 10 years from now someone unfamiliar with the events surrounding this should be able to fully comprehend the entire story.

These guys are not always right

I listened to Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA after the Clippers were beaten by the Warriors. Barkley remains one of the defenders of this talented (his words) team. He claims the Clippers will play for the Western Conference championship. I can’t see that far from here, the only thing I know for sure is they lost another game this one Friday evening. The Kings beat them in a close one 128-127, doesn’t matter how close it was they lost, by the way where was Kawhi Leonard?

Because the game wasn’t on television only the box score was available, and Leonard’s name was not listed…I guess Load Management. Listen folks, I could be as wrong as two left shoes and you certainly have permission to laugh at me. I believe this Clipper team is capable of earning a playoff berth however they are certainly not a Finals Championship team. Am I picking on them, you could say that however I believe the same applies for my Lakers. Both Los Angeles teams are likely to watch the championship parade of some other team, there I said it. As for Steve Ballmer I’m sure you accomplished more work from your Microsoft employees than several of these Clippers.

Did it actually occur

The NBA is full of stories, sometimes these stories border on “did that actually occur or is someone embellishing the event”?  We are accustomed with triple-doubles, have you ever heard of a quintuple-double? It occurred or at least we have been led to believe, it was March 18, 1968, and it featured the Wilt Chamberlain Sixers and my Lakers. The Sixers were winners 158-128 but it’s what Chamberlain was reported to have accomplished. The Dipper scored 53 points pulled down 32 rebounds also had 14 assists…24 blocked shots and 11 steals.

The NBA did not record steals and blocks back then; it would be 1973-74 before they were official. So you are asking the question how the heck were the steals and blocks registered? The late Harvey Pollack was the resident statistician, and he was in attendance at the game track the numbers. The NBA was certainly a smaller league in 1968 but who is to say it couldn’t have occurred? Here’s what I believe, knowing the scoring and rebounding machine Chamberlain was at the time I believe it occurred. Pollack in his official capacity certainly had no reason to tell a lie.

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Now I understand

The thing I figured is the thing is not actually the thing! All season long KC Sports talk radio has been singing the praises of Jerome Tang at K-State. 610 and 810 A.M. Sports Radio has dish out complimentary statements about Mizzou’s Dennis Gates but nowhere near the amount Tang’s received. At first, I thought we had several things working causing the imbalance. KC is Big XII country I thought, we are 40 some miles from Lawrence Kansas home of the Kansas Jayhawks that must be it. Well maybe it’s the fact Mizzou plays in that conference the state has no significant geographical connection except maybe Arkansas. Yesterday the light bulb (my brain) finally figured it out or at least I believe this to be correct.    

The radio station played tape of a post-game interview with Tang, as it finished, they were laughing and discussing how entertaining Tang was. Next up they played a recording of a Bruce Pearl interview conducted after a recent Auburn game, both agreed Pearl’s character was entertaining to the all the student body as well. After listening to their back and forth banter I figured “I’ve got it, I finally understand.” Gates interviews are good, but he fails to create entertaining sound bites, that’s what these radio guys love. I’ve watched and listened to a number of Gates interviews, he’s informative and friendly but that’s all. Now I don’t want you to get ahead of me, I’m certainly not comparing Gates to Coach K. by any stretch of the imagination but I’d like to pose a question. Do you remember any interviews with the former Duke coach? They were certainly factual but not entertaining at least from my perspective. Coach K. certainly didn’t create great sound bites.  

It’s still a team game

The Warriors stormed back from an 11-point half-time deficit to the Clippers. The final score read Warriors 115 Clippers 91 and not only do the Clippers have a problem so do I. Have you heard them, much of the media continuing to pump up Clipper basketball. They persist in discussing how much talent is on the roster, I cannot successfully argue talent I can argue wins and losses. I believe Russell Westbrook fans trusted adding him to the roster meant a deep playoff run, that outlook is possible however there is an issue.

So far adding Westbrook has proven nothing except a 4-game losing streak, don’t misunderstand he alone is not responsible for the losses. Elements in the media are clearly trying to paint this a Westbrook problem which is not true. The Thursday night loss leaves the Clippers with a 33-32 record, in their last 10 games they are 4-6 which proves Westbrook is not the sole problem. Tyronn Lue certainly knows how to coach basketball; he’s proven it in the past as a championship winner. Unless this team gets their act together owner Steve Ballmer should demand a refund, Kawhi Leonard and company owe if they cannot get their act together.

I remain confused

Kansas City is 313 air miles from Oklahoma City, about 47 minutes travel time wheels up, wheels down. It’s 557 air miles to Denver an hour and 55-minute flight. The NBA claims both cities games are blacked out in Kansas City but only “some.” If either team is telecast on NBA TV the game is not available here but if either team is on the ESPN, ABC or TNT Networks the blackout rules don’t apply. This blackout rule is difficult to comprehend for me.  

I think it might be advisable

We read Victor Wenbanyama is now officially 7 foot 5 inches in shoes. He doesn’t want to play center in the NBA which is probably okay for whichever team drafts him. For every NBA player be they former or present who sings the praises of this prospect. We have 6-7 guys none whoever played the game at the NBA level have focused on negatives they perceive. You’ve heard them for the past few weeks and months. You will hear them in June and here after. They say, “He needs to gain weight”, this from his agent. “It wouldn’t be a good idea for his feet if he gained too much weight.” Okay that makes sense to me, how about this one, “They will break him apart once he begins play in the NBA.”

There is no doubt the NBA is undoubtedly more physical than the Euroleague Wenbanyama plays in at present. Let’s just say it might be an advantage for Wenbanyama now versus the NBA of 10-15 years ago. “Look what happened to Chet Holmgren, injured he’s sitting out the year.” We do this because it’s what appears to be the right thing, compare player A to player B. Wenbanyama’s body thin as he might be totally different than Holmgren’s. Please, please stop using this as your evidence. Finally I’ve yet to read a single present or past NBA player claim Wenbanyama’s ceiling is stratospheric. Maybe the guy can’t play at the NBA level but at least give him an opportunity. I have a tendency to believe those who claim, “He’s the best NBA prospect since LeBron James.” Don’t you generally agree with someone who’s been there, I know I do?

The ball bounces in the same manner

For yet unexplained reasons many believe the ball bounces differently in Allen Fieldhouse over CFSB Arena home of the Murray State Racers. In all honesty that was a play on words, somehow, we tend to believe Division I play is well above that of Mid-Major schools. That is far from the truth, and I will offer evidence proving that belief wrong. There are probably numerous examples, but Mizzou is close by so let’s check out their roster. Key contributors to the success at Mizzou so far have been Tre Gomillion and D’Moi Hodge, Cleveland State transfers. How about Sean East II who might be further down having arrived from John A. Logan Community College.

Mohamed Diarra has played an increasing number of minutes in recent games. More recently Diarra been moved into the starting lineup, he arrived on campus from Garden City Community College, also named are Noah Carter Northern Iowa and DeAndre Gholston University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. There are other roster members, but the names mentioned are the standouts, they have been key to Mizzou victories. Each of the players have been key to much of the success Mizzou’s experienced this season. All of them transferred from what one might consider Mid-Major schools, in the case of East it was a community college. What does all this prove you ask; this is what it shows. Talent plus a willingness to work on one’s game or more important than what level of competition you might have competed against in the recent past.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

A trap game

Mizzou got off to a terrible start, how bad was it? They were down 19 points at a time to the worst team in the SEC the LSU Tigers, Mizzou held the lead for all of 90 secs in winning the game 81-76. Mizzou teams of the past would have lost a game of this type, they would have been sulking as shot after shot missed. I’m unsure what their percentage was in the first half but they more than made up in the second half for all the missed shots as they scored 47 points to LSU’s 29. My one complaint they must defend from three much better, Mizzou allowed LSU to shoot 50% from three.

How did they win the game, with guts and determination, a direct reflection of a team that never gives up and it’s coach. This Mizzou team under Gates leadership has exhibited outstanding play all season and a reflection of Gates. This win becomes number 22 of the season, Mizzou won 23 games in back-to-back seasons 2012-13 and 2013-14. A friend put it this way, “7-0 in close games this year! Mental toughness or as Gates and company like to say #dontblink”. Mizzou closes out the regular season at home against Ole Miss on Saturday. On March 9 they play in the second round of the SEC Tournament, wait I’m getting ahead of myself. I must remember one game at a time, one game.

Step up

This is going to be a brief report on the Lakers Wednesday night game, there was no LeBron James and Anthony Davis was also sidelined. Who would step up, it would be guard Dennis Schroeder playing on a bad ankle? Schroeder scored 26 points and dished out 6 assists as the Lakers were able to hold off the Thunder 123-117. Who’s next, I have no idea at this point, but it’s got to be somebody. LeBron is out for at least the next three weeks, AD’s status is unknown as this is written. If this team is as serious as they claim it is time for someone else to step up.

Has time run out for Ewing

As this is written Georgetown has a 7-22 record, 2-16 in the Big East Conference. It’s likely Patrick Ewing will be fired at the end of the season, but this basketball program is in deep, deep trouble. The best record recorded by the Hoyas under Ewing is the 19-14 record in his second season. This is year number six and rest assured the athletic department wanted more than what has occurred to date. My friend asked the question about great players becoming great coaches.

His question was aimed at NFL coaches, but we could apply it here. Pat Ewing is a Hall of Fame former player from his time at Georgetown and the Knicks. I haven’t followed the program closely but truly believe Ewing knows the game, perhaps he’s not an effective communicator or something else has caused a disconnect with the program. I have doubts if there is anything or anyone capable of saving Ewing’s job at this point. All I can say is Jack the English bulldog mascot that represents Georgetown now looks more like that of a Yorkshire Terrier. The bark of the tiny Terrier fails to scare the opposition as Jack once did.

Party of one

NBA expansion has been on the minds of many for a number of years. For a variety of reasons Seattle was believed first in line once the decision had been reached but wait. A media member now claims our thought process might not be correct. Eric Pincus has covered the NBA for a number of sources over the years, he is a voice with knowledge. He claims Seattle might be in second place, Pincus claims Mexico City adding an international presence may have moved in front for several reasons. The thought of expanding basketball in Latin America is at the top of the list according to the writer.

Based on the time zone issue alone this move is certainly more feasible than a European NBA team…sorry Europe. Hold on a moment, are we sure that is the direction the NBA wants to head? In 1995 the NBA expanded adding franchises outside our borders with Vancouver and Toronto arriving. The Grizzlies moved to Memphis in 2001 however the Toronto franchise has thrived. If I were to use Toronto as our example, I’d say Mexico City is a slam dunk however maybe not. Can you imagine the firestorm that would occur if the NBA expanded and did not include Seattle? Pincus is a credible voice however I believe he might be off on this subject. What do I know, I’m only a party of one?

He is a clown

Generally anytime a trade occurs we are led to believe the team decided to go in another direction. When the Lakers traded for Pat Beverley, you might remember I thought it strange. The guy has a reputation as a defensive specialist however I’ve always believed it was more reputation over production. Fast forward to last month, at the trade deadline the Lakers traded Beverley to the Jazz. Eventually he winds up with the Bulls but that’s another story.

Just this week we received news from Beverley, it was him requesting a trade over the Lakers deciding to move in another direction. Guys get traded all the time in the NBA, guys who are far more valuable than Beverley. I can’t get inside his mind, but I truly wonder why he thinks it’s so important to say, “It was me.” He’s accomplished a great deal in his NBA career. He’s gone from an undrafted player to one earning $13.33 million this season. Beverley is 34-years old, and he was never the defensive whiz many believed he was. Beverley needs to continue his role as a so-called defensive specialist and shut up.

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Check back tomorrow

I might feel a little different tomorrow…today not so much. I believe it is time for the Lakers to blow this thing up. Trade Anthony Davis for what they are able to acquire, allow LeBron James to pick where he wants to conclude his career. Why am I so upset, the trade deadline moves had me believing the Lakers were ready to compete for a playoff berth. Then it occurred, after a few games with the “new” Lakers LeBron goes down with an injury. What we hoped might be a few games will now turn into weeks.

LeBron will not even be evaluated until the middle of March…unbelievable. Okay I thought maybe AD and the group could hold on until LeBron is able to return and then it occurs again. The right foot stress injury that sidelined him earlier in the season became an issue again. He would miss the Wednesday game against the Thunder, at this point there is no indication who much time AD will miss. I’m sure it’s me along however I am ready to move on from the LeBron-AD duo. Neither can seem to remain on the court for an extended period of time.

Here I go again

Marquette is in first place in the Big East, they are headed for the NCAA Tournament although we are not yet at selection Sunday. Shaka Smart is 45 years old now not the fresh-faced coach who took over at Virginia Commonwealth in 2009. It was VCU we set up and took notice of this young (he’s still young) basketball coach. In the 6 years he was head coach the program never won fewer than 26 games. VCU was in the NCAA annually and then Texas came a calling. The University of Texas wanted Smart, and he wanted them, I remember my statement at the time as if it was yesterday. Based on his VCU accomplishments I said, “There is no requirement for him to leave Texas, with all the talent in that state he could fill the roster with no problem.”

Smart’s success at Texas was not so great, with VCU it was the tournament every season. Texas would be far different; his team’s only reached the tournament 3 out of the 6 years he was there, it should be noted in 2019 his Texas team was NIT Champions. Although Smart had a winning record at Texas it wasn’t close to his days at VCU. Smart had two years remaining on his contract when he decided to leave in March 2021. Later in the month Marquette would hire Smart to replace Steve Wojciechowski. His first season at Marquette the team earned an NCAA invite, year two has witnessed Marquette rising to the top of the Big East. I have no explanation for the apparent success at two mid majors (VCU & Marquette) and only a tepid record at Texas. All I can say Shaka Smart remains in the number of young upward bound coaches.

The asterisk

In 1961 Yankee Roger Maris hit 61 home runs breaking the established record of 60 Babe Ruth set in 1927 but wait there was an issue. Ford Frick who was then baseball commissioner was personally acquainted with Ruth from the period he covered sports. Frick suggested since Maris set the record in an expanded number of games over Ruth an asterisk should be placed beside the mark. I have always believed records were meant to be broken but I had problems in two instances. Russell Westbrook exceeding the triple-double mark of Oscar Robertson or LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul Jabbar in point total. In both instances I eventually said okay the record is broken except in this pending attempt. Allow me to set the stage, Pistol Pete Maravich holds the NCAA record for most points in his career.

Two keys, back then players were only eligible to play three seasons. In addition there was no three-point line although Maravich certainly could shoot from distance. Detroit Mercy guard Antoine Davis is scoring at a 28 point per game clip this season. Davis is a graduate student in year 5, he was granted an extra year due to covid. Maravich scored 3,667 points in three seasons; Davis is at 3,064 points beneficiary of four seasons played plus a three-point line. You could look at it in this manner, Maravich set the record in 83 games, Davis has played 143 games as this is written. I would refer to myself as the “Ford Frick” of 2023, when Davis exceeds the Maravich record an asterisk should be placed beside it based on the issues I’ve raised. If you don’t agree with my take that’s okay, whatever occurs going forward there will be multiple groups upset with the decision.

Bits n Pieces 

For those of you trashing the Lakers for trading Russell Westbrook feast on this bit of information. I took a look at individual turnover numbers for the 2022-23 NBA season. Our Top 10 leader is Hawks guard Trae Young, in minutes played its Wolves guard Anthony Edwards at 36.4 minutes a game. Nine players on the list participated in more than 30 minutes a game except one…Russell Westbrook. Westbrook was in action 28.8 minutes a game in his reserve role with the Lakers. As for the number as this is written its 197 turnovers so far this season. Westbrook sits 6 places behind Jordan Poole who’s playing starter minutes this season.

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports indicated he’d placed Mizzou number 26 in his Top 25 plus one. More and more I’m not seeing the value of these polls. I guess it looks good for students, administration, alumni plus fans of any school’s program. Outside of those folks polls provide little in the way of useful information. Kenpom, Quad wins along with analytics and other tools maybe provide far more valuable facts than a popularity poll. It’s now March 1 and teams are anticipating that invite to the NCAA Tournament. Many are awaiting selection Sunday for the announcement.

This story is far too complicated for me to do it adequate justice. I have decided to provide a few bits of information and you can research further if you desire. As most are aware Madison Square Garden is the oldest NBA/NHL arena in use currently. This fourth arena with the same name opened its doors in 1968, since that date it’s been renovated twice the last occurring in 2013. Why are we here, the lease arrangement expires in July 2023 so that’s where we begin. It appears the governor’s office wants the land the arena currently occupies. What occurs in the future is an unknown at this point, I don’t know this to be a fact just speculation. I would imagine real estate cost in Manhattan are quite expensive. This is interesting, the first MSG opened in 1879 was named after James Madison the fourth president of United States.

Mizzou signed 6-foot 4 shooting guard JV Brown from Rolling Hills Prep in Los Angeles. Brown will join the Tigers in August as a preferred walk on. Brown becomes the second walk on arriving in the fall class. If you are unsure the meaning of a “walk on” I located detail, and it follows. “Being a preferred walk-on is the highest status a recruit can get outside of receiving an athletic scholarship. No athletic aid is offered, but preferred walk-ons will go into college with a roster spot secured, receive a uniform an have a strong chance of competing for playing time their first year.” Brown becomes the number five recruit in the Class of 2023.

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Double minded

Brandon Miller should not be damned for life, he made a tragic mistake. He supplied a gun which was used in the murder of a 23-year-old mother, this small child will grow up without a mother. Miller is a year out of high school which says he’s probably no more than 19-years old. We certainly all make mistakes as youth some of the mistakes are more serious than others. Some mistakes lead to the taking of an innocent life.

The timing says suspension, but the regular college season is over, should he be suspended for the NCAA Tournament? From all indications there are no legal charges pending despite the circumstances of the crime. Every NBA mock draft site indicates Miller should he declare is projected somewhere in the 3-6 range i.e. lottery territory. I will repeat what I wrote earlier, financial compensation is certainly no substitute for the loss of a parent, despite that fact Miller should be advised to consider this recommendation. As I indicated earlier this is but a small penance compared to losing a life.

What he said

“Now that he no longer lives off his athleticism, Westbrook’s poor decision making is more noticeable than ever.” Not my words but those of former NBA player turned analyst Richard Jefferson. What do you think, is Jefferson correct in his observation? Westbrook is now 34-years of age certainly not old; LeBron is still playing outstanding basketball at age 38 so what’s the difference. This is me and not Jefferson, it seems at times Westbrook over penetrates which tends to cause TO’s or missed shots.

When Darvin Ham took over the team almost from the beginning, he decided the Lakers would be better served with Westbrook playing with the second unit and it did work for a time. Westbrook continues to be one of the speediest guys in the game, but he’s got to have slowed a bit and maybe that’s where his game has betrayed him. He was never a great shooter even in his Thunder days, but his speed ensures he could dominate. I was curious how Westbrook would work out with the Clippers; the jury is still out on this one and I will continue to monitor his effort the balance of the season.

This is puzzling

You might have read the same piece I did, the Deadspin article focused on the Nets Ben Simmons. We knew the story on Markelle Fultz, he suffered an injury which impacted his ability to shoot the basketball. What happened to Simmons is a mystery to all, lets return briefly to the past. Simmons a “Magic Johnson” type point guard at 6 foot 10 was projected to be an NBA star before he stepped on an NBA court. Arriving from Australia Simmons played his freshman season for LSU, we knew early on his shot from more than 15 feet was suspect.

That’s okay we rationalized, he plays lockdown defense is an adept passer, he doesn’t have to be a great shooter. How about a shooter period, if we look at his first few years after his 2016 draft you will note his field goal percentage is .500+. If I were a betting person, I could safely conclude the vast majority of his scoring consisted of dunks and layups, few are probably jump shots. He demanded and received a trade; the Sixers traded him for James Hardin. After the trade I believed he’s ready to play now that he’d “escaped” Philly, well guess what that didn’t help either. I have no medical training as I’ve often stated but there must be something cerebral that’s caused Simmons to fall into this void. How do you go from playing at a higher-than-normal skill level and then poof it’s gone with a little more than a snap of the finger. The Deadspin article questioned Simmons NBA career might be over, I have my doubts on that.

Wonder if

All season the University of Houston Cougars have been at the top of the pile or near it. In a little over a year they along with UCF, Brigham Young and Cincinnati will join the Big XII Conference. This focus in on the Cougars and the question is asked, will they be prepared to play in this highly competitive conference? I happen to believe this is the strongest basketball conference in the nation and the Cougars along with the others will certainly be challenged on the court. If this appears to disparage the American Conference that is not the case, I’m quite sure the basketball is just as competitive.

It’s my belief the Cougars have not seen the level of competition until they face Big XII teams on a regular basis. As for the others I’m more familiar with the University of Cincinnati and its basketball rich history. UCF has former Duke player turned coach Johnny Dawkins; he’s got a .602 winning percentage. Mark Pope had several years in the NBA as a player before becoming a coach. BYU is his second stop as a head coach and he’s a .689 percentage at the school. With the anticipated departure of Texas and Oklahoma and these additions this 10-team conference will become an 8 team conference briefly before reflecting 12 schools once again.

Divided loyalty

Sports loyalty generally lies with a single team, that doesn’t mean you can’t root for more than one team. As an example I have serious doubts if you will find fans who root fervently for the Lakers and Clippers. Entertainer Billy Crystal is a fan of the Clippers but how this came about is quite unique. He claims early in his career tickets to Laker games were impossible to acquire. The Clippers not very good in the 1980’s and tickets were plentiful. Crystal affiliated himself with the Clippers where it continues to this day. 

They are fans of one team or the other, we could make the same statement about New York City and it’s teams. The Knicks most famous celebrity fan Spike Lee claims an allegiance to the borough of Brooklyn, at the time the Nets moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn the prevailing thought he’d change teams…not so. Lee’s loyalty continues to remain with his beloved Knicks. This issue only exists for municipalities with more than one major league professional sports team. Portland, Salt Lake City and Orlando’s NBA teams have little if any competition for the sports dollar.