Basketball from a fan’s perspective

He remains for now

The tradeline deal the Lakers were to make never occurred. You know the one sending D’Angelo Russell somewhere and bringing on board a shooter, D’ Lo remains on the roster. Not only is he still on the roster the Lakers did make a move however it wasn’t the one most of us expected. Spencer Dinwiddie was signed after he cleared waivers, according to reports it was going to be the Mavs or his hometown Lakers. Although he’s 30 years old and has been in the league for a period I don’t know a great deal about him. He played his college ball at Colorado, he was a 2014 second round draft pick by the Pistons. Dinwiddie’s played for the Wizards, Mavs and twice for the Nets.

His numbers clearly indicate he can shoot especially from three, how he fits the Lakers for now is an unknown. The only known factor he brings a veteran presence to the roster and LeBron and AD are pleased with the addition. I intend to adopt a wait and see attitude regarding this move however on the surface it looks good. Laker defense appears to suffer at times, management has discussed “adding another scorer” but my eyes indicate there are more likely defensive issues to deal with. In a move parallel to last season should we Laker suppose this is the point the Lakers begin a stretch run to earn a playoff berth. Better yet it certainly would be ideal but how about this to occur, begin the season on a high note to avoid playing .800% basketball to earn a spot in the play in tournament.

Shaq’s coach

Dale Brown retired from coaching in 1997, LSU was his last stop and he was head coach there for 25 years. Everyone has something they don’t perform at a high skill level, for Dale Brown it might have been the X’s and O’s of the game. Brown excelled at recruiting and guiding young men at life more so over basketball. I’ve never read one former player say anything negative about Brown, they all speak highly of him this native of Minot North Dakota. An example of winning but not advancing one of his LSU teams had Chris Jackson (Mahmoud Abdul Rauf) Shaquille O’ Neal and Stanley Roberts 7 foot 1 and 285 pounds. That team should have dominated college basketball but came up short.

Abdul Rauf says, “Roberts was more talented than Shaq but didn’t have a work ethic.” The statement is not one individuals impression I’ve seen an interview in which Shaq’s confirmed what I just wrote. Back to coach Brown, he was a father figure to his players and all loved playing for him. By 1992 with Roberts and Abdul Rauf gone Shaq often found himself triple-teamed in the post. Seeing how his player was being beat up Brown told his star player he needed to declare for the NBA draft. Brown always had the best interest of his players foremost in his thoughts, he closed out his college career with 448 wins. Of course Shaq left before graduation and the rest is history. Coach Brown was enshrined in the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, he is larger to me than the game if you understand my meaning.

There is no mystery to me

Not only is Ben Simmons no mystery attempts at humor fall short for me. I was going to cut and paste the headline but decided against it. Friends I became aware of Ben Simmons early, this from his days growing up in Australia. When it was reported he intended to enroll at a school in the U.S. I had no idea it would be LSU. Seeing as many LSU games as possible on television I discovered, “He doesn’t have a jump shot.” Simmons I would learn was adept at passing the ball and setting up his team’s offense. His defense was good without being spectacular. He would submit his name for the NBA draft and in 2016 the Sixers made Simmons the number one pick in the draft.

Although his shooting was spotty in Summer League play he was expected debut in the fall until the injury. An injury forced Simmons to miss what should have been his rookie season, he would make his debut the following year. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2017, based on his numbers it’s understandable. The 6 foot 10 Simmons was a modest 15 point a game scorer but he snatched down as many rebounds as dishing out assists. 8.1 on the rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, he shot a sizzling .545% from the floor although he took no shots from three. The numbers Simmons cumulated remained steady but somewhere he appeared to lose confidence in his ability or something unknown occurred. In any event the Sixers traded Simmons to the Nets and his NBA career has continued to falter. He allowed the Philly fans to get into his head and he’s never recovered.

NBA mock draft

We often ask the question, “How accurate are NBA mock drafts?” It depends on your sources but my brief research proves at least in four instances they are pretty doggone close. In 2011 “The Klaw” Kawhi Leonard was projected as pick number 15 in mock drafts, he was actually made pick 14 by the Spurs. Checking the next year 2012 for Draymond Green, you realize he was a second-round pick. Green was supposed to be pick number 32, he actually was chosen 35 by the Warriors. We fast forward to 2018, that was the Luka Doncic draft, the Hawks chose him but traded his rights to the Mavs. The Don was projected number 3 on mock sites and that is the position he was chosen.

Isaiah Joe has become an important part of the Thunder rotation, what about him you ask? He was projected to be pick 44 in a second-round mock draft he actually was chosen 49. This is certainly not intending to paint an inaccurate portrait, these mock draft guys miss on occasion but I thought this was interesting. This unscientific survey was done randomly, I decided to choose four names out of the blue and uncover their projected position and where they were actually drafted. Laker guard Austin Reaves is an interesting study, as most of you are aware he was not chosen in this manner. He let it be known to NBA teams he didn’t wish to be drafted, he preferred to find his own team signing as a free agent. I was curious, two sources both indicate if Reaves had been drafted it would have been in the second round.

The NCAA champion

In early February we have an idea who makes the 2024 NCAA tournament. As for the championship that’s a different matter, the ideal scenario is to see a team in person. Sorry to say I don’t have that luxury so my view becomes one of televised games only. I’ve managed to see the NET Top 10 teams in action with the exception of North Carolina. With this I foresee the tournament as the last team standing wins it all. The defending champion UConn Huskies look good, Dan Hurley is an outstanding coach and manages to turn out competitive teams.

I mentioned Carolina earlier, this might be the best team Hubert Davis has placed in front of us in his third year at the helm. Others to consider would include Purdue, Houston, Marquette and Arizona. Notice who is missing from my list Kansas and Kentucky, both are good however they appear to lack that championship creed this time around. The one school that might be considered a dark horse championship possibility is Tennessee. Rick Barnes has been on the job in Knoxville and his teams are always good. Did I leave out any other candidates…of course I did, a winner is likely to come from a team I’ve failed to mention. With that said here goes certainly worth mentioning South Carolina, Baylor and X. You realize X represents the one team I failed to mention.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

This position continues to confuse

Your opinion belongs to you…no disagreement with that statement. If you take a position regarding a “thing” please explain the basis. In this instance I speak of Bol Bol the 7-foot 3 220-pound center for the Suns. Shaquille O’ Neal went on the record with this statement, “We’ve seen Victor Wembanyama before, his name is Bol Bol.” O’ Neal’s TNT cohorts roasted him for making such an asinine statement, he compounded it by saying “Bol is lazy.”

The O’ Neal statement was allowed to marinate awhile and then it came up again this past week. There is no change in the position taken by Shaq he continues to maintain his opinion without offering the WHY. If you are a relative or friend of Bol Bol there is no intent on my part to disparage him or his ability. Bol is now going into his 5th NBA year, he’s played for the Nuggets and now the Suns. If there was a measure of NBA talent he’d be playing more than 19 minutes a game for his NBA career. O’Neal is in a perfect position, he can make statements or express his opinion without a requirement to explain the WHY.

I agree

Once every two to three years Stephen A. Smith makes a statement I agree with. Just joking folks, the number is actually more it’s just the fact there are few times we are in agreement on a subject. Sometimes veteran coaches don’t receive the telephone call or text message. The message that says “The _______ are considering hiring you as head coach or we’d like to hire you.” NBA teams for a variety of reasons decide they want someone for the job other than you.

It occurred for Jeff Van Gundy, it’s my belief that’s why he was employed by ESPN for such a lengthy period…nobody wanted to hire him. We could insert the name George Karl here, it’s been quite a few years since any NBA team has bothered to contact him. We could add the name of Byron Scott to our list. What occurred for these former coaches and others, was that they didn’t adjust to changes in the game or their coaching resume contained questions. Back to ESPN’s Smith, he went on record indicating the hire by the Bucks might be Doc Rivers last coaching stop. I didn’t read the details as to why this was Smith’s conclusion, you read my objections immediately after the hire.

Years later

I’m unsure why the story is just now emerging however I thought it was worthy for a report. Most of us are aware of the competitive spirit of Kobe Bryant, this is one more example. Bryant had no plans to slow down, only an Achilles injury would curtail his Naismith Hall of Fame career. I continue to believe he would have played into his 40’s if not for the injury. In any event Gary Vitti long time Laker trainer tells the story, he rushed onto the court after it was clear Bryant had suffered a major injury in a 2013 game against the Warriors. Vitti indicates he said to Bryant, “Do you want a chair?” Kobe said “F**K Paul Pierce,” for those who might not understand the profanity allow this explanation.

In 2008 the Lakers were playing the Celtics in the NBA championship. At a point Celtic Paul Pierce went to the floor apparently injured. He laid on the floor while attendants brought out a wheelchair helped place him in the chair and took him into the locker room. This was near the end of the first half. The second half of the game Pierce came running onto the court apparently recovered from whatever malady he’d suffered. Years later the truth was revealed, Pierce had a stomach problem which prevented him from standing up and walking out. In 2013 Bryant remembering the story uttered the phrase to Vitti, he would limp to the free throw line sink two free throws which led to a Laker victory.

I will attempt to clarify my earlier account

On Thursday I wrote my 99th account of Big Men, it’s not really been that many but I was told this. You have a belief in Big Man basketball and I can say that is certainly true. In any event in the Thursday edition of Off the Dribble among the names mentioned in Yes I do incoming Mizzou prospect Payton Marshall was mentioned. It was noted he stands 7 feet tall and weighs a hefty 300 pounds, at this point I might have confused you.

Here’s what I wrote, “I’ve seen video of him in high school but that hardly is a true test, despite this factor his play reminds me of a young Shaquille O’ Neal.” A couple of things here, it is easy to dominate the competition when you stand 3-5 inches taller and weigh anywhere from 75-100 pounds more. We must first determine Marshall’s work ethic, playing at the college level is more than playing bully basketball. How badly does he want it…i.e., the desire to be the best in the post. “According to 247sports.com Marshall is projected to be the 10th best post prospect out of 55 players in the Class of 2024” so you see what that states. Marshall has his work cut out for him based on the 247 sports account.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

An enigma

I cannot figure out this Laker team, they are not great however they are not as bad as they appear. On Thursday evening against the defending NBA champion Nuggets this occurred. After overcoming a lead by the Nuggets Austin Reaves hit a 3-pointer tying the game 104-104 with 2 minutes and seconds remaining. The final score read Nuggets 114 Lakers 106, I’m asking what occurred in between time? Maybe the Lakers would have lost anyway but to lose by 8 points. LeBron James commenting on the loss reflected on teammates injuries, D’Lo didn’t play, Max Christie got hurt during the game and didn’t return.

Jarred Vanderbilt the defensive specialist has been in and out of the lineup all season, in addition where is Gabe Vincent? It would be easy for me to agree with James and point toward missing teammates. The only problem is the injury bug manages to bite teams throughout the NBA. The Lakers are nothing special to guarantee they should go through the season injury free. In closing allow me to make this clear, I remain part of Laker Nation. I must say at this point I’m a disappointed member of Laker Nation. Sidebar here, I read this of Anthony Davis and I paraphrase, “The Lakers would have won the NBA championship with or without the bubble.” That was 2020 that team was NBA champions, if you don’t agree that’s okay, I don’t believe there is any reason for me to discuss this matter further.

NET v Top 25

I have complained about the accuracy of the Top 25 poll, especially the Coaches, being somewhat inaccurate. Teams lose yet fail to drop in the polls, the question is why. Coaches do the coaching thing, do you really believe they have the time or opportunity to sit down on a week-to-week basis to rate all the teams in a weekly Top 25? I don’t think that is the case, I believe the NET poll is much more accurate based on the criteria it reveals.

What is the NET about, this from ncaa.com: “The NET includes more components than just winning percentage. It takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.” How does this look, through the first five the AP and Coaches poll have in this order. 1. UConn 2. Purdue 3. North Carolina 4. Kansas 5. The NET poll is quite different, as you can see the order is 1. Houston 2. Purdue 3. Arizona 4. UConn 5. Tennessee. It’s easy to see the difference in the two polls, what do you think? 

I love me some Luka…but

Luka Doncic is one of a number of NBA stars, guys I love to see play whenever possible. I had a rare opportunity two years ago, I had a chance to see Doncic in action in a regular season game. I was in the Dallas area and it was suggested it would be good to take in a Mavs game. As for Doncic the guy has shooting ability, he rebounds the basketball and is adept at distributing the ball…but. This is the interesting part, I’ve only checked ESPN’s website page, they list the 6-foot 7 230-pound Doncic as a point guard.

I guess unless a player is giving a coach trouble he must say good things about said player, that is the case for Jason Kidd. The Mavs coach went on record recently claiming “Luka Doncic is a better player for the Mavs than Dirk Nowatzki” or something similar. From time to time I have disagreed with the take of one Shaquille O’Neal but not this time. He indicated Doncic is not there yet and I’d have to agree. This has nothing to do with Dirk scoring 20,000 points, how about an NBA championship? The Mavs, through no fault of Doncic have only been good but not great. Great enough to lead his team to an NBA championship is not the only criteria there are other benchmarks in leading a team however a championship causes one to wake up and take notice.     

Hey, I’m here too

That’s the lament of Thunder rookie power forward Chet Holmgren. It seems Victor Wembanyama sucks all the oxygen out of the room, his numbers have been outstanding but Holmgren’s been steady too. The 7 foot 1 Holmgren does have two clear advantages over his counterpart in San Antonio. The Thunder are playing much better basketball than the lowly Spurs, which has allowed Holmgren to flourish. Heading into the season much of the skepticism about him revolved around his weight. Holmgren’s reported weight at the beginning of the season was 195 pounds which makes him thin for a guy his height. 

Since that time he’s bulked up to a hefty 208 pounds, despite his thin frame playing at the power forward position Holmgren’s managed to pull down 7.5 rebounds a game. In addition to his rebounding he’s scoring at a nearly 17 point a clip game with about 3 assists. Certainly outstanding numbers for a rookie, the one standout area for me is his field goal shooting. Holmgren is shooting 53.5% from the floor and 39.4% from the three line. It’s likely Holmgren will fail to win Rookie of the Year however he's gone a long way toward making the Thunder more competitive just by his presence on the team. It’s often been said former college players begin slowing down in January, they have played the equivalent of a college season, that’s not been the case for Holmgren. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Is this the year

The Clippers are the hottest team in the NBA, I can make that statement now. You might remember back in December I decided they might have a tough time earning a playoff berth, the Clippers have laughed at my projection by rattling off something like a 25-5 record. If we look at the standings in the west prior to the Thursday games we find the Thunder, Wolves and Nuggets all have 35-16 records, the Clippers are 34-16.

Despite the west being a tight and competitive race the Clippers will not be required to face all three teams above them in the playoffs. The only question remaining is health, that’s been the Achilles heel of this team since the arrival of The Claw and Paul George. If the Clippers go into the playoffs healthy can they win it all? Other than health will the reserves led by Russell Westbrook be able sustain themselves in the playoffs? In closing allow me to remove my foot from my mouth, next time I will be a little more careful before pronouncing doom and gloom on a team.

O Canada

This news is certainly not shocking, Canada the nation we share a northern border has sent 27 players to the NBA. The number might seem insignificant however that represents the largest of any nation in the world. It seems every NBA team has an outstanding Canadian player, I believe the best right now is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander point guard for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander at 25-years of age is one of the number providing proof the youthful growth of the NBA, this 6-foot 6-inch point guard hails from Toronto. In Denver we have NBA champion Jamal Murray, a 6-foot 4-inch guard and outstanding talent, he’s 26-years old and is from Kitchener a city in southeastern Ontario.

The Rockets have small forward Dillon Brooks the favorite player of LeBron James, Brooks stands 6 foot 6 and 225 pounds. We could also include in our account Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors, Luguentz Dort Thunder guard and RJ Barrett who now plays for the Raptors. Don’t consider this list complete by any means, it represents just a few of the 27 Canadian players who impacted their teams and the NBA. I’m quite sure the number will only grow in the future. What’s that you say…hockey is the national sport of Canada? That statement might be correct, hockey is the number one sport. We must consider a fact, basketball is making huge strides as more and more Canadian kids arrive at American schools and the NBA.

DPOY

Just in case a few might misunderstand the headline it’s Defensive Player of the Year. Wemby might not win the award but he should receive some votes, let’s check out some of the others. I believe my timeframe is somewhere after Christmas, that’s when I first declared Victor Wembanyama 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year. His offensive numbers have continued to climb, as the calendar turned to February with only Chet Holmgren of the Thunder remaining in serious contention for the honor.  Wemby has played 7 less games than Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert yet leads him in blocked shots 138 to 133 as this is written. Keenan said this after reading, “That certainly indicates effort on his (Wemby’s) part.

As for assists, that is a work in progress, centers rarely produce point guard numbers yet Wemby’s is nearly tied for second place although it is unclear if that is the case. The only area I see needs improvement is his field goal percentage, Wemby is shooting at 46.4% which isn’t terrible but could be improved.  The other qualifiers for DPOY are a little more difficult to determine. The NBA uses the following: “Defensive Player Rating= (Players Steals*Blocks) + Opponents Differential = 1/5 of possessions – Times blown by + Deflections * OAPDW (Official Adjusted Players Defensive Withstand).” I hope you are able to understand the measurement the NBA uses to determine the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year.

Bits n Pieces    

Is he going to be NBA ready, I speak of Emoni Bates currently playing for the G-League Cleveland Charge. Bates play has been outstanding with the exception of his recent altercation. Is he ready to compete, after all this is the NBA or No Boys Allowed. He must step up his game considerably to compete and to remain at this level. He’s “toothpick” size at 6 foot 9 and 190 pounds but so was a guy name George Gervin. Before you run and tell someone I’m comparing Bates to Gervin that is not the case, physically they are about the same size. I thought at first he should have remained at Eastern Michigan however on second thought no. I had an opportunity to view all the team games last season and they had no one except Bates. He was forced to take the majority of shots snatch most of the rebounds…you get the picture I hope.

The Big XII Conference is the strongest basketball conference in the nation, you might ask the question who is in second place? Who is in second place, well it ain’t the ACC, Big East Conference or surprisingly the Big 10. The football dominant SEC now can lay claim it is just as competitive top to bottom as any in the nation in basketball. Once the conference was dominated by Kentucky basketball but that in no longer the case we can look at Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn along with Texas A&M all quite good basketball programs.   

It's likely I might be the only one in the nation with this longing. College basketball is missing two of its most dynamic color analysts, Dick Vitale and Bill Walton. I realize a number of folks complain about the two but I enjoy them, as for them being sidelined Vitale has dealt with health issues. At this point I’m unsure if we’ll see and hear him describe “He’s a PTPer tonight, baby” which translates to a prime-time performer. One of many phrases uttered by Vitale or this one, “He’s an aircraft carrier” which is a team’s Big Man. As for Walton follower of the Grateful Dead, I am unsure of his status he’s been missing from ESPN telecast. One of his favorite descriptions of a play, “Throw it down big fella” a Big Man dunking the basketball. Yes I miss both of them providing commentary while watching college basketball this season, I sure some of you don’t.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

I must call it as I see it

The Bucks are one of the best teams in the NBA, they have been contenders for Eastern Conference supremacy since the beginning of the season. Despite this fact management decided to move in another direction, they fired coach Adrian Griffin. This was done because there were concerns regarding the teams defensive efforts, this decision was made despite the fact one of their best defenders Jrue Holiday was traded in the off season. Dame Lillard is an outstanding offensive player however his defense is behind that exhibited by Holiday.

In any event in the 5 games played under Doc Rivers the Bucks have won only one thus far. The winner was played against the Mavs resulting in a 129-117 victory. The Bucks are winners, they were under former coach Griffin and current coach Rivers, the question becomes do they have enough to play for an NBA championship? I must place the disclaimer near the end of this account, I’ve mentioned in the past I’m no fan of Doc Rivers. The belief in this corner his coaching cache is vastly overrated based on the sum. The Bucks under him will reach the playoffs because they have that much talent. As for winning a championship that’s another matter, this is an ongoing story which definitely calls for a re-visit down the road a bit.

Division II basketball

There are over 300 Division II basketball programs across the nation. Similar to Division III basketball media coverage is certainly limited unless we live in the city or area. We sometimes have no idea of these schools and limited knowledge of their location. In this part of the country we have several Division II programs, the best of the best is Northwest Missouri State in Maryville. The town is located 100 some miles north of Kansas City, the record is outstanding. Currently they are 17-4 overall and 13-2 in their conference. The Bearcats have won the NCAA Division II championship in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. As for the others this is written February 5, the standings might have changed so keep that in mind.

We have West Texas A&M located in the Texas Panhandle in Canyon, for those who do geography Canyon is located about 18 miles south of Amarillo. The Buffs have compiled an 18-win record versus 1 loss at present. Next up in our order is Minnesota State, located in Mankato, the city is about 90 miles south of the Twin Cities. The Minnesota State Mavericks have 19 wins and 1 loss thus far. Next up Nova Southeastern, Florida located in Fort Lauderdale, the Sharks have compiled a 15-2 record. Fort Lewis College is in Fort Lewis Colorado, the Skyhawks record is 17 wins and 2 losses. Dallas Baptist University in Dallas Texas, the Patriots have 16 wins versus 2 losses. If I missed including your school it was not intentional, I utilized information from ncaa.com. This list represents the top 5 Division II programs in the nation.

Yes I do

A friend mentioned this, “You certainly like Big Men play” and my response was the title of this account. I have been in error, I’ve blamed Steph Curry and Warriors success for small ball or inside out offense. It was more than Curry alone, it was AAU basketball being a contributing factor too. The game has evolved, it will never return to the battles of the past with Wilt and Kareem battling one another in the paint. The problem as I see it, teams containing Big Men are always talking about “stretching the floor” which is code for shooting three’s. Nothing wrong with that mindset as long as your post man is not jacking up shot after shot from that distance. In addition what does the future hold for guys like Purdue’s Zach Edey? Although Edey stands 7 foot 4 and weighs 300 pounds we continue to read reports he might not be drafted in June.

This statement is made despite him being named National Player of the Year last season, he’s on track for the 2023-24 season too. Has the game changed that much where a scout would say “20 years ago Edey would have been a Top 10 pick.” My argument for years has been guys haven’t quit growing many continue to eclipse 7 foot plus in height. I’ve mentioned his name previously, Mizzou has 7-foot 300-pound Peyton Marshall arriving in the fall, I’m quite anxious to see him in action. I’ve seen video of him in high school but that hardly is a true test, despite this factor his play reminds me of a young Shaquille O’ Neal. According to 247sports.com Marshall is projected to be the 10th best post prospect out of 55 players in the Class of 2024. Does the high rating indicate he will be prepared for Division I play, that question can only be answered once he is in action? We can state in truth emphasis on the post has certainly waned but that fails to indicate its disappeared completely.

Kansas City’s other NBA team

After reading the headline I’m sure you are scratching your head, you are trying to figure out what team? The condensed version and then the detailed account, KC was awarded a franchise in the American Basketball Association. The franchise was then moved to Denver without playing a single game in KC, they were first named the Larks then the Rockets and finally the Nuggets. Got that I hope, now for the detail of the events. In the spring of 1967 10 cities and Kansas City would make up the American Basketball Association which would begin play in the fall. The history indicates the franchise here could not secure enough dates at Municipal Auditorium.

It's unclear if additional locations were sought for the games but the Auditorium had a date conflict. In any event being unable to gain the dates needed the commissioner suggested the franchise be placed in Denver. Once the team moved to the Rocky Mountains they were named the Larks the state bird of Colorado. The Kansas City owners underfinanced were forced to sell the major share of the team to a Denver trucking company, the Denver group gave the team a new name…Rockets. They would play as the Rockets from their 1967 inception to 1974. In the fall of that year they were re-named the Nuggets the name the team plays under to this date. In 1976 the Nuggets would become one of the four ABA franchises the NBA took in thus becoming a part of the older league. So ends my tale how the Denver Nuggets began play 603 miles and a nearly 9-hour drive time trip on Interstate 70 west from Kansas City.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Looking up at the others

Kansas played an outstanding game on Saturday afternoon beating the Houston Cougars 78-65, they shot 68.9% while holding the Cougars to 36.2%. The final score wasn’t as close as it might appear. On Monday evening playing against cross-state rival Kansas State they lost a thrilling OT game 75-70. The interesting part of Kansas basketball at this point they were looking up at Houston on Saturday in the standings prior to the game. 

Based on the Monday action they are once again seeing the Cougars ahead of them. Truth is Kansas is not only beneath Houston but also Texas Tech, Baylor and Iowa State prior to the Monday evening schedule. They are looking up in the standings at all the schools named including Houston who they beat soundly. Will Kansas finish the season in this position…of course not but this is certainly an unusual situation for them. I indicated the Top 25 is not a true reflection of strength however Kansas rated higher in the polls is sitting below the others mentioned. 

He should be included too

There are a number of outstanding rookies in the rookie class of 2023-24. Jonathan Kuminga is not a rookie however he’s only 21 years of age, his youth and this breakout season of 2023-24 says to all he’s on the way. On the road to an outstanding NBA career most likely with the Warriors. Monday night Kuminga scored 28 points and snatched 10 rebounds as his Warriors defeated the Nets 109-98. Did I say outstanding season, maybe not but it is let’s check the numbers. Kuminga is shooting 53.8% from the floor and 33% from three, his scoring average 15.1 points a game.

He was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after arriving in the U.S. he attended three high schools here, he would decide on a pro career it would be NBA G-League Team Elite over focusing on a college or university. Despite the fact Kuminga is 6 foot 7 and 225 pounds the Warriors have played him at small forward and power forward. He’s proven to be especially valuable to the Warriors filling in for Draymond Green during his suspension. After Kuminga raised some concerns with Steve Kerr about playing time and his role with the team, that appears to have been addressed and in the rear-view mirror now. Be on the lookout for this rising NBA star.

Is this the year?

I was wrong, within weeks after the Clippers acquired James Harden they floundered. I boldly pronounced them not ready for a deep playoff run. Turns out I was wrong, they have been en Fuego as Russell Westbrook’s adapted to his role as 6th man, in addition Harden’s played much better. Maybe it was a matter of the team adjusting to Harden and vice versa. In any event at some point near or around Christmas they have been rolling defeating the majority of teams on their schedule. In Oklahoma, the Thunder had gotten off to a fast start and have played steady basketball since the season kicked off. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a stud and he might be the best combo guard in the NBA (Sorry Steph).

Adding Chet Holmgren to the lineup has also proved fruitful. It’s not just those two that the Thunder appear to be primed for the playoffs. Now for the dilemma, who goes…is this the year the Clippers and Thunder make their run and play for an NBA championship? Both teams being in the west one or maybe both might not earn that coveted trip. On the other hand the defending champion Nuggets are still there waiting to make their move, of late the Suns have improved as well. Going down the stretch its vitally important for all contenders to remain healthy. In closing I’m going to be careful this time around, I have no intention to count out a team prior to the playoffs. All I really need to do is look at the run made by the Lakers last season.

A possibility

Once upon a time Pittsburgh Pennsylvania was represented in professional basketball. In 1946-47 the city had a team the Ironmen, who began play that season. The Ironmen were a charter member in the Basketball Association of America which later merged with the NBL to become the NBA. The Ironmen didn’t last for any length of time going out of business after but one season, the history is unclear why pro basketball failed. After the ABA began play in 1976 Pittsburgh was awarded a franchise in the new league, despite having a team attendance appeared to be a problem. The Pipers as they were named relocated to Minnesota in 1968, in 1970 the franchise moved back to Pittsburgh.

Later another change, they were renamed becoming the Condors, despite the moves the Pittsburgh franchise went out of business ahead of the NBA acquisition. By now you are asking what prompted this account, there are two. I belong to an ABA history group, a member wrote “Pittsburgh needs a team” or something close to that. A research process was begun and I located an article on the web from pittsburghsportsnow.com dated October 10, 2023. According to the article a study would be undertaken to determine if there is interest in the city for an NBA team. As most of you are aware the city has a rich sports history with the baseball Pirates, NFL Steelers and NHL Penguins. I will attempt a follow up if there are additional developments.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

A rare record

On Sunday Purdue’s Zach Edey accomplished a rare feat, in his game against Wisconsin his second block of the game allowed him to join a limited ensemble of basketball players. Edey now has 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds 200 blocks and at least 60% shooting for his 4 years at Purdue. Edey now joins David Robinson of the Naval Academy at Annapolis and Patrick Ewing who played at Georgetown, there are reasons for the large gap in years. Consider the fact Robinson and Ewing played their college basketball during the late 1980’s.

College offenses have changed over time, no longer are teams offenses center oriented that’s explanation number one. Number two, players with NBA aspirations are usually history after their freshman year having declared for the NBA draft. Number three, we now have NBA G-League Team Elite and Overtime Elite plus Australia. Several players decide quite early they have no desire to attend college, they want to begin their pro career early with hopes of eventually playing in the NBA. With such a gap in years at the present pace it might be another 35-40 years or longer before another college athlete gains membership in this exclusive club.

The French will arrive…a few have already

All of us are aware the impact Victor Wembanyama’s made in his NBA rookie year. I’m sure there are GM’s and other front office folks hoping there is another Wemby coming to these shores from France or somewhere internationally. We cannot speak to that as a fact however there are more French youngsters who might be on their way in the 2024 NBA draft. Some of these players might change their mind and not submit their name or could change their mind period about playing in the NBA. With that said here goes a list from nbadraft.net’s latest mock draft.

The first name is Zacchaire Rishacher mentioned previously, he’s a 6-foot 9 200 pound forward playing for JL Bourg in the Euro League. Rishacher listed as the number 2 pick. Next up is another name mentioned earlier, at number 4 is Alexandre Sarr a 7-foot 1 205-pound center, Sarr is playing for the Perth Wildcats in the National Basketball League (Australia). The number 7 position is held by Tidjane Salaun a 6-foot 9 forward, he plays for Cholet in the Euro League. At number 27 is Melvin Ajinca a 6-foot 8 200 pound forward for Saint Quentin. Listed as the number 47 pick is Pacome Dadiet also a 6-foot 8 210 pound forward, he’s on the roster of Rationpharm Ulm.

Some of you….

Said in the spring of 2022 “Who is he” referring to the Dennis Gates hire at Mizzou. By the spring of 2023 you were shouting “Great hire,” now in the winter of 2024 you’ve decided “He can’t coach.” Listen folks especially you in Mizzou Nation you bet I’m disappointed in the play this season. I thought in October they are probably not going to be as good as the previous season but I had no idea it would be like this. I certainly have no intention of blowing smoke in your face however I remain the optimistic guy.

The glass is half full rather than half empty, better yet the glass can always be refilled. In August 2024 on paper at least Mizzou will have the best class of prospects they have had in the school’s history. All that’s good but what about right now, I am glad you ask the question. The SEC is the second toughest conference in the nation ranking only behind the Big XII. If I checked the conference losses Kentucky and Florida were double-digit losses for Mizzou. The other games if Mizzou makes a shot or two, a free throw or grabs a crucial rebound the win-loss total might look totally different from the present. Much as we’d like to have instant gratification it fails to occur at times.

This is interesting 

Imagine this, a town of 3,000 folks in Maine is home to the best high school basketball player in the nation. That town is Newport and is the home of Cooper Flagg, as for the town it’s located about 30 miles from Bangor the state capital. If we stop a moment and consider where the best of the best might call home there are locations that come to mind other than Newport. We might think Atlanta, Los Angeles, maybe Chicago or NYC. Some reading this might believe it’s a slam on the size of the town, far from it. We could use this example, French Lick Indiana has a current population less than 1,800 people. Imagine the town’s population in 1956 when Larry Bird was born. Bird’s hometown back then might have been about the same size Newport is today.

Leaving behind the discussions of small-town America basketball what about Flagg? We could say basketball definitely runs in the family, his mom played college basketball at the University of Maine, his dad at Eastern Maine Community College. Flagg has a twin brother teammate and an older brother who also played basketball. What makes the 6 foot 9 Flagg special, as my friend Rory says he’s got the IT factor. Last summer Flagg played at the legendary outdoor court Rucker in Harlem, the 6 foot 9 Flagg wowed the crowd with his shooting and overall play. Few white players have been able to have the Rucker gathering enthralled with their basketball skill. The IT factor, an extra gear which is far too difficult to describe. In any event Flagg, in his senior year at Montverde Academy will enter Duke as a freshman in the fall. Because he reclassified Flagg will be ineligible for the NBA draft until the spring of 2026.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Division III basketball

During the NBA draft, don’t hold your breath waiting to hear a name from one of these schools. I discovered there are more than 436 schools competing at the Division III level. Just three of the top schools from their basketball record include Hampden-Sydney, Keene State and Oswego State. All those mentioned and scores of others play competitive basketball. There is a unique difference, competing at the Division III level, a student can earn a scholarship but it will not be an athletic one. These schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, if you are enrolled at a Division III school and play sports it’s because this is the school of your choice.

We are nearly at the halfway point of the collegiate season I thought it would be neat to take a look at a few of these schools. The first school mentioned is Hampden-Syndey located in Hampden-Syndey Virginia. They are 11-2 in the conference plus 19-2 overall. Keene State is 12-0 in their conference and 19-2 on the whole, the school is in Keene New Hampshire. Oswego State is located in Oswego New York on the shores of Lake Ontario, the Lakers are 13-0 in the conference and sport a 20-1 record. Right now you are thinking these guys are not talented enough to play in the NBA consider this story. Devean George attended Augsburg University in Minneapolis Minnesota a Division III school. George was a late first round pick in 1999 by the Lakers and managed to have an 11-year NBA career.

The NBA’s future

I have continued to chronicle what I consider the bright future of the NBA. There is expansion at some point in the future but currently the potential stars are the focus. I’ve written a great deal about Victor Wembanyama this season but he is not the only talented rookie. Although he’s out currently Dereck Lively II has shown flashes of brilliant play for the Mavs. We didn’t know what to expect from this 7-1 230-pound former Duke center but he appears to be a keeper. The Heat are certainly excited about adding guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. to their roster. The 6-6 guard played at UCLA but has been a valuable addition to the Heat rotation in his rookie season. Brandon Miller moved from the Alabama roster into a starters role with the Hornets, the 6-6 Miller has become the teams small forward.

The Thunder also have a tall one, 7-1 Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga also finds himself in the starting lineup. He’s proven quite a skillful shooter and 3-point threat and adds to a potent lineup for this team. There is one more rookie who impresses me, Brandin Podziemski. He’s a 6-4 guard who played at Santa Clara, although he’s in a reserve role with the Warriors he looks as if he too has all the necessary tools. These are the standout rookies to me for 2023-24 and the main reason I approach it from that standpoint is simple. There might be a first-year player biding his time until the opportunity to play presents itself. No matter the sport without the break to prove you can play at the NBA level how does anyone know? In closing I’m going to say this, be on the lookout for other rookies who might be included in this brief look at the rookie class.

Laker moves?

The reported moves by the Lakers appear to have slowly wilted away. One of the names mentioned the Lakers wanted to acquire was Zach LaVine of the Bulls, he sustained an injury recently. LaVine will undergo surgery and is expected to be out between 4-6 months from now. That certainly fails to fit the timeline of the Lakers, their desire is for a player to insert into the lineup immediately. There is another name we’ve continued to read, Dejounte Murray of the Hawks. A possible trade between the Lakers and Hawks has also died down but for a different reason.

There are reports indicating the Hawks want a third team added as a trading partner. The guy the Lakers appear to have fallen out of favor with is D’Angelo Russell, which is strange to me. He was acquired about this time last season. I along with you have no idea what is going on behind the scenes, are the Lakers truly intending to trade for Murray? We continue to read Austin Reaves has become an exclusive commodity, there is no desire by the Lakers to include him in any trade attempt. In conclusion don’t misunderstand I have no inside information, I’m unsure about you but sometimes I wonder if these accounts are media driven rather than the teams actually talking to one another.   

Georgetown basketball

Having the Hoyas on your schedule once struck fear in the heart of the opposition. Under Big John Thompson it seemed the school never produced great shooters but they played defense, boy could they play great defense. The Hoyas played what I’d describe as “belly button” resistance, simply stated all the fakes and moves in the world do you no good, concentration on the oppositions mid-section that’s the direction they intend to go. Georgetown won nearly 600 games under Thompson including an NCAA championship, all that ended when Thompson resigned January 8, 1999. 

The coach was replaced in succession by Craig Esherick, John Thompson II and Patrick Ewing. Although the school had a modicum of success it was nothing close to the good old days. The school turned to its best player Patrick Ewing however he could not turn the program around. After 6 losing seasons Ewing was fired and replaced by Ed Cooley hired from Providence. Cooley won nearly 250 games while head coach at Providence a clear indication he is a winner. I have no idea what the roster appeared like before the coach was replaced. As this is written the Hoyas remain a work in progress, Cooley needs at least one season to begin the process of turning the program around. He’s not been able to match the first-year success of Dennis Gates at Mizzou however I must state Mizzou’s coach sat a doggone high mark. Despite that fact given time Cooley will return Georgetown to winning ways.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Rookie of the Year

The 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year is Victor Wembanyama, this is certainly not official but he is my choice. I’m making this statement despite the fact I have no vote to determine the winner. This is no slam at Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren who is having an outstanding season, I just happen to believe Wemby’s the best. There are few criticisms I’ve read about Wemby with the exception of this one, “His field goal percentage should be higher.” Remember all the talk about him being too skinny, I've not heard that mentioned in quite a while.

There is no disagreement on my part regarding his shooting. I’ve seen Wemby take his fair share of difficult shots…a number he should have considered passing to a teammate. Let’s look at the numbers the last week of January, although he lost the lead to Bucks Brook Lopez he’s moved ahead again. For the season Wemby is shooting 46.6% from the floor, the last 10 games have seen him raise it to 48.8%. He’s shooting 29.7% from 3-point range, over that same number of games he’s 31.8%. His 20.5 points a game leads all NBA rookies, the rebound number 10.1 which is interesting in another area. I will mention the weight issue once again, I’m sure with Wemby weighing 210 pounds some probably figured his count would be nowhere close to that.

Finally this topic which details for us his ability to share the ball, Wemby averages 3.2 a game. The NBA is in great shape for the future with Chet Holmgren, Jamie Jaquez Jr. plus Brandon Miller and several others. It just so happens I believe the top rookie for 2024 was born in France. Consider these facts, in 2018 Rudy Gobert was honored as NBA Defensive Player of the Year with these numbers, 44 steals and 129 blocked shots. In Wemby’s first 43 games his numbers are 49 steals and 149 blocked shots, he will not be named DPOY.

Bits n Pieces  

This is written Saturday morning ahead of the afternoon game. Kansas with a 5-3 record in Big XII conference play serves as host to Houston, the Cougars arrive in Lawrence Kanss with a 6-2 conference record. Is it too early to consider this match a pivotal game, I think that might be the case. Although the game is certainly important Kansas must travel to Texas March 9 to face the Cougars in their house. The March game might be more crucial possibly impacting the Big XII regular season champion.

I am looking at this scenario, Kansas basketball in conference play has been up and down. On the other hand Houston new to the Big XII conference likely has a desire to prove they belong in this highly competitive conference. I certainly have no intention to ignore Iowa State and Texas Tech, both schools record wise appear as good as Kansas and Houston. We can argue all day long which team is the better team, we can agree on this…the Big XII is the most competitive conference in the nation. Final score Kansas 78 Houston 65.

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There have been reports circulating that the Lakers were attempting to trade LeBron James. I didn’t read any details however the story didn’t concern me for several reasons. Although he is bound for the Hall of Fame there is not much he can accomplish at this stage for the Lakers. All throughout his illustrious career I believe he was never a dominant player but certainly one highly skilled. At age 39 despite his greatness there are aspects of his game that has slowed considerably.

You might remember recently I wrote of the youthful players the Lakers have traded. LeBron’s said on more than one occasion he wants Anthony Davis to take on that leadership role. In my eyes we have highly skilled and talented Davis, he is not a leader in the sense LeBron describes him to be. The future is actually predicated on Bronny James, if the son leaves USC given the opportunity will the Lakers draft him? On the other hand I could see them trading LeBron to whatever team drafts Bronny, what do you think?

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The NBA cannot seem to make up its mind, this is a prime example. There were complaints about low scoring games especially those of the Bad Boy Pistons day. Like anything else occurring other teams began copying the Pistons type of defense and gradually over time there was less and less scoring across the league. The NBA hierarchy said, “We’ll fix that, we’ll make changes to increase team scoring.” They did just that, with emphasis on shooting threes and other offensive changes scoring began rising over time.

Now we’ve gone to the other side, teams are scoring too many points. This is from the Saturday headline on ESPN’s NBA page. “Why scoring is up and what the NBA can do to address it.” Sorry folks that fails to compute for me especially since the league made a concentrated effort several years ago to increase scoring, figure this out if you care.

Beneath the radar

This is interesting, Alperen Sengun was projected a first round draft pick on most 2021 NBA mock drafts. Despite this fact he flew “beneath the radar” for me and maybe you as well. Sengun was drafted by the Thunder however his rights were later traded to the Rockets. His rookie year was quite unimpressive, 9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds a game, for a guy standing 6 foot 11 and 243 pounds you understand. His sophomore year was a little better as he moved into the starting lineup. Sengun raised his scoring to 14.8 points and his rebound numbers to 9 a game, his third year appears to be a breakout season.

As this is written, Sengun is 21.7 points, 9.2 rebounds along with 5.1 assists on 54% shooting from the floor. As for a portion of his bio he’s 21 years of age and was born in Giresun in northern Turkey, for Sengun it was choice between swimming and basketball although he took up basketball at 8 years of age. Just like in this country transportation back and forth competing in both sports he was given a choice by his parents. The sport of choice, just like a kid growing up here basketball became the sport. Sengun played for three professional teams in his native Turkey prior to submitting his name for the 2021 NBA draft. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

“Give me a lever and place to stand I will move the earth”

What do you suppose was the meaning behind the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes statement? Certainly it wasn’t discussing moving the earth, it speaks to “the power of knowledge, innovation, determination.”  Do you think that assertion might fit Mavs owner Mark Cuban and others? I believe it does, the following you are about to read cannot be documented. Despite that fact I believe the substantial majority of it is probably quite accurate.In 2000 Cuban purchased the Mavs for a reported $285 million, late last year he sold his majority share in the team for a reported $3.5 billion. 

Although he “sold” the majority interest in the team he retains 27% of the shares, in addition he remains NBA governor for the Mavs. I tend to believe anytime business is being negotiated it’s not done in the “dark,” the party’s involved I believe should be aware of all the positives and negatives of consummating the sale. I’m certainly not declaring Cuban the smartest guy in the room but this certainly reflects on the Archimedes quote. This is what we can agree on, Cuban had knowledge, he was innovative in his effort and his intense determination resulted in the sale of the Mavs while he continues to retain a leadership role in the direction of the team. 

Totally amazing

This Laker team is totally confusing to me, earlier on Thursday I received an alert indicating they would be short versus the Celtics. LeBron James and Anthony Davis would miss the game, I have a Celtics fan in my office. As Rory was leaving that evening I informed him, “I guess your guys got one tonight with no LeBron and AD.” The game was available on TNT but I didn’t bother knowing the outcome ahead of time, on the other hand maybe not. I checked the progress of the game in the middle of the 3rd quarter and was surprised to see the Lakers with a 10-point lead. I figured there would be a method for the Lakers to lose so you can imagine my surprise when I read the final score, Lakers 114 Celtics 105.

What in the world happened, did the Celtics have missing players as did the Lakers? Was Jayson Tatum and Jaylin Brown able to play, they did indeed yet they lost the game? Austin Reaves led the Lakers in scoring with 32 points, Jaxson Hayes replaced AD in the lineup, and would score 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Tatum scored 23 for the Celtics and Porzingis had 17 but that was about it for the team in green. The Lakers Achilles heel was not in force Thursday evening, as a team they shot 52.8%. I admit it, I cannot figure out the psyche of this Laker team, when they are good they are particularly good, this is an example. When they are bad we could choose any of the 25 games they have lost thus far this season.

He’s Smart

That’s actually his last name, his first is Shaka and he’s the head coach at Marquette, this is going to be approached from a slightly different angle. Smart played his college basketball at Kenyon and from what I was able to uncover evidently there was no desire on his part to attempt an NBA attempt. Smart moved into the coaching ranks immediately, that was 1999 and it would be California (Pennsylvania) as an assistant, he remained through 2001. The next move saw him become an assistant at Akron that was 2003-06 and in the following years saw him take assistant jobs at Clemson and later Florida.

The next stop was VCU, that’s where Smart came to the attention of a nationwide audience, Smart remained at the university from 2009-15. The success attained at VCU raised his profile considerably and that’s when the University of Texas hired him. That was 2015 and he remained at Texas until 2021, his record was mixed there. He never lifted the program to the level regents, alumni and others hoped. Smart with two years remaining on his contract took a buyout and in March 2021 he took the head coaching position at Marquette. His tenure at Marquette has seen him compile an ascending record of 65 wins versus 25 losses and 35 wins and 14 losses in the Big East Conference. Smart’s team is currently the number 9 ranked team in the nation. There you have a brief look at one of the best young college coaches in the nation.

I’m unsure

I continue to read the NBA is interested in Mexico City having an NBA team. This past November commissioner Silver once again let us all know of the interest of the league. There is one problem as I see it and it ain’t the language barrier, it’s height above sea level. What do Mexico City and Denver share…. both city’s share an extremely high altitude. I was watching a game from Denver and in addition to 5,280 emblazoned at center court Nuggets players had it on their jerseys.

The reference of course is the altitude of the Rocky Mountain city, Denver is 5,280 feet (1,609 meters) above sea level. Mexico City represents an additional effort by the NBA to expand the game internationally. Despite the language difference the city has everything going for it except the altitude question. Opposition players to Denver from NHL, NFL and NBA teams are likely huffing and puffing after a few minutes on the ice, football field or basketball court, the air is quite thin there. As for Mexico City it might be even worse, my research indicates the city lies at an altitude of 7,350 feet (2,240 meters). My guess, finance might be the deciding factor and that appears to be no problem for Mexico City interests.

Help Wanted

Feeling qualified most of us seeking employment might be willing to answer the call. There are exceptions when it comes to coaching a basketball team, doesn’t matter if it’s the NBA or college it’s still the same. It was said a long time ago but remains true, “A coach receives too much credit when his team wins and too much blame when they lose.” Imagine this your team has the second-best record in your division, you are a first-year coach yet management decides to fire you after only 43 games. That is the plight of Adrian Griffin former Bucks coach, was he that terrible requiring him being replaced in the middle of the season? Oh, you think it might be safer coaching college basketball…I don’t think so.

Once upon a time AD’s waited until the season was completed before firing the coach, that scenario no longer exists. The one thing I believe is that unless it’s a serious breach of some sort a college coach is generally safer than one in the NBA. What’s brought about this change, I have no simple answer but I do have a thought. NBA ownership and college AD’s are looking for a quicker turnaround than in the past. The NBA team makes a trade or series of trades, the university uses the transfer portal to secure 3-4 additions to the school’s roster. There are some issues I’m not even looking at, in conclusion the R&B group Temptations recorded a number of hit tunes. One of those tunes was “Shakey Ground” which might be the lament of many a basketball coach.

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

 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

You can avoid reading this

Several readers have expressed they are…sick of reading stories about Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, if that is you please avoid reading any further. This is another look at the wunderkind’s season through the end of January. Although the Spurs lost on Wednesday evening once again Wemby proved to all why he is ROY and maybe defensive player of the year. The point total was around the usual number however there were 6 blocked shots by Wemby.

I know, many of you adopt the statement of Keenan, “He’s 7 foot 10 he should block everything.” You realize he’s not quite that tall. In any event those blocks allowed him to move ahead of Robin Lopez of the Bucks. Percentage wise Wemby always had the lead however Lopez had a greater number of block shots. I’m unsure how many shots were missed by the opposition because Wemby was around the basket. Bill Russell once said something like, “It’s not as important to block every shot as it is to make your opponent believe you will.” I should also remind Keenan and you Wemby has played fewer games than Lopez in leading the NBA in the block shot category.

$$$

I read detail of a history I was familiar with, allow a further explanation. I’ve covered the ABA-NBA takeover of 1976 in the past and a particular aspect of that draft. Players whose teams folded were placed in a dispersal draft, they would be chosen by existing NBA teams based on their previous season finish. The late Moses Malone was a 21-year-old and eligible to be chosen by a number of teams near the top. As you might be aware his career included stops in Houston and Philly where he helped win an NBA championship for the Sixers. After retirement Malone would be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. What’s the money connection to him other than salary? I’m glad you asked, I was aware the Kansas City Kings could have chosen him but money was in the way.

The Kings with the 3rd pick in the 1976 dispersal draft chose guard Ron Boone from the Spirits of St. Louis roster, the cost $250,000. Later with the 5th pick the Blazers chose Malone paying a hefty $350,000. If you are acquainted with Boone or a relative this is not aimed at him but I don’t understand the move. Certainly as a 21-year-old fresh from ABA play surely the Kings could foresee the potential of Malone, was it a mere $100,000 that kept them from acquiring an all-time great? This is my complaint about the move, as you are aware back then the NBA game was a back to the basket league. Standing 6 foot 10 he was a skinny 219 pounds but certainly his play in nearly two years of ABA play should have impressed the Kings. It remains my contention matched with Tiny Archibald the Kings might have become competitive immediately.

Not on video 

The headline is a running joke between me and a co-worker, because he is younger than me I will lay some basketball knowledge of the past on him. His sometimes first response is laughter and then “If it’s not on video it didn’t occur.” That is the basis for this rant, as you might be aware I enjoy a joke just as much as the next person. What I don’t enjoy is revisionist history i.e., stuff you think occurred to fit your view of the history. I’ll give you an example, you might remember the Game of the Century. That was the 1968 match between UCLA’s Lew Alcindor and Elvin Hayes of the University of Houston.

A week prior to the game Alcindor had suffered a scratch cornea and it was reported he might not play. He’d worn a patch much of the week prior to the game, now that we have the background let’s talk. A writer, I have no idea of his age wrote; “Kareem’s been using that excuse for 50 years etc., etc., etc.” I can’t correct the writer directly, this is the only method I have. My first question, “Were you old enough to have seen the game?” My second question, “Who gave you permission to change history since there exists gobs of information indicating a scratched cornea incident occurred?” This guy and everyone else including me it’s simple, we don’t have permission to change history to fit our perspective of the events.

Mortgage the future 

Two consecutive blow out defeats to the Lakers have brought me here, I’m not happy. LeBron James signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 2018. James was able to lead the team to an NBA championship in The Bubble season of 2020 and that’s been it. As this is written its highly unlikely the Lakers will win this season, as for 40-year-old James next season who knows. It’s my contention the team might have traded their future to win now, let’s take a brief look. All the names you are about to read the Lakers had on contract at one time.

July 2018 they allowed Julius Randle to leave as a free agent, until his injury he’s been key to the rise of the Knicks. Up next Jordan Clarkson, the Lakers didn’t draft him but traded for his draft rights. From 2014-2018 he would play the role of a valued reserve, in February 2018 he was traded to the Cavs for Isaiah Thomas who is no longer with the team. In 2021 Clarkson would be named NBA Sixth Man of the Year for the Jazz. 2019 would be the Lakers acquisition of Anthony Davis, headed east to the Pelicans was Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and the 2019 pick DeAndre Hunter now with the Hawks. In 2021 a trade of Kyle Kuzma to the Wizards brought Russell Westbrook to the Lakers another player no longer with them. This certainly is not intended to detail all the youth traded by the Lakers but it does provide us a clue.

The Lakers scouting staff has provided the team plenty of talent however as you can see most of it was traded or left in free agency. Trades were made with a “win now attitude” before the window closes on LeBron James brilliant NBA career. I allowed a neutral NBA fan to read my observation and this was his comment. “You are looking at this from the standpoint of a Laker fan, I don’t think these moves were that bad.” Revisionist history cannot fix this team however these are my observations alone. What do you think, am I way off base in my view?

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

This is not a critique of the 1966 Clint Eastwood Western classic, it revolves around Emoni Bates. First The Good, Emoni Bates has been chosen to participate in the Next Up Game, the G Leagues version of the All-Star Game. The game will be played February 18 at the Indiana Convention Center, it should be of note Bates received the 10th most G-League fan votes. Although he was drafted the Cavs sent him to their G-League affiliate to secure playing time. The numbers indicate Bates is having a sparkling season, in 5 games he’s averaging 24.6 points, 5.4 rebound and 2.6 assists per game.

This is rare, from the floor he's 41.7% and from the 3-point line its 42.9%. Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell said, “He’s got a lot of talent” intending to aid Bates in his NBA development. I guess we could include the Bad and the Ugly together based on a single occurrence. Bates and teammate Gabe Osabuohien went into the stands after a game. G-League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced Bates would be suspended for two games without pay. Hopefully, this will not deter Bates from his goal of earning a roster spot for the Cavs. By all indications after a rocky and sometimes turbulent college he still appears to be talented enough the NBA is willing to take a chance.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The doctor has spoken

The American Basketball League (Fall 1962-Dec 1963) is easily forgotten due to such a short life. Despite this fact 3-4 players would later play in the NBA, one even became a head coach, this league was just a blip in time. On the other hand the American Basketball Association was different, this start up league began play in 1967 and lasted until 1976 when the NBA absorbed 4 of its teams (Nets, Spurs, Nuggets & Pacers). It was no merger despite the fact that’s the line the NBA advertises. In spite of the passage of time Julius “Dr. J.” Erving remains disappointed in how the league is remembered.

“I think the NBA does not work hard enough to preserve the legacy of the ABA and is very self-serving,” those are just a few of the words of the basketball legend. “There was mixed emotions, and there was a lot of angst associated with the merger of the ABA in the NBA.” I once looked at Erving’s scoring totals and thought he should have scored more than what I’m seeing. Sure enough another site separated his ABA scoring totals from those accumulated in the NBA. This is an easy fix however the NBA is in no rush to address it. The NBA will never allow the records to be included in their totals but the Naismith Hall could gather this information. Will anything of this nature ever become a fix, truth is I have serious doubts.

Quotes, basketballnetwork.net Jan 29, 2024

He did it again

I wonder what occurred, did LeBron James turn down an autograph request from Dillon Brooks when he was 10 or 11 years of age? Stuff like that sticks in the memory banks of a person at times. Whatever occurred in the past Brooks anger toward LeBron traveled with him from Memphis to the Houston Rockets his current team. On Monday evening Brooks received a technical foul deemed a Flagrant 1 by game officials after hitting LeBron in the head. As you are aware a player must receive a Flagrant 2 to be ejected from a game. I thought it was worth a check before proceeding further with this post.

If we examine the current leader board for technical fouls you probably thought the NBA leader might be a guy by the name of Draymond Green, it’s not. Green’s suspension probably moved him further down the list, in fact he is so far down the list he fails to even make the top 25. The NBA leader to date is Dillon Brooks of the Rockets with 10 which I suspect does not include the Monday game. So I must guess it’s not just LeBron that’s a problem for Brooks there are others in the NBA. Maybe Brooks does this bad boy act to pump himself up for games, some of us are not impressed, this type of action makes you out to be a bully.

No longer possible

In the 2014-15 season the Kentucky Wildcats almost reached perfection. Although there were some close calls the team finished regular season play with a 31-0 record. They made it through post season play until they faced Wisconsin in the semi-finals of the NCAA tournament. The 38-0 Wildcats were taken down by the Badgers 71-64, Kentucky finished the season with one loss. In my opinion that might have been the last “Super” college basketball team in America.

The landscape is so vastly different today as we look ahead to the April 2024 champion, this is not intended to take anything away from the team crowned champion. From a casual observer the recruiting portion has changed little, here are the takeaways as I see them. Transfer portal-Most of us remember a time when John Smith decided to transfer. Smith would likely be forced to sit out a semester before becoming eligible to play. For the last several years the transfer goes through immediately and he begins play in the fall. I remember once Mizzou had two players transfer at nearly the same time, one was ruled eligible the other ineligible. Even though there was an appeal the NCAA said an emphatic NO on the ineligible player. NIL-this is interesting from several aspects, I could be wrong on this matter but I understood the ability to pay athletes came first from a number of states rather than the NCAA. Once these states began saying it was okay the NCAA was forced to allow payment to student-athletes. Coaches-movement among the nation’s coaches appears at times to move at an accelerated pace, it’s moves from a Division I lower echelon school to one with a larger footprint. In addition to that coaches are replaced a great deal sooner.

Once upon a time a school might continue to employ a non-winning coach, they would replace him after the season. That no longer exists, colleges are willing to terminate and allow an interim assistant to handle the reins the balance of the season. Are the three issues alone responsible for the change in college basketball, maybe not, however these and others have been contributing factors in the fact there are no more super basketball teams.

Television & basketball

You might have read the account recently about Elvin Hayes, this is about the post effect of the game. It was mentioned up to 1968 no college basketball game had been telecast nationally, the UCLA-Houston match changed the sports television landscape forever. This game saw a mix of local stations across the nation affiliated with ABC, CBS & NBC plus several independent stations to form a network. Telecasting this game was the vision of the late Eddie Einhorn and his TVS network. The UCLA-Houston game must have proven to the existing networks there was an audience for more than local college basketball. The information is a little unclear, the indication is the CBS Network begin broadcasting the Final Four in the early 80’s although it is claimed NBC had been airing it since 1969.

Whatever date is correct the groundwork for the future was laid out at the time. ESPN certainly has made the largest splash with its coverage of college basketball. It would appear the network has agreements with all the major conferences although that too is a little confusing. As an example a Georgetown game might be telecast on ESPN, CBS Sports Network or Fox Sports. Also in operation is the YES Network plus NESN (New England Sports Network) and several I might have omitted. I failed to mention the “packaged” networks such as the Big10, SEC and ACC. As for the future that appears quite murky, will the impending become one of streaming offerings? Will the consumer be forced to pay for the NCAA Tournament and other specialty games? We certainly don’t have answers for all the issues raised, we must make plans to adjust whatever the future holds.