Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Bits and Pieces

The Women’s NCAA Championship beat the men in television viewer numbers significantly. On Tuesday, the news was revealed Iowa-South Carolina drew an 18.9 million audience, the Purdue-UConn game was much smaller at 14.8 million. Now a realist will ask the question will those numbers translate to the WNBA? Based on this event the WNBA could receive a ratings and attendance boost if the networks (ESPN & ABC) make a supreme effort to increase viewership, just my thoughts. What do you think?

After reading the comments of several NBA players past and present I’m going to retreat from a position I took earlier. You might remember I expressed my belief Bronny James required another season of college basketball before play in the NBA. Evidently a number of NBA players don’t agree with my assertion. “He’s ready to play at the next level” according to the position taken by several. Similar to you I will await the June NBA draft to see what develops, will he be a first or second round pick?

Cream Abdul Jabbar, Larry Nerd, Larry Blurred a.k.a. Robbie Avila has entered the transfer portal. The 6 foot 10 Avila was almost single handily the leader for Indiana State to return from obscurity to a place in the national spotlight. His Indiana State team should have been in the NCAA tournament rather than NIT however that’s my view. As this is written there is no indication of Avila’s potential destination. I’ve read nothing indicating a desire to play professionally at any level however eventually that certainly could change depending on his next stop.

DPOY 

In the history of the NBA only 4 players have registered 1,000 points, 250 assists and 250 blocked shots in a season. They are Kareem Abdul Jabbar, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Victor Wembanyama. I realize some of you have grown tired of reading accounts of the Spurs wunderkinder but he is the real deal. All of us (including me) were off base with the belief Wemby would be required to gain weight in order to be successful in the NBA, I believe to date he’s proved all of us wrong. One other note, Wilt Chamberlain may have accomplished the feat however in his day blocked shots for some strange reason were not tracked as they are now.

The basis for my view, when Bill Russell arrived ahead of Chamberlain defensive shot blocking came to fruition in the association. As for the headline, Wemby is now only 2 percentage points behind the defensive leader Rudy Gobert. Could Wemby win Defensive Player of the Year it certainly might be possible now? I say it might be more probably now versus late January or early February. I am sure naysayers will claim “Wemby hasn’t made the Spurs that much better.” My argument will be are you sure about that, as this is written they are only two games behind last season’s won-loss record. Although the NBA season is winding down the Spurs should exceed last season’s total, thanks in large part to the rookie season of Wemby.

Blue Blood program

A discussion was held on Tuesday morning regarding UConn basketball on local sports talk radio, the host posed the question is UConn truly a Blue Blood program? Generally we associate Blue Blood programs with names such as Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas and in the past UCLA. What makes these schools different, for one they are located in what is considered Power 5 Conferences. I believe UConn has entered the “room,” they are now seated at the table.

The Big East is not a power conference however UConn is certainly a Blue Blood program based on the wins. Monday evening the back-to-back championships now give them a total of 6. Consider this fact, UConn now has more NCAA championship tournament wins than Kansas (4), Indiana (5) and Duke also with 5. UConn is currently tied with North Carolina, leading the way are the 8 wins by Kentucky and the all-time winner is UCLA with 11. I’m unsure if you agree with me however it’s my belief UConn now belongs in any conversation of Blue Blood basketball programs.

I had to be reminded

The game was acknowledged here but the significance of it I almost missed. Center Nate Thurmond who spent most of his NBA career with the Warriors and Bulls registered the first quadruple-double one evening. October 18, 1974, Thurmond scored 22 points along with 14 rebounds, including 13 assists and 12 blocked shots. February 18,1986 Spurs guard Alvin Robertson joined Thurmond with his 20-point 11 rebound, 10 assist and 10 steal game.

Next to join the club is center Hakeen Olajuwon, in a March 29, 1990, game had 18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 blocks, 10 assists. February 17, 1994, David Robinson Spurs center accomplished the same feat with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocks. Stephen A. Smith pointed out Victor Wembanyama came close to making this a 5-team club. His game on April 2 consisted of 23 points 15 rebounds plus 8 assists and 9 blocked shots. We could speculate all day if Wemby might join this exclusive club, allow me to say he’s Wemby registered double digit assists and had a 10-block shot game. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The Machine

Watching UConn dismantle a particularly good Purdue team Monday evening it was evident, Dan Hurley has produced a machine. After the 75-60 victory over Purdue he said post-game, “I want to remain at UConn and create a dynasty.” The coach is on the road although it’s easier to say over the doing. If you witnessed the championship game you saw a back-and-forth effort for most of the first half, UConn held a 6-point lead at the break.

The second half of the game for the most part witnessed “The Machine” in full effect. For me at some point in the middle of the second half I thought to myself, there is no way Purdue comes back. Purdue didn’t shoot badly (44.4%), it was their poor 3-point shooting 14.3% which was a major contribution to the loss. On the UConn side there were plenty of heroic efforts by all, can I say in truth it was a team victory. With the Monday night championship win by UConn the curtain comes down on the 2023-24 collegiate season, the only action remaining is the coaching merry-go-round.

Will it occur

Some are aware Steve Clifford, Hornets coach is being “kicked” upstairs, Clifford will take on a front office position for the team. That move creates a head coaching vacancy and several names have been mentioned. One of those is Lindsey Harding head coach of the Stockton Kings of the NBA, the Hornets were granted permission to interview HER. Harding was voted the 2024 G-League Coach of the Year in leading her team to the Western Conference Finals.

Will it occur, do the Hornets break the “glass ceiling” and hire Harding as their next head coach? For now that remains a question because it appears the Hornets intend to take their time with a final decision. There are three men currently serving as assistants for the Kings, Celtics and Suns also in the interview process. Someone asked the question, why must potential hires of this type be given special media coverage? My response is simple, I wish it weren’t necessary but it represents the world we live in. We must continue efforts to level the playing field all over.

He didn’t want to play pro basketball

Imagine this scenario, a three time All-American, a two-time College Basketball Player of the Year and two-time NCAA rebounding leader. Just a small portion of the accolades of Ohio State’s Jerry Lucas yet he once said, “I had no special desire to be a professional basketball player.” In 1962 Lucas became embroiled in a bidding war between the NBA and the newly formed American Basketball League. The Cincinnati Royals (now Kings) held his franchise rights having drafted Lucas while he was in high school. That’s an occurrence that wouldn’t exist in the NBA of today. Despite the Royals owning his draft rights Lucas turned them down, the history indicates the ABL Cleveland Pipers would offer Lucas a player-business contract.

Another event highly unlikely to occur in the NBA of the 21st Century. Although he would sign with the Pipers financial considerations not directly connected with the Lucas deal caused the team to fail financially. Months later the ABL would go out of business too. After missing a year playing for the Royals in 1964 Lucas was named NBA Rookie of the Year. He was an NBA All Pro 7 times during his career playing for the Royals, San Francisco Warriors and Knicks. Lucas would be one of the keys to the 1973 NBA Championship won by the Knicks. He retired from the game in 1974 after a brilliant NBA career, Lucas is still with us at the age of 84. Honors have come his way by enshrinement in the College and Naismith Hall of Fame. And to think this is person who once said, “I had no special desire to be a professional basketball player.”

If you were aware you are better than me

Dawn Staley has been a winner going back to her playing days at Virginia. She led her team to four consecutive NCAA tournaments and three Final Fours. From there it was on to an 8-year career as a professional basketball player. In the 2000-01 season Staley, with no prior experience, was hired as head coach at Temple. This would prove to be quite successful, for the next 7 seasons Temple had only one losing record, the Owls played in the post-season 6 of the 7. With a 172-80 plus 99-25 won-loss record at Temple the University of South Carolina came calling when they had a coaching opening.

It took Staley two seasons to turn the program around and make South Carolina a perennial winner. From the 2011-12 season onward South Carolina has never experienced a losing record, 7 of those seasons Staley’s team won 30+ games. South Carolina won the NCAA championship in 2017, 2022 and 2024. South Carolina has won 440 games and 199 conference games. Her bio details her words to live by, “The disciplined person can do anything.” It should be of note, all five starters from last year’s South Carolina team were replaced yet Staley was able to mold the holdovers and newcomers into NCAA championship winners. This is but a thumbnail sketch of Staley’s accomplishments, her international record is omitted but strictly for lack of space.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Sometimes I am really wrong!!

I’m sure if you saw my face late Sunday afternoon you might say, “What’s wrong with that guy?” I just read John Calipari was leaving Kentucky for…. the open Arkansas position. Most are aware Eric Musselman left Fayetteville for Southern Cal, it’s understandable the school needed to locate a replacement quickly. Before I go any further and Arkansas folks become offended my statement is unrelated to any criticism of the state. How will this domino move affect both Arkansas and Kentucky?

247Sports.com rates the Class of 2024 Kentucky as the number two recruited class in the nation, Arkansas number 27. This is a developing story which is unlikely to end soon, stay connected for updates. Prior to publication freshman Aaron Bradshaw decided to enter the transfer portal and Top 25 prospect Karter Knox decommitted aware of the breaking news. As for the headline just last week I said something to the affect Calipari would remain at Kentucky. I had no clue he wanted out as indicated in a related story, its claimed this has been a topic since February for Cal. Oh well I guess I can’t be correct all the time.

International basketball

I have a partial answer due to the research I conducted. Question if I asked, “What nation excluding the US has produced the most NBA talent?” Think about an answer for a few minutes, is it Serbia, Germany, France or one of the nations on the African continent? If you named any nation except this one you are incorrect, the nation providing the NBA with the most talent is…. Canada. Yes, the country we in the US share a 5,225 mile or 8891.626 km border.

The border with our northern neighbor stretches from Washington state on the west coast to Maine on the east coast, in the US we share so much with our Canadian neighbors I find it difficult to refer to the nation as “International.” At the beginning of the season NBA rosters contained 27 players the most from anywhere in the world, I do have questions. As an example Matas Buzelis was born in Chicago however his parents are from Lithuania, Buzelis was listed as a prospect on a number of websites. If he were a 19-year-old in his parents’ home nation his name would be known however there would be no Rivals or 247Sports rating. Without research I would guess Domantas Sabonis Kings forward faced a comparable situation. He was born in Portland Oregon while his father Arvydas played for the Blazers, mom and dad are from Lithuania.

Canadian athletes are not listed on any US sites, I’m real curious how do college coaches uncover a Jamal Murray or Shai-Gilgeous Alexander? A usual item I believe is location, my research indicates the vast majority of Canadian NBA players hail from the surrounding Toronto metro. I’m unsure if all high schools contend on the basketball court but there appears to be a substantial number that do. Finally I close with the question is Canadian basketball truly international, I don’t think so but my vote doesn’t count?

The future face of the NBA 

LeBron James has hinted at retirement and we are certainly aware Steph Curry is close too, they are the face of the NBA. Both are in the twilight of their outstanding NBA careers, who replaces them in the eyes of those who follow the game? They are active now and perhaps one or two in the future yet unnamed. Do you know them, of course you do. They have the talent the hope is they are able to avoid injury which might shorten their career.

None require an introduction, we begin with the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama. Wemby just had birthday number 20 in January and what he’s accomplished thus far says ‘bright NBA future.’ I remember seeing Ant Man, Anthony Edwards in action one time while at Georgia. Mizzou defense did a number on him and they won the game. Edwards scored but took a bunch of shots and failed to impress me. I’m impressed now after a couple of seasons in the NBA and he is only 22 years old. The Don is his nickname, Mavs point guard Luka Doncic age 25 and the foundation for his team. Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, I have a friend who is a Celtic fan. He would argue with me 26-year-old Tatum doesn’t belong on this list, guess what…it’s my list. One of the smoothest players I’ve witnessed in quite a while is Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and he fits along with the others, he’s only 25-years old

The last name is going to surprise you for more than one reason. He won't turn 18 until December 21, in addition as this is written he's only played high school basketball, a test remains for college and the NBA. It’s Cooper Flagg who will arrive on the Campus of Duke in the fall. As some might be aware he is the top HS prospect in the Class of 2024. The 6 foot 9 Flagg wowed the gathering at legendary Rucker Park in Harlem last summer. That’s enough for me to include him in the count however not for all, Keenan says “I must see him in college at least.” Keep in mind these are the contenders, that’s not to say all will reach the status of a LeBron or Steph. I do believe out of this list will be the one or maybe two faces of the NBA for the future. Who was omitted, Ja Morant (age 24) for one and in his instance it wasn’t injury it was the other thing. I could add Tyrese Haliburton (age 23) and Chet Holmgren (age 21) to consider as well.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Who takes the lead?

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time you are aware there’s been limited coverage of the women’s game. Nowhere is this more apparent than with me, this was not done intentionally. It borders on one key fact, I haven’t followed the game with the fervor I have for the men’s game. The exploits of Caitlan Clark and to a degree Angel Reese has made games they play as must-see basketball whether in person or on television. I posed the question recently and intend to revisit it, both women are headed for the WNBA, what does the future hold for women’s basketball at all levels?

There is a vital element here I believe that’s been overlooked by much of the public, the WNBA. The WNBA has certainly experienced growing pains over the years, I offer you no proof of my next statement. I’ve read (and believe) the NBA has propped up many WNBA teams because most have not maintained strong financial success. Let’s back up and look at the college game. We had two talented dynamic personalities who made us sit up and take notice of the college game, the WNBA is another matter. The next portion you will read is fact, Brittney Griner wasn’t in Russia because she wanted to play over there. Salaries in the WNBA are far below that of NBA players, Griner and others have utilized playing on foreign shores to supplement their earnings. She’s not the only WNBA player forced to play overseas due to unequal pay, well back to the subject at hand and the key question for me and you to respond.  Who takes on the responsibility for maintaining the game in the forefront for much of the public?

Will someone or somebody take on the responsibility of following Clark and Reese into the WNBA and aiding us in “seeing them” as we are able to do so with a number of players who move into the NBA. Going forward it’s my intention to follow the game both college and the WNBA much closer than in the past however I’m only a party of one. I’m sure many reading this blog over the years have been followers of the women’s game be it college or the WNBA. In closing I pose the question once again, who takes over the responsibility for maintaining the growth we’ve seen in the women’s game at least at the collegiate level? Final score University of South Carolina 87 University of Iowa 75, congrats are due coach Dawn Staley plus Caitlan Clark.

Where you end is more important than where it begins

Former Laker Michael Cooper of the Showtime Lakers is to be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in August. The headline of this story certainly reflects the journey of Cooper. After high school he began play at Pasadena Community College before he completed his final years at the University of New Mexico. How about this additional part of his journey, after New Mexico he was made the 60th pick in the 3rd round of the 1978 NBA draft, imagine this 59 players being chosen ahead of hearing your name announced. Much later, in fact it would be 1989 a measure was passed reducing the NBA draft to only two rounds.

Your next statement might be, with numbers such as “8.9 ppg, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals how the heck could he qualify for the Naismith Hall,” I’m pleased you asked the question. You do, I do everyone looks at scoring as a decider on a players value, for Cooper it was his defensive prowess. NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1987), 5 times All Defensive First Team and 3 times All Defensive Second Team. Did I mention Cooper was an NBA Champion 5 times? You think the 6-foot 7 170-pound Cooper was a good defender, ask Celtic Larry Bird. Bird claims Cooper played him tougher than anyone else he faced during his NBA career. Cooper will now join Dennis Rodman in the Hall, he too was known for rebounding and defense over scoring the basketball.

This was unknown to me

Wow imagine this, it was my belief there was no Magic Johnson story that was unfamiliar to me. Then I discovered this account which caused me to go REALLY! Magic says after his freshman year at Michigan State KC Kings GM Joe Axelson had him flown to Kansas City, in a meeting Magic indicated the Kings were prepared to draft him in June 1978. The Kings were prepared to offer him a $600,000 3-year contract and Magic says he was ready to sign. “I’d been broke all my life and was ready” until the hallway conference with his father. He says his father suggested he should return to Michigan State for his sophomore year so he declined the Kings offer. The balance of this story is familiar to the majority of you regarding Magic Johnson’s Laker career.

Todd Marinovich

Father Marv Marinovich was a lineman for Southern Cal, his bio indicates he failed to earn a position in the NFL. Based on this fact alone he was determined to create a “bionic” son, prior to Todd’s birth Marv had his wife placed on a restrictive diet all intended to aid their son after birth. Skipping ahead Todd became a particularly good football player good enough to also play at his dad’s school Southern Cal. The younger Marinovich would be drafted by the Raiders in 1991, he would not last in the NFL. It was on to the Canadian Football League, and he closed out his career in the Arena Football League.

There were substance abuse issues throughout his professional career, might he have been a better player without those issues…perhaps. The point I am attempting to make if you have all the training in the world, it cannot aid you if you are injury prone or lacking in talent. That is the mix bag we have for the sons of LaVar Ball, injury and talent issues. Middle son LiAngelo apparently lacks talent to play in the NBA. Not a terrible issue everyone is not good enough to play at this level. Oldest brother Lonzo and baby brother LaMelo have continuing injury issues which have seriously impacted their NBA careers. This is not an intent to trash the players or the father, it simply points out no amount of training can prepare you for injury or lack of talent.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

He is acquainted with Rod Pelinka

On more than one occasion I’ve mentioned I have questions regarding Darvin Ham. I’m still not sold on him as an NBA coach, it’s clear from what I’ve read there are others who share my concern. Saturday morning I was searching the web and came across this. “Replacement for Darvin Ham is waiting” is what the headline read, I quickly pulled the story up on my iPhone and began to read about this coach who would replace Ham.

Then I read the name, Juwan Howard and I must have said to myself…Oh. Oh, from the standpoint the University of Michigan fired him a few weeks ago. Oh, from the standpoint, what does he offer as proof of his coaching ability? Then I discovered the connection, Howard was part of the Fab 5 while a player at Michigan. One of his teammates on that Michigan squad was a guy by the name of Rod Pelinka. Of course Pelinka is now the VP of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers. I really am in no position to change anything regarding the Lakers, If Ham is replaced I sure hope its not by Howard especially based on his coaching resume 87 wins and 72 losses.

Am I missing something?

I came across this information which I found a little confusing and it caused me to question the why. Although I was unfamiliar with Christ Essandoko his name was listed on a KU fan website. His name came up as a portal transfer, this former St. Joseph’s center stands 7 feet tall and 285 pounds. Home for Essandoko is Paris France. His numbers were rather pedestrian so I would guess they represent him adjusting to the college game, this is the part I found interesting. Essandoko listed 10 possible destinations among them KU and the website said, “He could be a backup to Hunter Dickenson.” This is the portion I question, if Dickenson returns to KU why Essandoko would transfer to play backup to someone else. It might be better for him to transfer to Mizzou or one of the other schools on his list.       

Basketball Dynasty

This account is based on an article I read although the following interpretation is strictly mine. There have been a number of basketball dynasty’s during the game’s history, for this purpose those occurring in the mid to late 20th Century are the one’s explored. How about the Celtics, 17 NBA championships won by the tandem of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and Larry Bird. The team from Boston must be included in our exploration of teams.

What about the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers they are tied with the Celtics for most championship wins. The trend was set in motion with George Mikan, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson and culminated with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. How about the Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen Bulls, they certainly qualify for inclusion in the discussion too. Although their win total is not quite as extensive as the Celtics and Lakers we could consider the Steph Curry Warriors a dynasty. There is one team we have failed to mention so far and its actually not a professional team although some consider they might be thought of in that manner. This college team contained two of the best that ever played the game, Lew Alcindor who later became Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton. I know some of you are questioning Walton, just look up his collegiate record not what occurred in the NBA.

11 NCAA championships, 7 consecutive NCAA championships (1967-1973), 4 undefeated seasons (1964, 1967, 1972, 1973). There is one more noteworthy record I wish to mention, UCLA had an incredible 88-game winning streak from 1971 to 1974. There are so many more records established by the John Wooden led Bruins that could be included so I will stop for now. In closing some will say “Nothing like that could occur today” and guess what they are correct it couldn’t.

Draft declaration

I’m unsure if Bronny James is the first to declare for the NBA draft/return to school. Bronny was profiled because despite his age he is a well-known name. Generally speaking there can be up to 20-25 players declare for the draft, I cannot provide coverage or an update on every college player. Those such as Bronny and Xavian Lee will be profiled. You might be asking now who the heck is Xavian Lee, I guess that would be valid? Prior to his announcement I was similar to you I had no knowledge of Lee either.

A quick check and I was able to uncover this bit of information. It’s not often athletes from an Ivy League school declare for the draft but that’s what’s occurred here. Lee is completing his sophomore year at Princeton and he registered respectable numbers at Princeton. He’s a 6-foot 3 170-pound point guard, Lee earned first team All-Ivy League honors based on his 17 point 5 rebound and 4 assist season. Home for Lee is Toronto Canada, it should be mentioned there is a possibility of him returning to Princeton for his junior year of school. In the past the Ivy League has been known for producing business and political leaders however few managed to find their way to the NBA or NFL.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Isn’t this an interesting development

While working on the Saturday edition came this breaking news, Bronny James declared for the NBA Draft while exploring the transfer portal. This makes sense on several levels, he can meet with teams obtain feedback prior to making a decision. We cannot determine the future without adequate comment which its hoped Bronny receives. There are several scenarios that could be developed but I’m not going there totally.

In closing allow me to express my concern, I am going to assume the Bronny health issue will be monitored but he’s played limited minutes during his freshman year. The move of his coach at USC certainly played a part in this move however my hope he would return to school. I am no draft expert but believe he is not ready for the rough and tumble world of the NBA. I was on the “Wemby Watch” early, although he was only 19 years of age Wemby had experienced play as a pro, Bronny has basketball skill but little to back up his desire. This is another story that will be monitored over the next few months whether the destination is the NBA or another college.

Maybe it’s me

We are nearly there, the end of the 2023-24 college basketball season is fast approaching. The question might be asked where it went, it seems like a week or so ago it was November and it’s beginning. I can only speak for myself but I was a little underwhelmed this season, for the most part the play was good however it was lacking an ingredient. Whether UConn wins it all is yet to be determined, it was UConn and Houston basketball for much of the season.

It seemed these two teams would alternate who would be in the top spot week to week. There was no Kentucky…no Kansas for the most part, there appeared to be no super college teams I’ve grown accustomed to seeing. For those who believe I might be piling on that is not the case, for the most part I enjoyed the college season it just seems it could have been better. In closing consider this associated fact, a lesser amount of basketball news over the next few months will be published. Keep in mind I will try my best to locate stuff I believe might be important to you so please continue reading.

Bits n Pieces 

Sometimes I post the same story on this blog and social media. I tried to research if it had been posted previously and I couldn’t locate it so here goes. The talk regarding Kentucky’s John Calipari just became that, talk. Coach Cal met with Kentucky’s AD and I read no detail except the coach will continue to head Kentucky basketball. This is where I take the opportunity to read between the lines regarding the school retaining his services. It was more than a buyout decision that allowed him to retain his job. As for the school, I’m sure Kentucky could have appealed to one of their alumni or donors and obtained the reported $30,000+ fee. Despite the opinions expressed by a local sports talk radio guy the administration for now at least intends to stand in Coach Cal’s corner.

I’ve informed you on several occasions my confusion with this version of the Lakers, the Wednesday night victory over the Wiz gave them a 44-33 record. There are approximately two weeks remaining in the regular season. Their win total is the most the team’s experienced since the championship year of 2019-20 when they finished 52-19. We must return to the 2010-11 season to exceed that number, as you can see the Lakers have not had a great deal of success on the basketball court compared to past Laker teams, is this a championship year?

A Change of Mind

In February, the Warriors Draymond Green said Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama didn’t deserve to be named Defensive Player of the Year, in March Green’s now changed his mind. Recently the Nuggets played the Spurs and the Joker was matched against Wemby. He claims he told Wemby, “If you block one more shot, I’m gonna…but he blocked like four after that so I didn’t do anything about it.” To conclude this portion Wemby blocked a total of 9 shots in this game.

It’s a longshot if Wemby is named the winner I’ve said on more than one occasion Rudy Gobert will probably win it again for this reason alone. The Wolves have one of the best records in the NBA thanks in part to the defensive effort of Gobert. As for the Spurs after almost a full season of play are nowhere close to winning 30 games. Wemby will be named NBA Rookie of the Year, I’m unsure if there is an NBA Block Shot trophy. As for improving the Spurs I’m unsure of the direction management should take, is it an attempt to attract free agents a trade or the June draft?

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

NIT will not survive

What a game, Seton Hall prevailed in a tight competitive NIT Championship game Thursday evening winning 79-77 over Indiana State. I tuned in to check out Robbie Avila for Indiana State, his game was not terrible however my description it was average but its more to the story, Avila only scored 13 point on 40% shooting from the floor. From here this morphed into a discussion I heard on sports talk radio Thursday afternoon…the topic tournament expansion. 

Should Seton Hall and Indiana State have received NCAA Tournament invitations? I can’t make that call however all are aware there’s been continuing discussion about expanding the number of teams invited to the tournament. When rather than if the tournament expands Seton Hall and Indiana State will not have played in the NIT. Truth is if we are discussing up to 80 teams who would really be left to play in the NIT? Expansion of the tournament will occur at some future date because there are $$$ involved so it really doesn’t matter what I think or believe.

Most watched television event

My friend Alice wanted to take note of the viewership for the Iowa-LSU game. The match between Caitlan Clark and Angel Reese drew a record audience that night. game had an audience of 12.3 million viewers including me, to place that in perspective check these numbers out. That number was more viewers than:

*Any Women’s CBB game ever

*The 2023 NBA Finals

*The 2023 World Series

*The 2023 Orange Bowl

*The 2023 Bit Ten Championship

*The 2023 Cotton Bowl Championship

*The 2023 Pac-12 Championship

*The 2023 Big-12 Championship

*The 2023 ACC Championship

*The 2023 Peach Bowl

*Thursday Night Football

*Every 2023 college football regular season game except Ohio State vs. Michigan

Can I say I’m impressed, that most certainly is the case. The only question what occurs after Clark and Reese are no longer present, both are expected to head for the WNBA. An effort must be made to continue the emphasis on the game for girls and women. 

I just don’t remember

Although Mizzou is no longer in the Big XII Conference Kansas City (MO) lies in the heart of the conference. We are bombarded with tons of conference games which for now includes Oklahoma. I cannot state with conviction I’ve seen a bunch of Oklahoma games over the years but several. The Hawks Trae Young when he was at Oklahoma I remember several of his games, as for Austin Reaves that’s a different matter. Truth is Reaves played for Wichita State as well, I remember Landrey Shamet and Fred VanVleet when they played there, for Reaves it’s a blank canvas. Did I miss something, why don’t I remember Reaves?

Oh well, it’s not important just as long as I am paying attention to his exploits in Purple and Gold. How about a little background on stuff you might not be aware? Despite playing in Kansas and Oklahoma he belongs to neither state, Reaves was born in Newark Arkansas. Newark is a town of 1,180 according to the 2020 census in Central Arkansas a little over 100 miles from the Arkansas-Tennessee state line. How did Reaves become such a hot basketball prospect from such a tiny town, I have no idea? From Newark Arkansas to Los Angeles California and in a Lakers jersey is more distance than we might imagine. Monday night Reaves might have had his best game as an NBA pro. Facing the Bucks with no LeBron in the lineup he scored 29 points, 10 assists and 14 rebounds, not bad for a 6-foot 5-inch guard.

One man’s opinion

“Los Angeles will never be a Clipper town, ever…That’s like New York. Ain’t nobody rocking with Brooklyn.” Laker fan that I am those are not my words, that is a statement by Jason Hart. Was he speaking as a voice of authority, let’s check out his bio. Hart was drafted by the Jazz in 2017 and later traded to the Lakers on draft night. In 2019 Hart was traded to the Pelicans in the deal that brought Anthony Davis to the Lakers. There was another stop first with the Blazers, last February Hart was traded to the Knicks. He’s got a Los Angeles and New York view of the NBA.

We could believe the Lakers winning 17 NBA championships can most certainly bolster a team’s legacy to the city. As for the Nets over their history they might as well have been on the moon based on their moves, the Nets have a rich history but most of it involves the time they spent in New Jersey. New Jersey is not New York or even Brooklyn, as for the history it was ABA New York from 1968-1976, from 1976-77 they were in the NBA. When Barclays Center opened in 2012 they returned to New York City and the borough of Brooklyn. I cannot speak for either municipality but as you can see Jason Hart has strong opinions about the two cities.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The Logo

For the third time Jerry West will be honored, he will be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame later this year. West was inducted in the hall for the first time as a player in 1979, in 2010 he was enshrined again as a member of the 1960 USA Olympic team. This time he will be honored as a contributor to the game. West was the architect of the Showtime Lakers and later became general manager of the Grizzlies. He also served as a consultant to the Warriors and Clippers. That only represents a small portion of the honors awarded Jerry West a.k.a. The Logo.

He’s got a new job

I have kept track of the job Ben McCollum has done at Northwest Missouri State for a few years. As an introduction to some of you he’s been quite successful as head coach of this Division II program. He’s led them to four Division II championships, 11 successive MIAA championships and the list goes on. Despite the time he’s spent as a head coach he’s a youthful 42 years of age but is now moving on. Drake basketball had been in the toilet until the arrival of Darian DeVries. DeVries managed to change the losing culture that had long existed at Drake.

DeVries produced winning teams for the Mo Valley Conference School located in Des Moines, Iowa. With success comes reward in the form of a new head coaching position. West Virginia reached out to DeVries and will bring him on board as head coach. Naturally, the exit of DeVries comes the arrival of McCollum to Drake. It’s been a little easier for me to follow Northwest Missouri State since the school is so near Kansas City. To provide you a few more tidbits on McCollum, his teams have won 394 games while losing 91 for an .812 percentage winning 241 wins and losing 63 games (.793) in the MIAA Conference. Both Drake and West Virginia should be pleased with their hires.

2024 NBA Draft

This NBA Draft sure looks unusual in more ways than one. Generally speaking the first 5-6 picks on the mock drafts I utilized reflect one another, not as the calendar turns to April. Now keep in mind, we have some weeks between now the lottery and eventual draft. With that in mind lets delve into what I’m seeing. As you might note for the most parts all three drafts contain the same names. The difference is draft position which could change in the weeks ahead. On the other hand there could be a sleeper who impresses at the NBA Draft Combine or impresses in workouts.

nbadraftnet

1. Cody Williams Colorado

2. Zaccharie Risacher France

3. Dalton Knecht Tennessee

4. Alexandre Sarr France

5. Reed Sheppard Kentucky

nbadraftroom.com

1. Zaccharie Risacher France

2. Alexandre Sarr France

3. Nikola Topic Serbia

4. Matas Buzelis G-League Team Elite

5. Stephon Castle UConn

tankathon.com

1. Alexandre Sarr France

2. Zaccharie Risacher France

3. Nikola Topic Serbia

4. Reed Sheppard Kentucky

5. Rob Dillingham Kentucky

Fordham University

My research indicates this university located in the Bronx has quite an extensive list of celebrity alumni. Among them are two former basketball players, one being Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald, after a brilliant NBA career he enrolled at Fordham and received a master’s degree in 1990. The “other” basketball player’s name might be even more familiar to the general public than Archibald despite the extensive NBA career of Archibald. This former player was a guard and played for coach PJ Carlesimo while he was enrolled at Fordham.

There is not a great deal of additional detail on his basketball exploits, either he was just average on the basketball court or decided to head in another direction for his career. He played at Fordham in the mid 1970’s if that aids you in deciding who this outstanding alumnus is. One more hint he became famous on the west coast and not Mount Vernon NY where he was born. Do you give up or do you need one more hint? This will definitely give away his name, he’s an actor, director and producer. In addition he’s won two Academy Awards, okay if you haven’t figured out his name by now, it’s Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. I guess that basketball career didn’t turn out very well for him.

Happy Days are Hear Again

I checked the history, the headline is a tune originally recorded in 1929, since then several artists have recorded their version of it. The most recent adaptation I believe was recorded in 1963 by Barbra Streisand. For your information Streisand was born in Brooklyn New York, although the Nets call it home now they are not the team making the most noise. It appears after numerous moves (draft choices, trades & free agents) the Knicks are a legitimate contending team.

I am not claiming these Knicks are rivals of the Patrick Ewing version but they definitely have folks in New York City smiling except those in Brooklyn who gravitated to the Nets. What’s most interesting one of the Knicks’ most well-known celebrity actually hails from the borough of Brooklyn. That person would be movie director Spike Lee who pledges eternal loyalty to the Knicks. As this is written the Knicks have a 43-28 record and are in second place in the Atlantic Division. Point guard Jalen Brunson is one of the driving forces in the resurgence of these Knicks. They have managed to weather the storm of losing Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle to injuries. It would appear they might be prepared for a deep playoff run.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

She can hoop

If you’ve read this blog any length of time you realize coverage of the women’s game has been limited. Now and again there is a talent or game which demands a look. That was the case Monday evening as Iowa’s Caitlin Clark faced off against Angel Reese of LSU. This will be short, after seeing highlights of Clark in action to see her in a full game was quite enlightening. Clark scored 41 points dished out 12 assists and grabbed 7 rebounds as Iowa bested LSU 94-87. Sports media has focused on the shooting of Clark, most impressive to me was her bullet passes to teammates leading to assists. I intend to follow her no matter if she remains at Iowa or heads for the WNBA next season.

“Ceiling is off”

The headline above is veteran NBA media guy Bill Simmons and his description of Victor Wembanyama. He claims, “There might not be a ceiling for Wemby and this youngster might be the best center in the NBA since Kareem Abdul Jabbar.”  Don’t throw rocks at me those are the words of Simmons not me. He compares the numbers of Wemby versus Kareem, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon. I will spare you the details and simply say Wemby’s numbers are akin.

This has been mentioned on so many occasions that the Spurs are simply not a good team. Tuesday evening they were losers against the Nuggets 110-105, as for Wemby he might have had his worst game shooting thus far this season. 31% from the floor 50% from the free throw line however the balance of the box score was noteworthy. Wemby scored 23 points and pulled down 15 rebounds along with 8 assists. Oh by the way he also registered 9 blocked shots in the game. Wemby was named Rookie of the Month for the third month in a row, the NBA should initial his name in for April as well.

Bits n Pieces 

What should we have expected? Sunday was game number 25 since Doc Rivers took over for Adrian Griffin. Bucks management had a basis for replacing Adrian Griffin however from where I sit it was confusing to me. Under the departed Griffin the Bucks were 30 wins and 13 losses, the current record is 47-27 which places them near the top of Eastern Conference teams however there is an issue. Under Rivers the Bucks are three games above .500 with a 17-14 record. It was clear I am no fan of the coach, I don’t dislike him his coaching ability is overrated in my view. The playoffs are fast approaching, we shall uncover the truth of Doc Rivers coaching.

I have no control over this matter however change is in the air for college basketball. I’m unsure if this will occur prior to next season but it will happen. The transfer portal as it exists in college basket is unlikely to disappear, despite this statement adjustments will be made in the manner it is implemented. There are probably a large number of coaches who voice concerns with portal issues however UConn’s Dan Hurley’s made his complaints known. “Players change schools like underwear” was his comment about the portal. An additional issue was the period the portal opens the day after NCAA Tourney teams are chosen. What do I see as possible changes, the first one is a limit on the number of times a player can transfer schools. The time period the portal opens and closes will be adjusted.

Apparently as they might say it was all smoke and mirrors, there was nothing really there. Someone who should know offers his explanation why the A-Rod deal to purchase the Wolves failed to materialize. David Samson former owner of the baseball Marlins claims A-Rod never had enough money to acquire the Wolves in the first place. We have no idea how the partnership was to work since Marc Lore was also involved in the attempted purchase of the team. All the negotiations were done between owner Glen Taylor and the A-Rod/Lore team. The public is left with this information from Taylor he is “negotiating with the partners.”

The Lakers and Celtics have been long time rivals, they are tied for NBA championships with 17. Naturally going back to the 1950’s up to the present day the teams have squared off against one another numerous times. Despite this lengthy rivalry, unlike other NBA teams few have played for both teams. On Tuesday it was announced Rajon Rondo was retiring, some might remember Rondo was one of the keys to the 2020 championship won by the Lakers. This was his second championship having won in 2008 while a member of the Celtics. That other player who played for both franchises, Clyde Lovellette. Lovellette (1951-1964) won more than one, he played for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1953-1957, later it was the Celtics 1962-1964. Lovellette won a championship for the Lakers (1954) and two for the Celtics (1963, 1964).

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

No NFL for him

DJ Burns Jr. has played quite well for NC State especially in the NCAA Tourney. He led the way on Sunday as his team eliminated Duke 76-64, Burns scored 29 points in the victory. Burns Jr. is a Big Man, he’s got 275 pounds packed on his 6-foot 9 frame and today I read an article that caused me to laugh out loud. Burns Jr. is not listed on any NBA mock draft sites, someone suggested he might look at the NFL as a lineman.

That’s out of the question in my view, lineman are in the neighborhood of 300 pounds. Gates appears adept at catching passes in the post, how about doing that in the NFL as a tight end? My mind travels back in time to Antonio Gates. Gates played football in high school but not college at Kent State, there it was basketball. Gates was told he probably wouldn’t make it in basketball standing 6 foot 4 and 255 pounds so it became football. Undrafted Gates played for the Chargers in San Diego and Los Angeles from 2003 till he retired in 2018. Rather than the NFL as a lineman if Burns Jr. can catch a football as easily as an entry post pass…well.

Luka the Don

The Mavs all everything (is he a forward or a point guard), I don’t know? He’s good regardless of the position(s) he plays for his team. Doncic reminds me of The Joker in a sense, he fires up the most unorthodox shots that manage to find the basket. That was no different Sunday evening with his Mavs team facing the red-hot Rockets. The Rockets have been the hottest team in the association over the past few weeks registering 11 wins in a row before meeting their Texas rivals.

Thanks in large part to Doncic the Rockets came up on the losing end 125-107. What did Doncic contribute, a plethora of shots some of them as I stated earlier unorthodox. He registered 47 points along with 12 rebounds and 7 assists, all this while shooting 60% from the floor and 56.3% from three and only 4 TO’s. Everything wasn’t great for Doncic except he shot a miserable 40% from the free throw line. The one complaint I hear from time to time, “He’s not a great defender” but my question remains how accurate are they? I just discovered ESPN list Doncic as a point guard, this is certainly a role he’s morphed into at 6-foot 7 230 pounds.

I will provide the source

There are times I read a story and it causes me to shake my head, I guess that’s when smh was begun being abbreviated. Oh well, this is your reading source courtesy of Athlon Sports. Basketball officiating is not easy, the pace of the game plus the size of the player fouls are sometimes missed. There were a number of fan complaints about Purdue’s Zach Edey’s game against Tennessee. One wrote, “How could not a single foul be called on him in the first half of the game?” There were others in this .com site indicating standing 7 foot 4 and 300 pounds “he’s been given preferential treatment by game officials.”

I haven’t seen all the tourney games Edey’s played but I managed to see the Tennessee game. Television provides us a picture however 99% of the time we must go with the call made by the official on the floor. Did I see anything out of the ordinary…I don’t think so. What I believe is almost laughable is this, do you realize Wilt Chamberlain (7-1 275 pounds) NEVER fouled out of an NBA game? Don’t take my word for it go to his bio or some other source. Chamberlain should have fouled out of a game most certainly but foul number 6 was never called. Has Edey played a ‘perfect’ game equaling Chamberlain, hardly but we must go with game officials unless a missed call is clearly obvious.

What’s the Vector Victor?

If Wemby plays two more games he will be named 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year. The question is number of games played, in order to qualify for the award under the new rules he must play 65 games. As this is written Wemby’s yet to play the required number. With that question out of the way how about other honors i.e., what’s the vector for Victor? He will earn NBA Rookie First Team honors as well, Wemby leads NBA rookies in average, rebounds and blocked shots.

There is an outside chance he wins Defensive Player of the Year, I say that because fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert is likely to win the award again for the 4th time. Wemby can earn a spot on the NBA All Defensive First Team. Why…he leads the NBA in block shots, no one will be able to catch him this season. There you have it, the honors the Spurs center could earn at the conclusion of the season. Are there additional awards Wemby could earn, yes however its highly unlikely anymore are within his sight. I am repeating myself again so bear with me. If Wemby is able to avoid major injuries in 10-15 years he will be part of the discussion of Chamberlain, Abdul Jabbar and other Big Men of the past.

My response

This is addressed to the Kansas basketball fan who wrote of his disappointment. He alluded to the fact Bill Self’s team was lacking in love for the significance of Kansas basketball. Well mister, allow me to welcome you into the 21st Century of college basketball. Athletes will continue to fill the roster of Kansas and other schools, will the program wow them…I think not. Don’t misunderstand my statement, they will run through a brick wall if that is what’s required, loyalty to a program is not nearly as important as it once was.

As an example I’m sure at one time this fan realized Kansas basketball had no One and Done athletes. When they arrived in Lawrence Kansas they were there for the next four years. That changed in 1998, Paul Pierce left for the NBA after his junior year. From that point up to the present day a succession of One and Done athletes have graced the roster of Kansas basketball. Again I’m not stating they have no devotion to any program it is limited. That 9th or 10th place athlete on the roster might be more loyal to the program of Kansas and other schools than the McDonald’s All American recruited. I hope this doesn’t appear cynical because that is not the intent, its simply to point out allegiance toward anyone’s basketball program is limited these days.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The Hurley’s

We have several instances of brother head coaches, some have been in the NBA while it’s been college for others, in this instance our focus is the Hurley’s. You are likely familiar with both, the elder brother is Bobby Hurley Jr. currently the head coach at Arizona State, head coach at UConn is younger brother Dan Hurley. Both brothers have produced winning teams over the years but where did it all begin? It started with their father Bobby Hurley Senior, although retired now he was the long serving head coach at St. Anthony’s HS in Jersey City.

The senior Hurley served as head coach at the school from 1972 through 2017, St. Anthony’s closed at the end of the 2017 school year. Hurley Sr. is beyond a doubt the winningest high school basketball coach in the nation. His St. Anthony’s teams won 4 national championships and 26 state titles. The state titles are amazing to me, this is NJ Boys basketball and his teams were able to win double digit titles. It’s estimated his teams have won over 1,000 games with him as head coach. In 2010 Senior was enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame the only high school coach to date with that honor.

Remember him

Most of my coverage of NBA rookies has begun and ended with Victor Wembanyama. Despite that fact I have mentioned a few others, Thunder power forward Chet Holmgren would be next most mentioned. Briefly discussed have been Brandon Miller Hornets and Jaime Jaquez of the Heat. Missing all season long has been an account of Scoot Henderson, you remember him don’t you? Playing for G League Team Elite he was a highly regarded NBA prospect and, besides the fact there was this advantage. We could see him play unlike that 7-foot 4 French kid, we had no idea of his potential. Last June 22 the night of the draft this was the order, the Spurs with the first pick chose Wemby, the Hornets then picked Miller.

With the 3rd pick the Blazers took Henderson. I thought at the time it was a good move, he’d play behind Dame Lillard and absorb point guard skill from one of the best in the NBA. That would change four months later when the Blazers traded Lillard to the Bucks. As we come near the end of the NBA season an assessment for Henderson I believe is incomplete. His 13.3 ppg scoring average is okay, so is 3.1 rebounds and 4.9 assist. All could stand to be raised, his 38% shooting from the floor definitely needs improvement. As for the hype last year he should be drafted number one over Wemby it was just bravado on his part. I don’t know his temperament, does he take tutoring to heart? Those are questions I have no answer at this time, hopefully next season the Blazers plus the NBA will see improvement in his overall game.

Have you ever wondered

You might wish to have this news, which school has produced the most NBA talent? This account will provide the all-time number and those currently active. Warning, this represents information through the end of the 2022-23 NBA season, here goes:

                                       Number of players all-time      Number of players active

Kentucky                          127                                         26

UCLA                                 99                                         11

Duke                                  94                                         25

North Carolina                    92                                        12

Kansas                                81                                        12

Arizona                               65                                        11

Indiana                               65                                          5

Louisville                            61                                          7

Notre Dame                        60                                          3

St. John’s                           49                                          1        

Any surprises for you, there are certainly two for me and I will share with you. Although Indiana only has 5 active players the historical number of NBA players over time is greater than I might have guessed. This is speculation on my part, would you have presumed St. John’s would earn a Top 10 position. This is not intended to disparage the school because it has a rich history of producing great college teams but I didn’t realize over time it extended into the NBA.

https://erudera.com/resources/colleges-with-most-nba-players/

Your needs

Face facts, fans are going to vote differently from a bevy of coaches…I’m sure that is the case 98% of the time. Rock M. Nation the fan website of Mizzou Nation asked the question. “What position should the Tigers look at filling next season?” I’m unsure how many responded to the poll however the overwhelming majority said: point guard. This was a little surprising to me based on Mizzou’s record and the fact they were outrebounded in the majority of the games they played. In the fall despite losing 7 foot 2 Mabor Majak to the transfer portal they should be tall.

7-foot Jordan Butler will be a sophomore along with 6 foot 10 Trent Pierce also a sophomore, joining them in the fall from the Class of 2024 is 7-foot Peyton Marshall and 7 foot 3 Trent Burns. They will have a bevy of tall youngsters, hopefully the coaching staff will be able to mold them into a cohesive group. Maybe I’ve got it wrong, it might be point guard. Nick Honor performed in that role but the senior is on his way out the door, as a junior I thought he brought much to the table as a senior not so much. This leaves Mizzou with sophomore Anthony Robinson II the only point guard on the roster. The fan voting might be correct, there might be the need for a veteran point guard in the portal.