Basketball from a fans perspective

Smoke emanating 
If you watched the ESPN Kansas State-Kansas game to the conclusion you were a witness.  The outcome wasn’t in doubt as the Jayhawks held a 75-59 lead as the clock ticked toward zero.  Both teams were standing waiting for the game to conclude, Brannen Greene of Kansas had the ball.  With 2.3 seconds or so remaining he made the decision “I’ll think I’ll dunk the ball” which he proceeded to do, final score Kansas 77 Kansas State 59.

The players and coaches had begun lining up and several were already shaking hands when Greene pulled his stunt.  Bill Self apologized to the Kansas State players and indicated “It would never happen again.”  As for the headline title one of the local television stations had a shot of the Lawrence campus and the weather guy said “There is smoke coming from one of the buildings.”  I concluded it was either Self still upset or Greene after receiving a tongue lashing from his coach.

On a serious note several letters were posted to ESPN page critical of the coach; “He (Self) should have addressed the issue in the locker room” read several of the letters.  It’s been reported Greene has issues; he’s been suspended at least once before this latest incident.  Maybe the best method for this youngster is to embarrass him publicly.  I have no idea how Coach Self runs his team I don’t believe he runs it a dictatorial manner it’s likely he coaches for this generation of athletes.

Calm down
The Clippers were losers in their Wednesday evening game against the Wolves.  They may have won the game if Chris Paul hadn‘t received a technical foul in the waning portion of the game.  The game was one of the topics for Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon on their program Pardon the Interruption.  I believe it was Kornheiser who said; “The Clippers lead the league in technical’s since Doc Rivers arrived.”  Korheiser indicated Paul has a “history” with this particular referee.  A foul was called on J.J. Redick who along with Paul was attempting to trap Rickey Rubio near mid-court.

Referee Laura Holtkamp whistled a foul on Redick and Paul immediately slapped his hands together, Holtkamp then called a technical on Paul.  If it had been anybody other than Paul there may have been no technical.  I figured I would check the Kornheiser statement and sure enough he was correct.  The Clippers lead the NBA in technical’s with 56 and the Rockets are second with 50.  This stat I discovered accidentally but found interesting, the Clippers lead the NBA with most players ejected--4.  One of the 4 we presume was Doc Rivers son who received two technical’s earlier and had been asked to leave.   Despite the athletic talent of this team will they ever win anything with their constant whining, begging and flopping?

On the move?
The Dwight Howard experiment has not worked out as the Rockets hopped.  Rumors of problems with James Harden and injuries have impacted Howard.    There are stories circulating on a possible trade to the Celtics, that‘s one of the latest destinations for Howard.  His days in Orlando are a distant memory for many which once we believed he was headed for super star status.  The guy can still play and does reveal signs of his Orlando past.  Howard and the Coach (Stan) Van Gundy feud forced the Howard trade to the Lakers.  He left the Lakers hinting he and Kobe were mismatched.

That might well be true because Kobe may have believed Howard was not playing at a premium level.  He left Los Angeles for Houston leaving the larger amount the Lakers could pay him over the Lakers.  This may have worked to a degree in his favor with no state tax in Texas versus California’s high tax base.  Howard is now in his third year with the Rockets and his scoring average (14.4) is the lowest it’s been since his rookie year.  Howard has now turned 30 and it’s highly likely he won’t improve in any area of his game less his attitude.  Howard is at a point only he can control his destiny, he‘s got no control if he‘s traded however the other aspects are his to manage.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

One more
Kenny Sailors played his college and NBA basketball before most of us were born.  He’s generally given credit for “inventing” the jump shot. Basketball players in that day had only set shots and an occasional hook shot.  Sailors stood 5 foot 10 inches tall, he claimed shooting a jump shot was the only method he was able to shot over his 6-4 brother.  Sailors died at age 95 in Wyoming the state where he first came to prominence developing his game at the University of Wyoming.

World War II would interrupt college as he left for the war effort.  He returned to Wyoming after the war to complete his schooling.  Sailors would go on to play in the BAA and NBA from 1946 through 1951.  2012 Sailors was inducted in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame but for mysterious reasons the Naismith Hall of Fame never called.  Another giant of the early days of basketball gone, R.I.P. Kenny Sailors.

Who is he?
His name is probably unknown to several NBA fans, his name is Dwane Casey.  Casey has served as head coach of the Raptors since 2011.  He’s got Kentucky roots having moved to the state as a youngster.  He played basketball at Kentucky graduating in 1979 but never played in the NBA being un-drafted.  He was hired as an assistant at Kentucky and served as an assistant at several stops.  Casey has seen the other side as well; he worked in the corporate world from 1989 through 1994.

He had an unsuccessful run as Wolves head coach but was later hired by the Raptors.  His first team in 2011-12 finished the season 23-43 and since that time the Raptors have been onward and upward.  His next few years his teams won 34 then 48 and last season 49.  This years Raptors team is on a pace to exceed last years total.  So there you have it the short bio of Dwane Casey the NBA coach nobody knows.  

Bits n Pieces
It’s possible he might wait until the 2017 NBA Draft, I’m referring to 6-7 shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz. The 18-year old youngster is from Turkey and DraftExpress.net has him listed as the number 12 prospect in the 2016 NBA Draft.  Korkmaz is rather thin at 185 pounds but after last seasons “miss” on Kristaps Porzingis can anyone say with truthfulness he’s not ready for the NBA?

If ESPN chooses to rank all-time players it’s probably okay although I don’t believe in its correctness.  In addition many conducting the poll weren’t born at the time many pioneers of the game played.  The headline read; “Is Steph Curry already a Hall of the Famer?”  My first thought this isbeyond bizarre, Steph is among the best players of this generation.  Why after but a brief NBA career ESPN is ready to plug Curry in as a Hall of Fame player might be the question.

Earlier we discussed Kentucky and its plummet in the standings, how about Duke.  Polls are just that polls however the Blue Devils dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2007.  Has Coach K. lost his touch or is something else going on with Duke?  I’d rather believe there is something else, Coach K. is still on the job and continues to coach.  16-6 as this is written is certainly not terrible but just like Kentucky more is expected from Duke basketball.

Commitment
I checked Rivals Class of 2016 in early February.  Few uncommitted players remain in that category; most already have a direction for August 2016.  This is the most interesting portion for me; those uncommitted have a large number of schools on their list.  How they intend to whittle the list of schools to a reasonable number is their mission.  Josh Jackson is listed as the number one prospect in the Class of 2016.  Jackson is a 6-7 185 pound shooting guard from Napa (CA) 60 or so miles north of San Francisco.

This 5-star prospect’s list contains 17 schools among them Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville and North Carolina to name a few.  Although Mizzou is not competitive this season I’m unsure if Xavier Sneed would help.  This 6-5 small forward is from the St. Louis area and is rated number 92 in the Class of 2016.  Sneed has verbally committed to Kansas State.  Thon Maker would likely be the top prospect if he played in the U.S. rather than Canada.  The 7-1 Maker has cut his list to four schools Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Arizona State.

Basketball from a fans perspective

On the other hand
I may have been premature in my commentary on Byron Scott and the Lakers.  When your favorite team has been in the cellar for the last few years I’ve been disappointed.  After years of winning NBA Championships and in the playoffs till June well you get the idea.  There is hope on the horizon as difficult as it might seem. Combo guard Jordan Clarkson is 23 years old, 21 year old Julius Randle is in his rookie year after missing all of last season.  Despite being in Byron Scott’s doghouse most of the season point guard D’Angelo Russell is yet to turn 20 years of age.

Forwards Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown are also 23-years old.  See where I’m going with this, the 2015-16 Lakers are really young.  What do young teams do---they make plenty of mistakes on the court. Difficult as it might seem at times I’m gonna hold on to my observations the Lakers will improve.  There is one key---if owner Jim Buss continues to call the shots he must lean on his basketball staff to make the player decisions whether it’s the draft or trades. Poor play on the court by the Lakers has been exacerbated by lack of direction by the front office.

An oversight
Technically it wasn’t an error but I wanted to provide an update to an earlier communication.  A Kansas City fan pointed out Larry Drew serves as an assistant coach with the Cavs.  Once upon a time he was head coach at the Hawks and Bucks, the connection?  Drew graduated from Wyandotte High School in Kansas City (KS).  He played basketball at Mizzou for Norm Stewart. Drew would be drafted by the Pistons and played on several NBA teams during his 10-year career, just wanted to correct the record.

Freshmen
I can’t remember who made the statement but it went something like this.  The coach was asked the best quality of freshmen; “They become sophomores.”  The coach was describing the adjustment trials between the high school game and the leap to college.  Kentucky is having a good year not a great year and that’s the issue.  On Tuesday Tennessee beat Kentucky 84-77 leaving the Wildcats with a 16-6 record.  This crop of freshmen is good but no comparison to the class of 2014-15.  That group went through the season undefeated and didn’t lose until their NCAA game versus Wisconsin.  They finished the season 38-1 and outstanding season.  I know it’s not fair to make comparisons so I will stop at this point.

They are good
Anybody heard the old saying; “Dynamite comes in small packages,” I’m no munitions expert and don’t claim to be.  I guess it’s meant to explain a small stick can do great damage.  This season you’ve read and heard a number of stories several from me regarding Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield and LSU Ben Simmons and others.  All are above average in height however you need to check out Howard University and Ole Miss. At Howard junior guard James Daniel III is leading the nation in scoring.  Daniels III is scoring at a 27.5 point per game clip and even more interesting his height.

The Hampton (VA) native stands all of 5 feet 11 inches in a Big Man’s game.  Howard is a Division I school but it’s likely we might not have the opportunity to see him play unless you live in the Washington D.C. Metro.  In Mississippi there is 5-10 Stefan Moody a senior guard at Ole Miss.  Moody is right behind Daniels III scoring 23.6 points per game.  In the instance of Moody he is a leaper, video of him dunking the basketball is available on YouTube if you care to check it out.  These two prove the game might now be tailored toward Big Men but if you can play you can play.  It’s likely neither is headed for the NBA but that doesn’t preclude a possible professional career either in the D-League or Europe.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Bits n Pieces
I went back to April 4th 2011, that’s the date Words eye view was first published.  If I checked over any of the 2011 editions I’d discovered numerous changes in that time.  In any event it’s certainly an enjoyable pursuit by the self-proclaimed number one basketball fan in the world. I’m bragging but I’m sure you get the idea.

Shaka Smart is a coach I believed would be successful no matter the location.  He won a VCU but could he win at Texas might be a question for a number of folks.  Don’t count me in the number questioning Smart‘s coaching ability.  I believed this first year at Texas would be an adjustment period not being familiar with the roster or it‘s ability.  Well Smart’s Longhorn team managed to beat number 15 Baylor 67-59.  In addition Texas accomplished the feat on the road.  The Longhorns stand 15-7 as this is written, they might not qualify this year for the NCAA Tourney but they are definitely on the way.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports is a media member I hold in high regard.   He’s reporting a story I find a little difficult to believe.  He says free agent Kevin Durant might leave the Thunder for the Warriors.  I could foresee nothing but negatives if this move were to occur.  You might be able to uncover your own or maybe you would be okay with this move.

Wouda, shouda, couda
I’m sitting in from of the television watching the Bulls play the Clippers.  Chris Paul is running the point for the Clippers and my mind drifted.  I wondered  how Laker history would have turned out less circumstances.  They might be struggling but they could have Chris Paul at the point backed up by D’Angelo Russell.  Jordan Clarkson would be the two guard, Kobe would be the three.  Pau Gasol would alternate between the power forward and center position.  Of course this lineup would never occur because of in my view a bizarre set of circumstances.  To refresh your memory the NBA had taken over ownership of the Hornets (Pelicans) franchise.  The league was seeking a buyer for the team and based on this fact former NBA Commissioner Stern voided the Chris Paul trade.

The trade was voided “In the best interests of the NBA” whatever that means.  It didn’t matter about the city rather it was the team.  About a week later Paul was traded in an approved trade to the Clippers.  As for Gasol this was a different matter, he was allowed to leave in free-agency.  I believe a significant number of Laker fans were indirectly responsible for running Gasol out of town.  They complained loudly at times about what Gasol couldn’t do rather then focus on what he could.  Gasol is into his second year with the Bulls, his numbers won’t wow anybody but he’s provided steady play.  This wouda, shouda, couda scenario could have worked; Kobe could go into retirement knowing he left the team in good shape.  Oh well it didn’t occur no use crying about the outcome just rebuild the present team.

Kansas City?
The NBA coaching profession is comprised of 30 individuals.  What are the odds two head coaches in the NBA would have both played high school basketball in the Kansas City Metro.  Tyronn Lue from Raytown a Kansas City suburb was hired to replace the fired David Blatt, no interim tag on Lue the job is his to win or lose.  Earl Watson also benefited with a coaching change.  Jeff Hornacek was fired by Suns management believing the team had underperformed.  Several years ago Hornacek had succeded in turning the team around.  

The Suns poor start allowed Watson a chance to determine if he could change the fortunes of the Suns.  In his youth Watson played basketball at Washington High School in Kansas City (KS), after graduation he headed to UCLA (1997-2001).  He would be drafted by Sonics in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft.  Watson played for a number of NBA teams before serving as an assistant with the Austin Spurs of the D-League and later being hired to serve on the coaching staff of the Suns.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Arena news
The Warriors might win 2 or 3 more championships before litigation is complete for the San Francisco arena. Pushed back a year the arena has a planned 2019 opening.  As is the custom in this age naming rights have been secured for the building.  It will become the Chase Center; JP Morgan Chase has secured a 20-year lease on naming rights for the arena.  The name Golden 1 Credit Union is probably more familiar to residents of California.

They have the naming rights on the arena under construction is Sacramento; it has a planned opening of October 2016.  Madison Square Garden, The Garden or MSG will remain the oldest continuous use arena in the NBA.  Opened in 1968 it’s been renovated twice in 1991 and recently 2013.  It should be noted renovation eliminated a historical portion of the arena it’s available on YouTube for your viewing if you care to check it out.  The Knicks leader Willis Reed was not expected to play in Game 7, he'd been injured in an earlier series game.  MSG was electric as Reed limped onto the court from a tunnel in the in the 1970 NBA Championship, the tunnel portion no longer exists having been eliminated in renovation.

Don’t be so quick to judge
I’m unsure what point I wrote it, it was some point after the start of the 2015-16 NBA season.  I pronounced the 76ers the worst team in the NBA; I’m not as sure as this is written.  After watching my Lakers lose to the Bulls last night I may have been incorrect.  The 76ers have 7 wins and the Lakers have 9, the Lakers might be a better team but it’s only by the slightest of margins.

The Invisible Man 
The H.G. Wells novel “The Invisible Man” was first released as a motion picture in 1933 since that time it’s been redone numerous times over the years.  The title of the novel/movie is self explanatory a scientist consumes an experimental potion which renders him invisible.  Bill Bertka could easily be considered the Invisible Man.  This long-time assistant coach is now 88-years old and no longer active in the NBA.

I’m calling attention to his name due to a Shaquille O’Neal comment.  When interviewed about the statue to be erected outside Staples said; “I’d like to thank two people; Jerry West and Bill Bertka.”  Shaq went on to explain the invaluable teaching Bertka provided him.  Bertka saw them all sitting next to the head coach, he served under Bill Sharman, Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.  Bertka saw the power of Wilt, the smooth sky-hook of Kareem and the extroverted Shaq play center for the Lakers

Depends on your perspective
I’m always searching for information on basketball talent.  At the same time I also depend on folks whom I believe have the ability to access basketball talent.  Despite the high esteem I view them even their perspective can sometimes lead me to an uncomplimentary assessment.  In 1997 a friend informed me; “St. Louis University has a stud on their team this year.”  Base on my friends word I was anxious to see this stud play and the very first time I had an opportunity to see him in action he had a terrible game.

I thought to myself my friend thinks this guy can play boy is he wrong.  The player my buddy accessed was Larry Hughes who played at St Louis University.  Hughes would later be the 8th pick in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft; he would go on to a 14 year career with a number of NBA teams.  Although he was never an all-pro he was talented enough to be drafted and had an extended NBA career.  I could have concluded I was correct and my buddy wrong, since that time I’ve tried to be careful in accessing talent without receiving a second or third opinion.

Basketball from a fans perspective

NBA Owners

It's long been my contention other professional sports are playing catch up to the NBA.  Across the board this league has done a much better job in inclusion than any other sport.  Minority ownership and women holding positions of authority unlike the NFL, MLB, NHL or others.  Media mogul Jay-Z and Magic Johnson where shareholders in the Nets and Lakers until recently, both have gone into other business ventures.  Michael Jordan became the primary owner of the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) purchasing the team from Black Entertainment mogul Bob Johnson.  The name Valarie Daniels-Carter is unknown to large segment of the populous.  She is a food service franchise owner of more than 114 units across the nation.  Many don't realize this women is also owns a portion of the Milwaukee Bucks, she is the only African American owner in the NBA at present.  As for others former players Shaquille O'Neal and Grant Hill are partial owners of the Kings and Hawks respectively. 

The Kings principal owner Vivek Ranadive was born in India and arrived here to attend college.  He founded his first company while still in college.  The entertainment side includes Will and Jada Pinkett Smith who are counted as owners of the Philadelphia 76ers.  We cannot count him in the number yet he just talking currently.  Kevin Garnett has long maintained he wants to be an NBA owner, back with the Wolves now will owner Glen Taylor sell a share of the Wolves to the franchise player?  Oprah Winfrey almost became an owner along with several partners in the entertainment industry.  They only dropped out when bidding for the Clippers began climbing toward $1 billion dollars.  There are other professional sports minority and women are owners however the NBA continues to blaze a trail of inclusion.  

Fix the rule
I believe currently there is some middle school kid boy or girl that could accomplish the feat.  I would place a bet they could best Shaq at the free-throw line.  He was a career .527 from the line during his NBA career with a high of .622 during the 2002-03 season.  He wasn't the first player to suffer Hack-a-Shaq but may have been responsible for beginning the trend in earnest.  

Teams realized they could curtail his scoring prowess by sending him to the free-throw line.  Over the years a number of teams have used this tactic against poor free-throw shooters.  The latest is Clipper center DeAndre Jordan, in his short career he might close to the worst all time, .417.  The highest Jordan's shot from the line is .525.  It was reported Wilt Chamberlain and Shaq would shot upwards of 85% in practice but the game was a far different matter.  I guess that old saying about practice makes perfect doesn't always ring true. 

King of the Hill  
The Big 12 Conference has been boasting about it's basketball prowess.  The conference might be correct now based on the results of the Big 12-SEC face off.  The final score read Big 12 7 wins SEC 3.  Highlight of the series might be number one Oklahoma going down to the wire before securing victory against LSU 77-75.  The game was as I hoped with Buddy Hield of Oklahoma scoring 32 points, he made 7 of his 8 3-point baskets in the second half of the game.  

Ben Simmons didn't have as outstanding a game but it was well rounded, 14 points 9 rebounds and 5 assist.  Kansas took Kentucky into overtime before winning the match 90-84.  Wayne Selden Jr. whose often been as up as down was up for this game. He led the way for the Jayhawks scoring 33 points to secure the win.  According to the Kansas City Star Selden's grandfather attended the game.  Maybe Kansas should consider sending grandad a ticket to every game.  

"Tardy for the party"
Family gathered for a birthday party for two family members.  The adults discussed world affairs while the kids do what kids do.  In the background the television was tuned to the Spurs-Cavs game.  I was the culprit I begin watching the Kentucky-Kansas game before the bulk of the family arrived and then realized the NBA game was on too.  I switched channels knowing in advance Tim Duncan was sidelined.  I wanted to see what the second best team (sorry Spurs fan) in the NBA could do against the Cavs.  

The final score read Cavs 117 Spurs 103 but it was more than they appeared to sleep-walk through the game.  No Tim Duncan we knew that but a Gregg Popovich team turning in such a poor performance surprised me.  Near the end of the game I thought a moment and said to those watching. "The Cavs certainly look good but I don't think either of these teams is capable of beating the Warriors in a 7-game series."  I guess I am tardy for the party I had to be shown a jump-shooting team could win an NBA Championship and be as good as the Warriors have this season thus for.  

Bits n Pieces
Too often I believe we are guilty of gauging a players success by the NBA, yours truly included.  This is often a tragic mistake because success at whatever level should be applauded.  Marquette has an outstanding freshman Henry Ellenson who is leading the team in scoring this season, he's a 6-10 245 pound forward for the Golden Eagles.  It's likely you want hear his name in a future NBA draft but make no mistake he can play.  Finally quit judging basketball success based on the NBA that's only fair if a player attempts to play at that level and fails but even that's unfair in a manner of speaking. What about the guy who is a reserve but has a 10 or 12 year career?  Based on NBA salaries we could say his life has been successful correct?

The NBA bans mid-court television cameras and the letters come flying in, I'm reading the responses to the ban on ESPN.NBA.  The ban was implemented due to injury people this change is not going to affect televised broadcasts one bit.  Directors must work their magic from a different angle to secure the shot they desire.  People it's not that big a deal, please find something directly related to the game to complain about.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Help is on the way
Several years ago I bowled against a real fun loving guy.  He was an unpaid comic making his teammates and the opposition laugh with jokes and stories.  Whenever it was his turn to bowl he'd head to the rack for his bowling ball and proclaim; "Help is on the way." That might be the case for Kansas basketball, the help could be 6-11 260 pound Udoka Azubuike.  He attends high school in Jacksonville (FL) but is originally from Nigeria.  He's rated the number 27 player and a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2016.  

The program has suffered from a lack of rebounding and defense thus far.  6-9 Cheick Diallo has started slowly part of it NCAA mandated the other adjusting to big time basketball.  I'd stated previously it was be a mistake for Diallo to leave early so hopefully he want repeat the mistake of Josh Selby and Cliff Alexander.  He continues the trend of African big man at the school, Joel Embiid from Cameroon and Diallo from Mali.  Added to this list from the continent will be Azubuike.   

Bits n Pieces
This may have occurred in the past I don't remember.  We are introduced to a prospect via social network.  His name is Robert Bobroczky; he's from Romania and stands 7-6 at age 15.  He plays for U16 Stella Azzurra Roma an amateur team based in Rome.  He appears extremely skinny and certainly will require coaching if he is expected to play at the next level Euro or the NBA.  

Revenist history where you mention a sports occurance that wouda, shouda couda occur. An example just last month December 2015 a Celtic fan came up to me and said; "If Kendrick Perkins hadn't got hurt we would have won."  I thought for a moment "He's referring to the 2010 NBA Championship between the Lakers and Celtics that was played six years ago."  I thought "why bring this up now?"  I hope I've never revisited a sports moment in my life and moaned because my favorite team lost a game or series.  

There were few questions regarding Greg Oden at the time he left Ohio State.  NBA stardom was predicted by many in fact a writer compared him to the Legendary Bill Russell.  An assortment of injuries have prevented him from reaching the level many predicted for Oden.  He's now playing basketball in China and by all accounts his play appears outstanding.  Maybe the NBA is no longer in his future but maybe a long pro career will exist in China.  Stephon Marbury was certainly able to re-invent himself and is a basketball icon.  

Kristaps Porzingis stands 7-3 and weighs 240 pounds; as this is written his weight could become an issue.  Reports are the long NBA season has caused him to lose pounds, not unusual for a rookie adjusting to NBA life. His parents are in the U.S. and his mom fixes him a large breakfast every morning to maintain his weight.

Dual of the Titans
The SEC-Big 12 challenge has a different twist this year, number one Oklahoma (17-2) is matched against un-ranked LSU (13-7).  There is more to the story of these teams facing one another, in my opinion the top two players in the nation will face off in this game. They will not guard one another except on switches because they play different positions. Buddy Hield is a 6-4 shooting guard on Oklahoma's team while the 6-10 Ben Simmons is a forward for LSU.  Both players are prime candidates for college player of the year.  This is written ahead of the game we can only hope it lives up to the game we hope.  Here's to both players not getting in foul trouble and playing major minutes.  

Not yet
The Warriors are doing a number on the rest of the NBA.  It's yet undetermined if the all time win record will be tied or even broken.  I hate to use another sport but they remind me of the 2015 Royals.  There was not quit in the Royals many times they came back from a deficient to win a game, this effort was culminated in a World Series win.  As for the 76ers they were ahead of the  Warriors with seconds left in the game.  Ball inbound passed to Harrison Barnes in the right corner.  He takes a 3-point shot which swishes the net game over---Warriors 108 76ers 105.  It's now February can they maintain the pace one and avoid injuries two.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

"Don't be that guy!"
Blake your Kia commercials portray a far different Blake Griffin than we see.  You seem like a totally cool due in those car ads.  The only negative many of your fellow NBA brethren accuse you of being a flopper, is it actually true?  You certainly are talented no doubt about that.  You were injured on the basketball court during the Christmas game; you broke the bone in your hand off the court.  We saw a photo of you standing next to the equipment manager you at nearly 6-9 towered over him.  What could he have said or done that caused you to punch him not once but twice.  Reports are you first swung on him inside a restaurant and then a second time outside.  It's now reported you will be out another 5-6 weeks due to this incident.  "Don't be that guy", that guy who fails to control his aggression.

Please note
Recently a story began circulating accusing LeBron James of being a Coach Killer.  Directly or indirectly he may have been involved in Blatt's firing as for the others the are questionable.  Remember the stories we heard when LeBron first arrived in South Beach. It was rumored Eric Spoelstra was on the way out the door.  The two might not have been on the same page but managed to work out their differences.  The Heat coach is still in place he didn't get fired by the Coach Killer but what about the others?  

Management pulled the plug on Paul Silas, Brendan Malone (interim) and Mike Brown it's likely LeBron wasn't involved.  As for the other Cavs coaches Byron Scott and Mike Brown (the second time) were fired while LeBron was in Miami.  It should be noted the relationship between a coach and star player can sometimes be tenuous.  One more fact David Blatt might have been hired with the best intentions circumstances changed quickly.  Blatt was hired believing a re-build must be accomplished.  Less than a month later July 11 to be exact LeBron announced he was returning to Cleveland.

Say what
We have been comparing player A with player B since the beginning of time.  Often this is the only method to access the ability of a player.  Sometimes our comparasions are off base I'll explain.  Seth Greenberg college analyst was asked for his assessment of LSU's Ben Simmons.  After offering his view to Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless they were to provide their input.  Earlier in the week Magic Johnson had compared Simmons to LeBron James.  Stephen A. Smith compared Simmons to Walter Berry which brought an immediate disagreement from Greenberg.  For those who might not be familiar Berry he along with Chris Mullin and Mark Jackson were part of the successful St. John's teams in the mid '80's.

Berry played two years at St. John's while Simmons is but a freshman at LSU.  The only method of comparison is stats but even that becomes an issue.  The NCAA only begin tracking assists in 1984, Berry played the 1984-1985 and 1965-1986 season bu no assist numbers are available for him.  I am unable to uncover any verification of Berry's ability to deliver the ball.  His two years at St. John's resulted in 20.1 and 9.9 rebounds a game. Simmons is 19.8 12.7 and 4.9 assists per game.  As for the physical side, Berry was 6-8 and 215 pounds while Simmons is 6-10 and 239 pounds.  Sorry sports fans I take more stock in what a former coach (Greenberg) might say over a media member.

Longevity
This is an interesting fact courtesy of ESPN Stats.  "Since Gregg Popovich was hired in the '96-'97 season there have been 221 coaching changes in the NBA."  Although it wasn't mentioned we guess this includes the Cavs replacing David Blatt with Tyronn Lue. Popovich is likely the only NBA coach we can state with conviction has job security.  He will leave the coaching ranks when he decides to leave.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

The All-Star Game
After three games on the job Cavs Coach Tyronn Lue is the Eastern Conference All-Star Game coach.  It certainly sounds strange coaching the All-Stars after less than a month at the helm.  The All-Star game is scheduled in Toronto February 16; Lue was announced as head coach of the Cavs on January 23.  This set of circumstances occurred due to David Blatt being terminated by the Cavs. The Cavs have the best record in the east which means their coach becomes All-Star Game coach.

Is there enough room?
At some point during the 2016-17 NBA season a statue of Shaquille O’Neal will be erected outside Staples Center, my first thought are they going to be able to find room?  Let’s see at present there is boxer Oscar De La Hoya, NHL great Wayne Gretzky and legendary Laker broadcaster Chick Hern. As for the players Lakers Jerry West, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar all have statues. You do recognize in 5 years or so Kobe Bryant will be set for the same honor.  This is a shared building, NHL hockey, boxing and NBA basketball I have one question.  Why are there no statues of any Clipper players?

Bits n Pieces
A different take of a condition, former Pacer and current broadcaster Reggie Miller and I disagree. Awhile back I wrote of my belief Kobe Bryant taking the bulk of Laker shots was inhibiting the growth of the Laker youth.  Well Miller disagrees with my view stating; “Who takes the shots if Kobe doesn’t, the youngsters don’t know how to make shots.”

Cheick Diallo might be one and done at Kansas but he would be making a tragic mistake if he leaves early.  He would follow in the footsteps of Josh Selby and Cliff Alexander who believed they were ready for the NBA and discovered they weren‘t.  Diallo is a 6-9 220 pound shot-blocking small forward who needs work on his offensive game.  The youngster from Mali in West Africa has only been playing the game three years.

Fans can be quite expressive in their views and sometimes they often have insight many paid media lack.  I was reading an article on Ben Simmons and the writer made a great statement in my opinion. “Any GM that drafts a player over Ben Simmons needs to be fired.”  Strong statement by a couple of basketball fans.    

In another instance the discussion centered on players from different eras.  A fan wrote; “When we make comparisons of past players what’s to say they couldn’t adjust as well.”  Makes sense to me, why couldn’t Celtic shooting guard Bill Sharman (1950-1961) make adjustments to defensive specialist Laker Michael Cooper’s (1978-1991) efforts to guard him?  We might state Suns point guard Kevin Johnson (1987-2000) could discover some manner to effectively distribute the ball against Steph Curry’s Warriors.

He’s sorta local 
Basketball fans in the metro are proud of Tyronn Lue becoming head coach of the Cavs.  This is no endorsement he’s going to be successful however we hope that’s the case.  Lue is actually from Mexico (MO) a town located 164 miles east of Kansas City.  His family moved to the suburb of Raytown when Lue was in high school, he would distinguished himself on the basketball court his junior and senior year at Raytown High School.  His college choice was a little different choosing football theme Nebraska over Mizzou (44 miles from Mexico) or Kansas University some 36 miles away.  

Although only 6-feet tall he proved he was able to play competitive basketball and would remain at Nebraska through his junior year.  He was the 23rd pick in the 1st round of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Nuggets who would trade his rights to the Lakers.  He would go on to an 11 year career playing for a number of NBA teams.  He began serving as an assistant coach on Doc Rivers staff in Boston and followed him to the Clippers.  In 2014 he became a Cavs assistant and the rest of the story you know.

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Don’t be that guy! “
In this instance it’s me, I’m that guy!  A website titled www.givemesports.com on every occasion posts teaser headlines.  This is not a website I visit with any regularity it pops up on one of the social media sites I am a part of.  Curiosity always forces me to click on the site to read the teaser story.  I went to the site figuring I would read some sort of devastating news on Kobe’s latest injury.

“Kobe Bryant makes massive announcement about his career-its bad news.”  The story detailed Kobe’s retirement and really offered nothing of subtenant value we didn‘t already know.  An uncounted amount of brain cells, vision and oxygen was wasted by me reading a story that contained no value.  In closing I’m the dummy for clicking on the site; “Don’t be that (me) guy!”  Don’t click on to luring headlines just cause they appear enticing.

It wasn’t me
The Clippers continue to beat up teams with losing records.  That’s not all bad as this is written they are 11-3 despite no Blake Griffin in the lineup.  Griffin is not the problem it’s the bench, the bench.  In a recent game against the Raptors they turned a lead over to the reserves who squandered it before losing 119-94.  Doc Rivers confirmed this fact in his post-game press conference.  Just who are the reserves and how do we measure their contributions. Many reading this are familiar with ESPN’s John Hollinger PER or player efficiency rating.

It’s intended to bring together all player contributions into a single number.  Consider this on the plus/minus scale every Clipper starter was a plus as for the reserves it was a far different story.  Jamal Crawford led the way with a -33 followed by the coach’s son with -28 and two others with -26 and -25.  Doc when are you going to discover Austin is not a very good NBA player.  According to Hollinger the league average is 15.0 which says “he’s a pretty good player.”  Rivers is 9.04 which translates to “Definitely renting” one level above 5.0 D-League.  Am I being too harsh on young Rivers I don’t think so.

The New York Knicks
I don’t believe anyone will confuse the Knicks for the Cavs, Bulls or even Heat.  The teams mentioned are prime contenders to win the Eastern Conference Championship this season.  Truth is told one of them might even win the NBA in 2016.  The Knicks will not be in the mix for the championship however they are better than last season.  As this is written the Knicks are two games below .500 sitting at 22-25 certainly not great by any means but consider this.  I checked the Knicks 2014-15 schedule, on are near this time last year they stood 9-37.

They have a long ways to go in order to become a really good team.  Carmelo Anthony’s “me” approach to basketball has modified his game to fit a team concept.  Kristaps Porzingis will continue to grow his game (and height) while Robin Lopez has been adequate at the center position.  Jose Calderon and Arron Afflalo at the guard positions have been an upgrade over last season.  Despite some of the negative comments regarding Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson it appears given time they are on course to return the Knicks to winning ways.

History repeating itself
If you are a certain age you tend to believe an event only occurred once and for the first time.  That is not always the case sometimes the event is forgotten or overlooked. Many have hinted and a number said it out loud; “LeBron James was involved in David Blatt being fired.”  How about other instances in the past of coach-player turmoil?  We tend to forget in an earlier time Magic Johnson’s fingerprints were all over Coach Paul Westhead being fired.

The Westhead firing came a short 6 months are so after the coach had led them to an NBA Championship the prior season. Remember Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy, they were butting heads at the time they were with the Magic.  On May 21 2012 the Magic requested Van Gundy leave the building and not return three months later Howard was traded to the Lakers.  There might be other examples of coaching player conflict the events mentioned stand out for me.  I’m sure if you care to research it’s likely you might uncover other examples.

Basketball from a fans perspective

No Duncan, no matter
The final score read 120-90 as the Warriors ran the table on the Spurs.  Sure there was no Tim Duncan however I doubt the outcome would have been different.  Were the Spurs ready to play you might ask, a Gregg Popovich team is always ready to play they were just outmatched Monday evening.  Is this proof the Warriors are the best of the best---maybe.  In a playoff series the outcome could change however trust me the Warriors are very, very good.

“Put up or Shut up”
I’m unsure the time-period I wrote the account it was prior to the start or immediately after the college season began.  I attempted to provide an assessment of the Big 12 Conference as I foresaw it.  This is close  as I remember to what was written; “Despite what they say about the strength of this conference nobody beats Kansas, other members must prove to me they are capable of beating Kansas.  In March its likely Kansas emerges as regular season champions for the 12th straight year.”  Well guess what the power teams in the Big 12 told me to shut up.  Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Iowa State and Oklahoma have taken on Kansas with little hesitation; the only win by Kansas was against current conference leader Oklahoma and that was a double-OT win at Allen Fieldhouse.  .

On Monday night Kansas was an 85-72 loser to Iowa State; Kansas fans will point out all the losses occurred on the road which is true. This must have been uneventful victory for the ISU faithful they didn't bother with rushing the court.  Consider this fact in years past it didn’t matter where Kansas played, you don’t win 11 championships in a row just winning at home.  16-4 is quite good however in late January that’s totally unlike Kansas basketball.  The regular season is far from over there is time for Kansas to improve, let’s see what Bill Self does over the remaining portion of the season.  Don’t buy into the Kansas hype they just might not be that good.

Arkansas Ace
Hamburg is located in Southern Arkansas close to the Arkansas-Louisiana State line; its 2014 population is estimated to be 2,810 souls.  The Bears now play at the Division 1 level however from 1937 until 1993 they competed at the NAIA level.  In 1983 a slim youngster arrived on campus to play in the school band although he played in high school he wasn’t good enough in high school to earn a basketball scholarship. The 6-1 Scottie Pippen would earn a scholarship after earning a roster spot as a walk-on candidate.

By his senior year earning All-American honors he attracted the attention of NBA scouts, it didn’t hurt his stock he’d grown 5 inches while at Central Arkansas.  In 1987 he became the 5th pick in the first round by the Seattle Sonics.  The Sonics would trade his rights to the Bulls for Olden Polynice (look him up).  As they say the rest of his story is NBA history.  Pippen might be the best basketball player the state has ever produced that’s why I’ve dubbed him the “Arkansas Ace."  As for this writer I believe there might be no Michael Jordan without a Scottie Pippen, there is no Batman without Robin.

Check the record
I’m sure a number of folks might not appreciate this account.  A number of Cavs fans might believe this is an indictment on LeBron James that is not the intent; these are observations of a neutral observer.  I believe David Blatt received a raw deal, “Damn if you do, Damn if you don’t.”  From the coaches perspective; I have the acknowledged best player in the NBA as a member of my team.  As the coach and leader of men I am to lead them to heights expected by ownership.  What did I accomplish you ask?  Well in my first year as an NBA coach my team finished in first place in the Central Division with a 53-29 (.646) record.  We also made our way through the playoffs and played for the NBA Championship before eventually losing to the Warriors 4 games to 2.  As for this season after getting off to a rather slow start we are in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-11 record.

We missed Kyrie Irving early but he’s returned and we have shown improvement.  Kevin Love is still adjusting to his role but demonstrating progress.  There are others who sustained injuries that inhibited our early season progress.  Despite the negatives and an 83-40 record in less than two full season management decide to replacement me.  My coaching resume was impeccable short of NBA experience but given time I could have made the necessary adjustments.  Maybe Cleveland was the wrong fit for me from the beginning, if we check history it appears 2.6 years is about the length of coaching tenure in Cleveland.  ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says; “Blatt lost the locker-room” and he goes on to explain “many of the players had turned the coach off and that was the basis for the change.”  Windhorst is one of a limited number of NBA beat writers who writes truth and not speculation.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

This is getting silly about now
I believed it was a funny story at one point in time.  You remember Jordan the 10-year old Knicks fan who took a selfie crying at the NBA Draft?  It’s been reported he’s written a letter imploring the NBA to add Kristaps Porzingis to the All Star team.  He’s doing this under threat by stating; “I might need to start booing again.”  I believe it’s time for Jordan’s parents to quit encouraging this youngster it‘s not funny anymore at least to me.  It’s possible last June was Jordan freely expressing himself since that time I question if a number of stories are genuine.  

The Polls
Polls offer no proof of a team’s strength or ability, I believe they are
attention-grabbing especially when they differ so greatly.  January 25th polls are:

Associated Press USA Today Coaches Poll
1.  Oklahoma 1.  North Carolina
2.  North Carolina 2.  Oklahoma
3.  Iowa                          3.  Kansas
4.  Kansas 4.  Iowa
5.  Texas A&M 5.  Texas A&M

The last one
Temple beat SMU 89-80 on Sunday, the Mustangs fall from the ranks of the undefeated.  In 2015 many believed (including me) Kentucky would run the table and they almost accomplished the feat.  They didn’t lose their first game until falling to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tourney.  It’s extremely difficult for a college team to go through a season undefeated anymore.  The last time a team went through the season undefeated was 40 years ago, Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosier team finished the 1976 season 32-0.  Six other teams have also accomplished the feat, they are;

1956 San Francisco Dons
1957 North Carolina Tarheels
1964 UCLA Bruins
1967 UCLA Bruins
1972 UCLA Bruins
1973 UCLA Bruins

Source:  About Sports March 22, 2015

Tank
I despise the word tank; once upon a time it had two general definitions.  The one most familiar to us is a container for liquid of various types.  The second definition is a large treaded military vehicle with an artillery gun in the top portion of the vehicle.  Lately the word has acquired a third definition; it’s used to characterize an NBA team losing games with the express purpose to improve its position in the draft.  The 76ers have been accused of this practice for the past three seasons.  Many Laker fans believe the 2015-16 is done already and the team might as well prepare for the June draft.  

This is not the view of Larry Laker and I must share this information with Laker fans, as for others you might as well finish this because you’ve read this much of the piece.  As for the 2016 NBA Draft and its impact on the Lakers; “Its Top 3 protected for 2016 and 2017, unprotected in 2017.  If the 2016 ends up going to the Sixers, the 2018 pick goes to Orlando, top 5 protected.  If they keep the 2016 pick and the 2017 pick goes to the Sixers, then the 2019 pick goes to Orlando unprotected.  If they keep the 2016 and 2017 pick, 2018 and 2019 picks go to Orlando.”  Hope you were able to follow the information provided a test will be given later.  

Source: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed

Basketball from a fans perspective

Bits n Pieces
Did you witness Auburn’s student body storm the court when the Tigers beat Kentucky recently?  Earlier in the week the same scenario occurred as West Virginia upset then number one Kansas.  As much as I believe there is an opportunity for a serious injury to occur court storming continues.  I’m unsure if it will occur again at Auburn they were fined $100,000.  More interesting I believe the Big 12 (WV and Kansas) has a rule prohibiting court storming.  Yet as I was finishing this it happened once again, Oklahoma State upset Kansas in Stillwater (OK).

UCLA and its basketball fans should be excited about the arrival of Lonzo Ball in the Fall Quarter 2016.  The 6-6 point guard led his undefeated Chino Hills (CA) Huskies to a 100-75 victory over High Point (NC) a short time ago.  Mr. Ball had 15 points 10 rebounds and 18 assists in the win, did I mention Lonzo has two young siblings on the team.  LiAngelo is a junior while LeMelo is freshman and the brothers combined for 65 of the 100 points.  

Clash of the Titans was so nice it was necessary to do it twice.  Well that might be an exaggeration on my part however there were two movies about this tale of Greek mythology.  The first movie was released in 1981 and a re-make was done in 2010.  Their might be a number of players with Greek heritage on the Spurs and Warriors but this Clash of the Titans is not mythology this is the real deal.  The two NBA teams with the best record in the league face off against one another tonight.  The Spurs enter the game 38-6 and a 13 game win streak, 10-0 in the last 10 games.  As for the Warriors they stand 40-4 with a modest four game winning streak, 8-2 in their last 10.  The Spurs announced Tim Duncan would not play due to a sore knee as this was being completed.

Maybe I spoke too soon
I must admit I had no idea what part of the nation Williams College was located.  I had to research and discover it’s located in Williamston (MA) about three hours from Boston or New York City.  Williams plays a Division III schedule and that’s the significance of the story.  Remember me once stating basketball talent seemed to all be located in Division I schools---well I was wrong.  We could cite Duncan Robinson as our case in point, at the time Robinson graduated high school nobody wanted him.  Not literally but there were no Division I scholarship offers despite an outstanding high school career.

This 6-7 forward found himself at Williams where he averaged 17.1 ppg during his freshman year.  It’s quite possible he would have remained at Williams if not for his coach.  The Williams coach decided to seek employment at another school which caused Robinson to search for another school.  Fast forward to the present, Robinson is enrolled at Michigan and is the second leading scorer on the roster.  The season is early and we have no idea if he maintains his present pace.  This we do know he can play whether it’s Division III or Division I basketball, perhaps the talent gap is not as great as we might be led to believe.  

No argument from me
A SI.com story rated the Top 100 college basketball players this season.  Rather than walk you through the list I’ll concentrate on the top three.  At three they listed LSU’s Ben Simmons; two was Kris Dunn of Providence.  At one they chose shooting guard Buddy Hield of Oklahoma.  No argument from me, I haven’t witnessed a great deal of play for Dunn but trust he can play at a high level.  As for Hield I’ve had several opportunities to see him play including his
46-point explosion against Kansas.

On June 23rd Commissioner Silver will step to the podium to announce the first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.  I believe we all will be surprised, no shocked if we hear a name other than Ben Simmons.  I know you and I continue to hear the same stories; “He’s got no outside shot” or “He’s too passive at times.”  I don't like to focus on numbers alone however freshman Simmons are outstanding 19.6 points & 12.6 rebounds a game.  Even more interesting his assists exceed those several pure point guards (5.1) noteworthy for a 6-10 forward.  It's highly unusual for a forward to hand out assists at this level.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Bits n Pieces
I was writing an account and I glanced at the crawl that came across the television screen.  It read: "Cavs have fired David Blatt."  The news was not shocking there have been stories circulating for awhile problems existed between the coach and LeBron.  Anytime there is a coach-player dilemma the winner is always(fill in the blank).  I don’t believe Blatt is a bad guy he’s got plenty of coaching experience just not NBA.  Tyronn Lue (from suburban Kansas City) is the new coach.

UConn got a jump start on 2017 recruiting with this latest announcement.  5-star prospect Zach Brown from Miami (FL) announced he was headed to Storrs (CT).  The 7-1 250 pound Brown might be the best center in the Class of 2017 and he wears number 33.  Hall of Fame player Kareem Abdul Jabbar wore 33 throughout his prep, college and NBA career.  I am not stating he’s the next Kareem just pointing out a fact.

This is short and to the point, why must certain members of the media debate Kobe Bryant a starter in the All Star Game?  Kobe is having a poor last season in his NBA career--check, Kobe is not popular with a large segment of NBA fans--check.  Despite the negatives he managed to accumulate 1.9 million fan votes, who stuffed the ballot box?

What’s up with President of Basketball Operations Doc Rivers?  He signs Josh Smith last summer expecting the Clippers bench would be improved.  At the midway point of the season Doc Rivers the coach discovers Smith has trouble adjusting and trades him from whence he came.  Doc trades him to a Western Conference contender back to the team that eliminated his last season, what’s that about Doc?

Clearly the leader
I remember last season debating with myself who should be NBA Rookie of the Year.  Andrew Wiggins was in the mix however my pick Jabari Parker was injured early and missed the season.  Of course we know Wiggins was chosen the 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year.  We are at the midway point of the season the race might be concluded already.  I believe the number one pick
Karl-Anthony Towns is the runaway winner.  Towns has competition from a couple of good rookies, the 76ers Jahlil Okafor and the Knicks Kristaps Porzingis are running second and third depending on who you read.

Despite critical remarks by many in the media the Lakers D’Angelo Russell is having a fair rookie campaign.  His chief problem Okafor drafted behind him is experiencing a better rookie campaign so far.  As for Towns the Wolves rookie is scoring at 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds a game, he ain’t too bad from the field shooting at .532.  The 7-foot center was not able to demonstrate his offensive game at Kentucky due to the system Coach Calipari ran.  The Wolves have been the beneficiary of the budding talent.  Towns was a defensive presence anyway and it’s a matter of adjusting it for the NBA.  The future of the Wolves looks bright at this point thanks to adding Karl-Anthony Towns.

I’m suffering
This was mentioned previously but I thought it worth a re-visit.  I have been subject to much abuse thus far in this NBA season.  I know you don’t wish to hear about 16 NBA Championships you wanna know what’s going on in 2016.  Well it’s not good with either the Clippers or Lakers at Staples Center this season.  I guess Clipper fans can claim their team has a winning record and will make the playoffs, beyond that is a mystery.

Back to the Lakers believe me I thought my Lakers would play better this season but that’s not been the case to date.  I continue to sport my Laker gear in public, a bracket on my automobile license plate reads:  “Los Angeles Lakers”.  As for Magic Johnson he’s at “war” again with Jimmy Buss and the manner Buss is running (or ruining) the Laker brand.  Sitting here in the heart of the nation I remain a loyal faithful fan despite my suffering, I haven’t built a bonfire and burned any of my Laker gear.  I haven’t resorted to wearing a paper bag on those public occasions when I’m exposed as a fan.

As much as I love Magic Johnson the player I’ve had issues with Magic Johnson the Laker executive.  This time I believe he might be correct its time for Jim Buss to turn over the operations of the team to his sister.  There is no method to prove this but I believe Jeanie Buss should assume owner responsibility she would allow basketball people to make basketball decisions.  Every move by Dr. Buss did not always turn out successful but there is one key difference between father and son.  The father appeared to have keen insight to moves whether it was trading a player or changing a coach.  Son Jimmy seems to lack a panoramic view of the decisions he’s been forced to make.  Despite the negatives expressed I believe given time (and Jim’s exit from operations) the Lakers will prosper again.  I look forward to the day when I hear the familiar chant again; “Beat L.A., Beat L.A.” reverberate throughout a number of opposition arenas.

Basketball from a fans perspective

He said it
Former coach and current ESPN basketball analyst Seth Greenberg description of a current college team. Greenberg said; “They got guys shooting who can’t guard and guys guarding who can’t shoot.”  I think that might say it all about this team.

“Actions speak louder than words”
At the time NBA fans discuss the Spurs talk always gravitates to Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker.  Kawhi Leonard’s name comes up but it’s likely he’s an afterthought although he‘s become a valued member of the Spurs.  There is a clear reason; Leonard is one of those guys who believe his actions on the court speak volumes about his volume of work.  There is no requirement on his part to discuss his game----it’s just plain good.  In 2011 Leonard would become the 15th pick in the first round by the Pacers his draft rights were traded to the Spurs that evening.  Leonard played at San Diego State for Steve Fisher one of the best coaches at the collegiate level.

Fisher too receives little praise when discussing quality coaches/teachers of the game.  Because San Diego State games are on television so late those in Midwest and East Coast time zones had little opportunity to see Leonard play.  Once he reached the NBA that first year with the Spurs playing part-time he managed to score 7.9 ppg.  Since then he’s raised his scoring average each year, Leonard is no one-dimensional player he excels on the defensive end too.  The 6-7 230 pound Leonard was NBA Finals MVP in 2014 and All NBA Defensive Second Team.  In 2015 he was All NBA Defensive First Team and NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

It‘s not just me
"Austin Rivers on Clipper hate: People feel like our team complains" was the headline.  NBA writer James Herbert wrote the article for CBSSports.com.  First allow a disclaimer I wrote a critical story regarding the Clippers awhile back.  It was written at a time the Clippers were not playing particularly good basketball.  Although Blake Griffin has been injured since Christmas they have actually played better ball with him out of the lineup.  Although the team has seen an improvement in play do we perceive the Clippers as being any different from previous Clipper teams?

The biggest obstacle in front of them is lacking bench strength allowing for deep playoff run.  If we check the Western Conference the Warriors, Spurs and Thunder appear to have the power.  Can the Clippers win the Western Conference Championship?  Of course they won’t face all the aforementioned power teams.  All is necessary for this team to accomplish is to win and win big; it’s not enough to make the playoffs every season and lose in the second round.

“Don’t be that guy!”
Two realities, the 76ers are terrible (worst than my Lakers) and Jahlil Okafor is a talent.  Okafor has had a couple of off the court issues which might point out his sometimes lack of maturity, as for his dad that’s a different matter.  Let’s set the stage for this explanation, in a recent game Okafor’s dad is seated behind the 76er bench.  He’s yelling at 76er Coach Brett Brown, reports indicate it got so bad Okafor on the bench had to ask his dad to dial it down.  We know the 76ers are bad, in addition we could see Okafor might be frustrated with losing.  As for his dad that’s another story, “What was he thinking?”

Basketball from a fans perspective

????
I’ll explain the question mark headlines, please read on.  I haven’t been witness to every game Hassan Whiteside has played; I’ve seen enough to believe it would be tragic for the Heat to trade him.  There were questions regarding Whiteside’s value, the line read; “Hassan Whiteside has become an incredible individual talent, but halfway through his contract year we’re still not sure if he’s helping or hurting the Heat.”  So read the CBSSportline.com story, they compiled numbers relating to Heat scoring and defense when he was on the floor versus off.  After I read the account I thought this is pure caw-caw they should have witnessed his recent game against the Nuggets.  Whiteside had a triple-double in an unconventional manner.

His stat line read 19 points 17 rebounds and 11 blocked shots as the Heat squeezed by 98-95.  Whiteside is currently leading the NBA in blocked shots with nearly four a game and is in fourth place in rebounds with 11.3 game.  The seven foot Whiteside is a decent scorer from the floor (12.3 ppg) but certainly doesn’t conjure reminders of Kareem, Shaq, Hakeem or some other high scoring center of the past.  Whiteside’s game is similar to other players in their third year in the NBA; there are elements of his game requiring improvement.  After being drafted in 2010 he bounced around the D-League and China before his breakout year in 2014-15.  If he continues to mature and based on play to date I certainly would enjoy being his agent.

Shooting clinic
I didn’t see the game so I’m not going to describe the events, I was watching Iowa State upset number one Oklahoma.  I can only guess the Warriors must have conducted a shooting clinic on the Cavs.  The box score indicates the Warriors shot 54.1% from the two-point line and 47.5% from the three line.  Even more fascinating this feat was achieved at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.  The final score read Warriors 132 Cavs 98.

This is interesting
Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan is certainly one of the young talents in the NBA.  Before delving into the story allow me to clarify a couple of facts.  DeRozan grew up in Los Angeles in addition he will become a free-agent this summer.  A recent headline on CBSSport.com’s NBA page caught my attention.  One headline read; “DeRozan wants to be Raptor “my whole career”.  Four lines below; “Report, Lakers eyeing DeRozan I Exploring trades.”  The humor for me two stories on the same player inches apart on the same page.  DeRozan could be just talking; the lure of playing at “home” for the Lakers (minus Kobe) could be the ultimate draw.

Point of clarification
I was critical of former Mizzou Coach Frank Haith last Friday; he performs the same role as any other coach of a major sport.  That coach cannot and is not always aware of all activity relating to his or her team.  The troubling factor for me (if true) Haith left within days after becoming aware the NCAA was to conduct an investigation of Mizzou basketball.  Even more disconcerting is Haith’s attorney releasing a statement proclaiming his clients innocence, this was done we are led to believe because the NCAA report named no party.  There is a problem a cloud of suspension follows Haith from Miami to Mizzou on to Tulsa.

This is no forecast of future problems at Tulsa but as my friend might say; “They (Tulsa) need to make sure to cross all the T’s and dot all the i’s.”  Allow me to affirm once again I was a convicted believer and one of the most ardent supporters of Frank Haith.  I remained firm at the time news broke regarding an NCAA investigation at Miami; I thoroughly studied the events as best I could long-distance.  I believed Haith was being scapegoat for improprieties of the Miami football program.  Final decision was made and Haith would remain at Mizzou but would be suspended for the first 5 games of the season, even then I remained in the coach’s corner.  Haith’s now been touched by a hint of improprieties with two different programs Miami (FL) and Mizzou.  At this point can Haith be trusted to run a clean program?  There are three Mizzou commits headed to Columbia next fall hopefully they will not change their minds.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Bits n Pieces  
Youth basketball players reading this please store in your memory bank.  Every time you jump in the air attempting a pass there are three likely occurrences and only one is satisfactory.  The other occasions I believe you can figure out without any hints.  

The Count is at work once again tracking the Warriors attempt to break the single season NBA win record.  Last week the Pistons beat them in a game played in Detroit.  The Warriors stand 36-5 as this is written, going forward they must finish the regular season 37-4.  If the Warriors are able to accomplish this feat they would finish 73-9 and eclipse the 72-10 mark set by the Michael Jordan Bulls in ’95-’96.  

Several states were represented at the time McDonald’s chose its All-American Boys Prep Basketball team.  Where is the best basketball played in the nation?  This is not intended to be proof however the overwhelming majority of 24 athletes are from Texas, California and Florida.  John Calipari has the single largest number of recruits with four headed to Kentucky this fall.

There is never any excuse for bad behavior you can check it out for yourself on YouTube.  Oregon State’s Jarmal Reid tripped referee Tommy Nunez after believing he’d been fouled and the official failed to blow the whistle.  He’s received at least a four game suspension for his actions.  Referees have made bad calls since the days of James A. Naismith, attacking an official are not the means to address the issue.

Finally
I’m unsure if an athlete transferring to your favorite college can be classified as good news.  Lately there’s been nothing but bad news for Mizzou on the basketball court.  The losses on the court have been compounded by NCAA infractions from the 2013-14 season.  All wins were vacated and no post-season play plus losing scholarships.  In any event Jordan Barnett a 6-6 forward announced he was leaving Texas and transferring to Mizzou.

Barnett from St. Louis played limited minutes for the departed Rick Barnes and his replacement Shaka Smart.  I guess the question might be can Barnett play?  I really have no idea but at least its positive news emanating from Columbia (MO) and it’s an arrival rather than a departure.  Barnett will eligible to play the fall semester of 2016.

Thon Maker
He’s gained weight but still checks in at a thin 223 pounds, there are guards who weigh more than 7-1 Thon Maker.  I’m watching his Athlete Institute team against Findlay Prep.  The ESPN broadcaster clarified a question for me; I had wondered why Maker was no longer listed on ESPNU Recruiting Nation prospects.  Although Maker attended high school in the U.S. once he moved to Canada he came off the ESPNU list.  It’s a nation thing rather than talent the game analyst said; “If he’d remained in the U.S. he would be a top five prospect.”

Other than viewing AAU YouTube highlights this was my first opportunity to witness Maker in action.  Athlete Institute was a loser 73-59 however Maker had a good game, 16 points 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.  Just in case you might have wondered Maker made it clear he has no intentions to pull a “Mudiay.”  Last year Emmanuel Muiday announced he was headed to SMU and at some point changed his mind and departed for a pro career in China.  Mudiay would return in time for the 2015 NBA Draft and is now a member of the Denver Nuggets.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Not surprised anymore
Remember back to last season, the Top 25 polls were steady throughout most of the college season.  Don’t misunderstand there were upsets however nothing like this season.  I unsure about you but I’m no longer surprised to check the scores and read or hear of an “upset.”

He said!
We don’t know where the account acquired legs, in any event if John Calipari is true to his word he claims he’s remaining at Kentucky.  Interesting the story circulating about “wanting a $120 million 10 year contract” came from somewhere didn‘t it?  Even more worthy of note two teams were mentioned in the report the Kings and Nets.  Lionel Hollins was relieved by the Nets and they will be searching for a coach, is George Karl's job in jeopardy with the Kings?

“Stay in your lane”
The above headline would appear to driving instruction---it is kinda.  All drivers are aware they remain in their lane but it also applies in discussions.  Tony Korheiser used the term on Mike Wilbon during a discussion on their program.  He said to Wilbon; “Why are you bringing basketball into a discussion on football?”  I’d heard the same argument used last week between Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless. Once again the subject was football and firing football coaches was the topic.

In an attempt to validate his view of the subject matter Smith went to the NBA to provide justification.  Smith cited the Warriors firing Mark Jackson and replacing him with Steve Kerr.  There might be a few cross-over areas but I believe football ain’t basketball and vice-versa, if you can’t prove the point of your sports argument perhaps it might not be as valid as you believe---stay in your lane.

Bits n Pieces
I just decided I’m going to purchase an NBA team.  The league seems unwilling to re-locate franchises at this point so my team must remain in its present city.  This shouldn’t present too much of a problem, I will have a corporate jet standing by to fly me to the city.  On other occasions I’ll use NBA League Pass for those games I can’t attend.  Oh I forgot I must win the lottery to accomplish this financial undertaking right now.  

I think I was deceived, after watching the brilliant Kansas-Oklahoma game I thought this team (Kansas) is good.  There are no super teams this year and I certainly wasn’t applying that status to the Jayhawks. Kansas played almost opposite of last weeks game, I realize it was a road game but 21 turnovers and little bench production.  Bill Self knows West Virginia plays a full-court pressing defense he didn‘t appear to have his team ready.  Brent Musberger might have said it best; "They (Kansas) look totally out of sync.”

They are sometimes terse in their response when questioned by the media.  At times they appear to have an adversarial relationship with many media members.  In the NFL we have Patriots Coach Bill Bilichick, in the NBA Spurs Coach Greg Popovich.  Knicks President Phil Jackson if still coaching would be a member of the group.  I might be mistaken but I’m going to include Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle I the group.  There is one trait that rings true for all they are winners.  All have won multiple NBA or NFL Championships with the exception of Carlisle.  There might be others but these guys are in the forefront.

There are some evenings I am almost totally consumed by basketball.  I began this evening watching SMU play Eastern Carolina and followed that game watching LSU and Ole Miss.  In between I checked in on the Pacers at Celtics and then Heat at Clippers.  I switched to USC-UCLA for a minute and then changed channels and watched San Diego State win a close game over Colorado State.  As you can see I have no life I am totally fixated on basketball at times.

Who are these guys?
The line from the 1969 classic movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid “Who are those guys?”  The reference was the posse that was chasing after the two criminals.  Well nobody is chasing anyone but I believe we’d all like to know “Who are those guys” ESPN polled when ranking All-Time NBA point guards?  The poll chose Magic Johnson first and Oscar Robertson number two no issue on my part.  John Stockton at three is questionable however his bio speaks loudly.  I cannot in my small mind believe they listed Steph Curry at four and Isiah Thomas in fifth place.

There is a longevity factor here, Curry has nowhere near the amount of NBA mileage Thomas has.  Curry (in my view) is more a shooter than a passer.  Curry and Thomas would swap positions on my list.  As for the small forward position I found it no shock they chose LeBron James number one.  How about Julius “Dr. J.” Erving, Elgin Baylor, John Havlicek, Scottie Pippen or Rick Barry.  Are you stating all the aforementioned are better than LeBron?  The game has changed so much its difficult to compare the 1950’s Elgin Baylor with the 2000’s LeBron James.

Basketball from a fans perspective

The Count
One of the characters (puppets) of the PBS program Sesame Street is The Count.  If you are unfamiliar with The Count he's dressed in a manner similar to Count Dracula the vampire.  During his appearances he conducts himself in the manner of his name------ he counts.  I am going to assume the role of The Count and keep a running total on the Warriors this season.  The Warriors can experience only 6 more losses between now and April.  That’s the formula for the Warriors to break the existing won-loss record set by Michael Jordan’s Bulls.  Do the math, the Warriors have 36 wins 3 losses which totals 39 wins with 43 regular season games left.  In order to win 73 games the Warriors must win 37 games while losing only 6.  Is it possible to establish a new record of course it is, can they do it?  NOTE:  After this was written the Warriors beat my Lakers so they have one more win.

Had to get out of town
Since Norm Stewart was asked to step-down in 1999 Mizzou basketball has been on a roller coaster, the problem the coaster has gone downhill more often than up over the years.  A reporter for the Kansas City Star once wrote; “Mizzou fans constantly expect something bad to occur.”  The statement is not too far from the truth it seems as though something bad usually off the court manages to impact the program in a negative manner, that’s the case with the latest news.  Consider this fact Kim Anderson is the fourth coach since the departure of Stewart.  This coaching change has caused Mizzou to struggle on the court much of the last two seasons.  

If you have read Word eye view any length of time you know I have been a defender of former Coach Frank Haith, no more.  The school admitted a number of NCAA violations occurred dating back to 2011.  1. “In December 2013, the NCAA received reports of potential violations.  A verbal notice of investigation was given MU on April 14, 2014.  Four days later, Haith left the Tigers to take the coaching position at Tulsa.”  Maybe he had to get out of town.

Here’s the problem for me (and maybe others) Haith’s attorney claimed his client was not at fault the NCAA did not name him a party to the violations.  Mizzou wins for 2013-14 are vacated no post-season basketball this year and forfeiture of scholarships over the next two years.  The problem for me is I feel betrayed; I was one who maintained “Faith in Haith.” On the court I hope this is not a knee-jerk reaction on my part.  I’m worried; I’m concerned after seeing Arkansas run Mizzou out of its own building.  I didn’t check their record but the Razorbacks came into the game with nearly the same won-loss as the Tigers.  Losing 94-61 at home certainly is concerning, I realize Kim Anderson is only in his second year but I believe all of Mizzou nation expect improvement.  With the limitations placed on Mizzou it will be difficult to recruit in the future.  Is the Mizzou program dead---not yet but it’s certainly on life-support.

1. Missourian

Go figure
I was caught off-guard on this story, we received news in December Dolph Schayes had died at the age of 87.  This Bronx (NY) native spent all but one year of his brilliant NBA career as a member of the Syracuse (NY) Nationals.  The Nats as they were nicknamed would locate to Philadelphia after the Warriors left for San Francisco in 1963.  That team would be re-named the 76ers; Schayes spent his last year in the NBA as a 76er.  Schayes could play he would become a 12-time NBA All Star; he was a member of the 1955 NBA Championship team.

After his career ended he would be inducted in the Naismith Hall of Fame, the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.  He was honored by the NBA being selected to both the NBA 25th and 50th Anniversary Teams.   A player with such a distinguished NBA career and recognition had their number retired years ago.  The 76ers drafted Nerlens Noel in 2013 and awarded him jersey number 4 the same number he wore at Kentucky.  Number 4 was the same number Schayes had worn through out most of his NBA career.  The 76ers finally decided to retire the number, and it’s going to be hung from the rafters, however Noel will continue to wear number 4.

I understand honoring the man it certainly should have been done while Schayes was alive but it’s the 76ers what should we expect?  You say ‘Schayes only played one year in Philadelphia” which is true.  If you check the list of retired NBA jerseys you will discover several never played in the franchise city at least Schayes did play in Philadelphia.  Examples, Nate Archibald played for the Kings in Kansas City and Oscar Robertson while the franchise called Cincinnati home.  Neither has probably ever seen the basketball floor in Sacramento.      

My BFF
10-year old Jordan and Kristaps Porzingis might now be Best Friends Forever.  Jordan is the youngster who took a selfie of himself crying the night of the draft.  He did this at the time Commissioner Silver announced the Knicks were choosing Porzingis with their first pick.  Since then Jordan's view of Porzingis has changed, a photo of Jordan and his family along with Porzigis was circulated earlier this month.  More recently an Instagram photo of Jordan and Porzingis has been taken.  Jordan asked why he booed the selection claimed; “I thought it would take him 3-4 years” that sounds like a 10-year old listening to an adult conversation.  If you’d like to check out the latest photo it’s posted as cryingknicksfan.