Basketball from a fans perspective
I’m impressed
Everybody (including me) is subject to be second-guessed Adam Silver NBA Commissioner is no exception. Silver on the job since February 1, 2014 has had several controversial issues to handle. The first might have been removing Donald Sterling as owner of the Clippers. I’m unsure if anything of this nature had ever occurred in any major sports. The nearest off the top of my head was former Cavs owner Ted Stepien.
He made so many controversial trades the NBA in November 1980 prevented him from making trades without NBA approval. The Lakers were able to acquire “Big Game” James Worthy due to an earlier trade but there were others of a similar nature. Stepien made threats to move the Cavs first to Toronto and later renaming the team the “Ohio” Cavaliers. They would play in Pittsburg, Cincinnati and one other city along with Cleveland. In 1983-83 Stepien decided in favor of selling the team to the Gund brothers. Technically not the same as the Sterling fiasco but close, Stepien was “prevented” from conducting a portion of his business.
That might be the nearest example to Donald Sterling. I read a number of emails from fans questioning this action most admitting Sterling was a “bad guy” but how could Silver remove his as owner? Hot button issues continue and Silver handles them despite harsh criticism in some circles. The latest might be relocating the 2018 NBA All-Star Game from Charlotte. I read the potential monetary loss is estimated to be in the $130 million dollar range. Again there are question “how could the NBA do this based on a North Carolina legislative decision?” Although I’d believed David Stern had been good for the NBA Adam Silver might be an even better commissioner.
Akron’s native son
Instead of questioning why I’m just sayin’ okay, ESPN.com questioned why LeBron James would sign a 3-year contract. They indicate he would become a free-agent next season and perhaps sign an even larger contract. This contract will be worth $100 million dollars for those 3-three years, that figures out to roughly $31 million a year. If we factor in all of LeBron’s investments Forbes estimates his net worth is in the neighborhood of $300 million dollars. I’m not going to figure out why he signed the contact I’m just going to say well.
Bits n Pieces
I believe we all know musical entertainer Drake is a basketball fan. He can be spotted in his court side seats at his hometown Toronto Raptors games. Drake is also a fan of Kentucky basketball which is okay however we might question his clothing choice. Somebody should have warned him about showing up at Texas with Kentucky gear on. It was reported several Texas fans disapproved his choice of clothing and informed him of the fact.
Mitch Kupchak has gone on record with his observation of Ivica Zubac “A little bit ahead of what we thought.” The Laker rookie appears ready for the rugged play he will experience in the NBA. It’s likely his coach will bring him along slowly so don’t expect outstanding numbers this first year. Kupchak’s statement allows me to believe the Lakers might have a diamond in the rough.
Why not inform us how you really feel? An Oklahoma sporting goods store is selling Kevin Durant jerseys for less than a dollar. As one whose purchased jerseys in the past this is totally insane. The very cheapest jersey sales for $69.99 as opposed to the 98 cents. I cannot believe a player once so loved by a city and state being so despised a business is willing to take a loss on its stock of merchandise. It will be interesting the first time Durant’s introduced in Oklahoma City as a member of the Warriors.
This is pure speculation and consider the fact; Mizzou Athletic Director Jim Sterk is on the job September 1. Kim Anderson will soon begin year three of his five year contract. His record the last two years reads 19-44 which spells trouble in more than one area. Mizzou cannot hope to recruit good quality players with a losing program. Year three becomes critical, if they were to make the NCAA that would be tremendous. That outlook is out of the view of most of the faithful, what is hoped for is improvement.
The Replacements
Was a 2000 movie featuring Kenau Reeves, the movies theme Gene Hackman was coaching replacement football players, the regulars had gone on strike. Those coaches in the collegiate ranks have not gone on strike however as they age who replaces them? We might have included Brad Stevens in the group of youngsters if he hadn’t left for the NBA Celtics. Consider this Jim Boeheim is 71, Coach K. is 69, Rick Pitino 63 and others range in age from the late ‘50’s into the early ‘60’s.
Who are the “youngsters” who replace this list of Hall of Fame coaches? We could lead off with Shaka Smart at Texas, Mitch Henderson Princeton, Andy Toole Robert Morris and Bryce Drew Vanderbilt. There are other other shining stars across the nation I might have missed the list is to inform you “The Replacements” are already in place. This is no guarantee of continued future success but should provide evidence the sun is still shining.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Shut up
I said and I meant it I quite watching Stephen A. Smith on First Take. The problem he still “pops” up on the ESPN NBA page. I didn’t view the video only checked out the headline. “Carmelo is worrying Stephen A. Smith” it read, I’m guessing Smith was concerned about the wear and tear on Carmelo’s body. Hey Mr. Smith, Carmelo is 32-years old certainly old enough to make his own decisions without consulting you.
Several NBA players took a pass on playing for Team USA and and Carmelo could have joined them if he chose. It’s clear to me (and probably not Smith) Carmelo’s desire is to bring home another gold medal. Certainly there is risk of injury and there is wear and tear on his body. Don’t you think for a minute foremost in Carmelo’s mind was the risk of injury? As for Smith just shut up your opinions are yours but many of us don’t care what you think?
He went ballistic
I heard the news before determining the details of the incident. Earlier in the week Wichita State made it known they were headed to Canada to play a series of exhibition games. Gregg Marshall Wichita State’s coach was ejected in the game against McGill University. *“Three clock errors, questionable officiating and poor play set Marshall off.” After Marshall received his second technical he refused to leave the court and went after the officials. Assistant coaches and his players had to restrain him. Hopefully this won’t impact Canadian-U.S. relations. Marshall’s been suspended for the following game.
*USA Today
Christmas games
The Christmas games December 25, 2016 look quite exciting new players in new places along with re-tooled teams. Leading off the day-night games will be the Celtics facing the re-tooled Knicks from Madison Square Garden that game begins at 12:00 p.m. Eastern. At 2:30 p.m. the two combatants from last seasons NBA Championship will face off, the Cavs-Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. At 5:00 p.m. will see the new look Bulls facing the Duncan-less Spurs. At 8:00 p.m. the young Wolves will play the Thunder in Oklahoma City. The 10:30 game finds the Clippers facing the Lakers at Staples Center. My Lakers might not be playoff caliber but I’m seriously considering a subscription to NBA League Pass again.
Good
Did you see Monty Williams seated on the bench of Team USA? The Thunder assistant lost his wife in a tragic February automobile accident and never returned. In June the Thunder announced he would not return as Donovan’s lead assistant. Other than serving as an assistant for Team USA his future is uncertain however I hope Williams manages to find peace. Everyone grieves differently so in his instance we must adopt a wait and see view.
Best of the best
The current NBA rules state you must be age 19 or 1 year past your high school graduation. Over the last few years several players have circumvented the rule it was 2005 the last time a high school player was drafted in the NBA. The last player chosen was Amir Johnson Westchester High School in Los Angeles. Johnson was the 56th pick in the second round that year.
Kevin Garnett
Sebastian Telfair
Kevin Garnett
Kobe Bryant
Kwame Brown
Amar’e Stoudemire
J.R. Smith
Darius Miles
DeShawn Stevenson
DeSagana Diop
Amir Johnson
Travis Outlaw
Gerald Green
Eddy Curry
This list is not complete just a number of the more well known names. Who was the best of the high school number to be drafted into the NBA in your opinion? There have been a significant number of misses however there are several Hall of Fame candidates in the list.
Shut up
I said and I meant it I quite watching Stephen A. Smith on First Take. The problem he still “pops” up on the ESPN NBA page. I didn’t view the video only checked out the headline. “Carmelo is worrying Stephen A. Smith” it read, I’m guessing Smith was concerned about the wear and tear on Carmelo’s body. Hey Mr. Smith, Carmelo is 32-years old certainly old enough to make his own decisions without consulting you.
Several NBA players took a pass on playing for Team USA and and Carmelo could have joined them if he chose. It’s clear to me (and probably not Smith) Carmelo’s desire is to bring home another gold medal. Certainly there is risk of injury and there is wear and tear on his body. Don’t you think for a minute foremost in Carmelo’s mind was the risk of injury? As for Smith just shut up your opinions are yours but many of us don’t care what you think?
He went ballistic
I heard the news before determining the details of the incident. Earlier in the week Wichita State made it known they were headed to Canada to play a series of exhibition games. Gregg Marshall Wichita State’s coach was ejected in the game against McGill University. *“Three clock errors, questionable officiating and poor play set Marshall off.” After Marshall received his second technical he refused to leave the court and went after the officials. Assistant coaches and his players had to restrain him. Hopefully this won’t impact Canadian-U.S. relations. Marshall’s been suspended for the following game.
*USA Today
Christmas games
The Christmas games December 25, 2016 look quite exciting new players in new places along with re-tooled teams. Leading off the day-night games will be the Celtics facing the re-tooled Knicks from Madison Square Garden that game begins at 12:00 p.m. Eastern. At 2:30 p.m. the two combatants from last seasons NBA Championship will face off, the Cavs-Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. At 5:00 p.m. will see the new look Bulls facing the Duncan-less Spurs. At 8:00 p.m. the young Wolves will play the Thunder in Oklahoma City. The 10:30 game finds the Clippers facing the Lakers at Staples Center. My Lakers might not be playoff caliber but I’m seriously considering a subscription to NBA League Pass again.
Good
Did you see Monty Williams seated on the bench of Team USA? The Thunder assistant lost his wife in a tragic February automobile accident and never returned. In June the Thunder announced he would not return as Donovan’s lead assistant. Other than serving as an assistant for Team USA his future is uncertain however I hope Williams manages to find peace. Everyone grieves differently so in his instance we must adopt a wait and see view.
Best of the best
The current NBA rules state you must be age 19 or 1 year past your high school graduation. Over the last few years several players have circumvented the rule it was 2005 the last time a high school player was drafted in the NBA. The last player chosen was Amir Johnson Westchester High School in Los Angeles. Johnson was the 56th pick in the second round that year.
Kevin Garnett
Sebastian Telfair
Kevin Garnett
Kobe Bryant
Kwame Brown
Amar’e Stoudemire
J.R. Smith
Darius Miles
DeShawn Stevenson
DeSagana Diop
Amir Johnson
Travis Outlaw
Gerald Green
Eddy Curry
This list is not complete just a number of the more well known names. Who was the best of the high school number to be drafted into the NBA in your opinion? There have been a significant number of misses however there are several Hall of Fame candidates in the list.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
A loss
I was shocked and sadden to hear that ESPN’s John Saunders had died; he was only 61 years old. Saunders covered all aspects of sports the network telecast since 1986. He wore many hats while employed at ESPN but first fame anchoring SportsCenter. He served as host for the networks Sports Reporter program and even did play by play for a number of sports. There are several in the field who could look at the Saunders example one that never said “Hey look at me.” The story be it baseball the NFL the NHL or NBA was always reported in a professional manner. Saunders appeared to have no desire to become part of the story.
Bits n Pieces
Kobe Bryant is not a member of Team USA for the Rio Olympics. I’m a little surprised because I believed Kobe might want one last hurrah on an international stage, guess I missed this one.
There will be no repeat of Lin-sanity now that Jeremy Lin is back in The Big Apple. We read earlier Lin expressed a desire to remain a member of the Hornets but it was not to be. The Brooklyn Nets signed the 6-3 point guard to a multi-year contract in July.
What happened to the Big East Conference? The conference was founded strictly for basketball although a number of the schools played football. The name is still utilized today but the Big East as it’s constructed currently bares little resemblance to its former self. In its former self the league began play in 1979 and lasted until 2013.
Bol Bol is the son of the late NBA player Manute Bol from South Sudan on the African continent. Bol is entering his junior year at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park a Kansas City suburb, he is a 5-star and the number 13 prospect in Rivals Class of 2013. He’s got the physical traits of his father 6-11 and 180 pounds. Offers are on the table from Kansas, St. John’s, Creighton and New Mexico State.
Canada basketball
I claim no expertise in the area of Canadian basketball so this account is strictly research. Over the years our northern neighbor’s sent a number of talented players to the US some attending high school while others managed college careers. A number have managed to secure an NBA vocation. I was reviewing a Canadian website and a number of the Class of 2017 is headed to US colleges.
I knew there were a number of high schools that competed in basketball but was unsure of the number that might be playing college ball. I discovered a significant number of Canadian colleges and universities compete in basketball, Simon Fraser University is the only school competing in NCAA Division II basketball. The school is located in Burnaby British Columbia located approximately 140 miles north of Seattle Washington.
Hopefully a life-change
Remember the saga of highly recruited prospect Zach Brown? The Florida prospect committed to UConn and located to a prep school in Connecticut. Then the problems began, Brown had an altercation on the court which caused the prep school to dismiss him. Returning home he was involved in an armed robbery in the spring.
Fast-forward to the present news accounts indicates the criminal charges will be dropped. The 7 foot 260 pound center was back on the recruitment trail again and he committed to St. John’s. Brown and his brother grew up in poverty and were adopted by a wealthy family. One or two mistakes does not mark you for life hopefully he’ll make a life-change and not because he’s an athlete.
A loss
I was shocked and sadden to hear that ESPN’s John Saunders had died; he was only 61 years old. Saunders covered all aspects of sports the network telecast since 1986. He wore many hats while employed at ESPN but first fame anchoring SportsCenter. He served as host for the networks Sports Reporter program and even did play by play for a number of sports. There are several in the field who could look at the Saunders example one that never said “Hey look at me.” The story be it baseball the NFL the NHL or NBA was always reported in a professional manner. Saunders appeared to have no desire to become part of the story.
Bits n Pieces
Kobe Bryant is not a member of Team USA for the Rio Olympics. I’m a little surprised because I believed Kobe might want one last hurrah on an international stage, guess I missed this one.
There will be no repeat of Lin-sanity now that Jeremy Lin is back in The Big Apple. We read earlier Lin expressed a desire to remain a member of the Hornets but it was not to be. The Brooklyn Nets signed the 6-3 point guard to a multi-year contract in July.
What happened to the Big East Conference? The conference was founded strictly for basketball although a number of the schools played football. The name is still utilized today but the Big East as it’s constructed currently bares little resemblance to its former self. In its former self the league began play in 1979 and lasted until 2013.
Bol Bol is the son of the late NBA player Manute Bol from South Sudan on the African continent. Bol is entering his junior year at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park a Kansas City suburb, he is a 5-star and the number 13 prospect in Rivals Class of 2013. He’s got the physical traits of his father 6-11 and 180 pounds. Offers are on the table from Kansas, St. John’s, Creighton and New Mexico State.
Canada basketball
I claim no expertise in the area of Canadian basketball so this account is strictly research. Over the years our northern neighbor’s sent a number of talented players to the US some attending high school while others managed college careers. A number have managed to secure an NBA vocation. I was reviewing a Canadian website and a number of the Class of 2017 is headed to US colleges.
I knew there were a number of high schools that competed in basketball but was unsure of the number that might be playing college ball. I discovered a significant number of Canadian colleges and universities compete in basketball, Simon Fraser University is the only school competing in NCAA Division II basketball. The school is located in Burnaby British Columbia located approximately 140 miles north of Seattle Washington.
Hopefully a life-change
Remember the saga of highly recruited prospect Zach Brown? The Florida prospect committed to UConn and located to a prep school in Connecticut. Then the problems began, Brown had an altercation on the court which caused the prep school to dismiss him. Returning home he was involved in an armed robbery in the spring.
Fast-forward to the present news accounts indicates the criminal charges will be dropped. The 7 foot 260 pound center was back on the recruitment trail again and he committed to St. John’s. Brown and his brother grew up in poverty and were adopted by a wealthy family. One or two mistakes does not mark you for life hopefully he’ll make a life-change and not because he’s an athlete.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Another one
Last Sunday I wrote Ray Allen and Derek Fisher were contemplating a return to the court, we can add one more name to the mix of returning players. Emeka Okafor is discussing a return to action; he last played in the NBA in 2012-13. Even more interesting he’s attempting a comeback at an age (34) most basketball players are considering retirement. I’m not hating on any of these former players it’s just the fact I hate to see an athlete play past their prime years. In the case of Okafor he's attempting to return from injury.
Bits and Pieces
Brent Barry played for six teams during his NBA career (Clippers, Heat, Bulls, Sonics, Spurs and Rockets). So you can see he packed and unpacked his suitcase in a number of cities over the 14-years he played. We are unsure if it’s the city or the team the Sonics appear to be his favorite team. Every time we witness this NBA TV commentator without a suit he’s sporting a Sonics jersey.
I’m not claiming NBA TV is the best however they were the first, NBA-TV went on the air in March of 1999. Other sports soon followed, NFL Network was live November 2003 and MLB Network’s start date was January 2009. NBA TV is owned by the National Basketball Association. NBA TV has a world-wide audience (over 40 countries) we could say with a degree of certainty there are few areas of the world you might be unable to view NBA TV. The network broadcasts 24 hours a day and has a lineup of 19 programs less selected NBA games during the regular season.
While viewing the Venezuela-USA basketball game we discovered Kobe Bryant’s cousin was in the game. John Cox wasn’t playing for Team USA it was Venezuela. He led the way for Venezuela scoring 19 points although his team fell to Team USA. On the relationship question John “Chubby” Cox his dad is the sister of Pam Bryant wife of Joe “Jellybean” Bryant they are the parents of Kobe Bryant. Chubby played pro basketball in Caracas Venezuela where he met and married his wife.
Adidas is smiling from ear to ear; they announced the signing of Bucks rookie Thon Maker. No details were mentioned other than it was a multi-year contract. The smile is not just for Maker Adidas has also signed a number of high profile picks from the 2016 draft. Jaylen Brown Celtics, Wade Baldwin Grizzlies, Brandon Ingram Lakers and Jamal Murray Nuggets.
Memorabilia
Are you a collector of sports memorabilia? Collecting memorabilia can be quite expensive depending on your purchase. I have a friend with a stadium seat from Denver’s old Mile High Stadium. The stadium built in 1948 was utilized by the Broncos and other sports teams and venues. It was demolished in 2002. I’ve mentioned my collection of Laker stuff which is fairly significant.
Although my efforts have been driven by the desire for Laker gear lately I want to venture into purchasing other teams stuff. Not just any teams stuff Hall of Fame jerseys. I’d mentioned in the past I spotted a Nate Archibald Kansas City Kings jersey. Archibald’s number 10 is hanging in the rafters of Sacramento’s arena although he never played in the city, that’s another story. Recently I came across a Julius Erving jersey, this is not just any Dr. J. jersey it’s the New York Nets number 32.
Is he just being nice?
Talk about playing under pressure this season that’s Laker Brandon Ingram. New Warrior Kevin Durant said; “Brandon Ingram is further along than he was at that age,” in addition “Like I’m like looking in the mirror.” If Ingram didn’t feel any stress before he must certainly feel that way after this comparison Durant made about him.
Durant and Ingram stand 6-9 however as a 19-year old Durant came into the NBA at a slim 215 pounds while Ingram is a skinny 190 pounds. As for the Warriors who sacrifices his game to accommodate the offense of Durant? It’s just speculation on my part however I believe it might be two players. I nominate Klay Thompson and Draymon Green to see the basketball much less next season.
Another one
Last Sunday I wrote Ray Allen and Derek Fisher were contemplating a return to the court, we can add one more name to the mix of returning players. Emeka Okafor is discussing a return to action; he last played in the NBA in 2012-13. Even more interesting he’s attempting a comeback at an age (34) most basketball players are considering retirement. I’m not hating on any of these former players it’s just the fact I hate to see an athlete play past their prime years. In the case of Okafor he's attempting to return from injury.
Bits and Pieces
Brent Barry played for six teams during his NBA career (Clippers, Heat, Bulls, Sonics, Spurs and Rockets). So you can see he packed and unpacked his suitcase in a number of cities over the 14-years he played. We are unsure if it’s the city or the team the Sonics appear to be his favorite team. Every time we witness this NBA TV commentator without a suit he’s sporting a Sonics jersey.
I’m not claiming NBA TV is the best however they were the first, NBA-TV went on the air in March of 1999. Other sports soon followed, NFL Network was live November 2003 and MLB Network’s start date was January 2009. NBA TV is owned by the National Basketball Association. NBA TV has a world-wide audience (over 40 countries) we could say with a degree of certainty there are few areas of the world you might be unable to view NBA TV. The network broadcasts 24 hours a day and has a lineup of 19 programs less selected NBA games during the regular season.
While viewing the Venezuela-USA basketball game we discovered Kobe Bryant’s cousin was in the game. John Cox wasn’t playing for Team USA it was Venezuela. He led the way for Venezuela scoring 19 points although his team fell to Team USA. On the relationship question John “Chubby” Cox his dad is the sister of Pam Bryant wife of Joe “Jellybean” Bryant they are the parents of Kobe Bryant. Chubby played pro basketball in Caracas Venezuela where he met and married his wife.
Adidas is smiling from ear to ear; they announced the signing of Bucks rookie Thon Maker. No details were mentioned other than it was a multi-year contract. The smile is not just for Maker Adidas has also signed a number of high profile picks from the 2016 draft. Jaylen Brown Celtics, Wade Baldwin Grizzlies, Brandon Ingram Lakers and Jamal Murray Nuggets.
Memorabilia
Are you a collector of sports memorabilia? Collecting memorabilia can be quite expensive depending on your purchase. I have a friend with a stadium seat from Denver’s old Mile High Stadium. The stadium built in 1948 was utilized by the Broncos and other sports teams and venues. It was demolished in 2002. I’ve mentioned my collection of Laker stuff which is fairly significant.
Although my efforts have been driven by the desire for Laker gear lately I want to venture into purchasing other teams stuff. Not just any teams stuff Hall of Fame jerseys. I’d mentioned in the past I spotted a Nate Archibald Kansas City Kings jersey. Archibald’s number 10 is hanging in the rafters of Sacramento’s arena although he never played in the city, that’s another story. Recently I came across a Julius Erving jersey, this is not just any Dr. J. jersey it’s the New York Nets number 32.
Is he just being nice?
Talk about playing under pressure this season that’s Laker Brandon Ingram. New Warrior Kevin Durant said; “Brandon Ingram is further along than he was at that age,” in addition “Like I’m like looking in the mirror.” If Ingram didn’t feel any stress before he must certainly feel that way after this comparison Durant made about him.
Durant and Ingram stand 6-9 however as a 19-year old Durant came into the NBA at a slim 215 pounds while Ingram is a skinny 190 pounds. As for the Warriors who sacrifices his game to accommodate the offense of Durant? It’s just speculation on my part however I believe it might be two players. I nominate Klay Thompson and Draymon Green to see the basketball much less next season.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Battle of the Boroughs
This is not a usual occurrence the Nets facing off against the Knicks, since Barclays opened it’s become rather routine. These matches only occur in few cities because most don’t contain more than one pro team. New York also shares this scenario in baseball (Yankees-Mets) and football (Giants-Jets). Los Angeles has the Clippers/Lakers in basketball and Dodgers/Angels baseball. In Chicago you are a Cubs fan or White Sox you don’t root for both teams.
Can we really include the Bay Area in the discussion on cities with multiple sports teams? In San Francisco we have the baseball Giants and football 49ers across the bay in Oakland there are the Oakland Athletics baseball and Golden State (Oakland) Warriors basketball. As for the Nets-Knicks, this match will be renewed in an October pre-season game the Nets facing the Knicks in The Garden on October 8. The Knicks will journey to Barclays Center on October 20 for the re-match.
Don’t fool yourself
I know I deal in negatives at time however not all the time. ESPN.com NBA page ran a piece on the Bucks Thon Maker Summer League play. Naturally there were two or three responses from fans pointing out deficiencies in Maker’s game. Okay its summer play not the real NBA granted but Maker has been outstanding (in my opinion). I look at some of the negatives (37% from the floor) they are easily correctable.
I look for work in a player and Maker definitely has that he is swift up and down the court. In addition he’s not just an offensive presence he blocks shots and clogs the lane too. His positives to date far outweigh any negatives in his game. People get a grip on reality, check back with me in January and we’ll discuss this issue further. I’m not going to decide in the middle of July Maker or any other rookie can’t play. We are selling Maker and others short if we expect there is little if any adjustment is required.
No problem
I realize it’s me and my problem, if you detail something for me I want all the i’s dotted and all the t’s crossed. The website The Sports Cheat Sheet site said; “10 Greatest Oklahoma City Players of All Time” I clicked on the story. Interesting Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were the only Thunder players mentioned the other 8 were former Sonics. Ray Allen, Gary Payton, Nate McMillian and Shawn Kemp a few of the names mentioned. Nobody should be confused all the aforementioned players and others were pictured in Sonics jerseys.
Basketball aficionados are aware the Sonics a 1967 expansion team moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. I believe you must have played in THAT city I guess that’s why I have problems with retired numbers. The Lakers honor George Mikan, Slater Martin and others but don’t retire the jerseys of these former Lakers for a simple reason. They played for the Minneapolis Lakers and not the Los Angeles version of the team. In my view the Knicks and Celtics don’t have the issue since their home remains the same of their founding.
Bits and Pieces
According to Webster’s a Way Station is “A place where people can stop for rest, supplies, etc during a long journey.” As long as we have the One n Done rule in effect that’s what college has become a Way Station. Despite the definition the journey is not a long one likely eight months or less. I’ve looked ahead to the 2017 draft and the top tier of picks is listed as high school players going into their freshman year of college. Unless they do a “Thon Maker” they are likely to attend college for 1-year and then submit their name as an NBA prospect.
This is interesting; I checked the Sixers depth chart on ESPN’s NBA page. They list Ben Simmons at small forward--no surprise. As for the power forward and center position the names caught me off-guard, Nerlens Noel is the center and Jahlil Okafor is the power forward. If you check the player profiles the positions are reversed with Noel at the power forward and Okafor at center. Reports have continue to circulate the Sixers have Okafor on the trading block.
Battle of the Boroughs
This is not a usual occurrence the Nets facing off against the Knicks, since Barclays opened it’s become rather routine. These matches only occur in few cities because most don’t contain more than one pro team. New York also shares this scenario in baseball (Yankees-Mets) and football (Giants-Jets). Los Angeles has the Clippers/Lakers in basketball and Dodgers/Angels baseball. In Chicago you are a Cubs fan or White Sox you don’t root for both teams.
Can we really include the Bay Area in the discussion on cities with multiple sports teams? In San Francisco we have the baseball Giants and football 49ers across the bay in Oakland there are the Oakland Athletics baseball and Golden State (Oakland) Warriors basketball. As for the Nets-Knicks, this match will be renewed in an October pre-season game the Nets facing the Knicks in The Garden on October 8. The Knicks will journey to Barclays Center on October 20 for the re-match.
Don’t fool yourself
I know I deal in negatives at time however not all the time. ESPN.com NBA page ran a piece on the Bucks Thon Maker Summer League play. Naturally there were two or three responses from fans pointing out deficiencies in Maker’s game. Okay its summer play not the real NBA granted but Maker has been outstanding (in my opinion). I look at some of the negatives (37% from the floor) they are easily correctable.
I look for work in a player and Maker definitely has that he is swift up and down the court. In addition he’s not just an offensive presence he blocks shots and clogs the lane too. His positives to date far outweigh any negatives in his game. People get a grip on reality, check back with me in January and we’ll discuss this issue further. I’m not going to decide in the middle of July Maker or any other rookie can’t play. We are selling Maker and others short if we expect there is little if any adjustment is required.
No problem
I realize it’s me and my problem, if you detail something for me I want all the i’s dotted and all the t’s crossed. The website The Sports Cheat Sheet site said; “10 Greatest Oklahoma City Players of All Time” I clicked on the story. Interesting Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were the only Thunder players mentioned the other 8 were former Sonics. Ray Allen, Gary Payton, Nate McMillian and Shawn Kemp a few of the names mentioned. Nobody should be confused all the aforementioned players and others were pictured in Sonics jerseys.
Basketball aficionados are aware the Sonics a 1967 expansion team moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. I believe you must have played in THAT city I guess that’s why I have problems with retired numbers. The Lakers honor George Mikan, Slater Martin and others but don’t retire the jerseys of these former Lakers for a simple reason. They played for the Minneapolis Lakers and not the Los Angeles version of the team. In my view the Knicks and Celtics don’t have the issue since their home remains the same of their founding.
Bits and Pieces
According to Webster’s a Way Station is “A place where people can stop for rest, supplies, etc during a long journey.” As long as we have the One n Done rule in effect that’s what college has become a Way Station. Despite the definition the journey is not a long one likely eight months or less. I’ve looked ahead to the 2017 draft and the top tier of picks is listed as high school players going into their freshman year of college. Unless they do a “Thon Maker” they are likely to attend college for 1-year and then submit their name as an NBA prospect.
This is interesting; I checked the Sixers depth chart on ESPN’s NBA page. They list Ben Simmons at small forward--no surprise. As for the power forward and center position the names caught me off-guard, Nerlens Noel is the center and Jahlil Okafor is the power forward. If you check the player profiles the positions are reversed with Noel at the power forward and Okafor at center. Reports have continue to circulate the Sixers have Okafor on the trading block.
Monday, August 8, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
The countdown has begun
The Spurs David Robinson stood 6 foot 8 inches as a freshman at Annapolis the naval academy; he required a waver because the maximum height allowed is 6 foot 6 inches. By the time Robinson graduated he stood seven feet tall too tall for sea duty as a naval officer. In addition by this time he’d become a college All-American and his sights had shifted on a possible career in the NBA.
Robinson graduated in 1987 but didn’t suit up for the Spurs who held his draft rights until 1989. All that’s changed now the Department of Defense Pro Sports administration is operating under new rules implemented in May 2016. “A service member can request to be tendered an appointment in the reserve upon graduation and satisfy their commissioned service obligation in the Ready Reserve.” The short version any future David Robinson’s would be NBA eligible immediately their military obligation would be resolved without going on active duty.
Bits and Pieces
According to Forbes according to 2016 value there are 13 NBA franchises worth $1 billion dollars or more. Number one is the Knicks with a value of $3 billion followed by the Lakers at $2.7 billion. The Raptors and Blazers miss the cut with a net worth of $980 million and $975 million respectively. As for the Knicks and Lakers its interesting both teams had poor regular seasons and missed the playoffs. It seems and I have mentioned on a number of occasions every time an NBA franchise places a “For Sale” sign outside the front door there is never a shortage of potential owners.
The 2016-17 NBA season will be different for a number of reasons, two giants of the game will be missing in action. For the first time since 1996 no Laker lineup in Staples Center or in a visiting arena will announce the name of Kobe “Bean” Bryant in the starting lineup. The AT&T Center will change too, for the first time since 1997 the lineup in the arena and visiting arenas will no longer contain the name Timothy “Theodore” Duncan in the starting lineup. Kobe and Timmy both 5X NBA Champions will be sitting back and relaxing on brilliant careers. As for Kobe he might be busier than Timmy since he and his wife are now expecting their third child. Its likely Kobe will be busy changing diapers.
Former Knick Coach Mike D’Antoni offered a comment on Jeremy Lin and
Lin-Sanity. D’Antoni claims neither Carmelo Anthony nor Amar’e Stoudemire were willing to adjust their game to accommodate Lin. I checked the numbers, before his season-ending injury point guard Lin scored at a 14.6 point and 6.2 assist per game clip while shooting 44% from the floor. The remaining question did the two resent the media blitz surrounding Lin? We’ll probably never know the true answer it remains with the three players and only the former coach is talking at this point.
If a bad team is progressing the coach should be rewarded. That’s the case for Tennessee State and Dana Ford who received an extension through the
2020-21 season. Ford’s team finished 5-26 in his first year and last season registered a 20-11 mark. Ford was named Ohio Valley Conference coach of the year.
Misleading headline
Above the video it read; “Shaq O’Neal gets dunked on by son Shareef O’Neal.” I’m not exactly sure what I saw sure the dunk was legitimate as for the headline is a little misleading. The 6-9 O’Neal receiving the basketball on a pass drives down the lane. Shaquille O’ Neal all 7-1 350+ pounds is standing near the basket just as soon as Shareef goes in the air daddy barely moved as the son soared around his dad.
In addition daddy made no attempt to block the shot nor did he even raise his arms to attempt a block. I’m sure Shaq had no desire to hurt his son which he certainly could have done. My complaint the ESPN.com writer must have been using his imagination there was nothing close to an attempt to block the shot.
The countdown has begun
The Spurs David Robinson stood 6 foot 8 inches as a freshman at Annapolis the naval academy; he required a waver because the maximum height allowed is 6 foot 6 inches. By the time Robinson graduated he stood seven feet tall too tall for sea duty as a naval officer. In addition by this time he’d become a college All-American and his sights had shifted on a possible career in the NBA.
Robinson graduated in 1987 but didn’t suit up for the Spurs who held his draft rights until 1989. All that’s changed now the Department of Defense Pro Sports administration is operating under new rules implemented in May 2016. “A service member can request to be tendered an appointment in the reserve upon graduation and satisfy their commissioned service obligation in the Ready Reserve.” The short version any future David Robinson’s would be NBA eligible immediately their military obligation would be resolved without going on active duty.
Bits and Pieces
According to Forbes according to 2016 value there are 13 NBA franchises worth $1 billion dollars or more. Number one is the Knicks with a value of $3 billion followed by the Lakers at $2.7 billion. The Raptors and Blazers miss the cut with a net worth of $980 million and $975 million respectively. As for the Knicks and Lakers its interesting both teams had poor regular seasons and missed the playoffs. It seems and I have mentioned on a number of occasions every time an NBA franchise places a “For Sale” sign outside the front door there is never a shortage of potential owners.
The 2016-17 NBA season will be different for a number of reasons, two giants of the game will be missing in action. For the first time since 1996 no Laker lineup in Staples Center or in a visiting arena will announce the name of Kobe “Bean” Bryant in the starting lineup. The AT&T Center will change too, for the first time since 1997 the lineup in the arena and visiting arenas will no longer contain the name Timothy “Theodore” Duncan in the starting lineup. Kobe and Timmy both 5X NBA Champions will be sitting back and relaxing on brilliant careers. As for Kobe he might be busier than Timmy since he and his wife are now expecting their third child. Its likely Kobe will be busy changing diapers.
Former Knick Coach Mike D’Antoni offered a comment on Jeremy Lin and
Lin-Sanity. D’Antoni claims neither Carmelo Anthony nor Amar’e Stoudemire were willing to adjust their game to accommodate Lin. I checked the numbers, before his season-ending injury point guard Lin scored at a 14.6 point and 6.2 assist per game clip while shooting 44% from the floor. The remaining question did the two resent the media blitz surrounding Lin? We’ll probably never know the true answer it remains with the three players and only the former coach is talking at this point.
If a bad team is progressing the coach should be rewarded. That’s the case for Tennessee State and Dana Ford who received an extension through the
2020-21 season. Ford’s team finished 5-26 in his first year and last season registered a 20-11 mark. Ford was named Ohio Valley Conference coach of the year.
Misleading headline
Above the video it read; “Shaq O’Neal gets dunked on by son Shareef O’Neal.” I’m not exactly sure what I saw sure the dunk was legitimate as for the headline is a little misleading. The 6-9 O’Neal receiving the basketball on a pass drives down the lane. Shaquille O’ Neal all 7-1 350+ pounds is standing near the basket just as soon as Shareef goes in the air daddy barely moved as the son soared around his dad.
In addition daddy made no attempt to block the shot nor did he even raise his arms to attempt a block. I’m sure Shaq had no desire to hurt his son which he certainly could have done. My complaint the ESPN.com writer must have been using his imagination there was nothing close to an attempt to block the shot.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
I don’t care
I have a hard fast rule regarding celebrities and politicians, if you are a fan please remain a fan. Don’t venture beyond that realm into areas your view is no more important than mine. If you conduct business in this manner we’ll be okay. Former presidential candidate and current New Jersey governor believed it was necessary to give us his two cents worth. A guest on the Boomer & Carton radio/television program Chris Christie provided us his opinion of the NBA and the law of a state he does not govern.
The NBA is moving the All Star Game from North Carolina, Christie claims the NBA was “Grandstanding” in moving the game due to the state’s “bathroom law.” To my knowledge no such law exists in the State of New Jersey in fact I’m unsure if its even been proposed. New Jersey no longer has an NBA team, based on this fact alone why do we care what Christie thinks about the manner the NBA conducts business. If the State of New Jersey had an NBA team we could say go for it since that’s not the case I don’t care what he thinks.
You don’t say
Any day now I expect Kareem or Doctor J. to announce they are coming out of retirement to play in the NBA. Just kidding folks but that appears to be the trend with former players. Earlier this summer it was 42-year old Derek Fisher whose not played in two years. More recently another former player added his name to the discussion of wanting to play again. 41-year old Ray Allen informed a Hartford newspaper “he wants to return to the NBA.” He too has been on the sideline since 2014.
He’s the problem
I never argue player salaries for one reason alone, I’m only paying them indirectly (ticket prices). So this account regarding Dwight Howard has nothing to do with the amount of money the Hawks are paying him. It has to do with his desire to be paid as an elite player when it’s my belief he no longer fit’s that category. Do you realize one season in Orlando he scored nearly 23 points a game while pulling down 14 rebounds. Granted injuries and age are contributing factors in the decline of his production over the last several years. Having birthday number 30 of wear and tear on his body and that doesn‘t make him old however he arrived in the NBA from high school.
Maybe it’s the coaching issue rather than his age than concerns me. Howard manage to talk his way out of Orlando talked his way out of the Lakers hinting there were Kobe problems. Arriving in Houston he might have perceived himself to be the go to guy however this was James Harden’s team. Exit stage left for Atlanta as soon as free-agency allowed. I don’t perceive Howard as a bad guy I’m just unsure how serious he is at this point in his career about winning. Hopefully now that he’s returned home perhaps he’s come full circle and will adjust.
I hadn’t counted
Can we say with conviction Larry Brown doesn’t believe in staying anyplace very long? We could guess that might be true 13 coaching stops in 40 years of coaching. Beginning his coaching career in the ABA he would move to college to the NBA and back to college with SMU. The beginning after completing his playing career in the ABA Brown would become an assistant to his mentor Dean Smith at North Carolina.
The job would last from 1965-1967 he was then hired by Davidson College as its head coach but never appeared. He resigned without coaching a single game and became head coach of the Carolina Cougars of the ABA in 1972-1974. From that point his coaching resume includes stops in Denver (ABA), UCLA, Nets (ABA) and Kansas. Later there would stops with the Spurs, Clippers, Pacers, and 76ers, Pistons, Knicks, Bobcats and finally SMU.
Brown’s longest tenure might be the six years he spent as head coach of the 76ers. In 40 years of coaching and moving we only discover 8 years his teams experienced losing records and those were all in the professional ranks. He’s accomplished a feat few will ever duplicate Brown remains the only coach to win an NCAA Championship (Kansas) and NBA Championship (Pistons). His NBA record 1,098 wins and 904 losses, in the ABA his teams won 229 games while losing 107.
As for college his UCLA, Kansas and SMU teams won a total of 266 while losing 99 it should be noted his only losing season in college was his first year at SMU when his Mustangs finished 15-17. I’ve read a number of negative accounts of Brown since his resignation; “selfish”, “He only cares about himself” were among the nicer thing said. One thing for sure the 75-year old Brown can still coach.
I don’t care
I have a hard fast rule regarding celebrities and politicians, if you are a fan please remain a fan. Don’t venture beyond that realm into areas your view is no more important than mine. If you conduct business in this manner we’ll be okay. Former presidential candidate and current New Jersey governor believed it was necessary to give us his two cents worth. A guest on the Boomer & Carton radio/television program Chris Christie provided us his opinion of the NBA and the law of a state he does not govern.
The NBA is moving the All Star Game from North Carolina, Christie claims the NBA was “Grandstanding” in moving the game due to the state’s “bathroom law.” To my knowledge no such law exists in the State of New Jersey in fact I’m unsure if its even been proposed. New Jersey no longer has an NBA team, based on this fact alone why do we care what Christie thinks about the manner the NBA conducts business. If the State of New Jersey had an NBA team we could say go for it since that’s not the case I don’t care what he thinks.
You don’t say
Any day now I expect Kareem or Doctor J. to announce they are coming out of retirement to play in the NBA. Just kidding folks but that appears to be the trend with former players. Earlier this summer it was 42-year old Derek Fisher whose not played in two years. More recently another former player added his name to the discussion of wanting to play again. 41-year old Ray Allen informed a Hartford newspaper “he wants to return to the NBA.” He too has been on the sideline since 2014.
He’s the problem
I never argue player salaries for one reason alone, I’m only paying them indirectly (ticket prices). So this account regarding Dwight Howard has nothing to do with the amount of money the Hawks are paying him. It has to do with his desire to be paid as an elite player when it’s my belief he no longer fit’s that category. Do you realize one season in Orlando he scored nearly 23 points a game while pulling down 14 rebounds. Granted injuries and age are contributing factors in the decline of his production over the last several years. Having birthday number 30 of wear and tear on his body and that doesn‘t make him old however he arrived in the NBA from high school.
Maybe it’s the coaching issue rather than his age than concerns me. Howard manage to talk his way out of Orlando talked his way out of the Lakers hinting there were Kobe problems. Arriving in Houston he might have perceived himself to be the go to guy however this was James Harden’s team. Exit stage left for Atlanta as soon as free-agency allowed. I don’t perceive Howard as a bad guy I’m just unsure how serious he is at this point in his career about winning. Hopefully now that he’s returned home perhaps he’s come full circle and will adjust.
I hadn’t counted
Can we say with conviction Larry Brown doesn’t believe in staying anyplace very long? We could guess that might be true 13 coaching stops in 40 years of coaching. Beginning his coaching career in the ABA he would move to college to the NBA and back to college with SMU. The beginning after completing his playing career in the ABA Brown would become an assistant to his mentor Dean Smith at North Carolina.
The job would last from 1965-1967 he was then hired by Davidson College as its head coach but never appeared. He resigned without coaching a single game and became head coach of the Carolina Cougars of the ABA in 1972-1974. From that point his coaching resume includes stops in Denver (ABA), UCLA, Nets (ABA) and Kansas. Later there would stops with the Spurs, Clippers, Pacers, and 76ers, Pistons, Knicks, Bobcats and finally SMU.
Brown’s longest tenure might be the six years he spent as head coach of the 76ers. In 40 years of coaching and moving we only discover 8 years his teams experienced losing records and those were all in the professional ranks. He’s accomplished a feat few will ever duplicate Brown remains the only coach to win an NCAA Championship (Kansas) and NBA Championship (Pistons). His NBA record 1,098 wins and 904 losses, in the ABA his teams won 229 games while losing 107.
As for college his UCLA, Kansas and SMU teams won a total of 266 while losing 99 it should be noted his only losing season in college was his first year at SMU when his Mustangs finished 15-17. I’ve read a number of negative accounts of Brown since his resignation; “selfish”, “He only cares about himself” were among the nicer thing said. One thing for sure the 75-year old Brown can still coach.
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
The “New” New York Knicks
It’s possible by the time this is printed there might be additions to the Knicks roster. Free-agent signings and trades will allow the Knicks to send out almost a new team next season including its coach. It appears Phil Jackson has given permission for Jeff Hornacek to use his offense rather than be tied to the triangle. That’s the supposed word from Phil Jackson according to media sources. With the exception of Porzingis and Anthony the lineup is likely to feature three new starters.
Derrick Rose-point guard
Courtney Lee-shooting guard
Carmelo Anthony-small forward
Kristaps Porzingis-power forward
Joakim Noah-center
More interesting Steph Marbury has pronounced the Knicks making progress and praising Phil Jackson’s leadership and direction. He went one step further and said previous administrations didn’t have owner Jim Dolan’s ear. Marbury believes all operations of the Knicks now run through Jackson. Madison Square Garden might be rocking again this winter provided this crew is able to remain healthy.
The coach
I indicated at the time of the hire I was under whelmed with the choice of Luke Walton as Lakers coach. I had no issues with him it was the fact he’d experienced a half-season coaching a veteran Warriors team. Byron Scott had previous coaching experience but his hire turned out to be a tragic mistake. In hindsight I question if Scott was set up for failure but that’s another story. As for Walton I have no issue except I hope Laker fans are not expecting 73-9. At this point we are unsure of the offense. I found it interesting (7-1 275 pound) Timofey Mozgov’s reasoning for signing with the Lakers was an assurance from Walton.
Mozgov indicated his new coach told him; “We are going to use you a lot.” On the surface that sounds unlike Warrior small-ball to me what do you think? In the second round the Lakers drafted 7-1 265 pound Ivica Zubac who will require seasoning. In summer league play Zubac has been a back to the basket center. It’s said his game resembles that of the Grizzlies Marc Gasol. Coming off a 17 win season it’s my belief Walton will inherit a better team than Scott it’s up to Walton to prove he can drive the vehicle he’s the director.
Bits n Pieces
I’m sure if you’ve followed basketball any length of time you’ve heard the statement “You can’t teach height. “ In the case of the Sacramento Kings the question might be “Can a team have too many tall guys on the roster?” They have starter DeMarcus Cousins 6-11 power forward Willie Cauley-Stein 7 foot and reserve 7 foot Kosta Koufos from last season. They hold the draft rights to 6-11 Skai Labissiere which they secured in the 2016 draft and have added 7-1 Georgios Papagiannis. Count it that’s over 35 feet in five players on the roster.
I mentioned this previously but believe several might have not seen it. I’m Kansas City proud, no local team however the metro area is represented on the NBA scene. Head coaches Tyronn Lue of the NBA Champion Cavs and Earl Watson Phoenix Suns. Current assistant coach Larry Drew has served as a head coach at a couple of stops. As for players there are the Wolves Brandon Rush, Willie Cauley-Stein of the Kings, Alec Burks Jazz and Willie Reed Heat. I believe that is the entire active Kansas City NBA connection, hopefully no one is overlooked.
There are at least two phrases I’m tired of hearing already and it’s not August yet. “Ben Simmons can’t shoot” and “Brandon Ingram is skinny.” There might have been others however Magic Johnson always comes to mind not for assists but shooting. Magic had to work on his shot once in the NBA, by the time he retired he was fairly good (notice I didn’t say great). As for Ingram I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard; “He’s consuming 5,000 calories a day” Ingram just might be one of those guys who might never weigh 240 pounds or more.
You might have forgotten my question by now, for reasons I couldn’t understand Thon Maker was omitted on several prospects sites in the Class of 2017. Of course he‘s in the NBA now but why was he not listed? I might be mistaken but I believed it may have been the fact he played his last two years of high school basketball in Canada. Consider this Simi Shittu is number 11 on ESPN Recruiting Nation and number 7 on Rivals list of 2018 prospects. Shittu hails from Burlington Ontario Canada, how come he’s listed you ask? The 6-8 210 pound forward is playing his high school ball at Montverde Academy in Florida USA.
The “New” New York Knicks
It’s possible by the time this is printed there might be additions to the Knicks roster. Free-agent signings and trades will allow the Knicks to send out almost a new team next season including its coach. It appears Phil Jackson has given permission for Jeff Hornacek to use his offense rather than be tied to the triangle. That’s the supposed word from Phil Jackson according to media sources. With the exception of Porzingis and Anthony the lineup is likely to feature three new starters.
Derrick Rose-point guard
Courtney Lee-shooting guard
Carmelo Anthony-small forward
Kristaps Porzingis-power forward
Joakim Noah-center
More interesting Steph Marbury has pronounced the Knicks making progress and praising Phil Jackson’s leadership and direction. He went one step further and said previous administrations didn’t have owner Jim Dolan’s ear. Marbury believes all operations of the Knicks now run through Jackson. Madison Square Garden might be rocking again this winter provided this crew is able to remain healthy.
The coach
I indicated at the time of the hire I was under whelmed with the choice of Luke Walton as Lakers coach. I had no issues with him it was the fact he’d experienced a half-season coaching a veteran Warriors team. Byron Scott had previous coaching experience but his hire turned out to be a tragic mistake. In hindsight I question if Scott was set up for failure but that’s another story. As for Walton I have no issue except I hope Laker fans are not expecting 73-9. At this point we are unsure of the offense. I found it interesting (7-1 275 pound) Timofey Mozgov’s reasoning for signing with the Lakers was an assurance from Walton.
Mozgov indicated his new coach told him; “We are going to use you a lot.” On the surface that sounds unlike Warrior small-ball to me what do you think? In the second round the Lakers drafted 7-1 265 pound Ivica Zubac who will require seasoning. In summer league play Zubac has been a back to the basket center. It’s said his game resembles that of the Grizzlies Marc Gasol. Coming off a 17 win season it’s my belief Walton will inherit a better team than Scott it’s up to Walton to prove he can drive the vehicle he’s the director.
Bits n Pieces
I’m sure if you’ve followed basketball any length of time you’ve heard the statement “You can’t teach height. “ In the case of the Sacramento Kings the question might be “Can a team have too many tall guys on the roster?” They have starter DeMarcus Cousins 6-11 power forward Willie Cauley-Stein 7 foot and reserve 7 foot Kosta Koufos from last season. They hold the draft rights to 6-11 Skai Labissiere which they secured in the 2016 draft and have added 7-1 Georgios Papagiannis. Count it that’s over 35 feet in five players on the roster.
I mentioned this previously but believe several might have not seen it. I’m Kansas City proud, no local team however the metro area is represented on the NBA scene. Head coaches Tyronn Lue of the NBA Champion Cavs and Earl Watson Phoenix Suns. Current assistant coach Larry Drew has served as a head coach at a couple of stops. As for players there are the Wolves Brandon Rush, Willie Cauley-Stein of the Kings, Alec Burks Jazz and Willie Reed Heat. I believe that is the entire active Kansas City NBA connection, hopefully no one is overlooked.
There are at least two phrases I’m tired of hearing already and it’s not August yet. “Ben Simmons can’t shoot” and “Brandon Ingram is skinny.” There might have been others however Magic Johnson always comes to mind not for assists but shooting. Magic had to work on his shot once in the NBA, by the time he retired he was fairly good (notice I didn’t say great). As for Ingram I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard; “He’s consuming 5,000 calories a day” Ingram just might be one of those guys who might never weigh 240 pounds or more.
You might have forgotten my question by now, for reasons I couldn’t understand Thon Maker was omitted on several prospects sites in the Class of 2017. Of course he‘s in the NBA now but why was he not listed? I might be mistaken but I believed it may have been the fact he played his last two years of high school basketball in Canada. Consider this Simi Shittu is number 11 on ESPN Recruiting Nation and number 7 on Rivals list of 2018 prospects. Shittu hails from Burlington Ontario Canada, how come he’s listed you ask? The 6-8 210 pound forward is playing his high school ball at Montverde Academy in Florida USA.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Don’t think so
Darren Rovell ESPN’s financial guy wrote; “Shaquille O’Neal is being enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame next month. A company is taking orders for a signed version of his first shoe the Reebok Shaq Attaq. The size 22 will be available to collectors for $999.32 the 32 his first number when a member of the Magic.”
I remember the shoe store with the size 22 sitting on a display table. It caught my eye as I turned the corner; I picked it up and sat it on the floor next to my shoe. I’d never seen a shoe that gigantic up to that time and since then. I’d love to have the shoe to add to my collection but not for $1,000. This is a piece of memorabilia for some fan with plenty of disposable income and that ain’t me.
Remaining in place
After Kevin Durant “abandoned ship” the belief was Russell Westbrook would be next. All sorts of stories circulated where he might be headed. One of the destinations for potential free-agent Westbrook was Los Angeles (Lakers). You might remember my view; I stated early I hoped he signed with anybody but the Lakers. Los Angeles is/was home but it’s my belief talent and all he’s not the veteran they needed.
After all the media and fan talk some true some imagined the player made his decision known. Westbrook signed a 3-year $85.7 million dollar extension to remain in Oklahoma City. The Thunder retained their one super star athlete where do they go from here? It’s a little difficult for me to access the 2016-17 Thunder besides Durant there have been other changes. Gone is power forward Bismack Biyombo arriving in his place is shooting guard Victor Oladipo. The Thunder will certainly be in the playoffs hunt next season; a championship might not be possible at least in 2016-17.
Where to build it
An acquaintance knowing my allegiance to the Lakers asked me the question. “Did you hear about Ballmer looking for a new arena?” I responded in the affirmative, Rob said; “I don’t know where he (Ballmer) is gonna locate land on the west side of Los Angeles to purchase.” Rob travels for employment and visit’s the city far more frequently than me.
Whether his view of real estate in Los Angeles is correct I have no method to validate the statement however I can voice an opinion. This I know Ballmer born in Detroit now lives in Hunts Point, Washington in metro SEATTLE! Owner Ballmer claims he intends the team to remain in Los Angeles, can you say Baltimore Bullets, Seattle Sonics or Kansas City Kings?
Is this necessary?
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence Kansas home of the Jayhawks. When I read the ESPN headline about the toughest college arenas I thought it might be nationwide. I thought of Cameron Indoor, The Dean Dome and the Rupp Center. Notice I omitted Allen Fieldhouse not because it’s not tough for visitors because it is.
The story ranked the Big 12 arenas in order the rank the writer believed they rated. Why wouldn’t Allen Fieldhouse finish in first if just the Big 12 Conference is the topic of consideration? The Jayhawks have 40 game home winning streak leading into the 2016-17 season. Okay maybe the Big 12 is not as strong as many believe but the streak is certainly noteworthy.
Don’t think so
Darren Rovell ESPN’s financial guy wrote; “Shaquille O’Neal is being enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame next month. A company is taking orders for a signed version of his first shoe the Reebok Shaq Attaq. The size 22 will be available to collectors for $999.32 the 32 his first number when a member of the Magic.”
I remember the shoe store with the size 22 sitting on a display table. It caught my eye as I turned the corner; I picked it up and sat it on the floor next to my shoe. I’d never seen a shoe that gigantic up to that time and since then. I’d love to have the shoe to add to my collection but not for $1,000. This is a piece of memorabilia for some fan with plenty of disposable income and that ain’t me.
Remaining in place
After Kevin Durant “abandoned ship” the belief was Russell Westbrook would be next. All sorts of stories circulated where he might be headed. One of the destinations for potential free-agent Westbrook was Los Angeles (Lakers). You might remember my view; I stated early I hoped he signed with anybody but the Lakers. Los Angeles is/was home but it’s my belief talent and all he’s not the veteran they needed.
After all the media and fan talk some true some imagined the player made his decision known. Westbrook signed a 3-year $85.7 million dollar extension to remain in Oklahoma City. The Thunder retained their one super star athlete where do they go from here? It’s a little difficult for me to access the 2016-17 Thunder besides Durant there have been other changes. Gone is power forward Bismack Biyombo arriving in his place is shooting guard Victor Oladipo. The Thunder will certainly be in the playoffs hunt next season; a championship might not be possible at least in 2016-17.
Where to build it
An acquaintance knowing my allegiance to the Lakers asked me the question. “Did you hear about Ballmer looking for a new arena?” I responded in the affirmative, Rob said; “I don’t know where he (Ballmer) is gonna locate land on the west side of Los Angeles to purchase.” Rob travels for employment and visit’s the city far more frequently than me.
Whether his view of real estate in Los Angeles is correct I have no method to validate the statement however I can voice an opinion. This I know Ballmer born in Detroit now lives in Hunts Point, Washington in metro SEATTLE! Owner Ballmer claims he intends the team to remain in Los Angeles, can you say Baltimore Bullets, Seattle Sonics or Kansas City Kings?
Is this necessary?
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence Kansas home of the Jayhawks. When I read the ESPN headline about the toughest college arenas I thought it might be nationwide. I thought of Cameron Indoor, The Dean Dome and the Rupp Center. Notice I omitted Allen Fieldhouse not because it’s not tough for visitors because it is.
The story ranked the Big 12 arenas in order the rank the writer believed they rated. Why wouldn’t Allen Fieldhouse finish in first if just the Big 12 Conference is the topic of consideration? The Jayhawks have 40 game home winning streak leading into the 2016-17 season. Okay maybe the Big 12 is not as strong as many believe but the streak is certainly noteworthy.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Not serious---I hope
There may be no coaching jobs on the immediate horizon or at least that’s my belief. 41-year old Derek Fisher is talking about coming out of retirement as a player and my question is why? One of my favorite Laker players although points and assists might not reflect his value to the team. I believe Fisher was one of the keys to several Laker championships.
The coaching failure with the Knicks might lead many of us to believe he’s got no future as a coach. Don’t fool yourself a number of factors worked against him with the Knicks at least one of his own making. I speak of the drama involving Matt Barnes and his former wife. Given the right set of circumstances I believe he deserves a second look as a coach even if it’s in the college ranks.
You got to be kidding
One NBA front office simulation has the Warriors winning 82 out of 83 games. People I don’t make this stuff up however I have difficulty believing the win total. The Warriors have got to be favored going into the season but an 82-1 regular season. They will be very, very good but how good? Training camp and the exhibition season is not the real thing. It’s likely the Warriors will struggle initially and then kick it into second gear. My definition of struggle is certainly not losing 7 or 8 games in a row. The key as mentioned previously which player must tailor his game to add Kevin Durant to the lineup.
I’ve changed my mind I now believe that player to be shooting guard Klay Thompson. I’d originally included Draymon Green but now believe a lack of “Big Men” by the Warriors will allow him more shots for his low-post game. Certainly don’t want to say it but we must consider the injury factor. Here’s hoping there are no major injuries on the road but there is no method to determine it doesn’t occur. NOTE: So much for my thoughts which don’t reflect those of Klay Thompson. This was announced prior to publication of this account. “I will sacrifice nothing in my game after the addition of Kevin Durant.”
Names the same that’s all
The last name jumped off the page at me, Hamidou Diallo. Hmmmm, I wonder if he’s related to Chieck Diallo who was a second round choice of the Clippers in the 2016 draft. Hamidou is a 6-5 shooting guard who attends Putnam Science Academy in Putnam (CT). His name came to my attention when I was checking Team USA-Under 18. He’s Rivals number seven prospect in the Class of 2017 and number 12 on ESPN Recruiting Data Base. This Diallo calls Queens Village in New York City home--incidentally the information I uncovered says he and Chieck Diallo are no relation.
Why?
We might believe winning a third NBA Championship LeBron James would be sitting on top of the world. Number three was especially noteworthy for is was the first in Northern Ohio in 52 years. Yet we read LeBron “Is chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan?” My question might be why, can’t he just be satisfied with being LeBron James?
His resume contains entries MJ never accomplished, one of those six consecutives finals appearances. He didn’t win all his finals appearances but there were factors not all of LeBron’s doing. I don’t have LeBron’s ear but would say to him “Be yourself and quit chasing MJ, this is not a “Ghostbusters” sequel you can never capture a ghost.” It’s not just me former MJ teammate B.J. Armstrong said “If you want to be the best, get rid the of comparisons.“
Not serious---I hope
There may be no coaching jobs on the immediate horizon or at least that’s my belief. 41-year old Derek Fisher is talking about coming out of retirement as a player and my question is why? One of my favorite Laker players although points and assists might not reflect his value to the team. I believe Fisher was one of the keys to several Laker championships.
The coaching failure with the Knicks might lead many of us to believe he’s got no future as a coach. Don’t fool yourself a number of factors worked against him with the Knicks at least one of his own making. I speak of the drama involving Matt Barnes and his former wife. Given the right set of circumstances I believe he deserves a second look as a coach even if it’s in the college ranks.
You got to be kidding
One NBA front office simulation has the Warriors winning 82 out of 83 games. People I don’t make this stuff up however I have difficulty believing the win total. The Warriors have got to be favored going into the season but an 82-1 regular season. They will be very, very good but how good? Training camp and the exhibition season is not the real thing. It’s likely the Warriors will struggle initially and then kick it into second gear. My definition of struggle is certainly not losing 7 or 8 games in a row. The key as mentioned previously which player must tailor his game to add Kevin Durant to the lineup.
I’ve changed my mind I now believe that player to be shooting guard Klay Thompson. I’d originally included Draymon Green but now believe a lack of “Big Men” by the Warriors will allow him more shots for his low-post game. Certainly don’t want to say it but we must consider the injury factor. Here’s hoping there are no major injuries on the road but there is no method to determine it doesn’t occur. NOTE: So much for my thoughts which don’t reflect those of Klay Thompson. This was announced prior to publication of this account. “I will sacrifice nothing in my game after the addition of Kevin Durant.”
Names the same that’s all
The last name jumped off the page at me, Hamidou Diallo. Hmmmm, I wonder if he’s related to Chieck Diallo who was a second round choice of the Clippers in the 2016 draft. Hamidou is a 6-5 shooting guard who attends Putnam Science Academy in Putnam (CT). His name came to my attention when I was checking Team USA-Under 18. He’s Rivals number seven prospect in the Class of 2017 and number 12 on ESPN Recruiting Data Base. This Diallo calls Queens Village in New York City home--incidentally the information I uncovered says he and Chieck Diallo are no relation.
Why?
We might believe winning a third NBA Championship LeBron James would be sitting on top of the world. Number three was especially noteworthy for is was the first in Northern Ohio in 52 years. Yet we read LeBron “Is chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan?” My question might be why, can’t he just be satisfied with being LeBron James?
His resume contains entries MJ never accomplished, one of those six consecutives finals appearances. He didn’t win all his finals appearances but there were factors not all of LeBron’s doing. I don’t have LeBron’s ear but would say to him “Be yourself and quit chasing MJ, this is not a “Ghostbusters” sequel you can never capture a ghost.” It’s not just me former MJ teammate B.J. Armstrong said “If you want to be the best, get rid the of comparisons.“
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
A “NEW” Clipper home
The Clippers might gain a new home; they signed a 10-year extension so they are anchored to Staples through 2024. What I found really interesting makes sense in the short term. Contrary to the belief by many the Lakers don’t own the building AEG is the owner. Laker fans were aware their team would be moving into Staples when it opened Clipper fans were not so sure.
It seemed as though months before Staples was scheduled to open management signed a contract that was 1999. The words of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer are worthy of note; “The Clippers operate in Staples as a third tenant.” So we guess priority dates go to the Lakers, NHL Kings and finally the Clippers.
I remember thinking it was odd for a city as large as Los Angeles to have two teams operating in one (Staples) building. Maybe readers in SoCal have the complete story I don’t. The Clippers home from 1994-99 was the Honda Center in Anaheim. The arena is certainly not ancient opening six years prior to Staples.
In any event it appears Ballmer is serious about a move, could the team locate back to the Honda Center or will Ballmer build his own arena? He’s got enough money to do what Jack Kent Cooke did back in the day. Upset with the City of Los Angeles Cooke built The Forum. Finally a fan pointed to a fact I’d forgotten. Laker retired jerseys 10 Clipper retired jerseys 0, Laker statues 5 (pending 1) Clippers 0. Perhaps it’s a little more than the lease arrangement.
Retirement---well not quite
You might remember last week we discussed Amar’e Stoudemire and his announced retirement from the NBA. Truth is he’s retiring from the NBA but not from basketball. Stoudemire has been part owner of team Hapoel Jerusalem but will sell his share in order to suit up for the Israeli team. Reports indicate Stoudemire has signed a two-year contract.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day”
And that certainly applies to the proposed Chase Center in San Francisco. You might be familiar with the “Rome wasn’t built” quote. “Important work takes time. This expression functions as an injunction or plea for someone to be patient. “I’m unsure who the patient person(s) are in this instance. The plan for the Warriors new arena was first announced in May of 2012.
While arenas in Sacramento and Milwaukee were proposed near the same time or shortly after Chase Center are ahead of the San Francisco project. The Kings will open Golden 1 Center in Sacramento this fall; meantime in Milwaukee the Bucks will open their arena in 2018. The arena has been delayed by a battle in court rather than on the court. The same opposition group continues to delay, delay and delay with lawsuit after lawsuit.
Two players in front of him
Rajon Rondo was first, Derrick Rose second and Timofey Mozgov came in third. ESPN provided us their view of summer free-agents. They indicate the three names were the worst acquisitions of the summer. I’m going to leave Rondo and Rose to others lets check in on Mozgov. I have no intention of going overboard with praise in the manner I might have done with Dwight Howard and Roy Hibbert.
Mozgov’s numbers would offer no proof (6.3 ppg and 4.4 rebounds) for the reported $64 million dollar four year Laker contract. I’m going to adopt a wait and see because Mozgov appeared excited to join the Lakers. Perhaps that and the fact Luke Walton plans on “playing him a lot” could prove the emphasis for the 7-1 275 pound center to prove his worth.
A “NEW” Clipper home
The Clippers might gain a new home; they signed a 10-year extension so they are anchored to Staples through 2024. What I found really interesting makes sense in the short term. Contrary to the belief by many the Lakers don’t own the building AEG is the owner. Laker fans were aware their team would be moving into Staples when it opened Clipper fans were not so sure.
It seemed as though months before Staples was scheduled to open management signed a contract that was 1999. The words of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer are worthy of note; “The Clippers operate in Staples as a third tenant.” So we guess priority dates go to the Lakers, NHL Kings and finally the Clippers.
I remember thinking it was odd for a city as large as Los Angeles to have two teams operating in one (Staples) building. Maybe readers in SoCal have the complete story I don’t. The Clippers home from 1994-99 was the Honda Center in Anaheim. The arena is certainly not ancient opening six years prior to Staples.
In any event it appears Ballmer is serious about a move, could the team locate back to the Honda Center or will Ballmer build his own arena? He’s got enough money to do what Jack Kent Cooke did back in the day. Upset with the City of Los Angeles Cooke built The Forum. Finally a fan pointed to a fact I’d forgotten. Laker retired jerseys 10 Clipper retired jerseys 0, Laker statues 5 (pending 1) Clippers 0. Perhaps it’s a little more than the lease arrangement.
Retirement---well not quite
You might remember last week we discussed Amar’e Stoudemire and his announced retirement from the NBA. Truth is he’s retiring from the NBA but not from basketball. Stoudemire has been part owner of team Hapoel Jerusalem but will sell his share in order to suit up for the Israeli team. Reports indicate Stoudemire has signed a two-year contract.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day”
And that certainly applies to the proposed Chase Center in San Francisco. You might be familiar with the “Rome wasn’t built” quote. “Important work takes time. This expression functions as an injunction or plea for someone to be patient. “I’m unsure who the patient person(s) are in this instance. The plan for the Warriors new arena was first announced in May of 2012.
While arenas in Sacramento and Milwaukee were proposed near the same time or shortly after Chase Center are ahead of the San Francisco project. The Kings will open Golden 1 Center in Sacramento this fall; meantime in Milwaukee the Bucks will open their arena in 2018. The arena has been delayed by a battle in court rather than on the court. The same opposition group continues to delay, delay and delay with lawsuit after lawsuit.
Two players in front of him
Rajon Rondo was first, Derrick Rose second and Timofey Mozgov came in third. ESPN provided us their view of summer free-agents. They indicate the three names were the worst acquisitions of the summer. I’m going to leave Rondo and Rose to others lets check in on Mozgov. I have no intention of going overboard with praise in the manner I might have done with Dwight Howard and Roy Hibbert.
Mozgov’s numbers would offer no proof (6.3 ppg and 4.4 rebounds) for the reported $64 million dollar four year Laker contract. I’m going to adopt a wait and see because Mozgov appeared excited to join the Lakers. Perhaps that and the fact Luke Walton plans on “playing him a lot” could prove the emphasis for the 7-1 275 pound center to prove his worth.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
He didn’t know?
Actor, Knicks and NBA fan Michael Rapaport says the Michael Jordan shooting exhibition at his camp was pure baloney. Joining the crew of ESPN’s Sportsnation Rapaport voiced his view of basketball camps and MJ. I’ve known for quite awhile the actor is “basketball-savvy” however I’m shocked he didn’t know MJ. The owner of the Hornets and former NBA player never loses at anything.
“Dream Team”
I’m not exactly sure how this could be accomplished; I’d like basketball to be returned to the amateur ranks. Team USA was formed in 1992 after international losses in which a segment of the populace believed an in balance existed. A number of foreign nations utilized talent from professional leagues while Team USA was comprised of collegiate players. The Dream Team rolled winning the gold medal and the die was cast. The prospect of assembling a team every four years isn’t difficult it’s the other part.
A number of NBA players often play into the middle June and have little break before they are on the court once again. Injury is the prime concern for an NBA, who could forget the devastating injury Paul George suffered. His injury caused him to miss the 2014-15 NBA season. The “door was cracked then forced opened” so it’s highly likely we’ll never return to pure “amateur” basketball again. The only problem I could see for a return to college players is the “Paul George” factor at least NBA contracts protect an injured player.
Bits n Pieces
The Bulls now have a veteran backcourt with the acquisition of Rajon Rondo and Dwayne Wade. That is the plus side for Chicago fans the downside might be age. Wade will be 35 and Rondo 31 before the 2016-17 is complete, neither very old however that might be the oldest starting backcourt in the NBA.
Point guard Marcelo Huertas figured to be “odd man” out signed to a 1-year contract last season. The growth of rookie D’Angelo Russell and the July trade for point guard Jose Calderon would lead us to believe the Lakers would release the 33-year old Brazilian. Turns out this view was not correct in a somewhat surprise move the Lakers signed Huertas to a 2-year contract.
The Dinka people of South Sudan are among the worlds tallest. In recent time’s talent from this African nation have arrived in the NBA and other professional leagues. The late Manute Bol 7-7 might have been the first to play in the NBA. Later arrivals would be Luol Deng 6-8 now with the Lakers and 6-10 Ater Majok drafted by the Lakers but playing in Europe. On June 23 the Bucks selected 7-1 Thon Maker as the tenth pick in the 2016 draft. Tucked away at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut is 7-3 Chol Marial the youngster is reported to have a 7-11 inch wingspan. Just entering high school store the name in your memory banks.
At the time Tom Benson purchased the “Hornets” he wanted a name change reflecting New Orleans tradition. Benson approached the Jazz about acquiring the name. The Jazz citing their history with the name declined Benson’s request. For those who might be unaware the New Orleans Jazz was an NBA expansion team which later moved to Salt Lake City where they retained the Jazz name. In any event a contest was held in New Orleans and the Hornets would be re-born as the Pelicans. Much later the Bobcats would acquire the Hornet nickname. Confused I hope not.
“Little” Big Man
It might appear I have a fixation with big men who play the game and I admit it. Face it at the time Dr. Naismith designed the game he didn’t have guys in mind 6-10 or taller playing basketball. Eventually the game developed into a Big Mans game. In reality I love to see players closer to my size make an impact in college and the NBA. The Hawks made Kahlil Ameer “Kay” Felder the number 54 pick in the 2016 draft but traded his rights to the Cavs.
Matthew Dellavedova is now a member of the Bucks so it’s possible the 5-9 Felder might be able to make the final cut. Felder’s college numbers at Oakland (MI) proved he’s got skill, 24.4 ppg and 9.3 assists. It would be outstanding if a mid-major talent could earn a roster spot on an NBA team. Did I mention Felder had the second highest vertical registered at the draft combine with 44 inches?
He didn’t know?
Actor, Knicks and NBA fan Michael Rapaport says the Michael Jordan shooting exhibition at his camp was pure baloney. Joining the crew of ESPN’s Sportsnation Rapaport voiced his view of basketball camps and MJ. I’ve known for quite awhile the actor is “basketball-savvy” however I’m shocked he didn’t know MJ. The owner of the Hornets and former NBA player never loses at anything.
“Dream Team”
I’m not exactly sure how this could be accomplished; I’d like basketball to be returned to the amateur ranks. Team USA was formed in 1992 after international losses in which a segment of the populace believed an in balance existed. A number of foreign nations utilized talent from professional leagues while Team USA was comprised of collegiate players. The Dream Team rolled winning the gold medal and the die was cast. The prospect of assembling a team every four years isn’t difficult it’s the other part.
A number of NBA players often play into the middle June and have little break before they are on the court once again. Injury is the prime concern for an NBA, who could forget the devastating injury Paul George suffered. His injury caused him to miss the 2014-15 NBA season. The “door was cracked then forced opened” so it’s highly likely we’ll never return to pure “amateur” basketball again. The only problem I could see for a return to college players is the “Paul George” factor at least NBA contracts protect an injured player.
Bits n Pieces
The Bulls now have a veteran backcourt with the acquisition of Rajon Rondo and Dwayne Wade. That is the plus side for Chicago fans the downside might be age. Wade will be 35 and Rondo 31 before the 2016-17 is complete, neither very old however that might be the oldest starting backcourt in the NBA.
Point guard Marcelo Huertas figured to be “odd man” out signed to a 1-year contract last season. The growth of rookie D’Angelo Russell and the July trade for point guard Jose Calderon would lead us to believe the Lakers would release the 33-year old Brazilian. Turns out this view was not correct in a somewhat surprise move the Lakers signed Huertas to a 2-year contract.
The Dinka people of South Sudan are among the worlds tallest. In recent time’s talent from this African nation have arrived in the NBA and other professional leagues. The late Manute Bol 7-7 might have been the first to play in the NBA. Later arrivals would be Luol Deng 6-8 now with the Lakers and 6-10 Ater Majok drafted by the Lakers but playing in Europe. On June 23 the Bucks selected 7-1 Thon Maker as the tenth pick in the 2016 draft. Tucked away at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut is 7-3 Chol Marial the youngster is reported to have a 7-11 inch wingspan. Just entering high school store the name in your memory banks.
At the time Tom Benson purchased the “Hornets” he wanted a name change reflecting New Orleans tradition. Benson approached the Jazz about acquiring the name. The Jazz citing their history with the name declined Benson’s request. For those who might be unaware the New Orleans Jazz was an NBA expansion team which later moved to Salt Lake City where they retained the Jazz name. In any event a contest was held in New Orleans and the Hornets would be re-born as the Pelicans. Much later the Bobcats would acquire the Hornet nickname. Confused I hope not.
“Little” Big Man
It might appear I have a fixation with big men who play the game and I admit it. Face it at the time Dr. Naismith designed the game he didn’t have guys in mind 6-10 or taller playing basketball. Eventually the game developed into a Big Mans game. In reality I love to see players closer to my size make an impact in college and the NBA. The Hawks made Kahlil Ameer “Kay” Felder the number 54 pick in the 2016 draft but traded his rights to the Cavs.
Matthew Dellavedova is now a member of the Bucks so it’s possible the 5-9 Felder might be able to make the final cut. Felder’s college numbers at Oakland (MI) proved he’s got skill, 24.4 ppg and 9.3 assists. It would be outstanding if a mid-major talent could earn a roster spot on an NBA team. Did I mention Felder had the second highest vertical registered at the draft combine with 44 inches?
Monday, August 1, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
He’s still got it
Michael Jordan at age 53 remains just as competitive as ever heading his Flight School basketball camp. Clippers guard Chris Paul challenged MJ to a shooting contest; the camp would receive free shoes if MJ missed three baskets. MJ refuses to lose at everything, basketball, poker or golf. Shooting beyond the 3-point line and all around the court MJ sank six consecutive shots. The video ended at that point so we can only guess nobody got any shoes.
What happened to Lenny Cooke?
Do you remember Lenny Cooke? Cooke was one of the numerous NYC basketball legends. How good was he, many questioned who was better him LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony? They were no physical limits for the 6-6 206 pound shooting guard but academic issues became his undoing. The short version of the story college was never an option because he could never gain academic eligibility. He decided in favor the NBA and declared for the 2002 draft a year ahead of his on-court rival James.
All 29 teams passed over Cooke in the draft and from that point it’s been the NBADL and USBL. One year he played for the Celtics Summer League team but that was the closet he came to the NBA. Cooke is now 34 years old an age most NBA players began planning retirement. Attending multiple high schools and academic issues might have played a part in Cooke never playing in the NBA. Boy was he good; Cooke could do almost anything on the basketball court it was the classroom that proved to be his downfall.
Small market versus large
With the move of Kevin Durant to the Warriors many believe a large market team wins competition for talent once again. Skeptics claim small market teams (Thunder, Blazers, Pelicans and Bucks) cannot effectively compete to the lure of New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. They point to the pre-season picks to win the 2016 NBA Championship and the fact none of the teams identified would be considered small market. Well that view is partially correct but not complete correct allow a brief explanation.
The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose population is estimated to be 8,713,000 folks certainly a large market team. Cleveland home of the NBA Champions has a metro population of a little more than 2,000,000 souls. Oklahoma City one of those pre-season picks to win the championship has an even smaller population than Cleveland 1,400,000 to be exact. A number of cities with no NBA teams (including Kansas City) have larger metro populations than greater Cleveland. The other issue can super stars attract players to their team without being located in a major market. To date I’m unsure if we can answer the question on whether LeBron has been able to lure players to the Cavs.
He’s still got it
Michael Jordan at age 53 remains just as competitive as ever heading his Flight School basketball camp. Clippers guard Chris Paul challenged MJ to a shooting contest; the camp would receive free shoes if MJ missed three baskets. MJ refuses to lose at everything, basketball, poker or golf. Shooting beyond the 3-point line and all around the court MJ sank six consecutive shots. The video ended at that point so we can only guess nobody got any shoes.
What happened to Lenny Cooke?
Do you remember Lenny Cooke? Cooke was one of the numerous NYC basketball legends. How good was he, many questioned who was better him LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony? They were no physical limits for the 6-6 206 pound shooting guard but academic issues became his undoing. The short version of the story college was never an option because he could never gain academic eligibility. He decided in favor the NBA and declared for the 2002 draft a year ahead of his on-court rival James.
All 29 teams passed over Cooke in the draft and from that point it’s been the NBADL and USBL. One year he played for the Celtics Summer League team but that was the closet he came to the NBA. Cooke is now 34 years old an age most NBA players began planning retirement. Attending multiple high schools and academic issues might have played a part in Cooke never playing in the NBA. Boy was he good; Cooke could do almost anything on the basketball court it was the classroom that proved to be his downfall.
Small market versus large
With the move of Kevin Durant to the Warriors many believe a large market team wins competition for talent once again. Skeptics claim small market teams (Thunder, Blazers, Pelicans and Bucks) cannot effectively compete to the lure of New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. They point to the pre-season picks to win the 2016 NBA Championship and the fact none of the teams identified would be considered small market. Well that view is partially correct but not complete correct allow a brief explanation.
The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose population is estimated to be 8,713,000 folks certainly a large market team. Cleveland home of the NBA Champions has a metro population of a little more than 2,000,000 souls. Oklahoma City one of those pre-season picks to win the championship has an even smaller population than Cleveland 1,400,000 to be exact. A number of cities with no NBA teams (including Kansas City) have larger metro populations than greater Cleveland. The other issue can super stars attract players to their team without being located in a major market. To date I’m unsure if we can answer the question on whether LeBron has been able to lure players to the Cavs.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Bits n Pieces
The retirement of Amar’e Stoudemire is not surprising after 14 years. The surprising part he’s retiring a Knick. His best most productive time was spent as a member of the Suns. More interesting is he claims he approached the Suns about retiring and they “showed no interest.”
Dwayne Wade arrives and announces at the introductory pre-conference. “This is Jimmy Butler’s team”, we must read between the lines. Last season there appeared to be turmoil between Rose and Butler exactly whose team was it? Wade’s coming in the door squelching any potential conflicts.
Josh Howard had a 9-year career mostly in a reserve role for four NBA teams. The Wolves were his last NBA team little did we realize he was headed to the coaching ranks? Howard has been hired as head coach of the Piedmont International in Winston-Salem (NC). Piedmont is an NCAA Division II program.
Mizzou assistant Corey Tate leaving for St. Louis University. Tate’s from St. Louis we understand that portion of the story. The following questions cause us to scratch our heads. Why now in addition he’s leaving for another assistant job. He was only on Kim Anderson’s staff one year certainly, puzzling.
Does he stay or go?
The destination of Russell Westbrook is in question. He’s not going anywhere immediately but will likely be traded at some point. The Thunder is now his team no sharing the basketball with Kevin Durant. This could be good and bad depending on your perspective. I happen to be one of those who believe Westbrook is extremely talented but plays erratic at times. If Westbrook is traded possible destinations could be the Lakers or Knicks.
Westbrook is “home” if traded to the Lakers but who would they give up? Brandon Ingram, D’Angelo Russell or Jordan Clarkson could be packaged individually along with others for Westbrook. As for the Knicks they could package several players however their roster appears limited with talented youngsters. Kristaps Porzingis might be the only lure but do you trade him at age 20 for a 27-year old Westbrook? At this point the Knicks would appear slightly better (32 wins) versus the Lakers.
Revamped Bulls
The 2016-17 Bulls cannot be fully assessed until the end of the season, let’s check out the possible starting lineup.
Rajon Rondo-point
Dwayne Wade-shooting guard
Jimmy Butler-small forward.
Taj Gibson-power forward
Robin Lopez-center.
On the surface this looks to be veteran lineup however questions remain. Rondo has worn out his welcome in Boston, Dallas and Sacramento when motivated he’s talented. As for the two guard no argument on Wade’s ability but the injury bug must be mentioned. Butler has morphed into a star but he too has an injury history. Power forward Gibson is a hard-nosed defender and can score the basketball on occasion, Lopez will be adequate at center. The reserves are a mix of veterans and youngsters. Draft pick Denzel Valentine shows potential talent given time to adjust to NBA play. The Bulls are coming off a 42-40 season after expecting to compete for the Eastern Conference Championship.
Bits n Pieces
The retirement of Amar’e Stoudemire is not surprising after 14 years. The surprising part he’s retiring a Knick. His best most productive time was spent as a member of the Suns. More interesting is he claims he approached the Suns about retiring and they “showed no interest.”
Dwayne Wade arrives and announces at the introductory pre-conference. “This is Jimmy Butler’s team”, we must read between the lines. Last season there appeared to be turmoil between Rose and Butler exactly whose team was it? Wade’s coming in the door squelching any potential conflicts.
Josh Howard had a 9-year career mostly in a reserve role for four NBA teams. The Wolves were his last NBA team little did we realize he was headed to the coaching ranks? Howard has been hired as head coach of the Piedmont International in Winston-Salem (NC). Piedmont is an NCAA Division II program.
Mizzou assistant Corey Tate leaving for St. Louis University. Tate’s from St. Louis we understand that portion of the story. The following questions cause us to scratch our heads. Why now in addition he’s leaving for another assistant job. He was only on Kim Anderson’s staff one year certainly, puzzling.
Does he stay or go?
The destination of Russell Westbrook is in question. He’s not going anywhere immediately but will likely be traded at some point. The Thunder is now his team no sharing the basketball with Kevin Durant. This could be good and bad depending on your perspective. I happen to be one of those who believe Westbrook is extremely talented but plays erratic at times. If Westbrook is traded possible destinations could be the Lakers or Knicks.
Westbrook is “home” if traded to the Lakers but who would they give up? Brandon Ingram, D’Angelo Russell or Jordan Clarkson could be packaged individually along with others for Westbrook. As for the Knicks they could package several players however their roster appears limited with talented youngsters. Kristaps Porzingis might be the only lure but do you trade him at age 20 for a 27-year old Westbrook? At this point the Knicks would appear slightly better (32 wins) versus the Lakers.
Revamped Bulls
The 2016-17 Bulls cannot be fully assessed until the end of the season, let’s check out the possible starting lineup.
Rajon Rondo-point
Dwayne Wade-shooting guard
Jimmy Butler-small forward.
Taj Gibson-power forward
Robin Lopez-center.
On the surface this looks to be veteran lineup however questions remain. Rondo has worn out his welcome in Boston, Dallas and Sacramento when motivated he’s talented. As for the two guard no argument on Wade’s ability but the injury bug must be mentioned. Butler has morphed into a star but he too has an injury history. Power forward Gibson is a hard-nosed defender and can score the basketball on occasion, Lopez will be adequate at center. The reserves are a mix of veterans and youngsters. Draft pick Denzel Valentine shows potential talent given time to adjust to NBA play. The Bulls are coming off a 42-40 season after expecting to compete for the Eastern Conference Championship.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Stephen A. Smith
Why do we believe Phil Jackson doesn’t know what he’s doing? We are use to witnessing him orchestrating moves from the bench rather than the front office. The man is not a dummy his moves might not be as swift as Smith and others believe it should be. The main thing to consider is simple, journalist, fans and the general populace has no idea the intricacy’s of running an NBA team. Were PJ’s hands tied down with pre-existing player contracts? How about attracting free agents, ask the Lakers?
The lure of the big city (New York) playing for a bad team is not what Smith and others believe it to be. PJ is subject to mistakes as any other management person but to give the impression he’s paid too much money based on results is ridiculous. He shouldn’t get a free ride either give him adequate time to re-build the brand. I’ve got an idea since Smith and others know such more basketball than the experts I’d like to see this. When a front office position opens I’d like them to submit their application, it’s easy to sit on the sidelines and second guess.
Bits n Pieces
The Roy Hibbert experiment is over, some of you might remember how excited I was last summer? At that time I held the belief the Lakers had acquired a genuine center that would help them; boy did I miss the boat on that move. The Lakers heard my call all the way from Kansas City; first they drafted 19-year old 7-1 265 pound Ivica Zubac from Croatia.
The next move although questionable might work in the short term they signed 7-1 265 pound free-agent Timofey Mozgov. With holdover center Robert Sacre remaining Hibbert must have seen the hand-writing on the wall. Hibbert’s signed a 1-year contract with the Hornets in addition it’s time for the Swaggy P. show to move to another locale.
Is it possible nobody wanted Austin Rivers? Rivers pending free-agency might have led many to believe on the open market he might receive inquiries. A funny thing happened on the way to free-agency nobody bothered to seriously inquire about Rivers. He received a few inquiries but no team stepped up to sign him except the Clippers. The Clippers are the team his dad is the head coach and director of player personnel. Can we say nepotism in unison?
I found this interesting so I thought I’d share it with you, remember our discussion on mid-major players in the NBA? The 2015-16 season witnessed contained athletes from 18 conferences. The Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Horizon and Patriot were just a few of the mid-majors. I have no method to determine how many of the 27 remain on rosters by the end of the season.
Point guard
Can you say point guard----that’s the belief Sixers Coach Brett Brown uses in describing Ben Simmons possible future position. Magic Johnson arrived in the NBA in 1979 as a 6-9 point guard; Magic had all the skills to run an offense he just couldn’t shoot. He would retire from the NBA with a 19.5 career scoring average and .520 from the floor. Until the arrival of Magic point guards in the NBA were guys between 5-11 and 6-1. Laker great and NBA logo West was a shooting guard at 6-2 in the ‘60’s but that’s another story. A number of “tall point guards” would arrive in the NBA over the next few years. Penny Hardaway (6-7) drafted in 1993 was not the distributor in the manner of Magic but a much better shooter.
A threshold had been crossed no longer were point guards the “little guys” on the team. Over the years the degree of success experienced by big point guards has been mixed. The Warriors Shaun Livingston one of the last high school players to arrive in the NBA was projected to have an outstanding career but devastating injuries impacted his career. The Bucks have 6-6 Michael Carter-Williams playing the point for them. As for Simmons I could see him playing the point his skill handling a basketball is outstanding. At 6-10 he’s tall enough to see over defenses just like Magic and similar to Magic in that he is not a good shooter on his arrival in the NBA.
Stephen A. Smith
Why do we believe Phil Jackson doesn’t know what he’s doing? We are use to witnessing him orchestrating moves from the bench rather than the front office. The man is not a dummy his moves might not be as swift as Smith and others believe it should be. The main thing to consider is simple, journalist, fans and the general populace has no idea the intricacy’s of running an NBA team. Were PJ’s hands tied down with pre-existing player contracts? How about attracting free agents, ask the Lakers?
The lure of the big city (New York) playing for a bad team is not what Smith and others believe it to be. PJ is subject to mistakes as any other management person but to give the impression he’s paid too much money based on results is ridiculous. He shouldn’t get a free ride either give him adequate time to re-build the brand. I’ve got an idea since Smith and others know such more basketball than the experts I’d like to see this. When a front office position opens I’d like them to submit their application, it’s easy to sit on the sidelines and second guess.
Bits n Pieces
The Roy Hibbert experiment is over, some of you might remember how excited I was last summer? At that time I held the belief the Lakers had acquired a genuine center that would help them; boy did I miss the boat on that move. The Lakers heard my call all the way from Kansas City; first they drafted 19-year old 7-1 265 pound Ivica Zubac from Croatia.
The next move although questionable might work in the short term they signed 7-1 265 pound free-agent Timofey Mozgov. With holdover center Robert Sacre remaining Hibbert must have seen the hand-writing on the wall. Hibbert’s signed a 1-year contract with the Hornets in addition it’s time for the Swaggy P. show to move to another locale.
Is it possible nobody wanted Austin Rivers? Rivers pending free-agency might have led many to believe on the open market he might receive inquiries. A funny thing happened on the way to free-agency nobody bothered to seriously inquire about Rivers. He received a few inquiries but no team stepped up to sign him except the Clippers. The Clippers are the team his dad is the head coach and director of player personnel. Can we say nepotism in unison?
I found this interesting so I thought I’d share it with you, remember our discussion on mid-major players in the NBA? The 2015-16 season witnessed contained athletes from 18 conferences. The Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Horizon and Patriot were just a few of the mid-majors. I have no method to determine how many of the 27 remain on rosters by the end of the season.
Point guard
Can you say point guard----that’s the belief Sixers Coach Brett Brown uses in describing Ben Simmons possible future position. Magic Johnson arrived in the NBA in 1979 as a 6-9 point guard; Magic had all the skills to run an offense he just couldn’t shoot. He would retire from the NBA with a 19.5 career scoring average and .520 from the floor. Until the arrival of Magic point guards in the NBA were guys between 5-11 and 6-1. Laker great and NBA logo West was a shooting guard at 6-2 in the ‘60’s but that’s another story. A number of “tall point guards” would arrive in the NBA over the next few years. Penny Hardaway (6-7) drafted in 1993 was not the distributor in the manner of Magic but a much better shooter.
A threshold had been crossed no longer were point guards the “little guys” on the team. Over the years the degree of success experienced by big point guards has been mixed. The Warriors Shaun Livingston one of the last high school players to arrive in the NBA was projected to have an outstanding career but devastating injuries impacted his career. The Bucks have 6-6 Michael Carter-Williams playing the point for them. As for Simmons I could see him playing the point his skill handling a basketball is outstanding. At 6-10 he’s tall enough to see over defenses just like Magic and similar to Magic in that he is not a good shooter on his arrival in the NBA.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Yelling and screaming
Basketball coaches have been yelling and screaming at their players since the beginning of time. What is the cut-off point between coaching and abuse? A number of players have left Mizzou over the last three seasons; most being recruited by the departed Frank Haith. George Washington University is a completely different story 13 players have left the school in the five years Coach Mike Longeran has been at the helm. That’s nearly three athletes a year leaving the school for a variety of reasons.
Many claim the coach was verbally abusive; Longeran is still on the job as for others that’s been a different story. Then again this is not the first instance this type of story surfaced. In 2013 Mike Rice was terminated at Rutgers for abusing his team, Doug Wojcik was fired at College of Charleston for the very same subject. I offer no permanent solution but just an observation I believe there is a cut-off point. A coach should be skilled enough and be on familiar terms with his players to determine when he steps over the line.
Bits n Pieces
“Zach LaVine’s dunks among the greatest in Slam Dunk History.” So stated Julius Erving aka Dr. J. about the Wolves young point guard. I believe we can trust the words of the good doctor regarding dunking the basketball.
The name Matias Testi might be unfamiliar to most of you. He was the assistant equipment manager that had a fight with the Clippers Blake Griffin last winter. Griffin fractured his hand and a team suspension plus time to heal took him out of the lineup for a major portion of the season. Interesting in that the Clippers appeared to not miss him. As for Testi the Orange Counter Register indicates he’s no longer with the team.
Attention Words eye view readers in London England and the surrounding area. Circle your calendars for January 2. The NBA has announced the Pacers and Nuggets will play a game on that date in your city.
As for the college basketball please no more courts setup on aircraft carriers. Carriers are built to launch aircraft not basketball players. Remember what occurred a few years ago condensation caused two separate games to be cancelled.
Social Media
I’m always curious how these stories originate, the Shaq-Kobe debate continues in social media. In this instance scoring, rebounding and assist totals from the 2000, 2001 and 2002 series are the focus. Someone referred to Shaq as “The Sidekick.” and that’s where the argument began. The Shaq allies lined up against the Kobe proponents, the most interesting part of this discussion I never read or remember reading either player being referred to as The Sidekick.
Everything was not love and happiness but this is argument is downright silly. Back then Shaq was a monster in the paint scoring 38, 33 and 36 points a game and grabbing 16.7, 15.8 and 12.3 rebounds a game. As for Kobe his scoring numbers were 15.6, 24.6 and 26.8. The shooting guard dished out 4.2, 5.8 and 5.3 assists in the three series. Those numbers don’t appear to be any sort of “sidekick” to me. I believe rather than sidekick how about substituting the term dynamic duo instead.
They are really young
I hoped Mizzou basketball would improve in the 2016-17 season however there are questions. I checked the 15-man roster and they are a real young team. There is but one senior; the balance of the squad consists of 3 juniors, 6 sophomores and 5 freshmen. They count two of those members at 6-10 and one 6-9 so they should be able to rebound and hopefully block some shots. 5-11 Terrence Phillips is likely to be the leader at the point once again. His 107 assists were the third highest total for a freshman in Mizzou history. We remain optimistic for a plus .500 season.
Yelling and screaming
Basketball coaches have been yelling and screaming at their players since the beginning of time. What is the cut-off point between coaching and abuse? A number of players have left Mizzou over the last three seasons; most being recruited by the departed Frank Haith. George Washington University is a completely different story 13 players have left the school in the five years Coach Mike Longeran has been at the helm. That’s nearly three athletes a year leaving the school for a variety of reasons.
Many claim the coach was verbally abusive; Longeran is still on the job as for others that’s been a different story. Then again this is not the first instance this type of story surfaced. In 2013 Mike Rice was terminated at Rutgers for abusing his team, Doug Wojcik was fired at College of Charleston for the very same subject. I offer no permanent solution but just an observation I believe there is a cut-off point. A coach should be skilled enough and be on familiar terms with his players to determine when he steps over the line.
Bits n Pieces
“Zach LaVine’s dunks among the greatest in Slam Dunk History.” So stated Julius Erving aka Dr. J. about the Wolves young point guard. I believe we can trust the words of the good doctor regarding dunking the basketball.
The name Matias Testi might be unfamiliar to most of you. He was the assistant equipment manager that had a fight with the Clippers Blake Griffin last winter. Griffin fractured his hand and a team suspension plus time to heal took him out of the lineup for a major portion of the season. Interesting in that the Clippers appeared to not miss him. As for Testi the Orange Counter Register indicates he’s no longer with the team.
Attention Words eye view readers in London England and the surrounding area. Circle your calendars for January 2. The NBA has announced the Pacers and Nuggets will play a game on that date in your city.
As for the college basketball please no more courts setup on aircraft carriers. Carriers are built to launch aircraft not basketball players. Remember what occurred a few years ago condensation caused two separate games to be cancelled.
Social Media
I’m always curious how these stories originate, the Shaq-Kobe debate continues in social media. In this instance scoring, rebounding and assist totals from the 2000, 2001 and 2002 series are the focus. Someone referred to Shaq as “The Sidekick.” and that’s where the argument began. The Shaq allies lined up against the Kobe proponents, the most interesting part of this discussion I never read or remember reading either player being referred to as The Sidekick.
Everything was not love and happiness but this is argument is downright silly. Back then Shaq was a monster in the paint scoring 38, 33 and 36 points a game and grabbing 16.7, 15.8 and 12.3 rebounds a game. As for Kobe his scoring numbers were 15.6, 24.6 and 26.8. The shooting guard dished out 4.2, 5.8 and 5.3 assists in the three series. Those numbers don’t appear to be any sort of “sidekick” to me. I believe rather than sidekick how about substituting the term dynamic duo instead.
They are really young
I hoped Mizzou basketball would improve in the 2016-17 season however there are questions. I checked the 15-man roster and they are a real young team. There is but one senior; the balance of the squad consists of 3 juniors, 6 sophomores and 5 freshmen. They count two of those members at 6-10 and one 6-9 so they should be able to rebound and hopefully block some shots. 5-11 Terrence Phillips is likely to be the leader at the point once again. His 107 assists were the third highest total for a freshman in Mizzou history. We remain optimistic for a plus .500 season.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
It’s likely to occur again
Dana O’Neal of ESPN.com wrote last month: “Thon Maker has taken an unconventional path to the NBA Draft. It just might work.” The O’Neal account was written prior to the June 23 and we know the outcome. The forecast by most mock drafts indicated Maker would be a late first round or early second round pick. The Bucks selected Maker with the number 10 pick. His approach created waves because he won a “stare down” with the NBA. You know the rules regarding high school entrance into the league and I am sure Maker’s guardian was fully aware.
We cannot be sure but I question if that might have been the plan all along for Maker to head for the NBA. The NBA could have said NO but the evidence in front of them indicated Maker was qualified to have his name placed among the eligible. The tidal wave might have already begun, Terrance Ferguson number 14 prospect in the Class of 2016 is headed to Australia to play professional basketball. In the case of Ferguson there may have been problems qualifying for college entry. The high school he attended in Dallas has come under scrutiny by the NCAA for its academics.
A little unusual
I was a little surprised by the news, not that Amar’e Stoudemire was retiring the other thing. After 14 years in the NBA the power forward call it quits. The surprise he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Knick. I checked out his resume and by all indications his best years were spent with the Suns. Scoring average 26.0 in the 2004-05 season, rebounding average for the 6-10 Stoudemire was 9.6 in 2006-07.
Stoudermire’s highest field goal percentage .590 was produced in 2007-08 where would you guess he played? I could go on however I hope you get the idea his best years were spent as a member of the Suns. Don’t misunderstand Stoudemire spent five relatively productive years with the Knicks but nothing close to his numbers with the Suns. I’m guessing there must be a financial reward for him to retire a Knick, he spent the 2015-16 season a member of the Heat. Just my thoughts what do you think?
The key
What do you suppose is the key to a winning basketball program? The belief there are at least three keys the coach, the program and tradition. Prospects have de-committed from a school after a coach has been fired or left for another school. The program; Kentucky under Calipari especially has become a ticket to the NBA.
Those desiring an NBA future might be lured to Lexington strictly due to a possible NBA future. Can a successful program become a lure to a prospect? North Carolina, Duke and Kansas are always in the headlines because they are winning programs. These schools and several others are always primed for a NCAA Championship run. An established tradition, “We are winners” is the mantra of a number of programs throughout the nation.
An old building
Cameron Indoor Stadium home of Duke is one of the oldest college basketball arenas in continuous use. Cameron opened in 1940 was renovated in 1988 and now seats 9,314 students, alum and fans. From the outside an observer unfamiliar with the campus might mistake the building for an administrative one. Other than a sign outside reading; “Cameron Indoor Stadium” a campus visitor might have no idea of the building’s purpose.
On television court side seating appears inches from the basketball court, is an advantage for Duke players we might suppose? It’s more than that; it’s Coach K. and his staff’s ability to recruit the best talent in the nation. In addition the term student-athlete actually has meaning at Durham North Carolina. You think Cameron is old it’s youthful by comparison to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Home to the Butler Bulldogs Hinkle opened in 1928 and is a US Historical Landmark.
It’s likely to occur again
Dana O’Neal of ESPN.com wrote last month: “Thon Maker has taken an unconventional path to the NBA Draft. It just might work.” The O’Neal account was written prior to the June 23 and we know the outcome. The forecast by most mock drafts indicated Maker would be a late first round or early second round pick. The Bucks selected Maker with the number 10 pick. His approach created waves because he won a “stare down” with the NBA. You know the rules regarding high school entrance into the league and I am sure Maker’s guardian was fully aware.
We cannot be sure but I question if that might have been the plan all along for Maker to head for the NBA. The NBA could have said NO but the evidence in front of them indicated Maker was qualified to have his name placed among the eligible. The tidal wave might have already begun, Terrance Ferguson number 14 prospect in the Class of 2016 is headed to Australia to play professional basketball. In the case of Ferguson there may have been problems qualifying for college entry. The high school he attended in Dallas has come under scrutiny by the NCAA for its academics.
A little unusual
I was a little surprised by the news, not that Amar’e Stoudemire was retiring the other thing. After 14 years in the NBA the power forward call it quits. The surprise he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Knick. I checked out his resume and by all indications his best years were spent with the Suns. Scoring average 26.0 in the 2004-05 season, rebounding average for the 6-10 Stoudemire was 9.6 in 2006-07.
Stoudermire’s highest field goal percentage .590 was produced in 2007-08 where would you guess he played? I could go on however I hope you get the idea his best years were spent as a member of the Suns. Don’t misunderstand Stoudemire spent five relatively productive years with the Knicks but nothing close to his numbers with the Suns. I’m guessing there must be a financial reward for him to retire a Knick, he spent the 2015-16 season a member of the Heat. Just my thoughts what do you think?
The key
What do you suppose is the key to a winning basketball program? The belief there are at least three keys the coach, the program and tradition. Prospects have de-committed from a school after a coach has been fired or left for another school. The program; Kentucky under Calipari especially has become a ticket to the NBA.
Those desiring an NBA future might be lured to Lexington strictly due to a possible NBA future. Can a successful program become a lure to a prospect? North Carolina, Duke and Kansas are always in the headlines because they are winning programs. These schools and several others are always primed for a NCAA Championship run. An established tradition, “We are winners” is the mantra of a number of programs throughout the nation.
An old building
Cameron Indoor Stadium home of Duke is one of the oldest college basketball arenas in continuous use. Cameron opened in 1940 was renovated in 1988 and now seats 9,314 students, alum and fans. From the outside an observer unfamiliar with the campus might mistake the building for an administrative one. Other than a sign outside reading; “Cameron Indoor Stadium” a campus visitor might have no idea of the building’s purpose.
On television court side seating appears inches from the basketball court, is an advantage for Duke players we might suppose? It’s more than that; it’s Coach K. and his staff’s ability to recruit the best talent in the nation. In addition the term student-athlete actually has meaning at Durham North Carolina. You think Cameron is old it’s youthful by comparison to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Home to the Butler Bulldogs Hinkle opened in 1928 and is a US Historical Landmark.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Basketball from a fans perspective
Congrats Tyronn
The Cavs are NBA Champions but so is the coach. Management rewarded Tyronn Lue with a 5-year $35 million dollar contract. Sources indicate the first four years of the contract are guaranteed. January 21 Lue was serving as David Blatt’s associate head coach now he’s sitting on top of the world. We can bet large sums of money Lue can’t wait until training camp opens.
“Bullets have no name”
It’s my belief this is going to upset many in America and maybe some overseas. One of the shooting victims in Fort Meyers Florida was a soon to be 18-year old Lehigh High School senior. According to reports basketball player Stef’an Stradwer hoped to attend a Division One school. From early indications it appears Stradwer was an innocent victim in the club shooting.
The youngster was shot in the shoulder as he walked in the door of the club and died early Sunday morning. Stradwer and another club patron received fatal wounds 16 other spectators were also wounded. This was no terrorist attack this was likely someone who had a disagreement and the solution was to begin shooting. No matter that Stradwer and the other victim were probably not the intended targets. They were likely innocent because “bullets have no name.” Two lives cut short by indiscriminate use of a gun.
You may have noticed
Words eye view has returned to a 7-day a week format. Naturally this requires more research and labor on my part. The basis for the return I believed summer would allow a return to a Monday, Wednesday and Friday arrangement. It was determined early on news stories were breaking too fast for this journalistic approach. Enjoy and please do me one favor, send the link to family and friends who love basketball as much as we do.
Why?
You may have read Oklahoma State basketball player Tyrek Coger died recently. Coger was a 21-year old and doctors indicate he had an enlarged heart. I have no medical background or training but have a number of questions. Coger is not the first basketball player to lose his life to this malady my question is why? I’ve taken numerous physicals and checkups over the course of my lifetime. It would seem a routine EKG could detect problems.
I realize all cases are not alike and I’m not attempting to explain away the issue. The problems of Hank Gaithers and Reggie Lewis were documented. It seems I remember Gaithers had been prescribed medication but either quit taking it or took it in lesser amounts. In any event as for me I believe the doctors would have advised me if something was not functioning properly with my heart. I’m going to pose this question to some of my medical friends I believe there is no reason for a 21-year old to die.
Congrats Tyronn
The Cavs are NBA Champions but so is the coach. Management rewarded Tyronn Lue with a 5-year $35 million dollar contract. Sources indicate the first four years of the contract are guaranteed. January 21 Lue was serving as David Blatt’s associate head coach now he’s sitting on top of the world. We can bet large sums of money Lue can’t wait until training camp opens.
“Bullets have no name”
It’s my belief this is going to upset many in America and maybe some overseas. One of the shooting victims in Fort Meyers Florida was a soon to be 18-year old Lehigh High School senior. According to reports basketball player Stef’an Stradwer hoped to attend a Division One school. From early indications it appears Stradwer was an innocent victim in the club shooting.
The youngster was shot in the shoulder as he walked in the door of the club and died early Sunday morning. Stradwer and another club patron received fatal wounds 16 other spectators were also wounded. This was no terrorist attack this was likely someone who had a disagreement and the solution was to begin shooting. No matter that Stradwer and the other victim were probably not the intended targets. They were likely innocent because “bullets have no name.” Two lives cut short by indiscriminate use of a gun.
You may have noticed
Words eye view has returned to a 7-day a week format. Naturally this requires more research and labor on my part. The basis for the return I believed summer would allow a return to a Monday, Wednesday and Friday arrangement. It was determined early on news stories were breaking too fast for this journalistic approach. Enjoy and please do me one favor, send the link to family and friends who love basketball as much as we do.
Why?
You may have read Oklahoma State basketball player Tyrek Coger died recently. Coger was a 21-year old and doctors indicate he had an enlarged heart. I have no medical background or training but have a number of questions. Coger is not the first basketball player to lose his life to this malady my question is why? I’ve taken numerous physicals and checkups over the course of my lifetime. It would seem a routine EKG could detect problems.
I realize all cases are not alike and I’m not attempting to explain away the issue. The problems of Hank Gaithers and Reggie Lewis were documented. It seems I remember Gaithers had been prescribed medication but either quit taking it or took it in lesser amounts. In any event as for me I believe the doctors would have advised me if something was not functioning properly with my heart. I’m going to pose this question to some of my medical friends I believe there is no reason for a 21-year old to die.
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