BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

Best days in the rear-view mirror  
The Rockets Chris Paul is forced to the sidelines once again.  A strained hamstring has sidelined him for an unspecified period.  I pose the question, are Chris Paul’s best days in the rear-view mirror?  He will turn 34 years old in May hardly ancient however it makes him on the downhill side of a magnificent career.  Last season it was another hamstring that kept him sidelined preventing the Rockets from playing for an NBA championship.  As Shaq would say:” Knick-Knack injuries have prevented him from demonstrating his talent for all to see.”  It’s never over until it’s official we haven’t closed the career to his career however we can see the door from here.  

The Wall
Not the Great Wall of China nor a “Brick in the Wall” from Pink Floyd’s 1979 rock classic.  As the NBA season approaches the 40-game mark several rookies “hit the wall.”  That’s often the phrase used to describe it, college teams usually play no more than 40 games in any given season.  Naturally NBA rookies must adjust their mental and physical bodies to play an 82 game NBA schedule, it’s often been stated the middle of January it begins to impact the play of rookies.  I’m not sure of its effect on a Luka Doncic or his compatriots accustom to playing in access of a 40-game schedule in Euroleague play.

Wikipedia
Better double check the information if you use Wikipedia as your reference source. 😮Buddy Hield Sac Kings guard indicated the website listed his birthday incorrectly. Wikipedia listed him as 25 years old when he's 26. Hield from the Bahamas says his driver’s license and passport all have the correct birth year.  His mom questioned the error that's how it was discovered, it should be noted the birthday year has since been corrected

Overheard conversation
Larry: “I thought I understood basketball.” 

Jim: “What’s confusing to you?”

Larry: “The announcer guy keeps talking about a pickle roll, what’s that?”

Jim: “He’s not saying pickle roll, he’s sayin’ “Pick and Roll.”   

This should be of note  
This is written December 15, we find the usual suspects motoring along with an undefeated record.  In the Top 15 of the AP poll are Kansas, Virginia, Michigan and Buffalo.  Yes, I said Buffalo as in the City in New York where the school and basketball team is located.  The Bulls are members of the Mid-American Conference along with Kent State, Bowling Green, Ohio and several others. 

Head coach Nate Oats is an unknown name among the legion of college coaches across the nation.  Oats was named head coach at the time Bobby Hurley left for Arizona State, he’d been an assistant under Hurley.  His first team finished with a modest 20-15 record and earning an NCAA Tournament berth.  Oats second year the team retreated finishing with 17 wins, last season it was 27-9 and another NCAA appearance.  I love it when a relative unknown makes waves, the Buffalo Bulls are doing just that.   

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

He’s got a job for now
ESPN.com says, “Rick Pitino has been radioactive since his firing at Louisville.”  That is indeed the case for the long-time college coach.  We questioned whether he’d ever coach again, he’s got a job for now.  Pitino will handle the reins for Panathinaikos of Greece in the EuroLeague.  What occurs beyond this year remains up in the air.  Pitino indicates a desire to return to the NBA and that could be a possibility.  With no recruiting issues only coaching could he return to the association at 66-years of age?  We shall see with this evolving story. 

Number 77
I’m still researching the basis for Mavs rookie Luka Doncic’s number 77.  Number 7 was his choice while a member of Real Madrid however that’s not possible with the Mavs.  Dwight Powell is number 7 on the Mavs roster.  I did uncover some interesting information; several NBA fans want him to change his number based on the performance of past players who wore the number.

Gheorghe Muresan-played for several NBA teams stood 7 feet 7 making him the tallest player ever in the NBA.  That’s about all I can say slow a foot, he always appeared to labor up and down the court. 

Vladimir Radmanovich-drafted by the Sonics played for a few NBA teams.  At the All-Star break one year returned on crutches with an explanation.  He admitted later he’d injured himself skiing which was prohibited.  Appeared once for Laker practice in Vans a skateboarding shoe.

Andrea Bargnani-he would appear to be the most talented of the bunch although he’s no longer in the NBA.  He left the league in 2016 with a 14.3 point per game average.  We can be sure he landed on the list because more was expected of the top pick in the 2006 NBA draft.         

 Another NBA first
The NBA continues to extend its world-wide footprint.  For the first time ever, the game will be played on the Asian continent.  Two exhibition games will be played in Mumbai next season, the dates are October 4 and 5.  The teams participating in NBA India are the Pacers and Kings.   

You must learn
I’ve been such a student of the game but there is always one, two or more things.  You must learn the history.  Last year the Lakers retired two Kobe jerseys, number 8 and number 24.  I thought that must be the first time in history this event has occurred, boy was I wrong.  Kobe became the 6^th player to have two jersey’s retired.  Oscar Robertson had number 1 retired by the Bucks and number 14 by the Kings (although he played for the Cincinnati Royals under that number). 

Earl Monroe’s number 10 by the Bullets/Wizards and 15 by the Knicks.  The late Pete Maravich’s number 7 is retired by the Jazz and number 44 by the Hawks.  The Nets retired Julius Erving a.k.a. Dr. J.’s 32 and the Sixers did the same with number 7.  Finally, Shaquille O’Neal’s 34 is retired by the Lakers and 32 by the Heat, most interesting the Magic who first drafted the Big Aristotle have not retired his number or any other Magic player.    

Interesting 
Joakim Noah now plays for the Grizzlies, I checked his bio Joakim Noah was born in New York City.  He should know full well over aspects of playing in the Big Apple.  He’s on the downhill side of his career at 33 years old however his NBA career principally for the Bulls has been exemplary, check this out.  2X NBA All Star (2013,2014), NBA First Team (2014), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2014) are just a few of the honors he’s received during his career.     

The Knicks didn’t see that version of Noah, returning home witnessed injuries and issues with the previous coach which kept him off the court.  Reading his comments its clear in addition to the on-court issues the “night life” also contributed to a poor court performance.  Noah is upfront, he’s not blaming anyone except Joakim Noah.  Perhaps Grizzly fans will witness just a little bit of what might have contributed to Noah being an outstanding defensive catalyst.     

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

They have company
Recently Buffalo was mentioned as one of the remaining undefeated teams in the nation.  The New York State school has company, Furman University 12-0 as this is written.  You say you never heard of Furman, the school is in Greenville (SC) and produced shooting guard Frank Selvy.  Never heard of Selvy either, he was drafted in 1954 and spent 9 years in the NBA ending his career as a member of the Lakers.  In a college game versus Newberry in 1954 Selvy scored 100 points in the game which remains the single game scoring record in Division I basketball.  As for present day Furman is coached by Bob Richey in his second season at the school.  He was an assistant and became head coach once his boss left for the Drake job. 

A most amazing character
Remember my mention of no more characters, I identified Lance Stephenson as a modern-day character.  Check out the video, no explanation required by me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzWwgc0YwU4

Tarheel for life 
We must be sure many in Tarheel Country are pleased tonight.  North Carolina announced 68-year old Roy Williams has been signed to an 8-year contract.  The move would indicate Williams likely retires a Tarheel unless for some unforeseen reason Williams chooses to retire early or coach somewhere else.     

His name is
Unless you are part of Mizzou Nation the name Jeremiah Tilmon is probably unknown.  Tilmon is a 6-foot 10-inch 250-pound power forward, in the team’s offense he’s really a center.  Tilmon in his sophomore year has a problem, he’s foul prone.  Often, he’s not on the floor for long periods of time which delays the growth of his game and  to demonstrate his budding talent.  On Tuesday evening it occurred, no foul issues and he led the way to a 71-56 victory over Xavier. 

Xavier held a 9-3 lead and I looked up at the screen and it was Mizzou 20 Xavier 9 as the Tigers went on a scoring run.  23 points, 10 rebounds and he was only whistled for 3 FOULS in 33 minutes.  It was believed Tilmon who hails from Coach Cuonzo Martin’s home of East St. Louis (IL) was headed to Illinois.  The coach came a calling and persuaded him to come to Mizzou.  We certainly have no idea of his progress over the next two years however this we can conclude.  If he can manage to remain on the court his game and Mizzou will win.

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

Things I’d like to see
Just because I desire change doesn’t make it happen, despite this view I do have Things I’d like to see.  They are listed below however they are not in any order of importance.  What are yours?        

*Joel Embiid-discontinue taking 3-point shots, your offensive footwork around the basket is outstanding.  Your effectiveness from the 3-point line is questionable at times.  Shooting .200 for the last 5 games is certainly not effective.

*NCAA or rather it’s leader Mark Emmert-step up and administer college basketball in an effective manner.  The penalties he intends to implement after the NCAA basketball tournament proves money is more important than punishment.

*Boogie Cousins-return to pre-injury form although his game plus Warrior basketball will impact my Lakers.  To think I’m making this statement about a guy I wanted the Lakers to pick up. 

*Contenders-instead of pretenders in Big 12 basketball.  This is no criticism of Kansas rather the conference which touts itself as one of the best in the nation.  It can’t be the case with Kansas finishing in first place for the umpteen time. 

*Markelle Fultz-despite what might appear negative commentary on my part I hope he re-gains his health and is able to contribute to the Sixers.  From stories floating about if true there are far too many negative people in his circle. 

*Cinderella-every season come tournament time the media discusses “Cinderella” teams. Teams not expected to advance but succeed by beating higher seeds.  Last season its Chicago Loyola, you know what I like to see?  A team other than the usual win the NCAA Tournament no Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, UConn or UCLA. 

*Kansas City-a dream on my part however I’d love to see the NBA return on a permanent basis.  Doesn’t matter, re-location or an expansion team.  I’ve already got a name, although several Jazz artists passed through here in 1930’s Utah owns the name.  Kansas City Bar-B- Que conjures thoughts of food and not basketball.  The ABA team from 2000-2004 was nicknamed the Knights, I like that.

New York centers
7-foot 2-inch Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) was a standout high school player in New York City, in 1966 he headed west to play for UCLA.  The balance of the story is known, NCAA champion, multiple NBA championships plus numerous accolades.  Moses Brown was a standout high school player in New York City, in 2018 he headed west to play for UCLA.  The huge difference between the two, Alcindor changed the game, as for Brown his game is not nearly as polished as Alcindor’s was. 

During Alcindor’s time freshman were not eligible for varsity teams but consider this.  His first game where the varsity played the freshman Alcindor had 31 points, 21 rebounds and 8 blocked shots leading his freshman team to victory.  Keep in mind the varsity team was the years previous NCAA champion.  As for Brown his numbers have been slightly lower, the 7-foot Brown is scoring at nearly 12 points and close to 10 rebounds a game.  To date I’ve only witnessed part of a game maybe UCLA Nation might have a different view.  This fan sincerely hopes Brown doesn’t rush off to the NBA before further developing his skill.  

The second city
If you’re a certain age you might believe Memphis has always been home for the Grizzlies.  The team began play as an expansion franchise in Vancouver Canada in 1995, the NBA also added another Canadian city Toronto which became the Raptors.  The NBA had moved once again outside the continental United States.  Another bit of history, the Huskies home based in Toronto played that first season (1946) in the Basketball Association of America but lasted only one season. 

As for expansion Vancouver the team suffered on the court and box office too.  Part of the problem had to do with a weak Canadian dollar at the time.  The NBA lockout in 1998 was the final blow to the franchise.  The team was sold to owners in the U.S. and the team was moved to Memphis in 2001.  After six seasons of struggle in Vancouver the NBA was left with only one Canadian team.  Perhaps one day the NBA will look northward again, and Vancouver could welcome the association again. 

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

For Sale  
Owner James Dolan claims he wants to sell the Knicks but only for the right price.  We immediately begin research to discover $$$, their value probably exceeds their own court performance.  Sure, enough confirmation was uncovered, according to the February 2018 edition of Forbes the Knicks are valued at $3.6 billion.  Dolan claims he’s seen figures of $5 billion offered for the team but doesn’t consider them bona fide. 

As we often here location, location, location has got to be the key factor in the net worth of the Knicks it certainly can’t be on-court performance.  New York City i.e. The Big Apple, Broadway, Times Square, Wall Street and several other high dollar locations make for the Knicks being a valuable franchise.  As for Dolan selling the team I’ll believe it when I see it, we don’t know where the offers come from however there’s a great deal of zeros between 3.6 and 5.      

Characters
The Lakers Lance Stephenson was a character prior to Los Angeles.  Recently he received a technical foul for playing an “air guitar” after sinking a 3-point basket.  Of course, you remember the ear blowing episode.  Standing on the free-throw line next to LeBron James he can be seen blowing in his future teammates ear.  You might remember I once wrote about the lack of characters in today’s game?  I guess we could state Stephenson is a throw-back to some of those earlier characters.  Former Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs, once during a game fans were tossing debris on the court.  Game officials requested he address the issue on the P.A., Tubbs response was something like this. 

“Please stop throwing trash on the court no matter how bad the officiating is.”  With that statement Tubbs received a couple of quick techs and was ejected.  I guess we could include Kyrie Irving a throw-back too, he’s stated his public belief the earth is flat and not round.  I don’t know if we could include Steph Curry in the conversation, he now claims he was only joking about the moon landings being a hoax.  Back in the days of the American Basketball Association a player was confused on time zones.  He refused to board a flight seeing the time difference between Central and Eastern Time said, “I don’t want to be getting’ in no time machine.”   The late Charles Shackleford issued this proclamation discussing his shooting, “Left hand, right hand, it doesn’t matter?  I’m amphibious.”   

Is it over?
It’s seemed like weeks since we heard any news regarding Carmelo Anthony.  Once again, we ask the question is his NBA career over?  That indeed might be the case other than LeBron expressing a desire to unite with Anthony we’ve heard nothing.  LeBron’s got at least two BFF’s, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony so this is not exactly news.  Late in his NBA career Anthony has become strictly a perimeter player; the earlier version had an all-around game. 

It seemed soon after he arrived in the Big Apple his game began to ebb, it continued his one season in Oklahoma City.  The move to Houston was cosmetic only, he resumed the same style of play he’d exhibited with the Thunder.  Over time I’ve witnessed several players in various professional sports appear to hang on at a time their best years were behind them.  Only Anthony can revive his career at this point and if so, it’s going to require sacrifices on his part. 

Trivia
In the Kansas City market, we have Fox Sports Midwest telecasting Thunder games and other Midwest sports.  During a recent game the pre-game host provided the audience an interesting tidbit of information.  They said, “Pete Maravich’s number has been retired by the Pelican although he never played for them.”  I was aware his number 7 had been retired by the Jazz however the franchise once based in New Orleans relocated to Utah several years ago.  I decided to check and sure enough the studio host was indeed correct. 

For those unfamiliar “Pistol Pete” began his NBA career as a member of the Hawks, he was practically a legend at LSU.  His trade-mark floppy socks Maravich might have been the first, he was a shooting guard in a point guards’ body.  While at LSU his lowest scoring year was 1966-67 his freshman year scoring 43.6 points per game.  He wasn’t just a scoring machine check out his passing skill on YouTube.  Injuries cut short his NBA career and at 40-years of age died of a heart attack.  Maravich is enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. 

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

“Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?”
A few might remember the PBS series titled above.  “The show was created partially in response to the results of a National Geographic survey that indicated Americans had alarmingly little knowledge of geography.” *  We might change the title slightly “Where in the World is Markelle Fultz?”  It’s been an uncounted number of days (weeks) since he’s appeared in a Sixer jersey or been spotted on the bench. 

No one including Sixer management appears to know his status, in addition reports have circulated the team has passed on trade proposals.  Several of the accounts surrounding Fultz have a 007/Jack Reacher look, check those out at your leisure.  History says a few draft choices had short NBA careers due to lack of talent, in this case that appears to be an unknown.  Fultz has not been on the court enough time for his talent to be judged.  At this point the story continues with no conclusion. 

*Wikipedia   

Air I could use (maybe not just me)
I’ve concluded LaVar Ball is using valuable air many of us could use.  He’s quiet for long periods of time and then brings forth some conclusion that can only cause all of us to shake our heads.  The latest pronouncement regarding his son LaMelo Ball.  The elder Ball has concluded “He will have his choice of colleges”, a number were named no need of providing them.  The father has made this decision unsure if his son is going to be deemed eligible. 

At least two Spire Institute games have been cancelled due to questions on LaMelo ‘s “amateur” status.  You know the story he and older brother LiAngelo played in Lithuania although supposedly they “weren’t paid” therefore maintaining amateur status.  Unless the NCAA deems LaMelo immediately eligible we can hear LaVar’s mouth ahead of time.  He will come forth with some ridiculous statement that will cause us to once again shake our heads.      

Although I said it, “I really didn’t intend to follow through.”
Remember the Robert Sarver story, he was going to move the Suns to Seattle or Vegas.  This was to be done should Phoenix fail to renovate Talking Stick Resort Arena.  Well sports fans that’s not exactly true, I only read the headline, so I am unable to provide details.  All I can report is Sarver claims he really wasn’t serious about moving the Suns.  He’s “100 percent committed to Phoenix.”  Hey sports fans I’m the person that says, “If you say it you mean it.”  Sorry Mr. Sarver you don’t escape this easily. 

I’ve always had issues with owners like Sarver.  They sometimes appear to believe they are entitled, “Look what I’ve done brought you a professional sports franchise.  You should be thankful to me for this.”  It’s not as bad as I’ve stated but I said this previously place some of your money in the project.  To me this is a good-faith investment indicating a desire to remain in the community.  The Suns could still leave at some point however this investment indicates a desire to remain a vital part of the community.   

Bits n Pieces 
If true, its apparent Warrior management haven’t learned the lesson.  I believe their management is shrewd, they are not going to make dumb player personnel mistakes……maybe.  The Wednesday edition on the ESPN.com NBA page might prove interesting if true.  They claim the Warriors are trying to sign Kawhi Leonard while retaining KD.  Sounds good on paper, we can be sure they can move money around to pay all the parties.  What about the basketball, Draymon Green doesn’t demand the ball but what about Steph and Klay?  Add those two plus Kawhi and KD, sorry I can’t see it. 

I’m never going to claim I’m always correct or even first, this is one of those times.  Did you read Gonzaga’s Mark Few echoed my comments about the hypocrisy of the NCAA?  You remember, president Mark Emmert stated punishment for those teams named in court would be forth coming.  Of course, the issue would be dealt with AFTER the NCAA basketball tournament.  I will allow that to marinate with you for a while. 

What is it with several of today’s NBA players, they appear to have no belief in science?  First it was the Celtics Kyrie Irving who said, “The earth was flat.”  Recently the Warriors Steph Curry became part of the discussion.  Curry indicated “He didn’t believe NASA astronauts landed on the moon.” I admit there are several historical facts I have no ability to verify.  My only statement to both parties, I’d never hire either of you teach my child, you are great basketball players however you have an unrealistic view of science. 

Former NBA player Rasheed Wallace once received a technical foul for looking at ex referee Steve Javie.  On Saturday night the Lakers Lance Stephenson received a technical foul for playing an air guitar.  After sinking a 3-point basket against the Hornets Stephenson retreating down court began strumming “his guitar.”  Officials considered that a taunt aimed at the opposition hence the tech.    

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

They messed around and got a triple-double 
Lonzo Ball registered an outstanding game Saturday evening.  The Lakers were 128-100 winners with both Lonzo Ball and LeBron stuffing the stat sheet.  Ball wasn’t the leading scorer but that’s never been an issue, the Lakers desire him to run the team's offense.  That’s exactly what Ball accomplished shooting .636 from the floor, his stat filler read 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists along with 5 steals and 1 blocked shot.  LeBron's triple-double read 24 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds.  According to Dave McMenamin ESPN staff writer, "The first time Laker teammates did it in the same game?  Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar on January 22, 1982."  We can now register December 15, 2018 as a significant date in Laker history.  

Living on the edge
The last five have witnessed games of 74-71, 63-60, 72-47, 90-84 OT and 87-81 OT.  The numbers represent the last five Kansas basketball final scores, the Jayhawks have landed on the left side of the page indicating the game was a win rather than a loss.  It’s clear to a few the number one team in the nation is clearly living on the edge based on the number of close contests. 

It’s quite possible the Big 12 conference race will provide a reprieve for the Jayhawks.  On the other hand, we could conclude a win is a win is a win, close games won by the Jayhawks indicate the mark of great team? I cannot use the Big 12 conference as a barometer they rule the conference with an iron fist, the NCAA Tournament becomes a truer test.  As for Jayhawk Nation it’s lonely at the top be prepared win or lose. 

Chamberlain like
They say back in the day Wilt Chamberlain had similar games to Joel Embiid.  Chamberlain would exhibit his skill on the court score in huge numbers grab large numbers of rebounds, but his teams would often lose especially when facing Bill Russell’s Celtics.  He once said, “If I had the teammates of Russell the contest might be far different.”  On Friday evening versus the Pacers Embiid was an offensive juggernaut. 

Embiid utilized every shot and move in his extensive arsenal scoring 40 points and snatching down 21 points.  Despite his valiant effort his Sixers lost the game.  The Pacers playing tough hard-nosed defense and balanced scoring most of the evening were able to overcome Embiid’s monster game.  There could have been some revenge at work, former Sixer Thaddeus Young led the way for the Pacers scoring 26 points in a 113-101 win. 

First, he’s here, then gone but not really
At the time I retired for the evening I read on the net Trevor Ariza had been traded by the Suns, a three-team trade involving the Suns, Wizards and Grizzlies had been consummated…. or had it?    Waking up early Saturday morning I again begin my morning routine and discover the trade had fallen apart.  The parties involved, Trevor Ariza, Austin Rivers, Kelly Oubre and MarShon Brooks were still members of their respective teams.  I’m not even sure I can report why the trade fell apart its almost comical in scope. 

Let’s just say we don’t know if it was MarShon or Dillion Brooks to be part of the package.  Over the years NBA teams have often experienced trades that were not consummated.  As a rule, the athlete fails a physical causing the trade to be voided.  This proposal to my knowledge is a first, for the first time in NBA history a trade has been dissolved in this manner.  In closing ESPN.com reports, “The Wizards, Suns still seeking Trevor Ariza deal after trade falls apart.”  UPDATE:  Before publishing this account, the trade was completed, the Wizards sent Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre to the Suns for Ariza.    

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

Service Academies
The services academies do what they do, produce Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Coast Guard officers.  As for competitive sports the schools have been more successful on the football field than the basketball court in producing pro athletes.  At the same time there are names you probably didn’t associate with the service academies.  Leading off, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was a guard on his Air Force Academy team before moving into the coaching ranks. 

Former coach Bobby Knight played at Ohio State but once coached the Army team at West Point.  Duke Coach K. a West Point graduate played for Knight, both are in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame and Popovich will soon be.  David Robinson a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis was too tall (7 feet) for submarine service.  It turns out the future Spurs player was 6 foot 7 inches at the time he entered the academy.  Robinson has also been enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. 

NBA ready?
The Magic beat the Bulls 97-91 on Thursday but that was secondary to the location of the game.  The site of the game the 22,300 seat Arena Ciudad de Mexico which opened in the last several years. I was curious on the attendance but couldn’t locate figures by the time this report is published.  Commissioner Silver in attendance at the game praised the arena which opened in 2013, the NBA loves new arenas.  

So far NBA games have only been played in Mexico City although Silver desires to see games throughout Latin America.  Who knows maybe Latin America is the key to international expansion, travel and time zones are much closer to those in the United States.  In any event the Magic remain in Mexico City and the Jazz journey southward to face them.  This game continues the trend as the NBA test-markets its game for a Latin audience.  The two most popular NBA teams in Mexico City according to reports are the Bulls and the Lakers. 

Proof stats sometimes don't provide a true picture   
The Rockets beat my Lakers 126-111 behind the 50 points scored by James Harden.  If we simply looked at the numbers except rebounds, we might believe the Lakers won.   The Lakers outshot the Rockets 53.8% to 49.4, the turnovers were even (13 for the Lakers 14 for the Rockets).  The home team managed to out rebound the Lakers 43-31 but that’s about it.  Whoever was watching James Harden contributed to the loss, 50 points.  

Allow me to introduce Brett Brown
I didn’t know much about Sixer coach Brett Brown, so I decided to check his bio.  The 57-year old Brown played at Boston University graduating in 1983.  He immediately became an assistant coach and in 1988 located to Australia having several coaching stops.  He went to work for the Spurs and then returned to the land down under before returning to the Spurs and Gregg Popovich’s staff. 

In 2013 he was named head coach of the Sixers, the “Trust the Process” beginning.  19, 18-and 10-wins total each of the first three seasons, in 2016-17 the Sixers won 28 games.  Last season was a break-out year as the Sixers won 52 games during the regular season earning a playoff spot.  A portion of the losing was drafting talent that either didn’t work out (Jahlil Okafor) or injuries impacted upward bound progress (Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons).  With LeBron now in the west the Sixers are legitimate candidates for the Eastern Conference crown led by their coach Brett Brown. 

BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

Top 25
Jontay Porter might never play again for Mizzou, next stop the NBA.  Most are aware he suffered an ACL injury and is on the sidelines.  I’ve checked a couple of mock draft sites and they indicate Porter remains a Top 25 pick.  The disclaimer is these sites are not run by the NBA however as I’ve indicated in the past most are doggone accurate.

The NBA is Mexico bound again
You remember the story; the NFL Chiefs and Rams were to play a game in Mexico City.  Days prior to the scheduled date the field was deemed too damage for play.  The game was moved to Los Angeles with the Rams winning.  This time it wasn’t the NFL rather the NBA as the Magic will face the Bulls.  Both teams are not the draw they might have been at one time however this will be a test.  Mexico City has been mentioned as a possible expansion site at some future date, attendance at the game might prove interesting.  

Trouble for Jayhawk Nation
As 2018 closes and 2019 begins Kansas basketball is on top of the world.  As this is written the Jayhawks are number one but have ranked no lower than third in the nation.  Recruiting 2019 prospects is yet to conclude however is there trouble on the horizon for Jayhawk Nation?  Now the Jayhawks have the 51^st recruited class for 2019 is that terrible?  Several successful programs survive primarily recruiting prospects outside the top 25 in the nation.

A few might remember the Looney Tune roadrunner and coyote cartoons, there was one scene in almost every cartoon. At some point a heavy anvil would fall on the coyotes’ head knocking him out.  Has the Adidas trial and possible penalties impacted decisions by several prospects?  The snail moving NCAA announced recently punishment is in the future for several programs.  As I’ve often indicated I’m the king of speculation, you might not agree with my take but consider this tidbit.  Can you name the last time Kansas lost a prospect (Jeremiah Robinson-Earl) who’s father played for Kansas?   

Bits n Pieces
We discussed this at one time but thought it might be worth another look.  Movies and television programs until recently didn’t accurately portray the action.  Technical advances in the industry have allowed the action on the court to be enhanced.  The discussion is not the script or even the actors, it represents action on the court.  My top five all time and the year they were released: 

White Men Can’t Jump (1992)

Blue Chips (1994)

Hoosiers (1986)

Coach Carter (2005)

He Got Game (1998) 

If true, its apparent Warrior management haven’t learned the lesson.  I believe their management is shrewd, they are not going to make dumb player personnel mistakes……maybe. The Wednesday edition on the ESPN.com NBA page might prove interesting if true.  They claim the Warriors are trying to sign Kawhi Leonard while retaining KD.  Sounds good on paper, we can be sure they can move money around to pay all the parties.  What about the basketball, Draymon Green doesn’t demand the ball but what about Steph and Klay?  Add those two plus Kawhi and KD, sorry I can’t see it.