Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The history 
This should have been done sooner, oh well let’s proceed anyway, the NBA Draft has gone through several variances over the years.  At one time there were as many as 21 rounds, of course the number of teams was much smaller than today’s NBA.  I read the Players Association negotiated an arrangement with NBA owners to reduce the number.  They held the belief athletes could pick and choose a team as a free agent rather than be bound to a team.  In 1987 the draft consisted of 6 rounds, that year there were a total of 161 players chosen.  The following year 1988 it was reduced to 3 rounds with a total of 75 players.  In 1989 the draft became 2 rounds where it’s remained since. 

Think about this a moment, the 2019 NBA Draft ran from 6:00 p.m. to shortly after 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.  Surely the entire draft was not televised back in the day.  Yes, it’s changed over the years even the participants, one of the studio host mentioned this fact, Michael Jordan the 3rd pick in the 1984 draft didn’t attend.  Rest assured there were likely others who also skipped the draft.  It’s become such a production now a player wouldn’t dare not attend if extended an invitation.  As I was finishing this account, I was reminded by a friend the Raptors Fred VanVleet went undrafted.  In 2016 after completing his eligibility at Wichita State he was passed over in the draft. VanVleet became an impact player and certainly was one of the keys to the Raptors NBA championship. 

The 2019 NBA Draft
We are liable to see almost anything during the NBA Draft; Thursday evening prove no different from several of the past.  From the wardrobe choices to the hair stylings, several players couldn’t fit the team cap on securely, we saw it all.  It was interesting for the first time Knick fans appeared pleased with the team selecting RJ Barrett.  Usually the choice is met with a chorus of boos by Knick fans in the audience.  As we moved into the second round, I mentioned to my neighbor several names were unfamiliar to me, that applied to a few American and almost all the international players. 

Giant Tacko Fall was not drafted although he believed might show up on some NBA team’s Summer League roster.  The same for Mizzou’s Jontay Porter who suffered almost the same fate as Bol Bol.  Porter failed to be drafted and Bol was the 44^th pick in the second round, both suffered injuries causing them to miss the 2018-19 season.  The Cavs surprised us choosing point guard Darius Garland after drafting point guard Collin Sexton last season. 

Several prospects had moms or dads with an athletic past, what stood out for those in Kansas City might have been Jaxson Hayes.  His father Jonathan was a tight end for the NFL Chiefs and Steelers.  My Lakers managed to swing a second-round trade which allowed them to draft shooting guard Talen-Horton Tucker.  He’s listed as 6 foot 4 with a 7-foot wingspan, how this move impacts the Lakers for the future is unknown at this point.  The Hawks and Pelicans appeared more active than other teams with draft choices and draft night trades. 

A different perspective 
Early on I made it known I believed the Lakers gave up too many draft choices in the AD trade.  It took another Laker fan to place this picture in the proper perspective for me and other fans of the team.  This was his comment, “With the addition of Anthony Davis the Lakers will be able to make a deep playoff run.”  This fan is considering the team being playoff bound the next three or four seasons.  His statement makes sense, he was not stating championship just earning a playoff berth. 

With 30 teams in the NBA the Pelicans could find themselves with a series of Laker picks ranging anywhere from 25 to 30.  Don’t misunderstand, there is always talent available in every draft.  As an example, Jordan Clarkson was the 46^th pick in the second round of the 2014 draft, he’s still in the NBA playing a valuable role.  Late first round and second round talent has proven valuable in the past without being All-Star level.  If everything works as this fan proposes the Pelicans will likely not be in the lottery for the Laker picks.     

Lehigh in the NBA
Lehigh University is a private research university located in Bethlehem Pennsylvania.  The latest information indicates the school has over 6,000 undergrad and graduate students. “Lehigh has produced Pulitzer Prize winners, Fulbright Fellows, members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and of the National Academy of Sciences, and National Medal of Science winners.”  The university is rated as one of the top academic institutions in the nation.

Lehigh competes at the Division I level in the Patriot League in basketball.  C.J. McCollum was one of those players under recruited when he left GlenOak High School in Dayton Ohio.  NBA scouts “found” him at Lehigh and the Blazers made him the 10^th pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft.  His first two seasons were an adjustment period.  His third season McCollum had a 20.8 per game scoring average, since then he’s scored in double figures every season. McCollum’s become “Robin” to Damian Lillard’s “Batman”.  

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

He’s your problem now
At this point we guess Lonzo Ball is a member of the Pelicans for the future.  If that is the case allow me to be the first, better watch out coach Gentry.  Your coaching especially involving Ball will be second-guessed by LaVar Ball.  Consider this the elder Ball averaged 2.2 ppg at Washington State, in fairness he must have been a reserve player.  The stats for 1987-88 indicate he was a starter in none of the teams 26 games.  Several of the most successful coaches never played the game at the NBA level so there. 

Credit is due LaVar, he’s sired three basketball playing sons, how good they are is subject to debate at this stage.  Props to him for training his sons, as for LaVar Ball he needs training too although his in a different area.  There is no intent for me to detail the inadequacies many of us see let’s just say there are regions that could stand improvement.  With that I’m signing off, hopefully this is the last article written on the father.  I say that because the youngest son might be headed to the NBA in 2020, coverage regarding LeMelo will occur. Coach Gentry and Pelican Nation LaVar Ball is delivered into your hands. 

Why
The NBA draft is over, hopefully your favorite team acquired the player you desired.  At least once every other week up through last week I read a headline.  It dealt with revision of the NBA draft; I didn’t bother reading any of them however my question remains “Why?”  Nothing needs to remain stagnant unable to adapt to change, change just for change doesn’t make a great deal of sense.  A modification was made in the lottery portion attempting to dissuade tanking, i.e. losing games on purpose. 

As you are aware the Pelicans with 33 wins had the top pick followed by the Grizzlies and Knicks.  If we just checked the won-loss record excluding trades this is the result, the Grizzlies also won 33 games while the Knicks had 17.  Can you imagine the chaotic system with no draft, the Lakers and Knicks would corner the talent market?  Teams such as the Jazz and Pacers would garner little talent, hold on a moment Jazz and Pacer fans.  I’m not stating either city is awful but answer this, when’s the last time your team signed a high-profile free agent?  Let’s face it there are NBA locations more desirable than others.  I’m going to fully investigate this issue and perhaps gain a better understanding. 

Not possible
I cannot remember where I read it, a veteran NBA official once said.  “I don’t want to be the focus my desire is for you to return home and not really see me.”  He was implying by his statement his belief officiating should never overshadow the game itself.  With that consider this, how many female umpires at the major league level. I’ll save your research there are none, at least two have officiated spring training games but that’s it. 

How about the NFL, how many female officials in that league?  They have one, she was hired in 2015 and the following year Violet Palmer retired from officiating in the NBA.  Palmer was first hired in 1997, as for today the NBA currently has 5 women officials.  The number is quite small but compared to baseball (0) and football (1) it’s almost astronomical.  To be fair research does not include college football or minor league baseball.  In addition, only men’s college basketball was researched. 

Every time
We’ve seen entertainer Ice Cube interviewed on several programs over the years.  Whenever he’s questioned on the Clippers making inroads in Los Angeles, he’s got a standard response.  “L.A. will always be a Laker town” and he goes on to explain why but this is not about the Lakers.  It’s about that other city with two NBA teams, New York City.  The Brooklyn Nets took up residency inside the 5 boroughs in 2012, most of the Nets history was spent in nearby New Jersey although there is an NYC connection.

The New Jersey Americans of the ABA were born in 1967, from 1968 through 1977 they were the New York Nets in the ABA and one additional season in the NBA once the merger occurred.  Although they played in three arenas the most familiar might be Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.  I’ve only visited NYC once, so I have no idea, nor do I claim to understand rivalries.  This I do know, and I’ve reported it several times.  Brooklynite and director/actor Spike Lee is a Knicks fan.  Likely he will remain a Knicks fan, like Ice Cube’s take “New York will always be a Knick town.”

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Draft surprise
The last check of nbadraft.net and nbadraftroom.com contain his name.  I'm not referring to Zion Williamson, you knew his name was on the list.  I'm referring to 7 foot 7 inch 290 pound Tacko Fall, nbadraft.net list him as the 57 pick in the second round.  Fall is 43 in the second round of the nbadraftroom.com mock site.  Not a single mock draft site is 100% accurate however these two are certainly close to accurate over the years.  

Blockbuster trades
It’s quite possible the trade for Anthony Davis might rank up there with the trade for Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  You can forget about the Lakers acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal, although it certainly was monumental at the time it was a free agent signing.  The trade of all trades was made when the Lakers acquired Kareem Abdul Jabbar and the result.  To set the stage it had a degree of similarity to the Davis trade, he wanted out of New Orleans Kareem wanted out of Milwaukee. 

Growing up in New York City playing his college basketball in Los Angeles the slower paced lifestyle of Milwaukee was lacking in many of the pursuits Kareem deemed important to his lifestyle.  Other than Kareem many of the names in the trade might draw a “who’s he” comment however all were quality players in 1975.  Kareem his backup Walt Wesley were traded to the Lakers for four players.  The Bucks received center Elmore Smith, guard Brian Winters, forward Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman who played shooting guard and small forward.  Kareem would be one of the linchpins to six NBA championships while a member of the Lakers. 

Plight of the Warriors
Despite losing the championship the Warriors are not on life support.  Although KD and Klay Thompson will miss the 2019-20 season the Warriors are still a competitive team.  The front office will undertake moves they hope will be beneficial next season.  As this is written the playoffs are in their future but a championship would be a stretch at this point. 

How about KD and Klay, the Warriors have gone on record indicating they will attempt to re-sign both.  It would appear Klay is a definite as for KD the Knicks are supposed to be entertaining adding him to their roster.  Can we get serious here a moment, if the Warriors are willing to sign KD to a max contract why the Knicks?  Several fans were upset with his move to the Warriors but its proven beneficial, he would have never won a championship in Oklahoma City.  Durant would have gotten paid in New York but win championships…. serious doubts here.  

The injury bug
Ben Simmons has tasted success in the NBA, it’s hoped achievement awaits Josh Green at Arizona and perhaps he too might have higher aspirations.  Prior to both youngsters arriving on our shores from Australia was Dante Exum.  Outstanding play in high school had him projected as a future All-Pro in 2014.  These are not the first NBA players from Australia however they have American fathers.  In the case of Dante Exum both parents are American, dad played at North Carolina with Michael Jordan but moved to Australia for a pro career. 

As for Dante his outstanding play in Australia stood out for NBA scouts and he was made the 5^th pick in the first round of the 2014 draft by the Utah Jazz.    Since that draft a series of injuries have curtailed the projections for Dante’s NBA future.  The 2014-15 season would witness Dante play in 82 games, since then it’s been 66, 14 and 42 games played.  The future remains cloudy for Dante Exum at this point, we have no idea if the bright promise once seen for him will ever come to fruition.   

They were ready but…..
The Celtics were championship primed and ready and then it occurred, the assembled talent appears to be leaving Boston.  After claiming on the parquet floor last October, he would remain a Celtic Kyrie Irving sounds as if he’s leaving now.  Al Horford shocked even the most loyal when he announced he was opting out.  As cowboy villain Taggert might say; “What in the Wide World of Sports is a-going on here.” 

Just in case you are scratching your head the sentence is from the 1974 Mel Brooks classic Blazing Saddles.  There are pieces remaining in place which make the Celtics a competitive team should Irving and Horford depart.  As is the norm Danny Ainge has managed to stockpile several draft choices to either trade or develop for the immediate future.  As for as an NBA championship that might be a slightly different question for this proud franchise. 

He said it  
Tom Penn has a few past pursuits, NBA executive being one of them currently he’s an analyst for NBA TV.  By the time you read this Zion Williamson will have been drafted by the Pelicans.  On one of the pre-draft programs discussing the draft Penn said, “Williamson needs to lose weight now that he’s in the NBA.”  Penn is likely not the first just the latest to voice this opinion regarding Williamson. 

Consider this, an athlete stands 7 feet tall and weighs 285 pounds you and I both might agree there likely is no issue.  Even in today’s NBA we might discover a center with a similar frame, it’s unlikely we discover a power forward.  6 foot 7 inches and 285 pounds might be far too much weight to carry for an 82-game regular season plus playoffs for an NBA body.  An increased number of games in the NBA over college is going to create increased wear and tear on Williamson’s body.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

He might not be headed to Mizzou

On more than one occasion I’ve mentioned Cuonzo Martin wanting to sign every prospect in the State of Missouri.  Earlier we discussed Rivals 5-star prospect Aminu Mohammed, the sophomore soon to be junior is enrolled at Greenwood Laboratory in Springfield.  He’s rated the number 14 prospect in Rivals Class of 2021 however there is an issue why he might not be headed to Mizzou. 

Mohammed is not from Springfield he’s from Nigeria in West Africa and has only been stateside about three years, point one.  Mohammed has an older brother playing basketball “next door” at Missouri State University, point two.  Instead of playing for a Missouri AAU team he’s playing for one located on the east coast, point three.  As for the comment next door Greenwood Laboratory is located on the campus of Missouri State, the three points are the chief reasons Mohammed might not be driving up US-54E to Columbia MO in two years.  

I stand corrected
Yesterday I was trying to fix the Laker backcourt as I saw it.  I mentioned Malcolm Brogdon of the Bucks; we can forget him.  Under different circumstances he’d be an ideal fit, I didn’t realize Brogdon is a restricted free agent.  No way can the Lakers swing a deal at this point to add him to their lineup with only six players on the roster, three of the number are named Kuzma, Davis and LeBron.  As for the shooting guard I still like Redick, the point guard will be a little more difficult to address.  Send me I’m ready says Rajon Rondo, he’s gone on record indicating he’s open to return to the Lakers.

After appearing to be a problem at two stops after the Celtics I never read or heard of any problem between him and Luke Walton.  Rondo is 33 years old now, he still can’t shoot (which is not required with the potential firepower) but he knows how to run an offense.  He played mostly reserve minutes as back up to the departed Lonzo Ball.  If he’d been a starter his assist total would have placed him 6^th in the NBA.  Now keep in mind, this is not intended long term it’s a stop gap method to provide the Lakers a point guard.  Who knows, maybe they can afford to pay everyone on the roster and Kemba Walker too.  

What……
Allow me to introduce a few of you to Caleb Love, Love is a 4-star point guard in the Class of 2020.  Fansided.com wrote an account on him which caused me a slight bit of confusion.  The story was written from the perspective of Texas recruiting and Shaka Smart, they indicated the number of schools after Love and the fact Texas must really work hard to secure his services read the account. 

The writer listed several schools recruiting Love however he excluded Mizzou.  You ask what’s the problem, okay I’ll answer that for you?  There are too keys for this writer to note, Mizzou is recruiting Love and he’s from St. Louis.  Just cause he’s from Missouri and St. Louis is no guarantee he’s headed to Columbia.  What is quite clear to me this writer didn’t do his homework.  I located the information very easily on Rivals.com which is available to this writer too, smh.

After a few days
This is aimed at yours truly, Fox Sports Skip Bayless and others.  I’ve had time to analyze the trade involving Anthony Davis, the Pelicans obtained a great deal of talent for next season and the immediate future.  Did the Lakers give up too much, depends on your perspective of the trade?  Without deviling into several positions, the immediate result of the trade the Lakers make the playoffs.  The AD trade is beneficial to Laker season ticket holders, it’s beneficial to the national and local television markets. 

Those who work in service industries in an around Staples will witness an increase in the revenue stream.   I never saw any figures posted however there was a claim playoff viewership was down with no LeBron in sight.  To the naysayers who claim the Lakers gave up too much allow a baseball analogy to be utilized.  “A baserunner never stole second base with his foot planted squarely on first base.  He certainly could be thrown out trying to steal second base however he took a chance, he risked making an out.”  Doesn’t matter if it’s baseball, basketball or life progress is never accomplished by standing still. 

Mid Major
Jae Morant played his college basketball at Murray State, in describing his basketball journey he used the term mid-major to describe his school.  We have no idea of future success this we believe will occur, he’s likely to be the second player in the 2019 draft.  Those chosen behind Morant played their basketball at power five conferences.  Damian Lllard played at Weber State; can he play NBA basketball? 

You better bet he can, and he plays it very well, how about his backcourt partner?  Prior to joining Lillard in the backcourt CJ McCollum grew his game at Lehigh University.  Before he became one of the Splash Brothers Steph Curry was at Davidson College and Kawhi Leonard was playing tough defense at San Diego State.  Perhaps one of the small forwards in the NBA Paul George played his college ball at Fresno State.  I hope you get the point; I can’t erase the term mid-major from our vocabulary it’s just not valid for me. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

I’m not that good
One of the local television stations in Kansas City contains a Sunday night sports segment immediately after the 10:00 p.m. news.  A wide range of sports topics are covered in the 30-minute program.  Recently one of the questions dealt with the 6 schools the NCAA indicate major penalties are forthcoming.  One of the journalists connected the dots in this manner and decided Kansas would not be among the guilty.  “The NCAA lifted the suspension of Silvio De Sousa so it’s not likely Kansas will be one of the schools named.”  This journalist is certainly braver than me and I’m Captain Speculation.

What would I do?
I said to myself, “I’m going to stay out of this, I’m leaving it to Laker management to put this team together.”  Unfortunately, folks continue to seek me out thinking I’ve got some wisdom they don’t.  I won’t fool you I have my thoughts and opinions doesn’t mean they will work but here goes.  Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving are certainly talented point guards, signing either of them along with the salaries of LeBron and Davis will bankrupt the Lakers.  I believe it’s better to consider good candidates more cost effective and I’m Captain Speculation. 

Malcolm Brogdon and JJ Redick are those more cost effective moves for the Lakers.  Brogdon is a combo guard so his signing would serve two roles.  Redick would slide into the shooting guard position, sure he’s 34-years old but so is LeBron.  Redick is a brilliant catch and shoot artist, he is a 3-point wizard something the new look Lakers vitally need.  So, there you have it Brogdon at the point and Redick as the shooter.  Will this occur, I have no idea however I believe it would work to the benefit of the Lakers. 

More than meets the eye
The world discovered the front office of the Lakers is/was in chaos.  We certainly are not sure everything is now in place and running smoothly.  Magic Johnson resigned as president of basketball operations and then began pointing fingers.   Southern California certainly has witnessed its share of drama however the Lakers are not the only franchise in turmoil.  If we look east of Los Angeles toward the State of Texas, we’ll discover drama there as well.  In the words of astronaut Jack Swigert; “Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here” certainly might apply. 

That Houston problem occurred with Apollo 13 astronauts as they attempted a moon landing.  The instance this time is closer to earth, it’s located at 1510 Polk Street Houston Texas.  Rocket fans will recognize that address belongs to the Toyota Center and the problem is between James Harden and Chris Paul.  If we read the article on ESPN.com it appears the two are arguing over who drives the “bus.”  Losing to the Warriors might have been more than talent, infighting between these teammates could have been a contributing factor to their playoff loss.

Bits n Pieces
The pending arrival of Zion Williamson to the Pelicans has created a roster opening ahead of Thursday’s draft.  Former Laker Julius Randle had a career season for the Pelicans, what occurs now competing with Williamson for PT at the power forward position.  It appears to be a non-issue now; Randle intends to become a free agent July 1 and may not return to the Pelicans. 

College coaches know this stuff fans don’t, I know I didn’t.  Saturday morning June 15 12:01 a.m. college coaches began verbally contacting Class of 2021 prospects.  A friend who’s a football fan claims college don’t have the same restrictions as NCAA basketball. 

Several well-known celebrities can sometimes be spotted at airports, shopping or even the supermarket.  I’d bet money NBA champion head coach Nick Nurse could walk the streets of any major city and few could identify him.  The Raptors coach has an extensive coaching resume although he’s new to the NBA.  His prior experience was overseas and, in the G-League.  He was an assistant with the Raptors prior to becoming head coach in 2018. 

This is funny, the pending free agency of Kawhi Leonard was addressed by teammate Fred Van Fleet.  He was questioned on what Leonard might do next season; he was honest.  “If he’s on another team, then we’ll just have to kick his @#*& next year.” 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Too many moving parts
There are too many moving parts to fully assess the trade, i.e. Anthony Davis to the Lakers.  Davis is a Laker because a big NO occurred twice for the Celtics.  The Celtics said NO to include Jayson Tatum in a trade for Davis, the second NO was acquiring a rental player.  They likely believed agent Rich Paul’s comment any team trading for Davis would receive a player for one-year, the free agent would walk in 2020.  Let’s explore the trade from the Pelicans standpoint, what about their future?

On Thursday they will draft Duke’s Zion Williamson, he’ll play opposite of rising star Brandon Ingram.  The Pelicans will have two-point guards in the backcourt Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball.  Why he wasn’t fined for tampering I’m not sure, I speak of coach Gentry.  He said he liked the idea of Holiday and Ball being a duo in the backcourt.  Where this series of moves leaves Julius Randle is unknown, he plays the same position as Zion Williamson.  Steady dependable Josh Hart moves into the backcourt as the first reserve.  The Pelicans with the Lakers 4^th pick choose______ in the 2019 draft.

The Green Room
It’s become a televised production now, the NBA draft.  The NBA just loves the making of this event, honestly, it’s crisper and shinier than the NFL draft.  The draft is over in one evening unlike the NFL and MLB version.  I’m sure that statement will cause me some grief in some circles.  As for the baseball draft, I believe it’s better watching paint dry.  Probably ¾ of those drafted we never heard of previously.  In addition, unlike the NBA or even NFL baseball players are sent to the minors where they sometimes disappear never to be heard from again.  

I heard a Hall of Fame baseball player claim he doesn’t watch the baseball draft. Back to the main subject, the NBA draft.  The prospects name is announced he places a team hat on his head walks up to the podium and shakes the commissioner’s hand.  Then a photo is taken of the nights event, that’s what occurs on June 19 for 20 youngsters invited by the NBA to the draft.  Rest assured these 20 names will be called out draft night although we have no order:

Zion Williamson, Duke                            Jaxson Hayes, Texas
Ja Morant, Murray State                         Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
RJ Barrett, Duke                                    Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga
Darius Garland, Vanderbilt                      Romeo Langford, Indiana
De’Andre Hunter, Virginia                        PJ Washington, Kentucky
Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech                       Goga Bitadze, Meg Bemax
Cameron Reddish, Duke                         Tyler Herro, Kentucky
Coby White, North Carolina                     Keldon Johnson, Kentucky
Sekou Doumbouya, Limoges                   Bol Bol Oregon
Nickell Alexander-Walker, Va Tech            Nassir Little, North Carolina
                     

Hidden Figures 
I “borrowed” the title from the 2016 20^th Century Fox movie.  The movie told the story of three African American women who played a crucial role in the launch of the first American in space John Glenn.  They were a hidden part of history and the movie detailed the vital role the three played in the space program.  There are several hidden figure, female owners in the NBA you are likely familiar with the Lakers Jeanie Buss and perhaps Gayle Benson with the Pelicans.  Jami Gertz and Jada Pinkett Smith are best known for their movie roles however they are owners of the Hawks and Sixers respectively, Hawks ownership trust also includes Sara Blakely.  The balance of owners is:

Valarie Daniels-Carter-Bucks
Ann Walton Kroenke-Nuggets
Gail Miller-Jazz
Ellie Svenson-Celtics

Words of wisdom (paraphrased)
An acquaintance informed me there are several things you should not do.  1.  Don’t allow Magic Johnson to coach your team.  2.  Don’t allow Magic Johnson to occupy any front office position.  Here’s what you should do, if Magic Johnson wants to suit up to play for your team you allow it no matter his age.  I informed you several weeks ago I love Magic Johnson the basketball player, as for the other positions he’s held not so much.  It’s interesting we could point to several former players who moved into the coaching or front office and accomplished the task smoothly while others stumbled. 

The missteps taken were not on purpose or intended, perhaps the person or persons was best not suited for the position.  On our daily work we can sometimes be promoted into mediocracy, in other words we have a ceiling on our abilities.  It’s different for each person so one person succeeds while another fails.  Jerry West is the name that immediately comes to mind, Hall of Fame basketball player and architect of numerous Laker championships.  Although he’s retired now Don Nelson is another former player who later became a successful NBA coach

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

How this trade came about
Anthony Davis is now a Laker, despite the dysfunction in the Laker front office most believed it would occur.  How a trade would be consummated was the key question.  News reports indicate the Celtics refused to give up Jayson Tatum which was clearly a player the Pelicans desired.  We heard and read reports the Pelicans were insistent on Kyle Kuzma be included in the trade.  

Before delving into the pieces we guess the extra draft picks were due to the Laker refusal to include Kuzma.  There remain moving parts, who replaces Lonzo Ball at the point, is Ingram's small forward position open?  How about July free agency, is Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler or some other free agent in the mix? The Lakers have a reported $30 million to spend on free agents.  

This trade HAD to be made for several reasons.  Chief reason, the acquisition of LeBron James with no visible improvement in the standings.  This was a signal to Laker season ticket holders maybe we might not renew.  The 2012-13 season was the last time the team made a playoff appearance, can we say fans were becoming upset with the continued rebuild which yielded nothing.  In the coming days additional issues will be detailed based on this blockbuster trade.  
  
We might not hear his name
The increasing number of international players has witnessed a reduction in NCAA Division II players in the NBA.  Scottie Pippen, Ben Wallace, Devean George are just three talents that emerged from Division II schools but managed an NBA career.  It’s not the fact they don’t play competitive basketball at that level they do.  The ever-increasing number playing basketball especially internationally has possibly caused scouting at this level to become limited.  It’s apparent Hinton is enough of a talent he’s practically forced NBA teams to take notice. 

We might not hear his name on Thursday, it’s Amir Hinton.  He played at Shaw University in Raleigh North Carolina, how good is he you ask?  This 6-foot 5-inch point guard had NBA scouts in attendance at a few Shaw games.  Hinton scored at nearly 30 points a game for the Bears while dishing out 4 assists per game along with 4.9 rebounds.  The only downside we cannot entertain his defensive prowess, that’s for the scouts to decide.  As indicated, we might not hear his name but expect him to show up on an NBA Summer League roster drafted or not.

Can I go back to three days a week?
If you’ve read Words eye view over 5 years you might remember it was originally published three days a week.  With the college season complete and an NBA champion crowned that was the intent.  The news moves much faster than yours truly, yesterday’s account of Kyrie Irving is ancient, and I’ll explain why.  No need to re-read yesterday the paragraph in parenthesis is yesterday’s account. 

“The issue for me is not the Nets, it’s the player this point guard intends to join point guard D’Angelo Russell in the back court.  Nothing wrong with playing two-point guards, oh yes there is.”  That’s what I wrote yesterday, late Friday evening came unofficial word if Irving signs the Nets intend to trade restricted free agent Russell. The Nets will make this move despite the fact Russell made his first All-Star game, figure that one out should it come to fruition.   

Is the NBA in his future
For the last four years the question was raised, is 7-foot 7-inch 311-pound Tacko Fall a legitimate NBA prospect.  After notable play in the NCAA tournament he was invited to the draft combine, his prospects improved based on his workouts and play.  Fall is now on a cross-country tour working out for several NBA teams.  This action occurring two weeks prior to the draft, thus far Fall’s visited the Magic and Knicks, remaining on his schedule are Pacers, Lakers, Cavaliers and Hornets. 

Will he be drafted, that question will be answered the evening of June 19 draft night?  If’s he’s not a mid to late second round choice he likely signs a free-agent contract, in either instance he starts out in the G-League.  The key issue the NBA game has changed, someone said; “If this was 10-15 years ago there is no doubt he’d be drafted.”  On the other hand, working with a good big man coach his game could blossom in the offensive schemes of the present-day NBA.

They play in the same conference
The State of Missouri includes five schools which compete at the Division 1 level in basketball, all play in different conferences.  Next door in the State of Kansas there are three Division 1 programs 2 of the 3, Kansas and Kansas State are in the Big 12 while Wichita State is an American Athletic Conference member.  Therein might be the issue, two basketball programs in the same conference in Kansas.  Where am I going with this you might ask?  Kansas basketball has a rich history dating back over 100 years.  In Manhattan (KS) the Wildcats of Kansas State have competed nearly the same amount of time. 

Unless you attend or have attended Kansas State, taught there or live in Manhattan chances are good your allegiance is to the Kansas Jayhawks.  The primary issue has been stability at the top i.e. head coach.  While the role of head coach has been stable in Lawrence, we cannot make the same statement in Manhattan.  Naturally changing coaches every 5-6 years certainly doesn’t make for stability.  With a 14-2 conference record (25-9 overall) the Wildcats eclipsed the Jayhawks for the first time in ages.  It’s now up to Bruce Weber to prove last season was no fluke and they are fully prepared to compete for the love in the State of Kansas. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Mercurial actions
All the various synonyms for mercurial don’t fit Kyrie Irving.  Several come very close to describing him, “changeable, unpredictable, ever-changing, fluid” with that I stop.  Those are just a few synonyms for the word mercurial, why do I hang that tag on Irving you ask?  Reports are circulating Irving will sign with the Nets in free agency.  The issue for me is not the Nets, it’s the player this point guard intends to join point guard D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt.  Nothing wrong with playing two-point guards, oh yes there is. 

If one can tailor their game to the other no problem, is this possible with either of these two should they become a combo?  Wait there’s more, don’t you remember originally Irving wanted out of Cleveland because he was “tired of playing in LeBron’s shadow” or at least that was the story circulating.  Okay we get that but what about now, who’s shadow is in front of him now?  On the surface it would appear the Celtics roster top to bottom is more talented than the Knicks.  What occurs over the next 3-4 weeks should prove interesting.  

The future
The question was asked, “Has Steph Curry won his last NBA championship?”  Never say never, Curry could be traded or free agent himself to another NBA team.  As for the Warriors that might be slightly different, KD might sign with another team and Klay Thompson returning from an ACL.  We discovered basketball remains a team sport (as if you didn’t know that).  Raptors defense forced the Warriors into playing a different brand of ball, numerous unforced errors is what I’d describe them plus the bench is now suspect.  I’m not preparing a eulogy for the Warriors; they will continue to be good if the corps group is kept together. 

As indicated earlier they might be without two of their top sharpshooters (KD & Klay) for much of the 2019-20 season.  This is just a theory on my part so consider it just that, the NBA regular season is a long and grueling marathon.  The Warriors have played deep into June for certainly 6 consecutive seasons.  That’s a great deal of wear and tear on the body even for a young team.  Could this have been a contributing factor for the KD and Klay injuries?  As for the winning Raptors, fans might skip this part or maybe consider me rambling.  I cannot see your team going on any type of run like the Warriors.  They might have a tough time coming out of the east with the ever-improving Bucks plus the Celtics and Sixers right behind them.   

In medical news
The Raptors became NBA champions relatively unscathed; we cannot make the same claim for the Warriors.  The Warriors lost the championship because the Raptors were clearly the better team however the medical news certainly didn’t help.  First KD out at the start he returns and sustains a major injury.  In Game Six it was Klay Thompson’s turn; he would come down wrong on a dunk and then need to be helped off the court.  Early Friday morning a check by the medical staff indicated Thompson has a torn ACL in his left knee.       

Correction
My apologies to the citizens of Saacy-sur-Marne France, discussing Mizzou adding Axel Okongo to the roster the other day I stated, “He’s from Paris.”  Well that’s not quite correct, he’s from Saacy-sur-Marne about 78 km (or 48 miles) from Paris.  To drive home the point Lawrence Kansas is roughly the same distance from Kansas City Missouri.  I’m sure residents of Lawrence wouldn’t appreciate me or anyone else claiming they are “from Kansas City.”  Lawrence is close but more than an hour’s drive depending on traffic and where you might begin the journey is not in the same vicinity. 

What!!
This time of the year it’s not unusual, NBA teams work out a few draft prospects.   These prospects are not always drafted or even chosen by that team; it sometimes provides us an idea of a team’s thought process regarding the draft.  The Lakers have brought in prospects, for me the most interesting name among them is Darius Garland.  One site indicates he’s working out with LeBron James. 

Garland is a shoot-first point guard, his season was cut short at Vanderbilt due to injury.  This is the WHAT for this Laker fan and maybe Laker Nation.  Bol Bol big man from Oregon I get it, how about Jarrett Culver shooting guard…. that one is easy too.  DeAndre Hunter forward from NCAA champion Virginia is also understandable.  Garland is a point guard; the Lakers have a point guard in Lonzo Ball.