Basketball from a fans perspective

Can Dennis Gates coach a winner?

Perhaps some reading this are unfamiliar with the name Dennis Gates. He is the new Mizzou basketball coach having replaced Cuonzo Martin. Once hired the coach has begun the task of recruiting “his” team, the cupboard isn’t exactly bare there are 6 remaining roster members recruited by Martin. This matter is fluid as this is written we are unsure if they remain however, they will join Gates recruits. The latest, on Tuesday 6-foot 6-inch 230-pound Noah Carter from Northern Iowa made his commitment known.

Carter would choose Mizzou over several schools attempting to entice him to sign with their program. The question ask in the headline, can Gates coach a winner? We have no idea; we must wait for the conclusion of the season to pass judgement on this hire. Even then might be too soon to make a decision on Gates success or lack of accomplishment. This we know the coach can certainly recruit, since the arrival of Gates he’s managed to convince 4-star prospect Aiden Shaw to remain committed to Mizzou. Carter becomes the third commit or 4^th if we include the Cuonzo Martin recruit in the mix.   

Change the culture

Mizzou, Kansas State and other programs across the nation have changed coaches. Some coaches were fired, another number resigned and in the instance of Coach K. it was retirement. As for those basketball programs not succeeding on the court how do they become winners? It’s my contention all could become frontrunners given the right set of circumstances, allow an explanation. We could use Arkansas as an example, before you Razorback fans become upset understand this. The school has a rich program dating back to Eddie Sutton 1974-1985 however the Razorbacks have been re-invented in this new age. How you say…by hiring Eric Musselman as head coach.

Recruiting has accelerated under Musselman, that’s the first piece of the puzzle a good coaching hire. After a significant NCAA run fans are excited with the announcement of Anthony Black the third 5-star prospect signed for the fall. Second to that recruiting is necessary, a school must be able to attract top prospects. Talent has always existed however a larger number of schools are now competing for talent, so the once large pool of talent has shrunk once we exclude the Blue Blood programs. Transfer portal, players have been transferring since the beginning of time. At one point they were forced to sit out a semester, that policy exists no more. New Mizzou coach Dennis Grant we discover has “eyes” on 7-8 potential transfers, will Grant be able to secure all for his program? Probably not however this simply points out another key for a successful basketball program in the 21^st Century. The one area we read that I am unable to elaborate is Name, Image and Likeness or NIL. It is claimed this has been another area of concern in acquiring basketball talent for your school.

Finally, the last part, a speedy start by the coach. A newly hired coach no longer has 5-6 years to revitalize a program. He might find him in the unemployment line at the end of year three if he’s not at least on the road to success. The days of leaving a losing Coach K. in place no longer exists, he was 38-47 his first three seasons at Duke. The Blood Blue programs will continue to dominate recruiting and likely wins but that fails to take into consideration one notch below can become consistent winners too. They could become the next Baylor and win a national championship under the right set of circumstances.

New barber… different opinions

There is a place for Big Man basketball in today’s game, that’s the opinion of my new barber. Oh, I forgot to inform you I’ve changed barbers and this one follows the college and NBA game as much as my former barber. This is the wisdom he dropped on me, “The problem there are too few point guards in the NBA. The guys today want to bring the ball up court and take the shot rather than passing it to the guy playing down low. Chris Paul might be the last true point guard remaining in the game, he looks to pass the ball first. That was (Rajon) Rondo, always looking to pass rather than shoot.” Even the great Steph Curry failed to escape his eye.

“Curry is a talent but is he really a point guard, he comes down the court first looking to shoot rather than pass the ball. The other issue, if the guards of today would seek to pass the ball to the center in an advantageous position…oh well you get the point?” My barber did all the talking but I did add this part, “Guys haven’t stopped growing there are still plenty of 7-footers playing the game.” The 7-foot centers are out there, they are named Zach Edey at Purdue, Kofi Cockburn Illinois, Chet Holmgren Gonzaga and Walker Kessler at Auburn. Okay, technically Holmgren is a power forward, but he does stand 7 feet. There are others not mentioned but hopefully you get the implication, the talent is there all that is required is for it to be tailored to fit the subject. So, there you have it from my barber to you even if you are a proponent of small ball, he believes the flow of the game can be adjusted.

Who do we fear most?

Dennis Gates has an immense job on his hands, that is revitalizing Mizzou basketball. Thanks to Eric Musselman at Arkansas, it won’t be easy. Your thought might be Kentucky, LSU or Tennessee in the SEC. For me it’s the juggernaut under construction in Fayetteville by Musselman and staff. Just check out how deep the Razorbacks went in the 2022 tournament. Arkansas managed to defeat number one seed Gonzaga 74-68.

Arkansas losses at least two players to the transfer portal, as for the NBA Draft, I’m unsure. Despite the subtractions check out the additions, they receive 6 foot 9 Trevon Brazile talented former Mizzou standout. Brazile was one of the few bright spots as a freshman for Mizzou this past season. Arriving in the fall are 6 standout high school prospects, two of them awarded 5-stars and three projected as 4-star by Rivals. All the Rivals stars in the world are meaningless unless one is able to play the game at a high skill level. In closing it should be of note the way too early Top 10 polls have placed Arkansas in the top slot.

Basketball from a fans perspective

The Lakers dilemma    

We see the problem; it was pointed out the James/Davis/Westbrook combo played a total of 21 games in the 2021-22 season. Now there is no attempt to conduct revisionist history, but we question, if this trio had played even 40 games how much different the season might have turned out…oh well. By the time you read this Frank Vogel will have been fired. The coach was only part of the problem for this Laker team, you remember in the Wizard of Oz? “Don’t pay attention to the man behind the curtain.”

Kurt Rambis and Rob Pelinka along with LeBron James all share in the mess that became the 2021-22 Lakers. It’s too bad Vogel must take all the blame for this inept front office along with several roster members. One matter that can never be taken away from Vogel, he was the NBA Championship coach in 2020. We believe he was the mover and shaker for that team. Now that’s it official the Lakers begin the search for Vogel’s replacement, there are a number of names most of us are familiar with, but this is the problem as I see it. In my view the team’s only had three coaches who managed to produce winning teams over a period of time. Those names Pat Riley (1981-1990), Del Harris (1994-1999) and Phil Jackson (1999-2004 & 2005-2011). 

They once attempted to hire Tyronn Lue but could not agree on contract terms, they hired someone else. Byron Scott, and Luke Walton were found to be not particularly good sitting in the lead chair, Mike D’Antoni might have been a different manner. The Lakers played well under him the problem he wanted an increase in salary which the Lakers would not agree. You see the dilemma; the Lakers have been lukewarm in coaching hires.

Bits n Pieces 

Embiid for the win, that is Joel Embiid wants to prove to all not only is he the best center in the NBA he might claim to be the best player in the league. Okay maybe he didn’t say as much but it’s likely he may perhaps think it. In any event Embiid accomplished a rare feat at the close of the season, he becomes the first international player to lead the NBA in scoring. The international story might have been forgotten because he played at Kansas for his freshman year, he was born and grew up in Cameroon on the African continent. As for Embiid’s scoring it was 30.6 per game average led the lead as he became the first center since Shaq (22 years ago) to lead the NBA in scoring. In addition, there could be an MVP in Embiid’s future.

With the NBA season concluding we move into awards season, one of the first honor to be determined might be Rookie of the Year. Of all the candidates the contest will probably be decided between point /shooting guard Cade Cunningham of the Pistons and Evan Mobley Cavs center/power forward. Although it’s difficult to choose one over the other Cunningham will likely be selected winner, that’s a best guess and not a slam dunk answer. The history points out twice we had two winners. As an example, in 1995 winners were Grant Hill and Jason Kidd who would share the award. Five years later there would be a tie again as Elton Brand and Steve Francis were Co-Rookies of the Year.

News from Mizzou, the coach received another commitment sort of. See the player is one who played for Coach Gates at Cleveland State. His name, Tre Gomillion a 6-foot 4 215-pound combo guard we read he is accustomed to the coaches offense which will be an aid once the season starts. One of the many problems this past season was the lack of a competent point guard. Kobe Brown, who is actually a small forward, was forced in that role for much of the season. Gomillion becomes commit number three or four depending on whether we count incoming freshman Aiden Shaw.

Austin Reaves joined some exclusive Laker company in the last game of the season. The 6-foot 5 guard scored 30 points grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out 10 assists, his effort helped the Lakers win an OT match against the Nuggets 146-141. Reaves joins Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Magic Johnson and Lonzo Ball achieving a triple-double in his rookie year.  

They were missing

We realize injuries are part of any sport, NBA teams attempt to work around this issue as best possible. As the season draws to a close this was a key issue Commissioner Silver addressed with the media recently. Silver pointed out a number of major stars were missing in action for the season or for extended parts of the season, check out these names and the numbers.

Ben Simmons-out

Kawhi Leonard-out

Zion Williamson-out

John Wall-out

Jamal Murray-out

Bradley Beal-40 games

Anthony Davis-42 games

Paul George-50 games

There are others omitted but this was intended to provide a brief list of the missing and what the commissioner mentioned in his press conference. Kyrie Irving was not listed because he wasn’t injured and the 53 games he missed were by choice. Rest assured no one expects an athlete to play hurt but owners must explore methods to reduce the number of stars missing games. Injuries plus Load Management certainly cannot endear the game to its fans. The league should check the number of exhibition and regular season games and considering a reduction. Instead of expanding the playoffs a reduction should be taken into account, the 7-8 seeds should play a best 3 out of 5 games instead of a 7-game series. Fans are not pleased paying their hard-earned income expecting to see the stars. Instead, injuries and Load Management impacts the game and positioning of teams.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Welcome back…home?

We know the saga of the Sacramento Kings; they have been somewhat pathetic. If members of Kings Nation want to point out the Lakers poor record, there is a stark difference between the two teams. At least we fans of the Lakers can state, “We won it all in 2019.” When’s the last time the Kings even experienced a winning record? I’ll help you; it was 2005-06 when the team finished with a 44-38 record.

Not only was it the last season the team registered a winning record it was the last Kings playoff team. Maybe the futility of the team’s play might have prompted Kansas City’s Mayor, Quinton Lucas to extend an invitation for the Kings to “return home.” Of course, we realize it’s more difficult than simply acknowledging the offer extended by the mayor. Although the mayor like others would like the NBA to return to the city it’s not likely to occur unless those with deep pockets decide to enter the picture.

“Danger, danger Will Robinson”

That was the line uttered weekly by the robot from the weekly television series Lost in Space which ran from 1965-1968. In 2018 it returned to the airways in one of the streaming services. The warning was intended to prevent the youngest Robinson family member from pending danger. In this instance the danger could be a story regarding the Lakers or Mizzou basketball. This account is for members of Laker Nation. This time its Laker news, housecleaning has begun. We have no idea how next season’s team will appear, one thing for sure it will be younger with some veteran presence. Veteran Trevor Ariza was waived to clear roster space, the team then signed forward Wenyen Gabriel 6 foot 9 forward to a 2-year contract. Gabriel is 25-years old, he played at Kentucky and also briefly for 5 NBA and 3 G-League teams.

Also arriving in the middle of the season Mason Jones a 6-foot 4 guard who went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, he’s 23-years old. Added earlier was 6-foot 6 242-pound power forward Stanley Johnson, Johnson is 25-years old. Signed to a two-way contract from their G-League team is guard Mac McClung (age 23), do you see a common theme here? These additions plus others added to the roster over the next several months will join Talen-Horton Tucker (age 21), Malik Monk (age 24) and Austin Reaves (age 23). Young legs who will not become exhausted sprinting up and down the court, young legs who will be able to play adequate defense, notice I didn’t say great. Keep in mind these moves will not become a solve all for this talented by flawed Laker team, they should provide proof whoever the coach is next season he will inherit a much younger team than Frank Vogel dealt with.

As this is drafted a report is circulating stating the Lakers might waive Russell Westbrook, his huge salary would then be spread over the next three seasons. This move should it occur would not only free a roster spot but make available additional cash as well. One of the key’s is a legitimate center, the offense is not built around a “Kareem Abdul Jabbar or Shaq” type center but one who can legitimately play the position. Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan were found to be deficient in skill at playing the post at times, that’s the reason we often witnessed the Lakers playing the 6-foot 9 LeBron James in the position. Yes, I remain enthusiastic…the Laker team will be much better than the 2022 version. They will be better since they will be capable of running and defending something this present roster was unable to accomplish.

He’s back

There have been a number of coaches hired some like Dennis Gates at Mizzou were relatively unknown. We know this name, no, not Michael Jordan rather it’s Steve Lavin. You might remember the former UCLA and St. John’s head coach; Lavin’s been working as an analyst for the networks off and on since 2003. He’s also provided coverage for the NBA during a portion of this period. Lavin takes over a struggling that’s not done much since 2018, that year the Toreros finished the season with a 20-14 plus 9-9 in the West Coast Conference. This recently completed season they were 15-16 and registered a 7-9 conference record. Good luck with the re-build Coach Lavin.

Bits n Pieces

The debate has been ongoing since the middle of the NBA season, the question who should become the 2021-22 Most Valuable Player? Without a great deal of debate allow this statement first, Sixer fans don’t become upset with me. My choice is a repeater, The Joker…Nikola Jokic’ is my selection. Could Joel Embiid win, of course he could it’s quite possible, but my best guess is the Nugget center will be a repeat MVP.

It might be our imagination however it appears true. There is so much off-season activity related to college basketball it is impossible to update this blog daily. The hope is to highlight those stories which impact as many institutions as possible. We’ll attempt to get through this busy off season as best we can. We have numbers declaring for the NBA Draft (although some will withdraw), the transfer portal, NIL plus the last few high school players choosing a college. This is all working at the same time.

Of all the pending NBA prospects probably the most difficult decision to make is that of Oscar Tshiebwe. Tshiebwe had an outstanding season at Kentucky as he led the nation in rebounding and aided the university to an outstanding record. That’s the upside, what about the downside we might ask? Tshiebwe is projected in the second round of most mock draft sites. Not a terrible thing but certainly not great beginning with his salary as a second-round choice. Does he return for his senior year and improve his draft stock? On the other hand, a Tshiebwe return to school entails risking injury impacting his potential NBA career?

I’m unsure if we covered Fanbo Zeng in the past, if not allow this short read. He’s a 6-foot 11 199 pound forward (think Chet Holmgren) and plays for the G-League team Ignite. Zeng hails from Harbin China however he attended Windemere Prep in Windemere Florida outside of Orlando. His plan was to attend Gonzaga until assistant coach Tommy Lloyd left to become head coach at Arizona. At that point Zeng de-committed deciding in favor of playing in the NBA G-League. Prior to him arriving on these shores he was termed the top prospect in Chinese basketball. Zeng turned 19 in January so don’t expect to hear his name called in the 2022 NBA draft, despite that it’s possible the NBA might be in his future one day. There you have it, a brief profile of Fanbo Zeng who plays for Team Ignite in the NBA G-League.

Do you think the NBA MVP race is tight in 2022? How about 1961, Celtic Bill Russell was the winner but there was plenty of competition. Wilt Chamberlain of the Warriors finished in 2^nd place with 50.4 points and 25.6 rebounds a game outstanding numbers. In 3^rd place was the Big O, Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals had numbers of 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game. From the MVP’s inception until 1979-80 the league’s MVP was awarded based on the votes of players. The following season and thereafter media members voted on the honor.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

Did he read my blog?

Yesterday you might remember one of the stories in Off the Dribble dealt with the 2022 NBA Draft. I hope it wasn’t interpreted as mean-spirited on my part, I suggested teams might bypass Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren as the top pick. This was not a talent issue rather one dealing with his 7-foot height and rather thin weight of 195 pounds. Kenny Smith TNT analyst and former NBA player must have read my blog, 

Smith indicates his belief there is no weight issue regarding the slim Holmgren. Briefly Smith claims Holmgren’s skills (shooting especially from distance plus passing skills) make him a valuable commodity. In time Smith claims Holmgren will gain strength over additional weight, this will aid him in further developing his talent. Based on the thoughts of Smith it might depend which team is in draft position. Team A might be inclined to draft Holmgren over Team B, we shall see what transpires June 23. By the way I was joking about Smith, I'm sure his opinions are his own and not a reflection of my blog. 

You ain’t no Kobe!

No argument, Steph Curry is one of those generational athletes. He is one who arrives and changes the game just by his presence, Curry is that good. With the salutations out of the way allow a brief explanation why this is being written. Laker LeBron James has gone on record indicating he’d “love to play with Curry.” Two things will never occur, Curry will never sign with the Lakers. Why should he at this point his Warriors and the Lakers are headed in opposite directions. IF LeBron wants to sign with the Warriors so, be it.

We might remember at one point during his career it was reported Kobe asked to be traded. We believe it was a point the Lakers were treading water; they were stuck in the middle. Kobe Bryant was Mr. Laker and must be defined by him, unfortunately we no longer have him here to explain. We are unsure of the statement of LeBron but with his history of changing teams that type of statement he made certainly will not endear him to much of Laker Nation. At age 37 he’s defied time playing at such a high skill level, if he wants to walk, I wish him the best. It’s not a loyalty thing as much as timing, this statement comes out as the Lakers are eliminated from playoff contention… unbelievable.

Important NBA dates

There are upcoming events planned for NBA teams, note them and add them to your planner:

April 24 NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)  

May 16-22 NBA: Draft Combine (Chicago)

May 17 NBA Draft Lottery 2022

June 13 NBA Draft Early Entry Entrant Withdrawal Deadline (5 p.m. ET)

June 23 NBA Draft 2022

College players have been declaring for the draft daily since the season ended however that is not the end. If the prospect fails to hire an agent, he can decide to return to school in the fall. The deadline for entry is April 24. The next event is the draft lottery, prospects are measured, poked and prodded in an effort to determine their basketball capability. That’s followed by the draft lottery where the order of the draft is decided but it doesn’t end there.

June 13 the player decides to return to school withdraws his name, this is the last date for that to occur. If he remains draft eligible and is not drafted, he cannot return to college. The end of this effort culminates the evening of June 23 draft night. It remains possible through free agency to earn a roster spot; the most recent example might be the Lakers Austin Reaves. Other than playoff basketball occurring during this timeframe these dates might be just as important to the continued growth of NBA basketball, what do you think?

It won’t be coaching

We are approaching the sunset of LeBron James extraordinarily successful basketball career. Once LeBron retires what becomes the driving force for him? We really don’t have a clue but this we could guess there will be no coaching career. On second thought he will coach his two sons, but the NBA or college is out of the question for one reason…intensity. LeBron is far too driven to deal with the ego of an NBA player giving him 75-80% nightly. We are not picking on LeBron let’s take a look at several former superstars. Kobe Bryant did not live long enough after retirement besides the fact there were so many other things going on in his life, entertainment involvement and coaching his daughter was likely it for Kobe.

Michael Jordan, it’s been reported he once caused a grown man to shed tears when both were players. MJ “retreated” to the safety of the Hornets owners box. As far as we can determine MJ leaves the coaching to James Borrego and his staff. We discovered quite soon Magic Johnson the coach wasn’t Magic Johnson the player. Magic took over the Lakers near the end of the 1993-94 season and his team registered 5 wins and 11 losses, he resigned at the end. Of all the superstars who became coaches we can state in earnest Larry Joe Bird was the best.

Bird coached the Indiana Pacers for three seasons before deciding to give it up. He led them to 147 wins and 67 losses, the team earned a playoff spot in each season but failed to advance to the championship. There must be something about the number 3, former Laker great Jerry West only coached three seasons too. His Laker teams were successful 145-101, playoff bound but never advanced to the championship round. Legendary Celtic great Bill Russell must be included, if we omit the years, he was a player coach with the Celtics just like Magic as a bench coach for the Sonics and Kings he wasn’t particularly good. There have been several players that moved into the coaching ranks, none in the past or present were superstars.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

He’s back in the fold at Mizzou

With the coaching change at Mizzou several roster members decided to leave the program. In addition, Aidan Shaw 6-foot 8 inch forward recruited by Cuonzo Martin announced he was de-committing. That’s understandable, a youngster makes his pledge to a coach who is no longer there. All that’s changed now, Shaw remained uncommitted for about 6 days. He is now pledged once again to Mizzou indicating Coach Dennis Gates has reached out to him and Shaw believes he can play for the coach. Although Shaw attends Blue Valley High School on the Kansas side his school is within the Kansas City Missouri metro. Shaw is a Rivals 4-star prospect and the highest rated prospect since Michael Porter Jr., Jontay Porter and Jeremiah Tilmon all in the Class of 2017. 

“You don’t have Nixon Lakers to kick around anymore”

In 1962 Richard Nixon lost the governor’s race in California. Nixon after losing the 1960 Presidential election to John Kennedy and feeling picked on by the media made this statement. “You don’t have Nixon to kick around anymore” which later proved incorrect. Nixon would run and be elected President of the United States in 1968. The balance of this political story is for history buffs. You might ask the question “What the heck does this story have to do with basketball?”

This is the connection primarily for Laker Haters, the 2021-22 Laker team has officially been eliminated from playoff contention April 5 with the loss to the Suns. We don’t have this Lakers team to kick around anymore for one reason alone this team will not appear the same in the fall. Most of the roster will be eliminated, its likely Frank Vogel will be gone too. The injury plagued dysfunctional team assembled and we watched all season is no more, it’s not over yet but it might as well be. The season that began with such promise has stumbled its way to playoff elimination. This is really not the end however new direction is required in the front office.

Moved to the front of the line

Step aside Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, Jaden Ivey or someone else, it would appear we have a talented Class of 2022 entering the NBA in the fall. Those named might have storied NBA careers but its someone else we project as the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. If you’ve paid attention to college basketball this season Duke’s Paolo Banchero should be familiar to you, he’s 6 foot 10 and weighs 250 pounds. In the view of scouts Banchero’s moved to the front of the line, because of his all-around skill level. This is not intended to slight Holmgren, but it makes more sense to us, we have a 250-pound power forward (Banchero) versus a guy weighing $1.94. Actually the 7-foot Holmgren weighs 195 pounds which despite his apparent talent states loudly.

Holmgren is going to be pushed around despite his talent. This remains a one n done scenario, if a prospect has an inkling of talent, it should be off to join the NBA. No requirement for Banchero to return to Duke and risk a career ending injury. Banchero was born in Seattle however his parentage is Italian-American, his dad is from a second-generation Italian family who immigrated here, and mom is American. The parents met while they attended the University of Washington, Banchero’s mom played professional basketball in the U.S. and Europe. Stardom is never projected on an athlete unwilling to strive for it, it appears at least Banchero is the type of athlete who thrives on producing top notch basketball play. A number of issues could occur between now and June 23 but consider the name Banchero when filling out the NBA destinations for many of the Class of 2022.

He said it   

Kansas basketball is to be congratulated on winning the 2022 NCAA Tournament. There is a question for you...I wonder if you realize how difficult it is to win the men's tournament? The same teams have WON the men's championship every season with the exception of two in the last 20 years. Baylor won in 2021 and Virginia in 2019 that's it. Other than the two mentioned if we go back in that timeframe only 7 teams have won the tournament. Your winner has been Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, North Carolina, UConn, Louisville, Villanova or Florida has been crowned champion.

We could applaud those programs for being consistent winners, but it also points to the fact some particularly good teams over that time period have never won. We could include Gonzaga, Wisconsin and Michigan basketball along with other winning programs that failed to win a national championship. It should provide proof even a Gonzaga or Kentucky making the tournament with a spotless record can lose in the tournament. Every coach, student and school administration wants an opportunity to win it all, the door swings both directions. You can be ushered out quickly despite your record if you have a few down years.    

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

15 points

How did Kansas win the 2022 NCAA Championship…it was easy? All they had to accomplish was erase a 15-point deficit they faced at the beginning of the second half. I’m being facetious, of course this wasn’t an easy victory, the Jayhawks fought fearlessly and were able to attain the championship with a 72-69 victory. On the other hand, the North Carolina Tar Heels played 20 minutes of incredibly good basketball.

On the other hand, the length of a college basketball game is 40 minutes, this provides you an idea why the Tar Heels despite their start lost the game. The 15-point comeback by Kansas is the largest in NCAA Championship Game History. Congratulations are due Coach Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks. Coach Hubert Davis and his Tar Heels are also due a pat on the back, this team was lost at a point during the regular season. Despite that fact they managed to play good enough basketball down the stretch to compete for the top prize.

Is he correct?

Play by play guy Greg Gumbel was commenting on the huge salaries of broadcasters. He says, “Nobody tunes into the NFL due to the broadcaster.” We could make the same statement regarding NBA broadcasts. Do you turn on your television to witness Mike Breen or Kevin Harlan describe the game, how about this? In the role of analyst is it Doris Burke over Jeff Van Gundy or maybe someone else.

I don’t know about you but for me it doesn’t matter the sport whoever is conducting the play by play or color analyst is an extra. There are broadcasters and analyst in truth who are better than others. We have the same issue in the accounting or marketing department of a corporation one is much better at his or her job than another. It would appear I might be complaining about salary that is not the case, besides the fact it was Gumbel who raised the issue. Gumbel’s bio indicates he’s worked in the industry in some capacity or another since 1973 so he might have a little idea what he’s talking about.

Your choice

As the NBA season winds down which team is the most disappointing, the Nets or Lakers? The Nets have earned a spot in the playoff berth however the Lakers might skip the whole proceedings. The season began with so much promise for both franchises, the “experts” were divided would it be the Nets or Lakers NBA Champions in June. The playoffs have yet to begin however it would be shocking if either team is standing at center court being presented the Lawrence O’Brien Trophy by Commissioner Silver. What happened, let’s check out the Nets first? All season the drama of talented but eclectic Kyrie Irving, injuries to Kevin Durant and others.

Finally, the trade of James Hardin for Ben Simmons, did I mention as of April 2 Simmons is yet to appear on the court. Those are but the highlights for this Nets team which barely earns a playoff berth. Out west we have the Lakers of Los Angeles, LeBron and company. We knew in advance of the season they would be an “old” team; we had no idea how old. In addition, this team was reported to be one of the better defenders in the NBA, we discovered that was not the case this season. Injuries have always been part of the NBA however the absence of Anthony Davis really hurt. An athlete can have all the talent in the world but if you are not on the court...well. Notice I made no reference to the sometimes-erratic play of Russell Westbrook. In conclusion if I were a season ticket holder of either team, I might demand a refund.

No precursor of future success

We often discuss the change in basketball, it’s become a small ball/outside inside game. For the most part the Big Man game no longer exists or is less effective than 10-15 years ago. Big Man basketball will never return to a down-low type of game again…maybe. We introduce to some Jahzare Jackson, he’s a 7-foot 270-pound behemoth. Jackson played his high school basketball at IMG Academy in Florida. Instead of college Jackson chose to go the pro route and is currently playing for newly established Overtime Elite. Don’t expect to see the Big Man in action immediately, Jackson is not eligible for the NBA draft until 2023.

We’ve said over and over the easiest method to describe someone’s game is to compare it with a familiar player. That is the case with Jackson, he plays a power game around the basket and his size alone reminds many of a young Shaquille O’ Neal. That is exactly the case, Jackson at age 18 is the same size and weight of Shaq. YouTube video of him in action is available and from all indications his power game reminds us of a long-ago Shaq. My only negative seeing him in action in the videos he looks a little pudgy around the middle portion but that could change over time. It’s unfair in a sense, at his height and weight he easily intimidates the opposition, if he arrives in the NBA, it will be a different story. There we have it, a thumbnail sketch of Janzare Jackson a coming basketball prodigy.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

“Quit making excuses”

After the Lakers loss to the Nuggets number 6 in a row those were the words of Magic Johnson, “Quit making excuses.” Afterwards, the Magic man made the blistering headline statement above. Laker Nation can certainly agree with this declaration. Then the fork in the road, Magic heads left, and I go right. Magic wants the entire crew returned intact, i.e., LeBron, AD and Westbrook. As for me, LeBron is an okay, AD is questionable, and Westbrook is gone. My view doesn’t entail the Laker front office following suit.

30 seconds

Those of you knew to the ramblings of Skip Bayless of Fox Sports might believe his misstatements only travel to recent times. He’s got a history in this area, allow me to sit the stage. Celtic great Larry Bird was draft eligible in 1978, he’d played his freshman year at the University of Indiana and then transferred to Indiana State. Bird was made the 6^th pick in the 1978 draft, needless to say none of the five players in front of him came close to him career wise.

Now this is where the story becomes quite interesting. Enter Mr. Bayless, he claims (along with others) couldn’t see the ability of Bird and voiced that opinion. Years later after Bird became the super star, we know Bayless wanted to apologize to Bird and sought him out. Bayless claims Bird listened to his expression of regret for about 30 seconds and left without saying a word to Bayless. I guess we can applaud Bayless for admitting the story however I find it funny. Mister “I know it all” sometimes can confess he was wrong about something or someone.

Imagine this for a moment

You have a 21-year-old son or daughter who grew up in the Sacramento metro. Your offspring started playing the game of basketball and has continued through life. At the age of 5 they became fans of the Kings, while maturing from child to youth and young adult one event has been constant in their life. The Kings have missed the playoffs for 16-years, that might be the longest interval in NBA history. We are not picking on you Sacramento just point out a fact, this must be the most poorly run franchise in history. They might overshadow the record of James Dolan and his Knicks.

2 for 2

As his first signee Mizzou coach Dennis Gates managed to secure the services of 6 foot 10 Mohammed Diarra from Garden City Community College in Garden City Kansas. Diarra was listed as the top JUCO player in the nation by jucorecruiting.com and who is the number two player? That would be 6-foot 3 guard Sean East who played at John A. Logan College in Carterville Illinois. East has a decision in front of him, will he chose Mizzou or 5 other schools attempting to recruit him.

There is no guarantee East chooses Mizzou, the Tigers just made the list, but it would prove interesting if coach Gates could go 2 for 2. Technically speaking East would become the third player recruited by the coach. 6-foot 5 guard DeAndre Gholston Wisconsin-Milwaukee committed the week Gates was hired by Mizzou. While we are speculating how about Christian Jones a 6-foot 5 shooting guard recruited by Cuonzo Martin, he remains committed as this is written. We could make a similar statement about Aiden Shaw 6-foot 7 small forward from the Kansas City metro who de-committed but indicated the door is not closed on Mizzou. 

He was the first

It was June 1993, Drazen Petrovic perished in a tragic automobile accident at the age of 28. He most likely was the first Euro player to taste success in the NBA. Even with that said it would only be for a brief period. Up to that time few players from Europe had been successful in the NBA, in fact several Americans held a belief basketball play was substandard in Europe. In truth that might have been the case at that time however play certainly has improved over the years. As for the background of Petrovic, he was born in Yugoslavia (now present day-Croatia). His bio indicates he began playing basketball as a teen and it grew from there.

As Petrovic continued to grow in age so did his game, Petrovic became so outstanding he began play professionally in a number of European leagues. After playing for Real Madrid, he probably believed it was NBA time. In 1986 the Blazers made him the 60^th pick in the third round, at that time the NBA Draft contained more than today’s two rounds. Whether it was an adjustment or just lack of playing time, Petrovic didn’t begin to blossom until the trade. In January 1991 Petrovic was acquired by the Nets then based in New Jersey. After hardly playing in Portland his time with the Nets detailed for all his ability as his game began to grow exponentially. The 6-foot 5 shooting guard proved to all he belonged in the NBA. The late Drazen Petrovic was a pioneer laying ground for future Euro players in the association.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

Are you laughing yet?

You might remember I stepped onto that tree limb being blown back and forth with the wind. Despite the precarious position I decided to make a bold prediction, Duke would win the national championship. Duke still might win a championship however it will not occur tonight. Coach K. the winningest active coach would retire a loser, his Blue Devils went down 81-77 to the North Carolina Tar Heels. Tonight the Tar Heels will face the Kansas Jayhawks for the championship, think I'm going to take a chance again and predict a winner...hardly. 

Wow and double wow

Anytime you want to cry in your beer if you conduct an examination, you can locate someone worst off than you. Several in Mizzou Nation are unexcited about the hire of Dennis Gates. They are likely upset about the few players who chose to use the transfer portal. All these events are probably not pleasing but there is a question for them. How’d you like to be a fan of the LSU basketball program. Just as Mizzou fired Cuonzo Martin LSU also terminated Will Wade’s contract.

Events continue to unfold to the point there are 0 scholarship players remaining at LSU. The majority of players used the transfer portal while some departed for the NBA. The four incoming freshman decided to decommit after the Wade firing. Without a bit of research, we are unsure if an event of this type has ever occurred throughout the 100+ years of college basketball. This situation will rectify itself once a coach is hired, we are unsure how competitive team LSU will field next season is certainly questionable for now.

Fans don’t easily forget

I was forced to check more than one source, the words I read Kevin Durant said shocked me. He is demanding Oklahoma City and Golden State retire his jersey. Let’s do a quick history dump here, in 2016 he left the Thunder for Golden State. The Warriors had just beaten his Thunder team in the NBA Championship series, and he turns around and joins them. For unclear motives Durant announced he was leaving the Warriors for the Nets in 2019. Allow me to clarify the issue, Durant was operating within his rights to leave the Thunder and Warriors.

I believe in both instances he was either a free-agent already or pending. Although the timing on the moves might be questionable that’s his decision. The portion I take issue with is the demand the two franchises retire his jersey. As an example, Chamberlain had his Warriors, Sixers and Lakers jersey retired. Another who comes to mind Shaquille O’Neal, his jersey has been retired by more than one NBA team as well. I might be mistaken however I don’t believe there was ever a demand made by Chamberlain or Shaq. The reason this proclamation by Durant was so shocking I’ve never read or heard of this type of demand by any athlete, have you?

The NCAA is on life support

We read the account by Dennis Dodd in cbsports.com’s Thursday morning edition. There are far too many moving parts to dissect this issue in its entirety. In addition, this is a basketball blog, and the NCAA covers more than a single sport. The story indicates unless the NCAA re-invents itself it will be a memory in 1-2 years. If you’ve read this blog any length of time you are aware I’ve had issues in the past with this organization. My chief problem is the manner it’s always operated regarding punishment. If there are rules in place they must be adhered to, sometimes oversights are made by schools. On the other hand, the complaint we’ve heard is unequal punishment and unequal justice.

We realize cases are separate however if punishment is dealt to one shouldn’t it be the same for all? In addition, why have cases been allowed to drag on for years without being resolved. In this instance the reference is Kansas basketball and the 5 Level 1 violations pending for two or more years. The transfer portal has made this obsolete now, but it did occur. Two players transferred to Mizzou at the same time, one was allowed to play immediately the other had to sit out a semester. Despite an appeal by Mizzou the ruling remained in effect. There was no official explanation for this decision by the NCAA, rest assured its likely to have occurred elsewhere too. The examples cited are but two however just examples of what I see as a disorganized body. Will I be sorry to see the NCAA possibly go out of business, not me? It’s been mentioned Congress would take over administration of college sports, that would be even more unfortunate.

I am unsure

No decision’s been made by me yet, on Thursday evening the Lakers “mailed in” another game. For those unsure of the term, it describes going through the motions, not putting forth effort. I didn’t see the game although it was on TNT, I avoided it on purpose and my conclusion could be off base. There was no LeBron and Anthony Davis missing now for nearly 20 games. As for the game the victor was the opposition in this instance the Utah Jazz, it was 122-109. The 2021-22 Lakers have been an embarrassment to Laker Nation and all those great Laker teams of the past.

Vogel coached teams of the past are supposed to be outstanding defensively, this one plays it as a matador might do. This Laker team is 27^th in the NBA defensively which will not allow you to win a considerable number of games. We have complained all season about Russell Westbrook, this time we should take note. Westbrook is not the only guilty party. He does not play all 5 positions on the floor, so this is where the issue lies, I believe. Frank Vogel who is reported to be a defensive coach appears to have lost this team, maybe he never had it in the first place.

The Lakers have been “sleep-walking” through the season since about the January 15^th mark. There is no requirement for me to lament them missing the playoffs, LeBron and Anthony Davis included this Laker team has lost its way. It’s been time since the middle of February to begin planning for the off-season. Wholesale change needs to occur beginning with the head coach and filtering down to the majority of this team. Despite what I stated earlier I can indicate my disappointment. Those poor teams of Luke Walton were young, despite the coach we saw promise. This present Laker team demonstrates no assurance for the future of the franchise.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

Declare

Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren needs to run toward the door, the one leading to the NBA. His freshman numbers were good, 14 points nearly 10 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. They are not outstanding however they provide proof the skinny 7-foot Holmgren made the adjustment to Division I play smoothly. His NCAA Tournament play was somewhat checkered but that is not tragic. Mock draft sites have placed Holmgren as a Top Three prospect all season long. He should declare for the 2022 draft yet avoid the NBA Draft Combine held in Chicago,

For years coaches and scouts have used the combine to determine an athletes ability. There are horror stories relating to the combine, remember the story about Kevin Durant unable to bench press a weight believed possible. There are positives too regarding the combine, Mizzou’s DeMarre Carroll was not on the NBA’s radar. Outstanding numbers and play registered by Carroll allowed him to become a late first round pick in the 2009 draft by the Grizzlies. Back to Holmgren, he needs to be paid now he's proven he can play at the Division I level, why return to Gonzaga for another season and risk injury and losing the opportunity to play and be paid.

Few residents are aware

If you live in or around Indianapolis, you might believe the Pacers are the only pro basketball team to represent the city…wrong. Technically the city had three teams although just two appeared on the basketball court. The Jets were a National Basketball League team, they began play in 1937. In 1948 the team became a member of the Basketball Association of America and played under that banner until 1949 when the team folded.

Understand this, the Jets ceased operations due to the Olympians forming. The Olympians were members of the National Basketball Association and began operations in 1949. This Indianapolis team ended business in 1953. Much of the history is lost so we can only guess a portion of it. We are aware most of the BAA teams became part of the merged NBA, why the Jets went out of business replaced by the Olympians is an unknown. For the residents (or fans) of Indiana basketball there’s a brief look at history prior to the Pacers being born in 1967.

Duke re-load

For all practical purpose Coach K. is history, despite this fact apparently Duke basketball will continue to attract quality talent. Check out the Class of 2022 Rivals.com, the top three prospects are all headed to Duke in the fall

Dariq Whitehead 6-foot 8 small forward

Kyle Filipowski 6-foot 10 power forward

Dereck Lively 6-foot 11 center

As with any player leaving high school and headed to Division I basketball an adjustment is required. We have no idea how smoothly the transition will occur for the trio however its hoped they are able to play. All are not 5-star prospects however there are three additional prospects headed to Duke on the Rivals list.

There is talent galore

A mock draft site nbadraftroom.com contains more than the usual information about prospects. Most mocks list an order and the top 60 players they believe will be drafted. There are an additional 40 names which the site considers viable prospects. Where am I going with this you might ask, I’m ready? The Lakers have mortgaged their future to win now which is not likely. There are a few names on the list that might be familiar to you. Shooting guard Ron Harper Jr. who played at Rutgers, Drew Timme Gonzaga power forward or Makur Maker power forward from Australia.

Someone reading this might question Timme’s name being included among the undrafted list of talent. This is nbadraftroom.com’s justification not yours truly he could indeed be drafted. What occurs with these and other potential free agents? We could look at Raptors guard Fred VanVleet who went undrafted in 2016, he’s now a key to his team’s success. As for this season we have Laker guard Austin Reaves who came to the Lakers as a free agent. In his instance through his agent, he informed teams to not draft him, he wanted the opportunity to choose the team of his choice. Reaves recently was moved into the starting lineup.

Vegas takes the lead

We have mentioned over and over the NBA will expand within the next 4 years. For balance purpose its likely two expansion teams will be added to the number. Seattle is a slam dunk for one of the two franchises, as for number two that’s been up in the air until recently. Generally, the discussion revolves around two cities, it’s either Kansas City or Las Vegas for that 32^nd franchise. Although Kansas City has a grass roots effort to acquire an NBA team it’s my belief Vegas has moved to the front for a number of reasons. LeBron’s names been mentioned as a potential owner along with partners. Sounds about right the NBA would love to have LeBron associated with a team in the same manner as Michael Jordan.

For years, the prospect of Las Vegas was out of the question for a city built specifically for gambling. It was believed unsavory elements would find their way into it should the city acquire professional sports. We can dismiss that question for now, the apparent success of the NFL Raiders and NHL Golden Knights laid that story to rest. Las Vegas has moved from a gambling paradise to a family entertainment destination, sure the gambling exists but is downplayed now. Naturally sitting in the middle of the nation I would prefer franchise number 32 be the Kansas City Monarchs, Steers or Knights but apparently that is highly unlikely now.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

This prediction

Sometimes you need to boldly go where no man has gone before. Sorry, I had to borrow that line from Star Trek because I believe it applies here. This is rare for me, Mr. Keep it Safe rarely ventures onto that limb and makes an attempt to pick a winner ahead of the game being played. That’s for other guys to do and when they are proven wrong, I have the opportunity to laugh at them. In this instance I am providing you the opportunity in front of the BIG GAME, of course Duke must win first on Saturday.

Duke must secure victory over the weekend before the Monday evening tip-off. Okay I gave it away my 2022 NCAA Champion is the Duke Blue Devils. Could they mess up my prognostication by losing on Saturday afternoon or even Monday night? That certainly is a possibility after watching them lose the last game for Coach K. at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Just consider this fact, if it turns out I’m wrong you have plenty of grounds to laugh at me. On the other hand, if my prediction is correct…. well, what do you do? Am I to be applauded for my insight or do you simply attribute it to dumb luck?

Who pays?

Construction of a 70,000-seat football stadium certainly would be more expensive than a 20,000-capacity basketball arena. For those unfamiliar with the geography the Kansas City Chiefs have played on the Missouri side since their existence. A proposal has been mentioned regarding a new stadium in Kansas. This is no innovation New York NFL football and the Mets have played in New Jersey for years. We’d have to return to the Cotton Bowl days to find an NFL Cowboys team playing in Dallas. Play in successive years has been Irving and now in Arlington Texas. Although no city name exists on the jerseys the MSL team Sporting Kansas City has long played on the Kansas side of State Line Road.

 A stadium or arena in a different state or city is not my concern, I would continue to root for the Chiefs no matter where they played. If given the opportunity I would have no issues driving to Kansas City Kansas for a game. We must take into consideration Kansas fans have done this for years now. My issue, new stadiums and arenas financed by the public with billionaire owners contributing none or a smaller amount of costs. The Warriors home, Chase Center in San Francisco was built exclusively with private funds, the reported construction cost was $1.4 billion for a 20,000-seat arena.

The Intuit Dome with a planned opening of 2024 home of the Clippers has a $2 billion price tag attached to it, according to reports owner Steve Ballmer is footing the bill for the arena. Imagine that figure multiplied three times for a football stadium, hopefully you see where I’m going. This would appear to be an anti-build stadium/arena rant but that is not the case. If owners, be they NFL or NBA desire new buildings they should be responsible citizens. Titleholders should be willing to assume some or all portions of the cost. Depending on the dynamics the public should be involved in the maintenance and upkeep of the enterprise.

Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year

If we check the history of the award, it will appear Jayson Tatum of the Celtics had a monopoly on the prize. The Celtic forward won the Gatorade award his sophomore, junior and senior year at Chaminade College Prep in the St. Louis metro. In 2022 the honor goes to Luke Norweather a 6-foot 10 220 pound forward; the youngster is a senior at Blair Oaks High School in the Jefferson City metro area.

Norweather’s season total was 29.2 points and 11.4 rebounds a game for the Class 4 school. Two notes, the history of the award indicates the concentration of basketball talent resides in the urban areas of St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield. That’s not to say those are the only areas of the state with basketball talent, the majority of honorees have attended high schools in those cities. As this is written it’s undecided where Norweather might be headed in the fall, you will be updated at a future date.

My belief   

I hope new Mizzou coach Dennis Gates and former coach Cuonzo Martin get an opportunity to meet. Don’t count me in with the legions of Mizzou Nation wanting Martin fired. I’ve always believed he was a standup guy despite his record the last two seasons on the court. See it was different this time, I was ready for Quin Snyder to leave, he might have been far too young to run a Division I program at the time. Now it’s different he’s managed to re-invent himself with the NBA Utah Jazz. Mike Anderson was a different story; he ran a squeaky-clean program, but it always appeared he was waiting on that phone call. The call indicating the Arkansas head coaching job was open, despite a salary increase Anderson headed south when the job opened the second time. Enter next through the door was Frank Haith from Miami (FL).

Indiscretions with the NCAA would turned up in Haith’s background after he was hired. Should a more thorough background search have been conducted…of course. I’m not sure if Haith left Mizzou anticipating being fired or what. He would leave without too much advance notice and this time Mizzou did an even worst job in the hiring department. Kim Anderson former Mizzou player and assistant under Norm Stewart was made head coach. Anderson had tasted success at Division II University of Central Missouri, that would not be the case for Mizzou the program went further downhill almost immediately. To this day it’s been my contention there was probably nothing wrong with Anderson’s playbook he just couldn’t recruit talent. Finally, we arrive at the hire of Cuonzo Martin, there is no animosity on my part regarding any of the departed coaches. I believe wrong place and maybe the wrong time…as for Cuonzo Martin it was a different story for me. He will continue to be a favorite with me, I hope he gets another chance to coach somewhere, good luck in the future coach.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

A second look

A friend reminded me of my oversight, in an attempt to highlight the 3-peat of Northwest Missouri State other championship teams were omitted. Yes, there were others in the past beginning with UCLA. The mighty Bruins won the Division I NCAA Championship in 1968 and every championship through 1973, a record 7 in a row. HBCU Tennessee State ran the table on the NAIA Tournament 1957, 1958 and 1959. Several years later Kentucky State also an HBCU institution would duplicate this accomplishment as they won the NAIA Tournament 1970, 1971 and 1972. If the account published on Monday confused you my apologies, corrections or addendums are always presented where they can easily be located. The attempt was to acknowledge the achievement by Division II Northwest Missouri State.

Are they on television too much?

There have been complaints from a number of folks including Charles Barkley. They have voiced objections to the Lakers being featured so often on national television broadcasts. I have no television background however I believe once the NBA sends out its schedules TNT/ABC/ESPN begin planning. At the start of this season the Lakers were expected to be NBA Champion contenders. We are aware that is not the case as the season moves toward its conclusion.

Truth is the Lakers might miss the playoffs all together based on their poor record. In any event back to the subject at hand, the networks are unlikely to adjust their broadcast schedule unless something similar to a pandemic would transpire. Of course, that’s what occurred, the television schedule was impacted by the event. Rather than complain about something we have no control simply look at the first game and skip the late-night game from Los Angeles. Despite the fact this is pointed out rest assured we’ll continue to hear complaints regarding the network telecast. If you don’t wish to see the Lakers find something else to occupy your time.

The Goat

I’ve said this on more than one occasion, I tried to remain outside of arguments comparing player to player except in one instance. There is only one exception those who claim Michael Jordan is the Goat I loudly say no way. Who is the Goat, it’s simple…Lew Alcindor a.k.a. Kareem Abdul Jabbar? From high school through his NBA career not a single player not even Michael Jordan can compare, let’s check out the record. 

Three straight New York City Catholic league championships

71 game winning streak, 79-2 in high school

Three-time First Team Parade Magazine All American (high school)

Three-time NCAA Champion at UCLA

Three-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player

Three-time National Player of the Year

Three-time First Team All American

NBA Rookie of the Year

NBA All Rookie First Team

6 Time NBA Champion

2 Time NBA Finals MVP

NBA All-Time leading scorer 38,387 points

Member NBA 35^th, 50^th and 75^th Anniversary Team

Kareem might lose the scoring record to LeBron James but for now he’s held it since he retired in 1989. The honors above cover his play at Power Memorial HS, UCLA, Milwaukee Bucks and the Lakers. There are awards and honors omitted, I wanted to provide you evidence on the real GOAT.

Where does he go from here?

Emoni Bates had been injured for a while, we have been informed he’s got back problems. One report indicated he’d returned to Michigan to see a specialist. Injury aside there are doubts, not of a serious nature he returns to Memphis, why should he? If his intent is to focus on an NBA career, he will not pick it up at Memphis, so a pro career is in his future…maybe. This is not aimed at Penny Hardaway or the coaching staff, Bates can learn so much additional playing against pros. Bates reclassified therefore he’s too young for the 2022 NBA draft however there are options.

The NBA G-League, Overtime Elite and Australia are the future possibilities for Bates. What occurred for him besides the injury might be the next question? His shooting suffered when he was on the court, 38% is just not going to cut it at any level. With that said perhaps the anticipation of playing at Memphis might have overwhelmed him, we don’t know that to be a fact just speculation. The one bright spot prior to Bates injury is his defense, he is adept at defending. Bates certainly has talent although it might not be at the level we were first led to believe. The future remains bright for the young man as long as he continues to work at his craft.

I offer no name or proof

There are many stories floating about regarding the Lakers front office and coaching staff. This is only speculation on my part, the tea leaves say Rob Pelinka has a 50-50 chance to remain GM of the team. As for the coach that’s a different matter. Frank Vogel is a quality guy; he was the driver as the team won its 17^th NBA Championship tying the record of the Celtics. One report I read indicated the only reason he’s retained his job to date there is no Jason Kidd. If you remember at the time of the hire Vogel and Kidd were competing to become head coach, Vogel won but Kidd came on board as an assistant.

Kidd remained in place until he was hired by Mark Cuban to take over the Mavs. I have no method to see inside the Laker clubhouse, but it appears to be in a chaotic state, fair or unfair that rests on the shoulders of the head coach. As for Vogel’s replacement we have no names but take stock in this. The Celtics, Blazers, Magic, Pelicans and Wizards hired first time coaches something I believe the Lakers cannot, no they will not follow suit. My belief at this point Anthony Davis returns and provides a spark, the team makes a deep playoff run. Vogel is able to retain his job based on those series of events otherwise the Lakers will have a new coach for the 2022-23 season.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

No lead apparently is ever safe

This version of the Lakers has been guilty of the same continuing pattern. They will race out to a huge lead at times, unable to sustain the lead they eventually wind up losing the game. It fails to take into account who they might be playing. That’s what occurred again Sunday evening, they held a 23-point lead in the second half of the game against the Pelicans. We realize there are two halves of every game but that much of a lead should be enough to sustain a victory for any NBA team we’d believe.

In any event the Pelicans roared back and won the game in regulation time 116-108. To make matters worse LeBron James went out with an injury, how long he will be out this time is unknown as this account is being completed. What’s different, Frank Vogel who is supposed to be a defensive coach cannot seem to get this team to play any. Perhaps other members of Laker Nation might have different memories, I cannot remember a Laker team being quite as inept as this one. This Laker team can no longer be defended by me, they are beyond endorsing this season. Despite the negative words have I turned in my Laker Nation card.

A rare accomplishment

Northwest Missouri State accomplished a rare feat over the weekend. On Saturday, the Maryville Missouri school won its third consecutive NCAA Division II Championship. What is more interesting this could have been the school’s 4^th win in a row, the pandemic year robbed them of a possible championship. The Bearcats managed to beat a feisty Augusta University team from Augusta Georgia 67-58.

State got off to a slow start but midway in the first half they began accelerating thanks mostly to guard Trevor Hudgins. Hudgins finished the game with 31 points 22 of them registered in the first half of the game. Who is Ben McCollum you might ask, one of the winningest coach in college basketball today? If we check his bio his first two teams won 12 and 10 games, since then his Bearcats have never won less than 21 games in each succeeding season. The awards for McCollum are far too numerous to list in total, he’s been two times national coach of the year. He’s been 7 times MIAA Conference Coach of the Year.

Revisionist history  

This account was written ahead of a discussion heard on local sports talk radio. The host was discussing the amount of basketball talent that failed to attend Mizzou. The state produces a considerable number of talented basketball athletes, the problem few of them chose to matriculate at Mizzou. Part of this is due to choosing other schools while for others they simply were not recruited. We could look at potential NBA pick Ochai Agbaji as an example, this Kansas City Missouri talent was overlooked by Mizzou. Newly hired coach Dennis Gates has taken a page from the Gary Pinkel playbook, the former Mizzou football coach declared his intention to “shut down the border.” Pinkel wanted the greater number of high school football talent to remain in-state. Below is a partial list of the outstanding prospects who failed to attend Mizzou for a variety of reasons: 

Jayson Tatum

Bradley Beal

Tyler and Ben Hansbrough

Tyronn Lue

Landry Shamet

Anthony Tolliver

Alec Burks

It’s impossible to accomplish shutting down the state completely, high profile athletes will continue to leave for Duke, North Carolina, UCLA and other institutions. The issue for Gates and his staff is to identify the talent and steer it toward Columbia Missouri. AD Desiree Reed-Francois indicated one of the reasons she hired Gates was her belief he could recruit talent. Grant has a great deal of work on his hands over the next few weeks and months. A key indicator for Grant, how much of the present Mizzou roster is he able to retain. There seems to be a prevailing thought Missouri kids don’t want to attend school in the state, I don’t believe that.

I know we are talking baseball but remember in the movie Field of Dreams? The Kevin Costner character kept hearing the whisper “Build it and they will come.” I happen to believe that applies to Mizzou, basketball programs must create a winning atmosphere on campus and throughout the nation. Kids can’t help but be drawn to Mizzou with a successful program in place. As for the present this Mizzou team had few bright spots however it sure would be nice if they could retain a number on this roster. So far only two players have entered the transfer portal, if Mizzou can retain at least 5 players off the present roster they have building blocks in place. The addition of the two Grant recruits and perhaps 3-4 more they should be okay in the warm body department. Whether this translates to wins remains a question for now. 

Apparently, there is an issue

We could refer to it as “airing your dirty laundry,” a former staffer at ESPN wrote what he sees wrong with the networks NBA coverage. At the time the league moved to the ESPN/ABC Network I thought great. Coverage will be so much better with a network associated with sports. That was then, this is now…NBA TV is excluded because they pick up local feeds. TNT coverage from its studio host to the broadcast is so much superior to that which we see on ESPN/ABC. I try to tune out Jeff Van Gundy as much as possible, I do this because he’s often discussing a subject far removed from the game in front of him.

I like Mark Jackson but even he can become bland at times in his role as an analyst at times during a telecast, best of the best in my view is Doris Burke and Hubie Brown. The broadcasters are okay, I had issues at one point with Mike Breen but he’s okay now. Mark Jackson has always been one of my favorites. Pre and half time telecast should be avoided at all costs. I almost never attach myself to pre-game/half-time programming however the guys at TNT are light years ahead of ESPN. The NBA background of adding a Mike Wilbon is a little questionable. The addition of Stephen A. Smith has made the telecast unwatchable in my view. Our guess he operates in his pontifical style when discussing the game and other NBA issues. What’s most interesting the guys who should know are comfortable with sailing the ship without much direction.