Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

Family Feud

Many world readers of Off the Dribble might not be aware of this information so I am going to provide it for them. In America we have a long running television quiz program titled Family Feud, it’s been on the air 23 years on one of the networks or in syndication. The current host of the program is entertainer Steve Harvey, his job in moderating the program is to ask the contestants a series of questions matching the response from the studio audience. Two families compete to win prize money and generally speaking its entertaining because families often provide strange and unusual answers.

We have a real-life Family Feud occurring on the basketball court, it just might be 9-10 times worse than the television version. This one pits a son against his mother, the Mavs Luka Doncic is suing his mom Mirjam Poterbim over control of his brand. According to reports we read Doncic’s filed a petition with the United States Patent & Trademark Office cancelling the ‘LUKA DONCIC 7’ trademark. He gave his mother permission during his 2008 rookie year to file the patent, Doncic claims he’s contacted his mother in writing to give up the rights to no avail. The television quiz program one family is a loser hopefully Doncic and his mom can come to a successful resolution to this matter.

Please quit!

It’s not going to do any good but I’m asking anyway, please quit interviewing him. The him in this instance is disgraced former official Tim Donaghy, I’ve grown tired of reading headlines containing his name. For those who might be unfamiliar with him from 1997 until 2007 he was an NBA official. Why is he not working now, I’m glad you ask the question, he was caught in a gambling scandal and forced to resign. How serious was the charge, Donaghy would serve prison time for his part.

Donaghy was betting on NBA games some of which I believed he might have officiated. He was committed to prison for 15 months served 11 and then after violating parole was incarcerated again, he’s been out since 2009 but remains a convicted felon. If Donaghy was offering information regarding gamblers anonymous or some other like organization okay. All he’s offered to date are accounts of activities while he was an NBA official. On the surface he appears to be one of those guys who thinks he’s smarter than everyone else which might be the case. In closing I just hope the media would just stop talking to this guy. 

Everyone is not coaching material

Magic Johnson was a Hall of Fame player in college and the NBA. Despite the fact Magic knew the game backwards and forwards he was a terrible coach, Magic the coach failed to equal Magic the player. If you believe I’m only picking on Magic lets, check out others. Sticking with the Lakers how about the Logo Jerry West, an NBA success story on the court…as a head coach that was a different matter. Leaving the Lakers, we could look toward Isiah Thomas who spent his playing career as a member of the Pistons. The coaching record for Thomas, 187 wins and 223 losses. The jury remains sequestered in the case of The Nets v Steve Nash. Nash took on the role of head coach with no prior experience. As a two-time MVP I believe we can place superstar behind the name of Nash.

Of all the former coaches that moved into the coaching ranks Larry Joe Bird might have been the best of the bunch. Depending on who you read, many claim it was the Pacer assistants who allowed Bird great success, he finished coaching with 147 wins and only 67 losses. It’s been my belief for years superstar coaches have unreal expectations; they expect their teams to be a reflection of themselves. This is often not the case as most players rarely reach the expected level of the superstar coach. There are always exceptions, but as we proceed consider a couple of points. Lenny Wilkins is the all-time winner with over 1,300 wins but do we consider Wilkins a superstar player? Celtic K.C. Jones was vital to the success of the ’60 Celtics but certainly not a superior player, Jones was a very good coach. We could also include Kevin McHale in our count since he registered over 200 + wins, McHale was a good player but superstar player? Just our brief look at quality coaching wins which includes a limited number of superstar players of the past.

The number is 2009

2009 is the year the Lakers drafted Patrick Beverley; I don’t remember much because he was the 42^nd pick in the second round. I don’t even remember if he came to training camp that first year. He would play in Ukraine, Greece and Russia before signing with the NBA Rockets in 2013. Over the next few years Beverley would play for the Rockets, Clippers, Wolves and finally back to the Lakers. The guard had been traded to the Jazz but that’s not where he’d begin the 2022-23 NBA season, for Beverley it was starting over. The Lakers traded Talen-Horton Tucker and Stanley Johnson to acquire him, and the question might be why at age 34. Beverley is a defensive specialist who like Dennis Rodman and Bruce Bowman attempts to make life miserable for opposing players.

Okay, absolutely no one shuts down an NBA player but if you can force them to take more shots to hit their average you’ve, done your job. That’s the role Beverley has accepted, he’s embraced it to the point he might be the top name on most teams enemy list. What if he’s the top name on a teammate’s list, that’s what’s now occurred. In acquiring Beverley, it’s been documented he and Russell Westbrook had issues in the past. Can they manage to place aside their differences is the question in order to win? Someone pointed out to me at one time the late Billy Martin managed the Yankees he and star player Reggie Jackson often butted heads. This friend went on to point out once the game began the drama between the two was over, paramount to both was the Yankees winning. I certainly am not stating this match can work, remember I’m the guy who said Westbrook would adjust. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Silver Medals never awarded

It was 50 years ago, September 9, 1972, Team USA lost its first basketball game. Basketball was added to the Olympics in 1936, consider this fact every four years with the exception of World War II Team USA was victorious on the court. All that would change with the 1972 Olympics as Team USA lost to the Soviet Union 51-50 in the most controversial victory in history. It wasn’t the loss alone it was the manner the end was dictated by officials. The game was over ‘twice’ before officials ruled there was time remaining. The loss left a nasty taste in the mouth of Team USA believing the Soviet team had been given additional time to gain the victory. A day later at the medal presentation on the top pedestal stood the team from the Soviet Union, the Silver medal position was vacant as Team USA voted to boycott the ceremony.

The Silver medals of Team USA remain in the hands of the Olympic Committee where they have been held for the last 50 years. To date none of the members of Team USA have made any indication they desire the medals. In fact, at least two former players have instructions written in their wills the off spring are not to obtain the medals after their death. The basketball landscape had begun to change. It was pointed out several Soviet players were playing professional while Team USA was comprised of college players only. Indirectly this game might have brought about The Dream Team, 1992’s Team USA consisting of NBA players and a lone college player. Check out the YouTube video below, although its several years old the outcome of this highly controversial game remains the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh19IxFLk8Y

I’m gonna report it

Normally I refrain from reporting gab, but this is quite interesting. Let’s delve into the story behind the story, the NBA has exhibition games scheduled in Seattle and Las Vegas next month. Reports have circulated since forever the NBA intends to expand adding two franchises for a total of 32. The hot rumor, the NBA will announce future expansion plans in October. This makes sense on a number of levels primarily $$$, a new television contract will be in place by expansion time. In addition, each team owner will be compensated splendidly for $$$ lost during the pandemic, I'm just reporting the rumor...I have no way to authenticate the accuracy of this account.  

How about a friendship?

I wanted to make this clear, this is my opinion of a Stephen A. Smith story. You can locate it on the internet and come to a different conclusion than me. Smith claims he lost his friendship with Allen Iverson over a story he wrote and published. This is the period prior to Smith going to work for ESPN, he was working for a Philly newspaper at the time, and this is how it unfolds. Iverson was reported to have taken a leave of absence from games and practice with the Sixers to oversee illness with one of his children.

Later Smith reports his editor brought him video of Iverson at a club partying and the conversation went in this manner. ‘I thought he (Iverson) was a friend of yours? Write a story on this or I’ll have someone else do it.’ No place in the account did Smith mention he was threatened with being terminated or even suspended. Smith wrote the article, and it finished the friendship between Iverson and Smith for two years. There are several take-aways from this account, the first might be why now, Iverson’s been retired and out of the spotlight for several years. I have several issues with this story, and I will provide my view. Does this paint Smith in a better light, not in my view?

It might be worst because he was willing to betray a friend for a story. Why not let the other party write the story first and Smith writes the second one, he would not be giving away a confidence (and friendship) if this were to have occurred. The majority reading this are aware I’ve not been a fan of Smith for quite a while. He’s loud, abrasive and most times over the top with his world view. This is my opinion alone, you might read his account and arrive at a different conclusion, let’s just say this. It didn’t make me feel any worst about Smith, but it didn’t help me to feel any better about him either, that is all. As for Iverson if the story is true shame on him however, we never knew the story until Smith decided to report his part in it.

Isn’t he your dad?

He stands either 6 foot 7, 6-8 or 6-9 depending which dot.com site you might read. Because he’s in the class of 2025 he is likely still growing however Cameron Boozer has caught our attention. If the last name sounds familiar it should, his father is Carlos former Duke player who spent 15 seasons with several NBA teams including my Lakers. I haven't seen young Boozer in action although YouTube video of him exists. I am somewhat reluctant to report this information for one reason alone.   

Remember the rock band The Who and their hit tune ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’? That’s what I feel like now, we might want to refer to it as the ‘Emoni Bates effect’. Wunderkinds are reported to us by media sources, and we focus on them and sometimes they fail to reach the level projected. Let’s just hope young Boozer is cut out of the same mold of his father. On the other hand, he could be similar to the late Kobe Bryant. As most are aware Kobe was exceptional in all facets of the game and certainly more successful compared to his father Joe Bryant.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Coming to America

No, this is not the Eddie Murphy classic it’s Victor Wembanyama Coming to America. The Metropolitans 92 from Paris France will play G-League Team Ignite and Scoot Henderson. The games are scheduled October 4th and 6 in Henderson Nevada. The games will be telecast on ESPN’s family of channels. We’ve seen YouTube video highlights of the 7-foot 5 French youngster in action, a complete game certainly would appear more noteworthy. It should be mentioned again most mock sites project Wembanyama the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and Henderson number two. As we get closer to the date a reminder will be posted, better yet if you are in the Las Vegas area you need to circle those dates on your planner or other device.  

1363

The number 1363 represents the airmiles between Los Angeles and Kansas City Missouri. It’s a 3 hour and 4-minute flight and two time zones away from us in the Midwest. Based on the travel distance and time zone one might tend to believe I’m the only Laker fan here in Kansas City. Not that is not the case, I can cite several examples for you providing otherwise. At my workplace (approximately 250-300 employees) including me there are 5 Laker fans in the building of which I am acquainted. Such a small number might seem insignificant compared to employees or the population of the metro. Consider this fact, I’ve yet to hear a fellow employee claim ‘I’m a Bulls fan’ or ‘I root for the Warriors’ or any other NBA team.

On occasion I have encountered some in the area who claim allegiance to teams other than the Lakers, the number I come in contact with is quite small. My employment is in the public arena and my job is in the reception area, I see a great deal of foot traffic on a daily basis. Few days pass when I don’t see a customer in a Laker cap, tee shirt, jersey, hoody or some other paraphernalia with the Laker logo visible. Even more interesting this list includes male and female customers. One might believe Oklahoma City a 4 and half to 5-hour drive from Kansas City there’d be a bunch of Thunder fans here, if they are here in the metro, they certainly haven’t made their presence known. In truth I can remember seeing Bulls jerseys but even that’s only occasionally. One last discussion point, I wonder should Kansas City ever return to the NBA what its impact might be on the ‘Kansas City’ branch of Laker Nation.

‘Why can’t you be like’….

I’m two years older than my brother which caused him an issue in a high school class. I was an average to good student in my sophomore English class as for my brother it was a different matter. It’s not the fact he wasn’t bright enough he just didn’t apply himself at times to his studies. When Ken reached his sophomore year, he had the misfortune of having the same teacher as me two years earlier. Whenever he failed to work on the assignment the teacher would tell him, ‘You are certainly not like your brother’. He told me later that continuing statement by her upset him because she did it all the time when his work was incomplete, or he evaluated poorly. By now you are asking yourself ‘Where is he going with this story of Sophomore English, how about the Buss family and running the Lakers.

I’ve read continuing complaints regarding Jeanie Buss and her effort in managing the team. It’s as if folks are stating ‘You sure are not succeeding with the Lakers in the same manner as your father.’ I’m going to give Jeanie a break for several reasons, the chief one this is not 1979 the year Dr. Buss purchased the Lakers. There are a great number of dynamics at work in the NBA of 2022 that didn’t exist back then. From what I’ve read there were few instances Dr. Buss was directly involved in managing the team. It’s been pointed out he was more responsible for the business side of the Lakers. His relationship with Magic Johnson and trading Shaquille O’Neal certainly cannot be discounted. As for Jeanie Buss, give her a break…I know some of you will refuse but consider this single fact. I am certainly more comfortable with her managing the team over brother Jim.

Throwback jerseys

You might remember reading a few weeks ago about 75^th NBA Anniversary jerseys. The Celtics, Knicks, and Warriors then in Philadelphia are the only Basketball Association of America teams active 75 years later. Even the celebrated Lakers were not part of the league, they were born in 1948 in the City of Minneapolis a National Basketball League team. The actual date the NBA was born was August 3, 1949, as the BAA and NBL merged to become the NBA we recognize today. Despite this history fact all NBA team intend to sport a jersey in honor of the 75^th Anniversary. The Rockets are one of those franchises not yet born, in fact their birth can be traced as recently as 1967 in San Diego and not Houston. 

The Rockets were an NBA expansion team born in San Diego California, in 1971 the Rockets would move to Houston Texas. As for the Rockets throwback jersey instead of the Red, Black, Gray or White combo most Rocket and NBA fans are accustomed to seeing they will wear the 1967 jerseys, those jerseys were a Green and Gold combination. In other Rocket news this was a little surprising to me, for unknown reasons the Rockets never got around to retirement of Elvin Hayes number 44. That oversight will be completed in the 2022-23 NBA season. As for the jerseys I don’t have ownership of the photos so they cannot be provided in although they exist on several dot.com

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Renovation imminent

Lately any news related to arenas in Los Angeles has involved Intuit Dome future home of the Clippers. A brand-new building under construction would naturally be the focus however there are plans for a ‘new’ arena at 1111 S. Figueroa Street. The address belongs to Crypto.com Arena, home of the Lakers, NHL Kings, WNBA Sparks and other entertainment venues is receiving an upgrade. The arena first opened in 1999 as Staples Center will be renovated in three phases over the next two years.

The renovation is intended to be finished by 2024 the last season the arena serves as home for the Clippers. Prior to this account being published I viewed YouTube animation how the upgrade would look once it’s completed. In various areas detailed in the video the Lakers logo was quite visible, in other areas the logo of the NHL King was prominently displayed. Missing in the video was any reference to the Clippers. I guess that makes sense, Intuit Dome will be complete, the Clippers will no longer share the building with the other tenants the most well-known of course the Lakers.

Phase 1

Revamp of Chairman’s Club for courtside guests; new family room for players’ families; gutted and redesigned Impact Sports Bar & Grill, exclusive to season-ticket holders; new LED hustle boards (22 feet tall by 65 feet wide), as well as three new ribbon boards; completely renovated all three suite-level concourses; new VIP entrance; two new grad-and-go markets and two new concession stands on the main concourse; campus wide security upgrade; new event lighting system; begin work on replacing the arena’s roof; putting up final new Crypto.com signage.

Phase 2

Main concourse will be refreshed; roof replacement completed; new lights, ceilings, restrooms for clubs; top half of two-level tunnel club completed; expand Xbox Plaza (working with the city on permitting to permanently close off Chick Hearn Court).

Phase 3

Completion of the bottom half of the tunnel club, which claims space vacated by the Clippers’ departure; new main concourse suites; total redo of the tenant teams’ locker rooms, visiting teams; locker rooms, weight facilities, and performers’ dressing rooms; entire event level will be redone; Suite Level A-including the San Manuel Club, Lexus Club

Source AEG 

Thompson Twins   

Recently I was introduced to the Thompson Twins by a story in a dot com website. These basketball playing twins are from Ft. Lauderdale Florida and are named Amen and Asur Thompson. Both stand 6-foot 6-inch in height and weigh 200-pounds, they are shooting guards. The twins played basketball at Pine Crest High School a private institution in Ft. Lauderdale. As for their recent basketball past the duo bypassed their senior year of high school instead signing with Overtime Elite.

For those who might not be aware OTE allows athletes to begin play in the league, all are expected to graduate high school. A note for those reading this, I’ve expanded my list of mock draft sights and that’s what I find most interesting. The twins are listed as high draft picks in the first round of all 5 mock sites. Now for you (and me) hopefully these dot com sites are individually assessing athletes rather than copying off one another. In any event be on the alert for the Thompson twins to hear their names called in the 2023 NBA Draft.   

Starting at center for the Lakers……

If you check the ESPN NBA page and the Lakers depth chart you will see Anthony Davis listed as the starter at center. Yahoo Sports and CBS Sports.Com also have AD as the starting center, all these websites could be wrong by the end of training camp. Reason number one and in all honesty the only purpose, hatred…not aimed at an individual rather the position. AD has stated on more than one occasion he doesn’t like playing center but will do so if asked by the coach. It might be unnecessary for Darvin Ham to ask AD to play at the five because another occupant might become the starter.

Some matchups might see him at center however we could foresee 6-foot 11-inch Damian Jones occupying the position full time. Jones brings a dynamic to the team missing much of last season. He’s not much of an offensive threat except in the lob department, but one of the keys for Jones is his ability to shoot from three and play defense. This is the 21^st Century NBA where centers no matter their height are expected to have a distance game. Ham has indicated his desire for the offense to move through AD rather than LeBron. We must see how this works out, but it could be Jones rather than AD as the Laker starting center.

How do you avoid controversy…apparently not easy?

There is no effective method to avoid controversy anytime there is a big-ticket project under construction. That’s what entails in Philadelphia without a shovel full of dirt to be turnover. We mentioned 76 Place at Market East a few weeks ago, this is a project which will include an indoor arena in Center City Philadelphia. This 18,500-seat arena has a planned opening in 2031. Chase Center in San Francisco and the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles had their share of public issues which caused debate at the beginning of the projects. As for Philadelphia this is what we determined, the proposed location would be one block from Chinatown and a coalition of businesses and organizations are opposing the project.

The Sixers indicate they will meet with the organization to address the concerns voiced. From Wikipedia, ‘Some local residents criticized the plan as it would demolish a block of the Fashion District, which was one of the few local spots to hangout. Others believed that investors should have place more capital into poorer Philadelphia neighborhoods rather than Center City.’ I have no connection to Philadelphia so I can only attempt to report both sides of this issue. Do the Sixers need a new arena might be the first question? Wells Fargo Center opened in 1996 so the arena certainly is not old by any means. Perhaps the ultimate goal of the Sixers is to extricate themselves from a shared arena which is the case at present, I will attempt to follow this story as it continues to evolve.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Attention KU Nation

After reading this account consider this an opinion and not fact, it is not necessarily a projection of the future. Late winter or early spring Kansas City native and KU athlete Ochai Agbaji was projected to be drafted, Agbaji had moved from undrafted to a possible 2^nd round draft choice into the first round. June 23 the Cavs made him the 14^th pick in the first round of the 2022 draft. While I was pleased, he was drafted there was a concern almost immediately regarding the Cavs who chose him. The Cavs looked young and deep especially in the position Agbaji would be projected to play. This past Thursday my concern may have become even more difficult due to the trade. 

Agbaji was included in the huge Donovan Mitchell trade which sent him and others to the Jazz. I decided to check the Jazz depth chart on ESPN’s NBA page, and it doesn’t look good in fact it might look worse than Agbaji’s place with the Cavs. He’s listed as 4^th on the chart at the small forward position, he could be buried at the end of the Jazz bench. What does the NBA future hold for Agbaji might be the question. His NBA career could begin on a high note, he arrives with the Jazz and supplants a veteran in the lineup. The unfortunate part Agbaji’s got far too many veterans and especially young vets in front of him with the Jazz. This might be a case of the two’s, 1. being drafted by the wrong team and then 2. being traded to the wrong team, I hope I’m wrong on this.

Generational athlete

It seems lately we’ve heard the term ‘generational athlete’ used to describe an individual. Hundreds of thousands play the game…few are able to play at an exceptional level or an improved method. For me this is an athlete who changes the game in some aspect, let’s check out a few. If we look at his career numbers, you might question Kenny Sailors being included in this account. Sailors only averaged 12.6 points a game during his Basketball Association of America career, but it was the jump shot. Reading this today it would appear difficult to believe but in the 1940’s and earlier everyone shot the ball with both hands and with their feet firmly planted on the floor. How did Sailors originate the jump shot, it began in his youth playing against an older brother. The 5 foot 10 Sailors had difficulty shooting the ball over his brother who stood 6 foot 4.

Basketball players have probably blocked opposition shots since the beginning, nobody accomplished it in the manner of Bill Russell. His ability to accomplish this task began at the University of San Francisco and continued on to a Hall of Fame career with the Celtics. In 1964 the NBA widen the lane from 12 to 16 feet due to Wilton Norman Chamberlain. One publication even claims Chamberlain was responsible for ‘Offensive goaltending, defensive goaltending, free throw shooting and inbounding the basketball’ The impact of Lew Alcindor’s been mentioned previously. The 7-foot 2-inch athlete was so dominate when dunking the ball, it caused the NCAA to ban the shot for 10 season. This is but a brief look at four basketball players who changed the game. Keep in mind thousands of outstanding basketball players have impacted the game since 1891, rest assured it is highly likely I missed including some. Think on this a bit, who is included in your number?    

Who says you can’t go home?

Those of us in Mizzou Nation are familiar with the name Isiaih Mosley, he was a local having attended Rock Bridge High School. Rock Bridge located in Columbia Missouri home of the university. Former coach Cuonzo Martin and his coaching staff probably had a short drive anywhere to witness Mosley in action. For reasons which remain unclear at this writing rather than remain home and play for Mizzou he journeyed down the road to attend Missouri State in Springfield. Once Dennis Gates was hired as head coach things changed quickly. 

Coach Gates would travel the length and breadth of the state recruiting when first hired. Mosley would answer the call after rejecting an offer when he graduated high school. Mizzou will only have Mosely for one season since he arrives as a graduate transfer. The 6-foot 5-inch shooting guard put up good number while competing in the Missouri Valley Conference. Mosley’s overall numbers, nearly 21 points a game shooting 50% from the floor and 43% from the three line. Mizzou Nation is fully aware one of the key problems last season was lack of effective shooting-scoring the ball at time. It’s hoped Mosley can bring a scoring mentality to a Mizzou squad that was totally lacking offensive capability at times this past season.  

Sport of choice 

The announcer mentioned to the television audience the Royals pitcher on our television screen played college basketball. This athlete must have been forced to make a decision, ‘do I pursue a baseball or basketball career?’ In this time, it’s difficult to find athletes playing multiple sports in college, as for high school that’s a different matter. Yankee outfielder Aaron Judge and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes are outstanding athletes in their respective sports, both played three sports in high school. We don’t know about the basketball talent of Mahomes, but we do with Judge, he was a 17 point per game scorer in high school. Former All-Pro NFL player Antonio Gates had an outstanding career with the Chargers. The information is not clear however we know he played football in high school; at Kent State it was basketball only.

Despite this fact Gates would choose football although he went undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft. Probably the most amazing might be Dave Winfield the Baseball Hall of Fame athlete. Winfield holds a unique distinction, being drafted by teams in three sports. He played baseball and basketball at the University of Minnesota. In 1973 Winfield was drafted by the baseball Padres, the NBA Hawks the ABA Utah Stars, despite not playing football since high school the NFL Vikings also drafted Winfield. As mentioned previously Winfield is enshrined in the Hall of Fame, Aaron Judge and Patrick Mahomes remain active players. This is no statement indicating they will become Hall of Fame candidates but says they chose their best sport. Besides Judge and Mahomes there might be others who made the ‘correct sport of choice.’

Basketball from a fans perspective

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The Big Trade

At some point during the summer, we heard three names mentioned prominently in trades. Kyrie Irving was at the top of the list…he remains with the Nets at least for now. The second (or third) name mentioned was Russell Westbrook, despite all the talk he too remains with the Lakers at least for now. Next up we heard the name Donovan Mitchell Jazz shooting guard, just my view and it could be wrong. Since Danny Ainge’s taken over it appears he wants to remold this Jazz team in ‘his image.’ On Thursday he was able to consummate a trade involving Mitchell.

The Cavs must have wanted Mitchell badly giving away ‘half the franchise’ to obtain him. Check this out, the Jazz receive Lauri Markkanen, 2022 first Cavs draft pick Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three first round picks 2025, 2027, 2029 and two pick swaps 2026 and 2028. A few of the experts claim the Cavs will become immediate contenders for the Eastern Conference. Paint me in the corner of skeptical, they have acquired a talented player of ONE. The new look Cavs certainly are improved but it appears Mitchell is surrounded by a group of talented but young players. As for the Jazz they become an immediate contender to the Clippers for the Western Conference crown. 

Apparently, he’s no Dr. Jerry Buss!

Laker president Jeanie Buss made an interesting comment recently. We must return to the Shaquille O’Neal/Phil Jackson days with the Lakers. I had a different view of the trade over what Jeanie claims occurred, the decision to trade Shaq was made based on money over a Shaq-Kobe feud. The Laker owner claims her dad said he couldn’t afford to pay Shaq with the new collective bargaining agreement. He called Phil Jackson into his office and informed him of the decision. PJ was reported to have said, ‘You can’t trade him he’s the most dominant player in the NBA.’ Buss had an interesting retort, ‘I’m gonna trade him, but it won’t matter to me because you’re not coming back as coach either.’

If this is true as Jeanie claims this might be far from the Buss character John C. Reilly portrayed in the HBO series Winning Time to me. Trading Shaq still a force in the NBA and firing PJ at the same time clearly demonstrates to me Buss wasn’t hesitant in making a business decision. It should also be pointed out Shaq was 6 years older than Kobe and 32-years old. I was introduced to a term in marketing years ago, the law of diminishing returns. The book definition and not my words, ‘a principle stating that profits or benefits gained from something will represent a proportionally smaller gain as more money or energy is invested in it.’ This is thousands of miles down the road however it’s safe to suppose Dr. Buss was worried at the time about his investment.

Some will still be upset

Kyrie Irving and others will likely remain displeased with this latest act the NBA intends to implement. The NBA will require weekly tests for the unvaccinated in the upcoming season. Keep in mind the league is not stating players must be vaccinated in order to play but they will be assessed. Is this an infringement on their rights, you be the judge on this one however I see nothing out of order. Of course, the Canadian mandate remains in place, unless there is a change in policy covid vaccinations are required to enter the nation. So, Kyrie and others will be forced to miss Toronto road games in 2022-23. 

New team but perhaps a delayed start  

Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn left meniscus while playing for Italy in the FIBA World Cup Games. Although the 6 foot 10 Gallinari was expected to provide depth after signing a mid-level exception in July. First drafted by the Knicks in 2008 Gallinari has moved around the NBA but always putting up good numbers for whichever team he played. With today’s medical procedures athletes have returned from torn meniscus injury but there is always a question based on several factors.

That question caused me to seek out a medical study, this from Reuters news. ‘Recovery time from a meniscus tear depends on how extensive the injury is and whether it needs surgery, said Dr. Mark Drakos, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York ‘There are certain guys that have gotten back in a couple of weeks and there’s other people…that take more like three or four months,’ Drakos, who wasn’t involved in the new study, told Reuters Health. But he said that the findings were generally good news for both professional and recreational athletes who suffer a meniscus injury. “I would be encouraged in terms of the fact that a lot these guys return to play at a high level,’ Drakos said.’

 

Basketball from a fans perspective

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The head man   

Sam Presti is one of those NBA wunderkind given the fact he will turn 45 years of age in November. Presti’s been GM of the Sonics/Thunder since 2007 which makes him 30 years old when first hired.  Although he’s not been on the job quite as long as Presti Chiefs GM Brett Veach is cut out of the same cloth, both men are considered keen evaluators of talent. A friend mentioned the fact “At one time the Thunder had Harden, Westbrook and Durant on the same team.” For reasons far too numerous to report all now play for different teams, we might include Serge Ibaka making that trio a quartet. There have been other talented players over time acquired through the draft or trade that have appeared in a Thunder jersey.

Since the team’s arrival in Oklahoma City, they have registered a number of major wins culminating in a number of playoff runs.  In 2012 the Thunder lost in that season’s NBA finals to the Heat since that time they made the playoffs 7 of the next 8 seasons. The Thunder have never returned to the level allowing them to compete for a championship since that 2012 Thunder team. The failure of the Thunder to play good basketball over the last three seasons certainly could be laid at the feet of Presti however there is probably more to the story.  As for the future in OKC country it remains solid as Presti continues to add talent to the roster. We can look at stud point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has developed into, shooting guard Josh Giddey would appear to have future stardom written on his forehead. Did Presti do it again in drafting Chet Holmgren, that choice will remain an unknown for at least another year due to injury.

Save the Lakers

The latest effort by a dot com site to save the Lakers is really not workable for me. This site has the Lakers acquiring Klay Thompson of the Warriors, how do we suppose the Warriors are willing to “give” up on Thompson? The writer claims Jordan Poole’s services must be retained. The sharpshooting guard is on his rookie contract, the Warriors must pay him if they intend to retain his services. There are others besides Poole that are supposed to have forced Warriors management into this position.  

Thompson after missing all most two seasons had an impressive 32 game and playoff season in returning to the lineup. There is the age factor to consider, Thompson will be 33 years old before next season ends, he is certainly on the downhill side of his career. The other issue to consider is his now history of injury. Perhaps the writer of this proposed trade sees that beneficial in the Lakers acquiring Thompson. In closing I will state with the win now attitude of LeBron and Laker management maybe they make it work. For me the age plus injury factor must be given consideration before signing off on such a deal, I don’t want age addition I want age subtraction i.e., a younger team.

Best cross over all time

This is a matter of opinion, I happen to believe Allen Iverson a.k.a. The Answer had the best cross over ever. Tim Hardaway arrived in the NBA from Texas-El Paso in 1989, he might have brought a different dimension to the game. Hardaway took a “Killer Crossover” to the NBA, but he would be displaced and move into second place in 1996 when Iverson arrived from Georgetown University. Rather than continue to dialogue on the issue it might be much better to see Iverson in action. Check out the YouTube video below and see if you don’t agree with me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsv3qr33s8M

There is always more than one reason

Magic rookie Paolo Banchero was born and grew up in Seattle. An NBA theme website pointed this out and posed the question regarding Seattle in the NBA. Fan letters begin pouring in why the NBA left Seattle and guess what most letter writers were incorrect. There’s not just one reason the franchise is now located in Oklahoma City. It’s my contention Oklahoma City resident Clay Bennett intended to move the team from the very beginning. For those who contend there was an attendance issue regarding the Sonics that’s only partially true.

Bennett and company claimed Key Arena (now Climate Pledge) needed to be replaced, there was a search throughout the metro for a location to build another arena but that fell through. Whether it was the Bennett group or the city it’s unclear without delving into the past. What is most interesting the city reached an agreement with Bennett allowing the team to move earlier than plan. The conditions allowing the move are quite interesting, the name Sonics would not move with the team and all existing NBA team records would remain in Seattle. The Thunder records belong to Oklahoma City alone. This is as close to the series of events as can be detailed, naturally there are some elements omitted. The hope was to clear up some of the confusion that might have been caused by some.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Bits n Pieces   

We can’t be exactly sure however Tacko Fall’s short NBA career might be over. The 7-foot 6-inch Fall went undrafted in 2019 but spent time with the Celtics and most recently the Cavs over the last three seasons. It’s reported Fall’s signed a one-year contract with Xinjiang of the Chinese Basketball Association. Will this allow the gigantic Fall enough experience to return to the NBA? We don’t have the answer but will follow his progress as best possible. I happen to be a fan of the Big Man from Senegal; the key problem is change. If Fall had arrived in the NBA a generation ago there would likely be no question. With his height and a solid 311 pounds there’s no doubt in my mind Big Man Fall would be coached extensively.

Former Hall of Fame player Barry Sanders was one of the best running backs in NFL history. He retired from the Detroit Lions in 1999 at the age of 31 years, most believed he could have played at least two or three years more. For Sanders when he said it was over, he meant it was the end of his NFL career all spent with the Lions. Recently came news Nicholas Sanders had become a walk-on candidate for the Michigan State Spartans. Young Sanders approximates his father stature and weight at 5 foot 9 and 170 pounds. Why basketball over football is unknown, despite that fact here’s hoping he earns a role with the Spartans.

I must confess, I’ve never read the 13 original rules. At the time Dr. James Naismith “invented” basketball he laid out rules for the game. I love to say he invented the game because unlike most sports this one did not derive from something else…example. American baseball has its origins in cricket although some might argue this view. As for basketball the 13 rules were published in 1891 with implementation of the game. I just learned today dribbling was not the original method of moving the ball. The ball had to be passed forward player to player. “A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on the floor which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop. After two 15-minute halves and five minutes of rest, the team with more scores would win the game.” In addition to no dribbling evidently traveling didn’t exist either. Just that brief explanation says this is not the game I see today, LOL.

It's going to be published anyway

In many cases accounts in this blog can be written up to a week in advance. Naturally in some instances the information or event might change prior to publishing. Generally, the account is deleted and is never read by you. In the instance of this Russell Westbrook story, it will be published regardless. As this is written Westbrook remains on the Laker roster, it would appear the team heads into the season with him in place. What occurs going forward, how about this view…Westbrook comes off the bench as a reserve? It could materialize but the question would Westbrook be so upset he would demand a trade immediately?

Naturally, none of the questions can be answered as this is posed. If Westbrook is willing to accept this role its likely to make the Lakers a better team in my view. The mercurial point guard becomes the leader of the reserve unit, it’s my belief there would be less pressure on Westbrook to produce in this role. It appears at least that’s the report Darvin Ham’s desire is for Westbrook to shoot strictly from the corners. The shot in the corners is less distance to the basket than any other location on the court. I have no numbers but if the Lakers are making the suggestion, it would appear he’s better from 3-distance in the corners. Is this farfetched, a figment of my imagination believing this change might work. All this becomes null, and void should the Lakers be able to secure a trade for Westbrook. NOTE: Of course, this was written prior to the Patrick Beverley trade.

Is he the problem?

As they might say, take this as a grain of salt…it is pure speculation. Nets Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving complained about management specifically coach Steve Nash. Before I begin this account allow me to state up front Nash is headed to the Naismith Hall of Fame, that’s the good. The bad, at the time the Nets hired him many of us questioned, why hire a guy with zero coaching background? In 2014 the Nets hired Jason Kidd with no prior coaching history, we can say that was kind of a success. After finishing his first season with a 44-38 record Kidd quit after the Nets failed to advance in the playoffs.

So that’s our background, hire a guy with no prior coaching experience and the team was okay. This was probably the thought process of Nets management, if we hire Nash, he should be able to duplicate the effort of Kidd especially with an improved lineup. We say all the time, what we foresee on paper is not always the end result and that was the case here. Nets management had no idea a city covid mandate would sit Irving for the greater portion of the season. At the time Irving declared his desire to play somewhere else he named Nash as a culprit. We are weeks from training camp, and it appears both stars will remain in a Nets jersey so what occurs?

Emoni Bates update

We first read of Emoni Bates when he was a 16-year-old, now the story is quite different. Back then a scout wrote “If the NBA allows high school players to be drafted Emoni Bates will be the first in ages.” Two things occurred; the age 18-rule remains in effect in 2022 into 2023. College has been a roller-coaster for Bates, it’s been nowhere near what was expected. Bates struggles were quite evident this past season, that’s what caused him to transfer from Memphis to Eastern Michigan. The road to the NBA will be no easier once he’s back in his home state playing basketball in fact it might become even tougher. There are occasions I find stuff I’m not looking for and that is the case here.

My two primary mock sites list Bates name but certainly nowhere near you might believe. The primary sites I utilize (nbadraftroom.com & nbadraft.net) have Bates drafted but in the second round far from what we might have believed just a short time ago. We see him projected either the 44^th or 55^th prospect depending on which mock site is utilized. Besides money there is one other issue with being a second-round pick. That player might not be drafted at all, over the years we have seen a number of players miss being drafted. This all could change if Bates has a breakout year at Eastern Michigan. We shall see how this plays out in the 2022-23 college basketball season. Despite what might appear to be a negative account I still desire the youngster to earn high marks.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Where did the summer go?

What became of summer, one might ask the question for two reasons, pre-school to university level all are open again. Second to that we are roughly a month away from the first preseason game. Question, why does the NFL refer to their matches as exhibition games while the NBA denotes its games as “preseason?” That is your question of the day, in any event September 30 the defending champion Warriors will face the Wizards in Japan.

This becomes interesting for more than one reason, native son and Wizard forward Rui Hachimura should see action in the game. Half a world away the Clippers will have the Israeli National team Maccabi Ra’anana as an opponent, the game will be played in Seattle Washington. So, two noteworthy events, a Japanese born NBA player will suit up for a game in his native land. The NBA returning to Seattle once again even if it is only a preseason game, on October 3 the Clippers will return once again to the city where they will be matched against the Blazers.

“I don’t get no respect”

If you are a certain age, you might remember the late Rodney Dangerfield. Whenever you saw his standup comedy routine somewhere in the act you would hear him uttered the words “I don’t get no respect.” Fans, alumni and others could probably make the same statement about St. Louis Billikens men’s basketball. For an eternity it seems inside and outside the state anytime college basketball was mentioned Mizzou was in the forefront of the conversation. There are a myriad of reasons why this view existed and there will be no attempt to detail all. One reason might be a larger footprint, over time Mizzou’s competed in the Big 8, Big XII and the last few years in the SEC all Power 5 Conferences.

The Billikens are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference, prior to that it was the Missouri Valley so unfairly the school was tagged as a “Mid-Major” by some. Here we’ll pause a moment, it’s been my long-held contention just like cream rising to the top a team plays competitive basketball doesn’t matter if it’s a Power 5 Conference or Mid-Major. Another story exists which cannot be confirmed, its mentioned long-time Mizzou coach Norm Stewart refused to schedule SLU. For a time perhaps the basketball at Mizzou was better than SLU but that certainly begin changing 6 years ago or so. The school hired Travis Ford as head men’s basketball coach and this one-time Mizzou guard began to make changes. In 2019 St. Louis University earned an invitation to the NCAA Tournament however 2020 saw them sit at home despite the fact they eclipsed the record of the previous team.

The last two seasons we witnessed SLU being invited to the NIT, as for the 2022-23 season the Billikens are ranked in the Top 25 in most pre-season polls. If we look at just the non-conference schedules the Billikens will face more competitive teams than the Tigers which probably should be expected. Over the period Ford’s been at SLU the fortunes of Mizzou have gone up and down, with Mizzou having no continuous winning pattern. Where is Mizzou in the Top 25 you might ask, I can state with disappointment nowhere to be found which saddens this member of Mizzou Nation. Currently, at least through last season the best basketball in Missouri was being played at Chaifetz Arena on the campus of St. Louis University rather than Mizzou Arena in Columbia.

I’ve calmed down a bit

If you read the Friday edition of Off the Dribble you are aware this member of Laker Nation is not pleased with the latest move by my team. Members of Laker Nation have dealt with an unhealthy relationship with guard Russell Westbrook. The team compounds the issue and acquires “bulldog” Patrick Beverley. I’d mentioned the two players are clearly enemies so how does this work? Do the Lakers trade Westbrook and there is no further issue, on the other hand the Lakers could well keep him. Are Beverley and Westbrook on the floor at the same time, as for the bench we certainly cannot see them seated next to one another? The problem for most of us basketball especially the NBA is visually an “offensive” picture.

Fans whether in person or watching on television often miss elements of the defensive side of the game. We are told the Dennis Rodman’s and the Bruce Bowen’s are good defenders however often they are just names as the box score details little detail for us. This I remember from two years ago, while a member of the Clippers I remember a game that saw Beverley blocking a late shot attempt by LeBron James. Of course, Beverley wasn’t guarding LeBron all game long, I believe it might have been a switch which placed the 6 foot 1 Beverley on the 6-foot 9 LeBron attempting a corner shot. If LeBron sank the basket, it would have resulted in a Laker win. Reluctantly I am forced to admit Beverley brings a different dynamic to the Lakers one missing much of last season and that is lockdown defense.

Like the move or not I am forced to accept a trade I didn’t want however it wouldn’t be the first time. LeBron James arrived as a free agent however I didn’t want him on the team, I’ve accepted him now so maybe that might be Beverley…maybe. Some might remember an earlier piece, I said this. “I was appalled when the Lakers acquired Westbrook, then I said to myself maybe it will work. By the conclusion of the season, I’d seen enough.” In fairness to Westbrook to a degree he might have been forced into a corner. LeBron James missed a great deal of time and AD was practically missing in action for most of the second half of the season. Westbrook might have been forced to carry the offensive load of the team when that wasn’t the belief at the beginning of his time with the team. 

Devastating news

The Thursday afternoon news was drastic for Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren. The team announced the potential unicorn would miss the 2022-23 NBA season due to injury. He was playing in the CrawsOver Pro-Am event, at the time he suffered the injury Holmgren was defending LeBron James. The injury is described as a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, since I never attended medical school or heard of the injury I’m going to provide a definition for me and some of you.

“A Lisfranc injury isn’t life threatening but is still profoundly serious. Because the Lisfranc joint is so important to your ability to walk, run or move, breaking any of the bones in it-or injuring any of the ligaments and tendons supporting it-can have an enormous impact on your quality of life.” There you have it the medical description of the injury, can Holmgren return to NBA play? There is no doubt, the larger question will he look anywhere similar to the pre-unicorn we witnessed prior to the injury.

Fans of the Thunder are likely devastated with the news of the injury. All we have been reading and hearing the length of last basketball season Holmgren was too thin. For all who believe Holmgren’s thin frame caused the injury listen to the words of Sam Presti Thunder general manager on the injury. “It’s an acute injury, it’s an impact injury. It’s a figment of the alternate reality of the internet. But it's not reality. Other words, no his frame had nothing to do with it.”

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What to do…what to do

The Lakers pulled off a trade although it wasn’t the one most in Laker Nation (me included) believed would occur. Instead of Kyrie Irving arriving it would be Patrick Beverely. The Lakers acquired the 34-year-old defensive specialist in exchange for guard Talen Horton-Tucker and forward Stanley Johnson. I voiced my concern to a fellow member of Laker Nation. I expressed my belief Beverely can’t toss the ball in the ocean, I said they need scoring. He said, “Ya that’s right but if you can’t score you keep the other guy from scoring.”

Teams made inquiries about Horton-Tucker, but the Lakers always indicated they were not interested in trading him. As for Beverely he follows in the realm of Dennis Rodman and more recently Bruce Bowen. Rodman and Bowen were never expected to score but play tough hard-nose defense. Hopefully that will be the case for Beverely because this member of Laker Nation is not pleased. Despite my displeasure with the news, I am not turning in my Laker Nation card. As for Russell Westbrook he is more likely history with the Lakers now more than ever…how do I know? He and Beverely are adversaries, they have had more than a few difficulties while playing on opposing teams. I find it extremely difficult to believe they will sign a peace accord.

Bound for a pro career 

This is an introduction to one of the names recognized as an ascending basketball prospect, he's Matas Buzelis. He’s a 6-foot 10-inch shooting guard/small forward and the Rivals number 7 prospect in the Class of 2023. Buzelis has just begun his senior year at Sunrise Christian Academy in metro Wichita. As for home that’s Hillsdale Illinois a tiny populated village close to Moline Illinois/Davenport Iowa. As for the future Buzelis signed with G-League Elite and will begin a pro career in the fall of 2023. Due to his spindly frame, he’s been nicknamed the Praying Mantis, in any event check out the video of Buzelis in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1KPlQGMH9I

I’m a dinosaur, I’m willing to admit

On more than one occasion I’ve stated my difficulty with accepting much of which is disguised as “sports news” today. Try as I might the majority of times it’s simply ignored, then at a point it becomes overwhelming. Every time I promise myself “I’m not going to pay attention to what they say or do that next thing pops up.” Once again, we are discussing Skip Bayless Fox Sports and Stephen A. Smith ESNP. If you’ve viewed or read the words of Fox Sports Skip Bayless, you are aware he’s got a hate thing for LeBron James. He made a positive statement recently about LeBron at the expense of son Bronny James. Video (you might have seen it) was circulating on young Bronny dunking the ball on a break. This from Bayless; “Your dad would have done it better he would have used his left hand.” My first thought “This is a 17-year-old kid, there are many his age committing crime and mayhem.

Bayless decides to point out the Bronny dunk was with the right hand over his left, does that really matter in the Big Picture? Taking this matter one step further, hey Skip answer this for us. Could you dunk with either hand as 17-year-old, better yet have you ever dunked a basketball? You, Skip are a pathetic individual, there I said it. This doesn’t end here, wait there is more…Mr. Smith. Stephen A. decides to weigh in on an issue and this is the quote. “I’m hearing Jonathan Kuminga is shortchanging the Warriors, he lacks discipline.” The statement made by Smith might be correct but how do we know if its true? Is there anybody besides the Warriors coaching staff to provide us with a “He’s right?” We, know for a fact Kevin Durant despises Smith based on many of the comments he’s made about Durant over the years. Okay folks, Bayless and Smith have the right to say and write whatever they wish however oftentimes its more opinion over actual fact. Oftentimes there is no proof, “my sources” are not proof to me. Social media sports much in evidence in today’s climate is just not for me.

My dad can beat up your dad!

This is a story of two little boys in disagreement one says to the other the “My dad can beat up your dad!” A farfetched story, one little boy represents American basketball and the other Euro basketball, is this really that important or is the Euro League better than the NBA? Once upon a time I viewed Euro basketball as higher level than Division I but not on the same level of the NBA. There is a different view shared by former NBA player Mario Herzonja. He’s gone on record indicating his belief Euro League is much tougher. He said, “No offense to LeBron, but a guy like Luka Doncic is so much harder to defend---and we have 8 Luka’s here in Europe. The skill level is so much higher here.”

I believe Mario is correct but so am I, allow a brief explanation for my statement. At one time I believe Euro players did not play at the same skill level of American players, the gap has narrowed over the past several years. I can truthfully admit there are portions of the game played in the United States that are not as good as in the past. Europe has sent a number of very talented players into the NBA over the years, but I do have one question for Mario. When was the last time an NBA Olympic team from the U.S. failed to win a gold medal? I’ll provide the information for Mario and you, Latin America Argentina won gold in 2004 and in 1988 it was the former Soviet Union. This is not a fight I wish to have but just saying it as Mario states is offering us no proof his view is correct.

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Drama versus Docudrama

You might remember late spring or early summer I trashed “Winning Time: the rise of the Lakers dynasty.” Not only was it me but several former players and members of the Lakers staff took issue with the HBO program. Jerry West went so far as to sue the producers of the creation. Magic Johnson one of those we heard complain about Winning Time announced there would be a forthcoming television production giving us “his side” of the Showtime era. It’s here, the anti-Winning Time drama would be titled “Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers,” it would be available on the streaming service Hulu. In early August Hulu presented Legacy, so far, I haven’t seen the firestorm the earlier production created.

I don’t subscribe to Hulu so I was forced to delay my viewing until I could see it at a friend’s home. I was able to see the first two episodes and found it so much more refreshing the Winning Time. Former Laker players were interviewed, members of the Buss family, Laker staff and even Paul Westhead who was fired as Laker coach. My thought after seeing the first two episodes how interesting listening to them describe Dr. Buss and hear Magic discuss his relationship to the late Dr. Buss. My conclusion, Legacy is much superior to Winning Time. The Legacy docudrama is in a different realm from the Winning Time drama and the reason is obvious. In one instance we have a writer taking liberty with the history versus the history discussed by the participant(s).

Bits n Pieces 

The league will kick off its 75^th Anniversary season on October 18. In action that evening will be the Sixers visiting the Celtics, game time is 6:30 p.m. Central. The nightcap has the defending champion Warriors serving as host for the Lakers, start time for the late game is 9:00 p.m. Central. 

You read or heard the story on television or in print, since his death Bill Russell’s number has been retired. In my account I noted several players currently wear the number. A story on ESPN’s NBA page features a photo of the Bulls Alex Caruso (6) guarding Laker LeBron James (6), you are aware players currently wearing that number will be “grandfathered.” As for the future this is what occurs, once a player retires, or should he change teams the number can no longer be issued. The only reason this is being written is prompted by the headline story on the sites NBA page, it’s titled “Who will be the last player to wear number 6?” My question to you is this really that important in the big picture of NBA events?

Udonis Haslem of the Heat will soon join some pretty exclusive company. The 42-year-old power forward signed a one-year contract and will complete 20 years as a member of the Heat. There have been only two other players with 20 years with the same franchise, they are Kobe Bryant Lakers and Dirk Nowitzki Mavs. Just in case you might have wondered I did some quick research; Vince Carter likely holds the record. He played in the NBA 22 years, of course all of years were not spent with the same team. Carter played for 8 NBA in his time. Robert Parrish, Kevin Willis, and Kevin Garnett all played 21 years but like Carter they appeared in more than one teams jersey.

Our focus has been on son Bronny James for a number of reasons. First off Bronny is the oldest offspring of LeBron and Savannah James and two he’s headed off to college graduating in the Class of 2023. We should also pay attention to “little” brother Bryce, he’s only little in age not size. He is reported to stand 6 foot 6 in height a full 3 inches taller than Bronny. In any event the 15-year-old Bryce received his first scholarship offer and it’s from Duquesne University.   

You can’t do that!

LeBron James is wrong, so too is Shaquille O’Neal and we can include the late Kobe Bryant. In all three instances the players named gave themselves nicknames. The unwritten rule for nicknames claims you cannot give yourself one, it must be given to you by someone. LeBron became The King, Shaq anointed himself Superman and Kobe became The Black Mamba. To my knowledge in all three instances the players provided us the name and we just followed suit. Nothing like some of the names of the past, there was Big Shot Rob. That was a reference to Robert Horry who always seemed to hit crucial and winning shots. Earlier there was Big Game James Worthy, the speedy Worthy almost always rose to the occasion when the game was on the line or in doubt. Vinnie Johnson’s role was like that of Horry, he would come off the Pistons bench providing instant offense hence Microwave became his call sign. 

His birth name was Ervin, when a Lansing writer saw his skill on the court with a basketball hung Magic on him, from that point on his name simply became Magic. If I were a wagering person, I suppose many might believe Magic is actually the name on his birth certificate. Wilt Chamberlain was The Dipper or Wilt the Stilt, Julius Erving became The Doctor because it was said, “Watch how he operates” on the basketball court. Gary Payton’s propensity for defense cause him to be nicknamed The Glove, we suppose Hakeem Olajuwon became The Dream because it rhymed with his first name. We had Pete Maravich who was tagged Pistol Pete due to his prolific shooting from the floor. There were others, Allen Iverson given the nickname The Answer and George “Ice Man” Gervin because shooting the basketball Gervin was cold as ice shooting the ball under pressure. It appears as we move further into the 21^st Century nicknames like dinosaurs have become a thing of the past, it seems fewer and fewer players and the media have concluded an athlete needs a nickname. 

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Load management plus injuries

On Sunday I wrote of the NBA west and the outlook for the upcoming season. A YouTube account caught my eye recently and I believe it’s worth a few words so here goes. Skip Bayless said the Clippers were disrespected not being including in the Christmas NBA schedule. I then listened to the words of his co-host Shannon Sharpe, he said Kawhi Leonard hasn’t played ____ number of games since his NBA Championship season with the Raptors. I left the number blank because I don’t remember the count, this required a lookup to determine the total. With the Spurs, Raptors and Clippers Leonard’s not come close to playing a full season in 10 years of NBA play.

As for Sharpe I must provide a correction to a portion of his statement. The record indicates Leonard played 74 games with the Spurs in the 2016-17 season, as for the championship season with the Raptors he played 60 games that season. Leonard’s two seasons with the Clippers are 57 and 52 games, do you see a pattern here? I have no hidden agenda I’m simply pointing out what Sharpe mentioned and what is a recurrence. It’s my contention the Clippers only go so far without Leonard in the lineup. Paul George is certainly a talent but he’s not on the same level. I’m quite sure some of you especially those in Clipper Nation will see this as a “Hate Leonard” story. That is not the case I’m simply reporting on his past history, hopefully his season is complete culminating in an NBA Championship.

The non-conference schedule is out

Mizzou released the non-conference portion of the 2022-23 schedule, this is not in order of dates just an account. The first game Dennis Gates coaches will be against Ivy League Penn, and it’s scheduled Friday November 11 in Columbia. Mizzou will play Wichita State at Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas at home and UCF in Sunrise Florida. The Annual Braggin’ Rights Game against Illinois will be played in St. Louis at the Enterprise Center, this one is scheduled for Thursday December 22.

Also on Mizzou’s schedule is Iowa State, Coastal Carolina and SIEU. For the first time in memory Mizzou will face an HBCU school other than in NCAA Tournament play. Mississippi Valley State will be the opponent in Columbia on Sunday November 20. SEC conference play will be released later, this last bit of information by ESPN tourney Guru Joe Lunardi shocked me out of my seat. Lunardi places Mizzou as an early bubble team to earn a berth in the tournament, keep in mind this means absolutely nothing, but it is interesting, nonetheless.  

What do you think?

My view is probably different than most on this subject. We are discussing those who made it in the NBA versus those who are simply titled a bust. Allow a brief explanation and two teams, the Blazers and the Cavs. LaRue Martin is 72-years old now, in 1972 the Blazers made him the first pick in that year’s draft. You might remember reading about him in this blog earlier, in any case it was a different era regarding scouting back then. In spite of scouting Martin try as he did, he was just unable to adjust to NBA play. Instead of Martin the Blazers could have chosen Bob McAdoo, Paul Westphal or a guy by the name of Julius Erving all enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. The 1975-76 season would be his last in the NBA, he failed at the NBA level however we can say his life outside of basketball has been successful.

The saga of Greg Oden’s been documented in the recent past, in 2007 with all the hype surrounding his play at Ohio State the Blazers made him the number one pick in that year’s draft. Unlike Martin years earlier who failed to adjust his play it appeared Oden had the tools…injuries impacted his career to the extent he left the NBA after 2016. There is one more team for us to check, the Cavs of Cleveland along with DaJuan Wagner and Anthony Bennett. Believe it or not Wagner once scored 100 points in a high school game. At Memphis playing for John Calipari Wagner would score over 20 points a game and his coach believed he was ready for the NBA. His rookie year with the Cavs Wagner managed to score a modest 13 points a game and though his shooting percentage was low (37%) he was on the road to NBA success.

The next two years would witness Wagner struggle with injuries and lucrative colitis which eventually caused him to have half his colon removed. Wagner would miss the next season attempted a comeback with the Warriors but never returned to form. In 2013 Anthony Bennett was the heir apparent next NBA star while playing at UNLV. Bennett was made the number one NBA pick in 2013 by the Cavs but that was the high point. He averaged 4 points 3 rebounds in 13 minutes a game play that season. After a couple of NBA stops, Bennett has continued play in Europe. In closing we’ve detailed four players two for the Blazers and two for the Cavs. Not a single player is a bust, we all have value it’s just a fact. A number of athletes fail to generate an NBA career due to talent while injuries impact the potential capability of several others. There are other teams containing similar scenarios our examination was the Blazers and Cavs only. 

Don’t believe everything you read

The headline doesn’t apply to what you might read here. Just joking, try as I might on occasion stories have been published in Off the Dribble containing incorrect information. This is a partial correction to an earlier interpretation regarding Bronny James, the son of LeBron is receiving offers to play in college. The latest is reported to be from Penny Hardaway and his Memphis team. 

Earlier there were two HBCU schools, North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central with proposals for the 4-star athlete. Also offering a scholarship for the 6-foot 3 190-pound combo guard is Oregon, Ohio State and Southern Cal. If I discover the error(s) I will do my best to correct it (or them) and not “bury” the correction. It will be interesting to discover what school Bronny decides to attend. Oregon is reported to be in the lead for his services however I believe there is an outside chance the youngster heads for Memphis, stay updated on this one.