Basketball from a fans perspective

“The greatest sin a coach can commit is to allow kids to slide by.” 

Hubie Brown

He’s a Nonagenarian

Reading the headline you are probably asking yourself, “What the heck is a nonagenarian?” From the dictionary, “A person between the ages of 90-99 is a nonagenarian.” Who is that old connected to basketball, that would be Hubert Blake better known as Hubie.  How long has Brown been behind the mic, I can say since the days NBA basketball was broadcast on the USA Network (1979-80 through 1983-84). Brown is not just a voice he’s been on the front line as an assistant coach along with several stops as an NBA head coach.

Brown’s been selected NBA Coach of the Year twice in 1978 and the most recent year 2004. At the time the ABA was in existence his Kentucky Colonels won the 1975 ABA Championship. It should also be noted he’s been a double honoree having been enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. As for nonagenarian attached to his name Brown turned 90 years of age September 25. Who says you must retire once you reach a certain age, I say that's foolish. As long as you are mentally and physically able you should never cease performing a task you love. That’s got to be the case for Brown, he's had a longtime love affair with basketball.

I expected this

Mizzou failed its first tough test of the year losing to Memphis last Friday. I expected a win against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Monday and I got what I expected. The final score read Mizzou 68 SIEU 50. The two players coach Gates expects to lead the team did just that. Guard Sean East II led the Tigers in scoring with 20 points, forward Noah Carter had 15 points and 10 rebounds. They managed to hold the Cougars to 28.6% from the floor (26.7% from three).

The Tigers outrebounded the Cougars although not by much as I’d like. I believe Gates is facing the same dilemma as most coaches this time of the year. He’s trying to determine his starters and his rotational players. Another test occurs on Thursday as the Tigers face the Golden Gophers of Minnesota at their place. In other connected news Jayden Quaintance committed on Tuesday, his team of choice the Kentucky Wildcats. You might remember I projected him to commit to Mizzou but after Mizzou succeeded in attracting two 7-foot prospects I thought the 6 foot 10 Quaintance might be headed elsewhere.

Really

I follow the news story by reading the thoughts of fans, most times the outlook provided is insightful and on occasion a point I hadn’t considered. On the other hand I read many that scream loudly “Really.” Recently a website quoted commissioner Silver on NBA expansion, one of the city’s mentioned was Montreal Canada. Naturally a story of this type is going to produce a plethora of responses from NBA fans. I didn’t read all the emails but one in particular stood out to me. This writer was suggesting contraction rather than expansion, “There is no need for two teams in LA or NY, the Clippers and Nets should move.” My first thought, are you going to drive the moving van?

The Clippers will open a $1.8 billion arena (Intuit Dome) next season. On the east coast we find the Barclays Center opening in 2012, construction cost were slightly under that of the Intuit Dome. The greater Los Angeles metro contains a population of 18.5 million folks. The overwhelming majority who might attend games are Laker fans however a considerable portion of the population could become Clipper fans one day. The borough of Brooklyn contains 2.6 million citizens, the greater NYC population is comprised of 18.9 million. I wonder sometimes if the respondents offering commentary are really serious. Anytime I read letters of the type just described I have serious questions, was the writer attempting humor or did he just fire it off without considering the issues detailed here.

It's a beauty contest

Gee thanks Kentucky, you bumped my Tigers out of second place. Mizzou was projected by 247Sports to be the number two team in the nation recruiting the Class of 2024, that’s changed now. The Tuesday commitment of Jayden Quaintance by Kentucky moved Mizzou down a level to the number three slot.  Just in case you wondered about the others here is the Top 10. This is only a beauty contest because it doesn’t mean beans until the prospects provide us proof they can play at the collegiate level.

  

  1.Duke

  2.Kentucky

  3.Mizzou

  4.North Carolina

  5.Kansas

  6.Arizona

  7.Miami

  8.Michigan State

  9.Rutgers

10.Purdue

 

Courtesy 247Sports

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Neither criticism nor praise should be highly regarded” 

Tex Winter 

Still funny all these years later

The late Marvin “Bad News” Barnes was an outstanding player in the ABA. He was a power forward before the name came into practical use by most in the media. As for the nickname it was given to him based on the numerous off-court problems he experienced over the years. As for his basketball this story continues to circulate since the middle 1970’s. Either the time zone issue was never explained to Barnes or worst yet he just wasn’t too smart.

His Spirits of St. Louis team played the Kentucky Colonels in Louisville, the city is located in the Eastern Time Zone while St. Louis is Central Time. The story goes Barnes looked at his airline ticket and discovered he was leaving Louisville at 8:00 p.m. but would be landing in St. Louis at 7:57 p.m. After checking the information these were reported to be his words, “I ain’t getting on no time machine.” It’s stated he rented an automobile in Louisville and returned to St. Louis in that manner. Do we have any idea if the story is true, not really but it's continued to circulate all these many years later. 

Your status

I’ve mentioned this previously, we live in the age of social media. With that said anyone described as a celebrity can voice an opinion and there is a rush to place a mic in front of them. Before I comment allow me to say I’m no fan of Lil Wayne, I am aware he’s a rapper but that’s about all. Oh one other point, he claims to be a Laker fan, welcome to Laker Nation if you are a devoted member. Now for the boo part of this discussion, Lil Wayne had decided the Lakers need to trade Anthony Davis. My first question, did Rob Pelinka resign or was he fired?

I once saw an interview with the late Jerry Buss, the originator of Showtime indicated he not the GM or anyone else made a trade. He never named the player but laughed and said that was the last trade he made and he’d never do it again. Did daughter Jeanie Buss make a decision on AD? I might say I have been disappointed in the health of AD, I’m sure he is not intentionally on the sidelines but it seems he can’t stay healthy. Despite this fact at least for now I have no desire to trade AD for anybody, the chief reason I can’t. I have no authority to arrange a trade, guess what neither does Lil Wayne? It’s nice he’s that passionate but it doesn’t mean anything especially since he’s in no position to affect change. The difference in the two of us, he’s got a great deal more money than me but I’m better looking.

I’m sure Laker Nation would have desired a much smoother start of the season, the Sunday win over the Blazers left them with a 5-win 5 loss season. I guess we can consider the fact this could be duplicate of last season. You remember don’t you, I do after 10 games the Lakers had but 2 wins while losing 8 times. It’s clear Darvin Ham is still tinkering with the lineup, barring injuries I’m looking at the next 10 games to determine what the future (considering key injuries) might hold for the Lakers. I still believe they are a playoff team beyond that no one really knows.

Louisville basketball

The University of Kentucky has played competitive basketball since 1911…a long, long time. They might be the only school with an NAIA and NCAA Championship on their resume. They won the NAIA Championship in 1948 beating Indiana State of course both schools now play a Division I schedule. In 1980, 1986 and 2013 Louisville won NCAA Championships although 2013 was later made invalid due to past improprieties. Louisville holds unique status in one area in particular their schedule. Louisville begin to rival that other state school Kentucky and that’s where the problem might have begun. The two schools faced one another in the past but beginning in 1959 all that stopped. It was believed the legendary Adolph Rupp (1930-1972) refused to schedule the cross-state rival during the last few years he served as head coach.

Every season especially after the arrival of Denny Crum at Louisville in 1971 elements within the state wanted the schools to play one another. Once Rupp retired the schedule did not change immediately. The narrative goes the state legislature “forced” Kentucky to play Louisville. For historical purposes it should be pointed out the schools never competed in the same conference. A single event was responsible for the two to set up a schedule to play. A Kentucky legislator threaten to withhold state funds from Kentucky if they continued a refusal to play Louisville. Beginning in 1983 the two schools less than 100 road miles apart now schedule a home and home series at the start of every college basketball season. This year’s game is set for December 21 at Louisville.

Was the NBA a possibility?

The late Bob Gibson was among the best pitchers of his era, of course he’s been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. There are numerous other honors accorded this flamethrowing right hander. Gibson was the NL MVP in 1968, he was twice the NL Cy Young winner and twice World Series MVP. Those are just a few of the honors Gipson won during his distinguished baseball career. Despite youth health issues he would go on to compete in baseball and basketball in high school.

Gibson was Nebraska All State in basketball and would attend Creighton University on a basketball scholarship. It’s difficult to look back at that time but evidently he must have been good, its reported the 6 foot 2 Gipson averaged 22 points a game and he was named a third team Jesuit All American. Later he played basketball for the Globetrotters for one season but gave it up due to travel and the double-headers. Could Gipson have played in the 1957 NBA, I don’t have the answer however that question will forever remain unanswered. Based on Gipson’s baseball record we might say basketballs loss enhanced the Cardinals and major league baseball.

Basketball from a fans perspective

“The best competition I have is against myself, to become better.” 

John Wooden

They won didn’t they

When I checked the Sunday schedule I noticed the Clippers were slated to play the Grizzlies. The Ja Morant suspension has really hurt the Grizzlies plus there might be other issues. In any event they begin the season with 1 win and 8 losses to date. As you are aware the Clippers have played just as bad since acquiring James Harden. Surely the Clippers had a winnable game on the Sunday schedule but on the other hand maybe not. It turned out I was WRONG…the Grizzlies now have 2 wins after beating the Clippers Sunday afternoon 105-101.

After playing competitive basketball at the beginning of the season since “I am the system” arrived this becomes the number 4 loss in a row. This Clipper team has an All-Star lineup at 4 of the 5 positions yet cannot get its act together. Yes, I’m taking shots at Harden but the problem might be greater than him alone.  Since 2019 NBA specialists have claimed the Clippers are the most talented team in the NBA. We continue to hear this story cycled over and over. We read and hear what a great X and O guy Tyronn Lue is, has the team tuned him out? I don’t have an answer I’m looking at this potential All Star team struggle on the court. In closing Harden claims he needs 10 games to determine where he stands wih the Clippers. What's interesting the Sixers didn't need any games to adjust without Harden in the lineup, they are in first place in the Eastern Conference. 

What the heck is a territorial pick

I came across a bit of NBA history and thought it was worthy of sharing. As the BAA and NBL merged the two former leagues set up what is referred to as a territorial draft pick. The 1949 season there were two the first year of the combined league. Ed Macauley was chosen by the St. Louis Bombers and Vern Mikkelsen by the Minneapolis Lakers. Macauley played one season for the Bombers, he made an NBA name for himself after his trade to the Celtics. As for the territorial pick the NBA was attempting to build a fan base, the thought was drafting a “local” player would increase attendance. A team would forfeit its first-round draft pick and then select any player within a 50-mile radius of its arena.

Wilt Chamberlain played his college basketball at the University of Kansas but was a territorial pick in 1959 in the NBA, Chamberlain’s hometown, Philadelphia. In 1960 the Cincinnati Royals made Oscar Robertson a territorial pick after his play at the University of Cincinnati. 1965 was the last year the territorial draft was in place the Knicks drafted Bill Bradley from Princeton, depending on the direction one might drive the university is 50, 52.8 or 56 miles from Madison Square Garden at or exceeding the distance limit. In 1966 the draft was restructured and the territorial pick was eliminated, 1965 was the last year of its existence. It should be noted that of the 23 territorial picks 12 of them are now in the Naismith Hall of Fame, there were also four Rookies of the Year from these territorial picks.

1961 College basketball scandal

The collegiate game’s been impacted by several gambling scandals in the past. I am going to look at the one occurring in 1961, despite the negatives two former players implicated are now in the Naismith Hall of Fame. There are far too many moving parts to detail the entire series of events, my plan is to highlight major events and individuals. The chief culprit was a known gambling figure Jack Molinas, there were also organized crime individuals involved in the scandal too. Most interesting was the fact Molinas participated in the 1951 scandal but that will be covered in another installment.

According to information I could locate there were “37 arrests of students in 22 colleges.” It was unclear if all 37 of the individuals arrested were basketball players, despite that fact being unclear let’s explore some of the names we might be familiar with. Connie Hawkins enrolled at Iowa was named, in addition Roger Brown who was playing for Dayton. Tony Jackson St. John’s and Doug Moe who played at North Carolina were also participants. I can only provide you evidence based on what the history says so here goes. Hawkins borrowed $200 ($2000 in today’s money), the $200 was paid back by Hawkins brother prior to the gambling story breaking. As far as I can determine Brown took no money but was acquainted with Molinas. There is no indication of money involving Jackson, as for Moe he received $75 but refused to point shave. A story this huge it’s difficult to provide all the details however I’ve come to one conclusion…it wouldn’t occur in 2023 for several reasons.

The gambling, of course folks have been during that since the beginning of time. I’m unsure of the ability to involve the athlete in this type of endeavor. Number one, I believe these players were “railroaded” by law enforcement probably with little legal representation. And the second reason, NIL exists today, all athletes are not impacted by it but a substantial portion might already be received financial restitution. The 1951 scandal will be covered in the future, as for the Naismith Hall of Fame. We find the names of Connie Hawkins and Roger Brown (posthumous) being enshrined.

Steph

LeBron James has received a large amount of accolades in year 21 considering his age (38) and the fact he is still competitive, by the way he turns 39 in December. Diminutive guard Steph Curry isn’t close to the number of years played as LeBron however he too is having an outstanding season thus far. Curry will have birthday number 36 next March. As for the numbers this is written on November 11, he’s averaging 30 points a game while shooting 51.2% from the floor, also a sizzling 47.3% from the three line. I wonder what the thought was on Curry by most GM’s in 2009 when he was drafted.

I hope those connected with Davidson University realize this is not intended to appear negative. Unlike Duke, Kentucky or Carolina the school hasn’t produced a wealth of NBA talent over the years. We might find those who disagree with this next statement, I think Curry’s got to have one of the quickest releases in NBA history, not only is his release quick it’s just as accurate as well. I’m sure I mentioned the game I saw recently, he took a distance shot and was retreating back to the other end assured he would sink the basket. You know that old adage they teach us about following our shot to be prepared to rebound the miss. As I pointed out Curry’s accuracy almost guarantees there is no requirement to follow his shot. Steph Curry, one of the best shooters in NBA history.

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory” 

Bill Russell

You win or lose

If you are a fan of the in-season tournament so be it, I’m not. NBA teams either win or lose a game once the ball is tossed in the air. Okay now that’s out of the way I’ll move on to “The Don” and his crew’s destruction of the Clippers. The Mavs were at home but managed to hang 144 points on the Clippers which for me was shocking. Luka posted game totals of 44 points while Kyrie Irving scored 27. If we check out the individual point totals the Clippers were able to score the ball, the problem was their “matador” defense, a 144-126 loss indicates they played little if any defense at points during the game.

The Clippers surrendered a stunning 77 points in the first half of the game. Whether it’s a coach decision or an individual someone’s got to sacrifice, who takes on a reserve role for these Clippers? If you think I’m being too critical of them that is not the case, I’ve heard them and so have you. Analyst after analyst some of them former NBA players have made similar statements. I mentioned this the other day but will repeat it, It’s likely Kawhi Leonard is Naismith Hall of Fame bound and so is Russell Westbrook. James Hardin is a possibility and Paul George has an outside chance. This Clipper team has roughly two weeks from this date to get their act together otherwise its going to be a long, long season. I make that statement remembering the stretch run made by the Lakers last season to gain a playoff spot.

Who qualifies

I’ve always believed an athlete enshrined in the hall of fame must have distinguished themselves during their college or NBA career. There are a number of athletes who lay claim to that early in their college or NBA career. They are named Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. These and a host of others have been enshrined however the game continues to be played. Are there so called second and third generation players worthy to be enshrined…of course there are. They are named Dirk, LeBron and Giannis and other names I might have omitted.

There are athletes, good ones who I believe lie on the periphery, they were genuine stars no argument from me. The larger question is are they worthy of enshrinement in the Naismith Hall of Fame? Who are they, GIMMESPORT provides us a list of names and none I take no issue with. They were very good players during the time period they played. The question is are they Naismith Hall of Fame worthy, well that causes me a slight degree of hesitation. Rather than go further allow me to provide you the names they listed, some might be unfamiliar to you. Google their names for reference and make your own determination.

Tom Chambers

Horace Grant

Shawn Marion

Mark Aguirre

Shawn Kemp

Ron Artest

Robert Horry

Chauncey Billups

Glen Rice

Rasheed Wallace

“The Louisville Lip”

Early in the boxing career of the late Muhammed Ali he was given the nickname, “The Louisville Lip.” Ali was from Louisville Kentucky and also talked a great deal of smack. Although he did plenty of talking he usually backed the talk up with action. In the Hall of Fame career of Joe Nameth there is probably only one instance of braggadocious recorded, he personally guaranteed his Jets team would beat the Colts in the Super Bowl which they accomplished. I guess it’s okay to talk a great deal when you are able to back it up. Since he left the Chiefs former WR Tyreek Hill has certainly been quite vocal. He’s irritated a few fans in Kansas City but he continues to excel at his craft.

As for Dillon Brooks that’s been another matter, you might remember last spring as a member of the Grizzlies he talked incessantly what he was going to do guarding LeBron James in their playoff series. This is written Wednesday afternoon prior to the Lakers evening game against the Rockets. Brooks is now a member of the Rockets but nothing’s changed, he still continues to pontificate on what he’s going to do to LeBron. His act has gotten a little old and stale for my taste. I don’t know who wins the game as this is written but it’s not Brooks in my view. LeBron is headed for a Hall of Fame induction as soon as he’s eligible. On the other hand maybe he’s one of those guys that must have something or someone in front of him to motivate play.

He was there  

Erick Spoelstra Heat head coach was there, he was the point guard for the Portland Pilots the opposition that afternoon. Spoelstra reflected on seeing the death of power forward Hank Gathers March 4, 1990, because it occurred on the basketball court. Although the medical history is different I’m reading Bronny James wants to play this season for USC. As for Gathers he stood 6 foot 7 and 210 pounds but he played much bigger than his size might indicate. Loyola Marymount ran a high-powered run n gun offense with Gathers and guard Bo Kimble the leaders.

1. “He was an unbelievable physical specimen.” Spoelstra remarked. “He was Amar’e Stoudemire before there was an Amar’e Stoudemire.” Gaithers was found to have an abnormal heartbeat and was prescribed medication. Because he claimed the medication affected his play its believed Gaithers didn’t take his medicine on game days. Gaithers collapsed on the court and despite efforts to save his life he died early Sunday evening in the hospital. An autopsy later revealed Gaithers suffered in lay terms a heart-muscle disorder. There are two other deaths attributed to the heart, Pete Maravich in 1988 and later Reggie Lewis in 1993.

1.Basketball Network

Basketball from a fans perspective

“A little man must prove he can play, a Big Man must prove he can’t” 

Unknown   

There are two halves

The final score read Memphis 70 Mizzou 55, of course you have long been aware there are two halves to a basketball game. Unfortunately, Mizzou failed to realize it was required they play as well in the second half. Mizzou raced out to a 14-point lead at times but the other Tigers managed to reduce that to a 33-22 lead at the half. The second portion of this game belonged to Memphis as Mizzou failed to exit the locker room.

They were out on the floor however Mizzou disappeared shooting 32% from the floor and 21% from three. Mizzou managed to outshoot Memphis from the free-throw line that was about it, every other stat saw Memphis exceed Mizzou. Despite the embarrassing loss I’m really okay, allow me to explain. Last season the basically light schedule allowed Mizzou to established footing under a new coach. This loss to Memphis is good in the sense it will prepare Mizzou for the SEC dogfight.

An addendum

The other day I covered the increasing number of international players in the NBA. In addition at least one podcaster is predicting “doom and gloom” as in his opinion Euro players take over. I expressed my belief the influx of Euro athletes is no concern. What I thought worthwhile was a basis for the numbers. There have been basketball clinics conducted for years in Europe, in addition to that fact a number of American colleges have journeyed overseas.

There is a time difference however the NBA (and I’m sure college games) are available for Euro kids to view. I’m sure some of you while youth played the game as your favorite player. You tried to emulate everything you saw them do on the basketball court. As I attempted to point out the podcaster fails to make any headway with me if I look at the big picture. I’m unsure if the term is still in use anymore. I would hear “Garbage in, garbage out” when the early computers were being discussed. The podcaster is certainly entitled to his opinion I just happen to be one of those who disagrees with his take.

Winning the hearts and minds

As this is written the NBA season is less than 10 games old. In Los Angeles neither the Clippers nor Lakers has distinguished themselves thus far. The question is posed, which team is the most disappointing at this time, let’s take a brief look at both franchises? The Clippers indicated they were prepared for the season, they had a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George ready to go. Russell Westbrook picked up mid-season demonstrated he was quite capable at the tail end of the season. After the season started the Clippers secured a trade acquiring James Harden. So far the jury is out on the trade but there are cracks in the foundation. In my view too many stars and too few basketballs. This team contains at least three potential hall of fame players but certainly hasn’t played like it.

Someone must play a reserve role for the Clippers, coach Lue and that player must make a decision. As for the Lakers most fans of Laker Nation looked at the late playoff run and the free agents and said, “this team is ready to compete.” Well that hasn’t exactly been the case. As usual injuries have slowed their start once again. LeBron gave the “keys” to Anthony Davis indicating it was his turn to steer the Laker vehicle. Despite exhibiting a great deal of talent AD cannot seen to remain on the court for an extended period of time. In addition the free agents picked up have not provided me any evidence they are prepared to battle. Once again I must remind you (and me) the season is still young, both teams have time but this might not be a good way to begin the season. Which team do you consider the most disappointing so far, is it the Clippers or Lakers?

Sooner rather than later

You might remember reading last Tuesday about 7-foot-6 300-pound Oliver Rioux. This 16-year-old teen-ager was busy preparing for IMG Academy’s 2023-24 basketball season. His continued story becomes more and more the norm, he follows a number of individuals reclassifying to graduate high school early. You might remember the number one prospect in the Class of 2025 Cooper Flagg did that. He immediately became the top prospect in 2024.

More recently Flagg committed to Duke before signing on the dotted line. Rioux has done the same thing, in addition to reclassifying he committed early to the Florida Gators. A number of Big Men require extra work and I believe Rioux might be one however he’s got an advantage. His height will demand the Gator coaching staff provide him sufficient training. As an observer I cannot imagine the Gator coaching staff stationing Rioux on the perimeter shooting from distance but what do I know?

Basketball from a fans perspective

“I don’t complain about playing time. My job is to play so well the coach can’t sit me.”

Shane Battier

Are you scared, I’m not

No, this is not the sign of the forthcoming apocalypse although some might desire you believe that. I saw a video recently, a YouTube personality claimed the tide had turned. International players are now dominating play in the NBA. He based his belief on seeing 19-year-old Victor Wembanyama in action. We’ve witnessed an ever-increasing number of international players make their way to the NBA. The NBA MVP has been an international one over the last five seasons.

The last time an American player won the award was 2018 when James Harden then with the Rockets was named MVP. Let’s look back briefly, there was a time when international players were not equipped to play basketball at the NBA level. International players began arriving on these shores in the ‘80’s but few made an impact. Sure there was Hakeem Olajuwon and the late Drazen Petrovic and a few others but that was about it. To be the best you must compete against the best, I’m sure it was no one thing rather a combination of things that allowed the international player vast improvement. International players became more skilled at playing the NBA game. They added an extra element bringing the Euro step with them.

There will likely be no more Dream Teams, a team comprised of American talent which dominates the basketball world but that’s okay in my view. The Giannis Antekounmpo’s, Luka Doncic’s of the world and perhaps Victor Wembanyama add spice and a new element to the game. To answer the headline, I can’t speak for you, as for me I’m not scared of the increased number of international players in the NBA. I’m sure some might not appreciate this but I’m excluding the Canadian contingent as “international.”

Should I…go ahead anyway

I hesitate here because there are individuals who are going to accuse me of hating. On Tuesday the University of Kansas announced an extension to the Bill Self contract, he is now the highest paid basketball coach in the nation. His Kansas teams have won 2 NCAA Championships along with 13 consecutive Big XII Championships which includes 566 wins going into the 2023-24 season. He was working on a “lifetime” contract anyway this extension adds additional funding to what was in place previously.

With the retirement of Coach K., Roy Williams and Jay Wright its apparent Self is the most visible and winningest high-profile coach within our view presently. Coach Cal remains at Kentucky however his teams have underperformed the last few years. In closing did you notice the missing piece? Okay, I’ll mention it, nowhere in this account did I mention $$$. There is a clear reason why, I’ve long believed the vast majority of those working in the sports field are overpaid. If I don’t mention the $$$ its better for me to write an account.  

I hold grudges

Earlier when discussing the season a friend said, “I’d rather see the Kings or Thunder over the Spurs with Wemby.” ESPN and TNT have placed an increased number of the Spurs games available this season. I hold grudges, I don’t have an issue with the City of Sacramento or any of its residents. I have no issue with the present roster of the Kings however it’s still my contention somebody stole my team. I now believe my ire has been misplaced, it was all aimed westward instead of internal.

Yes, I’m pointing the finger at my hometown Kansas City, there was no grassroots effort to keep the franchise here. Records indicate there was at least one city councilman at the time who championed maintaining the Kings here. Unfortunately he must have had limited clout despite his hope, I can point my finger at the former mayor and various members of the city council at the time. Records indicate they made a hum-Hoo effort to keep the franchise here. All this time I’ve held a grudge against the Kings and the fact they have called Sacramento home lies more with Kansas City interests and little grass roots effort to keep the team here. 

MSG & Wemby

Don’t get too excited, Victor Wembanyama had a poor game on Wednesday night. There were forces at work competing against the Spurs teen you probably hadn’t stopped to consider. The game was played in New York City in Madison Square Garden. Wemby’s been a pro for a couple of years but this game was far different, it was played in the mecca of basketball. That’s only the beginning of the story, it appeared the Knicks made a supreme team effort to stop Wemby in all facets of the game.

The Knicks certainly didn’t end the game shooting lights out but it easily started in that manner for them. As for Wemby it was 14 points but he only shot 4 for 14 from the floor, from the three line it was an Ofer, 0-4. He did managed to snatch down a respectable 9 rebounds. Wemby is a rookie, some of us seem to forget that fact, he will rebound. Can I say that MSG game might be a lesson he needs to stowaway in his memory bank. In any event I feel confident enough to pronounce him 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year until Chet Holmgren or someone else steps up and bests him.

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Give him the ball and get out of his way”

Pat Riley -describing a play drawn up for Kareem Abdul Jabbar

National Signing Day

November 8, 2023, was sign on the dotted line day, just joking folks. There is no requirement for every commit to sign however Mizzou received several signatures on Wednesday. Posting on social media I detailed them out of order, rather than repeat my mistake I will just report those who signed and their projected position. Here are the first signees in the Class of 2024 for Mizzou:

Annor Boateng 6-foot 5 205-pound shooting guard

Marcus Allen 6-foot 7 210-pound small forward

Trent Burns 7-0-foot 210-pound center

T.O. Barrett 6-foot 4 180-pound combo guard

Peyton Marshall 7-0-foot 300-pound center

I might add this bit of information, Jayden Quaintance 6-foot 10 235-pound power forward from Raleigh North Carolina is yet to commit. Mizzou is high on his list and I believe he will commit in the spring and sign in May, please consider this speculation on my part.

Second Look

Often when an indictment of the type you read yesterday on the NCAA a Second Look often occurs. Was I too tough on the NCAA and its past and most recent actions, I don’t think so. As for the bigger picture allow me to say this, left to their own devices all the “brakes” would be off for universities and colleges across the nation. My chief problem is that the NCAA never appears to rule on an event in the same manner. Let’s briefly revisit the Oklahoma State basketball story, the university reported on itself and the NCAA said okay “No tournament for you this year” while Kansas under investigation for 5 level one violations was allowed in the tournament. Was it the belief in some circles the footprint of Kansas basketball was much larger than OSU?

Was it the fact Kansas basketball is always a good tournament draw therefore increasing revenue impacting the bottom line? Of course that bottom line after splits a significant portion is funneled to the NCAA. Because I’m closer to the Mizzou program I can provide stories for you. This was prior to transfer portal so you might believe this to be unfair but here goes. Two players transferred to Mizzou, one was granted immediate eligibility while the other player was forced to sit out a semester. An appeal was made to the NCAA yet they stuck to their original ruling. Are there schools held in higher esteem over others, you bet they are however there is no method to provide you proof. Finally I conclude with Name Image and Likeness as the last example. States across the country implemented NIL first it wasn’t the NCAA allowing student-athletes to earn income.

Wait for it…wait for it

Another NBA season has begun, I don’t know what year you consider the starting point. For some its 1946 when the Basketball Association of America began play, as for others its 1949. 1949 saw two competing leagues merge (BAA & NBL) forming what is in evidence today. Whatever year is the starting point that allow me to make this statement, the NBA is not going out of business. These doom reports I read are never from anyone official they are social commentary posted by some in the public. Almost always they contain the same general theme, “Nobody is watching the NBA.” They go on to explain to the reader why the NBA was so much better in 1960, 1970 or 1980 choose a decade of your choice.

Allow me to say upfront, there are features of the game I’m not particularly fond of. Despite this fact you will never hear me claim a “Going out of Business” sign is hanging in front of NBA Headquarters at 645 Fifth Avenue New York City. I can state in truth I’m no soccer (football) or hockey fan, despite my statement it’s okay with me those sports continue to exist, that last statement brings up a question from me. I wonder if these social commentators say and write the same stuff about soccer and hockey? Because soccer and hockey are out of my purview I don’t know but am certainly curious. I will close my rant for now by stating for these folks…it’s okay. I believe we understand you have complaints about the NBA I do too. Mine are certainly not serious enough to shut down an entire league, I have no inside information to determine the NBA’s audience numbers…do you have a method to determine the number of NBA viewers?

I would guess they are not impressed

The pre-season polling in the 2022-23 season indicated Mizzou would finish 10th in the SEC. Looking back then that probably is not really surprising based on new coach (Gates) new program and new players. Mizzou Nation had no idea of an outcome this time last season however the team loved the coach, loved its teammates and accomplished what many figured impossible. Mizzou finished the regular season in a 3-way tie for 4th in the SEC, after the conference tournament the Tigers received an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. After the accomplishment of last season what was expected for Mizzou in 2023-24?

An improvement, instead of a 10th place the pollsters have Mizzou finishing in 9th place.  The leadership and scoring prowess of Kobe Brown is now with the NBA Clippers and certainly will be missed along with D' Moi Hodge now a Laker. On the other hand Noah Carter was second team MVC and scored at a 15.0 per game clip. It’s not only Carter there have been transfer portal players who should be able to blend in. Aidan Shaw admits in his freshman year he was just trying to adjust to Division I play, he indicates he’s ready. There are others, I have no intention to do a round by round reading but just conclude by saying this. I will be disappointed if Mizzou finishes 9th in the conference race.

Basketball from a fans perspective

“There is no substitution for hustle, and if you don’t hustle there will be substitution”

Tex Winter 

Party of one   

Mizzou Nation was anxious to see transfer Connor Vanover in action Monday night. The Tigers had Arkansas Pine-Bluff as their first match in the 2023-24 season. 90 minutes or so prior to the game we discovered the 7 foot 5 Vanover would not be in action. Not only would he miss this game but Mizzou’s next two as well, was it an injury or something worse. It was the something worse, the NCAA announced Vanover had participated in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in the spring. Although he never submitted his name to the NBA (I believe) the NCAA decided to suspend him for participating in the tournament. The archaic NCAA continues to rule with a dark age mentality. Should I return to the Reggie Bush Heisman or the Ed O’Bannon fiasco of the NCAA…no I’ll pass on those stories for now.

This is the same organization that accused Kansas basketball and Bill Self of 5 level one violations the most serious a school could be charged. After years of investigation it became a “time served” penalty. The coach sat down for 4 pre-season games last year that was it, there may have been some additional penalties but certainly nothing of a grievous nature. Later you will read of the Chicago State twins, they played in the Overtime Elite League last season and earned money. When they attempted to enroll and play this fall the NCAA said no, they and their attorneys have filed suit against the NCAA. To confuse the story even further there are two other players at Division I schools who also played at OTE, they have been approved for play. My guess, the twins earned too much money.

Oklahoma State basketball self-reported, the NCAA said okay no tournament for you…in between time Kansas (still under investigation) was allowed to play in the very same tournament. Speaking of money, this portion cannot be documented. I remember reading the NCAA Basketball Tournament makes for 75-80% of the organization’s annual revenue. If you remember the 2020 tournament was cancelled due to COVID, the plague was still rampant in 2021 but the tournament was played, it was played with all teams in the same city. I will save you from asking the question, do I have a problem with the NCAA, you bet I do? The organization is self-serving and rarely offers a ruling in favor of the student athlete. I certainly have more to say however I will stop at this point, I’m a party of one.

Marketing a product

What's on my mind...marketing a product. It's been quite a while since I've been in a marketing class I vaguely remember being taught the idea is to create a need or want in the consumers mind for a product or products. You accomplish this task by heavily promoting the product or products in question, in this instance the product is Victor Wembanyama. As this is written the Spurs have played but a few number of games, despite this fact they have likely exceeded the total of television appearance they made over the past two years on ESPN and TNT.   

What about the marketing part you ask, the marketing would be the French teen Victor Wembanyama. I have no method of double checking this but I believe the Spurs might have had only 4 games televised all of last season and early this season they are close to exceeding that total. The NBA believes it has a product it wants to fully develop and that’s what a national and international television market will accomplish when Wemby shows up on your television screen. I checked the Spurs schedule and through the end of January they will be on a national broadcast 12 times on TNT/ESPN/NBA TV.

Name, Image & Likeness

Before I begin this diatribe allow me to state this fact, I don’t know everything about Name, Image and Likeness. I understood collegiate athletes are now allowed to earn income utilizing their name, or image. Evidently the NCAA is now in agreement with this for the most part…however they have backed up on their position in at least one instance. Twin brothers Matt and Ryan Bewley were 5-star prospects in high school, they decided to play for Overtime Elite which they did.

Recently the Bewley’s attempted to enroll at Chicago State but the NCAA denied them eligibility. Understand this, Rob Dillingham at Kentucky and Stanford’s Kanaan Carlye played for OTE last season yet were allowed to play at the school’s behind their names. I’m not going to attempt to detail the legalese of the matter I’m not an attorney. All I can say is the NCAA is continuing to dispense justice in the same manner…. a decision based on the direction the wind is blowing. By the way the Bewley’s decided to take on the NCAA in court filing a lawsuit against the organization. I will try and update this case based on future court action.

Can’t get too excited

Mizzou beat Arkansas Pine-Bluff 101-79 in the first game of the season on Monday evening. I cannot in good faith project the forthcoming season based on a single game. January 15 or thereabout will provide a much clearer picture of the team’s season. I will only look at the “edges”, one is certainly depth. Mizzou never appeared in dire straits last season in that area, this time around there are plenty of troops. How would they make up for the loss of two NBA players…move Sean East II and Noah Carter into a more prominent role. Mizzou outrebounded UAPB however the number might be a little suspect so I’m just going to say they were okay. I believe a truer test will occur on Friday when the Tigers face those other Tigers, Penny Hardaway’s Memphis team.

Basketball from a fans perspective

“No Rebounds-No Rings”

Pat Riley  

They strike again

I had just posted the message/question on social media, “I wonder if 7 foot 5 Connor Vanover will play tonight (last night) for Mizzou?” Late this afternoon the NCAA reared its head once again in a surprising move. What occurred was that Vanover had participated in the NBA Portsmouth Invitational Tournament back in the spring of the year. For those who might not be familiar with the tournament its conducted every May to assess college basketball talent for draft purposes.

Under the radar players participating in the tournament have managed to earn their way onto an NBA roster, ask DeMarre Carroll. Not only did the NCAA rule Vanover ineligible for tonight’s game he will be forced to miss the next two as well. This is the part I find most confusing a college player can declare for the NBA draft. He can withdrawn his name at a point and suffer no consequences however the tournament is an exception. An athlete can participate in Portsmouth return to school as Vanover has done and be penalized. The NCAA continues to defy logic with their decision making at times, figure this one out if you care.  

The source

I have a New York friend, not in the city but here in Kansas City. A number of years ago David moved here and apparently intends to remain but that’s another story. On occasion I try and pick his brain about New York sports, especially the Knicks. What you are about to read is a mixture of his thoughts and mine, I will attempt do my best to separate them. I watched the Knicks play twice this season, in the second game no one seemed to have a clue what they were attempting to accomplish. I asked Dave and he immediately pointed his finger at owner James Dolan.

“Dolan is an idiot. He thinks he knows basketball but really doesn’t. Unfortunately, it’s why they get coaches that don’t work with proven players. One of the core either Randle or Brunson has to step forward and say, this is my team and lead.” I thought they might have turned the corner, after finishing below .500 the prior year the Knicks earned a playoff berth. They met the Cavs beating them 4 games to 1 before losing their series against the Heat. They always talk about how tough Knick fans are but I can’t say I’m in total agreement. Most have got to be among the most considerate fans in the world, for years they have been paying gigantic ticket prices for unwatchable professional basketball over the past or so 10 years.

He blots out the Sun  

That’s an exaggeration however Oliver Rioux stands 7 foot 6 inches (and still growing). He’s a solid 300 pounds so nowhere close to some of the rail thin Big Men we’ve seen recently. This 17-year-old is playing at IMG Academy in Florida however a decision was made. Given a choice between IMG and Real Madrid’s U18 team he decided in favor of IMG. He also has a trainer in his native Montreal Canada coaching him to become a better player. How about a kindergarten student the same height as the teacher, it’s reported Rioux stood 5 feet 2 as a 5-year-old.

With extremely tall parents we could say height was in his genes. Video of him in action indicates he’s a little slow moving up and down the court. I’m unsure if there is any training that will add to his foot speed. His ability to contest shots might keep him on the defensive end of the court for extended portions of the game. I wonder if he loves the game intently based on some of the answers he gave. My read, he likes the game but doesn’t love it. Anytime you say NBA then maybe pro basketball it causes me to wonder. Despite the negative I’m expressing I’d certainly like to have him on my team if for nothing else to play defense. Keep track of updates for this Class of 2025 prospect, will it be the NCAA or pro basketball?

Bits n Pieces  

Construction seems to be accelerated at the Intuit Dome. It’s being reported the 18,000-seat arena will be open up well ahead of the Clippers 2024-25 season. I don’t have the video rights so you must check the construction progress for yourself on YouTube. Intuit Dome will operate 100% carbon-free, it will be fully powered by batteries and solar power. As for as the other arenas there’s been no reported change in San Antonio on a replacement for Frost Bank Center. The only information I could uncover is that the Spurs and city management have met several times and “progress” is being made. In Philadelphia, the planned 76 Place appears to have turned political with the election this month.

If you say Chicago Bulls your immediate thought might be Michael Jordan. I can say with certainty the player you are about to discover was actually the FIRST star for the team located on Madison Avenue. His name is Bob Love and he was a 6-foot 8 inch forward, Love played for the Bulls from 1968 through the 1977 season. During that time he was selected a three time All NBA All Star, two times All NBA Defensive Second Team and three time All NBA Defensive Second Team. Love was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in 1965 but played mostly a reserve role. In 1968 the Bucks selected him in the expansion draft but traded him to the Bulls, playing for Dick Motta’s Bulls his career blossomed. In retirement he works for the Bulls as director of community relations and a goodwill ambassador. Bob Love a name you should know from the NBA’s rich history.

Whoever emerges from the Western Conference Championship might be so exhausted they may not be able to contend for the 2024 NBA Championship. Unlike in the East there are a smaller number of contenders. In the West there are plenty of contenders for the conference crown, the defending champion Nuggets plus the Warriors, Lakers and Clippers. I would be remiss if I excluded the improving Kings plus the youthful Thunder and maybe the Suns. The eventual champion will not be forced to compete against all the teams named but certainly those who survive the Western Conference minefield.

Basketball from a fans perspective

“I keep both eyes on my man. The basket hasn’t moved yet.”

Julius "Dr. J." Erving 

It’s that time of the year

The NBA season has begun, November and college basketball season starts. At some date prior to Christmas high school play begins. I’m going to allow you a look at my life, I don’t watch a great amount of television. It’s mostly sports a few entertainment and informational programs, the entertainment channels my wife and I share. We have maybe 3-5 programs we watch together but every fall I must make this declaration at some point.

My wife will say “Can we watch __________?” My response is “I’ve got basketball tonight,” now for the addendum to this statement. Years ago after we first married we attended some event I don’t remember the detail. My wife met someone there she was acquainted with so she introduced me. She said, “This is my husband __________, he watches every basketball game on television.” I smiled but later asked her, “How could you introduce me like that?” I must admit the basketball issue is certainly mine, but that’s okay because life is good with a good basketball game available on television I have no favorite NBA player for the first time in a number of years.

Duke got another one

Jon Scheyer followed up the recruitment of number one prospect Cooper Flagg with another top possibility. His name is Patrick Ngongba, he’s a 6-foot 11 235-pound center who attends Paul VI Catholic High School in Virginia. 247Sports list him as the number 20 prospect in the Class of 2024. As I’ve attempted to point out there’s been no drop-off in play or recruiting since the retirement of Coach K. two years ago.

It should be noted Ngongba will be acquainted with a member of the Duke roster prior to next fall. October 22 Darren Harris a 6-foot 7 inch forward committed to Duke, Harris is a high school teammate of Ngongba at Paul VI. Harris is listed as a 4-star prospect in the Class of 2024. All you Duke haters better prepare yourselves early on there appears little change in Durham North Carolina. This account provides you the why Duke has continued to recruit some of the best talent in the nation including prospects from the Class of 2024.

A return to the past

Ralph Sampson is a name from the NBA’s past, he’s been enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. With the arrival of Victor Wembanyama there are comparisons made of the two athletes. There is a clear reason why, both stand 7 feet 4 inches however Sampson played at 228 pounds compared to the reported 210 for Wemby. I have mentioned on more than one occasion I hate to look at a particular player and make evaluations but that is the case here.

I located video of Sampson in action and you can see for yourself how much he might have been a predecessor to Wemby. Because injury eventually curtailed Sampson’s career some will look at his 228 pounds and decide “he was too thin to play in the NBA.” We can debate that issue forever, 10 people will claim Sampson’s thin frame was a contributing factor to the downturn in his NBA career in year four. On the other hand we could probably locate 10 people who might claim the opposite view. Check out the hall of fame video below and formulate your own opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRVJ-ttZb6o

I’m not sure about him

There exists a number of athletes in all sports who we are puzzled by their actions, this focus is James Harden of the Clippers. At the beginning there is no question in my mind regarding his talent, in the past he’s clearly demonstrated that…as proof his 2018 Most Valuable Player Award. Perhaps you’ve had an opportunity to read his comments while he was a member of the Sixers. He said he was “I was on a leash” during his time with the Sixers which is a strange statement for me. My first thought, Doc Rivers, however he’s since been fired, Nick Nurse has taken over. Harden went on to claim the pressure came from management i.e. Daryl Morey. Again a mixed message, he and Morey were reported to have a good relationship from the time both were with the Rockets.

Harden turned 34-years of age in August so he should have at least 2-3 good years remaining so that’s the good. What's the bad, it has nothing to do with his athletic ability it’s the ability to blend. On the surface the Clippers appear to be a collection of egos who could win an NBA Championship or simply implode. The other issue to discuss is injury, Harden’s been relatively free of injuries I cannot make the same statement about Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Ultimately owner Steve Ballmer had to sign off on the trade, but the question remains. Would you have made this trade if you were in charge of the Clippers? In closing this from Harden, “I’m not a system player, I am the system” and this from former teammate Joel Embiid, “We gave him the ball.”

Basketball from a fans perspective

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I cannot accept not trying” 

 Michael Jordan 

We can all learn

All of us gain information from a number of sources but sometimes I wonder. Allow me to explain, James Brown a Laker website contributor in his headline and account claimed, “Darvin Ham can learn from Frank Vogel.” You are familiar with the parties, Ham is the present Laker coach and Vogel now with the Suns was replaced by Ham. Despite the fact he was fired I respect Vogel as a veteran leader and NBA Champion coach. James Brown is certainly entitled to his opinion however there is a key factor for me here, what NBA or college team did Brown coach? Each of us has an outlook about a particular subject matter and that’s fine however that fails to take into account your expertise.  

We can second guess Ham plus any other coach and player in the NBA and that’s actually okay. The portion I find unacceptable, a member of the media deciding one coach needs to adopt the philosophy of another. It’s easy to set behind your laptop and make these brilliant decisions, I do it too but there is a difference. I never ever claim to have an idea what it takes to perform XYZ for one reason, I’ve never been there and neither has Brown. I wonder if this person is okay with me suggesting he make changes in his writing. All of us are subject to second guessing, Darvin Ham, the media guy and me. I heard a statement years ago from someone else in the media. He said, “I try not to take myself too seriously”, I think that should apply with the Vogel-Ham suggestion, again folks just my opinion.    

You remember don’t you?

Mizzou basketball was quite competitive last season, there was one area they often came up short. Although the roster contained Big Men they played relatively few minutes, Dennis Gates preferred to utilize a speedy but undersized lineup including reserves. The coach is attempting to correct this rebound deficiency for the upcoming season and into the future. The future in another installment later, in the present is 7-foot 5 230-pound Connor Vanover in the lineup. Vanover arrived in the transfer portal from Oral Roberts after play at Arkansas for two seasons and one at Cal-Berkley. The numbers Vanover produced last season, while not spectacular were decent. The question, can he transfer that same level of play to the tough SEC?

I have no idea however Gates believes Vanover can accomplish the task. What does Vanover believe he brings to the forefront for Mizzou, bunches of stuff. As an example distance shooting, although he stands 7-5 he’s unafraid of shooting from distance. Get this, he credits his mom for that skill, she played at Arkansas and stands 6 foot 2. With a dad the same height it’s easy to understand how he grew to his present height. This from Vanover, “Defensively I can be an anchor/rim protecter inside and then offensively I can space the floor and be an inside-out big.” Vanover indicates he was through with college, he planned to turn pro but later decided one more year of school would help. He indicates he loves the family environment at Mizzou and the head coach who is a player’s coach, he checks on us all the time. So there you have it one of the many new Tiger players expected to continue the winning ways of the revitalized program. 

NBA expansion

Expansion is on the horizon for the NBA, it’s not really a question regarding the first two expansion choices. The commissioner has not named them however conversations surround Las Vegas and Seattle. I believe there might be a phase two expansion, at least two additional teams added to the NBA. There are others who could be in a second group expansion. I have no intention to detail the reasons only point out those named appear to be brought up most often in discussions.

What I found most interesting cities below were mentioned on several websites. The locations named are not in any order so here they are ready, set and go. There are three international cities who make the list all of them in the Western Hemisphere, they are Vancouver and Montreal in Canada and Mexico City. In the U.S. we have Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Anaheim, San Jose, Austin and Kansas City mentioned. What do you think, besides Las Vegas and Seattle what about the others listed? I will leave you to make an evaluation of which city may be valid in a phase two expansion.

A re-visit

I don’t believe I’m as angry as I might appear at times, one of the bothers for me is dumb comments. I’m revisiting an event of last spring, there was no misunderstanding on my part. The reason I make the statement is because he repeated it three times to three individuals at different periods. I’m paraphrasing it but essentially this is what he said, “The Chiefs have played deep into the playoffs the last three seasons, I’ve had little time to focus on college basketball. I think college basketball should start it’s season in late January.” His co-host thought this statement made sense, another person agreed with him. Finally he received a rebuttal, he makes a weekly telephone call and interviews a national college basketball writer.

When he ran his proposal past this guy without any sort of hesitation this writer said no. There is no argument on my part that the NFL Chiefs have played deep into January and on into February when earning a Super Bowl berth. The college basketball season begins in November and ends the first Monday in April. What’s most interesting is that this NFL-college basketball schedule has existed for well over 80 years. The NFL has expanded its number of games and the same could be said for college basketball over the years. Unlike radio guy over the last 5 years I’ve managed to successfully keep track of both football and basketball without missing a beat. The Chiefs rule Kansas City sport talk radio, I’ve got no issue with that, I take issue with someone who despite hosting a radio program appears incapable of following both sports.

Basketball from a fans perspective

“Be quick but don’t hurry”

John Wooden 

I’m unsure

Awhile back I began publishing this blog on a Monday through Friday basis. As you are aware there is basketball activity news and games occurring on Saturday and Sunday but my intention was to “catch up” on Monday. I’ve discovered since the NBA season has begun and colleges are playing exhibition games that intention just doesn’t work, the ever-increasing activity causes me to miss stories and events I wanted to cover.

Based on this fact I’m publishing a Saturday edition, there will also be a Sunday edition as well. As for the future that is an unknown, will Off the Dribble return to a 7-day a week edition? Can I say as this is written I don’t have that answer for you at this time, please stay connected. While I’m at it, allow me to thank you no matter if you are a brand-new reader or someone who’s been here near the start. I appreciate you taking time to read Off the Dribble whether its daily, every other day or once a week.

WW

I am sure you are attempting to figure out the meaning of the headline. It’s simple it stands for “Wemby Watch”, I’ve convinced myself to see as many of his games as possible. Because the Spurs are on Central Time and the Lakers Pacific there should be no issue unless both have road games in the same time zone or something similar. In any event Thursday night the Spurs were matched against the Suns for the second time in days. Although Bradley Beal remained sidelined Devin Booker was in the lineup this time. The final score read Spurs 132 Suns 121 but it was between the start and finish that was so exciting.   

On second thought fans of the Suns were not that excited in the loss. What can I say, 19-year old Victor Wembanyama was the high scorer for the Spurs contributing 38 to the Spurs point total. It was mentioned the only Spurs rookie to exceed that figure is David Robinson. Wemby led the way for the Spurs shooting 57.7% from the floor along with a sizzling 50% from three. It was 83% from the line with 10 rebounds 2 assists and 2 blocked shots. I’m comfortable with the fact I believe future stardom awaits this youngster. Many critics claim he needs to gain weight, that might be a fact however hopefully it doesn’t diminish his speed up and down the court.

I’ll take him

Allow me to make this statement at the beginning. I have no advance Psych studies, it was Psych 101 and 102. I couldn’t figure out the problem with Ben Simmons other than injury. I believe the problems with his shooting finally got to a point where it weighed him down. I’ve followed his career since he left Australia for the NBA, I saw every LSU game he played. I discovered back then Simmons had little if any shooting range from distance. What I saw with the Sixers was an adept defender and at 6 foot 10 maybe one of the best assist men in the NBA.

I think the 2021 playoffs became the starting point for his downfall with the Sixers, he dealt with criticism from the media, fans and some of his teammates. I ain’t excusing the sitting down part but I could understand why he said he didn’t want to ever play in Philly again. On February 10, 2022, Simmons along with several others was traded to the Nets. The Simmons numbers early in this NBA season look good with the exception of the scoring. 10.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists a game are outstanding numbers for your point guard. The other issue which we cannot see or measure is the Simmons defense. I believe based on his past the ability to defend is still there. If the Nets don’t want him if I’m a GM I’d take him.

Everyone is not LeBron

Perhaps you have more information than me, for a number of reasons the Warriors have not offered Klay Thompson an extension. Some Laker fans have been salivating with the thought, “Can we acquire him?” There is one member of Laker Nation who is saying thanks but no thanks regarding Thompson. Before you boo and hiss me allow an explanation. Thompson is 33 years old not ancient, if he signed as a free agent that’s a different matter.

I see no trade in the future for his services, I cannot see the Lakers giving up one of their prized youngsters to acquire him. Looking over the names the Lakers actually have several youthful veterans as well…I’m including them as well in this discussion. I love the shooting skill of this valued member of the Splash Brothers but not enough to make a trade to acquire his services. At this point for reasons not fully explained to the fans ownership is unwilling to give an indication why they will simply allow Thompson to walk away.