Jack’s Blog

At the beginning of the past college basketball season, talking heads from all over the nation - including local guys with limited “listenership” in ultra small markets - were chanting the same message.  “Get a look at Duke’s freshman sensation, Austin Rivers, the nation’s top point guard, because he won’t be around the college scene after this year.”  They got it partially right.  Austin is no longer a Dookie.  Then again, some pundits claimed Rivers might not have been a point guard.

For example, on October 19, Matt Norlander from CBSSports.com wrote an article on the nation’s top PGs and listed Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor number one.  His opinion was echoed by many in the media world.  Then, the games were televised and UNC was on (and on and on ) and the nation was raving about the sure fire #1 point guard in the US, Kendall Marshall.

I remember hearing an announcer make the statement (was it because it was cute or did he actually mean it - it sounded like the latter), “No point guard is the nation is Craft-ier that Ohio State’s Aaron.”  On December 12, still another site, rivals.com, had Xavier’s Tu Holloway listed as the top PG in the country.  Throughout the season, other names would be thrown out when the discussion turned to college’s best floor generals, e.g. Shabazz Napier (”Kemba Walker stole the spotlight last year”), Marquis Teague (”sure, he plays with great players but someone’s got to run the show and distribute”), Scoop Jardine (”the real reason the ‘Cuse is having such a great year”), Matthew Dellavedova (”if he played for a bigger name school than St. Mary’s there would be no question as to which point guard would lead the list”).

In the heat of conference races, a television piece was done on Iona’s Scott Machado, calling him, you guessed it, “the best point guard in college basketball.”  It seemed like every week there was a new “king of points” crowned.

Finally, the NBA draft was held and, according to every knowledgeable basketball person I’ve ever heard - to a person - the two most important positions to have for a successful team are a big guy and a point guard.  So which of the previously mentioned PGs was drafted first?  None!  Instead, Damian Lillard of Weber State which only goes to show that NBA teams draft the same way NFL clubs do.  The pre-draft camp, the NBA’s version of the NFL combine (as well as personal visits to the team’s site), mean more than watching a guy during a season (or post-season).

Now, I realize a player can be the best collegiate point guard and still not get the love from NBA scouts for a myriad of reasons, but the way “the best” is reported by the media can only be compared to the number of junior high crushes that go on in the average first week of school.  Of course, nothing matters until they strap it on anyway.  The players, not the junior high kids.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - or the team that needs what you bring to the table.”

The professional baseball and football drafts go on for days.  In contrast, the NBA draft is only two rounds.  As far as guaranteed money, only the first rounders get to cash in.  If guys are drafted in the second round, they can still make the team - just as free agents can - but many times they get caught up in a numbers game and are forced to play in another professional league.

Since there are only twelve players per team allowed to dress for an NBA game (and three additional on a reserve list), it means there are a maximum of 450 players in the NBA.  Each year fifteen of those spots are taken up by guys drafted in the first round.  Usually a few others go to second rounders and other persistent, hard-working souls.  Which means that exact number of players who were employed the previous season are forced to look for work elsewhere.

When the draft finally starts (not the show, the actual draft), each team gets five minutes to make a selection once their team’s named is called.  That’s when Jay Bilas, Jeff Van Gundy, Chris Broussard, Fran Franscilla and Rece Davis jump in with their roundtable discussion.  At the beginning it’s interesting insight.

After extolling the virtues of the best players in the nation (in some cases, the world), the chatter becomes repetitive.  When guys get selected in the second round, comments like, “He might be a little undersized, but he is talented,” “He’s got a big heart,” “He’ll be a good locker room guy” and the one that’s the game-winner: “I really like this pick.”  At 55.  The 25th pick of the second round.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my number one pet redundancy regarding people discussing basketball players and their offensive skills: “He can really score the ball.”  I’ve been retired from coaching for seven years so I might have missed something but . . . what else is there to score than the ball?

When all is said and done, final decisions on evaluating players are usually based on:

“Don’t tell me how good you are; let me find out.”

It was reported that when the Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in last year’s NBA Finals, one of the Heat players (Dwyane Wade?)  said the guys took a week or two off and then went back to work - to prepare for this year.  They knew how close they came and also knew what was needed to take that final step.  Getting to the finals is quite an accomplishment but when you don’t win it all,   . . . you lost.  Just like the other 28 teams in the league.

Now I’m not naive enough to believe the Heat was the first squad to ever use such a ploy.  However, they did seem like a much more focused group this year who was determined to shed their previous year’s strategy.  DWade allowed LeBron to lead - beginning with the mini-speeches prior to taking the floor before each game.  Chris Bosh embraced being the #3 option.  James didn’t worry that people were saying he shied away from scoring at crunch time.  He just made the right play - and it usually resulted in a score for the Heat, whether from a LeBron basket, free throw or assist.  The guys they were counting on to make open threes came through.

If OKC employs the same post-finals philosophy, the Thunder might be hoisting next year’s trophy.  After all, the team that rolled to a 2-0 finals lead returns more or less intact.  Plus, they ooze talent and have character (according to every pundit covering them) and claim to like playing with each other.  Their coach seems to be the perfect match for this group.  Seldom does a club appear to have so many of the right ingredients.

Whatever happens, it looks like NBA fans will be seeing more and more rivalries.  The team that wins it will have to rely on each other but, when it comes to a player improving his game, the best advice is from one of the greatest winners of all-time, John Wooden:

“A good place to look for a helping hand is at the end of your arm.”

There are basically two kinds of (legitimate) jobs.  One type pays the bills.  Put in the time, give your employer an honest day’s work and get compensated for your effort/expertise.  The second type of job is more of a calling, something you’ve dreamed about, that you love and can see doing for the rest of your life.  Without getting into a debate of which is which, let me state for the record that coaching, especially in college, is one of the most exciting forms of employment.  It certainly was for me.

Which is why I have a different take on the Mike McQueary-Jerry Sandusky story.  McQueary was a football player at Penn State - a quarterback who as a starter his senior year (1997) led the Nittany Lions to a 9-3 record and a Citrus Bowl bid.  As most successful players - at that high a level - do, McQueary tried to hook on with the NFL, both in the US and Europe.  When he realized his career as a player was finished, he decided to stay in the game as a coach.  In 2000 he returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant. Pay his dues and, with his resume and the Penn State name, the coaching world would be his oyster, be it a coordinator’s job or, if he wanted to climb the ladder to the top - head man.

What he needed to make certain was that he did nothing to derail his career, e.g. no police problems, no negative press, no player accusations of any kind.  Then, one day in the year 2001, he walked into the locker room and heard - something - going on in the showers.  What he saw, he thought, was a sexual assault on a child.  That alone is shocking and appalling.  Making matters even more complicated was the offender was an icon in Happy Valley - Jerry Sandusky - The American Football Coaches Association’s major college Assistant Coach of the Year in 1999.  The guy who was his defensive coordinator during his playing career at State College.

McQueary was confused.  He said he slammed his locker door, a signal someone was there and whatever was going on in the showers should cease.  Keep this in mind.  Sandusky had been working at Penn State since 1969, had been considered the heir apparent to the legend, Joe Paterno, yet had recently retired.  This is where I can sympathize with McQueary’s plight.  I can’t agree with what McQueary did, don’t accept what he did but, believe it or not, I understand what he did.

I, too, had been a grad assistant - four years at three Division I institutions.  Just being a college coach was intoxicating for me.  When I got into college hoops, I worked my butt off and was intent on impressing everyone I dealt with.  Nothing was going to keep me from my dream.  I’ve often wondered what I would have done had I been faced with the situation McQueary had.  I liked to think I would have done the right thing.  But what exactly was the right thing for him to do?  He didn’t go directly to the police.  Hey, what if the people involved denied it happened?  Who would have been believed?

Instead, he called his dad and told him what he saw.  The elder McQueary advised his son to go to his boss, head coach Joe Paterno.  He phoned JoePa who spoke with the AD who went up the chain in one of the most ill-advised game of “Telephone.”  Penn State football was the model program in the nation - no NCAA violations, few if any scandals, unselfish team play characterized the Nittany Lions.

Once the smoke cleared, it was reported Sandusky had been abusing children since 1994, kids he met through the charity, The Second Mile, he founded in 1977.  Also reported was that, in the late ’90s, Paterno had informed his lieutenant that, in fact, he would not be succeeding him.  Although he was no longer coaching, Sandusky was afforded use of all of the campus athletics facilities.

Happy Valley is prototype college town.  Joe Paterno was the sole reason it became that way.  JoePa was the definition of “old school.”  From the jerseys with the name on the front only to the plain helmets to his white socks and “high waters.”  He was the king of State College, revered by all who went and lived there.  Could it have been that when rumors surfaced about his #1 assistant and his “problems” that it was decided to cut him out of the program but, out of loyalty, give him space on campus?  There were a lot of positives occurring at The Second Mile.

McQueary happened to step into the locker room when he did.  The same McQueary who, after two years as a GA and another as an administrative assistant got the dual assignments of wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.  He was bringing in high profile players and his wideouts were setting records.  He was on his way to a long, lucrative career in the world of major college football.

Make no mistake about it.  What took place at Penn State is one of the seediest crimes in college sports.  While we have Mike McQueary to thank for setting the wheels of justice in motion, putting an end to the crimes perpetrated upon young boys at The Second Mile and getting a very troubled Jerry Sandusky the professional help he so desperately needs, his career as a football coach  is finished.  Many kids’ lives were drastically changed, possibly destroyed.  In the aftermath, many adults have had their careers taken away.  There are many people who will applaud.  They’ll say that while McQueary did the right thing, he didn’t do it soon enough.  In a perfect world, they’d be right.  My feeling toward them is to walk a mile in his shoes.  It’s always easier to say what someone else should have done.

As far as upwardly mobile careers go, a person needs to heed the advice of author Stephen Covey:

“When your climbing the ladder of success, make sure it’s leaning against the right wall.”

Forgive me but I should have mentioned I was going to at the Stanford Pain Management Center yesterday.  While I have you here, I ought to let it be known I’ll be in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow through Sunday, then onto Monterey for freshman orientation Monday.  The blog will should resume on Tuesday.  Blame me if you like, but read on.

It is a microcosm of America that any discussion of the NBA Finals always reverts to blaming somebody.  It was LeBron James’ fault that, while he was so great a player, his teams never won a championship.  Now his team’s on the verge of closing out the Thunder and hoisting the NBA Championship trophy.  So what did I hear today on ESPN?  Stephen A. (tell it like it is even if it always isn’t) Smith and Skip (I love to be hated because if I didn’t, I’d be sad all the time) Bayless each say they’d lay the blame for the Thunder’s downfall on Kevin Durant.

My immediate thought was, “What would they be saying if the Thunder was up 3-1?”  Oh yeah, back to LeBron.

That’s the new way of life in this country.  When I listen to the most fervent conservatives, I hear how terrible a job the Obama administration has done.  The Obama sucks! rhetoric outweighs the Romney’s the man! belief on a scale of about a zillion-to-one.  It’s not “get our man in”, it’s “get the other guy out.”  On the flip side, President Obama’s message is his programs are the right ones for America, it’s just that the conservatives won’t allow him to implement them.  He mentions the millions of jobs his administration has created.  So I guess unemployment could be even worse.  But I imagine that he been asked prior to being elected what an acceptable -and realistic - unemployment rate would be during the last year of his first term, his answer would have been significantly lower.

The most absurd argument - and you can get passionate people from both sides to argue the point - is the reason for the national deficit.  When George W. Bush took over, there was a surplus.  When he left, there was a deficit.  That was one of the arguments the Democrats made in seeking to get their candidate elected.  So, their guy got in - and now there’s a much greater deficit.  And the Republicans are livid!

Yet they weren’t nearly so upset when W was in office and we went from plus to minus.  Now the worm’s turned and the Democrats seem to have amnesia when it comes to their complete and utter disdain for a president to take the country’s fortunes backward.  As is usually the case, the massive outrage is made by an extremely small segment of society - on each side.  Their (whichever’s) goal is to swing our way of thinking to their (negative) side.  Do they think the rest (majority) of us are dupes?  Never mind.  Forget I asked that question.

“If it’s true that when everybody’s right, nobody’s wrong, doesn’t it stand to reason that if everybody’s wrong, nobody’s right?”

The purse for the winner at the U.S. Open was nearly $1.26 million.  The players on the team that wins the NBA playoffs get upwards of six figures - independent of their individual salaries.  While other sports’ payouts are less, the players involved still compete to win a championship.  As Herm Edwards said, “You play to win the game.”

This line has been parodied too many times to remember but the underlying message is that, everything else might matter (and money certainly does - which is why the Lord invented agents) but after all is said and done, players want to win.  If you don’t believe it, check out the guys on the losing team, or player who lost in an individual sport.  I’ve watched sporting events for 60 years and I never heard anyone say, “We might have lost but the loser’s share really helps ease the sting.

I’m old enough to remember (since I turned 64 on Father’s Day) when professional players had jobs, e.g. selling cars or life insurance in the off season.  Over the years the prize money for champions and championships have reached astronomical proportions.  Most of my friends know that I enjoy listening to audio books.  Currently, the biography of Mark Twain is in my car’s CD player.  A couple lines I heard tonight seem to parallel players’ mentality toward simply competing:

“When we were young, we were poor but none of us knew it.  When we were young, we were comfortable and all of us knew it.”

LeBron James is two games away from his first (of 7?) NBA championships.  He’s had many detractors throughout his career.  “He is a world class front runner.”  “He shies away taking over at the end of games and when he tries, he can’t make the big play.”  “He doesn’t have a champion’s mentality.”

This year, it’s been reported that James has been seeing a sports psychologist and it looks like the sessions have been working.  Last night he was dominant once again.  He knocked down a three but most of his big plays were made by attacking the bucket.  In the half court he’s awesome but no one in the world is better in the open court.  Plus he, as well as his Miami Heat teammates, were clutch at the free throw line.

LBJ looks unstoppable.  What could quickly put an end to all of the negativity is something that’s been building since the end of the regular season.  Colin Cowherd actually started the move quite a while ago but that’s probably because the rest of America seemed to be on the other side (the usual reason Cowherd takes his louder-than-necessary stands).  Then, as the playoffs progressed, more and more people followed.  Soon the sounds of LeBron haters were being drowned out by his (up until now, legion of silent) supporters.

So what’s the problem?  LeBron James is in danger of being crushed by all the people jumping on his bandwagon.  

It’s simple.  When a guy is making big money, especially by playing a game, there is a segment of society that will resent him. But it was more than that with LeBron.  He got drafted by Cleveland and he claimed it was exactly where he wanted to be, having grown up in nearby Akron.  He led them to an NBA Finals but didn’t win it.  If he had, it would have been a Bill Walton/Portland Trailblazers-type of championship, one in which one great player led a bunch of role guys to the title.

The true anti-LeBron movement began with his free agent decision (as in The Decision) to “take my skills to South Beach.”  The (premature) celebration party ensued with James displaying his counting skills.  Those events seemed to turn the majority of the basketball world against the Heat - and especially LeBron.

Admittedly, I wasn’t enamored by the “Big Three” joining forces, feeling the NBA was going to turn into 6-8 great teams with the rest being awful.  But as far as my feelings toward Lebron, I’ve always felt he was the most complete player in the league.  Since I’ve heard them, I echo the wise words of Jeff Van Gundy:

“There ought to be a two-year statute of limitations on stupidity.”

Back problems kept me from posting day-to-day, so my comeback might not be as complete as I thought it would be.  Apparently, retirement’s not the cure-all it’s cracked up to be. 

Following Game Two of the NBA Finals, a media member asked - and continued to ask - the Thunder’s Kevin Durant if he thought he was fouled by LeBron James on the Thunder’s final offensive possession.  The reason for the hounding, other than the guy was a media member and that’s what many of them do, is that when Durant made his move, OKC was down two and there were seconds remaining.  Two free throws would have tied it and, after leading the entire game, the Heat would have clearly had the momentum against them in overtime (assuming Miami wouldn’t have scored in the closing seconds).  After blowing an early lead in Game One, losing the next one after leading the entire contest  - and knowing they’d need to win in OKC to win the title - might have been overwhelming.

Even though replays showed James clearly fouled Durant - confirmed by former NBA referee Steve Javie who explained the error was due to being out of position - KD repeated on numerous occasions that he simply missed the shot.  Was the media member asking because he was upset the Thunder didn’t win or was he baiting Durant to see if he could “break” him - and score the ultimate coup?

Wouldn’t it have been great if Durant had said:

“You know that if I say what I think I’ll get fined upwards of $25,000.  If you were asked the same question - and you faced the same consequences - what would your answer be?”

Every year there is the argument as to which is the better spectator sport, college or professional basketball.

Those who prefer the college game claim the intense loyalty of the fans is what makes it so attractive.  People who live and work in the city and those who attended good ol’ State U have a strong attachment to the team.  The make up of the team (notwithstanding the plethora of one-and-dones and transfers in recent years) remains intact,e.g. no free agents, no in or out of season trades.  In addition, college fans feel the style of play is more “team” oriented.  The guys on the team, it’s said, play for the name on the front of the jersey whereas the pros play for the name on the back.

Fans of the pro contest contend it’s made up of the best athletes in the world, that watching a pro game gives spectators action they won’t see anywhere else.  And there’s no denying that.  If pure talent is what fans want to see, there’s no disputing the NBA is the cream of the crop.

For people who want it all, they just need to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder play.  If ever there was a “college” team in the NBA, it’s Oklahoma City.  Fans make signs, paint their faces and cheer loudly - even when the team is way behind.  In Game Two the Miami Heat jumped out 18-2 and when many pro arenas would be raining boos, the home crowd chanted “Dee-fense” when the Heat had the ball and “O-K-C” when the Thunder was on offense.

The fact the team is based in Oklahoma City certainly has a large part in the equation.  OKC is the ultimate in small market city and while the ABC’s corporate execs must have considered jumping off a tall building, true fans - not the guys who pay thousands to sit courtside - absolutely love seeing the Thunder in the Finals.  The blueprint for their success was constructed mostly by GM Sam Presti, who built the team in a similar fashion as another successful small market club, the San Antonio Spurs, his former employer.

Being a fan of both the college and pro game, watching the Thunder - or for that matter the Spurs - suits me just fine.  The prototypical NBA player - or at least his agent - seems favor the larger markets since that’s where the endorsements, big-city life and “toys” are.

While the fans of each probably wish the other would come around, each should heed the words of Ulysses S. Grant:

“Live life the way it is, not the way you want it to be.”

After a year on my self-imposed DL, I’m back and ready to entertain, share my views and stimulate thought with the reader.

Game One of the NBA finals is in the books and reactions are exactly as expected.  The Heat jump out to a 13 point lead in the first half at OKC, only to have the Thunder catch and pass them in a 105-94 victory.  Even the “experts’ ” opinions were quite predictable, e.g. Spoelstra must start Bosh, LeBron must guard Durant, cross matches kill them in transition and then - the beauty of them all from none other than Mr. Know-It-All himself, Jon Barry (the mastery of all things basketball and grating personality must be inherited).  He made the statement that 13 first half points by Shane Battier were “fool’s gold,” that the Thunder have no problem with that.

What’s so preposterous is that, as the game is going on, the shots Battier is making are exactly the ones all the prognosticators are saying -  before the game - that he would have to make if the Thunder force the ball out of the hands of James and Wade.  At the outset of the game, Jeff Van Gundy (arguably the best commentator for people who know basketball) made the statement that when he coached Battier (at Houston), he had complete trust in him because, of everybody on the roster, Battier understood the game plan and what the coaches wanted better than the rest.

In last night’s match up, this was evident in the first half.  Battier was taking shots that were “his shots,” shots in his wheelhouse tht he was confident of making, shots the offense was designed for should the Thunder guard in the manner they did.  Imagine if he hadn’t taken them?  “Battier needs to step up and take those shots.  They’re what the defense is giving him.“  Or one of the most overused terms, Battier simply was “letting the game come to him.”

I have a tough time thinking OKC’s game plan is to let Battier open enough from three to measure shots.  Now, they may have told their guys if it means helping on James and Wade or staying closer to Battier to chose the former.  If so, they may re-think that because I can’t believe they want to give Battier uncontested threes.  Joel Anthony maybe, but not Shane Battier.

Had the Heat gone on to win, I think post game remarks would have sounded like: “I know the Thunder have a history of letting a team jump out on them and than kicking it into gear but, hey, this is the NBA finals so they’d better change whatever their pregame routine is or this could be a short series.”  Or “When will Russell Westbrook realize the Thunder’s offense needs to go through Durant and KD should be taking the most shots?”  Or “Eric Spoelstra’s decision to cross match and putting LeBron on Perkins, freeing James to roam on defense, was nothing short of brilliant” (which was how the move looked in the first half).  Or the one that fits all in this series “The Thunder better work on their transition defense.  The Heat get way too many fast break points.”  First of all, if anybody thinks there’s a way to stop either of these to score in the open floor, short of making that priorities number 1, 2 and 3, I’m sure both coaching staffs would be delighted to hear from you.

Second guessing has been around since games were invented.  “Dr. Naismith, don’t you think something bigger than a peach basket would make the game more fun?”  It gives us something to do for hours days after the competition has ended.

Everyone ought to be able to express whatever opinions they want - although the Internet has taken this to levels that occasionally cross the line.  Just make sure you keep in mind the quote:

“Don’t take yourself so seriously.  No one else does.”