I look forward to every season and then sometimes the enthusiasm dies. (I'll 'splain later)
I want to watch what Theus can do with this team. I know a lot about the man and have talked to him. I think he is a wonderful guy and hard to dislike. I am hoping the other players develop that same feeling because something is going to have to help them get through this season. Sigh! So far, I am impressed. Any coach who can get this team to put out energy on defense has performed a miracle. Now can it hold up over the year? It's tough and people get tired. Reggie might very well be the next great NBA coach but them I am very biased.
People overlook the importance of the coach until it is time to fire someone when a team does poorly.
I am very interested in Douby. Petrie has proven to have a gift at finding shooters and Douby may be a little better than that as he has the longest arms this side of the simian species. Those arms are useful in blocking from the side and behind and in a basketball sense, make him three or four inches taller. Now let's see what experience and having a pg for a coach does for him. He's been shoved into a bad situation for a shooting guard.
I love to watch a Kevin Martin shot. It is not that he seems like an Old West gunslinger pulling the ball out of a holster but the unique swish - a little Peja-like as Peja's shots swished in a unique way. What's not to like about Kevin? Keep it up and become a star that is the center piece of this team for years to come. (Now, when was he drafted?)
I
very much want to see a lot of Hawes. He's 19. Remember that and not just about the pessimism about his knees - which I share with everyone. That should never be forgotten. All I look for is to see his offensive game and I will forgive his defensive short comings as I hope his defense comes in the years to come. If he develops defense and his knees hold out, we have got a stud in the likes of my man Kevin McHale. (It took Kevin Mc many years before his NBA game came around if anyone remembers) Did I say Hawes is 19?
Can you teach judgment? That's the major question concerning Cisco. We'll see and who better to have an impact on him than an old coach of his. I fear that he will not but he could become a perpetual valued player on any NBA team if he gains control over his somewhat scattered mind. I like him as he has an all around game. I also have my doubts that he can control himself but he's young and certainly worth our patience as fans.
I have somewhat of a morbid curiosity about Brad. He's a Midwesterner like me and sometimes sittin' in a boat on a small lake fishin' and drinkin' is the best part of life and that's what I see in Brad. He's my home boy. Besides, he's lost a lot of weight and that shows a determination that I didn't think he had. Just shoot it when you are open, Brad. Grow a pair. Can a guy at his age develop confidence? We'll see.
I'll watch Mikki for a few weeks because a guy that tall and active should be able to do more than he does. However, it seems the only things missing from his game are the ability to shoot and rebound. Can he contribute to the interior defense? Maybe and maybe not.
All in all I am falling out of love with the NBA because it is so much a game of W's and L's. If the team wins, everything is great and if they lose, it's awful. There are other high level sports where I can always find something interesting even if the team loses. Not the NBA. It's hard to explain but I think I have seen every dunk, every alley opp and every 40 foot swisher to find none of that interesting. I enjoy the team work that seemed present during most of Adleman's years and last year was a predictable disaster .... and predictable if you knew anything about the Mussleman family style of coaching. Young Muss was just like his dad - better suited to college basketball where Bill Mussleman developed a name at Minnesota.
It is very much a possibility I have seen too much except that other sports still grab me interest. I'd love to feel more excited about the NBA. Maybe having no expectation of success will help.
