So, it's Philly for the Ring Chaser and Etc

 Just as I finished writing this morning's blog, LeBron went and signed a two-year vet's minimum 8 million dollar contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, which made my earlier guess he'd chose the Warriors, unhappily, wrong. Wrong to think, LeBron might want to do something more interesting than chasing another NBA ring. Too bad, it would have been fun to see a bunch of NBA Old Timers put their remain skils together and see what happens, perhaps a Gold Medal performance. But, noooooooo, LeBron wants more glitter for his fingers. Forget it Dude, you'll never surpass Bill Russell. For my part, I get to keep Yaxel Longenborg and Jimmy Butler and Santa Clara Podz. Now the Dubs need to get creative and find one more top-notch player to fill out their roster. One guy I like a lot is DeMar DeRozen,, still a solid midranage point producer who is smart and has always been clutch. But, I wouldn't be surprised if the Knicks don't look at DeMar. Remember, Coach Brown coached DeRozen in Sacramento. And the rumor is that DeMar wants to go back to Toronto, where his career began. Are you listening LeBron?

ETC

I'm curious to see what the Sacramento Kings finally do with Domantas Sabonis. They claim they're not going to trade hiem, but I'm not sure he wants to stay in Sacramento. If that is the case, things culd get awkard as they did with DeAron Fox. I'm pretty sure that Sabonis has a high trade value. He could bring the Kings a high caliber young player plus draft choices. After this draft, with the addition of Darius Aykuff Jr and Emmanuael Sharp, the Kings have started on their way to a solid rebuild. Reynoud at Center, and Cardswell, etc. Not perfect, but keep it going rathr than patching a team of vets and youngsters. Let the youngsters grow together the way OKC did. 

In keeping with my recent obsession with Haiku:

Chasing another ring

LeBron offers his hand to be kissed

Who cares

MY TWO CENTS WORTH ABOUT LEBRON & ETC

 My wife's grandson, John Clark, a knowledgeable NBA fan has a theory that the reason LeBron will not divulge the team he'll play for is that he's waiting to see if the Warriors can pull off acquiring Anthony Davis. Davis can earn a max contract from his present team the Washington Wizards. Hard to turn something like that down, right. However, as John states, a possibility if he can get a similar contract with the Warriors and play with his friends and generational stars: LeBron, Dryamond Green, Steph Curry, and Al Horford. How does this happen? I quiz the whiz kid of basketball. With a very large question mark. John, who has lots of ideas about sports, responded with the following: The Warriors are going to trade their first round draft choice, Yaxel Longenborg, Jimmy Butler, and three-year point guard, Brandin Podzienski for AD. I almost fainted. I'm a huge fan of Yaxel, and feel he is a future NBA power-forward superstar. Butler,, when healthy is a glue-guy force and the Podz is finally showing his promise. Gad, I think. John may be right. 

On the other hand. (There always is, isn't there?) My feeling is LeBron will go to the team that will provide him the best chance to win one more championship ring, which means either the Heat or the 76ers, Why not Clevland? Ok, there's the unbroken circle theory, the notion he'd like to end his career where he started. However, I'm reasonably sure LeBRon know his addition to the Cavs will not guarantee an NBA championship. So, I'm guessing the Cavs are out of the running. 

Back to the Warroprs. If the Warriors could make such a trade with the Wiz to get AD, would that be the best chance LeBron has of going out as an NBA Champ? Let's consider the two more obvious choices first, the Heat  and the 76ers. I'm don't believe the Heat, even with the acquistion of Giannis Antetacoupo is a considerationn. The Heat do not have the bench strengh, having given up too much to get Giannis. The 76ers renaubm and with the addition of Jalen Brown they look mighty tough. Yet, how healthy can Joel Embid be? If he goes down, the 76ers can not defeat the Knichs. There goes Lebrons's next ring. There are always IFs, Right? 

Even so, the 76ers are the best choice for LeBron if he's ring chasing. The Warriors come in second. But if, and it's a big, IF AD joins the Dubs, LeBron can go out with his Olympic Gold-Winning friends, and that could be a huge moviivating factor. 

John, you may be right, but, oh, boy, will I hate giving up Yaxel.

ETC: 

Absolutely loved hearing how the crowd at the World Cup Finals booed our evil president. What a total shumck he is and his fatnesss is such an awful model for our youngsters. MacDonalds and fries indeed. He should be ashamed. But he has no shame. 

As for the Cup, Spain dominated. I was pulling for Messi to retire a winner, but not unhappy with the Spanish victory. My daughter Megan and family were in Granada, Spain where they have freinds whenn the game was played. It was tapas until dawn, Megan said of the city that went crazy with the vitory. Ole! 

I'm writing a book of Haiku called Haiku From Rehab about my recovering from Congestive Heart Failure, so Haiku are on my mind. Her's one about the World Cup Finals.

The Argentine goalie

Stretches for his last save

Weep for him 

I'm 

SEASON DONE, KNICKS RULE. NOW THE FUN BEGINS

 i loved the Knicks victory. After 53 years scine Red Holtsman teams sat atop the mountain, Mike Bronn joined him. Jalen Brunson, the fire plug point gurard will join Walt Frazier as one of the Knicks two best guards ever. And, what can I say about the excellent and consistent performance of OG Annoby? It's you and Dave Debushere. The '26 Knicks will still have to wind one more championship to tie the '70d Knicks teams of Willis Reed and Bill Bradly and Earl the Pear, and Dr. Dick Barnett. 

Then came the '26 draft, a favorite TV performance of ming, loving the whole family experience and fan excitingment as the future NBA players are chosen, one, two, three, and in this year's draft, four, As Caleb ____could easily have been in the top three picks. I have no quarell that the Wiz selected AJ Dybansa numero uno, but I would have selected Cam Boozer if it had been up to me. Cam Boozer is instant help, no breakning in period, not much learning curve for the big stretch two way four. Skip to my two teams, Warriors first. Hurrah for their choice of Yaxel Longenberg, another player like Boozer who'll step right in and help from the get go at the stretch four position. Warriors got a break, and this time didn't get suduced by young age upside nonesense. Yaxel, at 23, is a grown man. 

What to say about the Kings, Sacramento's team. It's the city in which I live, so I support, but it's tough to suport them when they've made so many bad decisions. Not since _______teams have the Kings been able to put together much in the way of a sustained competive season. Coach Mike Brown's first season, then they fire Mile Brown. Go figure. It serves owner Vivak Ranadive right that he had to watch Coach Mike lift the O'brian Trophy over his head. At draft choice 6, the Kings selected Akuff, one hell of a shooter, I've heard. But my research of him is that he has real fifficulty playing defense. I mean huge negative stats. So, will this work for the Kings?

Antetocoupo Trade: The Heat and the Buucks worked out a deat that make sense for both teams. Heat get the Greek super star and Bobby Portis, one of my favorite uder the radar plaers. The Bucks get Ware with lots of upside in the middle, Hero and _____ and a bunch of draft choices. I'm not as certain the Antetcoumpo is qutie a game chnnger that Pat Riely believes. First, comes health. He's had injuries these last two years. Second, I think teams have figured out better ways to guard that slash down the paint that makee Antetecoupo so feared. No, he can't really be stopped at full speed, but if can get him to miss a few more shot, you've created an advantage. And I'm not sure about the Abedayo fit. But we'll see. 

Randle goes to the Nets and Claxton goes to the Timberwolves. Shaz Reed goes the the Hornets, Lonzo  Ball goes to the TWolves. Are we having fun yet? I say, super move for the Hornets. Decent shore-up at the post for the TWolves. But, they overpaid Dosumo, a guard, and now must deal with a heafty Ball contract. They'll miss the hell out of Shaz, another one of my favorite sort of under the radar players. The Wolves have lost two of their best stretch 4s. They need to do something there. Meanwhile the Hornets, with the addition of Reed have really helped themselves. 

Isaihh Joe to th Piston for Stewart makes sense for both teams. Joe can shoot threes of the bounce. So now they have Robinson and Joe to spred the court. 

Thinking of Wembanyama, here's a haiku about the young giant.

Think of a giraffe 

How long-egged and long neck it lopes

To the basket