Meschery's Musings on Sports, Literature and Life

 In 2015, my wife Melanie Marchant and i were watching a Warriors' game. It was sometime in the fourth quarter and the game was close. I had to leave for a bathroom break. I told my wife to give me a running play by play account of what I was missing. This is how it sounded: "Steph is bringing the ball up the court; he' passes to Klay who passes to Draymond, Steph cuts off Draymond for a handoff and Harrison Barnes is looking very handsome tonight."

Melanie is an artist. Before I conviced her to retire, she taught art and art history at Sacrmento City College. She is an eclectic painter and can paint just about anyting from religious icons to landscapes. I am particularly fond of her portraits and there is no questtion she excels as a portrait painter. As I've often told her, she would have made a fortune back in the day when their was not photography. It is this special talent that draws her to examine faces. And as a huge NBA fan, it was only a matter of time until she came up with her favorite faces. 

I tried to talk her into a 1st, 2nd, & 3rd team, but she believes keeping selections without tiers will allow for other portrait painter/NBA fans to subtract and add, which would make for better comments on my Blog. I won't argue with that. Arguing with my wife is usually wasting my breath  anyway. She also wants me to explain that handsome can also mean cute or interesting. We're talking bone structure and things of that nature. And she wishes to express her apologies to the guys on the bench who don't play a lot that she hasn't seen, who could make the team had she the opportunity to see them properly. So here goes: Congratulation to all you handsome dudes. 

STEPH CURRY            HARRISON BARNES        AARON GORDON   

THE THOMPSON TWINS (Count as one face)      VICTOR WEMBANYAMA

JALEN GREEN       CHRIS PAUL     BISMACK  BIYOMBO    MYLES TURNER

JOSH GIDDY      DENI AVDIJA     KEVIN LOVE      TYRESE MAXEY

GUI SANTOS     JEREMY SOCHAN   RUI HACHIMURA    DE'AARON FOX

 While the NBA season is starting its sprint to the finish line, I'm reminded that the NHL season is underway. I don't do hockey. I can't follow the puck. But I do admire the sport. And I did write a poem about it in my collection Sweat: New and Selected Poems About Sports. 

 WHY I NEVER PLAYED HOCKEY  By Tom Meschery

 The NBA must do something about the Sunday All Star Game, as in something that makes it interesting to fans and players. The scoring binge I watched disgusted last night was, in my opinion, the worst performance of many recent years of All Star Sunday performances. 

That said, I completely understand the players refusal to play tough Defense. I believe fans understand this too. If not, they should. To risk hurting themselves in a game that has nothing to do with the regular season is stupid. There is plenty of wringing of hands over this problem. So, what's to be done? But before we tackle this question, let's look at the earlier events.

The Rising Stars Game on Friday night was okay because the players played enough Defense that the game did not turn into a shooting contest. Drives were somewhat contested. Guys shot with hands in their faces. I like the tournament approach. The final game looked like the teams wanted to win. The winners' celebration looked unscripted. A tournament format would not work for the Sunday All Star Game. If I were the NBA, I'd bring back the Old Timers Game to preface the Rising Stars game. It would be a nice contrast. From the way Rick Barry looks, I bet at close to 80, he still might be able to play some minutes. How about getting Reggie Miller back on the court. For a fun gimmick, how about an old timer vs a new timer free throw shooting contest? 

Moving on to Saturday Night's Extravaganza:

The skills contest needs to be a more interesting tests of a players' handle, Dribbling around cones, taking layups? There needs to be something along the line of through the legs, spin passes. Look-away passes. Baseball passes full-court to cutters, Think Pistol Pete, White Chocolate. That said, Saturday's contests won the weekend award for most engaging and fun to watch. The Dunk Contest still needs the best NBA dunkers. Where was Jonathon Kuminga, for example. There are other high flyers that don't want to participate. The League needs to figure out how to make it more enticing. So, McClung saved the day. He was once again fabulous. He should be allowed to compete next year for a third try. I don't think other G League guys should be allowed to compete unless they have been signed to an actual NBA roster. The Steph vs Ionescu contest was brilliant. A WNBA vs NBA contest should be a future from now on. Also, how about a free throw shooting contest. Four standards at each end. Who can make the most free throws in a row without a miss. No time limit. Lots of tension as, say, two players have missed and drop out, two remaining shooting, the announcer counting. 

Moving on to Sunday:

The NBA finally has to admit the Sunday's game is not really a game. There is NO DEFENSE, so it can't be called a competition. No one is competing. It is finally a test of offensive skills, windmill dunks included. Well, then, let's make it more of a strategic shooting test: 1) Create a 4 point line. 2) Create two 5 point boxes where the half-court line meets the sideline. Reduce layup and dunk points to one. How about a running hook shot for three points. Change the concept of Defense for the All Star Game from obstruction to distraction. Also, get back to the quarter point format. I can imagine players practicing running hook shots and five point shots during the summer. I can see coaches thinking about when best to take the five point shot or how best to utilize the layup or dunk as opposed to the higher valued shots. 

As is commonly heard in our conversations these days, "You see what I'm saying?" 

Lots of talk these days about injuries and the NBA League's 65 game rule. Here's a old school poem about injuries:

Spit On It        By Tom Meschery

 This is the first time I can't vote for Steph Curry on my All Star starting five. He's great but struggling, most of it do through no fualt of his own but the lack of a fixed rotation and some of the floundering of players on the the Warriors so far this year. I do see some hope recently as Klay looks to be getting his 3 pts shot back and Jonathon Kuminga playing with more and more confidence. I sure wish Wiggins would get his game back, but it I see only glimpses of 2022. Anyway, it is certainly affecting Steph's game, which in turn will keep him for a starting Five in the West. I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way. So, below is my picks for starting Fives in the West and East:

WESTERN CONFERENCE: Doncic, Gelgious-Alexander, KD, Jokic, & Antoney Davis. 

EASTERN VONFERENCE: Jalen Brunson, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embid and Antetokounmpo. 

With a note to say how ridiculous it is that Lillard was picked over Jalen Brunson. Noone who knows basketball would ever do that. Brunson turned the Knicks into a contender. He's as good a pure point guard as there is in the NBA today. This is why fans should not pick All Star teams. It's a love fest instead of a skill fest. 

Watching the 76ers vs Nuggets game and wondering if there are some mind games being played, keeping Embid and Maxey out. Keep the Nuggets thinking to the Great game Emid had vs Jokic. Just wondering. Teams wouldn't do that would they? No? Really? 

Question: Will Doc Rivers be able to get the Bucks back on track. Probably not unless he can find a super defender who can cover up for Damion Lillard's lack of Defensive chops. First the GM who made that God-Awful trade getting rid of one of the finest two-way guards in the NBA as well as losing a young, tough reserve two-way guard in Grayson Allen. Oh, I forgot, they gave up a first round draft choice too. Send the GM packing. 

I think Justin Herbert is going to benefit having Jim Harbaugh as his Coach. A good move for Chargers. Jim Harbaugh is a bit eccentric, but he knows football and he's got energy and charisma, something the Chargers needed badly. 

The 49ers should beat the Lions. Lions have already succeeded making up for the Piston's miserable season. Rumors are that the Pistons are going to trade James Wiseman. I continue to believe the young man could actually become a solid contributor to a team. He should have stayed in the G League for two full years before being allowed to play with the Big Dogs. He was a total baby and had to grow up. Wishing him the best if the trade happens or not. 

No poem to end, but a literature suggestion. Watch this Podcast from Ireland. It is fabulous. And any short story writers out there, you will be particularly impressed by the story called "The Stone." I'm signing up for future podcasts of the Blind Boy. 

https://shows.acast.com/blindboy/episodes/the-lost-irish-tradition-of-lifting-heavy-stones

 The recent ugly loss to the Memphis Griz, lacking their star players, is now being hailed as The Demise of the Dub's Decade. One might have said the same thing the season after the '22 Warrior NBA Championship. Do Not Weep for the Dubs, Argentina! The Warriors have won Four (Count them, 4) NBA Championships since 2015. The Warriors' owners and fans were treated to a lot of great hoops. A new arena was built in San Francisco, bringing the team back to its roots, while remaining Golden. 

As we look at the team right now, things appear pretty grim. It seems that we will have to leave The Dubs to their place in history and begin the process of building a new history. Allow me to humbly suggest that they not panic and start forcing trades before the February deadline. The way some of the tradeable guys are playing, they will never bring back the value the Warriors need to become a contender again. Right now, the Warriors need to start playing DEFENSE. They need to STOP MAKING TURNOVERS and they need to STOP TEAMS FROM GETIING SECOND SHOTS. These are not impossible goals, given that the season is not quite half over. If they accomplish these goals, the offense will flow as it flows historically and organically following energy and toughness. 

Whatever happens by the end of the season will be the responsibility of the players and coaches, but at the end of the season, the Warriors must bite the bullet. Owners and GM must REBUILD. They have some young players that can become the nucleus for a new generation of Dubs. But they must be willing to let go of the past. I will always remember my old coach, Alex Hannum telling me: "Tom, you know I love your game, but I would trade you in a second if I thought it would make the team better." If I sign off my blog with this quote, call it cowardice because the Warriors MUST be willing to trade EVERY SINGLE PLAYER on the team in order to make the transition work for the future of the franchise. That's going to mean withstanding the slings and arrows and an arena of BOOING as the transition takes place. It will mean saying a fond farewell to iconic Warriors' faces. Do not weep for them, Warriors' fans. Their banners will hang in the rafters for you to see and remember with gratitude and joy for four (Count them, 4) NBA Championships in eight years and 7 (Count them, 7) Western Conference Championships.

I just sent this poem by Richard Hugo to Ron Adams, an assistant coach of the Warriors. He's in the poem and he approves this message.

MISSOULA SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT    Richard Hugo