Shai Gilgeous-Alexander starred for Kentucky basketball, but he’s soaring in the NBA
Random notes:
▪ Watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his single season (2017-18) at Kentucky, you knew he was a good basketball player. I’m not sure we knew how good, or how good he would become in the NBA. During these playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard is proving he’s one of the best players in the world.
Entering Wednesday night’s Game 5 of the Oklahoma City-Dallas series, Gilgeous-Alexander was averaging 29.5 points per game in the playoffs. He had scored 30-or-more points in each of the Thunder’s last three games — 33 last Thursday, 31 on Saturday and 34 Monday night in OKC’s 100-96 victory that evened the series 2-2.
The 6-foot-6 guard from Canada has averaged 31.4 and 30.1 points per game the last two regular seasons. He shot 53.5 percent from the floor and averaged 6.2 assists in 2023-24. Both were career bests.
By the way, as a Kentucky Wildcat, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points and 5.1 assists per game for a John Calipari team that reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Kansas State in Atlanta.
▪ Speaking of the NBA playoffs, it will be a sad day if TNT loses its broadcast rights to the sport, which would mean the end of the “Inside the NBA” show with Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
▪ If you haven’t admired the job Mark Pope has done to this point, you haven’t been paying attention. And people are paying attention.
Kentucky basketball’s new coach has put together a roster from scratch, with the desire to add a couple more important pieces. He has also been enthusiastic and optimistic in his comments during various media interviews. He has been what those who know him knew he would be.
▪ Contrast: Pope told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein that he plans to use all 13 scholarships. Meanwhile, former UK coach John Calipari says he may use only eight or nine scholarships at his new job in Arkansas.
▪ With Muth scratching from the Preakness because of a fever, you have to like Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan’s chances in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.
Lexington trainer Kenny McPeek going for the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 8 would be a sight to see.
▪ Why is the Belmont Stakes being run at Saratoga this year? Belmont Park is undergoing a renovation project that won’t be completed until the third quarter of 2026. That means that the Belmont Stakes in 2024 and 2025 will be run at Saratoga, at a distance of a mile-and-a-quarter instead of the traditional mile-and-a-half.
▪ For all the complaints about HISA, this was the first year that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority was heavily involved in preparations for the Kentucky Derby. And there was not a single breakdown the entire week. Trainers complemented the condition of the Churchill Downs track, which had been altered from the year before. The increased oversight appeared to work well.
▪ With Wednesday’s announcement that two NFL Christmas Day games will be streamed on Netflix, the 2024 NFL season will have games on streaming services Peacock, Amazon Prime, ESPN+ and Netflix. Better get used to it. There will be more games on streaming services to come.
▪ It’s not hard to figure out the reason for the Cincinnati Reds’ recent tailspin. The Reds rank 29th in MLB batting average, 26th in on-base percentage, 25th in OPS.
Meanwhile, the Reds’ pitching has been pretty good. Cincinnati ranks 13th in MLB starting pitching ERA and 18th in overall ERA.
▪ Kudos to Tubby Smith and Kenny Walker, who joined former Herald-Leader sports columnist Chuck Culpepper and yours truly as guest speakers at the launch for Jerry Tipton’s book “Deja Blue” on Tuesday at the Carnegie Center in Lexington.
Walker and Smith both drew laughs recounting their encounters with Jerry on the UK beat. In fact, Smith joked that when he informed his wife Donna that Jerry had asked him to speak at the launch, she replied, “You’re not really going to do that, are you?”
Tubby did. And was great. There was a great turnout, as well.
