Many NBA players put off getting their full college education in order to chase their dreams of basketball stardom. Some times they don’t work out, and even when they do, plenty of them eventually return to school to get their degrees.
But one player in the Los Angeles Lakers’ organization not only got his bachelor’s degree but also completed his master’s degree as well. He did the latter back in December at Xavier University and earned a master’s in sport administration.
This weekend, Olivari officially received his master’s degree, and he wore a Lakers jersey underneath his graduation gown at the ceremony.
The guard played for the Lakers in last year’s summer league and signed an Exhibit 10 contract with them. After looking impressive during the exhibition season, he earned a two-way contract with them, and even though he was waived in January, he remained with their G League affiliate.
He has made himself stand out thanks to his positive energy and infectious attitude. Even if he doesn’t make it with the Purple and Gold, he should have a good chance of sticking with another team.
NBA observers reacted harshly to the Nuggets’ decision to let go of head coach Mike Malone with three games remaining in the season, primarily because such a path had never really been taken before.
Sure, coaches have been fired late in seasons, but that’s primarily been from teams that were going nowhere or in need of a fresh start.
But these are the Nuggets. The team with the best player in the universe that won the title less than two years ago. How could such a decision make sense?
Well, the Nuggets not only won a Game 7 against a very deep and potent Clippers team, they also took the 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the second round, proving once and for all that we’re all winging it in every walk of life, and perhaps a coaching change 79 games into the regular season actually made some semblance of sense.
That said, the organization has a list of to-do items heading into the offseason. The Nuggets also decided to move on from general manager Calvin Booth when parting with Malone, so replacing Booth is priority No. 1.
Who is going to lead the org? We should find out soon enough, as you have to assume such a hire would be involved with the draft process and the start of free agency.
And what about the coaching situation? With the way interim coach David Adelman has guided the Nuggets in the postseason, you would think he has the inside track.
After that come the roster questions. It’s time for Nikola Jokić to have an All-Star running mate, which he’s never had before, and the team is painfully aware of it.
Huge contracts are still on the books for Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., so navigating those waters could prove complicated, unless one of them is relocated via trade.
That presents its own set of challenges as Murray remains inconsistent, and Porter a potential liability due to three back surgeries, although he has proved to be plenty available in recent years, despite being bothered by a balky shoulder during the postseason.
Whatever the course of action, everyone seems to be on the same page in regard to one overarching ideology: This team can’t do nothing and think that’s enough. This current iteration of the Denver Nuggets should be done for.
