Hello Spurs,
I hope you found your way here to take a look at the information I am posting for our team. I really like how we think about our game and how best to approach each opponent. I hope this blog can be a forum for discussion about our strategies and our upcoming opponents. Please leave your comments and ideas so we can continue to dialogue outside of the 1 hour a week we have at Reach Forth.
Since this blog has an all sports mandate, but it comletely undefined beyond that broad category, I am going to write a bit about my fake team, the Archers, in the online basketball simulation game, Basketsim. After two and a half seasons in Canada league 2.1 we have finally made it into the top flight of Canadian teams. Our season began this week, but before I get to that game I want to discuss my roster as it is currently composed. I have 13 players at the moment but that is likely to change as three of my stars are up for sale, Dotan Eisner, Orest Boariu, and Ashley Ashmore. Orest is probably the most surprising because it was his edition to the team along with Ian Kilmartin and Zacharie Baker that helped bring the Archers to the next level. Even though more change will be needed to improve our chances going forward this is the roster as currently composed:
Ian Kilmartin PG
Ian was a draft pick from the end of my first season. He has been a fixture in the lineup since joining the team, and he has put up good numbers for us, scoring 14.5 points per game on 52.1% shooting and 31.4% from deep. He will likely move to a back up role when I make a much needed upgrade at PG.
Kamil Kochlewski SG
Kamil was an offseason acquisition who is expected to get the majority of starts at SG this year. The 22 year old will have to elevate his game this year. In 44 career matches he has averaged 13.2 points on 51.2% shooting, but has no business taking 3s (25.5%). He has to improve on a 7 average rating against stiff competition in 1.1.
Augustin Meici SG
Meici joined the team last season as part of a plan to upgrade prior to the Cup. He played a large number of games at SG and responded by scoring 16.8 points per game. He will be a back up this season but could see some laying time depending on match ups.
Leo Parker SG
The youngest player on the roster has shown a bit of promise by avergains 10.6 points and shooting over 40% beyond the arc. His poor 2pt shooting and the reality of life in 1.1 will probably lead this 17 year old to the transfer market.
Eric Rautins F
Instantly became the team’s best player when he came out of college this offseason, Rautins has the potential to be a franchise player for the Archers. He is undersized for a forward but I could see him working in the SF spot this year. Will only get better.
Eliseo Palma SF
Palma was another mid season pick up who played serious minutes for the Archers in the Cup. Despite being undersized he managed 4.9 rebounds and 0.2 blocks per game. His 2.2:2.1 assist to turnover ratio was better than many of his teammates. Palma will get a chance to play the odd game this year, but shouldn’t have a large impact on the season.
Rene Norman SF
The 19 year old has shown some promise in his young career and should continue to grow this season. He has done a good job of protecting the basketball (1.6 turnovers) but has not made an impact as a scorer (8.5 points). He will need to improve his offensive game if he wants playing time.
Mathieu Gosling F/C
Gosling is a player who confounds most observers. While not particularly gifted he has been an impact player for the Archers since the day I took over the team. His 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds have contributed to many wins. At 7′, the team can certainly use his size, but with all the new player I doubt we will see much of him this year. He is the final remaining original Archer with the release of Mathieu Morris.
Lorenzo Lusio PF
Although a little short for the position, Lusio was brought in to solidify the power forward spot for the time being. He comes in with a strong career, averaging a 12.2 rating over his career with 12 points and 5 rebounds per game.
Zacharie Baker F/C
Baker joined this team as a college player two seasons ago. He has been an impact player and should continue to get minutes as a starter. He can score (11.8 points), shoots the ball well (56.3%) and gets boards (5.5). I would expect him to be a part of the Archers plans going forward.
This will be a difficult season for the Archers as we adapt to being in the top league against fantastic teams. There will be more roster changes once their arena has been renovated and the coffers fill up with money. Avoiding relegation is the real challenge for this squad, but if they can steal a few games and win the close ones, they can at least earn themselves a playoff to stay up.
It is actually “All-Star Season” since we have had the Pro Bowl, NHL All-Star game, and now the NBA All-Star weekend in the last month. I thought it’d be fun to rank each of the four and talk a bit about this weekend’s gathering of the best players in the NBA.I don’t have a lot to add that hasn’t already been said, but like the All-Star festivities this post is all about having fun.
I have never watched more than a few minutes of the Pro Bowl. It is boring football, and the sport doesn’t lend itself to compelling flashy displays. The MLB All-Star game is somewhat better, but I don’t like the shoehorned World Series home field advantage business. I do, however, greatly enjoy both the NHL and NBA events. There have been some fun moments at the NHL All-Star game, and as a kid I loved the skills competition. One of my most vivid hockey memories is Owen Nolan calling his shot before scoring the game winning goal in San Jose. This year in Montreal we were treated to lots of scoring, a hilarious overtime penalty and even a shootout.
I’m especially looking forward to H.O.R.S.E. this weekend, butthe other events all have their merits. I think out of all the sports basketball lends itself to this type of display. I think they should have Don Nelson and Mike D’Antoni coach the teams every year and insist that they run a high tempo no defence strategy all game long (this already basically happens). Most fans of the game enjoy high flying plays. It also helps that if the game is close near the end the players instinctive competitiveness takes over year after year, leading to some decent 4th quarters.
I wonder about the purpose of having All-Star games. The leagues would tell you that they are a great opportunity to showcase the sort to fans and sponsor, and to create a major event around the league (this isn’t as true for the NFL’s Pro Bowl but they are trying to make that happen). Although many older players now skip the All-Star game for various reasons, it is still a thrill or insult for those who are selected or snubbed. Fans do watch these events but many seem to complain about the lack of quality play and some seem to remember a fictional time when these games were good.
But what is the real point of taking a group of the best players (a highly subjective and flawed exercise) and having them play a meaningless game in the middle of the season, or in the case of the new NFL plan in the playoffs? The Olympics showed us that teams filled with high caliber NBA players can create some entertaining matchups like the Gold Medal game between Spain and USA. That game, however, was for a tangible and highly desireable prize. We can never expect players to play their hardest for absolutely nothing, especially when their financial future depends on them staying healthy. Wouldn’t actual games be of more value? Each league wants to showcase its stars for marketing purposes, and the teams certainly benefit from that.
One idea I have is to replace the mid season All-Star competition with some kind of cup like tournament involving each teams best players. This won’t work for football or baseball really, but hockey and especially basketball. Can you imagine a 3-on-3 tournament involving the top 4 players from each NBA team. Condense it down to single elimination over a few days, and you’ve got a mini March Madness for the pros. The games would have to be shorter than a regular NBA game, but they could fit into 45-60 minute blocks. Award an actual trophy like the Cups they have in soccer so there is an actual point to all of it. The risk of failure and the possibility for recognizable success should help encourage the players to play harder. By including 4 players from each team no one will feel cheated out of a spot. Let one city host the whole thing to maintain the event atmosphere of the All-Star weekend. You could also give all the players a couple of days after the event for rest and mini vacations, which will hopefully limit the number of no shows.
Will this fix all of the issues with the All-Star game? Probably not, but it would make a compelling event.
This is a follow up to a post on my other blog. As I see it my idea of a semi pro/amateur regional basketball (or other sport) league rests on a few key conclusions. They are:
1. That people naturally enjoy live sporting events because of the excitement and passion that is created.
2. That people generally love the city they live in more than other nearby ones, if only because they are inherently competitive
3. That local talent is more sympathetic than talent from elsewhere.
4. That although the level of play would be below that of any professional league, the low price point would overcome the talent deficiency.
5. That talent could come from those high school players who couldn’t go to college or university, and players who had used up their eligibility or were done school.
6. That civic leaders would openly support the idea of community building.
7. That national sport organizations would like the potential for grass roots development through academies, tournaments and coaching opportunities.
8. That families could find affordable entertainment that their children can relate to.
9. That by limiting player expenses, travel costs, and partnering with local government running a franchise is feasible with minimal sponsorship.
10. That by utilizing alternative media and the internet the league can be highly accessible to its fan base.
11. That the owners are committed to growing the game and the community.
I don’t think these are unreasonable propositions. Many new sports leagues launch as national entities that hope to gain a portion of the market share of larger leagues. The vision behind this type of league is much narower and is focused on small growth in local areas in order to limit costs and to build familliarity betwen the players and the fans. It remains to be seen if people will come out to support such teams, but with the low cost approach fans can discover the league slowly without crippling the teams.
Some of you may know me as the man behind The Alder Fork Blog, Podcast, Band, and Projects. This is one of those projects. I posted an entry on my other blog about my idea for regional sports leagues, and was picked up by truehoop on ESPN. The response was overwhelming, so I decided to split off a sports only blog. One hallmark of The Alder Fork Blog is the daily updates, and I can’t promise that I will write here as often. I am very passionate about sports, having competitively played baseball, football, basketball and curling. I read many of the major blogs and sites daily, and can usually be found watching some sporting event or other every day (even PBA bowlign replays on Monday afternoons). I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to write about here, but I will make it entertaining and hopefully thought provoking.
The Unassisted Play 