(Story from the Houston Chronicle about Will Conroy filling in for Kyle Lowry)
The only thing the story misses is that, while it's an all-Seattle point guard tandem, it's also an all Vipers point guard tandem thank to Aaron Brooks.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Talk About Timing
Houston Rockets backup point guard Kyle Lowry is out for one week with a sprained knee. Good thing the Rockets signed Vipers point guard Will Conroy to a 10-day contract hours before that injury, eh?
Well, Conroy's going to get what he both needs and deserves – a chance to prove he belongs. Conroy suddenly finds himself second on the point guard depth chart, behind only fellow-former Viper Aaron Brooks. It'll be interesting to see how much playing time Conroy gets. You don't figure it'll be what Lowry was getting, but Brooks isn't going to play 44 minutes every night. If Conroy can make some kind of impression during what appears to be his golden opportunity, perhaps he can parlay this into a second 10-day contract, or avoid that all together and go straight to a guaranteed contract for the rest of the season.
The ball's in his court.
Well, Conroy's going to get what he both needs and deserves – a chance to prove he belongs. Conroy suddenly finds himself second on the point guard depth chart, behind only fellow-former Viper Aaron Brooks. It'll be interesting to see how much playing time Conroy gets. You don't figure it'll be what Lowry was getting, but Brooks isn't going to play 44 minutes every night. If Conroy can make some kind of impression during what appears to be his golden opportunity, perhaps he can parlay this into a second 10-day contract, or avoid that all together and go straight to a guaranteed contract for the rest of the season.
The ball's in his court.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Houston Vipers?
When the Rockets took control of the Vipers basketball operations, there was reasonable concern over what that would mean. And by no means is this a slight at anyone who called us the Rio Grande Valley Rockets. Honestly, I don't know if I necessarily mind that monkier because it displays how strong our relationship is with our NBA parent club.
But I have one of my own – the Houston Vipers.
Aaron Brooks
Joey Dorsey
and starting tomorrow? Will Conroy.
And sometime later this season? Jermaine Taylor.
Don't know what I'm talking about? The local media covered it on TV earlier, and the Houston Chronicle has it as well. Read before continuing.
The Rockets only have a 15-man roster, and that includes guys like out for the season Yao and will likely never put on a Rockets uniform again McGrady. So it's really 13. Taylor, even though he'll be a Viper starting Friday, will count against that 13. So of the 13 active players on Houston's roster, 31% will have experience playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Read that again. I mean, holy GATORADE Call-Ups Batman!
And by swapping out Conroy for Taylor, there will still be three active Vipers with experience playing for the Rockets (along with Mike Harris and Garrett Temple).
It's truly incredible how well this single-affiliation relationship has worked out so far for these two clubs. Both the Rockets and Vipers are getting exactly what they needed. The Vipers have a better players and coaches in all respects of those words. Today Conroy and Mickell Gladness recorded some PSAs for us. We didn't give them a whole lot of warning and it took over an hour. Not a complaint. I felt bad. They were happy to do it. We have a lot of really good guys on our team.
As for the Rockets, they get to, in effect, have a 25-man roster, with 10-to-12 (if they assign players) getting playing time they probably wouldn't get in the NBA, allowing them to get sharp and learn the Rockets systems, allowing for better integration with the big club when needed. Like Harris and Dorsey before him, Conroy should have no problem become a part of the Rockets because he's been running their schemes all along, just with different players. Once he gets used to his new teammates, he'll be good to go. I really think Conroy's going to be successful with the Rockets. I hope he sticks there. He's one of the nicest guys I have ever met and a clubhouse leader who never complains. He's earned an extended look.
--
Speaking of Dorsey, he got his first action of the season with the Rockets two nights ago. Played two minutes against Atlanta, had an offensive rebound. Good to see him get some action.
--
By the way, to answer the burning question, yes, I am watching the State of the Union while writing this post. I haven't missed a State of the Union in a really long time. At least not since I've been old enough to understand what's going on. I'm not about to get into my political orientation, that would not be appropriate here. But I do care.
Gotta multi-task sometimes.
But I have one of my own – the Houston Vipers.
Aaron Brooks
Joey Dorsey
and starting tomorrow? Will Conroy.
And sometime later this season? Jermaine Taylor.
Don't know what I'm talking about? The local media covered it on TV earlier, and the Houston Chronicle has it as well. Read before continuing.
The Rockets only have a 15-man roster, and that includes guys like out for the season Yao and will likely never put on a Rockets uniform again McGrady. So it's really 13. Taylor, even though he'll be a Viper starting Friday, will count against that 13. So of the 13 active players on Houston's roster, 31% will have experience playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Read that again. I mean, holy GATORADE Call-Ups Batman!
And by swapping out Conroy for Taylor, there will still be three active Vipers with experience playing for the Rockets (along with Mike Harris and Garrett Temple).
It's truly incredible how well this single-affiliation relationship has worked out so far for these two clubs. Both the Rockets and Vipers are getting exactly what they needed. The Vipers have a better players and coaches in all respects of those words. Today Conroy and Mickell Gladness recorded some PSAs for us. We didn't give them a whole lot of warning and it took over an hour. Not a complaint. I felt bad. They were happy to do it. We have a lot of really good guys on our team.
As for the Rockets, they get to, in effect, have a 25-man roster, with 10-to-12 (if they assign players) getting playing time they probably wouldn't get in the NBA, allowing them to get sharp and learn the Rockets systems, allowing for better integration with the big club when needed. Like Harris and Dorsey before him, Conroy should have no problem become a part of the Rockets because he's been running their schemes all along, just with different players. Once he gets used to his new teammates, he'll be good to go. I really think Conroy's going to be successful with the Rockets. I hope he sticks there. He's one of the nicest guys I have ever met and a clubhouse leader who never complains. He's earned an extended look.
--
Speaking of Dorsey, he got his first action of the season with the Rockets two nights ago. Played two minutes against Atlanta, had an offensive rebound. Good to see him get some action.
--
By the way, to answer the burning question, yes, I am watching the State of the Union while writing this post. I haven't missed a State of the Union in a really long time. At least not since I've been old enough to understand what's going on. I'm not about to get into my political orientation, that would not be appropriate here. But I do care.
Gotta multi-task sometimes.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Rest for the Weary
The Vipers got a well deserved off-day today after traveling all day yesterday following a sweeping success of two wins in Erie. This is a topic that always sparks debate. Someone out there is wondering (I see your hand raised), wasn't Sunday a day off? Why didn't they practice today?
Most do not consider a travel day to be a day off. It's the darndest thing, but travel takes a lot of you, even though your mostly sitting around. I could never explain it myself, but having done plenty of sports traveling myself, I know it's true.
When you have a front office job, you have to push through it. For those who don't know, I am also the voice of the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings baseball team over in Harlingen. Last season featured 80 games in 82 days with bus trips including Amarillo (15 hours) and San Angelo (8 hours). Actually I found Laredo (3.5 hours) to be tougher since it's stop and go sleep, if there's any sleep on the bus at all. Every day over the summer I was in the office at 8:30 a.m. and usually not getting home until sometime between 11 and midnight. If I was on the road, I still worked from there, even from the bus sometimes. It made for some long days. There was one time I got off the bus in Harlingen at 7 a.m., went straight to get an oil change, home to shower and change and then onto the office. It's the life I've chosen.
The players and coaches don't have it easier, though. You might say, well, they get to sleep late on that off-day while I have to be in the office. Perhaps (unless they have community appearances scheduled), but remember, what the players do takes a major physical toll. I'm sitting down a lot. As for the coaches, they have to digest a lot of information about their opponents and themselves and get it all ready so the players can be put in the best position possible to succeed. I can tell you Coach Finch didn't sleep late today. He swung by the office in the morning. You know he's getting ready for Sioux Falls.
The players need to let their bodies recover, especially with this stretch of seven games in 10 days coming up. With that said, the Vipers do have two practices tomorrow, but only one is a full practice. The other is more geared to working on specific things.
If you're wondering, why do we do it? Or better, how do we do it? I can answer that. Eyes on the prize. We're all trying to get to the next level. We're going to work our read ends off until we get there and then work harder to stay there.
But it is possible to over work ourselves too hard because we want to get there so badly. And that's where the day off comes in. Sometimes you need to force young guys to take rest to avoid burnout.
Most do not consider a travel day to be a day off. It's the darndest thing, but travel takes a lot of you, even though your mostly sitting around. I could never explain it myself, but having done plenty of sports traveling myself, I know it's true.
When you have a front office job, you have to push through it. For those who don't know, I am also the voice of the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings baseball team over in Harlingen. Last season featured 80 games in 82 days with bus trips including Amarillo (15 hours) and San Angelo (8 hours). Actually I found Laredo (3.5 hours) to be tougher since it's stop and go sleep, if there's any sleep on the bus at all. Every day over the summer I was in the office at 8:30 a.m. and usually not getting home until sometime between 11 and midnight. If I was on the road, I still worked from there, even from the bus sometimes. It made for some long days. There was one time I got off the bus in Harlingen at 7 a.m., went straight to get an oil change, home to shower and change and then onto the office. It's the life I've chosen.
The players and coaches don't have it easier, though. You might say, well, they get to sleep late on that off-day while I have to be in the office. Perhaps (unless they have community appearances scheduled), but remember, what the players do takes a major physical toll. I'm sitting down a lot. As for the coaches, they have to digest a lot of information about their opponents and themselves and get it all ready so the players can be put in the best position possible to succeed. I can tell you Coach Finch didn't sleep late today. He swung by the office in the morning. You know he's getting ready for Sioux Falls.
The players need to let their bodies recover, especially with this stretch of seven games in 10 days coming up. With that said, the Vipers do have two practices tomorrow, but only one is a full practice. The other is more geared to working on specific things.
If you're wondering, why do we do it? Or better, how do we do it? I can answer that. Eyes on the prize. We're all trying to get to the next level. We're going to work our read ends off until we get there and then work harder to stay there.
But it is possible to over work ourselves too hard because we want to get there so badly. And that's where the day off comes in. Sometimes you need to force young guys to take rest to avoid burnout.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
This Will Be On The Mid-Term
So take good notes.
On Thursday the Vipers will enter a stretch of seven games in ten days. Last year the Vipers played six games in ten days three times. The Vipers did play a seven in ten back in January 2008, though. They went 1-6. The first three losses were on the back end of a six-game losing streak. After the win the Vipers embarked on a 10-game losing streak. Different team, different players... don't panic.
Coach Finch picked up his 397th career win on Saturday. If the Vipers sweep the three-game home stand, Martinelli's Gold Medal Sparking Cider for all on Sunday to celebrate the big 4-0-0! That's not meant to be a sarcastic remark, by the way. I really really like that apple cider and that's how I generally celebrate milestones in my broadcasting career. I don't drink. In fact, I'm 10 broadcasts away from #700, so get that sparkling cider on ice now!
Speaking of milestones, Will Conroy is 50 points from 3,000 and 36 assists from 1,400. He is the all-time record holder in both categories. He's also one steal from 250. He is third all-time in that category.
The Vipers have now won 9 "road" games and 10 games away from Dodge Arena. The Vipers won nine road games last season and just five during year one (though they did win six total away from Dodge Arena). The extra games come from the D-League Showcase.
The Vipers also won just 21 games in each of their first two seasons but are already at 17 this year. Bob Hoffman, who was the Vipers head coach during the 2007-08 season before leaving for Mercer with four games left in the season, went 17-29. Brian Walsh finished up with a 4-0 record before Clay Moser went 21-29 last season.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Double A
M-C-O?
Not quite, but that does rhyme with An-to-ni-o. Sort of.
Good to see Antonio Anderson have a big scoring output. Really hadn't seen this kind of game from him since Jan. 3 at LA. Technically, since it was a career-high-tying night (28 points for the third time this season), it was longer ago since he only had 26 at LA, but you get the idea.
Mike Harris has done an incredible job of taking on the bulk of the scoring load, but one man does not a winner make, and while the Vipers have had plenty of contributions, it would be huge if they could get the Rookie of the Year candidate back on track. If Anderson can be more consistent with his scoring (same goes for Garrett Temple, by the way), it would take some of the load off Harris. Not that it appears to be negatively affecting him anyway... But it's always good to have multiple options in case someone, say Dakota (see Tuesday) manages to quiet Harris.
Of course, you could argue it's to be expected that guys like Anderson and Temple would go through inconsistency. They're rookies playing longer seasons than ever before. Of course, if that's the reason, then it's going to be interesting to see what happens when the Vipers start a stretch of seven games in ten days on Thursday. I'm going to do a little research tomorrow to see if the Vipers have ever had a more intense stretch of games before. I don't think they have.
--
Food for thought from Farmers (well, from me, actually, but that Farmers Insurance commercial is on my mind, as is the Farmers Insurance Halftime Report) – tonight the Vipers held Erie to 0-for-5 from behind the arc. They had NEVER held an opponent without a trey before.
--
I almost felt guilty getting called the Doctor Professor over the last two days. My parents are in town, so they were sitting in the studio with me. My dad is piled high and deep (read: he has a PhD). So he's the Doctor Professor. I just play one on the radio.
Not quite, but that does rhyme with An-to-ni-o. Sort of.
Good to see Antonio Anderson have a big scoring output. Really hadn't seen this kind of game from him since Jan. 3 at LA. Technically, since it was a career-high-tying night (28 points for the third time this season), it was longer ago since he only had 26 at LA, but you get the idea.
Mike Harris has done an incredible job of taking on the bulk of the scoring load, but one man does not a winner make, and while the Vipers have had plenty of contributions, it would be huge if they could get the Rookie of the Year candidate back on track. If Anderson can be more consistent with his scoring (same goes for Garrett Temple, by the way), it would take some of the load off Harris. Not that it appears to be negatively affecting him anyway... But it's always good to have multiple options in case someone, say Dakota (see Tuesday) manages to quiet Harris.
Of course, you could argue it's to be expected that guys like Anderson and Temple would go through inconsistency. They're rookies playing longer seasons than ever before. Of course, if that's the reason, then it's going to be interesting to see what happens when the Vipers start a stretch of seven games in ten days on Thursday. I'm going to do a little research tomorrow to see if the Vipers have ever had a more intense stretch of games before. I don't think they have.
--
Food for thought from Farmers (well, from me, actually, but that Farmers Insurance commercial is on my mind, as is the Farmers Insurance Halftime Report) – tonight the Vipers held Erie to 0-for-5 from behind the arc. They had NEVER held an opponent without a trey before.
--
I almost felt guilty getting called the Doctor Professor over the last two days. My parents are in town, so they were sitting in the studio with me. My dad is piled high and deep (read: he has a PhD). So he's the Doctor Professor. I just play one on the radio.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Back Online
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My computer was out sick. The dog ate my logic board.
1-1 in Dakota on paper isn't too shabby. The first win was hard fought. The loss, well, I'm pretty sure the Vipers had never previously had a quarter in which they'd been held under 10 points. Normally I'd look that up. But that doesn't seem like the kind of thing I want to be advertising. I mean, I'm a PR guy, right?
With that said, it'd not like if the Vipers had hit one more free throw or one more basket in that fourth quarter that my opinion on it would change. It's just a number. And whether you lose by 2 or by 52, a loss is a loss. They count the same.
The key is to make sure they don't pile up. So far, the Vipers have only lost back-to-back games once, and never more than two-straight. Last year the Vipers had two six-game losing streaks and in year one, well, there was that ten-game losing streak and that 13-game road losing streak...
The Vipers got a chance to rest a little bit and now will get a chance to get back to their winning ways tomorrow in Erie. This game has meaning beyond the game itself. I am in favor of the Vipers beating Erie badly twice. Not because there's anyone there I don't like... I don't really know any of them... More so because they stole my website background. And if there's one thing this Doctor Professor doesn't stand for, it's plagerism.
I mean, it's not like I stole our previous background (remember the basketballs?) from the Golden State Warriors or anything like that... I mean, theirs was blue. Ours was red. There was a demonstrative difference! That's why I didn't complain when Austin put up basketballs since they're using a gray-black kind of color scheme.
With more on why they did that, I'd like to bring in Toros President Peter Lubell, but we're all out of time. We'll try to squeeze him in next time.
1-1 in Dakota on paper isn't too shabby. The first win was hard fought. The loss, well, I'm pretty sure the Vipers had never previously had a quarter in which they'd been held under 10 points. Normally I'd look that up. But that doesn't seem like the kind of thing I want to be advertising. I mean, I'm a PR guy, right?
With that said, it'd not like if the Vipers had hit one more free throw or one more basket in that fourth quarter that my opinion on it would change. It's just a number. And whether you lose by 2 or by 52, a loss is a loss. They count the same.
The key is to make sure they don't pile up. So far, the Vipers have only lost back-to-back games once, and never more than two-straight. Last year the Vipers had two six-game losing streaks and in year one, well, there was that ten-game losing streak and that 13-game road losing streak...
The Vipers got a chance to rest a little bit and now will get a chance to get back to their winning ways tomorrow in Erie. This game has meaning beyond the game itself. I am in favor of the Vipers beating Erie badly twice. Not because there's anyone there I don't like... I don't really know any of them... More so because they stole my website background. And if there's one thing this Doctor Professor doesn't stand for, it's plagerism.
I mean, it's not like I stole our previous background (remember the basketballs?) from the Golden State Warriors or anything like that... I mean, theirs was blue. Ours was red. There was a demonstrative difference! That's why I didn't complain when Austin put up basketballs since they're using a gray-black kind of color scheme.
With more on why they did that, I'd like to bring in Toros President Peter Lubell, but we're all out of time. We'll try to squeeze him in next time.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Changing of the Guard
Largest margin of victory in franchise history.
Third lowest points total ever by a Vipers opponent.
Mickell Gladness set career-highs in minutes played, points, rebounds, blocks and assists in his first start. I think might have really been the story, perhaps overshadowed by the blowout (103-79 victory for the Vipers over Albuquerque). Gladness was matched up with former-Viper Kurt Looby throughout most of the game and really held his own. Each beat the other at times, but for the most part it was a fairly even matchup. Gladness is not a Jedi yet, but he's getting close. To truly become a Jedi, he must face Looby again (or something like that).
In all seriousness, though, like I said, the Vipers are fine without Looby and Dorsey. The proof is in the pudding. There aren't that many dangerous bigs to worry about. When a team has one, stick Gladness on him. And while that's going on, let Will Conroy and Mike Harris continue to connect on alley-oops and everything will be just fine.
Third lowest points total ever by a Vipers opponent.
Mickell Gladness set career-highs in minutes played, points, rebounds, blocks and assists in his first start. I think might have really been the story, perhaps overshadowed by the blowout (103-79 victory for the Vipers over Albuquerque). Gladness was matched up with former-Viper Kurt Looby throughout most of the game and really held his own. Each beat the other at times, but for the most part it was a fairly even matchup. Gladness is not a Jedi yet, but he's getting close. To truly become a Jedi, he must face Looby again (or something like that).
In all seriousness, though, like I said, the Vipers are fine without Looby and Dorsey. The proof is in the pudding. There aren't that many dangerous bigs to worry about. When a team has one, stick Gladness on him. And while that's going on, let Will Conroy and Mike Harris continue to connect on alley-oops and everything will be just fine.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Dorsey Recalled, Looby Returns to Dodge
Here's an interesting story line for tonight and tomorrow vs. Albuquerque.
The Vipers traded Kurt Looby for Will Conroy. And even without Joey Dorsey around my guess is they would have done it in a heart beat to get Conroy. But, hey, Looby didn't play much because Dorsey was around. In fact, after Looby got traded, Mickell Gladness didn't see much of a bump in his minutes. He hasn't even played in the last two games. But now Dorsey is back with the Rockets. So who is the center?
Someone said to me earlier today, "man, the Vipers really need Looby."
It got me to thinking. Do they?
The starting center for the Rockets is Chuck Hayes. All 6-6 of him. He is the shortest starting center in NBA history. That's a fact.
The Vipers run the same schemes as the Rockets.
So if Julian Sensley, at 6-9, is the starting center, or Mike Harris, at 6-6, sees a few minutes at center, is it really a problem?
Harris played center for a few minutes over the weekend at Iowa and was fine.
You figure this does mean Gladness will also get a bigger role since he's the one "true center" on the team at 6-11. And I am excited to see what he can do. Gladness holds the NCAA Division I record for blocked shots in a single-game (16 while at Alabama A&M), so who's to say he can't be really good for the Vipers?
The Vipers beat Austin on December 26 without Dorsey (or Harris, for that matter), and Albuquerque is no Austin.
The Vipers have a ton of depth and talent. They also work hard.
Tonight, Kurt Looby plays against the Vipers. But I don't think they'll miss him.
The Vipers traded Kurt Looby for Will Conroy. And even without Joey Dorsey around my guess is they would have done it in a heart beat to get Conroy. But, hey, Looby didn't play much because Dorsey was around. In fact, after Looby got traded, Mickell Gladness didn't see much of a bump in his minutes. He hasn't even played in the last two games. But now Dorsey is back with the Rockets. So who is the center?
Someone said to me earlier today, "man, the Vipers really need Looby."
It got me to thinking. Do they?
The starting center for the Rockets is Chuck Hayes. All 6-6 of him. He is the shortest starting center in NBA history. That's a fact.
The Vipers run the same schemes as the Rockets.
So if Julian Sensley, at 6-9, is the starting center, or Mike Harris, at 6-6, sees a few minutes at center, is it really a problem?
Harris played center for a few minutes over the weekend at Iowa and was fine.
You figure this does mean Gladness will also get a bigger role since he's the one "true center" on the team at 6-11. And I am excited to see what he can do. Gladness holds the NCAA Division I record for blocked shots in a single-game (16 while at Alabama A&M), so who's to say he can't be really good for the Vipers?
The Vipers beat Austin on December 26 without Dorsey (or Harris, for that matter), and Albuquerque is no Austin.
The Vipers have a ton of depth and talent. They also work hard.
Tonight, Kurt Looby plays against the Vipers. But I don't think they'll miss him.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
"Shoulda Been a Terrier"
Trademark Boston University Women's Lacrosse 2005.
And many thanks to Peter Lubell, the President of the Austin Toros.
He lost a bet to Vipers team President Brian Michael Cooper. Something about who was going to win the season series between the Vipers and Toros. I wonder what the stakes were. For more on that, here's Peter.
We didn't have time for him tonight, but we promise we'll get a guest-post on the blog from him at some time soon.
And many thanks to Peter Lubell, the President of the Austin Toros.
He lost a bet to Vipers team President Brian Michael Cooper. Something about who was going to win the season series between the Vipers and Toros. I wonder what the stakes were. For more on that, here's Peter.
We didn't have time for him tonight, but we promise we'll get a guest-post on the blog from him at some time soon.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Winning On Their Home Court
The naysayers and the Iowa apologists will say the Vipers didn't do it on Iowa's home court. Sure, the Vipers beat the Energy in Des Moines, something no one else has done this year, but they didn't do on Iowa's court. The Vipers did it at the Energy's old arena, Veteran's Memorial Hall (there was some monster truck thing that forced the building switch).
Time to do what I do best - poke holes in theories.
Actually, the Vipers did win on Iowa's home court. That was the Wells Fargo Arena court, it just happened to be in a different building.
That was Iowa's home court that the Vipers had a 17-point lead on early in the third quarter (same court that Iowa came back to take the lead on before losing 109-100).
The Energy are invincible no more (though, they'd only played Fort Wayne, Dakota and Erie at home, three teams with losing records). Now 15-3, still the best record in the league, but beatable at home. They are no 8-1 at home, 7-1 in Iowa. I don't care that they're 7-0 at Wells Fargo Arena. Iowa is Iowa and it was the same floor and probably the same baskets too.
Still, the best way to shut everyone is up is to leave no doubt, so it behooves the Vipers to get greedy and go get a sweep in Iowa. It's the only time these teams face, and when you face the supposed best team in the league, you're supposed to be happy with a split of two road games, and I'm sure the Vipers would be if they don't win Sunday. With that said, I'm thinking it's time to get the brooms out. Leave no doubt as to who the class of the NBA Development League is.
Maine lost at Springfield in overtime tonight (and also lost to Bakersfield IN MAINE not too long ago).
A win Sunday for the Vipers? Statement.
Now all they have to do is go out and do it.
No pressure guys.
Time to do what I do best - poke holes in theories.
Actually, the Vipers did win on Iowa's home court. That was the Wells Fargo Arena court, it just happened to be in a different building.
That was Iowa's home court that the Vipers had a 17-point lead on early in the third quarter (same court that Iowa came back to take the lead on before losing 109-100).
The Energy are invincible no more (though, they'd only played Fort Wayne, Dakota and Erie at home, three teams with losing records). Now 15-3, still the best record in the league, but beatable at home. They are no 8-1 at home, 7-1 in Iowa. I don't care that they're 7-0 at Wells Fargo Arena. Iowa is Iowa and it was the same floor and probably the same baskets too.
Still, the best way to shut everyone is up is to leave no doubt, so it behooves the Vipers to get greedy and go get a sweep in Iowa. It's the only time these teams face, and when you face the supposed best team in the league, you're supposed to be happy with a split of two road games, and I'm sure the Vipers would be if they don't win Sunday. With that said, I'm thinking it's time to get the brooms out. Leave no doubt as to who the class of the NBA Development League is.
Maine lost at Springfield in overtime tonight (and also lost to Bakersfield IN MAINE not too long ago).
A win Sunday for the Vipers? Statement.
Now all they have to do is go out and do it.
No pressure guys.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Rockets... err... Vipers vs. Energy
What do Will Conroy, Garrett Temple, Mike Harris and Joey Dorsey have in common?
They're Houston Rockets starting for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers tonight in Iowa.
In case there's anyone still out there who thinks the single-affiliation agreement is a bad idea.
The last cut out of Rockets training camp who is also the all-time leading scorers and assist-man in league-history starting at the point.
An LSU standout who was in camp with the Rockets as the shooting guard.
Harris played for the Rockets during the 07-08 season and THIS SEASON as well, This is his first game back with the Vipers.
Joey Dorsey is still a member of the Rockets.
Iowa is 15-2, 8-0 at home (7-0 in Iowa at Wells Fargo Arena, though tonight's game is at their old home - Veteran's Memorial Hall). They are considered to be the best team in the NBA Development League.
Let's see what the Rockets... er... Vipers have to say about that.
They're Houston Rockets starting for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers tonight in Iowa.
In case there's anyone still out there who thinks the single-affiliation agreement is a bad idea.
The last cut out of Rockets training camp who is also the all-time leading scorers and assist-man in league-history starting at the point.
An LSU standout who was in camp with the Rockets as the shooting guard.
Harris played for the Rockets during the 07-08 season and THIS SEASON as well, This is his first game back with the Vipers.
Joey Dorsey is still a member of the Rockets.
Iowa is 15-2, 8-0 at home (7-0 in Iowa at Wells Fargo Arena, though tonight's game is at their old home - Veteran's Memorial Hall). They are considered to be the best team in the NBA Development League.
Let's see what the Rockets... er... Vipers have to say about that.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Huge Game for Jawad
In his first 11 games of the season, Vipers alumnus Jawad Williams played 17 minutes and didn't score. He was in jeopardy of being cut yesterday, thanks to his non-guaranteed contract. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the Cavs are pretty happy they kept Jawad around because he celebrated in a big way.
In the Cavs' 121-98 win over Washington last night:
Career-high 25 minutes of action
3-9 FG
1-4 3PT
1 Rebound
Career-high 4 assists
1 Steal
Career-high 7 points
In the Cavs' 121-98 win over Washington last night:
Career-high 25 minutes of action
3-9 FG
1-4 3PT
1 Rebound
Career-high 4 assists
1 Steal
Career-high 7 points
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Career-Game for Joey Dorsey
Career-high tying 27 points
Career-high 22 points (11 offensive)
-Tied for second highest single-game total in Vipers history
11-for-11 from the field, raising league-leading field goal percentage from .636 to .667.
Career-high 42 minutes played
All in front of Rockets GM Daryl Morey.
Not too shabby.
Career-high 22 points (11 offensive)
-Tied for second highest single-game total in Vipers history
11-for-11 from the field, raising league-leading field goal percentage from .636 to .667.
Career-high 42 minutes played
All in front of Rockets GM Daryl Morey.
Not too shabby.
Jawad Williams Staying With Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers did cut a player with a non-guaranteed contract today, but it was Coby Karl, not Jawad Williams. The former-Viper will remain with the Cavaliers for the rest of the season, or at least he'll get paid by the Cavaliers for the rest of the season.
So of the two Vipers alumni with non-guaranteed on NBA rosters, Mike Harris is the only one to be waived.
The Cavaliers needed the extra depth with Jamairo Moon out another few weeks with a strained abdomen, but they could have just easily signed other players to 10-day contracts straight out of the NBA Development League or waived Jawad and then signed him to a pair of 10-day contracts like they did last year. Instead, the Cavaliers are rewarding Jawad for his hard work by guaranteeing his contract. Congratulations, Jawad.
So of the two Vipers alumni with non-guaranteed on NBA rosters, Mike Harris is the only one to be waived.
The Cavaliers needed the extra depth with Jamairo Moon out another few weeks with a strained abdomen, but they could have just easily signed other players to 10-day contracts straight out of the NBA Development League or waived Jawad and then signed him to a pair of 10-day contracts like they did last year. Instead, the Cavaliers are rewarding Jawad for his hard work by guaranteeing his contract. Congratulations, Jawad.
Rockets Waive Mike Harris
Harris (6-6, 235, Rice), who had rejoined the Rockets following a stint with the team during the 2007-08 season, was averaging a team-leading 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 10 games (10 starts) with the Vipers at the time of his Call-Up. A former standout at Rice University
###
What this means for Harris is he has 48 hours to clear NBA waivers. If he does, then he has the option of returning to the Vipers. He could also choose to go overseas or retire. The latter certainly doesn't seem likely. I'm doubtful on the former too. There's one other possibility. Once he clears waivers, an NBA team (including the Rockets) could choose to sign Harris to a 10-day contract. If Harris is claimed off of waivers, his contract will become guaranteed with that team for the rest of the season. If Harris clears waivers, does not sign a 10-day contract and chooses to return to the Vipers, he could play as soon as Saturday in Iowa.
Lots of moving parts. Stay tuned.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Harris & Jawad Redux?
One of the best (if not the best) NBA Development League Blogs is Ridiculous Upside. If you've never read it before, you should.
I fell behind recently, but after catching up on what I missed, here's a post that jumped off the page at me and let me to this Weekend Dime by ESPN's Marc Stein.
Here's the gist. NBA teams that have players with non-guaranteed contracts have to decide by Wednesday whether to guarantee the contacts or waive the players.
Stein reports that, among the players with non-guaranteed contacts are two former Vipers:
Jawad Williams (Cleveland) $736,420
Mike Harris (Houston) $489,503
Mike Harris
Jawad Williams
I fell behind recently, but after catching up on what I missed, here's a post that jumped off the page at me and let me to this Weekend Dime by ESPN's Marc Stein.
Here's the gist. NBA teams that have players with non-guaranteed contracts have to decide by Wednesday whether to guarantee the contacts or waive the players.
Stein reports that, among the players with non-guaranteed contacts are two former Vipers:
Jawad Williams (Cleveland) $736,420
Mike Harris (Houston) $489,503
Neither has played much this season in the NBA. Harris started the season with the Vipers and was probably the best player in the NBA Development League. During Williams' stay with the Vipers last year, he was probably the best player in the league, earning NBA Development League Player of the Month honors in March.
In brief:
Mike Harris
- Allocated to the Vipers during the 2009 pre-season.
- Averaging a team-best 25.3 points (second in the NBA Development League) to go with 7.1 rebounds in 10 games.
- Scored at least 19 points in every game, tying his career-high with 30 points on December 4 against the Tulsa 66ers, breaking it with 32 points on December 10 against the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, and breaking it one more time with 35 points on December 19 in Tulsa. He also had 12 rebounds on December 19, his second of two double-doubles this season.
- Earned GATORADE Call-Up to Houston Rockets on December 23, 2009.
- Made Vipers debut on February 18, 2009, scoring 43 points in 44 minutes, the third-highest single-game points total in franchise history.
- Played in 19 games (18 starts) for the Vipers, averaging 25.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
- NBA Development League Player of the Month for March 2009 after scoring 20 or more points in ten of the Vipers’ 11 games and leading the team to a 7-4 record.
- Earned GATORADE Call-Up to Cleveland Cavaliers on April 9, 2009.
The Vipers already have one of the best (if not the best) teams in the league. Imagine if they got those two players back? The Vipers own Harris' rights and I imagine Williams is on their returning players list, meaning the Vipers have his rights too, should Cleveland waive him.
I honestly hope the Vipers don't get them back, though. I'm always happy to see a Viper alum in the show, living the dream.
Of course, even if Harris and Williams get waived, they could get re-signed to two 10-day contracts (that period begins Tuesday) before having to get their contract guaranteed or return to the Vipers.
But it is a situation to monitor.
The Vipers in their road... whites?
Anyone else notice that? The Vipers wearing white uniforms, despite being designated as the home team, today? Well, consider what time the Vipers reached Boise after playing in LA on Sunday, and what time the Vipers had to play on Monday? With such a tight turnaround, there was no time to do laundry... so the Vipers wore their home whites, despite being the road team.
It speaks to perhaps a mistake in the schedule-making. There four games on Sunday. Half of those teams played on Monday. Back-to-backs are fine and a part of the NBA, but when the second half of that back-to-back is an early game in another city, it can get really difficult.
Consider this - the Vipers and LA D-Fenders both caught the last flight out of LA to Boise. What if they had missed it? Shoot, they cut it close as it was thanks to overtime. And of course there was the laundry issue.
But wearing the wrong uniforms speaks to something a bit beyond scheduling. More about the need to count NBA Development League Showcase games as neutral site games. If you've been reading the game notes, you know that's what I put at the top. I may even add a column for neutral site games in the records breakdown because that's what these are. The only exception would be when the Vipers played Idaho in their first ever showcase game in Boise in 2008. That was a road game. Call these games what they are.
Why does it matter? Well, the stats say the Vipers were 12-13 at home last year. Well, actually, they were 12-12 at home, 0-1 as the home team at a neutral site. It doesn't really matter if you're the home team or the road team at a neutral site game, so it shouldn't factor into the statistics for home and road games.
On Wednesday, the Vipers take on Bakersfield at this neutral site in Boise. If the Jam pull off the upset (they did recently win at Maine), are you going to tell me that's the end of the Vipers six-game home winning streak? And if they win, are you going to be satisfied with me calling it the Viper first-ever seven-game home winning streak?
Dodge Arena is home. Not Qwest Arena. And regardless of what the official stats or uniforms at the Showcase say, that's how I'll mark it in my book.
It speaks to perhaps a mistake in the schedule-making. There four games on Sunday. Half of those teams played on Monday. Back-to-backs are fine and a part of the NBA, but when the second half of that back-to-back is an early game in another city, it can get really difficult.
Consider this - the Vipers and LA D-Fenders both caught the last flight out of LA to Boise. What if they had missed it? Shoot, they cut it close as it was thanks to overtime. And of course there was the laundry issue.
But wearing the wrong uniforms speaks to something a bit beyond scheduling. More about the need to count NBA Development League Showcase games as neutral site games. If you've been reading the game notes, you know that's what I put at the top. I may even add a column for neutral site games in the records breakdown because that's what these are. The only exception would be when the Vipers played Idaho in their first ever showcase game in Boise in 2008. That was a road game. Call these games what they are.
Why does it matter? Well, the stats say the Vipers were 12-13 at home last year. Well, actually, they were 12-12 at home, 0-1 as the home team at a neutral site. It doesn't really matter if you're the home team or the road team at a neutral site game, so it shouldn't factor into the statistics for home and road games.
On Wednesday, the Vipers take on Bakersfield at this neutral site in Boise. If the Jam pull off the upset (they did recently win at Maine), are you going to tell me that's the end of the Vipers six-game home winning streak? And if they win, are you going to be satisfied with me calling it the Viper first-ever seven-game home winning streak?
Dodge Arena is home. Not Qwest Arena. And regardless of what the official stats or uniforms at the Showcase say, that's how I'll mark it in my book.
Quick Turnaround
A quick turnaround for the Vipers. Hopefully they've had their coffee.
Timeline of events (CT):
Saturday - 9:00 a.m. - Vipers depart from Harlingen for Los Angeles
Sunday - 2:00 p.m. - Vipers face LA D-Fenders
Sunday – 5:10 p.m. - Vipers leave STAPLES Center for airport
Sunday – 8:00 p.m. - Vipers depart from LAX for Boise, Idaho (on same flight as D-Fenders)
Sunday - 10:30 p.m. - Vipers arrive in Boise
Monday - 12:00 p.m. - Vipers play Albuquerque in Boise, Idaho in Game One of the NBA Development League Showcase
No rest for the weary.
Pre-game in 5 minutes. 104.9 Jack FM. Mute NBA TV while watching and blast the radio!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
BEAT LA
Well, it turns out LA is a really really good rebounding team. Upon closer analysis, they have a very deep rotation, and while the rebounds per game per player might not be that high, it's important to look at the minutes played and then consider the numbers in the context of playing 48 minutes per game.
Today... 51 rebounds, 23 offensive for LA, and based on the first half it seemed like it could've been worse.
Of course, it helped that LA went 4-for-23 from behind the arc and did a good job of collecting those rebounds. LA missed their first 12 three-point attempts, and yet kept throwing them up there. That boggled my mind. I get it. The triangle offense creates those looks. But LA is a terrible three-point shooting team. They entered at .279 from behind the arc and that'll go down. As ADB said late in the broadcast, why not just take a few steps inside to make it a higher percentage shot?
I'm not going to ask them to not run the triangle... They're owned and operated by the Lakers and therefore run that offense. But, please, make adjustments based on your personnel, or make sure you have the right personnel to execute that offense.
That what the Rockets and Vipers are doing, and that's why this single-affiliation relationship is working out so well and why the Vipers are leading the Eastern Conference at 10-3.
Of course, who am I to tell LA what to do? They're still a really good team, opened the game on a 12-0 run, and almost beat the Vipers. But, that's the point, I think. They didn't beat the Vipers. It's the difference between being really good... and being great.
How perfect that the Vipers next two games are live on NBA TV. Greatness on display Monday at noon and Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. Make sure you mute the TV and turn up the radio - 104.9 Jack FM. Pre-game on Monday starts at 11:45 a.m.
ADB is sure to have some great halftime interviews at the Showcase. Seems like everyone who's anyone is there. So don't miss it!
Today... 51 rebounds, 23 offensive for LA, and based on the first half it seemed like it could've been worse.
Of course, it helped that LA went 4-for-23 from behind the arc and did a good job of collecting those rebounds. LA missed their first 12 three-point attempts, and yet kept throwing them up there. That boggled my mind. I get it. The triangle offense creates those looks. But LA is a terrible three-point shooting team. They entered at .279 from behind the arc and that'll go down. As ADB said late in the broadcast, why not just take a few steps inside to make it a higher percentage shot?
I'm not going to ask them to not run the triangle... They're owned and operated by the Lakers and therefore run that offense. But, please, make adjustments based on your personnel, or make sure you have the right personnel to execute that offense.
That what the Rockets and Vipers are doing, and that's why this single-affiliation relationship is working out so well and why the Vipers are leading the Eastern Conference at 10-3.
Of course, who am I to tell LA what to do? They're still a really good team, opened the game on a 12-0 run, and almost beat the Vipers. But, that's the point, I think. They didn't beat the Vipers. It's the difference between being really good... and being great.
How perfect that the Vipers next two games are live on NBA TV. Greatness on display Monday at noon and Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. Make sure you mute the TV and turn up the radio - 104.9 Jack FM. Pre-game on Monday starts at 11:45 a.m.
ADB is sure to have some great halftime interviews at the Showcase. Seems like everyone who's anyone is there. So don't miss it!
STAPLES Center - Homecourt Advantage or Disadvantage?
How will the Vipers react to playing in front of almost no one?
The Los Angeles D-Fenders are last in the NBA Development League in attendance at 217.2 per game. That number dips to 134 at STAPLES Center, the site of today's game. The D-Fenders don't sell tickets to games like this. Anyone who buys a Lakers ticket can come early to watch the D-Fenders play for free. As you see, very few do. The disparity in attendance comes from games played at the D-Fenders' practice facility, the Toyota Sports Center. They sell tickets for those games, and, not surprisingly, draw bigger crowds to the significantly smaller arena.
Keep in mind the Vipers lead the league in attendance (4235.3 per game) and are 6-0 at home. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The crowd is a huge factor. Where will the Vipers draw their energy from? The Vipers are 0-2 at Tulsa so far while playing in front of small (not this small) crowds at a spacious Tulsa Convention Center. Is that the reason for 0-2? No, but you can't tell me it didn't play some kind of role, even if it's a small one.
Of course, It's not like LA has faired THAT well at home where it's that big of an advantage for them. You'd figure it would be, but the D-Fenders are just 5-4 at home and 4-3 at STAPLES Center. For an upper echelon team (LA is in second place in the Western Conference, 1.5 games back of the Vipers), that's not very good. The D-Fenders have only played two games on the road so far, close wins at Albuquerque and Reno.
They've squeaked by Bakersfield twice at home. Squeaked by the second worst team in the league?
Reno won by 22 at STAPLES Center.
Excuse me while I throw up the caution flag that perhaps this LA team isn't as good as the second place ranking might suggest.
They don't have a lot of strength inside. Diamon Simpson is it, and Joey Dorsey shouldn't have too much trouble containing him. LA can't shoot the three (.279), but their opponents can (.350). Ryan Forehand-Kelly is the only deep threat, but you figure Antonio Anderson will earn that assignment, so, again, no problem.
So will the lack of fans in the stands at today's game make a difference? Doubtful. Both teams have to deal with it, and it's tougher for the home team to have deal with the fact they have no fan support.
STAPLES Center - Homecourt Disadvantage
The Los Angeles D-Fenders are last in the NBA Development League in attendance at 217.2 per game. That number dips to 134 at STAPLES Center, the site of today's game. The D-Fenders don't sell tickets to games like this. Anyone who buys a Lakers ticket can come early to watch the D-Fenders play for free. As you see, very few do. The disparity in attendance comes from games played at the D-Fenders' practice facility, the Toyota Sports Center. They sell tickets for those games, and, not surprisingly, draw bigger crowds to the significantly smaller arena.
Keep in mind the Vipers lead the league in attendance (4235.3 per game) and are 6-0 at home. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The crowd is a huge factor. Where will the Vipers draw their energy from? The Vipers are 0-2 at Tulsa so far while playing in front of small (not this small) crowds at a spacious Tulsa Convention Center. Is that the reason for 0-2? No, but you can't tell me it didn't play some kind of role, even if it's a small one.
Of course, It's not like LA has faired THAT well at home where it's that big of an advantage for them. You'd figure it would be, but the D-Fenders are just 5-4 at home and 4-3 at STAPLES Center. For an upper echelon team (LA is in second place in the Western Conference, 1.5 games back of the Vipers), that's not very good. The D-Fenders have only played two games on the road so far, close wins at Albuquerque and Reno.
They've squeaked by Bakersfield twice at home. Squeaked by the second worst team in the league?
Reno won by 22 at STAPLES Center.
Excuse me while I throw up the caution flag that perhaps this LA team isn't as good as the second place ranking might suggest.
They don't have a lot of strength inside. Diamon Simpson is it, and Joey Dorsey shouldn't have too much trouble containing him. LA can't shoot the three (.279), but their opponents can (.350). Ryan Forehand-Kelly is the only deep threat, but you figure Antonio Anderson will earn that assignment, so, again, no problem.
So will the lack of fans in the stands at today's game make a difference? Doubtful. Both teams have to deal with it, and it's tougher for the home team to have deal with the fact they have no fan support.
STAPLES Center - Homecourt Disadvantage
Friday, January 1, 2010
A Special Day for the Vipers Broadcast Team
Three Vipers games are going to be shown on NBA TV in the next five days. For the franchise, Monday and Wednesday will be a big deal - they'll mark the first two times a Vipers game will ever be shown not only on live TV, but on live national TV. Make sure you tune in, but hit the mute button and blast your radio on 104.9 Jack FM so you can hear ADB do what he does best (with me in the studio).
For myself and Alex, tomorrow is the big deal.
At 3:30 p.m. CT, NBA TV will rerun the 12/21 Vipers win over Reno at Dodge Arena. They will use the same video and audio seen on NBA Futurecast. Which means Alex and I will be making our NBA TV debuts.
Even more special, Alex called the third quarter of that game with Hall-of-Famer Clyde Drexler, and now he can watch that on TV. After that, Alex took a break for a few minutes to let me get a few minutes of play-by-play in at the start of the fourth quarter. So I too will get to make my TV play-by-play debut.
I'm excited to watch it, I know Alex is too.
Remember, the NBA Development League isn't just about developing players and coaches. It's about developing everyone... including broadcasters. Alex and I both have similar dreams of doing play-by-play in the show. Hopefully this little bit of national exposure will help us on our ways.
For myself and Alex, tomorrow is the big deal.
At 3:30 p.m. CT, NBA TV will rerun the 12/21 Vipers win over Reno at Dodge Arena. They will use the same video and audio seen on NBA Futurecast. Which means Alex and I will be making our NBA TV debuts.
Even more special, Alex called the third quarter of that game with Hall-of-Famer Clyde Drexler, and now he can watch that on TV. After that, Alex took a break for a few minutes to let me get a few minutes of play-by-play in at the start of the fourth quarter. So I too will get to make my TV play-by-play debut.
I'm excited to watch it, I know Alex is too.
Remember, the NBA Development League isn't just about developing players and coaches. It's about developing everyone... including broadcasters. Alex and I both have similar dreams of doing play-by-play in the show. Hopefully this little bit of national exposure will help us on our ways.
Corn Dogs Jackie, Corn Dogs...
...for all these people.
Looking for some corn dogs? Or how about some amazing Chicago hot dogs? Or other great dishes, including fantastic cheese empenadas? I recommend Doggies Restaurant on the corner of Bicentennial and Business 83, next door (to the north) of the gas station in McAllen
I had corn dogs for lunch, an American dog (chili and cheese) and a Chicago dog for dinner. Great onion rings too. Great food and service in general.
So head on over and support the newest addition to the Vipers Corporate Partner family - Doggies Restaurant!
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