September 16-30, 2004

GLOBAL SPORTS PROGRAMMING NETWORK

September 30th, 2004

A Seductive and Costly Talent

By Ron Chambers

Most people don't know this but the WBA's highest paid player is not Wayne Taylor, Kent Mercer, Sean Ashman, Parker Mason, Lou Gonzales, Jaxon McCall or any of the highly paid Super Stars we normally think about. The truth is that the WBA's highest paid player was drafted #17 in the Season 2 Draft and has never reached what people thought his potential was. After two years of tremendous success in Maine where he averaged over 23 points in his rookie campaign and nearly 28 pointes per game (yet somehow missed all-star selection… a cursed career?) in his second year he was awarded a $10.50 million contract by Virgin Islands. But, his production dropped to under 20 points a game (is that franchise really cursed as Virgin Island locals claimed?) and he was traded & traded & traded. Finally, he found himself in Texas only to be released when they decided his worth was not worth the cost. As if Texas having to pay this former standout $10.50 annually was not enough of a punishment for their ill judgment they further have to deal with the $2.63 which counts against their cap to this day.

Next, this player was picked up by Capetown for $3.25 million (You may have noticed that Begley never mentioned this in his promo piece for the Capetown franchise). He had two good seasons in South Africa- separated by a year spent coming of the bench. But, ultimately Capetown felt that his scoring punch was not enough to warrant his salary. So, they released him. While league rules state that they are still obligated to pay the remainder of his salary they only have to worry about $0.81 million counting against their cap.

The next year this player wasn't even under contract to start the season but found some interest from Carolina once Kevon Duke suffered his career ending injury. He ended the season with a respectable 15 points a game. But, far below the scoring totals some thought he would spend his career producing. Once again this season he has a team willing to give him a chance. You would expect that a solid veteran guard might find himself on a team like Andorra with their struggling young back court but instead he has found his way to the College…umm… pro team the Montana Knights. The Knights have a talented and very young team and now they find themselves with the highest paid player in the WBA, even if they are only paying him a minimum contract.

Who is this player? If you haven't figured it out yet his name is Bucky McCarty. He is the leagues poster boy for wasted money but he isn't complaining. All told his three contracts will earn him $14 million this year. With his two large contracts expiring he will take a large pay cut next year but for this year at least, despite being relegated to league obscurity he enjoys the title of being the WBA's highest paid player.

*After the writing of this article GSPN learn that Montana had actually retracted their offer to McCarty in favor of Tyler Durden. McCarty is still the leagues highes paid player but he now holds that "honor" despite not being under contract with any team.

September 28th, 2004

Free Agency Day 3

By Clark Lane

Free agency is now ramping and we have a lot of signings to report. I am going to talk about the best and the worse deals. If your player is not here it is because I don't think it is a great signing, neither a bad one… or because it went thru unnoticed… Let's see one some owners are ready to do…

Charlie Daidone, PG, 5.3m$ for 5 years. Colorado. This is a strange signing. I mean, Daidone is a worthy player. But he is a shoot first-ask-later kind of player. It looks as if Colorado has fear of his scoring and wanted to bring a scorer to the team… The assists won't come from him that is sure. I preferred the signing of Tango, way cheaper, and a worthy player. Only time will tell us if it was good or not, but I am not too sure about this signing. If he had been cheaper I would have said a great signing, but for this kind of money I put a question mark over it.

Tre Freeman, SG/SF, 0.5m$ for 2 years. Albacete. I don't know what Pedro thinks about this player, but if he goes to the shooting guard spot he will be a great signing. His stamina is pretty bad, but for the SG backup spot behind Jarvis that won't matter a lot. He won't appear on any man of the match report, but he will give Albacete quite a nice replacement for a few minutes.

Jim Fox, PF/C, 0.25m$ for 1 year. Cancun. This is not a great signing, but a solid one. Fox knows what he has to do and he does it well. He will give relaxing time to the power forward slot if needed. This is something that makes the difference between a great team and a good one. Good, cheap serviceable players to backup key positions.

Chuck O'Rourke, 0.5m$ for 1 year. Capetown. Another of this low profile backup players that give a few minutes of very good play. Nothing fancy about it, just getting the work done.

Thumb up.

Gerhold Verholm, 4m$ for 5 years. Omaha. A signing for the future. Verholm is a liability on any team right now because of his lack of rebounding. But if lucky, and well train he can be a worthy player. He is only 20, but his lack of rebounding is very important so he will need more than training there…

Sean Ashman, 11.5m$ for 7 years. California. Can this signing turn California into a respectable team? It is a very good signing. I really think that Ashman is a great C, even if he stills need training. But the rest of the team around him lacks depth. There are some good players, but I still think California is missing something. One thing is for sure, now they have a true center, maybe the best young center behind Vasquez. (I have said maybe)

Jo Jones, 1m$ for 3 years. California. At first I got this guy confused with Joe Jones. Now knowing who it is, I see that California wants a look at the future. The only thing that worries me is that Jo does not know how to shoot. So even if he can be a good player he needs to improve that real fast. Why use has a shooting guard that does not shoot? Another gamble with the future…

Reaynado DeAngelo, 1m$ for 3 years. Texas. A veteran coming back home after 5 seasons. He is a very good all-round small forward. He won't be playing a lot of minutes at Texas, but he will bring some quality from the bench. His price tag maybe a little bit too high for the kind of minutes he will be playing, but knowing that the can cover a spot for 25-30 minitues of quality play if needs arise is a motivation for his price tag.

Jeremy Aarons, 2m$ for 3 years. Cancun. This looks quite a gamble to me. And maybe too expensively paid for what he brings to the table. A 35% FG shooting guard that fouls quite a lot is nothing to be too happy about. I know he has Schmid and Koons at the Guard spot so I imagine he wants a little bit more depth. Aarons will turn, hopefully, into a good Guard, but not today, maybe in 1 or 2 seasons… not the best move on my book, but it could have been worse. He could have sign Carroll ;-)

At the end quite a few overpaid players, but not as many as other years. Even if on the top talent department this season wasn't great, on the low level there were quite a lot of worthy players. But the action is not finished. Look at teams that have many players accepted and nearly no cap, and think that they are not going to pick them. They are waiting to see if other players free to get them. Do they same and get a few of the nice players that are there. Price can go down quite a bit. I will always remember that Toby started with a price tag of more than 7 m$ and he fell down to 2. A nice drop. Maybe Nick Adams will do the same thing?

September 28th, 2004

Relocation

Zagrieb Zano

The WBA has been running strong coming up on its 10th season. While there

have been a few teams that have moved around, never before has the league

considered it necessary allow realignment. Though not to long ago Varese

was allowed to go west to the cow polk down of Sacramento. Virgin Islands

coming off of their best season in franchise history are leaving those fans

behind for colder pastures in Alaska. The Utah Highlanders had a short stay

in the great state of Utah going oversees to the small country of Andorra.

It is unknown why the league allowed such moves to occur considering

previous requests to leave the geographical regions of a teams respective

division have always been denied. First and foremost this is a business,

and if you move a team, they will come. Shoeless joe Jackson would be so

proud.

The league has looked at various realignment plans. Not only must it make

geographical sense as much as possible, but the league must consider travel

costs for divisional opponents. The fact that the league has teams across

the atlantic ocean and has been able to be profitable, it is a testament to

the league.

Plus natural rivalries are not good to split up especially if they are

division rivals. Not only are these big money makers, but typically these

rivalries are good spirited. It just doesn't mean the same if your not

facing a division rival.

It will be interesting to see how the teams that are directly effected will

be able to promote the season to their fans. I highly doubt the that very

successful Topless night promotion will be as successful in Alaska as it

was in the Virgin Islands.

There are some advantages to realignment. It can be a cause for excitment

as some teams that your fans would only see 1 time a year, will now see

those teams twice at home, and 4 overall. Plus, let us not forget that the

Eastern Conference is not to happy about becoming the J.V. league. So it

seems clear they need to do what they can to get one or two of the superior

western teams to make their conference a little more exciting and

marketable.

There have been various recommendations for reallignement. The option

currently label as Option G, seems to have the most likely ability of being

approved by the board of govenors. So let's look at Option G, and examine

what affects it will have.

Pacific

Alaska

Oregon

California

Cancun

Montana

Sacramento

Salt Lake

The Pacific divsion would be the division stuck with the mediocre sludge

from the east. Though it would make Montana appear to be a better team then

they are. Plus it would include some great competition for the top 3 spots

in the division between Oregon, Cancun and Salt Lake City. Montana and Salt

Lake City have had a good strong rivalry going for several years, now their

games will mean just a little bit more. Cancun will also face a tougher

task in winning the division over a very potentent Oregon team. Whether

Alaska and Sacramento will bring the overall competitivenous of this

divsiion to become the laughing stock remains to be seen. Hopefully, both

teams are on the right track, and this could easily be one of the most

compeititve divisions that the league has to offer.

Midwest

Nebraska

Texas

Omaha

Cincinnati

Colorado

Roswell

Miami

Initially this move really helps out Nebraska as they are the only real

elite team in the division. Texas dosn't move, but will now have to face

Colorado on a regular basis for 2nd best. Omaha and Miami lose their Rival

Salt Lake. This however is a good thing, since it has been very one-sided

as of late. Hopefully in due course, some of the teams that don't being

with N will be able to bolster their rosters to take advantage when

Nebraska is slowed down due to injuries. Though Miami is a team that

matches up well against Nebraska, its just the other teams they have

problems with.

Atlantic

Boston

Rochester

Washington

Brooklyn

Baltimore

Carolina

New York

The Atlantic doesn't really change that much. Brooklyn and Washington are

of course the cream of the crop. And they are able to keep their rivarly in

tack so they can battle it out for the division title year in and year out.

Boston and Rochester are like the ugly sisters trying to get into some of

the action. They will poke their heads in from time to time. Overall this

division is still top heavy as it lacks any serious depth.

Far East

Capetown

Andorra

Gabon

London

Budapest

Albacete

Birmingham

I know what your thinking, Birmingham? but they are farther west then any

of the Atlantic teams. One word: Deliverance. Simply put they might as well

be a foriegn country. This allows them to fit in well with the Far East

Division. Capetown will be able to battle Albacete as the divisions top

team. They will miss their rivalry with Cancun, but at least Albacete is

kind of like a red-headed step child of Cancun. Budapest will poke their

head in from time to time. Andorra could cause problems as they are

somewhat of an average team now. Gabon and London have had their best years

behind them, but they are still competent teams.

If Option G does go through as diagramed it will be something that people

will like while others will hate. Granted this could have all been avoided

if eastern teams were not allowed to move west to visit Fifel. In a perfect

world, teams wouldn't feel the urge to relocate. Perhaps some additional

fines such as losing some salary cap for the first two years would limit a

owners desire to change locations on a whim. The constant changes do have a

monetary affect as fans are not so willing to support a team for fear that

they will be gone the following year. I am more of a purist, and I think

constant relocation hurts the history of the league. People are not able to

identify with teams or players as easily. As owners look to sell their

teams, they should have the decency to put in the contract that the team

cannot be relocated for 10-15 years. They should do it for the fans. Of

course the fan is normally dim-witted. If you build it, they will come.

September 27th, 2004

Western Conference Free Agency Review

by Brandon Morfeld

Nebraska--Signed SF Nick Adams, SF/PF Ron Avery, C Marty Williams, C Nolan Blizzard

This was an amazing free agency period for an already premier squad. They had planned to skate out of free agency with some quality signings, but they were shocked when teams kept withdrawing bids on two of the top players out there. After a salary dumping trade thy were able to pick up Nick Adams and Marty Williams. Adams is a dominant player at SF on offense and he will be a critical player to have with Taylor's health issues. They also resigned Ron Avery who will be a nice sub to have as he continues to learn the WBA style of play. They alsomanaged to steal Marty Williams who is pretty old, but still has some very good seasons left in him as proven last season. None of these signings will start for them, although Marty may get a shot if Clopp struggles and Adams will start if Taylor is injured. In all this was a great free agency.

Oregon--Signed Joe Menendez, Leon Berthelson, Pat McDaniel, Myles Herring, JJ McCauley, Evan Kerr

Oregon needed to solidify their backcourt depth with this free agent crop. Before they could acquire Davidson they were desparate to find a suitable PG prospect so they went out and signed former big dollar star Leon Berthelson who will be a nice compliment for this team off the bench. They also signed lower end players like McDaniel and Herring to play PG. These guys will get little playing time now of course. They did go out and grab SG Evan Kerr for a good contract and he will definitely help this team out with their depth at SG. JJ McCauley will also help to make this backcourt even better.

Colorado--Signed Ray Tango, Charlie Daidone, Stub Madison, Joe Watts, Mark Crowley, Quentin Christensen

They went out and also were in search of a PG to fill a major need on this squad. Their solution was the signing of Charlie Daidone. He is a viable offensive minded player at PG, but I feel he isn't worth the big dollars they dished out to get him. He isn't a prototype PG at all. Stub Madison may end up being the starter here even though he makes much less money. He is a passing PG that I feel has always had a bad rap. He will put up the stats though. Watts and Tango will both see mainly mop up duties. Mark Crowley and Quentin will both be excellent additions to this teams depth. They are strong on the boards and know how to get the job done offensively. Withthe proper training they will be impact players.

Montana--Signed Marcus Johnson

They didn't need to add much to this squad as they had a pretty full roster and were up near the cap. They went out and added a scrub to mop up at the PG position.

California--Signed Austin Novak, Jo Jones, Evilio Nunez, Sean Ashman

This was a great free agent period for California. Evilio Nunez is a great scorer and he will be a major weapon to have for this offense. Sean Ashman gives them a real Center that can get some rebounds and play some defense.

Andorra--Signed Ossie Gordon, Pierce Shea, Kelian Fabares, Tyran Besecker, Jon Morgenland, Walt Coleman, Tristen Collins

The biggest signing for them was keeping around up and coming Tristen Collins for a few more years. He really makes this team go. They also brought in Pierce Shea who has never lived up to his potential as a SG either. The rest of the players will be decent role guys at best for this squad.

Roswell--Signed Cullen Phillips, Roy Golden

Just a couple of signings here as they shored up a couple of holes. Golden was a very nice addition as I believe he has a bright future in the WBA. Phillips is a proven starter in this league and he will go a long ways in helping their young players to adjust.

Cancun--Signed Jim Fox, Jeremy Aarons, Jesus Dienes, Treyvon Marlow, Storm Schmid

This was a pretty good period for this team overall, but they did lose out on Paul Carroll. To replcae him they will bring in rookie Jeremy Aarons who will likely not be ready for such responsibility and Storm Schmid who also has some weaknesses in his game. Marlow was re-signed to play the back-up PG role and Jim Fox was brought in to bolster the frontcourt depth.

Capetown--Signed Roger Mayer, Woody Reynolds, Chris Worsinger, Chuck O'Rourke, TJ McFarland, Glen Chandler

They bolstered their backcourt withthe additions of Worsinger and veterans Mayer and Reynolds. All are capable players, but none are starting caliber under any circumstances. They also added defensive specialist TJ McFarland and rebounding specialist Chuck O'Rourke. They added a lot to their bench this year with these players. Most of the help will come as role players that will help with specific areas.

Texas--Signed Reynaldo DeAngelo, Mike Reardon, Shawn McKick, Paul Carroll

They went out and practically took all of Cancun's depth this season. I guess if you can't beat them, then take them! McKick has been a vital bench player for Cancun the past few seasons and he will be a big help for Texas also. They also took starting SG Paul Carroll who will be a very nice addition to this squad for the season. He really adds a backcourt element to the Texas lineup. Reardon is a career sub atPG, but a good one and DeAngelo is a defensive/rebounding specialist.

Salt Lake--Signed Bernie Cobb

Cobb is an excellent pickup at the minimum for this team. He'll provide them high quality minutes at the C position this year.

Omaha--Signed Gerhold Verholm, Bomber Bartkowski

Verholm was their key target this offseason and they managed to keep him by dishing out a huge deal. Right now I don't think he is near worth it, but maybe he will develop into the kind of player they need to compete. They also signed a scrub in Bomber Bartkowski.

Cincinnati--Signed Gene Swanson, Frank Rose, Antonio Grandison, Douglas Leboyare, Jason Vance, Ivan Cherny

Despite a small mishap withtheir bids, I think this team got exactly what they wanted this year. Grandison will be a very nice addition although it will take a few seasons for him to mature. The same goes for high flying Jason Vance. Frank Rose is a veteran that will need to provide some leadership for this team if they want to succeed. Leboyare is also a good prospect that they hope will mature fast. Cherny and Swanson have a ways to go before they can compete at the WBA level.

Miami--Signed Oman Fatafehi, Euclid Spafford, Isaac Edmondson, Milo Chambers, Greg Sembers

Oman was obviously one of the biggest signings in free agency. He can do it all and they are quite proud of keeping him around. Edmondson is a guy I believe they overpaid for, but he has promise. If he keeps getting better then by the end of this contract he will be worth it. Spafford, Chambers, and Sembers will all need time to develop before they are at a highly competitive level.

September 27th, 2004

Eastern Conference Free Agency Review

by Brandon Morfeld

Budapest--Signed Bob Kinsey, Frank Constantini, Mathew Gill, Walter Callaway, Roy Cader, Marques Feldman

This was a very productive seasonfor Budapest in free agency. They brought in stellar depth in the form of Frank C. and Mathew Gill. Gill will be an impact bench player for sure. Roy Cader is a high profile youngster who has the potential to really develop nicely. He fits perfect into this style of play. In fact all of these guys are exactly the kind of class that I would expect Budapest to bring in.

Albacete--Signed Jason Moss, Tre Freeman

Cete didn't need much help heading into this offseason so they weren't big players in the market. Jason Moss was a solid C prospect for this team so they kept him around. They also went out and nabbed SG/SF Tre Freeman who will be a big boost off the bench for this team. They really needed to bring in a guy like this to keep this team flowing when the reserves come into the game.

Boston--Signed Felipe Juarez, Danny Hainge, Pedro Otis, Michael Huryta

Juarez is a nice addition to the offense. He isn't a real PG, but he can sure provide a scoring boost if the team needs a shot in the arm. They also bring in Danny Hainge which gives this team a bona fide SG. That's something they have lacked in recent years. To go along with Hainge they also brought in Pedro Otis who I believe will actually get the start at SG. Otis is a defensive presence while being a great scorer at the same time. They really got a deal when they brought him in. Huryta is a player with some nice talent, but he will be a bench player this year again unless they lose faith in George Holt.

London--NO SIGNINGS

Gabon--Signed Trever Rosin, Misha Kryznetsov, George Lush, Sage Walker

This was a very nice group of players for Gabon to bring in. George Lush is a premier scorer and gives this team a nice offensive compliment to Bramson. They also added nice depth at the C spot by bringing in Sage Walker who has really finally started to mature a bit. Trever Rosin is a nice looking young PG prospect that will probably need a few seasons to turn into the type of player they want him to be. Misha Kryznetsov is a big signing in my eyes. He is going to be a very high quality sub for this team to bring off of the bench. He could start for a lot of teams.

Rochester--Signed Ramon Phelan, Odibe King

They didn't have a lot of cap room to play with after reacquiring Dave Williams in the offseason, but I feel that they spent it very wisely. Phelan is going to be a star in this league and he will be an excellent sub for Williams and may even get to play major minutes at SF. He is a great all around player who is very smart with the ball and makes good choices all around. Not to mention that he is an emerging offensive threat also. Odibe King is going to give them even more depth at those important middle positions. These were two great signings by the Rochester management.

Sacramento--Signed Sheldon Maloney, John Diblasi

Sheldon Maloney was a very important signing for this team I feel. He should really give them a great SG player to go along with their other big time scorers. Maloney can do it all, but he is best suited for an offensive style of play, which is perfect for this team. Diblasi is not a fully ready C yet, but he has the tools. If he can come around for this franchise eventually then they have a pretty good lineup and some nice depth.

Washington--Signed Justin Krueger

This was all that this team needed to make itself a contender this season. They went out and got the best PG available in free agency. I believe they may have overpaid to bring him in, but they didn't really have a choice. PG was a desparate hole that this team needed to fix if they hoped to have any shot at contending. Krueger brings a complete game to the table as he can pass and also isn't too bad offensively.

Brooklyn--Signed Larry Saunders, Jake Cone, Mike Barrett, Yurily Zakharov, Scooter Jacobs, Daren Benson, LaKar Everidge

This team managed to keep a lot of their own free agents despite being a high profile team. Larry Saunders is a great guy to have come off the bench and there was surprisingly little interest in him this season. The same goes for Mike Barrett who has always provided Brooklyn with very high quality minutes. Jake Cone should also give them a young potential guy to eventually maybe play some minutes at C. Scooter Jacobs is a veteran talent that used to be a viable All-Star game candidate. He has slowed off some, but is still a very effective player to have off the bench. They also kept their project player in young LaKar Everidge. He just hasn't ever managed to dig himself out of that hole. He has the potential, but has so many flaws to overcome. Daren Benson was another youngster that they felt was crucial to keep since they lost Krueger. They will need him to really mature in order to be an effective starting PG in theWBA.

Baltimore--Signed Lonnie Graham

Despite being very active in the free agent market this team didn't make a big splash. They seemed to be just shy on most of their efforts and with a bit higher commitment level could be a big player next season. They also brought in Lonnie Graham which should give them a nice defensive presence on the floor.

Alaska--NO SIGNINGS

Birmingham--Signed Isaac Rice

They didn't need to add much and they maximized their efforts. Rice is a big time playmaker on the boards and at the defensive end of the floor. He'll be a nice addition to this squad. Hopefully he can compliment their other big men and make some things happen for this team. They could really use a good season.

New York--NO SIGNINGS

Carolina--Signed Marko Maric, Luke Benner, Malachi Jefferson, Lance Stow

Marko Maric got a big contract when he could have been signed for less, but perhaps they wanted to lock him up long term. He has some potential, but it isn't a consensus that he will be an everyday player in the league. Luke Benner is their best signing. He is a high quality SF and will be an impact player for this squad. In fact he might be their highest scorer in the not too distant future. Malachi Jefferson is a young guy that they are willing to take a chance on, hoping that he will mature into the kind of impact player they need. Lance Stow is another great signing. He will be a major contributor right away and has the talent to compete in the WBA.

September 27th 2004

Pacific Preview

by Brandon Morfeld

Nebraska

Key Players: Dexter Kodak, Dennis Evans, Wayne Taylor, Roy Base

Rundown: Well of course the two biggest storylines of the offseason for this team involve the health of Taylor and the trade of Dave Williams. First off, Taylor is by far the most prolific offensive player in WBA history and if he stays healthy this season he could make another MVP run. He's the heart of this team and when he goes off there is absolutely no one that can slow him down. He shoots so well from every spot on the floor. Williams was dealt away in order for the team to extend the contract of Roy Base. Base has really developed into a premier player and is a threat to put up 20 points every night. He needs to work on his fundamentals to round out his game, but once that gets taken care of he will be a dominant player. They also brought in Dennis Evans to replace Dave Williams. Evans will be a much improved shooter after heading to shooters camp this offseason and the team thinks he will easily replace Williams in this scheme. They also have standout PG Dexter Kodak who knows how to move the ball around and get it to the open man. Perhaps the bigegst strength of this team is its' depth though. Not many teams can match their second team of Bachemann, Morfeld, Adams, Wilson, and Williams.

Oregon

Key Players: Lou Gonzales, Bishop Stein, Donavan Jones, Cory Mosley, Kelvin Davidson

Rundown: Gonzales is the franchise player here undoubtedly. He is a dominating defensive player and a perennial MVP candidate. Gonzales is a bit weak at rebounding for a C which always hurts this team a bit, but they took measures to help him out this offseason. They brought in Donavan Jones to compliment Cory Mosley as huge rebounders. These guys will make sure that Gonzales doesn't feel overwhelmed down low at any point during the game. They also have an amazing young player in Bishop Stein who can play defense and shoot the rock with the best of them. He will be a huge factor in this team success. They also acquired a great PG in Kelvin Davidson who will really bring the floor leadership to this squad that they haven't had before. This team has a lot of very talented role players right now and I believe they are all perfect compliments of one another.

Colorado

Key Players: Greg Lacy, Samir Sheth, Jim Peyton

Rundown: This team has always been known as a "team" first franchise. It has been void of individual stars and seems to always succeed despite this fact. It is never because they don't have great individual talent, but because they always seem to spread the ball around and play an open style of ball. Greg Lacy is a very good defensive player and he is coming around offensively also. He'll be the cornerstone of this team starting this season. They also have Samir Sheth who willbe the teams offensive go to guy. They will need Sheth to really mature as an all around player in order to make a strong push this year. They also have a talented C in Jim Peyton. He will be key for this team as they try to play withthe other elite C's in the Western Conference.

Montana

Key Players: Pat Stephenson, Kadeem Reed, Jarius Miles, Umberto DiTullio

Rundown: Kadeem Reed is a great young player that will really help this team at their guard positions. He is a bit more mature than teammate Umberto DiTullio who will be his backcourt mate. They both have a lot of growing up to do before they will be what is required to make a title run. Pat is a great C, but he isn't quite up to par with some of the other dominant players out there. Perhaps with the right offseason work ethic he will finally live up to his billing. They also extended young Jarius Miles. Once he gets his fouls and turnovers under control he will be an unstoppable player for this franchise. They have already committed to building this team around him. The team will be solid, but they could struggle as I still believe they have a few players that need extra time to develop.

California

Key Players: Pete Merritt, Brody Liang, Sean Ashman

Rundown: This team has new owners which are slowly developing their avenue to build this team. They weren't major players in the free agency market this year which tells me that the new owner is still catching on. They need to do a lot of scouting this season and really hit free agency and the draft hard next year. Pete Merritt is their only offensive weapon and that isn't saying much. He can sure score, but when all that pressure is on him he can't handle it. Liang is a great rebounder and plays solid defense, but these two players alone won't be able to guide this team. They will have a very long season this year I would expect, but hopefully they can get up to tempo with the player development and scouting and make an impact next season. Their one main signing was bringing in Sean Ashman that gives them a major player at the C spot. he'll determine exactly how many wins this team can get this season.

Andorra

Key Players: Mark Miller, Al Herbert, Oshodi Bombata, Tristen Collins, Devonta Corrigan

Rundown: I would expect a great season from this team if they can get good production out of Al Herbert. He was the top rookie C available and it was a major deal for this team to grab him. He should be able to compete right away as a rookie, but he will need a few seasons before he becomes a truly dominant C. Devonta Corrigan needs to step up and have the kind of season that everyone expects him to have. He seems to underachieve almost every season. He should be huge on the boards and throw down shots left and right. He needs to become more dominant to help this team. They also have signed defensive force Mark Miller at PF which should help them with some match-ups. Miller isn't bad on offense either. The last key to their puzzle was Tristen Collins who really helps this team complete out its' rotation.

Roswell

Key Players: Walt Jackson, Ajani Valentine, Quintin Pitt

Rundown: This team will probably struggle this year, but as Valentine and Jackson mature they will really start to look good. Jackson is probably the rookie of the year frontrunner as he is a great scorer and rebounds very well also. He can also play very stout defense which just adds to his abilities. Valentine is the perfect compliment to him as he is another big time scorer that plays very smart with the ball. He will need to watch his fouls, but he'll be a big time player also. Quintin Pitt is a young SG prospect that will fit nicely in this teams defense first scheme. They all have excellent defensive qualities, but they are a season or two away from competing offensively. They also need to take steps to bring in a real bigtime C prospect.

Projected Finish Order

Nebraska

Oregon

Andorra

Colorado

Montana

Roswell

California

September 27th, 2004

Midwest Preview

by Brandon Morfeld

Cancun

Key Players: Kent Mercer, Scott Nicholson, Parker Mason, Lonnie Gerson

Rundown: This team is just dominant right now. This upcoming season could be their biggest test yet as they lost much of their talented depth to the free agent market. In fact they are very weak a SG as they prepare to start the season. But if anyone can overcome this it is Cancun. They have superstar Kent Mercer at C. Mercer is just dominating. He is a monster under the rim on both ends of the floor. He puts up huge numbers on offense and just absorbs rebounds. They don't get much better than that. At PF they have injury prone Scott Nicholson. When he plays he is a great court presence with a nice offensive touch and good defensive pressure. Last year they also brought in defensive specialist Lonnie Gerson who is one of the best defensive players in the WBA. He was key to bring in to match up with all the offensive firepower at the SF position. Then at PG they have former league MVP Parker Mason. Not many PG's can compete with his all around game. He's a great rebounder and is a solid floor general. He really completes this team and I see him as the team leader.

Capetown

Key Players: Evelio Jackson, Chuck Henderson, Obafemi Mabruke, Bill Yeager

Rundown: Evelio Jackson was a superb selection for this team. He is proably the most complete rookie in the entire draft and will be ready to contribute immediately as a SG. Putting him in the same backcourt as Chuck Henderson will give this team the best passing duo in the league. Henderson is a perennial All-WBA selection and just knows how to get the ball around the floor. He will make the rest of this team better. Mabruke is a great player also. He is a very good rebounder and plays amazing defense. He also knows how to put the ball in the hole. The team also traded for big time C Bill Yeager. This could be the move that puts this team up near the top of this division. Yeager is huge on the boards and he can score major points. This was a big time deal for this team.

Texas

Key Players: Paul Carroll, Heiko Van Brandt, Jay Vasquez

Rundown: I really like the direction this team is headed. Bringing in Van Brandt last season was just amazing. He is just a great all around player. He is so good on the boards and can shoot the ball so well. There isn't much he can't do and he is such a smart player also. But perhaps the best thing management here did was drafting C Jay Vasquez. He is already one of the most dominating players in the WBA and will just get better. He is the franchise player here and along with Van Brandt gives them a dominating frontcourt. Vazquez rebounds very well and he is such a threat to score from the paint. teams already have him singled out as the player that makes this team go. They also added Paul Carroll at SG. Carroll is mainly a defensive specialist, but he isn't bad offensively either. He'll be a nice additon to the team, but perhaps more importantly for Texas, they stole him from rival Cancun.

Salt Lake City

Key Players: Cordell Parks, Brad Bangerter, Austyn Williams, Arnold Eaton

Rundown: This is the year that SLC finally becomes the team that others predicted them to be earlier. They will be a tough nosed defensive squad and also pack an offensive punch. Their biggest acquisition was Brad Bangerter. He is a premier offensive player who will need to work on his rebounding to become a complete player and he also needs to watch his fouls. They also brought in PG/SG Austyn Williams who is a great passer and a shutdown defender. His issue is also his fundamentals. Another great defender is Cordell Parks. He was brought in to be a shutdown defender also. His issue is his fouling issues. At C they brougth in Arnold Eaton who is another premier defender. He is a top shot blocker and he is a very smart player. I think that this team could easily have the lowest points allowed figure in the WBA, but I think they may not score as many as people may think. I see this team struggling with fouls especially. If they can play smart defense and shoot well then watch out.

Omaha

Key Players: Brian Collins, Oliver McCarty, Tony DiMateo, Branko Filipovic

Rundown: This is a young team that is trying to build. One great addition was getting DiMateo. He is a bona fide offensive threat and this team will really rely on him to score the points. Another great young player they have is Branko Filipovic who brings a complete game to this team. He'll really be relied upon to help this team match up better against the high powered offensive SG's out there. At PG they have signed up Oliver Mccarty to a huge deal. In fact I think he is way overpaid, but he does bring talent to the floor. He isn't a prototype PG, but he is a solid defender and can pass the ball. They also have Brian Collins in the backcourt which adds even more depth. He will probably start and is a great up and coming young player. This team is pretty weak in the frontcourt though which will cause them to struggle against theteams with dominant big men in their division.

Cincinnati

Key Players: Craig Bradshaw, Abegunda Abasi, Brandon Sandler, Webster Hewlett

Rundown: This team has failed to live up to my own expectations over the last few seasons. They have a dominating C in Craig Bradshaw who is a stud under the boards and is a huge offensive weapon. This team really needs to utilize him more and make him an offensive focal point. If they do that then they will have a chance to finally make a decent run. They also have a strong rebounder at PF in Abegunda Abasi. Abasi is also a premier defender and really gives this team a solid frontcourt. At SG they will start sharpshooting Webster Hewlett. Hew is an offensive machine that won't let you down when it comes to a clutch shot. To distribute the ball around they have relied upon Brandon Sandler for the last few years and will continue to do so. Sandler is a good floor leader and he will do a great job of moving things around and getting it to the open man.

Miami

Key Players: Dave Troychak, Oman Fatafehi, John Davis

Rundown: Miami has been trying to make that turn as a franchise the last few seasons. This year won't be the year either. They have a nice talent base, but the West is just so tough. They have a great veteran C in John Davis who is a premier reboudner and a solid defender. With him in the frontcourt is young talented Oman Fatafehi. Oman is a great rebounder himself and is also a solid defender and a great offensive presence. But he won't be relied on to handle the scoring duties as that job will fall to young Dave Troychak. Troychak is a natural scorer who has no problem shouldering that responsibility. Any success this team hopes to have rides squarely on the shoulders of Troychak to outscore opponents.

Projected Finish Order

Cancun

Salt Lake City

Texas

Capetown

Cincinnati

Omaha

Miami

September 27th, 2004

Atlantic Preview

by Brandon Morfeld

Budapest

Key Players: Johnny Brose, Larry Chapman, Roy Cader, Steve Peterson

Rundown: This team always seems to surprise everyone. They do it by playing great defense and high percentage offense. They are the only team in the WBA that I have ever seen make this approach work. Johnny Brose is the perfect start to this style of play because of his solid shooting ability, great rebounding, and solid defense. Then you move to a guy like Steve Peterson who is a great passing PG and is one of the WBA's premier defensive players. Peterson has had a long road to get here, but he always gets All-WBA Team consideration. Larry Chapman and Roy Cader are two more defensive minded players that this team paid big time dollars to play Budy Ball. The team should have pretty much the same look as last season as they kept their major players.

Albacete

Key Players: Juwan Bixby, Harry Jarvis, Bobby Cress, Keith Douglas

Rundown: Albacete still has their franchise mainstay Harry Jarvis at the SG position. Jarvis is aging, but he can still get the job done and is the leader of this team. He is a great offensive player and can make things happen on defense also. They are also keeping around big man Bobby Cress who is one of the leagues top rebounders. Cress has been a monster for this team during their stretch runs and has really developed into a premier player. Last season they brought in PG Keith Douglas which solved amajor hole in this team. They had never been known for having a quality true PG, but Douglas gives them that. He may be the best passer in the WBA and he just knows his way around the floor and knows how to make an offense run effectively. They also have young talent such as Juwan Bixby and Tyler Kane. These guys are turning into bigtime players and this really helps out Cete. Bixby especially has become an everyday kind of player who hits the boards well and shoots well. He may need t switch to PF for the better of his career longrun.

Boston

Key Players: Jimmy Foster, Danny Hainge, Dave Short, Pedro Otis, Magic Toby

Rundown: Life after Bill Yeager begins. I really think they dealt the wrong guy here as not having a dominant C will really hurt this team. Dave Short is a staple of this franchise and I don't expect to see him playing anywhere else anytime soon. He rebounds the ball very well and is a major offensive weapon. They also acquired a pair of talented SG's in Pedro Otis and Danny Hainge. Both will fit into this system well. Otis is a great offensive weapon that they may need to replace Yeager. They also have offensive showoff Magic Toby. The problem with Toby has always been his weak rebounding and average defense. It's just hard to find a place for him on the floor where his offense can help more than his defense hurts. The team also does have a great PG in Jimmy Foster. Foster is one of the best passers in the WBA and they'll need someone to get the ball around and keep all the shooters happy. I just see this team taking a step back after losing Yeager and trading Greene. They are still a quality team of course with tons of talent, just not as good as in the past.

London

Key Players: Abdullah Chanda, Horace Colbert

Rundown: This team recently approved adeal that gives away star PG Kelvin Davidson which really leaves this team short on talent if you ask me. I respect David Song as an owner/coach in this league, but you can tell that he has a lack of time on his hands and it is hurting his franchise. Abdullah Chanda is the only real star that I see on this roster right now. He is a great defender and will be relied upon by this team to shut down opponents. They also have Horace Colbert who I see as just an average Center these days. Every year that they keep him I am shocked because I know they have tried so hard to move him out of here. Colbert is a big offensive weapon and he is a good rebounder and plays good defense. I think this team should have used some of that almost 5 mill in cap to bring back Nick Adams or to sign another quality free agent. Instead they were relatively low players in free agency. Prehaps they want to build through the draft.

Gabon

Key Players: Otto Hameleers, Jerry Bramson, Jim Wilson, Derek Vinyard

Rundown: This team just always seems to look the same. I can't even remember the last time these 4 players weren't on their roster. But if something is working why change it. Otto Hameleers came into this league as one of the most high profile rookies ever and his career has just never quite panned out to expectations. He is a premier defender and can steal the ball from anyone in the league. He is just an average passer though and isn't a large offensive threat. They also have C Jim Wilson who is a great high efficiency guy. He is a great rebounder and has an amazing inside shot. He is also a very solid defender. Not many players can combine all those aspects of their game. They also have Derek Vinyard who is another guy that came in with big expectations. He has really done exactly what is expected of him by being a decent offensive threat, but really laying it down on the boards and defensively. The heart of this team is Jerry Bramson though and always has been. Trading him would be a mistake. Bramson is their offensive machine and he is a great rebounder and defender. Every team in the league makes sure that when they play Gabon they shut down Bramson before anyone else. He is what makes this team go.

Rochester

Key Players: Jimmy Whalen, Jim McCarthy, Dave Williams

Rundown: This team should be much improved from last year and I think they will look more like their old selves. The team never seemed to recover after trading away Dave Williams and now they bring him back to Rochester. Williams may be the best scorer in WBA history and he is a solid rebounder and plays decent defense. He'll take over right away as the focal point of this team and rightfully so. He alone will make this team better by many games. They also managed to hold onto Jim McCarthy who is one of the best C's in the league. McCarthy has worked really hard on correcting his foul issues and if he stays in the games then watch out for this Rochester squad because they will be very hard to beat. They also have PG Jimmy Whalen out there. Whalen is a guy that has all the tools you want from a PG. He is an offensive weapon, passes the ball well, and is a great defender. He is a guy that hasn't seemed to play up to potential thus far, but if he does then he'll really help out this Rochester squad.

Sacramento

Key Players: John Van Horne, Harold Gil, John Gaiser, Jaxon McCall

Rundown: This team made a great move by bringing in Van Horne this offseason. He brings them a premier C that plays great defense and is a scorer also. Bringing him in will really increase their ability to compete with the rest of the teams and allow some pressure to be taken off of Jaxon McCall. McCall is one of the best scorers in the WBA, but has had way too much focus and pressure put on him by this franchise in the past. Hopefully with the new additions he will be able to relax and just play within his game. McCall is one of the best SF's there is. They also have Harold Gil at SG which gives them a scorer there also. The problem will be seeing if he can stay in the games and not lose his temper too many times. They do also have a great PG in John Gaiser that can keep all these shooters happy.

Projected Finish Order

Budapest

Rochester

Sacramento

Albacete

Gabon

Boston

London

September 27th, 2004

Mid-Atlantic Preseason Look

by Brandon Morfeld

Washington

Key Players: Boom-Boom Casey, Emmett Yee, Justin Krueger, AJ Schulz

Rundown: This team should be pretty similar to last season. They did add a great PG by taking Justin Krueger away from Brooklyn. They should be able toscore points with anyone and they are a pretty good defensive squad also. BB is one of the premier players in WBA history and can still get the job done. Young superstar Emmett Yee is the focal point of the offense and he can knock down the jumper with anyone in the WBA. He was an MVP candidate early on last year and I would expect him to remain a staple on that list. AJ Schulz is another veteran superstar and he hasn't lost anything from his game. This team should be very difficult to beat. They are switching management groups which hopefully will not be an issue for this franchise. I think that Krueger may be overpaid, but the team needed a PG and he was the best available. This team is in fora great season.

Brooklyn

Key Players: Joe Siebert, Mario Bailey, Tom Perkins, Shane Strom

Rundown: This is another team that will remain relatively the same as last season except their youth has matured another year. Mario Bailey has really come into his own as a player and is a viable MVP candidate I believe. He is a great shooter from the floor. Shane Strom is the perfect compliment to him at SF also. Strom is another MVP name and is another great shooter. In fact this entire squad is going to be dead on from the floor and they will be monsters under the boards. The one thing they will have to be careful of is their foul issues. It's no secret that Brooklyn has struggled with the fouls in the last couple years as they bring up these young players. Siebert and Perkins are the veteran leadership here and both are foul prone. When the team loses that veteran presence on the floor they can struggle at times. But I don't expect that to keep this team from an amazing season.

Baltimore

Key Players: Zane Rivers, Anson Valente, Clarence Collins

Rundown: Baltimore has a long ways to go to become a true contender and I think they may have gone the wrong direction this offseason. It's not really the managements fault directly because they were short on cap, but they could have used bringing in a bigtime free agent. The team does have one of the best passing PG's in the game in Anson Valente. Valente can do just about anything with a basketball except shoot it. But that isn't what he gets paid to do anyway. Zane Rivers on the other hand is being paid to score points and he'll have to do a lot of it if this team wants to win games. Clarence Collins is another player this team will need to mature fast if they want to make a playoff run this year.

Alaska

Key Players: Buck Jones, George Foster, Rick Schulz, Marquez Houston, Raphael Park, Jack Spiegel

Rundown: Sure, it looks as though this team is just loaded with talent for the first time I can recall, but it's easy to do that when you are over 15 mill above the cap. Odds are that 2 of these players will have to be cut which puts this franchise right back where it began. I guess we all could have expected that. My guess is that Foster and Jones will be cut because it just makes the most sense. Jones is making 10 mill himself and he still has Ed Kane that can start at PG. If he cuts Foster then he still has Schulz that can start at SG. Houston and Park atSF and PF is a great young duo. Houston is a premier rebounder and will be a real force once he gets the offense down. Park will need a few seasons to mature, but once he does he will be a real star in this league. And this team also acquired often maligned C Jack Spiegel. If Jack can ever get to the point where he gets those fouls down then he will be one of the best C's in the entire WBA. The question is, when can he do that?

Birmingham

Key Players: Bob Delaney, Bill Blackstone, Michael Kutak, Ramiro Watts

Rundown: I like this teams talent base. I think they are headed in the right direction and are doing things the right way. They are being patient and signing players for good values. The key is to not panic and build the franchise. Delaney and Blackstone are both great offensive weapons to have. Blackstone is one of the best shooters in the league. Kutak is a great SG and really knows how to make things happen. He was a great addition for this team last season. Then we can't forget about young Ramiro Watts. Most people said he would never be a good C when he came out of college, but he has developed nicely into a great all around prospect. I think he is a very quality starting C.

New York

Key Players: Camron Diaz, John Greene, Jevon Carter

Rundown: New York has some potential and I think that their new management will bring a sense of stability to the franchise which may allow them to build something. John Greene was a very nice addition to this squad because he brings them a proven winner at the PF position. A lot of this teams progress will ride squarely on Greene's health issues. If he stays in the game then they have a chance, but if he gets hurt a lot then they may struggle. They also have Jevon Carter at the SF position. Carter is a great offensive weapon and is a strong rebounder. The real issue with this team is their lack of a dominant big man. They need to address that need through free agency or a trade or even the draft. They also are missing a bigtime PG. PG and C are probably the 2 most vital positions and this team will struggle despite the talent they have in the middle.

Carolina

Key Players: Eugene LaMaitre, Alvin Simpson, Anthony Curtis

Rundown: This team does have a viable PG in Simpson who is a premier passer. They also have the perfect compliment at SG with LaMaitre. Eugene is a great offensive weapon and he is also a tight defender. LaMaitre is easily this teams franchise cornerstone right now. Anthony Curtis is another player that they are bringing along. He brings a lot to the table and will be vital resource for this teams future. The team does have a lot of other minor talents signed up right now to some average sized deals. They would be better off spending a bigger sum to sign some big name players I think though.

Projected Finish Order:

Brooklyn

Washington

Birmingham

Alaska

New York

Baltimore

Carolina

September 27th, 2004

THE BIG MOVE.

Well, the move that was supposed to happen never really got finalize. The Dutchmen Shoe Company came to Birmingham and left thinking that they had just bought a WBA franchise. The Shoe Company had big plans in moving the Birmingham Fury across the Atlantic Ocean to Finland. Sven Gustafson the owner of Dutchmen Shoes is a life long fan of the WBA and wanted his fellow countrymen to experiences the enjoyment that he receives from watching the WBA. The C.E.O. Board members for the Birmingham Fury Voted 3 to 3 in order to sell the franchise to Sven Gustafson.

With the deciding vote belonging to Coach / Owner / GM, Ethan Kight keep his promise that he made to the fan of his hometown, when he took over as Coach / Owner / GM, his statement was, “ As long as I am a part of this team, this organization well stay in Birmingham.” And he voted to stay in Birmingham. After, the meeting with the C.E.O. Board members for the Birmingham Fury Coach / Owner / GM, Ethan Kight insured hat the team would not ever be moved from Birmingham. He bought out three of the six C.E.O. Board members, so that he would have the majority vote on all decisions. So all you Fury fans get ready and cheer loud this season, because the Fury is HERE TO STAY.

10TH SEASON PREVIEW

his season should a lot like season 8. Season 9 was a lost. With the being sold, ownership changing hands, and the being in of Yuri Vilasny the team needed time to heel. With the off season the Co-Captains of the team, Delaney and Blackstone gather all the players together and set a goal of 50 wins for this season. Delaney said, I am tried of just getting by I want to win, and the time is now.”

The nucleus is back and they have a little help this year. During the draft Coach / Owner / GM, Ethan Kight made some very good addition that will help there team. With the 8th pick in the draft they selected Wu Dian-fan who was #1 on the Fury draft board. The fans are going to be really thrilled with this young kid he can really put the ball in the hole. That will help there bench scoring cause last season it was MIA.

With the 25th pick they selected Coach / Owner / GM, Ethan Kight's fellow alum Joe Brennan from Scottsdale University. Brennan can rebound with the best of them, which will add another key element coming off the bench. The Fury also added another point guard Alton Odom one of there long line of point guards that they are try to find so they can back up Vilasny. They also drafted a shooting guard, but did not sign him. This year rookies are expected to get some action so be ready for some exciting Basketball.

LET'S LOOK AT THE TEAM.

The point guards are pretty solid. The starter at the point guard is Yuri Vilasny, after getting comfortable with the player last season he avg. 15+ assist per game and is looking to raise that avg. higher. When asked what he likes best about basketball, his reply was, “I collect dimes, so every time I get an assist I add a dime to my collection.” The backup is Michael Kutak a very under achieving player waiting for his break out season this year. Third on the depth chart is the rookie Alton Odom hoping to help the team out how ever he can.

Shooting guards are next. The starting shooting guard is Bill Blackstone made this move last season and his point per game went up about 5 points per game. His backup will be Nike Johnson; he has accepted his role as the six man and is waiting the challenge. Third is Leon Connelly he is hoping that he get a chance to play this season.

The starter for the small forward position will be Bob Delaney; he is the glue that keeps this team together. For the past three seasons he has not been voted into the all star game and very well should have been. When asked about not being voted into the all star game he replied, “Individual awards don't mean anything to me. I just want to win a championship. Yes my numbers say a lot, but give me the ring and I will be happy.” His backup will be Wu Dian-fan, with his scoring ability he is expected to get a lot of playing time. Don't be fooled he can also play on the defensive side of the court. Third here will be the other rookie Joe Brennan; he is a great rebounder and could really help out this bench.

The starter for the power forward position is up for grabs. Leonel Coles is listed as the started, but Joe Brennan and Jamie Crouch could be the starter as well. Who ever starts they will have a very good backup waiting to make there name known.

The starter for the center position will be Ramiro Watts; he is looking to have a monster year. With Vilasny settled in and giving out dimes, his game numbers might be a little crazy. His backup is Wong-Wei Wang, is a young but aggressive center hoping to have a very product trainging camp to help this team get to the next level.

This team will be very good this season and they will not just settle for mediocre. With the Draft helping to fill spots in their bench rotation, I will say they are due to win 46 games.

By: Bobby “Blue” Bland

September 24th, 2004

Jerry Bollinger Show Transcript.

Jerry:

Good morning all you wild animals out there. This is the Jerry Bollinger show and I'm howling at you from our roaming studio in Paris Idaho. Why are we in Paris you might ask? Because this is where we were when the show was suppose to start. We are on our way up to Montana to find any Knights fans. It's a mystery what city the Knights call home but I think we can find it if we roam around enough. I just hope Montana is not a very big state.

Because we are on the road, “literally” we will not be taking any calls today and Biff, bonehead Biff that is, didn't line up any interviews for us so today is all me. I do have a topic of interest so stick around because we will be talking about the trades dealing with the upcoming draft.

Biff:

Sorry Jerry. I didn't know we were doing a show today

Jerry:

We are back. I want to open with commentary that I think many of you will find, if not just interesting, but fascinating. Since the playoffs are over and Cancun's reign continues; kudos to Cancun by the way; the next event of excitement is the draft. But while all you animals lounge around waiting for that day to come all the front offices in the league have been busy trying to make trades that they feel will help their teams the most.

#1: Let's begin with the #1 pick. It belongs to Roswell and as most #1 picks it will probably stay with its original owner.

#2: The #2 pick however has seen some action. It began in Rochester but was part of a 4 team trade (Rochester, Montana, Nebraska, and Alaska) that involved 6 players, 6 1st round picks, and 3 2nd round picks. When the dust all settled Montana ended up with the pick. But is wasn't long before Montana then packaged that pick with the #15 and a future1st and gave it to Washington in exchange for the #6 pick and Kadeem Reed.

#3: This pick is still held by the former Virgin Islands now known as Alaska

#4: The #4 saw some action. It was first held by Carolina but they gave it to Oregon for Anthony Curtis, pick #39 and a future 2nd

#5: Still held by Andorra

#6: We talked about this one already. It started with Washington but is now owned by Montana. Something tells me however with Montana's hyper trading tendencies this pick will end up in someone else's hands

#7: This pick has seen some action. Originally owned by Miami. Miami traded down to the #11 pick owned by Sacramento and gained a future first. Sacramento then sent that pick to Andorra for John Van Horne. This puts Andorra in a nice position for the draft. They have the #5 and #7 pick.

#8: Still owned by Birmingham

#9: Still owned by Cincinnati

#10: This was part of that spaghetti bowl trade dealing with the #2 pick. This was first owned by Alaska but now belongs to Nebraska.

#11: This pick started in Sacramento. They traded up to the #7 with Miami and Miami then traded down again to the #15 with Cancun. And that's where she lives now.

#12: Rochester has kept this pick

#13: And London has kept the 13 pick

#14: The 14 started in Salt Lake but quickly ended up in Cancun. This pick was part of a handful of picks needed to send Bangerter to Salt Lake

#15: This pick has been the jugglers dream pick. It has bounced around all over and has yet to hit the ground. It started in Salt Lake. Salt Lake just wanting out of the pick gave it to Montana for a future Montana pick. Montana then made it part of the package with the #2 and got Kadeem reed from Washington. Washington then gave it to Cancun for a small handful of future picks. And Cancun used it as part of a trade up deal with Miami. Cancun traded up to the #11 and Miami received the #15. Miami then quickly traded down in an agreement with Oregon sending the #15 to Oregon and the #24 to Miami. Just so that we have this straight. The order of teams touching this gem was Salt Lake, Montana, Washington, Cancun, Miami, and is now held by Oregon.

#16 - #23 are all held by their original owners

#24: Started in Oregon but traded up to the #15 giving the 24 to Miami

#25: Stayed in Birmingham

#26: Started in Brooklyn and went to Albecete along with the #47 and #54

#27 - #38 Stayed with their owners

The second round picks aren't near as exciting as the first. Just suffice it to say that between Albecete and Carolina they hold about every other pick. Those two teams should start a 2nd round rookies are us store.

So what does all this mean? Well it's interesting to see how different teams have different opinions on the value of the draft. Take Salt Lake for example. They started with the #14 and #15 picks but traded them both away. Now granted the #14 was for Bangerter and who wouldn't make that trade. But the 15 was just rolled out to a future pick telling us that Salt Lake didn't like the looks of this draft. As oppose to Andorra who ended up with the #5 and the #7. I would try to analyze Montana's view of the draft but know one really knows what that front office is thinking. Miami kept trading their pick down. They started with the #7 and ended up with the #24. I think Miami was looking to the future with the horde of picks they gained by trading down the way they did and at the same time will still get to participate in this draft. Many teams went conservative and didn't do much trading if any at all. But yet Cancun did whatever they could to trade up ending up with their given pick at 28 and gaining the #11 and #14 picks.

End of transcript

Jerry:

Well here we are again for the follow up to our discussion of the trading of draft picks of the up coming draft. The draft has happened and as I expected there were many draft day trades. Here on the show today we will go over some of the bigger ones. We begin with the #2 pick. Last we knew, Washington held it but it was quickly dealt back to Montana for an undisclosed price. I say undisclosed because the WBAs practice of posting all trades for whatever reason passed this one by. The #3 originally belonging to Alaska also changed hands in a 3 team trade involving Washington and Montana. Washington ended up with it. The #5 was owned by Andorra but ended up in the hands of Omaha. The #7 which had already been owned by 3 teams changed hands one more time to Capetown. We then jump down to the #13 where London dealt it to Capetown. We then get to the already heavily traded #15 where it once again changes ownership. The lucky and final team was Albacete. The #16 went from Capetown to Andorra. And finally for the first round picks the #26 was traded by Albecete to Oregon.

So there you have it all you animals. The volatile drafts picks of the WBA.

I have to say this just before I go. On draft day I was gracefully invited by the icon in the business Zagrieb to join him on draft day. I was not only excited but honored to do the show with him. Well it turns out the show went so well that Zagrieb has invited me again to join him on his next show. So all you animals out there let it be known that the big bear Jerry is moving up the radio food chain. Until then Ooowwwwwwweeeeeeee.

Draft picks trade history:

Roswell

Rochester

Montana

Washington

Montana

Alaska

Washington

Carolina

Oregon

Omaha

Andorra

Omaha

Washington

Montana

Alaska

Miami

Sacramento

Andorra

Capetown

Birmingham

Cincinnati

#10

Virgin Island

Nebraska

#11

Sacramento

Miami

Cancun

#12

Rochester

#13

London

Capetown

#14

Salt Lake

Cancun

#15

Salt Lake

Montana

Washington

Cancun

Miami

Oregon

Albacete

#16

Capetown

Andorra

#17

Baltimore

#18

Gabon

#19

London

#20

London

#21

Albacete

#22

Colorado

#23

Colorado

#24

Oregon

Miami

#25

Birmingham

#26

Brooklyn

Albacete

Oregon

#27

New York

#28

Cancun

#29

Nebraska

#30

Andorra

London

#31

Oregon

#32

Budapest

#33

Sacramento

Roswell

#34

Washington

Albacete

Montana

#35

California

#36

Birmingham

#37

Cincinnati

#38

Sacramento

Roswell

#39

Oregon

Carolina

#40

New York

#41

Albacete

Washington

#42

Cancun

#43

Salt Lake

Carolina

#44

Rochester

Nebraska

#45

Birmingham

#46

Miami

Carolina

#47

Brooklyn

Albacete

#48

Albacete

Washington

#49

New York

#50

Miami

Carolina

#51

Colorado

#52

Rochester

Nebraska

#53

Roswell

#54

Brooklyn

Albacete

#55

Washington

#56

Cancun

The team listed as the last team for a pick is the team that ended up with that pick. Those teams highlighted in yellow show that it was a draft day acquisition.

September 22nd, 2004

Free Agency Day 2

By Clark Lane

Following the trend here it goes a new evaluation of the latest signings.

Justin Krueger, 7 years for 8m$. Washington. This one has to raise many eyebrows around the league. It is not that Krueger is not a nice all-round player. But he is no superstar. He has nice stats and nice stamina, but nothing fancy. What is surprising is the length of the contract. Krueger will be 33 when the contract finishes and as players go, I think he is hugely overpaid. It will more likely be a bad cap problem for Washington. I don't say he is the more overpaid player around, because there are worse cases… But he is not too far down the road.

Isaac Edmonson, 5 years for 4m$. Miami. There is a mixed feeling in here. I think that what Miami wants to do is to have a nice player down the road. He can pass, he can steal and go the line… and that finishes there. We will see how this works out, but his lack of rebounding and shooting will finish damaging Miami.

Mike Reardon, 2 years for 0.26m$. Texas. Solid backup. Cheap. What else do you want. There is nothing fancy on Reardon, but being this cheap it is a great signing. Will most like see few minutes, but quality will be there. At least for a backup.

Leon Berthelson, 1 year for 0.25m$. Oregon. A backup point guard for Oregon. He is sure he will have some nice quality if he ever needs it. Very solid sign, even if he may see very little playing time.

Ray Tango, 1 year for 0.5m$. Colorado. Another great backup PG. Maybe one of the best. Again very good value for money.

Roger Mayers, 2 years for 0.35m$.Capetown. There are players that do not make lots of noise, but that slowly builds a team. Capetown is one of them. When he signs a player there is always good value for money. He will be more of a point guard backup, but very solid if he evers get to play.

Trevor Rossin, 1 year for 0.25m$. Gabon. Unproven rookie. He could be a PG backup. But we don't know much about him.

Paul Carroll, 5 years for 4.75m$. Texas. This is a signing for the future. This young shooting guard looks very promising. If he develops into what is expected of him he will be very helpful. His lacks of rebounds could harm him the long way. A bit of a gamble, but could work well.

Tristen Collins, 5 years for 4m$. Andorra. It looks like Andorra wants to win the price of worse backcourt of the league twice in a row. If Collins training works great, else there is little you can do with a guy like him. He is a loose gun on a Chinese porcelain shop.

Euclid Spafford, 1 year for 0.25m$. Miami. Another player like Edmonson. He does several things right, but he does not know how to shoot. If ever they are both on the field, we could be talking of a 15% FG percentage for Miami… At least he is being paid very cheap.

Kelian Fabares, 1 year for 0.25m$. Andorra. Fabares is a 2nd or 3rd string player for a SF position. He lacks a lot to be good. Only his ability to block shots is above the average. He can come handy, but nothing fancy.

Tyran Besecker, 1 year for 0.25m$. Andorra. Another rookie. I have a feeling he is really going to be a bust. But for the money it is okay.

Mark Crowley, 3 years for 1.4m$. Colorado. A very nice signing. Very solid play. It needs to improve his shooting touch, but it is a very nice player. Worth every cent of his salary. He lacks defense and going to the line, but as a backup he does several very interesting things.

Oman Fatafehi, 7 years for 11.5m$. Miami. I must admit that Fatafehi is a very solid power forward. The best on this free agency. But from there to say that he is worth all that money… I doubt it. He is very good. But here we are talking all-wba kind of money. I think he is the most overpaid player of FA. I just hope that Miami knows what he is doing.

Isaac Rice, 3 years @ 2.5m$. Birminghan. One big gable. If his training is very good he could maybe do something, but for the moment I really think it is a great waste of money. Right now it is a huge risk to put him on a field. And in three years I think he will still be. Good luck with him.

Lance Stow, 2 years @ 0.75m$. Carolina. I have seen this guy play basketball at Paris for several years. And he had a huge problem. Fouls. On the Paris team that wasn't very important, but going to the next level I think it is going to be too big a problem not to take it into account. A big risk and a small waste of money.

Roy Golden, 2 years @ 0.85m$. Roswell. A nice center that does not know how to shoot. We will see how this finishes, but there are may players that do not know how to shoot.

Glen Chandler, 2 years @ 0.5m$. Capetown. Very nice center. If they can keep him out of foul trouble he is very nice. Always worth their money a Capetown player.

Bernie Cobb, 1 year @ 0.25m$. SLC. Again a solid center with foul trouble. He may not see any playing time, but he will cover just in case.

As I can see there are two trends. People paying big cash for good, but not great players. And some others that are just getting low profile, low pay players. We just need to see how this will work on the next round!!

September 19th, 2004

Free Agency Day 1

By Clark Lane

After a great season and another great draft, the WBA Free Agency comes. This is a very important part of the season. Great players change teams, new revelations improve their payrolls and every GM tries to outsmart all the others, trying to get the best players at the cheapest price. During FA every self-respecting coach try to get all the key backups that are going to be the difference maker for the following season.

I am going to speak about the most important signings done during day one and where should the battles be for day 2.

Daren Benson, 0.26m$ for 2 years, Brooklyn. He was in Brooklyn last year, he will be for the next two seasons. Very young Point Guard with some upside. Brooklyn would want to see if he develops into a nice player before trying to sign him to long term.

Cullen Phillips, 0.85m$ for 2 years, Roswell. A young combo guard that played for VI last season. He is more of a backup SG, and he needs to improve his FG% before being more than a loose gun on the floor. If he improves his touch a nice SG else he will be lost money.

Danny Hainge, 8.5m$ for 6 years, Boston. The best combo guard of FA. One of the top 3 FA that decided to stay at home in Boston where he knows he will most likely be the top do once Short and Yeager star to loose steam. If Boston can find a real PG, we will see he blossom at the SG spot he could be an All-Star on a team without so much fire power.

Shawn McKick, 1.14m$ for 3 years, Texas. One of the best things that could happens to Texas (apart of signing Hainge). He is a very solid combo guard. He does nearly everything and he gives some shooting consistency from the guard position. One thing that Texas really lacked last season. Expect him to see a lot of minutes playing for Texas.

Paul Wright, 2.5m$ for 3 years, Cincinnati. Maybe the most overpaid player of the first day. Wright is a huge scorer, but only for limited time. I would see him as an expensive backup for Hewlett.

Scooter Jacobs, 0.25m$ for 1 year, Brooklyn. Brooklyn is looking for some scoring punch from the bench for next season.

Bob Kinsey, 1m$ for 3 years, Budapest. A solid all-round Small Forward that does not know how to shot. He has limit minutes to play, but he is a proven good for everything type of player. Don't expect him to ever be anything that a good backup.

Luke Benner, 2.75m$ for 3 years, Carolina. He is staying home. He is going to have trouble with his bad rebounding as small forward. Carolina needs a more incisive small forward to battle on the tough east. Quite overpaid for what he brings to the table.

Walter Callaway, 1m$ for 3 years, Budapest. A very young and talented power forward that comes from Baltimore. If he improves a little bit his scoring and his rebounds he will be a very nice player. Budapest keeps looking again for players with low stamina. He will never be an all-star, but he will bring everything a team needs to the table. Very nice signing.

Yurily Zakharov, 0.26m$ for 2 years, Brooklyn. Another young, cheap prospect for Brooklyn. This power forward / center brings a nice package with his rebounds and blocks even if he has problems with the turnovers.

Larry Saunders, 0.26m$ for 2 years, Brooklyn. I am sure that Rondall is very happy with this signing. This guy scores, goes to the line, assists, rebounds below average for a center but they are not too bad, and he takes care of the ball. He is a very solid backup for a very cheap price. Great signing.

Marques Feldman, 1m$ for 3 years, Budapest. We are going to hear about this guy. He is a very nice center, even with his lack of rebounding he brings a lot to the table and he is only 21 (22 after Focus training). As a backup this is as good as it gets.

Ivan Cherny, 0.25m$ for 1 year, Cincinnati. An undrafted rookie that I don't think is going to come around. He did lack shooting touch and rebounds on the college level, he is going to sorely miss them here. A long, long shoot that is going to be out of target.

Now lets talk about the big fishes.

There are 4 players that looks are bringing the money around.

PG Justin Krueger. He has already accepted an offer from Salt Lake City, but he does not seem in a hurry to confirm it. It could be very interesting what this is going to bring. Will SLC play the game and wait for a second team to be listed on the rumor mill? Is there any team going to up their offer so they are the second one on the player? It should be interesting to see.

SF Nick Adams. He is a solid small forward, but just not enough to go to the next level. His price seems to be on the 25m$ and he could be the 5th more expensive player on FA. Possibly, but not sure.

PF Oman Fatafehi. He is expected to be the top PF. A very good player that has shown a lot of upside on the game. He is not at his prime yet and he is a top PF. His stock has been raising a lot lately. He could be the only player to go up to the 70m$ barrier.

C Sean Ashman. A huge player. He is the best C on this FA and he brings a very nice all-round play to the table. His only problem is that the C market is already stuffed with really good players so this makes him to rate a little bit lower than Fatafehi. At a 60m$ his price so far is not a bargain.

At the end the battle for the top players is important, but the battle for the lower cheaper players is the one that could make the difference between a good team and a huge team.

Next week another talk about FA

Spetember 18th, 2004

First Look: A Rookie Analysis

By Len Bias II

With a week into the post-draft rookie league we can now further expand upon the overall impressions of the incoming rookie class. In what was advertised as a particularly weak draft class the ensuing rookie league has only justified this sentiment. Indeed, the rookies as a whole are shooting an abysmal 36% while mustering a meager 86 points a game. Furthermore, individual standouts are few and far between. No one player has reached a twenty point scoring average and the leading assist man is dishing out a pitiful five a game. Is this the future of the league? For the percentage of people who enjoy drawn out defensive battles this is a dream come true but for the other 99% of people who enjoy watching exciting, high scoring action this is sure to be a turn off.

One can only ask who or what is to blame for this degeneration of basketball fundamentals? Some may blame the pressures imposed on kids to turn pro early but this has not been as big a problem in the WBA as in other leagues, notably the NBA. Others may blame the young player's infatuation with street ball as the reason for the decline in offensive skills. Or it may be possible that these young rookies have not been getting the same quality training as players of the past. Whatever the reason one thing for sure is that we can not allow this decline in ability to get any worse. The WBA is known for its exciting brand of basketball and if the qualities of the current rookie league manifest themselves into the regular season we may see a decline in fan interest. As fans of the league we must hope that this dilemma has already been identified and is being addressed by league officials.

With that said there are some positives that can be salvaged from the current rookie class. Although lambasted by some draft reviewers, Walt Jackson is establishing himself as a future force in this league. While not putting up any spectacular numbers Jackson should be credited with currently leading the rookie league in scoring and for being amongst the leaders in rebounding. While he may never amount to the hype as the number one pick Jackson should still be a very effective player in the league for years to come.

Another player making a splash is number two overall pick Sheldon Gorman. Many around the league felt Gorman should have been the consensus number one pick and rightly so as he is putting up big numbers to validate that claim. As one of the leaders among the rookie leagues leading scorers, rebounders and shot-blockers, Gorman is already making a case as the leading candidate for rookie of the year honors. The only question that arises is how Gorman and teammate Jarius Miles will co-exist battling for time in the same position?

A player that has the talent to challenge for that rookie of the year spot is fellow power forward Samson Erickson. However, Erickson also faces the obstacle of having to relish playing time to elder statesmen Leo Rice. Statistically though, Erickson is right up there among the elite being second behind Jackson in scoring and third behind Samson and Herbert in rebounding. Throw in the fact that Erickson is a year younger than most of these rookies and he may well end up becoming the catch of the draft. Surely he would have been the consensus number one pick had he stayed in school another year.

After these top three selection's things start to get a little fuzzy. Al Herbert represents the next player taken in the draft. The scouting report on Herbert was that he gets the dirty work done but does not contribute much offensively. This holds true for his performance thus far in the rookie league. Herbert has established himself as an intimidating rebounder and defender by racking up close to fifteen boards and four blocks per contest. Offensively however he is shooting a discouraging 30% while putting up only ten points. Still, Herbert will be an impact player in the coming season and definitely for years to come.

The player for whom Herbert was dealt for was the subsequent pick and fellow center, Chad O'Donnell. It can be said that the price Andorra paid to acquire Herbert was a tad expensive but the difference in talent level is apparent. O'Donnell, although talented is more of a project. He will struggle on the boards probably throughout his career as he is currently only bringing down a mere four boards per contest. Offensively he is more polished than Herbert but still not anything special. O'Donnell will probably be a solid player down the line but not much is expected anytime soon.

Beginning with O'Donnell and continuing after we start stepping on the very shaky grounds of mediocrity. Approximately thirty-five of the rookies are averaging between ten and twelve points a contest. With this saturation it is impossible to tell which will rise above and which will delve into obscurity. At this point no one can determine who will be blacklisted and become the next Jack Spiegel or who was overlooked and is to become the next Corey Mosley or Mario Bailey. Too much depends on circumstances, random events and individual choices made by owners.

The early rookie league serves as the first indicator of how the rookies will fare in the upcoming season. Several players are using this platform as a means to validate the positions in which they were taken while others are using the opportunity as a means to make a name for themselves. This is shown clearly by the fact that the fourth leading scorer, power forward Douglas Leboyare went undrafted and is currently available to sign with any team seeking his services. However, this fact can also demonstrate the weaknesses in trying to evaluate the rookie class from one weeks worth of games but this reality does not deter this reporter from the attempt. For through this early analysis of the rookies we hope to notice recurring trends so that we may pick up on it in the seasons to come.

September 17th, 2004

SEASON PREVIEW ONE ON ONES WITH OWNERS OF THE WBA

CAPETOWN

WBA INTERVIEWER:So what our your thoughts heading into a new season?

CAPETOWN OWNER::Well I am very excited about the new rookies we brought in and our returning players are working very hard this off-season so it should be a great upcoming season.

WBA INTERVIEWER: What our your teams goals for your franchise this season?

CAPETOWN OWNER:Our goal is to improve every season and eventually become one of the top tier teams in this league.

WBA INTERVIEWER:What in your mind our the keys to running a successful franchise in the WBA?

CAPETOWN OWNER:I think the number one thing is patience. Any franchise can become a winning franchise if only the management remains patient with the development of its players.

WBA INTERVIEWER:If a fan was out there looking to cheer for a team why should he cheer for yours?

CAPETOWN OWNER:Well thats a no brainer one name will answer that question; Obafemi Mabruke who is fast becoming one of the leagues premier attractions.

WBA INTERVIEWER: Having said that who do you feel our the keys to your teams success on the floor?

CAPETOWN OWNER:The goal is to not rely too heavily on any one player. Obviously Mabruke is the heart of the team but we want to be able to pull out a win even if Mabruke has an off game. So the keys to success would definitely have to be balance.

WBA INTERVIEWER:Other than your own team who do you think will have a good season and why?

CAPETOWN OWNER:Oh well there are plenty of good teams out there. Even with their current changes Cancun is always the team to beat. Salt Lake City has made some positive changes they will be interesting to watch but the team that is really looking scary at the moment is Oregon. The acquisition of Donovan Jones has really toughened them up.

WBA INTERVIEWER:Who our some of the owners you talk with in the league on a regular basis?

CAPETOWN OWNER: Well I converse with several of the owners regularly we tend to bounce ideas and so forth. A couple to mention would be Bangerter out of SLC and Esposito out of Montana.

WBA INTERVIEWER:Ok only a few more questions what is your prediction for your team this season?

CAPETOWN OWNER:Well thats hard to predict at this point since the team's success will have a lot to do with how free agency runs out but we are hoping to eclipse the 50 win bench mark for the upcoming season. Hopefully we can accomplish that.

WBA INTERVIEWER:Ok and lastly what would a failure be to you in this upcoming season?

CAPETOWN OWNER: Not improving from last season. The goal as I mentioned is to constantly improve and if we are healthy and do not improve then I consider that to be a failure.

WBA INTERVIEWER:Well that just about does it do you have any last words for the fans of the wba?

CAPETOWN OWNER:Yes, look out for the Bandits in season 10. Kids tell your parents to take you to buy some Mabruke jerseys!

WBA INTERVIEWER:Well thank you for your time and good luck to you in the upcoming season.

CAPETOWN OWNER:Thank you it was a pleasure doing the interview

WASHINGTON

WBA INTERVIEWER: I'm here with the owner of the washington franchise to talk about the up coming season in the wba thanks for taking time to talk with us.So what our your thoughts heading into a new season?

Washington Owner: Well thank you for having me. Well as you know this is my first season in this league, but I'm taking over one of the best franchises in the league. I'm really looking forward to this season and really excited to see what my team can do for me.

WBA Interviewer: Yes there is a lot of new blood in WBA do you think it is an advantage or a disadvantage?

Washington Owner: Well honestly I think it can go both ways. It can be a disadvantage if the new owners don't really know what they are doing, but at the same time can be an advantage because the new owners bring in different views and it's kind of exciting.

WBA Interviewer: What in your mind does it take to build a successful franchise in the WBA?

Washington Owner: Well I've always had one theory about what it takes to be successful in any league, and that is having a well conditioned team and great defensive players. Now since I haven't been here long enough in the WBA to know that, that's the only answer I can really give you. Hopefully, that will work in this league as well.

WBA Interviewer: Ok well if there was a fan out there looking for a team to cheer for why should he cheer for yours?

Washington Owner: Well I think he should cheer for us because whether we win or lose we will be putting on a great show every night we play and I think fans love to see teams really go for it and my team will be giving it 110%.

WBA Interviewer: What players our key for your team to have success in this upcoming season?

Washington Owner: Well all of them are key in one way or another but the ones that truly shine in my eyes are of course our big scorer Emmett Yee and the great Boom-Boom Casey even though he is getting up there in years. Again though, every player has a job to do and are key in one way or another.

WBA Interviewer: Other than you own team who do you see doing well this season and why?

Washington Owner: Well this is kinda hard. There is alot of great teams with talent this year. Of course, Cancun will be the team to beat this year and it's not going to be anything easy doing it. They have a nice looking team as they've had the past years. I also see Nebraska as a threat because you can never count Wayne Taylor out. To me those are the two teams that might do the best this season.

WBA Interviewer:Who our some of the owners you talk with on a regular basis?

Washington Owner: Well I talk to Michael Esposito of Montana and Kevin Harper of Oregon most of the time.

WBA Interviewer:Ok only a few more questions what is your perdiction for this season?

Washington Owner: Well I'm hoping we get to the playoffs but as far as winning it all, that might be going too far. I mean it would be nice to go all the way but I just think there are too many great teams out there.

WBA Interviewer:Lastly what would you consider a failure for your franchise?

Washington Owner:Well there is always a chance for any franchise in any league to fail when people thought they couldn't. Honestly, I don't think we will, but again anything could happen.

WBA Interviewer: That just about does it. do you have any last words for the fans of the WBA?

Washington Owner:Yes I do. Let's get ready for another great Washington Monuments basketball season.

WBA Interviewer: Well thank you for your time and good luck in the upcoming season

Washington Owner: Thanks alot.

NEBRASKA

WBA Interviewer: So what our your thoughts heading into another season of wba basketball?

Nebraska Owner: Well, we should be pretty good this season. The players are working hard this offseason and I expect to be an even more complete team than last season

WBA Interviewer: What our your goals for your franchise this year?

Nebraska Owner: Championship :) Every year that's our goal at nebraska because every year we have the talent

WBA Interviewer: What in your mind our the keys to running a successful WBA FRANCHISE?

Nebraska Owner: The key to me is maintaining a solid core of players with a great bench; fundamentals are the key to wins in my opinion also--players need to be smart with the ball

WBA Interviewer: So if there was a fan looking for a team for why cheer for your team?

Nebraska Owner: Excitement. No team packs the excitement that nebraska brings to the table. High flyer Wayne Taylor and offensive threats like Base and Evans. Not to mention the stout defense and ball handling of Dexter Kodak--just plain exciting to watch--anything can happen

WBA Interviewer: Who do you feel our the players that will be key to your franchise being successful?

Nebraska Owner: Well of course Wayne Taylor is the first to come to mind, but no one player can be the reason for a teams success. In the end I will be able to list 14 players that are the key to my teams success

WBA Interviewer: Other than your own team who do you see being succesful this year and why?

Nebraska Owner: Brooklyn will have a great year because they rebound so well and are great shooters--also Cancun will be a force as usual

WBA Interviewer: Who our some of the owners you talk to in the league on a regular basis?

Nebraska Owner: I talk to almost every owner that uses AIM

WBA Interviewer: Ok perdiction time what is your perdiciton for your franchise this year?

Nebraska Owner: Now, now...No predictions. It's all up to the players to do that. All I can say is that once again we have all the talent we need to win a championship :)

WBA Interviewer: Well the fans want to know you know but maybe you'll answer this one what would you consider a failure in this upcoming season?

Nebraska Owner: Well, I think our players would say anything short of a title is a failure--it's what we expect and what the fans expect.

WBA Interviewer: Ok that just about does it do you have any last words for the fans of the wba?

Nebraska Owner: Go Sun Warriors!! And good luck to Dave Williams back with Rochester. We got the one player we would deal Williams for in Evans and I think people overestimate the drop off we will have.

WBA Interviewer: Well id like to thank you for your time and wish you luck in the upcoming season

Nebraska Owner: thanks

Oregon

WBA Interviewer: So what our your thought heading into a new season?

Oregon Owner: We have a great core to work with, maybe one of the best in the league. Bringing in Donovan Jones was huge, he gives us needed rebounds and is a great passer. However, we are really searching for some solid depth, as we have none at the moment. The rest of free agency is extremely important to how the season will go. I think we are a playoff team as we speak, but in order to expect to go any further, we need some good reserves.

WBA Interviewer: What our your goals for your frachise in the upcoming season?

Oregon Owner: Well, our goal is to win the West. We had a very strong 60-win season last year. We have a rising superstar in Bishop Stein, and a cast of veterans who could all have All-Star caliber talent. Again, the only thing that stands between us and the conference championship is a servicable bench.

WBA Interviewer: What in your mind does it take to run a successful wba franchise?

Oregon Owner: Not overpaying for players, getting very strong rebounding, and limit your fouls and turnovers. Last season i was only an average rebounding and passing team. However, we had good overall ball control, and hardly ever would draw a foul. That kept us in, and won us alot of games. With the number of teams that get to the line alot, it may be even more important this season.

WBA Interviewer: if there was a fan out there looking for a team to cheer for why should he cheer for you?

Oregon Owner: Well, I will give you five.

Donovan Jones, Bill Andrews, Cory Mosely, Bishop Stein, and finally reigning Defensive POY and league MVP, Lou Gonzales.

WBA Interviewer: For your team to be successful who are the keys on the floor to that success?

Oregon Owner: Well again, we know what our stars can do, incoming free agents will have to do the rest...unfortunatly we do not have that peice of the puzzle yet.

WBA Interviewer: Who our some of the owners you talk with on a consistant basis?

Oregon Owner: I like to try to keep in touch with some of my divisional foes. It helps to have a sense of what is going on in my conference, and can be an advantage when coaching.

WBA Interviewer: What teams other than your own do you see being succesful this year?

Oregon Owner: Well, even though they seem to blow it every year, I think Montana has a pretty strong team and will push for maybe a 5 or 6 seed. Also, Texas is an up and coming team led by Heiko and Jay Vasquez. Salt Lake I think will be a very strong force out of the east. They picked up a great player to come off the bench in Austyn Williams. They are a wild card to win the East all-together.

WBA Interviewer: What is your perdiction for your own team this year?

Oregon Owner: If i can get some servicable reserves, I am aiming at 65 wins, and a top 2 seed in the West. But the rest of FA is critical if I expect to improve on last years mark of 55 wins.

WBA Interviewer: What would you consider a failure for you franchise?

Oregon Owner: Well considering our potential, anything less than making it to the conference championship game is a failure to me, our players, and our fans.

WBA Interviewer: Well that just about does it do you have any last words for the fans of the WBA?

Oregon Owner: I just saved alot of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO.

WBA Interviewer: Well thats great im sure they appricate the free commerical well good luck to you and your team

Oregon Owner: I appreciate it

Montana

WBA Interviewer: So what our your thoughts on the upcoming season?

Montana Owner: It should be a great and very interesting one. Teams that were once considered mediocre are becoming good teams and some of the good teams seem to be slipping a bit. It should make for a great playoff race and an extremely competitive season.

WBA Interviewer: What our your goals for your team this season?

Montana Owner: My goal is to make the playoffs, plain and simple. Last year was a disaster, but this year we have revamped our roster and are hoping that all the moves we made pay off. We also want to develop our players. We have a young core with players like Sheldon Gorman, Toby McCree, Jarius Miles, and Kadeem Reed and we need to keep developing these playlers so they can soon reach their maximum potential. Once that happens, we feel we will have one hell of a team. oh wait, add Oliver Doherty into those names.We have a young core with players like Sheldon Gorman, Toby McCree, Oliver Doherty, Jarius Miles, and Kadeem Reed and we need to keep developing these playlers so they can soon reach their maximum potential. Once that happens, we feel we will have one hell of a team.

WBA Interviewer: So in your opinion what does it take to build a successful frachise in the wba?

Montana Owner: Many people are going to laugh when I say this, but patience. We've tried building through trades, only to trade those players away once again quickly thereafter. I think if a team that is in the lower tier in the league wants to build into an upper tier team, they must be patient with their players. If you draft and sign young players and let them develop for a few seasons, you should have a very nice team when the development ends.

WBA Interviewer: If there was a fan out there looking for a team to cheer for why should he cheer for your team?

Montana Owner: Well, we are a young and exciting team. We have rookie of the year candidate Sheldon Gorman, who could turn out to be an amazing player. Same thing with Jarius Miles. We're just an up and coming team and while the the road getting there might be bumpy, getting there will be an amazing time. Knights fans will soon be able to walk around and actually not have to wear a bag over their heads. What more could you want?

WBA Interviewer: So what players will be key to you teams success?

Montana Owner: This season, we think Oliver Doherty will be the key. He's been working extremely hard at his game and we feel he will have a breakout year. We feel he could become one of the best SG's in the league this season. In the future, players like Gorman and Miles could be the best 1, 2 combo this league has ever seen. They could just be downright unstoppable together.

WBA Interviewer: Other than your own team who do you see having success this season and why?

Montana Owner: Salt Lake City. They've added great players like Jalen Bell, Brad Bangerter, and Austyn Williams to an already solid team. They could surprise a alot of people and become one of the best teams in the league this season, as weird as that might sound.

WBA Interviewer: Who our some of the owners you talk to on a regular basis?

Montana Owner: I talk to Brad (SLC), Corey (Andorra), and Kevin (Oregon) every day and recently have talked to the new owners of Roswell, Boston, and Washington quite a bit.

WBA Interviewer: What is your perdiciton for your frachise for the upcoming season?

Montana Owner: Well, I do think we have a good enough team to make the playoffs this season. I don't know where in the playoffs we will fit, but hopefully we'll be there. I also think that we'll set a new Montana regular season win total record, which isn't saying much as the record is 37 wins. It should be a good season to be a Knights fan.

WBA Interviewer: What would be considered a failure for this season for your team in your opinion?

Montana Owner: Not making the playoffs and not having our players develop the way we want them to. If we don't make the playoffs, this season will be seen as useless as all our hard work this offseason was in the interest of that goal. Once you make the playoffs, anything can happen.

WBA Interviewer: Well that just about does it do you have any final words for the fans of the wba?

Montana Owner: Enjoy the season. It could be the best one yet!

WBA Interviewer: Well we no its a busy time for all the owners so thanks for taking the time to talk with us and good luck this season

Montana Owner: Thank you.

Roswell

WBA: Interviewer: So what our your thoughts heading into your first season as an owner in the WBA?

Roswell Owner: To make this franchise great like it once was. To start building our way into being a contender. Just to make some noise in the league and start the climb to a championship.

WBA Interviewer: So what our your goals for your frachise this year?

Roswell Owner: Well we have done the first part already and that was to get younger. Bringing in our 4 rookies and a young talent that played for Cape Town that was getting any playing time with that organization. The Second part of the plan is to build and get better. I want to see a difference in the team that takes the floor for the season opener and the team that plays it's final game of the season.

WBA Interviewer: What do you think it takes to have a successful franchise in the WBA?

Roswell Owner: Dedication from ever part of your organization. Never being happy with being just ok. It takes dedication to detail in all aspects and it takes having a plan and a direction for your ball club.

WBA Interviewer: So if there was a fan out there looking for a team to cheer for why should they cheer for your team?

Roswell Owner: Well because we our young and going to play an exciting brand of basketball and it will be fun to watch this team go from being a joke to being a contender. If you jump on board now no one can say your a band wagon jumper. I guess the other obvious reason is Walt Jackson he is a future WBA All Star despite some of the things you might read.

WBA Interviewer: What players will be key to your teams success this year?

Roswell Owner: I think it boils down to 3 players and they our Dasher,Hickerson and Jackson. If they all produce we could have on of the best front courts in the league for years to come.

WBA Interviewer: Other than your own team who do you see having success and why?

Roswell Owner: Well I am new to the league and am probably the last person to answer that. I am to busy trying to make my guys good enough to challenge the best. However Nebraska and Brooklyn seem to be strong franchises.

WBA Interviewer: So who our some of the owners you talk to on a regular basis?

Roswell Owner: I try to keep in touch with as many owners as I can being the new guy in the league. Even if it's just to say hows your wife and kids. It doesn't have to be business.

WBA Interviewer: What is your perdiction for you team this season?

Roswell Owner: Being better thats it and thats all. How much better will have to wait and see.

WBA Interviewer: What would you consider a failure for your franchise?

Roswell Owner: Having our rookies not devlop the way we think they will. I think with all the talk going on about Walt Jackson if he is not one of the top rookies I will feel that this season was a failure. We have a lot of faith in Walt and what he can do.

WBA Interviewer: You have any final thoughts for our WBA fans?

Roswell Interviewer: I LOVE THE WBA. Just like all of you so go out and fill up all the arenas and cheer for the team you love. I am the luckiest guy in the world to be able to run a pro sports franchise and I remember that everday. So if you want a team with ownership that thinks like all of you fans than look to my team because I'm not only the owner I'm my teams biggest fan.

WBA Interviewer: Well thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

Roswell Owner: Any time I love talking with the media.

September 16th, 2004

IS STAYING PUT A GREAT MOVE?

For the very first time is some seasons, it looks like Albacete Burning Hell won't make any major move before the season starts. It is clear that the team gave a step backwards last season when we decided to go young by

trading Lou Gonzales. You can always discuss about the trade, but it ended giving us two young talented players like Juwan Bixby and Tyler Kane who should be the future of this franchise.

In the first season without Gonzales, Albacete collected a record of 50-30, 9 wins less than season 8 and 19 less than season 7, but the management felt that you can't allow your team to become too old . Not that Gonzo was old, he was 27, but he was ending his contract and with Albacete's history of losing players via free agency, no risk could be taken.

Albacete ended the season in good fashion, giving a good image while letting young players to develop. The only moves we have accomplished have been to give some more scoring punch to the SF, given that none of the players there could score consistently. Rodger Garson is a very complete player who could have an all-around game like Jim Donelly, but with a scoring mentality that could help the team a lot. As an insurance, Albacete drafted one other SF, Steve Miller, very well known for his accurancy from long range, one of the major needs for this team. With the second round picks, Albacete got a good rebounder in Derrontay Simms and a young project in Walter Walter who could become a player in this league.

With all that, Albacete's 14 players roster is:

Keith Douglas: One of the best passers in the league, who is improving slowly his offensive game

Tyler Kane: Some say bust, I say he will dominate the rest of PG in 2 seasons

Vincent Robinson: A deffensive specialist, keeps improving in the offensive game

Eric Saks: At 22 he is a great passer. He could be a good backup if needed

It's clear that this spot is well covered, there wont bew enough minutes for everyone, as the plan is to give more minutes progressively to Kane.

Harry Jarvis: He enters his prime as the heart and soul of the team. His scoring ability in every situation is well known,like the wine, he improves with the years.

With Jarvis the unique SG in the roster, the only move we will see is getting a backup for him, through free agency or trading a PG

Jim Donelly: Like always, he will contribute with hisw passing, rebounding and deffense

Steve miller: 3 point specialist waiting the order

Rodger Garson: Probably the 3rd option at this spot, unless he shows he is ready

Harry Crowley: The odd man out of the team in case a SG comes as a free agent

It seems that this season, the SF spot is more multidimensional, given that

last season we couldnt find any scoring here

Gordon Whitehouse: His fat body will continue impressing him for another 20 minutes a game

Derrontay Simms: If he translates his rebounding ability to the pros, he will find some minutes

Whitehouse and simms alone can't hold their own against any team for 48 minutes, but you have to remember that Bobby Cress is expected to play some PF

Bobby Cress: His minutes will be shared at the five and the four spots. He will be the second option in the offense and the best interior defense

Juwan Bixby: If he keeps improving, he will be a star. And it will happen in Albacete

Walter Walter: Unless injuries or fouls avoid it, he wont play this season

Maybe the center is a little weak, considering foul troubles we always have had, and we could consider getting back a player like Jason Moss

September 16th, 2004

The Morning After

by Zagrieb Zano

It has been an incredible couple of months all culminating into three jam packed hours of insanity. It is a holiday all of its own. It is the 1st of two offseason phases where GM's prove to their boss' that they are worth the money they are being paid. It is where some GM's are quick to pull a knee-jerk reaction for a trade. Time is of the essence, and there isn't much of it in ample supply. At no other time do we have this much face to face owner interaction. With Owners flying in from far off continents such as Africa, Europe and Texas. It is Draft Day. Just the mention of Draft Day brings goosebumps of excitement to all with a pulse. It is the rare occasion that some owners come out of the spider hole they have been hiding in all season, and show their faces, only to hide back in that hole until the next Draft Day. It is a day so important that is merits the capitalization of both Draft and Day. It is truly a spectical to behold. The energy is buzzing, and to think it is the only valid reason for every stepping foot in Brooklyn, NY.

Now that it is over, it is seems to be the requirement of the media to report on who drafted well and was not as prepared as they should be. Like we as the media really have so much more knowledge then John Q. Public. We act as we have some crystal ball to forsee the rising stars of the the WBA. This assumption is something media guys relish, as it gives them the illusion of power. The unsuspecting public may oooh and ahhh at the wisdom of said media. Perhaps the public simply prefers not to do any research to make them smarter then those of the media. It is not mine to ask why.

Luckily in my case, I do have access to an official crystal ball (made in taiwan - tm). And so be oooh'd and aaah'd at my wisdon as we give the official season 10 draft grades. Please note the projected attribute values are from pre-draft.

Montana Knights

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Sheldon Gorman ---4- B+ B A+/ A C+/ B B-/ B- A+ C+ A- C+ B- A+ A A+ A+ 21 -0.0062 0.0130

Jamie Darnall --3-- B B B-/ B B+/ A- B+/ B+ A C+ C B- C+ A+ A A+ A- 22 -0.0034 0.0249

Montana made a suprise and somewhat costly trade to move up to the #2 spot. This 4 pick jump enabled them to get Sheldon Gorman. Now let me preface this by saying, Gorman is a stud! Not just your regular stud, but the type of stud that could become one of the All-Stud's. You know the type, the A.J. Shulz, Wayne Taylor and Shane Strom all-stud type. The only downside, is Montana didn't need a PF. Toby McCree who was a terrific #56 pick recently has done very well thank you very much at the PF spot. What this tells me is McCree is likely to be forced out of his natural position to play the SF spot. Which means were not going to be seeing a lot of Jarius Miles, but I digress. Gorman has it all, the one hit against his game is he's not much of a team player. He's always been the go to guy growing up. But that doesn't always work in

the WBA, unless your an All-Stud. Jamie Darnall was a great pick at #34. If he can handle the WBA style of play then he could potentially take away more of Darius Miles playing time at the 3. Overall, this was a very strong draft for Montana, and makes me think that his debacle the season 8 draft (read: Lakar Everidge tragedy), was simply a fluke. Thus making it safe to allow Montana high draft picks for the future.

Grade: A-

Andorra Highlanders

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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From Omaha

Al Herbert ----5 B+ B D+/ A- A+/ B B-/ B- A+ C+ A B- A A+ A A+ A+ 22 -0.0079 -0.0087

Pete Nelson 1---- B+ B- B+/ B+ B / C A+/ B C+ A E- A- C A+ A A+ A- 22 -0.0046 0.0081

Prior to the crazyness that is Draft Day. Andorra was looking good to get some impact players. They were blessed with the 5th and 7th pick. They ended up moving that 7th pick to Capetown for the 16th and future seasons picks. I don't mind the trade, but anybody who knows Andorra basketball, knows they just need a pair of guards and this is instantly a playoff team with the potential to contend for a title. They were stunned when their prized draftee Al herbert went

1 pick before theirs. GM Corey Daubanton nearly made a stinky in his whitey tighties. He was quick on the phone to Omaha to work out a deal for Herbert. Giving up his 5th pick, his next season's 1st and a 2nd. Wow, kinda pricey to move up just one pick. That's the type of deal I would normally expect from only Nebraska. Al Herbert has some great skills. He is going to start right away as John Van Horne simply refuses to pay for 4 mil a year anymore. Herbert is somewhat one dimensional. Meaning he's all about defense and not a scoring threat. Hmm, seems like a perfect guy for Salt Lake. The downside of this pick was it didn't do anything to fix the guard issue. As we crept towards the 16th pick, there was a collective anticipation amongst the owners, to see if Andorra would pull off another Ryan Cuevas style pick from a year ago. When they selected Pete Nelson, I was taken back, this was really a smart pick for them. I believe I

speak for all intelligent media when I say, Pete Nelson never should have fallen this far. Now Andorra just needs a SG who they will try get in free agency. I do think they gave up too much for Herbert though.

Grade: B+

Nebraska Sun Warriors

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Ajani Valentine --3-- B+ B+ A-/ B+ C+/ A+ B-/ A A+ C C+ A+ D A+ A A+ A+ 22 -0.0015 0.0010

Johnny Blaylock 12--- B+ B B / B+ B+/ C- E / F B A- D B C+ A+ A A+ A- 21 0.0077 0.0280

Antonio Grandison-2--- C B- C+/ A- B / B B / A- E- E+ C B C+ C+ D C+ C+ 18 -0.0060 0.0130

Chip Honda --3-- B+ B B-/ B A-/ B- A+/ C+ C+ B+ D- C A+ A A A+ A- 22 -0.0186 -0.0099

Its no secret that if you have a top ten pick, you have a good shot at a quality guy. But to have a guy like Ajani Valentine available at the 10th spot, that is just flabbergasting to me. He is the best #10 pick since season 3, when a young Parker Mason was taken by Washington. I know why they took Valentine, he was simply one of the top 4 players in this draft. But when is this guy going to play. Behind a juiced up Wayne Taylor who is only two years his senior.

Ajani has to be agonizing his situation, he on one of the best teams in the league, but will get only 8 minutes a game. Or he moves out of position to play the 2, since guys named Pitt and Morfeld can't hold the jock of the newly departed Williams. There is the possibility of Valentine trading him, but I wouldn't be holding my breath on that. Picking up Johnny Blaylock with the #29 pick is going to have more impact then Valentine will. While not as defensively sound as Ajani, Blaylock gives flexibility at the PG and SG position. With Drake Bachman nearing the end of his career, Blaylock may end up having a shot at starting at PG. But initially I expect him to get some serious minutes at SG. Antonio Grandison is pretty much a wasted pick. Yeah the kid can shoot, but he has no defense in him, and he is injury prone. Frankly this kid

should have gone to college for two years. At best bet, he could be a poor man's Tyler Durden. Chip Honda is a better player then Antonio, but he's never going to see the light of day, behind Valentine and that guy named Wayne. I think a better usage of his later picks would have been to find somebody to back up Roy Base at the PF spot, And a Center to backup Clopp.

Grade: B+

California Hellcats

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Cory Brooks --34- A- B- B / A- A-/ B+ A+/ A- B C B C C- B- A A+ A- 22 -0.0048 -0.0022

With only a mid 2nd round pick. California could have done a lot worse. I really like Cory Brooks. He is young, knows how to get to the free throw line. Can score from beyond the arc as well as make a 18 foot jump shot. Plus, being California, any position you draft will help you. Cory will start at the PF spot, and hopefully be able to help out Pete Merritt who knows what it is like to be making good money on a bad team. If Cory can get some defensive skills he

will be in this league for a while. While this pick isn't going to change around California's team overnight, he should have gone in the first round. Like in any 10 season long rebuilding project, it gives this team something to build on.

Grade: B

Colorado Pioneers

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Trever Rosin 12--- A- B C / B B / D B+/ A- D A- C- A B A+ A A B+ 23 -0.0063 -0.0099

Jack Berkley ---45 A- B B-/ B+ C / D- D+/ D+ A+ C B+ B- A- A A A A- 21 -0.0049 0.0226

Darius Burns 1---- B B- C / C B+/ C B / B B A E+ B+ B- A A A+ A- 23 0.0096 -0.0147

The only thing choosing Trever Rosin and Darius Burns tells us is that Charlie Daidone is on his way out of Colorado. Charlie Daidone hasn't been what the Pioneers have expected, but at least he was a good scorer. He was able to take a lot of pressure off of Shamir Sheth. neither Trever of Darius are going to be able to do that. It would be a surprise to see Shamir's points and field goal percentage to drop this season. Especially considering that Colorado moved Austyn Williams who was relegated to backup duty last season but still was productive in that role. Colorado did something right by taking Jack Berkley. Jack could easily challenge Paul Spagnoli (last Season's #5 overall pick) for the starting job. With Sean Ashman likely to be leaving the team, this team while still talented immediatly goes into rebuilding mode. It would have been nice, if they would used all three of their picks to speed that up, instead of just one in Jack Berkley. I believe Darius Burns will win the starting job over Trever to run this team.

Grade: C

Roswell XT

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Walt Jackson --34- B+ B A+/ B+ A+/ C- A+/ A- A+ B B B- C- A+ A A+ A+ 22 0.0014 -0.0012

King Paras 1---- A- B- D+/ C+ A+/ C B-/ B D- B+ E- A+ B+ B+ A A- B+ 22 -0.0013 -0.0067

Sam Hickerson ----5 B+ B+ B / A B+/ C- E / F A C B+ C- C- B+ E A+ A- 20 -0.0001 -0.0096

Bruce York 1---- B- B D / C- B+/ A- B-/ B D+ A- D A+ B- A A A B+ 23 0.0017 0.0006

When you have the #1 overall pick, you can't help but have a great draft. Or can you. Leading up to the draft, the media seemed to have a love affair about Walt Jackson who was the GCBA player of the year. Like that actually means something when coming to the WBA. Am I the only one that sees Travis Young written all over this guy? He shooting ability is questionable. While he can shoot from beyond the arc, there is just something about this kid, perhaps its his lack of desire. At best, he's going follow the footsteps of another former GCBA player of the year. Jeff Bailey anyone? They tried to help with their PG problems. But can you really expect to solve that problem with 2nd round picks. In fact Bruce York was a better selection at #53 then King Paras was at 33. Sam Hickerson is the only reason Roswell is getting above a C grade. He should be able to contribute, and being only 20, he's going to grow plenty. Perhaps it is due to new ownership, and if that's the case, then let's hope this draft will be a quick lesson in

growing pains. I would have loved to see Roswell made a deal to move up to get a guy like Reid Dall. Or even trade their #1 pick to build their team faster. They could have easily moved down a couple spots and picked up a quality guy or two. Yes, Sheldon Gorman should have gone #1.

Grade: C+

Oregon Golden Bears

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Evan Kerr -2--- B+ B+ B / B C+/ C A+/ A- C- A+ D- B D- B+ A A+ A 22 -0.0030 0.0096

from Carolina -

Auston Monte --34- B+ B B / B- A-/ A- B / B- A+ B C+ C+ C B+ A A+ A- 22 0.0011 -0.0049

When you have the leagues best player in Lou Gonzalez, and you have the Rookie of the Year in Bishop Stein. How do you go about improving your team. Do you draft by position, or just simply best player available. Taking Evan Kerr early in the second round gave them a great player for how late the pick was. However, did I mention that Oregon has last season's Rookie of the Year. And last I checked, Stein wasn't going to be moved to the point, not with Bill Andrews there. Though Oregon did get beat by Nebraska who then had All-Stud Dave Williams blistering them from the 2 spot. Drafting for Depth is mostly what you do when your an elite team. I was more pleased by the move to get Auston Monte from Carolina. Monte fits in one of those diamond in the rough analogies. His shooting isn't the greatest, but he is not afraid to attack the basket. Plus he is a strong rebounder. Plus, Oregon has no natural SF's on their team. Not one. I can easily see Auston getting the starting spot, while still playing around 20-25 minutes a game, and then Tony Dimateo filling in from there. I don't expect Oregon to move Kerr, but if they have the chance to get a good SF in a deal, then they owe it to their fans to seriously consider it. That is all that is needed to make a leap to the finals.

Grade: B

Texas Juggers

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Having traded out of the draft no grade is available:

Grade: Incomplete

Cincinnati Cyclones

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Seth Finklestein -2--- B+ B A-/ B A / B+ B+/ B B+ C+ C C D+ A+ A A+ A- 22 -0.0002 -0.0041

Lance Stow ---4- B+ B+ B / A- B+/ B B-/ C+ A C+ B- C D+ A- E A+ A 23 0.0175 -0.0040

It happens every draft. When a team picks a player, and all the other owners go wow, we let that guy slip? Oh wait, this is the Cincinnati review not Capetown. My apologies. There are times when you do need to take the best player available regardless to position, instead of just filling in specific positions. Seth Finklesein is a good pick near the end of the 1st round. But to go at #9, thats like taking an Al Lee at #7, just ask Oregon if they could change that selection. Seth is not a great shooter, which is kind of a must to play SG. he's not known as a defender, not to mention his knack for getting in foul trouble early and often. The good news, is he is only signed for 3 years Cyclone fans, then you won't ever hear about the Finklestein diesaster of season 10, except on talk shows. This draft wasn't a total loss. Lance Stow is a terrific selection at #37. The guy can shoot, rebound, play some defense. The primary reason his

stock dropped is because he like Mr. Finklestein, is likely to get in foul trouble. Of course at last count, Cincy had 7 PF's on their team. Ok, that is going to dwindle slightly during free agency. But might have thought, that perhaps picking a backup Center or SF, would have been better.

Grade: C

Cancun Outlaws

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Quade Nash ---45 B+ B+ D / A- A-/ C- D / D+ A+ C+ B- C- B+ A+ A A+ A- 22 -0.0016 -0.0053

Ahmed Dougherty -2--- B+ B+ B+/ B A-/ C A+/ B+ B- B+ D- B+ B+ A+ A A+ A 23 -0.0129 -0.0103

Jim Koons -2--- A- B B-/ B B+/ B B / C B+ B- D+ A- C A+ A A+ A- 21 0.0008 -0.0057

Liam McKee ---4- B+ B C+/ C- A+/ A- B-/ C+ A A- D+ B- B+ A A A+ A- 22 -0.0020 -0.0056

Jim Young ----5 B+ B B / B- B-/ C- C / D+ A+ C- A+ C D A A A+ A- 22 -0.0118 -0.0019

It is never easy to be labeled as the most dominating team in the league, let alone being known as the leagues first dynasty. Cancun has to deal with both and fans want to know what is instore for a encore. After trading away team leader Brad Bangerter to SLC. They would need to fill the versatility that Bangerter provided. Making a few trades they were able to move up to #11. If only Ajani Valentine would have fallen one more spot, he would have been an Outlaw. Instead Quade Nash gets the call. He isn't quite in the mold of Bangerter, but then again, who is? He isn't going to be an offensive threat and as such is likely to be relegated to backup duty for Nicholson and Mercer. I can only assume they felt that a guy like George Bissett would slip to their next pick. Unfortunatly Capetown picked right before Cancun could. Ahmed dougherty is not a bad pick at #14. Ahmed does fill a void that was noticeable for the SG spot. Taking jim Koons at the end of the 1st round, with Liam McKee and Jim Young in the 2nd. These are all decent

picks, but again, it doesn't solve the issue that Bangerter filled. They need a scoring SF to work with Lonnie Gerson. Bangerter was good enough to play out of position to fill that void. None of these 5 players are. Regardless, All of these picks are good players. The talent that Cancun just picked up is probably better then anybody else in the draft could come close to matching. It just doesn't fit their most pressing need.

Grade B+

Omaha Wild

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Chad O'Donnell ----5 A- B B / A- A-/ B- D-/ D- A- C A A+ B- A+ A A+ A- 23 -0.0176 -0.0083

Omaha has been trying to compile enough talent to start competing with the big boys. And they are slowly beginning to get some quality guys. O'Donnell isn't going to be the savior of this team all by himself, but with Brian Collins signed to a long term deal, O'Donnell is good enough to be part of that building process. The big question is, does this mean that Harry Kramer and/or Donaven Jones might me shipped off. Omaha did a classic squeeze play with Andorra. Knowing that Andorra desperatly wanted Al Herbert. They selected Herbert with the 4th pick, and then bent Andorra over to get the 5th pick, a future 1st and a future 2nd. It is moves like that which make me believe that Omaha is going to be competitive in a couple seasons. I wish they would have tried to do something about their lack of a real PG. But I guess that will be something they can deal with in free agency.

Grade: B

Salt Lake City Fanatics

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Salt Lake traded out of the draft.

Grade: Incomplete

Miami Xtreme

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Tobias Harrison ---45 B+ B+ B+/ B+ B / D E-/ F B+ C+ B B- A+ A+ A A A- 23 -0.0173 -0.0033

Miami originally had the #7 pick and with that pick proceeded to draft down. When it was all said and done, they had converted it into 3 1st round picks, some 2nd rounders and some cash. With their late 1st round pick, they wasted no time in selecting Tobias Harrison. Tobias has a great defensive mentality. And while he does have some shooting abilities, that isn't the reast he was drafted. He will get minutes behind Jose Nobis as well as getting some minutes at the PF spot. He isn't likely to be enoug hto push Miami into playoff contention, but sometimes that is a slow process. If Miami had another pick, they could have increased their grade rating, but with just one pick, that is just difficult to do.

Grade: B-

Capetown Bandits

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Evelio Jackson 12--- B+ B- B-/ B+ B / B B-/ D D A+ E+ A+ B A+ A A+ A- 22 -0.0173 -0.0125

George Bissett --3-- B+ B- A-/ A- C+/ D- B-/ B- C+ A+ C+ C- A B A A+ A- 22 -0.0388 -0.0042

There are some GM's that are just enjoyable to watch them do their magic. Adrian Arceo is one of those, that you get the feeling he is thinking on not only the present, but how his moves will affect his team several years down the line. He moved up to grab the #7 pick with his eyes glued soley on Evelio Jackson. Jackson arguably a top 3 talent in this years draft. He does it all, shoots, passes, playse defense, doesn't get turnovers. He knows how to play team defense and run an offense. While there are some indications that he may struggle initially, which could be costly for Capetown and their desire to dethrone divisional powerhouse Cancun. Regardless, this was the right move. Then before you thought it couldn't get any better, with the 13th overall pick, they surprised everybody by taking North East Moscow State University alum George Bissett. When you want top notch defensive players, then look for players from that college. Some

so-called experts didn't even thing that Bissett wouldn't even get drafted. What crack pipe are they smoking. Bissett has a nice shooting touch, and while he isn't a stronger rebounder at the SF position, he is arguably the best passer in this draft, regardless of position. Let us not forget that he doesn't foul, and he is by far the best team defensive player of this draft. He is going to be a great shut down player after a couple seasons. This was a clear view of what

happens when you properly scout out players. Bissett is easily one of the steals of this draft.

Grade: A

Rochestor Blaze

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Javonte Bolk 1---- B+ B B+/ B A-/ B B / B- C- A D- B+ B A A A+ A 22 -0.0076 -0.0068

Bolk has some good skills, and is a nice safe pick for Rochestor. I would have thought that with the loss of Reynoso they would have looked to grab a SF. Even still, Bolk has the luxury that he won't need to be a leader right away. He will be able to develop behind Jimmy Whalen, a former #3 pick. I do think that Bolk will be somewhat of a hinderance with his lack of shooting. If your a PG, you need to be able to make a 18 footer consistently, and right now Bolk can't do that.

Grade: B

Boston Massacre

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Boston had traded out of the draft.

Grade: Incomplete

Gabon Giants

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Reid Dall 1---- B+ B+ D+/ B- B+/ B+ C / B- C+ A- D A+ B- A+ A A+ A- 22 -0.0062 0.0099

There is no secret, that I have never been much of a fan of former Midwest St players coming up to the pro's. With the exception of Roy Base, the rest of the Midwest alums have pretty much floundered. They are taught to play good college ball, and college ball is much different of beast then pro ball. That being said, I think this is a great selection by Gabon. They need somebody to back up Ethan Hunt, which is not a mission impossible of a task. I think he has a chance to compete for a starting job probably beginning next season. Dall and Hunt are very similar in their strengths and weaknesses. Many "experts" felt that Gabon would continue their yearly search for a legit center, especially in a draft that was laden with quality big men. Gabon management believes that their young centers are good enough to do the job.

Grade: B

London Disco

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Al Rozier 1---- C+ C+ E / B D+/ B C+/ A+ E- A E A B B- E B B- 18 -0.0021 -0.0006

Kolby O'Rourke --34- B+ B A-/ B A-/ B B+/ B- A+ E D+ A- A A+ A A+ A- 22 0.0121 0.0022

Samuel Blachford -2--- B+ B+ C+/ B+ A-/ B+ B / D+ C- B C+ B B+ A+ A A+ A- 23 -0.0180 -0.0081

I am not sure I understand the obsession with taking high school kids in the 1st round. For every Wayne Taylor there are around 300 Lakar Everidges. Yes, I know your thinking, but Zagrieb, Rozier is only 18, he's going to really improve over the next 3 or 4 years. And my response is, yes he will, he will be about as talented as the average College senior coming into the draft. Rozier has some nice raw talent, and London hopes he will be able to replace Mr. Ball Hog himself Kelvin Davidson in about 2 years. I just don't see it. David Song hadn't quite sobered up by time he selected Al Rozier. He helped his grade some with Koly O'Rourke. Kolby is already being called the guy who kicked out Abdullah Chanda. He is one of the top rebounders in this draft, and while his shooting isn't great, he is a tough nosed defensive player with quick hands. So quick, that he won't be called for many ticky tack fouls. Plus he has great ball control. London's final pick in Samuel Blachford is similar to Kolby with his great ball handeling. But he has already shown he isn't quite ready to step in and do the job as a legit SG. Luckily they still have Peter Parker and his spider-like agility and sharp shooting touch. Overall, London did well with one of three picks. Perhaps next time show up sobert?

Grade: C+

Sacramento Fighting Cocks

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Sacramento had traded out of the draft.

Grade: Incomplete

Budapest Tigers

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Jeremy Aarons -23-- A- B B+/ B A-/ C- B+/ C- B A- D B D A+ A A+ A 21 -0.0038 0.0078

This is another one of those picks that makes me scratch my head wondering how this guy fell so far. I thought for sure that Nebraska was going to grab Jeremy with their #29 pick. They are going to wish they had. Aarons is going to need to work on his shooting skills, but he is a great passer and a strong rebounder. He has good intangibles. And even if He doesn't pan out, then not much is lost. Budapest, saw the talent, and jumped all over it. Sometimes you need to make intelligent gambles, and I think Jeremy was a perfect player to do it on.

Grade: B-

Albecete Burning Hell

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Rodger Garson --3-- B B A-/ B B / B B-/ B+ A- A- D B- B- B+ A A+ A 22 -0.0044 -0.0057

Steve Miller --3-- B+ B B / B- A / B- A+/ A+ B C E+ B A- B+ A A+ A- 22 -0.0048 0.0092

Asher Ward --3-- B+ B- A-/ A- B-/ C B-/ A A+ C B C C+ B+ A A+ A- 23 -0.0067 -0.0023

Derrontay Simms ---4- B B+ B+/ C- A-/ A A+/ A- A+ C B- C D B+ E A+ A- 23 -0.0034 0.0066

Walter Walter ----5 D C B+/ B+ B+/ D E / F A C- A+ E C B D A+ C+ 19 0.0148 -0.0049

What can I say, Pedro is among the best at finding good talent even late in the draft. We know he is getting rid of Jim Donnely to get some youth. And as good as Garson, Miller and Ward are, did I miss something? Why do you need to draft three straight picks to grab SF's? Especially when you know that your Center in Bobby Cress isn't getting the job done. Cress' name has already been floating around in trade deals. One can only assume that Albecete will be moving at least one of these players. Derrontay Simms is almost like a KD Mobley clone, the only difference is he can rebound and make long distance shots. He is going to split time with Gordon Whitehouse, and should be able to contribute as long as his regular shooting percentage doesn't hinder the team too much. Walter Walter, was taken around the right time; deep into the 2nd round. He has some good potential, but isn't going to be ready to get any serious minutes for a couple of seasons. Despite all the talent that was drafted hear it doesn't help much when you can't even use most of it.

Grade: B-

Baltimore Pirates

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Joe Herrera --3-- B+ B B-/ B- A-/ A- B / C B- A- D B- A A+ A A+ A 22 -0.0080 -0.0100

Joe Brennan --34- A- B+ B-/ B B / A+ C+/ D A+ C B- B C- A+ A A+ A 22 -0.0067 -0.0056

Baltimore trying to improve upon a successful season. They have identified a weakenss of their t eam and that is at the small forward spot. Joe Brennan should be able to get some quality minutes at the 4, and Joe Herrera might as well be handing the starting job at the 3. I do think they should have address their lack of a shooting guard as a top priority, but at this point, at least they have filled some holes. Baltimore is known as a team with out stars, and they continue this this tradition, as Joe/Joe are not going to be stars in this league.

Grade: B-

Brooklyn Rage

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Brooklyn traded out of this drafe.

Grade: Incomplete

New York Firestorm

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Junior Jones ----5 B+ B B / A A-/ C- D / D- A+ C A- C- B- B+ D A+ A 22 -0.0040 0.0126

Carlos Williams ----5 B+ B+ B / B+ A-/ C D-/ D- A+ C+ A D D A D A+ A 21 0.0066 0.0075

Brandon Maddox 1---- C+ B+ A / C+ B / C+ B / B D A+ C- B B- B A A+ A- 23 0.0211 0.0300

Carlos and Junior are nearly twins. Just not identical twins. It is clear that Junior deserved to be drafted first over Carlos, but I will always question why teams will try to pound down 1 position with most of their picks. NY has Chuck O'Rouke, who can play the PF spot, so no problem there. But there are several service able centers on NY, that it seems could do a good enough job. In all fairness to NY, they actually have their starters pretty much set, so they were mostly just looking for depth. Brandon Maddoz is a very good late draft pick. He is a good passer, but doesn't have the leadership needed to run a WBA team. And he is another Gomer Cummings in the making.

Grade: B-

Washington Monuments

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Samson Erickson ---4- A- B+ A-/ B+ B-/ B+ C+/ C- A+ C+ B C+ A B+ A A+ A+ 21 -0.0034 -0.0098

Cennino Cenninni 1---- B+ B B-/ A- B-/ A- B-/ B D+ B+ C- A- B B- A A A- 22 0.0171 -0.0062

Alex Treacey 12--- B+ B C+/ B A / A- B+/ C E+ B+ D B+ C+ A+ A A A- 22 0.0224 0.0086

Benjamin Hampton --3-- C+ B C-/ D+ E+/ B+ B-/ A A- C+ C- C+ C C- F B- B 18 0.0092 0.0322

Washington continues to try to get over that hump so they can actually beat Cancun in the finals. This team is stacked and so any new players could only help. Samson Erickson is about as good of a sure thing as your going to get. Not only is he just 21, but he is a banger. He will help with Washingtons already strong front line. He doesn't have the best shot in the world, but for now, he doesn't need to be the scorer, that is what Emmitt Yee is for. I don't mind the pick

of Cennino Cenninni and Alex Treacey, but these guys really have no shot of being able to lead this team at the point. No doubt Washington will put most of there free agency efforts to get a legit point guard, now that Kadeem Reed was sent to Montana. I guess Washington was just hoping they would get lucky with these two point guards, they should have taken Bruce York. I don't see it happening. They would have been better off, either trading their picks or try to get

some guys who could provide depth for some of their other positions. Benjamin Hampton, well remember his name, in 2 years your not gonig to hear it any more.

Grade: B-

Carolina Storm

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Ken Young ----5 B B- B / D+ C / B- C+/ C- A+ C- B- C C- A+ A A B+ 23 0.0222 -0.0043

Lenn Marella -23-- A- B B / C+ B+/ A A+/ C+ B C C+ B- B- A+ A A A- 21 -0.0163 -0.0027

Jaret Girard --3-- B+ B B-/ B A-/ B- B+/ C A C C+ B- D- B+ A A+ A- 22 -0.0055 0.0006

Cancun only had 3 late 2nd rounders, so they did the best they could. However, Ken young, despite his rebounding ability has absolutly no chance of being even a useable player for this or any team. We have seen many players who are shoot first, thinking about making baskest later. They simply don't work out in 95% of the situations. Carolina did better with Lenn Marella and Jaret Girard, but really all these guys are is bodys for Rick Shulz and Eugene LaMaitre to abuse

in practice all season. Girard might actually get some playing time, thanks to his good rebounding instincts. Luckily for Carolina, they did 100% better in offseason trades then this draft. But with late 2nd's its always tough to do well.

Grade: C-

Birmingham Fury

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Wu Dian-fan --3-- B+ B+ A-/ B+ A-/ A- A-/ A- B+ C+ C+ B B+ A A A+ A+ 22 -0.0092 -0.0108

Alton Odom 1---- B+ B B / B B-/ C- C+/ A+ C B+ D+ C- A+ B+ A A B+ 23 -0.0075 -0.0109

Ken McRae -2--- B+ B+ B / B B / B- B+/ A- D+ B- D+ C B B- A A- A- 21 -0.0007 0.0028

Sometimes it pays to have an off year. Sometimes that is all you need to get right back in the playoff hunt. I absolutly love the pick of Wu Dian-fan at the #8 spot. History has shown that this is a very difficult pick. Its easy to be burned. Such as past #8 picks Tyrique Stokes S4, John Diblasi S6 and Branko Filipovic S8. Wu Dian-fan is going to fall in the side of #8 picks that people will look back and say, "Man, what a great pick". He will be in the company of Mike Farrell S5, Cordell Parks S7, Vance Clopp S9. Wu is good enough to make Birmingham a legitimate playoff contender. He is such a quality player, that we will forgive Birmingham for taking Alton Odom. Birmingham also helps us forget about the Odom pick with the SG Ken McRae, who might need 2 seasons to be a impact player, but hes goign to be good enough to get a 2nd contract.

Grade: A-

Alaska Snow Dogs

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NAME POS H S FG FT 3P R P B S F V A O T AGE INT/HAR OFF AB

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Raphael Park ---4- B+ B+ A / A- B+/ C C+/ C- A B- D A- B A A A+ A+ 22 0.0014 0.0054

I have been a fan of Raphael Park for a long time. I like the fact that he has quick hands, and while not the most dominating rebounder, he is still good for 7 or 8 grabs a night. He could end up being the best scoring rookie this year the one disturbing thing, is he is going to a team that is used to losing. And sometimes that type of atmosphere is so contagious, that even if your good, you play bad, because that is what is expected. I personally expect big things

from Park this year. He will be in a 3 man race with Gorman and Dian-fan for rookie of the year.

Grade: B+

So there you have it, about as accurate of a report card then you will ever see. Of course this accuracy is all removed when these rookies start playing with their respective teams, and they get a nice culture shock of what the WBA is all about. Some of the heralded rookies wll rise to the occasion and some will crumble under the pressure. That is when we all will really know who did the best and worst with the season 10 draft.