September 1 - September 30, 2005

September 23rd, 2005

FREE AGENCY PREVIEW. SHOOTING GUARDS

Here are the top 5 shooting guards with an ending contract

1.- Edgar Kamara. Sacramento fighting Cocks

7.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.7 steals on 30 minutes

The skinny: Kamara hit a big wall, going from top player in the GCBA to a journeyman in the WBA. Colorado lose his patient with recently, and he was traded to the lowly Sacramento team. Some GMs still think that Kamara has a great career ahead of him, and some focus along with a training camp would result in a great player.

The good: Kamara is an amazing passer from the wing. His 8 assists together with 1.1 turnovers makes him a great ball distributor. His defense is over the average too, and he can rebound like the best. He can even block some shots, and never gets into foul trouble

The bad: If Kamara could score decently, he would be a perennial allstar. But his offense is ugly to see, and his mind forces him not to shoot the rock

The odds: Some teams still see a star in the making in Kamara, and we are sure that he will receive a very lucrative offer, maybe Sacramento will put his name off the market extending him to a big contract. In other case, maybe a team with the guts to coach him at the point guard and sending him to a shooting camp could receive a difference maker

2.- Harry Jarvis. Albacete Burning Hell

21.3 points, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals on 48% shooting

The skinny: You can say he is one dimensional. You can say he does not help his team in any other area but scoring. He is one of the most recognised faces around the league. He is Albacete. Harry Jarvis has averaged over 20 points in all but one season of his 10 seasons in the league. He was the first player to ever wear Albacete's shirt. He has received lots of offers in the past

The good: Jarvis is a great scorer, period. You can put any defender on him and he will manage a way to find the basket. Mid range shots, penetrations, fade away jumpers... he can show a young player a mini training camp in a game. His scoring could hide some other aspects of his game, but dont be fooled for the wannabees, he is a very capable defender, averaging almost 2 steals a game, and not as selfish as some analyst say, he can pass the ball and averages almost four assists

The bad: Jarvis is not getting any younger, and clearly, he has peaked. Although he has some good years ahead of him, there is no room for improvement left. His athletic ability wont allow him to get rebounds

The odds: Some say it would take a miracle to pry JArvis away of Albacete. He is Albacete. He is the player they want to wathc, and it would be hard to explain the fan base that Jarvis is playing anywhere

3.- George Foster. Mexico City Hellcats

13.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists in 62% shooting

The skinny: The glory days are past him, but George Foster is far from done in this league. We are talking about a career with an average of 18 points and 5.5 assists, and last year he was a core player in Oregon quest for the Championship.

The good: Foster is one of the safest players in the league to make the open shot. With a FG% of 53 % for his career, he has excelled this past two seasons shooting over 60%. He is very fundamentally sound on the offensive area. His shooting creates such a havoc that he is able to find his teammates all around the court

The bad: He just dont want to play defense, he doesnt even try to follow his man and it hurts his team. For a player who defends so little, he commits lots of fouls. HIs age wont allow him to sign a long term contract

The odds: Foster would prefer to play for a team with a dominant frontcourt, and get the best of the open looks he would have. It would be expected an lucrative short term offer from teams wanting to consilidate a playoff spot

4.- Dexter Kodak. Nebraska Sun Warriors

13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 2.0 steals in 37 minutes

The skinny: Kodak is a great team player to have around. He has a complete package of abilities and he will cover the backs of the team stars if they have an off night. He has played almost his whole career for Nebraska, but he will receive offers

The good: Kodak can play both guard positions. He does a little of everything and does it well. He can pass the ball, plays hard nosed defense, even gets some blocks.... and he can rely in his shot when open. Besides his teammates use to play better when hes around, its a fact

The bad: He does not excel in any particular area, which have prevented him of getting a major recognizement. Dexter tends to shoot too much from long range. His age wont allow him to improve

The odds: Brandon will want to keep `MR Intangibles' around, but teams wanting a veteran 6th man should keep an eye on him, the team that signs him wont regret for sure

5.- Tyson Cooper. Budapest Tigers

10.9 points, 3.9 assists in 51% shooting

The skinny: TYson Cooper is not a player you usually want to make an offer in the very first stages of the free agency, but he is a player with good karma for a team wanting to win a championship. Cooper wont demand the all too much while he es on the court, but he will know what to do with it given the chance

The good: Cooper is most of all a good mid range shooter. He has a perfect 15 footer and his mechanics have to be shown to high schoolers. Out of his shooting, Cooper will pass the ball very well, and he is a finesse 6th man for a team looking for punch from the bench

The bad: Cooper is very foul prone, more assuming hes not a great defender. His conditioning is very questionable, leading him to the injured list and not to play extended minutes in some games. While his mid range shot is great, he such from the 3 point line

The odds: Of course Cooper will have his offers, but expect a total contract under the 10 million dollars

September 17th, 2005

Around the WBA

Omaha's Brian Collins has shooters elbow and will miss the rest of the season.

Jerry Simms has a stomach bug and is expected to miss Monday's game.

September 13th, 2005

This year, we havent a great amount of free agents with star potential, some of them wont even hit the market, being extended by their teams, but still there are some potential very good players and veterans waiting for the correct enviroment. Here are the top 5 point guards with an ending contract

1.- Tyler Kane. Albacete Burning Hell

12.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 2.7 steals on 51% shooting

The skinny: Tyler Kane will be always known for being the top pick in season 8 draft over Bishop Stein. It is obvious that Stein has developed into a better player and a star in the league, but we are still waiting for a breakout performance from Kane, more knowing that he has improved dramatically every one of his three seasons in the league

The good: Kane is above all a floor general. He knows how to find the open man, always looking for the safest pass. His shooting has improved big time, and he is scoring more than half of his shots, and then we have his defense, with 2.7 steals per game, Kane is 7th in the league.

The bad: Conditioning. He alwais misses some games due to minor injuries, and coaches should limit his playing time, because he tends to fatigue easily. Kane always has had problems to create his own shot, and he is not a threat from long range. Free throw shooting is ugly

The odds: Most likely, Kane will neber be a free agent. Albacete will do whatever they can to extend his contract for 5 more seasons

2.- Daren Benson. Andorra Highlanders

10.1 points, 7.9 assists and 2.1 turnovers on 47% shooting

The skinny: Benson is still a project of a star, but out of Timmons, we cant see a better young playmaker in the league. His 3 years in the league have helped him to mature and now he has the age of any given rookie

The good: Daren Benson is a good scorer when needed, he has good range in his shooting and a quick first step to dribble his man. A player who knows the secrets of ball distribution

The bad: He is verythin, his wiry frame makes him a fragile playervery capable of losing 20 players a year. Turnovers are a problem too, he doesnt like to be trapped and rivals know about it. He has still to learn to use his hands smartly, because lots of fouls are called his way

The odds: Benson will call his payday, Andorra or wherever. He knows he has lots of potential and some teams will invest for the future. Andorra will try to retain him, but i dont see them breaking the bank

3.- Hank Pynn. Boston Massacre

3.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists in 24 minutes

The skinny: Pynn has showed he deserves to be in this league. He can help a team without having the need to score. He was a late 1st round pick and his apportation to Boston has improved in every season

The good: He is a good passer, and he cares about the ball, his turnover are very low, and he gets his amount of rebounds. Playing defense is not a problem for him, and he makes his opponents to work for their shots

The bad: His offensive game is ugly being generous. He is very slow and he always has a rival between the rim amd the ball. Not a bad shooter from mid range, but he doenst even try. The stamina is a problem too, but just fine for a backup

The odds: Boston would like to retain him, because the have lost the faith in Luca McMillan, and barring a trade, it doesnt seem the can get a starter for the point guard

4.- Ray Estrada. Andorra HIghlanders

4.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists in 17 minutes

The skinny: Estrada is a hard player to qualify. He is big, really a huge frame for a guard. He is young and have some details to be a very good player in this league

The good: Estrada is a great rebounder, and I mean great, probably the best rebounding PG in the league. He is a hard player who never seems to be injured, or at least he is able to live with the pain. His defense is nice too

The bad: Estrada has problems to find a olympic swimming pool with the ball, you can wonder with the bicket. His stamina is questionable, and while he commits very few turnovers, he has some problems making the correct pass

The odds: Andorra could be forced to choose between one of Estrada and Benson, and Estrada could be the odd man out. Maybe a team with problems in the frontcourt could use his rebounding

5.- Umberto DiTullio. Salt Lake City Fanatics

4.1 points, 5.6 assists in 22 minutes

The skinny: Ditullio is probably one of the most controversial players in the league. At 26 years, he has played in a star mode averaging over 10 assists some seasons, but he has been a bench warmer too lately. His talent for the flashy pass is well known around the league. Of course he has flaws in his game but they wont let him off this league

The good: Umberto is a top 5 passer in the league, in a correct enviroment, he could collect over 10 assists per game like he has shown us in the past (well it was in Virgin Islands and thats a heck of a correct enviroment). His defense is really good, being capable of getting some steals, and his endurance and conditioning are out of limits too

The bad: Ditullio tries very few shots. But he should try even less. His shots barely touch the rim, and his fundamentals for shooting make you desire to punch someone. His defender has not to be afraid of him and try to prevent the passing, forcing some turnovers.

The odds: Umberto will end finding a home. In Utah or somewhere else, any team with lots of scorers could benefit from his passing. Top teams could use him as a backup if their second unit has some scorers.

September 12th, 2005

How the west was won...

By Turk Moran

We are fast approaching the end of the WBA season, and once again, it looks like the race for first place in the western conference will be very exciting. As it stands now, Cancun is sitting atop the conference with a 47-15 record, two games in front of Lou Gonzalez and his Oregon teammates. But aside from Oregon, three other teams are in striking distance of Cancun: Capetown, last season's southern division champions, Nebraska and Colorado, first in the west last season. Here is a prediction as to who will finish first in the western conference:

Number one:

Oregon Golden Bears (45-17)

Games left on the road: 10 - Charlotte, Omaha, Arkansas, Baltimore, SLC, NY, Mexico, Sacramento, Nebraska, Boston

Games left at home: 8 - LI, Budapest, Frankfurt, Rochester, Mexico, Alaska, Colorado, Nebraska

The Golden Bears are coming off an important victory in Cancun which enabled them to get homecourt advantage over Cancun in case a tie would occur. They play a lot of road games in their remaining games, but only one destination seems to be dangerous, and that would be on day 83 when they travel to Nebraska. It is hard to imagine them not finishing first, led by Lou and fast improving Bishop Stein. They also added point guard Cole Bayo, who is an agressive pentrator that helps this team a lot by getting to the line. He is not the best passer, but when you have Stein and point forward Donovan Jones, you dont need a great passing point guard.

Number two:

Cancun Outlaws (47-15)

Games left on the road: 5 - Rochester, London, Charlotte, Budapest, Nebraska

Games left at home: 13 - Mexico (2), Charlotte (2), SLC (2), London, Baltimore, Nebraska, Omaha, Capetown (2), Colorado

It would seem that The Outlaws have the advantage with so many games at home. But check out who they play in their last six games: Nebraska, Omaha, Budapest, Capetown, Nebraska, Colorado and Capetwon again. That stretch right there is why we believe that Cancun wont be able to stay on the top of the western mountain for the rest of the regular season. They have to hope that they can build a somewhat comfortable lead on Oregon and Capetown before entering those last six days. And this might be the last time we see the star trio of Parker Mason, Kent Mercer and Scott Nicholson since Nicholson will be a free agent this offseason and has been rumoured to be on the move. So we might se more urgency from this squad for the remainder of the season, especially with those huge 12 games at home, making them the only team to play more games at home than on the road in this close race.

Number three:

Colorado Pioneers (43-19)

Games left on the road: 12 - Brooklyn, Alaska, Sacramento, Nebraska, Capetown, Omaha, Toronto, Cincinnati, Oregon, SLC, LI, Cancun

Games left at home: 6 - Frankfurt, Mexico, London, Alaska, Arkansas, Omaha

They won last year and it wouldn't be surprising to see them sneak up on Cancun and Colorado. But we dont see it happening this season. They have been playing great at times but have been inconsistent for most of the season, although they are in a very good stretch right now. The play of rookie Mark Carr has been a great lift for this team as the rookie seems to have found new confidence after winning the dunk contest and participating in the three point shooting contest on all-star wekend. The darn Pioneers made an important move by acquiring bad boy Harold Gill, and this might give them the most powerful offense in the league. What strategy opposing teams will use when Gill, Carr and the always dangerous Samir Sheth are on the floor at the same time? If they find chemistry quickly and play together, they could go all the way...

Number four:

Capetown Zulu (45-18)

Games left on the road: 11 - Rochester, Cincinnati, Nebraska, Alaska, Paris, SLC, Omaha (2), Cancun (2), Andorra

Games left at home: 6 - Baltimore, Colorado, Budapest, Gabon, Cincinnati, SLC

They are the wild card. If they stay close enough to Cancun, they could finish second or even first by defeating the Outlaws on their last two meetings. But, Capetown is only 16-13 on the road and has dropped the first two meetings with Cancun at home. It will be a difficult task, but Obafemi Mabruke will have to put that team on his shoulders and carry them past Cancun in hopes of advancing further in the playoffs. They have a different lineup than last season when they lost to Cancun in the first round as a fifth seed. Jim Wilson has been a great addition late in the season and Capetown has one of the best bench in the league.

Number five:

Nebraska Sun Warriors (42-20)

Games left on the road: 11 - Alaska, Arkansas, LI, Mexico, Charlotte, SLC (2), NY, Cancun, Oregon

Games left at home: 7 - SLC, Capetown, Colorado, Boston, Mexico, Cancun, Oregon

There are rumours that the ownership and front office are in turmoil right now, which might affect the players on the court. They are still in the running for the first seed, but they have to have Wayne Taylor and rookie Jervan Timmons healthy for the final stretch. The Sun Warriors have struggled when those two were out.

So that is the outlook for the west. I hope you have your WBA league pass, because there are going to be very important games in the next couple of weeks. The final four days of activity will be crucial. What games should you watch? On those four days, Cancun and Capetown play each other twice, and so does Oregon and Nebraska. Colorado will be in Cancun and then the Outlaws will travel to Nebraska. And if you missed it, Bishop Stein and Parker Mason going at it last week was a a great show. It would be fun to see those two go head to head once again in the playoffs, but everything is possible in the west. And to finish, lets not forget about the race going on on the orient! Paris and Long Island have been battling all season long for supremacy in the eastern conference, and they still have to face each other twice before the regular season ends. My prediction? Long Island, even though they had a very cold stretch after defeating Cancun on the road, will prevail, tying Paris but having the tie breaker over them. Paris is down two to nothing in that series. So enjoy the rest of the WBA season, and may the best team win!

September 10th, 2005

Aound the WBA

Frankfurt's Joe Brennan was in a serious car accident he is relatively unhurt with only a dislocated shoulder sprained ankles and major brusing but he is still expected to miss the rest of the season.

George Faup violated London's team curfew and has been suspended for one game.

Justus Rhodes choked on a crab leg and will miss tomorrow's game for Baltimore.

Johnny Tatum's Knee was displaced late in today's game. Doctor's say he is fine but some fear that this injury will cause him problems in the future.

New York's Chip Elrich tore his ACL today and will miss the rest of the season.

September 5th, 2005

Around the WBA

Eugene LaMaitre a serious knee injury today. Doctor have not yet said what the injury was exactly but they have estimated that he will likely miss the rest of the season but may have a chance at appearing in the play-offs.

September 3rd, 2005

YEE ERA ENDS AS IT STARTED

By Greg Ross

Yee was going to be the guy to play along with Walt Jackson and give the Dinos a great one two punch like the good teams like Oregon have with Stien and Gonzales. That was the plan but consider it over as Yee has been dealt to Alaska for Rice and Wu Di-Fan. Toronto also will give up the picks they acquired from Brooklyn for this years draft but replace it with a Charlotte first rounder. Leaving the Dinos with 3 picks Albacete pick as well as a Mexico 2nd rounder to go along with the Charlotte pick. Dinos also trade their 1st next season and get a Frankfurt 2nd Round pick in that same year. In a touch of irony Yee was injured in a win over Salt Lake but seeing as the deal was approved he still will be off to Alaska. Many will recall Yee was injured in the last exhibition game verus Anndorra and missed the first 11 games of the season. The Dinos went 3-8 to start the year with out him and have fought an up hill battle the entire season. But they are within a game and a half of the 8 th seed in the east and just 2 back of 7th. Many teams have faded down the stretch run. This Trade could help the dinos find their way into the WBA Postseason. But Rice Like Yee is a huge question mark as far as health but also like Yee when he plays is a dominant force. Wu Di-Fan will be part of a rotation of players at the shooting guard. Rookie Geoffry Caldwell will likely become the starter at the postion and expect Webster Hewlett to see time there as well. Rich will start at the four allowing Jackson to play the three exclusively while Bill Blackstone will move to the bench backing up both. Owner James Borbath maintains this move was a move more about the teams future than a playoff push. He had this to say on the move:

Borbath:"We think we got to quality young players that can contribute to are team for many years we hope. This may be a move that in the short term will help us but it could just as easy cost us a playoff run. We made the moves to bring in Blackstone and Jeay along with this one getting Rice and Wu-Fan looking towards next year. But the team has responded well to the last move and could with this one too. If not for the great play of Geoffrey Caldwell this trade would not have been able to happen giving us a chance to win right now. Caldwell was a great choice for this club. He may not win rookie of the year like Walt did. But he will be a great asset for this team. I get calls about trading him almost daily but we have no plans on moving a guy with his ability and talent."

Walt Jackson seemed to be relieved that the Yee Era had ended. Having this to say about the Yee experiment:

Jackson:" I don't blame anyone I tried my best to work with Yee out there and so did he but we just didn't have that magic chemistry. I have no doubt when he comes back he will help alaska improve. But I'm excited with who we got and think with these two added into the mix we may be able to get in the playoffs than who knows. We have played well against some of the top teams in this conference. I feel safe in saying the top teams don't want to see us get in. But we are going to really but an effort in to keep climbing and will see where we end up at the end. One thing is for sure the team we have now is much better than the one we left training camp with."

Many would agree with that including the coach Jack Armstrong having this to say on the matter:

Armstrong:" This organization wants young exciting basketball players. We got 2 in this trade. I think we have a lot of un tapped talent on this squad and for the rest of this year we're going try and draw it out. These kids are all going to get better. I mean they are very good now but wait 2 years even next year they will be amazing to watch i'm banking on that. Everyone will have thier roles change a little but its been season full of changes so the guys have learned to adapt fast. Nebraska will give us a good idea of where this team is at."

That is the next challenge for the Dinos a stiff one verus Wayne Taylor and company. than some important battles within the conference as the Dinos look to land in the playoff dance before the music stops. The Dinos are currently tied with Balitmore a game and half out of the playoffs. Rookie Geoffrey Caldwell is excited about the oppurtunity to make the playoffs and him playing a bigger role in it.

Caldwell"I real think this is the teams way of saying that i'm ready. I appreciate that. I am going give my all to make them not regret it. We all got told by Mr. Borbath too look around because this was the guys that will be this team for the rest of the year. I'm sure if a great deal came along he would make it but it seems that if we play well than we all can relax. We have had a lot of guys come in and it makes it hard to get comforterable. I mean unless your Walt he has a big poster on the outside of the arena I don't think hes going anywhere."

Caldwell's comments may be on point as it seems after a year of wheeling and dealing the dinos may finally be done. But the teams playoff chances are far from done. Time will tell the story. The race down to the wire in the east should be fun to watch as only real 3 teams have separated themseleves from the field. Rochester Long Island and Paris will all be in the playoffs and without a total collapse should host opening round series. 4-10 is anyones guess.