March 1 - March 31

March 25th, 2006

The "Omar Smash" is for real!

Article from "Le journal de Libreville", march 25

Only months after his arrival in the wba, Omar Raoumbe is making a name for himself in this league by putting impressive numbers for a rookie(15.5pts and 6.1rebs) and also by the already famous "Omar Smash", the name that had be given to his incredible dunks we see all the time on the Prime-time-sports highlights center.

Omar was drafted 7th overall by the Giants, who were more than happy to be able to select the young kid

who grew up and Gabon and is well know in the aera not only for his basketball skills but also for his

great human spirit. "This is a excellent acquisition for the Giants" said the general manager Simon Drapeau.

"We acquired a very good basketball players with unlimited potential, and at the same time we acquired a

person that is well respected and known by the fans. Here people just love Omar... he is the pure definition of a local hero."

"I am so happy right now." said the 21 years old foward. "Basketball is a game I love and to be able to represent my people while playing this game, its really an honor for me. I was really glad that the Giants picked me, because even though I love this game very much, my family and friends are even more important for me so I dont think I would have accepted to go play in another city. There are some prorities in my life I have to respect if I want to be happy. But I dont have to worry about that anymore. I am a Giant for life." he said with a huge shiny smile on is face.

His teammates have also some words to say about him. Gabon's scoring leader "It feels great to play on the court with him. The crowd is so into it when he makes something happens... its like we have an extra player on the floor. Its amazing..I had never experience that before he came to this team." Veteran Jerry Bramson added; "I think we are witnessing the beginning of a long love story between Omar and the Giants fans. This union projects a very bright future for this team." And what about thoses monster dunks?!? added Elvis 'the King' Harris. "theses are so powerful and spectacular... too bad there aint a slam dunk contest anymore."

When asked about being the favorite to win the rookie of the year honors so far, Omar gives a little smile and says; "I would be flattered to won the rookie award, but that doesnt mean much compare to what the organization and our fans really wants, and that is a championship. I will concentrate my efforts in the years to come to upgrade my game so that we can get closer and closer to that goal. If I win some trophies and personnal honor along the way, its fine. But I have to keep focus on the team's goal."

It is so gently said it may sound a little cliché and even false if it would have been said by another young star in this league, but in this case its all truth... because Omar is for real.

March 22nd, 2006

Around the WBA

Cancun's Paul Carroll tore his groin and is expected to miss several weeks.

Ed Kane tore his ACL and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Ellis Law has a broken finger on his shooting finger andis expected to miss at least 10 games.

Jaxon McCall has been suspended for two games for pushing Otto Hameleers in todays game.

Cincinnati's Chris Worsinger ripped his Achilleas Tendon and will miss the rest of the season.

March 22nd, 2006

FREE AGENCY PREVIEW: THE POINT GUARDS

1.- CHARLIE MEYERS, PARIS, 25 years old (13.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 6.6 apg, 44.4% FG)

Charlie Meyers is a great young player to make some great players to play. HIs stats dont jump at you unless you look at his 1.1 blocks per game, but the most outstanding item on him is the flow of the game when hes on hte court. Every player knows how, where and when to move, and Meyers is the extension of the coach on the court, playing always under control and dominating the pace. On the other hand, Charlie MEyers is an average defender, with very good leaping ability, so he will find it easier to block a shot than steal a pass. He will ask for a big pay raise for sure, and it will be interesting to see how PAris handles the situation. With three great contracts in Curtis, Lee and VAsquez, Meyers can ask for more than expected. GUstavo knows about it and hes trying to trade Anthony Curtis and his 10 M contract. If Meyers hits the free agency, he will receive big time offers, and he could be out of range for PAris

2.- OLIVER DOHERTY, LONG ISLAND, 26 years old (14.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.3 apg)

Doherty is a scoring guard first of all, i would dare to say that hes a shooting guard in a PG body. In this league you can live and die for him, as hes not afraid to take a lot of shot, not caring about who are his teammates. Hes shooting at 35% this season, which makes all his scoring ability to be somehow realative. SO, he is not shy at all, and his constant quest for shots and penetrations make him to draw a lot of fouls, he actually leads huis team with 6 free throws per game, making 80 % of them. PLaying for a team like Long ISland, you could think that he is hurting a good team by shooting too much, but hes playing off guard, as Kadeem Reed is the primary point guard. He knows hes out of long Island at the end of the season, as Gorman will require a big paycheck in his extension. HE could be perfect for a team with a good passer in the shooting guard, or maybe he could use the summer to practice playing shooting guard. His chances to land a big contract would rise

3.- JAVONTE BOLK, ROCHESTER, 24 years old (12.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 8.0 apg, 47.1 % FG)

Bolk is still a young player who has the ability to make his teammates better now.Unlike Doherty, he enjoys sharing the ball, and he is already a top ten passer in the league. Other than that, he loves to shoot from long range, but he could use some work in that particular area. His defense is average, and he tries to put his body between the opponent and the basket. Being 24, he still has a lot of space to develop, and some teams will try to get him. ROchester could have some problems keeping him, given that they will have another important player to resign in Ramon Phelan. It will be a hard work for Dave to make the adjustments to fit all of them under the cap, and we could see a sign and trade here.

4.- JIMMY WHALEN, CHARLOTTE, 28 years old (6.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.7 apg in 20 minutes)

Whalen is suffering one of the worst situations a free agent to be could think about. HE is playing limited minutes, not being able to shop his skills. WHen hes on the court, he is a very efficient player. His last two seasons in Rochester, he averaged 8.7 and 8.9 assists per game, and getting close to 5 boards. That is the player you could sign here. He knows he cant sign another contract like the one he has now, and he feels that he is no more than cap relief for Charlotte, but there are a lot of teams that could use his ability to find the open player on the court. A contractin the range of 4 millions would be enough for him, but we doubt he will forgive Charlotte for losing the oportunity to get a better offer.

5. JOHN GAISER, SEOUL, 28 years old (10.4 ppg, 2.2 apg, 5.4 apg)

Gaiser is one of the best pure passers in the league, thats for sure. He averages over 7 assists in his whole career in 30 minutes per game, which makes almost 10 assists per 40 minutes. He has had a good career, but a little dissapointing after being drafted 4th overall in season 6. HE could be an interesting player in some other team. AT the moment, Seoul is looking for an identity, and a veteran player unable to dominate is not the best option, even more when they have a player like Daren Benson who is a better scorer and can match with him at 22 years old. Some teams could require a veteran guard to dish the ball to their stars, and in that situation, Gaiser is one of the best

March 20th, 2006

What is the key to success in the WBA? Ask the maid at the hotel!!!

By Johnny "HOOPS" Hamilton

There are lots of ways to compare teams in sports. But the one stat that great teams have over the bad teams is superior play on the road. The best teams find a way to win games on the road and that's what sets them apart. Ironically the teams that win on the road are likely the teams that will get to avoid it come playoff time. What do all the 30+ win teams have in common. Yes the obvious answer is the correct one. They all have a winning road record.

Cancun Overall: 38-8 Road: 18-5

Capetown Overall 37-10 Road 17-6

Oregon Overall 35-10 Road 14-8

Brooklyn Overall 33-11 Road 15-7

Paris Overall: 32-12 Road 13-9

Charlotte Overall 30-17 Road 13-11

The only division leader that doesn't have a winning road record is Colorado and they are the only sub 30 win Division leader as well. Now for the bad and ugly teams with a below .500 record. to protect the innocent we won't name them individually but you all know who they are. here is what they have done as a group on the road:

Road Record of Below .500 Teams: 89-271 .247%

Gabon was the only team to have double digit win total on the road with 10 wins. At the other end of the spectrum is Cincy at 2-21. Ok so we are not protecting the innocent totally. But facts are facts you lose on the road you have no hope of being a contender for anything other than the draft lottery. WBA fans truly can say they have an impact cause the teams that can't take the pressure from the visiting fans crumble. In fact only 11 of the 30 WBA Franchises have a losing home record. The worst being Mexico who at least is consistent 4 wins at home 4 wins on the road and too many loses to count. Maybe its the water in Mexico why they can't win at home I have no idea. That is a completely different issue though. Teams more often than not will max out their effort at home but the ones that can take that with them on the road are the teams that can contend for a WBA title.This is the combined road record for the past 5 WBA champions regular season:

138-62 which works out a winning percentage of .690

We could go on listing stats to support the argument but it's clear you win on the road and you are part of the elite few in the WBA that is in the mix to be considered a championship contender. stats of shooting % rebounding and anything else you can think of have an impact but none more than if you can get the W's on the road. So make sure you have the good hotels and the nice charter planes for the players cause what they do on those trips have a big impact on the level of success they can have. Hi room service bills are worth it if you can get wins on the road.

Good teams get it done under any circumstances. Chicks may dig the long ball but Owners dig road wins. Fans dig winning Basketball teams and will show their support even in places like Alaska where hope is just a rumour.But fans all over the WBA make road wins like gold and they are hard to gain. Sometimes we over look the obvious when looking at teams but how they play on the road is usually the best reflection of where they are as a franchise. Road games are advertising for the fans as well. More people see any given road game on GSPN than actual live fans at a home game. Think of it as a 2 to 3 hour infomercial for ball clubs to their hometowns. No team wants to be the guaranteed win night in the other teams buildings. But some teams lack of success make the promotion a worth while effort for clubs.

March 20th, 2006

The Spin on the Pacific Coast Exchange

A funny thing happened this past week in the executive offices of the WBA. The most successful team in recent years (Oregon) made a deal with the historically must unsuccessful team in league history (Alaska). A number of big names were involved as well. From Oregon Boom Boom Casey saw himself dealt once again--solidifying his place as a journey man in the last years of his glorious career. Also one of the more versatile and unique players in the league, Donavon Jones saw himself on his way to Alaska. From Alaska we saw Corey Mosley, the leading rebounder in the league, make his return to Oregon. We also saw Scott Nicholson, a mainstay of Cancun's gloried dynasty make his way to Oregon to try and create another dynasty. It is uncertain what repercussions this deal will have for each team but it is clear that for both the deal is brewing with potential.

In its position, Alaska has little pressure on the outcome of the deal. If it does not pan out it will just be another deal that didn't pan out. But for the hopeful and faithful Alaska fans, this deal could very well be interpreted as the beginning of a great turnaround for the franchise. On one side the team managed to unload the contract of who they see as the most overpaid player in the league, Scott Nicholson. Either 14 million doesn't buy what it used to or Nicholson is stealing money by only racking up 13 points and 7 rebounds a contest. From this point of view Nicholson living solely off of his reputation. Obviously, this is not what Oregon thinks. To make that kind of monetary investment Oregon must still believe that Nicholson still has the same essential qualities of a winning player and only needs the right situation to blossom. The other key player Alaska gave up was the leading rebounder in the league, Corey Mosley. For Alaska fans this departure isn't so sad when they view it from the side of inflated stats. With one of the leagues worst shooting percentages how couldn't Mosley be leading the league in rebounding in Alaska? But obviously Oregon thinks otherwise. Perhaps no other team is a better gauge of Mosley's abilities than the team who drafted him and won a championship with. But is Mosley the same player at age 30? Oregon has banked that he is.

A key player involved on the other side is Donovan Jones and with this acquisition Alaska fans are ecstatic. Here is a player who can do it all and who has established himself as a proven winner. Forget the fact that his stats are all down from last season this is simply because he had been sacrificing individual glory for team success. Oregon may have held on to him this long for thinking just that but the lack of production eventually convinced them to pull the trigger on this very deal. The fact that Oregon did not win a championship until they acquired Jones was probably in the minds of Oregon management but eventually put aside when the deal was struck. The last piece of the puzzle in this deal was the legend Boom Boom Casey. A lot was made in the press about Casey and Gonzalez getting a chance to play on the same team. With one of the leagues best records the mix seemed to be working. But obviously something wasn't sitting quite right for Oregon.

In acquiring Mosley and Nicholson Oregon receives two players that have played integral parts of past championship teams, albeit different ones. The question that faces Oregon is whether they specifically will mix together. The construction of a championship caliber team is a delicate process and as two-time champions Oregon is well aware of this. The risk to unbalance the team was obviously a risk the team thought worth taking.

Will the acquisition of Mosley and Nicholson separate Oregon from the rest of the powers in the league and pave the way to another championship? Or will the departure of Jones signify the end of Oregon's run? Could the acquisition of Jones mark the turning point in Alaska's lackluster past? For now, it all depends what spin you put on it but time will reveal the ultimate outcome of the deal.

*Despite the swirling rumors about this trade itwas blocked by the league offices.

March 20th, 2006

Paris smashes SLC 114-91

By Clark Lane.

Saturday evening on the Palace de Bercy SLC comes to play Paris. Nothing special, even if SLC is playing better than he used too, he is not a contender this season yet. But owner and GM of SLC Brad Bangerter declared early this week that Cordell Parks was an MVP candidate and Vasquez a distant 3rd. (Abdiel Gordon being the second man on the race).

This pushed like fire the play of Paris and Vasquez in particular. The whole week the team was winning everywhere they were playing, but Saturday was a special day. Vasquez asked the rest of the team to step-up the physical play and show a lesson to SLC. He specially trained all week with Al Lee to recover the play that made Lee a fan favorite in Paris. He is the essential player, the one that make turn the wheels. He does all the little things a team need to win a match. No fuss, but great results.

Saturday, playing in from of Cordell Parks he thought it was going to be a tough game. But he shown why he has always been in the plans of Paris coach Gustavo Follana. The strategy for the game was simple. Play hard, put the pressure on them and wait till they crumble. The match started pretty even , but at the end of the first quarter a 8-0 run by Paris allowed them to finish the first quarter winning 26-30. SLC never came back in the game after this run. Six minutes into the second quarter and Sean Ashman was called his sixth foul. This allowed the rest of the team to try to stop Brad Bangerter and Cordell Parks.

Bangerter had a really good game showing who is the real boss at SLC putting 20 points and 10 rebounds, and even with the help of Austyn Williams with 21 points and 10 assists they were not able to stop the rout. Parks went to the bench with 4 minutes to end the 3rd quarter, and Wally Birkhead did his best to hold it on, but was send away a few minutes later.

From Paris, Al Lee put 16 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists for Paris. Vasquez played his usual stellar game with 29 points, 9 rebounds 5 assists and 2 blocks. Helped by Curtis and Meyers with 21 and 22 points each.

At the end a great game for Paris. SLC was no match at all, maybe the early expulsion of Ashman did stop them short and broke a promising beginning of match.

We will have to wait until day 78 to see if SLC can avenge this lose and show they deserve some respect…

March 20th, 2006

WBA STATS ANALYZER: WEEK 8

MMF

WEEK 8		MMF	TOTAL		MMF
1	Bishop Stein	149.3	1 (=)	Bishop Stein	1183.2
2	Jay Vasquez	144.3	2 (=)	Abdiel Gordon	1104.35
3	Dave Williams	140.95	3 (=)	Cordell Parks	1026.1
4	Anthony Curtis	140.7	4 (+2)	Heiko Van Brand	1005.6
5	Mike Bennett	130	5 (+2)	Mario Bailey	1003.45
6	Walt Jackson	128.65	6 (+4)	Dave Williams	997.35
7	John Devine	128.3	7 (+2)	Shane Strom	993.9
8	Charlie Meyers	126.5	8 (-3)	Devonta Corriga	988.05
9	Shane Strom	124.9	9 (-5)	Marquez Houston	987.05
10	Gordon Whitehou	120.75	10 (-2)	Lou Gonzales	980.05
11	Greg Lacy	118.5	11 (+4)	Jay Vasquez	964.8
12	Tom Kinsey	117.45	12 (+1)	Walt Jackson	962.25
13	Parker Mason	115.55	13 (-2)	Omar Jefferson	934.95
14	Abdiel Gordon	115.5	14 (-2)	Jaxon McCall	931.4
15	Mario Bailey	114.4	15 (+1)	Craig Bradshaw	906.1
16	Angelo Bacchi	114.3	16 (-2)	Obafemi Mabruke	899.35
17	Eugene LaMaitre	113.45	17 (+4)	Mike Bennett	868.15
18	Pat Stephenson	113.45	18 (=)	Yuri Vilasny	867.85
19	Gerhold Verholm	111.7	19 (-2)	Maury Coleman	852.75
20	Samir Sheth	111.5	20 (-1)	Kent Mercer	845
21	Heiko Van Brand	110.7	21 (-1)	Oshodi Bombata	829.5
22	Roy Base	110.65	22 (=)	Brad Bangerter	818.95
23	Ahmed Dougherty	110.05	23 (+2)	Paul Spagnoli	811.55
24	Daren Benson	108.8	24 (+4)	Roy Base	810.2
25	Jerry Bramson	108.65	25 (+7)	Parker Mason	809.3
26	Branko Filipovi	105.7	26 (-3)	Juwan Bixby	802.95
27	Evilio Nunez	104.95	27 (+7)	Tom Kinsey	801.1
28	Craig Bradshaw	103.75	28 (+6)	Greg Lacy	799.65
29	Edgar Kamara	102.75	29 (+7)	Ahmed Dougherty	786.75
30	Lou Gonzales	102.7	30 (-4)	Sean Ashman	778.75

VORP

WEEK 8		VORP	TOTAL		VORP
1	Anthony Curtis	49.3902	1 (=)	Bishop Stein	352.7236
2	Bishop Stein	47.0646	2 (=)	Mario Bailey	311.1646
3	Mike Bennett	44.4507	3 (=)	Lou Gonzales	307.4506
4	Jay Vasquez	42.7115	4 (+5)	Dave Williams	294.2295
5	Walt Jackson	41.1125	5 (-1)	Jaxon McCall	287.9641
6	Shane Strom	39.4845	6 (=)	Cordell Parks	284.4079
7	Tom Kinsey	38.3066	7 (=)	Abdiel Gordon	281.7252
8	Dave Williams	37.6681	8 (-3)	Marquez Houston	281.3529
9	Charlie Meyers	37.2134	9 (-1)	Maury Coleman	273.8471
10	Ahmed Dougherty	35.8257	10 (=)	Omar Jefferson	270.3169
11	John Devine	33.8884	11 (+2)	Shane Strom	263.2416
12	Angelo Bacchi	33.3811	12 (-1)	Devonta Corriga	262.6517
13	Branko Filipovi	33.2439	13 (+2)	Jay Vasquez	260.2993
14	Mario Bailey	32.7185	14 (=)	Walt Jackson	259.3575
15	Daren Benson	31.8093	15 (-3)	Oshodi Bombata	258.9431
16	Eugene LaMaitre	31.5847	16 (=)	Ahmed Dougherty	250.5082
17	Lou Gonzales	30.9007	17 (+1)	Mike Bennett	248.8810
18	Harry Jarvis	30.7326	18 (+5)	Yuri Vilasny	218.2417
19	Pat Stephenson	30.5315	19 (-1)	Dexter Kodak	217.4722
20	Bill Yeager	29.9544	20 (+1)	Heiko Van Brand	216.4760
21	Gordon Whitehou	29.7716	21 (+3)	Craig Bradshaw	213.3202
22	Paul Spagnoli	29.4322	22 (=)	Kent Mercer	211.9047
23	Tom Perkins	29.3109	23 (-6)	Tony Dimateo	210.6441
24	Jerry Bramson	29.1669	24 (-5)	Oman Fatafehi	210.3744
25	Anson Valente	28.7682	25 (+9)	Tom Kinsey	210.2833
26	Chad O'Donnell	28.0018	26 (+3)	Wayne Taylor	205.8883
27	Samir Sheth	27.9106	27 (+3)	Paul Spagnoli	204.7015
28	Evilio Nunez	27.7804	28 (-3)	Sean Ashman	200.0329
29	Wayne Taylor	27.7570	29 (+9)	Charlie Meyers	198.7100
30	Kurt Beck	27.7323	30 (+4)	Greg Lacy	198.4372

WEEK 8		AV	TOTAL		AV
1	Anthony Curtis	2.13220	1 (=)	Bishop Stein	9.8963
2	Jay Vasquez	2.13220	2 (+1)	Abdiel Gordon	9.5933
3	Bishop Stein	2.12214	3 (+4)	Heiko Van Brand	9.4895
4	Mike Bennett	2.05123	4 (+1)	Cordell Parks	9.4038
5	Greg Lacy	2.01034	5 (+1)	Lou Gonzales	9.3854
6	John Devine	1.97949	6 (-4)	Marquez Houston	9.3609
7	Dave Williams	1.96917	7 (-3)	Devonta Corriga	9.3301
8	Tom Kinsey	1.93810	8 (=)	Mario Bailey	9.1450
9	Walt Jackson	1.89642	9 (+1)	Jay Vasquez	9.0644
10	Shane Strom	1.88595	10 (-1)	Craig Bradshaw	8.9525
11	Pat Stephenson	1.87547	11 (+2)	Shane Strom	8.7522
12	Heiko Van Brand	1.87547	12 (+2)	Dave Williams	8.5378
13	Charlie Meyers	1.84389	13 (-2)	Jaxon McCall	8.5314
14	Angelo Bacchi	1.84389	14 (+1)	Walt Jackson	8.4680
15	Gordon Whitehou	1.84389	15 (+5)	Mike Bennett	8.4616
16	Jerry Bramson	1.82273	16 (-4)	Obafemi Mabruke	8.4489
17	Eugene LaMaitre	1.81213	17 (+6)	Greg Lacy	8.3598
18	Craig Bradshaw	1.80150	18 (-2)	Brad Bangerter	8.2959
19	Parker Mason	1.75877	19 (-1)	Oshodi Bombata	8.2383
20	Roy Base	1.75877	20 (-3)	Kent Mercer	8.1870
21	Mario Bailey	1.74804	21 (+4)	Paul Spagnoli	8.0711
22	Abdiel Gordon	1.71570	22 (-1)	Juwan Bixby	8.0711
23	Evilio Nunez	1.70487	23 (-1)	Oman Fatafehi	8.0324
24	Arnold Eaton	1.70487	24 (+3)	Yuri Vilasny	8.0259
25	Lou Gonzales	1.69403	25 (-6)	Cory Mosley	8.0259
26	Tom Perkins	1.69403	26 (-2)	Sean Ashman	7.8832
27	Gerhold Verholm	1.66134	27 (-1)	Omar Jefferson	7.8767
28	Daren Benson	1.65040	28 (+4)	Tom Kinsey	7.8050
29	Ahmed Dougherty	1.62844	29 (+1)	Jim McCarthy	7.7462
30	Anson Valente	1.62844	30 (-2)	Maury Coleman	7.7069

March 17th, 2006

For a few more picks.

By Clark Lane.

Have you ever wondered what is inside the mind of other coaches? Have you ever wondered why some coaches are always winning and some others always loosing? Have you ever wondered what is the most dangerous sport in WBA?

If you don't have the answer to all this questions, don't expect me to give it to you. What I am going to do is try to explain, using some trades as an example, the making or the undoing of certain teams. I will try to come with some good trades, with some bad trades, with some silly trades and try to explain what I think of it. One thing is sure, everybody will have their own explanation, but here goes mine.

Why is SLC winning? You really do not know? Let me explain it to you. Let's see one trade they made this season:

Mexico City gets:

George Holt, Pick #9, Season 13 Capetown 1st round pick & Season 15 Long Island 1st round pick

SLC gets

Sean Ashman, 2 mil cash in season 12, 1 mil cash in season 13

George Holt 39 42 42.4 83.3 0.0 8.0 1.7 4.4 0.8 2.3 0.6 18.0

Sean Ashman 44 38 43.3 84.0 31.6 9.9 2.0 3.7 1.8 1.9 1.0 15.6

If you look at the stats, it does not seem like much, does it? But Asman is a better rebounder, a better blocker, better FG%, goes to the line more often, does everything a little bit better and it is only 26, when Holt is 32. Okay, so Mexico is getting 3 picks… okay, one is a pick 9, too late for a superstar, maybe you can get something good, even if Casey Pointer really does not cut it. Then Capetown, a late first, and LI, that could be later lottery or in the 20's.

How is Mexico going to get the hand into a solid center like Ashman? I don't know, I don't see many running around, and he could have played for 6 more seasons easily at Mexico. I really don't understand how people gamble a great player for an old one and some picks that can be anything but a superstar.

For me this trade is a great move for SLC, B+, and a bad one for Mexico,D.

Consistency my friend, consistency.

Cancun gets:

Toronto's season 13 1st round pick, Sacramento's season 12 2nd round pick

Alaska gets:

Scott Nicholson

This is just for the fun.

Season 11

Scott Nicholson 80 36 50.9 56.9 13.4 6.1 4.1 2.7 0.5 1.2 2.0 17.4

Season 12

Scott Nicholson 45 35 44.2 60.0 8.6 7.0 3.1 3.1 0.5 2.2 1.5 13.0

Do you see a problem? I don't really. After the downgrades and a on a worse team I don't see much of a problem. Specially if Alaska's has coached him as I think he has. Now this is not to say that this is a bad trade. But with the 14m$ tag with Nicholson you may have to think twice why are you getting him.

Is he the starting stone of your team? Too expensive and not punchy enough. Is he the last piece of your team? If you can afford him and you want it why not? When you get it, don't put him on the block straight on. That means you haven't thought about it… and a player with a big contract is very hard to dish out. This trade is a B+ for Cancun, he gets something for nearly nothing, and a D- to Alaska, because he tried to get rid of him, easier to trade a pick!!

Cancun gets:

Reed Moses

Washington gets:

Quade Nash, Sam Plummer, Texas season 14 2nd rounder

In here everything is about assessing. Reed Moses is a star, he is rock solid. Nash and Plummer are, were and most likely will be, projects. The difference is simple. Plummer and Nash can not score, not at all. Moses can. If Plummer could score a little he would be a sort of Scott Lio with more assists and less rebounding. A top of the line SG, he could have been but he is not. Same thing with Nash. At the end this trade is a simple affair of assessing. The value of the future for the value of the present. Four times out of five the present and working player is better than the “future maybe”. “Future maybe” does not win games. And people get tired easy and trade them… Cancun A+, Washington E-.

Albacete gets:

Eugenie Lamaitre, Baltimore's season 5 2nd round pick $1.0 million in season 4

Midland gets:

Dimitry Kolosov and

MB's first round pick in season 5

This trade is quite bad. Because it trades a player on his prime (LaMaitre was in his prime during season 4) for a cap sucker and a first. Okay, the first is a good one, but the idea is bad to trade a star for something you don't know the real value. Here Midland/Texas/Paris was really lucky. He got the lucky break, MB finished being pick number 5, Colorado really wanted that pick, so gave pick number 14 + MB first season 8. This second pick finished being Jay Vasquez so at the end the deal was not bad, but that was just dumb luck. Albacete is A, Midland D-. Luck came Midland's way, but you can not trust in luck only. Midlands paid the price of a new owner, winning only 26 and 29 games during season's 4 and 5…

And I am going to finish with the most impressive trade ever. At least for me.

Colorado gets :

New orleans 1st rounder year 5, indiana year 5 1st rounder, Washington year 6 1st, Bermuda year 6 1st, washington year 8 1st rounder, MB year 8 1st rounder, Kevin Duke, Cristobal dasher

Washington gets:

Boom Boom Casey, Colorado year 6 2nd rounder

Both of them won a championship after this. I still think that Colorado got the good part of it, but how can I say it was a bad trade if Washington won the championship? I still think the trade favors Colorado. Oh, and yes, I find this trade more impressive than the one of Lou. Because the only reason Oregon didn't get the bad end of the deal is Albacete traded Lou back. Colorado A+, Whashington A-.

Since I do purpose to get him, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it: for man is a giddy thing and this my conclusion.

March 17th, 2006

Why are you so bad Andorra?

By Clark Lane

Anyone out here remembers Andorra winning 52 games? Yes, season 10. Unlucky for them they had to play Oregon on the first round of the playoffs, so bye bye Andorra.

And then during season 11 they won 42 games. Enough to go to the playoffs and lose against Brooklyn in the first round again.

Now when I look at them I see 17-26 and out of the playoffs I ask Where has the mighty fallen?

Well, the mighty have fallen thanks to trading and maybe, sorry, poor management. What this team has done has no name. First they traded Al Herbert for Daren Benson. Let me explain this. This trade is awful. I won't come over it, but Herbert is a starter for one of the best teams in the league, and Benson is now playing at Seoul, looking for a future on an expansion team. Second, Andorra traded Oshodi Bombata to Capetown, another top of the line team. He is now third scorer behind superstars Gordon and Mabruke.

Herbert and Bombata were signed to low cost but long-term deals. They are like an Oasis in the desert. Well, after trading these two players what does he has at the Center position? You should wonder. Jay Vasquez? Lou Gonzales? Superman ? No, Ossie Gordon and Quentin Christiansen. You didn't know them? Oh, they are okay. Specially if you want your pick to be a lottery one. I will be nice, Christiansen is okay he can handle his own even if he is not star. He does not make many mistakes and he is a good rebounder.

I have just something else to say about the trades. Trading your own first round pick 2 seasons down the road for 2 second round picks, one this season and one the next, is crazy if you don't know what you can get with those second round picks. Unless you can see the future you can not know, so it is plainly silly. Sorry but the logic behind is too hard for me to understand.

By the way, Paris coach will trade any two second round picks he has for any first round pick. Any season. Send your offers and please stay in line, no jumping the queue. First come, first served.

After the publicity let's keep talking about the beauty and the beast… I mean, Andorra.

Andorra has Devonta Corrigan. I never thought he was going to be this good, but here he is. He is one of the best SF/PF of the game. He does only two things, score and rebound. Don't expect anything else from him, but at 22.8 points shooting 52.7% from the floor and 11.6 rebounds he is one of the best in two categories. He is a hell of a player. His problem is he has no defense whatsoever. And that is a big issue. Not one that can not be overcome on the right team, but one that can be deadly on the wrong team. And Andorra now is the wrong team.

How is that possible? Well, did you know that Andorra is averaging only 2.5 steals a game? No other team is under 4 steals, but they go all the way down to 2.5. On top of that they have several players that shoot badly. Nickos Atirides and Ray Estrada are plumbing the team down. They help the team (specially Estrada, he has some nice stats apart of his FG%) but they pull the team down. Not a lot, but just enough to make them play below .5 basketball.

At the end the story is simple. Andorra rebounds well, goes a lot to the line, even stealing too few balls they are getting nearly as many shots as the opponent. But their inability to defend the shot (Andorra is allowing 44 baskets a game, the worse of all the teams) is shoving them to the bottom. Only their above average rebounding and their ability to draw fouls is saving them from playing against Mexico and Alaska for the worse record in the league.

Comparing them to Charlotte you will see the issue.

Charlotte is scoring 98.5 points per game, Andorra 100.7. So far so good, Andorra is good in the offence, even if they could be better.

Charlotte is allowing 92.6 points per game, Andorra 101.3, one of the worse defenses for Andorra on this league. How do you expect to win if you don't defend?

Now just for the fun, Al Herbert is averaging 2 blocks and 2 steals a game. All on his own he has nearly as many steals as the whole team in Andorra.

Luckily for him, he has 2 or 3 picks this next draft and they are good. So he will have a good chance to turn things around. Don't expect them to start winning straight on, rookies will need time, but the future is not too bad at Andorra, at least on some of his trade he did the right thing and brought some future in.

Don't expect this team to turn around fast and start winning, but hopefully they still have a chance. I can only say, good luck.

March 15th, 2006

The Dino's Believe in Magic

By The Swirsk

It has long been rumored that Toronto had be unhappy with the progress of Isaac Rice. Some in the organization felt his lack of work ethic towards training is the direct reason behind his injuries. No on will deny the pure raw skills he has but the fact he may not show up on a night to night basis and if he does there is no guarantee he will be in the game the full 48 minutes.

So when it was announced he had been traded for WBA Veteran Magic Toby no one was surprised. It makes perfect sense that a team based out of Vegas would take a huge gamble on him. Not only that he will stay health but that he will resign with Vegas after this season. Toby has another year left and despite his age is in much better health than Rice. Rice was only given a limited roll in Toronto as he was taking shots away from others when he was on the floor with the starting unit. In Vegas they can roll the dice so to speak and let Rice play more and he plays than he shoots cause that's Rice.

After Trading Miller Toby Magic was actually the leading scorer on Vegas on Toronto he would rank 3rd but has more point than Rice per game. However rice was only averaging about 15 minutes of floor time in Toronto. He has been in and out of the line up on two separate occasions. Toby meanwhile goes from the likes of Vegas and Alaska in the west to a real contender in the east in Toronto. Expect Toby to play a similar role to Rice but with the added option of seeing some minutes at the center spot. Toronto is a team with a thin bench and he should be a consistant 6th man for the Dino's. Eric Saks also is a key on Toronto's bench. Beyond that there is not much to speak of. On a team full of you the experience Toby brings will also be an added bonus for this young club driving for it's first playoff appearance.Many feel that even if Magic Toby is a bust this trade was addition by subtraction.

Vegas meanwhile is taking a big risk by taking Rice but a risk worth taking for an expansion team. The talk was Alaska had been very high on getting Rice back. Toronto originally acquired Rice in a three way trade with Alaska and Arkansas. Toby Meanwhile was part of the largest trade in WBA history only to be moved days later. He and Scott Jacoby are in a race for the frequent flyer miles award for this season. Jacoby went from Seoul to Toronto to Albacete and back to Seoul. You have to feel for the families of these much traveled WBAERS. But trades are part of life. That is the working title for the Michael Espisito Biography. But that's another story for another day.

Toronto had been fairly quiet while Rochester and Long Island had both been part of that huge 6 team deal. Did this speed up Rice moving no one can be sure but it's unlikely as Toronto had been rumored to be shopping him since the beginning of the year. So Toronto believes in Magic and now the only question that remains is do WBA EXPERTS believe in them. Despite being second in the hardest division in WBA the Dino's still do not get much respect from the league experts. This trade isn't likely to change anyone's mind ether way. But it is looked on as a solid move that does nothing to diminish this teams playoff aspirations.

The Dino's are currently 22-16 thus far. Toronto was 12-7 without Rice in the line up and only 10-9 with him in it. This if anything is proof the deal will only help Toronto.The only question fans can ask is if they could have got more for Rice in a deal. But with his contract up at the end of the year they at least got something and some might say a little more than that. Toronto fans hope that Magic of the playoffs is in the future.

March 14th, 2006

Who is Charlotte?

By Clark Lane.

Silly question isn't it? But I like it so tough luck on you. As you can imagine I am going to talk about Charlotte. How is it possible that this horrible team has turn things around? They are 29-14 and they are the 3rd seed for the playoffs on the east so far. How has Sam turned around his team? I am not going to discuss that here. He can explain it if he likes, but I am going to center things around how his team is playing and if it is safe to say they will be up there at the playoffs.

Charlotte has changed his face lately with the acquisition of Jimmy Whalen and AJ Schulz. I think that they are really going to help them, and be sure, Sam is thinking about the present, we will see how he handles the aging of his players, but one thing is sure, he has put a nice team up there.

If you look at his stats you can see why they are winning. Field Goal Percentage and turnovers. They are playing average in most places, but by having less turnovers than their adversaries and a slightly better field goal percentage they put the 6 points of difference they have between attack and defense. This at the end is quite a dangerous position for them. They are playing at the limit every night and if things go okay they will handle you a defeat and you will wonder how such a no name team has done it. This is what many people will call a team with chemistry. None of the players is a superstar, they are all just an average WBA player, but putting them together and playing all of them at their strengths this works.

If you have read until now you will be thinking he does not like Charlotte. You are wrong. I like them. Just because it shows how a coach can, putting the pieces together, build a winning team without the need of superstars. A superstar helps, but putting the right players at the right position helps more. He has been putting players on the team and this is the kind of team that will not forgive to have the wrong player. So he has looked at his team and evaluated the impact of the player. He has seen that he would help his team, and he put it there.

Now if we look at the players I would say that the best player of the team is Paul Spagnoli. Why? Just because he is from Paris University. He was part of the best team ever on the GCBA and because he is rock solid. He is the kind of players anyone would love to have on a team.

Paul Spagnoli 43 36 47.2 55.6 18.3 9.0 2.5 1.7 1.9 1.4 1.2 15.4

Not the best player ever, but a solid player for any team. And I mean any, he can anchor the post and he will be very regular. He is not superstar material, because he would need a little bit more of assists and points to be considered a superstar, but he is way above average for a C. A small detail, he is the best stealer of the team. This only means that Charlotte is below average on that field, but it does not hurt them a lot.

As a second in command I would put Maury Coleman. A 3 points shooting machine from the Shooting Guard position. A player that averages nearly 20 points a game and 5.5 rebounds. Add to this 2.4 assist , 1 block, 1 steal, or nearly, for only 1.5 turnovers per match and you find out that you have a great SG. Did you know this guy was shooting 49.2 % from the 3pt line? He is averaging nearly 7 tries a night from beyond the arc and putting in 3.5. And he only costs 1.5m$ a year for the next 3 years. A bargain if I have ever seen one.

To finish, will they go far on the playoffs? I don't think they have the material to do it. They can go to the second round, and they will have a chance against Paris (if everything keeps going like now and both goes thru) but I expect Paris to prevail. Even if the last matches has shown us that Charlotte can win it.

At the end, good work. Now I can sit down and look at how does he work the future of a team on the rising.

March 13th, 2006

WBA STATS ANALYZER: WEEK 7

MMF

WEEK 7		MMF	TOTAL		MMF
1	Bishop Stein	170.8	1 (=)	Bishop Stein	1033.9
2	Cordell Parks	158.85	2 (=)	Abdiel Gordon	988.85
3	Devonta Corriga	153.45	3 (+1)	Cordell Parks	935.7
4	Marquez Houston	147.75	4 (+3)	Marquez Houston	915.35
5	Abdiel Gordon	147.55	5 (+3)	Devonta Corriga	913.15
6	Jaxon McCall	146.55	6 (-1)	Heiko Van Brand	894.9
7	Brad Bangerter	137.75	7 (-4)	Mario Bailey	889.05
8	Parker Mason	137.3	8 (+3)	Lou Gonzales	877.35
9	Mike Bennett	134.85	9 (-3)	Shane Strom	869
10	Lou Gonzales	131.75	10 (-1)	Dave Williams	856.4
11	Walt Jackson	128.9	11 (-1)	Omar Jefferson	845
12	Dave Troychak	126.05	12 (+3)	Jaxon McCall	844.3
13	Oshodi Bombata	125.35	13 (=)	Walt Jackson	833.6
14	Jay Vasquez	124.85	14 (=)	Obafemi Mabruke	821.55
15	Kent Mercer	123.75	15 (+1)	Jay Vasquez	820.5
16	Samir Sheth	123.25	16 (-4)	Craig Bradshaw	802.35
17	Oman Fatafehi	120.2	17 (=)	Maury Coleman	788.45
18	Donavan Jones	119.95	18 (=)	Yuri Vilasny	767.65
19	Obafemi Mabruke	119.45	19 (=)	Kent Mercer	757
20	Heiko Van Brand	118.65	20 (+3)	Oshodi Bombata	739.45
21	Jim McCarthy	117.85	21 (+4)	Mike Bennett	738.15
22	Sean Ashman	117.4	22 (+6)	Brad Bangerter	730.25
23	Wayne Taylor	112.95	23 (+3)	Dave Troychak	728.55
24	Abdullah Chanda	112	24 (-3)	Juwan Bixby	718.15
25	Kurt Beck	109.8	25 (-5)	Paul Spagnoli	714
26	Austyn Williams	107.55	26 (+3)	Sean Ashman	707.3
27	Charlie Meyers	104.3	27 (-3)	Cory Mosley	707.1
28	Mark Carr	103.2	28 (-6)	Roy Base	699.55
29	Danny Hainge	101.1	29 (-2)	Mark Miller	699.45
30	Bill Yeager	100.95	30 (+6)	Oman Fatafehi	696.1

VORP

WEEK 7		VORP	TOTAL		VORP
1	Jaxon McCall	52.138	1 (=)	Bishop Stein	305.555
2	Bishop Stein	49.080	2 (=)	Mario Bailey	278.606
3	Cordell Parks	48.158	3 (=)	Lou Gonzales	276.685
4	Oshodi Bombata	46.241	4 (+5)	Jaxon McCall	270.416
5	Devonta Corriga	41.724	5 (+1)	Marquez Houston	266.415
6	Marquez Houston	41.241	6 (+4)	Cordell Parks	260.620
7	Mike Bennett	40.381	7 (+2)	Abdiel Gordon	259.698
8	Walt Jackson	39.620	8 (-1)	Maury Coleman	256.778
9	Abdiel Gordon	39.532	9 (-5)	Dave Williams	256.715
10	Brad Bangerter	38.605	10 (-5)	Omar Jefferson	250.050
11	Oman Fatafehi	38.556	11 (=)	Devonta Corriga	245.936
12	Donavan Jones	37.974	12 (+2)	Oshodi Bombata	233.355
13	Jay Vasquez	37.272	13 (-1)	Shane Strom	223.603
14	Parker Mason	36.979	14 (+3)	Walt Jackson	217.691
15	Sean Ashman	36.882	15 (=)	Jay Vasquez	217.566
16	Jim McCarthy	36.857	16 (-3)	Ahmed Dougherty	214.767
17	Kurt Beck	36.618	17 (+1)	Tony Dimateo	208.774
18	Samir Sheth	36.290	18 (+4)	Mike Bennett	204.361
19	Dave Troychak	36.085	19 (+6)	Oman Fatafehi	198.412
20	Lou Gonzales	35.971	20 (=)	Dexter Kodak	196.170
21	Abdullah Chanda	35.512	21 (=)	Heiko Van Brand	194.852
22	Maury Coleman	35.178	22 (+1)	Kent Mercer	194.663
23	Danny Hainge	34.455	23 (-7)	Yuri Vilasny	193.448
24	Kent Mercer	33.747	24 (-5)	Craig Bradshaw	187.685
25	Wayne Taylor	32.439	25 (+5)	Sean Ashman	182.922
26	Mario Bailey	32.059	26 (+7)	Dave Troychak	180.054
27	Tom Kinsey	30.535	27 (+2)	Obafemi Mabruke	179.305
28	Tony Dimateo	30.364	28 (-2)	Mark Miller	179.158
29	Dexter Kodak	30.363	29 (+2)	Wayne Taylor	178.064
30	Heiko Van Brand	29.521	30 (-6)	Paul Spagnoli	174.462

WEEK 7		AV	TOTAL		AV
1	Devonta Corriga	2.3108	1 (+1)	Bishop Stein	8.9275
2	Bishop Stein	2.3010	2 (+2)	Marquez Houston	8.8588
3	Cordell Parks	2.2912	3 (-2)	Abdiel Gordon	8.8588
4	Marquez Houston	2.2617	4 (+2)	Devonta Corriga	8.8150
5	Brad Bangerter	2.1723	5 (+3)	Cordell Parks	8.7836
6	Jaxon McCall	2.1221	6 (+1)	Lou Gonzales	8.6578
7	Abdiel Gordon	2.1121	7 (-4)	Heiko Van Brand	8.6578
8	Lou Gonzales	2.0716	8 (-3)	Mario Bailey	8.3789
9	Mike Bennett	2.0614	9 (=)	Craig Bradshaw	8.1484
10	Donavan Jones	1.9898	10 (+1)	Jay Vasquez	8.0582
11	Jim McCarthy	1.9795	11 (+3)	Jaxon McCall	7.9157
12	Kent Mercer	1.9795	12 (=)	Obafemi Mabruke	7.9027
13	Oman Fatafehi	1.9692	13 (-3)	Shane Strom	7.8897
14	Oshodi Bombata	1.9485	14 (-1)	Dave Williams	7.6150
15	Parker Mason	1.9485	15 (+1)	Walt Jackson	7.5887
16	Jay Vasquez	1.9381	16 (+10)	Brad Bangerter	7.5821
17	Sean Ashman	1.9173	17 (+6)	Kent Mercer	7.5623
18	Heiko Van Brand	1.8650	18 (+4)	Oshodi Bombata	7.5557
19	Walt Jackson	1.8544	19 (-4)	Cory Mosley	7.5557
20	Obafemi Mabruke	1.8544	20 (+8)	Mike Bennett	7.4830
21	Kurt Beck	1.8333	21 (-2)	Juwan Bixby	7.4433
22	Abdullah Chanda	1.8333	22 (+4)	Oman Fatafehi	7.4300
23	Dave Troychak	1.8121	23 (-2)	Greg Lacy	7.4035
24	Samir Sheth	1.7908	24 (+5)	Sean Ashman	7.3569
25	Jerry Bramson	1.7157	25 (-7)	Paul Spagnoli	7.3503
26	Wayne Taylor	1.7049	26 (-9)	Omar Jefferson	7.3170
27	Simeon Hill	1.6940	27 (-7)	Yuri Vilasny	7.3103
28	Joe Siebert	1.6940	28 (-4)	Maury Coleman	7.2769
29	Bill Yeager	1.6832	29 (-4)	Mark Miller	7.2769
30	Greg Lacy	1.6832	30 (+10)	Jim McCarthy	7.0688

March 11th, 2006

Around the WBA

The curse of Sacramento continues! No team has been more hit by injury over the last few years than Sacramento and today we found out that youngster Jesse Szcygiel has badly sprained anckle and is expected to miss six games.

Heiko Van Brandt injured the pointer finger on his shooting hand and is expected to miss Monday's game.

Johnny Brose injured his sholder in practice and is expected to miss seven games.

Keyon Brown has a bug and will missthe next game.

Al Herbert was very frustrated with his teams performace today against Capetown. On his way to the locker room he spit on a fan. The league has announced that he has been suspended for Monday's game against Andorra.

March 6th, 2006

WBA STATS ANALYZER: WEEK 6

MMF

WEEK 6		MMF	TOTAL		MMF
1	Bishop Stein	177.35	1 (+2)	Bishop Stein	863.1
2	Marquez Houston	154.9	2 (-1)	Abdiel Gordon	841.3
3	Abdiel Gordon	149.6	3 (-1)	Mario Bailey	790
4	Cordell Parks	147.8	4 (+5)	Cordell Parks	776.85
5	Devonta Corriga	140.95	5 (+2)	Heiko Van Brand	776.25
6	Heiko Van Brand	140.25	6 (-2)	Shane Strom	769.5
7	Roy Base	139.45	7 (+6)	Marquez Houston	767.6
8	Tony Dimateo	136.9	8 (+4)	Devonta Corriga	759.7
9	Dave Williams	136.35	9 (+2)	Dave Williams	759.3
10	Paul Spagnoli	126.1	10 (-4)	Omar Jefferson	747.7
11	Parker Mason	125.1	11 (-1)	Lou Gonzales	745.6
12	Obafemi Mabruke	118.85	12 (-7)	Craig Bradshaw	721.05
13	Lou Gonzales	117	13 (-5)	Walt Jackson	704.7
14	Yuri Vilasny	116.55	14 (+2)	Obafemi Mabruke	702.1
15	Maury Coleman	115.95	15 (-1)	Jaxon McCall	697.75
16	John Van Horne	115.85	16 (-1)	Jay Vasquez	695.65
17	Juwan Bixby	114.45	17 (=)	Maury Coleman	689
18	Anthony Curtis	109.45	18 (=)	Yuri Vilasny	671.9
19	Pat Stephenson	108.1	19 (=)	Kent Mercer	633.25
20	Shane Strom	107.9	20 (+8)	Paul Spagnoli	631.45
21	Ahmed Dougherty	105.2	21 (+1)	Juwan Bixby	625.5
22	Jay Vasquez	105.05	22 (+13)	Roy Base	615.7
23	Kent Mercer	104.35	23 (+1)	Oshodi Bombata	614.1
24	Oshodi Bombata	104.25	24 (-3)	Cory Mosley	613.3
25	Gordon Whitehou	103.55	25 (+2)	Mike Bennett	603.3
26	Omar Jefferson	102.95	26 (-1)	Dave Troychak	602.5
27	Cory Mosley	100.3	27 (+3)	Mark Miller	600.9
28	Mario Bailey	100	28 (+1)	Brad Bangerter	592.5
29	Mark Carr	99.75	29 (+2)	Sean Ashman	589.9
30	Mark Miller	98.2	30 (-7)	Tom Kinsey	588.7

VORP

WEEK 6		VORP	TOTAL		VORP
1	Bishop Stein	52.482	1 (+2)	Bishop Stein	256.601
2	Tony Dimateo	50.640	2 (-1)	Mario Bailey	246.096
3	Marquez Houston	47.545	3 (-1)	Lou Gonzales	241.428
4	Maury Coleman	44.251	4 (+2)	Dave Williams	227.477
5	Devonta Corriga	43.266	5 (-1)	Omar Jefferson	226.190
6	Cordell Parks	41.394	6 (+3)	Marquez Houston	224.898
7	Dave Williams	39.914	7 (+1)	Maury Coleman	221.698
8	Paul Spagnoli	39.819	8 (-1)	Abdiel Gordon	220.151
9	Abdiel Gordon	39.335	9 (-4)	Jaxon McCall	217.988
10	Anthony Curtis	36.680	10 (+2)	Cordell Parks	211.602
11	Ahmed Dougherty	35.356	11 (+3)	Devonta Corriga	203.890
12	Parker Mason	34.075	12 (-2)	Shane Strom	198.040
13	Oman Fatafehi	33.169	13 (+4)	Ahmed Dougherty	188.718
14	Roy Base	32.994	14 (+2)	Oshodi Bombata	186.895
15	Heiko Van Brand	32.947	15 (=)	Jay Vasquez	180.570
16	Mario Bailey	31.622	16 (+2)	Yuri Vilasny	178.747
17	Zachariah Saler	31.564	17 (-6)	Walt Jackson	178.659
18	Oshodi Bombata	30.785	18 (+9)	Tony Dimateo	177.917
19	Juwan Bixby	30.626	19 (-6)	Craig Bradshaw	177.468
20	Pat Stephenson	30.603	20 (+1)	Dexter Kodak	165.747
21	Lou Gonzales	30.520	21 (+4)	Heiko Van Brand	165.247
22	Omar Jefferson	30.399	22 (-3)	Mike Bennett	162.824
23	Yuri Vilasny	30.288	23 (-1)	Kent Mercer	161.011
24	Cristobal Dashe	29.846	24 (+11)	Paul Spagnoli	159.964
25	Dexter Kodak	29.828	25 (+4)	Oman Fatafehi	159.554
26	Magic Toby	27.356	26 (-6)	Mark Miller	158.975
27	Mark Carr	27.222	27 (+6)	Juwan Bixby	151.882
28	Jack Berger	26.797	28 (-4)	Greg Lacy	151.731
29	Gordon Whitehou	26.594	29 (-1)	Obafemi Mabruke	151.361
30	Mike Bennett	26.380	30 (-4)	Sean Ashman	146.659

WEEK 6		AV	TOTAL		AV
1	Bishop Stein	2.398	1 (+3)	Abdiel Gordon	7.857
2	Marquez Houston	2.350	2 (+5)	Bishop Stein	7.805
3	Cordell Parks	2.232	3 (+2)	Heiko Van Brand	7.805
4	Abdiel Gordon	2.172	4 (+4)	Marquez Houston	7.759
5	Devonta Corriga	2.152	5 (-3)	Mario Bailey	7.681
6	Heiko Van Brand	2.152	6 (=)	Devonta Corriga	7.681
7	Roy Base	2.102	7 (-4)	Lou Gonzales	7.674
8	Tony Dimateo	2.000	8 (+1)	Cordell Parks	7.661
9	Paul Spagnoli	1.979	9 (-8)	Craig Bradshaw	7.556
10	John Van Horne	1.938	10 (=)	Shane Strom	7.197
11	Dave Williams	1.896	11 (=)	Jay Vasquez	7.136
12	Lou Gonzales	1.875	12 (+2)	Obafemi Mabruke	7.028
13	Parker Mason	1.844	13 (+4)	Dave Williams	6.940
14	Juwan Bixby	1.844	14 (-1)	Jaxon McCall	6.865
15	Obafemi Mabruke	1.823	15 (+3)	Cory Mosley	6.804
16	Yuri Vilasny	1.801	16 (-4)	Walt Jackson	6.701
17	Pat Stephenson	1.791	17 (-1)	Omar Jefferson	6.695
18	Anthony Curtis	1.769	18 (+8)	Paul Spagnoli	6.695
19	Jay Vasquez	1.759	19 (=)	Juwan Bixby	6.695
20	Oshodi Bombata	1.748	20 (+4)	Yuri Vilasny	6.619
21	Maury Coleman	1.727	21 (-6)	Greg Lacy	6.619
22	Cory Mosley	1.727	22 (=)	Oshodi Bombata	6.605
23	Kent Mercer	1.716	23 (-2)	Kent Mercer	6.591
24	Mark Miller	1.705	24 (-1)	Maury Coleman	6.570
25	Gordon Whitehou	1.694	25 (=)	Mark Miller	6.550
26	Sean Ashman	1.661	26 (-6)	Brad Bangerter	6.480
27	Cristobal Dashe	1.650	27 (=)	Oman Fatafehi	6.460
28	Mike Bennett	1.650	28 (=)	Mike Bennett	6.453
29	Tyriq Lang	1.650	29 (=)	Sean Ashman	6.418
30	Oman Fatafehi	1.639	30 (+13)	Roy Base	6.243

March 5th, 2006

Analyzing the “Big Trade”

By: Joe Spencer

History has just been made as a trade involving a WBA record 6 teams had just been finalized. Since trades of such proportion aren't always the easiest to follow, I'm here to break down the trade by each team, giving my opinions in the mean time:

Sacramento

What they got:

Mark Miller (from LV)

O.J. Lofton (from LV)

What they gave up:

Jimmy Foster (to LV)

Horace Colbert (to ALA)

Sacramento s. 17 1st (to ROC)

Paris s. 14 2nd (to LV)

What I think:

Discounting the two picks, Sacramento is basically trading two of their high priced players in Jimmy Foster and Horace Colbert for an even bigger money player in Mark Miller. Sacramento has been lacking depth at the power forward spot, which was why Horace Colbert, a center, has been their starter there throughout the season. Although Colbert has been putting up decent numbers (15.6 points, 7.8 rebounds per game), he is near the end of his career at the age of 32. Jimmy Foster, a veteran point guard, is still decent but he has seen his better days, and is probably not going to make $7.65 like he is this season, after his contract expires this off-season.

Although Miller isn't the superstar he once was hyped up to eventually become, he will be a key contributor to the Fighting Cocks -- putting up at least the same numbers that Colbert has, while being 4 years younger. Miller has always been a solid defender throughout his career, and he should find himself in perfect company with another defensive specialist in Bobby Egan. The other player Sacramento is acquiring, O.J. Lofton, is a youngster at the point guard position, and may only be a project for the future. However, Sacramento already has Jesse Sczygiel and Bobby Egan at point guard, so there's should be no problems involved there.

Overall, Sacramento is able to get younger, while improving at the power forward spot, making this a favorable trade for fans in California.

Grade: B+

Las Vegas

What they got:

Jimmy Foster (from SAC)

Magic Toby (from ALA)

Bucky McCarty (from ALA)

Hakeem Samir (from ALA)

Vincent Holliday (from ALA)

Mark Arceneaux (from ALA)

Charlotte s. 16 1st (from CHA)

Paris s. 14 2nd (from SAC)

What they gave up:

Mark Miller (to SAC)

O.J. Lofton (to SAC)

Evelio Jackson (to ROC)

What I think:

Mark Miller was the top player on the Las Vegas expansion franchise, and now he's gone, along with guards O.J. Lofton and Evelio Jackson for Magic Toby, Jimmy Foster, and a batch of reserves from Alaska.

Magic Toby, even at his age, is a solid scorer, as he had been averaging 16.1 points per game on 51.4% shooting for Alaska. However, for a big man, his rebounds are pathetic. Jimmy Foster is a decent PG, although he is pretty much the same talent level as O.J. Lofton and Evelio Jackson were, as well as being several years older.

So basically, Las Vegas' point of the trade seems to be to dump Mark Miller and his salary.

Las Vegas is definitely not going to improve their play this season at all with any of the new players they are getting, but Steven Goodstadt is going to have a fun time next free agency with all the cap space he'll have. It is only then that we'll find out if this trade was for the good or the bad in the long haul.

Grade: C

Rochester

What they got:

Davion Stahl (from LI)

Jim Peyton (from CHA)

Evelio Jackson (from LV)

Derek Vinyard (from CHA)

Sacramento s. 17 1st (from SAC)

$1 million s. 13 (from CHA)

What they gave up:

A.J. Schulz (to CHA)

Jimmy Whalen (to CHA)

Rochester s. 17 2nd (to CHA)

$0.9 million s. 12 (to ALA)

$0.67 million s. 12 (to CHA)

What I think:

Rochester seemed to have done pretty well with their end of the deal. A.J. Schulz and Jimmy Whalen are two solid players but have only been benchers on Rochester's team this season. Davion Stahl and Evelio Jackson are still young guards, and should be able to replace Whalen's role, and likely be contributors off of the bench. Also, getting Jim Peyton will definitely help Rochester improve their depth at the center spot.

Grade: B-

Long Island

What they got:

Kadeem Reed (from CHA)

What they gave up:

Davion Stahl (to ROC)

What I think:

Long Island only had a small role in this trade, but it worked out for their advantage.

Davion Stahl gave up on the Long Island franchise a few weeks ago, much to the surprise of the entire league. Apparently, Stahl was frustrated and had problems with being forced to play behind Oliver Doherty who he supposedly quoted as being a “ball hog”. Luckily for Michael Esposito, he was able to find an even better point guard to be able to replace Stahl.

Kadeem Reed is a solid passer, and if, should be able to dish out assists to Wayne Taylor, Jim McCarthy, Danny Hainge, and the rest of the Long Island crew. When Espo decided to trade Paul Carroll and Kadeem Reed after their record-setting 62-win season, the team's offense started to go on the decline, even with all the new high-profile scorers the team acquired -- as a result of having nobody on the team that excels at distributing the ball. Now Reed is back for another stint with his former team, and it appears as if Long Island fans are ready to be excited once again.

Grade: A-

Alaska

What they got:

Horace Colbert (from SAC)

.9 mill s. 12 (from ROC)

What they gave up:

Magic Toby (to LV)

Bucky McCarty (to LV)

Hakeem Samir (to LV)

Vincent Holliday (to LV)

Mark Arceneaux (to LV)

What I think:

Alaska is basically upgrading their center spot with this trade. Horace Colbert is a player who has a better all-around game than Toby, with his rebounds, and leadership abilities. Besides Magic Toby, all Alaska is giving up are a bunch of backups are reserve players who aren't anything special. However, Colbert, like Toby, isn't getting any younger, and Colbert is still due to make $7.00 million next year (compared to the $3.90 million Toby would have made), which means Alaska probably won't be chasing any major free agents this off-season. Either way, this trade might help out Alaska, if only for a season or two once, until Toby and Colbert retire, canceling the whole thing out.

Grade: C+

Charlotte

What they got:

AJ Schulz (from ROC)

Jimmy Whalen (from ROC)

Rochester s 17 2nd (from ROC)

.67 mill s. 12 (from Rochester)

What they gave up:

Kadeem Reed (to LI)

Charlotte s. 16 1st (to LV)

Jim Peyton (to ROC)

Derek Vinyard (to ROC)

$1 million s. 13 (to ROC)

What I think:

Kadeem Reed was having a breakout season for Charlotte, so it seems to be odd that Sam Plummer would have the sudden urge to trade him. However he wasn't the only part of their part of the deal. The main reason I see Charlotte doing this trade is that they are able to upgrade their forward spot by getting A.J. Schulz, who will easily replace Derek Vinyard's former role in the roster. Jim Peyton was only a backup center getting very few minutes, so he was expendable.

A.J. Schulz is 32 years old, but is still a very solid player who can help out his team. Jimmy Foster is pretty much of equal value to Kadeem Reed, except for him being a couple years older. Therefore, Charlotte seems to be breaking even in this trade, but since they are in the hunt for the top seed in the playoffs, and with Sam Plummer's experience, he'll probably prove that this will be a good deal, since he already proved me wrong when I said in one of my first articles this season that his team isn't likely to win their division.

Grade: C+

Synopsis

Overall, it seems as if all of the teams involved in this trade have improved, or at least broke even by doing this trade. That especially holds true for Sacramento and Long Island, who should have immediate impacts, as both of these teams have improved their weak spots in the lineup (PF for Sacramento, PG for Long Island). It'll probably take awhile to see how Alaska and Charlotte fare as a result of this trade, as they made some big shake-ups, and only seemed to break even in this trade. And if you're a Las Vegas fan, you better hope that there will be some big-name free agents next off-season, as all they did was slash salary in this trade, not improve their roster from what they already have.

March 4th, 2006

A Glimpse of: Scott Jacoby

They didn't even have to re-issue the jersey.

"I've got a jersey for every city I've ever played for, even if it's just

preseason stuff or sitting on the bench. This year, I nearly doubled my

collection. Seoul, Toronto, and Albacete before midseason. I think that's

pretty impressive."

Drafted as the sixteenth player overall in the 5th season draft, Jacoby's

career has never really taken off as was expected. He remains one of the

most serviceable backups in the WBA, however, and he's glad that demand for

him remains high.

"You get into this league and you're either tailor-made for greatness or

you do everything you can to keep your head above water. I always shot well

from the paint, didn't turn the ball over too often, and kept an even head

out there when it came to fouls. Am I surprised that I didn't get more of a

starting role with teams? A bit maybe, but you can't live your life thinking

too hard about the opportunities you missed."

How does he feel about being reacquired by Seoul in the same season they

traded him?

"I laughed when I heard about it, honestly. I think the Dragons were

looking to get some additional sharpshooters out there once they realized it

was going to be tough getting their rookies to score. Daren Benson and I

were traded for on the same day, and we're going to try to shoot the lights

out as much as we can when we get in the games."

Does he think he has a shot at removing incumbent Sam Plummer from the

starting lineup?

"Sam's a great guy, but anyone who's ever played with him knows he was not

put on this earth to be a points machine. He's a passer and a decent

rebounder and this team needed someone who was going to get the ball to the

veteran shooters, the people who can hit a basket. LaMaitre and Siebert were

the primary forces for this team's offense, and Michael Huryta's doing ok

for himself too. There was talk before Benson was picked up of trying to get

a small forward and shifting LaMaitre back to his natural position of

shooting guard. But Sam's a hoss. He goes out there and knows whether he's

starting or spending the night on the bench that he's going to make some

kind of impression and teams are going to be interested in what he can do

rather than what he can't. Would I like to start for this team? Hell yeah.

But with my contract ending this year, and free agency looming, I don't know

who's going to invest too much in a player that might not be around next

season."

Has he considered his next step after the season ends?

"Looking for the best fit possible, really. You don't ever want to come out

and say 'I want to go to this team or that' because people are going to

think you're looking for the fastest way out of town. I like Seoul. It's got

a different feel to it than a lot of the cities I've been to, there's a

distinct excitement about every game, win or lose. If Seoul wanted to keep

me, I have to admit, I wouldn't turn a contract down from them. But if they

didn't, places like Brooklyn or Cincinatti are appealing. Cincy's kind of

like a hometown team for me, so it makes sense."

Any team he would refuse to go to?

"You want financial security out there, but you have to pick what's going

to be the best team all in all. I'd like to go somewhere that I know I won't

run the risk of being cut three months into a three year contract because

things aren't working out just right."

Finally, if he had any advice to give young players coming into the league?

"Don't believe your own hype. It's a lot different here than playing at the

college level. You might be a hot shooter there with all the tools, but the

moment you step on the pro stage, you're fighting for every minute you get

to play against the best in the world who are going to make you look like an

amateur when you get on the court. If it really matters to you, fight to

prove them wrong with everything you got."