Gladness And Ayer Providing Frontcourt Help
3-10-11
It may have taken a while, but the Wizards finally got their frontcourt rotation right. With all due respect to All-Star center Chris Johnson, he simply couldn`t do it by himself, not with the cast of characters that have joined him on the inside this season.
Hamady N`Diaye wasn`t in Bismarck long enough, Brandon Knox wasn`t developed enough, Rob Diggs and Walter Sharpe had character issues, and Dominique Scales as good of a person as he is, wasn`t the kind of player who could perform at this level. Enter Chris Ayer and Mickell Gladness. Neither one a superstar by any stretch of the imagination, but exactly what Dakota has needed all season long.
Gladness, who spent time in training camp with the Miami Heat, is similar to Chris Johnson in build and physical ability, just with more muscle and nowhere near the skill set. He doesn`t sound all that impressive until you consider that according to Synergy Sports Technology, Gladness is one of the best defenders in the D-League at any position, allowing opponents just .58 points per possession on 29% shooting against in 14 games. At 6-11 230 pounds with a wingspan out to nowhere and a unique level of athleticism, the Alabama A&M product is a disruptive force, plain and simple. Offensively Dakota doesn`t need much out of him, just to hit the offensive glass and finish around the rim. At nearly six points per game in 17 minutes a night, he`s done his part. But it`s the the 12 rebounds and six blocks per-36 minutes that jump off the page.
Ayer has given a little more on the scoring end without the kind of defensive impact, but that doesn`t take away at all from his overall value. Another big body inside at 6-10, 230 pounds, Ayer has been an efficient scoring option inside for the Wizards, tossing up 12 points per game on 45% shooting in 19 minutes. There`s nothing flashy here, just effort on the glass, a basic post game and strength. Defensively he`s been a nice surprise, holding opposing players to 37% shooting which is pretty good considering the amount of time he spends defending the low post.
After watching these two in conjunction for just a few weeks it`s readily apparent that had they been with the Wizards from day one, Dakota would be a lot closer to a playoff spot than they are right now. But for the time being, they certainly give them a shot to a certain degree moving into the final stretch of the regular season.
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Late To The Party
3-8-11
I’m sure by now a lot of you thought this blog has gone the way of the Wizards playoff chances (see what I did there?), but we’re not going anywhere, so no need to worry. As I mentioned last week, with the North Dakota high school state basketball tournaments in full swing now there was the possibility I might disappear for a few days. With our outstanding sports department bouncing around the entire state to provide the best possible coverage, I was left flying solo for a few days to cover the West Region basketball tournaments at the Civic Center, thus leaving me almost no time to write. But we’re back on track and we have four games to review as Dakota is playing good basketball these days, the question is, is it too little too late?
As it stands, the Wizards are 3.5 games out of the final playoff spot with 9 games to play, but they are hitting their stride as a team, having won three out of four and playing their best offensive basketball of the season. The biggest problem facing the team right now isn’t so much the number of games they have to make up (though that is unlikely as it is), but rather the fact that they would need to leapfrog four teams in order to land in the playoff picture. Again, not impossible, but Dakota fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath. Still, there’s plenty to feel good about.
In their last four games the Wizards have shot better than 45% each time out, topping 50% from the floor on three occasions. The offense is clicking in a way that we just haven’t seen this season. Javaris Crittenton has finally reached the point where he is incorporating his teammates and not trying to dominate the game by himself. Renaldo Major is returning to being an aggressive dribble drive threat, while Mike Anderson has reached the point where he is no longer a toss-up between huge game or disappearing, but rather a reliable starter. There’s plenty to say about the frontcourt as well, but that’s another post for later in the week.
The shame of it all is the Wizards finally have the right personnel and the right balance they’ve been actively searching for all season. If the D-League season was an 82-game schedule such as the NBA is, it would be plausible that Dakota would eventually play itself into a playoff seed. But with a 50-game season, there’s no room for extended mediocrity, something the Wizards have battled all season. So it is with that in mind that we need to appreciate the little things, the growth of a team, the developing chemistry of an offense and enjoy the games left on the schedule.
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Over At D-League Digest: The Chris Johnson Conundrum
3-2-11
Some of you may know that my ramblings on the Wizards have led me to a moonlighting spot as a contributing writer at D-League Digest, a member of ESPN’s TrueHoop Network, home to some of the best basketball writers out there. Each Wednesday I’ve been contributing my thoughts and analysis on a variety of teams, players and topics pertaining to the D-League. This week my thoughts took me to Chris Johnson and his recent call-up to the Boston Celtics, the second team to sign the Wizards center to a 10-day contract this season.
There are those who will feel for Johnson, getting a close enough glimpse of the other side to know what he’s missing, only to return to the less glamorous life of the D-League. Chances are these same experiences leave the Wizards top player revered by teammates and many opponents, as one of the few who have logged minutes in the NBA. Ultimately though, it’s hard not to at least consider a potentially painful truth: Johnson presents enough intrigue to earn multiple call-ups, but lacks all of the components necessary to stick at that level.
That’s just an excerpt from the post, so if that has intrigued you enough, head on over to D-League Digest to read the rest . Look out for a preview for tomorrow night’s road contest with Maine tomorrow morning.
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Squandered Chances: Wizards Split With Fort Wayne
2-28-11
Saturday’s Box Score
Sunday’s Box Score
I’ve always been a proponent of gathering opinions. I like hearing what others have to say about a particular matter, I enjoy debating differences we may have and looking at things from another perspective. So it was this morning before I began writing I dipped into the Bismarck Tribune to get their take on the Wizards 117-111 loss yesterday afternoon to Fort Wayne. I was struck by the following quote from head coach Rory White:
I don`t understand our mindset, because it`s right there for our grasp, and we just don`t take advantage of it. It`s like we win, and we have a little success, but we don`t capitalize on it. We don`t build on it.
If ever there was a quote that encompassed the Wizards season, there it is. You hesitate to throw around a word like complacency because of the overwhelmingly negative connotation attached to it in the world of professional sports, but it’s a telling sign Dakota has amassed only two winning streaks all season (in my book a winning streak is at least three straight). It isn’t to say this team is satisfied with a win here or a win there, that isn’t the case from what I’ve seen – rather as White says, they don’t know how to build momentum. In a 50-game season it’s imperative to build momentum and carry it from game to game, not necessarily every single time out, but in order to be successful it has to happen from time to time. More often than not the Wizards seem to approach every single game as just that, a single game. While the idea of taking things one day at a time is a good mantra, consider what happened following a scuffle with Maine a couple of weeks ago. The Wizards carried that fire into the following night’s game and scored a D-League high 142 points that night. Just something to consider – now onto the good stuff.
Wizard Drops
• There’s no questioning the ability of Javaris Crittenton – physically he is the most impressive player on the Wizards roster right now. With that said, his decision making has been poor. I’ve said this before, but on many possessions it looks as if the former first round pick is trying to get back to the NBA in one play, one shot, one finish. He’s missing open teammates, he’s forcing bad shots and as much as he has helped generate movement in the Wizards offense, he is neutralizing a lot of it simply by not making the smart basketball play.
• Anthony Goods had an excellent weekend – further proving that with the absence of Chris Johnson, the Stanford gunner is the Wizards top offensive weapon. He netted a season-high 34 points on Saturday on extremely efficient 11-of-17 shooting and followed that up with 25 points yesterday. He had the whole arsenal on full display in two games with Fort Wayne, creating shot opportunities for himself, scoring off the ball and in a very promising turn, we saw Goods get to the line at a very high rate, shooting 26 free throws. He has had no problem getting shots off with his quickness and release, but if Goods can get to the line consistently, there’s no reason he doesn’t score 25 a night consistently.
• Renaldo Major looked as aggressive this weekend as we’ve seen him in a while. Whether it’s been the steady rotation of players that need the ball in their hands or something else, Major has been inconsistent this season in regards to his role in the offense. He definitely had an attack mentality at the Civic Center this weekend, scoring 29 on Saturday and following that up with 15 yesterday afternoon. Even with the lower production in the loss, Major was more active off the dribble, attacking the rim.
• Mo Baker has been sharp offensively, but struggling defensively, it’s pretty straight forward. Consider yesterdays stat line: 21 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 fouls and a -16 in the +/- column. The sage veteran is crafty as ever running the show, directing traffic and most importantly teaching his younger teammates how to improve moving off the ball. But his aging knees are hurting him defensively as he does struggle against quicker guards on the perimeter. Still, with the likes of Mike Anderson and Mickell Gladness roaming the middle, it’s a worthwhile tradeoff.
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Game 35 Preview: The Great Divide
2-26-11
Minor programming note today folks, but I apologize for the relative brevity of my preview today, only a handful of key points and a lack of advanced statistics. Simply put, as I`m sure most of you from the area know, this is the busiest time of the year for local sports coverage now that we`re in the month long stretch of state tournament coverage with hockey and then basketball. Wizards Watch will continue to bring you the best coverage of the Dakota Wizards I can muster, but there may be a few days in the fold where my typical wordiness is somewhat diminished. But as always, thanks for reading because you guys are the reason why I`m writing!
There comes a point in every season, for every sport where that line starts to come into focus. We all know it, the divide between the teams that have it and those that don`t. The contenders and the pretenders, the playoff squads and the wait `till next year gang, whatever you want to call it, we all know it. For some the distinction becomes evident very early, there`s no question where the train is heading, you just need to hang on and ride the rail. For others, it can be a season-long run before the answer finally crystalizes - in many cases it can wait until the final day of the regular season before anyone knows at all.
For the Wizards the book hasn`t been completely closed either way, but the postseason door is fading fast - too fast. Mathematically Dakota is still very much in the picture, but few outside that locker room believe it. The ground can be made up, but will others in contention fall? Coaches often say the first five minutes of the second half tend to dictate how the game will play out -I tend to agree. Tonight`s match-up with Fort Wayne will likely do the same for Dakota and that line will either crystalize further, or fade further from focus.
A Few Notes On Fort Wayne
This game is actually far more important for the Mad Ants than it is for the Wizards. Fort Wayne currently sits at 16-19, just a half game behind the Texas Legends for the eighth and final playoff spot. So while Dakota would do well to gain some ground on a team in front of them by winning tonight, the Mad Ants can quite literally thrust themselves into the postseason field with a victory.
This is a tough, gritty, veteran team that is certainly seasoned enough to understand the importance of this game. Fory Wayne is a very balanced team offensively thanks to the four-headed scoring attack of vets Walker Russell, Oliver Lafayette, Darnell Lazare and Roderick Wilmont - all of whom average better than 15 points. As has been mentioned in previous games with the Mad Ants, what the team lacks in overall athleticism these four make up in craftiness and smarts. Fort Wayne is the top isolation scoring team in the D-League this season, averaging .927 points per possession on better than 40% shooting in these settings. The team`s guards also do an excellent job of scoring and creating offense off the pick and roll, not surprising given the sheer experience level of the backcourt. Working in the Wizards favor here however will be the inevitable struggles I anticipate the Fort Wayne backcourt having with Javaris Crittenton who will be the quickest and most athletic guard on the floor.
With that said, the Mad Ants will be difficult inside with the recent assignment of Milwaukee Bucks rookie Larry Sanders, a super long, super athletic power forward who in two games is averaging 10 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. Normally this would be a player the Wizards would stick Chris Johnson on to handle, but with CJ`s call-up to the Boston Celtics, this responsibility will likely fall to the duo of Chris Ayer and Mickell Gladness.
Expect a hard fought game tonight between a pair of veteran teams, both looking for an important win tonight. We`ll have plenty of recap tomorrow on the blog and of course look for Wizards Watch at the Civic Center tomorrow afternoon as we`ll be hosting the show live on location!
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Chris Johnson Signed By Boston
2-25-11
For the second time this season Dakota Wizards center Chris Johnson has earned a shot from an NBA team. As was first reported by Scott Schroeder of AOL Fanhouse the Boston Celtics have signed the big man to a 10-contract on the heels of a trade deadline that saw the reigning Eastern Conference champs severely diminish their frontcourt.
In the final hours before the trade deadline passed yesterday afternoon Boston pulled the trigger on a series of moves that resulted in Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson being shipped off to Oklahoma City in exchange for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. The Celtics almost completed deals that sent Luke Harangody and Semih Erden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 2013 second-round pick, while Marquis Daniels was sent to Sacramento for cash considerations and protected second-round pick in 2017. What this means for Boston is a suddenly thin frontcourt.
Enter Johnson.
The Wizard’s lone All-Star this season earned a 10-day contract with the Portland Trail Blazers a few weeks ago, where he appeared in two games and managed four points and four rebounds. His first night with Boston proved to be immensely more fruitful than his previous NBA stint as a result of the suddenly depleted Celtics roster. In an 89-75 road loss to the new look Denver Nuggets, Johnson played 17 minutes and scored six points to go along with one rebound and three blocks. Ironically enough CJ was on the court with Celtics rookie Avery Bradley after the two squared off as opponents a couple of weeks ago when Bradley was on assignment with the Maine Red Claws.
This move certainly comes at an inopportune time for Dakota with the team returning to action tomorrow following a 10-day layoff for the D-League All-Star break. The Wizards are 5.5 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot with 15 games remaining on the schedule. Making matters worse, the Dakota’s opponent this weekend comes in the form of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants who just received rookie big man Larry Sanders on assignment from the Milwaukee Bucks. Look for a full preview tomorrow morning.
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Anderson Embracing Starting Role
2-22-11
I’ve been a Mike Anderson fan since the Wizards team scrimmage in November. Maybe there was a slight bias because I saw him tear apart my alma mater as a senior at VCU while I was still an aspiring reporter at the University of Maryland, but I saw plenty to like. Besides his size, versatility and length, the forward possesses great athleticism and an overactive motor that is almost a fault at times. Still, I had a hunch that this was the kind of player who could produce in the D-League if given the opportunity.
For the majority of the season Anderson has played a role that suits him surprisingly well: energy man off the bench. It works for him, he’s always ready to go, always hustling and is ready to go at a moment’s notice off the bench. But over the course of the last three weeks, the 24-year-old has stepped into a new position – starter.
He made his first start on January 30th in a win over Sioux Falls and has been there ever since, starting seven games while averaging 19 points and 7.3 rebounds. Naturally Anderson’s production has gone up with a significant increase in playing time, but his efficiency has been the biggest improvement for the small forward who is shooting a scintillating 61% from the floor during this stretch. It wasn’t as if he was doing poorly in this regard prior to shifting from role player to starter, Anderson is hovering around 50% shooting for the season, but it’s clear there has been a change in the veteran – patience.
To use a cliché, Anderson’s gift is his curse. His constant source of energy makes him a real asset as a defender and on the glass, but as an offensive threat coming off the bench it really hindered him. Full well knowing that he was likely staying on the floor for only a few minutes at a time, Anderson would often try to cram a full game’s worth of scoring opportunities into just a few minutes. It seemed every time the ball ended up in his hands it was going at the basket, or at least getting a long hard look before being passed off. He rushed his scoring chances, racing through his shooting motion and driving at the basket without sizing up the defensive alignment.
Since the switch Anderson has been remarkably more patient – hence the 10% jump in his shooting percentage. He’s playing to his strengths rather than forcing shots in a limited existence on the court. He still looks for his mid-range jumper – something of a guilty pleasure for him – but he shows much better discretion here, only pulling the trigger when he actually has a good look at the basket. The rest of the time he is perfectly content to operate off the ball, cutting to the basket, occasionally posting up undersized defenders and ultimately capitalizing on his length and athleticism to create favorable situations.
We’re still talking about a small sample size at this point, but there’s no refuting the tangible difference in Anderson as a starter versus Anderson as a role player off the bench. Pace is a vital part of the game and Anderson is very real truth to this. If the Wizards even want to consider a sizeable run at the postseason – a long shot as it is – Anderson’s continued production as a starter is going to play a more prominent role than most realize.
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Time For Some R & R: Utah 103 – Dakota 93
2-18-11
Box Score
I can say with strong conviction that the All-Star break came at a good time this season for the Dakota Wizards. The four-game winning streak has quickly been forgotten, swallowed by another losing streak, one of equal value that has once again sank the team into the realm of playoff doubt. It’s easy to point to the Idaho debacle, a game that concluded well after midnight, as the cause for this latest slip after such a roll of momentum.
After this latest losing effort on the road at Utah it is time for a break, time to rest, time to recollect. Nothing of what we’ve seen gives an indication that the Wizards can come back and turn things around in their final 15 games to the point of making the final cut for the playoffs. The issue isn’t even just as simple as Dakota needs to win games at a feverish pace in the final weeks of the regular season – they need no less than half a dozen teams in front of them to start losing as well. Still, a strong finish is the surest way to lessen the sting of an otherwise frustrating season and Dakota now has 10 days to get its ducks in a row so to speak. Let’s hope they make the most of it.
Wizard Drops
• It’s difficult to look at this 10-point loss and not think about how easily a L could have been a W. Shooting 46% from the floor may be common place for a lot of teams in the D-League right now, but that’s a really strong night for the Wizards. Furthermore, they hauled in more rebounds than Utah and won the battle on the offensive glass. As is often the case though, turnovers proved the difference with the Wizards handing the ball away a total of 22 times, compared to just 13 for the Flash. Javaris Crittenton had a game-high six as he continues to be plagued by questionable decision making at times, but no one was free of guilt as every player that stepped on the floor for Dakota committed at least one turnover.
• It was good to see the team running, as the Wizards finished with 13 fastbreak points, their highest mark in several weeks. Maybe it’s a result of furious roster turnover – particularly at the point guard position – but Dakota’s inability to consistently run has been the single greatest point of frustration for me this season. Now with Crittenton running the show it seems like the team is finally starting to up the tempo to a degree, but with the given personnel on the floor right now, double digit fastbreak points should be an expected, not surprise total each night.
• It’s nice to see Crittenton drop 25 points certainly, but his efficiency is still hit or miss. Last night was a miss. The veteran needed 23 shots to reach his point total and as previously mentioned turned the ball over a game-high six times. It seems somewhat contradictory for me to be critical after I wrote just a few days ago about the improvements that I feel Crittenton has been responsible for on the Wizards offense – and I still believe that – but he has a long way to go before getting back to the NBA. Also of note, Crittenton had five fouls in the game, something he has been struggling with which speaks to his still improving conditioning.
• Mike Anderson on the other hand was very efficient from the floor, scoring 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting, but offense isn’t what I want to talk about. Since moving into the starting rotation Anderson has proven his worth as a tremendous weak side defender. Chris Johnson still holds court in this regard, but the VCU product has very impressive leaping ability and is almost as long as the Wizards lone All-Star. This fits in line with Anderson’s sometimes frenetic style of play, toeing the line between explosive control and barely holding on. While it hinders him as a scoring threat on occasion, he harnesses it and makes it work for him as a defender. He only recorded one block on Wednesday night, but his presence was definitely a deterrent for many would be baseline attackers.
• Mo Baker’s struggles continued with a 1-for-6 performance from the floor before fouling out. The 31-year-old has been mired in a rut over the course of the last week, struggling to put the ball in the basket and fouling at an unusually high rate. The two things he has managed to do in spite of his struggles is to protect the basketball and rebound very well for a backcourt player. Once he corrects the other issues, Baker will be due for a big game.
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The Crittenton Effect
2-15-11
Since his arrival almost two weeks ago I’ve spent quite a bit of web space talking about the impact that Javaris Crittenton has had on the Wizards offense. Not to take anything away from Mo Baker who was a significant upgrade at the point guard position as well from earlier in the season, but Crittenton is clearly a step above just in terms of the physical ability he brings to the table. With his strong build, size and explosiveness off the dribble, it’s easy to see why the former Georgia Tech standout was a first round pick of the Lakers in 2007.
As he has adjusted to playing back in the US after spending time in China earlier this year, the NBA veteran has make noticeable improvements just from a game-to-game scope. But what about the effect on Dakota’s play as a whole? Below is a look at the Wizards season statistics compared to the five games since Crittenton joined the roster. Keep in mind, these numbers might be slightly skewed as a result of the team’s massive 142-point outburst in a win over Maine.
Offensive Efficiency
Season Average: 98.6
Last 5 Games: 111.9
Field Goal Percentage
Season Average: 43.4%
Last 5 Games: 48.9%
Free Throws Attempted Per Game
Season Average: 31.2
Last 5 Games: 36
Assists Per Game
Season Average: 18.8
Last 5 Games: 25.8
Turnovers Per Game
Season Average: 17.7
Last 5 Games: 17.6
Is it a small sample size? Of course. Is Crittenton playing with a roster vastly different and far superior to the one that started 1-9? Absolutely. But the combination of the aforementioned statistics along with actually seeing the Wizards in action over the course of the last two weeks is more than enough evidence that Crittenon is largely responsible for the manner in which Dakota has been producing offensively.
Perhaps the most promising part of the fourth-year pros game has been that despite a slow and inefficient start scoring the basketball, he hasn’t let it impact his ability to distribute the basketball and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. It wasn’t listed above, but given Crittenton’s propensity for driving and kicking, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Wizards have also seen a jump in their three-point shooting percentage since his arrival as well. Dakota has had guards capable of penetrating and getting to the rim, but none with the explosiveness and finishing ability that Crittenton has. He forces the defense to collapse and create a scrambling effect when he distributes the basketball.
Dakota has an uphill battle on its hands to make the playoffs – one that ultimately is likely to end in disappointment. With that said, continuing to operate at the level offensively that the team has been since Crittenton’s arrival will significantly increase the likelihood of reaching that eighth and final spot.
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The Big Picture: Iowa Completes Season Sweep Of Dakota
2-14-11
Friday’s Box Score
Saturday’s Box Score
Some of you may know this, some of you may not. The single greatest challenge of covering a team up close, day after day, isn’t generating new stories and content – in fact with a close eye and an inquisitive nature that part can be pretty easy. The real challenge is not getting so close and putting things under a microscope to such a degree that you lose site of the big picture.
It would be easy to view this weekend’s series with Iowa through the lens of improvement. The Wizards put together their two best performances of the season against the Energy despite dropping both games. Friday’s game could have easily bounced in Dakota’s favor if not for a slow start that forced them to climb back into the game – though they had a shot at tying or winning with two seconds left on the clock. Saturday was a tight game from the opening tip, but the Energy managed to take advantage of second chance scoring opportunities inside, pulling away late for an eight-point win. Still it was easy to see how the new pieces of this roster are coming together and the potential for this team to be really, really good.
All of that is fantastic, save for the fact that right now, the Wizards aren’t a playoff team. Seeing growth and improvement is a good thing to be sure, but with just 16 games remaining on the schedule and Dakota sitting 5.5 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot, with five teams sitting higher in the standings, there isn’t time for growth as a team. Wins need to happen and they need to happen now. That’s the big picture, it’s bleak, but it’s the reality of the season at this juncture.
Wizard Drops
• I was thoroughly impressed with the play of Iowa’s James Johnson on assignment from the Chicago Bulls. He tossed up 26 points on Friday and followed it up with a 12-point, 14-rebound effort on Saturday. The versatile forward didn’t dominate any particular facet of the game, but he did a lot of different things well. He was active on defense, scored in a variety of ways on offense and showed off the kind of ability for a frontcourt player that made him a first round pick two years ago. Johnson has been seeing very little time in the NBA, so this is definitely a beneficial assignment for him, particularly given that he is receiving ample opportunity to show off his skill set.
• Javaris Crittenton continues to get more comfortable on the floor and it’s showing in his play and in the box score. While the obvious improvements have been in his scoring efficiency – which was abysmal in his first few appearances – it’s been his playmaking ability that is really starting to make a difference. On several trips down the floor this weekend he beat his man off the dribble and drove within a few feet of the basket before kicking to a wide open teammate for a look from the perimeter. When he gets a head of steam there are few if any players who can consistently stay in front of Crittenton at this level and by getting so deep in the lane he pulls in two and three defenders at a time leaving teammates unimpeded when they get the ball. This is what is going to get him back to the NBA, though he needs to cut down on his fouls.
• Renaldo Major struggled mightily on Friday, but showed up in a big way on Saturday, scoring a game-high 25 points on 8-of-10 shooting and a perfect 9-of-9 at the free throw line. It was a quintessential performance from Major, scoring within the framework of the offense, moving off the ball and expertly picking his spots for when to isolate and attack off the dribble.
• The Wizards did a solid job of preventing Iowa from running and scoring in transition, but were killed inside. Over the course of the two games the Energy scored 122 points in the paint, a large percentage of which came on second chance opportunities from working the offensive glass. I don’t care how well you play in other defensive facets of the game and how efficient your offense is, giving up that many points in the immediate vicinity of the basket isn’t going to yield positive results.
• The team’s latest acquisition Chris Ayer has been a pleasant surprise. The 28-year-old big man hustles, can bang inside, has active hands on defense and isn’t a player who needs to basketball on offense. The big man seems perfectly content to do his scoring off of offensive rebounds and on dump offs when his backcourt teammates are stalled on the drive. In all, he has been a solid addition to the frontcourt and should continue to be a contributor as the season progresses to the finish line.
• Wednesday is a big game for the Wizards, very big. Not only is it a chance to take down a team currently sitting at 7th in the playoff race and gain a little ground, but it will be the last time Dakota plays for 10 days with the impending D-League All-Star game coming up this weekend. Going into the break with a win would be of massive benefit to the team’s morale.
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Game 33 Preview: Into The Wild
2-11-11
Overture
You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.
What you`ll discover will be wonderful.
What you`ll discover is yourself.
~Alan Alda
Self discovery is a vague process, ambiguous by nature, capricious in timing. In the case of the Wizards it’s unusually simply to pinpoint their position of breakthrough – it begins tonight and ends on Saturday. In Iowa.
For the first time since this season began Dakota appears to have a team in place capable of winning consistently, their mirror image 10-game homestand proves as much. After stumbling to a 1-4 start, the Wizards concluded that stretch with a 4-1 showing after the acquisitions of Mo Baker, Javaris Crittenton and Mickell Gladness. We learned some things, refuted others and had many a point reinforced. But the scope through which these observations were made was clouded with mediocrity, as Dakota’s sudden run of success came in the wake of facing three opponents with sub-.500 records. So really, did we learn anything at all?
The Energy has faced Dakota six times this season, and six times emerged victorious. It’s been weeks since they last met however, both have upgraded, made improvements and now they meet when there is more at stake for the Wizards than ever. Eighteen games remain on the schedule and Dakota stands 4.5 games back of the eighth and final playoff spot. Do they have what it takes to make a run and slip into the postseason? There have been dissenting opinions from both sides of this question, but one thing is for certain, one camp will have an overwhelmingly strong argument come Sunday morning.
Tale Of The Tape
Season Series: Iowa Leads 6-0
Offensive Efficiency: 98.6
Defensive Efficiency: 100.7
Pace: 97.7
Iowa Energy: 23-9
Offensive Efficiency: 107.6
Defensive Efficiency: 102.5
Pace: 103.2
Things I Think I Know About Iowa
Just about everything there is to say about the Energy has already been said by me in the previous six meetings with the Wizards – though this time the roster looks somewhat different. Kyle Weaver is gone, but Iowa has added second-year Chicago Bulls forward James Johnson, and acquired forwards Marqus Blakely and Stanley Robinson. Add in Curtin Stinson, Othyus Jeffers, Courtney Sims and Chris Lofton and this team is absolutely loaded.
We already know about the latter four players, there’s not much left to say there. Johnson has been on a tear since being assigned, posting averages of 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2 blocks and shooting nearly 60% from the floor. His solidly built 6-9 frame and versatility as a face up power forward makes him akin to the Wizards Chris Johnson only much stronger and slightly less athletic – you get the idea though. Blakley came over from Bakersfield in a trade and has been just as potent in a new uniform, averaging 19 and 6 on a ridiculous 75% shooting. The Wizards struggled to defend him in their west coast swing to play the Jam earlier in the season, but have made some noted improvements in their frontcourt since that time. Lastly there’s the super athletic Stanley Robinson, a rookie out of Connecticut who at one time was being considered as a lottery pick in the NBA. He’s been largely absent due to injury this season, but is averaging nearly 10 points since being given a clean bill of health. Is he a major impact player at this level right now? No, but certainly a great weapon to have coming off the bench.
These new additions have made an already good offense into a red hot one. Over its last six games the Energy is averaging nearly 125 points.
Things The Wizards Need To Do
Dakota is going to have its hands full on defense all night. Iowa is loaded with weapons that in a short time have come together at an alarming rate to form a formidable 9-man rotation on the floor. With the loss of Kyle Weaver however, Iowa has been reduced to a team with just one perimeter shooter in Lofton, though he is a very good one, connecting on nearly 44% of his attempts from beyond the arc. What is left is a team that excels at scoring around the basket either in the post or off the dribble. The Wizards are going to have to pack the lane, cut off driving lanes and double down with perimeter defenders much like they did against Maine last week. Granted, Iowa features more players capable of taking advantage of an unbalanced court, so Dakota better be ready to rotate quickly and often, otherwise they’ll find themselves in a hole very quickly.
Things I’m Excited To See
- Both of these pertain to Iowa, but the combination of Robinson and Johnson should be fun to watch. Robinson is a much more raw prospect but has outstanding athleticism even for the NBA level. Johnson is a player who has been intriguing since his days at Wake Forest and I firmly believe can be a contributor at the pro level given he continues to develop his mid-range game.
- How does the Wizards frontcourt hold up tonight? Chris Johnson has been playing inspired basketball since he returned to the D-League, Mickell Gladness has been a great addition inside and even the acquisition of Chris Ayer should help Dakota play more physical inside. If ever there was a time the team was going to hold up against the Energy, this would be it.
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Game 32 Preview: On A Roll
2-8-11
Tale Of The Tape
Season Series: Idaho Leads 3-0
Dakota Wizards: 11-20
Offensive Efficiency: 98.3
Defensive Efficiency: 100.0
Pace: 97.6
Idaho Stampede: 10-19
Offensive Efficiency: 104.7
Defensive Efficiency: 108.2
Pace: 94.0
Things I Think I Know About Idaho
The Stampede has had Dakota’s number this season, winning all three match ups to date thus far. The Wizards certainly can’t feel good about being responsible for 30% of Idaho’s wins this season, especially with two of them coming on the floor of the Civic Center. With that said, this team is playing its best basketball of the season – particularly on the offensive end – at a point in the season when Idaho has been struggling with defense.
Over its last five games Idaho is allowing nearly 103 points per game, slightly higher than their season average, losing four games in that span. Truth be told, offense has been the real hang-up for this team, as the Stampede have been battling inconsistency for the better part of two weeks. Antoine Walker who has been one of the team’s top offensive threats since joining early in the season has been remarkably inconsistent during this stretch as teams are starting to key in on him when he operates in the post. Walker has done a good job adapting his game in the D-League since we last saw him in the NBA, but much like a pitcher in baseball with a unique delivery but average stuff, now that teams have figured out how he operates inside and he doesn’t have the athleticism to compensate, his production is dropping.
Jermareo Davidson on the other hand has been on a tear, recording double-doubles in seven out of his last eight games including notching 40 points and 32 rebounds in a pair of wins over the Wizards in mid-January. Certainly Dakota is coming off a great defensive effort in containing DeShawn Sims and Tiny Gallon this weekend in wins over Maine, but Davidson is more athletic than those two and will present a greater challenge. Carlos Wheeler has also been a consistent scoring option since joining the team a few weeks ago and is coming off of two very efficient games last week against Reno.
Idaho didn’t perform all that well defensively in their previous meetings with Dakota, but were efficient enough on offense and successful enough rebounding the basketball to pull out a pair of close wins on the road. Those two factors will be paramount tonight.
Things The Wizards Need To Do
Call it lazy on my part, but really if Dakota keeps doing exactly what it has been doing there’s no reason to think tonight doesn’t yield a fifth straight win. The insertion of Mike Anderson into the starting lineup, Mo Baker playing himself back into shape and the addition of Javaris Crittenton have all combined to energize the Wizards at both ends of the floor.
In their previous matchups with Idaho the Wizards got burned from beyond the arc AND on the block, a recipe for disaster. As of late though, Dakota has done an excellent job of doubling down on post entries and rotating on the perimeter to prevent giving up open looks on kick outs. If the Wizards continue to apply defensive pressure in this manner they’ll give Davidson all kinds of problems inside as he doesn’t have a very developed post game, relying more so on his athleticism to get points inside. This pressure should also yield transition baskets as it has been, thanks in part to Baker and Crittenton pushing the ball with great success while the Wizards athletic wings fill the lanes in transition.
That leads nicely into the final key for Dakota tonight: keep moving the ball. The Wizards have 50 assists in their last two games which is remarkable. As my co-worker said to me yesterday, there are high school teams that don’t accumulate 50 assists in a season. Now that the team finally has a pair of capable point guards the offense is operating at the highest level it has all season, with ball movement becoming contagious.
Things I’m Excited To See
- The continual development of Javaris Crittenton is of particular interest. The talent and ability is evident, it’s simply a matter of him readjusting to the pro game in America and playing himself back into shape. Just from game one to game two of the Crittenton Era the growth was tremendous. With a few days of practice under his belt now as well, I expect an even stronger performance.
- Frankly I’m excited to see if this game is even played. As I posted on Twitter a few hours ago tonight’s game has already been pushed back from 7 to 8:30 PM as a result of half of Idaho’s roster being stranded in Denver due to poor flying conditions. There are rumors swirling now that the remaining players might not make it in time at all, forcing the cancelation of the game all together. Keep an eye on my Twitter page for updates.
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Balance Kills: Dakota 109 – Maine 97
2-5-11
Box Score
Chances are, all most people will end up remembering from last night’s winning effort at the Civic Center will be the hero-like return of Chris Johnson. It’s pretty Hollywood there’s no question. Stepping off the plane after the game had already started, racing to the arena and walking into the building in full uniform to a standing ovation, then tossing up a double-double in the second half – impressive stuff. But, with all due respect to CJ, he didn’t win this game for the Wizards.
I know, sacrilegious.
Johnson may have been the emotional catalyst, but when it comes down to it Dakota played its best game of the season from an offensive standpoint. There have been higher point totals, more dynamic finishes, but nothing remotely close to the kind of balanced team effort that was on display in the capital city last night.
On their way to a 12-point win, the Wizards shot 48% from the floor, assisted 26-of-41 made shots and when the dust had settled every player on the roster had scored at least six points with seven individuals reaching double figures. It may have not been evident to all in attendance, but as the night unfolded it slowly dawned on me that everyone had their role. Everyone played their part. That has been a rarity, almost non-existent event this season. From Dominique Scales playing a season-high 18 minutes, to Mickell Gladness providing an emphatic second-quarter dunk to quell a Red Claw run, it was a complete team win – one these players can take pride in.
Wizard Drops
• OK, let’s start with the biggest storyline prior to Johnson’s grandiose entrance: the debut of Javaris Crittenton. If we were handing out grades this would have to be a C, which I know sounds awful, but as so many professors have said over the years, “A C isn’t a bad grade, it’s average”. Nothing about Crittenton’s performance was surprising really, save for the technical he picked up early in the first quarter. He struggled with his shot and his handles were sloppy, but he also hasn’t played truly competitive basketball since he was in training camp with Charlotte back in October. The explosiveness and court vision were absolutely there he’s going to need a little time to adjust and get back to game shape. Granted, the back injury he suffered at the end of the game doesn’t help matters, but I expect Crittenton to be at optimum playing level in two weeks time.
• The other NBA point guard on the court – Maine’s Avery Bradley – was impressive, much more so than when I last saw him up close in college at Texas. His lateral quickness and defense remain the most formidable aspects of his game, but he has made significant strides in his ability to pull up and fire from mid-range, dropping a game-high 25 points on an efficient 11-of-17 shooting line. His defense is NBA-caliber, if he continues to score with his jumper like he did last night, it’s only a matter of time before he gets called back up by the Celtics. Cracking that rotation with Rajon Rondo and Nate Robinson is another matter however.
• Mo Baker had his best game of the season for Dakota, ending an assist shy of a triple-double to go along with 16 points and 10 rebounds. I won’t comment on the effort to get him that final assist at the end of the game other than to say I think statistics should be accumulated in the flow of the game and not forced. Mo finally looks like he has his legs back, showing pretty good feel off the bounce, getting to the rim better than he has and playing with the confidence of a guy who has done this many times over the years. A healthy and confident Baker means good things for the Wizards.
• I loved Lawrence Westbrook last night, I could have done without the technical foul in the second, but it was a necessary evil. The diminutive guard played his best game for the Wizards dropping 13 points, but it was the obvious fire he played with last night that I enjoyed. He was jawing with Maine’s guards, unleashing profanity laced tirades walking off the court and walking around with an obvious swagger. I like this Westbrook, the Wizards NEED this Westbrook, please stay.
• This fire proved contagious for the entire team. The Wizards finished with 16 second chance points, which I’m not entirely sure if it’s their highest total of the season, but I’m positive it’s up there. Maine for its part finished with just three second chance points. Any time you go out and finish with 13 more second chance points and have a +9 advantage on the boards, you’re going to win a lot of games.
• Dakota did all the right things defensively, with the bulk of the credit needing to go to the backcourt. Despite being physically outmanned inside the Wizards actually outscored Maine in the paint 44-34 thanks to the fantastic job the guards did doubling down on any entry passes to the post. The remaining perimeter defenders rotated exceptionally well to prevent kick outs to the wing, which while this did leave an unbalanced court with Dakota vulnerable to skip passes, the Red Claws didn’t take advantage.
• Overall, fantastic effort from the Wizards, one of the best of the season. I expect things to be chippy again tonight, but a fourth-straight win would be tremendous for this team’s confidence.
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Game 30 Preview: The Tipping Point
2-4-11
Overture
For all teams - save for the lucky few that use the regular season as a stepping stone to bigger things – there is a tipping point. For some it comes early, others later in the schedule. For the Wizards that tipping point is going to unfold painfully slowly over the next four days. You’ve heard me say several times over the last two weeks that Dakota is still alive in the playoff picture despite what their stomach churning record would have you believe. But for lack of a better term, it’s gut-check time in Bismarck.
The Wizards have three games remaining on their current homestand and sit six games back of Texas for the eighth and final playoff spot. This three-game stretch with Maine and Idaho won’t make Dakota’s playoff chances, but it can certainly break them. There’s no more time for speculation, no time for development, the wins need to come and they need to come now. Three wins isn’t out of the question, it won’t be easy, but it can be done. For the Wizards sake let’s hope so, because a road trip to Iowa awaits.
Tale Of The Tape
Season Series: Tied 1-1
Dakota Wizards: 9-20
Offensive Efficiency: 96.9
Defensive Efficiency: 100.6
Pace: 96.9
Maine Red Claws: 12-17
Offensive Efficiency: 102.5
Defensive Efficiency: 108.6
Pace: 98.2
Things I Think I Know About Maine
Not much has changed about the Red Claws since they last faced the Wizards about a month ago. This is still a team that is looking to outscore its opponents with defense simply serving as a means to an end rather than an aspect of the game worth excelling at. Maine continues to light up the scoreboard, but in a recent stretch that has seen them go 2-6, the Red Claws have allowed 100 points in seven out of eight contests.
The strength of this team continues to be the interior duo of DeShawn Sims and Tiny Gallon who are capable of giving any frontcourt in the D-League fits. Dakota’s physically thin bigs did a solid enough job on Gallon in early January, frustrating the Celtics rookie into 8-for-18 shooting over two games, but he crushed them on the boards, racking up 21. Sims on the other hand had his way inside, shooting nearly 50% on his way to 45 points in a split series. The task this time will be significantly more difficult however as Maine finally has a guard capable of penetrating and drawing defenders before dishing inside, that being Celtics rookie Avery Bradley who has been on assignment for a couple of weeks now and playing well.
While Jamar Smith and Mario West are capable scorers and excellent perimeter shooters, neither has the playmaking ability that Bradley does. A very quick penetrator, lauded for his outstanding defensive efforts at the college level, the University of Texas product will undoubtedly be a handful to cover, but of course Dakota now has its own NBA-caliber floor general in Javaris Crittenton, but we’ll get more into that later.
The book on Maine continues to be simple: interior scoring combined with a collection of shooters that will apply pressure and wreak havoc if not contested, while the defensive struggles have continue to manifest themselves in the loss column.
Things The Wizards Need To Do
Rotating defensively on the perimeter was the difference last time, it will be the difference this time. The Wizards are going to inevitably concede some points in the paint by not being able to double down on Sims and Gallon, but that’s a necessary evil to avoid giving up open looks from beyond the arc.
With that said, Maine has struggled on the offensive glass this season and Dakota took advantage of that in the teams’ previous two meetings. In all, the Wizards had a +13 advantage on the glass which was of particular importance in a 23-point win on January 7th. The other important factor in that game was Dakota establishing the tone early and keeping the pedal down. The Wizards led by 12 at the half and never looked back. The Red Claws have struggled playing from behind this season, particularly on the road, so if Dakota gets ahead by a comfortable margin in the first half, that should be the difference.
Things I’m Excited To See
- The battle between Bradley and Crittenton up close, particularly seeing the Wizards new acquisition up close. The early reviews in practice have been nothing short of sterling, so I expect a solid performance even as he plays himself back into shape.
- I’m also excited about seeing Gallon up close. The kid is a unique combination of size and athleticism and is just 20 years old. With the right amount of seasoning and coaching, he’ll have a successful NBA career.
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Happy Trails H; Crittenton Arrives In Bismarck
2-3-11
There’s been quite a bit of NBA talent moving in and out of Bismarck in the last 24 hours. Yesterday afternoon the Dakota Wizards formally announced the acquisition of point guard Javaris Crittenton from the available player pool, a move first reported by KFYR last week.
An NBA veteran, Crittenton was the 19th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers and has also spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards and most recently the Charlotte Bobcats. The 22-year-old point guard has reportedly received interest from the Lakers and Toronto Raptors so his stay in the D-League could very likely be short if he plays well, but for the time being is a solid addition to the backcourt. We’ll have a more in depth look at Crittenton’s game tomorrow right here.
Just a few hours after the Wizards officially announced the addition of one NBA player, the Wizards Watch Blog learned about the departure of another. Washington Wizards rookie center Hamady N’Diaye, who has been on assignment with Dakota for the last several weeks, was recalled to the NBA yesterday afternoon and left Bismarck this morning. The 7-footer appeared in 11 games in the D-League averaging 4 points, 4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 18 minutes of playing time. N’Diaye’s biggest contributions came on the defensive end where he is a noted difference maker, but the youngster made definite strides as a scorer in the post, something Washington will no doubt be pleased with.
This latest set of roster moves still leaves the Wizards with 9 men on their roster.
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The Anthony Goods Conundrum
2-1-11
With Chris Johnson’s departure for a 10-day contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, Anthony Goods has stepped into the role of the Wizards most explosive scoring option. The 6-3 guard scored in double figures in every game during the month of January and eclipsed 20 points on five separate occasions, displaying a propensity for scoring in bunches and heating up at a moment’s notice.
His efficiency has improved noticeably as has his shot selection, but over the last two weeks a trend has started to emerge where Goods starts fast and tends to fade in the second half of games. In his last six games the Stanford product is averaging just over 18 points per game, a mark that leads the team. However, his production has trailed off significantly after halftime, with Goods averaging 12.2 points per game in the first half and just 6 points the rest of the way. So why the dramatic change in production late in the game for such a dynamic scorer?
The answer to this question is two-fold. First, Goods is simply getting fewer touches in the second half of games over the last couple of weeks. Since January 16th, he has recorded 30% more possessions in the first half than in the second, that’s a significant difference. Dakota is simply looking to get the ball in Goods’s hands more often in the early part of the game which makes sense given the team’s consistent struggles starting games. While many of his teammates seem to take several minutes to get acclimated to the pace of the game, Goods often comes right out of the gate firing from the perimeter and attacking the basket off the dribble much like a prize fighter who comes out swinging while the opposition focuses on avoiding an early knockout blow.
The Wizards have done a good job of getting Goods the basketball in situations where he can excel early in games. While his overall scoring efficiency has only been average since joining Dakota, Goods excels in spot-up situations, scoring nearly 1.13 points per possession and posting an adjusted field goal percentage of 56.2% according to Synergy Sports. He is a good three-point shooter when he gets his feet set, so it’s a telling sign that in this recent stretch of six games he has taken significantly more three-pointers and has 11 more field goal attempts in spot-up situations in the first half of these games.
The second part of this equation revolves around what Goods does with the basketball in the second half of games. Not only is he receiving fewer touches following halftime, but he’s looking to distribute the ball more often. A greater percentage of his possessions are pick and roll situations where Goods comes off screens looking to pass and though there isn’t a significant increase his assist totals (partly due to the drop in minutes and possessions), the veteran clearly looks to be more of a facilitator then scorer in the later part of the game.
In many ways this is akin to a football team using the run to set up the pass later in the game. Goods gets his shots up early and often meaning the defense is quick to pay him attention when the ball is in his hands later in the game. Once this occurs, he actually becomes a better playmaker with the huge caveat being when he opts to look to pass first as opposed to shooting the ball, something that happens only about half of the time. This also explains his drop-off in overall production in the second half, he’s simply seeing more defensive pressure applied when he touches the ball. This set up worked well during Mike Hall’s recent run of 25-point games, allowing him to spot-up for open jumpers while Goods drew the attention of additional defenders. Now with the small forwards departure for a pro deal in Turkey Goods will have to continue to score in the second half in the face of increased pressure or someone else will have to step up and produce.
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Finishing The Job: Dakota Sweeps Skyforce
1-31-11
Saturday’s Box Score
Sunday’s Box Score
Closing out games has not exactly been the Wizards forte this season – far from it. In fact, prior to this weekend, Dakota had managed to win just three games by five points or less, usually fading down the stretch as costly turnovers mount and frustration builds. So while it would be easy to write off a pair of wins on Saturday and Sunday as taking advantage of playing an abysmal Sioux Falls team (certainly part of the equation), head coach Rory White has to be pleased with the response of his banged up, undermanned team in back-to-back fourth quarters.
Dakota pulled out two different wins, a monster fourth quarter on Saturday that saw them outscore the Skyforce 31-18 in the final period and the kept cool heads yesterday afternoon to pull off a six-point win. It’s a step in the right direction, it’s a reason to feel good as we kick off the work week, but we’re certainly long past the point of calling this a turning point in the season. The Wizards remain six games out of the playoff picture with 21 games to go – it’s an uphill battle for sure that will require getting a little bit of help from some other teams. Still, this is a process that needs to be done in increments. Three games remain on the current homestand, all are winnable, but none of them are guarantees as we’ve come to learn.
Today’s post is relatively short as it’s been a busy couple of days at KFYR. With the Wizards off until Friday however that leaves plenty of time to break down the last few days right here so look for plenty of analysis in the upcoming days.
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Crittenton To Join Wizards Tomorrow
1-30-11
A source close to the situation has confirmed to the Wizards Watch Blog that former NBA first round pick Javaris Crittenton will be arriving in Bismarck tomorrow to officially join the Dakota Wizards.
The point guard out of Georgia Tech was the 19th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. In addition he has spent time with the Grizzlies, Wizards and most recently began the 2010-2011 season with the Bobcats before being released by the team on October 15th.
In two seasons in the NBA Crittenton has posted career averages of 5.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Most recently Crittenton was playing overseas in China and has reportedly received interest from the Lakers and Raptors.
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Game 28 Preview: A Lesson In Perspective
1-29-11
Overture
Tonight two teams will take the floor of the Civic Center and the D-League as a collective will be largely indifferent of the outcome. Can you blame them? With a combined record of 10-39, the Wizards and Skyforce have been the poster children for basketball futility this season. While Dakota has agonizingly tossed away potential wins in the closing minutes of one too many games, Sioux Falls aside from a one-point win over New Mexico last Friday, hasn’t so much as sniffed victory in six weeks. Why would anyone outside of the North and South (Dakota) have any interest in a game of this unimportance? They wouldn’t – but for these two teams and their fan bases this might as well be the playoffs.
That’s the funny thing about sports, often perspective is everything. For some, Bob Cousy is and always be the greatest point guard of all time. Ask a Lakers fan from the 80’s and it’s Magic, no debate. The Army vs. Navy football rivalry went through a monumental drought where neither team was even remotely relevant on the national level. Yet, it remained one of the biggest games of the season with all the passion and pageantry you could ask for. For many years Duke hardly considered Maryland a rival in college basketball, rather a pesky younger brother trying to play with the big boys. For Terrapin fans, no game was bigger on the calendar each season. For a pair of fan bases desperately hoping for a turnaround to otherwise mediocre seasons, Wizards vs. Skyforce is the only game in town tonight.
Forget about Tulsa’s 13-game winning streak. Check out the highlights later on if you care about Danny Green’s return to the D-League. In Bismarck the focus is on beating the guys in powder blue, putting another tally in the win column, starting the climb out of despair.
Of course, perspective works both ways. A win tonight might mean a better tomorrow for the Wizards, but an 8-20 team they will remain. But let’s leave that point of view for the other guys – win now, ask questions later.
Tale Of The Tape
Season Series: Tied 1-1
Dakota Wizards: 7-20
Offensive Efficiency: 96.4
Defensive Efficiency: 101.3
Pace: 96.9
Sioux Falls Skyforce: 3-19
Offensive Efficiency: 99.8
Defensive Efficiency: 107.9
Pace: 98.6
Things I Think I Know About Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls is a bad team by any metric you want to use. Sometimes you can make the argument that a team isn’t as bad as their record, well that’s not the case here. In addition to having the second worst offensive efficiency in the D-League (Wizards have the worst), the Skyforce has the highest turnover rate (17%) and the lowest rate of getting to the free throw line (11%) according to Synergy Sports Technology. It may be splitting hairs, but it wouldn’t be all that hard to say this is a worse overall offense than Dakota’s, especially given that the Wizards have made strides in their offensive efficiency over the last three weeks.
This isn’t to say there haven’t been some extenuating circumstances for Sioux Falls this season. In addition to head coach Tony Fritz being fired two weeks ago, the team lost one of its top scorers in Leemire Goldwire to a more lucrative offer overseas, and had to deal with the absence of Anthony Mason Jr. who was waived due to injury. In all, it’s been an ugly stretch for the Skyforce.
The only bright spot for the team has been the play of Miami Heat rookie Dexter Pittman who has emerged as the franchises leading scorer (15.2 ppg) and rebounder (8.1), having taken advantage of the opportunity to play major minutes and capitalizing on the promise he showed in college. Not surprisingly, Sioux Falls has been one of the most efficient teams in the D-League scoring in the post, connecting on 45% of shot attempts and averaging nearly .92 points per possession. If post-ups made up more than 9% of total possessions for the Skyforce, the team’s record might be better than it currently is, but the fact remains there isn’t much to latch on to at this end of the floor.
Things haven’t been a whole lot better defensively, where Sioux Falls ranks as one of the worst in the D-League here as well. Perimeter defense in particular has been a weak point for the Skyforce, with opponents shooting nearly 42% in spot-up situations according to Synergy Sports, and a 52.7% adjusted field goal percentage. In short, the Wizards are facing the ideal team to break out of their slump shooting the three.
Things The Wizards Need To Do
Well this should be an interesting case study in a crackerjack setup. The Wizards will be without Chris Johnson (their most efficient offensive weapon) for the first time, have a backcourt that is banged up to the point that the team only managed to have full practices twice this week and oh yea, still don’t have a full roster. With that said, there are certainly things Dakota can do to ensure a win.
For starters, whoever finds themselves running the offense on a particular play, be it Mo Baker, Darren Cooper or Anthony Goods, look to drive and kick whenever possible. The futility of Sioux Falls perimeter defense has already been lamented, the Wizards have the weapons to exploit that fact and those players have been doing it against far stingier defenses in recent weeks. Furthermore, the Skyforce is nearly as porous in transition, so the Wizards would be wise to push the tempo, again something they have been doing to a greater degree over the course of this home stand.
I feel like telling a team to make sure to close the game out is somewhat counterintuitive in that it is assuming the game will be close down the stretch, but should things pan out that way, Dakota needs a close win. I haven’t checked the exact numbers just yet, but just as an estimate, the Wizards can’t be any better than 1-8 or so in games decided by single digits in which they held a lead at some point in the second half. I’ll be sure to check it at some point, but that feels right to me.
Things I’m Excited To See
- Tonight will feature a pair of debuts. Patrick Ewing Jr. will be making his first appearance for Sioux Falls after being traded straight up for Danny Green who has taken his talents to Reno. Then there is Mickell Gladness who was acquired by the Wizards off the waiver wire yesterday afternoon. Gladness is a 6-11 center in his third year of pro basketball after graduating from Alabama A&M where he established an NCAA Division 1 record for most blocks in a single game with 16. Gladness spent the 2008-09 season playing in the Dutch Basketball League and was a member of the Rio Grande Valley team that won the D-League Championship last season. He played in the NBA Summer League this season with the Miami Heat and was signed to a non-guaranteed contract in September before being waived during the pre-season. He won’t bring much to the floor as a scorer, but if nothing else should help fill the defensive void left by Chris Johnson’s departure.
- Hamady N’Diaye should see increased minutes with Johnson gone and for the first time we’ll get to see him battle it out with a pro big man in Dexter Pittman. If that doesn’t get you excited, well then you’re missing out on the best storyline in this game.
- This game has the potential to be a dogfight. These teams are rivals, they’re both in the basement and in desperate need of a win. Desperation can yield some fun results.
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Mo Baker Remebers OSU Plane Crash
1-28-11
Yesterday was a painful day for Wizards guard Mo Baker. January 27th is a date that will stay with the veteran for the rest of his life. It’s a day he lost two teammates along with eight others from the Oklahoma State basketball program who died in a plane crash in southern Colorado.
This is a story that has been told many times by many people. Mo Baker was gracious enough to take some time yesterday to reflect back on that fateful night in 2001 and share his thoughts and feelings. For those of you who didn’t see the 6 o’clock Evening Report last night, I strongly encourage you to see what Baker had to say in the face of such a terrible tragedy .
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What Now? Replacing Chris Johnson
1-27-11
Professional sports can be a cruel entity. Injuries thwart careers and championships. Greed robs cohesiveness and wins. Sometimes the downright bizarre can force a losing hand. It’s the nature of the beast and yet, it still gives us those sleepless nights, that never ending string or what ifs?
At the end of the day, no matter what fans and the media may tell themselves, the goal of the D-League is singular: develop players for the NBA. Save for a few sage veterans, any player that says getting to the League isn’t priority number one is lying. There may be remorse, a bittersweet feeling at leaving behind teammates and a team that undoubtedly is worse off without the individual’s contribution, but ultimately reaching the NBA is a happy occasion.
Such was the case for Chris Johnson upon learning the Portland Trail Blazers were calling him up for a 10-day contract in the wake of yet another injury – this one a torn meniscus for Marcus Camby. Teammate Mike Hall tweeted the news with pride and excitement. Head coach Rory White had nothing but praise for the effort and dedication to honing his skills shown by Johnson during his time in Bismarck. His final comments though are the most pertinent, “I’m happy for him, but sad for us.”
Johnson’s call-up couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time for the Wizards. Sitting at 7-20 overall and having stumbled to a 1-4 start in their 10-game homestand, Dakota is in desperate need of some wins. Somehow the team remains very much alive in the playoff race despite it’s less than stellar record, but the time to turn the ship around is quickly slipping away. Now, the Wizards have lost their best player and most dynamic force at both ends of the floor. But what exactly does the team lose in Johnson?
From a straight per-game standpoint, the 6-11 center has been the Wizards top scorer (if you exclude six games from DeMarre Carroll), rebounder, shot blocker (ranking second overall in the D-League in the latter) and has been the team’s top shooter at 51% from the floor. Beyond that though, Johnson has proven a dangerous weapon in a variety of offensive scenarios, providing the kind of versatility this team has so desperately lacked elsewhere.
In his 27 games with Dakota, Johnson was the team’s most efficient scorer in the pick and roll, showing the ability to step back and connect with great consistency from mid-range, while proving equally as potent rolling to the basket and finishing in traffic. He accounted for nearly 22% of the team’s offensive rebound totals, shooting a very efficient 63% on these put back attempts according to data from Synergy Sports Technology. In short, despite his occasional inconsistency or sporadic episodes of spotting up on the perimeter for minutes at a time, Johnson was the Wizards best offensive weapon and quite possibly the best transition finisher in the D-League.
Where his presence may be missed to an even greater degree is on defense. It’s easy to point to a poor offense and say the loss of a good player will make it even worse, there’s no question there. The Wizards however have maintained an elite level of defense (from a point per possession standpoint) and Johnson has been the indisputable anchor in the middle, wreaking havoc with his length and athleticism. He ranks as an above average defender in every half court scenario, but is one of the D-League’s best covering the pick and roll as well as defending the post. Granted, Johnson will have issues defending the post at the NBA level given his slight frame, but his length and quickness will make him an asset covering the high screen and roll. Just to give you a numerical value to Johnson’s value as a defensive stalwart, he is responsible for 44% of the Wizards blocks and has allowed just 7% of total points scored against Dakota this season despite playing 33 minutes a game.
All of this could ultimately blow over in 10 days time if Portland doesn’t decide to keep Johnson on beyond his initial contract, a span that will include just two games (against Sioux Falls). If CJ returns,then it’ll simply be a case of the Wizards and their fans having an even greater appreciation for what he brings to the table. Should he stay in the NBA then the challenge becomes trying to fill that void. Dakota currently has two open roster spots – the latter being from the Walter Sharpe trade – but finding a big man of Johnson’s caliber at this point in the season will be difficult. Still if nothing else, fans and teammates alike can only hope for the best for the LSU product, after all, that’s what the D-League is really about.
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Johnson Called Up By Portland
1-23-11
A source close to the situation confirmed to the Wizards Watch Blog this afternoon that the Portland Trail Blazers will sign Dakota Wizard center Chris Johnson to a 10-day contract tomorrow. This move comes on the heels of veteran forward Marcus Camby undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery that is expected to sideline him for at least three weeks.
Johnson is the fourth call-up of the season and the first from the Wizards. The LSU product has started in all 27 games for the team this season, averaging 17.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.07 blocks per game, the second best mark in the D-League.
Johnson has been somewhat inconsistent offensively this season and isn`t a very efficient player, with that said, he can fill the void left by Camby as a defensive presence. Johnson is extremely athletic, serves as a great helpside defender and has the range to knock down 18-footers as a pick and pop player. The move is expected to be made official tomorrow afternoon and will leave the Wizards with two available roster spots in light of Friday`s trade that send Walter Sharpe to New Mexico.
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Intestinal Fortitude: Rio Grande Valley 102 – Dakota 100
1-22-11
Box Score
How many of you have taken part in an eating contest before? The kind where you’re going for quantity in a set amount of time – think Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July. My junior year of college the apartment complex I lived in had one and my roommates convinced me to partake, the thought process being: big, competitive guy, he’ll win this. After some posturing for the sake of it, I entered, and won. But that’s not where I’m going with this.
When the contest began I immediately put the idea in my head that I would very soon start to feel full and uncomfortable, which is to be expected when forcing down food as fast as you can. But after several hot dogs I was feeling fine, hungry even. As I continued chomping down that so called “food wall” started creeping up on me, but given my fast start I brushed it off and continued plowing through my pile. Right as I picked up my final hot dog the pain started setting in. I felt sluggish, full and may or may have not been mildly nauseous – don’t worry I kept it all down. I couldn’t believe though how I could feel almost 100 percent one moment, only to suddenly find myself nearly doubled over with hot dog overdose. In many ways, this is akin to what happened to the Wizards last night.
On paper, last night’s contest with Rio Grande Valley wasn’t supposed to be a game. The Vipers are loaded with borderline NBA talent, guys on the cusp of getting that elusive call-up. Dakota is a basement dweller, a team that routinely has found ways to throw away games down the stretch. Yet after the first quarter the Wizards were proud owners of a 33-24 lead, easily their best start to a game this year. I won’t lie, I was certainly surprised, I’m not sure how the Wizards felt about things, but it all seemed a little too easy. Sure enough, it was.
The Vipers slowly crept back in over the next three quarters. At the half it was a 7-point lead. By the start of the fourth quarter it was down to just two points. Ultimately it came down to the final 30 seconds, much like it came down to that final hot dog for me. With the game tied at 100, Jerel McNeal drove baseline, stopped on a dime and after a pump fake dropped in the go-ahead basket. After an errant horn interrupted the Wizards well drawn up sideline play with seven seconds remaining, Anthony Goods was off the mark as was Mike Hall on his follow up try. Welcome to life at 7-19.
Wizard Drops
• The problems with analyzing games of this nature sometimes, is they often get boiled down to just one or two plays. Many will look back on last night’s loss and point to the errant horn that went off with seven seconds remaining that offset the Wizards rhythm. Games aren’t won and lost in just a few seconds though, it takes the full 48 minutes. The big picture issue here for Dakota was the inability to protect the basketball. Despite shooting a better percentage from the floor and from beyond the arc, despite winning the battle on the boards, the Wizards lost this game by turning the basketball over 26 times, a grotesquely high mark. RGV for its part only committed the dirty deed 12 times. Assuming you don’t get crushed on the glass and don’t shoot poorly from the floor (the Vipers didn’t), finishing -14 in turnovers is going to give you a very good chance to win a basketball game. Just to put things in slightly more tangible terms, the Wizards posted a 22.5% turnover rate last night, meaning they turned the ball over nearly one out of every four possessions.
• Mike Hall is officially on a tear now, recording his third straight game of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds, finishing with 27 and 13 respectively last night. The great thing about the forward is that despite how well he’s been performing, the one thing above all else that continues to stand out to everyone is just how hard he works. While he’s shown the ability to consistently hit from 18-feet and beyond the arc, Hall has been able to score tough baskets in the post and has kept more plays alive with his hustle on the offensive glass than I can count at this point. When you’re tossing up 25-point games and people keep commenting on your work ethic, then good things are happening.
• Anthony Goods went for 27 point as well but it was his efficiency that stands out the most. Scoring 27 on 15 shots is a good night at the office, a very good night. The Stanford product showed smart shot selection, picked his spots well and I think a lot of that has to do with Hall catching fire. Goods doesn’t feel the pressure to create for himself every time he touches the ball, nor does he need to when others are helping to spread the defense. As much as Goods is a perimeter gunner, he loves to attack off the dribble, he’s comfortable doing this, he likes doing this and last night it was working for him.
• I’m a little surprised with how well the Wizards shot from the floor last night, connecting on 44% of their shot attempts which is a good mark for Dakota. What was most shocking about that though is they did all that with just 13 assisted baskets out of 33. That’s a very low rate and generally when that much isolation is happening shooting percentages are going to suffer. It’s a good thing Hall and Goods couldn’t miss.
• When viewing this game through the lens of pro potential, nobody impressed me more than Houston Rockets rookie Ish Smith, playing in his third game since being assigned to the Vipers. His 18-point, 4-assist stat line was nice, but it was the physical gifts that stood out the most. Having scouted Smith while he was at Wake Forest, I knew he was an extremely quick guard with the basketball, but seeing it up close is something entirely different. No one on the Wizards could consistently stay in front of him last night, I’d be surprised if there’s more than one or two players in the D-League that can. Furthermore, his court vision was excellent, showing the ability to create scoring chances for his teammates and if not for a few missed shots and some extra passes, Smith could have easily finished with double figure assist numbers last night.
• The Wizards showed they can play with an elite team last night, they’ve shown that several times this season. What they haven’t shown yet is the ability to close out games consistently. Dakota could easily be closer to 12-14 rather than the current 7-19 record, I know that sounds like a lot, but the Wizards have thrown away that many games down the stretch. The biggest problem right now is how easily some of the players seem to get discouraged when things don’t go well. A couple of questionable calls, or a few bad offensive possessions and all of a sudden things seem to spiral rather quickly. The addition of Mo Baker and the presence of veterans Hall and Renaldo Major should hopefully help this trend subside, but time is working against the Wizards. The second half of the season is here, we’re past the top of the mountain and starting back down the other side. Believe it or not, Dakota is only 5.5 games out of the final playoff spot, that being a Texas Legends team they’ve beaten twice. But this team needs to take advantage of winnable games. In the midst of this current 10-game homestand Dakota is just 1-3, with all three losses coming by single digits. Six game remain at the Civic Center before hitting the road for a pair of very tough games at Iowa and we know how that’s gone this season. It’s time to start making up some ground in the standings. With tonight’s game against the Vipers, two with Sioux Falls, two with Maine and one against Idaho, a 4-2 stretch over these next 6 games is very doable.
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Game 26 Preview: New Beginnings, Familiar Faces
1-21-11
Tale Of The Tape
Season Series: First Meeting
Dakota Wizards: 7-18
Offensive Efficiency: 95.9
Defensive Efficiency: 100.1
Pace: 96.7
Rio Grande Valley Vipers: 15-7
Offensive Efficiency: 109.8
Defensive Efficiency: 102.7
Pace: 99.9
Things I Think I Know About Rio Grande Valley
The Vipers are a star studded team, as far as the D-League is concerned. Rookie point guard Ish Smith will be playing in his third game tonight since being assigned by the Houston Rockets and will be without question the fastest man on the floor, making him a tough cover for everyone. Then there’s the trio of Jeff Adrien, Mustafa Shakur and newly acquired Matt Janning, all of whom are legitimate candidates for NBA call ups, with Adrien serving as likely the best in the entire league. That doesn’t even include Richard Roby and Jerel McNeal, elite wings in college and producing at a high level in the D-League, with McNeal doubling as a lockdown defender. Sound daunting enough yet?
After watching plenty of tape and talking to Wizards head coach Rory White to get his take on it, we’re both in agreement, the Vipers like the three. In 22 games this season Rio Grande Valley is averaging more than 25 three-point attempts per game, with nearly one-third of all their field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc – a tremendous number. While their 34% team mark shooting from this distance is hardly impressive, the sheer quantity of shots they attempt makes up for and in part causes this average success rate. With that said, yesterday’s trade that brings in Matt Janning is sure to make a significant impact as the former Northeastern standout is a sharpshooter from the outside who will need to be marked up by the Wizards perimeter defenders.
All the while the Vipers are threatening to light it up from the outside (52.5% of the team’s field goal attempts in half court sets are jumpers according to Synergy Sports), they possess one of the best interior threats in the D-League in the aforementioned Jeff Adrien. Since joining the team the former Big East star has posted averages of 18 points and 11 rebounds while shooting a scintillating 64% from the floor as a result of the sheer manner in which he overpowers defenders.
For all of the success that the Vipers have shown offensively this season (109.8 points per 100 possessions), they struggle immensely as a transition team, ranking as one of the worst fastbreak offenses in the D-League based on efficiency. This actually bodes well for the Wizards since they tend to play at a slower pace.
Defensively Rio Grande Valley has also had a good deal of success – with defense playing the primary role in the team’s recent run of success that has launched the Vipers to second in the western conference. The team is holding opponents to just .892 points per possession and rank as the best team in the D-League in regards to defending spot up situations, holding teams to 35% shooting here. Credit the play of McNeal and Roby here, but the addition of Smith will make them even tougher to beat by swinging the ball around the perimeter.
Things The Wizards Need To Do
This one should be obvious given the breakdown above of the Vipers, but defending the perimeter will be paramount tonight. Dakota simple doesn’t have the necessary firepower to stay close with Rio Grande Valley should the three pointers start raining down. The Wizards have the length and quickness on the perimeter that they should be able to challenge shots with regularity.
Establishing Mike Hall as an offensive weapon early will also be key. Hall has been on a tear as of late, having finally gotten his conditioning to the point where he can play to the level that he is capable of. Having a player who can consistently bury the mid-range jumper will open up holes in the defense that other players can take advantage of.
The Wizards also need to push the pace, simply because the Vipers will be looking to do the same. Newly acquired Lawrence Westbrook, an accomplished rookie out of the University of Minnesota, is the perfect candidate to do so. While diminutive in size, he has the open floor quickness and court vision to create scoring chances for his teammates right away and early reports from practice indicate he is gelling quickly with his new team.
Things I’m Excited To See
- Westbrook has had a couple days of practice and Mo Baker has a game under his belt, it’s time for the Wizards to unleash their new backcourt. It’s the perfect combination of veteran experience with youthful exuberance and athleticism. Have the Wizards made upgrades to the backcourt before? Yes. Have they perhaps underachieved? Sure. Still, I can’t help thinking this might finally be the right pairing to get the offense clicking.
- Can Mike Hall keep it up? I say yes. He has a knack for creating space off the dribble and for finding open spots on the floor – that’s a dangerous combination given how well he’s been shooting the basketball.
- I’ve been looking forward to seeing Jeff Adrien and Ish Smith for Rio Grande Valley simply for Adrien’s toughness and Smith’s speed. Both are characteristics that generally can’t be fully appreciated until seen up close.
- One final note in case you don`t follow me on Twitter, but as I posted earlier today, Walter Sharpe has been traded to New Mexico in exchange for a 3rd round pick in the 2011 D-League draft
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Wizards Acquire Westbrook
1-20-11
The Dakota Wizards announced last night that they have acquired rookie guard Lawrence Westbrook from the available player pool. In order to make room for the move the team has waived point guard Vernon Hamilton who has missed the last several games with an injured hamstring.
Westbrook is in his first season of professional basketball after spending four years at the University of Minnesota. As a senior with the Golden Gophers the 6-0 point guard posted averages of 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and shot 41% from beyond the arc while making the Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Team. Following the conclusion of his college career Westbrook played in the NBA Summer League with the Minnesota Timberwolves where he performed well enough to be a third round pick of the Maine Red Claws in the D-League Draft. He appeared in nine games with Maine averaging nearly 5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
The addition of Westbrook gives the Wizards a point guard capable of pushing the tempo in transition, finishing at the rim and is another shooter from beyond the arc. With the presence of both Westbrook and the recently acquired Mo Baker that should free up Darren Cooper and Mike Hall to both play off the ball one-hundred percent of the time now. Westbrook is with the team practicing as of this morning and will be in uniform tomorrow night for the first of two games with Rio Grande Valley.
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Cleaning The Glass
1-19-11
Earlier in the season we may have fooled ourselves into thinking it was nothing more than a trend, a passing faze like adolescence or boy bands. Now approaching the midway point of the season it’s time to call it like it is: the Wizards are a mediocre offensive team. No matter what metric the team is judged by Dakota is at or near the bottom of the D-League when talking about the ability to put the ball in the hoop. Even when breaking things down further into individual scenarios, the Wizards are in the bottom third in the D-League in scoring efficiency in every single play-type that exists according to Synergy Sports – except for one. The Wizards are an excellent offensive rebounding team.
Despite struggling on the glass overall at various points during the season, Dakota has managed to be extremely effective at creating second and third scoring chances this year – ranking third overall in the D-League in scoring efficiency off of offensive rebounds. Furthermore, they’ve scored more points than any other team in this setting, which speaks to the overall issues the team has shooting the ball, but also to the effort they give rebounding.
The source of the team’s success hasn’t come from just one player either, rather a collective group of athletes hustling. Chris Johnson, Renaldo Major, Mike Hall and Mike Anderson all average better than two offensive rebounds per-40 minutes, with all but Major averaging better than three per-40. Having players like these able to crash the glass to keep plays alive has helped in more ways than one, particularly when you look at these players under the scope of their individual performances.
For Hall, prior to the last two games where he has started to become a focal point of the offense, the bulk of his points were coming from crashing the boards. His hustle was earning him minutes and even though the production wasn’t always present in the scoring column, it’s a safe bet he was responsible for at least an additional 10 points a night for Dakota based on the plays he managed to keep alive. Major has been MIA offensively for the better part of the last week and a half, but in his usual fashion has continued to get his points at the line, in no small part because of his propensity from flying down the lane and stealing rebounds away from the opposition.
As much success as Dakota has in this facet of the game (12.5 offensive rebounds per game and 63.5% shooting on the results field goal attempts), it only makes up a small part of their offense – just 6.9% of all shot attempts according to Synergy Sports. It’s also somewhat of a double-edged sword for the Wizards. It’s a safe bet that should the team continue to excel at cleaning the offensive glass at the rate they have been it will mean the rest of the offense is struggling. At least creating second chance opportunities gives Dakota the benefit of more field goal tries to produce points each night.
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Fear The Spud: Idaho 103 – Dakota 95
1-18-11
Box Score
Losing hurts. Losing at home hurts more. So a 3-7 record at the Civic Center is going to leave everyone involved with the Dakota Wizards wincing to a degree. Of course the way the Wizards are losing games as of late is a completely different beast than we saw at the outset of the season – in many ways it’s a more frustrating and perplexing beast, think Sphinx.
That’s the issue with problems, they don’t always go away, rather develop and evolve into something else. Sometimes, something worse. While Dakota used to dig itself such a deep hole early that no matter how massive of a comeback was mounted, the run ultimately failed from sheer exhaustion. As of late, the issue has been the inability to hold leads and close out games. The Wizards led by two at the half, trailed by only four going into the fourth, but it was Idaho making the plays down the stretch. A 29-point effort in the fourth quarter is one of the best we’ve seen from this team all year, but giving up 33 points is a surefire way to earn yourself a loss.
It’s ironic that defense would be the issue in the closing minutes of games given that for the majority of the season, that has been the lone bright spot for the Wizards – at least from an efficiency standpoint. We’ll get to the rest in another round of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
The Good
Mike Hall: Boy has he been good in the last two days. The NBA veteran finished with a game-high 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds, at points single handedly carrying the Wizards offense while simultaneously abusing Antoine Walker. After one stretch in the second quarter where Hall drained three shots in four possessions against ‘Toine, Idaho was forced to start sending additional help. Not that Walker has ever been revered for his defensive efforts, but Hall is hardly what anyone would consider to be an explosive offensive force, ah how the mighty have fallen. Forget who was defending him though, Hall was a sparkplug and tremendously efficient, posting a 1.18 points per possession mark.
Anthony Goods in the 1st half: The shooting guard out of Stanford has definitely earned a reputation as a shoot first, everything else second kind of player in his time with the Wizards – and rightfully so. With that said, Goods showed great shot selection and discretion in the first half last night, shooting just six times ( he shot 11 times in the first quarter on Sunday), but more importantly picking his spots in a manner we haven’t seen from him since college. There’s no question Goods can get to the rim, he’s quick off the bounce, but he’s at his most dangerous spotting up on the perimeter and when defenders fly at him, throwing out a pump fake before calmly hitting from 18-feet. He made a living doing this at the college level and did so in the opening 24 minutes last night before settling back into his usual trigger happy form after the break.
Interior Defense: I said the Wizards needed to improve upon this yesterday and they did, outscoring Idaho in the paint 40-38 and winning the battle on the boards 46-43.
The Bad
Cedric Jackson: This one isn’t so much something the Wizards did poorly as much as it is Jackson putting together another strong outing which is by nature, bad for Dakota. After missing a triple-double by two assists on Sunday, Jackson was back at it again going for 20 points (on much improved 6-of-11 shooting), along with 8 rebounds and 9 assists. Something I did notice which is of interest is that since joining the Stampede from Erie, Jackson has seen his rebounding numbers jump. He’s averaging around 4 boards per game on the season, but nearly 8 per game with Idaho.
Somebody Guard Seth Tarver: Granted he only finished with 15 points, but of the 7 field goals Tarver connected on, he might have had a hand in his face once. Somehow he continually found himself wide open whenever he had the basketball and he made sure not to waste the opportunities.
The Ugly
The Bench: To be frank, it was non-existent. Granted, the starters played big minutes, but in a total of 55 minutes, Mo Baker, Hamady N’diaye and Mike Anderson combined to score just 6 points on 3-of-14 shooting. That just isn’t going to cut it, even on a night when all five starters score at least 13. Baker did dish out 6 assists in his first game back and N’diaye swatted 5 shots, but the scoring production has to be higher in order for this team to win close games down the stretch, it just has to.
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Old Dog, New Tricks: Idaho 102 – Dakota 97
1-17-11
Box Score
New team, same result. The last time Dakota matched up with Idaho their roster looked nothing like it does today, unfortunately it didn’t yield a different outcome in their second game with the Stampede. Led by a tremendous 29-point effort from aging NBA veteran Antoine Walker (an a questionable illegal screen call against Chris Johnson) Idaho snuck by the Wizards for the second time in as many meetings.
Walker looked nothing like the player who used to roam the floor for the Boston Celtics, carrying more weight than he did during his NBA days and moving quite gingerly with the extra poundage. Two things were very obvious though, he hasn’t lost his propensity for looking to fire at will from the perimeter and he definitely has the savvy of a man who has been playing the pro game for more than a decade. ‘Toine lit up the Dakota defense for 20 points in the first half, doing the bulk of his damage from the outside where he hit 4-of-9 shot attempts. It was the second half that alerted the Civic Center crowd that Walker has certainly become a smarter player in his later years, residing to post up against the physically over matched frontcourt of the Wizards. His ability to score inside and recognize when to kick out to open teammates played a big role in the final outcome of this game. We’ll get to the rest in Wizard Drops.
Wizard Drops
• Lost amidst the throwback performance from Walker were monster games from Jemareo Davidson and Cedric Jackson. Davidson, despite struggling to finish around the rim, finished with 22 points and 20 rebounds, helping Idaho to a +9 advantage on the glass, but more importantly a +9 advantage on the offensive glass. Jackson, every so quietly came within two assists of a triple-double, as the former Erie Bayhawk scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in addition to his 8 assists.
• Mike Hall finally had his breakout game for Dakota, scoring a season-high 26 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Once again he spent time running the offense as the point forward, something he seemed noticeably more comfortable doing yesterday than in his previous two outings, but it was his movement off the basketball that made the difference. Primarily the NBA veteran has gotten his points fighting on the offensive boards and occasionally from putting the ball to the deck from the high post. Yesterday Hall began looking for his mid-range jumper, operating almost exclusively as a catch and shoot player. With his knowledge of how to find open spots in the defense, I would be surprised if coach Rory White doesn’t encourage the small forward to start looking for his shot more often in this fashion given the results it yielded yesterday.
• Dakota had an excellent game shooting from the outside – that may be the first time I’ve gotten to write that all season. The Wizards shot 8-of-15 from the outside, thanks in large part to Darren Cooper who finally found his stroke, hitting 5-of-6. There’s no question this opened up options for other players on the court, again as mentioned this was the first game that Mike Hall has been able to get going from mid-range. This also afforded Chris Johnson the chance to run the high screen and roll and look for the 18-footer from the top of the key. In recent games teams have been taking away this option from the big man, forcing him to look for his shot in the post and along the baseline. While CJ can score points from these spots on the floor, there’s no question the high post is a favorite spot for him.
• Hamady N’Diaye continues to provide energy off the bench, blocking 4 shots and grabbing 4 rebounds in 15 minutes of playing time. There’s going to come a point where his offensive mishaps are no longer permissible, but for the time being his energy and overall fantastic team-first mentality is winning him approval from teammates and the coaching staff.
• Yesterday was really the first time all season I can say Renaldo Major was noticeably absent. Even in games where he hasn’t been a focal point of the offense he manages to find a way to come up with a key play at some point, or make his presence felt. Yesterday, not so much. He was pulled early in the game for what I’m assuming was lack of energy as Dakota got off to a slow start, but after that he never really found a rhythm, finishing with 6 points on 6 shots in 32 minutes. Still, to say it took until the 24th game of the season before Renaldo had a “didn’t even know he was playing” game speaks highly of his consistency.
• The difference in this one? Idaho scored 54 points in the paint – they absolutely killed the Wizards inside. Again, you can point to the post play of Walker and 20 offensive rebounds as the reason for the tremendous production around the rim, but unless a team is absolutely lights out shooting the basketball, they’re going to be hard pressed to win many games allowing that many baskets inside.
• Lastly, Moe Baker was in the building and on the Wizards bench yesterday. Yes, Baker is back. He is expected to make his debut tonight pending a physical and a signed D-League contract, but events that are expected to go smoothly. Dakota doesn’t have to make any moves in order to sign Baker given the team’s waiver of Willie Kemp two weeks ago. Baker may be the offensive spark this team needs and will see immediate time at the point guard position after spending the last several months playing in Mexico.
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The Good Fight: Dakota 97 – Fort Wayne 95
1-15-11
Box Score
The famed Curse of the Bambino was a phenomenon that we may never see again in professional sports (no offense Cubs fans). The Red Sox time and again found ways to not only lose at the most inopportune times, but to do so in magnificently gut-wrenching fashion. As a friend to many Boston fans, I learned that as much as Red Sox Nation dearly longed for an end to the championship drought, the inevitable painful defeats were practically expected.
On a smaller level were Wizards fans starting to feel the same way about their team? It’s possible some were while others weren’t. I can say from personal experience for those who cover the team and follow closely, the late game collapses (or early) have become expected much like the Red Sox collapses. So in the midst of Dakota’s massive second half comeback last night was there a sense of palpable pessimism wafting through the Civic Center? Of course there was. It certainly didn’t help matters that the majority of the team was caught up in the frustration of the questionable officiating taking place on the court. Yet amidst all of that, the Wizards gutted, absolutely clawed out a win.
This is the kind of game Rory White’s team can build on, because beyond simply pulling off a come from behind win (the likes of which we’ve already seen this season), the Wizards showed maturity in a second half that featured all the distractions necessary to force a lapse of concentration down the stretch. They didn’t fold, they didn’t lose focus and we saw the growth of a team right before our eyes. Weeks from now we may call this a turning point, or simply see it as a great game. Whatever it was, boy was it fun to watch.
Wizard Drops
• Last night Chris Johnson established himself as the leader of this team. Renaldo Major and Darren Cooper are the veterans, they’ve been around longer, but Johnson was the calming presence in the games most tense moments. In the midst of the firestorm that was the string of terrible calls against Dakota, Johnson kept his cool and sank some of the biggest shots of the night, including a tremendous 18-footer off an inbounds play as the shot clock expired to pull his team within two points. That doesn’t even factor in the 21-point, 12-rebound double-double effort the center put together. To really appreciate his performance you had to be there to witness it, but last night Johnson stepped up as a leader when his team needed him the most and he delivered.
• Anthony Goods was tremendously inefficient last night, scoring 23 points while going 7-of-21 from the floor. With that said, you have to admire the moxie needed to hit the game-tying shot with less than 30 seconds remaining and then getting to the line on the following possession and knocking home a pair of free throws to win the game. At the end of the day hitting timely shots is going to win basketball games and Goods proved that last night, showing how beneficial it was to acquire him.
• I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Wizards made significant runs both times Hamady N’Diaye entered the game both in the first and second half. The 7-footer is an instant jolt of energy with his effort and athleticism inside. There is a lot of work to be done offensively, as he missed several entry passes thrown in his direction, but his ability to deter shots around the rim is impressive. As if Fort Wayne needed any less reason to attack him off the dribble, N’Diaye had a pair of monster blocks within his first two minutes on the court.
• As much positive as there is to take away from this game, I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that Dakota turned the ball over 28 times last night. The fact they were even in the game with that kind of poor basketball protection is unbelievable. I also am inclined to believe that mark is an aberration as the Wizards have done a fairly good job of protecting the basketball this season.
• Mike Hall probably impressed me more than any player last night which may come as a surprise to some of you. He gets more out of his body than any other member of the Wizards roster. He doesn’t have the same athleticism he did a few years ago, his knees are bothering him, yet he fights and fights and fights. His effort on the glass is tremendous and more importantly its contagious. Hall managed a double-double last night and is so savvy and intelligent of a player that Rory White even tried him at point guard for a stretch when Darren Cooper was struggling with turnover issues. He does it all with a professional approach, a blue collar nature and is quickly becoming an invaluable presence for this team.
• Following the game Rory White made a very good point when I asked him about this game. He said despite losing so many times down the stretch, the Wizards have played in enough close games where they aren’t fazed by it anymore. They know how to play in the clutch because they’ve been there possibly more than any other team in the D-League. The end result may have been a negative one more often than not, but the novelty of the situation has worn off. To me that spells good things to come in the future.
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Game 23 Preview: Home Sweet Home
1-14-11
Overture
After a five-game road trip the Wizards are back in Bismarck and after a brief hiatus – due to the evil twist of fate that has kept NBATV off the local cable airwaves – the Wizards Watch Blog is back as well. It’s hard not to call this trip a failure for Dakota, even after a promising showing in the initial half. Despite taking two of three games during the northeast swing through Springfield and Maine, how can it not be a major letdown after the Wizards dropped both of their games at the D-League Showcase? It leaves the team ten games below .500 and returning to the Peace Garden State with a bad taste in their mouths, both for head coach Rory White and for the players who were defeated in front of a packed house of NBA scouts. What makes this trip particularly frustrating is it’s the same story we’ve seen time and time again. Dakota digs itself a hole with one abysmal quarter, only to turn on the jets late to make a game of it, ultimately falling in a close one. I don’t know if it’s shaving any years off of my life, but White might not be able to say the same.
Still, nothing alleviates the woes of the road like a stretch of games in familiar surroundings and that’s exactly what the Wizards are getting. Tonight starts an unbelievable ten-game home stand, one that will stretch all the way to February 8th. Adding further fuel to the feel good fire, of those ten games, seven come against teams with sub-.500 records right now – if ever there was a time for Dakota to make a push in their schedule this would be it. Believe it or not – as I told one rather pessimistic fan yesterday evening – for as bad as the has looked this season, they are only 5.5 games out of the 8th playoff spot right now. That’s with more than half of the schedule yet to be played. Obviously there is a lot of work to be done, changes that need to be made, weaknesses that must be improved, but all is not lost. A little bit of home cooking at the Civic Center might be the cure-all this team needs.
Tale Of The Tape
Season Series: First Meeting
Dakota Wizards: 6-16
Offensive Efficiency: 95.3
Defensive Efficiency: 100.4
Pace: 96.8
Fort Wayne Mad Ants: 12-9
Offensive Efficiency: 105.2
Defensive Efficiency: 106.6
Pace: 98.0
Things I Think I Know About Fort Wayne
It’s hard to dislike the Mad Ants, even when they’re the opposition. Fort Wayne has produced a winning basketball team this season despite fielding a roster of relative unknown players, either those who attended non-traditional basketball programs or were third and fourth options at more recognized schools. Of course that’s the fun part about this team, it’s a series of contradictions. No star power, no problem, this team is winning without it.
Perhaps the biggest contradiction Fort Wayne presents though is in its offense. The Mad Ants like to run, a lot. Nearly 20% of their shot attempts this season have come in transition, with only Rio Grande Valley boasting a higher percentage. With that said, the team doesn’t play at a particularly fast pace, playing at an almost equal speed as the Wizards do. What this tells us is Fort Wayne looks to run and run often, but when they are forced into a half court set they take they’re time.
The Mad Ants have a very balanced offense (six players average double figures) that starts with a trio of guards in Roderick Wilmont, Walker Russell and NBA veteran Oliver Lafayette who appeared in one game with Boston last season. None of these three are major threats to shoot from the outside, but all are willing and able attackers off the dribble, particularly Wilmont and Russell who get nearly one-fifth of their shot attempts from isolation derived sets. This is where the team gets the bulk of its points. As mentioned Fort Wayne is only an average team in transition efficiency and rank dead last in the D-League in scoring efficiency from spot-up situations, shooting just 33.7% here good for .82 points per possession.
The team also gets a good deal of offensive contribution from the ability of its frontcourt players to move without the basketball. Forwards Darnell Lazare and Marvin Phillips are both double digit scores who contribute the bulk of the rebounding as well, but show high basketball IQs in their ability to find open spaces in the defense.
Speaking of defense, Fort Wayne is a somewhat mixed bag here. The defensive efficiency numbers certainly aren’t pretty, but they tell only part of the story. The Mad Ants are actually solid when it comes to transition defense, but struggle in half court sets due to a lack of communication and in some instances a flat out lack of awareness. Opponents have posted an adjusted field goal percentage of 51% this season and things have been particularly bad as of late with Fort Wayne having gone almost a full month since last keeping the opposition below the century mark. If history is any indication however, that streak should end tonight much to the chagrin of Wizards fans.
Things The Wizards Need To Do
You let me know when you get tired of reading it and I’ll stop writing it – seriously. Dakota has actually done a better job of moving on offense in the last two weeks, they’ve even shown the occasional hints of possessing the ability to make a three-pointer (but only in infrequent bursts, think lunar eclipse) but the fact remains, this team can’t play full games. Not consistently enough to be a .500 team right now. That was the difference between a loss and a win against Tulsa at the Showcase, which was the difference between a huge loss and a marginal one against Austin, it goes on and on. As one of my co-workers has said on many an occasion the frustrating thing about the Wizards is how many games they’ve given away this season. Seriously, four or five horrific quarters is the difference between the current 6-16 record and a much more user friendly 11-11 or potentially even better. But close doesn’t count, not even a little bit.
Things I’m Excited To See
- What rhymes with Hamady N’Diaye? Feel free to email in any suggestions. But really, this will be the first chance to see the 7-footer up close and I’m looking forward to seeing how his defensive presence can potentially translate over to the NBA game. For those of you attending tonight expecting to see the big man dominate at the offensive end, you will be severely disappointed, that isn’t his game. Never has been, probably never will be, sorry to say. But, for true students of the game, watch closely and you’ll see the positives that the rookie brings to the table.
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Wizards Watch Q&A At Toros Nation
1-11-11
In lieu of my standard game preview for today’s Wizards matchup with the Austin Toros, I thought I’d throw you all a curveball. Michael De Leon of the superbly run Austin Toros’s blog Toros Nation approached me with a series of questions pertaining to today’s game.
The series of answers I gave covers the major topics of note in today’s game and serves the same purpose as my usual game previews do. So call it lazy if you will, I’m choosing to dub it “helping to rid the world of redundancy”, but rather than rewriting what is already posted elsewhere in different terms, I’m choosing to give you a link to my Q&A session with the folks at Toros Nation . Enjoy the read and check out the site as Michael does good work keeping Austin fans up to date with the team.
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That Just Happened: Dakota 97 – Springfield 94
1-10-11
Box Score
10-28 FG, 14-21 FT, 10 turnovers, 35 points
18-47 FG, 24-30 FT, 3 turnovers, 62 points
Do you know what those two rows of numbers are? Those rows sum up the Wizards first and second halves yesterday and in many ways serve as a summary for the most bizarre game I’ve seen this season. In the span of 48 short (or long depending on your allegiances) minutes, Dakota managed to display its best and worst qualities. It encompassed everything that makes this team equally as likely to slide further into mediocrity as they are to claw and scratch their way into the postseason. It was a maddeningly, perplexing performance, one that as time passes will no doubt leave me more likely to scratch my head in bewilderment than anything else. Thus is the consequence of covering this group, these Wizards, this perfectly imperfect this team.
Wizard Drops
• I lucked out yesterday. Wizards Watch went on the air at halftime of this game so I didn’t have to continue to witness what I thought at the time would be a slow and painful final 24 minutes. Can you blame me? The Wizards played as poorly as a team can for the opening two quarters and not just in a handful of spots, everywhere, every facet of the game was executed with little regard for the finished product. Dakota wasn’t working for shots, rather throwing the obligatory pass before firing at will. Throw in an atrocious turnover rate of 21% and a group of players who spent more time playing 1-on-5 than looking for open teammates and the Wizards were in the hole 15 points at the half. That doesn’t even include the beating that Vernon Goodridge administered to the Wizards frontcourt defenders, muscling his way to 14 first-quarter points.
• Whatever was said in the Wizards locker room at halftime had an immediate impact coming out to start the third. Dakota flipped a switch and converted its passive offense to aggressive, attack-minded basketball. Vernon Hamilton and Renaldo Major started driving like men possessed, getting to the rim and drawing contact like it was suddenly going out of style. The two combined for 33 of the Wizards 51 free throws, they spent so much time at the line they should been paying rent. Hamilton was sublime, scoring 28 points and inexplicably grabbing 10 rebounds. The defensive specialist has been an offensive revelation since joining the Wizards, but I’ll delve deeper into that in a future post. For now, all I’ll say is the former Clemson star has been significantly better than advertised when it comes to creating scoring chances for himself, something he struggled with in college.
• Dakota owned the offensive glass in the second half, pulling in double-figure rebounds after the break. Surprise, surprise, Chris Johnson and Mike Hall combined for 10 offensive boards between the two of them with the former utilizing his tremendous athleticism while the later simply outworked everyone. Johnson’s effort here was particularly encouraging. At times it comes off as though he isn’t giving it his all, but that is more a byproduct of his physical gifts than an evaluation of his hustle. But yesterday, you could see the effort, you could feel the way he was giving his all out there to keep plays alive. He and his teammates wanted this game.
• Efficiency and ball protection were the story in the second half. Remember that 21% turnover rate in the game’s opening act? Dakota dropped that to 4% following halftime. True shooting percentage before the break? 42%. After? 51.4%. For the game Dakota shot a paltry 38% and they didn’t exactly torch the nets in the second half, getting by more on the enormous number of trips to the line they earned, but enough of an improvement was made to ensure a win. Sometimes you have to settle if the end result is a good one.
• This is truly the first time we’ve seen the Wizards mount a major comeback and finish the job. The playbook on this team early in the year was dig a big hole, climb 90% of the way back only to flounder down the stretch after exhausting themselves from the process. After playing back into the game in the third, Dakota spent the final frame of the evening in a seesaw battle with the Armor, with neither team able to pull ahead. This resiliency is great to see, it may not spell a trend or a turnaround, but on this day the Wizards showed they can finish a job they start.
• Dakota hits the road for the D-League showcase now, with games on Tuesday and Wednesday against Austin and Tulsa. Since the games are being televised on NBATV (which sadly we don’t get in Bismarck) NBA Futurecast will not being carrying them as is usually the case with regular season matchups. So, while I will do my best to find an alternative option to watching the Wizards and bringing you the best possible analysis, there is the unfortunate possibility that I won’t be able. In that event, the content will continue, but stray from the standard game recaps and more resemble my off day ramblings about players and trends. But either way, be sure to come by Wizards Watch!
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Cautiously Optimistic: Wizards Split With Maine
1-9-11
Thursday Box Score
Friday Box Score
When times are tough it’s easy to be swayed by the pomp and circumstance of a win, to think better days aren’t soon far off. We’ve played this game before, played and lost. Following a three-game winning streak, including a sweep of Texas, optimism was rampant. I’ll be the first to admit I was one of the guilty parties. New faces meant a new team, so it only seemed natural that the wins would continue to flow with greater regularity than before. Try as they might though, new players can’t always erase old problems, the ones that fester and drag you down. Soon the Wizards were dealing with the same issues as before: poor perimeter shooting, a propensity for disappearing in the second half and inability to perform at a high level when the lights are the brightest. New team, same story.
This time out let’s not jump out of the gate with the “team on the rise talk”. Let’s quell the Dakota turning it around thinking. Yes, the Wizards split a road series with a solid Maine team, losing in overtime on Thursday and cruising to a 23-point win on Friday, but nothing about these two games leads me to believe the team has taken a major step forward, though the wins don’t hurt. You can really take quite a bit out of this weekend, so with that I’m deciding on the fly to try out a new mini feature here on the Wizards Watch Blog: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Consider this an occasional supplement of Wizard Drops, something to spice up the ordinary and keep us all on our toes. Enjoy.
The Good
• The shooting percentages weren’t outstanding (43 and 44% respectively) but this was one of the better stretches Dakota has shown on offense all season. Five players scored in double figures, there was penetration from the guards, the ball moved and the consistently, frustrating 1-on-5 play that has plagued the team this season was largely absent. Chris Johnson worked the baseline, Walter Sharpe flashed to the high-post, Anthony Goods got into the lane and there was a degree of synergy within the offense that has been all too evanescent this year.
• Getting to the line 53 times in two games isn’t a jaw dropping total, but it’s definitely a significantly higher rate than we’ve seen from the Wizards. Naturally this jump in aggressive play coincides with Dakota’s improvement from beyond the arc. Keep the defense honest with a couple of three-pointers, spread the defense, attack and get to the line.
• Mike Hall continues to impress with his hustle. He’s an active, savvy veteran who may not be able to light it up like he was able to a few years ago, but what counts is he knows that. Hall understands his limitations as a player and sticks with what he’s good at, hustling, rebounding and running the floor. His perimeter defense is still somewhat of a concern, but calling him a liability would be inaccurate. His pros far away his cons right now.
• In 29 minutes on Friday Renaldo Major posted a +28, yikes.
The Bad
• It isn’t to say that Anthony Goods has done a poor job since joining the Wizards, but he hasn’t done what he was brought in to do – shoot. Through seven games the shooting guard is connecting on just 36% of his field goal attempts and despite shooting a respectable 36% as well from beyond the arc, he has been inconsistent from this range. The somewhat perplexing thing has been his propensity for driving to the rim, something he did a great deal this weekend. It isn’t that Goods shouldn’t attack when given the opportunity, rather he seems to be looking to create off the dribble instead of stick with his strength as a catch and shoot player. He also posted a game-low -15 in Thursday’s loss.
• This point isn’t so much one I would define as bad, it’s more of a hold your horses there. People will look at Friday night’s game and see that Dakota “held” the Red Claws to 70 points on 32.1% shooting. That phrase held is loosely applied. The Wizards are a good defensive team, one of the best in the D-League, but they got a lot of help from a Maine team that simply couldn’t shoot on this particular night. Dakota forced 16 turnovers – good not great – and blocked a standard (for them) eight shots. The biggest factor in the abysmal performance from the opposition was a 3-for-21 showing from beyond the arc.
The Ugly
• Once again, the third quarter proved to be a Bermuda Triangle for the Wizards on Thursday night. After putting together a brilliant second quarter, outscoring Maine 32-14 and carrying a 12-point lead into the half, the game was tied by the start of the fourth. Dakota score 15 points in the third on 5-of-14 shooting, while turning the ball over five times – yikes. There’s really nothing to say beyond the third quarter continues to frustrate the Wizards more often than not, ultimately costing them easily three or four games at this point in the season.
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Washington Assigns N`Diaye To Wizards
1-6-11
Just 24 hours after the Dakota Wizards saw forward DeMarre Carroll recalled by the Memphis Grizzlies and guard Willie Kemp waived for personal reasons,the team got a major boost when the Washington Wizards announced they were assigning rookie center Hamady N`Diaye to the D-League. This is the first time Washington has assigned a player to the Wizards and the first time they`ve assigned anyone to the D-League since the 2005-06 season.
N`Diaye was a second round selection in the 2010 draft (56th overall) of the Minnesota Timberwolves but was prompty traded to Washington on draft night. A graduate of Rutgers, the 7-footer has made his reputation as a shot blocking threat, earning Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors during the 2009-10 NCAA season. He has appeared in just four games with Washington this season, earning a total of 12 minutes of playing time.
A native of Darkar, Senegal, N`Diaye will be one of the tallest players in the D-League and will combine with 6-11 forward Chris Johnson to form the top interior defense duo in the league. His athleticism and hustle will make him an instant impact kind of player, but most importantly for N`Diaye he will see a significant increase in playing time that should allow him to develop at a much faster rate than in the NBA.
N`Diaye is expected to join the team tomorrow night in Maine and will be uniform for the Wizards Friday night contest with the Red Claws. The Wizards roster now stands at 10 player, but the can add an 11th since N`Diaye as an assigned player doesn`t count against their roster total.
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Game 18 Preview: Outmanned In Maine
1-6-11
Overture
Like nomads they come and go, some existing in our sense of reality for longer than others. That’s why – like we said from day one – we cheer for the uniform and not the men. For DeMarre Carroll the ends justify the means. Should his performance during his time spent in Bismarck lead to another pro contract, then the D-League served its purpose for the second-year pro. It’s the nature of the beast, here today, gone tomorrow without warning.
For Willie Kemp, we may never know the circumstances of his departure. The press release, the end all be all of sports reporting information when it comes to these types of things called it a “waiver due to personal reasons”. That’s about as satisfying as winning a free scratch ticket on a scratch ticket, you feel kind of hollow inside. Kemp is the kind of player that sadly winds up being a dime a dozen in the D-League, does his job, perfectly nice individual, but his lasting impression is minor. In a few weeks time the fans will lose track of him in time and space like so many others that have come before.
So here they are, nine remaining players, on the road in the great wide Northeast and outmanned. Certain individuals are gone now, but in the dead of winter, the schedule trudges on and those men in uniforms we cheer for must continue onward as well.
Tale Of The Tape
Season Series: First Meeting
Dakota Wizards: 4-13
Offensive Efficiency: 93.8
Defensive Efficiency: 100.5
Pace: 97.7
Maine Red Claws: 8-9
Offensive Efficiency: 105.4
Defensive Efficiency: 107.9
Pace: 97.1
Things I Think I Know About Maine
If there was a good time for the Wizards to face Maine, it’s tonight. In the span of about 4 hours Dakota saw its roster shrink from 11 to 9 with the recall of DeMarre Carroll to the NBA and the waiver of Willie Kemp due to personal reasons. Luckily for them, the Red Claws are one of the slowest teams in the D-League and have the worst transition offense, translation, expect a grind it out half court game on both ends.
For college fans there are a lot of familiar faces on Maine’s roster starting in the frontcourt. DeShawn Sims was a major contributor at Michigan and Keith “Tiny” Gallon is in the D-League after his freshman season at Oklahoma. Those two represent the top scoring options for the Red Claws five weeks into the season, combining for 34 points and 17 rebounds per game, with Sims bringing the added versatility of a jumper with range. Toss in Mario West (Georgia Tech), Jamar Smith (Southern Illinois), Paul Harris (Syracuse) and Matt Janning (Northeastern) and there are plenty of former NCAA “name” players wearing the red this season.
As poor as the Red Claws are running the break, they make up for it by being one of the best spot up teams in the D-League, ranking number one in three-point shooting at 39%, for an adjusted field goal percentage of 58%. While the roster features a handful individuals who aren’t trigger shy from the outside, the two players that absolutely have to have all shots contested are West and Smith who are both shooting better than 46% from beyond the arc.
Not surprisingly with talent inside and the necessary weapons in the backcourt to spread defenses out, Maine also has a good deal of success scoring in the post. Sims and Gallon have the ability to face up and attack off the dribble, able to spread the interior to the point that players like Harris, Smith and West can attack off the dribble.
Ironically enough, Maine excels defensively in the same facets that they do at the offensive end. The team doesn’t have tremendous quickness – hence why they struggle to cover iso plays – but the perimeter players rotate well and contest perimeter shots, with opposing teams shooting just 32% from beyond the arc. This doesn’t bode well for Dakota which is easily the worst three-point shooting team in the D-League. DeShawn Sims and Tiny Gallon have done an adequate job inside, holding opponents to 41% shooting on post-up tries.
What The Wizards Need To Do
I can’t imagine this team is in very high spirits right now. Dakota lost a heartbreaker to Iowa on Monday night – their sixth straight loss to the Energy – and lost two players in the span of one afternoon leaving them with nine men on the roster. Would you be feeling good at this point? But these guys are professionals and they’re expected to go out and perform.
Most of the keys for the Wizards tonight center around defense – believe it or not, I don’t think scoring will be an issue. Poor rotation on the perimeter by Dakota’s wings will be their downfall, as was discussed in Maine’s breakdown. If the Red Claws heat up from the outside this game can be out of hand very quickly. With that said, hitting the glass will be equally as important in the outcome of this game. DeMarre Carroll was one of the Wizards top rebounders and now they will face a team that has a pair of players that know how to haul it in down low. Chris Johnson and Walter Sharpe do an adequate job, but Dakota will need another big effort from Mike Hall like they got on Monday in the loss to Iowa.
Offensively the Wizards have the players to run, but they don’t. Maine doesn’t defend well against teams that do run. The Wizards need to run – it’s pretty simple. Keeping the Red Claws honest from the outside wouldn’t hurt either. Monday was one of the best offensive efforts for this team all season, even with the 40% shooting from the floor. Still, Dakota hit on 5-of-16 tries from beyond the arc, pretty mediocre but still significantly better than their season average. Just being mediocre from the outside spread the floor out for their guards to operate off the dribble. We’re not asking for much, just mediocre.
Things I’m Excited To See
- How do the Wizards respond tomorrow night? They’ve lost four straight, the devastating defeat last time out and now are out Carroll and Kemp. The cards are down, their backs against the wall. This road trip could easily be the defining stretch of the season for Dakota.
- It’s Mario West Bobble Head Night tonight for Maine, the first 1,000 fans get a priceless piece of basketball memorabilia. Now maybe you have to be an absolute hoops junkie (like me), maybe you have to be an ACC nut who grew up in that part of the country (went to college at Maryland), maybe you just have to have a weird appreciation for sports memorabilia (again like me), but if I lived within driving distance of the arena I can guarantee you I’d be one of the first in line.
- I’m looking forward to watching Tiny Gallon closely for the first time this season. I scouted him when he was a high school All-American just two years ago playing for the famed Oak Hill Academy. At the time I was convinced with time he could develop into a pro player given his surprising speed for a big man and excellent footwork. Obviously at 20-years-old, Gallon is still a player with a lot of growth left ahead of him and he’ll get to test his stuff against quality forwards.
- One last note, the next 24 hours or so are shaping up to be quite busy so rather than assemble a mediocre recap of tonight`s game for Friday morning, I`m making an executive decision to hold off until Saturday and do a double recap of the entire Maine series. So while you may not be able to get your Wizards fix tomorrow morning, kick off your weekend with an extended post on Saturday!
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Carroll Recalled By Memphis
1-5-11
Memphis Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace announced today that the team was recalling forward DeMarre Carroll from the Dakota Wizards. In six games in the D-League the second-year pro averaged 18.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while playing nearly 36 minutes per game and starting in all six of his appearances. Carroll sat out the Wizards most recent game with an injury to his foot, but said it was not serious.
This move by the Grizzlies comes on the heels of an alleged physical altercation between guard O.J. Mayo and forward Tony Allen that occurred on the teams return flight following a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Mayo has been rumored to be on the trading block and sat out of the Grizzlies most recent game due to bronchitis according to the team.
It’s possible that Carroll’s recall could be due to an impending trade and he would be needed to fill the subsequent void, or it is also possible Carroll could be involved in a potential trade himself. The recall now leaves the Wizards with a 10-man roster. The team’s next game is tomorrow night at Maine.
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Fastbreak, We Dare You
1-5-11
If there’s one thing the Wizards have been able to hang their hats on this season, it’s been preventing other teams from scoring. Defense wins championships; unfortunately it doesn’t buoy mediocre offenses. With that said, it’s hard not to be impressed with the job this team has done with preventing scoring in transition from their opponents.
Through 17 games the Wizards ranks second in the D-League (by a fraction of a percent) in transition defensive efficiency, allowing 1.0547 points per possession on 54.8% shooting, which also happens to be the second best (lowest) mark overall. The ironic thing – or impressive depending on how you view it – thing is, this hasn’t seemed to deter teams from trying to push the pace with Dakota. In addition to having the second best transition defense when evaluating using the two aforementioned criteria, no team has spent more time having to actually defend in transition, with Wizards opponents accumulating 17.3% of their shot attempts on the run this year according to Synergy Sports. That’s all fine and well for Dakota, not that the team has struggled with its half court defense, but there is a definite degree of separation when looking at the success rate of covering the transition game.
So how exactly is a team that struggles so mightily with transition offense, excelling at transition defense? The Wizards are an athletic team, very athletic. When your frontcourt rotation consists of Chris Johnson, Walter Sharpe, DeMarre Carroll and Mike Hall, you’re going to be able to get up and down the court better than most other teams, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen. I could go on for a while about the issues that Dakota has had running the break this season, but that is for another time and another post, we’re talking defense. Let’s start in the backcourt where a trio of defensive stalwarts resides in Renaldo Major, Vernon Hamilton and Willie Kemp. All three are quick in the open floor as well as laterally, with Major having served as one of the D-League’s elite perimeter defenders for a number of years now and Hamilton having been a force at that end of the floor dating back to his days at Clemson. Beyond that fact though, all three are intelligent defenders. They take away the middle of the floor, forcing ball handlers to the sidelines and cutting off passing angles. These basic but important tendencies allow for the rest of the defense to retreat and force opposing teams to set up their half court sets.
Of course, teams are still getting their shots up in transition as was mentioned already – that’s what they frontcourt comes in. It all starts with Chris Johnson, who leads the D-League in total blocks and is on pace for the third highest single season total ever. This is where the LSU product thrives, using his freakish wingspan and athleticism to contest anything and everything that goes up around the rim. His greatest value in transition defense isn’t as a pure shot blocker, rather a deterrent, it’s the shots that never get taken that makes Johnson so valuable. Throw in Sharpe, Carroll and Hall and the Wizards forwards are fast enough in the open floor that it isn’t unusual for an opposing guard to be pushing the tempo only to run into a pair of 6-8 and taller defenders lurking around the rim. While in some cases it leads to slowing things down (hence the Wizards 98.0 tempo this season, on the slower end for the D-League) it also results in a lot of ill-advised, contested shots.
In many ways, teams continuing to push the ball against the Wizards actually favors them given the success they have defending in transition. Dakota leads the D-League in turnovers forced in transition (opponents throw it away 16.4% of the time) and do a good job of not fouling shooters, as opposing teams score (including free throws) only 51.1% of the time, also tops in the league. Factor in the length that players like Major and Hall provide on the wings and Dakota has the necessary options on defense to guard against a secondary fastbreak as well, preventing a lot of open looks from the perimeter.
If given the choice, it’s probably better to be struggling early on offense than it is on defense. If the Wizards can start to turn things around at the opposite end of the floor, there’s the potential to go on a nice run. Head coach Rory White has preached all season that he wants the defense to generate offense and with teams struggling to score in transition against the Wizards, there’s the potential for that to start leading to a lot of easy baskets going the other way. Dakota just has to start upping the pace and putting the ball in the hoop.
Love it or hate it, let me know at jwhelan@kfyrtv.com
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