Well that time of year has come, and its come a little bit earlier. The 2009 NBA Development League Showcase kicks off in Orem, Utah tomorrow morning. Kudos to the Utah Flash for hosting the event this season. I traveled to the Showcase last season and it takes quite a bit to put it on. You have to have all 16 teams, D-league front office staff, Scouts and General Managers from all 30 NBA clubs in hotel rooms. Oh did I mention all the referees, referee evaluators with the NBA, Media relations staff for all the teams and team Presidents and Owners from all 16 D-league clubs. Yeah and that is just lodging. Food has to be ordered, games need to be scheduled. All the games will be aired on Futurecast, many teams local radio outlets will need to pick up the feed for their local broadcasts. Game Notes printed...etc etc etc..... Trust me it is a lot of work and much of it is worked on by the host franchise, while already having their games to worry about.
I will not be going to the Showcase this year. My duties with FOX Rio 2 and the fact that some of the best play-by-play guys in the D-league will be handling the duties for the league and we can pick up the feed we felt it best that I forgo this trip. I do like visiting with all the other folks in the league, but since I travel to just about every game I can chat with them when I visit all the other buildings.
But I digress. Coach Moser was very disappointed at the Vipers effort on Saturday night. I can't blame him. He has referred to his team, as a Jekyll and Hyde team. Usually this season its been a tale of two halves. Last night it was a tale of two games. The Vipers played great on Friday, built a huge second half lead, actually dominated a third quarter and showed how much better they were than what I belive to be a TERRIBLE Albuquerque team. Then on Saturday we just did not show up mentally. Coach Moser told me in the post game interview that team lacked the maturity at this point to win back-to-back games. It takes a certain moxy to string wins together, right now the Vipers are mediocre, because they don't have that moxy. Will they find it...I guess we will have to wait and see, but this is a stretch of games where they can put a little cushion between themselves and the bottom of the division, they need to take advantage of it so they can be one of the eight teams in the playoffs and not on the outside looking in again.
Here are some thoughts on the Vipers and the showcase.
- Vipers vs. Reno - Monday 8:15 CST
- Viper Reunion
- Jesse Smith played in all 50 games for Rio Grande Valley in their inaugural season and has started all 14 games for the Reno Bighorns this season. I was very fond of Jesse as a player and as a person. He is a quiet and a little reserved; but very intelligent and a genuinely nice person. I had hoped he would return but it was not in the cards for us. I am glad to see he is doing well stats wise, too bad his team is struggling. but, lets hope they don't turn the corner against RGV.
- Vipers need a win, and should win. They have better bigs than Reno. They have better guards. No excuse if you don't get this win. NONE
- Reno does not come to Dodge Arena this season because of this match-up. RGV won't see Reno again until April 2nd
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