Vipers versus Maine... and MORE

What time is it? Game Time...! Only tonight it is a little later than usual. The Vipers have tipped off most of their regular weekend night games at 7:30. Tonight tip-off moves to 8 pm because both the RGV's hockey team and the Vipers play games today on February 20th. It is 3:44 and the hockey game has just ended. The State Farm Arena, (still getting used to the name) has promised us that they will have the arena ready for an 8:00 pm tip-off. The arena crew is busy as we speak hopefully they get it done in time.

Back to the basketball... The Vipers haven't played a game since February 9th. That's a 10-day lay-off which included the All-Star Break and some roster moves as well.

Let's re-cap

February 8th - Garrett Temple earns Gatorade Call-up to Houston Rockets. Will Conroy's 10-Day expires, returns to the Vipers. Vipers acquire guard/forward Russell Carter.

February 9th Vipers beat Ft. Wayne Mad Ants 118-101. Will Conroy posts triple-double

February 10th - Vipers scheduled game versus Springfield Armor is postponed due to weather conditions in the Northeast. Vipers return home to RGV. Mike Harris and Vipers coaching staff travels to Dallas, TX for D-League All-Star Game.

February 13th - Mike Harris scores 14 points to help Western Conference All-Stars beat East All Stars 98-81

February 15th - Vipers release Center Julian Sensley and acquire Forward/Center Kevin Rogers

February 16th - Vipers release Russell Carter before he ever played a game with the club.

February 18th - NBA Trading deadline deal by Rockets. Rockets acquire G - Kevin Martin , F/C- Hilton Armstrong from Kings and G/F Jared Jeffries, and F/C Jodan Hill from Knicks. Rockets send Joey Dorsey and Carl Landry to Kings. Tracy McGrady to Knicks.

February 19th - Rockets re-assign Jermaine Taylor to Rio Grande Valley. Vipers acquire G- Kenny Hasbrouck.

February 20th - Rockets sign Garrett Temple to second 10-Day Contract.

Whew... obviously a lot of activity going into game one of the weekend double-header with the Maine Red Claws who have had their own share of roster turn-over this season. They still sit at the second spot of the Eastern Conference.

One of the more intriguing story-lines is the two former Rice Owls, Mike Harris for RGV and newly acquired Morris Almond for Maine. Although they play different positions they are two of the top scorers in Rice history (Harris 1, Almond 4 all time), and are two of the top scorers in the D-League.

It should be a fun match-up at the Dodge. Looks like the 8pm tipoff is gonna happen. As I am finishing this post. The arena crew is just about done setting up. Oh Happy DAY!

Gotta go for now... I gotta do the pre game interview. For now.. always remember... Rule #76: No Excuses Play like a champion...

Vipers Win...All Stars and MORE!

I know it has been a long time since I have posted but I will do my best to keep updating much more regularly. Fact of the matter is finding time to blog has been tough. My on-road responsibilities have increased this season, and I find myself with less time to post as I had in our previous two seasons. I will make an effort to post as much as I can moving forward. I told the Doctor Professor I would....and promised the same thing to Scott Schroeder at RU. So here goes nothing...

The Vipers won today 106-88 at Tingley Coliseum in one of the stranger games you will ever see. The Vipers were down by as many as 16 points in the first half only to come back and lead by as many as 20! There was only one tie, and one lead change. Once the Vipers grabbed the lead, they never relinquished it. This game also saw the Vipers score 44 3rd quarter points,, a new franchise record. (I don't know what the D-League record is for this, but it has to be close.) The Vipers scored more points in the the third than the T-Birds scored in the entire second half (39)! Strange game indeed.

Chris Finch told me in the post game interview that he was embarrassed by the play in the first half. Who could blame him?  He hasn't been happy with the effort over the last few games, even if the team is on a six game win streak. He thinks his club should be playing with more of a sense of urgency. The team seems to be a bit lost with Will Conroy up with the big club in Houston. Today they had Garrett run the offense coming out of the intermission and it seemed to energize everyone on the floor. The Vipers played with Temple, Antonio Anderson, Jermaine Taylor, Ernest Scott and Mike Harris to start the second half. Obviously... (Jonah says I say obviously a lot... so I threw it in here for fun)  the adjustment worked.

The Vipers are beating the mediocre teams right now, but will that get it done later against the elite? I feel there are five potentially elite teams right now in the D-League. RGV, Iowa, Austin, Maine, Idaho. Right now these are the only teams I feel have any shot of winning the championship. The Vipers have handled Austin so far this year 4-1 record (when they didn't have Malik Hairston) but Austin is playing much better. The Vipers also swept Iowa at their building(s), but they now have a much more in-shape Jeffers, Cartier Martin back from Golden State and now Courtney Sims. We have yet to play Maine and Idaho added a couple solid pieces the last couple of days in Andre Barrett and Joe Dabbert. They are MUCH better than their 13-11 record would indicate.

Can the Vipers, as they are currently assembled, beat any of these teams in a three game series? If they get Joey back from Houston...which is a big IF, I think we could beat 2 of the four. I do think the Vipers need to make a move to solidify their position as a championship contender.

There are a lot of questions on what to do to improve the roster, because there are a lot of "What-Ifs". What if Will Conroy comes back when Lowry is healthy in Houston. What if Joey doesn't come back from Houston or gets traded in a deal for McGrady. What if Mike gets an offer he can't refuse from overseas? What if Antonio Anderson gets a call-up from an NBA team. A lot of questions that when answered can impact what type of move the Vipers need to make.

There was some good news to pass a long today other than the Vipers win over ABQ. ALL_STARS!!

The Vipers have three players that have been recognized as D-League All-Stars. Mike Harris, Antonio Anderson, and former assignment player Joey Dorsey. Also because the Vipers are in first place Chris Finch and his staff (Paul Mokeski and Jai Steadman) along with trainer Joe Resendez will be in charge of the Western Conference All-Stars.

The Vipers have never had an All-star actually play in the game. CJ Watson was named to the team in year one, but had been called up to Golden State by then.

This is a huge honor for everyone involved and for the entire Vipers organization. This year has been great, and it is only getting better.

By the way don't forget the Watch Party at JACKSONS tomorrow! Also Will Conroy and the Rockets are in action tonight...!


For now.. ADB telling you.. always remember... Rule #76 Play like a Champion!

Return By Harris Sparks Vipers Win Over Energy

DES MOINES, Iowa – Mike Harris may not have started in his return to the Rio Grande Valley line-up, but he made his return to the squad count. Harris tallied a double-double by scoring 27 points and hauling in 12 rebounds at the Vipers knocked off the Eastern Conference leading Iowa Energy 109-100 Saturday night at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The loss was the first at home all season for the Energy.

The Vipers got out a strong first half start by scoring the first eight points of the game. Rio Grande Valley led by nine at the end of the first stanza 30-21. The second quarter was more of the same for Rio Grande Valley. The Vipers pushed the lead to as many as 16 and led by 11 at the end of the first 24 minutes 59-47. Garret Temple scored 16 first half points, including four three pointers to help lead the Viper charge.

Iowa Head Coach Nick Nurse, who is Viper Head Coach Chris Finch’s assistant for the British National team, rallied his troops in the third quarter. After the Vipers began the quarter on a 9-4 lead to push the lead to 17, The Energy rallied by going on a 15-0 run, led by Pat Carroll’s seven points on the charge and trailed 68-64. With 1:34 remaining in the third quarter Sean Barnette’s three pointer gave Iowa their first lead of the game. Iowa lead 79-76 going into the final period.

The Vipers rallied behind Harris who scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter. After falling behind by seven with 9:27 remaining in the game, the Vipers proceeded on a 13-2 run to give the Vipers a 91-87 lead with just over five minutes remaining. It was a lead they did not relinquish. The Vipers outscored Iowa 33-21 in the final frame to earn their fifth road win of the season.

Harris led five double-digit Viper scorers with his 27. His double-double was his third of the season. Temple finished the game with 21, with four assists. Meanwhile reigning D-League Player of the Month Antonio Anderson finished two rebounds shy of a triple double as he scored 14, while dishing out a game-high 11 assists. Will Conroy added 14 points and nine assists, and Houston assignee Joey Dorsey scored only 7 while hauling in 11 boards.

Carroll’s 29 points lead all scorers as he led the Iowa charge. He hit 12 of his 17 shots, including four three pointers. Curtis Stinson finished the game two rebounds, and two assists shy of his second straight triple-double as he scored 16. Former Viper Jeff Trepagnier struggled with his shot as he hit just three of his 12 shots scoring only nine points.

The Vipers and Energy will square off again on Sunday night. The venue will shift however, as they will move to the normal Iowa home building, the Wells Fargo Arena. Tip-off for Sunday’s match-up is scheduled for 6:00pm CST.

DORSEY DOMINATES IN SHOWCASE WIN OVER JAM

BOISE, Idaho – Houston Rockets assignee Joey Dorsey tied a career high with 27 points and set a new career high in rebounds with 22 as the Rio Grande Valley Vipers knocked off the Bakersfield Jam 115-107 Wednesday afternoon at the NBA Development League Showcase in Boise Idaho. The Vipers are now 11-4 on the season while the Jam fall to 3-13 on the year. The win for RGV is just their second in franchise history at the 2010 NBA D-League Showcase.

In a game with little rhythm the Vipers took a 58-50 lead into half time. The Vipers went on a 9-2 run capped off by a Joey Dorsey tip-in at the 3:31 mark of the second quarter to take a 50-40 lead. They would expand their first half lead to as many as 13 before going into the locker room with an eight point lead.

The Jam would not go quietly, especially in the third quarter. The Jam, after falling behind by nine, proceeded on a 14-5 run, capped off by a Rodney Web jumper to tie the game at 70 with a little over four minutes left to play in the half. The rest of third quarter was mostly Vipers. RGV hit four three-pointers, including three by Ernest Scott on a 16-5 run to end the quarter to go into the final stanza with an 86-75 lead. The Vipers would lead by as many as 16 in the final quarter en route to the eight point victory.

Dorsey was perfect 11-1 from the field o lead all scorers with his 27 points, tying his career high set on 12/21 versus the Reno Bighorns. Five additional Vipers scored in double-figures Antonio Anderson had a strong bounce back game after scoring just four points on Monday, he tallied 17 and dished out seven assists to help the Viper cause. Ernest Scott hit four three-pointers off the bench to tally 12 points, while Will Conroy pitched in with 14 points and seven assists. The Vipers dominated on the boards, out-rebounding the Jam 47-36.

Bakersfield’s Amara Sy finished a rebound shy of a double-double after tallying 24 points. Jeremy Wise and James Jackson each added 19 points in the loss for Bakersfield.

The Vipers will continue their stretch of games away from Dodge Arena on Saturday when they travel to Des Moines, Iowa to face the Iowa Energy. It will be the first of back-to-back games against the Eastern Conference leaders. 

Showcase Day 1 Re-Cap. Other Stuff

Hello Viper Nation...

Well we are finished with Day 1 of the 2010 D-League Showcase.

Seeing as I am sitting next to the great Scott Schroeder, who is to blogging as this guy is to professional wrestling, I figured I should go ahead and try to put in a thought provoking blog on ITK. So here goes...

The Vipers dropped their first game in five tries today, but you knew that already. The real story is that the Vipers are once again trying to find themselves after making the big trade to bring in the D-League's all-time leading scorer Will Conroy in. Anytime a team makes a move its for a reason and the reason to bring in Conroy was simply this, THE ROCKETS REALLY LIKE WILL CONROY.

Conroy was the last person cut off of the Rockets training camp roster. The Rockets instead with Pops Mensah-Bonsu who of course has since been waived and has subsequently joined the Toronto Raptors... again.  Now let me remind everyone that Houston does not have an open roster spot at the moment.

When Mike Harris was called up to the big-club that ate up the 15th and final spot. But you should also be aware that January 10th, all players with non-guaranteed NBA contracts become guaranteed for the remainder of the season. So expect Houston or a lot of other NBA teams to be letting some of these players go.

Remember if Harris is waived by Houston, he would have to clear NBA waivers first, then (if he chooses) he can return back to the D-League with RGV. He could also sign a pair of 10-day contracts with Houston, after he returns to the D-League to further prove himself to the Rockets front office brass, and make a little NBA money.

One remote possibility is that the Rockets allow Harris' contract to become guaranteed and send him to the D-League as an assignment player to further enhance his development. I don't see this happening, even though Harris does have assignment eligibility as he is considered a second year NBA player as we speak.

The Vipers will hope to bounce back against Bakersfield, who have struggled since the start of the season. There are rumors floating around that they may be acquiring THIS GUY. But I don't think he will be here in time for tomorrow's game. THANK GOD.

Here are a couple of other notes from the Showcase so far.

• Frisco Head Coach Nancy Lieberman is in the house. Nice to see her here, they start play next season. Going to try and snag an interview with her later. 
• There is a Paul Woolpert sighting in the building. It was kind of awkward watching him watch his former team in action.
• Sundiata Gaines was called up today by the Utah Jazz... hey I guess the showcase served its purpose eh?
  

More later from Day 2.

VIPERS FALL TO THUNDERBIRDS IN SHOWCASE OPENER

BOISE, Idaho – The Rio Grande Valley Vipers were outscored 56-42 in the second half en-route to a disappointing 101-84 defeat to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in the opening game of the NBA Development League Showcase Monday afternoon at Qwest Arena in Boise. The Vipers are now 0-3 in their first game of a D-League Showcase.

The Vipers were playing the second half of a back-to-back after winning in Los Angeles on Sunday, the travel seemed to affect them as they scored just 42 points in the first half. The Vipers also committed 13 first half turnovers but trailed only by three at the half. The Vipers kept it close thanks to Garrett Temple’s 13 first half points.

The Vipers (10-4) never saw the lead for the remainder of the game. Albuquerque (5-9) began the third quarter on 13-4 run capped off by a Yaroslov Korolev three-point play to give the Thunderbirds a 58-46 lead with 8:12 remaining in the third quarter. The T-birds would close out the third stanza on a 7-0 run to lead 77-64 at the end of three quarters. Albuquerque would lead by as many as 19 as they cruised to the win.

Temple led all Viper scorers with 18 points. Will Conroy scored 13 and hauled in six rebounds in his first start in a Viper uniform. Craig Winder and Jonathan Wallace scored 11 and 10 points respectively off the bench in the losing effort for Rio Grande Valley. Houston Rockets assignee Joey Dorsey hauled in a team high 11 rebounds for RGV.

Korolev and Carlos Powell each tallied 20 points to shoulder the scoring load for the Thunderbirds. Korolev also added a team-high seven rebounds. Antoine Agudio, starting for the injured Keith McLeod, scored 15, hauled in 5 boards and dished out five assists while Shane Edwards chipped in 14 points off the bench in the win for Albuquerque. It was the Thunderbirds first win versus Rio Grande Valley since January 9^th of 2009.

The Vipers will return to action on Wednesday when they round out their 2010 D-League Showcase appearance with a match-up against the Bakersfield Jam. Tip-off is schedule for 2:45 Central time.