Coaching in the Pros: Fort Wayne to the NBA

Coaching in the Pros: Fort Wayne to the NBA

Postby jksander » Wed May 24, 2023 11:14 pm

OCTOBER 1, 2022 ... My name is Jonathan Sanders, and I’ve been named the head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Indiana Pacers G-League affiliate. Though my goal is to work my way up to eventually having a coaching job or GM position within the NBA itself, I’m excited to have the opportunity to develop the future of the Pacers franchise here in the G-league. My focus will be on playing fast paced, fan-friendly offensive basketball. We’ll be opening the 2022-23 season with a home game against the Maine Celtics on November 29th.

It’s going to be a challenge coaching in the development league, since I’ll have to find ways to develop the players without direct input on what players are drafted by the General Manager. But if I can play my cards right and put in the work, I’ll get the opportunity to prove my worth and move up in the league. I’ll earn $42,300 per year over the next three years in the position, but I’m only 41 so I’ve got plenty of time to develop my coaching skills and find the right long-term fit. Here’s to making the Mad Ants the toast of the G-League!

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER


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Date    Opponent                      Score          Record     Leaders
11/29   Maine Celtics                 W 102-87       1-0        R. Edwards (24 pts 11 reb 9 ast) T. Trotman (17 pts 15 reb 2 ast 1 blk)
12/1    Albuquerque Flame             W 113-86       2-0        M. Fitts (21 pts 10 reb 2 blk) C. Brown (18 pts 8 reb 2 ast)
12/2    College Park Skyhawks         W 100-89       3-0        M. Fitts (23 pts 12 reb 1 ast) C. Brown (16 pts 13 reb 2 ast)
12/4    @ Salt Lake City Stars        L 99-131       3-1        R. Edwards (42 pts 6 reb 3 ast 1 blk) M. Fitts (14 pts 11 reb 2 ast 1 blk)
12/7    Raptors 905                   W 94-81        4-1        M. Fitts (28 pts 12 reb 1 blk) R. Edwards (22 pts 8 reb 6 ast)
12/9    @ Birmingham Squadron         W 107-102      5-1        R. Edwards (38 pts 3 reb 4 ast 4 blk) L. Marshack (20 pts 12 reb 2 ast 2 blk)
12/11   @ Sioux Falls Skyforce        L 113-134      5-2        R. Edwards (41 pts 6 reb 6 ast 2 blk) C. Edwards (18 pts 5 reb 2 ast)
12/13   @ Greensboro Swarm            L 102-111      5-3        R. Edwards (27 pts 5 reb 9 ast) M. Fitts (16 pts 10 reb 1 ast)


DECEMBER 14, 2022 . . . We’re off to a decent start considering Carsen Edwards has been in and out of the rotation on a game-by-game basis with a succession of minor injuries and thus we’ve had a lot of inconsistency at the shooting guard position. Rob Edwards has been exceptional, averaging 32.3 points 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, giving us real strength at the point, and power forward Malik Fitts has averaged 17.7 points 11.0 rebounds and at least a block and a steal per game so far. We’re leading the league in rebounds per game and have the second-best free-throw percentage (87.3%) and the 7th best three-point shooting percentage (33.5%), but in most other regards we’re in the middle of the pack. It’s been a small sample size thus far, but we’re ranked third in the Central Division and I’m hopeful we can build on our strong start.

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Date    Opponent                      Score          Record     Leaders
12/15   Motor City Cruise             L 97-109       5-4        M. Fitts (19 pts 14 reb 3 ast 2 stl) T. Trottman (12 pts 11 reb 1 ast 3 blk)
12/17   @ Iowa Wolves                 W 107-96       6-4        R. Edwards (33 pts 8 reb 9 ast 2 blk) C. Brown (18 pts 13 reb 2 ast 1 stl)
12/18   @ Wisconsin Herd              W 117-89       7-4        C. Brown (24 pts 4 reb 2 ast 1 stl) R. Edwards (21 pts 7 reb 9 ast 2 blk)
12/20   Salem Explorers               W 117-106      8-4        R. Edwards (47 pts 11 reb 7 ast) C. Brown (15 pts 7 reb 4 ast)
12/23   @ Santa Cruz Warriors         W 113-91       9-4        R. Edwards (27 pts 8 reb 9 ast) C. Brown (21 pts 9 reb 3 ast 1 blk)
12/24   @ Rio Grande Valley Vipers    W 120-109      10-4       R. Edwards (26 pts 9 reb 7 ast) C. Stanley (17 pts 10 reb 2 blk)
12/27   Oklahoma City Blue            W 105-103      11-4       R. Edwards (25 pts 8 reb 5 ast 2 blk) M. Fitts (17 pts 13 reb 3 ast)
12/29   @ Windy City Bulls            W 110-101      12-4       C. Edwards (27 pts 7 reb 7 ast) R. Edwards (21 pts 12 reb 2 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
12/30   Westchester Knicks            W 103-77       13-4       M. Fitts (18 pts 17 reb 3 blk) T. Trottman (17 pts 17 reb 2 blk)


DECEMBER 31, 2022 . . . We finished the month of December on an absolute tear, winning eight games in a row to build our record to 13-4 heading into the month of January. We’re currently tied in the Central Division for first place with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, with a three game lead on the Windy City Bulls. Right now only the Greensboro Swarm (14-3) and the Motor City Cruise (15-2) have better records than us. We’re currently 4th in the league in points per game while ranking 15th in points per game allowed. Our overall NET rating is 6th overall, and we remain in the top ten for both three-point and free throw percentages. We’re also still pulling down just shy of 60 rebounds per night which leads the league.
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Re: Coaching in the Pros: Fort Wayne to the NBA

Postby jksander » Fri May 26, 2023 1:55 am

JANUARY

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Date    Opponent                      Score          Record     Leaders
1/1     @ Stockton Kings              W 105-92       14-4       C. Edwards (23 pts 6 reb 12 ast) M. Fitts (23 pts 12 reb 2 ast 1 blk)
1/3     Long Island Nets              W 98-97        15-4       M. Fitts (21 pts 18 reb 1 ast) C. Edwards (11 pts 1 reb 13 ast)
1/5     @ Austin Spurs                L 113-123      15-5       C. Edwards (32 pts 5 reb 5 ast 1 blk) T. Trotman (14 pts 10 reb 2 stl 1 blk)
1/7     @ Memphis Hustle              W 106-103      16-5       M. Fitts (15 pts 14 reb 1 ast) T. Trotman (14 pts 8 reb 2 ast 1 blk)
1/10    Capital City Go-Go            L 101-114      16-6       M. Fitts (23 pts 11 reb 2 ast 1 blk) R. Edwards (21 pts 7 reb 1 ast)
1/11    @ Colorado Timberjacks        L 96-117       16-7       M. Fitts (18 pts 12 reb 1 blk) T. Trotman (12 pts 12 reb 1 ast)
1/13    Spokane Sailors               L 119-126      16-8       M. Fitts (28 pts 10 reb 2 blk) C. Brown (23 pts 3 reb 4 ast 1 stl)
1/16    Texas Legends                 W 103-83       17-8       C. Edwards (45 pts 10 reb 8 ast 1 blk) M. Fitts (10 pts 14 reb 1 ast)
1/17    Agua Caliente Clippers        W 118-111      18-8       C. Edwards (42 pts 8 reb 8 ast) C. Brown (23 pts 7 pts 2 reb 1 stl 1 blk)


JANUARY 18, 2023 . . . We remain in a tight race in the Central Division, just a game behind the Sioux Falls Skyforce while three games up on the third-place Windy City Bulls as we near the season’s midpoint. Malik Fitts has been a star this year, averaging 17.6 points 11.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while looking like he could be NBA ready sooner than later. Carsen Edwards, meanwhile, has stayed healthy for the last several weeks, and with 14 games under his belt he’s now averaging 19.4 points 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists, boosted a great deal by his 87 points in the last two days. If he can stay more durable over the long term, he’s also making a good case to get another shot on an NBA team. We still lead the league in rebounds per game (58.7) and our 106.8 points per game has us ranked 5th overall with the 6th best overall offense in the league from an efficiency standpoint (our overall NET efficiency rating is 7th.) We’re one of the best shooting teams in the league as well, ranked 12th in FG% (41.6%), 4th in 3PT% (34.5%) and 3rd overall in FT% (86.1%). If we can keep this up I think we have a legitimate shot at a deep playoff run.

If we can do that in April, I’m hopeful that I may get some NBA-level opportunities come June, though I suspect teams might want to see if I can keep this team moving in the right direction longer term before I get to make the jump.

Meanwhile, Andrew Nembhard just got optioned back to us from the Pacers -- in 28 games at that level he’s averaged 6.3 points 2.3 rebounds 2.3 assists and 0.5 steals per game. I’ve got him slotted in as our sixth man for the Lakeland Magic and Grand Rapids Gold road trip, but he could move into the starting lineup if he stays around and performs well. It is, however, highly unlikely he stays down here for long.


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Date    Opponent                      Score            Record     Leaders
1/20    @ Lakeland Magic              W 123-106        19-8       C. Stanley (25 pts 10 reb 4 ast 1 stl) A. Nembhard (19 pts 6 reb 3 ast 2 stl)
1/22    @ Grand Rapids Gold           L 115-121        19-9       R. Edwards (36 pts 4 reb 6 ast 2 blk) C. Edwards (16 pts 9 reb 5 ast 1 stl 2 blk)
1/23    South Bay Lakers              W 109-101        20-9       C. Edwards (30 pts 10 reb 4 ast) M. Fitts (22 pts 14 reb 2 ast)
1/25    Delaware Blue Coats           L 85-93          20-10      C. Edwards (14 pts 11 reb 8 ast 1 blk) T. Trotman (12 pts 8 reb 3 blk)
1/28    Cleveland Charge              W 118-110        21-10      C. Edwards (26 pts 8 reb 9 ast 1 stl) M. Fitts (22 pts 13 reb 1 ast)
1/29    Wisconsin Herd                W 133-97         22-10      C. Edwards (33 pts 5 reb 10 ast 3 blk) M. Fitts (22 pts 13 reb 2 ast 1 blk)


FEBRUARY
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Date    Opponent                      Score            Record     Leaders
2/1     Grand Rapids Gold             W 113-95         23-10      C. Stanley (25 pts 8 reb 3 ast 3 blk) M. Fitts (19 pts 11 reb 2 ast)
2/3     @ Albuquerque Flame           L 98-106         23-11      R. Edwards (24 pts 7 reb 3 ast) M. Fitts (20 pts 9 reb 1 ast)
2/5     Birmingham Squadron           W 110-101        24-11      C. Edwards (27 pts 4 reb 6 ast 2 stl) R. Edwards (24 pts 7 reb 1 ast 3 stl 3 blk)
2/7     Iowa Wolves                   W 114-77         25-11      M. Fitts (22 pts 14 reb 1 ast) T. Trotman (15 pts 12 reb 2 ast 1 blk)
2/9     Lakeland Magic                W 128-126 (OT)   26-11      C. Edwards (43 pts 13 reb 2 ast) R. Edwards (31 pts 8 reb 4 ast 3 blk)
2/10    Colorado Timberjacks          W 111-98         27-11      C. Edwards (30 pts 7 reb 1 blk) A. Monroe (16 pts 7 reb 1 blk)


FEBRUARY 11, 2023 . . . With just 24 games remaining before the playoffs, and the trade deadline now passed without our GM having made any trades, it’s time to gear up for our playoff run! We’ve moved up a spot to #6 in the most recent power rankings, and after going 9-3 over the last three weeks we’ve moved back into a tie with Sioux Falls for first place in the Central Division, with Windy City 5.5 games back and the rest of the division at least 11 games behind us. Our overall record has us stuck in a four-way tie for fourth in the league with Windy City, Capital City and Greensboro. South Bay and Motor City are tied for second at 29-9, while the Colorado Timberjacks are alone on top at 30-8 (we split our two games against the Timberjacks this year, and though we still have one game left against Greensboro and Capital City, we’ve lost our first against both.)

In case you were wondering, Nembhard only stayed down here for one game, though he had a good outing on the road against Lakeland, helping us put together a 17-point win on January 20.
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Re: Coaching in the Pros: Fort Wayne to the NBA

Postby jksander » Sat May 27, 2023 7:54 pm

Code: Select all
Date    Opponent                      Score            Record     Leaders
2/13    Santa Cruz Warriors           W 113-98         28-11      C. Edwards (34 pts 10 reb 5 ast 3 stl) R. Edwards (24 pts 6 reb 9 ast)
2/14    Salt Lake City Stars          W 119-107        29-11      R. Edwards (28 pts 9 reb 7 ast 1 stl 1 blk) M. Fitts (23 pts 14 reb 5 ast 2 blk)
2/17    @ Cleveland Charge            L 102-107        29-12      R. Edwards (30 pts 5 reb 3 ast) C. Brown (14 pts 11 reb 2 ast)
2/19    @ Capital City Go-Go          L 97-111         29-13      R. Edwards (44 pts 8 reb 7 ast) M. Fitts (20 pts 10 reb 4 blk)
2/20    @ Westchester Knicks          L 97-101         29-14      R. Edwards (22 pts 8 reb 6 ast) M. Fitts (12 pts 17 reb 2 ast 3 blk)
2/23    @ Maine Celtics               W 114-95         30-14      R. Edwards (32 pts 10 reb 7 ast 1 blk) M. Fitts (22 pts 10 reb 3 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
2/24    @ Salem Explorers             W 95-83          31-14      C. Edwards (25 pts 8 reb 2 ast 1 stl) C. Brown (17 pts 10 reb 2 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
2/26    @ South Bay Lakers            L 104-113 (OT)   31-15      C. Brown (28 pts 9 reb 2 ast 1 blk) C. Edwards (26 pts 9 reb 6 ast 1 blk)


MARCH / APRIL
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Date    Opponent                      Score            Record     Leaders
3/1     Sioux Falls Skyforce          W 99-88          32-15      R. Edwards (35 pts 10 reb 6 ast 1 blk) M. Fitts (29 pts 9 reb 1 ast 1 stl)
3/2     Rio Grande Valley Vipers      W 109-74         33-15      M. Fitts (27 pts 17 reb 2 ast) R. Edwards (24 pts 4 reb 4 ast 1 blk)
3/5     Windy City Bulls              W 105-84         34-15      R. Edwards (21 pts 4 reb 1 ast 2 stl 2 blk) C. Edwards (19 pts 5 reb 9 ast 1 blk)
3/7     Greensboro Swarm              L 104-105        34-16      R. Edwards (28 pts 9 reb 5 ast 1 stl) C. Edwards (20 pts 4 reb 7 ast)
3/8     @ Spokane Sailors             L 109-121        34-17      R. Edwards (44 pts 12 reb 6 ast 1 blk) C. Edwards (17 pts 9 reb 3 ast)
3/10    @ Long Island Nets            W 107-100        35-17      R. Edwards (41 pts 10 reb 4 ast 1 stl 2 blk) M. Fitts (16 pts 12 reb 1 ast 1 stl)


MARCH 11, 2023 . . . With just ten games left in the regular season, seven of which will take place on the road, we remain knotted with Sioux Falls in a tie for the Central Division lead, with a seven game advantage over next rivals the Windy City Bulls. Our record places us 7th overall in the league, and how well we can handle our business during these final games will play a big part in how our playoff prospects will look this spring. Our overall team insights haven’t changed much, though we now have the 4th best offense in the league at just shy of 108 points per game. Both of the Edwards (Rob and Carsen) are averaging more than 45 of our points per game between them, but all of our starters are averaging double figures.

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Date    Opponent                      Score            Record     Leaders
3/12    @ Delaware Blue Coats         W 130-118        36-17      R. Edwards (37 pts 8 reb 10 ast) M. Fitts (24 pts 20 reb 1 ast 1 blk)
3/14    @ College Park Skyhawks       W 94-80          37-17      C. Edwards (20 pts 11 reb 5 ast 1 stl 1 blk) C. Brown (21 pts 10 reb 1 ast 1 stl)
3/17    @ Texas Legends               L 103-113        37-18      C. Edwards (26 pts 8 reb 9 ast) R. Edwards (21 pts 8 reb 1 ast 2 stl)
3/18    Austin Spurs                  L 95-107         37-19      C. Edwards (26 pts 6 reb 11 ast 3 blk) M. Fitts (24 pts 13 reb 1 ast)
3/21    @ Raptors 905                 W 139-128        38-19      R. Edwards (50 pts 5 reb 8 ast) C. Brown (30 pts 12 reb 2 ast)
3/23    Memphis Hustle                W 101-85         39-19      C. Edwards (29 pts 6 reb 6 ast 1 blk) M. Fitts (17 pts 14 reb 3 ast 1 blk)


MARCH 24, 2023 . . . We lost Rob Edwards to a severely sprained wrist after his 50 point performance against the Raptors, and we won’t get him back until at least our final game of the season, which definitely hurt us as we try to finish strong on the road.

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Date    Opponent                      Score            Record     Leaders
3/30    @ Motor City Cruise           L 89-125         39-20      C. Edwards (20 pts 3 reb 6 ast) M. Fitts (13 pts 14 reb 2 stl 1 blk)
4/2     @ Oklahoma City Blue          L 81-93          39-21      C. Edwards (25 pts 7 reb 6 ast 1 stl 1 blk) C. Stanley (20 pts 13 reb)
4/5     @ Agua Caliente Clippers      L 116-118        39-22      C. Edwards (36 pts 7 reb 12 ast 2 stl 1 blk) M. Fitts (19 pts 13 reb 3 ast 2 blk)
4/9     Stockton Kings                W 109-76         40-22      L. Marshack (21 pts 6 reb 1 blk) R. Edwards (15 pts 10 reb 1 ast 1 blk)


APRIL 12, 2023 . . . Were it not for the Rob Edwards injury I believe we could have won the Central Division outright, but instead settled for a tie at the top with Sioux Falls, with Windy City finishing third at 34-28 and Grand Rapids taking fourth with a 30-32 record. Because of a tie-breaker, we earned a spot in the playoffs as the official Central Division winner, where we’ll face the Motor City Cruise in the first round starting on April 21st. Crazily that leaves Sioux Falls’ Skyforce sitting on the outside looking in, with the 9th best overall record in the league. It’s crazy to think that in the end getting Rob Edwards back just in time for the Stockton game on the 9th was the edge we needed to get into the playoffs. Our reward, however, is a win-or-go-home game against the Cruise, a team we’ve not beaten all year.

Meanwhile, the Pacers finished second to last in the Eastern Conference with a 30-52 record, missing the Play-In Tournament by nine games and earning their spot as the sixth worst team in the lottery.

APRIL 21, 2023 . . . Against the Motor City Cruise on the road, we came out strong in the first quarter, building a 34-23 lead, but then collapsed in the second quarter -- by halftime we were clinging to a 58-55 lead, and the second half was all Cruise as they put us away quietly and efficiently, beating us 103-109. Carsen Edwards led with 28 points 12 rebounds two assists and three blocks, while Rob Edwards added 25 points to go with eight boards, nine assists and four blocks. Tommy Trotman also got quite a bit of playing time, putting up 21 points and 10 rebounds, but we couldn’t stop their star Greg Monroe from having his way, as he finished with 39 points and 13 rebounds for the Cruise.

APRIL 26, 2023 . . . In game one of the championship series of the playoffs, Motor City beat Long Island 113-111 in a game they won based on a dominant fourth quarter comeback. Three of their starters -- Greg Monroe, Cassius Winston and Jordan Schakel -- combined to score 74 of those points, stealing the win from the Nets who had led from the opening tip through the 43rd minute.

APRIL 28, 2023 . . . Long Island got revenge in the second game of the championship series, winning in dominant fashion 127-112. They took the lead early in the second quarter and never looked back, thanks to a team effort where no single player dominated. They also successfully held Monroe and Winston to a combined 13 point 12 rebound 3 block performance, ultimately rendering the Cruise offense ineffective when it counted.

APRIl 30, 2023 . . . In the deciding game of the best-of-three championship series, Motor City overcame a poor start in the first quarter to build a 50-45 halftime lead against the Nets before completely dismantling them in the second half en route to a 112-92 victory. Greg Monroe led with 29 points 17 rebounds an assist and a block, while Cassius Winston added 33 points along with eight boards and six assists in the championship-winning performance.

JUNE 2, 2023 . . . The Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics faced off in the NBA Finals this year, with Boston riding high on an Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers as they played their way to the Finals from the 6th seed. But the Suns, a strong top seed from the West, had earned their way into the finals by beating the 7th seeded Timberwolves in seven games in the Western Conference Finals, and they had something to prove. They took games one and two at home by margins of 136-130 and 132-122. And though Boston then won game three on their court 119-98, Phoenix stole game four by a blowout margin, 120-98. And when the series flipped back to Phoenix for game five it was all Suns, 113-94.

JUNE 7, 2023 . . . With only a nine percent chance of taking home this year’s #1 pick in the draft lottery, Indiana’s Pacers stunned everyone during the live ESPN broadcast as they did just that, earning the right to potentially draft a generational player!

JUNE 17, 2023 . . . Rob Edwards and Malik Fitts both made 1st Team All G-League honors for the season. In the NBA, Joel Embiid won MVP, while Rudy Gobert was named Defensive Player of the Year. Brandon Clarke was named Sixth Man of the Year, and Chet Holmgren earned Rookie of the Year honors. 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers took home Coach of the Year as well.

OCTOBER 16, 2023 . . . Chaundree Brown and Cassius Stanley are going to be with us again this year, though they’re on 2-Way contracts with the Pacers and therefore we’re not certain to have them for all our games. We got Frank Jackson in the G-League Draft, who last year played for Agua Caliente and averaged 20.4 points 4.5 rebounds 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. I’m also liking what I have seen so far from Zylan Cheatham, who played last year with Lakeland, averaging 15.3 points 6.4 rebounds 2.2 assists 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. As is the typical nature of coaching in the development league, my job is going to be finding ways to get the best out of a bunch of new young players who no one knows anything about, but this year with the added pressure of needing to prove last year’s 40 wins weren’t flukes. But, in the final year of my initial contract, I’m excited for the opportunity to do well enough to (hopefully) either get a GM position down here in the G-League or find a coaching position in the NBA. Last year I feel I improved a lot in my overall Basketball IQ and offensive concepts, and that’s the direction in which I would like to continue.
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Re: Coaching in the Pros: Fort Wayne to the NBA

Postby jksander » Sun May 28, 2023 5:52 pm

OCTOBER 23, 2023 . . . The Spurs signed Frank Jackson, so he’s no longer going to be in our G-league lineup. It’s going to be interesting to see who winds up being on our roster when we get to opening day.

NOVEMBER 28, 2023 . . . We open the G-League season tomorrow against Maine here at home, and right now we have Nembhard down from the Pacers organization for the time being, so he’ll at least be our starting point guard for now, having struggled in fewer than eight minutes per game with the parent club. We’ll be starting Cassius Stanley at shooting guard (9.9 PPG 5.2 RPG 1.2 APG 0.4 SPG 0.3 BPG last year) and Chaundee Brown at small forward (14.9 PPG 7.5 RPG 1.9 APG 0.6 SPG 0.4 BPG last year). Zylan Cheatham will start at power forward, having averaged 15.3 PPG 6.4 RPG 2.2 APG 0.9 SPG and 0.7 BPG last year in 57 starts for Lakeland. And Will King will be our starting center as a rookie as a complete unknown. The Oregon State grad looks to be a solid inside shooter with decent defensive ability, but beyond that he’s incredibly raw and will likely split a lot of minutes with backup center Chris Brown, a rookie who graduated from Western Illinois -- Brown had nine starts for Birmingham last year and played in 59 games, averaging 6.3 PPG 4.5 RPG 1.1 APG 0.5 SPG 0.4 BPG thanks to his strong endurance, decent shooting ability and a willingness to fight his way inside.

But that’s going to be most likely our weakest position unless our GM Tyler Smylie finds someone new later in the season to sneak into our roster (we’ve got 13 players on contract to start the season). We are also lacking a legitimate point guard beyond Nembhard, so when he’s called back up to the Pacers we’ll be relying on Cassius Stanley, Steve Holland or Chaundee Brown to slide into the role. Holland, an undrafted rookie out of Uconn, will be our sixth man early on and he looks to be a quality young prospect with great handling and stealing ability and the court IQ to play above his natural abilities. He and forward Louis King, a 60-game starter last year for Birmingham who haveraged 14.6 PPG 6.5 RPG 2.2 APG 1.2 SPG 0.6 BPG last year, should expect 20+ minutes off the bench, which is not very deep at this point.

Note: With two C Browns, any notes will have to be Cha. Brown and Chr. Brown for Chaundree vs. Chris. We have two Kings, but thankfully they do not also share first initials.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER

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Date    Opponent                      Score            Record     Leaders
11/29   Maine Celtics                 W 105-102        1-0        A. Nembhard (24 pts 6 reb 12 ast 1 blk) Z. Cheatham (23 pts 13 reb 7 ast 2 stl)
12/1    Albuquerque Flame             W 84-70          2-0        L. King (15 pts 17 reb) W. King (12 pts 11 reb 2 ast) Chr. Brown (10 pts 10 reb)
12/2    College Park Skyhawks         W 99-83          3-0        S. Holland (27 pts 8 reb 4 ast) L. King (23 pts 17 reb 1 blk)
12/4    @ Salt Lake City Stars        W 136-126        4-0        L. King (34 pts 8 reb 1 ast 1 stl) Z. Cheatham (25 pts 10 reb 1 stl)
12/7    Raptors 905                   W 97-91          5-0        W. King (15 pts 18 reb 3 ast 2 blk) Cha. Brown (23 pts 6 reb 1 ast)
12/9    @ Birmingham Squadron         W 129-112        6-0        A. Nembhard (27 pts 11 reb 8 ast) S. Holland (18 pts 4 reb 3 ast)
12/11   @ Sioux Falls Skyforce        W 111-100        7-0        A. Nembhard (30 pts 5 reb 4 ast) Cha. Brown (17 pts 9 reb 3 ast 1 blk)
12/13   @ Greensboro Swarm            W 125-108        8-0        Cha. Brown (24 pts 11 reb 2 ast 2 blk) W. King (20 pts 18 reb 2 ast)
12/15   Motor City Cruise             W 119-104        9-0        S. Holland (30 pts 3 reb 3 ast 2 blk) L. King (19 pts 17 reb 1 ast 1 blk)
12/17   @ Iowa Wolves                 W 90-82          10-0       Z. Cheatham (27 pts 12 reb 3 ast 1 blk) S. Holland (11 pts 10 reb 11 ast 1 blk)
12/18   @ Wisconsin Herd              W 112-93         11-0       Cha. Brown (29 pts 11 reb 2 ast 1 blk) C. Stanley (20 pts 15 reb 5 ast 1 blk)
12/20   Salem Explorers               W 111-102        12-0       Cha. Brown (29 pts 13 reb 2 ast 2 stl) Z. Cheatham (31 pts 7 reb)
12/23   @ Santa Cruz Warriors         W 114-89         13-0       S. Holland (21 pts 9 reb 7 ast 1 stl 2 blk) Z. Cheatham (20 pts 5 reb 4 ast)
12/24   @ Rio Grande Valley Vipers    L 99-113         13-1       S. Holland (19 pts 5 reb 9 ast) Cha. Brown (13 pts 12 reb 5 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
12/27   Oklahoma City Blue            W 108-97         14-1       S. Holland (27 pts 8 reb 10 ast) W. King (16 pts 14 reb 3 ast 2 blk)
12/29   @ Windy City Bulls            W 119-107        15-1       W. King (21 pts 13 reb 2 blk) C. Stanley (18 pts 12 reb 5 ast 2 stl)
12/30   Westchester Knicks            W 109-88         16-1       C. Stanley (33 pts 7 reb 1 ast) Cha. Brown (18 pts 12 reb 3 ast 1 stl)


NOVEMBER 30, 2023 . . . Nembhard went down with a strained abdominal after his solid debut, so he’ll miss at least a week and a half, hopefully returning around time for the road trip to Birmingham. Holland will step in to start at the point until he returns. Our GM also signed Nicholas Toxey, an undrafted forward out of Liberty, who has had liminted experience during G-League play last season with Westchester, to give us added depth.

DECEMBER 6, 2023 . . . Cassius Stanley sprained his wrist yesterday during practice and will miss at least our next five games. Our GM has signed Phil Woods, an undrafted point guard who spent last season playing in about a third of Long Island’s games off the bench and averaging 6.5 points 3.1 rebounds 2.6 assists. He will give us some depth at the position though I don’t expect to play him unless Nate Fields struggles.

DECEMBER 12, 2023 . . . We knew it was coming eventually ... A0ndrew Nembhard was recalled today by the Pacers, so Holland will retake his starting spot as we look to stay undefeated heading into Greensboro tomorrow. Despite our injury battles this year we’ve managed to dominate the league so far over a short sample period, leading the league again in rebounds per game (60.3) while also dominating in three point percentage (1st, 39.2%) and points per game (4th, 108.7 PPG). Our offense and defense are each ranked 5th in the league, and our overall NET efficiency is 2nd in the league behind the Maine Celtics, though by a wide margin -- they are 6-1, having only lost to us, but their NET efficiency is nearly double our score.

DECEMBER 31, 2023 . . . This has been the craziest start to a season I’ve ever experienced. We’re 16-1, undefeated in our division, and we have the best record in the league, one game up on the Maine Celtics (who we beat in our season opener by just three points!) Right now they’re leading us in the power rankings (though we’re a close second) and the rematch on the road on February 23 should be a must-see matchup! Their NET efficiency dominance is what’s proving to be the separator, as right now we’re leading the league in points per game (109.8), rebounds per game (61.4) and three point percentage (38.5%), while coming in second in overall offensive efficiency (108.4) and overall NET rating (11.7). We’re also sharing the ball well, with 22.1 assists per game (3rd) and our field goal percentage is fourth in the league (43.8%).

All of our starters, as well as our sixth man, Louis King, are scoring in double figures and averaging 25 minutes or more per outing. With Aaron Nesmith, Chris Brown and Nate Fields each getting at least 13 minutes per game. Cassius Stanley leads the team with 17.3 points 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, while Steve Holland has been a dominant point gard with 17.1 points 6.2 rebounds 6.1 assists and half a block per game. I have also been impressed with Zylan Cheatham, who is playing four minutes per game more than he did last year with Lakeland, while improving dramatically in production overall with 17.1 points 9.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. It’s stunning to me that he’s never been given a real shot at playing in the NBA beyond that 10-day stretch he had for Utah in 2021. But their loss is our gain for sure.
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Re: Coaching in the Pros: Fort Wayne to the NBA

Postby jksander » Mon May 29, 2023 3:40 pm

JANUARY
Code: Select all
Date    Opponent                      Score            Record     Leaders
1/1     @ Stockton Kings              W 112-98         17-1       S. Holland (33 pts 8 reb 5 ast) C. Stanley (25 pts 17 reb 3 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
1/3     Long Island Nets              W 125-111        18-1       S. Holland (36 pts 11 reb 11 ast) L. King (20 pts 13 reb 3 ast)
1/5     @ Austin Spurs                L 88-109         18-2       S. Holland (27 pts 5 reb 6 ast 1 stl 2 blk) C. Stanley (16 pts 3 reb 1 ast)
1/7     @ Memphis Hustle              W 117-104        19-2       C. Stanley (26 pts 10 reb 4 ast) L. King (22 pts 13 reb 3 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
1/10    Capital City Go-Go            W 124-105        20-2       Z. Cheatham (27 pts 14 reb 4 ast 1 blk) S. Holland (29 pts 7 reb 9 ast 1 stl)
1/11    @ Colorado Timberjacks        W 96-88          21-2       S. Holland (30 pts 5 reb 4 ast 1 blk) C. Stanley (25 pts 11 reb 2 ast 1 stl)
1/13    Spokane Sailors               L 112-117        21-3       C. Stanley (32 pts 13 reb 8 ast 1 stl) Z. Cheatham (20 pts 8 reb 1ast)
1/16    Texas Legends                 W 100-93         22-3       C. Stanley (23 pts 8 reb 2 ast) S. Holland (15 pts 9 reb 13 ast)
1/17    Agua Caliente Clippers        W 110-90         23-3       S. Holland (22 pts 10 reb 8 ast 2 blk) Cha. Brown (22 pts 11 reb 1 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
1/20    @ Lakeland Magic              L 86-105         23-4       S. Holland (20 pts 5 reb 9 ast 1 blk) Cha. Brown (16 pts 12 reb 1 blk)
1/22    @ Grand Rapids Gold           W 106-73         24-4       S. Holland (26 pts 11 reb 10 ast) W. King (18 pts 14 reb 2 ast 1 stl)
1/23    South Bay Lakers              L 110-122        24-5       S. Holland (16 pts 10 reb 10 ast) L. King (26 pts 10 reb 1 ast 3 stl 2 blk)
1/25    Delaware Blue Coats           L 97-103         24-6       S. Holland (20 pts 10 reb 8 ast 1 stl 2 blk) Cha. Brown (26 pts 8 reb 4 ast)
1/28    Cleveland Charge              W 105-83         25-6       W. King (33 pts 18 reb 2 ast 1 blk) Z. Cheatham (20 pts 10 reb 1 ast 1 blk)
1/29    Wisconsin Herd                W 116-100        26-6       S. Holland (19 pts 8 reb 11 ast 1 blk) W. King (18 pts 20 reb 4 ast 1 stl 1 blk)


JANUARY 31, 2024 . . . Halfway through the season we’re off to an incredible 26-6 start, remaining one game ahead of the Maine Celtics at the top of the League Standings! In the Central Division we have a three-game lead on Windy City (23-9) and we’re 8-0 so far in the division, which sets us up very well in case of any potential tiebreaker situation if we can keep dominating our regional rivals. We’re closing the gap against Maine in the NET Efficiency rating, though we’re still in second place, but we lead the league in points per game (108.5), rebounds per game (60.6) and three point percentage (37.7%) and we remain second overall in the league power rankings. We all have February 23 highlighted on the schedule for the rematch against Maine on their court. A win there should cenent us as the best team in the league and a favorite to win it all in April.

FEBRUARY

Code: Select all
Date    Opponent                      Score              Record     Leaders
2/1     Grand Rapids Gold             L 81-101           26-7       Z. Cheatham (21 pts 7 reb 2 ast 1 blk) C. Stanley (14 pts 7 reb 4 ast 1 stl)
2/3     @ Albuquerque Flame           L 89-109           26-8       W. King (20 pts 11 reb 1 stl) C. Stanley (17 pts 7 reb 2 ast 3 stl)
2/5     Birmingham Squadron           W 118-105          27-8       L. King (30 pts 13 reb 1 ast 1 blk) C. Stanley (29 pts 10 reb 8 ast 2 blk)
2/7     Iowa Wolves                   L 102-105          27-9       C. Stanley (26 pts 13 reb 1 ast 1 blk) S. Holland (19 pts 8 reb 7 ast 1 stl)
2/9     Lakeland Magic                L 113-127          27-10      W. King (19 pts 15 reb 1 ast) Z. Cheatham (22 pts 7 reb 3 ast 1 blk)
2/10    Colorado Timberjacks          W 113-104          28-10      S. Holland (23 pts 7 reb 4 ast 1 blk) W. King (23 pts 7 reb 1 ast 2 stl 1 blk)
2/13    Santa Cruz Warriors           W 112-98           29-10      W. King (20 pts 13 reb 2 ast 1 stl) S. Holland (22 pts 6 reb 10 ast 2 stl 2 blk)
2/14    Salt Lake City Stars          L 95-111           29-11      W. King (24 pts 16 reb 1 blk) C. Stanley (21 pts 10 reb 2 ast 1 stl 2 blk)
2/17    @ Cleveland Charge            W 92-74            30-11      C. Stanley (31 pts 10 reb 1 blk) W. King (21 pts 23 reb 1 ast 2 blk)
2/19    @ Capital City Go-Go          L 110-120          30-12      S. Holland (20 pts 10 reb 10 ast) Cha. Brown (21 pts 8 reb 3 ast)
2/20    @ Westchester Knicks          W 105-99           31-12      S. Holland (25 pts 8 reb 8 ast 2 stl 1 blk) Z. Cheatham (24 pts 11 reb 4 ast)
2/23    @ Maine Celtics               L 112-114          31-13      S. Holland (33 pts 5 reb 10 ast 2 stl 1 blk) W. King (22 pts 10 reb)
2/24    @ Salem Explorers             L 81-93            31-14      S. Holland (20 pts 9 reb 6 ast 1 stl 1 blk) Z. Cheatham (16 pts 11 reb 1 blk)
2/26    @ South Bay Lakers            L 90-98            31-15      S. Holland (26 pts 10 reb 6 ast) W. King (19 pts 17 reb 1 blk)


FEBRUARY 28, 2024 . . . February was as close to a disaster as we could have experienced. We went 5-9 over the 14 game stretch, and since starting 21-2 we’ve gone 10-13 and looked completely exposed. Worse, this month we played and lost three divisional games, while Windy City went on a complete tear, so suddenly we’re heading into the final 16 game stretch and we’re trailing the 34-12 Bulls by three games. We play them on March 5 and NEED that win, so that if there is a tie-breaker situation we would win it. But this is a typically tough stretch. We’ll play just seven home games against nine on the road, and though our division now looks likely to send two teams to the playoffs, I don’t want to leave anything to chance, because at this point the difference between first place and ninth place in the league is just eight games. Our NET Efficiency rating has slipped to 5th, and that’s right about where we sit overall in the standings.
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Re: Coaching in the Pros: Fort Wayne to the NBA

Postby jksander » Mon May 29, 2023 5:39 pm

MARCH / APRIL
Code: Select all
Date    Opponent                      Score              Record     Leaders
3/1     Sioux Falls Skyforce          W 105-94           32-15      C. Stanley (32 pts 8 reb 2 ast 1 blk) Z. Cheatham (19 pts 8 reb 6 ast 1 blk)
3/2     Rio Grande Valley Vipers      W 115-91           33-15      W. King (17 pts 17 reb 2 ast 1 blk) L. King (23 pts 8 reb 4 ast 1 blk)
3/5     Windy City Bulls              W 125-109          34-15      C. Stanley (37 pts 9 reb 4 ast 2 stl) S. Holland (19 pts 9 reb 8 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
3/7     Greensboro Swarm              W 105-87           35-15      S. Holland (20 pts 12 reb 7 ast) Z. Cheatham (24 pts 8 reb 4 ast 1 blk)
3/8     @ Spokane Sailors             W 106-102          36-15      C. Stanley (22 pts 11 reb 1 ast 2 blk) Z. Cheatham (21 pts 13 reb 4 ast 1 blk)
3/10    @ Long Island Nets            W 124-112          37-15      Cha. Brown (26 pts 11 reb 2 ast 2 stl) W. King (20 pts 11 reb 2 ast 1 blk)
3/12    @ Delaware Blue Coats         W 104-101          38-15      S. Holland (23 pts 9 reb 8 ast 1 blk) W. King (14 pts 21 reb 1 ast)
3/14    @ College Park Skyhawks       L 85-111           38-16      Cha. Brown (21 pts 10 reb 5 ast 1 stl) C. Stanley (16 pts 13 reb  blk)
3/17    @ Texas Legends               L 120-126          38-17      Cha. Brown (26 pts 8 reb 1 ast 1 stl) W. King (17 pts 19 reb 1 ast 1 blk)
3/18    Austin Spurs                  W 109-100          39-17      S. Holland (26 pts 6 reb 9 ast) Cha. Brown (25 pts 12 reb 1 ast)
3/21    @ Raptors 905                 W 104-90           40-17      S. Holland (20 pts 11 reb 11 ast 1 stl) Cha. Brown (21 pts 12 reb 1 stl 1 blk)
3/23    Memphis Hustle                L 97-107           40-18      Z. Cheatham (26 pts 7 reb 4 ast 3 stl) W. King (16 pts 15 reb 3 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
3/30    @ Motor City Cruise           W 96-90            41-18      Z. Cheatham (33 pts 14 reb 1 ast 1 blk) S. Holland (21 pts 11 reb 6 ast 1 blk)
4/2     @ Oklahoma City Blue          L 119-121          41-19      W. King (33 pts 20 reb 1 ast 2 stl) C. Stanley (23 pts 10 reb 1 ast 1 blk)
4/5     @ Agua Caliente Clippers      W 116-94           42-19      Z. Cheatham (25 pts 12 reb 1 ast) Cha. Brown (26 pts 11 reb 3 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
4/9     Stockton Kings                W 109-94           43-19      S. Holland (21 pts 14 reb 8 ast 1 blk) C. Stanley (18 pts 10 reb 5 ast 2 stl)


APRIL 12, 2024 . . . The race in the division was close, with both us and Windy City posting excellent seasons. But we were the top team in the final standings with our 43-19 record, including a 10-4 record against the division. Windy City finished 41-21 with an 11-3 record in the division, amd while we finished second overall in the league, they were seventh so our division will have two teams in the playoffs. Of course that means we’ll face in the first round in a single elimination game. We beat them both times this year, so I like our chances, but a single game can go almost any direction in this league so it’ll be a challenge to get out of that first round. The Maine Celtics are the team to beat, the odds on favorites to dominate their way to the championship series, with their 47-15 record. But I’m hoping we can get in there and challenge them if we can make it to the final series -- we lost to them by two on the road but beat them by three on our court in the season opener. So we’ve proven we can play with the best. Now we have to prove we can do it in a playoff situation.

In the NBA, our parent team had a typically terrible season as usual, going 32-50 and finishing last in their division and second overall in the Eastern Conference. In a league where 20 out of 30 teams at least have a shot at making the playoffs, the Pacers are simply unable to develop their players well enough to get out of the lottery. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with the draft, since this year they do not have a first round pick due to trades. I would still love the opportunity to become my home-team’s GM and right that ship, but whether my two years at Fort Wayne are good enough to get me a shot remains to be seen. Surely a two-win increase this year can’t look good for Rick Carlisle or Kevin Prichard, but can I get the ear of the owners this offseason? First I have to finish what we’ve started here in Fort Wayne.

APRIL 21, 2024 . . . Hosting our first playoff game, this time against the Windy City Bulls, the game was tight early -- we built a 22-20 first quarter lead that turned into a slight 43-42 halftime advantage, and at the end of the third quarter the Bulls, who are notorious for holding teams to low scoring outputs, had fought their way to a 65-67 advantage. But Will King had a typically solid game overall and dominated in the fourth quarter, and Louis King came off the bench on fire down the stretch as we quickly retook the lead and shut down the bulls, winning in the end 100-92. Will King had 16 points 15 rebounds and a season high five blocks, while Cassius Stanley had 21 points 11 rebounds four assists and a block of his own. Louis King had 13 points five rebounds and an assist in just ten minutes off the bench, most of which came in the fourth quarter, and Steve Holland had a solid night with 20 points, though the Bulls threw him for a loop overall -- he only had three rebounds and five assists, well below his averages.

APRIL 23, 2024 . . . We hosted the Salt Lake City Stars in this second round, single-elimination playoff game, a team we beat by ten on the road in December only to lose by 16 against them at home in February. So we certainly didn’t go into this one expecting a cakewalk, especially after how hard we’d had to fight just to get past Windy City. We were also without the services of Chaundee Brown, who was dealing with a sore wrist after the Bulls win and would therefore be only probable -- I decided to save him for the finals where he could play at full strength, moving Stanley from small forward to shooting guard and slotting Louis King in as our starting small forward. And our King-heavy starting five dominated the game early, building a 33-23 first quarter lead. The Stars made up a lot of ground in the third quarter, determined to take us down by retaking the lead at the third quarter buzzer, up 69-70, but just like in the game against Windy City we took control in the final quarter and were able to outlast the Stars 108-99, advancing to the G-League Championship Series! Cassius Stanley led the way with 28 points eight rebounds seven assists and two blocks, while Steve Holland added 25 points eight rebounds three assists a steal and a block. Louis King had a double double in his first-ever playoff start with 11 points 14 rebounds two assists and a steal, and Will King had another spectacular 17 point 16 rebound game as well. It was a team effort holding off the Stars and earning our shot against Maine to be the best in this league.

APRIL 26, 2024 . . . With our roster healthy heading into the series, we were confident that we could give Maine a real run for their money. But we’d have to play the first game on the road, giving the Celtics the advantage. And they took full control in the second half ... we’d kept it close in the first half, trailing 58-59 at the break, but despite tying things up at the end of the third quarter 82-82, the final quarter was all Celtics for twelve brutal minutes as we lost game one 98-110. Will King had a typical Will King night with 18 points and 15 rebounds, but defensively we were off our game. Steve Holland had five rebounds and eight assists but was unable to find his shot, only making 2 of 12 from the field and finishing with just nine points. Chaundee Brown had a great night back from his minor injury, with 20 points six rebounds two assists and a steal, but we need to play a much better overall game when we get back home if we don’t want this to be a finals sweep for the Celtics.

APRIL 26, 2024 . . . We came into this one fully focused, and our starters were united in knowing they needed to out-defend the Celtics if we were going to win this one. So we came out and absolutely demolished them defensively in the first half, outscoring them 24-18 in the first quarter and then repeating the same in the second to go up 45-36 at the half. The second half was evenly battled and we were able to prevent them from going on any significant runs -- they never got within five the rest of the way and we were able to hold them off to even the series with a 96-84 win. Nothing flashy, just good strong fundamental defense. Steve Holland led the way with 20 points nine rebounds six assists and two blocks, while Will King added 13 points 14 rebounds two assists and two blocks. Cassius Stanley also had a great night with 20 points 13 rebounds three steals and a block in 42 minutes on the court. But can we repeat this when we head back to Maine for the rubber match?

APRIL 28, 2024 . . . As it turns out, yes we can! We came out tonight in Maine and made it our mission to shut their fans up quickly and efficiently. We led 31-28 at the end of the first quarter and held our ground to still lead by three at the half, up 53-50 at the half. But it was our second half performance which proved to be the backbreaker. Maine came out of the break playing timid ball and we took full advantage, winning this one with surprising ease in what was supposed to be a hostile environment, taking the championship with a 105-96 victory! Will King led the way with 20 points 15 rebounds and an assist, while Cassius Stanley added 20 points and nine rebounds. Chaundee Brown put up 22 points seven rebounds and three assists as well, in a team-effort victory -- nothing flashy, just the same level of basketball we’ve shown all year.

JUNE 7, 2024 . . . The NBA Playoffs didn’t go well for last year’s champions the Phoenix Suns, who lost to the Nuggets in the Divisional Round in a seven game series. The Nuggets then got shut down in the Western Conference Finals by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a five game series. In the East, Boston beat the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, swept the Sixers, and then won an epic seven game series against the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals to make it back to the NBA Finals. Against the Timberwolves, Boston was completely dominant, unlike last year against the Suns, sweeping the Timberwolves in a series where they won games by 17, 22, 8 and 16 to take home the title.

In the Draft Lottery, the Atlanta Hawks did quite well, since they’ll have two lottery picks -- their own, at 14th, and then the Pacers’ pick at fourth overall. Houston’s Rockets won the #1 pick though they’d finished fourth from the bottom. Portland will pick second, while Detroit moved up from 9th to third thanks to a lucky draw. The Spurs, who had a 14% chance of winning the lottery, fell from second to fifth.

JUNE 17, 2024 . . . In the NBA Awards reveals, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton won MVP, while Lakers center Anthony Davis won Defensive Player of the Year. The Pelicans’ center Jaxson Hayes was named Sixth Man of the Year, and the Trailblazers’ forward Billy Thomas was named Rookie of the Year. Mike Malone, head coach of the Denver Nuggets, was named Coach of the Year. I was named G-League Coach of the Year after our 43-19 season and our dominant finish in the playoffs. I was disappointed not to see any of our players earn team honors, but perhaps that goes to show how well we played as a team rather than for individual glory.

Despite our continued success here in Fort Wayne, I was unable to get any meetings with teams in the NBA to move up. So with my job secure with the Mad Ants, I guess it’s time to gear up for a third season with the program as we look to defend our title!
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Re: Coaching in the Pros: Fort Wayne to the NBA

Postby jksander » Tue May 30, 2023 12:09 am

OCTOBER 16, 2024 . . . Our cupboard is more bare than usual at this point in the season. The results of the G-League Draft were not particularly favorable ones, at least in my humble coaching opinion -- most of the players we’ve got on our roster at this juncture are complete rookie blank slates, and the ones who do have G-league experience were bit players on average teams. I, of course, plan to work with the players I am given and I am confident I can find the lineups for us to succeed, though doing so on the level of last year will be tougher. I have no word yet from the Pacers if they’re going to have anyone on the roster signed to two-way contracts, or if any current players will be optioned to our league. I’ve had meetings with my GM here at Fort Wayne and hope he will find us some free agents who can be big-time contributors at this level.

OCTOBER 19, 2024 . . . The Pacers signed two players to two-way contracts:

- Carlik Jones, a 6’1” point guard, spent the last two seasons playing on a two-way deal with the Timberwolves and the Iowa Wolves, and he’s spent both years playing exclusively for Iowa, last year averaging 11.7 points 7.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game as a 56-game starter. The undrafted Louisville graduate has bounced around for three years, but only has played five games as a pro in the NBA against 112 down here in the G-League, so at 27 he’s running out of chances to prove himself.

- Jay Huff, a 7’1” undrafted center from Virginia, spent the last two seasons on a two-way contract with New Orleans and the Birmingham Squadron, but he hasn’t played in the NBA since 2021 when he had four games with the Lakers for a total of 20 minutes of NBA experience. He will likely be our star this year in Fort Wayne, however -- last year he played 62 games with Birmingham and in just shy of 30 minutes per game he averaged 23.2 points 13.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. The Pacers traded with Atlanta for Onyeka Okungwu last year, but they’re not deep at center, so it’s possible Huff could get some NBA time this year, but we’ll be glad to have him here in Fort Wayne whenever he’s available.

We still have six weeks to firm up our roster for opening day, but right now it looks like we’ll be playing eight or nine players deep early in the year until we figure out who fits in well where in the lineup. It’s possible we could have seven players getting 20+ minutes per game early on.

NOVEMBER 29, 2024 . . . Our GM has not signed any additional players, so we’re starting out with an initial 13-player roster. Our starting five as it stands will be Carlik Jones at PG, Kenny Adams at SG, Feron Hunt at SF, Richard Cullen at PF and Jay Huff at C. Cullen is a complete rookie, undrafted this year from Temple at age 20, while Adams played 59 games last year for Austin with a handful of starts, averaging 4.6 points 2.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, though his endurance and athleticism is suspect. Hunt started for Grand Rapids last year and played about 30 minutes per game but only averaged 9.8 points 6.9 rebounds and 1.0 spg. Saben Lee, our sixth man and backup at point guard, will likely get 25 to 30 minutes per game -- he averaged similar minutes last year for College Park, averaging 11.3 points 4.6 rebounds 5.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. We also should be giving significant minutes to Andre Abel, a 21 year-old undrafted rookie from Creighton, who will split time at small forward and power forward, as well as Steve Duggins, our backup center, who averaged 4.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last year with Salt Lake City. Beyond that, question marks abound.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER

Code: Select all
Date    Opponent                      Score            Record     Leaders
11/29   Maine Celtics                 W 108-90         1-0        J. Huff (35 pts 16 reb 2 ast 2 blk) C. Jones (18 pts 11 reb 14 ast 1 blk)
12/1    Albuquerque Flame             L 80-82          1-1        J. Huff (22 pts 16 reb 1 ast 2 blk) J. Johnson (16 pts 17 reb 2 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
12/2    College Park Skyhawks         W 110-97         2-1        J. Huff (25 pts 15 reb) J. Johnson (24 pts 18 reb) C. Jones (28 pts 6 reb 5 ast)
12/4    @ Salt Lake City Stars        L 76-99          2-2        J. Huff (28 pts 7 reb 2 ast) J. Johnson (18 pts 8 reb 2 ast 1 blk)
12/7    Raptors 905                   L 88-102         2-3        J. Huff (27 pts 19 reb 2 ast 1 blk) J. Johnson (15 pts 15 reb 1 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
12/9    @ Birmingham Squadron         L 94-113         2-4        J. Huff (26 pts 8 reb) J. Johnson (26 pts 6 reb 1 ast 1 stl 3 blk)
12/11   @ Sioux Falls Skyforce        W 106-88         3-4        A. Nembhard (28 pts 6 reb 7 ast 1 stl) V. Krejci (18 pts 14 reb 6 ast)
12/13   @ Greensboro Swarm            W 93-79          4-4        J. Johnson (27 pts 12 reb 2 ast) V. Krejci (15 pts 11 reb 3 ast)
12/15   Motor City Cruise             W 116-104        5-4        V. Krejci (24 pts 8 reb 5 ast 2 blk) J. Huff (20 pts 24 reb 5 ast 1 blk)
12/17   @ Iowa Wolves                 W 116-111        6-4        J. Huff (33 pts 14 reb 2 blk) C. Jones (23 pts 11 reb 5 ast 1 blk)
12/18   @ Wisconsin Herd              W 98-95          7-4        C. Jones (26 pts 8 reb 6 ast 3 blk) J. Johnson (23 pts 9 reb 4 ast 1 blk)
12/20   Salem Explorers               W 111-108        8-4        J. Johnson (35 pts 16 reb 4 ast) C. Jones (17 pts 10 reb 13 ast 1 blk)
12/23   @ Santa Cruz Warriors         L 80-99          8-5        J. Huff (28 pts 14 reb 1 ast 1 blk) J. Johnson (11 pts 16 reb)
12/24   @ Rio Grande Valley Vipers    W 114-109        9-5        J. Huff (33 pts 14 reb 1 blk) J. Johnson (25 pts 11 reb 2 ast 2 blk)
12/27   Oklahoma City Blue            W 115-100        10-5       J. Huff (29 pts 11 reb 1 blk) V. Krejci (20 pts 8 reb 7 ast 2 stl 1 blk)
12/29   @ Windy City Bulls            L 94-100         10-6       J. Huff (25 pts 13 reb 2 blk) R. Cullen (26 pts 7 reb 1 blk)
12/30   Westchester Knicks            W 107-97         11-6       J. Huff (28 pts 13 reb 2 blk) C. Jones (25 pts 7 reb 8 ast 1 blk)


DECEMBER 2, 2024 . . . The Pacers sent Jalen Johnson down to our team to start the month, so he gave us a stronger presence at power forward and was a big reason we were able to stay in the Albuquerque game despite our lack of offense, though we would eventually lose at the buzzer.

DECEMBER 5, 2024 . . . Kenny Adams sprained his ring finger in the loss to Salt Lake City and will miss two weeks, exposing our lack of guard depth. Saben lee has only been averaging four points per game on offense in 20+ minutes, so we’re going to have to test Eric Dawson, an undrafted rookie guard from Temple, who in our first four games only played four minutes per game in garbage time. But we have to keep a next man up attitude if we’re going to do well this year. God help us if we lose Jones, Johnson or Huff for long periods due to injury or NBA call-ups.

DECEMBER 11, 2024 . . . We’ve been riddled by small injuries, but the Pacers helped us out ahead of today’s game by sending down Andrew Nembhard and Vit Krejci in time for the Sioux Falls game. I didn’t expect them to stay down for long, but I’ll always use the best players I have in the lineup on any given day. In this case they helped us get some critical wins. Nembhard was called back up on the 15th, but I was hopeful Krejci will be able to stick around a while. Krejci was recalled to the Pacers on December 19, but I suspect he’ll be bouncing back and forth throughout the season.

DECEMBER 27, 2024 . . . Vit Krejci came back down from the Pacers and was a huge part in helping us beat Oklahoma City, but he sprained his big toe and will be out two weeks, so even if the Pacers keep him down here he’s not going to be able to help us until mid-January.

DECEMBER 31, 2024 . . . December was rougher than we’re used to over the last few seaons, but we’re still 11-6 overall, two games behind the Wisconsin Herd in the Central Division and ranked seventh overall. Unfortunately we lost Saben Lee to a strained hamstring in the win over Westchester on the 29th, and he’ll be out of play until at least the Texas game in mid-January. It’s been a chaotic season from a roster management standpoint, but we remain atop the league in rebounding (63.9 rebounds per game) like we have the entire time I’ve been coaching here, and our points allowed per game, at 98.4 PPG, ranks 7th in the league. Unfortunately we’re not getting the offense to really compete against the best teams, putting up only 100.4 points per game (23rd) and our overall NET rating (2.1) is only good for 10th place. Right now if I had to make a prediction, between the Pacers suddenly leading the Central Division (at 29-8! And leading the NBA!) and regularly raiding our roster more than usual and our overall lack of depth, making the playoffs will be a monumental achievement if we can pull it off.

Among our players currently on the roster, Jay Huff leads the team with 27.6 points 14.2 rebounds 1.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in 13 appearances. Jalen Johnson has had two appearances for the Pacers to go with his 14 games started down here in Fort Wayne, where he’s averaged 21.2 points 12.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists to go with nearly a block per game. Vit Krejci has split his time evenly, seven games here and seven for the Pacers, and in our league is averaging 19.1 points 9.3 rebounds 5.6 assists and a steal per game. And Carlik Jones, who has played in 17 games for us while starting 15, has put up a solid 13.8 point 8.0 rebound 6.9 assist 0.9 block resume so far. All have been solid performers, but we only have four players who have been able to start double digit games, amd three of our bench players (Kenny Adams, Andre Abel and Steve Duggins) who have managed 13 to 16 minutes per game off the bench are each contributing less than six points per game. So our starters have had to take on heavy workloads.
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