I always wanted to check out an NBA D-League game and see what the atmosphere, competition, skill level and the basic life of a player was like. Working in North Dakota, I followed the Dakota Wizards and did a few interviews, but I never went to any games. Last night I got an opportunity to go to the Broomfield Events Center and watch the Austin Toros take on the Colorado 14ers.
The game was entertaining as Colorado beat Austin 121-119, however other things impressed me besides the game. The crowd was very energized throughout the game and it was a pretty good turnout. This surprised me because it showed that the 14ers really do have a loyal fan base, which I didn't expect because they are a D-League team in a big metro area. The Nuggets were televised last night playing on the road at virtually the same time this D-League game was going on and the turnout was still very respectable. The Broomfield Events Center, not taking into account traffic is only about a 15 minute drive to Pepsi Center. In Denver, there are people that obviously care more about the 14ers then the Nuggets and that was a surprise for me.
The skill level of a D-League game is great. These players are much more skilled then Division 1 college players and the players play with more intensity and heart then most NBA players do. The D-League is a combination of players that for one reason or another are just short of being in the NBA. Some are 2nd round draft picks that didn't pan out, some are pieces of a trade that the receiving team didn't have room for, some are international talent polishing thier skills and some are talented enough to be in the NBA but are just a few inches or a few pounds smaller then they need to be. These players are not only playing for championships and success but also to make it to the NBA, so there is rarely a lack of effort.
Sticking around after the game, it was great to see how much the 14ers are involved with their fan base. All players had no problems signing autographs, taking pictures or chatting with fans. This is something you don't get in the NBA and rarely get in college.
The Broomfield Events Center is obviously much smaller then Pepsi Center but still provides a great facility to see a game. The technology is up to date with a huge scoreboard and the arena does a good job keeping fans up to date with player stats and NBA scores. It is much like the Bismarck Civic Center, which is the home for the Dakota Wizards. I have only seen 2 venues for D-League teams, but the two I have seen have been pretty much top quality.
Overall, I would reccomend going to see a D-League game if you have a team in your area. It doesn't create the media buzz of the NBA, College Basketball or even the WNBA, but it really is good basketball. The only thing that concerns me is if D-League franchises can survive in big metro areas. It is very hard for teams like the 14ers to get attention because of all the other pro and college teams in the area. In smaller places like Bismarck it is much easier to market a D-League team then in a place like Denver or Los Angeles. Regardless of whether or not D-League teams will be able to survive in big cities, the D-League will continue to prosper and expand. The league is entertaining and a great asset to NBA teams.
To clear up any confusion here is how the D-League works. Any NBA team can call up any D-League player, regardless of affiliation. The affiliation only matters in the sense that when an NBA sends a player down it has to do so to its D-League affiliate. For example, if the Nuggets or Nets want to send a player down it would have to be to the 14ers because of the affiliation. If the Nuggets or any other team want to add a player to their roster, they can bring anybody up from any team in the league.
For a look at what the D-League is like for a player, I caught up with 14er's Point Guard Eddie Gill.......
Q & A WITH COLORADO 14ERS STANDOUT GUARD EDDIE GILL.
Eddie Gill graduated Overland High School in 1996 in Aurora, Colorado. Gill played his college ball at Weber State. Gill began his NBA career in the 2000-2001 season, playing 8 games for the Nets. In 2001-2002 Gill played 23 games for Memphis and in 2002-2003 hooked up with Portland for 22 games. Gill then had a 2 year, 114 game stint with the Indiana Pacers during the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons. Gill returned to the NBA during two separate occasions during the 2007-2008 season, playing 13 games with the Nets and 1 game for the Soncis. Gill now is currently playing in his 2nd season in the D-League for the Colorado 14ers. Last season Gill averaged 18 points a game and this season is averaging just below 17 points per game at the point guard position.
Q-YOU WERE A STANDOUT PLAYER AT OVERLAND HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT WENT INTO THE DECISON OF PLAYING YOUR COLLEGE BALL AT WEBER STATE?
A-OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL I WENT TO JUNIOR COLLEGE AND MY HEAD COACH THERE ACCEPTED A JOB AS AN ASSISTANT AT WEBER STATE AND TOOK ME WITH HIM.
Q-LOOKING BACK, WHAT COMES TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU THINK BACK TO PLAYING AT WEBER STATE?
A-THE FAN SUPPORT AT WEBER STATE WAS GREAT. IT IS ALSO A GREAT MEMORY I HAVE KNOWING WE UPSET NORTH CAROLINA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT. I THINK WE WERE A #14 SEED AND THEY WERE A #3 SEED.
Q-WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER IS THEIR ANY CERTAIN PLAYER YOU MODELED YOUR GAME AFTER?
A-I NEVER REALLY MODELED MY GAME IN REGARDS TO ANYBODY, I ALWAYS JUST LET THE GAME COME TO ME. GROWING UP, WITHOUT A DOUBT MY FAVORITE PLAYER WAS MICHAEL JORDAN.
Q-YOUR FIRST SEASON IN THE NBA WAS 2000-2001. YOU PLAYED 13 GAMES WITH THE NEW JERSEY NETS. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT THAT YOU WERE GOING TO JOIN THAT TEAM?
A-I WAS PLAYING MINOR LEAGUE BASKETBALL AND I GOT A CALL FROM MY AGENT SAYING THAT NEW JERSEY HAD INJURY ISSUES. STEPH MARBURY WAS HURT AND ONE OF THEIR OTHER GUARDS. THE NETS ENDED UP SIGNING ME TO FILL THEIR INJURY VOID.
Q-DESCRIBE THE FEELING YOU HAD ONCE YOU STEPPED ON AN NBA COURT FOR THE FIRST TIME...
A-IT WAS OVERWHELMING, I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS AT FIRST BUT ENDED UP CALMING DOWN. IT WAS CRAZY PLAYING IN FRONT OF THAT MANY PEOPLE AND LOOKING ACROSS THE COURT AND KNOWING THAT YOU WERE ABOUT TO PLAY AGAINST SOMEBODY YOU GREW UP WATCHING ON TELEVISION. I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT PLAYING IN THE NBA IN HIGH SCHOOL, IT WAS AT JUNIOR COLLEGE I BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT IT.
Q-2004-2006 WAS A PRETTY BIG TIME FOR YOU, PLAYING 114 REGULAR SEASON GAMES OVER THE COURSE OF 2 SEASONS WITH THE PACERS AND YOU ALSO GOT INTO THE POSTSEASON BOTH OF THOSE SEASONS.....WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU?
A-THAT EXPERIENCE WAS REALLY GOOD. IT WAS GOOD TO KNOW THAT I WAS A CONTRIBUTOR AND HAD A ROLE WITH THE TEAM. BEING IN INDIANA 2 YEARS YOU GET MORE CHEMISTRY WITH OTHERS ON THE TEAM.
Q-THIS IS YOUR 2ND SEASON WITH THE COLORADO 14ERS. YOU HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL HAVING RECEIVED THE CALL-UP TO THE NBA TWICE LAST SEASON. WHAT HAS PLAYING IN THE D-LEAGUE DONE FOR YOU AND YOUR GAME?
A-PLAYING EXPERIENCE AND HAVING A SIGNIFFICANT ROLE ON A TEAM HAS BEEN GOOD. YOU CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE YOUR GAME AND IT IS EASIER TO DO THAT WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING MORE MINUTES.
Q-HAS COMING BACK TO THE DENVER AREA BEEN A GOOD THING FOR YOU?
A-YES IT HAS. IT HAS BEEN GOOD TO BE AROUND FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS, FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO BEING CLOSE TO MY OLD HIGH SCHOOL.
Q-HOW IS LIFE IN THE NBA DIFFERENT FROM LIFE IN THE D-LEAGUE?
A-THE D-LEAGUE HAS BEEN EASIER IN REGARDS TO TRAVEL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL NEARLY AS MUCH IN THE D-LEAGUE. IN THE NBA YOU GET CERTAIN ATTENTION THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY GET IN THE D-LEAGUE. AS FAR AS PRESSURE GOES, I GO OUT AND PLAY MY GAME REGARDLESS OF THE LEVEL I'M AT.
Q-YOU ARE WITH THE 14'ERS RIGHT NOW, DOING EVERYTHING TO GET YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATES A CHAMPIONSHIP. IS IT A DISTRACTION KNOWING THAT YOU ARE ALSO PLAYING FOR ANOTHER SHOT TO GET INTO THE NBA, AND AT SOME POINT YOU MAY NOT BE AROUND TO CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CHAMPIONSHIP RUN? HOW DO YOU BALANCE BOTH GOALS?
A-IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU BALANCE, IT JUST IS WHAT IT IS. EVERYONE ON THE TEAM IS PLAYING FOR AND KNOWS THE CALL TO THE NBA COULD COME ONE DAY. KNOWING I MIGHT GET CALLED UP IS NOT A DISTRACTION BECAUSE THAT IS THE WAY IT IS FOR EVERYONE IN THE LEAGUE.
Q-THE D-LEAGUE ALL STAR GAME IS COMING UP IN PHOENIX. ARE YOU DISAPOINTED THAT YOU WEREN'T SELECTED. WATCHING YOU PLAY LAST NIGHT AGAINST AUSTIN IT LOOKS LIKE YOU SHOULD BE IN THAT GAME.
A-I'M A LITTLE DISAPOINTED THAT I'M NOT THERE BUT I DON'T LET IT GET TO ME. IN REGARDS TO MY CAREER AND POTENTIALLY GOING BACK TO THE NBA, I DON'T THINK IT HAS ANY AFFECT.
Q-THE 14ERS ARE CONTENDERS THIS YEAR ONCE AGAIN. FOR FANS THAT AREN'T REAL FAMILIAR WITH THE D-LEAGUE, WHO ELSE DO YOU SEE AS A THREAT TO YOUR TEAM DOWN THE ROAD?
A-AUSTIN, THE TEAM WE PLAYED LAST NIGHT IS REALLY GOOD, ALSO IDAHO IS GOOD AS WELL. I THINK THOSE TWO TEAMS ARE AMONG THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE.
Q-HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY INDICATIONS OF A CALL-UP THIS YEAR TO THE NBA?
A-YOU HEAR RUMORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT YOU NEVER NO FOR SURE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU JUST GOT TO WAIT AND SEE.
Q-I SAW YOU PLAY LAST NIGHT AND IT LOOKS LIKE BASKETBALL IS STILL FUN FOR YOU AND YOU STILL HAVE THAT LOVE FOR THE GAME. WHETHER IT IS IN THE NBA OR THE D-LEAGUE, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU WILL STAY IN THE GAME? AND ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE THE GAME ON YOUR OWN TERMS OR ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE TO LET YOU GO KICKING AND SCREAMING?
A-RIGHT NOW I CAN'T REALLY PUT A TIME TABLE ON HOW LONG I WILL PLAY. THE GAME IS STILL FUN FOR ME AND I LOVE IT, THE SAME WAY I DID IN HIGH SCHOOL. I DON'T SEE MYSELF AS A PERSON THAT WILL HOLD ON AS LONG AS I CAN TO STAY IN THE GAME, BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME IT IS JUST TO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
THANKS TO EDDIE GILL FOR DOING THIS INTERVIEW AND TO CHAD ANDRUS, WHO IS THE VOICE OF THE COLORADO 14ERS AND HEAD OF MEDIA RELATIONS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLORADO 14ERS AND THE NBA D-LEAGUE VISIT www.nba.com/dleague/colorado
Other Notes.......
It is getting pretty hard to figure out the ACC in College Hoops this year. I thought Clemson was garbage and they put it on Duke last night. I thought UNC would run away with this conference at the beginning of the season but now it looks like it is a true 4 horse race between UNC, Duke, Wake and Clemson.
How do the Knicks let this happen to themselves? On Monday night they let Kobe Bryant go for 61 points and last night they got even worse. Lebron James dropped 52 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. How does a team let that happen two games in a row?
Sixers big man Elton Brand is done for the season. Brand has decided to have surgery on his bad shoulder. That move in the offseason has really worked out for fans in Philadelphia.
I'm going to finally weigh in on the Michael Phelps debacle. Over the weekend pictures surfaced, showing Phelps hitting a bong. I might of mis-spelled that but I've honestly never written the word before. Phelps is a role model and he is looked up upon by youth acorss the world. Like it or not, he needs to conduct himself in an appropriate manner. I'm not going to tell a guy who won 8 gold medals in 1 Olympics what to do, but smoking the weed in a place where people can photograph you is not smart. It sends a bad message to kids and infuriates sponsors. I'm more mad at the media for blowing this up and making jokes about it then I am at Phelps for doing it. It's not a funny thing, it's not a cool thing, it's a bad decison a guy made that doesn't deserve to be blown up in the public eye. The more you put the story on TV, the more kids are going to be exposed to one of their heroes hitting the pipe and that is not the message that needs to be getting out.
The Celtics and Lakers are going at it again tonight for the final time in the regular season. I don't see both these teams in the finals again this year, I just don't.
Here are the pickes........2-2 last night, puts me at 26-18 ATS overall
3 NBA Games on the schedule tonight-I like all the home teams.
@Philadelphia -5 Indiana
@Boston -5 1/2 LA Lakers
@Utah -3 Dallas
NCAAM
@Wisconsin -3 Illionois
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