BuzzerBeater Forums

1st Reporter
Coach, what was the mindset, down by 10 in the fourth?

Coach Stephenson
Nothing special really. Hmm. Start of the fourth quarter we were like look. First time we played these guys we were not sure of who this team was. Now. Right now, we know who this team. If you're in this uniform, right here right now. You know your place, you know your role on this team. And this is our house! That's was it.

2nd reporter
The bench came up big. Especially Tercero down in the final 5 minutes. Was there a strategy for putting him in the point forward position tonight.

Coach Stephenson
We had looked at a lot of things. Prepping for this game. Hmm the weird thing about the Flamingos is that in many ways they're almost a reflection of our squad. So its interesting coming up with defensive plans. But no hmm we just wanted to have a wingspan advantage when our bench came on. Plus Miguel had/has been showing some real improvement on the defensive and offensive end backcourt wise so we decided to utilize it.

3rd Reporter
You guys are in the last stretch of the season. Is there a more incentive to win out or are you guys more concern about being healthy?

Coach Stephenson
You want to win them all of course, but number 1 goal is make the playoffs. Number 2 thing be as healthy as possible when making the playoffs. Right now we in a good position. 14-2. Hmm did the Lions win?

1st reporter
They lost

Coach Stephenson
So 14-2, and with a little bit more breathing room for the time being thanks to that loss. (chuckles) I may have to send Coach Pio some flowers though he'll probably just send them right back.

4th Reporter
No love lost between you two?

Coach Stephenson
Oh no i got mad respect for Pio. It's just Pio has never been the most sentimental guy in the league (laughs). Have you talked with Pio Reina?

4th reporter
Never have

Coach Stephenson
Probably for the best. He's not a big media guy. Hmm. Straight to the point. No jokes. No banter. Just Joe Friday just the facts kind of guy. But I'm side tracking. No we want to win them all but in this league with these opponents you gonna have a bad day or two. Thing is to be in a position where a bad day can be shrugged off and not be a "OMG what do we do now" moment. Tonight we got the win. 1-0. Six left to go. Glad we don't have to worry about facing the Flamingos again.

2nd reporter
No grudge? These guys did beat you earlier in the season.

Coach Stephenson
You always wanna win. Now granted you don't want to go 0-2 in a series if you don't have to, but the Flamingos are more than their record. Like I said roster wise they match up initial five wise to us very very well. Scarily well. Now bench wise right now I think the basketball gods would weigh in our favor. Now 209. Oooh boy. If the Flamingos are a reflection of us lineup, the 209 are a reflection of our offensive strategy. They only have one word and that's go. So that's going to be a challenge despite the fact we beat them earlier in the year because now they're just Mongo mad now.

4th Reporter
Mongo mad?

Coach Stephenson
(baffled) Yeah Mongo. (pause) Blazing Saddles. Big guy who punches horses. (pause) Don't shoot him you'll just make him angry. (longer pause before a long chuckle) Okay that. That is probably the perfect point to end this on. (shakes his head). Thank you guys.

Coach Stephenson shakes his head as he leaves the podium.

Last edited by Coach Stephenson at 4/9/2023 4:23:31 AM

Happy Ourer: “Welcome to a special Sunday afternoon edition of the Pio Reina Show on WINO Radio. I’m Happy Ourer, your host, along with the man himself, Linndale basketball coach Pio Reina! Coach Reina, how are you feeling after last night’s win?”

Pio Reina: “I’m feeling pretty good. We feel good about the direction we’re heading in, the team feels good about their play, defensively we feel like we are as close to locked in as we’ve been all season. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re close and we get a little closer each week.”

HO: “How about on the offensive end? Where do things stand there?”

PR: “On the offensive end, guys just need time to get used to playing together. I know our GM is always on the lookout for someone who fits with what we do, so there is always the chance that we add another player to the mix. Having said that, we like who we have and where we are right now.”

HO: “Last night saw the debut of Rod Guyton and Serkan Sokmen. What should fans know about the two newest members of the team?”

PR: “Rod is a special talent. He is a shooter the likes of which we haven’t seen very often around these parts. How good is he? Kyle Knowles became arguably the second best shooter on the team. I think Kyle’s jumper is a bit better, but Rod has more range. Throw in Shooter to that conversation, and I expect that shooting contests after practice just got more interesting.”

HO: “Tell us about Serkan Sokmen.”

PR: “He can shoot and defend both the perimeter and the paint. He loves to attack in transition, he’s effective on the glass. As with any young player, and remember he’s 23, he’s got a few things to tighten up and we’ll get that done.”

HO: “San Dominica’s Coach Stephenson had some kind words for you after San Dominica’s victory over the Flaming Flamingos.”

PR: “Coach Stephenson has done an incredible job there. I appreciate what he said and I have much respect for him. I wish Coach Stephenson and his team well. I’m not just saying that because they are in position to aid our playoff hunt. We’ll see him April 25th. I expect they’ll want to beat us just as they have nearly every other opponent they’ve faced.”

HO: “Tell us about your next opponents, the Flamin’ Flamingos.”

PR: “That’s an underrated team. They brought the fight to San Dominica, but they couldn’t finish them off. At the same time, the mark of a good team is finding a way to win. San Dominica turned the defensive intensity up in the fourth quarter and got it done.”

HO: “What do you have to do to win?”

PR: “We can’t let Li See Yan and Darnell Rivas run wild. We have to control the boards. We have to take care of the basketball, and most importantly, we have to score more than they do.”

HO: “With 5 games left in the season, some fans are wondering if we’ll see one of the infamous Linndale ‘backwards game’ that’s become an annual tradition. It seems that the fans enjoy it and the players enjoy it as well. Can you explain the thought behind those games and let the fans know if we will see that this season?”

PR: “I don’t know if we’ll see it this season. If there’s a backwards game this season, it means we’ve secured a playoff spot or we’ve been officially knocked out of the chase. Now the thought behind the game is actually quite simple. To do it right, you need to have bigs capable of guarding the perimeter. Your guards take on the defensive assignment of the bigs. You go full bore, run and gun/full court press. The idea is that your guards will force turnovers when the ball gets down low, and on offense those bigs have to cover the guards on the perimeter. A classic example was the September 10, 2022 game against Hustlas in season 58. On paper, Hustlas should have squashed us. Go check the box score and see the turnovers. 22 of the 30 they had that night was in the front court. 15 of our 25 steals were by frontcourt players. That made up for the advantage they got on the boards."

PR: "15 of our 25 steals were by frontcourt players. That made up for the advantage they got on the boards. We got plenty of shots up that night. Just needed 1 more to fall.”

HO: “I remember that game. That game had an incredible performance from Kyle Knowles and Paul Lutz.”

PR: “It had a purpose though. That week, we used it to train guards on the inside game. You could also use it for training ball handling, passing, or outside defense for the bigs, and there’s a couple of different ways to go about that. I’ll leave that to the audience’s imagination. That game, for that set of circumstances, might have been the perfect storm. That’s why both the players and fans love the backwards game. You don’t know when it’s coming and you want to see that kind of game happen again.”

HO: “So are there any bigs who can play on the perimeter defensively?”

PR: “We have a few candidates. Also, we have a few candidates in the backcourt that could play in the frontcourt defensively. Happy, anything is possible. For those anxiously awaiting the backwards game, all I can say is stay tuned. I can’t promise you’ll get one this season, but I also can’t promise you won’t.”

HO: “Looking at the schedule, disregarding scrimmages, it seems the best chance for the backwards game would be the sesaon finale against Fondy Cardinals.”

PR: “If we’re in the playoffs, it’s possible. If we’re not, it’s possible. I honestly think this hunt for the last spot won’t be decided until the last game of the season. I believe Fondy will be playing to knock us out of a playoff spot, and I think there will be a few games like that. San Dominica versus Philly Dribble, Lion Rebels versus Carolina Rebels, 209’s Most Wanted versus Flaming Flamingos could all be win or go home situations. There is a chance that the number two team in the Big 8 does not make the playoffs. Think about that for a second. That’s how competitive things are here. A team with a 2 game lead for the 2nd spot in the playoffs could miss the playoffs entirely. There’s going to be 2 good basketball teams going home. We expect to be in the playoffs. We will do whatever it takes to get in. If you think a backwards game is on the table, you’ve then got to figure out how to prepare for it. But then sometimes you just gotta throw your best fastball and tell the other guys ‘here it is, hit it if you can’. No one’s seen our best fastball yet. You might have seen our best fastball at that specific time, but we’re better than we were at the start of the season, at the quarter pole, or even at the all star break, and we keep getting better."

HO: "We look forward to seeing that contiued growth and watching the run to the playoffs unfold. Pio, as always it's a pleasure. We thank you for your time and we'll see you next week on the Pio Reina Show. Folks, Tuesday night's game against the Flamin' Flamingos is not going to be a walk in the park. Tune in for all the action, and the pre game and postgame shows here on WINO radio! This is THE FLAGSHIP HOME of the Linndale Basketball Network."

Last edited by Speedtraps at 4/9/2023 5:34:19 PM

Was too busy last week to get any commentary written on last week's games, but here is where the power rankings were before Saturday's games:

1. San Dominica Warriors (1)
2. The White Walkers (2)
3. Lion Rebels (3)
4. Philly Dribble (4)
5. Miami Cleo (6)
6. 209's MostWanted (7)
7. Tasty Tardsicles (5)
8. Żubr Białystok (9)
9. Carolina Rebels (10)
10. Linndale (8)
11. Flamin' Flamingos (11)
12. The Beer Bellys (12)
13. Fondy Cardinals (13)
14. Hustlas (14)
15. STG on MCU (15)
16. Cincinnati Slammers (16)

Obviously I'm expecting some things to change over the final weeks of the season with some of the moves made recently (Case in point, Linndale's thwomping of my Lion Rebels Saturday night). Best of luck Tuesday!

Day 16 (Saturday 8 April 2023) : Performances by (https://www.buzzer-manager.com)

Night results
209’s MostWanted 117 - Philly Dribble 133
Flamin' Flamingos 111 - San Dominica Warriors 118
Lion Rebels 71 - Linndale 89
Carolina Rebels 87 - Fondy Cardinals 86
Tasty Tardsicles 108 - Miami Cleo 91
Hustlas 89 - The White Walkers 124
STG on MCU 138 - Cincinnati Slammers 72
Żubr Białystok 116 - The Beer Bellys 121

Best collective performance of the evening
Points : 138 : STG on MCU
Rebounds : 64 : The Beer Bellys
Assists : 37 : STG on MCU
Steals : 17 : STG on MCU
Block Shots : 10 : STG on MCU, The White Walkers

Personal best performances of the evening
Points : 37 : R. Ainsworth (Cincinnati Slammers)
Rebounds : 26 : S. Klin (Hustlas)
Assists : 9 : É. Blanchet (San Dominica Warriors), M. Marsh (STG on MCU)
Steals : 4 : H. Quindós (Żubr Białystok)
Block Shots : 4 : G. Locus (Miami Cleo), H. Espinosa (Carolina Rebels), S. Klin (Hustlas), J. Delaire (Flamin' Flamingos)

Top 5 of the evening
Point Guard : B. Öc (STG on MCU) (21 Points, 4 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 2 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 31
Shooting Guard : V. Štiberc (The White Walkers) (28 Points, 5 Rebounds, 1 Assists, 1 Steals, 1 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 29
Small Forward : M. Marsh (STG on MCU) (29 Points, 11 Rebounds, 9 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 47
Power Forward : N. Kackis (209’s MostWanted) (29 Points, 17 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 0 Steals, 3 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 40
Center : D. Allen (Carolina Rebels) (16 Points, 17 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots), S. Klin (Hustlas) (13 Points, 26 Rebounds, 0 Assists, 1 Steals, 4 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 31

MVP of the evening
M. Marsh (STG on MCU) (29 Points, 11 Rebounds, 9 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 47

The bad performance of the evening
A. Reese (Linndale) (0 Points, 2 Rebounds, 0 Assists, 0 Steals, 1 Block Shots) : Efficiency : -5

All kinds of statistics
The player who forgot to remove his mittens : Y. Skilas (The Beer Bellys) : 8 Turnovers

Player targeted by the referees : A. Varpukevicius (Miami Cleo), H. Quindós (Żubr Białystok), Z. Carr (Cincinnati Slammers) : 6 Personnal Fouls

The iron-man : G. Locus (Miami Cleo), K. Brown (Lion Rebels), R. Ainsworth (Cincinnati Slammers), B. Rivas (Cincinnati Slammers), U. Barbarossa (Cincinnati Slammers), D. Christopher (Cincinnati Slammers) : 48 Minutes

The shooter : Y. Georgoulis (The Beer Bellys) : 6 Three points

The best performer : V. Papageorgiou (The White Walkers) : Rating : 17.0

The worst performer : D. Christopher (Cincinnati Slammers) : Rating : 2.5

“Air Allnite here with a very depressing state of the team. Well, it’s not depressing for me; I stand by my assertion that this Linndale basketball team is not a playoff team. I’ve seen nothing to make me change my mind. Let’s start with tonight’s victory over the Flamin’ Flamingos; Pio Reina said in a recent interview that Li See Yan and Darrell Rivas could not run wild and that Linndale had to take care of the basketball. Well, the basketball was not taken care of, Rivas was very close to a triple double, and how did Salehuddin Aldino score 31 on the allegedly great Floyd Hearn? I was told Floyd Hearn was a defensive monster. Aldino shot over 50% and scored 31 points. Where was the defense?”

“Meanwhile, Kyle Knowles had a poor shooting game, going 14 of 34 to score 34 points. Then there’s Rod Guyton; I thought he was supposed to be some kind of amazing scorer. He has 3 40-point and a 50 point game this season in whatever league he came from. Here, he has an 11 point game and an 18 point game; big whoop. It was a very lackluster performance against a team they should beat. Now, let’s see what the schedule has left: 209’s Most Wanted and Philly Dribble come to town. 209 won by 21 in the earlier meeting while Philly won by 17 earlier. Now can anyone tell me the last time Linndale beat Philly Dribble? There was a win in season 58, and one in season 57. That is it. I’m supposed to believe that this team is going to beat those two teams, and Carolina? Even if they do---and they won’t---, but let’s say they do… you then have to beat San Dominica. You expect me to believe this Linndale team is going to beat those teams all in a row? That’s not happening; but I’m a sporting fellow, so let’s bring in Marshall Richards to tell me why I’m wrong.”

“Thank you, Air. Why are you wrong? First, no one said they had to win every game; that just happens to be the path of least resistance. Even with that, is it possible Linndale might need help from another team? No. If the team wins, they are in. How do you win? Rebound the basketball helps, and since Floyd Hearn has arrived and the team has paired him with Ramon Sanz Garcaa up front, rebounding has dramatically improved. Don't be surprised to see Hearn with another game of 25 rebounds and Sanz Garcaa with 17 like they did tonight. The duo outrebounded the Flamingos 42-36, and 17-14 just on the offensive boards. You also take care of the basketball. This has been a point of concern for Linndale all season, and they have worked diligently to address it. Against the full court press, only turned the ball over 11 times. That’s phenomenal. What else do you have to do? Knock down the free throws. Linndale went 15 of 17 at the charity stripe. What’s another tool in the arsenal for Linndale? Three point shooting. Linndale is 3rd in the league in 3 point shooting percentage, and they sit 1 point behind the number 2 team, San Dominica. The other thing you have to do to win is score while keeping your opponent from doing the same. Linndale has played 7 games with Hearn in the lineup; remember, he was out for 2 weeks when they acquired him. Before he got here, Linndale had given up 100 points or more 5 times in league play. In those 7 games with Hearn in the lineup, no one has scored 100 points against them. They’ve gone 6-1 when Hearn is on the floor. Also, in those wins, Tovar, Knowles, and Kamp have each led the team in scoring twice. They don’t care who gets the ball in the bucket for them, but they do care about keeping you from putting the ball in the bucket. I think outside of the White Walkers, this is the one team you don’t want to see coming.”

“Marshall, that is preposterous! I’ll tell you why when we return after the commercial break!”

Day 17 (Tuesday 11 April 2023) : Performances by (https://www.buzzer-manager.com)

Night results
San Dominica Warriors 91 - 209’s MostWanted 83
Linndale 102 - Flamin' Flamingos 90
Fondy Cardinals 95 - Lion Rebels 136
Philly Dribble 90 - Carolina Rebels 106
The White Walkers 84 - Tasty Tardsicles 72
Cincinnati Slammers 78 - Hustlas 123
The Beer Bellys 120 - STG on MCU 103
Miami Cleo 63 - Żubr Białystok 90

Best collective performance of the evening
Points : 136 : Lion Rebels
Rebounds : 82 : Tasty Tardsicles
Assists : 29 : Lion Rebels
Steals : 14 : Hustlas
Block Shots : 9 : Lion Rebels

Personal best performances of the evening
Points : 36 : K. Brown (Lion Rebels)
Rebounds : 25 : F. Hearn (Linndale)
Assists : 9 : É. Blanchet (San Dominica Warriors)
Steals : 5 : A. Vicys (The White Walkers), G. Denković (Hustlas)
Block Shots : 5 : F. Hearn (Linndale)

Top 5 of the evening
Point Guard : L. Bernaerts (The Beer Bellys) (25 Points, 3 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 29
Shooting Guard : K. Brown (Lion Rebels) (36 Points, 2 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 0 Steals, 1 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 39
Small Forward : M. Slakteris (Hustlas) (18 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 2 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 26
Power Forward : F. Hearn (Linndale) (14 Points, 25 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 0 Steals, 5 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 43
Center : C. Riggins (Żubr Białystok) (21 Points, 13 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 Steals, 3 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 40

MVP of the evening
F. Hearn (Linndale) (14 Points, 25 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 0 Steals, 5 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 43

The bad performance of the evening
G. Kostezer (Fondy Cardinals) (5 Points, 4 Rebounds, 1 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : -8

All kinds of statistics
The player who forgot to remove his mittens : J. Makeba (Tasty Tardsicles) : 8 Turnovers

Player targeted by the referees : P. Cheatle (Miami Cleo), N. Kackis (209’s MostWanted), G. Bermudez (San Dominica Warriors), A. Nikitinas (Tasty Tardsicles), M. Anwander (Fondy Cardinals), G. Kostezer (Fondy Cardinals), J. Delaire (Flamin' Flamingos) : 5 Personnal Fouls

The iron-man : G. Locus (Miami Cleo), C. Wui Kwong (Tasty Tardsicles), S. Hollins (Lion Rebels), S. Hatch (Żubr Białystok), N. Hidasi (Żubr Białystok), P. Stevens (Cincinnati Slammers) : 48 Minutes

The shooter : K. Brown (Lion Rebels) : 7 Three points

The best performer : T. Armstead (Lion Rebels) : Rating : 19.0

The worst performer : E. Cristofaro (The White Walkers) : Rating : 2.0

Week Nine Power Rankings
We seem to have settled into a groove of sorts, at least in regard to the power rankings for the season. Very little movement in rankings for each efficiency category this week, with only two teams moving at least two spots in defensive efficiency and only one team moving at least two spots in offensive efficiency. Only changes come in spots 5-9 and then 11 & 12 this week. So, in light of that, I'm going to be switching it up and giving an "eye test" power rankings, sometimes confused with the "sniff test" which is not the same thing. In this round of power rankings, I'm evaluating the teams by their record and scoring differential, a very "Joe the Bloke Sports Fan" type of ranking. Without further ado:

1. The White Walkers
Sure, they lost to Coach Stephenson, but that was on the road, clear back in March - are you really gonna tell me the Walking Dead aren't going to eat anyone alive if they've got home court advantage in a three game finals? Plus, new arrival Antanas Vicys has scored 43 points in two league games, shooting 59% to go along with a 15.75 rating. They won't lose another game in the regular season and are pretty much a lock for the finals.

2. San Dominica Warriors
Listen, their 2 loss record is based on a fluke: #1, the Pink Flames had no business knocking them off to start the season by one point at the buzzer. #2, while it seems like Carolina classically outmatched them in their second loss, PG Étienne Blanchet seems to be their liability. He shot 12.5% from the field that night on 16 shots, but with 150 shots under his belt on the season coupled with a 30% shooting average, the only way he contributes is if he's getting his assists (currently #35 in assists in all of USA Div. III). Most nights, he's getting his and with their defense, I don't think anyone can beat them.

3. Lion Rebels
We're about to find out if the Lion Rebels are For Real. While they had a nice start to the season and surprised some people, they've got a three game gauntlet followed by a fourth Can't Look Past Them game against the Flamingos on the road before finishing again on the road against the Other Rebels. They could easily lose four out of the last five and expose their manager as a FRAUD.

4. Philly Dribble
Sure, they're currently 5th in the Big 8 with a 10-7 record, but Phil_Wings and Philly Dribble is kinda like Bill Belichick and the Patriots - even though they're down, you can't ever count them out. I wouldn't be surprised if they went on a tear to finish 15-7. Can't count 'em out, Dutch.

5. Żubr Białystok
Whitestok's group has been scrappy and their steady training regimen has been starting to pay dividends with the likes of Shaun Hatch and Markus Grimm about to come into their own to lead this team. Yeah, they've lost 7 games, including their last one to The Beer Bellys, but 5 of those 7 losses were by a total of 21 points. They've lost some close ones and if just four of those games were flipped, they'd be sitting even better at the 2nd spot in their conference.

6. 209's MostWanted
Yeah, yeah, yeah - they say defense wins championships. But have you seen this team score points? I mean, they SCORE POINTS. They shoot 44% from the field, including 41.6% from three on nearly 20 threes a night. Sure, they might not be able to stop anyone, BUT WHO'S GONNA STOP THEM? Case Closed.

7. Carolina Rebels
Don't look now, but Carolina's on a 7 game win streak after hitting the .500 mark in pursuit of the Cup. Sure they've had some close games, but if they weren't so sidetracked by the Cup, I'd bet they'd have at least 14 wins. They might not be able to beat San Dominica, but after handling Philly, who's to say that can't be world beaters?

8. Tasty Tardsicles
Tasty is like the step-brother of 209's - they want to score, sometimes they really do score, but they just can't manage the three ball that well (26% on the season). If they can just turn that around, they could make a run to the finals. Can't count them out!

9. Miami Cleo
Oooof. What happened to this team? They're suddenly below .500 with a +90 point differential. In their 9 losses, they're losing by an average of 13.5 points, including an incredible 27 point loss to whitestok on Tuesday. But in their 8 wins, they're averaging 26.5 point victories thanks to a couple of HUGE wins. But the crazy thing is, it's not like they're winning all the games they should win, they're like the (Nee) Oakland Raiders.

10. Linndale
Yes, they've won 7 of their last 8. Yes, Floyd Hearn is a beast, and yes, they're turning their season around. And let's be honest, looking at their last 5 games, they EASILY will win 4 of 5. EASY. Take it to the BANK. Deposit that check. Bank it. /dep all.

11. Flamin' Flamingos
By March 12th, the Pink Flames had made it almost to .500 again, sitting at 4-5. But since then, they've gone on to lose 7 of 8 games leaving them well out of reach of .500 and needing to win out AND have Philly or 209's lose out just to get to 6th in the Big 8. I really thought they'd have some more competitive spirit, but at this point, I'm blaming the ferocity of their court design as smoke and mirrors and no fire.

12. The Beer Bellys
Hoping to hang on, thatguy's brought in over $88k in salary on three geriatric players who themselves are trying to hang on to their youth. Unless they implode, which their recent win over Miami makes me doubt will happen, they seem to have a solid grip on 5th with a decent shot to stay in the division AND ALSO a potential shot to slip into the playoffs, if Miami crumbles into the ocean.

13. Fondy Cardinals
SasaPs' squad came a live after reeling off 9 straight losses to start the season, winning 4 of their next six before now having lost two in a row. It's a crappy spot for them to be in, because they'd qualify for 6th in the Great 8 and a shot at not relegating. A key matchup comes Saturday at home for them on TV as they'll have a chance to get even with the Flamingos...but then it's probably tough sledding from there on out.

14. STG on MCU
With three wins under their belt (two against Cincinnati) it's looking bleak for STG. They play two out of their final 5 games at home, but both are against #'s 1 & 3 in their conference. They do have another shot against Hustlas (their only other win) to try and improve. But I have a hard time seeing more than one win left for them on the table.

15. Hustlas
Reece, too, has brought in some geriatrics to try to help right the ship - two 35 year olds including a SEVEN FOOT FIVE PLAYER (who somewhat surprisingly only has averaged 1.8 blocks/game in 346 contests - you'd think that number would be higher!). It's been a rough season for them and they currently have 7 (count 'em, SEVEN) players on the transfer list. Aside from Cincinnati, they're only other win came previously against The Bellys, who they match up with next on Saturday. They do have a chance for another win too with the aforementioned STG matchup.

16. Cincinnati Slammers
At least Cinci has had one shining moment this season with an out of nowhere upset of the Flamingos just before the all-star break. But other than that it's been dreary as they've lost their last four games by a combined 231 points. I'm just happy they've stuck it out!

This ends the commentary of Joe Bloke Sports Fan - good riddance to his (mostly) bad takes! Best of luck this weekend - we're heading into the home stretch!

*inside the conference room next to Pio Reina’s office*

Pio Reina: “Thank you all for coming here. There’s no easy to way to put this, but the reason I asked you all here is because we need to have a conversation about the playoff roster.”

Rolland Reynolds: “I told you guys! I knew it! I knew it! We’re getting sent home because we didn’t make the playoff roster, aren’t we?”

PR: “Ro, that’s the most emotion we’ve seen out of you all season. I need you to stop freaking out. Dial it back some, and let’s have a conversation., okay?”

RR: *breathes deeply*

Christophe Nguyen: “Coach, how are we supposed to learn if you’re sending us home? We need to be around our teammates, especially now!”

PR: “What is this sending you home business and where is this coming from?”

Art Reese: “My dad called and told me he heard it on that Air Allnite radio show.”

Harrison Mann: “My brother called me and told me that.”

Serkan Sokmen: “I don’t understand. Aren’t radio stations on the air all night?”

Art Reese: “Serk, the guy’s name is Air Allnite.”

SS: “Why would anyone keep that name?”

PR: “Gentlemen, if you don’t mind, we have business to address. No one is going home. That’s not how we do business. I asked you all here to talk about playing time. We’re waiting for Mantas and Shooter to get here.”

Mantas Petriukstis: “Coach, we are here.”

Trenton Tovar: “Coach, did I do something to piss you off? Have you seen him drive?”

PR: “I’m gonna let that go Shooter. Too easy. Anyway, you’re all hear because playoff time is right around the corner, and unless things change rapidly, some of you are going to see a decrease in playing time. That means it’s incumbent on you to stay ready. Train even harder. Scrimmage even harder. Make sure you are ready, because when opportunity knocks, you have to be ready to go. Are we clear?”

group response: “Yes.”

PR: “Nguyen, your priorities are outside defense and ball skills. Keep working on those and be ready. I know you don’t on the court often as it is. That court time just got cut even further. Get the defense better so we can use you should something happen. Shooter, your priorities are defense and passing. Your playable, but you can be so much better. Make it happen. Monty, think you can add a bit of range and polish those ball skills? We’re really going to need you and Shooter. Serkan, we need you to get better with the free throws and ball security. You have it in you. Ro, we need defense and ball skills from you. You can work yourself into the rotation, and you can also prime yourself to take a big step next year. Take advantage of the chance. Art, ball skills and offense. We know you have a lot to show, and we know you will. Harrison, rebounding and ball skills. Gentlemen, these things have to be addressed. If you think you want playing time in the playoffs go earn it. Shooter, Monty, Art and Harrison, you know you already have playing time coming. Be ready. Understand the playoffs are different. Playing time and rotations will change. Be warned, and be prepared. Last thing, gentlemen, if for some reason you don’t crack the rotation, understand these things I am asking you to work on right now will only benefit you next season. Work on it now. Our playoffs are here. You have two weeks to crack the rotation or improve your position in the rotation. The better you get, the stronger you make this team. You do your part, and I promise I have things we can do to make playing time for you. Make yourself into a weapon we can use on court. I will use you if you do. Any questions? No? Have at it then!”

overheard inside the Linndale locker room...

Floyd Hearn: "Try new things... have the sushi... I'MMA KILL YOU WHEN I GET RIGHT, MANTAS!!! I'MMA KILL YOU!!!!!"

Marshall Richards: "Hey Doc, what's the word on Floyd? What's all that about?"

Doctor Settier: "Team dinner last night. Mantas has been egging Floyd to try sushi. He finally did, but it seems it doesn't agree with him. He'll be out of action for a bit."

MR: "Thanks, Doc. I have to go find Mantas now. I have GOT to hear this story. This ought to be something!"

DS: "He's in the trainer's room with Floyd and Pio."

MR: "That's a shame Floyd got sick; he was on fire in the first half. He was having a heck of a game."

DS: "Better this than something else. He'll be up and back at it soon. I'll see ya later, Marshall. Gotta run..."

Trenton Tovar: "Floyd sounding like Mr. T up in here. I think we need to rename Mantas. He shall now be known as Murdock!"

Kyle Knowles: "Wait until the boss man gets a load of this! This is gonna be fun!"

Rod Guyton: "That makes you Face. You had to know that was coming!"

KK: "I'll take that! I've been here a few years and the whole time I've been waiting for a South Park joke and it never happened. Nice to see a sense of humor around here!"

Daniil Kamp: *singing* "I really hate Kyle's Mom....she's a big, fat stinkin' ----"

Art Reese, Rolland Reynolds, and Harrison Mann (in unison): "DON'T YOU SAY IT!!!!"

DK: *continues singing* "OH YEEEEAAAHHHH!!!!" (Laughter erupts around the locker room.)

Serkan Sokmen: "Why is he singing bad things about Kyle's mom? What is going on?"

HM: "Come on, Serk. We'll explain it to you. You ever hear of a show called South Park?"

Last edited by Speedtraps at 4/16/2023 4:03:26 PM