April 1 - April 30

April 25th, 2006

WBA Free Agency Preview

The end of the season is drawing closer and closer and we all know what that means. The beloved rituals of the WBA Draft and Free Agency period take place. Through a series of articles I'll profile the top talent that might be out there when it comes time to make your teams acquisitions. Today's installment will be about Point Guards. My profiles will be in ABC order and I will do my Top 10 players available at that position.

Drake Bacheman. Despite being 31 years of age Drake is still a potential starter for a team in desperate need of a point guard, but most likely he will end up as a very talented backup on someone's roster. He's a pure passer that always looks to involve his teammates. He won't add much to your scoring average himself, but he plays great defense and doesn't turn the ball over which helps a team win games. He's also smart with his body which means he's able to stick around. Just a great guy to have on the floor.

Leon Berthelson. Berthelson had a ton of promise early in his career, but he has just never really blossomed into the kind of player that many thought he would become. Now, at age 31, he will probably be a second option for some team. He's another guy that really focuses on getting his teammates involved. His best asset is his defense. He gets into peoples faces pretty well for a point guard and he's a master at knocking the ball loose. That leads directly to points on the other end of the court. He's also excellent at taking care of the ball and is a good influence on his teammates.

Javonte Bolk. At just 24 years of age I think that Bolk will be a highly sought after free agent this off season if Rochester doesn't get him resigned. Bolk is a great passer that doesn't turn the ball over. He's a smart player that seems to know when to take the shot and when to get the ball to a hot shooting teammate. He needs to develop his own shooting skills in the paint a little bit, but with his deadly three point ability and his court vision he might be one of the best young point guards in the entire league. His defense is only average right now, but he will produce a few steals through the course of a game.

Reid Dall. Dall is an intriguing prospect at the point also. He is a great passer and a solid team leader. He's a pass first, pass second, shoot tenth kind of guy. I doubt that Gabon will pay him enough to keep him away from free agency, but he would make any team a fine starting point guard. His defense is great as he will hound opponents into giving up the ball. Perhaps the best part of the whole thing is his mental game. He rarely turns the ball over and doesn't commit fouls which make him a great asset. If your team can score at other posts this kid would be well worth a look.

Oliver Doherty. Doherty is a unique type of point guard. He's one of the few that redefine a position. He has the potential to be a huge scorer in this league as he gets to the line a lot and can also knock it down from anywhere on the court. The biggest issue with him is he doesn't like to pass the ball like a pure point man. His defense is solid though as he will really get under the skin of opposing players. One thing that goes along with his big time offensive game is that he loves to drive the lane which leads to a higher than normal turnover count for a point guard. But if you want scoring out of your one spot then he's your man.

John Gaiser. Gaiser is another player that has never really reached the potential many thought he would. He is still one of the best passers that this league has ever seen when he is on his game, but his shooting ability and lack of concentration at times has led to him being labeled as a career sub. With the proper attention a few years back this could possibly have been avoided, but I think it is probably too late now. He has some turnover problems and will get into foul trouble also. He will make a nice sub for someone, but I wouldn't let him play many minutes.

Omar Jefferson. I have heard that he will be extended by Brooklyn which wouldn't surprise me. I think he is pretty much the player that makes the team go. He's an amazing scorer that can shoot from anywhere on the court . While he does look to shoot as much as he can he is a smart player and knows how to find open teammates after the defense is drawn to him. He's a premier passer and his defense is really coming into its' own. At age 25 I think he would be possibly the top free agent in this years group if he doesn't get an extension.

Felipe Juarez. Juarez is another offensive minded point guard. He is a solid scorer who loves to challenge any big man in the paint. He is also capable of faking a drive and pulling up for the deep shot. This flexibility is what makes him dangerous. He isn't a very productive passer as a point guard though which leads some to believe he is more of a shooting guard type. This is even further perpetuated when you look at his defensive stats which show that he is a very casual defender. He also suffers some mental lapses and will pick up dumb fouls and commit some turnovers. If he plays a good calm game he is a deadly weapon, but can he do that consistently?

Vincent Robinson. Robinson starts to fall back into more of a pure point guard type of mold. He doesn't look to shoot very much and you wouldn't want to trust him to hit a game winner although he can hit the occasional 3 pointer. He is best suited as a passer where he excels. He can put out some highlight reel dishes and almost never turns it over. His defense is also a selling point as he wreaks havoc on opposing players with lockdown ability and great body control.

Jimmy Whalen. Whalen has all the tools to be a star in the WBA, but he just hasn't put together all the tools he has for a complete season yet. He is a great passer and plays a decent game offensively. His shooting is solid for a guard and he can score some points too. His defense is pretty good and he will get some steals. His biggest detractor is his lack of focus as he will commit some turnovers at times and will also pick up some fouls.

April 23rd, 2006

WBA STATS ANALYZER: WEEK 12

MMF

WEEK 12		MMF	TOTAL		MMF
1	Bishop Stein	173.35	1 (=)	Bishop Stein	1702
2	Mario Bailey	165.95	2 (=)	Abdiel Gordon	1634.9
3	Walt Jackson	157.65	3 (=)	Mario Bailey	1563.25
4	Marquez Houston	149.8	4 (+1)	Walt Jackson	1517.1
5	Jay Vasquez	149.05	5 (-1)	Heiko Van Brand	1489.55
6	Omar Jefferson	148.2	6 (+2)	Jay Vasquez	1483.3
7	Shane Strom	142.25	7 (-1)	Cordell Parks	1481.35
8	Cordell Parks	137.8	8 (+2)	Shane Strom	1451.65
9	Tom Kinsey	133.25	9 (+2)	Omar Jefferson	1449.75
10	Roy Base	129	10 (-1)	Devonta Corriga	1439.75
11	Lou Gonzales	127.65	11 (-4)	Dave Williams	1439.4
12	Brad Bangerter	122	12 (+1)	Marquez Houston	1436.7
13	Devonta Corriga	121.25	13 (-1)	Lou Gonzales	1427.9
14	Heiko Van Brand	120.6	14 (+2)	Jaxon McCall	1297.1
15	Jaxon McCall	117.3	15 (-1)	Obafemi Mabruke	1296.5
16	Abdiel Gordon	116.5	16 (-1)	Craig Bradshaw	1291.45
17	Anthony Curtis	114.95	17 (=)	Roy Base	1273.05
18	Elvis Harris	114	18 (+1)	Maury Coleman	1230.15
19	Austyn Williams	113.15	19 (+1)	Brad Bangerter	1219.05
20	Greg Lacy	111.6	20 (+4)	Tom Kinsey	1205.65
21	Cory Mosley	110.45	21 (-3)	Juwan Bixby	1200.2
22	Ramon Phelan	109.55	22 (-1)	Ahmed Dougherty	1181.75
23	Al Herbert	108.95	23 (-1)	Kent Mercer	1174.1
24	Tony Dimateo	108.7	24 (-1)	Mike Bennett	1170.6
25	Samir Sheth	108.5	25 (+2)	Parker Mason	1148.3
26	Maury Coleman	107	26 (=)	Sean Ashman	1144.55
27	Yuri Vilasny	105.2	27 (+2)	Yuri Vilasny	1144.3
28	Dave Williams	105.05	28 (-3)	Oshodi Bombata	1139.7
29	Reed Moses	104.5	29 (+1)	Oman Fatafehi	1130.3
30	Simeon Hill	103.85	30 (+2)	Cory Mosley	1128.4

VORP

WEEK 12		VORP	TOTAL		VORP
1	Mario Bailey	60.121	1 (=)	Bishop Stein	508.468
2	Bishop Stein	57.463	2 (=)	Mario Bailey	507.376
3	Tony Dimateo	45.659	3 (=)	Lou Gonzales	444.701
4	Walt Jackson	45.342	4 (=)	Abdiel Gordon	433.309
5	Omar Jefferson	45.112	5 (+1)	Omar Jefferson	430.583
6	Marquez Houston	43.343	6 (-1)	Dave Williams	428.117
7	Cordell Parks	41.830	7 (=)	Walt Jackson	423.286
8	Jay Vasquez	40.154	8 (=)	Cordell Parks	413.932
9	Jaxon McCall	39.396	9 (=)	Maury Coleman	405.653
10	Tom Kinsey	38.828	10 (+1)	Marquez Houston	404.056
11	Lou Gonzales	38.779	11 (-1)	Jaxon McCall	403.549
12	Roy Base	37.941	12 (+1)	Jay Vasquez	391.289
13	Elvis Harris	37.151	13 (-1)	Ahmed Dougherty	379.861
14	Maury Coleman	36.987	14 (=)	Devonta Corriga	377.110
15	Ramon Phelan	36.774	15 (=)	Shane Strom	363.994
16	Devonta Corriga	36.086	16 (=)	Oshodi Bombata	346.786
17	Anthony Curtis	34.610	17 (+1)	Heiko Van Brand	327.598
18	Shane Strom	31.371	18 (-1)	Mike Bennett	325.766
19	Brad Bangerter	30.440	19 (=)	Tom Kinsey	322.622
20	Dave Williams	30.013	20 (=)	Craig Bradshaw	312.754
21	Bobby Cress	29.955	21 (+5)	Anthony Curtis	305.062
22	Craig Bradshaw	29.944	22 (=)	Oman Fatafehi	303.704
23	Austyn Williams	29.776	23 (+1)	Sean Ashman	300.155
24	Cristobal Dashe	29.738	24 (+7)	Tony Dimateo	300.000
25	Dave Troychak	29.652	25 (+2)	Brad Bangerter	298.821
26	Abdiel Gordon	29.154	26 (-5)	Wayne Taylor	297.908
27	Heiko Van Brand	28.990	27 (-4)	Charlie Meyers	295.093
28	Reed Moses	28.855	28 (+4)	Roy Base	292.103
29	Kurt Beck	28.773	29 (-4)	Juwan Bixby	289.123
30	Jim McCarthy	28.419	30 (-2)	Kent Mercer	285.127

WEEK 12		AV	TOTAL		AV
1	Mario Bailey	2.40803	1 (+1)	Bishop Stein	13.022
2	Bishop Stein	2.33035	2 (+2)	Mario Bailey	12.768
3	Marquez Houston	2.25179	3 (-2)	Abdiel Gordon	12.763
4	Jay Vasquez	2.21217	4 (-1)	Heiko Van Brand	12.713
5	Walt Jackson	2.20223	5 (=)	Lou Gonzales	12.468
6	Cordell Parks	2.08171	6 (+2)	Jay Vasquez	12.440
7	Lou Gonzales	2.05123	7 (-1)	Cordell Parks	12.412
8	Tom Kinsey	2.03082	8 (-1)	Devonta Corriga	12.294
9	Omar Jefferson	2.02058	9 (=)	Marquez Houston	12.289
10	Roy Base	2.00007	10 (=)	Walt Jackson	11.985
11	Shane Strom	1.98979	11 (=)	Craig Bradshaw	11.626
12	Brad Bangerter	1.98979	12 (=)	Shane Strom	11.569
13	Heiko Van Brand	1.94848	13 (=)	Dave Williams	11.293
14	Greg Lacy	1.90687	14 (+2)	Brad Bangerter	11.184
15	Devonta Corriga	1.89642	15 (-1)	Obafemi Mabruke	11.120
16	Al Herbert	1.85443	16 (+2)	Omar Jefferson	10.963
17	Elvis Harris	1.83332	17 (-2)	Juwan Bixby	10.934
18	Simeon Hill	1.83332	18 (-1)	Jaxon McCall	10.864
19	Ramon Phelan	1.82273	19 (+4)	Roy Base	10.846
20	Anthony Curtis	1.81213	20 (=)	Greg Lacy	10.817
21	Reed Moses	1.81213	21 (-2)	Oman Fatafehi	10.729
22	Cory Mosley	1.79085	22 (-1)	Mike Bennett	10.653
23	Jaxon McCall	1.74804	23 (+5)	Tom Kinsey	10.605
24	Jarius Miles	1.73728	24 (+2)	Cory Mosley	10.576
25	Cristobal Dashe	1.71570	25 (-1)	Sean Ashman	10.558
26	Oman Fatafehi	1.71570	26 (-4)	Oshodi Bombata	10.505
27	Donavan Jones	1.69403	27 (=)	Jim McCarthy	10.452
28	Craig Bradshaw	1.68316	28 (-3)	Kent Mercer	10.446
29	Sean Ashman	1.68316	29 (=)	Paul Spagnoli	10.202
30	Tony Dimateo	1.67226	30 (=)	Maury Coleman	10.113

April 22nd, 2006

Jalen Bell: Remembering Chuck Murphy

The patch with number 41 rested on the shoulder of his Seoul uniform, like a

policeman's badge. Officials and league representatives spoke with general

manager Tony Swagger and head coach Bill Cash for almost ten minutes, as the

start of the game against Toronto was delayed for the sake of Jalen Bell and

the memory of a teammate.

"When Chuck died," Bell said in a post game news conference, "people seemed

to overlook him. Felt like a really horrible thing to do to a man who was

part of a world champion team just the season before, and when I was traded

here, I met with Tony to ask if I could do something in Chuck's memory."

Chuck Murphy, a reserve center for the Salt Lake City Fanatics, died in a

car accident on February 27, 2006, en route to catch a flight for the

following night's game in Toronto. Murphy, who had been seeing a back

specialist in Salt Lake City, had yet to play this season due to a severe

muscle strain, had not been placed on injured reserve as he said he would be

there if he was needed.

Given Salt Lake's record and their success this season, he wasn't needed in

the lineup. After meeting with a back specialist while the team was hosted

by Seoul, his car slipped on a patch of ice and crossed lanes. He was

broadsided by an empty passenger bus and driven off the road. Murphy died

that night.

"Chuck and I were roomates," Bell said. "So maybe I knew him better than the

rest of the roster did. It just seemed like he deserved to be remembered

with more than just a minute of silence before the next home game. So I when

I got here, and Bill and Tony were waiting to meet me at the airport, I had

a request to make of them."

Chuck Murphy's contract had been included in the trade, and Seoul had

already agreed to pay the remainder of this season's salary to Murphy's

widow. Jalen's request, however, was for the right to wear a patch on his

uniform with #41, Chuck Murphy's number, for the rest of the season.

"Swagger and his team went to work, contacting the commissioner's office and

cutting through all the red tape about uniform rules and so on. I couldn't

ask the other players to wear these patches, they hadn't known Chuck or

played against him this season. It was something I had to do myself."

Dispensation came through from the commissioner's office minutes before the

game was to begin, one of the perils of making a request from the other side

of the world.

"The referees were on me to change uniforms, telling me they wouldn't let me

play if I had that patch on...to their credit, Bill and Arron were there to

argue my case the whole way. When the dispensation got run down by one of

Tony's office crew, it held up the start of the game while the officials

looked it over, Toronto's coaches looked it over. It was like they thought I

was wearing a gang symbol or something, but in the end, it was just making

sure that Chuck was remembered.

Allowed to play, the game started ten minutes late and was won 95-94 in the

closing seconds with a three point shot from Bell that hit nothing but net.

Toronto's Walt Jackson was unable to get the last shot off with 1.2 seconds

on the clock, and Bell finished with 15 points on the night.

Additional Notes: