Month: November 2023

Squadron opens season on Friday

Coach T.J. Saint conducts a Birmingham Squadron training camp workout.

In the NBA G League, teams don’t necessarily build from scratch from one year to the next, but they do start over.

And when the Birmingham Squadron hosts the Austin Spurs on Friday at Legacy Arena in a Showcase Cup clash, the home team boss thinks it could be the beginning of something special.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

“I’m hoping for a pretty big turnout for first game on Friday night against Austin,” said Squadron head coach T.J. Saint. “I think we’re going to be a very fun team for people to watch and I think they’re going to be able identify with this team. And we can shoot it – we can really shoot it. I think that’s gonna bring a lot of excitement for the fans.”

When training camp concluded earlier Thursday at Legacy Arena, Saint told his players it was the best one he’d ever been part of.

“We targeted specific skill sets on the court, but we also targeted specific character traits this summer and brought back certain players with those character traits,” Saint said. “We’ve had a little bit of good-natured back and forth, and it’s been a lot of fun.

“I asked them how camp felt after Wednesday’s practice and ‘fun’ was the word three guys said immediately. We have a pretty unique group personality-wise. I’m just kind of standing back and watching it click, and we’ll see how we compete tomorrow, but I am excited.”

The New Orleans Pelicans’ affiliate will have access to new firepower in two-way players Matt Ryan and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, while Dereon Seabron, the two-way player who was a breakout star for Birmingham in 2022-23, returns.

Seabron averaged 18.4 points per game for Birmingham last year and 14.3 points during the Showcase Cup in-season tournament. In New Orleans’ 122-101 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, he came off the bench to score nine points.

Robinson-Earl hit for 11 points and snatched nine boards in a spot start against the Timberwolves – just missing a double-double – while Ryan tallied 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in 26 minutes on the floor.

“With New Orleans in the injury situation they’re in, it’s TBD on when we’ll see the two-way guys here,” Saint said.

The opening night roster features Landers Nolly II (G), Liam Robbins (C), Tevian Jones (G), Pavel Savkov (G), Jalen Crutcher (G), Galen Robinson Jr. (G), Izaiah Brockington (G), Devin Cannady (G), Malcolm Hill (G), and UAB product Trey Jemison (C).

A notable new face is Savkov, Birmingham’s lone 2023-24 draft pick. The 6-7 Russian has played professionally for Saski Baskonia in Spain’s Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.

“In general, the game is different in America,” Savkov said. “The game is faster and the rules are different. But it’s just step by step, getting better, understanding new things.”

Saint said Savkov has already shown great shooting ability.

Hill – a member of the original Squadron team in 2021-22 – is back with the club, and Jemison will provide local fans with a hometown player to cheer on.

Heading into a new campaign, Hill says the team has already developed a tight bond.

“We compete really hard and we have a camaraderie,” he said. “We enjoy each other on and off the court, so it makes it easier for us to play together on the court and compete at a very high level.

“Iron sharpens iron, and that’s how we’ve approached practice. And we spend more time with each other than we do family members, so it’s good that we do like each other and can enjoy each other’s success.”

Crutcher, who joined the team from the Greensboro Swarm in September as part of the John Petty Jr. trade, agrees.

“We really do like each other and I think that’s gonna show on the court,” he said. “A group of us were in New Orleans together before training camp and we definitely became close.”

Saint, who begins his second season as head coach of Birmingham, is bullish on the team’s chemistry.

“We build our structure culturally around three different standards,” Saint explains. “I call them bars – readiness, being the first team ready; having high attention to detail; and then the most important thing to us as a group is being connected. We’ve created a connected team, and you’ll be able to see that because we’re just a part of the fabric of this city.”

The first 16 games of 2023-24 will be part of the Showcase Cup, which concludes with the Winter Showcase December 19-22. Then, all records are reset and the 34-game regular season tips-off on December 27.

Last season the Squadron finished 6-12 in Showcase Cup play and 11-21 in the regular season, missing out on the playoffs.

Those records, truthfully, have absolutely nothing to do with the team fans will see throughout this fall and winter.

It’s a whole new ballgame.

“I really hope fans will come and watch some great basketball,” Saint said. “These guys are working toward the NBA and while the G League isn’t the NBA, it’s the next best thing.”

Tip-off for Friday’s game is 7 p.m. For ticket info, go to Birmingham.gleague.nba.com.

Old Man

The spotlight locked in on the 14th floor of the glass and steel skyscraper in Rickman Plaza, with the police cars below creating their own flashing, red and blue light show.

Professor Purloin – rocking a magenta fedora, lime green tactical suit and small black mask – had expected some of the men and women of law enforcement to make the first move in an effort to stop his latest crime wave. On this night he was looking down on the crowd while standing behind three bound and gagged hostages with a high-tech laser weapon.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

Once the police had been foiled, he’d then be forced to deal with either Spectacular Man or Frau the Fearless – or maybe both.

It was a dance he’d done many times, and one that made the Intrepid City High Security Prison his home away from home. In any moment, he figured he’d be greeted by a hostage negotiator who’d make a futile attempt at convincing him to surrender.

But when the door to the office he had commandeered opened, there was no sign of an arbiter.

Instead, it was an older gentleman adorned in a beige newsboy cap, baby blue polyester jogging suit, shiny white support sneakers and orange sunglasses.

Professor Purloin raised his weapon and took aim.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked.

The man cupped his right ear with his right hand.

“Could you say that again? My hearing isn’t so good.”

Purloin shook his head.

“I said … who the hell are you, old man!” Purloin shouted.

“Yessir, that’s me,” he answered.

Purloin frowned.

“That’s you?”

The man smiled.

“I’m Old Man. That’s what they call me now,” he said. “You know … because I’m old. I used to call myself Pinto Man. You know why? Funny story … about 50 years ago – or it might have been 60 – no, it was closer to 50 years ago because that was the same year I got my yellow Ford Pinto and was recruited by the Integrity Alliance of America. I’ll bet you’re too young to even remember Pintos, aren’t you? I got some whitewall tires for mine and had a Keep On Truckin’ sticker on my back bumper and I thought I was something else.”

Purloin lowered his weapon and stared at Old Man.

Was this some kind of joke? Did the guy walk away from an assisted living facility and get lost?

“Listen, Old Man,” he said. “I’ve never heard of you. I have no idea what you’re talking about, and you obviously have no idea who I am – or who you’re dealing with. I’ve fought all your superheroes – and none of them have been able to keep me locked up. Now what you need to do is just walk on out of here, go watch a Matlock rerun and then you don’t have to get hurt. I’ll just sit tight until the big guns arrive.”

Old Man laughed.

“Oh, I love Matlock,” he said. “I’ll bet you don’t know this, but Don Knotts made 17 appearances on Matlock. It was always good to see him and Andy Griffith together. Of course, it wasn’t as funny as when they were on The Andy Griffith Show. And if you ask me, that show was never the same after Barney left. Barney Fife was who Don Knotts played, by the way. And Andy Griffith played Andy Taylor.

“I guess because he was the star – Andy, I mean – he got to use his first name in the show. It’s probably best that Don Knotts didn’t use his. Don Fife isn’t as funny as Barney Fife. This is something though … I went to grammar school with a guy named Barney Knotts, and …”

Purloin unleashed a long groan.

“Holy crap, will you just shut the hell up!” he screamed. “You’re boring me to death, Old Man. I mean, I’m starting to get sleepy just listening to you drone on and on and on about … about … about …”

Purloin was overcome with a wave of confusion and dizziness, and felt the feeling start to drain from his arms. Suddenly he had the urge to simply close his eyes and go to sleep.

He dropped to his knees and the weapon fell from his hands, which seemed to involuntarily open.

Moments later he lay on the floor frozen – unable to speak – yet fully aware of everything going on around him. It was as though he was in a state of suspended animation.

Old Man briskly walked over to the hostages, untied them, and told them to take the nearest elevator down to the first floor where police and paramedics would be waiting for them.

He walked toward Professor Purloin and eased down on one knee.

“I don’t imagine you remember me,” he said. “I’ve been following you around for weeks – ever since you escaped from prison. Found out where you bought supplies, where you were holed up – pretty much knew your every move. About 10 days ago, I bugged your hideaway.

“And last week I was that old fellow who bumped into you on the street. I also injected you with a slow-acting paralytic. If you think back, you might recall feeling a little stick. It’s my own recipe … I have an IQ of 297 and a knack for designing chemicals. Intelligence is my superpower.”

Old Man slowly rose, cracked his back, and walked toward the window.

“You know how I caught you so easily?” he said. “Because you overlooked me. People like you always overlook people like me – older people. It’s like we don’t exist … we’re practically invisible. And because of that, it allows me to play up all the cliches and lull you into a false sense of security.

“I was ‘boring’ you on purpose because I needed a little more time for the paralytic to kick in. But I’ll tell you the truth … I do enjoy Matlock. And I get to watch it a lot because I just do this superhero stuff part-time.”

The police captain and several officers arrived in short order, cuffing Professor Purloin, dragging him to his feet, and taking him away.

“Good job, Old Man,” the captain said, patting him on the shoulder. “I gotta tell you, though … I was getting a little worried that you might not show up on time. You cut things pretty close.”

Old Man grinned.

“I got here as quickly as I could,” he said. “I had to eat first so I could take my pills.”

In-season tourney a G League feature

Birmingham Squadron players put in some work at Bill Battle Coliseum ahead of Friday’s 2023-24 home opener against the Austin Spurs at 7 p.m.

The NBA has added a new twist for the 2023-24 campaign in the form of an in-season tournament. And it’s called – appropriately enough – the In-Season Tournament.

It began on Friday with seven games. Between now and December 9 (with tourney group clashes played on Tuesdays and Fridays), the 30 clubs in the Association will battle for the eight available spots in the knockout round.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

The quarterfinals, semis and championship will be single elimination, and every player and coach on the team that snags the crown will pick up $500,000.

Scoff if you will about this “gimmick,” but basketball is built for tournaments and as a basketball fan, I’m all-in. I think it’s a fun idea that gives early season games some extra spice.

When it comes to mini-seasons within a season, though, the G League is way ahead of the curve.

The NBA developmental circuit tips-off next Friday, and all games will be part of the Showcase Cup, which culminates in the Winter Showcase in Las Vegas.

There have been 18 previous events, so it’s a standard feature of the G League. And starting on November 10, squads will be divided into four regional pods and play 16 games, with eight qualifying for the Winter Showcase.

After a winner is crowned at Mandalay Bay Convention Center on December 22, team records are reset to 0-0 and a 34-game regular season commences on December 27.

(By way of comparison, during the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament all games except the championship count in the regular season standings).

Malcolm Hill, who has spent time with two NBA teams and is now back on the roster of the Birmingham Squadron, has mixed emotions about the Showcase. Birmingham, the New Orleans Pelicans’ affiliate, hosts the Austin Spurs, feeder club for the San Antonio Spurs, on November 10 at 7 p.m. at Legacy Arena to open tournament play.

Birmingham and Austin are in the South Pod along with the Memphis Hustle, Mexico City Capitanes, Oklahoma City Blue, Osceola Magic, Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Texas Legends.

“Honestly, there are pros and cons to both sides, I guess,” Hill said. “You know you’re competing for a championship in the middle of the season, and that’s pretty cool. The flip side of it is it almost like means like nothing, because then (the season) starts over.

“But if you’re a bad team, you have the opportunity to kind of finish things the way you ideally wanted to once the regular season starts.”

The Squadron – which came to Birmingham in 2021-22 after two years as the Erie BayHawks – has yet to make it to the money round in Vegas.

They finished 9-5 in the 2021 event and 6-12 last year.

The stakes are different, but Birmingham coach T.J. Saint says his approach to Showcase Cup Games is the same as a regular season contest.

“Really, it’s all about building your identity to help these guys achieve their dreams,” he said. “The only incentive is that obviously if you do win the Showcase Cup you get 100 grand, so that’s on the line, but we don’t really change anything from a preparation standpoint.”

That preparation continued with a scrimmage against the College Park Skyhawks on Saturday, and cut day for training camp hopefuls is set for the middle of next week.

Then, it’s tournament time.

“I think it’s great,” said UAB product Trey Jemison, who signed with the Squadron last month. “It gives you a whole month to compete for something like the (Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy), and then you get to start the regular season.”

For tickets to next Friday’s home opener go to Birmingham.gleague.nba.com/tickets.