Category: Basketball

When the NBA G League debuted in Birmingham last year, I was excited that I’d be able to go to Legacy Arena and enjoy a brand of basketball that was both high-quality and innovative.

A proving ground for players hoping to level up to the Association, the circuit is also a laboratory for rule experimentation. And if you know anything about me, you know I love seeing a rulebook get the mad scientist treatment.

In 2022-23, the NBA’s feeder system is making arguably its boldest tweak yet – and I’m all for it.

This season the league will use a Final Target Score during all regular season overtime games and the fourth quarter of each Winter Showcase contest in Las Vegas. The rules that were already in place create fun and fast competition, but this makes a good thing even better.

Some version of the “Elam Ending” is something I’ve hoped would come to the G League sooner than later. It’s been used three years running in the NBA All-Star Game and has grown in popularity thanks to The Basketball Tournament (TBT).

“It’s a new concept for me, something we will research from an analytical perspective as well as watch film of a few other leagues who have implemented it,” said Birmingham head coach T.J. Saint, entering his first season at the helm of the New Orleans Pelicans affiliate. “If you are down by a large margin once it goes to Elam, it can allow you to make a comeback and win the game without the clock being an inhibitor whereas in a normal game, the clock can really end any hope of a potential comeback.

“I definitely think it can add excitement for the fans with every game ending in a game-winning shot.” 

In the TBT, the game clock is turned off after the first dead ball with under four minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Then eight points are added to the leading team’s tally to create a target score which, once reached, ends the game.

For all 31 G League Winter Showcase games, the fourth quarter will be untimed and the object is to tally the leading team’s score plus 25 points. So, if the Squadron advances to the Winter Showcase and leads an opponent 100-90 after three, the first team to score 125 wins.

Teams are separated into four regional pods during the Showcase Cup and play 16 games against each other. The clubs with the best winning percentage in each pod and the next four teams across the league with the best winning percentages advance to the Winter Showcase December 19-22.

Once the regular season (32 games for each team) gets underway on December 27, G League contests will feature traditional quarters. However, if a game is still knotted after 48 minutes, the first team to reach the tied score plus seven points in the extra period wins.

Malcolm Hill currently plays for the Chicago Bulls on a two-way contract with the Windy City Bulls, but was a member of the Squadron last season. During an early practice session, I was talking with him about the rule variations in the G League and asked him what he thought about the Elam Ending.

“It’s fun for sure, depending on who you’re asking.” he said. “Definitely for fans and a lot of players, but there are players like me who like to stick to the traditional things as far as the game clock. But it’s different and interesting.”

Target score aside, the developmental league will continue to play the “greatest hits” when it comes to rule revisions.

The One Free Throw Rule is back, meaning a lone foul shot is attempted in all free throw situations during the first 46 minutes of a game (traditional foul shot rules apply over the final two minutes of the fourth quarter). It’s worth the value of whatever the total number of free throws would be in an NBA game. In other words, if a player is fouled while attempting a 3-pointer and sinks his charity toss, he’s credited with three points.

Two infraction rules I’m glad to see return are the Transition Take Foul and Away-From-The-Play Foul.

The Transition Take Foul is called when a defender commits a foul without making a play on the ball; fouls an offensive player who has the ball or has just passed it away; or fouls during a transition scoring opportunity. The fouled team can pick any player on the floor to shoot one free throw and keep the ball at the “point of interruption.”

And the Away-From-The-Play Foul is defined as “any illegal contact by the defense which occurs either deliberately away from the immediate area of offensive action, prior to the ball being released on a throw-in, or both.” When this happens personal and team fouls are assessed, and one foul shot can be taken by any player in the game at the time of the foul. This decreases the likelihood of a team resorting to “Hack-a-Shaq.”

Other twists include the coach’s challenge and 14-second shot clock reset after offensive rebounds, which originated in the G League and were ultimately adopted by the NBA. (A complete list of rules can be found in the “NBA G League 101” section of gleague.nba.com).

The Squadron opens Showcase Cup play on Sunday, November 6, when the Lakeland Magic comes to Legacy Arena for a 5 p.m. tip.

Between the talent on the floor and the rules on the books, it should be a blast.

One of the best things about moving back home to Birmingham has been the chance to become an active hometown sports fan once again.

In years past (15 years to be exact), following UAB sports was done from a distance as I lived in Greenville, South Carolina. Oh, I managed to sneak home once to catch a basketball game during the Jerod Hasse era, and I made a day trip to Legion Field in 2017 to watch the Blazers football team make its return from the grave.

One weekend visit to the Magic City a few years ago allowed me to duck into Regions Field and see the Barons play, and I even showed up for the debut of the Alliance of American Football’s Birmingham Iron in 2019.

But ever since June, 2021, games involving Birmingham-branded teams have been played right down the road from me and I’ve been fortunate to make up for lost time.

I have to tell you, though, some of the most enjoyable new sports memories I’ve made since reestablishing my residence has been following a team that played its first game just four months ago.

The Birmingham Squadron – NBA G League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans – made their debut last November and since then I’ve become completely enamored. From the first time I showed up to witness head coach Ryan Pannone conduct an early practice at Bill Burch Gymnasium on the Birmingham Southern College campus to the times I’ve fanned up at Legacy Arena for regular season games, it’s been a blast.

As a Birmingham guy I’m always hopeful any pro team that comes to town will succeed, and I got invested in this one immediately. Being a close follower of the G League long before this town was ever considered for a franchise made it easier, but now I feel like I actually have some skin in the game. I love men’s and women’s basketball at pretty much any level, but to have such a high level of the sport right in my figurative backyard has given my passion for roundball an added boost.

As is the case of any G League team, players go up and down, come and go, play and sit. Even so – with all the turnover – the Squadron has been consistently exciting.

Guard Joe Young, who has suited up for Birmingham 25 times during the regular season, averages 19.6 points per game and is the only player on the club to have a 40-point game in 2021-22.

Auburn product Jared Harper has been called up to the Pelicans five times and took a little time away when he joined Squadron teammate Justin-Wright Foreman on Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. During 18 regular season G League games Harper has lit it up for a 20.9 points per game average.

Center Zach Hankins is currently averaging 12.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per outing while forwards Zylan Cheatham and guard Ra’Shad James are pumping in 14.1 and 10.2 ppg on average. I could spit out a bunch of other names and stats (the team’s 37 percent 3-point shooting leads the league, for example) but the point is, this is quality basketball and quality entertainment.

It’s a team that’s easy to root for, which is why I cheered a little and cussed a lot during last night’s wild 143-129 loss to the Sioux Falls Skyhawks. Birmingham entered the game at 13-13 and right above the playoff cutline in the Western Conference.

This morning they’re right below it, and with only five games remaining in the regular season and three at home (including tonight’s rematch with Sioux Falls), it’s as though the playoffs have already begun.

Obviously I hope the Squadron gets hot down the stretch, lands one of the six conference postseason slots, and is still playing in April. When you enjoy something, you don’t want to see it end. And I’ve enjoyed Birmingham Squadron professional basketball very, very much.

I love my hometown, and having a new hometown team to love makes being back even more special.

Hours and hours of practice can lead to better basketball skills, but it can’t lead to better basketball size – at least not in a vertical sense.

But what if the playing field – or in this case, the court – was leveled?

Back in 1987 the International Basketball Association wanted to find out when it instituted a height limit. Yep, if you wanted to play in the IBA, you needed to be shorter than 6-5. If you showed up at a tryout standing 6-5 even, you were shown the door and pointed toward the nearest NBA scout.

The IBA was founded in July, 1987, and it would’ve been easy to dismiss except for one thing: Bob Cousy was director of operations.

“Basketball is the second most played sport in the world, next to soccer,” Cousy said in an interview with the Gannett News Service. “It’s big in Italy and Spain – all over Europe – and it’s played in China and a lot of Communist countries. Without question, there’s a tremendous foundation of interest.

“And in all of those places, 99 percent of the players are under 6-foot-4. There are great players out there 6-4 and under.”

The league’s first season was scheduled to begin in May, 1988, with teams in Chicago, Dallas, Fresno, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, San Jose, Washington, Vancouver and three other sites (Hamilton, Ontario, Louisville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Tampa and Toronto were being considered).

The first draft would be held in December, 1987, where players who attended tryout camps would be picked, and the second following the 1988 NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Players would be paid a minimum of $20,000, rosters would consist of 10 players and the regular season would feature 60 games.

Cousy also made it clear the IBA had no intention of competing with the NBA.

“No way,” he told Gannett. “This is the mistake the other leagues have made. Too many started out with the thought of going head-to-head or eventually being absorbed by the established league.

“The NBA has never been more popular – in ratings, in attendance – that’s great. The concept of our new league will fly because of that. We are simply going to offer an alternative.”

As is the case with most startups, there were quite a few changes between concept and execution.

When the circuit debuted in May, 1988, it had changed its name to the World Basketball League. Four teams that were part of the IBA wanted to delay their debut until 1989 so the original franchises were the Calgary 88’s, Chicago Express, Fresno Flames, Las Vegas Silver Streaks, Vancouver Nighthawks and Youngstown Pride.

It had also added some rule innovations, including 10-minute quarters, 30-second shot clock, a 16-foot foul lane, and a sudden death overtime structured so that the first team to score seven points was the winner.

 “It’s just like (Continental Basketball Association) ball,” Express public relations director Dan Currier told the Quad-City Times for a May 22, 1988, article. “The only difference is that there’s no dominating center of any kind. Other than that, it’s just like any other pro ball.”

The league lasted until 1992, which means it outlived most minor leagues of its kind. By the time it was done it had gone through 18 North American franchises and six international teams, and even raised its height limit to 6-7 in 1991.

The WBL folded on August 1, 1992, after four franchises went under.

“We regret having to make this decision,” WBL commissioner John F. Geletka. “We plan to sit down with owners and evaluate our next steps. I would certainly not rule out a WBL in 1993.”

Three days later Michael Monus, one of the league’s originators and the founder of Phar-Mor Inc., was accused of embezzling money from the discount drug store chain (and eventually convicted of embezzling $10 million, some of which was used to prop up the WBL).

The remaining Canadian franchises in Halifax, Hamilton, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg broke away to form the National Basketball League, but it made it only a year and a half before folding.

Twenty-six WBL players did play in the NBA for various stretches including John Starks, who was an NBA All-Star.

And Sidney Lowe suited up for five different NBA teams and is currently an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Nearly 30 years later it’s doubtful that many people remember the IBA/WBL – fondly or otherwise. But in a game dominated by big men, it deserves some credit for giving the little guys a chance.