I’m guessing in years to come, the Birmingham Squadron’s 124-112 victory over the Memphis Hustle last Sunday will not be discussed by sports historians.
It was, after all, simply a late season NBA G League game contested by teams trying to work themselves into playoff position in their respective conferences.
But you know what? I consider myself something of a sports historian, and I’m gonna talk about it today.
Why?
Because what Birmingham accomplished in Southaven, Mississippi, is one of the reasons I watch the G League.
And it’s one of the reasons you might want to consider watching it, too.
Being a farm club of the New Orleans Pelicans, the Squadron – like all G League squads – is a team in constant flux. Players go up, players come down, some are restricted in the minutes they can play. Any given game is a chess match for the coaching staff – and the chess pieces keep moving on their own.
The day before the Memphis game, T.J. Saint and his coaches learned that Malcolm Hill and two-way player Dereon Seabron had been transferred from the Squadron to the Pelicans.
Hill had started all 35 games he appeared in for Birmingham in 2023-24, and averages 21.9 points per game.
Seabron, who has battled injuries but been a standout with the Squadron for the past two seasons, pumps in 18.2 points per night while repping the Magic City.
Losing those guys was tough, but things got even tougher.
New Orleans also recalled Jalen Crutcher and E.J. Liddell from Birmingham.
Crutcher is good for 17.3 points in G League games, and Liddell pumps in 17.9 points and averages 8.2 rebounds each time out.
So, basically, Saint and company had 24 hours to put together a team that could be competitive on the road.
Mission accomplished.
Only seven players took the court, but all seven were key to the Squadron’s 12-point conquest.
“That win was a result of the culture we’ve built dating back to last season,” Saint said. “The players deserved to win, but earned it with how they believe in each other and the commitment to just doing your job. Whoever wears our jersey, there are standards we call Bars (readiness, attention to detail, being connected) to uphold in order to rep our organization and give yourself the best chance to make the NBA by being the most connected team in the league.”
Landers Nolley II recorded his second-career triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Tevian Jones tied Nolley for team high-scoring honors with 28, and Izaiah Brockington scored 27 points and snared 14 rebounds for a double-double.
Newcomer Karlo Matkovic continued his outstanding play with 17 points; Galen Robinson Jr. had nine points and eight assists; Josh Nzeakor came off the bench to score 20 points; and Nate Bradley – added to the roster on Sunday and a member of the inaugural Squadron team – scored five points in 12 minutes.
Birmingham shot 50 percent from three-point range and remains undefeated on the season when making at least half of its treys.
The Squadron (11-12) is now riding a three-game winning streak and heads into two-game road set against the Capital City G-Go just one and a half games out of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.
The Memphis game was an object lesson in just how talented G League rosters and coaches are. Regardless of the situation and regardless of who dresses out, they find a way to adjust.
And often – as was the case Sunday – the results are remarkable.
Look, I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m a huge fan of this team. It started in 2021-22 when Ryan Pannone – now a member of Nate Oats staff at Alabama – ran the show, and continues on in Saint’s second season at the helm.
Birmingham has only six regular season home games left at Legacy Arena. The Greensboro Swarm comes to town Friday, March 8, and the Long Island Nets provide the opposition on May 10-12.
The Osceola Magic pays a visit on March 19 and 21, and the Cleveland Charge is here on March 30.
It’s the best brand of domestic basketball this side of the NBA, and I absolutely love it.
Give it a chance, and you might learn to love it, too.
“We have four NBA contract players playing for us right now,” Saint said. “It’s the closest thing to the NBA. We play a fun style of offense and we play hard.
“Everyone be there next Friday versus Greensboro.”