Ex-Flyer Chris Wright signed by Warriors, should thank NBA Lockout

Four years ago around this time Chris "Flight" Wright was making a splash onto the college scene by helping the Dayton Flyers get to the highest national ranking (13) they had in decades, maybe ever. He averaged 10 points, 6 rebounds and a block as a Faboulous Frosh, and with his high flying dunks, aggressive blocks, and high energy demeanor, he look like a SURE FIRE future 1st-rounder and  guy who could lead the Flyers to a possible deep run into the NCAA tournament. However, in a twist of cruel fate, he hurt his leg after one of the Flyers best starts in team history (14-1) and the team never recovered.

       Wright would continue to do what he did best in his next three years, which is rebound, fly high, bring energy and dominate on defense. Standing at a legit  6'8 with crazy hops and a NBA body, the knock was that he needed to develop a consistent 15-20 ft. jump shot, and work on his ball handling so that he could make himself more valuable to the NBA as a small forward along as a undersized power forward.
     However it didn't look like he developed the consistent perimeter "J" that would take him from a prospect to a 1st rounder. And so as the experts, the so-called experts, ballers, non-ballers who have opinions, and the rest of the world spoke on Wrights' inability to drop 3's consistently, it seemed that Flight Wright would be on a flight forreal - to play overseas.

But then something insane happened. The owners decided to play hardball; therefore, a NBA lockout created.

    Now at first everyone had questions such as: Will there be a NBA this year? Should he just do the smart thing and go overseas off jump? Why wait for a chance to get into a training camp, only to be sent to the D-League or be cut? What is the chances of him even getting to the NBA after a strike? Slim to none?
     Looks extremely good I would say.         
   

"Flight Wright" in motion

      A few days before the draft Wright had admitted that he had not put the time in to make himself a better shooter. Could it had been that former Dayton coach Brian Gregory didn't utilize Wright properly or help him develop his skills? Could it had been that Wright thought he would get to the NBA anyway despite the shortcomings as a shooter? Whatever the case was, he was honest with himself and the media. So he went into the gym. And put shots up. Hundreds and thousands of shots. And continued to work. And with the supreme dissapointment embedded in his head of not getting drafted to the NBA - and then having to watch a friend and localballer (Norris Cole) get drafted - in the 1st round no less - had to be as humbling a moment as Wright has ever had.
  

     Now most players would have accepted his fate of being a good college player who couldn't really shoot. Not Chris. He remained positive, continued to work on his negatives and was rewarded. He was the 3rd player drafted in the NBDL (behind Jamaal Tinsley & Alando Tucker, both NBA vets) by the Warriors organization. And once the NBA owners decided that they were ready to play ball, they had waited so long that it put most GM's and Coaches in a frenzy. Normally, Wright would have been on a summer league team, trying to make the team, which would have been small chance (at best). But because of the strike, the league schedule was pushed back, money was taken from the players, a soft cap was revealed and other little tidbits had been changed, making room at the end of the bench for players who are high energy,a good skill set, excelled in college, and have room for development. Like Chris Wright. Wright was signed this past week to the Golden State Warriors squad and is in training camp trying to secure a spot in the NBA. The Warriors currently have only 11 players signed, so he has EVERY opportunity to prove himself worthy - which I have no doubt he will.                      
    Once I heard this news, I was extremely happy. He's a humble great young guy. He deserved it. Never been in trouble or doing the wrong things. Im cool with the Wright family all the way back to high school. But hopefully Chris Wright has learned a valuable lesson. No matter how much talent you have, you must work on your weaknesses to be able to take that rainbow all the way to the pot of gold. And oh yeah, it doesn't hurt when the owners hold out so you can sneak into training camp. To get to the NBA, no matter how much skill you have, it still takes a little luck somewhere along the way. Its how prepared you are that will decide how big that pot is when you get that chance.
                                   
  Remember,       Preparation + hard work + opportunity = Success.



More info?
www.sportseffectlive.com
Comments are welcome



   

Dayton Air Strikers win Preseason PBL tournamant, beats Lake Michigan

   About 15 minutes prior to arriving at the Lake Michigan Catholic gym, the charter bus turns a corner and we looked to our left, and there was nothing but water (Lake Michigan). Breathtaking to a degree, everyone stopped in their tracks and took a look. I then told coach, "You get caught in that body of water, aint' no swimming out of that one!" in which guys laughed, head coach Chris McGuire agreed and we moved on.

Lake Michigan

    In the 4th quarter, the Dayton Air Strikers hit so many shots that it seemed like the Air Strikers were shooting in Lake Michigan as they scored 42 points in the 4th quarter (outscoring the Admirals 42-23) and turning a physical, important, intense, nail-biting game into a blowout 122-102.

    To most, the Air Strikers had done the impossible; won the preseason tournament in the PBL.

   The game was a battle from the jump. Admirals MVP Odgra Bobo came out firing and dropped 12 points to pace the Admirals in the first quarter, who had fans from the ceilings for this game. He was on a tear, and it wasn't sure who was going to stop him. The Air Strikers matched the Admirals point for point. After the first three quarters no team had a lead larger than 6, at half it was 53-50 (Lake Michigan) and after the 3rd it was 80-79 (Dayton).
    In the 4th quarter Dayton could do no wrong. In front of coaches and scouts for other teams (Chicago, Charleston, PBL Champion Rochester, among others) the Air Strikers hit a flurry of 3-pointers (Walker, C.J., Bo Harris), went inside (Flint Michigan native Skinner, T. Martin, Aaron Perry and Hassell) and even when Lake Michigan scored, Dayton immediately came back and responded. Brandon Hassell (Penn St) led the way with 22 points in the win.

Brandon Hassell sizes up opponent, who is 7'3

    Dayton did what no team had done in this tournament; went on the road in consecutive weeks and won. Convincingly. And to top it off, the winning team was suppposed to recieve a bonus - making it all the more sweeter for the Air Strikers, who went 3-18 last season in the PBL, and was seemingly the doormats in the league. As you looked around during the waning minutes it seemed like everyone was in shock; from the Lake Michigan coaches, the players, the once jubilant fans, the front office. Even the other coaches for other teams looked a little surprised. But judging from the first two weeks of the preseason, there could be a lot more surprises in store for the Dayton Air Strikers and their opponents. Just ask the Indiana Diesels and Lake Michigan.
    Dayton Air Strikers have spoken without saying a word in the media. And it reads like this:  Opponents beware, or you could feel like you're in the middle of Lake Michigan without a paddle. And we ALL know what will happen if thats the case, joking or not.



More info?
www.Sportseffectlive.com
Comments are welcome



PBL

NFL Quarterly Awards: Are the Lions forreal? Bengals need to unload Palmer

       After Week 5 in the NFL, there were only 2 undefeated teams (Detroit, Green Bay) and 2 winless teams (Colts, Rams) with teams all in between; There had been records set by rookie QB's (Cam Newton) as well as veterans (Tom Brady); and now that were a quarter through the league, its time to give out the NFL 1st Quarter Awards, courtesy of SELive....
 

MVP:  Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Mega-tron (Calvin Johnson);
 Pick: Im going with ARod; Even though Brady set records early, Brees is having a record -like season, and Mega-tron is leading the Lions resurgence tying records for TD's (9) while bringin Motown back, Aaron Rodgers is on a mission. He wants another ring, he wants a MVP, and he wants 16-0. Rodgers has been in EVERY possible situation in his career, from being the next great behind a great (Favre) to playing with half a offensive roster, to fumbling away the chance 2 seasons ago, only to rise up. Seems like he's going for THAT SPECIAL Season, that every GREAT QB has once or twice in his career. Like Hulk Hogan said on SportsCenter, "He wears the championship belt well" and Im sure he'd like to do his signature belt grab one or two more times in his career.

ROOKIE of the Year: Cam Newton (Panthers), Andy Dalton (Bengals), A.J. Green (Bengals): Julio Jones (Falcons) Von Miller (Broncos)
  Pick: Im going with Newton. Andy Dalton has taken the Bengals where Carson Palmer hasn't in over 3 years; a winning record (3-2), a never say die mentality, and has shown remarkable presence and poise early in the year. A.J Green has been in one word- special. He makes all the catches, and has consistently given Dalton that outside threat, in which nobody has been able to guard him. He's averaging 80 yards a game and leads all rookies with 3 TD's; Julio Jones has been good to the Falcons, but no TD's and a 2-3 record doesn't help. Broncos LB Von Miller has started off amazingly fast, with 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and will be a lock for Def Rookie of Year; And even though Newton and the Panthers has only won 1 game, he has lost to the Patriots, Packers, and Saints, which has 3 of the top MVP QB's in the race. Newton has passed for 7 TD's and ran for 5 more, and has reinvigorated the Carolina franchise. He will only get better, as crazy as that sounds; and when he does, watch out NFL.

Defensive Player of the Year:  Ndamakong Suh (Lions), Jared Allen (Vikings), Rey Maualuaga (Bengals), Clay Matthews (Packers) , DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys)
  Result: Jared Allen looks like the front-runner right now, but watch out for Matthews, Suh, and Ware coming down the stretch. Allen has 8 sacks and a INT so far, but the Vikings are jus now winning their first game. If not for the anemic team play in the second half, he would be the clear favorite. Suh doesnt have the numbers yet, but his play sets the tone for the Lions D, which has been resurrected, to say the least; Ware has been very good, with 5 sacks in four games, and has been all over the field for the much improved Cowboys D. And Maualuaga has been the leader of the #1 Defense in all of the NFL, which is something. All of these players except Allen are young studs, who can change the game and will ramp their games up. Should be a great finish.

 Best Team: Lions, Packers, Pats, Bills, 49ers, Saints
   Pick: Packers right now are easily the top pick in this one. Although  the Lions are the feel-good story and the Bills are the Darlings of the East, The Packers are the most COMPLETE team in the NFL. They have Arod, with a plethora of offensive weapons; their Defense is almost as good, with Matthews, Woodson, Raji, and more ready to make big plays. Add a level of calm after winning the Super Bowl? We got a 15-1 record on our hands, and a possible dynasty in the making. Dont sleep on the Saints, who was a play or two away from beating the Champs in the first game of the season.

Worst Team: Rams, Colts

 Pick: As much as I want to pick the Colts (0-5), the Rams (0-4) haven't done anything this year to not merit this position. We all know why the Colts are in this position; Were not sure what the Rams can do to get out of this position. They have taken 2 steps back, when this was supposed to be a breakout year. Question really is, who will win a game first?

Surprise Team; Lions, Bills, 49ers, Bengals
  Pick: The Lions (5-0) get the nod, although the Bills and 49ers have been playing as well as the Lions. Detroit has won 13 games straight (counting last season and preseason); The Bills (4-1) showed that they were forreal with a bounceback win against the Eagles, while the 49ers (4-1) wiped up the Bucs to prove that they are no fluke. Bengals have won more games already (3) than most experts picked they would win ALL SEASON.  Question is, can all of these teams keep it up and get to the playoffs?
Biggest Dissapointment: Eagles, Colts, Vikings, Falcons

 Pick: I gotta go with the Eagles, with the Vikings and Falcons nipping on their heels. The Eagles looked amazing on paper; QB coming off great year, losing to the Champs, adding a shutdown corner,a good WR and a good DLine, but losing their Defensive Coordinator (Jim Johnson RIP) has really hurt the Eagles, along with the added pressure and silly mistakes. The Vikings added McNabb, start fast but faded in the 1st 4 games, finally getting a W last week, while the Falcons are 2-3, struggling,  and was once the favorites to make it to the Super Bowl.

Coach on the Hot Seat: Andy Reid (Eagles), Jack Del Rio (Jags), Tony Sparano (Dolphins)
  Pick: I have to go with Sparano of the Dolphins. Sparano was already flaming for parts of last year, and when you have to rest your job in the hands of Chad Henne, I'd assume that will stay hot. Now that he's hurt, what does he do? I say trade for Carson Palmer and try that. Hes got weapons, but has went from Wildcat to battlecry in less than one season. Andy Reid is flaming on right now since he put together this team, not to mention his defensive coordiator promotion, but hes done too much to get axed (we think); Del Rio is using Gabbert to save him another season. As Gabbert goes, so does Del Rio.

Who are your picks for the SELive Quarterly Report?   COMMENTS are Welcome
www.sportseffectlive.com

PBL, Dayton Air Strikers ready for takeoff

    Last weekend the Chicago Muscle introduced themselves to the basketball world by hosting a combine with over 100 players in attendance at Attack Athletics. However, the Muscle werent the only team who will be new to the Premiere Basketball League (www.thepbl.com); as the Scranton Wilkes Barre (that of the Office), and the Sauk Valley Predators will also be new franchises who look to develop their own brand in their respective cities, while the Northwest Indiana Stars and Dayton Air Strikers will be entering the League after faring well in their previous leagues  of the owners were present at the combine, and one things for sure; With a TV Contract (www.@SportsTV) in hand, a million dollar proposal / contract given to one of the top 5 players in the NBA (Dwayne Wade) http://www.thepbl.com/2011/08/from-nba-star-to-philanthropist-to-premier-basketball-league-standout/ , and 9 teams committed from Chicago all the way to Philly (with a couple more teams on the way), the PBL's future is lookin' brighter than ever. Combine that with the fact that you have ambitious ownership, veteran coaches and personnel, and next level talent that rivals the NBDL? This only brings up one question: Could the PBL possibly become the Premiere Pipeline League for players to get to the NBA?

     Now granted a lot of Leagues only last a year or so, but the way the PBL is setup could help buck that trend. There is already a TV Contract, which will boost revenue for all teams; Most teams have a great possibility of picking up NBA players, since its looking more and more like there will be a strike during the regular season. Add one or two former NBA players who got shut out because of the strike?That will boost the league as well. And throw in the fact that most scouts, coaches and referees agreed that the talent level in the PBL will be as good- if not better- than the NBDL, and now you have a League the NBA should take a long, hard look at. SportsEffectLive.com was at the Combine and we agreed that there was 5 to 10 players who could play, (with a little more coaching and development) RIGHT NOW, in the NBA. The organization was on point, as the players went through a series of drills and was coached by pro coaches and top level evaluators. Every owner and coach got a handbook of info on each player, and the top players were invited back on Sunday to perform as well. So far, so good.

     Now everyone knows there will be bumps in the road, and the League will face a time when its not the most buzzed about League in Chicago. But for now, the PBL looks more organized than the NBA, and thats sayin something. There will be a combine be in Scranton in November, then the PBL draft will go down. Stay up with the PBL, you  just might be surprised who you see drop in to play.
Ain't that right DWade?


more info?
www.sportseffectlive.com

Comments, opinions, feedback, is appreciated.

NBA cancels Preseason;Hot 5 Reasons NBA Strike will hurt

     As Kobe Bryant arrived to the meetings in New York yesterday, with his shades on, sweatsuited up, 
he looked like he was ready to ball out at MSG; However, looks like that'll be happening overseas as the NBA Owners and Players Association came no closer to ending this 97+ day strike (and counting) that has surpassed the NFL by 20 days and now has cancelled all of its preseason games with Commish David Stern saying that if a resolution isn't found by Monday, "Regular season games will be cancelled" as well...

      Well by all accounts, if this happens, we could be looking at a MAJOR SHAKEUP in the Basketball power shift. Heres SELive HOT 5  Reasons why the STRIKE will cost the NBA dearly.

(1)  MONEY  -  The NBA has lost a reported 200 Million on cancelled games - in the PRESEASON no less -  so whats the expected loss once they decide that a whole month of REGULAR season can be spared? Possibly hundreds of millions or even a BILLION...How stupid would that be?

(2) STAR SEARCH -  With Superstars like Kobe Bryant ready to sign in the Italian League, Tony Parker in France, Dirk Nowitzki in Germany, Deron Williams to Turkey, & DWade to the PBL, this would be a horrible situation for the NBA; Overseas you play in 1 or 2 games a week tops; It has a football feel; So what happens if they DONT WANT to COME BACK? Hey if you can make 3 mil for roughly 40 days (6 or 7 games tops) which is the equivalent of  18 to 20 games in the NBA, why would you leave?

(3) OVERSEAS GAIN - We are already fighting like dogs to keep Argentina, Spain, France (among others) off of our butts as the Best Country in the World; But you start putting a couple of our NBA'ers into their Leagues, which only will make their players better; We are already snatching 5 to 10 players a round in the NBA Draft ; How many would it be 5 years later if this strike goes through the whole year?

(4) ECONOMY - Yeah, were in a crisis, and yeah, everybody needs jobs, and yeah everybodys losing money; however most NBA teams have increased their value from 100 to up to 200 million in the last 15 years, even though owners say they are "losing money"; truth is, the owners are investing and winning, and now they want to win in both areas; The owners want a hard cap; The Players don't. Bottom line is, both parties will be losing, and in this economy, if you're winning like most of these guys are, losing is NOT AN OPTION.

(5) FAN BASE - If there is no NBA, the fans will take a long time to come back to the NBA; Most of us remember having to wait in the 90's for Owners and Players making 6 and 7 figures to come out of that strike. They halted 30 regular season games, and the fans did come back, but it took about 5 years for the League to get over that. Fans nowadays? Less patient and less forgiving. There will always be fans and people who love the NBA. I mean, its the greatest League in the World. But when you're making 10 dollars a hour and you hear about this? Kinda makes u sick. Most people (not just fans) would give their life for a chance to make that money, and it feels like these people are playing like this is monopoly or 2K12; The NFL had a strike in the 90s, and they was adamant about not missing REGULAR SEASON games. So they GOT IT DONE. David Stern, you wave your magic wand  all the time. Like Rednecks say, "GET ER' DONE" or else, feel the wrath.


More info?
www.sportseffectlive.com