Tuesday, September 25, 2012

An Offensive Onslaught as The Price is Right moves to 2-1

Last week we highlighted the ordeal that was the poor offensive side of the basketball for the PiR.

Not a lot of complaints this week.

The PiR scored 68 points on 51% shooting to beat the Ballers by 4 this past Monday.  The 51% is the highest percentage team shooting wise in the organizations short 3 year history.  Another stat to add, the team shot 56% from beyond the arc.  The last time they did this?  March 5th, 2012.  Finally, one more to add with your breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  The last time the team shot over 60% from the free throw line while taking 10 or more free throws?  You'd have to go back to the 30th of January of this year to find a stat like that.  The PiR hit on 18 of the 22 attempts they took from the line Monday.

The hits just keep on coming.  After stalling offensively the first two games of the season, Brandon Hunter finally found his range going 5 of 10 from three, making 7 of 15 shots from the field and totaled a team high 12 free throws (making 10).  He scored 29 points, added 9 rebounds, and controlled the pace from the beginning.

Going on, coach and captain Jason Hunter (18 points, 7 rebounds) has been shooting right around 30% from beyond the arc in these two plus years in the organization.  He is shooting 61% on the year (11/18) and is right around 50% for a total mark this season.

"After last week, this was a great showing for us.  Everything really came together," coach Hunter said after, "We battled all night and kept returning punch for punch, almost figuratively."

The game did turn into quite a physical battle against the Ballers.  Battling inside, for loose balls, and taking the ball to the basket, no one left this game unscathed.  Recently acquired guard Kyle Komer (9 points, 3 rebounds) has left both games bloodied.  A sight that wasn't normal last season.

"You do what you have to do to win the game," Kyle said at his locker after, "I can see where these guys are coming from with how we have to play to win and what kind of respect we get from other teams.  It feels great to win a game like this."

The PiR dressed only six players on this particular night.  Ryan Stuver and Kyle Knapik were out for undisclosed reasons and Andy Kempf is still in a legal battle overseas.  Rob Cruise started at the other big man position and gave the Price is Right something that they usually don't have inside: size over the other team.

The game went back and forth throughout.

A "momentum" type play happened with only 0.5 seconds to go in the first half, the game tied at 35.  Inbounding from the near sideline, Jason Hunter slipped away and was seemingly uncovered as he took a pass running towards the basket.  With no time to dribble the captain, caught, turned and fired a shot about five feet from beyond the three point line.  It was nothing but net heading into halftime.

"We drew that up perfectly" Jason laughed.

Brandon elbowed his way into the ring of reporters, "Yea, he's wide open because they knew they should be doubling me!"

The Price is Right will face Boston Road next Monday at 7:25 EST.  They were 1-1 as of this writing.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Price is Right Notches First Victory

The PiR defeated Wilson Group this past Monday 53-35 to achieve their first win of the season.  Even though they are still not playing the kind of basketball they would like to, especially on the offensive end.

The new faces may have something to do with the inconsistency so far this season.  The team also added free agent guard Kyle Komer this past weekend ($3m/yr) to help fill a need at the point guard position. 

The lack of offense does not seem to bother coach and captain Jason however.

"You know that will come," he said on the teams phone interview Tuesday morning, "we won last night and we were in the game the night before even without our best offense, so that has to account for something."

The team shot only 24% from three last game after shooting nearly 33% from there in their first contest.  The team did only shoot 31% from three in all of last season, but they still want to be better than that.  Leading scorer from last season Brandon Hunter has struggled mightily in the first two contests, hitting on only 4 of his 19 three point attempts (21%).

Brandon could only shake his head when asked about it, "It sucks.  That's pretty much what I have to say about it.  Guys look for me to put the ball in the basket and I'm just not doing that right now."

"It sucks."

Newly acquired Kyle Komer worked into the team nicely, helping control the pace on both ends of the floor.  Komer had 8 points and 6 rebounds in his first game as a member of the Price is Right and solidified the top end of their 2-3 zone which forced the Wilson Group to work harder on each offensive possession.

"I felt good, comfortable," the newly signed guard said yesterday, "I think I know my role with these guys.  It went well."

Team defense is something that the PiR is not lacking, a staple from the teams previous seasons.  The defense put on a show Monday holding Wilson Group to 35 points and creating fast break baskets on the other end.

"If we can play this well defensively night in and night out, we will have a chance to win every night we step on the floor," big man Kerry Hunter (11 points, 7 rebounds) said last night.

"It's what we do," he continued, "play great D and win the second half."

The good guys play Ballers next Monday at 6:30.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

New Look

There is a new look in the Brunswick Men's Rec Basketball League this year and it goes something like this:



Wrinkles aside, that is the new look for the old/new team The Price is Right.

You know some of the faces:
Brandon Hunter - coming off a near 21/8 season, leading the team ($8m this season, FA 2013)
Jason Hunter - coach and captain, who shot 43% from inside of 3 last season ($3.67m next 3 years)
Kerry Hunter (Z)- over 7 points and 8 rebounds per game (resigned - $1.45m/yr)
Andy Kempf - team leading 9.4 rebounds per game last season ($2m/2012, $3m, 2013)

Some past faces:
Mike Petrilli - 3 point technician (resigned, $2m/yr)
Ryan Stuver - resigned after some time overseas ($1.45m/yr)

And some new faces:
Rob Cruise - newly signed big-man to add to the middle ($1.37m/yr)
Kyle Knapik - another forward brought up from the Developmental League ($1.05m/yr)

These 8 make up your roster for the upcoming, though short, 6 week season this fall.

The season began yesterday albeit, a loss, to Metro Stars 59-67.

The PiR were down 34-24 at half and as their games usually go, battled back to a 47-47 tie near the middle of the second half of play.  Coach Jason Hunter found his stroke early, hitting on three of his five threes in the first 20 minutes.

"It was good to come out of the gates this year and play well.  I struggled last year shooting from three.  We went over some tape in the summer, changed up my form and technique for this year.  It's working so far."

The second oldest Hunter was 5 for 8 from three in this contest and totaled a team high 20 points.

It was for not however, as the Metro Stars found ways to aggravate the PiR ball handlers all night.  Jason and Brandon Hunter found their pockets picked on several occasions and a few costly turnovers in the second half led to their demise.

"It was frustrating," Brandon Hunter said afterword, "you think you were by them and all of a sudden they were going the other way with it."

Brandon and veteran big man Kerry Hunter got into it a little on the court during the game after a stolen dribble.  Both seemed to brush off the on court altercation.

"Oh that's no big problem," Kerry said, "it's heated because we were both frustrated.  When you want to play well and we aren't, that's going to happen.  We do this once a game, it's nothing new and we are fine."

Brandon simply smiled, "We get into it off the court too, it's how we are, that's our relationship.  There is no ill will on either side."

The PiR was without leading rebounder Andy Kempf tonight and may be without him for a few other games.  He played summer ball with a German national team and they are unwilling to let him out of his contract as of now.  We will keep you updated on any further ongoings of this situation as it unfolds.

In his place, Rob Cruise and Kyle Knapik got their feet wet totaling 4 points and 10 rebounds between the two of them in sparse play.

"They played well," Coach Hunter said, "when you have new guys, and new older guys trying to get back into the flow of what's been going on here it can be an adjustment at first.  We had some slight miscommunication on both sides.  I ran into Brandon twice on offense.  It's the first game, we will get better as a team."

The Price is Right will host Wilson Group next Monday at 6:30.

--------

Where is Crip?

Pat Cripple was viewed by most as the team's second best player, and even best player on some nights, last season.  Reporters wondered, where was he?

Word from the organization is Cripple, along with Andy Kempf both had opportunities to play overseas in the summer, and took them.  Both now are struggling with their teams in contract situations trying to get back home to play. 

Kempf may get to see some action this fall season as negotiations with the German national team seem to be moving along.  Crip's other team, the Chinese national team, has held stern on when and where Pat can play in 2012.  We have been told he will likely miss all of the fall season and his missed playing time could also leak into the winter.

In 2011, Pat was signed to a $3.5 million dollar, 2 year deal.  He would lose a portion of his US paycheck if he misses all of the 2012 fall season.