Filipino Players in Foreign Leagues

[ja.he]

SJ Belangel has been pretty solid in his first four KBL games. 10 PPG on 53% shooting (28.6% from 3), 4.5 RPG, 3.5 APG.

In KBL, SJ and RJ are really impressive.

In the B.League, in the B1, Thirdy, Dwight, Ray, and Kiefer are the impressive ones. In the B2, it is Heading but Kobe is making a case in his return.

NBL, Kai has been reduced to a 3-5 role/bench player.

Let's see how the UP boys Ricci (P+) and 1GDL (LKL) will pan out.

[ja.he]

I believe football (a sport which they have moderate success in) is a very close second to basketball.

Historically, it was football that lorded over Lebanon.

However, since the turn of the 2000's, basketball has been on astronomical rise in Lebanon.

[TheRodster21]

My issue is just with the designation. I understand that Small Ball is associated with using speed to run circles around slower big opponents. But now that the NBA is recruiting bigs who can run just as fast, does the phrase Small Ball still fit? Also, with bigger players comes the return of the "90s unskilled paint protectors" because while everyone might grow bigger, not everyone will be able to shoot.

I put those in quotes because there's no way bigs like Cartwright, Purdue, and Longley were unskilled. They just looked like it because their job was the dirty work down low.

I think yes, the whole theory behind small ball is having the most skilled players on the floor and those are usually the smaller positions but with the evolution of the game now bigs are becoming more skilled. It can be called small ball, tall ball but the concept is pretty much the same. "while everyone might grow bigger, not everyone will be able to shoot." I think is fair but in the future I think more and more bigs are going to have to develop the skill (to stay or be in the NBA) and I think there will be less and less bigs in the future who can't shoot at a respectable level at least in the NBA. Brook Lopez is an example of a back to the basket big who developed a 3 to stay relevant.

[IPC]

In KBL, SJ and RJ are really impressive.

In the B.League, in the B1, Thirdy, Dwight, Ray, and Kiefer are the impressive ones. In the B2, it is Heading but Kobe is making a case in his return.

NBL, Kai has been reduced to a 3-5 role/bench player.

Let's see how the UP boys Ricci (P+) and 1GDL (LKL) will pan out.

Hope Balti can get his minutes too.

[Rodbi]

Historically, it was football that lorded over Lebanon.

However, since the turn of the 2000's, basketball has been on astronomical rise in Lebanon.

Yeah, those WC appearances and continental medals in the 2000's did help solidify basketball's popularity over there. Then fast forward to today, I guess the Lebanese have now come to the realization that they can attain world-class status (or at least come very near to it) on both sports at the same time.

[Rodbi]

In KBL, SJ and RJ are really impressive.

In the B.League, in the B1, Thirdy, Dwight, Ray, and Kiefer are the impressive ones. In the B2, it is Heading but Kobe is making a case in his return.

NBL, Kai has been reduced to a 3-5 role/bench player.

Let's see how the UP boys Ricci (P+) and 1GDL (LKL) will pan out.

I hope Kobe's good showing in the past 2 games is an indicator that he's not yet done at basketball, and that he can still get a Gilas call-up in the near future.

[ja.he]

Just wondering, can Kai keep up with Latin Americans? I am just asking this because I am watching on-going Latin American leagues these days (Venezuela, Mexico and Brazil).

Based on my eye test, most bigs there, especially in Venezuela and Brazil, are Al Horford-types.

[coach cj]

I think yes, the whole theory behind small ball is having the most skilled players on the floor and those are usually the smaller positions but with the evolution of the game now bigs are becoming more skilled. It can be called small ball, tall ball but the concept is pretty much the same. "while everyone might grow bigger, not everyone will be able to shoot." I think is fair but in the future I think more and more bigs are going to have to develop the skill (to stay or be in the NBA) and I think there will be less and less bigs in the future who can't shoot at a respectable level at least in the NBA. Brook Lopez is an example of a back to the basket big who developed a 3 to stay relevant.

A very good example of small ball is GSW and their death line up - Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Poole and Green

Their guards are below 6'5" and bigs no taller than 6'10".

Adelaide also fits the definition of small ball with Franks and Harris playing as bigs. Franks is 6'8" and Harris is 6'6". While their guards AC and Randall no taller than 6'5".

What you basically call skilled bigs are tall line up by definition. Small skilled players versus tall skilled players.

This article might help https://www.theringer.com/2022/4/19/...ilwaukee-bucks

[Chef30]

Will "skill ball" be the more appropriate term?

[k3ttch]

^^ Lithuania, a former Soviet satellite state has some 1st world basketball facilities. Wow

The Baltic States are full EU members. It's not like they're backwater dictatorships like the Central Asian republics.

[coach cj]

Will "skill ball" be the more appropriate term?

I would prefer calling it "Small Ball" and "Tall Line Up" to avoid confusion.

Basically you play 5 players smaller than usual average height for that position for small ball and 5 players taller than usual average height for tall line up.

If it is going to succeed will depends on how skilled and versatile they are.

[Juan Lun]

Coach CJ- "The improvement of my team compared to the improvement of Kai, wasn't on the same path"

Seems like coach CJ and NBL is transitioning to a more modern basketball, Kai needs to keep up

[coach cj]

Ahhh as I have predicted.

Mitch to Boomers and Kai to Gilas. I haven't seen Harris to Tall Blacks yet. Maybe he is not really that good of a player to be needed by their

National team. Only CJ looks at Harris as a better player than Kai haha.

[IPC]

Here are the breaks:

10-14 November window:

NBL: 7-16 November
KBL: 7-15 November
B.League: 27 October-19 November
UAAP: 6-19 November

23-27 February window:

NBL: TBA (although no games scheduled yet 6-28 February)
KBL: 20-28 February
B.League: 13 February-7 March

Looking at the breaks of the NBL, KBL, and B.League, I think they're better options for our best players than the PBA at the moment, even if it's just the latter two, just for FIBA availability. Plus, the breaks are in line with FIBA tournaments proper, from June to September.

Our players have to take playing time into consideration, though. Looking at how Balti's faring, and how Carino and Juan did. At least take a rotation spot.

[Juan Lun]

Kai wasted the off season doing stupid drills and playing in YMCA pick up games.

If he really wanted to develop his game he should of taken NBL GOAT Andrew Gaze's advice and spent the off season playing in the NBL1 or NZNBL.

Look at Mojave King for example, he played for the Southland Sharks in the NZLNBL and averaged 18.1 pts, 4.2 rebs and 3.2 ast. He improved his game a lot and got much needed game reps.

Kai's conditioning looks below par again.

If that option was there then he should've taken that opportunity, unless it might have conflicted with Gilas' schedule.

Is there a d league version in the NBL? Maybe the 36er's can delegate Kai there for the much-needed playing time, so he can work on his game and conditioning