PCTI Engagement Levels

As referenced by The Beast a few weeks back, PCTI is an open forum where people that don't say much are encouraged to, and the one's that say a lot are tuned out, but what can we do? Someone has to keep this thing going.  After my three week tirade over the difference between the "cool" and "uncool" team, I've finally cooled off enough to write a non-hate post... Thought it would lead to a good post to rank each players engagement level by tier... 1 being the coolest, 4 being the least cool.

"I'm Too Cool To Care About Anything"
Cool Level: 1.
Player: Smo Orr

Commentary: In a class by himself just how he likes it, Smo takes the lowest level of engagement for a variety of reasons... 1-He's missed a PCTI (reasons are irrelevant for this post), 2-He openly brags about how he doesn't play ball or train, 3-He doesn't blog, 4-He bad mouths PCTI and in true Smo fashion, targets the guys who try their best to keep it going.  Why would anyone want to be part of something like that?  Don't ask me, I'm not cool enough to understand.

"Everyone Knows I Love It, So I Don't Have To Show It"
Cool Level: 2.
Players: Sticky Van Horne, Scotty D, Smooth Cibotti.

Commentary: The beauty of PCTI's current state is the tier second to the bottom are filled with heart guys that truly do care... There are some blemishes that keep them from the top... Scotty has missed two PCTI's (yet again, reasons are irrelevant) but did put on a best in class host job, Sticky has attended 7 out of 8, and although he's one of PCTI's best side bar conversationalists he's not a poster and rarely puts his good ideas out for the group discussion. Also has a history of not committing himself in the offseason.  Had anyone but I put together this post, Smooth would be sitting right alongside Smo between the lack of blog/email activity and his now famous performance napping through Wednesday, but his love for film study and PCTI discussion saves him.  He also plays hard and shows his love for the game on the court.

"My Love For PCTI Means More Than Being Cool"
Cool Level: 3.
Players: Wilson, Abe, Sabin, Actor, TP, Spotlight, Juice.

Commentary: Once the highest level of uncool and arguably PCTI's most popular, Wilson has lost a notch in the past year due to a decreased level of engagement (and increased level of coolness) across the board... If only he knew how unpopular he's making his girlfriend among the PCTI brethren (someone has to be a scapegoat). Wilson, along with his buddy Abe are still in the perfect attendance club (along with Deuce, Beast, DTB, Hops, and Actor).  Abe is in this slot simply because he's not a big blogger (although great when he does), and has been my favorite PCTI member since year 1.  What would my metric system be if Sabin didn't get dinged for missing two years?  There's no question no one is less cool than him, and his work on the blog, stats, and email is second to none, but he has to be held back.  Actor has arguably brought more to PCTI than anyone (blog, podcast, uniforms) and has lead the charge for constant innovation... Act's tendency to go south on someone effects his engagement levels, as he is not known for a short memory and simply can't engage with people he doesn't like.  His love for discussing his PCTI retirement shows he does have a little bit of cool in him. Spotlight, Juice and TP were incredible additions that have added energy and likability across the board, only being held back by a lack of offseason blogging.  I'll forever have a soft spot for Spotlight's response to me last year when discussing commitment "I might be moving to London but it doesn't matter, I'll be there no matter what" was up there with Abe's PCTI1 comment "This is so awesome we are doing this" as my two favorite quotes in league history.  Juice's juicing has the ability to put him into the highest level in the future if he can figure out the blog thing.

"Give Me PCTI, Or Give Me Death"
Cool Level: 4.
Players: Beast, Beas, Hops, DTB, Deuce.

Commentary: The funny thing about this list is there are some actual cool guys that are able to exude enough confidence to be comfortable in their role as "cool" but living for PCTI.  Beas was on the brink of 3-4 due to a lack of posting, but overall he's very engaged, trains hard and will go the extra mile to make sure PCTI is at it's best.  Another member of the innovation team with Act, Hops has lead the charge since year 1 on the award ceremony, roster management, and the now famous PCTI Trivia Night... His master stat spreadsheet arguably is the biggest addition that anyone has brought to PCTI.  Then you have The Beast and DTB, two guys known throughout their friend groups for rubbing people the wrong way and taking heat despite their best efforts in making for a memorable experience.  These two are relentless bloggers that continue on knowing they have been tuned out for years.  The Brat's work on last years draft was a game changer and injected some life in a stale part of PCTI. The Boy spends more time writing posts, analyzing trends, and watching film than the rest of the crew combined.  There are no two guys less cool than those two.

Lastly, there is NO ONE in PCTI who has added more than Deuce, who deserved his own line in the post.  This year he managed to add an entirely new element with the cooking. I take a lot of pride in being the first person to ever call the Deuce Man UNCOOL.  Welcome to the club.

PCTI 8 Final Observations

PCTI 8 Final Observations

 

1. Shooting was the primary difference. WLTB shot 115-260 from the field for 44.2% FGAs, while Saxx shot 88-253 from the field for 34.8% FGAs.
    
2. Shot Selection was an X-factor. WLTB shot 92 triples out of 260 total FGAs, so 35% of its shots were 3-balls. Saxx shot 117 triples out of 253 total FGAs, so 46% of its shots were 3-balls.
    
3. WLTB made more triples (33) than did Saxx (31). Going into the tournament, discussion was that WLTB would need to compensate for Saxx’s superior offensive firepower.
    
4. Where have the free throw shooters gone? Saxx shot 14-29 FTAs for 48%, while WLTB shot 18-36 FTAs for 50%. DK was best at 4-5 FTAs and 80%, but nobody else was better than 60%. Just goes to show that fatigue and multiple games each day contribute to below-average free throw shooting.
    
5. WLTB outscored Saxx over the 4 games 281-221, a differential of 60 points and 15 points per game. Interestingly, 83% of the scoring differential was achieved in games 1 and 3.
    
6. Rebounding was important, but not a deciding factor. WLTB out-boarded Saxx for the tournament 170-146 for an edge of 6 rebounds per game. However, WLTB had many more defensive rebounding opportunities given the FG% differential. The offensive rebounding edge was just 48-39 WLTB for an edge of 2.3 offensive rebounds per game.
    
7. Dan’s 36 assists for 9.0 APG will most likely stand for all-time. For context, his 36 assists by himself are not that far behind Saxx’s total team assist number of 57, nor his WLTB teammates’ total of 48. This was an historic and stunning playmaking performance by him.  
    
8. Balance was important. Although some of this was mandated due to injury and absence, a stunning 84% of all Saxx shot attempts were taken by just 4 players. On the other hand, 6 players on WLTB took between 29-39 total shots, with just one teammate outside of this narrow band.
    
9. Efficiency was important too. WLTB scored 1.08 points per shot, while Saxx scored 0.87 PPS. This means that each time the teams took 5 shots each, WLTB inched ahead by one point for each sequence.
    
10. Expectations about scoring were flipped. WLTB, the team thought to be the lesser offensive team, never scored fewer than 61 points in any game. Saxx, thought to be an offensive juggernaut, never scored more than 64 points in any game.

 

Sabin

PCTI 8, Game 4 Review

PCTI 8, Game 4 Review

 

 

Memorable Quotations:

 

 

1. “Somebody’s fuckin’ coming out!” – DK, after watching his team give up 3 layups to Beas

 

2. “You farted!” – JT, to unknown opponent

 

3.       “Way to squeeze that thing in there, man!” – BC to JT after nice dish

  

4. “If all else fails, throw it to Abe in the post. That’s always a good shot.” – Spot, giving his team instruction for half-court offense

 

5. “I can show you that one!” – BC to referee, after an uncalled foul 

 

6. “Who’s got Joe? Noone? Ok, perfect!” – Beas, sarcastically to his team after an uncontested JT 3 ball

 

7. “I’ve got a lot left in the tank!” – BC, coming out of 2nd half time-out

 

8. “No! NOOOO!!!!!!” – Andy, after watching a Sabin mid-range jumper find the net

 

9. “It’s time for Deuce to declare a side.” – DK, requesting a Deuce decision between QP and BORED

 

10.   “I felt like our team gave a shit. Now I’m done!” – JT, with the final words of PCTI 8

 

Game Play:

 

Easily the most statistically balanced game of PCTI 8, game 4 proved to be a slugfest of two heavyweights, both throwing haymakers as much to survive as to win. The final score came in a 66-62 for WLTB, but this doesn’t come close to telling the story. This was the ultimate game of runs, with WLTB providing the final run that pushed it over the top and mercifully brought the Diego chapter to a close.

 

Saxx started the game looking very crisp, sprinting out to a 12-4 lead on the backs of three Beas layups as well as triples from Abe and Ben. This had to give the team confidence and help it believe that it could both win the game and extend the tournament to day 3. However, WLTB responded with a 10-0 run fueled by 4 points from BC, and claimed its first lead of the game at 14-12. Both teams traded baskets in the next several minutes as Abe began to put his own personal stamp on the game’s outcome. Halfway through the 1^st half, he had tallied 10 points and was in great rhythm offensively as his team pulled almost even at 24-23. Sabin got out in transition for 7 quick points and helped the team to re-assert an 8-point lead at 31-23. Not to be outdone, Saxx answered with its own 9-0 run with 5 points from Beas and reclaimed the lead at 32-31. DK, JT, and Abe all hit 3 balls to close the half as WLTB closed the 20-minute session with a 37-35 lead. 

 

Saxx and Abe continued to assert itself offensively and opened the first 12 minutes of the second half with a huge 22-9 run and earned a 57-46 lead. Saxx found great rhythm with Abe as the lead scorer and creator, while WLTB floundered without its transition game. For the first time, Saxx dictated the tempo by walking the ball up the floor, taking one shot, and immediately getting back on defense. With WLTB no longer able to find easy shots in transition, it struggled to score the ball. With 8 minutes to go and WLTB in desperate need of energy and momentum, JT came to the rescue. After a BC free throw, JT pulled a rope-a-dope technique at the free throw line and found in Smo a willing dance partner. His quick offensive rebound and layup pulled the game to within 57-49 and earned a “Good shit, Actor!” affirmation from DK. The next possession JT shot the passing lane and picked off an Abe pass and then converted a 2-on-1 with BC. At 57-51 and still 7 minutes remaining, Actor had given WLTB some much-needed life and helped trim the deficit to a very manageable 6 points. After a lull from both sides in which neither team scored, BC stepped to the plate a stroked a huge 3-ball with 4 minutes to go. Now with new life, WLTB had all the momentum. At that moment, Ben hit a 25-foot bomb and pushed the lead back to 6 at 60-54. A quick deuce by Sabin cut the score to 60-56 with just 3 minutes on the clock. Although Saxx had several possessions to score, it was unable to convert, but also yielded a DK triple with 2 minutes to go that trimmed the lead to 1 point at 60-59. The next possession Beas had an uncontested layup but the ball took a funny bounce off the rim and gave WLTB a chance to retaliate. Now in transition, Godon gave a quick push that led to a Sabin triple in the corner and a WLTB 62-60 lead. Saxx was unable to answer and began to foul to kill the clock. Bruise converted 2 of 4 free throws and widened the margin to 64-60. Hops responded with a quick layup to cut the lead to 2, but Sabin answered with 2 free throws. With the lead at 66-62 and just 22 seconds to go, Saxx needed a quick score but could not convert and the game came to its conclusion.

 

Analysis

 

• Stats are super even with both teams making 25 FGs.
• Saxx with 47% FGAs and WLTB with 45%.
• Saxx with 41% from 3 and WLTB with 50% on 8-16.
• Rebounds were almost even at 33-32 Saxx.
• Turnovers were nearly even at 7-6 in favor of WLTB.
• Neither team shot free throws well, with Saxx at 43% and WLTB at 44%.
• WLTB missed a lot of front end of free throws. Would not have had such a severe drought in 2^nd half with better free throw shooting.
• Saxx with 11-point lead and 8 minutes to go.

 

Top Players:

 

1. Abe: 26 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 10-17 FGAs with 4 triples
2. Sabin: 18 points, 4 assists, 7-10 FGAs, 3-3 FTAs
3. Beas: 16 points, 7 boards, 7-13 FGAs, 2 steals
4. Joe: HUGE energy plays to kickstart us

 

 

 

Sabin

Captaincy "reveal"

Editors's Note: If at this point you're tired of hearing what some combo of Sabin, Dan and me think about PCTI, feel free to make your own posts. I kind of feel like we're the only three (well, Hops also) who do the talking. But the same voices over and over are better than nothing else at all. 

I borrowed this format from A-Hop and traded emails back and forth with the MVP and winning captain. Yes, there's not any suspense about who the captains are, but there is some preliminary talk about their thoughts heading in to the draft. 

Now, lets figure out where we're heading for next year!

---

From: The Beast

Good morning, boys. 

I'mg going to take a page out of Hops's book and post this email correspondence to the blog. I'm looking forward to your input. 

First off, congratulations on the individual accolades. Well deserved for both. I struggled on which of you to choose as MVP but eventually gave it to Sabin. I won't lie, part of that was voting with my heart. But I also think you rightfully deserved the award. Timing can't be ignored - and you made some big time  plays in important moments. 

But that's not why I'm emailing. I want to start to look ahead to next year. That begins with figuring out the intentions of you two as it relates to the captaincy. 

What are you guys planning to do? Obviously, this year is intriguing because you two share as tight a link as any two guys in this thing. Not to mention the bond (though it has grown and evolved) is so much about basketball and you two having similar philosophies and passion for PCTI. I think you guys are the two that care the most. It's funny, some people would say that to you and it would be a great compliment, others say that to you in this group and it might be a backhanded compliment...oh well. 

Anyway, I'll open it up to you two. Both sold on keeping the captaincy, considering giving it to someone else, etc? 

BEAST

From: Sabin

A couple of thoughts...

I voted for Dan for MVP. He checked every single box you can check in basketball. He scored, rebounded, created, and defended the other team's best player. He also played with great energy, effort, and leadership. I think all of us recognize that it is just easy to play basketball with guys like that who make their team better.

But I also won't be disingenuous. I was very happy and excited to be voted MVP. It is a great honor to be recognized by peers who are basketball junkies and who care as much about PCTI as I do. I honestly thought that the MVP ship had sailed from my PCTI career given my age and lack of recovery ability. But to have given my team timely shooting and scoring on day 2 and to be honored for it....well, that's just pretty damn cool. So thanks to everybody that voted for me.

Initially, I thought I might defer my captaincy to a player who hasn't had the chance to be captain yet. However, after some time to review, I'll be keeping my captaincy and look forward to competing against Dan's team. Since he has the choice of what order to pick, I'll be fine with taking whatever is left to me. My preference is to have the 2-3 turn on the snake, but I'll roll with whatever. As much as I love playing with Dan, I'm also wanting the legitimize the C on my chest and captain a winning squad in PCTI. I'm anticipating comparably matched teams and a very competitive 9. Should be fun.

Sabin

From: DTB

Appreciate the kind words Beast Man... Let me address one thing, as it relates to whether or not caring is "cool" or not.  To me, there is nothing LESS cool than acting like you don't care about things you really care about.. When was the last time anyone said "It's so cool how little he cares!"  It's insulting to the people that do care, and typically leads to poor(er) performances.  One quote that's always resonated with me: "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me."  I don't have much talent, but whatever.

I can't put into words how emotional I got when I saw Sabin receive the MVP.  For a guy who's basketball career has been built on consistency, his PCTI career has been a roller coaster, and I'm glad he got what he deserved... I'll tell you this much, he can make as much of an argument as he wants about his lack of an "all around performance" but his ability to strategically leak without taking himself out of the play defensively is almost as unique as Act's one man press.

Anyway, enough of the fake motivational and emotional crap... As I've said many times in the past, I will never give up captainship and the opportunity to be able to pick the guys I want to go to battle with.  As much as I love playing with Sabin, the opportunity to oppose him will lead to a really interesting draft, one that could see guys you wouldn't expect rise, and vice versa.  

From: The Beast

Initially when I started thinking about you two pitted against each other (about .5 seconds after the end of game four) I thought you would find a way to arrange things that you two would have the best chance to play together again. I give you both a lot of credit for really not giving that a single thought and instead seeing this as a great chance to really compete. Salute. 

Now, Dan, since it's your call: any interest in tipping your hand about what order you'll take in the draft. Also, how does knowing that Sabin is opposite you change the way you will hope to build your team.

My guess is this year the draft will look different than it has in all other years. I think this PCTI taught us that the way each guy is evaluated  has to rapidly evolve. When, you take a step back, that should be obvious. Take me, for instance. When PCTI one was played I think I had just recently turned 26, now I'm 33, a father, my work schedule is completely different, a ton has changed. Getting by on your reputation from early PCTIs (which was built in some respects on you as a player in college or earlier) is foolish. And with all the factors of time, conditioning, commitment, etc., weighing more heavily than before, I think a good captain has to really consider how they weigh each guy's ceiling versus their floor. I think off years and physical issues, while always a little fluky, have to be counted on more so now than in the past and it's fair to consider who is able to make it through the weekend without totally eating a shit sandwich, you know? Bottom line is, at some point in PCTI you're going to play the worst basketball you'll play all year. So if you're surprised that you're not the same guy that you were in your pickup game, or that you were in PCTIs of years past...more so now than ever before, that's on you. 

Anyway, not sure how I started down that avenue. This is supposed to be about you guys. Thoughts?   

From: DTB

We have extended an invite to a player that quite a few of us have played with, a high school teammate of Wilson and TP's who (if he accepts) will greatly impact the draft.  He's a 6'7" stud with four years of college hoops experience (where people actually learn how to score in the post) who I believe can give Abe a run for his money as the top overall player, and greatly balances out the sizing to where neither team will be able to build the big heavy lineup that had so much success this past year.  If he accepts, I'll probably go for picks 2 and 3, but otherwise, I'll probably take 1.

I think every year you're going to see significant swings in each players draft stock based on life factors and who the captains are... We have gotten to a point in PCTI (fortunately) where it's very rare that people don't show up game ready recognizing they will have to live with their performance for a year before they can make up for it (and forever with the historical stats), but there will be factors as it relates to life that will lead to certain players not being as prepared as they would like... Let's look at a few case studies...

First off, give it up for Donley, he's one guy that has had all the things happen (moves, babies, etc) but always shows up in great shape.  Bruise's reviews were mixed but this past year he came in in shape, and the numbers show how just a little training for him can affect his on-court performance.  

Another quick look is a guy like Spot... He's probably the only guy in PCTI history who's stock steadily climbed every year since his rookie year at PCTI3, but with the injury and the commute, it's got to be factored in.  Juice... He's a guy I play with all year long who's style is better suited for me than the classically trained Sabin, but Sabin has an obsession with effort and conditioning, and who gives more of both than him?  He also has to be the guy with the most room to grow.  

With Sabin and I, as much as we share similar philosophies, we have had varied levels of success with certain players, most notably Ben... For whatever reason, the two of them have not had success playing together, which could lead to a bit of a slide... However, Wilson is someone I've had a lot of success and fun running with (for anyone that forgot my first 15 passes in PCTI1 went to Ben).  That said, one thing I've learned about Sabin over the years is the guys that he "values" and claims are "his guys" somehow rarely end up on his team.... So I really have no idea what I'm up against.

From: Sabin

At the end of the day, we all have preferences about who we play with and what style we want to play. And those preferences don't make anybody right or wrong, just different. I tend to overweight shooting and size, but I also admit that I can show a certain disposition and affection towards guys that I like and that I want to play with. I'm going to try and be objective as possible with my draft, but there's always some subjectivity that gets thrown into the mix.

Donley and Ben are really good examples of this. Donley might be de-valued by Dan, but I have actually always been a big fan of this guy. Same way with Ben. I think everybody recognizes that Ben can really tilt the balance of power for a team, and Dan has seen it work in his favor. At the same time, the combination of Ben and me yielded exactly zero PCTI victories for 4 consecutive years, so that could play a part in draft position.

I think the top of our draft board looks comparable to similar, but there's some divergence as we get into the middle rounds.

From: DTB

It's not so much a devaluation of Donley talents as much as it is a long history with the Stickman.  There are many guys in PCTI who always end up split up, with those two being a prime example.  Same goes for Joe and Beas.  You never see them on the same squads... When one goes, the other comes off the board the next pick.

From: Beast

Sabin, how do you plan to compensate for the disadvantage of not knowing anything about this supposed new addition? It's one thing if his purported value was in the middle or later rounds, but Danny said he thinks he could challenge Abe for PCTI supremacy. I think I've actually played with him once, too. He's got good size and a really well rounded game. But, PCTI is unlike any pickup game you'll ever play in, so who's to say how it will translate, even for a guy who appears to have a fairly polished and natural game. Many of us old timers can remember when Chase "Beer Man" Hardin was hyped as a possible challenger to the top overall player mantle as well.

From Sabin

Good point. I was faced with a similar decision heading into PCTI VII in Cincinnati, not knowing anything about TP. Clearly, some guys know much more about him than I do. When it comes to things like that, I typically make decisions based on things that I know rather than guessing about things that I don't. So if it comes down to him or guys like BC and TP, the choice is easy for me...go with what I know.

If he turns out to be some Godzilla that kills us, I'll live with my decision about my guys. That being said, I really hope he doesn't kill us. Turns out that PCTI is not always about having the best player. Conditioning and chemistry count for quite a bit in this tournament.

PCTI 8, Game 3 Review

PCTI 8, Game 3 Review

 

Memorable Quotations:

 

1. “This fuckin’ blows. Sorry, family show.” – Spot, when asked about injury update
    
2. “Dictate match-ups. Today is for Deuce.” – DK, when asked about keys to victory on day 2
    
    
3. Author’s note – TP won the jump-ball with an incredibly enthusiastic tip that sailed out-of-bounds and gave possession to the other team. This was made all the funnier given that Abe did not contest the jump-ball. #Strategy
    
4. “Good shit!” – DK, dozens of times talking to Rainbow
    
    
5. “He’s not gonna drive!” – Beas, telling Ben how to stop Sabin
    
6. “Let’s do it!...Need a break?....Yeah, I need a break.” – Conversation between Andy, who was excited to play out of a timeout, and Spot, who immediately subbed him
    
    
7. “Without you, this whole thing falls apart.” – Sabin, addressing Deuce and his value to PCTI
    
8. Author’s note – For those who missed Paco’s half-time speech to rally the troops, it’s good stuff.
    
    
9. “Cut for me because it’s not even funny how fast I’m blowing by Sabin.” – Andy, giving his team instruction in a timeout
    
10. “That’s THE BEAST!!!!” – BC, hyping himself up after leading a 2^nd half surge
     
11. “I just wanted to see him make one.” – Ben, apologizing to teammates for watching BC make a triple without contesting
     
     
12. “The next set of interviews will be post-PCTI interviews.” – BC, in a prescient moment after game 3’s conclusion

 

Game Play:

 

Wow. Like Charles Dickens, a tale of two halves. WLTB turned a 13-2 deficit into a 26-point lead in second half, a 37-point swing before ultimately finishing the game with an 82-64 victory.

 

Fresh off the previous day’s defeats, Saxx looked to immediately turn the series around with renewed energy, spirit, and determination. Staring a 2-0 series deficit in the face, the team played with force on its way to a 13-2 first-half lead. Abe and Beas led the way with several buckets by each and, more importantly, like Neo from The Matrix, the team began to believe. For the first time in the series, Saxx beat WLTB up the floor in transition and out-boarded them on the offensive end. However, like most sexual experiences with Smo, it was short-lived and didn’t last. DK quelled the run by getting to the free throw line and sinking a pair, calming WLTB and abating a larger run. Sabin and Andy exchanged individual 6-0 runs, the old guy’s with mid-range and the young fella’s with triples. WLTB closed the deficit to 18-17 behind a pair of buckets from BC and Bruise, and an and-one from DK. Smo cracked the scorebook with a nice layup and Hops joined him with his own. Both teams probably felt reasonably in control at this point, given that Saxx had a 5-point lead at 22-17 and WLTB had a much more manageable score to chip away at. Just before halftime though, WLTB spurted with an 8-0 run, led by a couple of buckets from BC. A late triple by Andy sealed the scoring at 27-25 for the Saxx. Interesting note that TP very nearly made a half-court shot as time expired. Have we ever seen one of these go in successfully in PCTI?

 

Although Spot gave some beautiful coaching techniques to his team at half-time, the 2^nd half was simply a tidal wave of offensive output for WLTB, who scored 57 points in 20 minutes. I’ll have to consult the PCTI histories, but this may be something approaching a high for one half. BC led his team out of the gates with 8 points in an opening 15-7 run, shifting the score to WLTB’s favor at 40-34. Like Bull Durham’s Ebby LaLoosh, The Beast announced himself with authority and took ownership of the game. 3 consecutive buckets by Sabin pushed the lead to 46-34 and forced Saxx to call time-out and re-evaluate its defensive strategy. A triple by Andy temporarily stayed the momentum, but Dan connected on several buckets, one of which was a 3-ball from a beautiful behind-the-back feed from Rainbow. This was quite unexpected and precise given his preferred technique of jump-passing. At 55-40 and just 10 minutes to go, WLTB asserted command of the game. After a time-out, WLTB rained down ungodly fire like Daenerys Targaryen with a 14-3 run led by layups from TP and a couple of mid-rangers from Sabin. Now with the score at 69-43 and the outcome all but sealed, Saxx was left with a very difficult choice: do we fight to get back in it or save ourselves for Game 4? Like battle-hardened warriors, Saxx re-doubled its efforts and tried to mount a comeback. Ben put on a personal shooting clinic, making 4 triples on nearly consecutive possessions, sandwiching a Wilson layup and Hops’ free throws in between. This shooting exhibition may have been more effective if WLTB had stopped scoring, but alas it did not. Even after Wilson’s triples, the deficit was still 17 points at 77-59. JT, Hops, and Andy provided some last-minute scoring and finalized the tally at 82-64. In the end, WLTB’s scoring barrage and balanced attack were too much to overcome on the way to a commanding 3-0 series lead.

 

Analysis

 

• FG% was the difference. Saxx at 33% (25-75) and WLTB at 51% (36-70).
• Triple Happy. Saxx took 55% of total shots (41/75) as 3s compared to just 30% (21/70) for WLTB.
• Saxx knocked down 12 3s in game 3, but took 41 attempts to get there (29%).
• Dan’s 16 assists in game 3 may be a record that stands for all time.
• WLTB has 32 assists on 36 made FGs. Speaks to ball movement and shot-making.
• Saxx murders WLTB on the offensive glass for first time, 15-9.
• Dan has a near triple double with 12 points, 8 boards, and 16 assists. Incredible game.
• BC has one of the most efficient games in PCTI history with 19 points on 8-11 FGAs, but his PCTI buddies DK and Sabin stole his thunder. #frenemies
• SMO! 10 boards with 6 offensive. I see you, boy.
• Andy with a super-efficient 13 points on 5-6 FGAs with 3 triples.
• Sabin, BC, TP: Combined 24-36 FGAs for a sizzling 67%.
• WLTB: 57 points in 2^nd half
• 37-point swing in the game

 

Top Players:

 

1. DK: 12 points, 8 boards, 16 assists, 3 steals, 39 Sabin Productivity
2. BC: 19 points, 4 boards, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 8-11 FGAs, 3-4 3FGAs, 39 Sabin Productivity
3. Sabin: 20 points, 5 boards, 3 steals, 10-16 FGAs
4. Andy: 13 points, 4 boards, 5-6 FGAs, 3-4 3FGAs

 

 

Sabin

PCTI 8, Game 2 Review

PCTI 8, Game 2 Review

 

Memorable Quotations:

 

1. “Who’s got next?” – JT after hitting a 3 and putting his team up 28-19 in the first half
2. “God Dammit, Ian!” – Bruiser after air-balling a 15-footer in the first half
3. “I’m feeling the JUMBO lineup!” – BC, during a timeout in which TP, BC, and Bruiser shared the court and played together
4. “Let’s not waste a timeout, WAKE UP!” – DK, yelling from the bench after watching his team’s defensive malaise
5. “It’s all me, I got this team on back.” – Smo, during a timeout in the 2^nd half
6. “See anything, Smo? Lotta good things.” – Conversation between Beas and Smo as Nutt Saxx made a comeback in the 2^nd half
7. “You’re a bitch. No, you’re a bitch.” – Heated exchange between Joe and Hops after the two were tangled up on the sideline

 

Game Play:

 

As is typical with the second leg of a back-to-back game, both teams got out of the gate relatively slowly. The pace of each team was noticeably less fast than was game 1, no doubt due to the gym’s humidity and general fatigue among the players. However, WLTB jumped out to another 5-0 lead in the first half on the backs of a Sabin triple and Bow mid-range jumper. It took the Nutt Saxx several minutes to break the seal on the game, but did so with a pair of Hops’ free throws to make the score 5-2. WLTB then connected on 3 consecutive triples by DK, Bow, and JT sandwiched around a Wilson 3-ball that extended the lead to 14-5. Although it was early in the game, this was a pivotal moment given that a second consecutive blowout could’ve destroyed Saxx’s faith in itself. Sensing this, Saxx reeled off a 14-6 run of its own in which all of its players outside of Smo scored. At 20-19, balance had been temporarily restored. Not to be outdone, WLTB responded with an 8-0 spurt, highlighted by triples from Bow and JT, forcing Saxx to use a timeout at 28-19. Although Beas and Hops abated the run with back-to-back buckets, BC and Sabin scored the next 10 points, led by the Beast’s and-one and triple. WLTB strutted into halftime with a healthy 40-27 lead and the confidence that it commanded the day to this point. Saxx was forced to re-group and consider how to stop the balanced attack of WLTB.

 

With renewed energy and momentum, Saxx started the 2^nd half like a house afire and a 9-3 run. This put the score back to a much more manageable 43-36 deficit. After Beas and DK traded buckets, Saxx went on another 4-2 jaunt bringing the score to 47-42. At this point, momentum was clearly with Saxx. Although a Sabin triple pushed the lead to 50-42, this would be the last basket for WLTB until the closing minutes of the game. Sensing that WLTB was in a drought and having a difficult time scoring the ball, Saxx pounced with an 8-0 run, tying the score at 50, highlighted by Beas’ energy and effort on the offensive glass. Both teams went a few minutes without scoring and neither team seized control of the moment. With about 3 minutes to go, TP converted on a very difficult backboard shot, but was immediately matched by a deuce from Abe. Once again, TP came up with his second consecutive huge play, scoring on a strong drive in the lane. After WLTB got a stop on the defensive end, Bruiser converted two game-tilting baskets in a row, the first of which was an incredibly skilled and fortuitous tip-in of a WLTB miss. At 58-52, Saxx exhausted itself in the effort to climb back in the game. It simply did not have enough energy left to claim the lead and knot up the series. Sometimes, a team can use all of its effort to climb out a hole but not have enough in reserve to fully scale the mountain. This game proved two things: one, many PCTI games come down to which side makes a play in the last few minutes (WLTB made a shot, Saxx did not), and two, this is a game of runs. Both teams made massive runs at each other, followed by periods of drought.

 

Analysis

 

• Neither team shot the ball well, Saxx at 34% and WLTB at 35%.
• Likewise, neither team shot well from 3, but WLTB made 4 more tries than did Saxx.
• 15 offensive boards for WLTB helped give them 4 extra shots more than Saxx.
• Both teams turned it over a ton. Saxx with 12 and WLTB with 14, both huge numbers given the lack of ball pressure in the tournament.
• Saxx with 11 steals and every teammate with at least one.
• Remarkably, not a single player on either side shot better than 50% for the game.
• The 3-ball abandoned Saxx on day 1. 5-32 in Game 1 and 5-22 in Game 2, combined 19%.
• Hops with 10 of his team’s 16 total free throw attempts on day 1.

 

Top Players

 

1. Beas – 14 points, 11 boards (4 offensive), 2 steals, 7-15 FGAs
2. Abe – 16 points, 11 boards, 2 steals, 6-19 FGAs with 3 triples
3. Joe – 11 points, 8 boards, 3 steals, 2 assists, 4-10 FGAs with 2 triples
4. Bruiser/TP Combo: 16 points, 18 boards (5 offensive), 4 assists, HUGE plays down the stretch