There were times when winning was as easy for the Brose Baskets Bamberg as it was for Rick Barry nailing free throws all day long, Rihanna cranking out hits with 11 number one songs in the German top 100 or how soccer player Baia has won 31 team titles with FC Porto and FC Barcelona. There was even a period of almost two years where Bamberg was unbeaten at home in the Beko BBL. From 2009-2012, the team won the triple winning three league titles and three cups and the word dynasty was a perfect description to the Bavarian team. A Casey Jacobsen belongs to the most professional acting players in the Beko BBL and if one entered the arena after a 40 minute game and examined the face of the California native one seemingly wouldn´t know what had been the outcome since he is always 100% focused and rarely shows that win or lose emotion, but as of late the 5 time champion team has been blown of course from the usual expected winning road. Currently the team was riding an 8 game losing streak before the perfect opponent to break it with Giessen visited the Bamberg yesterday which most likely had the Bamberg haters in seventh heaven and the rest of the league in bewilderment in this down time.

Even with their domination of the Beko BBL in the last three years, hardcore Bamberg aficionados are upset, but to a point calm as no one is any desperation or in need of jumping into the Regnitz river without a life preserver. The team is still in first place in the Beko BBL standings with a record of 22-5 and three wins more than second placed FC Bayern Munich. If one really observes their losing streak closely one can take the eight loses and subtract five and get three loses. In other words, Bamberg have lost the last five games in the Euroleague and only really been defeated three times in the Beko BBL. One can always lose in the Euroleague, but statistically Bamberg has just had a lot of misfortune in the Euroleague. Ok they were hammered by Athens and Moscow, but had every chance against Alba Berlin, Efes Pilsen and Real Madrid losing each game by three points. Bamberg obviously knows how to win games in crunch time usually with their history the last three seasons, but even a Bamberg isn´t always invincible and can have some tough misfortune.

The Euroleague is a totally other world compared to the Beko BBL. Before their  three game losing streak in the Beko BBL, the team had won 19 of their last 20 games after starting the season winning two of their first three games. In their three game losing streak in the Beko BBL, they lost to up and coming team FC Bayern Munich 85-71 which isn´t surprising with the more improved play since the arrival of Svetislav Pesic. However  the last two loses to Phoenix Hagen and Fraport Skyliners is more surprising. Everyone knows that Phoenix Hagen plays run and gun and just tries to score more than their opponent so letting up 104 points and letting them get beat by the game of Phoenix Hagen was alarming. Bamberg was just unlucky that Phoenix Hagen had a very good shooting day. It is rare for Bamberg to give up 100 points as they are a very disciplined defensive team. The rising Fraport Skyliners who have hit their peak now also caught Bamberg by surprise having a solid offensive day and giving Bamberg their taste of hard nosed aggressive Katzurian defense.

If one wants to dissect the current Bamberg misery on the court, one will find various reasons. The team has had injury woes this season having classical point guard John Goldsberry for a very limited time as well as Andrew Ogily. New players came late as Matt Walsh and Alex Renfroe that still need to be integrated and the usual talk about the strain of the weekly Euroleague have been prevalent. Bamberg has a deep roster, but despite that one has noticed that Anton Gavel  is a little bit beat up. Still there is no need to worry in Bamberg. Back in the 2008-2009 season as Chris Fleming was in his first year, he had a slow start and recovered and built winning teams. Now the New Jersey native is in a tough situation, but has the experience and know how to get his team back on track and prepared for the grind of the playoffs. The remaining schedule isn´t an easy one with four home games and four away games including opponents like ratiopharm Ulm, Artland Dragons, Alba Berlin and finishing the season with two difficult road games in Bremerhaven and Wurzburg. Matt Walsh is getting better and better and getting used to the German league and will be an important piece in the last month of the regular season for their success. No matter what happens in the last month, Bamberg will reach the playoffs and most likely finish in first place anyway. The real season doesn´t start until May where the second season starts for Bamberg where everything counts. Bamberg might not have gotten that cup title this season, but if there is one player who will do anything for that fourth title then its Casey Jacobsen. The Brose Baskets Bamberg can be happy to have a player like him to push his team at all times. Bamberg got back to work this Sunday in their quest to halt their 8 game losing streak against the LTI Giessen 46ers. Bamberg losing at home Sunday against Giessen was about as unlikely as new pope Francis winning the 2013 Boston marathon.