For most Beko BBL teams going to the Stechert arena in Bamberg to getting 40 minutes of torturing basketball from the Brose Baskets Bamberg is as difficult as seeing singer Miley Cyrus with her short Justin Bieber cut, Lindsay Lohan going from an aspiring young actress to living in the tabloids with absurb stories like clogging toilets at movie sets, or ex Terminator cute kid Edward Furlong being accused of hitting his girlfriend in a domestic violence attack. Not only is it tough to play in Bamberg, but also in Giessen where the fans can be as hostel as a hungry lion who has just had his super snatched away. Many teams are able to depart the Ost Halle in Giessen with a victory on account of their better talent and decision making in crunch time, but there are seldom teams that have had such an amazing run like the Fraport Skyliners have had recently. The last time that the Frankfurt Skyliners left the living room of mascot Fabius as losers was 121 months ago on December 7th, 2002 as guys like Kai Nurnberger, ex Orlando Magic Mario Kasun and ex German national player Robert Maras were still roaming the floor with the Skyliners. In the last 10 wins for the Fraport Skyliners, it wasn´t always a team effort that got the win, but there were always certain players that stepped up on a big basis creating their own magic getting the team over the hump. Who could forget ex NBA player Desmond Ferguson dropping seven three pointers in a win in 2005 or Alex King having one of his best games as a Skyliner netting 13 points in 2008 or current Skyliner captain Marius Nolte who used his special force last season in Giessen in crunch time to help secure the win with big plays or Skyliner legend Pascal Roller winning a game with 13 seconds to play in 2010 with free throws in a 69-68 win. The Fraport Skyliners were looking for their 11th win in a row in Giessen and were as focused to keep the streak alive as Mr Gangnam style Psy is when he performs, the way Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson motors down the field or how FC Bayern Munich soccer team is playing at the moment to win the triple as they won comfortably 79-59 to move to 16th place in the standings. It was the fourth win in a row for Skyliner captain Marius Nolte who had no real explanation for the domination just looking into the Giessen air. “I always feel good playing here. We have always played interesting games here where there was a lot of fight from both teams. I think possibly the dominance lies in the Giessen air”, smiled Marius Nolte. Skyliner guard Ted Scott had another strong performance netting 16 points with the only thing missing was a holster and pistol, but he was amazed at the rivalry atmosphere in the Osthalle. “I knew coming into the game about this big rivalry and how important the game was. I remember back at West Virginia State that we also had intense games against our rival Alderson. The atmosphere was intense here and with the gym being so small, it felt like fans were on your shoulders. I was impressed how the Giessen fans stuck behind their team”, added Ted Scott. Sometimes math plays a factor, but sometimes it just takes longer for reality to set in. “Giessen-Frankfurt is a very strong rivalry. I remember winning here with Frankfurt and Ludwigsburg. Mathematically the odds keep getting bigger that a team will finally win after so many loses”, commented basketball expert Steven Clauss. After their 11th loss in a row, the odds will be even be bigger next season that they will win again if the team is still in the Beko BBL.
Frankfurt Skyliners
Robin Benzing (FC Bayern Munich) Comes Home Haunting The Fraport Skyliners 73-59
It only seems like yesterday that a boyish, tall, inexperienced lanky 17 year old Robin Benzing played his first season with second Bundesliga club TV Langen. The year was 2006 as he was already displaying his talent with American teammate Ty Shaw who now coaches that team or Igor Starcevic who know coaches PRO B team Licher Basket Baeren. Benzing developed nicely in Langen the first two seasons and then really exploded in his third year 2008-2009 where put up 18,7ppg, 4,4rpg, 1,1apg, 1,0spg and 1,1bpg and was also playing with the big boys with the Deutsche Bank Skyliners 15 kilometers north in Frankfurt and was dreaming of the Beko BBL. He had a game that looked like that of German national player Jan Jagla, but in appearance looked totally different with his short cut army type haircut and looked like the friendly kid next door. He had the height of a power forward, but could play like a small forward that would create numerous mismatches during games. He could already hurt you with his shot at a young age and penetrate like a mal nourished bear as he demonstrated during the 2009 European championships in Poland putting up sweet stats without ever having played a game in the Beko BBL. Many Frankfurt fans had hoped that he might make the jump to the Deutsche Bank Skyliners, but instead went south to ratiopharm Ulm where D league head coach Mike Taylor of the Maine Red Claws gave him freedom and sufficient playing time and was able to develop further. Benzing was top German scorer in the 2010-2011 season with 15,1ppg. After that potent season, it was only obvious that he would make the next step and did moving to famous German name team FC Bayern Munich. In his first season, his production slipped dramatically, but he was packed into a stronger and deeper roster. However he seemed to have received some fortune with the move bringing legendary head coach Svetislav Pesic to the Isar as he has improved and been in the starting lineup and there is no more talk about his development stalling, but he now seems headed into becoming a leading player in a club staked with top American players. His potential is unending and talk of getting to the NBA is present again. Benzing returned back to Frankfurt with Bayern Munich after losing last season there with FC Bayern Munich for a fourth time and led the most famous German team in Germany to a 73-59 victory. That Benzing is a much liked player there is no surprise. “I coached Robin in the Hessen team when he was 15 and in the A-2 German national team. I said many years ago that he has much potential and was a bit surprised that he wasn´t drafted. What I like about his game that he is never afraid and has that killer instinct. I see him making the NBA. In Treviso where top players play for a chance for the NBA, he was over motivated. In Treviso, it can be tough for a player to get noticed since the play is so crazy as it is difficult to observe the strength of a player. He didn´t shoot so well in Treviso which hurt his rating. Robin shoots so well for his height at the position three. He really has the right head on his shoulder. His summer program helped him a lot get more self confidence and I think that he has made a big step in the last months. The arrival of Pesic has helped him as he has more confidence and gets the green light. Pesic is perfect coach for him as he will improve and gain more experience”, stressed basketball expert Steven Clauss. Benzing finished the game with a team high 21 points and eight rebounds on six for nine shooting in 30 minutes. After the win Benzing was humble and taking his performance in stride like a real professional. “I really looked forward to this game since I am from here and my family was here, but I was concentrated on my work and the win was most important. My teammates found me and I hit my shots. But this was a team win”, stressed Robin Benzing. Fraport Skyliner Ted Scott was impressed with the German national player. “I liked the game of Benzing. He played a heck of a game made his shots and could also put it to the floor. I am sure if he could find the right system that he could bring it in the NBA”, stressed Ted Scott. It is no secret that Benzing is a new player under head coach Svetislav Pesic. “I am playing a lot better under Pesic. I think my game suits his system. But I think as a whole, the whole team is playing better under Pesic not only me”, added Robin Benzing.
Flash White And Fantastic Dorris Give Phoenix Hagen First Win In History Against The Fraport Skyliners 107-102
It is no secret that age often doesn´t play a role when it comes to doing what you love. In the entertainment business especially in music, you have had numerous groups that have decided to keep getting on stage to perform instead of sipping champagne nonstop and getting massages on resort islands. Groups like the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd or the beach Boys keep coming back each year to perform for their fans instead of sitting back and watching their grand children grow up. It is no different in professional sports either as there are always so special sports dinosaurs around who keep returning season after season even though the muscles will be striking and yelling stop, get me off the court please. Famous athletes like tennis legend Martina Navratilova was still playing professional at the age of 49, ice hockey legend Gordie Howe played until he was 52 and at the end with his sons Mark and Marty. In 1997, Howe even played a shift at age 69. In the Beko BBL there are two fine examples of timeworn players that come back each season no matter what their bodies say and keep chugging away as Chris Ensminger and Bernd Kruel do. Ensminger is turning 39 and probably will play until he is 50, because he has that there is no stopping me attitude on the court. He may even keep playing until his sons are on the court. Bernd Kruel is a 36 year old 209cm power forward that still plays like a 28 year old. There is nothing spectacular about his game now, but he continues to be consistent off the bench and can give scoring and rebounding. He is playing his 16th season in Hagen and it is always a pleasure when he plays against his ex team Frankfurt where he had the most success winning the Beko BBL title in 2004 over Bamberg and reaching the final in 2005. Kruel returned back to his old stomping ground ready with his typical “mahlzeit” phrase as a greeting and helped Phoenix Hagen win a 107-102 shootout against his old team. He didn´t have much stats, but that doesn´t mean that his presence on the court isn´t important. “Bernd is a wonder. He doesn´t have to do much on the court to be important. He always remains calm and is so smart. He is one of the top five smart players in the league. What he can´t do with his body anymore he does with his head. He gets smarter each season. I played with him here in the 90s. I wonder who will play longer him or Chris Ensminger. It was never about the money. Playing in Hagen is so important for him”, stressed Phoenix Hagen assistant coach Steven Wriedt. Basketball expert Steven Clauss coached Bernd Kruel in the 90s and has fond memories. “I coached him back in the German U-22. He was like a storch early in his career and reminded me of a Henning Harnisch. But he really bulked up through the years. Smaller players usually lose speed, but big guys usually can play longer because they don´t lose strength as quickly and that is what has kept him going”, stressed Stephan Clauss.
Chris Kramer Hustles The EWE Baskets Oldenburg Past The Fraport Skyliners 63-61
It is always a special pleasure when Fans are able to see former teammates battling against their ex team again. This season the EWE Baskets Oldenburg have two ex Frankfurt Skyliners on their roster with Germans Konrad Wysocki and Dominic Bahinese De Mello who combined played seven seasons and 260 games. De Mello played from 2005-2011 and was primarly known as a shooter and didn´t always have an easy time under head coach Murat Didin, but seemed to forever escape his basketball shell in Frankfurt under Gordon Herbert. Konrad Wysocki played at Ivy league school Princeton getting Ivy league rookie of the year in 2001 and when wearing spectacles could be seen as a young Russell Crowe from the movie A Beautiful Mind and could always hold his own in a conversation about architecture. In his only season in Frankfurt in 2008-2009, he played under Murat Didin who wanted him to play more the position four even though he has his advantages at the position three. That season was n´t the best experience for him as he averaged only 6,0ppg, 4,3rpg, 1,4apg and shot only 29,3% from downtown. The nicest memory of the ex ratiopharm Ulm player was prior to him coming to Frankfurt when he was allowed to guard NBA superstar Lebron James at the 2008 Olympic games in Bejing. Wysocki then departed Frankfurt in 2009 and went a bit further east to Poland where he played three seasons for PGE Turow and played Eurocup and hit very prosperous the lats two seasons at 41% from the parking lot. Wysocki wasn´t able to play, because he was suffering from a charley horse injury, but spent some time before the game saying hello to friends that had made the trip form Frankfurt. De Mello was looking to break the 1-1 record form last season where he helped crush Frankfurt in the home opener on the road, but then lost at home near the end of the season. De Mello was as focused to beta his old team as OJ Mayo of the Dallas Mavericks has been being on of the better players so far, Rick Adelman of the Timberlakes keeping a competitive team there despite nagging in juries or Damien Lillard showing he has been a solid rookie for the Portland Trailblazers so far and the young German was able to help the EWE Baskets Oldenburg grind out a tough 63-61 win. “I was excited to play against my former team and see many friends especially seeing Klaus Perwass and Quantez Robertson was nice. It is always special to play against Frankfurt stressed Dominic Bahiense De Mello. De Mello also is thrilled to be reacquainted again with Wysocki. “He is a good friend of mine. We understand each other very much. He plays the kind of style I play. He does so much for the team and has become such a good player and developed in his time in Poland”, added Dominic Bahiense De Mello. “Wysocki learned very well at Princeton. I always know that I can find him cutting to the basket. He is a leader and always fights until falling down”, said EWE Baskets Oldenburg center Jannik Freese. Purdue almunist Chris Kramer that got the deciding steal and hoop to win the game just uttered a huge smile when talking about the German boys. “De Mello is a clown and always joking around. He was struggling a bit rushing his shot this season, but when he is open and has his feet set, then he is one of the best shooters that I have ever been around. Fis hilarious. He is a Princeton boy and sometimes he makes comments that you would never expect from him. He is a huge asset to the team and very versatile. He is one of the bets offensive rebounders that I have ever seen. He is like a magnate getting those rebounds”, warned ex s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg guard Chris Kramer.
Zach Peacock Was In The Mad Ballers Zone Leading The Fraport Skyliners Past First Ranked ratiopharm Ulm 78-62
In every basketball game there are so many exciting and detailed things that one can observe like how a team reacts to the words of their head coach after a timeout, if the dance team is dancing insych during a timeout, the certain delicate procedures at the foul line of players concentrating, who has the better advantage of the mismatches, which team has better time management during time outs or how a mascot goes about its business during a game. There are so many more things to observe on the court, but one thing that is always present during games is the matchups on the floor. It is always interesting to see who Quantez Robertson will guard, if ex NBA player Jermareo Davidson was in the mood to defend last season or how intensive the Edward scissor hands of Devin Gibson will be functioning on the court. One interesting duel in this game was the center duel between Zach Peacock and Johannes Voigtmann against John big country Bryant. It wasn´t even sure if the American from Miami Peacock was going to play because of injury, but he did play. Peacocok is more a position four player, but has had to fill in at the five in Frankfurt this season. Bryant is a 208cm center who is as physically difficult to move from the zone as it is David Ortiz is from the batters box. But it wasn´t only Peacocok who had to battle Bryant, but also young German Voigtmann who was inserted into the starting five because Marius Nolte was suffering from a shoulder injury. Bryant consistently brings good stats and Peacock and Voigtman had to be at the top of their games to somewhat get Bryant out of his game and they did helping lead the Fraport Skyliners to a surprising, but also very convincing 78-62 win. Bryant finished with 10 points and six rebounds in 22 minutes which is about half his average. Peacocok came from the bench and amassed amazing 18 points in 16 minutes despite not being 100% and hitting a good percentage of his shots and didn´t have to guard Bryant too much. In his days in Giessen he was known as the mad baller because as a rookie he was so focused and didn´t want to make any mistakes. In the game against ratiopharm Ulm, he was all business and had that game face on with make no mistakes written all over his face. “I was the mad baller today. The only difficult thing today for me was that I was a bit winded. I am a professional and one week of not practicing won´t change how I play. I only really had one possession where I guarded him and he passed the ball out. The other times, he was more outside which was more my advantage. We caught him at the wrong spots which helped”, stressed Zach Pecocok. Voigtmann played a superb game against the 2012 Beko BBL MVP making eight points and five rebounds and was happy for the match up against Byrant. “It was a great experience playing against Byrant. I like playing against the more massive players than the shorter quicker players. Our help defense really helped me and it was key keeping him far from the basket. It was just a great challenge playing against him today”, added Johannes Voigtmann. It was especially the play of Peacock which was lauded by his teammates after the game. “He was in his special zone. He is just tough as nails. Once he hit that first shot, it was over. He just played big”, stressed American Ted Scott. “Zach played very aggressive which had been seen all week in practice. He knew that we were short at the big position and he just thought I will try to play and everybody saw what he did after 40 minutes”, commented Fraport Skyliner captain Marius Nolte.
Another Normal Day At The Office For DaShaun Wood Leading Alba Berlin Past The Fraport Skyliners 91-65
It has only been 17 months since the Deutsche Bank Skyliners lost a close fifth game to Alb Berlin in the 2011 semi -final playoffs. Back then it was the last game for Dashaun wood in a Skyliner uniform. Many will have fond memories of his season as he tore apart the Beko BBL leading the league in scoring with 19 points and at times tearing apart defenses as if he was taking a stroll in the River walk in Detroit. Instead of remaining in Frankfurt, he took more money and continued offense freedom under Gordon Herbert last season. The season had its up and downs and ended with an unsatisfying four game series playoff loss against the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg. Despite this misfortune, the road runner Wood remained in Berlin, but knew things would change and become different under new head coach Sasa Obradovic. Wood found out quickly that he would have to be as prepared for the new strict basketball teacher as James Bond had to be with his confrontations with henchman Jaws. Wood doesn´t have the freedom as he had the last two seasons with a much deeper and talented roster, but the Detroit native clamped down right away in training camp and accepted the1998 World champion with Yugoslavia and his precise rules and buckled down and left his ego in the trash can next to the O2 World arena. His stats have been down this season, but that is more than expected with the talented teammates that he has as well as the overload traffic at the guard position with Heiko Schaffartzik and Vule Avdalovic. The interesting fact is that his scoring has dipped only a bit from last season, but his assists and rebounds are way down. He isn´t averaging 30 plus minutes this season, but has gotten accustomed to his newer reduced role, but can at any time pull out the road runner Wood turbo scoring, rebound and assist machine and make the big shots in key situations. After only a week with his new coach Sasa Obradovic, he explained the harmony between him and his new coach. “We have been on same page since day one. I understood from the start that he was a great player for Alba Berlin and won as a coach. I wanted to learn from him from day one. I think that I have become a better player with him as coach. I think that with me learning more and more in the future that our relationship will get even better”, stressed 2011 Beko BBL MVP Dashaun Wood. Coming into the game, Wood had a 2-0 record against his ex team and was as focused to meet his ex team as was Ray Allen of the Miami Heat recently when he squared off against his ex team the big green machine Boston Celtics. Wood had a solid game against the Fraport Skyliners scoring 15 points, dishing out four assists and grabbing two rebounds and two steals in 25 minutes.
Anton Gavel Takes Control As The Brose Baskets Bamberg Outgrind The Fraport Skyliners
Some things are easier said than done like if Argentine striker Lionel Messi predicts 10 goals in the next classic FC Barcelona against Real Madrid, New England Patriot Tom Brady saying that he will never lose another Superbowl to the New York Giants and arch nemesis Eli Manning, Lebron James predicting three NBA titles in a row or Paris Hilton never checking into a HIlton hotel again. For the Fraport Skyliners to win in Bamberg seems more like a dream than ever happening in reality as the last time the Skyliners won a regular season game in freak city, NBA superstar Kevin Durant was a tenth grader at the well known Oak Hill academy, Tom Brady only had one Superbowl ring and teen singing sensation Justin Bieber was only nine years old. The last time that the Fraport Skyliners were able to depart the floor in Bamberg as the winner in a regular season game was January 18th, 2004. It was the bests coring game of ex Skyliner Tyrone Ellis who recently announced his retirement dropping 32 points and nailing nine three pointers. Ex NBA player Mario Kasun was also on that team. Ex Skyliner Max Weber was an 18 year old kid on the Bamberg team that made a point and grabbed a rebound against his future team. Coming into the game, The Frankfurt Skyliners had lost the last eight regular season games and after a slow start, no one was really expecting anything from them, but they gave a spirited effort keeping the first half close, but then losing some focus in the third quarter as the Brose Baskets Bamberg was able to take control of the game and win 76-67. It isn´t only the team that opponents have to contend with in trying to crawl out of the Stechert arena with a win, but also the noisy arena and loud fans. Skyliner Quantez Robertson played his tenth game in Bamberg and is still overwhelmed by the difficulty of playing there. “This is one of the hardest places to play at. It is always difficult to hear the point guard calling the plays, but you just have to play through it”, stressed Quantez Robertson. For new Skyliner Ted Scott, it was his first experience in Bamberg that he won´t forget so fast. “This is a very tough place to play in, because the crowd never lets up. It was one of the toughest places that I have played in, because the crowd is so involved. It seemed like they helped with some of the calls. I felt comfortable on the court, but was a little annoyed that I couldn´t find my three point shot as well”, added Fraport Skyliner guard Ted Scott.
Danilo Barthel Proves White Men Can Dunk Dunking The Fraport Skyliners Past Bonn 78-53
Last season, Ted Scott who hails from Jeff Gibbs country Columbus, Ohio was unleashing his deadly three pointer in small arenas in Portugal against teams like Fiscia, Alges or Ovarense, but this season, the American who adores sweet candy like Justin Bieber does Captain Crunch and is known as the candy man has joined forces with the Fraport Skyliners and quickly showed his special Ohio basketball talent as he netted 20 points in his debut in Trier. He had to wait 13 days until he could finally make his home debut in the Fraport arena. One could see it with his eyes in warm ups that he was as focused to help his team win and fascinate the home crowd with his swish shot as Seatle Sea Hawks Richard Sherman was to twittering hostility against the New England Patriots after their win, wrestling legend Hulk Hogan suing for 100 million about a sex tape or Felix Baumgartner was to breaking the speed of sound. Scott helped propel the Fraport Skyliners past the Telekom Baskets Bonn 78-53 and was very excited talking about his first game in the Fraport arena. “It was crazy in the arena. The fans were very loud and I felt very comfortable playing my first game here. The arenas were a lot smaller in Portugal, but still a good atmosphere like here. I am a little sad that my shot, but I didn´t worry too much about that, because the most important thing was that we won”, stressed Ted Scott. Scott played 24 minutes netting seven points on 3/11 shooting and two rebounds, but his teammates are very happy to have him on the floor. “Scott is a scorer and forced the opponents defense to play a different way. When he is on the floor, everything opens up”, added Fraport Skyliner guard Johnathan Jones. In a blowout win like this, the Fraport Skyliners also learned it can win without getting a 20 point game from Scott. “Tonight it was about finding guys at the right moment and getting them into scoring situations. We showed a team effort. Scott is a fearless shooter and even on a night like this, if he misses eight shots, then he will shot the ninth shot with the same amount of confidence. He always shoots with confidence”, warned ex LTi Giessen 46er Zach Peacock.
Chris Ensminger Doesn´t Need A Lawnmower Mowing Down The Fraport Skyliners 81-62 Into Summer Vacation
Sometimes winning on foreign soil can be as difficult for a Beko BBL team as it is for singer Chris Brown to sell cute pit bulls or ex professional baseball/football player Deion Sanders not being able to somehow weave away from from wife who jumped him in a domestic dispute as teams like the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig have had almost a 10 year win less drought in Frankfurt and the Fraport Skyliners seemingly being jinxed in Bamberg for many years until finally winning again in the 2010 Beko BBL playoff series. The last time that the Fraport Skyliners won in Bonn, George Bush junior was still president, Kevin Durant was still in high school, Lebron James was in his second season with the Cavaliars and Murat Didin was in Frankfurt for his first tenure leading the Bermuda triangle to success. The last win in Bonn was 87 months ago as Chris Williams poured in 27 points ad hauled down 16 rebounds in the old Hartberg gym on January 1st, 2005. Since the win, the Fraport Skyliners have lost five times in the old gym and three times in the new Telekom dome arena and with the do or die game on the line, Jimmy Mckinney was trying to bring some luck after registering his best scoring game with 28 points against the Walter Tigers Tuebingen last weekend which took him five years to best after scoring 22 points in Karlsruhe, the American was hoping to end the long losing drought in Bonn with his production, but instead the Telekom Baskets Bonn didn´t want to go into summer vacation just yet as they wore down the Fraport Skyliners winning their 8th game in a row against Frankfurt rather convincingly 81-62. Even with one minute to play and the game seemingly lost, Mckinney was still yelling commands at his teammates as if the game could still be won showing that giving up is never in his game plan or is his knowledge of past misfortune in the former German capital. “I had no idea that I had never won here, but it is always tough to play here, because the crowd helps them out a lot”, stressed St Louis native Jimmy Mckinney. Bonn head coach Michael Koch has never lost to Frankfurt at home and was also surprised about the positive record the last years. “I also had no idea that we have had their number. I do remember the two wins at home in the 2008 playoffs, but to be honest if we had been more stable during the season, we wouldn´t have had to come it come down to seeing if Frankfurt could finally win again here if we had played better during the season”, warned Telekom Baskets Bonn head coach Michael Koch. “I don´t believe that Frankfurt is jinxed here. You can´t believe in a curse anymore when you have been a Red Sox fan as long as I have”, smiled Tony Gaffney.
In a do or die game, there is always going to be a very unhappy loser at the end, but it was most vital that the Telekom Baskets win the game since missing the playoffs for a second straight season would have been more than bitter. It was a total team effort, but it was Beko BBL veteran Chris Ensminger who showed again why he is probably the best 38 professional basketball player that has ever walked the face of the earth as he led the Telekom Baskets Bonn with 23 points on 10/15 shooting and five rebounds. He showed time in and time out that ex NBA player Jermareo Davidson was dog meat making the American look more like 38 while he was strutting his Ohio basketball talent like a 28 year old mowing down the opponent with a basketball instead with a lawn mower. “I was never athletic, so even now in my old age, I can´t say that I have lost my athletcism. I am probably fitter now than when I came out of college. I just have a lot of experience taking care of my body and just try to help my team win with defense, rebounding and scoring in the low post”, added two time Beko BBL champion Chris Ensminger. Jimmy Mckinney has played against Ensminger for six seasons and knew that he was the spark that fueled his team. “Ensminger could do what he wanted to. He got his team going”, added Jimmy Mckinney. “Ensminger looked like a man among boys tonight. He did a great job keeping Frankfurt off the glass. Chris and I always talk before the game and our goal is always to be the two best big men on the court”, warned Bonn forward Tony Gaffney. “Our goal was it to get the ball inside. I told him before the game that he should take 12-15 shots and at the end it was 15 shots that he took. We followed his lead which made the team successful”, added 2007 NBA draft pick Jared Jordan. It wasn´t only Ensminger that brought success, but also some other factors. “Our game plan was to get the ball inside. We got many easy buckets and it was our best defensive game of the year. Important was that we started strong at each quarter just staying calm”, stated Telekom Baskets Bonn head coach Michael Koch.
For the Fraport Skyliners, reaching the Beko BBL playoffs four months ago was about as realistic as Jermareo Davidson playing for Phoenix Hagen next season as the team was in 17th place at Christmas.
Will Jared Jordan-Tony Gaffney Ally-Opp One Last Time Against The Fraport Skyliners April 28th?
This season in the Beko BBL, there have been numerous new players that have dazzled the fans week in and week out with their spectacular play this season like never before giving the league a special spice like EWE Baskets Oldenburg Bobby Brown with his hot shooting and nonstop penetration driving the opponents defense as crazy as Kim Kardashian does Paris Hilton, Fraport Skyliner Jermareo Davidson being able to take his fade away jumper over any defender with as much ease as Kevin Mchale used to do it back with the Boston Celtics or FC Bayern Munich center Jared Homan who at times looks as expressionless on the court as ex President Aberham Lincoln, but he able to consistently be a force under the boards with his stellar play. It isn´t always only single individuals that the fans come to see but also dynamic duo´s like Jared Jordan and Tony Gaffney from the Telekom Baskets Bonn. Jordan is the top assist man in the Beko BBL who also goes by Mr pass and could probably make the perfect pass even if he was high in the stands in the Telekom dome having a bag of pop corn in his right hand while Tony Gaffney has the unique distinction of being a player who has been a Laker and Celtic, but never played a single game for either club. What this dynamic duo does frequently and well is giving the fans a dose of ally-opp stew making that game so much more delectable for the fans. For Bonn fans, they can only hope that the duo of Jordan-Gaffney will not ally-op for the last time this season against the Fraport Skyliners April 30th. Ex Skyliner Ilian Evtimov got a close hand look what these two Americans are capable of. “When you have a point guard like Jared Jordan, he can get the ball anytime anywhere, and then when you add the athleticism of Gaffney it is a great combination. It becomes natural. They did burn us a few times. Gaffney caught a few very difficult passes and made incredible dunks. It often happens when you least expect it. Gaffney is a very good and athletic player. He likes to play on his athletic skills. If there is a ball up it is likely he will catch it and try to dunk it. They have a good combination because they know each other well. Plus Jared Jordan really knows the game. He knows how to pass the ball as good as anybody I have played with. He reminds of Adam Emmenecker. I have never got an ally op dunk, my teammates know to find me at what I do best, shooting the three. Oh and it is worth more points by the way”, Joked Chalon forward Ilian Evtimov.
German Hoops 