There is always that one team that an opponent like The Deutsche Bank Skyliners dont want to meet like The Brose Baskets Bamberg who they
would rather meet in the dark to avoid a Suput or Jacobsen or meet them on ice where they are stranded on thin ice with slick oil that is specially attracted to their sneakers. However then again there are teams like The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig who Frankfurt would love to meet on a Sunday rather than your mother in law for lunchand a DVD afternoon watching A big fat Greek wedding. The Deutsche Bank Skyliners have had the number of The New Yorker Phantoms for 59 months straight now not losing since April 2006 and winning the last 10 games in a row including the last 5 games in a row in the dark, mysterious and Phantom prone Volkswagon Halle in Braunschweig. Frankfurt has shown that they adore to have the Phantoms on their extensive basketball menu, the same way that actor Alex Baldwin has Paparazzi on his menu, Lebron James having the Orlando Magic for lunch netting 51 points and Green Bay Packer Aaron Rodgers having the Eagles, Falcons and Bears all on
his menu as he beat them all on the road which led to his first Super Bowl recently. The Deutsche bank Skyliners travel to Braunschweig on February 20th and want to keep their long unbeaten streak alive in the Volkswagon Halle seeking their sixth win in a row. “I just think it is about match ups and sometimes teams get on a run that like against certain teams. It is unfortunate for Braunschwieg but at the same time, streaks dont last forever so that could be another way to look at it. Yes in the back of your mind the streak is in your mind about beating a team consecutive times. It is also tough to beat a team when that teams knows that as well, because they are bringing there best game to end the streak as well”, added TBB Trier guard John Bynum. Bynum isnt sure if Wood will scare the Phantom, but he will get the better of him some way. “Half of The BEKO BBL doesn´t even know what the Braunschweig Phantom really is. I think though that Wood has a good chance of out smarting the Phantom or whatever it is”, joked John Bynum.
New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig
Dashaun Mr Dash Wood Shows The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig His Road Runner Dash Leading The Deutsche Bank Skyliners To Victory In Crunch Time 94-91
In the last years, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners have had to be aware of the Heiko Schaffartzik bombs from the Messe Tower just like 2010-2011 BEKO BBL teams have had to keep an eye on the PSB(powerful scoring boys) of Zachery Peacock, Ryan Brooks and Anthony Smith of the Giessen 46ers, pop sensation singer Justin Bieber having to cope with jealous fans bullying him and calling him vicious names or Bayern star Thomas Mueller keeping a watchful eye on his refrigerator and not letting Bayern scoring legend Gerd Mueller steal his Mueller milk, but Frankfurt didn´t have to worry about Schaffarzik since he is playing in Turkey, but moreover Brandon Thomas that was hitting from all over the court as if he was trying to persuade NBA legend Larry Bird to watch his shooting clinic, but the troops of Gordon Herbert was able to rally and come back and defeat The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig 94-91. “Thomas was pretty dangerous. He showed he can score posting up driving or hitting from outside. Both he and Schaffartzik are dangerous shooters, but it didn´t matter, we showed last season, we can beat them with Schaffartzik and tonight showed we could beat them without him and with a hot Thomas”, stressed Quantez Robertson. “We would of had a good chance with Heiko on the court. He might of made big shots at the end, but we are a different team now and we lost twice with him last season. We have to learn to win without him”, warned Brandon Thomas. “I would have loved to have played against Schaffartzik tonight. I am always up for a challenge”, stressed Skyliner American Jimmy Mckinney. Frankfurt stayed unbeaten at home this season winning their third in a row and 10th game in a row against Braunschweig dating back to 2006. “This was a great team win. Braunschweig has a tough 8 man rotation, but we proved grit and were very tough. We showed that we could pull it out at the end”, stressed Skyliner American AJ Moye.”We had big lapses on defense and being outrebounded hurt us. Key was having lapses on defense and not executing on offense”, commented Braunschweig American Brandon Thomas. “This was a crazy game that we maybe shouldn´t have won”, commented Dashaun Wood.
Can The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig Overcome The Injury Hit Deutsche Bank Skyliners With An Older Marcus Goree And No Heiko Schaffartzik?
After the very satisfying 81-66 victory over Bremerhaven last weekend, Skyliner head coach Gordon Herbert might have jumped for joy about
the win if his back was 100% like Paris Hilton might when she finds a pair of sunglasses she doesn´t already have, but his good mood most likely was made even more sour than currently singer J-Lo who had to discover on fotos that she had cellulite as the Skyliner skipper had to accept two new crucial injuries to Jimmy Mckinney and Jermaine Bucknor. The basketball tide can turn so quickly as The Deutsche Bank Skyliner now have to face off against 2010 BEKO BBL semi finalist New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig with a sling of injuries that might even get a cringe out of ex Skyliner coach Murat Didin who had to battle injuries the last years as well. Mckinney will miss four to six weeks on account of a torn ligament in his left knee and Canadian national player Jermaine Bucknor will miss 10 days due to a stretched ligament in his left knee. Center Joe Dabbert returned to practice this week and a decision shortly before the game will be made if he can suit up Saturday . Quantez Robertson is still out. Frankfurt now has to regroup and find a way to play successful with less bodies. “The injuries put pressure on guys who weren´t playing as much and extreme added pressure to starters, because they have to increase their production to make up for the loses. I think mentally it can also take a toll on the players, because the players had gotten used to playing with each other and knew where each guy was on the court before the injuries”, stressed Phoenix Hagen forward Quentin Pryor. One guy who could benefit in this period could be captain Pascal Roller who has been shooting colder than if a person were to open a Air France door at 20,000 feet to test the air temperature. Currently Roller is shooting 10% from the field and 11% from the parking lot. For Roller to suddenly get a hot hand would be as if Frankfurt had gotten a very early Christmas present. “Frankfurt now will need guys to step up more than ever for the loses. I am sure Pascal Roller will get going”, warned Quentin Pryor. “Pascal is a great shooter and one of the best in the league. His shooting doesn´t worry me really. It will only worry me if he stops shooting. He knows that he is not playing well, but he is working very hard and being very aggressive. He might of been one of our best players in the Bamberg final series. He might be 34, but he has the physical ability of a 24 year old”, warned Skyliner skipper Gordon Herbert.
Will Key Injuries Severely Hurt The Playoff Chances Of Braunschweig?
The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig are seeking to reach the playoffs again after their last appearance was in 2003 with former Bamberg guard Demond Mallet who was just starting to make a name for himself in European basketball. Since then the team has sunk in the middle of The BEKO BBL standings and in the last six seasons averaging a 12th place placing in that time. In the last few years, the club had ex BBL champion with Alba Berlin coach Emir Mutapcic at the helm, but he was unable to lead the team into the playoffs despite having good rosters. He was unable to develop any German players into getting sufficient playing time in Braunschweig. The Germans usually went elsewhere and earned playing time there.
“Braunschweig is doing well. I hope that the team can keep it up. They have a great fan base and the fans deserve the playoffs”, added ex Paderborn guard Steven Wright.
Braunschweig management didn´t see anything really changing for the future and decided to make a giant house cleaning: The first order of business was finding a new coach. Braunschweig sports director Oliver Braun looked east to Poland and found an old friend with German Sebastian Machowski. Both Machowski and Braun won the Korac Cup with 8 time BBL champion Alba Berlin in 1995. The contact never ceased between the two and after a successful rookie coaching season in Poland with Kolobrzeg, it was time to fetch the 37 time German National player Machowski to Germany.
Kevin Hamilton And Heiko Schaffartzik: Possibly The Most Underrated Point Guard Duo In The BBL
Kevin Hamilton is a 25 year old 193cm guard from Queens Village, New York. This season, he is playing for The New York Phantoms Braunschweig. He played at Holy Cross from 2002-2006 and played together with ex Skyliner Keith Simmons. In his senior year, he played 31 games averaging 17.6ppg, 6.3rpg, 3.5apg, 3.3spg, FG: 38.1%, 3PT: 33.2%, FT: 77.7%. In his rookie season 2006-2007, he came to Europe and played in Poland for Polpak Swiecie playing 19 games and averaging 13.0ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.8apg, Steals-2(2.3spg), 2FGP: 44.8%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 64.2%. In 2007-2008, he played in France for Besancon Basket Comte Doubs (France-ProB) playing 2 games and averaging 6.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.5apg. He also had a short tenure in Mexico with Pioneros de Quintana Roo-Cancun.
In 2008-2009, he returned back to Poland to play for SKK Kotwica Kolobrzeg playing 32 games averaging 11.0ppg, 5.1rpg, Assists-1(6.4apg), Steals-1(2.8spg), FGP: 43.6%, 3PT: 32.6%, FT: 66.5%. He was not lazy in the last three summers staying in game shape and playing in Puerto Rico playing 90 games. This past summer, he played for Indios de Mayaguez playing 35 games and averaging 10.5ppg, 4.7rpg, Assists-3(6.3apg), Steals-2(1.7spg), FGP: 45.4%, 3PT: 28.1%, FT: 70.6%. His father was a draft pick of The Boston Celtics in 1980.
Kevin took some time to talk to German Hoops.
Strange Ranking and Early Hot-Shots
Trouble with the rankings
It had been a press release no one really cared about during the off-season. On the 7th of June the DBB (German Basketball Federation) announced that for the 2009/2010 campaign all german leagues will have to follow the FIBA scoring system. Just like before a winning team is now rewarded with 2 points. But with the new system also the losing team earns 1 point for attending the game. Last season and all those years before the loser got no point, but had to deal with 0:2 points.
If you follow the BBL you might remember the odd story about Gießen not making it to the game in Ludwigsburg. The 46ers’ teambus was stuck in traffic and the team could not make it in time. Ludwigsburg got the win and Gießen was punished by the league with the loss of all direct comparisons. If a situation like this would come up now, the team not attending the game would have to deal with 0 points.
John Allen And His Key For Success Is Playing On Instinct
John Allen is a 26 year old 196 cm shooting guard/small forward, who is playing for The New York Phantoms Braunschweig this season. 
He is a a swingman who can be a huge problem for lots of defenses; can deliver some driving dunks and also display a deft shooting touch from the perimeter; and this double dimension make him a very tough player to guard. He comes from Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Allen went to Seton Hall from 2001-2005 and was a very important player in his time there. He never averaged less than 11,4ppg in his four years. His most productive season was the 2002-2003 season where he played 30 games averaging 14.0ppg, 5.1rpg, 2.7apg.
He took no time resting a few months after graduation and in May signed with the New Jersey Flyers of the USBL playing 21 games and averaging 21.7ppg, 7.2rpg, 3.0apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 47.7%, 3FGP: 39.0%, FT: 73.8%. He then went to Finland for the 2005-2006 season playing for Kouvolan Kouvot playing 44 games and averaging 19.8ppg, 7.7rpg, 2.6apg, 1.6spg, 2FGP: 55.3%, 3PT: 35.2%, FT: 81.9%. In 2006-2007, he went to Israel to play for Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan playing 27 games and averaging 15.3ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.8apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 46.3%, FT: 81.5%. In 2007-2008, he had his first tenure with The New York Phantoms Braunschweig playing 34 games and averaging 13.2ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.7apg, 1.4spg, 2FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 28.3%, FT: 75.4%. Lasts eason, he played in France for Strassburg playing 31 games and averaging 8.5ppg, 3.7rpg, 2.6apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 45.9%, 3PT: 30.6%, FT: 84.7%.
John spoke to German Hoops over the phone during training camp a day before he got injured and will miss two months.
Teamcheck: New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig
For sure Braunschweig’s basketball project has seen better times. During the 2002/2003 campaign the team made it to the semi-finals and was close to beat reigning champion Alba Berlin. With a huge lead in game 4 Braunschweig’s public announcer mentioned that tickets for the finals could be bought after the game. But Berlin fought back, managed to win game 4 and sealed the deal in game five to advance to the finals.
Ever since 2003 Braunschweig could not make it to the play-offs. Just three years later in 2006 the team finished the season at the bottom of the table and almost had to face relegation. Only the extension of the league to 18 teams and the provision of a wildcard helped Braunschweig to stay in the league.
Names like Demond Mallet, Pete Lisicky, Joakim Blom, Szymon Szewczyk or Gordan Firic are still vivid in the minds of supporters. There had been some promising teams in the last couple of years. Head coach Emir Mutapcic mainly relied on Americans in his rotation while talented germans like Flavio Stückemann or Jannik Freese had to sit on the bench.
In 2008 the Phantoms got really close to a play-off spot and finished the season on 9th position. Expectations were high for the 2008/2009 season and with the re-signing of Andrew Drevo and Kyle Visser and the addition of point guard Will Franklin and wingman Dustin Salisbery the foundation of Mutapcic’s team looked pretty good. But an eight game losing streak at the end of the season ended all post season dreams. After 34 games Braunschweig found itself on the 12th spot. The team had earned a reputation for losing close games and certainly an era had come to an end.
German Hoops 