This is worth its own thread, especially given our need to develop players now. Turns out there was only one D-League team left that wasn't owned by an NBA team, the gloriously named and mascot-ed Fort Wayne Mad Ants (a team made up of whose alumnae are about to compete for the $1M prize "The Tournament"), and The Pacers are about to buy it. Now, we used to own the Stampede, right? Which makes sense, because it's right next door, and there are very few Western D-League teams: but (for some reason) we gave that up. So what now?
Another case of the Blazers not being able to get out of their own way. We have all these young players in need of development - and no D League affiliate. How could that go wrong?
I think Seattle deserves a D League team. How about PA puts one there? (Insert emoticon laughing hysterically here)
Well it could go right, by keeping them in house and actually develop them. The D league is Crap. Hell Tim Frazier was the 2015 MVP and it looks like he's gonna get cut.
I like the Seattle idea, however mean. There was some drama with our affiliate where they wouldn't get in line with what the Blazers needed. Can be hard to force affiliates to develop your players in spurts while their simply trying to win.
If and when the Blazers do start up another team. They will need a smooth talking entrepreneur to push their agenda. I got just the guy.
My guess is that the Blazers REALLY had a falling out with the executives who ran the team. It's hard to get playing time at ANY level of semi-pro ball. That's why the MLB and the MLS have full control of the rosters of their academy teams. There is a small window for development and the players need to maximize this. A loan system with FIBA based clubs and the NBA would be a way to fix this problem. European teams have a much more extensive schedule and training staff available to them than the D league. Surprised it hasn't been mentioned before.
That affiliation came to an end because they entered into talks with the Utah Jazz to purchase the team. The Utah Jazz did complete the purchase of the Stampede.
My hope is that the Blazers put their D league team in a local area with a realistic name. Like The Medford Meth Heads, The Coos Bay Stagflation, The Vancouver Cankles....(ahh the lovely ladies of the Couve)
In Kent, WA (about 20 min south of Downtown Seattle) there's an arena that hosts WHL hockey, among other things. It has a hockey capacity of 6500 (probably a little less for basketball). The ShoWare center. There's enough advertising/interest, especially if you use some of the non-NBA-affiliated slots for some of the not-ready-for-primetime talent in the SEA area, whether from UW or some of the better HS in the area. I know many of you were joking about SEA getting a team, but it actually makes a lot of sense.
I don't think Seattle would except a Portland affiliated team, would they? They would have to admit we are culturally relevant in the first place. People in Seattle think that Oregonians are so incestuous that are family trees look like stumps.
It's not Seattle, just like Fort Wayne is not Indy and Bakersfield is not LA and Canton is not Cleveland, etc... You wouldn't call them the Seattle Whatevers, but the Kent Whatevers. I'd say go to Tacoma and use the Tacoma Dome, but it probably costs a lot more in overhead that you won't recoup and I imagine the concert dates are more solid. With Kent, you'd flip-flop with the hockey team and have stuff to do all winter long.
I grew up in Kent. Is this facility on the east hill or down in the valley? Been about a decade since Ive done a memory lane drive around Kent, but I didnt know of an arena like that. Maybe next to the big jail in he valley? Near Kent Commons?
