Battle Creek tops in the PBL?

[not so fast]

I think at this point, you will have to say Battle Creek is the top team in the PBL. And as I said earlier, they have the best point guard and maybe the leagues best player in Rashi Johnson.

Even though the coaches are hyper, and tend to run around and act sometime not professional, they seem to have a good handle on their team.

If an IBL team in its first season wins the championship, I guess that will either elavate the ibl, or downgrade the pbl somewhat, which i am sure many would say is a better league. But maybe the truth is, there really isnt much difference in the ibl and pbl overall talent, or the way things are run.

But I will be redundant, because I usually am. The pbl did a poor job in retaining its talent. The Arkansas team, and the Quad City team, and the Rockford team, and the Dallas team and the Reading team, all had some pretty good players, most are nowhere to be found on pbl rosters.

All of those teams rosters of players should have been contacted and offered an opportunity to be put in the draft. Certainly to a tryout camp. And as good as battle creek are this year, they do not have a player as good as Bobby Anderson of Quad cities last year.

By the way, rashi johnson did play for rockford last season. And a few of the players on those teams are playing overseas, but most are not and should be available.

[psbf]

With the Knights being unbeaten, I would think their crowds would be pretty solid by now(sell-outs or close to it). I'm curious what it was last night.

[Juniper]

I understand saying Battle Creek is the top team because they are 5 and 0 right now. Don't worry about comparing the IBL and the PBL. Battle Creek is not the best team in this league. Time will show this. I have seen this team play twice. They play well together. There head coach does a nice job. They just don't have enough fire power to win it all. I think he protects his players like any other coach. If he was not professional in Chicago it was because of the officiating. It was not professional. He has a good handle on his team, but they just won't match up in big games on the road. They are a player or two away. When they come to Wilmington, I don't think the game will be close. I think we will beat them by double figures. That division is weak, and from what I saw in Chicago not very well organized. Our officials are much better out this way and up north. Battle Creek had better enjoy it while it last, cause I think there fun is about over. PBL is a much better league then the IBL. I am sure that is not the same roster Battle Creek had in the IBL. I think they have 3 players from Rockford. Johnson, Bouie and Smith.

[CHris902]

The Battle Creek organization has been pretty public about saying that the PBL is a step up in talent from the IBL. I can't judge the actual talent levels (I have never seen an IBL game) but if Vermont, Manchester or Halifax win the PBL championship and defeat Battle Creek in the playoffs does that mean that the ABA is better than the PBL and IBL? It seems like faulty logic to me.

A lot of those old PBL guys didn't make teams for various reasons despite being in training camp with a couple of different squads. I think that this year's PBL is a higher talent level than last year's PBL and a lot of last year's PBL guys simply aren't good enough to play in this year's version of the league. Sure some of those guys should have gotten picked up, but if their agents didn't do a good enough job of getting them into camps and on to roster I am not sure I can blame the league for that.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

[quote=""psbf""]With the Knights being unbeaten, I would think their crowds would be pretty solid by now(sell-outs or close to it). I'm curious what it was last night.[/quote]

Battle Creek couldn't draw solid crowds in the spring/summer. Often teams move to a spring/summer league to escape the competition for fan dollars during the winter. You be the judge, especially when there's no mention of crowd size.

[ABA Champs times 2]

[quote=""not so fast""]I think at this point, you will have to say Battle Creek is the top team in the PBL. And as I said earlier, they have the best point guard and maybe the leagues best player in Rashi Johnson.

Even though the coaches are hyper, and tend to run around and act sometime not professional, they seem to have a good handle on their team.

If an IBL team in its first season wins the championship, I guess that will either elavate the ibl, or downgrade the pbl somewhat, which i am sure many would say is a better league. But maybe the truth is, there really isnt much difference in the ibl and pbl overall talent, or the way things are run.

But I will be redundant, because I usually am. The pbl did a poor job in retaining its talent. The Arkansas team, and the Quad City team, and the Rockford team, and the Dallas team and the Reading team, all had some pretty good players, most are nowhere to be found on pbl rosters.

All of those teams rosters of players should have been contacted and offered an opportunity to be put in the draft. Certainly to a tryout camp. And as good as battle creek are this year, they do not have a player as good as Bobby Anderson of Quad cities last year.

By the way, rashi johnson did play for rockford last season. And a few of the players on those teams are playing overseas, but most are not and should be available.[/quote]

Not so fast, lets get real. To call Battle Creek the "top team in the PBL" is looking through your rose colored glasses. If they were in the Atlantic division their record would be 1-4 instead of their current 5-0. This is the same situation as the division differences in the last couple of years in the ABA. Case in point: The playoffs of 06/07 were the Texas Tycoons (best of the West) against the Frost Heaves (best of the East) and the final score was 144-95. This 50 point pounding would be the same if/when the Battle Creek ever come to play VT, Manchester, Rochester or even Halifax. In regards to Rashi Johnson, he would get smoked by the likes of Atlantic guards like Al Stewart from the Millrats.

[CHris902]

With all due respect, Battle Creek are playing better than any other team in the PBL right now. They've beaten Augusta and Wilmington and are the only undefeated team in the PBL. It's not like they've played all their games against Mid-Michigan. It's too bad we won't see Battle Creek play Halifax, or but they have played (and beaten) Agusta and Wilmington and they will play Rochester and Manchester before the season is done. I see nothing wrong with calling them the clear leaders in the PBL right now.

[not so fast]

Well I dont know. Didnt Augusta beat Rochester, and didnt Vermont, barely beat Rochester, and didnt Battle creek defeat augusta?

So I think I can safely make my claim. you aba people as always are so touchy and never objective. I have no dog in this race, I just know what i saw, I saw rashi play and we will see as the season go on. Its not like the kid played at hamburger u, he played in the big ten with michigan state.

Where did al stewart play?

[The Sweeper]

I don't know if you could have called us "the best of the east". Rochester withdrew from the playoff and they had beaten us twice, in Rochester, very easilly. When we beat them in overtime, in Burlington, it was because Aaron Cook scored 7 points in under the last 10 seconds of the 4th quarter. Yes, we were very good on our home court, but we had lost twice to both Rochester (away), and Quebec City-home and away- (opening night loss was after we had a very large lead), and there was the loss to Strong Island on the road.

We can't say they would be 1-4 right now. Who'd a thunk Rochester was going to be 1-3 or that the Heaves would end their 48 game home winning streak? From what I see, anything is possible this season.

[not so fast]

Well I just did my own research on Stewart. He might be a real good player, but his resume is not too impressive. Based on what I have read, I will take Rashi johnson.