5 Stories To Watch Heading Into 2022 TBL Playoffs
From a very tight MVP race, to a new TV deal being announced, this postseason in The Basketball League is one to keep an eye on
And then there were 24.
After an exciting past few months of basketball around The Basketball League we’ve finally reached that point of the season where all facets of the game get thrown under the microscope to see who has what it takes to wear the crown in 2022. The postseason can be a fresh start, a new beginning where upsets and game winners can happen on any given game day. Last year, the Enid Outlaws experienced an unbelievable run through the TBL Playoffs to come away Finals winners with the team receiving their championship rings in their regular season finale against Beaumont and winning the Central.
This year, the chase for the championship is off to a very strong start with Atlantic City defeating Syracuse 96-92 in overtime in Game 1 of their best-of-three series behind Frank Turner’s 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. With the semi-finals schedules now set in the Eastern Conference, Midwest Conference, Central Conference, and Western Conference, expect to see a competitive first round of TBL Playoffs action with plenty of stories to follow.
TBL And All Sports Television Network Sign Deal To Broadcast TBL Games
This news is right on time for the start of the postseason. On Tuesday, The Basketball League and All Sports Television Network (ALL SPORTS) announced they’d reached an agreement to have ALL SPORTS broadcast the league’s regular season, playoff and all-star games beginning with the current 2022 season. With the historic All-Star Game against the National Basketball League of Canada and the regular season already in the books, the announcement comes as TBL Playoffs are set to get started.
“All Sports Television Network is the perfect partner that will broadcast TBL games to an audience giving our players, coaches and their communities more opportunities to be seen on television nationally,” stated Evelyn Magley, CEO of The Basketball League in a shared press release with ALL SPORTS.
The All Sports Television Network (ALL SPORTS) is a national sports network created for American broadcast television and features sports and sports-related programming that covers both traditional and non-traditional events throughout the world.
“We are excited about introducing TBL to the American public,” stated Roger Neal Smith, President of ALL SPORTS. “Not only does the league provide world class, affordable entertainment to the communities in which teams are located, the league and teams also offer support through engagement in school appearances, youth camps, clinics, and non-profit organizations. The American public needs to know about The Basketball League and the great things that they do.”
Can Lansing Go On Deep Playoff Run By Halting Chris Darrington’s MVP-Like Season?
This first round match-up between Lansing and Toledo’s Glass City BC should be a good one with Game 1 going down tonight. Both squads are new to TBL this season and experienced successful first seasons in the league as they shook off any expansion team jitters back in March. Toledo got the better of Lansing in the regular season series, 2-1, with the last contest featuring MVP candidate Chris Darrington finishing with 40 points by going 14-19 from the field. Clamping down on Darrington should be at the top of the scouting report, but Lansing also needs to trust their own tenacity.
They’ve shown they are more than just another expansion team.
“That’s the first level of success,” Lansing Team Market Owner Chris Jackson told the Lansing State Journal. “When you’ve got 44 teams, everyone thinks they can win the championship at the end of the year. Making the playoffs was a good first step for us because we didn’t know what to expect. But now we’ve got a really good opportunity to go deep in the playoffs with the team we’ve got constructed.”
Behind Deshawn Munson and Anthony Allen, Potawatomi Fire Can Blaze Trail During Postseason
The best-of-three series between Potawatomi and Rockwall might be over before it gets started. With a meager 8 wins to show for their efforts during the 2022 regular season, Rockwall could be in over their heads versus one of the best line-ups in the league when the two teams square off on Thursday in Game 1.
Take nothing away from leading scorers Quinn Taylor and Sean Gardener for the 7ers, but the Fire’s Deshawn Munson and Anthony Allen might be the best one-two punch in the entire league. Leading the league in assists and steals, Munson is a Triple Double machine (9 on the season) and the fourth best scorer in TBL averaging 25.5 points per game. Certainly creating his own MVP candidate buzz this season, Munson has the perfect big man to compliment his backcourt abilities. Ranking third in the league in blocks per game (2.8) and leading the Fire in rebounding (10.6), the former Oklahoma State center might be a lock for Defensive Player of the Year considering how he has anchored the team in the paint and helped push Potawatomi into the playoffs.
Greg Foster and Nigel Jones Set The Tone For California Sea-Kings To Be Best In The West
The Salem Capitals may have rattled off 11-straight wins to open the 2022 TBL regular season in the West, but it’s the California Sea-Kings who won the Division behind an impressive 20-4 record joining the Enid Outlaws (20-4) and the Albany Patroons (20-3) as the three best records overall during the regular season in TBL. So how have the Sea-Kings been able to get the job done? It’s taken a complete team effort despite the heavy lifting being done by two guys.
It helps getting timely scoring and big shots all season long from Greg Foster (26.6 points per game) and Nigel Jones (25.3 points per game), with Jones also providing a lift on the defensive end by grabbing 10.5 rebounds per game. The scoring power ranks Foster 3rd in the league in scoring and Jones 8th in the league, with Jones also ranking 8th thanks to his steady rebounding numbers. While Foster and Jones have shouldered the scoring load and on the glass, California has also received balanced scoring from a variety of players with six other players all averaging in double-figures including Larry Wickett (13.1 ppg), Akil Douglas (12.8 ppg), Deangelo Jackson (11.2 ppg), Isaac Sims (10.7 ppg), Keith Duronslet (10.6 ppg), and Jahlin Smith (10.2 ppg). Not bad for a team who finished 41st in scoring per game at 79.6 points per game.
The Sea-Kings receive a first round bye by winning the West Division and now await the winner of the Salem versus Vancouver series as the Capitals took the season series, 9-2.
Professional International and Overseas Teams Should Pay Close Attention To TBL Playoffs
A quick word of advice for any professional overseas and international teams already preparing for a busy offseason of constant player evaluations: catching a few games of TBL Playoffs and getting to know the names beyond the roster is well-worth the time and just might make you discover your next guard, forward, center, or possibly even a head coach.
One of the most common concerns and frustrations for overseas talent seekers around professional basketball is not being familiar enough with free agents on the open market coming out of the United States. So many names. So many background bios and resumes to read through. Not enough game film or statistics to support their case as to why a team overseas should take a shot at them. So little time.
But with The Basketball League that’s no longer the case. With full game film available, league leaders, and FIBA supported in-season statistics during the regular and postseason, the TBL has truly made the job of an overseas or international pro scout or team that much easier. The games are there. The numbers are too. Now it’s about taking a serious look at the talent on the floor in the TBL Playoffs as it’s their time to shine.
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Wendell Maxey has covered and written about professional basketball and sports for 19 years and has previously been featured on ESPN.com, NBA.com, USA Today, FOX Sports, and SLAM Magazine among other publications and outlets. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn or read through his archive on Linktree.