Weekly Commentary

 

June 1st, 2003
HBA PLAYERS HAVE ‘FAITH’ (IN THE WEATHER)

EDISON (HP) – Hidden Park, the site of the Hoching Basketball Association’s Summer League, was being drenched by rain only thirty minutes prior to the first do-or-die. Armed with brooms and knee high boots, HBA Staff members Peter Kang, Andy Ni, and Ken Chen meticulously cleared the two courts. As Andy Ni was held high on his peers’ shoulders to put up a new net, it was discovered that only one of the two drains was working.

Andy Ni was among the HBA Staff members who arrived early to clear the court of excess water.
The fortuitous stoppage of rain right before game time led some HBA players to believe a higher force was watching out for them. “I think this league is destined to succeed,” declared Peter Kang, Blue team superstar and league commissioner since 2000.

HBA overcame the weather, limited courts, and key player absences to have a successful season opener. Fans as young as ten were in attendance, and players as old as twenty-two participated. Players came from all distances, from a three-minute walk down the block to a thirteen-hour flight from Taiwan. The loss of Ed Bong’s keys almost ruined a smoothly run day, but they were eventually found.

Will it rain next week? Stay updated with reports from Weather.com, the official weather forecaster for the Hoching Basketball Association.


Red Team
CHIA SKIPS CHURCH TO SAVE RED TEAM’S DAY, SHOOTS OFTEN

Longtime HBA veteran Warren Chia, with over two hundred career HBA points scored, was a last minute addition to Red’s roster, replacing perennial star Chris Healey, who was absent. Chia skipped church to attend the HBA season opener.

Chia accounted for 80 percent of Red’s offense, taking 90 of Red’s 126 total shots through four games. When asked if he felt Red’s one-win, three-loss record on the day was due to his teammates often standing around and watching, Chia replied with a curt “no.”

The lone victory came in overtime against Gray. Red’s struggles could be attributed to the relative inexperience of its two rookies, Eugene Balasta and Edward Bong, who shot for a combined 0 for 8 with 8 rebounds.

Oleg Bisker’s wife Marguerite Balasta was present courtside to help with the statistics-taking and to cheer on her man. Perhaps her presence contributed to Bisker’s league low field goal percentage, as he missed a few open layups set up by Chia. Could Chia’s shirtless, make-ladies-swoon style have kept Bisker’s mind worried about other things?

However, the future looks bright as the league’s most dominating player, Chris Healey, is set to return next week. Due to salary cap restrictions and religious commitments, Chia and Healey may never play at the same time. Even if this was possible, could Chia co-exist with another superstar who would be bound to take away his shots? Despite Healey’s notorious efficiency, the two never taking the court together may be a good thing for the competitive play of the league.


Gray Team
ROOKIE ED “THE PROFESSOR” LIU LIGHTS UP THE OPPOSITION

Who would have predicted a rookie would lead the league in scoring and field goal percentage? First year player Ed “The Professor” Liu, with his trademark glasses and quantum mechanical jump shot defied physics and stumped the opposition. Garnering uncharacteristic leniency from the HBA “refs,” Liu’s lightning fast first step(s?) allowed him to single-handedly propel Gray team to their only win, shooting an amazing 7 of 11 from the field, and almost leading his team to victory in overtime against the league leading Blue team before losing in the last minute.

Rookie Ed "The Professor" Liu was one of the day's biggest surprises as he led the league in points per game.
Andy Ni, known as the typical unselfish player, has been criticized as not taking enough shots and being “too soft.” Gray has the lowest rebounds per game of any HBA team, despite not being short in size. Ni blamed it on the absence of large rear-ended Damian Suarez, also known as the “round Hispanic mound of rebound.” For Gray to do well, Ni, Dutta, and Suarez must play more physical and increase Gray’s paltry 89 shot attempts. Despite having the best shooting percentage in the league, Gray does not need Professor Liu to tell them that taking 17 less shots per game will translate into losses against tougher opponents.

Gray won one game and lost two. However, their two losses both came in overtime. Once Gray learns to win clutch games, it looks to be a top contender.


White
JOHN TSO, JEFF HSIEH LEAD UNDERMANNED WHITE TO 2-2 RECORD

Despite the absence of superstar Jeremy Doodanauth due to rain, White team played well at times and came out relatively unscathed with two wins and two losses. White was a model of endurance, playing four games without any bench help.

Jeffrey Hsieh (with ball) came all the way from Warren, NJ to partake in the season opener. He helped the White team win two of its four games.
White team player Jeffrey Hsieh drove from as far as forty minutes through rain to attend HBA’s season opener, and even brought along a f an to cheer him on. Hsieh, a last minute addition to White team, along with teammate Yifu Wu, are among the league leaders in assists. However, White’s leading scorer John Tso averages an amazing 0.0 assists per game. Tso must learn to distribute the ball as well as score for White to have success.

The consensus would be that White is a very streaky team. They outscored their opponents by five points, yet lost twice, as none of their games were close. Perhaps next week the weather will be sunny enough for Doodanauth to come out and bring some consistency to White. If this happens, White will surely improve upon their .500 record.



Blue
BALANCE AND TOUGH DEFENSE PROPELS UNDEFEATED BLUE TEAM

When the season started, who would have predicted superstar Peter Kang to be the third best scorer on defending champion Blue team? Thanks to contributions by returning Blue team member Reggie Soang and newcomer Mike Sheehan, Kang overcame a poor shooting day to lead the league in assists.

Peter Kang overcame a tough shooting day to lead the league in assists and steals as the Blue team dominated on Sunday.
Soang, a second year foreign player from Taiwan, has returned strong, taking many more shots and playing better defense. The language difficulties that plagued his rookie year are largely gone, as his teammates have learned to communicate with him. Sheehan brought a much needed morale boost with his towel waving antics as Blue came back against Gray, shutting down hot rookie sensation Professor Ed.

Blue led the league in rebounds, assists, and steals per game, while at the same time committing the least turnovers. Ken Chen, an HBA journeyman who has played for the Gray and Orange team in past seasons, was instrumental in going after loose balls and grabbing rebounds. Despite shooting a horrid .261 from the field, good team defense and forced turnovers allowed Blue team to outscore their opponents by three points per game.

However, the future looks difficult for Blue, as each of the three other teams in the league were missing key players. Can Blue continue their dominance once those players return?
(HP)