Your Best Game

I'm not too big on this 2-week hiatus. But one must always find the silver lining. Here are a few:

1. Potential for an outdoor game
2. Recover from sore limbs
3. Eagle has a chance to buy more McDavid products - rib guard, face guard, ass guard
4. Reflect on your game

This last point is particularly intriguing. There's no doubt Mamba's new additions have added a new dynamic to the league. Confidence can mean the difference between winning and losing. So I decided to compile every player's best game. Best game is based on "Game Score," which as you know factors in many variables and assigns different weights to each category (for ex, an offensive board is worth more than a defensive one).

Here they are:

G	Player	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	OR	DR	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	Pts	GmSc
15	Babyfox	18	40	45.0%	2	8	25.0%	4	8	12	3	4	2	4	38	25.9
12	Carlson	18	33	54.5%	0	2	0.0%	9	18	27	4	6	2	8	36	34.0
8	Dr. Sessns	8	22	36.4%	0	1	0.0%	7	5	12	1	6	2	3	16	15.3
14	Dutchman	13	27	48.1%	1	3	33.3%	12	8	20	2	5	2	6	27	25.9
11	Eagle	19	52	36.5%	1	9	11.1%	4	9	13	5	10	1	3	39	26.9
9	Lightning	6	16	37.5%	0	0	0.0%	2	13	15	3	6	0	5	12	11.6
8	M’breath	11	31	35.5%	0	0	0.0%	12	18	30	5	10	1	7	22	25.7
15	Penguin	7	19	36.8%	2	2	100.0%	3	14	17	3	3	0	3	16	13.9
10	Stallion	16	39	41.0%	0	2	0.0%	7	6	13	2	7	2	2	32	25.6
12	Weasel	9	23	39.1%	0	2	0.0%	1	15	16	6	5	5	8	18	15.4
10	Weevil	5	27	18.5%	0	0	0.0%	10	9	19	0	2	0	0	10	4.8
15	Workley	5	15	33.3%	0	1	0.0%	5	9	14	7	4	0	4	10	12.6

58.3%

58.3% - why is this number so important? Of all the records that have been made and later broken, only one has stood the test of time. In Mamba's first ever game, Stallion shot 14 for 24 and became king. Others have come close (Eagle - 50%, game 15 and Carlson 55%, game 4) but close is never enough. To be a winner you must reach the unreachable and, for 15 months, Stallion has done just that. Not bad for a debut.

For those of you with HBO, I invite you to watch Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals. This 90 minute documentary tracks the careers of two superstar rivals. In addition to making the case that Larry Bird is one of the unhappiest men alive, it also shows killer early NBA footage and some sensational highlights. I feel especially amped up for tomorrow's game. You can watch it on HBO on demand.

It seems as though Motorbreath is big news lately, as he was recently written up in the NY Times. The author writes, "He is one of more distinctive-looking people in City Hall, thanks to a red-haired ponytail that makes him look like a Thomas Jefferson re-enactor." Thomas Jefferson. TJ. I love it.

I may or may not have mentioned this already, but in only a few games Weasel has broken new ground. He is the only player in the 5x5 club, meaning he got 5 or more steals, blocks, assists, rebounds, and points. Well done, old friend.

n

Stats - game 15

	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	OR	DR	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	Pts	GS
Workley	5	15	33.3%	0	1	0.0%	5	9	14	7	4	0	4	10	12.6
Dutchman	5	12	41.7%	0	0	0.0%	3	10	13	3	4	4	2	10	15.6
Babyfox	18	40	45.0%	2	8	25.0%	4	8	12	3	4	2	4	38	25.9
Weevil	2	15	13.3%	0	1	0.0%	1	11	12	1	1	1	1	4	-0.3
Eagle	11	22	50.0%	0	1	0.0%	3	10	13	5	4	0	3	22	20.6
Team	41	104	39.4%	2	11	18.2%	16	48	64	19	17	7	14	84
	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	OR	DR	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	Pts	GS
Carlson	7	24	29.2%	0	4	0.0%	8	13	21	4	0	0	5	14	7.3
Motorbreath	9	26	34.6%	1	3	33.3%	10	9	19	3	3	3	4	19	17.3
Stallion	10	29	34.5%	0	3	0.0%	10	4	14	5	2	1	2	20	16.1
Penguin	7	19	36.8%	2	2	100.0%	3	14	17	3	3	0	3	16	13.9
Lightning	3	21	14.3%	0	0	0.0%	2	5	7	7	3	0	3	6	0.3
Team	36	119	30.3%	3	12	25.0%	33	45	78	22	11	4	17	75

I have to give it up for the opposition. Shooting almost 40% as a team is phenomenal. Babyfox should be called Satanfox, because I’m positive he was possessed by the devil himself. Eagle continues to spread his wings, soaring gracefully over Italy and dreaming on calzones shaped like basketballs. Dutchman clinches two games in a row now, somehow managing to make the grossest shot I’ve ever seen fall again and again.

I called Penguin out last week as a flat-footed enigma. This week he answered in his loudest penguin voice, proudly beating his wings against his black chest. Let’s see more of that rebounding prowess and pinpoint shooting. Motorbreath and Stallion played on par. I sucked in every facet of the game except rebounds.

Though this series is only 2-1, one team clearly has the momentum.....something needs to be done to make this a competition again.

MILESTONES

Congrats to Babyfox who made it to #8 in the top 10 individual performances with a game score of 25.9. Eagle also made it to #18 with a game score of 20.6. No one cracked the top 10 worst single game performances list. Bravo!

Lastly - Babyfox, Dutchman, and Workley all reached 100 career points (125, 107, and 108 respectively). You are winners!