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Scott Ellis, Commissioner

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The SABL BS

Issue 104 July 2003

FROM COMMISSIONER SCOTT ELLIS, 2^ND AMER. BASKETBALL LEAGUE

New email address for Gary

Gary Wandezel of the Mackinaw Island Menace has a new email address: MudDawggs@aol.com

2003-04 SABL Schedule Of Events is now posted

This year's draft will be 1pm EST, Sunday, Nov. 2. Our season will start on Dec. 1. There are some minor changes in this schedule, but it's basically the same as it's been for a few years now.

The goal is to have a schedule compact enough so we are not playing year-long and spread out enough so no one falls behind. Lateness is always the biggest problem in any league, and I've found that no matter how long you make the season, someone is always late. I think this schedule is a good balance for the "fast" coaches and the "slow" coaches.

THE 2003-2004 SABL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

July 1 - SABL All-Star Series

Classics beat Royals 4 games to 1 in 2003 All-Star Series

The Amazing Kevin Feeney and many other Feeneys have again played our annual SABL All Star series and this year, ho-hum, the Classic Conference has won again, for the fifth year in a row. The Classics now lead the All-Star series 6-3. Here's Davenport Dazzler Coach Feeney's report:

Marbury missed a 3 pointer at the buzzer allowing Classic to escape 124-122 in game 1. Despite the miss, Marbury topped all scorers with 30 points. Shaq paced the Classic with 23. Garnett with 10 was the top rebounder and Payton lead in assists with 9.

Kobe's 32 lead the Classic to an easy 116-93 win in game 2. Garnett had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the royal.

The Royal used a 33-14 2nd quarter advantage to give them a 111-91 win in game 3.
Gasol had 16 pts and 12 rebounds, Marbury 12 pts and 10 assists, and Payton 15 assists. The Royal held a 20-6 advantage in offensive rebounds.

The Classic used a 28-13 second quarter to win 114-101 in game 4.
Duncan had 20 pts and 10 rebounds, and Payton 15 pts, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds.

The Classic rounded out the series with a 133-101 win.
Duncan had 27 pts, Iverson 22 pts, and payton 20 pts for the winners who converted 30-34 free throws.

"It was definitely the coaching," said the Evil Druid. "With Resnick running the Royals and a Feeney the Classic there was no chance. Reverse the players and Resnick still loses ha ha ha ha ha. He's worse than Jargo."

Cousin Kathleen added, "There's no way Rashard (Lewis) shoots 1-10 with a real coach."

Resnick responded, "Check the standings at the end of next season we will see who can coach."

Chapel Hill cuts Olajuwon

New Orleans cuts Don Reid & Gugliotta

Congratulations - the SABL is 10 years old

The First American Basketball League started in 1993. It changed its name to the Second American Basketball League in 1994. We've been around 10 years now.

In the Strat-O-Matic world, 10 years is an eternity. The only way a league makes it that long is because of its coaches. You are the best. I want to thank all of you for making the Second American Basketball League the best Strat basketball league in the world.

Now let's have even more fun in our next decade!

Mr. MVP Marbury breaks another SABL record

Almost missed this one - Tri City's Stephon Marbury, our three-time MVP winner, set a record for Minutes Played this year - 3,419 total minutes, beating a record set just last year by McLean's Jerry Stackhouse (3,357).

Marbury played in 82 games, so he averaged an amazing 41.7 mpg. With our minutes restriction rule being lowered to 20% this fall and perhaps even lower than that in the future, this is a record that might never be broken.

Inconclusive vote means will have a 20% minute rule in 2003-04

Yep, we voted a second time and still didn't get a conclusive outcome. We had 4 votes for a 25% minutes over rule, 3 votes for a 15% rule and 7 votes for a 10% rule. Nothing received the 11 votes needed for passage. In fact, fewer coaches voted this time than last time.

But just like the first vote on this, it's clear that most SABL coaches want the 25% rule to be lowered. So, acting in the best interests of the league, I'm lowering the minutes played restriction from 25% to 20% for next season. With the new Windows game coming out, this is probably the safest course for now. We can vote on it again next summer if enough coaches express interest to do so. Perhaps we will get a new consensus next season. Our new player limitation rule in the SABL Constitution will now read:

"Players can play any position listed on their card. While playing defense, players can be assigned to cover anyone at any position. Players are limited to the total minutes they played during the previous season, plus 20%. For each 48 minutes of intentional overuse a manager is charged with 1 penalty point. There are no per game restrictions and during the playoffs, there are no minute restrictions at all."

It's a Steve Walters landslide for 2003 Coach Of The Year

No hanging chads were needed to decide that Galactic Thunder Coach Steve Walters, who received 7 of 10 votes cast, was the runaway choice for 2003 SABL Coach Of The Year. Steve won the award in 2000, too and he takes his place with our league's only other two-time Coach Of The Year winner, East Asia Dragon Coach Paul Bennett (2001 & 2002).

Others that received votes included Classic Conference Champion Frank Rowley, who made it to the SABL Finals for the third time this year, and Akron Blimp Coach Dave Scott, who made the SABL playoffs for the first time this season.

However, Steve's underrated AARP Thunder rolled over everyone in the league this year, winning the 2003 SABL World Championship. Congratulations Steve!

Tri-City's Stephon Marbury wins SABL's MVP award for third time!!!

This one kinda snuck up on us - in a real close vote split between Tulsa's Jermaine O'Neal, Richmond's Dirk Nowitzki, St. Lucie's Tim Duncan and Galactic's Gary Payton, the Blackhawks' Stephon Marbury has once again taken the SABL MVP award home to his coach, Chris Feeney. The 2003 MVP award is Marbury's third. Marbury also won it in 2000 and 2001.

But ya' know, with 25 ppg, 9.9 apg and a league-leading 3,419 minutes played, you can't say he didn't deserve it again. Congratulations to Chris, who also won his third North Division title this year, too.

2003 SABL All-Stars chosen - Mailman makes it again

Only one player has been picked to all nine SABL All-Star teams - Galactic's Karl Malone. The old man made it as a backup forward, beating out some stiff competition. The best-of-seven All-Star series will again be played by that most Amazing Feeney, Kevin, coach of the Davenport Dazzlers. Here's the results. Starters are listed first:

ROYAL CONFERENCE

GUARDS - Marbury (Tri-City) & Tracy McGrady (Iowa).  Backups - Sam Cassell (Bettendorf), Baron Davis (Richmond) & Richard Hamilton (River City Renegades)

FORWARDS - Dirk Nowitzki (Richmond) & Pau Gasol (Brooklyn).  Backups - Rashard Lewis (Quad City), Michael Finley (Richmond), Vince Carter (Iowa)

CENTERS - Kevin Garnett (Akron).  Backup - Dikembe Mutombo (Miles Bulldogs)

CLASSIC CONFERENCE

GUARDS - Gary Payton (Galactic) & Kobe Bryant (St. Lucie).  Backups - Paul Pierce (East Asia), Allen Iverson (New Orleans) & Jerry Stackhouse (McLean)

FORWARDS - Tim Duncan (St. Lucie) & Paul Pierce (East Asia). Backups - Shawn Marion (Tulsa), Karl Malone (Galactic) & Elton Brand (Bakersfield)

CENTERS - Shaquille O'Neal (St. Lucie).  Backups - David Robinson (East Asia)

Finney cuts Oakley & B. Russell; Holcomb cuts Mohammed & House