Claws Decimate Armor

In front of a sold-out home crowd of 3,091, the Maine Red Claws opened the newly-renovated Portland Expo for their inaugural season. The crowd was boisterous, the team was clicking, and Portland got to see a big win for the new team as they rolled over the Springfield Armor 102-79. Head Coach Austin Ainge got his first win in his home arena - and again his father was there watching in person.

The Red Claws were in much better form than in the one preseason game barely two weeks ago. The new players acquired by the team in their flurry of moves seemed to be fit in relatively well, especially given that some hadn't even played a game with the Claws yet. It was clear that the Claws had improved dramatically since the preseason while the Armor had gone in the opposite direction. Indeed, despite being a relocated rather than an expansion franchise, the new Springfield team has started the season 0-3, while the Claws are now 2-1.

Despite the final 21-point margin, the game was close for much of the evening. At the half the Claws were only up by seven points, and the Armor came out of the gates strong, keeping the margin close in the third. The team played with an impressive level of energy. They have perhaps bonded on the recent road trip, finally becoming a real team rather than just a collection of players.

It was clear from the outset why Alexis Ajinca was the first player sent to Maine by the Charlotte Bobcats. Although certainly a defensive force with 13 rebounds, the rest of his night left a bit to be desired. He took some unnecessary risks with his shooting, but I expect to see him improve over the course of the year - if he works hard and listens.

I will give him this: he does seem to be a very nice guy, being the only player who came over and said hello before the game. But that's not going to get him back in the NBA. The points leader for the night was Mario West, who was recently acquired by the Claws after the NBA's Atlanta Hawks sent him packing. While his NBA stats over the past two years aren't impressive, his 19 points in 25 minutes last night suggest that he's going to be a leader for the Claws. Clearly he was a good pick-up for Maine. The Claws' other addition from the NBA, Trey Gilder, wasn't quite as impressive, but he certainly had his moments.

Celtic Bill Walker had a decent, though not outstanding, night. He's clearly much more a part of the team now, but even though he spent the most time on the court he tied for second in points (14) and didn't make much of a dent in the other statistical categories. Walker had a much better game in last Friday's away loss to Sioux Falls, but then again, so did team captain and veteran player Billy Thomas. Last night the stars were Mario West and Tony Bobbitt, but the Red Claws were quite balanced, with almost every player on the roster getting in for at least twenty minutes and only one with more than thirty (Walker). This stands in stark contrast to the Springfield Armor, who had three players in for most of the game.

The refereeing, while relatively poor, at least doesn't have the kind of ridiculous favoritism at the D-League level as in the NBA. I will say that one of the interesting points about sitting courtside is getting a good picture of when the coach is upset about calls, and mostly every time I was pissed at the refs Austin was as well.

This is going to be a good season, and I have no doubt that several of the players signed by the Red Claws will get second looks from NBA teams as their season wears on. The Claws looked very good for the most part last night, with only a few gaping holes as a team. For example I think Austin will be running a few 3-point drills this week - they only had one all night. Still, for the very start of the season the Red Claws looked good. I expect they'll be a competitive team this year for sure.

UPDATE: The Red Claws thrashed the Armor again Saturday night 115-89, this time in Springfield, improving to 3-1 while the Armor fell to 0-4.

Maine Red Claws Preseason Postgame

The Maine Red Claws played their first game tonight, a preseason game against the Springfield Armor in the Augusta Civic Center. For those From Away, Augusta is the state capital, about an hour north of Portland (the normal home of the Red Claws) up I-95. In front of a large, boisterous crowd that included Maine Governor John Baldacci and Celtics GM Danny Ainge, NBDL basketball was played in New England for the first time. Although the Red Claws fell to the Springfield Armor, it was an excellent chance for the state to begin to fall in love with the team. Maine's basketball fanaticism was very much on display.

The Red Claws looked rough, as is to be expected of any newly-established team. It's important to note that while the Springfield Armor are new to the region, they are a relocated team, unlike the expansion Red Claws. So the Armor have played together, whereas the Red Claws are a recently thrown-together group. Still, they played well, and Austin Ainge acquitted himself in his first performance as Head Coach.

The Claws were behind at halftime and looked lackluster for much of the first half, but whatever Austin said to them at halftime worked. They came out in the third looking strong, and it was an exciting, back-and-forth game for most of the second half. Unfortunately a few key missed shots for the Claws knocked them out with about a minute left, and they lost by eight points.

This team played unevenly, but with a lot of energy, including from recently-assigned Celtic Bill Walker. Walker looked good; in 25 minutes he scored 13 points, had 3 boards and no assists, tying with Tony Bobbit in both categories. Bobbit did better with 5 boards and an assist, though. The Claws' statistical leader was Darnell Lazare, with 19 points, 8 boards, and no assists in about 34 minutes. FULL BOX.

I've no doubt that with Austin at the helm they will improve tremendously over the course of the season. It was a great idea to do a preseason elsewhere in the state and build up excitement for the team outside their home base of Portland. Principle owner Bill Ryan, Jr., President Jon Jennings, and the entire Red Claws ownership group and staff have run an impressive, professional organization from the get-go. They've clearly learned from other teams how to do things right. Long before the home opener at the Portland Expo next Friday vs. Springfield (again) they've fully embedded themselves into the community.

They've sponsored a number of charity events, and the team's dancers have shown up at various events. They've held very effective open houses, letting folks visit the revamped Portland Expo facility, seeing how it will look on gameday. Their staff is friendly, helpful, and accessible - something I especially appreciate as a season-ticket holder. It's good to know, as a customer, that I'll be dealing with true professionals.

I recently received my season-ticket holder packet, and realized that I don't get a bundle of tickets - I get a card as a pass instead that functions as a ticket for every game. I don't know if every NBDL team does this or not, but I have not seen it done before, and I'm already thrilled by it. It makes my life immensely easier. I really hope that if it works, the Celtics consider doing the same for their season ticket holders in the future. This is one area where the Celtics could learn from the Red Claws.

All this explains why, in the middle of a recession, the Red Claws managed to sell a huge number of season tickets. Regardless of their record this year (and I think they will be competitive), they are a welcome addition to Maine. Indeed, not only Mainers but all Celtics fans should be thrilled with this new arrangement, as in the long term, it will work out very well for all involved.