The Toronto Raptors are embroiled in a tougher than perhaps expected playoff series with Philadelphia.
In game one of the series Raptor fans got to see just how dominant Kawhi Leonard can be.
Leonard had a playoff career best 45 points, and was a force defensively.
In game two, on a night the Raptors were held to a paltry 89 points overall, Leonard led the team with 35.
Over the season Leonard has been an intriguing player to watch. He is about as workman-like a superstar as you are apt to find. You can tell he runs on a strong work ethic and a desire to excel, but he keeps his emotions well in check.
Occasionally there is a flash of disgust over an official’s call, but then it is back to a poker face and the next play.
That somewhat emotionless demeanour however extends to Leonard’s off the court in things such as post-game interviews. There he comes off as distant, disinterested, which makes him less likeable than say the gregarious Pascal Siakim, or the departed DeMar DeRozan. From a fan perspective the connection to Leonard for his on-court prowess is easy. Off the court it has been far more difficult to get to know Leonard, and frankly to like him.
It’s an interesting dynamic at play given Leonard is a top-five in the league player based on skills alone.
Sticking with basketball the Saskatchewan Rattlers hit the court tomorrow, (May 9), for their first game in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
I’ll admit my interest in basketball is not as high as it is for many sports, but it has grown over the last few years thanks to the play of the Raptors. So, I have been following the creation of the CEBL, and in particular the Rattlers, with some interest.
Generally, I don’t follow what are lower level leagues, gravitating to the highest level of league available. The G League gets no attention even as the feeder league to the NBA for example.
The CEBL however is going to offer something different in that it will be played under FIBA (International Basketball Federation) rules. That should give the games a slightly different ‘feel’, since international rules are generally just a bit different from North American pro leagues – think International Ice Hockey Federation compared to the National Hockey League.
Add to the unique rules the required Canadian content on CEBL rosters, and this new league warrants a closer look as a growing b’ball fan.
In more general terms, I am a believer if you are going to launch a new league in a sport where an established loop already exists, do something different that will catch my attention. In basketball you cannot compete straight up with the NBA, so give me something unique to endear me to the new enterprise.
So it was with some interest I happened upon the Big3 on a recent web search one eve when I was doing some random sport searches. The Big3 is a 3-on-3 pro basketball league founded by Ice Cube, that is entering its third season in 2019.
The league is organized a bit like the highest level of curling in Canada, where teams aren’t rooted in a particular city, but move around for sets of games – like a curling draw in essence -- in different cities.
For me that makes it a lot harder to focus my interest, as I like a favourite team I can watch every week to get to know the players well. That would be more difficult with Big3 I suspect.
Still, the Big3 is offering basketball fans something different not just in terms of it being 3-on-3. They have tweaked the standard rules of the half-court game, most interestingly adding three spots beyond the three-point line that if a shot is launched from those spots a successful basket counts four points.
Games are played to 50-points and be up by at least two, half-time mark when the first team hits 25.
The league is finding some success it would seem growing from eight teams in 2018, to 12 for the upcoming season.
Games are on CBS, but whether that includes being shown in Canada is unclear, although I’m hoping they are, just to see how entertaining Big3 might be.
