Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Sunday, March 11, 2007
D-League plays well in Bismarck
Tom Wagganer wasn’t going to snow the Bismarck, N.D., community by telling them the NBA Development League was the best minor league organization, or level of play, they had ever seen.
The Dakota Wizards general manager had to show them.
“The Bismarck market has a pretty high expectation,” Wagganer said. “They won an IBA championship and went on to the CBA where they won two championships. I think our fans have noticed the increased level of play and have enjoyed it.”
Wagganer, who is in his first year as GM of the Wizards, was on the ground floor of the NBA Development League when it started in 2001. He was with Huntsville, Ala., for two years, with Sacramento for a year, back with Huntsville, then with Tulsa last year.
He has seen the league make some mistakes, work to correct them, and become rock-solid in terms of the support it receives from the NBA. The mistakes, Wagganer said, came in the early years by locating some franchises in the southeast that simply were not strong markets or lacked in structural stability.
“When the league first started in the southeast, it just didn’t work. They have been able to make some adjustments, going from league ownership to now having all the teams (except one) individually owned. It is a great basketball experience,” Wagganer said. “The talent you see in this league is second to none.”
Wagganer said the Bismarck metro area has a population of about 60,000, which is by far the smallest market in the league. However, the Wizards are averaging more than 3,000 fans per game this season.
What’s more impressive, Wagganer said, is the working relationship NBA D-League teams have with the NBA.
“The NBA is not only trying to develop good players, but good people off the court as well,” Wagganer said. “There are player programs where they can earn on-line credits from Michigan State, where they learn things like interview skills, health and nutrition. This is all supported through the NBA.”
Wagganer told a story of a player who wasn’t playing to the high level the coaching staff had seen and was expecting. He seemed tired, or a bit off. It seems he was studying for, and taking finals, on-line during that week. Once the coaches found out the reason, they couldn’t help but feel good about the player, and the league.
“Commissioner Stern not only wants these guys to get better as players, but as people,” Wagganer said.
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