so we saw the Red Claws vs. the Iowa Energy
player observations
Marcus Landry didn't start - in his minutes there he looked uninspired and weak
Paul Davis is kind of a stiff
Morris Almond is a flat out scorer. I have no idea why he isn't in the league - he should be getting 10 day contracts
Curt Looby is raw, very little offensive game, but he's a big boy on the boards, showed hussle. He's an outside shot, but could make the league someday
the arena is more of a fieldhouse or gym - its not much bigger than a good sized high school or smaller college gym. Pretty fun atmosphere, definitely geared toward the kids, which is good. I caught a t-shirt, first time that's ever happened. All seats are good
the play was ok - felt like watching a hs all-star game or something of that level - less defense than I'd like.
also bingas wingas is a great place to go before a game in Portland - hot wings, solid beverage selection, highly recommended
The Almond mystery is one I've tried in vain to explore several times at D-LeagueDigest this year. Saw him in person a few times earlier in the year with Springfield both at home and on the road, and just as you intimated, he's a mesmerizing scorer. Can shoot it, can attack off the dribble, can pull up, hits his foul shots, the whole deal.
So far, my theorizing is that Almond is in possibly the toughest spot for potential call-ups: He's a serviceable all-around player whose primary weapon is his scoring. Problem is, NBA teams (the Warriors possibly excepted) don't call guys up from the D-League to be 30-touch-per-night guys. They call them up to fill a specific need - banger underneath, back-up point guard, situational stopper at the wing, etc. For all those niches, there are players better qualified than Almond.
As I said above, Morris is definitely at least serviceable in the other areas of the game, but he won't be getting called up as a defender, rebounder or distributor, and that's what makes it tough for him. But given that Reggie Williams made the league in a similar mold (though he was better in all the other aspects of the game), here's wondering if Morris can just get a little better in a few different facets of the game, and perhaps that will get him there.
Re: Looby, that sounds about right. I'd also add that the guy is in a two-man race to set the single-season D-League blocks record this year.
-sw