Wednesday, September 22, 2010

66ers draft position announced

The Tulsa 66ers received the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Development League Draft via lottery at the League’s annual coaches meetings in Dallas Tuesday evening. The draft will be held on Nov. 1.

Additionally, the 66ers will select 20th, 45th, 52nd, 77th, 84th, 109th, and 116th.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

A first glance at the 66ers schedule ... the good, the bad, the ugly

While the Tulsa 66ers' 2010-11 schedule has been out for some time, I waited until today to really take a look at it because tonight will be the first 66ers-related activity of the season as the Preseason Bash is held at Dave & Buster's from 7-9 p.m. If you're in the area, free appetizers will be served tonight and the first 40 guests to arrive will receive free $5 game vouchers.

Here are a few of the highlights from my perspective...

The season opens with back-to-back games in Bakersfield on Nov. 19-20. Despite the Jam's subpar record last season, that was a tough place for Tulsa to play and will be a tough place to open with consecutive games.

The first home games of the season? Who better than Iowa to come to Tulsa on Nov. 26 and 27? The 66ers and Energy had an amazing playoff battle last season, including a crazy, emotion-filled deciding game in Des Moines. These will be two big tests for the 66ers in front of what should be a good crowd over Thanksgiving weekend.

Tulsa meets new D-League franchise Texas on their home court on Dec. 4 in what could be the start of a good rivalry (you know how Texas and Oklahoma teams love each other, and how the Thunder and Mavericks will be jockeying for Western Conference bragging rights this season). The next night, Tulsa returns home to face Rio Grande Valley for the first time since the Vipers took the championship on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Tulsa's next action will then be two games at Sioux Falls, meaning five of the 66ers' first nine games will be against opponents they faced in the playoffs last season. Talk about an early test!

The 66ers have just three home games in January, including a stretch of just two over the final three weeks of the month. The tables turn in February, however, as the 66ers will be home for all but one game (and that one road game is a short trip to face Texas).

Tulsa gets the final five games of the season at home, during what could be a push for playoff seeding. Those final five will not be easy as they include Austin, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and the last two of the season against Dakota.