The Pleasure and Pain of the Halifax Rainmen - A Midseason Review

We're at the midway point of the season and you can't ask for much more from the Halifax Rainmen.  With only a 20-game season, every game counts.  Right now, Halifax sits in second place behind the Puerto Rico Capitanes and hold an 8-2 record.  The PBL playoff format only includes the top four teams at the end of the season and Halifax is in position take one of those spots.  What has made the first half of the season a success?  We'll take a look at the highs and lows also known as 'The Pleasure and Pain' of this first half of the Rainmen season.

PLEASURE - The Highs of the First Half

The Core (Eric Crookshank, Desmond Ferguson, Tony Bennett) - A huge part of this year's success has been the play of this core group of guys. Like the Boston Celtics, the Halifax Rainmen have a Big 3. With the return of Eric Crookshank and Tony Bennett along with the addition of former Manchester Millrat and sharpshooter, Desmond "Moneyball" Ferguson, this Rainmen trio has proven to be one of the best threesomes in the PBL. The fact that this core has remained on the roster for the first half has helped maintain the team chemistry that some of the lower tier teams in the league may be lacking.

Guards - Adding to the first half success has been the solid guard rotation of Adris DeLeon, Gary Ervin and Tony Bennett who have been killing opponents.  All three guys are quick, unafraid to attack the rim and can score at any given opportunity.  Unfortunately, Adris has moved on, and will continue his basketball career with the Dominican Republic's national team.  This leaves an open spot at the guard position.

102-99 Win over the Rochester Razorsharks (January 31, 2010) - One of the toughest tests at home for the Rainmen was the matchup against the 2-time PBL champs, the Rochester Razorsharks. Rochester, who was undefeated at the time, had difficulties defending the Rainmen offense as Desmond Ferguson led the way and had 26 pts which included 5 threes. This was a big statement game for the Rainmen, as they displayed to the rest of the league that they were now a force in the PBL.

Game Presentation - Team president and CEO, Andre Levingston and his Rainmen staff have done a great job putting out a good entertainment package for Halifax fans.  This includes an excellent marketing program which encompasses print, radio and internet promotion.  The team also reaches out to the fans via social media mediums like Facebook and Twitter.  As a result of this, Rainmen basketball is becoming more and more apparent in the city of Halifax. The Rainmen games themselves have an NBA feel with everything from R$ $mooth handling the arena music, to the Weather Girls, all the way down to the guys running down the court with the Rainmen flags before and after the games.  And it has really reflected in the attendance.  The Rainmen have had record attendance this season and the schedule is fan-friendly with most of the home games held on the weekends.

Coaching - Les Berry and his staff have done an outstanding job with this year's team.  After walking into the head coach role midway through last season, Coach Berry had the opportunity to come into the season with a fresh start.  The fresh start has helped both Andre Levingston and Les Berry work on a common vision that strives on a common goal of bringing a PBL championship to Halifax.

Defense - The Rainmen defense has been nothing but stellar with opponents only scoring 94 points per game (Halifax is the league leader).  When you have a defensive stopper like Garry Gallimore coming off of the bench and a big body like Marc Mazur down low at the five spot, it's no wonder they are one of the best defensive teams in the league.

Canadian Talent - You have to shoutout the Canadian content on this team.  First of all, you have St. FX alum, Garry Gallimore, and former Michigan Wolverine and Toronto native, Jevohn Shepherd, coming off the bench for the Rainmen.  Both have made significant contributions for Halifax in the first half, and fans can only hope to see more from the two Canucks.  You also have Dalhousie alum and Halifax's own, Devon Norris on the practice roster.  It's just too bad that we probably won't get to see him on the floor anytime soon.

PAIN - The Lows of the First Half

The Frequent Roster Changes - What's minor league basketball without constant roster changes?  We've seen a handful of guys come and go on this roster.  Guys like Mark McCarroll, Shagari Alleyne, Cory Underwood and Antwan Dobie were just a few of the faces that came and went throughout the first half of the season.  Luckily, it hasn't had much of an impact on the team chemistry.  The Rainmen will face its biggest test moving forward with the loss of Adris DeLeon.

Free Throw Shooting - The Rainmen are worst in the league in free throw shooting, making only 66.5% of their attempts.  If the Rainmen ever get into close game situations, especially come playoff time, the Rainmen will definitely need to make improvements.

The 108-101 Loss to Puerto Rico (January 28, 2010) - This game was a bit of a heartbreaker since the Rainmen were in the game up until the closing minutes.  But what made it a tough game to swallow was the fact Eric Crookshank did not make the trip to Puerto Rico as he was awaiting the birth of his baby.  The Rainmen were outrebounded 45-33 in that game and Eric's presence would have had made a huge impact.

What were some of your highs and lows of the first half of the season? Let us know in the comments section...

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino

Talkin' Hoops with Halifax Rainmen guard, Adris "2 Hard 2 Guard" DeLeon

The city of Halifax may not know Adris DeLeon yet, but the city of New York already does.  Deleon, who plays the guard position for the Halifax Rainmen, has already established himself on the courts of New York.  Based out of Washington Heights, NY, Adris was originally born in the Dominican Republic and moved to NY as a youngster.  He got his name playing streetball in NY playing with the likes of Ron Artest (watch him put it through Ron Artest's legs), Rafer "Skip to My Lou" Alston and the Rainmen's own, John Strickland.  If you Google Adris DeLeon's name, it's not hard to see that he has earned a name for himself wherever he has played and continues to make his mark with the Halifax Rainmen.

Single ladies of Halifax....you can even win a date with this guy. 

In the Rainmen's home opener against the Quebec Kebs, DeLeon led all scorers with 23 points and did it all in just 17 minutes of play.  I had the chance to ask Adris about the origins of his nickname, his mentor as a young ball player and what music is currently on his iPod.
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Romy (Haligonia.ca): So, what have been your first impressions with the city of Halifax? 

Adris DeLeon:  The first impression that I have of Halifax is that it's crazy cold out here. But no, it seems like the people are good supporters of the sport and the team, and they are very friendly towards others.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): The team has had an impressive start to the season, why do you think the Rainmen have been so successful thus far?

Adris DeLeon:  It's still early to predict what's going to happen. But the good thing that's happening to us is that we are finding ourselves. I think we really improve each game we play because of the older guys helping the younger players.

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  Your nickname is "2 Hard 2 Guard", what's the story behind the nickname?

Adris DeLeon:  My nickname, huh? haha... It's a long story but I started playing street ball for a while and because of street ball I had a chance to go to college. I never played high school ball and they saw me play in the park and decided to help me with school even though I only played AAU basketball.  My nickname came from playing outside against a lot of big time players, and I played really well against them. For the last couple minutes of one game, I was playing at the highest level. Every shot was dropping, I was driving, I was passing, and the people were like "he's hard to guard" and from that day on "2 hard 2 guard" came along, and since that day I've made sure I represent that name everywhere I go.

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  Who has been the toughest player you've had to play against?

Adris DeLeon: I've played against a lot of great players from big colleges and big time NBA players. But I can say Ron Artest and Kyle Lowry from the Houston Rockets were crazy but I held my own. But there's been other players in New York that have been tough match ups too, but that people might not know.

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  You were born in the Dominican Republic, how often do you go back to the D.R.?

Adris DeLeon: I was born out there and I came to New York when I was like 10 years old. So since then my family always goes, but most of the time I stay in NY because of summer ball or traveling for AAU and college ball. I've been out there to try out for the national team and it was a good experience for me to be picked to come try out. But I only go out there for basketball, but hopefully I can go soon and enjoy it and try to see my old friends and my family, especially my grandparents.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): How bad do you miss the hot weather when you're in places like New York and Halifax?

Adris DeLeon:  I miss it because I'm scared of the cold but that’s all.

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  Growing up in New York, who did you look up to when you were a young basketball player?

Adris DeLeon:  In New York, I looked up to my parents that raised me with manners and kept our family close. My father used to get on me to make sure I always do the right thing. My mom would get mad because she doesn’t like when people scream at me but I'm a momma's boy so yeah, lol... But I'm really proud of my parents and the job they did, and my brother and sister also did well following their lead . But towards basketball I really think I love watching Ray Allen play, even though he's a little older now, and Penny Hardaway. But a close friend that I've seen become successful with basketball has been Luis Flores. He played in college and went to the NBA and we're from the same neighborhood and I respect that man because I've seen him work hard for everything he has.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): What's songs/artists are on your iPod right now?

Adris DeLeon:  Song on my iPod...a lot of Spanish music, reggaeton, bachata and R and B, but you know you need to have Jay-Z to get you pumped up for the game...haha

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Shoutouts go out to Adris for taking the time out of his schedule to answer our questions, check out Adris' website adrisdeleon.com and also watch him live here in Halifax at the Halifax Rainmen home games.

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino

Rainmen Rally in the Second Half to Defeat Quebec - RAINMEN 112, KEBS 87

(photo courtesy of Romy Aquino)

RAINMEN 112, KEBS 87
Adris DeLeon led the Rainmen to victory in Halifax's regular season home opener at the Metro Centre on Sunday afternoon.  DeLeon came off the Rainmen bench to lead all scorers with 23 points on 6/9 shooting in only 17 minutes of play.  It was a tight game up until the Rainmen finished off the third quarter on an 11-0 run, up 77-64 after three quarters.  As the Rainmen continue their search for their starting centre, coach Les Berry went with the new kid in town, Cory Underwood, to start at the five.  Underwood, formerly with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the D-League, finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds, a steal and a block.

The Rainmen continued to pound on the Kebs in the final quarter as Halifax's offensive weapons, Tony Bennett and Desmond "Moneyball" Ferguson, helped Halifax go on another run in the fourth.  Ferguson nailed back to back threes and then Bennett made three consecutive baskets midway throught the fourth quarter to give Halifax a 25-point lead.

For the Quebec Kebs, former PBL MVP, Jeremy Bell led the Kebs with 21 pts and 7 rebounds but also had 7 turnovers.  Former Halifax Rainmen, Cordell Jeanty finished with 18 pts.

Shaun "Mavs" Gillis & Ryan Dickison Player of the Game: 
Adris DeLeon  23 pts, 1 steal in 17 minutes of play

Romy Aquino's Player of the Game:
Tony Bennett  15 pts, 4 rebounds, 1 steal

Hat-tip to the Kebs:
Jeremy Bell  21 pts, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 three balls

Key Notes:

• Hot Shooting: The Halifax Rainmen shot an impressive 57% while Quebec shot 44%
• Halifax's bench had a field day as they outscored Quebec's bench 54-16
• Points in the Paint: 58-34 in favour of the Rainmen
• Canadian Watch: Garry Gallimore - 6 pts, 2 assists, Jevohn Shepherd - 11 pts on 4/4 shooting
• Strong Second Half: Halifax outscored Quebec 64-43 in the second half
• Canadian pop singer, Elise Estrada performed at halftime of the Rainmen home opener
• "WE WANT STRICK!" - Fan fave, "The Franchise" John Strickland got some run yesterday, 15 minutes, 6 pts
• In case you missed it, be sure to check out Haligonia.ca's interview with the newest member of the team, Cory Underwood

Post Game Links:
The Chronicle Herald

In their home opener before 3,276 fans, the Rainmen used an explosive fourth quarter to swamp the visiting Kebs 112-87 at the Metro Centre, completing a sweep of a home-and-home series that has them on their first winning streak of the young Premier Basketball League season.

Canada Basketball

Guard Adris DeLeon (New York) led the Rainmen scorers with 23 points, while Tony Bennett (Chicago) had 15 points. Desmond Ferguson (Lansing, Mich.) added 14 points, as the hometown team piled up 37 points in the final quarter.

The Raw Feed

Cordell Jeanty who sat out last game against the Rainmen because of injuries fought hard in fourth to keep the Kebs in the game. The Quebec City Kebs played a great game, but fatigue overcame them in the fourth, with three of their strongest players out due to injuries Jonas Pierre (shoulder) Louis Patrick Levros (ankle) and JP Morin (abdomen). The Quebec City Kebs are optimistic that two of the players will return in the next two weeks to play.

Next up, the Rainmen take on the Vermont Frost Heaves at the Metro Centre this Saturday night @ 7pm, live on Haligonia.ca!

Let us know your thoughts on the Rainmen home opener...what areas can the Halifax Rainmen improve on?  Put down your thoughts in the comments section below...

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino