Bill Gabriel: His Team Explained

Bill Gabriel is an absolute Olympic Club basketball legend. Not necessarily for his recent game on the court, but more for his managerial magic. I don't think anybody missed Bill's picture on the B League predictions made by Phil, Fidel and Commissioner Ray which stated that Captain Gabriel has "over" 20 League titles to his credit, one of which was won last year in the B-Leauge. Bill's greatest trait as a Captain is his ability to draft the "sleeper". C'mon now, Chris Nowak in the 4th round last year? Let's just say that Nowak was this year's third overall pick.

But let's talk about the players on Team Gabriel. Without Brad Van Blois in the draft (he's chasing the dream in A-League), Captain Bill selected last year's scoring champion Mike Halow in the first round. His 25 points, 6 rebounds, nearly 4 assists and 2.5 steals per game are some pretty flashy numbers. As you can see, this clearly paints a picture of someone who can do it all. Gabriel clearly likes the alpha point guard and Mike fits the bill perfectly. Accompanying Mike at the guard position is the ever competitive Ryan Crowley. Crowley is one competitive B-Leaguer and has told me on many occasions that he doesn't take "stuff" from anybody. His solid contribution of 14 points, 7 boards & 2 assists from the guard position will do this squad well.

Out on the wing is Kurt Houtkooper. This 6'2" 230lb B-League star knows how to get the job done. Last year Kurt averaged almost 14 and a half points, 8 Rodmans and shot 80% from the charity stripe. Bill Mason is a Gabriel favorite (maybe because they share the same first name?) and was on the championship team last season chipping in 13.4 points, 6 boards at a great percentage. Bill hit over 50% of his threes and shot 83% from the line in the '06 - '07 season.

Looking at just the guard and wing positions on Team Gabriel shows a scoring average of over 56 points per game from 4 players. Will the big men be able to score? Yes, they will. 2007 NCAA League All-Star Gary Coover stands 6'4" with 195lb of pure low post muscle. Gary put up just 9 points and 6 boards last year but has the potential to be one of the top 'tweener big men in the league. Phil Daws also knows how to manage the block using his size to put in 9 points per game last year.

What Bill Gabriel team would be complete without a few wild cards? John Gay comes back to the B-League after a few years off and is ready to contribute. Bill Elfsten was on Gabriel's over-35 League team and has a solid game. And new comers Brad Walsh and Michael Finn must have some talent in order to be on the Gabriel squad. Something tells me that at least one of these guys will be a serious B-League producer.

OUTLOOK:
It's tough to say anything bad about the defending champs with a team as solid as this. Their guards and wings certainly provide a lot of fire power. But is there enough ball to go around for everyone? The only way these big 4 can be successful is by finding their roles on the team and maybe accepting a few less ppg's in exchange for assist or board numbers. If this team is anything like the Gabriel teams of the past, they will be peaking as the playoffs begin. Can Bill Gabriel win a B-League without Brad Van Blois and/or Mark Gottas? It may be tough, but something tells me that Bill has a trick up his sleeve in order to give it his best shot.