Three seems to be the lucky number to win an NBA Championship or at least go deep into the playoffs.  Look at this year’s NBA Championship: the Boston Celtics have Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.  The Los Angeles Lakers have Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Derek Fischer.  Sure, both teams have crucial players other than the Big Three, whether that was Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Ron Artest, or Andrew Bynum.

Three never had such a big impact until the Thursday of July 8th when LeBron James decided to take an earth shattering deal with the Miami Heat to be with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.  Three of the best players in the world on one team.  Everyone has an opinion on the matter and this could change the face of the NBA for years to come.

So, why does the standard number of great players on one team always seem to be three?  The answer is simple: salary cap.  The NBA announced that the cap space for the 2010-11 season will be an astounding $58.044 million.  To make a Big Three, the team needs to have big name players.  Big name players mean a couple things: a boost in revenue from jersey sales, attendance etc. and a shot at the title.  But, it also means that most of the $58 million in cap space will be eaten up.

The Heat have already made moves to cut salary space when they shipped off Daequen Cook a month ago and recently traded Michael Beasley to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With a roster seemingly becoming smaller by the day, this could mean great things for the NBA D-League in the near future and over time.  Facing a three-headed monster in James, Wade and Bosh is going to take a lot of skill and the term “Big Three” may just be starting.  Teams are going to do anything they can to cut salary room and bring in a Big Three of their own to compete with the Heat.

What does this mean for players like the Iowa Energy’s Curtis Stinson or Denham Brown?  It could mean their shot at the NBA.  A team like the Heat are going to have to sign some players to minimum contracts to fill out their rosters and this could give players in the D-League their shot to play in the NBA.

What the Heat did by signing the Big Three might have started a chain reaction among teams fighting to be among the elite for years to come.  It may just oust bench players eating up a couple million dollars of the salary cap and bring in a couple young and bright players like Stinson or Brown to the team for their shot at the NBA.

Only time will tell.

What a week! It’s been a lot of fun in the Energy offices over the past week. From our great home opener last week to the “Blizzard of the Century” this week, it’s been a wild ride. Just in case you’ve been stuck in a snow-cave, here is the latest news on the Energy front.

Phoenix Sun Taylor Griffin is coming to Des Moines!

As most of you know, the Energy is affiliated with the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls. This allows those NBA teams to assign their young players to the Energy to get them valuable playing time. Suns GM Steve Kerr announced this week that Suns rookie Taylor Griffin has been assigned to the Energy for this weekend’s games against Dakota. Taylor was the Suns 2nd round pick and just happens to be the older brother of the #1 pick in this year’s draft, Blake Griffin. They both starred at Oklahoma, leading them to the Elite 8 of last year’s NCAA tourney. Taylor is a great athlete and will be a fan favorite. Read more about him HERE.

Cartier Martin is Back!

More great news came out earlier this week, when the Energy announced that we are re-signing Cartier Martin. Cartier was our 1st pick in last year’s D-League draft and played in 20 plus games, before being called up by the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.

He is an explosive scorer and averaged 20.6 points and 5.4 rebounds during his time in Des Moines. Cartier played his college ball just a short drive away at Kansas State.

Energy Undefeated, atop the Power Rankings!

The Energy are off to a torrid start, beginning the year 4-0 after sweeping series against Springfield and Fort Wayne. The Energy are in sole possession of first place in the D-League’s Eastern Conference standings and are also the only undefeated team in the D-League.

In the most recent power rankings released by the league, it was no surprise to see the Energy at the top. Coach Nurse and the staff have a great group of players and hopefully we remain at the top all year. This year’s squad is a blast to watch, come on out to Wells Fargo Arena to see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!

They are incredible to see in person. Tickets start as low as $8 for the entire night! Call us at 515-462-2849 or go to www.dahlstickets.com You won’t want to miss it.

The Energy look to remain undefeated on Sunday afternoon in a rematch with the Mad Ants. Tip-off is at 4pm. See you there!

PROS: More legitimacy to the league (a real playoff system)

Greater development of rivalries (I’ve heard people ask about how much would be lost if last year’s Celtics/Bulls series was only one game.)

Greater chance that the best team wins.

CONS: Selling playoff tickets on short notice has forever been a tough job for minor league teams.

More travel for teams.

Does it make sense financially?

Well, I guess we will find out. The Energy favored keeping the playoffs as they were (single elimination until the finals)….but we will roll with it. I personally love the fact that the higher seeds get to pick the lower seeds. Talk about DRAMA! We picked Dakota last year and they came in and took care of us (David Bell’s 10…yes 10….3-pointers that night had something to do with it!).

So here is our plan….get the #1 seed, pick the #8 seed……beat them at their place and then at ours. Ditto in round 2, and again in round 3. Raise the banner, wear our rings…….and talk about how great of a decision it was to expand the playoffs!

-Chris Makris, Iowa Energy GM

Great article from the Niagara Falls Review about Energy 7th round pick Russell Hicks, the 7 foot center from Canada. He sounds excited to get here!

Find more info HERE on 5th round selection Joah Tucker, who had a great career at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Check back here to EnergyHoopla all week as we report on the happenings at Training Camp and give you an inside look on how the Energy roster is shaping up.