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.

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.

The first part of our Energy team is assembled. We received NINE players through the league’s allocation process. Here are some notes on what you can expect from these guys.

Curtis Stinson (Iowa State) – veteran returning point guard.  Second Team All D-League, 15 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds last year. Smart, Tough, Winner.

Mark Tyndale (Temple)–really competes, played some point guard this summer, great hustle guy, outside shooting is improving, looking for excellent second season.

Darryl Watkins (Syracuse)–returns to Iowa after big year in China.  6-11’ athlete and shot blocker, offense is coming.

Jeff Trepagnier (USC)–veteran shooter, can really heat up from behind the arc, liked what we saw of him in final week of the season last year.

Adam Emmenecker (Drake)–Star of the Bulldogs dream season. Smart, leader, assist man, knows how to play the game, teammates will love playing with him.

Marvin Phillips (Claflin)–100% after injury last year. Worker, plays all out, all the time. Plays 4 and 5 position.

Anthony Tolliver (Creighton)-Former Blue Jay star, who can really shoot the 3, rebounding and athleticism really improved last year.

Shyron Ely (Evansville)–18 points a game last year in the MVC, runner up player of the year. Quick athlete, who can score, shooting is better than advertised, great person, sister Shrya plays in the WNBA for Chicago Sky.

Matt Trannon (Michigan State)–Two sport star for the Spartans. Played both basketball and football. Has been in several NFL training camps, and played in Australia last year. Very athletic and tough. Plays hard.

This has been and will continue to be an exciting week in the Energy office as we put the pieces of the puzzle together on our 2009-2010 roster. This year’s squad will have some local college flavor as Iowa State’s Curtis Stinson returns to the Energy and Drake’s Adam Emmenecker gets a chance to make the team at training camp, which begins next week. ABC 5 Sports Director John Walters reports on the news.

Also HERE is an article from Mark Emmert and the Des Moines Register about the local flavor.

Look out Below!!

Credit: Bright Side of the Sun blog.

All of us that have played basketball have thought about it. Some may have even believed it. Do I have what it takes to play in the NBA?

Well Dustin from one of our favorite blogs, the Phoenix Suns centered, “Bright Side of the Sun” blog, took his shot at answering this question. He decided to take his chances and run with the rest of the 35 players trying out at the Energy’s Phoenix tryout this past Saturday. Do yourself a favor and read the story about his experience.

Bright Side of Sun Experience

Thanks again to Dustin and the fellas at “Bright Side of the Sun” for their effort. Awesome work. And to all of those who want to take their shot, try-outs in Chicago are October 24th and try-outs in Des Moines are October 31st. To register go to iowanba.com and keep on living the dream!

After helping the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA title last season, he was rewarded with a two-year contract. He has picked up right where he left off last season. Check this throw down on another former NBA D-Leaguer Mikki Moore!

The Iowa Energy will select 9^th in the 2009 NBA D-League draft to be held November 5^th.  The draft will play a large factor in the roster for the upcoming season as several stars are typically acquired through the draft.

Last season, the Energy selected forward Cartier Martin with the 15^th overall pick in the draft.  Martin was called-up to the NBA by the Charlotte BobcatsOthyus Jeffers was selected in the 3^rd round of last year’s draft. early in the season and signed with the Bobcats for the remainder of the 2008-09 season.  D-League Rookie of the Year

The Albuquerque Thunderbirds won the 2009 NBA Development League’s Draft lottery and will have the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA D-League draft next month.

The NBA D-League Draft utilizes a “serpentine” format, meaning the order will alternate in each of the ten rounds. For example, the team picking last in the first round will select first in the second round, giving them the 16th and 17th overall choices.

The order of the first round will be:

1.       Albuquerque Thunderbirds

2.       Erie BayHawks

3.       Los Angeles D-Fenders

4.       Bakersfield Jam

5.       Utah Flash

6.       Austin Toros

7.       Reno Bighorns

8.       Maine Red Claws

9.       Iowa Energy

10.     Fort Wayne Mad Ants

11.     Dakota Wizards

12.     Rio Grande Valley Vipers

13.     Sioux Falls Skyforce

14.     Springfield Armor

15.     Idaho Stampede

16.     Tulsa 66ers

*pictured Cartier Martin, courtesy NBA.