Gino's Jungle

The Maine Red Claws got their first ever franchise victory tonight against the Dakota Wizards. The Red Claws played the Wizards close for the entire game before breaking away in the fourth quarter for a 107-97 victory. I am very excited to see that the Red Claws got their first win. When you think of most expansion teams you think of teams that take 3-5 years to grow. I'm not trying to jump the gun here but getting the first ever win off their shoulders is huge for the team's future success.

The Red Claws were lead tonight by their two big stars Bill Walker and Billy Thomas. If you are a Celtics fan you obviously know who Bill Walker is. If not, Walker is a member of the Boston Celtics, he was drafted two years ago out of Kansas State and is rehabing from off-season surgery. In the Red Claws first game Friday night Walker dropped in 25 points in a losing effort. Tonight Walker used a eleven point fourth quarter performance, including seven straight points, to tally 18 points on the night. I did not watch the full game but I can assume that Walker was the key to the Red Claws victory.

The other player that stood out tonight was Billy Thomas. Thomas was the first ever Maine Red Claw, he was drafted in the first round on the expansion draft in September. Thomas is a 34 year old guard who originally played, and graduated from Kansas University. Last season he signed a end of the year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and played in seven games, totaling 12 points on four three point field goals. Tonight Thomas tied Walker's scoring total with 18 points on 6-10 shooting.

If Walker stays in Portland for a long period of time expect these two players to gel and carry the team forward. Both of these guys are great scores and high-level D-League athletes. Walker is now averaging 22 points a game, while Thomas is currently averaging 16.2 ppg. I assure you if you can find a cheap ticket to one of these games in Portland it will be well worth your dollars. I have a feeling these guys will put on a good show every night at the expo.