Skyforce Ready For Regular Season After A Successful Showcase Showout

Skyforce Ready For Regular Season After A Successful Showcase Showout

There is a lot to be excited about with the Sioux Falls Skyforce as they prepare to start the regular season with an away game in Oklahoma City.

 The Force had a very successful Showcase Cup portion of the season going 11-7 and barely missing out on the Showcase tournament in Las Vegas. During that span, the Force were extremely dominant at home winning seven of their eight games played in Sioux Falls. 

“It feels good to play at home,” head coach Kasib Powell said. “We’ve got a good fan base here and the community comes out and supports us well. Anytime we have a home game, we look forward to it and like to perform in front of our crowd.” 

The Force also finished out their season strong winning seven of their last eight games, the one loss coming in their second NBA G League winter showcase game and only losing by five points to the Delaware Blue Coats.  

A lot of the Skyforce’s successes can be attributed to how incredibly talented the team is this season. Coach Powell has a deep roster to work with, and any given game, any guy can get into double-digits. 

“I got to make sure they're playing with each other, sharing the ball and being in space,” Powell said.  “Once they do that, it makes my job easier because we are so talented. It's a good problem to have being so talented. Hopefully, we can keep moving the ball and scoring a lot of points because we have 7-8 guys that are capable of scoring double digits every night." 

The Skyforce will continue to look for offensive success from DJ Stewart, Jamaree Bouyea, Mychal Mulder and their two-way players Orlando Robinson and Jamal Cain. 

Before getting his two-way contract, Orlando Robinson was a walking double-double. He put up seven consecutive games with a double-double and finished the Showcase portion of the season first in rebounds per game (13.0) and 14th in points per game (22.4). Robinson earned a well deserved NBA call-up on December 12. 

“We think he’s one of the best bigs in the league,” Powell said. “Throughout the course of the game, he’s going to end up getting his points and rebounds because he’s a dominant player.”

Jamal Cain has been two-wayed by the Miami Heat since the beginning of the season. He is another dominant player for the Skyforce averaging 18.1 points on 56.5% shooting, 7.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. The rookie out of Oakland has shown out and has proven to be dominant as a starter for the team. 

Another key to offensive success for the Skyforce is DJ Stewart. In his second season with the Skyforce, Stewart has been on a tear. He averages 22.1 points on 50.9% shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. His points per game ranks 16th in the G League after the Showcase. Stewart has had 14 games over double-digits, 10 games over 20 points, and three games over 30 points. 

“DJ brings versatility to the game,” Powell said. “He can do everything on the court, and when he is locked in on both ends of the floor, he has the potential to be a pro at the next level for many years.” 

The Force have a pretty young team and they rely on rookies to make big plays and win them games. So far, that has been a successful endeavor for the Skyforce and a lot of credit is due to Jamaree Bouyea for that success. 

Bouyea does it all for the team. He averages 15.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Early in the Showcase portion of the season against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Bouyea nearly recorded a quadruple-double with 27 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists and 8 steals. Bouyea has also tallied a double-double, triple-double, and has scored double-digits in 16 games this season. When Bouyea scored over 18 points a game, the Skyforce were 5-2.

While the Force have had to rely on a lot of young guys this season, they have reliable vets to count on. One of those vets, Mychal Mulder, has cemented his place in Skyforce history this season. Mulder has made 66 three-pointers this season - good for fourth in the G League - which gives him 265 three-pointers in a Skyforce jersey and has him ranked third in three-point field goals made in Skyforce history. At this pace, Mulder could find himself notching second place (Calton McKinney, 278), and even soaring to first all-time in three-point shooting in franchise history (Henry James, 318).

“Mike’s our shooter,” Powell said. “He’s one of the best shooters in Skyforce history. One of the best shooters in the league. When he’s making shots, it helps our offense out and stretches the defense as well.” 

Where the Skyforce have really shined is on the defensive side of the ball. Statistically speaking, they are one of the best defensive teams in the league, owning a defensive rating of 105.0 in the Showcase cup. During their seven game win streak, they boasted a defensive rating of 91.6, which was the lowest for any Skyforce team of more than four games in the G League era. 

The Skyforce have their eyes set on hoisting the G League Championship this spring and that journey starts on Tuesday, December 27 in Oklahoma City. With a long season ahead of them, the Force will have to continue to play together and dominate games on the defensive side of the ball. If they are able to keep their current pace, this team can go as far as they want to go. 

“We have the potential,” assistant coach Ronald Allen said. “If we maximize that, I think we can go as far as we want to go. It starts with having a winning season, getting into the playoffs, and once you get there anything can happen. We got to work harder each day, throughout the good times and bad and stay the course. At the end of the year, we might be the ones holding that banner if we maximize our potential in every practice and every game.” 

Your first chance to see the Sioux Falls Skyforce in regular season action will be New Years Eve and New Years Day at the Sanford Pentagon. Get a family four pack that includes four tickets, four slices of pizza, four drinks and four promo items, all for $99 by visiting sfskyforce.com/family.