ISSUE 04 // SEASON S3
COURT INDEX
TORONTO TUNDRA SPECIAL EDITION
HOGAN / 7'0"
DELIL / 6'4"
LEAGUE INSIDER
NXT STANDINGS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
| # | TEAM | W-L | PCT | DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x-Brooklyn Breakers | 18-3 | .857 | +13.5 |
| 2 | Memphis Blues | 15-6 | .714 | +11.1 |
| 3 | Kalamazoo Steelheads | 12-10 | .545 | +5.1 |
| 4 | Fresno Herd | 9-11 | .450 | -3.9 |
| 5 | Victoria Imperials | 10-14 | .417 | -1.6 |
| 6 | New Jersey Stallions | 8-13 | .381 | -4.9 |
| 7 | Utah Avalanche | 8-14 | .364 | -6.9 |
| 8 | Lonestar Rampage | 7-15 | .318 | -9.5 |
WESTERN CONFERENCE
| # | TEAM | W-L | PCT | DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x-Nxt Over Drive Elite | 18-5 | .783 | +10.2 |
| 2 | Nxt Fast Break Society | 17-7 | .708 | +10.1 |
| 3 | Nxt Go Getter Hoops | 15-9 | .625 | +5.3 |
| 4 | Nxt Ascension Prep | 12-11 | .522 | +3.8 |
| 5 | Nxt No Ceilings | 10-13 | .435 | -5.9 |
| 6 | Nxt Jelly Cnnect | 8-14 | .364 | -8.6 |
| 7 | Nxt Flight Club Select | 6-13 | .316 | -4.8 |
| 8 | Nxt Out The Mud | 5-20 | .200 | -13.0 |
NXT ADVANCED INSIGHTS
MUD GRITTINESS
Floor-burns & grit rating
GRAVITY INDEX
Defensive stretch range
GM REGRET INDEX
Oakland trade fallout
Select an advanced metric card above to drill down into the stats.
0
TORONTO TUNDRA
KUZ DELIL
POINT GUARD // #0
HEIGHT: 6'4"
WEIGHT: 222 LBS
SKILLSET: ELITE PLAYMAKER
FEATURE INTERVIEW // PART 1
CYBERNETIC PLAYMAKING
Q: You are a 6'4", 222-pound point guard with the strength to absorb contact and the athleticism to finish above the rim. How much do you try to use your physical advantage against smaller guards?
KUZ: I definitely try to use it, especially against smaller guards. I’m 6’4, 222, so I’m not gonna play like I’m 180 pounds. I like getting into the paint, using my body, drawing contact and making them deal with me physically the whole game.
Q: With elite three-point shooting, deep range and a quick release, defenders may have to pick you up well beyond the arc. How does that extra attention help you create opportunities for the rest of Toronto’s offence?
KUZ: It opens up a lot for everybody else. If they’re picking me up from deep because they respect my shot, it gives me more room to attack. Once I get past the first defender, the help has to come, and that’s when the corners, the hash or the roller can get open.
Q: Both you and Marius de Romanus are capable playmakers who can initiate Toronto’s offence. How do you expect to share those responsibilities, and could having two primary creators make the team harder to defend?
KUZ: I think it makes us way harder to guard. Me and Marius can both bring the ball up, run the offence and create for other people. It doesn’t always have to be one guy doing everything. We can play off each other and keep the defence guessing.
Q: Your combination of passing, ball handling and speed with the ball gives you the tools to control an offence. Do you consider yourself a traditional pass-first point guard, a scoring guard, or someone who changes styles depending on the matchup?
KUZ: I’d say I change depending on the game. I can be pass-first and run the offence, but I can also score when I need to. I like running pick-and-roll, getting into the paint and finding people, but if I have a matchup I like or we need a bucket, I can iso too.
FEATURE INTERVIEW // PART 2
ATTACKING THE DEEP BOUNDS
Q: Your finishing package includes strong layup and dunk ratings despite playing point guard. When opponents aggressively run you off the three-point line, how confident are you in consistently punishing them at the rim?
KUZ: I'm very confident. If they run me off the three-point line, I'm not really worried because now I have space to drive. I can finish with an athletic layup, dunk it, take the contact or draw a foul. And if the whole defence collapses, I'm finding the open shooter.
Q: For a lead guard, assist-to-turnover ratio and assist percentage can sometimes reveal more than raw assist totals. Which do you believe better reflects your impact as a playmaker, and what standard do you set for yourself in those areas?
KUZ: I think assist-to-turnover ratio probably shows more because you can get a lot of assists but still be careless with the ball. I want to create a lot without giving possessions away. I don't really have one exact number in mind, but I want to be efficient and make the right reads.
Q: You are under contract for the next two seasons with a team option afterward. Do you view this stretch as an opportunity to prove you should be Toronto's long-term starting point guard?
KUZ: For sure. I see these next two seasons as a chance to prove I can be the long-term point guard here. I want to show I can lead the offence, help us win and be someone Toronto can trust with the ball every game.
Q: Your perimeter defence is a strength, but your profile also suggests you are more of an on-ball defender than a natural interceptor. Would you rather shut down the opposing point guard directly or take more risks attempting to create steals and transition chances?
KUZ: I'd rather lock up the other point guard than gamble for steals all game. I'll take chances when they're there, but I'm not gonna leave my team in a bad position just chasing stats. I'd rather stay in front, make them uncomfortable and force them into tough shots.
❝
I see these next two seasons as a chance to prove I can be the long-term point guard here. I want to show I can lead the offence, help us win and be someone Toronto can trust.— KUZ DELIL
20
TORONTO TUNDRA
JAMES HOGAN
POWER FORWARD // #20
HEIGHT: 7'0"
WEIGHT: 245 LBS
SKILLSET: POSITIONLESS STAR
FEATURE INTERVIEW // PART 1
7-FOOT VERSATILITY
Q: You arrived in Toronto through a major trade involving Ace Haskins, while the Tundra also received Marius de Romanus and a future first-round pick. Did the size of that deal create extra pressure to prove Toronto made the right decision?
HOGAN: I think stepping into a place where such a high-level player and likely MVP candidate in Ace Haskins there's always going to be pressure. I don't think that creates that extra pressure in and of itself. But yes, stepping out of Oakland into Toronto, the reigning champions, made it a lot of extra weight and responsibility.
Q: At seven feet tall, you can dominate inside, shoot from mid-range and stretch the floor from three. Which part of your offensive game do you believe creates the biggest matchup problem for opponents?
HOGAN: I think my ability to drive to the rim and finish in contact, throwing down dunks, that would be what I say is my strongest offensive weapon. If the player guarding me leaves me to get free and open a lane to the basket? I'm there.
Q: You previously served as both a player and the general manager of Oakland before DeMarcus Pope took over and ultimately traded you. What was it like losing control of the front office and then being moved by the new leadership?
HOGAN: Stepping down as General Manager was the hardest decision I've made so far in my career. I felt that I wasn't the right person to lead the team out of the hole that I'd put them in, so I was grateful for DeMarcus Pope taking over the reins. As for being moved, I really did want to stay in Oakland, at least until the off-season, but it is what it is.
Q: Your game is unusually versatile for a power forward, particularly with your speed, ball handling and ability to defend on the perimeter. Do you consider yourself a big man, or more of a positionless player?
HOGAN: I enjoy the versatility. It means I've got more flexibility on defence and can switch between players that live in the post to players that like to space the floor further quickly. I don't think I can truly call myself positionless, but I love the versatility that I can bring to any team.
FEATURE INTERVIEW // PART 2
CHAMPIONSHIP MINDSET
Q: Toronto already has an established core featuring Marius de Romanus, Aquantis Melo, Stoneway Rivers II and Nicky Barnes. How do you see your role fitting alongside those four players?
HOGAN: Obviously it's great to be back with Nicky, my former Oakland teammate. It's also phenomenal being able to play alongside those other guys, who are all capable of exploding on any given night and scoring 25, 30 or more.
Q: You posted an elite 67.9% true-shooting percentage and a 64.4% effective field-goal percentage with Oakland. Do you believe that efficiency is sustainable in Toronto, especially if your usage and shot selection change?
HOGAN: I think with the right shot selection I can continue or even improve my shooting percentages. I've been working on my 3 point shooting since I arrived and being more capable and willing to do that, plus still leaving room to drive and keep it high through taking high percentage chances.
Q: You can protect the rim, defend the post and switch onto smaller perimeter players. Which defensive responsibility do you take the most pride in, and where do you believe you still need to improve?
HOGAN: I think the defensive responsibility that I take the most pride in is actually my perimeter work. I know that not all big men can do that, so I like being able to help the team out like that. Although it's really satisfying when you can pull off a massive block.
Q: You joined the league in Season 1 and have already experienced leadership responsibilities, a change in management and a major trade. At this point in your career, what matters most: individual recognition, long-term stability or winning a championship with Toronto?
HOGAN: Individual recognition has never been the most important thing for me. I think stability is important but I also really want to win a championship, and I think that this might be one of my best chances to pull that off. This season, with this team. There's been a lot of talk about Chicago and New York as the strongest teams in the East, and yet we're still here, ahead of both of them. I believe we can do it.
❝
I think stability is important but I also really want to win a championship, and I think that this might be one of my best chances. This season, with this team. We can do it.— JAMES HOGAN
COMING SOON
NEXT ISSUE
MARIUS DE ROMANUS
SG / SF / PF
AQUANTIS MELO
SG / SF
In Issue 05, we dissect the playmaking matrix of Toronto's elite wing duo. How does de Romanus command defensive attention, and can Aquantis Melo carry the perimeter load down the stretch?
STATUS: IN RECOVERY // ESTIMATED ARRIVAL: S3W08
UNITED BASKETBALL
ASSOCIATION
STRICTLY CHEAT CODES // ZERO EXCUSES
SPONSORED BY TORONTO TUNDRA
POWERED BY COURT INDEX ENGINE