Soaring with the Erie BayHawks: A trip to the D-League

Stuff recently took a trip to Erie to visit the Erie BayHawks. The Magic’s D-League affiliate is rocking and rolling through the season. Let’s take a visit.

By now, most fans probably know that the Orlando Magic have an exclusive D-League team, the Erie BayHawks. While people might be aware of the team, they might not have the best idea of what goes on during the games.

Let’s dive (or soar) into what a typical game day is like up in the city that is 1,091 miles north from the palm trees of Orlando — Erie, Pennsylvania.

THE PLAYERS

Like most D-League teams, the BayHawks are constructed of mostly former Division I college basketball players.

Some of these players have even had a taste of the NBA at some point in their careers. Prior to the start of the season, the BayHawks conducted local tryouts for people interested in earning a potential spot on the roster (they also held a tryout in Orlando).

Going into the season, there was a lot of hype due to Erie acquiring Seth Curry, brother of NBA superstar, Steph Curry. In addition, Erie also acquired Peyton Siva who is known for winning a NCAA National Championship with Louisville in 2013.

Due to these players’ notoriety, there is definitely a noticeable spike in interest with the team. Even though the BayHawks currently rank last in their division (8-16), fans that show up to the games still feel like they are viewing premium-level talent.

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Seth Curry alone has shown flashes of greatness throughout the season. He is currently shooting a ridiculous 52 percent from behind the arc and 50 percent overall. His offense appears to come easy for him and it is almost shocking when the ball does not go through the hoop after it leaves his hands. For those who are unfamiliar, his current season averages are 25.5 points per game, 4 assists per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, 1.3 steals per game, and 3.3 turnovers per game.

As the D-League’s annual D-League Showcase ends, the D-League’s official Web Site has Curry listed as the top prospect. All the Magic need to do is find a roster spot for him and call him up, it would seem.

While his offensive output is strong, he still has areas for growth. In particular, his ball handling and ability to consistently stay in front of his man on defense come to mind. Overall, he is still a great talent to experience each night and has the potential to be called up for a 10-day contract in the future. According to NBDLeague.com, his projections for the NBA are 13 points, three assists, and three rebounds per game per 36 minutes.

The other well-known player the Magic sent down after training camp, Peyton Siva, has been somewhat inconsistent throughout the season. He does a respectable job at distributing the ball to his teammates (7.4 assists per game), but he has shown weaknesses in his ability to shoot the ball from long-range. At almost four attempts per game, he is only converting slightly more than one 3-pointer per game. However, Siva has logged one triple-double this season along with a couple of games that were extremely close to being triple-doubles as well.

Another player worth mentioning is Drew Crawford, son of NBA referee Dan Crawford. Drew (along with Kadeem Batts and Daniel Coursey) has played the most games for the BayHawks this season. He is responsible for stringing together a number of solid games over the course of the season.

Crawford is shooting 49 percent and averaging more than 17 points and 6.5 rebounds per game (ranking second in both for Erie). He is a vital part of the team’s success each night. The idea of him potentially getting another shot at being acquired by an NBA team is not unreasonable to think, especially if he continues to improve his game.

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THE ARENA

The recently renovated Erie Insurance Arena is a part of a sports complex that features basketball, baseball, hockey and arena football minor league teams. It is located in the heart of downtown Erie.

While the arena completed a $47 million dollar renovation and expansion last year, it was not until this year that it installed a brand new jumbo-tron. This new addition far exceeds what was in place prior and elevates the fan experience to new heights. The E.I. Arena can hold more than 6,500 people for basketball games and it includes brand new suites that many local companies occupy throughout the season.

ATTENDENCE AND PROMOTIONS

While the hockey and baseball teams receive the most local support, the BayHawks do their fair share of attracting people to the arena. On any given night, the attendance can range from 3,500 to 5,000 fans screaming and cheering on their team.

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uisition of Seth Curry, many people throughout the stands can be seen sporting their Duke Blue Devils gear to show their support for him.

Magic pride is not completely absent from the games either, as there are several fans that show up wearing team apparel.

Just like the Magic, the BayHawks conduct various promotional nights throughout the season. They can range from local high school star, now playing in the WNBA, Kayla McBride, making an appearance and mentoring the youth to Stuff teaming up with Clutch the BayHawk to entertain the crowd throughout the game (Stuff appeared in Erie for a Magic night two weeks ago). Each night there is always something different!

POSTGAME

After each game, there is a “Fan of the Night” that gets called onto the court to get a picture with one of the players and has their face put on the jumbotron. Also, many of the players, including the mascot, Clutch, will be available for autograph signings.

Although they are not the Orlando Magic, the Erie BayHawks do an exceptional job at offering a sporting event that has the look and feel of a major-league team, but on a smaller scale. With the addition of the newly renovated arena and recently acquired players, the Erie BayHawks provide something enjoyable to do with family and friends during the cold winter months up north in Erie, Pennsylvania.

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