Fort Wayne Mad Ants season 2024/25

[JMaster5K]

Furphy had a career high 17 points and 15 rebounds

Wow.

Based on what we've seen so far this season,... you can't question his heart.

[Pacers Forever]

Furphy had a career high 17 points and 15 rebounds

Wow.

Based on what we've seen so far this season,... you can't question his heart.

Exactly. We know he has played against tough foreign competition and the G League appears to be the equivalent level of competition.

Furphy is sooo young I think with more NBA experience and his body maturing physically he could become NBA ready to contribute in 2-3 more years.

I’ve noticed in games so far he has the skill to get rebounds. I like his hustle and I think he can develop into an offense capable player and will need to develop defensive skills.

[Pacers Forever]

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Mad Ants with b2b wins.
Mathias, Mangas, and Dennis also all over 20 points.

[JMaster5K]

Wow.

Based on what we've seen so far this season,... you can't question his heart.

Exactly. We know he has played against tough foreign competition and the G League appears to be the equivalent level of competition.

Furphy is sooo young I think with more NBA experience and his body maturing physically he could become NBA ready to contribute in 2-3 more years.

I’ve noticed in games so far he has the skill to get rebounds. I like his hustle and I think he can develop into an offense capable player and will need to develop defensive skills.

Furphy was 'the guy' that really dropped in this draft. The Pacers FO said they had him at like 14, I think it was?... There were a number of draft analysts & FO's that admitted that they had him comfortably in the 1st round.

He is an actual NBA athlete,.. just not 'plus athlete' (maybe just on the low side of average?), but a number of the teams, post draft, when they talk about interviews, said he interviewed very well,.. they were impressed with his basketball IQ,... His processing speed on the court, reading, figuring it out, & deciding was phenomenal,... one of the reasons he rebounds so well.

That's also why he is deceptively good on defense,.. just raw,.. hadn't seen the NBA speed, or some of the actions. He is the guy that is just usually in the right place to make the play because he know where that place is likely to be & gets there,... if that makes any sense? =] I don't think he'll ever be a stopper. He isn't the athlete for it,... but he probably won't be one of the guys that has to be covered either.

He is a true 3. On a contender, he probably won't be a starter,.. but he is very likely to have a long career as a key rotation player. Frankly, I like his game & where he is taking it, a lot more than I like Gradey Dick's game in Toronto from the 23 draft.

[Pacers Forever]

Based on what we've seen so far this season,... you can't question his heart.

Exactly. We know he has played against tough foreign competition and the G League appears to be the equivalent level of competition.

Furphy is sooo young I think with more NBA experience and his body maturing physically he could become NBA ready to contribute in 2-3 more years.

I’ve noticed in games so far he has the skill to get rebounds. I like his hustle and I think he can develop into an offense capable player and will need to develop defensive skills.

Furphy was 'the guy' that really dropped in this draft. The Pacers FO said they had him at like 14, I think it was?... There were a number of draft analysts & FO's that admitted that they had him comfortably in the 1st round.

He is an actual NBA athlete,.. just not 'plus athlete' (maybe just on the low side of average?), but a number of the teams, post draft, when they talk about interviews, said he interviewed very well,.. they were impressed with his basketball IQ,... His processing speed on the court, reading, figuring it out, & deciding was phenomenal,... one of the reasons he rebounds so well.

That's also why he is deceptively good on defense,.. just raw,.. hadn't seen the NBA speed, or some of the actions. He is the guy that is just usually in the right place to make the play because he know where that place is likely to be & gets there,... if that makes any sense? =] I don't think he'll ever be a stopper. He isn't the athlete for it,... but he probably won't be one of the guys that has to be covered either.

He is a true 3. On a contender, he probably won't be a starter,.. but he is very likely to have a long career as a key rotation player. Frankly, I like his game & where he is taking it, a lot more than I like Gradey Dick's game in Toronto from the 23 draft.

How do you rank Korey Kispert vs Grady and Furphy ?

[Pacers Forever]

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Furphy getting in work tomorrow again with the Mad Ants.

[Wizop]

How do you rank Korey Kispert vs Grady and Furphy ?

Furphy has the potential to be more than a shooter if he grows stronger

[JMaster5K]

Exactly. We know he has played against tough foreign competition and the G League appears to be the equivalent level of competition.

I’ve noticed in games so far he has the skill to get rebounds. I like his hustle and I think he can develop into an offense capable player and will need to develop defensive skills.

.

How do you rank Korey Kispert vs Gradey and Furphy ?

When it comes to NBA athleticism, both from combine testing numbers & what I've seen on the court, Kispert seems the most athletic of the 3. Kispert is much more athletic than he seems at first glance. He is on the low end to mid of what I would call a '+ NBA Athlete'.

I would consider Gradey & Furphy about the same in terms of athleticism, but in different ways. Gradey has a quicker first step, but is slow in speed. Furphy, isn't as quick, but is in a straight line faster. Both have about the same body control. Gradey has slightly more bounce, but Furphy is taller & vertically longer. So, for me, between these 2 it's a wash?

When it comes to game, both Kispert & Dick came into the league as volume shooters. They are both playing that role well for their teams. Kispert is more of a F/G. He doesn't really show the passing skills (2.2 A/36 min) or ball skills to play long stretches at the 2, but his handle is actually fairly good. Doesn't turn the ball over much,... just doesn't really impact the game with more than his shooting. I think he could? He has the best chance to of the 3, but I don't think he has ever had a coach (like Carlisle with Mathurin) who has ask him to develop into a more rounded player? His defense is baseline team defense. Not really a defender. To me, he is kinda more modern, slightly smaller, g/f version of Doug McDermott.

Gradey is very much like Kispert. Gradey is a less athletic, less efficient version of Kispert. Gradey again is more of a F/G. His ball skills aren't as good as Kispert, but his passing instincts are probably a little bit better (2.4 a/36 min on less usage). Doesn't turn the ball over that much either, though a little bit more than Kispert. He and Kispert are similarly sized, but Gradey seems to have faster hands. Defense isn't that much difference from Kispert,... though I would say Kispert is the better actual defender, Gradey body's his man more on defense & has fast hands,.. so gets more steals.

Furphy to me is substantially different from the other 2? We haven't seen enough minutes from him yet to really get any picture on how he will actually fit into an NBA team. He is taller & longer than the others,... same standing reach as Jarace. He is really a 3 (but with the heart to play a small-ball 4 against a 2nd unit?) His passing is supposed to be good. He also came into the league with the reputation as a shooter,.. but also as a more all around player both offensively & defensively. Again, I think his defense will end up being good team defense, but not a strong individual defender.

The thing that sets Furphy apart is that recognition speed & court understanding. Neither Kispert, nor Gradey are bad,... but Furphy is exceptional. He is more efficient than Gradey, but not quite yet as efficent as Kispert was in his first year. In his first year Kispert had opportunities,.. Furphy really hasn't.

Furphy is kinda like a 30% of Larry Bird (yeah,.. let the hate begin... =/) without the can-score-on anybody, every night mindset? In terms of his style & what he can give you? If you need points,.. he can do that,.. if you need rebounding,.. he can do that,.. if you need wing-passing,.. he can do that. You need a weakside-post? He can do that. Elbow shooting,.. check. He does that without making to many mistakes. All because he sees the court & can get where he needs to be to do what he's been asked.

Kispert & Gradey, both have less vertical length than Mathurin or Walker. They are more similar in sized to Shep. Kispert's game is more comparable to Shep's,... Kispert is likely the better scorer. Shep is the more well-rounded complete player.

If I had to rank them on what we know now, generally as players? Kispert, Furphy, Gradey.

On what they can be, generally as players? Kispert, Furphy, Gradey.
(though Gradey will likely score more points than Furphy as a designated shooter on a team with few options.)

On who probably could fit the best with the Pacers as a key role player off the bench? Furphy, Kispert, Gradey.
(Particularly if Furphy can gain some weight/strength without sacrificing anything - which seems likely)

sorry for the long-winded post,... though you might want to know why? as well as a ranking.
(but hey,.. it's me,.. you probably knew that was likely,... LOL )

[Pacers Forever]

.

How do you rank Korey Kispert vs Gradey and Furphy ?

When it comes to NBA athleticism, both from combine testing numbers & what I've seen on the court, Kispert seems the most athletic of the 3. Kispert is much more athletic than he seems at first glance. He is on the low end to mid of what I would call a '+ NBA Athlete'.

I would consider Gradey & Furphy about the same in terms of athleticism, but in different ways. Gradey has a quicker first step, but is slow in speed. Furphy, isn't as quick, but is in a straight line faster. Both have about the same body control. Gradey has slightly more bounce, but Furphy is taller & vertically longer. So, for me, between these 2 it's a wash?

When it comes to game, both Kispert & Dick came into the league as volume shooters. They are both playing that role well for their teams. Kispert is more of a F/G. He doesn't really show the passing skills (2.2 A/36 min) or ball skills to play long stretches at the 2, but his handle is actually fairly good. Doesn't turn the ball over much,... just doesn't really impact the game with more than his shooting. I think he could? He has the best chance to of the 3, but I don't think he has ever had a coach (like Carlisle with Mathurin) who has ask him to develop into a more rounded player? His defense is baseline team defense. Not really a defender. To me, he is kinda more modern, slightly smaller, g/f version of Doug McDermott.

Gradey is very much like Kispert. Gradey is a less athletic, less efficient version of Kispert. Gradey again is more of a F/G. His ball skills aren't as good as Kispert, but his passing instincts are probably a little bit better (2.4 a/36 min on less usage). Doesn't turn the ball over that much either, though a little bit more than Kispert. He and Kispert are similarly sized, but Gradey seems to have faster hands. Defense isn't that much difference from Kispert,... though I would say Kispert is the better actual defender, Gradey body's his man more on defense & has fast hands,.. so gets more steals.

Furphy to me is substantially different from the other 2? We haven't seen enough minutes from him yet to really get any picture on how he will actually fit into an NBA team. He is taller & longer than the others,... same standing reach as Jarace. He is really a 3 (but with the heart to play a small-ball 4 against a 2nd unit?) His passing is supposed to be good. He also came into the league with the reputation as a shooter,.. but also as a more all around player both offensively & defensively. Again, I think his defense will end up being good team defense, but not a strong individual defender.

The thing that sets Furphy apart is that recognition speed & court understanding. Neither Kispert, nor Gradey are bad,... but Furphy is exceptional. He is more efficient than Gradey, but not quite yet as efficent as Kispert was in his first year. In his first year Kispert had opportunities,.. Furphy really hasn't.

Furphy is kinda like a 30% of Larry Bird (yeah,.. let the hate begin... =/) without the can-score-on anybody, every night mindset? In terms of his style & what he can give you? If you need points,.. he can do that,.. if you need rebounding,.. he can do that,.. if you need wing-passing,.. he can do that. You need a weakside-post? He can do that. Elbow shooting,.. check. He does that without making to many mistakes. All because he sees the court & can get where he needs to be to do what he's been asked.

Kispert & Gradey, both have less vertical length than Mathurin or Walker. They are more similar in sized to Shep. Kispert's game is more comparable to Shep's,... Kispert is likely the better scorer. Shep is the more well-rounded complete player.

If I had to rank them on what we know now, generally as players? Kispert, Furphy, Gradey.

On what they can be, generally as players? Kispert, Furphy, Gradey.
(though Gradey will likely score more points than Furphy as a designated shooter on a team with few options.)

On who probably could fit the best with the Pacers as a key role player off the bench? Furphy, Kispert, Gradey.
(Particularly if Furphy can gain some weight/strength without sacrificing anything - which seems likely)

sorry for the long-winded post,... though you might want to know why? as well as a ranking.
(but hey,.. it's me,.. you probably knew that was likely,... LOL )

I enjoy your detailed posts as well as others on here who go in depth on their thoughts.

[Pacers Forever]

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I would have never guessed 24 points. I could have easily saw more rebounds and say 15 points.

[Pacers Forever]

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[Pacers Forever]

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[Pacers Forever]

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[Pacers Forever]

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Mad Ants win b2b games

Furphy 21 points going 5/6 from 3 range and 9 rebounds

Jalil Okafor 7 rebounds 5 assists and 23 points

Enrique Freeman 12 points and 10 rebounds

Quenton Jackson held out due to Andrew Nembhard’s sprained back.

[ReggiesKnicks]

Has anyone been to a Mad Ants game?

[Pacers Forever]

Has anyone been to a Mad Ants game?

I’m going in February to visit my kids in Indiana and they got us tickets to see the Nuggets play. The Mad Ants play that day also so I will see if we can make a day of basketball and go to both events.

I’m pretty sure the tickets are $10 for general admission. The attendance is so low that they open up the lower sideline sections on just one side. The game time is not conducive to better crowds being at 12:30.

I imagine once the new arena is built in Noblesville the games will draw more people.

[Pacers Forever]

Has anyone been to a Mad Ants game?

I’m going in February to visit my kids in Indiana and they got us tickets to see the Nuggets play. The Mad Ants play that day also so I will see if we can make a day of basketball and go to both events.

I’m pretty sure the tickets are $10 for general admission. The attendance is so low that they open up the lower sideline sections on just one side. The game time is not conducive to better crowds being at 12:30.

I imagine once the new arena is built in Noblesville the games will draw more people.

Update
Our tickets are now secured for the Mad Ants game vs. the Greensboro Swarm and later that evening the Denver Nuggets at Gainbridge fieldhouse.

Greensboro is the G league franchise for the Charlotte Hornets. Players who I’ve heard of are Isiah Wong, Keyontae Johnson, Reggie Perry, Moussa Diabate, and Tidjane Salaun. I believe a couple of these guys are with the big club currently.

Swarm are currently 8-6 and the Mad Ants are 9-5 in 3rd currently in a very tight standings.

[Wizop]

Our tickets are now secured for the Mad Ants game vs. the Greensboro Swarm and later that evening the Denver Nuggets at Gainbridge fieldhouse

If you don't know the area, Pearl Street Pizza.

[Pacers Forever]

Our tickets are now secured for the Mad Ants game vs. the Greensboro Swarm and later that evening the Denver Nuggets at Gainbridge fieldhouse

If you don't know the area, Pearl Street Pizza.

I did know the area because 7 years ago before moving to Florida I was a courier and also did Uber and Lyft all over Indy and surrounding areas. I went through the alley by Pearl street pizza many times to get to Pennsylvania street where there were many pickups and drop offs.

Last time I went to the Colts a few years ago the nearby streets were tore up and I imagine that they’re all reconfigured now. Last year going to the Pacers we didn’t see any construction except on 465 south side area.

[Pacers Forever]

Mad Ants 130-110 over Wisconsin Herd

Quenton Jax 34 points and 8 assists

Jahlil Okafor 12-12 shooting 30 points 11 rebounds

Kyle Mangas 24 and 6 rebounds

Stephan Hicks 14 points and 7 rebounds