If You Build It, They Will Come

   Here's my updated list for Iowa Connections on NBA teams.  There are 27 connections at the start of the 2023-24 season.  Connections are sparser than the NFL, so I will only list teams with connections.  Looks like we are cheering for a Milwaukee/ Phoenix Finals this year! (Shout out to Sacramento, Utah, Golden State, Dallas, Indiana and Atlanta)  Note: Coaches/Staff in  italics . Note: These players/coaches/staff are not with NBA teams this after they were last year:  Nate Bjorkgren  (Buena Vista),  Paul Jesperson  (UNI),  Mike Dunlap  (Iowa),  Dave Joerger  (Cedar Rapids River Raiders), Al McCoy (Drake), Aaron Nelson (ISU) Note: This will change as players get added throughout the season and as I discover assistant gms that went to Iowa colleges.  Some names to watch include: Tyger Campbell, Terry Stotts, and  Joe Wieskamp 

Little late getting this out, but we are still in the first round.   In determining who to root for in the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs, we need to review who the Iowa Connections are for the playoff teams.  Congrats to Milwaukee!  You are this blog's choice to win it all! 1 - Denver - Ryan Bowen, Coach (Fort Madison) 1 - Minnesota - Luka Garza (Iowa) 2 - Sacramento - Keegan Murray (Iowa), Harrison Barnes (Ames) 1 - Golden State - Klint Carlson, Coach (Waverly) 0 - Los Angeles Lakers 1 - Memphis - Brad Jones, Coach (Iowa Wolves) 0 - Los Angeles Clippers 2 - Phoenix - Al McCoy, Announcer (Williams), Kevin Young, Coach (Iowa Energy) 3 - Milwaukee - Mike Dunlap, Coach (Iowa), A.J. Green (Northern Iowa), Lindell Wigginton (Iowa State) 0 - Miami 0 - Boston 2 - Atlanta - Paul Jesperson, Coach (Northern Iowa), Kyle Korver, Front Office (Pella) 2 - Philadelphia - Dave Joerger, Coach (Cedar Rapids), Georges Niang (Iowa State) 0 - Brooklyn 1 - Cleveland - Josh Broghamer, Coach (Iowa C...

 The Hoops release is a good point to check on the status of Iowa Connections in the NBA and whom the minds at Panini have dubbed important enough to have a card.  Hoops is good one to use because of the size of the set (300 cards) which covers more than most other sets.   According to my records there are 25 Iowa Connections in the NBA this season.  Some are coaches which won't be covered by Hoops (unless accidently in the background.)  Let's see how many made it: #51 Tyrese Haliburton #155 Doug McDermott #156 Joe Wieskamp #158 Harrison Barnes #175 Talen Horton-Tucker #190 Monte Morris #234 Keegan Murray #284 Keegan Murray We  have 8 cards and 7 connections, exactly the same connection count as last year.  This year Keegan Murray replaced Luka Garza. Excluding coaches, who is missing?  Well as mentioned above, Luka Garza for the Timberwolves is missing.  He started the season on the Iowa Wolves, so that is probably why.  Also missi...

 The last group here are the basketball players and coaches who were born in, went to high school in, or later resided in Iowa.  Also included in this group are the players of the Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets or Waterloo Hawks.  Lastly, there are the coaches from the Iowa Energy/Wolves and Cedar Rapids River Raiders.   The top 7 players are who'd you'd expect.  The big three from my youth who all went to Kansas (#7 Raef LaFrentz, #6 Nick Collison, and #2 Kirk Hinrich).  Three recent players who are still involved in the NBA (#4 Doug McDermott, #3 Kyle Korver and #1 Harrison Barnes). Lastly, a new addition to the checklist this year when I added the Silver Bullets, #5 John Starks. Overall I added 85 cards to the collection with a large chunk from the Silver Bullet additions (Starks 32, Donald Royal 10) and Harrison Barnes (15).  Along with Starks and Royal, I added first collection cards of Randy Allen, Ben Gillery, Scott Roth and Bobby Lo...