Over 100 NBA D-League hopefuls convened in Sacramento on Sunday afternoon in an attempt to earn an invitation to the Reno Bighorns 2016-17 opening night roster. Amongst the open tryout participants were players with various skill levels, ages and backgrounds, including: ex D-League players, former Division 1 college athletes, current professionals playing overseas, local hoopers looking for a shot, and a Kings.com writer.

As a 5’11” pass-first point guard whose game hasn’t progressed past the confines of Sacramento men’s leagues and California Family Fitness locations, stepping on the court alongside talented individuals who have played at some of the game’s highest levels was intimidating.

A conglomerate of 100-plus hoopers were spread out between two courts, with players taking turns getting shots up - so long as you were able to secure a rebound surrounded by the dozens waiting for a miss near the basket. Fortunately, I had my fair share of opportunities in the 30-minute warm-up time.

Following warm-ups and a brief stretching period, Bighorns Head Coach Darrick Martin took to the group to introduce his coaching staff and provide the last minute advice to “keep the energy up and encourage each other – be a good teammate and we’ll notice.”

From there, players were assigned one of 12 numbers to form teams for drills. Beginning with a five-man weave spanning the length of the court and ending with a 3-on-2 fast break return trip, each team had five chances to complete the designated drills in a 15-minute timespan.

Immediately following the weave, teams were given four spots beyond the three-point line to shoot from with every squad having to collectively hit 15 attempts from each location to advance to the next position. The first two positions allowed participants to shoot high school length threes with the last two required to be NBA level treys. Onlookers during the shooting drill included Bighorns GM and the Kings all-time leader in three-pointers made, Peja Stojakovic.

My proudest moment during the tryout occurred during this three-point shooting portion, in which I hit a few back-to-back NBA threes and proceeded to look over at the longtime Kings sharpshooter hoping he took notice. Based on his smile, I think he might have. Then again, it’s rare to see Peja not smiling around the offices.

From there on out, each team participated in 5-on-5-on-5 scrimmage play for the remaining two-plus hours, where groups had 10 seconds to score to keep possession while defenses who secured stops would have an offensive opportunity. It was in scrimmage play where participants had a chance to stand out, with players often diving for loose balls, setting hard screens or fighting for rebounding position.

By day’s end, Coach Martin and his staff had eyed 20 players from the 100-plus group that would continue showcasing their talent in 5-on-5 play for 30 minutes. Last season, two players that had advanced to the 20-player group wound up on Reno’s opening night roster (Dwayne Polee – San Diego State and Bryant Voiles – Augustana College).

Twenty-four hours following the tryout, I’m still feeling Sunday's drills and activities. The constant mix of running followed by set shooting and continuous 5-on-5 play alongside gifted athletes and NBA-hopefuls was the experience of a lifetime, but challenging. In order to be among the 20 recognized players, complete dominance had to be shown throughout the tryout and amongst those 20, more of the same.

One thing is for sure – my 2-for-3 shooting, six assists, five rebounds, and two turnovers during 5-on-5-on-5 play stunted my NBA D-League aspirations…until the next open tryout, that is.



