Tag: City

2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year: Cope Creatif

City’s Big man makes music on the defensive end

The 2021-22 Gr3g League Defensive Player of the Year, the City of Bridges Basketball Club‘s big man, Cope Creatif.

It was a mid-summer Tuesday evening over on Grand Rapids’ southeast side when we first met Cope. The sun was setting a little low in the western sky and the guys shooting toward the east bucket over on Michael Sanders Memorial Court at Wilcox Park definitely had an advantage not dealing with the twilight.

Do you know that feeling when you know the other team has to deal with something like a bent rim, overly cracked pavement, the tree branch, or the sun? It’s not subtle. You’ve got an advantage. And it’ll break down your hustle.

That’s what happened that day in the park. Cope happened.

but he also plays “without contacts” offense

He didn’t overwork to get to his spot. He didn’t lunge to get the steal. He wouldn’t bite on the pump fake. What did he do? He continued a defensive assault on the opposing team. Wait for the opposition to attack and thwart away the efforts like a fly.

We knew very early in Summer League what to expect in the regular season.

When the “2021 Draft” took place, it was obvious to the team ambassadors to keep the continuity from the Summer League teams together on the floor and found City to be the best option. Cope, Trav Waylaa, Jose XIX and Weston (IR, return in 2022-23 likely) joined up with D Nags and Kid A to form a formidable new look Bridges.

Cope did the dirty work for the Bad Boys in Blue all year long. You can look at the yearly stats and see that he scored 10 points over 13 games this past season, but that doesn’t tell the story at all.

The League doesn’t currently keep (read: who wants to watch some YouTube games & do the book?) defensive stats like rebounds, blocks, steals and turnovers forced. This year, we didn’t need them.

Every game this year, Cope owned the middle of the floor on the defensive end. His abundant rebounding numbers and the numerous shots blocked were high on the mind of the voters (most of whom had been victim to the Creatif’D).

“He plays a no-contact type of defense that takes away an opponents ability to body up and control the narrative”, his biggest fan in the League told us earlier this year, “no need to be more than DPOY”.

“Yeah, but he also plays “without contacts” offense and we could use some easy buckets”, another player chimed in.

No player in the league did more to effect the opponents as a whole that Cope did this season.

Congratulations, Cope Creatif!

Keep making that music! 

 

Check out his work off court:

https://www.facebook.com/lescreatifmusic

#
6
Name
Cope
Position
Center
Member Status
Lifetime
Height
6-3
Weight
180
Current Team
Rhythm
Past Teams
City
Leagues
2nd Ward Division, 3rd Ward Division, the GR3G league
Seasons
2021 Playoffs, 2021 Season, 2022 Season, 2023 Season, 2024 Season
Age
38

2nd Ward Division

Season Team MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG ZEB REB ZPG AST STL BLK FTM FTA FT% OFF DEF TO PF GS RPG APG SPG BPG EFF
2023 Season Rhythm 0 2 1 4 25.0 1 1 100.0 0 0 0 3 1.5 13 0 0.0 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 9
2024 Season Rhythm 0 2 2 3 66.7 1 2 50.0 0 0 0 5 2.5 14 0 0.0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.5 9
Total - 0 4 3 7 42.9 2 3 150 0 0 0 8 1.1 27 0 0.4 4 4 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.7 20

3rd Ward Division

Season Team MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG ZEB REB ZPG AST STL BLK FTM FTA FT% OFF DEF TO PF GS RPG APG SPG BPG EFF
2022 Season Rhythm 0 3 0 4 0.0 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -4
Total - 0 3 0 4 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 -5

the GR3G league

Season Team MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG ZEB REB ZPG AST STL BLK FTM FTA FT% OFF DEF TO PF GS RPG APG SPG BPG EFF
2021 Season City 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0.8 0 4 0.3 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 14
2022 Season Rhythm 0 8 1 11 9.1 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 2 0.3 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -8
2023 Season Rhythm 0 12 13 20 65.0 1 5 20.0 0 0 0 9 0.8 102 0 0.0 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.8 29
2024 Season Rhythm 0 3 2 3 66.7 1 2 50.0 0 0 0 5 1.7 15 0 0.0 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0 0.3 0.3 1.3 10
Total - 0 36 16 34 47.1 2 9 70 0 0 0 26 0.7 117 4 0.1 10 10 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.5 45

Career Total

Season MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG ZEB REB ZPG AST STL BLK FTM FTA FT% OFF DEF TO PF GS RPG APG SPG BPG EFF
2021 Playoffs 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0
2021 Season 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0.8 0 4 0.3 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 14
2022 Season 0 8 1 11 9.1 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 2 0.3 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -8
2023 Season 0 12 13 20 65.0 1 5 20.0 0 0 0 9 0.8 102 0 0.0 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.8 29
2024 Season 0 3 2 3 66.7 1 2 50.0 0 0 0 5 1.7 15 0 0.0 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0 0.3 0.3 1.3 10
Total 0 39 16 34 47.1 2 9 70 0 0 0 26 0.7 117 4 0.1 10 10 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 39 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.5 45

Scotty J photo

2021-22 Week 6 Preview: End of the 1st Half

first half of the season ends tuesday

The first half of the 2021-22 regular season will come to a conclusion on Tuesday night before the Gr3g League takes nearly a month off for the holidays.

7pm game: Championship rematch, part 2

CREW LOOKS TO STAY UNDEFEATED

The Creston Rock Crew will be looking to stay undefeated as they take the home end of the floor playing host to the Red Hawks of Force in the opening game (7pm). Both teams have a different look since the season opener where the Crew defeated the Hawks, 47-38.

Crew 2021Newcomers Ricky Bobby (left) and Proto have led the way for the Crew, according to the MVP Race, but it’s been a collective effort across the board for the Purple. Boog and Jimmy G are playing some of their best basketball to date while the new additions of Gavin and Asian Spice (right) have increased tempo and opened up wide-open pockets to shoot from.

The Crew hasn’t felt the need to take their game outside the 3G line, as they’e attempted the least of any team.

 

For the Hawks, this season has been the perfect storm

Coming off last season’s Championship victory, the team found itself in disarray. Multiple players had secretly positioned themselves to leave the squad for other teams over the summer creating a whirlwind of drama which was at the time only known to league personnel.

During the offseason recruiting process, multiple players had again made it “very clear” they did not want to return to the Hawks. One was even bold enough to tell the league they’d, “found another league to play in and I’m taking some players with me.” (That player no longer plays in the Gr3g League and did not respond to inquiries for a comment.)

The league made the choice to fill the team with incoming players in a huge trade after Week 1 “once the Nines decided how to fill their roster” AND “none of the other Hawks being available or having reached out to the league yet“.

In that trade, the Hawks secured the services of a “team of 4 that will start their own expansion team next season in Orange & Black” consisting of The Juice, AG, ****Mike & Coach Drew to go with  I’ll Will, (pictured below) Cake and newcomer Daniel Bk.

Hawks 2021With Bandit‘s sudden return in Week 4, the Red now have a returning squad of four plus the Orange 4 and part-time available services of Big Baby.

A.G. has lead the way in the scoring department so far this season, only giving way to Bandit this past week against the Buzz. ****Mike is a dominant force on the boards both offensively and defensively. After an injury to his shooting hand, Coach Drew has taken a prominent role on the sidelines as the “voice of the Force” and, not surprisingly, The Juice just keeps finding himself in open space to fire three-pointers in long-sleeves.

This team has taken the most 3G’s this season, a deep contrast to their upcoming opponent.

Continue reading “2021-22 Week 6 Preview: End of the 1st Half” →

City of Bridges wins Draft Lottery

City wins the lottery, will pick 1st overall in 2021 Draft

At least one thing went their way in April. Coming off a tough loss in the Gr3g League Playoffs Elimination Game, the City of Bridges and injured guard Jackson have a little sun shining down upon them today.

City, aka The Blues, will have the 1st overall pick in the 2021 draft, scheduled for mid-October.

2021 Draft Entrants

# Player Position Height Weight
1 I’ll Will Forward 5-9 185
1 Ureste* Forward-Guard 6-1 185
1 Cake Guard 5-8 186
1 Jackson Guard 5-10 195
1 Cuervo Forward-Guard 6-1 212
1 MJ Guard 6-0 220
2 DanielBk Guard 5-8 177
2 Jackson Sr. Forward-Guard 6-1 230
2 Bandit Guard 6-1 180
3 Coach Drew Forward-Guard 5-10 200
3 Ford Guard 5-9 177
04 Leland Guard 6-0 190
4 Sam Awry Forward 6-1 190
5 Asian Spice Guard 125 5-7
6 Scotty J Forward-Guard 5-11 200
6 Cope Center 6-3 180
7 The Disciple Forward-Guard 6-2 163
7 A.G. Guard 6-1 200
7 Shippy Guard 5-8 177
7 Shotgun Guard 5-10 -

Pre-Draft trades made to order

Friday night in a dark, smoke-filled room somewhere on the WestSide of Grand Rapids, the six GMs of the Beer City Hoops league got together to prepare for the upcoming draft.

Here are the transactions that took place and have been stamped “Approved” by the Commissioner.

 

  • The Crew is sending the 4th overall pick and #28 to the Reds for picks #11, #17 & #23.
  • The Nines send the 15th overall pick and #27 to the Buzz for picks #19, #25, & #30.
  • City trades F’Legal (2019 draftee) and pick #26 to the Buzz, Buzz sends CASH to Greens, Greens send picks #14 & #20 to City.