The Sioux Falls Skyforce have clinched a spot in the NBA G League Playoffs presented by Google Pixel for the first time since winning the title in 2015-16. After ending the regular season on a league leading six-game winning streak, the Force locked up the fifth seed in the Western Conference and will head to Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 28 to open up the tournament against the Stars.
“We feel that it is hard to make the playoffs in this league,” Head Coach Kasib Powell said. “ Only 12 teams make it in whereas in the NBA 20 teams have a shot at winning a championship. We weren’t worried about what seed we clinched, who we would play, or where we would play. We’ve been under all circ*mstances this season so we’re confident that we can win and we feel that we are one of the better teams in the league.”
While making the playoffs is just a start, it is a huge accomplishment for coach Powell. Powell was hired as an assistant coach for the Skyforce ahead of the 2016-17 season, before being promoted to head coach last season. This will mark his first time entering the playoffs as a part of the coaching staff and it is something he has wanted since day one.
“It means a lot to me to make it into the playoffs,” Powell said. “When I first got here as assistant coach, this was one of the goals that I wanted. For many years, we didn’t make it this far. I know how much this city is invested in the team and I know how much they want it. I know how much I’m invested in this team and how much the guys are invested in this team and how much we want it. This is an accomplishment we shot for at the beginning of the season so to actually get there is a great thing. We want to go further and make a run, but just making this milestone is something to be proud of.”
Sioux Falls has had a lot to contribute to their success this season. One reason being the talented roster they have assembled that blends together smart veteran players with talented young guys.
Mychal Mulder, a Force fan favorite, is one of those veterans that has really propelled the team to success this season.
“The leadership aspect of this team is an important thing,” Powell said. “There has been a lot of change with the team this season. Having core guys like Mulder, who have been here before and who is a leader on this team is important. We have consistent leadership voices in the locker room and it is why we’ve been able to stay consistent and make the playoffs this year.”
In his sixth pro season, the sharpshooter out of Kentucky has continued to fire on all cylinders. He accomplished the historic feat of cementing first place in Skyforce history three-point makes on the back of an NBA G League best 129 3PM and recently notched a new career-high in points with a 40 point performance against the G League Ignite two weeks ago.
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He has been in playoff form all season.
“I think we really have been playing well and playing together, especially as of late,” Mulder said. “It’s good to peak at the right time. Going into the playoffs and late March, you have to be playing your best basketball. We are looking forward to our next opportunity.”
While it might be a stretch to call someone who is only 28 old, Mulder is one of the oldest and most experienced players on the team. Mulder came into this season with the Force embracing the opportunity to be a leader for the young guys on the team.
“It was important to me coming into this season to be a leader,” Mulder said. “I did come back here and wanted to be in a leadership role. If you ask any of the guys, you know what you’re going to get out of me every single day. They know I’m going to work hard, I’m going to play hard, and I’m going to have their back 100%. That’s important to me.”
Mulder has watched the young guys grow and develop this season. Their development has been impressive and incredibly impactful for the team. In addition to the young guys making strides in their career, even the veterans found themselves growing alongside them. Regardless of age and NBA experience, Mulder believes that all 12 guys on the roster improved a lot this year.
“Our roster has a lot of young guys who have stepped up in a lot of ways,” Mulder said. “Orlando (Robinson), (Jamaree) Bouyea, I can go down the line. Everyone has really raised the level for themselves and the betterment of the group and it’s impressive. No one is going to walk out this year and say they didn’t get better. There is no chance of that. We took so many steps in the right direction and the young guys took great steps in their career and I’m excited on what they can do moving forward.”
Mulder has been a large part of Sioux Falls basketball throughout his career. He goes above and beyond the call to action by investing his time into the community and developing relationships with the fans. Getting the Force to the playoffs for the team and the city was immensely important to him.
“I know it’s important to everyone in the locker room, but for me especially, I feel like there is another layer to it,” Mulder said. “Being here for quite some time, I love Sioux Falls. I love to represent Sioux Falls. Even in my time away, I found myself looking back on my time here. I was at that next level and thinking often about how much I missed it here. I aspire to have a good playoff run and win a championship. I think we’re in a really good position to do that and it excites me. I was pacing my house the other night when we clinched a spot because it’s something we’ve been working for all year and working hard for. I’m really looking forward to helping these guys and this city to make a championship run.”
One of the young guys Mulder has really been impressed with is Miami HEAT two-way Orlando Robinson.
Robinson this season has been nearly unstoppable. Since his return from his three-month stint in Miami, Robinson is averaging 21.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He continues to improve with every game and is relentless in his pursuit to improve as a player every single day.
“Moving into this season, I was undrafted so I didn’t really have a plan,” Robinson said. “I just knew that wherever I was, I was going to give my 100% effort. Whether it was here or in Miami, I took it day by day. My path is different, but I try to approach every day with the idea that I’m going to get better every day.”
Robinson is a next level competitor and carries a chip on his shoulder after going undrafted this past summer. He uses that to spark confidence inside himself. When Robinson learned that the Skyforce were in a position to make the playoffs upon his return, he took that mission seriously and did everything he could to win games and secure a spot. His endeavor was successful as the Force ended the season on a six game win streak - five of which he played in - and are preparing for the postseason.
“While I’m here, I want to make the most of it,” Robinson said. “If there is a championship to be won, I want to win it. If there is a number one seed, I want to be it. I want the team to be it. I want the team to be good. Nobody wants to be a part of a bad basketball team. Being the best you can be in the place you’re at is a focus to me. If I’m here, I want to be great. If I’m here, I want to make the playoffs. If I make the playoffs, I want to be in the championship. I’m glad that I’m here and in Miami because that seems to be the focus every day.”
While having a roster that is well blended with talented veterans and rookies was a huge factor in Sioux Falls’ success this season, another huge reason the Force were able to be a 20 win team this season was the trust they had in the program and one another.
“This league tends to be an individual league at times, but we do a really good job of playing together,” coach Powell said. “I think that making the extra pass to each other and being there for each other is huge. Everything we do, we do it for each other. Having a tight knit group like that helps us. Everyone wants to see each other do well and they have each other’s back. When you have that mentality in this league, it tends to do well for you.”
One of the best parts about basketball is the comradery. When a player has success on the court or drops an ESPN worthy highlight, the bench reactions sometimes are the best part of all of that. These guys are in a league where players are sometimes hyper focused on trying to prove themselves that the shared excitement can get lost. That does not seem to be the case in Sioux Falls.
“We are excited for one another’s successes all the way down the line,” Mulder said. “There are going to be plays throughout the game where individuals make great plays or tough buckets and we do a good job celebrating that and making sure the guys know we care for them. You guys don’t get to see us off the court, but we really love one another. We enjoy competing together and you can see that chemistry we have on the court.”
Trust is huge in basketball. Sometimes, not everything goes the way you planned or want it to and in a fast paced environment you have to forgive and forget easily. When the guys know that their teammates are down for them regardless of mistakes or miscues, it makes the locker room closer than ever and translates to success on the court.
“Being able to trust the people you’re out there with and going to battle with is everything,” Robinson said. “If you didn’t trust them, you wouldn’t be able to do the natural things you do every game. You don’t have to worry about anything. When a guy messes up, I know they’re going to get back on defense. If a guy doesn’t find me, I know he will find me at some other point. If I miss a layup, my teammates have that confidence and trust in me that I’m not going to miss it again. You’re not worried or raising internal questions about anything because they got your back and I got their back.”
The players and the staff are invested in continuing their regular season success with postseason success and so are the Miami HEAT. Late last week, HEAT coach Erik Spoelstra was all in on winning in Sioux Falls. They sent up their two-way players Orlando Robinson and Jamal Cain, and left the door open to send their first round draft pick Nikola Jovic to continue their development with important postseason games. This notion was not overlooked by coach Powell.
“It means a lot that Miami is invested in us,” Powell said. “In the grind of the season, it means a lot that Miami took a pause to acknowledge us while they’re trying to make a playoff run as well. It just shows that we have a tight connection with them and it’s something that works well for us. It helps our staff and players to know that their eyes are on us at all times.”
With the playoffs looming, the Skyforce look to be one of the sneakiest teams entering the tournament. They own victories over the top three seeds in the Western Conference with two wins against Stockton, two wins against Memphis, and a win against South Bay. Having success against playoff teams should instill confidence in the guys that they have won before and can continue to learn and get better to do it again. But even with this confidence, there is pressure to do well in the playoffs.
The Force have not been to the playoffs since 2016. Coincidentally, the last time the Force made the playoffs they left the tournament with a championship trophy. The Force are embracing the pressure to repeat history and hopefully they can find themselves celebrating a fourth Sioux Falls championship this April.
“There is pressure, but it’s good pressure,” coach Powell said. “We embrace that pressure because it’s something we want. (Winning a championship) is a goal that we want. You can look at it and say it’s pressure but it doesn’t feel like it because those are goals we made for ourselves.”
