Basketball diaries

EAST COUNTY — Most nights of the week, Chase Maasdorp, Amad Brayboy and Kolbe Ward are gathered around a Playstation 4 playing against each other in the basketball video game NBA 2K.

Brayboy lives with Maasdorp in Mills Creek. Ward, who lives 40 minutes away in Venice, often ends up at the boys’ home by the end of the night though, Brayboy says.

“We’re more like brothers than friends,” Maasdorp says.

Although they prefer to play against each other in the virtual world, the trio works best as a team on the Out-of-Door Academy’s basketball court.

This season, the boys reunited after Ward returned to ODA from Venice High School in August.

Ward transferred to Venice High so his mother didn’t have to drive him so far for school.

When Ward — one of the team’s main layup scorers and a player who can play every position from shooting guard to center — transferred in 2014, ODA’s basketball team took a big hit, his teammates said.

“We didn’t have anyone to get rebounds,” said Brayboy, one of the team’s captains. “It put a lot of weight on my and other captain’s shoulders to rebound and still try to score other points. We couldn’t win games.”

The team ended last season with a 1-13 record.

But after the 16-year-old received his driver’s license, he re-enrolled at ODA and again found his stride alongside Maasdorp and Brayboy.

This year, the team’s record is 3-8 for season games and 1-4, or third out of five teams, in the 3A District 10 basketball standings.

The group is continuing to improve from last year, Coach Marcus Liberty said.

“We’re going to start winning more games,” Liberty said. “Amad and Kolbe are partners this year, along with Chase. They don’t each have to score all the time; doing that burns you out. Now, Amad has help. That’s why we’re winning more games.”

Although Venice High’s basketball team had a strong season last year, Ward didn’t feel the connection and friendship he has on the ODA court, he said.

At ODA, Ward, Brayboy and Maasdorp are wingmen. They play as a unit.

“We’re run-and-go kinds of players,” Ward added.

Ward plays a range of positions but is most comfortable playing power forward and point guard. He also tries to pull down rebounds.

“I get rebounds or I get fouled,” Ward said. “Either way, I’m at the basket.”

This year, Ward is averaging 16.91 points, 2.83 blocks and 7.86 rebounds per game.

Ward also makes 75% of his free throw shots and is equally as effective at three-point shots as well.
Maasdorp, a freshman and one of the team’s youngest players, is used to being the play orchestrator.
He’s the passer who most often plays point guard.

Maasdorp averages 3.58 assists and 3.21 rebounds per game. He can shoot the ball well, too, with a 90% free throw rate.

He and Ward take turns playing point guard and together consider themselves the “cleanup crew” that gets to the ball first after missed shots.

Brayboy, one of the team’s key players whom Liberty plans to continue to build his team around, is fast and handles the ball well, the coach said.

He’s the player who can find a hole in a thick defensive wall and break through for a quick layup.
Brayboy averages 17.71 points per game, scores 89% of his free throw shots and racks up assists 4.21 per game.

Together, the teenagers make a cohesive unit, Liberty said.

Liberty credits the boys’ friendship off the court and communication skills during practice with their ability to work together well during games.

During their practices Monday through Friday, they often play on the same scrimmage team and give each other tips on how to improve their skills.

“They work together,” Liberty said. “They consistently make good decisions on the court. They’ll all be complete basketball players soon if they work hard.”

Learning each other’s styles began when they played togeter on a travel basketball team at G.T. Bray Park.

Maasdorp and Brayboy met five years ago at the park and became fast friends. A year later Ward joined the travel team, and the duo became a trio.

They want to play in the NBA, hopefully alongside each other.

“We have a strong bond that can’t be broken,” Brayboy said.

PLAYER BIOS
Name: Chase Maasdorp
Age: 15
Grade: Ninth
Position: Point guard

Name: Kolbe Ward
Age: 16
Grade: 10th
Position: All positions — shooting guard, point guard, small forward, power forward and center

Name: Amad Brayboy (team captain)
Age: 16
Grade: 10th
Position: Point and shooting guard

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].