Greg Stiemsma: Living The NBA Dream

by Matthew Brennan, NBA D-League.com

Las Vegas, July 17, 2010: Greg Stiemsma entered the 2009-10 season as a relatively unknown quantity for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He'd joined the team late in the 2008-09 season and played in one game. Prior to that, he spent three years as reserve at Wisconsin. By the time the 2009-10 season was finished, Stiemsma had added another stop to his resume: the NBA. The trip to the NBA D-League definitely paid off for the 6-11 center after he earned NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year honors and a GATORADE Call-Up to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"The NBA D-League is that one step below the NBA," said Stiemsma in Las Vegas, where he is playing for the Timberwolves' Summer League entry. "It was a good experience this year, being in Sioux Falls for the whole season. I learned a lot about the game, a lot about the style of the NBA. It worked at the end in getting the call-up, better late than never."

Stiemsma describes playing for the Skyforce as a great experience. As a part of one of the NBA D-League's best-supported teams, he helped the team compile a 32-18 record and clinch a playoff spot. He was already quite familiar with the city as his college teammate and fellow Skyforce member Joe Krabbenhoft hails from Sioux Falls.

"Playing with Joe Krabbenhoft at Wisconsin for three years, I got to know Sioux Falls very well even before I came to the Skyforce," said Stiemsma. "It's kind of a Midwest attitude, so Sioux Falls reminded me of Madison a lot. People welcomed me with open arms and I was really appreciative of that. Sioux Falls is a great city and I could see myself going back there when my career is done. The city was great, the owners and coaching staff were great, and I couldn't have asked for a better D-League situation."

During the regular season with Sioux Falls, Stiemsma was one of the league's top rebounders and shot-blockers. Naturally he was high on many people's lists of the top call-up candidates, but the call from the NBA didn't come until April when Stiemsma joined Minnesota to finish the season. He had just finished a strong playoff run where he posted 15.0 points and 10.7 rebounds in Sioux Falls' first-round loss to Tulsa. The whole experience of getting the call from an NBA team is sharp in his memory.

"It was awesome," said Stiemsma. "It didn't even quite feel real that I was sitting on the bench with the Timberwolves during an NBA game. It still seems like a surreal experience, and hopefully there will me more of those to come."

In addition to his NBA experience, Stiemsma picked up an individual accolade in Defensive Player of the Year. He led the league with 3.7 blocks and also posted 7.3 rebounds per game.

"It felt real good," said Stiemsma about his honor. "Accolades are something I don't really focus on, but when you get recognized for the way you contribute to your team defensively, it felt good to have something to show for it. We had a successful season on top of it, so anything I could do to help us win that's what I was trying to do on a nightly basis."

Now in the summer, Stiemsma is working hard on trying to stay on the level he worked so hard to reach. Since his contract for next season is not guaranteed, he has to prove himself in Summer League and the preseason to keep his roster spot in the NBA.

"It's going really well," said Stiemsma of his offseason training regimen. "I've been up in Minnesota, and I also went up to Boston for a week. I'm still working on my post-up game and still working on my body, trying to improve my muscle mass. I want to stay as fast as I've been playing but try to get a little bigger too."

A big step in maintaining his NBA status has come in Las Vegas, where Stiemsma is getting minutes on Minnesota's Summer League team. He showed off some of his defensive prowess on Friday, blocking three shots in 13 minutes of action against Memphis to help the Timberwolves gain their first victory. Just like playing in the NBA D-League, Summer League is a great opportunity for every NBA team to see your talents.

"It's a great showcase for us to come out here to play against some of the young guys and guys that have been around the league for a while as well," said Stiemsma. "Any opportunity is a good one when you can play in front of other coaches and teams. I'm going out there to prove myself not only to our coaches, but to show everyone else in the NBA that I can play too."