Brian Levy

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The Fort Wayne Mad Ants have started the 2016-17 season off on a tear, surging to a 9-2 record behind a balanced scoring attack of talented young players. This is now the second season that the Mad Ants have been owned by the Pacers, making them Indiana's official D-League affiliate team, so we decided to check in with Mad Ants GM Brian Levy to see what the secret to success has been over the team's first 11 games.

The following is a question-and-answer session with Levy, and has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: You guys are 9-2, leading your division right now, what's gone right for the Mad Ants so far?

A: Just about everything to be honest. We've had a real commitment from the Pacers, dating back to the end of last season. More emphasis on their scouting department when they were going through the draft process on expanding to players that would be considered for the Mad Ants as well as the Pacers. So I feel like from Larry (Bird), to Kevin Pritchard, to Peter Dinwiddie, all the way down, there's just been more of an emphasis on making sure we have the quality players and people that we want in our organization. And then our coaches have done a great job taking the players that we have and forming a bond, forming chemistry with those guys. And I think you've seen the fruits of that labor so far on the court.

For the coaching, I know you guys spent a decent amount of time down here in Indy during Pacers training camp. So how similar are the plays that you guys are running up there?

They're very similar, same play calls, same plays; we do run a different frequency of those plays, just because we don't have Paul George, we don't have Myles Turner, we have our own strengths and weaknesses that we have to play towards. So we run the same stuff, have the same system, run the same types of cuts and screens, so that it's an easy transition for when Pacers players come down on assignment, but we'll run them in different frequencies so that we will have more success.

Like you said, no Paul George, no Myles Turner, but a couple of players have really stood out so far this season, especially Julyan Stone (10.6 points, 9.2 assists, 6.7 rebounds), who is second in the D-League in assists. What have you seen in his development as a player?

The most important thing with him is that we want him to play the way he plays. I think you get talented players and you try to fit them into your system and try to mold their games so that they are doing maybe things outside of their comfort zones. We asked Julyan to be the exact player that he is, and that's a big point guard with size and length and athleticism who sees the floor exceptionally well, who plays great defense and can make an open shot. So we're not asking him to go out there and be a scorer, we're not asking him to put the team on the back, we're just asking him to set the tone, on both sides of the ball. And he's really lived up to all that. We've heard about him in terms of how he was a leader and how he brings the guys together off the court. He's the engine that makes our team go.

Another player who has been playing well, who I might not have expected to feel so comfortable so early, is Jordan Loyd (15 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds) from UIndy. How has he been putting up such big numbers?

The guy has no fear. He doesn't act like he's a Division II player, who should be quote-unquote "lucky" to be here, he acts like he is a guy who got missed by big colleges, he got missed by pro teams, who should have had more opportunities. And he doesn't do it with a chip on his shoulder, he just does it with his actions everyday. He's a good guy, works really hard, the vets have really taken to him, and taken him under their wing. He gets to practice against Julyan everyday, which I think goes a long way for him in terms of showing him how he needs to operate in terms of a professional and as a player. He takes big shots, he's not afraid of the moment. The phrase we keep throwing around is no fear, and Jordan absolutely has no fear.

Just continuing down the roster, I thought coming in, Alex Poythress (18 points, 7.3 rebounds) had such an interesting college career, coming in as a top prospect but then tearing his ACL and taking a long way back. Do you kind of feel like this year is kind of an extension of his college career as he continues to grow into himself?

I think this is not an extension of his college career, I think this is finally him being able to expand his role. You kind of get locked in after four years of college as to what you can and can't do, and what coaches want you to focus on. It's a little bit of a fresh start for him. He comes to a team where we're playing a little bit smaller, so he's got advantages offensively when he's playing power forward or center with us. Things that he can do quickness-wise, athleticism, that he doesn't have a disadvantage, but in fact has an advantage against who he's playing. And we've given him a lot of latitude to work on his jump shot, work on his offensive skills, and then playing with Julyan Stone, who's setting him up in great spots and great opportunities. It's just creating more confidence for him and his game, and he's another guy who is great in the locker room. As a rookie, he is one of the leaders of our team and I think as his professional career develops, he's going to be a guy who's looked upon as a captain in the future, and a leader in the future. So I think he's finally getting to spread his wings a little bit and show that he can play outside of the one system that you've seen him in.

More technical D-League question: For the fans who see certain players doing really well in the D-League and say "Call Poythress up to the Pacers, call Loyd up to the Pacers," why is that not how it works? How would you explain, in layman's terms, how the relationship between the NBA teams and their D-League affiliates work?

All our players are free agents, any team can call them up at any time, and the biggest thing that determines a call-up is opportunity, which means roster spots. So currently the Pacers have a full roster, so they cannot call anyone up from the D-League, from any team in the D-League, until they have an open roster spot. So these players are not, they do not have the rights held by the Pacers, they are complete free agents, free for any NBA team to call them up.

With the exceptions of Georges Niang and Rakeem Christmas, I assume.

Well those guys are on assignment, so they are different categories of players. The players on assignment are still under NBA contract, it's as if they were still in uniform for the Pacers any given night, they are just with us getting more experience and keeping this thing up. So those players are completely different from our guys in terms of their status to the NBA.

So let's say somebody reached out and wanted to sign Poythress, or someone like that, would you guys have a chance to match or exceed the deal, or is it all 100 percent up to the player?

It's all up to the player and his agent. Like I said, right now there are zero open roster spots in the entire NBA, so there is not a lot of movement going on right now. Should there be a roster spot that opens up, I don't think that any player is going to be very picky about where that is, and what that opportunity is, it's just a chance to get to the NBA. If they wanted to give the Pacers a chance to create a roster spot and do that, they have that right as well, but it's all about opportunity, and thats what the D-League is all about. So as soon as they get that opportunity, they are most likely going to take it.

Speaking of opportunity, it's been helpful so far for the Pacers to be able to assign Rakeem Christmas or Georges Niang to go play in Fort Wayne for a stint of time. What are the challenges with getting the players situated in terms of like, even housing. How do you make them feel at home when they're not sure how long they're going to be there in the first place.

This year, the big change that we've had is we've put the time right up on the table. Rakeem and Georges know exactly when they are going to get assigned and when they are going to get recalled. How many games they are going to play. We get them a hotel room when they are in town, and because it's close enough (to Indianapolis), they can drive their own vehicle. They have access to food and anything they need, we have our new practice facility. So just like in Indy, they can get in at midnight and get shots up if that's what their routine is. We have our athletic trainers, our strength coach, our physical therapist, so all the medical stuff that happens in Indy is happening here, just on a little bit of a smaller scale. I think that the comfort this year is, they know what the plan is, they understand what they're here for. Larry (Bird) or Kevin (Pritchard) talk to them before they come down and tell them exactly what they are looking for in terms of what they need to work on, what they need to execute during the games, what kind of role they want them play with us. So I feel like their expectations are laid out very clearly, the facilities and the resources that we have here are on a smaller scale but comparable to what they can get when they're with the Pacers. So I think it's a much more fluid process than it was last year. Both from the physical and the mental aspect for the players.

It's now your second year living in Fort Wayne. What have been your thoughts on the Mad Ants fan base, the city of Fort Wayne, and just the state of Indiana as a whole.

Well, Indiana is the Mecca of basketball. And our fans are as knowledgeable and as passionate as any I've ever been around. They really embrace the team at games and in the community, that make our guys feel welcome. Having a couple of guys with ties to the state has done really well for not just the fans, but the players feeling the connection as well. So we have two guys that went to IU, we have Jordan Loyd who went to UIndy. E. Victor Nickerson was a Valpo guy, and even Alex Poythress and Kentucky. So there is a lot connecting the fans in the community. So we've done a lot of basketball clinics, some autograph singings. We just feel like the community has embraced us and everything has been really good. On a personal level, I can go out in the community wearing a Mad Ants t-shirt and five to six people will talk to me about the Mad Ants and everybody understands and knows what our record is, knows what we've been doing. The media has covered us more this year, I think everything is growing, and the involvement with the Pacers has gone a long long way in making sure that we're legitimized in the media and in the community and everyone feels comfortable that we're here for the long haul.

It seems like an added benefit of not only having an NBA affiliate, but being in the same state as that NBA affiliate. I know there are a couple teams whose affiliate is pretty far away, how has the distance between the cities helped you guys?

I mean it's great. It's only two hours, it's one major road connecting us. There have been Pacers representatives up here at almost every single game that we've had at home. Our players, our staff, we go down and attend Pacers games and practices. I might just go down for the day and spend the day in the office. It just goes a long way with getting a feel for what's important to the front office and to the coaching staff, even on the business side. What are we trying to accomplish? What changes are happening, what are the things that we can adjust and help with? Whether it's marketing, or facilities, or basketball, or whatever it is, the communication is not only great, but it's helpful when you can get that face-to-face communication, and you can say: "Okay, here's what we're doing, what can we do better, how do we learn, how do you guys do it?" So everything is connected: merchandise, advertising, you know, we're tying in, we're doing a lot of the same stuff the Pacers are doing, so the distance just makes it so much more easy to have that connection.

Alright last question: What's the biggest surprise of this season?

I think the unselfishness that our team has. The D-League is a great league for opportunity, but it can be sometimes misconstrued in that you have to serve your own goals, and the goals of the team aren't necessarily the goals of the individual player, and we've had a group of players and coaches that have bucked that trend every single day in practice. We talked about Julyan Stone, a point guard who is second in the league in assists, who wants to move the ball. We've had six different players lead the team in scoring through 11 games, we don't have any one person that takes over from a personality standpoint on the court, it's a pure team process for us. And everyone has bought in, everyone enjoys spending the time together, and that's not something that you often get in the D-League, that kind of family atmosphere. So I'm very proud of the players and the coaches for embracing that as a team, if we get where we want to go, then it's more likely that as players, they'll get where they want to to go. So I think that's the biggest difference and the biggest surprise for us this year is that kind of mentality from day one, that we're going to buy in, we're going to do this together, and we're going to win.

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Mad Ants GM Brian Levy on Early Success, Relationship with Pacers

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INDIANAPOLIS – In conjunction with their purchase of the NBA Development League's Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday that Brian Levy will be the team's General Manager.

The 31-year-old Levy comes to Fort Wayne from the Bakersfield Jam of the D-League. With the Jam, Levy was Assistant General Manager for the last three years while also serving as a scout for the Phoenix Suns. He had been with Bakersfield since 2010 in roles of video coordinator, director of player personnel and basketball operations. Levy attended Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J.

"Brian is a very smart young man who has worked his way up to the point where we really believe he is ready for this," said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. "He has a great work ethic and a tremendous desire to succeed, not just on a personal level, but on a franchise level. He's a very good fit for us and the Mad Ants."

"He's a terrific addition for what the Indiana Pacers hope to accomplish as a franchise and partner with the Mad Ants," said Pacers Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Kevin Pritchard. "His energy and enthusiasm will guide the Mad Ants to continued success."

PACERS IN FORT WAYNE: Tickets for Oct. 22 Game On Sale Thursday at 2 PM »

Said Levy, "I'm extremely grateful to have this great opportunity that I am really looking forward to. The recent success of the Mad Ants, coupled with how the Indiana Pacers have built and maintained a successful team and organization, is a win-win, not just for me but for the fans of the Mad Ants. We will work closely with the Pacers to make sure Fort Wayne continues to have a competitive, winning team. A standard has been set and we plan to uphold that standard."

Brian Levy

Mad Ants GM Brian Levy on Early Success, Relationship with Pacers

Brian Levy Named General Manager of Fort Wayne Mad Ants