Maestro Funn orchestrates Energy Win

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’Pass-first’ floor general picks up second triple double of season

By Chris O’Leary, Special to The JournalMay 24, 2009 7:59 AM

Will Funn doesn’t say much off the court, but the Edmonton Energy point guard’s actions on the court are saying more than enough for his team.

The six-foot-three Portland State product picked up his second triple double of the season, recording 10 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in the Energy’s 148-120 win over the Snohomish County Explosion on Saturday night at MacEwan Gym.

"He’s a maestro," Energy coach Paul Sir said of his point guard.

"I can’t believe more coaches don’t understand the necessity of a pass-first point guard.

"Will makes all of (his teammates) better." With the Energy’s offensive gunners taking the majority of the statistical glory every weekend -- J.R. Patrick and Lee Scruggs had 35 and 25 points, respectively, on Saturday -- it’s easy to lose the soft-spoken floor general in the mix. Scruggs said Funn’s selflessness is making the game, well, more fun for everybody.

"He’s what they call a true point guard," the Energy centre said.

"He puts the ball where it needs to go and he makes the offence a lot easier for us." A scorer as a high schooler, Funn said he changed his game up and started looking for the pass when he got to college.

"I want to make everyone happy," he said. "Everyone’s happy on the team, that means you can get some wins. That’s just the way I think about things. I’m a pass-first point guard.

"I’ll be last. As long as everyone else on the court is happy, I’ll play." After watching his team falter with a trigger-happy point guard in Rashaun Broadus last year, Sir sought out a pure distributor to run the Energy’s offence. He has found that in Funn, who has led the Energy to a 6-2 record this season.

"With a team like this that has as much offensive firepower that we have, you’ve got to have a pass-first mentality," Sir said. "Otherwise, you need five basketballs. Will, I think, is the best I’ve seen in the league at making the extra pass." Devon Greene, the IBL’s leading scorer, finished with 43 points on 13-of-35 shooting for the Explosion.

NOTES: Energy centre Kevin Shand dressed, but did not play. The big man from Toronto has a pulled groin. ... The Energy should be getting a big boost in the return of local hoopster Jermaine Bucknor. The Ross Sheppard grad -- blond goatee and all -- sat on the Energy bench Saturday, but won’t suit up until he recovers from a foot injury. Paul Sir expects Bucknor back in "a week or two."