So, we’re doing this again, aren't we?
The Converge FiberXers are currently 2-0, and if you just look at the standings, you’re thinking, "Hey, maybe they’ve finally figured it out." But if you actually watched the games—if you really looked at what’s happening on the floor—you have to be terrified.
We have to talk about Jalen Hudson. Through two games, the guy looks like he’s playing in quicksand. In his opener against Titan, he gave you 20 points, but he needed 15 shots to get there, and it just felt… laborious. Then, against Terrafirma on Wednesday? Two points. Two. On 1-of-14 shooting. You don't even need to be a scout to know that’s a disaster. That’s a "somebody please check the rim, maybe it’s tilted" kind of stat line.
And look, I’m not trying to be a prisoner of the moment here, but we’ve seen this movie before. Don’t we remember the Commissioner’s Cup? Converge practically boxed themselves into a corner with that Kylor Kelley contract. They fell in love with a flawed fit, couldn't get out of their own way, and before they knew it, they were watching the playoffs from their living rooms after a brutal elimination-round exit. It was the classic "we have the data, but we’re ignoring it because we’re too deep in" nightmare.
Are they doing it again?
Because right now, Converge is winning despite their import, not because of him. Justin Arana is playing out of his mind—31 points and 10 rebounds against Terrafirma—and you have guys like Juan Gomez de Liano and Justine Baltazar stepping up to save the day. Baltazar’s defensive play at the end? That’s the only reason they’re 2-0 instead of 1-1.
But you can’t survive a league like this when your import is essentially a decoy. If you’re playing 4-on-5 on the offensive end, eventually, the math catches up to you.
The FiberXers should be thrilled they escaped with a 105-103 win. They’re sitting at second in Group A, and they’re technically "lucky," as the reports say. But luck is not a strategy. Converge has an import problem, and they’re one "Maverick Ahanmisi buzzer-beater away from losing" scenario from realizing that their biggest mistake last conference might be repeating itself in real-time.
Are they going to make a move? Or are they going to stay committed to the bit until it’s too late? If I’m Converge, I’m not sleeping tonight. I’m looking at the trade market, I’m looking at the waiver wire, and I’m asking myself if we’re ready to admit that the "Hudson experiment" is already dead on arrival.
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