The Maine Red Claws’ NBADL home debut Friday night at the Portland Expo was about as entertaining as a 23-point blowout can get. The home team played well on both ends of the floor. There were dunks, behind-the-back passes, impressive shooting displays and even a little blood.

The game was actually fairly close for the first three quarters and three minutes, but the capacity Portland Expo crowd didn’t seem to mind either way. They were just drinking in the return of pro hoops to Maine, where minor league basketball franchises used to go to die.

The Pine Tree State’s pro hardwood history isn’t pretty. The Maine Lumberjacks had a three-year run in the late 1970s. The Maine Windjammers sank after one season, 1985-86.  Both were part of the Continental Basketball Association, which Isiah Thomas ran into the ground eight years ago. The Portland Wave waived goodbye after only one season in the United States Basketball League.

Because of this history, there is understandable skepticism about the viability of a minor league basketball franchise here. But before they even took the court Friday, the Red Claws had so much more going for them than their predecessors.

It starts with the fact that there is no comparison between the appeal of minor league sports then and their appeal now. The popularity of minor league sports has exploded over the last couple of decades for a number of reasons, but mostly because they are far more affordable than the big leagues. 

It’s also about the brand. Having the NBA’s brand name sells tickets by itself. The USBL was the basketball equivalent of the independent Northeast League in baseball. The CBA, while a venerable league at the time of its foray into Maine, simply did not have the credibility the NBA does (insert Tim Donaghy joke here).  

The relationship with the NBA extends to the Boston Celtics. This will be vital to the Red Claws’ success. Having the Charlotte Bobcats involved is nice, too. But as the Sea Dogs have shown, Mainers love the Boston connection.

There is a big difference between the Sea Dogs’ ties to the Red Sox and the Red Claws’ ties to the Celtics, though, and it’s inherent in the differences in the way the two sports work. While the Sea Dogs have produced and will continue to produce future Major League stars, the NBADL hasn’t produced any stars at all. Good role players, sure. Guys like Jordan Farmar, Chris Andersen and Bobby Simmons. But the majority of Red Claws ticket holders have probably never heard of them.

The Red Claws don’t have any future league MVP’s, no one the equivalent of Dustin Pedroia, or Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, Jacoby Ellsbury or Jon Lester. What they do have is a Bill Walker, a recognizable name to Celtics followers, an exciting athletic talent, but a guy who can’t wrest playing time from the likes of Brian Scalabrine and Tony Allen at the NBA level. 

Yet that is actually part of the NBADL’s appeal. Walker, Bobcats’ prospect Alexis Ajinca, for Atlanta Hawk Mario West — those are great athletes and already among the best basketball players to play in this state, but they all have something to prove. They aren’t bonus babies on a fast track to the Major Leagues like Messrs. Papelbon and Ellsbury were, just passing through Portland for a little development en route to Boston. Every night, they take the court in hopes of impressing an NBA scout, coach or general manager so they can get back to “the Show.” Every night, every single player is fighting for his future in pro basketball.

And so, on a typical night in the NBADL, what you get is the kind of effort like the 3,100 fans saw at the Expo Friday night. You get guys busting it up and down the court in transition, buckling down on defense on every possession, setting up their teammates for easy hoops in hopes that their teammates return the favor, and actually listening to and carrying out the coach’s instructions. What you don’t get is a bunch of millionaires giving a half-hearted effort, saving themselves for the playoffs or their next contract, and disrespecting their coaches, each other and the game. 

 That will appeal to the basketball purists more than anybody. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of those in Maine and New Hampshire to sustain a franchise by themselves. Red Claws president and general manager Jon Jennings has always said one of the reasons he’s convinced they will succeed here is the love of high school basketball in the state. I’ve watched a lot of high school basketball in a lot of half-empty high school gyms to know that love has been waning for some time.

Jennings is a much smarter man than I, and I’m sure he knows this is not Indiana. He knows if pro basketball is to succeed here, it needs to spark the casual fans’ interest and hold it. That’s why the Claws, like every other minor and major league franchise in the country, have poured significant resources into what is now called “game presentation.”

In the NBA, game presentation means giant high-def video scoreboards, obnoxiously loud music during play, obnoxiously loud public address announcers, on-court “emcees” and scantily-clad dancers. The Red Claws have elements of all those, but they are toned down enough that they don’t assault the fans’ senses or their sense of decency. The music is kept to a minimum during the action, PA announcer Frank Stetson isn’t determined to make himself the show (no bellowing “RED CLAWS BASKET-BALL!!” like the NBA guys are prone to), and the video board most definitely is not high-def.

Based on Friday night, the overall game presentation is less obtrusive than the never-ending noise at Hadlock Field. And while the Expo certainly doesn’t have the slice-of-Americana charm of Hadlock, there is something to be said for the atmosphere in the ancient building, especially when it’s packed and the crowd is into the game. 

The Claws appear to have found the right balance between pleasing the hard-core and casual or non-fan. They’ve also done a remarkable job of marketing and community relations so far (our local hockey team should take note). Even seemingly small gestures like hiring Josh Titus as a manager go a long way in establishing a relationship with the community. 

With Jennings, who has done just about everything one can do in the game of basketball, serving as the point man, the Ryan family providing the financial backing, and a touch of Celtic green in the mix, the foundation is there for the Red Claws to beat the odds in a tough economy and thrive, even once the novelty wears off.

Randy Whitehouse is a staff writer. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]