Sherrad Prezzie-Blue has officially returned to the Worthing Thunder.
He signalled his return with two big games against Glasgow at home and Cheshire away.
Sherrad had 19 points, 2 assists and 3 steals against the Glasgow Rocks. Statistically he was the strongest player. Unfortunately despite a good game from him, and from the 14 points and 13 rebounds of Shaun Durant, Worthing lost 84-68.
Fundamentally the structure of Worthing's current line-up means we need to have at least three players playing very well to have a chance of winning. Adam Williams, John Nottley and Marlin Capers all had off-nights, and in general Thunder's shooting was very poor. 11/32 from inside the arc and 7/23 just isn't good enough, and it was free throws that appears to have kept us in the match, going 25/27.
Nevertheless, I think this shows good things. When the team has a few full games together I think they will compete with anyone in the league.
Cheshire Jets, even without bigman Matt Schneck, must still be considered one of the best teams in the BBL this season. Thunder lost the close encounter up north 81-75, and Prezzie-Blue produced once again with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Incredably, Jets went through the match and only turned the ball over once. It seems that this was the key difference, as the Thunder matched Jets in scoring and reboudning fairly well.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
If Thunder are going to beat Glasgow Rocks on Sunday...
Worthing Thunder take on the Glasgow Rocks on Saturday in a BBL championship game.
Rocks have had a decent start to the season going 4-3, compared to Worthing's record of 1-3 so far. I think it's important to remember, though, that their four wins have all been against four of the weaker teams in the BBL, including a tight contest with Essex Pirates.
In short, Rocks are a decent team, but they are far from unbeatable.
The obvious dangerman is EJ Harrison the veteran guard who joined the Rocks from MK Lions. He's averaging 15 ppg and 4 apg, so not what you can call fantastic numbers, especially on a team that isn't exactly stacked with offensive talent.
6'8'' forward/centre Mike Copeland is the inside threat. He's averaging 18 ppg. 6'6'' American/Greek Nick Livas has been the other main offense player, he has added 15 ppg.
Rocks other main players are 6'4'' French swingman Moses Mubarak, 6'3'' American guard Brice Fantazia, and naturalised player/coach Sterling Davis. They have also just added Australian big-man Michael Kingma who counts as a non-permit player due to the virtue of a Dutch passport.
So what do Thunder need to do if they want to beat Glasgow?
I think the best bet is going inside early. Get it to Nottley and Durant down low and let them go to work, and get Adam Williams and Mansour Mbye to drive in. I say this because Kingma is new to the team and so will not yet be completely comfortable with the defensive plays. Copeland is certainly talented and may well be the best big-man in the match, but he is also highly prone to foul trouble. 6'6'' Sterling Davis is a fantastic player, I remember him from his days as the Bears, but he is a little underized to guard Nottley, and probably doesn't have the athleticism any more to guard Durant.
If Prezzie-Blue is in the Worthing line-up it will improve us both defensively and offensively. But whoever is guarding EJ Harrison needs to keep him in check. Harrison can really put up a lot of points very quickly, and was the catalyst in the Rocks pulling away from Essex Pirates in the fourth quarter last week. Brice Fantazia, on the other hand, shouldn't be too much of an offensive threat and we can let him have his points.
The signing of Kingma could actually work to Worthing's advantage. It's not a big surprise to find that when Sterling Davis plays more minutes, Rocks have a better record. Kingma will take minutes away from Davis, and currently I don't think he will give Thunder as much to worry about.
Adam Williams needs to play big minutes again, he is crucial to our success. Nottley and Durant need to pound the ball inside. Marlin Capers should use his veteran savvy to outmanuevere the less experienced Mubrak and Livas. And a mature performance from Mbye could be the difference for Thunder.
Rocks have had a decent start to the season going 4-3, compared to Worthing's record of 1-3 so far. I think it's important to remember, though, that their four wins have all been against four of the weaker teams in the BBL, including a tight contest with Essex Pirates.
In short, Rocks are a decent team, but they are far from unbeatable.
The obvious dangerman is EJ Harrison the veteran guard who joined the Rocks from MK Lions. He's averaging 15 ppg and 4 apg, so not what you can call fantastic numbers, especially on a team that isn't exactly stacked with offensive talent.
6'8'' forward/centre Mike Copeland is the inside threat. He's averaging 18 ppg. 6'6'' American/Greek Nick Livas has been the other main offense player, he has added 15 ppg.
Rocks other main players are 6'4'' French swingman Moses Mubarak, 6'3'' American guard Brice Fantazia, and naturalised player/coach Sterling Davis. They have also just added Australian big-man Michael Kingma who counts as a non-permit player due to the virtue of a Dutch passport.
So what do Thunder need to do if they want to beat Glasgow?
I think the best bet is going inside early. Get it to Nottley and Durant down low and let them go to work, and get Adam Williams and Mansour Mbye to drive in. I say this because Kingma is new to the team and so will not yet be completely comfortable with the defensive plays. Copeland is certainly talented and may well be the best big-man in the match, but he is also highly prone to foul trouble. 6'6'' Sterling Davis is a fantastic player, I remember him from his days as the Bears, but he is a little underized to guard Nottley, and probably doesn't have the athleticism any more to guard Durant.
If Prezzie-Blue is in the Worthing line-up it will improve us both defensively and offensively. But whoever is guarding EJ Harrison needs to keep him in check. Harrison can really put up a lot of points very quickly, and was the catalyst in the Rocks pulling away from Essex Pirates in the fourth quarter last week. Brice Fantazia, on the other hand, shouldn't be too much of an offensive threat and we can let him have his points.
The signing of Kingma could actually work to Worthing's advantage. It's not a big surprise to find that when Sterling Davis plays more minutes, Rocks have a better record. Kingma will take minutes away from Davis, and currently I don't think he will give Thunder as much to worry about.
Adam Williams needs to play big minutes again, he is crucial to our success. Nottley and Durant need to pound the ball inside. Marlin Capers should use his veteran savvy to outmanuevere the less experienced Mubrak and Livas. And a mature performance from Mbye could be the difference for Thunder.
Ralph Bucci, and a look at the quality of British basketball over the last 10 years.
Last weekend saw big news for basketball up in the north of England.
A match in EBL Division 2 was played between Tees Valley Mohawks and Sheffield Arrows, two teams recently demoted from EBL Division 1, the league below the BBL.
It should probably have been a fairly tight encounter, but it wasn't. And the reason for that is almost certainly the return to Teesside of veteran guard Ralph Bucci. Ralph played for the Mohawks a number of years back, marrying a local girl and earning a British passport. His career has taken him to the top league in Greece, one of the best in the world. And at the age of 35 he is back in Britain, playing in a league that is far below his level of ability. The Mohawks blew out the Arrows 122-72, with Bucci scoring a game high 34.
6'4'' Bucci could still play at BBL level. He'd probably start. And he'd probably be better than the majority of the guards.
This perhaps says something a little worrying about the state of the BBL. And a point that can be made by looking at the past.
Let's look at the Teesside Mohawks team from the 2002/2003 season. Just eight years ago. Here's the context, in the form of a pleasant nostalgic anecdote:
I don't remember following the EBL Division 1 (or the NBL, as it was known back then). I was too young to really take an interest in much outside of what the Worthing (nee Brighton) Bears were doing.
But I took a passing interest in the league below the BBL if only because of Worthing Thunder, who I would follow occasionally.
I don't remember much, and researching has been quite fun, but I do remember that Teesside were one of the top teams, and for a while were the very best. I also remember, however, that there was a marked difference between the quality of the NBL and the BBL. In short, Teesside Mohawks, despite being the best the NBL had, couldn't really compete with the BBL teams.
The 02/03 Mohawks team featured American guard EJ Harrison who is currently considered one of the best point guards in the BBL. Ralph Bucci who, as we mentioned, played in the top Greek league last year and was a decent contributor. Steve Pilkington a 6'7'' Australian with a British passport who played in the Aussie second division last year (probably about BBL level). Carl Miller who was a veteran former GB forward international and was still very good. Lijah Perkins a Birmingham born power forward who moved to Finland a couple of years later and was named MVP of their second division (probably not far below current BBL level). Jason Swaine an England international shooting guard with a great 3-point shot. Steve Butler a highly talented local lad who definitely had BBL-level talent (and is currently the Mohawks head coach). James Nicholson a young British guard who was one of the best in the league a couple years later. Big Jon Stonebridge a 6'10'' centre who was always dependable. And a number of others.
The point is, if you transferred this team from the 02/03 NBL to the 10/11 BBL, and I think that, not only would they compete, but they would win a lot of games. The back court of Harrison and Bucci in their prime, a front court of top British talent and a deep, skilled bench. Hell, they'd probably win the BBL.
And as I mentioned earlier, the Mohawks of 02/03, were soundly beaten by the teams of the BBL (as I recall, and my memory is a little hazy and internet sources on such things are pretty few and far between). You could argue that this isn't surprising as the BBL used to allow up to five permit players per team (it was reduced to four, and is currently at three) and traditionally permit players are usually the strongest players on the teams. Nevertheless, you only have to look at the talent involved on that Teesside Mohawks team to realise that the quality of teams in the BBL has declined significantly.
Now I am all for more British players on BBL teams, and certainly I think I would even prefer a league based entirely on British players. The Mersey Tigers have this year managed to recruit a team that is virtually 100% British and they are going to be one of the best teams. As the Tigers have done, I would much rather we see British spending what little money they have on bringing in maybe three highly talented Brits rather than three cheap Americans and a couple of further Europeans.
A match in EBL Division 2 was played between Tees Valley Mohawks and Sheffield Arrows, two teams recently demoted from EBL Division 1, the league below the BBL.
It should probably have been a fairly tight encounter, but it wasn't. And the reason for that is almost certainly the return to Teesside of veteran guard Ralph Bucci. Ralph played for the Mohawks a number of years back, marrying a local girl and earning a British passport. His career has taken him to the top league in Greece, one of the best in the world. And at the age of 35 he is back in Britain, playing in a league that is far below his level of ability. The Mohawks blew out the Arrows 122-72, with Bucci scoring a game high 34.
6'4'' Bucci could still play at BBL level. He'd probably start. And he'd probably be better than the majority of the guards.
This perhaps says something a little worrying about the state of the BBL. And a point that can be made by looking at the past.
Let's look at the Teesside Mohawks team from the 2002/2003 season. Just eight years ago. Here's the context, in the form of a pleasant nostalgic anecdote:
I don't remember following the EBL Division 1 (or the NBL, as it was known back then). I was too young to really take an interest in much outside of what the Worthing (nee Brighton) Bears were doing.
But I took a passing interest in the league below the BBL if only because of Worthing Thunder, who I would follow occasionally.
I don't remember much, and researching has been quite fun, but I do remember that Teesside were one of the top teams, and for a while were the very best. I also remember, however, that there was a marked difference between the quality of the NBL and the BBL. In short, Teesside Mohawks, despite being the best the NBL had, couldn't really compete with the BBL teams.
The 02/03 Mohawks team featured American guard EJ Harrison who is currently considered one of the best point guards in the BBL. Ralph Bucci who, as we mentioned, played in the top Greek league last year and was a decent contributor. Steve Pilkington a 6'7'' Australian with a British passport who played in the Aussie second division last year (probably about BBL level). Carl Miller who was a veteran former GB forward international and was still very good. Lijah Perkins a Birmingham born power forward who moved to Finland a couple of years later and was named MVP of their second division (probably not far below current BBL level). Jason Swaine an England international shooting guard with a great 3-point shot. Steve Butler a highly talented local lad who definitely had BBL-level talent (and is currently the Mohawks head coach). James Nicholson a young British guard who was one of the best in the league a couple years later. Big Jon Stonebridge a 6'10'' centre who was always dependable. And a number of others.
The point is, if you transferred this team from the 02/03 NBL to the 10/11 BBL, and I think that, not only would they compete, but they would win a lot of games. The back court of Harrison and Bucci in their prime, a front court of top British talent and a deep, skilled bench. Hell, they'd probably win the BBL.
And as I mentioned earlier, the Mohawks of 02/03, were soundly beaten by the teams of the BBL (as I recall, and my memory is a little hazy and internet sources on such things are pretty few and far between). You could argue that this isn't surprising as the BBL used to allow up to five permit players per team (it was reduced to four, and is currently at three) and traditionally permit players are usually the strongest players on the teams. Nevertheless, you only have to look at the talent involved on that Teesside Mohawks team to realise that the quality of teams in the BBL has declined significantly.
Now I am all for more British players on BBL teams, and certainly I think I would even prefer a league based entirely on British players. The Mersey Tigers have this year managed to recruit a team that is virtually 100% British and they are going to be one of the best teams. As the Tigers have done, I would much rather we see British spending what little money they have on bringing in maybe three highly talented Brits rather than three cheap Americans and a couple of further Europeans.
The Weakest Link
So far this season I have seen a few of the BBL teams, either at the 'Thunderdome' or on the BBL on Sky Sports on Tuesday. I haven't seen them all yet, so we'll have a a follow-up post to this once I have.
Lets take a look at who are the weakest links in the teams I have seen:
Worthing Thunder - I feel bad for giving the Thunder a weakest link. They are an understrength squad doing a difficult job and I think we can expect to see much better from them as the season goes on. Returning coach Gary Smith will hopefully be able to get the best of the players. But right now, the weakest link of the Worthing Thunder is Mansour Mbye. Mansour has a lot of talent, but he needs to be a bit more unselfish and show a bit more heart defensively.
Newcastle Eagles - I've only seen Newcastle on the TV, but from watching them, and from looking at the stats, it's clear that big man Kadiri Richard just isn't doing enough. Brought in as a defensive and rebounding specialist, I just feel that to be at the same level as last year Richard needs to give a lot more inside. The offense certainly isn't geared towards big-men in this incarnation of the Eagles but right now Darius Defoe is the only inside threat, and Newcastle will lose games because of it.
Guildford Heat - On paper, Guildford have one of the best squads in the league. They should especially be strong inside, veteran Mike Martin and 7'0'' Lithuanian Tomas Janusauskas could really dominate if they were placed next to a skilled and versatile American. But James Porter has not been that. It's difficult to come into the BBL as a rookie and contribute straight away, but Porter has missed an opportunity to carve out a niche as a quiet contributor as the defense is drawn to the bigger names.
Sheffield Sharks - Until he was released, big Brit Richard McNutt would probably have counted as the weak Shark link. But he has been replaced by the excellent powerful forward Olu Babalola. The Sharks have seven very strong players (including player coach Atiba Lyons) but unfortunately the weak link here is depth. Beyond the main seven Sharks have very little, and a couple of injuries would be catastrophic to their (currently fairly reasonable) title chances.
Worcester Wolves - Maybe a little controversial, especially given how well he performed in the second half of last season, but this year point guard Rod Middleton has been the weakest link for the Wolves. He's shooting badly, his assist numbers are down and he appears short on confidence. Rumours say he is carrying a bit of an injury, but Wolves are going to need much more from him if they want to fulfil their potential.
Essex Pirates - This is another difficult one. An argument could probably be made for inexperience, lack of import Americans or no natural point guard or big-men being the weakest link. And while it feels means to single out a player on a team who have been very poor, and at times out of their depth, but Colin Sing has disappointed me. I really felt Sing could have a breakout year at BBL level. He has the pedigree, and his history suggests he has the talent, but my experience of his play was that he was lacking in confidence and looked uncomfortable. I hope he fulfil his potential (although have the odd off-game against Thunder).
That's your lot for now. I'll do the other six when I have seen them.
Lets take a look at who are the weakest links in the teams I have seen:
Worthing Thunder - I feel bad for giving the Thunder a weakest link. They are an understrength squad doing a difficult job and I think we can expect to see much better from them as the season goes on. Returning coach Gary Smith will hopefully be able to get the best of the players. But right now, the weakest link of the Worthing Thunder is Mansour Mbye. Mansour has a lot of talent, but he needs to be a bit more unselfish and show a bit more heart defensively.
Newcastle Eagles - I've only seen Newcastle on the TV, but from watching them, and from looking at the stats, it's clear that big man Kadiri Richard just isn't doing enough. Brought in as a defensive and rebounding specialist, I just feel that to be at the same level as last year Richard needs to give a lot more inside. The offense certainly isn't geared towards big-men in this incarnation of the Eagles but right now Darius Defoe is the only inside threat, and Newcastle will lose games because of it.
Guildford Heat - On paper, Guildford have one of the best squads in the league. They should especially be strong inside, veteran Mike Martin and 7'0'' Lithuanian Tomas Janusauskas could really dominate if they were placed next to a skilled and versatile American. But James Porter has not been that. It's difficult to come into the BBL as a rookie and contribute straight away, but Porter has missed an opportunity to carve out a niche as a quiet contributor as the defense is drawn to the bigger names.
Sheffield Sharks - Until he was released, big Brit Richard McNutt would probably have counted as the weak Shark link. But he has been replaced by the excellent powerful forward Olu Babalola. The Sharks have seven very strong players (including player coach Atiba Lyons) but unfortunately the weak link here is depth. Beyond the main seven Sharks have very little, and a couple of injuries would be catastrophic to their (currently fairly reasonable) title chances.
Worcester Wolves - Maybe a little controversial, especially given how well he performed in the second half of last season, but this year point guard Rod Middleton has been the weakest link for the Wolves. He's shooting badly, his assist numbers are down and he appears short on confidence. Rumours say he is carrying a bit of an injury, but Wolves are going to need much more from him if they want to fulfil their potential.
Essex Pirates - This is another difficult one. An argument could probably be made for inexperience, lack of import Americans or no natural point guard or big-men being the weakest link. And while it feels means to single out a player on a team who have been very poor, and at times out of their depth, but Colin Sing has disappointed me. I really felt Sing could have a breakout year at BBL level. He has the pedigree, and his history suggests he has the talent, but my experience of his play was that he was lacking in confidence and looked uncomfortable. I hope he fulfil his potential (although have the odd off-game against Thunder).
That's your lot for now. I'll do the other six when I have seen them.
Monday, 15 November 2010
What do the Thunder need to compete?
Worthing Thunder have had a pretty poor start to the season. Two wins have come at the expense of two of the (arguably) weakest teams, Essex and Plymouth, and there have been some pretty bad performances, notably a heavy loss away to Sheffield.
So what has gone wrong? Let's look at the recruitment process:
Local boy Samuel Cricelli who played his debut professional season last year at Thunder was snapped up by Plymouth Raiders in the off-season. Cricelli, a 6'7'' combo-forward, had a successful college career and was a high point in Thunder's season last year. He was capped by England over the summer and it's a shame Thunder couldn't retain him.
As for the imports, swingman Reggie Bratton signed to an LEB-Silver club in Spain and big-man Kadiri Richard was picked up by BBL giants Newcastle Eagles. Point guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue moved back to the States, but has recently returned to the Thunder.
Evaldas Zabas, the Lithuanian point guard, returned from last year and was taking most of the weight of scoring, but he has since moved west to Plymouth. Our other Europeans (who don't require a permit) were Latvian forward Janis Ivanofskis and 6'5'' Finland international Ville Makalainen. Makalainen has moved back home and signed for Korisliiga club Honka Espoo Playboys. Ivanovskis doesn't appear to be playing professionally this year.
So lets look at this years squad:
Point guard: Thunder need a point guard. At the time of writing, rumours are abound that 5'11'' American Sherrad Prezzie-Blue has been re-signed to replace Zabas. This is a fantastic move, if true, but if not then Thunder need to immediately look for a new guard. We will struggle to pull out close games without a floor general out there.
Athletic power forward: I think Thunder could do with an athletic power forward, to give a bit of variety to the offence inside. So far we have Nottley, something of a finesse centre who gets his points from long range shooting, hooks and on the virtue of usually being the tallest guy on the court. We have Durant, who gets his points from muscling his way inside or from put-backs. We have Zafirov who seems to prefer shooting the three, and isn't really a natural big. If we had a good athletic forward, who likes to hustle in the paint, pick up rebounds and has some decent post moves (think Guildford's Mike Martin or Sheffield's Olu Babalola). Mbye perhaps should be filling this role, but appears to spend much of his time on the perimeter.
Heart: Dan Hildreth had it. Janis Ivanovskis had it. Ville Makalainen had it. So did Kadiri Richard. But this year we seem to be missing a bit of heart. Someone ready to do whatever it takes to win, throw himself on every loose ball, battle on when we're 20 points down. We need to sign a Dru Spinks or a Yorick Williams.
So what has gone wrong? Let's look at the recruitment process:
Local boy Samuel Cricelli who played his debut professional season last year at Thunder was snapped up by Plymouth Raiders in the off-season. Cricelli, a 6'7'' combo-forward, had a successful college career and was a high point in Thunder's season last year. He was capped by England over the summer and it's a shame Thunder couldn't retain him.
As for the imports, swingman Reggie Bratton signed to an LEB-Silver club in Spain and big-man Kadiri Richard was picked up by BBL giants Newcastle Eagles. Point guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue moved back to the States, but has recently returned to the Thunder.
Evaldas Zabas, the Lithuanian point guard, returned from last year and was taking most of the weight of scoring, but he has since moved west to Plymouth. Our other Europeans (who don't require a permit) were Latvian forward Janis Ivanofskis and 6'5'' Finland international Ville Makalainen. Makalainen has moved back home and signed for Korisliiga club Honka Espoo Playboys. Ivanovskis doesn't appear to be playing professionally this year.
So lets look at this years squad:
- Veteran American forward Marlin Capers is the only new import and has scored well, even if he is lacking a little in athleticism these days.
- Bruising big-man Shaun Durant is known for his rebounding skills, and he has been putting them to good use.
- 6'6'' Londoner Mansour Mbye's talent is not in doubt, but at times his decision making is.
- Rumours have been flying around that Thunder's other big, John Nottley, will be heading State-side as soon he gets a visa to work there, and that will be a blow if he goes.
- Club captain James Brame has been steady and reliable as ever.
- Bulgarian Pepe Zafirov show flashes of real talent, followed by stretches of mediocrity and occasional technical-foul-earning outbursts.
- Welsh guard Adam Williams has impressed, and occasionally looks disheartened when things are going badly.
Point guard: Thunder need a point guard. At the time of writing, rumours are abound that 5'11'' American Sherrad Prezzie-Blue has been re-signed to replace Zabas. This is a fantastic move, if true, but if not then Thunder need to immediately look for a new guard. We will struggle to pull out close games without a floor general out there.
Athletic power forward: I think Thunder could do with an athletic power forward, to give a bit of variety to the offence inside. So far we have Nottley, something of a finesse centre who gets his points from long range shooting, hooks and on the virtue of usually being the tallest guy on the court. We have Durant, who gets his points from muscling his way inside or from put-backs. We have Zafirov who seems to prefer shooting the three, and isn't really a natural big. If we had a good athletic forward, who likes to hustle in the paint, pick up rebounds and has some decent post moves (think Guildford's Mike Martin or Sheffield's Olu Babalola). Mbye perhaps should be filling this role, but appears to spend much of his time on the perimeter.
Heart: Dan Hildreth had it. Janis Ivanovskis had it. Ville Makalainen had it. So did Kadiri Richard. But this year we seem to be missing a bit of heart. Someone ready to do whatever it takes to win, throw himself on every loose ball, battle on when we're 20 points down. We need to sign a Dru Spinks or a Yorick Williams.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
The Miami cHeat: undone by a good point guard?
Boston Celtics. New Orleans Hornets. Utah Jazz.
There are the three teams that have beaten Miami Heat at this early stage in the season. What do they have in common? A top class point guard.
Celtics' Rajon Rondo is currently leading the NBA in assists and has had a superb start to the season. He's not a big scorer, but he excels at getting his team-mates involved. Rondo torched the Heat's defence and had 17 assists on the night.
Hornets win could be attributed to the huge game from big-man Emeka Okafor dominating that little bitch (yes, a highly technical phrase) Chris Bosh in the post. But Chris Paul did a fantastic job too. Again, big on the assists dishing out 19, and Heat didn't have an answer.
46 points from power forward Paul Millsap was the big story in the Heat-Jazz game. But Deron Williams came up big too, adding 21 points and 14 assists.
So what we can see is the Heat can't deal with the combination of a great point guard and a big-man playing well. And they flat out got destroyed by the Celtics.
Not strictly British basketball, I know, but if you want a tenuous link, British forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu plays for New Orleans Hornets, although admittedly he didn't see any minutes against the Heat.
There are the three teams that have beaten Miami Heat at this early stage in the season. What do they have in common? A top class point guard.
Celtics' Rajon Rondo is currently leading the NBA in assists and has had a superb start to the season. He's not a big scorer, but he excels at getting his team-mates involved. Rondo torched the Heat's defence and had 17 assists on the night.
Hornets win could be attributed to the huge game from big-man Emeka Okafor dominating that little bitch (yes, a highly technical phrase) Chris Bosh in the post. But Chris Paul did a fantastic job too. Again, big on the assists dishing out 19, and Heat didn't have an answer.
46 points from power forward Paul Millsap was the big story in the Heat-Jazz game. But Deron Williams came up big too, adding 21 points and 14 assists.
So what we can see is the Heat can't deal with the combination of a great point guard and a big-man playing well. And they flat out got destroyed by the Celtics.
Not strictly British basketball, I know, but if you want a tenuous link, British forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu plays for New Orleans Hornets, although admittedly he didn't see any minutes against the Heat.
Ogo Adegboye: our point guard of the present and future?
These days GB has a fairly decent youth set up. Running from U15 up to U21 you can usually see the progress of players as they develop their skills and ascend to the top level. I remember going to watch a tournament at Burgess Hill a few years back, and being impressed by the skills of Dan Clark and Matthew Bryan-Amaning.
Now they are fully fledged members of Team GB, with Clark playing an influential role in some of the key victories this summer. But another important name in the farcical Eurobasket qualification tournament, was Ogo Adegboye, and he has really come out of nowhere
A regular at the Midnight Madness event, Ogo was never involved in any of the national youth teams. He was never considered a serious prospect for Team GB. But the experience of the 6'0'' guard at NCAA Division I college St Bonaventure, and a shortage in the back-court catapulted the Nigerian-born Adegboye into the deep-end and the starting line up.
The point guard is such a crucial position at any level of basketball, and it was entrusted to Ogo, who stepped up and delivered highly mature performances for GB, playing an important role in many of the victories.
He's going into his final season of college this year and will no doubt he hoping to add a stellar season to his belt. He should face bigger and better competition for back-court minutes next time. Ben Gordon will be hopefully making his debut, plus the potential return of Jarrett Hart and Mike Lenzly and his young peers Justin Robinson, Devan Bailey, Andrew Lawrence and Devon van Oostrom to contend with.
Now they are fully fledged members of Team GB, with Clark playing an influential role in some of the key victories this summer. But another important name in the farcical Eurobasket qualification tournament, was Ogo Adegboye, and he has really come out of nowhere
A regular at the Midnight Madness event, Ogo was never involved in any of the national youth teams. He was never considered a serious prospect for Team GB. But the experience of the 6'0'' guard at NCAA Division I college St Bonaventure, and a shortage in the back-court catapulted the Nigerian-born Adegboye into the deep-end and the starting line up.
The point guard is such a crucial position at any level of basketball, and it was entrusted to Ogo, who stepped up and delivered highly mature performances for GB, playing an important role in many of the victories.
He's going into his final season of college this year and will no doubt he hoping to add a stellar season to his belt. He should face bigger and better competition for back-court minutes next time. Ben Gordon will be hopefully making his debut, plus the potential return of Jarrett Hart and Mike Lenzly and his young peers Justin Robinson, Devan Bailey, Andrew Lawrence and Devon van Oostrom to contend with.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Team GB: are they eligible?
Steve Nash. Michael Olowokandi. Ndudi Ebi.
These three names are probably the best examples from history.
Nash is a former NBA MVP and still one of the best point guards in the league today.
Olowokandi was the 1998 No.1 draft pick, taken above Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki. He is generally considered to be a "bust", but overall he had a solid NBA career with highs of 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds coming in the 2003/04 season.
Ebi was the no.26 overall pick in 2003 NBA Draft. He is a genuine bust, and his career has been disappointing even in Europe. Nevertheless, he has still played at a high-level, and is probably still young enough to get back to the top level.
So what do Nash, Olowokandi and Ebi have in common?
They were all eligible to play basketball for Great Britain, and they all chose to play for someone else.
Tottenham Hotspur fan Nash was born in South Africa to a Welsh mother and English father. His family moved to Canada when he was 18 months old, but he regularly visited London, where his father was from.
He represented Canada, and while still going strong in the NBA, appears to have retired from international basketball.
Olowokandi who was born in Lagos, Nigeria grew up in Britain. He went to high school in Seaford, about half an hour away from where I live. He represented Nigeria and has now retired from pro basketball.
Ebi is technically still eligible to play for GB. But he appears to consider himself more Nigerian than British.
So, with these three potential Brits missing in action, are there any other dual-nationality possibilities that aren't gracing the current team?
Kelenna Azubuike is the most obvious target. Born in London, he was raised in the US. He would be a massive asset to the wing, where GB are probably weakest at the moment.
Dante Cunningham is having a decent start to the season for Portland Trailblazers. He has worked out with the GB team in the past, and appears to have some British heritage which may allow him to represent GB if he gets a passport.
Big men Chris Ayer and Ross Allsop both represented England this summer, suggesting they are eligible for Great Britain too. Ayer has played in the NBA D-League and is currently under contract in Japan. Allsop is in his final year at Nova Southeastern University in the US. Ayer is the better of the two, but GB is pretty stacked at the power forward and centre positions.
In Europe there are a number of players who haven't played for GB but appear to have a British passport. Darren Phillip, Ugonna Onyekwe in Spain and Andrew Lovedale in France are all forwards who could be used. 6'6'' swingman Dee Ayuba is currently playing in Sweden.
There aren't very many guards though. Lindsay Tait (New Zealand) and Artur Drozdov (Poland) apparently have GB passports but have represented other countries. The story is the same for Australian Daryl Corletto, who has been invited to GB camps in the past. Although Lee Jeka who has been playing in Germany may be a possibility.
These three names are probably the best examples from history.
Nash is a former NBA MVP and still one of the best point guards in the league today.
Olowokandi was the 1998 No.1 draft pick, taken above Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki. He is generally considered to be a "bust", but overall he had a solid NBA career with highs of 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds coming in the 2003/04 season.
Ebi was the no.26 overall pick in 2003 NBA Draft. He is a genuine bust, and his career has been disappointing even in Europe. Nevertheless, he has still played at a high-level, and is probably still young enough to get back to the top level.
So what do Nash, Olowokandi and Ebi have in common?
They were all eligible to play basketball for Great Britain, and they all chose to play for someone else.
Tottenham Hotspur fan Nash was born in South Africa to a Welsh mother and English father. His family moved to Canada when he was 18 months old, but he regularly visited London, where his father was from.
He represented Canada, and while still going strong in the NBA, appears to have retired from international basketball.
Olowokandi who was born in Lagos, Nigeria grew up in Britain. He went to high school in Seaford, about half an hour away from where I live. He represented Nigeria and has now retired from pro basketball.
Ebi is technically still eligible to play for GB. But he appears to consider himself more Nigerian than British.
So, with these three potential Brits missing in action, are there any other dual-nationality possibilities that aren't gracing the current team?
Kelenna Azubuike is the most obvious target. Born in London, he was raised in the US. He would be a massive asset to the wing, where GB are probably weakest at the moment.
Dante Cunningham is having a decent start to the season for Portland Trailblazers. He has worked out with the GB team in the past, and appears to have some British heritage which may allow him to represent GB if he gets a passport.
Big men Chris Ayer and Ross Allsop both represented England this summer, suggesting they are eligible for Great Britain too. Ayer has played in the NBA D-League and is currently under contract in Japan. Allsop is in his final year at Nova Southeastern University in the US. Ayer is the better of the two, but GB is pretty stacked at the power forward and centre positions.
In Europe there are a number of players who haven't played for GB but appear to have a British passport. Darren Phillip, Ugonna Onyekwe in Spain and Andrew Lovedale in France are all forwards who could be used. 6'6'' swingman Dee Ayuba is currently playing in Sweden.
There aren't very many guards though. Lindsay Tait (New Zealand) and Artur Drozdov (Poland) apparently have GB passports but have represented other countries. The story is the same for Australian Daryl Corletto, who has been invited to GB camps in the past. Although Lee Jeka who has been playing in Germany may be a possibility.
Friday, 5 November 2010
Riders sign Harris
Leicester Riders have announced the signing of American forward Joseph Harris. The 6'5'' forward is a graduate of Coastal Carolina University in which his best season as a junior saw him average 15 points and 11 rebounds per game. Last year with fewer minutes his stats only dropped slightly to 14 points and 10 rebounds, still excellent production.
He is clearly highly talented, although perhaps a little undersized in terms of filling in for Anthony Simpson. If Harris' paperwork is completed he will play for the Riders against the Guildford Heat this weekend.
He is clearly highly talented, although perhaps a little undersized in terms of filling in for Anthony Simpson. If Harris' paperwork is completed he will play for the Riders against the Guildford Heat this weekend.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Missere rejoins the Riders
6'8'' forward Phil Missere has signed for the Leicester Riders to fill their void of big-guys.
Technically Missere, who holds a European passport, was brought back as a temporary replacement for injured English big-man Andrew Bennett. But he now also has to fill in for American power forward Anthony Simpson, who left for a contract in Korea.
Bennett is expected back sometime after the Christmas break, and it is unclear whether Missere will remain at the club once he returns. Riders coach Rob Paternostro is also looking for an import player to replace Simpson. Although it is unlikely, even if a deal is signed, that paperwork will be completed for Riders next game at home against Guildford.
Technically Missere, who holds a European passport, was brought back as a temporary replacement for injured English big-man Andrew Bennett. But he now also has to fill in for American power forward Anthony Simpson, who left for a contract in Korea.
Bennett is expected back sometime after the Christmas break, and it is unclear whether Missere will remain at the club once he returns. Riders coach Rob Paternostro is also looking for an import player to replace Simpson. Although it is unlikely, even if a deal is signed, that paperwork will be completed for Riders next game at home against Guildford.
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