No Worthing in the BBL this year. So unlike last year, this preview will be short and sour.
Cheshire Jets
Sadly, the dream of signing LA Lakers forward Ron Artest (or Metta World Peace, as he is now known) never came to fruition due to insurance problems. The Jets, therefore, have had to rely on more conventional means of recruitment. Returnee's include US centre Matt Schneck, and 6'7'' Irishman Colin O'Reilly. However, last season's American stars Jeremy Bell and Quemont Greer are conspicuous in their absence. Replacing them are 6'4'' Adam Brown, and 6'9'' Bill Cole, both fresh out of college. Gareth Murray has headed back north to Glasgow, prompting veteran Shawn Myers to make a return to Jets for what seems like his billionth season. Young Manchester born guard Keith Page will also compete for minutes.
The question: can Adam Brown replicate Jeremy Bell's success? Bell attained BBL MVP last season, and led the Jets in scoring. The 5'11'' Bell's shoes are going to be tough to fill, as they are much bigger proverbially than they are physically.
Prediction: assuming they can avoid injuries, Jets should be aiming for home court advantage in the playoffs, though top 4 might be a bit of a push. Certainly they would be bad to finish outside of the top 6.
Durham Wildcats
Ralph Bucci will probably be the key to Wildcats season. The 35 year old has finally got his chance to show the BBL what he is made of (admittedly taking a few years to ply his trade in the top Greek league) after playing a few seasons in the EBL for the Teesside Mohawks. Bucci is a skilled scorer, and will be dangerous every night. The Wildcats have added American forwards 6'9'' Mario Flaherty, 6'7'' Fred Hinnencamp and 6'6'' Mike Capocci none of whom appear likely to set the world alight, but should be solid contributers. DJ Glavan, a 5'11'' American guard also appears to have been signed, however, this would raise Wildcats number of non-EU imports to 4, which is 1 too many. Perhaps one of the four Americans has an EU passport, making him eligible?
The question: are the Brit's ready? Paul Elderkin, Chris Pearce, Stephen Jones and a few others return from the EBL team of last year. They did a decent job at EBL level, but whether they are up to the BBL's standard is yet to be seen.
Prediction: they are new to the league, and they'll take a while to find their feet. I expect a few early season blowouts against the good teams, but by the end of the season they will be well drilled and a legitimate challenge for everyone. I'd be surprised if they didn't finish last, however.
Glasgow Rocks
An eclectic mix of experience, youth, veterans, new-blood and unknown quantities make the Rocks a difficult team to predict. You pretty much know what you're getting from EJ Harrison, Sterling Davis and Gareth Murray, and these guys will be the backbone of the team. But new Americans 6'4'' guard Mychal Green and 6'9'' big-man Deaundre Cranston are more difficult to call. 6'6'' swing man Andrew Wedemire, is a Canadian with a British passport - he's new too, but is endearing himself to fans during the pre-season with some gritty performances. 6'4'' Danny Huffor also has a UK passport, but hasn't really proved himself yet.
The question: is one big-man enough? Deaundre Cranston will be manning the middle his own, and championship contenders without back-ups are scarce.
Prediction: this team should have the talent to make the playoffs, but with little in terms of strength on depth or post-presence, I think it's unlikely they push any of the top teams too hard. On the other hand perennial under-achievers MK Lions, Leicester Riders and Plymouth Raiders might falter, leaving an opening for the Rocks to sneak into the upper echelon.
Guildford Heat
Guildford's team has plenty of familiar faces, including English stars 6'7'' Mike Martin, plus 6'5'' swing-men Julius Joseph and Tayo Ogedengbe. Martelle McLemore, the Heat's 6'5'' American guard is also back for his second season. However, there is some new-blood too; new import point guard Brandon Shingles has made the move from a low level German division, and the Heat have snagged a couple of European big men: 6'10'' Austrian Herman Opoku, and 6'8'' Belgian Kandi Mukole. Potentially waiting on another import too.
The question: can Martin and Joseph do it again? Guildford's English stalwarts Mike Martin and Julius Joseph have a tendency to carry the team, but they are both another year older, and Joseph was looking noticeably slow in pre-season; how much do they have left?
Prediction: there's room for another import signing, so the Heat could conceivably become stronger, but right now I see them struggling on the edge of the playoffs.
Leicester Riders
Probably the BBL's deepest team, with considerable depth at a number of positions. New import point guard Cameron Rundles, joins two ex-Riders who have returned for this years campaign; GB ace Flinder Boyd, and sharp-shooter Bradd Wierzbicki. It remains to be seen as to whether US/Italian guard John Griffin (who Flinder Boyd was drafted in to replace when he sustained a thumb injury) will return later in the season. Riders have a couple of highly capable new swingmen in 6'5'' American Ayron Hardy, and 6'7'' Brit Jamell Anderson, one of the few bright sparks in Essex Pirates whipping-boy performance last season. There is plenty of talent in the Riders front court too, with 6'9'' US returnee Frank Holmes clogging the paint, alongside veteran Robert Youngblood and experienced Brits Tom Sherlock and Barry Lamble.
The question: will they find a balance? There's an awful lot of talent there, and trying to fit these guys all into one 40-minute basketball game will be a tough task for coach Rob Paternostro.
Prediction: if they can find a balance, Riders should be aiming for the top 4. They might well have the league's best back-court.
Mersey Tigers
David Aliu and Andrew Sullivan are the only confirmed names on the Tigers' teamsheet at the time of writing. Nate Reinking, James Jones, Tap Toney and Andrew Thomson have all moved on to new teams. And the Tigers appear to be having some difficulties, as they have had to postpone the first game of their season. I hope Tigers find a solution quickly, and we can all get back to enjoying basketball. I get the feeling that once they get a team together Tigers will be a decent outfit, and should make the playoffs. But again this is just a gut feeling. I will also speculate (without any inside knowledge whatsoever) that this years Tigers team will feature Yorick Williams, Alan Metcalfe and Trey Moore. Let's see how my predictions go.
The question: will there be a Mersey Tigers at the end of the BBL season? Who knows.
Prediction: if they can get themselves sorted out, they have the advantage of a very experience and very good coach in Tony Garboletto, who should see them to the playoffs.
Milton Keynes Lions
Milton Keynes are another team with plenty of depth. The front court will be held together by 6'9'' American pair Howard Crawford and Daniel Northern, and 6'10'' Brit Adrien Sturt. The Lions have done well to retain the services of dynamic guard pair, 5'10'' Manchester-born Stefan Gill, and 6'4'' American Demarius Bolds, but they have also managed to strengthen themselves with the services of Portuguese point guard Nuno Pedroso. Young British forwards Carl Josey and Nathan Schall complete the line up.
The question: how will the new big guys play together? Northern and Crawford are both unknowns in the BBL though they both have decent pedigree abroad. The Lions attempt at two bigs last year failed drastically but if these two can co-exist they will be a real force.
Prediction: Gill and Bolds can be relied upon, and Sturt should be a different man with a good team around him, so new boys Northern, Crawford and Pedroso will be the difference between the Lions as a title contender, or a disappointing scrappy battle for the 7th or 8th playoff spot.
Newcastle Eagles
If there is one thing you can rely upon in the BBL these days, it's that the Newcastle Eagles will be a title contender. This year is no different. Retaining their core of stars including Charles Smith, Joe Chapman, Andrew Bridge, Darius Defoe and player-coach Fab Flournoy, the Eagles are poised to succeed once again. Joining the old hands are rookie point guard Paul Gause, straight from the US, and one of the BBL's top British talent's, 6'10'' Andrew Thomson. There's still a permit place available for the Eagles, and the rumours seem to suggest a return for tenacious scoring guard Drew Lasker.
The question: can Defoe bounce back? Last year was a disappointing season for British big-man Darius Defoe, but he'll need to be a force inside this time round, as Eagles lack front-court depth.
Prediction: Eagles will be contenders for all the prizes.
Plymouth Raiders
This summer's big spenders are the Plymouth Raiders. They have recruited in all the smartest ways. 1) Bringing in stars from last seasons top teams including 6'10'' American centre Paul Williams from Sheffield, 6'4'' GB international guard James Jones from Mersey and towering 7'0'' centre Tomas Janusauskas from Guildford. 2) Retaining the best from last year: forwards Lehmon Colbert and Anthony Rowe have re-signed. 3) Adding genuine talents from European teams: 5'11'' American guard Ben Smith, and 6'3'' European passport holder Ryan Read. 4) Recruiting sought after prospects from college: naturalised swingman Michael Ojo.
The question: how will the team chemistry work? How long will the players take to learn each other's games, and will they mesh?
Prediction: Raiders should be aiming for a top 4 finish, and really they should have enough talent to take the title. The transition that new point guard Ben Smith makes to the BBL will be the key, as he dominated the Swedish top division.
Sheffield Sharks
Another of the BBL's perennial success stories, the Sharks once again look like a strong outfit this season. Player-coach Atiba Lyons has retained the services of star British forwards Mike Tuck and Olu Babalola, and also done a bit of shopping with two stars from last year's BBL, GB international guard Nate Reinking and American forward Justin Dobbins. The Sharks have also signed American point guard BJ Jennings. They still have a permit place available, with Danny Gilbert, a potential target.
The question: are they big enough? The Sharks have burly forwards Justin Dobbins and Olu Babalola, but with no one on their roster above 6'8'' the Sharks could struggle against taller teams.
Prediction: the Sharks should once again be looking for a top 3 finish, but I suspect they are more likely to have success in a cup competition.
Worcester Wolves
The Wolves have reshuffled their pack, outing all three imports from last season. In their place come ex-Thunder point guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue (who, obviously, the Thunder Chronicle wishes every success), 6'5'' swingman Tommy Freeman, and 6'9'' centre Richie Gordon, the latter two coming straight out of college. Wolves have kept hold of forwards Dave Watts and Aleksas Zimnickas, and highly rated British guard Callum Jones. There are a highly of new additions from Europe too: 6'9'' centre Arnas Kazlauskas, who continues their Lithuanian tradition, and Spanish forward Carlos Fernandez.
The question: can Jones and Watts step it up? Wolves roster does not run particularly deep this year, and it is likely that the British pair will see their minutes extended. They will be integral to any of the midland's club's success.
Prediction: Paul James stated that the reason for getting rid of his three imports was to stop underachieving. However, I don't really see a path to success for Wolves. They've signed an American point guard who played for one of the only teams to finish below them (no questioning S P-B's talent here), and also two untested imports. Arguably last season's best find: Sam Cricelli (another ex-Worthing player) has moved on to Europe. The Wolves will likely compete with Durham for the bottom spot.
No comments:
Post a Comment