Blazers wary of Solent bounce
DERBY Trailblazers are braced to deal with the fallout from a rare defeat for their opposition in NBL Division One today.
Last weekend, Team Solent Kestrels suffered their first defeat against NBL opposition in more than two years, losing 81-70 at Thames Valley Cavaliers.
It was a result that threatens to derail their push for a third successive league title and, consequently, this weekend may not be the best time to face them.
Derby almost prevented Solent from picking up their first Division One league title, when their 85-75 win over the Kestrels in February 2019 meant the title had to be decided on basket difference, with Solent and Worthing finishing the regular season level on points.
A similar situation could also unfold this season, as new leaders Thames Valley face Solent again on April 10, with the winner likely to be crowned champions the following weekend.
However, the Cavaliers still have to play third-placed Hemel Storm, while the Kestrels face Derby. It is a pair of fixtures which have the potential to throw a spanner into the works.
The Blazers will have to produce some of their best basketball of the season to play their part in deciding the title’s destination and head coach Matt Shaw expects Solent to go all out to make sure that does not happen.
“It’s going to be really difficult against Solent,” he said.
“I think everyone knows how good they are, what a good group of players they’ve assembled and what a good coaching staff they’ve got, so we know we’re going to have our work cut out against them.
“Having lost last weekend, that’s the first time they’ve tasted defeat at this level for a couple of years, so there’s no two ways about it – we’re expecting a response from them and we’ve got to be ready to match that.”
One of the great strengths of Solent is their depth.
Travis Charles leads their scoring with 18.1ppg, but he is one of five players with doubledigit averages.
Rebounding is a similar story, with Orlan Jackman leading the team with 8.1, but the workload is very much shared across the team.
Shaw says the Blazers can only concentrate on producing their best basketball at both ends of the court.
“For us, it’s simply important to keep preparing for the playoffs by trying to get better and better with every game we play,” he added. “We know that if we perform well, we have a chance of getting a win.”