New signings give us balance in back court
JOHNSON AND SPENCER ‘INTELLIGENT PLAYERS’
IT has been a week of recovery for the Riders as we try to get guys fit ready for the run-in on our league campaign.
Just as last season, when our European campaign meant a backlog of fixtures, we are seeing the same scenario this time.
At the moment we are trying to get guys who have had interrupted seasons into condition for a hectic runin, when the games come thick and fast, although the unfortunate demise of London City Royals will ease things a little.
We were missing four of our guys last week in training, so the week coming up will be very important to our preparations.
We had a good win last time out against Worcester, showing some real signs of improvement.
Although we are all a little disappointed with some of the results this season, when you look around the league there are quite a few clubs with similar results in terms of their overall record.
It is indicative that the teams are all closer in terms of competitiveness than for a number of seasons, and therefore you can only win if you are at the top of your form.
I think it is pretty clear that the teams that improve from here will figure in the final destination for the league and playoffs titles, and that is the goal for us, too.
The second half schedule is packed and staying healthy and managing the players’ work load will be key.
I like the balance we now have in the back court with the addition of Corey Johnson and Jordan Spencer.
I think they both bring different things to the team and are very intelligent players.
It was evident in their contribution to the Worcester win because they gave us much more balance.
I would really like to get Josh Ward-Hibbert back because we have missed him this season.
He is a difference maker, with an ability to change games, and he is a very unique talent.
If we get our full squad fit and healthy we will be a handful for anyone, and be in a much better position to manage guys’ minutes.
We have been burnt at the end of a number of games, and managing minutes will be key to avoiding that in the future.
Now we are going up against a hugely talented London Lions team with just a single loss in the league, and with us on two.
They are a better team now than we knocked them out of the Cup at the end of November, with the addition of GB forward Ovie Soko.
The combination of Soko with GB guard Justin Robinson is an exceptional pairing and you would have to go back a very long time to find a better duo of GB players in the BBL.
I think London have invested very significantly in this team and they are as talented as we have in this league.
Soko has great raw talent, beyond the celebrity, and has big game experience from his seasons in the top league in Spain.
He has great strength and he can score and rebound and do a lot of things, but most impressively he is a physical presence.
Having a guy like Soko in the BBL is great for our league and great for the fans, even if it is a bit of a nightmare for their oponents to keep him under control.
I think it is brilliant that we are seeing the higher quality British players coming back into our league from the higher profile leagues in Europe.
I think it will make a huge difference to awareness for our sport, and help the continued growth of basketball in this country, which got another boost from the huge crowd and brilliant atmosphere at the Cup Final in Birmingham last Sunday.