Wow … what a start it’s been to the new
British Basketball League season! I couldn’t be more excited about the league’s
progress and seeing that come to life this season. It’s very clear that the BBL
has become much more visible.
For the Culture
Every day when I make my social media rounds, I am fed highlights and content from the league, and it is fantastic to see. Creating an identity and establishing a culture has been a hot topic raised by my former England Commonwealth teammate Kofi Josephs recently and I could not agree more about how important it is!
Players are and will always be the heart of
that culture! How they dress, what they listen to and what they represent is important.
It’s responsibility of the photographers, videographers, and pundits to capture
it all while promoting and advertising it to the best of their ability.
It is great to see the teams and the league
itself are taking note. If you’re paying attention, you see the music on reels
and their videos are beginning to reflect the players and I love it! It’s not a
coincidence that our tag line has become #KnowOurName!
Those pre-season rankings …
I would like to issue a formal
apology to the Bristol Flyers organization and fans! I picked them last
in my preseason predictions (blame Kieron Achara!) because I was concerned
about their inexperience and the loss of key pieces such as Josh Rogers and Raphell
Thomas-Edwards.
For what I thought they lacked in
experience, however, they have made up for thanks to a coach that has adapted
his new roster and focused on recruiting players that fit the BBL mold. The prerequisite
of a successful BBL player is somebody tough, aggressive, explosive, high-energy
and hungry … which pretty much describes the entire Bristol Flyers roster this
season!
The Sheffield Sharks has been my early
disappointment, to be honest, as I chose them as a pick in the top four! Recycling
a roster can be very tricky and if you do it then you have to ensure you
surround that returning core with improved pieces. It remains to be seen if
those incoming pieces are better than Antwain Johnson and Devante Wallace. By
the way, let’s not gloss over the significance of former captain Mike Tuck’s
absence, which is a huge adjustment as well!
Even better than expected …
The London Lions have been better than
advertised! It’s easy to contribute their success to the lazy narrative of cash,
however we have seen over the past two seasons that there are more pieces to
the puzzle than just having top talent. This team are very talented make no
mistake, but they are well-drilled and have a team of professionals who all
seem to have a high level of character. Traits like that make it easier to
cheer for them … except when they play my Eagles. My only concern is if they have the high-level
point-guard they need to get them through Europe.
With all that being said … it’s still very early
days, so don’t get too high and never get too low.
Teams are still figuring out their
identity, coaches are still searching for their best rotations and players are
still trying to find their rhythm. November will give us a better picture of
the contenders and the pretenders. In the meantime, expect more twists and
turns during this 36-game Championship season.
I’ll be tuned into Sky Sports and YouTube
to capture it all, and I’ll look forward to seeing you all there!
DREW#21