Plymouth City Patriots star Taylor Johnson is ready for Plymouth to continue their run when they make the trip to face Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles.
The former NBL superstar Taylor Johnson seemed to have seamlessly transitioned to the British Basketball League after signing with the Plymouth City Patriots in the summer.
We spoke to the high-scoring guard on how the League has been treating him, the miracle win against the London Lions, and how the Patriots will take down the Eagles.
Making the Leap
Johnson,
prior to joining the Plymouth City Patriots, was a five-year veteran of the
NBL. Originally joining the Leicester Warriors back in 2018, his career in
England culminated in the 2022/23 season when he led Hemel Storm to an
undefeated season.
Now in the
top league in British basketball, Johnson seems to have made a seamless
transition but is still getting used to other aspects of the game.
Now playing
with other top players, such as Mason Faulkner and TJ Atwood at the Patriots,
Johnson believed his role was set to change radically from his role with the
Hemel Storm.
“It’s
different. It is something I expected to happen and even had prepared to have a
lesser role. I had prepared myself mentally for it.
“At
Hemel, I was playing 35 minutes a game, a lot of shots, and a lot of usage. But
it’s been good to share the load a lot more while still doing a similar thing
to an extent.”
Johnson,
Faulkner, and Atwood have quickly become the top three players for the
Patriots, with the trio regularly topping the scoring charts for the Patriots.
While
Johnson has been used to playing as the number one guy, he’s glad to have more offensive
weapons around who can ease the load and allow each of them to take turns
probing the defence.
“When
the defence wants to key in on someone, we have someone else that can obviously
play and produce a big game. It’s made it easier for me because when teams try
to take options away from me, it just leaves other teammates with more space to
do their thing.”
Newcastle Eagles
In game week 10’s marquee matchup, we see the Patriots vs the Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles in a rematch from game week nine where the Eagles beat the Patriots.
The Eagles have slipped from the lofty expectations they
were given in pre-season, with most fans and pundits believing that Newcastle
were going to be challenging the likes of the London Lions.
With the Patriots getting closer to pushing themselves off
the bottom spot of the British Basketball League standings, Johnson knows this game
shouldn’t be taken lightly, but should be a winnable game.
“They have some really talented guys and some guys that
have really proven themselves in this league. We won’t be taking them lightly,
even though they haven’t had the hot start many people were expecting.
“But we’re going to be going into this game wanting to
grab the win. They’re similar to us in that we both have some great talent on
our teams but just haven’t shown it fully in the results up to now. We’re going
to go out and try and take advantage of that.”
The Newcastle Eagles will host the Plymouth City Patriots in
game week 10 of the British Basketball League on Friday, November 17 at 7:45
pm, available on Sky Sports.
Remember the 5th of November
On a night famously known for the bright lights and
fireworks in Britain, the Plymouth City Patriots were able to produce their own
in the British Basketball League.
Arguably the miracle of the 2023/24 British Basketball
League season, The Patriots were able to down the London Lions, beating the
then-undefeated team 94-70 after a great performance from Johnson.
Johnson is already over the game and is hoping to use it as
the springboard for Plymouth’s season to start getting more wins under their
belt.
“It was great. But it was great just to get another win
because I think we really deserved a couple more before the London game. When you’ve
lost, and you keep losing, it’s like a dark grey cloud that’s just over your
head. So, to get the win was a relief.
“Obviously, it was exciting to get it against the London
Lions. They are top of the league and play in European competitions, so it was
good to win with all the extra excitement from it.”
The game also marked Plymouth head coach Paul James’ 500th
win as a head coach and the spectacle of Johnson grabbing the game for James
made the occasion even better.
“With it being PJ’s 500th win, it was just the
icing on the cake. It was cool for it to be this game against the Lions where
he got the 500th, which really made it even more special.
“It was good to get the win for him, and now it would be even nicer if it sets us off in the right direction, and we can keep it that way. We’ll see, but we’re going to make that happen.”
Showdown
To watch this game of the 2023/24 British Basketball League season, tune in to Sky Sports on Friday, November 17 at 7:45 pm GMT.
With the new season here, you can still get your British Basketball fix by following the League on social media or heading to our YouTube channel to relive all of the best moments from the current season.
