The London Lions have been so relentlessly good this season that it’s easy to overlook the fact they’ve been without their talismanic MVP for much of the campaign, but now Sam Dekker is back and Petar Bozic’s side are reaping the benefits.
Cast your minds back 12 months and British Basketball League fans will remember the former NBA star as the man who put the team on his back night after night in the big moments.
From May until November, though, the Lions
have had to find another way as the 29-year-old has been recovering from ankle
surgery. A few weeks into his comeback, the Wisconsin native sat down with us
to discuss his return.
“Coming back from surgery is never easy and
you’re constantly reminding yourself of that difficulty when recovering,”
Dekker said.
“Days when you feel really good are few and
far between, but when you get them, you’re like ‘Oh my gosh, this is perfect’
and then there’s days where you’re asking yourself if you should quit.
“Trying to find that middle ground and know
that it’s a process is really important. The team has been so supportive and
understanding in not putting extra pressure on me because they know I put
enough on myself.
“I’ve had injuries in my career, but the
comebacks never get easier. Mentally this one has been quite tough, and I think
I’m a mentally tough guy, but coming back from a big surgery you do wonder if
you’re ever going to be the same and be explosive or whatever.
“That’s just human nature, but I’m proud of
the fight that I’ve put up to get back out there and try to feel like the same
person I was before. It makes me cherish the opportunity I have now because
through recovery, I was ending every day wishing I was out there with the guys,
but those are the perspectives you get when you have to sit out.”
Getting out of
your own head
As explosive and agile as Dekker is,
evidenced by his 30-point career high in NBA scoring back in 2017, coming back
from an ankle injury as severe as his has undoubtedly led to the do-it-all
forward having to be patient on his way to rediscovering his best form.
There have been moments over the last two
weeks – particularly in big performances against Plymouth and Cheshire – where
fans and media have commented on the MVP looking like he’s getting back to his
fluid best out there on the floor, and the 6’8” forward discussed how his
approach has developed to find his rhythm over recent weeks.
“There are times in games where I’ll do a
move without thinking about it and that’s a good feeling, but then there are
other days where I know I can do the move but I’m in my own head and stop
myself. Those are the things mentally you’ve got to be able to press through
and get back to doing.
“I was really pleased a few nights ago
watching film of last weekend’s games to see four or five finishes at the rim
where I went off my left foot, hung in the air, absorbed contact and landed
awkwardly with no problem and no pain.
“When I see myself doing that and going off
the other foot and exploding up through people, that’s when I’m like ‘okay,
it’s coming along’. The strength is there, the power is there. It’s just about
trusting it every single time and knowing that it’s going to be okay.
An even better
Dekker to come
Still early into his comeback, Dekker has
already proven his capacity for clutch plays hasn’t gone missing in his
absence, as he’s scored game-winners both at domestic and European level in the
last 10 days.
What was striking about Dekker’s decisive
bucket against the Cheshire Phoenix last week in the Championship, however, was
that he wasn’t the one with the ball in his hands at the start of the play.
On countless occasions last year, the MVP
put much of the responsibility on his shoulders to start and finish those
game-winning plays. But with this new-look Lions roster loaded with more
legitimate bucket-getters than ever before, Dekker was alone in the corner
waiting gratefully for the pass from Matt Morgan, going on to sink the Phoenix
with a three.
The possibilities for London and Dekker as
an off-the-ball threat late in close games are endless and – in the case of the
MVP – tremendously exciting for him.
“Last year I had to carry a lot of load
offensively. I felt like I had to be really good every night for us to win in
big games, but now with the roster we have and the additions we’ve made we have
guys who are playing at as high a level as I’ve ever seen them play.
“It gives me a chance to show what I can do
in other areas, like focusing on being a spot-up shooter, chasing offensive
rebounds, cutting to the basket off the ball – things I think I’ve shown I’m
really good at throughout my career – so I can impact in other ways that last
year were nullified a little bit, and that’s really exciting for me.
“When I came back I said to Coach that I am
more than happy to take a backseat and let the guys who are hot lead the way.
If I have to be with the second unit to be the best use for the team or
whatever coach wants then that’s fine, because these guys have held it down all
season and deserve their shot.
“To see we have so many guys top to bottom
that are willing to have the ball and make a play in the big moments is huge
for us, and it frees me up to show more of what I can do without having to have
the ball in my hands at the end of the game.”
Back-to-back
MVPs
You have to go back to 2015 to find the
last time a first-time MVP winner in the British Basketball League didn’t go on
to retain the title for a second year, so pre-season many will have thought
smart money would have been on Dekker to do the same this year.
Having missed a fair amount of game time so
far, however, and still on a minutes restriction for the Lions, Dekker believes
his time has passed to make a claim for this year’s award, instead making the
case for others who he feels are more deserving of the honour.
“I think that ship has sailed for this
year. I’ve only played in a handful of our previous games and when I do play now,
I’m on a minutes restriction, so there are a lot of guys more deserving – especially
on our team. If the season ended tomorrow, then Matt Morgan has proven MVP is
his to lose.
“He can go for 25 to 35 points anytime for
us and take over games to get wins. You can put multiple Lions in the
conversation as well, but then there are guys on other teams like Aaryn Rai who
has had a great season and a bunch of others – it’s great to see.
“There’s a reason our games have been pretty close and it isn’t because we don’t care or that we’re not ready. It’s because these teams are doing everything to try and beat us and that’s one of the best things for us. These teams don’t back down, they want to hit us in the mouth, and that’s what it’s all about.”
