Today, the NATION’s basketball correspondent, Justin Marville, previews the first-round series between Lumber Company Lakers and British?American Insurance Jackson ahead of tomorrow’s start to the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association’s Premier League post season.
IF FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT, Lakers and Jackson should be at the brink of hostilities rivalling those of a Holy War.
Not that anyone would blame them if they had a bit of resentment considering the two are about to finish playing each other 11 times in the short span of two seasons.
And to think that tally could actually bump up to 12 if their first-round series goes into another decisive third game.
It’s not as if there has been a conclusive victor either, with Lakers only holding a mere 5-4 edge in that span because nine is an odd number and someone must own an advantage. Include their final 2009 contest and the series reverts to a predictable 5-5 stalemate.
But while their familiarity is certain to grab the headlines, it’s the tale of Andre Lockhart that’s going to be this series’ biggest story.
It’s probably the League’s worst kept secret that Jackson coveted their opponents’ overseas-based pro, and believed they almost had him signed if not for a last-second intervention.
What’s been well hidden under wraps, though, is the contention in Husbands surrounding Lockhart’s less than fabled Lakers return.
At least two starters and one key reserve have an indifferent attitude towards the star point guard, and that’s putting it mildly, while the response to the return of the Prodigal Son seems split down the middle.
None of that will matter of course if Lockhart manages to lead Laker Land to another first-round victory over Jackson and the club’s third league title in the past five years.
However, what is worth watching is his impact on an offence that is predicated on quick ball movement and the ability to score quickly off missed shots and forced turnovers.
Shooting guards Keefe Birkett (15.1 points per game) and Adrian Allman (12.9) have thrived off open looks in Lakers’ equal opportunity offence, but that is with the pass-first Derek Browne running the show.
How they, and back-up small forward Ian Alexander (11.5 ppg), respond to a point guard who will also look for his own shot is crucial to a squad that had developed a certain chemistry after winning six straight games in his absence.
Jackson may have some chemistry issues of their own – though not chaotic like Lakers’ – as they try to work the once injured Manuel Alleng back into the rotation for significant minutes.
His role as a fearless slasher and up-tempo scorer is key for a Jackson side that lives by jumpers and doesn’t realise it’s at its best when pushing the ball on the break.
That aggressiveness could also help Peter Alleyne (16.33 ppg) save his energy down the stretch in close games and add a different dimension to the repetitiveness of Kevin Austin (11.4) and Javid Beckles (11.1) jump shots.
X FACTORS:
Lakers: Andre Lockhart. Get used to that name because you’ll be hearing it a lot. If Lakers lose then everyone will be questioning coach Francis Williams’ decision to bring him back to a team that was clearly clicking. If they win, then “Locky” was the man the men in blue needed to get over the Jackson hump all along.
Jackson: Pearson Griffith. I was tempted to put Alleng here, but if the six-foot-ten behemoth plays anything close to his college form then this series is a wash. At the very worst he is a double-digit rebounder capable of protecting the paint by himself, and at his best – well let’s just say Lakers aren’t prepared for that option.
PREDICTION: Lakers in three
These teams are identical jump shooting teams whose success depends on sound ball movement and thrive in the open floor. So this will come down to defence and coaching, where Lakers have the clear advantage over their oft-indifferent counterparts.
