Lakers, Bulls play for b'ball bragging rights
SOLAR DYNAMICS CLAPHAM BULLS face Lumber Company Lakers in the finals of the Sagicor/BOA Premier League Basketball Competition, starting tonight.
The best-of-five finals series gets under way at the YMCA, where the Bulls, who were in virtually every final in local basketball during the mid to late 1990s, challenge a Lakers team desperate for their first piece of silverware since returning to the Premier League in 1999.
Today, the DAILY NATION looks at the tale of the tape between the two teams.
Team: Solar Dynamics Clapham Bulls.
Coach: Barry Rock
Regular season record: 12-2, 26 points (1st)
Head to head: May 9 – Bulls 82, Lakers 72; April 23 - Bulls 68, Lakers 77.
Strengths: Speed and heart. Whatever they lack in size up front, especially without Gary Miller, they make up for by forcing the tempo and are deadly on the fast break. They scored the most points in the league (1 193), and conceded the least (896). Bulls are never out of a contest, and have a history of pulling off the biggest comeback victories, one of them against the Lakers about six years ago when Lakers led by 20 points in the second half. Teams generally panic when they go to their full-court press.
Weaknesses: In addition to having a small front court that will struggle against a good big man, they can be guilty of taking bad shots. The good news is that there are not that many good big men in Barbados.
Comments: When Bulls were at the height of their dominance, Jeremy Gill, Halley Franklin, Kodia Leacock, Nicholas Jones and Omar Lascelles were not old enough to drive. The future of this club rests on their shoulders. Henry Richards complements the veteran leadership of Mark Foster and Ryan Leacock, and will be hungry to join his contemporaries in winners' row.
Did you know : Bulls won four of the five league finals they contested between 1995 and 1999.
Team: Lumber Company Lakers.
Coach: Francis Williams
Regular season record: 10-4, 24 points (2nd)
Head to head: May 9 – Lakers 72, Bulls 82; April 23 – Lakers 77, Bulls 68
Strengths: Are more comfortable in the half-court game, but Zahir Motara gives them another dimension since he and Adrian Allman compensate somewhat for the Lakers lack of speed. Also, they have a complement of size and height that not many teams in the league can boast.
Weaknesses: Their big men are always under the microscope. With all the size they have, they are guilty of not being physical enough. Too many times coach Francis Williams has to rely on battle-weary, under-sized Peter Bancroft for some heart.
Comments: Can Lakers finally win the big one? They were unsuccessful in 1999-2000 with the combination of Sydney "Bouncer" Rowe and Anderson Straker, then dubbed the "Twin Towers", along with Fidel Holder, Ryan King and Rene King, bowing out at the semi-finals. Lakers can be enigmatic, looking unbeatable one day and out of sorts the next. Rowe has returned and although his place in local basketball history is secure, his present stock may be falling.
Did you know: Lakers' only finals appearance since returning to top flight basketball was in the Knockout Competition. They lost to Station Hill Cavaliers last year in a triple-overtime thriller, and in 2001 to the Bulls.
What to watch for: The matchup between national team guards Jeremy Gill of Bulls and the Lakers Zahir Motara. They can heat up in an instant and rarely see a shot that they cannot make. It promises to be a thrilling series if these two are on top of their game
The best-of-five finals series gets under way at the YMCA, where the Bulls, who were in virtually every final in local basketball during the mid to late 1990s, challenge a Lakers team desperate for their first piece of silverware since returning to the Premier League in 1999.
Today, the DAILY NATION looks at the tale of the tape between the two teams.
Team: Solar Dynamics Clapham Bulls.
Coach: Barry Rock
Regular season record: 12-2, 26 points (1st)
Head to head: May 9 – Bulls 82, Lakers 72; April 23 - Bulls 68, Lakers 77.
Strengths: Speed and heart. Whatever they lack in size up front, especially without Gary Miller, they make up for by forcing the tempo and are deadly on the fast break. They scored the most points in the league (1 193), and conceded the least (896). Bulls are never out of a contest, and have a history of pulling off the biggest comeback victories, one of them against the Lakers about six years ago when Lakers led by 20 points in the second half. Teams generally panic when they go to their full-court press.
Weaknesses: In addition to having a small front court that will struggle against a good big man, they can be guilty of taking bad shots. The good news is that there are not that many good big men in Barbados.
Comments: When Bulls were at the height of their dominance, Jeremy Gill, Halley Franklin, Kodia Leacock, Nicholas Jones and Omar Lascelles were not old enough to drive. The future of this club rests on their shoulders. Henry Richards complements the veteran leadership of Mark Foster and Ryan Leacock, and will be hungry to join his contemporaries in winners' row.
Did you know : Bulls won four of the five league finals they contested between 1995 and 1999.
Team: Lumber Company Lakers.
Coach: Francis Williams
Regular season record: 10-4, 24 points (2nd)
Head to head: May 9 – Lakers 72, Bulls 82; April 23 – Lakers 77, Bulls 68
Strengths: Are more comfortable in the half-court game, but Zahir Motara gives them another dimension since he and Adrian Allman compensate somewhat for the Lakers lack of speed. Also, they have a complement of size and height that not many teams in the league can boast.
Weaknesses: Their big men are always under the microscope. With all the size they have, they are guilty of not being physical enough. Too many times coach Francis Williams has to rely on battle-weary, under-sized Peter Bancroft for some heart.
Comments: Can Lakers finally win the big one? They were unsuccessful in 1999-2000 with the combination of Sydney "Bouncer" Rowe and Anderson Straker, then dubbed the "Twin Towers", along with Fidel Holder, Ryan King and Rene King, bowing out at the semi-finals. Lakers can be enigmatic, looking unbeatable one day and out of sorts the next. Rowe has returned and although his place in local basketball history is secure, his present stock may be falling.
Did you know: Lakers' only finals appearance since returning to top flight basketball was in the Knockout Competition. They lost to Station Hill Cavaliers last year in a triple-overtime thriller, and in 2001 to the Bulls.
What to watch for: The matchup between national team guards Jeremy Gill of Bulls and the Lakers Zahir Motara. They can heat up in an instant and rarely see a shot that they cannot make. It promises to be a thrilling series if these two are on top of their game
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