Fri 3rd Jan - Riders v Wolves 7:30pm

An open letter to all true and knowledgeable basketball fans in the UK. (Plus the BBL can read this as well although I doubt anyone works weekends there?).

Comrades - having slept on it - we as the basketball world need to blame sharks 100 per cent for this defeat. They need to be made accountable. Simple as that.

Riders really needed a full workout to get match fit after Xmas at their place a few days ago and because the court wasn't safe at Ponds Forge we simply weren't able to get one. We had gone a couple of weeks without a game leading up to sharks. And everyone knows how much basketball players eat and drink at Xmas etc.

Everybody who is anybody in BBL knows we did our very best to get that sharks game played in full but everybody was against us. Sharks players (who went down way too easily on the night) and the refs (who failed to stand upto what was unreasonable pressure from sharks players and management). Riders showed they were more than prepared to risk injury and careers and even lose that match if needed to get fit for the semi final with wolves

And let's be brutally honest about it - we even let sharks get 17 points ahead in that first quarter to try and encourage them to stay out on the court a bit longer.

We should now sue Sharks for everything theyve got as it was them and Ponds Forge who cost us any realistic chance we had in last night's semi final

It's outrageous really and so unfair

I think the second leg of the semi should be replayed whenever we decide we are ready and match fit.

I'm sure Matt Newby will support our appeal. Hes a decent and honourable guy.

"Justice for the Leicester Riders Five"

Ps I will also be meeting with various parties to assess the viability of Riders continuing in BBL in the next 7 days and will sadly have to withdraw us from all competition if I don't get what I want.

I've also heard a whisper that Wolves players sprayed hairspray on the rims of the hoops last night to put us off our freethrows.


We've basically been cheated in about 5 different ways all at once. The whole league and system has conspired against us. (I strongly suspect Fab and Vince were the brains behind it all somehow (attiba doesn't possess anywhere near the IQ and tactical nous to pull this off all on his own). This has got Fab's and Vince's fingerprints all over it.

Not convinced. Eagles are currently playing without one starter, lions when Soko plays look like they win without really breaking sweat, and even Worcester now with Amir Williams are looking tough.

Given youve been beaten by Rocks and Phoenix in the league, youre gonna have to work hard to get a home draw in the playoffs at this rate.

Please can we keep all posts serious Mr Tall. Please start another thread if you aren't making serious points. The  very future and integrity of BBL basketball is at stake in this thread now. 

TBH - I kind of forgot Defoe even played for Eagles any more. 

At one stage I'm sure I stopped predicting his injuries and gave myself a tougher challenge of predicting games he might actually be fit to play in?

Possibly the worst performance I have seen from Riders in a decade of watching.

11/21 of free throws. Ridiculous.

12/39 on 2-point shooting. Unforgivable.

Well done to Wolves. Played well but didn't need to do anything special to win that game.

Some reconstructive surgery needed in the Riders roster if they have any desire to go anywhere this season.

First: bench. Aside from JWH, the rest just may as well not be there. Scott is proving disappointing (although to be fair to him he's been called in to be the ball-handling playmaker and that is not him); if Dieterich is not considered good enough to get even a minute in that shambolic performance then replace him with someone who is. Two additions/replacements required with a bit of firepower. Oh, for a Conner Washington.

Second: the Nelson-Henry/Thomson rotation is predictable and swapping players with similar skills. I'd add a third big with a different style. Oh, for a Tim Williams.

Third: starting five. Chuku: looks the part and has flashes of excellence, but is also a passenger at times. Subbing him out so frequently is possibly not helping? Is he not fit? Nelson-Henry: no better than OK and I wouldn't be fussed if he was replaced. Anderson, Cartwright, Wright: I'd keep them all.

Coach: not a problem.

Just having Mo Walker and Lascelles fit to play would make a big difference

Jamell is in the top 5 in the league for eFG% and TS% shooting 53% from the field and 42% from 3. His problem, like everybody else not named Ky Cartwright, is that he can't create his own offence.

The only other player who creates for himself has been sat on the bench all season. The team is built around Walker and doesn't seem to work without him. DNH looked promising to begin with but he seems to be getting less effective by the game. He wasn't the only guilty party but he missed 3 or 4 right at the rim last night. We must have left 10 points at the line and missed 10-15 shots right at the rim. Some through good defence others through poor finishing. Tough to win many games when you do that. Difficult to consistently win scoring 70 a game.

As things stand I'd agree we're at least a player short of where we want to be. Maybe 2

Training st Riders nit up to much then!

Erm....

Sadly, I think this is 100% right. We haven't recruited well enough to form a good team this season. It just isn't working and we looked like a team that knows that too. Even when we were less than 10 points adrift it never felt as if we were going to win last night. The first few minutes were very good but you can't win relying solely on 3 point shooting, which initially went well. Fear we will just have to see out 2019-20 and hope next season is better.