BASKETBALL: Thunder eye three in a row

BASKETBALL is buzzing in Worthing after the impact-bringing arrival of Evaldas Zabas. The 6ft 2in Lithuanian guard's match-winning debut performance over Leicester Riders registered Thunder's second shock win in as many home games.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Dec 2009, 10:36 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 00:58 BST

Champions Newcastle were their first victims and on Saturday, the fans will be wondering if BBL Cup finalists Cheshire Jets could be the next.

Jets have given Thunder two 24-point tonkings, home, then away. But a different 24 may be about to influence things.

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Zabas plays in the No 24 jersey. And as he takes over the point-guard position from Sherrad Prezzie-Blue, the ball is going to spend a lot of time in his hands and with Thunder's play under his influence.

Until now, it has spent the most time in those of Bratton, Thunder's go-to shooting guy, but Zabas and Prezzie-Blue will join Bratton in creating what coach Dave Titmuss and the Thunder fans hope will become a back-court triangle of terror in the second half of the BBL season.

All three are three-point scoring threats. Ville Makalainen can also strike the trey and even power-forward Samuel Cricelli, who is Thunder's find of the season. With centre Kadiri Richard a starting-five automatic, the player rotations at Titmuss' disposal will become a source of strength and competitiveness.

Titmuss now has to demonstrate why he cut Bulgarian forward Petroslav Zafirov, an outside and inside big-man scoring threat, from the team.

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In the front-court, Titmuss will depend on Dan Midgley to rest Cricelli, whose spine needs careful management. But Richard has no natural deputy and looks set for some long matches.

And Titmuss may not, I suspect, be able to point just yet towards Janis Ivanovskis as his reason for axing Zafirov. The 6ft 8in Latvian power-forward's own spinal injury has prevented his starting a second season in the BBL.

The anticipation is he will be back in January '” but that cannot be a given. The player knows this is not an injury from which to rush back.

But a fit Ivanovskis would be the team-balancing factor that would make Thunder seriously feared play-offs participants, dare one guess, even contenders.

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