Around the Perimeter: London hoopsters shining abroad
Sharpe has been, well, sharp early in NBA career; Carleton spending the winter shooting in Spain; NBLC TV is back; Nothing yet on Lightning front, but KW names Clinkscales new coach. Columnist Jason Winders has the latest hoops news & notes …
Londoner Shaedon Sharpe is averaging 8.1 points per game in his first 26 contests in the NBA. (Photo: Bruce Ely / Portland Trail Blazers).
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STARTING FIVE
1. Sueños de aro. Bridget Carleton made a splash in her debut for Spanish side Perfumerias Avenida, dropping 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from behind the arc in a 75-53 win. For her efforts, Carleton was named Canada Basketball Toyota Canada Player of the Week for Dec. 5-11.
Earlier this month, the 25-year-old Chatham, Ont., native and former London Rambler signed with the club based in Salamanca, Spain. She plays in the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto, the highest level of league competition for women in Spain.
“It’s been kind of crazy, just preparing to go, packing, getting my life together a little bit,” she told Canada Basketball. “My family is super excited for me. (Spain is) a country I’ve been to before with the national team, but I haven't played there professionally yet. I’m excited to get back there and experience Spain. I’ve heard a lot of great things so I’m excited and looking forward to not being here for the Canadian winter. I won't miss the snow. I’ll miss being around, but I won’t miss the snow.”
2. KEEPING A SHARPE EYE ON SHAEDON. SB Nation Portland Trail Blazer reporter Dave Deckard flagged an interesting discussion about Blazers shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe. The London native may not have been the slam dunk NBA Draft lottery pick experts assumed. Deckard flagged this Yahoo! Sports podcast discussion where reporter Jake Fisher was asked what excited him about Portland. His response, in part, was telling:
I’m very excited about Shaedon Sharpe. ... I don’t know what happened, but every team outside of Portland that he worked out for gave him the most negative review possible for his workout in terms of body language, energy, interview, production. If you asked every team outside of Portland, he was falling and maybe could have fallen to the teens. But sure enough, he goes seven, and then come, what was it, the very first game of Summer League he backed out ... or a shoulder thing was in play Nate was calling him out, he was like subtweeting him in his interview, saying, “You’ve got to play games.”
There was a lot of concern about if Shaedon Sharpe was anything more than an idea. And now he’s already showing flashes of legitimate, crazy upside in the NBA that all of a sudden people are like, “Oh yeah, the talent and the upside that could have clearly” ... people said he had the talent and upside that could have been worthy of the number one pick in this year’s draft. If this can continue, the Warriors are in an interesting spot in that they’ve got Jordan Poole waiting in the wings whenever Steph Curry does hang it up. They have Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe waiting, I mean, Simons is already the Robin to Dame’s Batman. If he can move up one rung on the totem pole and Sharpe can either be his 1B or his number two, it’ll be an interesting opportunity for a small market like that, that does pride itself in being in the postseason picture.
Listen to the full podcast (or flip to the Sharpe section around 31:15).
3. ALWAYS USE PROTECTION. The London Lightning named six players to its protected players list in advance of the 2023 NBL Canada season: Jordan Burns, Cameron Forte, Jermaine Haley Jr., Chris Jones, Terry Thomas, and Amir Williams. All six were key contributors on last year’s championship squad.
When you hear ‘protected player status’ think restricted free agent, meaning that London retains the rights to these players should they decide to return to the league this season.
Last year, London protected Marcus Capers, Cameron Forte, A.J. Gaines Jr., Xavier Moon, Jaylon Tate, and Terry Thomas. Only Forte, Tate, and Thomas ended up with the squad for the 2022 season.
4. BACK ON PRIME TIME. NBLC TV is back for a second season, offering fans a front-row seat to the NBL Canada’s 2023 season – all the action, all the personalities, and all from their personal devices. The online service is available at NBLC.TV.
“We want to deliver a league experience that goes beyond the arena – one where fans can follow teams, players, and all the storylines wherever they go,” said Audley Stephenson, NBL Canada commissioner. “Last season, NBLC TV allowed us to tell our story in new and innovative ways. As we enter our 11th season, our team is excited to build on that success. Stay tuned!”
NBLC TV is a subscription-based platform that allows fans to watch every game from the 2023 NBLC season – live and on-demand – within an interactive viewing experience that includes fan chat and in-stream ecommerce. In addition, NBLC TV will feature exclusive content and programming, including:
NBLC Postgame show | Hear from coaches and players fresh off the court following every game as host Vince Williams breaks down the action.
NBLC This Week | Join co-hosts Paige McGowan and Aaron Sanders as they review highlights of the week’s action from across the league.
Around the NBLC podcast | Get news, analysis, and profiles of league personalities, along with flashbacks and interviews plucked from league history, in this weekly podcast hosted by Ian Joudrey.
Fans of the NBLC will be able to watch individual games for $5.99 CAD or unlock viewing access to all games for $39.99 CAD. For more information on NBLC TV or sign-up details, visit NBLCanada.ca.
5. ‘FLOOR GENERAL’ TAKES A SEAT ON THE BENCH. Cliff Clinkscales has been named the new head coach and assistant general manager of the KW Titans, team officials announced Wednesday.
Previously, Clinkscales served as Lead Assistant Coach & Manager of Player Development under head coach Neal Foreman. Despite making the 2022 NBL Canada Finals, Foreman was unable to come to contract terms with new Titans ownership.
“After last year’s success, Cliff was the obvious choice to lead the team,” Titans owner David Schooley told Mark Bryson of the KW Record. “We all saw Cliff’s passion, leadership and his incredible basketball IQ on the court. We can’t wait to see where he’ll take the Titans in Season 6.”
Last season, the NBL Canada honoured Clinkscales as a member of the 10th Anniversary All-Time Team, comprised of the 10 greatest players in league history. Voters called him “the greatest floor general in the history of the league, a playmaker who brought out the best in teammates, and his city, alike.”
Playing with the Halifax Rainmen (2014-15) and Halifax Hurricanes (2015-20), Clinkscales made four straight NBLC Finals appearances, winning a championship with the Hurricanes in 2016. The 6-foot-1 point guard is the all-time league leader in assists with 1,660 – over 900 more than any active player. He is also fourth all-time in both games played (224) and steals (279).
Clinkscales becomes the fourth head coach in Titans’ history, following Serge Langis (2016-18), Cavell Johnson (2018-20), and Foreman (2022).
KW tips off the 2023 NBL Canada season on Feb. 20.
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HOOPS NOTES
Yes, for those of you scoring at home, the KW Titans have named a head coach 68 days before the season begins. As of that announcement, the London Lighting have no head coach and no players with 36 days before tipoff. … The Lightning and Olympic champion Damian Warner have partnered on a new project – no, he hasn’t been named to the open head coach position. (Ha.) The two champions have partnered on a new fitness club, the Damian Warner Fitness Centre. The new centre will take over two locations most recently held by Movati Athletic (755 Wonderland Road and 3198 Wonderland Road). … David and Kate Schooley were recently introduced as the new owners of the KW Titans. Initially, the Schooleys will split Titans ownership with a newly developed not-for-profit community organization, with the goal of making the franchise completely community owned within 10 years. Under the new structure, community owners will be offered packages at a variety of price points, allowing them to enjoy in unique experiences with the team, attend exclusive events, and receive limited-edition merch as part of their season ticket purchase. Community ownership will support the continued growth of the team, and profits will be dispersed to minor sports in the community. … The NBL Canada concluded its operating agreement with Atlantic Sport Enterprises Ltd., owners of the St. John’s Edge, meaning the team will no longer participate in league activities, NBL Canada officials announced last month. This move opens the door to the league returning to the East Coast.
BEYOND MY BYLINE
Just a game-changing, paradigm-shifting article from industry thought-leaders who disrupt the language we use every day by offering up the most annoying business jargon of 2022 – one could argue it is needed now more than ever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to read it now, put a pin in it and circle back to it later.
Natalie Thirsk, a para athlete, has become a Canadian record holder in three short years. Her cerebral palsy doesn’t define her, but she’s a passionate advocate for persons with disabilities. Will she one day compete at the Paralympics?