Final Report Card: Sudbury Five
Rating and analysing the performances of the NBL Canada teams in the 2018-19 season.
Traditionally new franchises see struggles in their first season, as they are starting to form their club culture while competing at the same time. The Sudbury Five broke convention, though, showing no teething problems in their inaugural year in the NBL Canada.
Their management were able to recognise and acquire the best talent for their first team, while their coaching staff knew immediately how best to utilise them. When the team first took to the courts they wasted no time in showing what they can do and establishing themselves as one of the strongest offensive units in the season.
Though their season was uneven at times, their year one efforts are more than their third-place division finish would indicate, and if they didn't find themselves in a heated Central Division, they could have ended the season on an even higher note. Braylon Rayson's season ended on the highest note, as he scooped up MVP honours.
What They Did Right: In his first season as a coach, Logan Stutz put together a squad that were a powerhouse on offence.
Players such as Jaylen Bland, Travis Releford and Cory Dixon's scoring efforts were somewhat lost in all the hype surrounding Rayson, but they were all dependable and consistently high-scoring throughout the season.
Their high-scoring saw the team come short of a triple-digit finish only on eight occasions and led the league in three-point shots made.
What They Could Have Done Better: If we had to pick a flaw, there were times when they played more like five individuals rather than a team. This did not seem to set them back much, as their big hitters were confident in their abilities enough to rack up points, but if they showed the same team unity of a team like Moncton they would have been able to limit more of their losses in the season and finish even further up the ranks.
MVP: It would be easy to say Braylon Rayson, but it wasn't just the Sudbury Five where the guard from Dallas stood out this season.
He was the leading scorer of every player in the NBLC, both from the field and three-point territory, making the scoresheet every game, failing to reach double-digits just three times and putting up a season-high 49 points against Windsor in February.
His numbers on offence put him far ahead of the rest of the pack and he was completely deserving of his MVP honours.
Final Thoughts: This was a highly impressive first season for the Sudbury Five, who were among the most powerful offensive teams in the league this season - at times the most. If not for some team inconsistencies and the strength of the Central Division this year, it's entirely possible they could have gone even further.
