Final Report Card: Cape Breton Highlanders
Rating and analysing the performances of the NBL Canada teams in the 2018-19 season.
The Cape Breton Highlanders had their sights set on big things in the 2018-19 season, and devised a game plan which saw them do just that - setting new franchise records and reaching the post-season for the first time in their history.
They started the season off strong, picking up an early seven-game winning streak and at one points going above the Moncton Magic to briefly lead the entire league. However in the second half of the season the losses started piling up and the team saw multiple losing streaks, one lasting six games.
Still, they were still able to and picked up to enough wins to clinch third place in the Atlantic Division and go on to take the Halifax Hurricanes to Game 5 in an exciting playoff series, but they would go no further than that.
What They Did Right: As well as leading the league in steals, the Highlanders' rotation plan allowed for each player to make best use of their abilities. The best example of this would be Jamal Reynolds, who had an amazing season mostly off the Cape Breton bench en route to rightfully claiming Sixth Man of the Year honours.
What They Could Have Done Better: Areas that needed improving were defensive rebounding and field shooting and, while nine players finished the season with double-digit scoring averages, they weren't the most aggressive team on offence. These were key gaps in the Highlanders' game plan which limited their success on a number of occasions throughout the season.
MVP: Unquestionably the individual who has had the biggest impact for Cape Breton this year has been Bruce Massey Jr. His 23.4 points per game was second only to Braylon Rayson, and showing team work and leadership qualities throughout his second NBLC season played a big part in his team's success.
Final Thoughts: Cape Breton put in a lot of effort to finally show they have winning potential, which obviously played out on the courts, but inconsistencies in their season show this is a team still trying to find its feet.
