Final Report Card: St. John's Edge
In only their second season in the NBL Canada, the Edge saw an uncertain start - five losses in their first six games, which they followed by eleven wins out of the next twelve. After this they climbed up the order and established themselves as a major force in the NBLC this season.
The team had plenty of big name additions to the roster - Carl English in his return to St. John's, former NBA champion Glen Davis, Indian national star Satnam Singh - but they proved they weren't just there to grab headlines. Davis finished as the team's top scorer in the season and English finished in the top ten for scoring.
Their place in the post-season quickly became an inevitability, but the question where they would finish up. With the Central Division especially heated, the Edge found their place at the top under constant threat, ultimately slipping to second at the end of the regular season.
The Edge did not have the easiest run in the playoffs - first being taken to a deciding game by the Sudbury Five in round one, then winning over the KW Titans 4-2 in round two, earning them their first-ever finals berth. Unfortunately, they didn't bother the Moncton Magic much in the championship round, unable to put a single game on the board.
What They Did Right: The Edge were the highest-scoring team of the 2018-19 season and were one of the most relentless teams on offence, regularly breaking the 100-point mark. With the firepower at their disposal this wasn't really a surprise, but it made them a feared force in the league and was always exciting to watch.
What They Could Have Done Better: Protecting the ball. St. John’s did not do too well to catch loose balls and lagged behind in blocks and steals compared to other teams in the league. They were able to work around this flaw, but it's interesting to think how much more they could have done if they had addressed it.
MVP: Glen Davis made an undeniable impact when he joined the Edge – but given his pedigree that was to be expected. Equally deserving of the limelight is Desmond Lee, who was the NBLC’s top defensive rebounder and third-best scorer, failing to reach double digits only ten times out of fifty-three.
Final Thoughts: Though they fell short in the Finals, this was very impressive and confident work from a franchise still in its infancy, where they made up for the minor flaws in their game plan with some spectacular work on offence.
