Windsor Express: NBLC Team Previews
For the first time, at the end of the 2018-19 regular season, the Windsor Express failed to qualify for the NBL Canada playoffs. With the ghost of this first failure hanging over them in the 2019-20 season, as they make strides to make sure of another early exit not happening again.
Fans of the team and of the NBLC are pleased to see franchise star Ryan Anderson retained - meaning one problem coach Bill Jones will not have to solve is how to replace his scoring and defensive numbers this time out.
A bigger problem will be re-stocking the roster with enough players who can match their on-court leader. To address this, the team have brought on board plenty of players with plenty of NBLC experience under their belts.
Most notably of these are former champion Kirk Williams Jr and Kemy Osse, who will be playing in his third straight season in Canada for the Express. Also joining the team are Niagara River Lions alum Sam Muldrow and Mike Allison, who joins the team from the Gifu Swoops in Japan. They will all be joining Anderson and seven-foot centre Ty Walker, the other Express player to re-sign for the new season.
In addition, the Express will also be giving a first taste of professional-level basketball to two former NCAA Division 2 players: DeShaun Thrower of the Ferris State Bulldogs and Lynn Fighting Knights graduate Michael Baez. Former Shaw Bears small forward Davon Dillard has already impressed for the Express, scoring 21 points for the team in their pre-season match-up with the London Lightning.
Arguably the most exciting new addition is centre Derek Nix. The 6’8 Detroit native’s six-year professional career has seen him play in Latvia, France, Poland and the NBA G League for the Grand Rapids Drive and most recently two seasons with the Windy City Bulls. Joining Nix on the front court will be another exciting new import, Jordan Bowling, who comes to Windsor from the North West Tasmania Thunder in Australia.
This experienced, offensive-minded roster seems to be put together to provide plenty of assurance that last season's end result was an anomaly. With their only pre-season result so far, a 117-114 victory over rivals London, to look at, it seems to work.
Now we will have to wait and see if this new lineup can withstand the rigours of the regular season, when they open with a game at home against the Lightning on December 28th.
Picture: Windsor Star
