NBLC 2022 All-Defensive Team Greatest Hits
Half of basketball is scoring, the other half is preventing the other team from scoring. Good defence is equally as important as good shooting and the 2022 NBL Canada All-Defensive Team highlights the five players who made life as hard as possible for their opposition throughout this season.
Here is the rundown of the All-Defensive Team, along with a season highlight of them at their best while on the backcourt.
Amir Williams
London Lightning, 27GP, 17.0ppg, 8.6rpg
Amir Williams was always there to take care of the Lightning defence throughout 2022 and, leading the league in offensive rebounds, helped create many scoring opportunities and second chance points for this team in the season. On May 12th against the Sudbury Five, he was simply on another level, pouring in a game-best 40 points and a season-high 18 rebounds as well as five blocks
Billy White
Windsor Express, 24GP, 20.5ppg, 10.7rpg
In 2022 Billy White once again showcased his elite skills on both ends of the court, which have earned him a place on the NBLC's tenth anniversary team. After opening with a double-double he put together a rare triple-double when Windsor hosted the Dayton Flight. Scoring 28 as well as handing out eleven assists and grabbing fifteen total boards, he catapuled the Express to their first win of 2022, with White going on to another fourteen double-doubles on the season.
Dexter Williams
Sudbury Five, 28 GP, 16.3ppg, 5.8rpg
The American guard bloomed in his third season in Sudbury, becoming a league-leading rebounder and a specialist in steals, while at a club level he became a leading light and key component of the Five's defence. He reached the height of his powers on May 12th when he recorded his first NBLC double-double: finishing with season highs of 36 points and 13 rebounds, also career bests in Canada.
Joel Kindred
KW Titans, 31 GP, 22.2ppg, 5.2rpg
Kindred did not win league MVP purely on the basis of his high-power offence, but the strength and versatility he showed on the defensive glass as well. This was most evident on March 25th against the Windsor Express, when he poured in 24 points and grabbed thirteen total rebounds, a great all-around performance which showed his MVP level by his effortless ability to dominate on both ends of the court.
Tyran Walker
KW Titans, 28GP, 4.9ppg, 7.4 rpg
The Titans' centre's towering stature paid off in a big way for both himself and his team in 2022. His ability to play post-up defence and keep the KW basket protected like no other made him a huge defensive threat in the NBLC and, always getting it down for the Titans, he was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Walker's most notable moments of the season were getting ten blocks against the Kokomo Bobkats in March and helping power the Titans to their first NBLC Finals. In game three of the playoff semi-finals against Sudbury, Walker had a season-high fifteen boards, a big contribution to the team's eventual six-point win.
