Lightning keep pace, focus on team hoops

Around the Perimeter: London (7-4) escapes ‘The Rock’ with two wins; Emotional return for Coach Williams; Getting technical; Searching for long-range efficiency; Lengthy layoff to aid ailments; Jan. 16 return at home …

The Lightning won both contests out east against the Newfoundland Rogues Jan. 3 & Jan. 4, 2025. (Photo: Leona Rockwood Photography).

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WHAT HAPPENED.

London (6-4) 112 – Newfoundland 107 | Friday, Jan. 3 at Newfoundland

London (7-4) 100 – Newfoundland 90 | Saturday, Jan. 4 at Newfoundland

WHAT WE LEARNED.

This team will score – we have been saying it from the start. It’s weird to say the league’s top offense has room to grow – but allow me to say that the league’s top offense has room to grow.

The Lightning have been among the top scoring offenses in the league since day one, averaging 116.7 points per game, currently only behind Sudbury (118.1).

“We can get a little stagnant on offense, especially if we get a lead. We start playing a little ‘me’ ball; that’s one thing that really irritates me,” said Lightning head coach Jerry Williams. “We get up by a few points and then guys get to think, ‘It’s my time to shoot.’ We’re a great team together, but individually, it doesn’t work.

“Solving that is all about individual buy-in. That’s it. You have to buy into the system. There is no offense you can run, or any plays you can draw up, that beats that. Obviously, what we’re doing is working. We lead the league in scoring. But we need guys to buy into the team.”

(Photo: Leona Rockwood Photography).

The Bolts have maintained a top unit despite having the league’s lowest three-point shooting percentage (33.7%). Toss in a paltry 74.4% free throw percentage, and you wonder what the record could be for this team with even the slightest improvement in these two key areas.

Part of this room for improvement is still a team learning to play together.

“I’ve got a lot of guys on the team who have been the scorer, the man, the number one guy on their team for years and now they have to share the ball,” said Williams. “Sometimes it’s hard on them. I get it; I was the scorer when I was playing, so I understand how it goes. That's why I don't really dwell on it that much with them. But it is a concern that I go over in practice a lot. We got to where we are as a team; individuality doesn’t get us anywhere – it just gets you through the season and then you go home at the end, no playoffs.”

WHAT WAS AWESOME.

Listen, Billy White’s play and personality have been criticized in this space often. But Saturday’s performance should not be ignored, as the veteran big man played the entire game on a strained MCL. The team was playing short, with only three on the bench and its top scorer (Chris Jones) suspended.

“People talk about Billy’s emotions. I get that,” Williams said. “But when I see him playing on a knee he could barely even walk on for all 48 minutes, you have got to give it to him. Yes, he’s an emotional guy, but at the end of the day, Billy cares about his team. A lot of people don’t talk about that. They talk about the technical fouls and his emotions, but what about what he does for the team? What about playing on one leg? What about going out playing 48 minutes when he could barely walk and scoring 30 points because he knew he needed to?”

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Last weekend was special for Williams, who returned to Newfoundland for the first time since leaving ‘The Rock’ to take the top job in London. Honestly, he didn’t know what to expect for this homecoming.

“There were a lot of emotions,” he said. “I didn’t know how the fans were going to react. I had to go in and just do my job. They fell in love with me there for a reason; they didn’t just love me because my name was Jerry Williams. I put in the work there, so they’re upset I’m not there for a reason. When they called my name, there were some boos and some cheers. It was very emotional. I’m just glad that whole thing is behind me.”

Starting in 2021, Williams headed the Rogues from the franchise’s beginnings, following its migration through an alphabet soup of leagues, from the ABA to the TBL to the BSL. During the inaugural BSL season, the Rogues (20-17) finished the regular campaign in fourth place under Williams, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the KW Titans.

His departure was greeted with scorn online, even from the team itself. That seemed forgotten this weekend.

“It was a lot of fast heart beating on my part. I didn’t know what to expect. I just thought everybody hated me and everybody would boo me. But the fans showed so much love. Even some of the guys who were online talking the most came up to me, shook my hand, hugged me. They understood I made the best decision for me and my family. They said they would always appreciate me. They hoped I would lose – but they respected the decision. That meant a lot. Newfoundland people are good people; they’re passionate and they show it.” 

(Photo: Leona Rockwood Photography).

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Former Rogues and current Bolts Tonzell Handy and Corey Boyd also returned as members of the Lightning.

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Lightning names are starting to creep up the league leaderboards: Handy leads the lead in field goal shooting percentage (60.7%); Paul Parks is tied for second in 3-pointers made (35) and fifth in total points (199); Corey Boyd sits second in total rebounds (88) and third in rebounds per game (8.0); Billy White is fifth in total rebounds (76); Chris Jones leads the league in steals (32) and has dished out the third-most assists (62); Jachai Taylor is fifth in free throw percentage (88%).

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The Lightning returned to London in the middle of a 12-day hiatus between games, with its next matchup not until Jan. 16. But don’t talk to this squad about rust; it’s a break they welcome after a long holiday push and even longer road trip out east.

“We need it right now,” Williams said. “Where we’re at with guys hurt and trying to get their bodies right, we definitely need every single day.”

WHAT NEEDS WORK.

London’s defense isn’t perfect, but it isn’t a total liability either. The Lightning are next to last in the league in points allowed per game (114.4), while holding opponents to only 44.9% from the field and 33.7% from three (both second in the league). They are getting outrebounded by almost a full board per game (0.8).

“Our offense speaks for itself,” Williams said. “Defensively, we’re having some growing pains as a unit. It is still a work in progress. Once it clicks with everybody on the team, we’re going to be a very difficult team to beat.” 

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On the way east, Williams spoke to the team that the refereeing would be different in Newfoundland. The team was going to need to hold their composure because things were going to happen during the game that would make them scratch their heads and wonder how it was even possible.

That happened. A lot.

“Sometimes you wonder if you’re in the Twilight Zone,” Williams laughed.

Newfoundland came out aggressive, and when aided by officiating that was, shall we say, slow to whistle, if at all, it created a rough back-to-back environment.

“I knew their coach told them to play hard, to try to make it as tough on us as possible. Those kids came out hard, throwing elbows, checking us coming off the line. They were playing physical basketball. We took the brunt of it.”

Among the souvenirs of the trip, forward Joel Kindred had his nose broken on Friday, which resulted in him missing Saturday’s matchup.

“Yes, we have got to control ourselves better. But people also need to understand that these are grown men who aren’t going to let other grown men punch them, elbow them, knee them and nothing is getting done about it,” Williams said. “They are going to have a reaction to that. It’s human nature. I’m not making excuses for them, but at the end of the day, if people watch that (Friday) game frame by frame, you’ll see some stuff that might make you ask, ‘Is this football? What’s going on?’”

(Photo: Leona Rockwood Photography).

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It’s going to be a long season if London cannot get control of its short fuse.

On Friday, the Lightning were called for six technical fouls: Billy White nabbed two and a seat on the bench at the end of the third quarter, along with Chris Jones, Dexter Williams, Joel Kindred, and Tonzell Handy. (The Rogues were called for two: Kevin Bridgewaters and Amir Yusuf.)

If you’re wondering how many teams have been called for six technical fouls and still won, well, I have no idea. But I am willing to bet not many, if any.

“I’ve never seen it in my life – never,” Williams said.

Among the madness, Jones picked up his fifth technical of the season, resulting in his one-game suspension from Saturday’s game.

This does point to a larger issue here, however, as London’s temper has become an advantage for opposing teams. Coaches are exploiting it – poking at the nerve any chance they get. Williams knows it is happening. He not only sees it this season, but he used the tactic himself last season.

“For sure they are. I did it last year,” Williams said. “When London came to Newfoundland, I did the same thing – piss Billy (White) off, piss Chris (Jones) off and we win the game. That’s what people’s strategy is again this year. We have got to do better.”

Newfoundland was 3-2 against London last season, drawing 21 Lightning technical fouls, Including five on Jones alone. Newfoundland drew seven technicals alone in a 113-104 win on April 28.

Unlike last year, however, where some of the emotion was sparked from the London bench (former coach, Doug Plumb), Williams has avoided a technical foul – so far. But don’t expect him to sit silently if his players continue to take a beating.

“I have to stay in control because I have got to control everybody else. I have no room to get a technical foul. But it will come to a point where I have to protect my players and, if that calls for one game of me just going out and just losing my cool, I may have to do that,” he said. “I can’t continue to let teams just come and beat up on these guys and I just stand there and do nothing about it. These are my guys. They need to know coach has their backs.”

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Lightning names are starting to creep up other league leaderboards, as well: London is 1-2 in personal fouls, with Joel Kindred tied for the lead league (42), followed by Billy White (38) in second. Corey Boyd is in fourth (35). Chris Jones (390), Paul Parks (388), and Billy White (387) sit Nos. 3, 4 and 5 for total minutes played.

STORIES YOU MISSED.

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WHAT’S NEXT.

KW Titans | Thursday, Jan. 16 | 7 p.m.

Tri-State Admirals (TBL) | Saturday, Jan. 18 | 7 p.m.

@ KW Titans | Sunday, Jan. 19 | 2 p.m.