Six questions that will define new Lightning season

Action gets underway Dec. 28 in Sudbury. It’s a new season, in a new league, and the London Lightning are shooting for a championship for a third year in a row. Can they make it happen?

(Photo: Barry Field Photography).

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The NBL Canada is dead. Long live the Basketball Super League (BSL). With six NBL Canada titles to its name – including the final one in the league’s history, last spring – the London Lightning will officially begin their quest for a first BSL championship (and third-straight title) on Thursday, Dec. 28.

To help you get ready for the new season, Gameday London is providing answers to your questions heading into a new season, in a new league, with a (largely) new squad …

Will the BSL play any differently than the NBL Canada? Or is this just the same old thing with a little more American content sprinkled in?  

Absolutely, this will be a different experience. Let’s face it, once the NBL Canada dropped to four teams, the writing was on the wall. The level of play was still solid, but how many times can you see the same handful of teams in your arena? The partnership with The Basketball League (TBL) for the final two NBL Canada seasons helped, and will set the groundwork for the BSL success.

With six core teams in the league, along with a rotating cast of TBL teams through the schedule, players and fans will be treated to a more diverse collection of opponents, as well as far more opportunities to see their hometown teams playing at home.

If the TBL is any indication, the BSL will be a dynamic (perhaps, at times, chaotic) league when it comes to growth in the coming years. BSL President David Magley does not like to sit still – so, buckle up.

Eventually, he hopes to build a 24-team league, with two-thirds residing north of the border and the remainder in contiguous U.S. states near the Canadian markets. That’s ambitious, but the game is exploding across Canada, and the talent pool has never been deeper, so it is possible, if not overly probable given the history of predominantly Canadian leagues and the industry’s lack of cooperation and civility. But we shall see.

Jermaine Haley Jr., a key returnee, is as versatile a player as any in the league. (Photo: Barry Field Photography).

Seriously, where are all the London fans? What will it take to win them over?

Honestly, I don’t know. London has been the most successful franchise in NBL Canada history, having won six of 10 total league championships, including going back-to-back three times, most recently, during the last two years of the league. This season, the team boasts an exciting core, one of the best young coaches in the country, and the best hoops venue outside of Scotiabank Arena.

But where are the fans?

Since emerging from the pandemic, crowds for Lightning games have been pathetic. While its marketing and community outreach in recent years has been lacking,  that doesn’t excuse thin crowds for hoops. We get it, the London Knights will always be king of The Gardens, but London hoops fans (and there are thousands of them) are missing a hell of a show. Hopefully, a new league and new teams coming through the city will spark interest.

Part of the sales pitch of the new league to former NBL Canada teams was the fact there would be plenty of home games on their schedules. For London, that means 20 opportunities to play in front of the home fans, including a stretch of seven straight games in late January/early February – and seven straight games in late February/early March. 

But butts in seats is important to the franchise’s (and league’s) success. 

Nick Garth, one of the Windsor Express defectors, has the talent to spark offense in a hurry. (Photo: Barry Field Photography).

How will these one-off TBL teams on the schedule impact BSL play? 

In addition to two new league opponents – Newfoundland Rogues (St. John’s) and Montreal Toundra – London will face five TBL opponents – the Connecticut Crusaders, LA Ignite, Pontiac Pharaohs, Rhode Island Kraken, and West Virginia Grind. 

Last season, London went 4-0 against the Rogues in the NBL Canada’s swan song season, but the remainder of these teams are unknown to Plumb and staff. 

The Lightning will play every one of its TBL opponents at Bud Gardens, and last year they tended to be less talented (as a rule, sorry) than NBL Canada teams, so the lack of familiarity might not matter. In fact, after emerging from a four-team league last season, where opponents became far too frequent house guests, it might be exciting for fans, players, and staff to experience.

What does Lighting head coach Doug Plumb have left to prove?

Not much. Plumb is a guy who understands where he has been and where he is going in the game – so the history that awaits him this season is important to him personally. Plumb closed out the NBL Canada with 77 career coaching wins with the Lightning, a number good enough for sixth all-time in league history. Entering the 2023-24 BSL season, he should pass Micheal Ray Richardson (84) for the franchise’s all-time mark. 

If he manages to also win an unprecedented third straight title, what more is there for the 35-year-old head coach to prove in the Forest City? Not much, actually. 

Plumb has been courted by other franchises before, and is not shy about sharing his ambitions to one day coach in the NBA, so while it’s far from certain this is Plumb’s final season in London, it’s fair to say this will be a landmark season in his career.

Ben Mockford brings a veteran presence — and an impressive resume — to the 2023-24 Lightning roster. (Photo: Barry Field Photography).

Who will be the Lightning’s biggest rival? 

There’s no love lost between Sudbury and London. Ask Plumb his feelings on The Five head coach Logan Stutz. But watch out for those Windsor games, which might be spirited – the Lightning scooped up three Windsor stars, including heart-and-soul guy Billy White, and then the Express countered by signing former Bolt floor general and, um, shall we say, complicated personality Chris Jones. That’s a lot of emotions to contain on a 20x15-metre court.

Does London have the right mix of veterans and young players?

Let’s take a look at the 12 Bolts heading into battle to start the opening game (Billy White won’t be available for the opener): 

Grant Adu, guard
Kevin Baker, forward
Nick Garth, guard
Jermaine Haley Jr., forward
Freddie McSwain, forward
Ben Mockford, guard
Jeremiah Mordi, guard
Mike Nuga, guard
Marcus Ottey, guard
Rashad Smith, guard
Jachai Taylor, forward
Amir Yusuf, centre

This is an interesting mix of talent. Seven guards, plus a small forward, will make for a squad that can shoot. But how will that balance on the court? Will be fun to see. The centre position will be diminished with new defensive rules in the BSL, which is good, because the Lightning are short on height with Yusuf listed as the only true centre on the roster. But this team is loaded with shooters, with scoring possibilities all over the court.

LONDON LIGHTNING 2023-24 FULL SCHEDULE

at Sudbury | Thursday, Dec. 28
at KW | Tuesday, Jan. 2
KW | Saturday, Jan. 6
Montreal | Thursday, Jan. 11
at Sudbury | Friday, Jan. 12
at Montreal | Sunday, Jan. 14
Rhode Island* | Friday, Jan. 19
Rhode Island* | Sunday, Jan. 21
Windsor | Wednesday, Jan. 24
Connecticut* | Saturday, Jan. 27
Montreal | Sunday, Jan. 28
Windsor | Sunday, Feb. 4
Pontiac* | Wednesday, Feb. 7
at Sudbury | Saturday, Feb. 10
Sudbury | Tuesday, Feb. 13
at Newfoundland | Thursday, Feb. 15
at Newfoundland | Saturday, Feb. 17
at Newfoundland | Sunday, Feb. 18
at Windsor | Sunday, Feb. 25
Windsor | Tuesday, Feb. 27
Newfoundland | Friday, March 1
Windsor | Sunday, March 3
Sudbury | Tuesday, March 5
Glass City* | Sunday, March 10
KW | Sunday, March 17
Kokomo* | Tuesday, March 19
at Windsor | Friday, March 22
at Montreal | Saturday, March 30
Newfoundland | Monday, April 1
LA Ignite* | Friday, April 12
at KW | Wednesday, April 17
West Virginia* | Wednesday, April 24

* TBL opponent