River Lions conclude training camp
The Niagara River Lions are ready to get down to business after concluding their training camp Wednesday at Canada Games Park.
“It went really well,” said Victor Raso, Niagara’s head coach and general manager. “This group is really good and their attention to the basketball stuff has been awesome.”
Raso has seen steady improvement during the week.
“Obviously at a training camp, there is a lot going on but this group has gotten a little bit better each day and it’s because they are so into basketball. It is a group of guys where this is the most important thing in the world and they’ve all had pretty good coaching. I am benefiting from the fact that they understand how to play the game as a group.”
There were a few surprises for Raso at camp.
“There were some things that I expected. A.J. Davis is going to be our captain and he picked up right where he left off. E.J. Onu took a big step, especially offensively. For us last year, he had a lot of lobs at the rim or threes but now he is becoming a real five where he is posting up and doing the little things. It is just awesome to see.”
Raso points to Jahvon Blair as a player who has exceeded expectations.
“He has been really good and I knew he could be really good but he’s proven it.”
Raso is hard-pressed to say who his starting five will be.
“I kinda know but our second five might be better than our starting five. It is a nice problem to have.”
He expects the team’s final roster to be announced tomorrow in anticipation of the River Lions’ season opener Friday on the road against the Montreal Alliance. Niagara opens at home June 3 against the Saskatchewan Rattlers.
“These guys are ready to go. We have put pretty much everything that we need in and we have focused on the basics and kept it simple. We have got a ton of reps at it and for seven days this is what it has been.”
Niagara’s playbook will expand as the season moves along.
“That is what I have learned about this. Keep it simple, get them real reps and within that structure you can build chemistry and we can tweak it as the season goes along,” he said. “I’ve had it where I tried a lot of things and we never got good at one thing because we were doing too much. We have kept it simple and focused on the fundamentals that never change.”
He is excited to see how his team will look this season.
“I think we can be really good defensively which will allow us to get out and run. On offence, we have been really good when we get the ball into the paint or to the post and play from there,” he said. “I think you are going to see a pretty fast-paced team that is going to be very dominant inside.”
Season tickets, voucher packs, group tickets, and single game tickets are available now. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information.
