Three years ago, the DHL Wolves and Esso Blazers battled for basketball supremacy.
Now both will tussle to prove their worth in the sport. The sides square off in the opening round of the Cayman Islands Basketball Association 2012 national men’s league division one playoffs.
Blazers assistant coach Carlos Pastor, a Puerto Rican, is well aware of the history between the two teams.
“It’s a great challenge as they have been the top team for several years,” Pastor said. “It’s a blessing and an honour to play them in the playoffs. The Blazers have struggled in recent years and we’re just blessed to be in the playoffs.
“We’re playing at a high level and we have the chemistry. Again, to face the Wolves is just an honour and a blessing.”
Unlike their 2009 showdown, both come into the postseason at differing levels. The Wolves look hardly like a two-time champion as they ended up fourth in the standings with a mediocre 3-5 record. On one hand, Gary ‘Butcher’ McLaughlin (17.3 points, 7.8 rebounds per game) and Dwight O’Garro (17.1ppg and 14.4 boards per contest) had solid seasons. Then again, the squad’s trademark defence fizzled (allowing 593 points, second-worst in the competition) while losing their last four games of the regular season.
Esso meanwhile are the juggernauts, after producing a spotless 8-0 campaign. They dominated the statistics sheet, sporting the best offence (621 points scored), the best defence (a league-low 521 points allowed) and a Most Valuable Player candidate in Deandre Simpson (11.5ppg, 15.0rpg).
Blazers head coach Shawn Pitterson manned the sidelines years ago against the Wolves and said briefly he likes the rematch.
“I am very confident in my players,” Pitterson said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge as we met them in the finals a few years ago.”
The Blazers had arguably the competition’s most depth and size with part of the roster featuring young men playing college basketball abroad. One of the overseas stars is Shaad O’Garro, 22, who plays for LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee.
The junior, whose Magicians play in division two of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, states Esso will be a tough out.
“When at full strength, we are one of the toughest teams to beat,” O’Garro said. “We have players playing overseas and when everyone comes back, we will be one of the toughest teams to beat. We have length, speed and we are all young.”
Esso ended their perfect season last Sunday with a narrow 74-71 victory over the 1-7 Moneygram Philippines.
Now the Blazers tangle with the Wolves in a best-of-three series with game one on Saturday, 5 May, at 5.30pm at Camana Bay’s Arts and Recreation Centre. Game two is next Saturday, 12 May, with game three, if necessary, on 19 May.
Pastor is focused on stopping the Wolves.
“As you watch them play, they have a lot of chemistry; everyone knows their assignments. To beat them, everyone has to go after their guy. Sure you have (key guys like) Dwight O’Garro, Earl ‘Barbosa’ Allen and Sandi Jiminez. But they are most dangerous when they play together with all of the guys on the team.”
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