Edmonton Clinches A Playoff Spot! How Did They Manage To Do It?

The Edmonton Stingers have officially clinched a playoff spot as they have become the hottest team this summer. With the recent back to back wins against the Guelph Nighthawks and the Hamilton Honey Badgers, it appears that the Stingers have been an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. From a team who struggled to win anything on the road to, having a seven-game win streak goes to show that the Stingers mean business. These past few weeks of Stinger basketball have been something beautiful to watch as they have had the best chemistry in the entire CEBLeague. Even though some Edmonton fans had doubts about the Stingers, Jermaine Small and the rest of the coaching staff changed this team for the better. Small has wholly transformed the Stingers play style into something momentous and extraordinary, considering how poetic their ball movement is. Even though Small did change the play-style of the Stingers, what exactly did Small do that Barnaby their previous coach was not able to do?

Coach Jermaine Small.

During the first half of the season, the Stingers struggled to win one game on the road. This was due to the lack of confidence and careless decisions on the court. Whether it was an untimely pass or a rushed jump-shot, the Stingers at times looked very sloppy on the court with a lot of potential. Unlike other teams in the CEBLeague, the Stingers decided to run with small ball basketball, which is the modern way to play basketball as we are in a position-less era. Before Jermaine Small, Barnaby Craddock was the head coach and GM of the Stingers before stepping down to focus more on the U of A Golden Bears. Craddock had a vision of how he wanted to construct this team. Instead of going big like most teams, Craddock wanted to accomplish small ball basketball where he would use speed and grit to win games. Unfortunately for Craddock, he was unable to achieve his goal as he was writing up interesting yet confusing plays for his roster to follow. He relied on ball movement and speed, which was an excellent start to initiating small ball basketball; however, Craddock did not execute it well. Even though Craddock was one win away from being undefeated at home, he was a good coach and a pivotal piece to the Stingers success.

The coaching situation for the Stingers is very similar to the NBA team known as the Golden State Warriors. Before the Warriors went off to their incredible success, the Warriors were one of the worst teams on the rise. During the Monte Ellis era, the Warriors struggled to win games with a mediocre team; however, they had a bright spot in their young core. Drafting players such as, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green were steals in the draft considering how much success they managed to bring to the franchise. Even though the players managed to win multiple championships, none of that success would have been there if it 'wasn't for Mark Jackson. Jackson developed these players into the star athletes that managed to win numerous championships across this era. He was able to strengthen the young core in Golden State, however, was unable to take his team to the next level. This relates to the Stingers coaching staff due to how similar the coaching was for both teams.

Similarly to Mark Jackson, Barnaby managed to bring these players and create a vision that he was unable to execute. For Mark, he developed the Warriors young talent into all-star calibre players, however, failed to make an impact with them on the court, which resulted to him getting fired by the organization. Although Barnaby did quit his coaching position to focus on other matters, he still left the team without making a significant jump that he wanted to execute. However, when looking at Jermaine Small and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, they were able to achieve success with the talent that they possessed. Both Kerr and Small are very similar in that sense due to how well they managed to execute plays as well as utilize their player's strengths and weaknesses. Kerr realized that Steph Curry was quickly the best player on the team hence why he changed the entire scope of the team's offence. Jermaine Small took a different approach; however, focused on the same thing, which was, analyzing his team's strengths and weaknesses. As a result, both the Edmonton Stingers and the Golden State Warriors have found success due to the dramatic change in priorities. The coaching staff is a massive part of why the Stingers have found success in the second half of the season; however, what about the players?

Head Coach Barnaby Craddock of the Edmonton Stingers.

Head Coach Mark Jackson of the Golden State Warriors.

Current Head Coach of the Warriors, Steve Kerr.

During this incredible stretch of wins, Stinger basketball has been something incredible to watch. Jermaine Small truly has transformed this team into an unstoppable force of grit and grind. Even though Small is the mastermind of the Stingers success, these players have executed Small's incredible knowledge of the game by, winning with ease. Players such as Travis Daniels, Grandy Glaze, Xavier Moon, and Jordan Baker have taken incredible steps to achieve greatness. Akeem Ellis is also a player that must be mentioned in the Stingers success due to how he has taken a different role for the Stingers. He went from being one of the primary scorers on the Stingers to, a player of leadership. Ellis has led his team with a mentality of staying calm and content throughout each game. He motivates and encourages his teammates to be the best they can be on and off the court. In my opinion, Ellis is easily the best lockerroom teammate in the entire CEBLeague. Despite his new role, Ellis still contributes on the offensive end as he is light out from the three-point line.

Xavier Moon and Travis Daniels have been the story for the Stingers this summer. This dynamic duo has been the story for the CEBL as no one has been able to stop this juggernaut. Both Daniels and Moon comfortably provide the Stingers double-doubles. For Moon, his job is to, distribute the ball on the offensive end and to be a volume scorer when his team needs it the most. Daniels, however, is a rare specimen of incredible talent. He provides excellent inside scoring and will always be there defensively when his team needs it the most. Lastly, Daniels is an excellent rebounder considering how undersized he is at the center position. These two players have been maestros on the court as no one has been able to stop them. Even though Moon and Daniels have been the story for the Stingers success these last few games, their bench is arguably the most significant weapon the Stingers have.

Players such as Grandy Glaze and Adika Peter-Mcneilly have been essential contributors for the Stingers success. Even though they may come off the bench, they play an indispensable role in the Stingers core on both ends of the floor. Grandy provides excellent rebounding and inside scoring while Adika provides court vision and clutch scoring when the Stingers need it the most. Both Grandy and Adika provide ease for the starters as they realize that they do not have to do everything on the court. Grandy was a starter during the first half of the season; however, he felt that he should come off the bench to have a more significant impact on the team. Glaze made the right decision as he has found success in the role that he wanted to play. Even though Grandy and Adika have been significant contributors, the rest of the roster has been crucial to the team's success.

Earlier this season, Jordan Baker was the story for this team. Baker was the primary focus for the Stingers offence during Barnaby's time as head coach, considering that he was the central offensive player every game. Baker is still an essential piece to this team; however, due to his recent absence, Baker is taking a step back. Despite the lack of Baker, he is still a massive part of this teams success, considering that he always led the charge on both ends of the floor.

The rest of the roster is the cherry on top for the Stingers. Mathieu Kamba is what I like to call the highlight reel due to how energetic he is on the court. Whether it's a flashy dunk or a deep three-pointer, Kamba will always find a way to bring an incredible highlight to the Stingers to build momentum. Mamadou Gueye is a spark plug for the Stingers considering how Small incorporates him into the rotation. When the Stingers struggle to score the ball, Gueye saves the day and scores crucial shots to elevate the team's confidence. Deondre Parks was also an energy player for the Stingers. His speed and agility in the paint are unstoppable as he is a bullet that caused destruction. Lastly, Brody Clarke was the type of player that provided height and crucial offensive scoring for the Stingers. Although he barely played, his presence on the court is something serviceable for any team to obtain as he can contribute on both ends of the floor. Even though the players each have their strengths on the court, the number one thing that this team possess is their incredible chemistry with one another.

Overall, both the players and the coaching staff have been fantastic for Edmonton this year. Their chemistry on and off the court is beyond basketball, considering how well they flow together. Even though the Stingers did clinch a playoff spot last week, the most beautiful thing about this fantastic sport is how it brought relationships that will last forever. Now that the Stingers have clinched a playoff spot, their next target is the Championship.