Lindsey fills crucial import spot after league MVP cut loose

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This article was published 25/06/2024 (840 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Sea Bears needed miracle finishes in their last two games to pull themselves into contention for a Canadian Elite Basketball League playoff spot.

Now, with the midseason addition of former NBA G League star Scottie Lindsey, 5-5 Winnipeg hopes the path to victory will come a little easier when they host the 6-3 Niagara River Lions Thursday night.

Game time is 7 p.m.

Lindsey, a 28-year-old guard from Chicago, fills a crucial import spot left open when CEBL MVP Teddy Allen was cut loose last week.

“I’m not Teddy or anything like that,” said Lindsey following practice at Canada Life Centre Tuesday afternoon. “I’m always gonna be myself. I’m always gonna play my game and what I feel like I bring to the table is a number of things, besides just scoring.

I can play defence. I can handle the ball. I can rebound and I can get my teammates involved as well.”

Lindsey played his college basketball at Northwestern and has extensive pro experience, including a 2022 stint with the CEBL’s Saskatchewan Rattlers.

The 6-6 Chicago product also has a 7-0 wingspan, which helps to make him a very intimidating defender.

“Scottie’s a team player,” said Sea Bears GM and head coach Mike Taylor. “Scottie scores within the system. Scottie executes a system at both ends. What became a challenge with Teddy was the fact that he played outside of the system on both ends so often that it just came to a point where we struggled to function as a five-man team on the floor.

“Scottie’s experience and Scottie’s talent can be plugged into our offence and defence and really keep the keep the engine running in a great way.”

Lindsey, who last suited up for the NBA G League’s Windy City Bulls, hasn’t played since March and has been rehabbing a wonky knee.

“I tore my ACL before my rookie year so you’re gonna deal with that the rest of your career,” said Lindsey. “You’re always gonna have that. I just had some knee complications throughout the whole season, but I figured it out with my (physiotherapist) over these last months and my knee is 100 per cent fine.”

Star point guard Justin Wright-Foreman believes Lindsey should fit right in.

“I see how hard he works on his jump shot and it’s going to space the floor for us a lot more and then on defence, with him being a long defender and very active, which we all saw in practice today — him being physical and getting in passing lanes — that just helps us,” said Wright-Foreman/.

“So he fits right into what we’ve been trying to preach this whole time. I think we will have obviously better flowing offence and I feel like we’ll be more aggressive on defence.”

Winnipeg’s defence — or lack of it — contributed heavily to a four-game losing streak but those fortunes have changed in two recent home games.

On June 19, Winnipeg was trailing by 12 points at the start of Target Score Time before rallying to outscored Vancouver 22-6 and beat the Bandits, 88-84. Three days later, Winnipeg fell behind by 27 points before beating the Saskatchewan Rattlers, 103-101.

“People have to understand we’ve gone through a difficult time with our team,” said Taylor. “We’ve changed the dynamics of our team, we’ve changed the personnel and we’re rebuilding that identity. And I think the most positive thing that comes out of these games is the fact that there’s a tremendous will, a tremendous determination, a tremendous grit to these guys.”

Allen, who had chosen not to react publicly in the days after his release, finally spoke out on Instagram Monday. He wrote, in part:

“I know this came as quite a shock to everyone, myself included, and many people have been waiting on this statement but sometimes silence is the loudest response and I’m choosing to show my true colours instead of feeding someone else’s narrative about me. Sometimes you don’t need to tell your story. Time will.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca