He has been the dependable professional, with a great feel for the game a nouse for when the team needs him to score and a baseline pull-up jumper to die for.

Crandall returned but didn’t stay long, and with Washington struggling with injuries, Mackenzie has been the most consistent presence at the point guard position for the team with Carrington Love, CJ Jackson, Derryck Thornton and Devonte Bandoo all having their own spells leading the offence alongside Mackenzie for the bulk of the season. Last year, Geno Crandall led the Riders to Cup, Championship and Play-off success with support from Conner Washington and Mackenzie. You see, in 2009, Taylor Swift was “Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find, that what you’re looking for has been here the whole time.” It would be no surprise if Kimbal Mackenzie was a Swiftie. You will still see point guards Sa’eed Nelson and Rodney Glasgow Jr walk the ball up each time and work with the two big men – Bennett Koch and Marcus Delpeche – to run pick and roll or set up actions from the low post, with the centres passing out to shooters and cutters, but now they have pace as well … and in an explosive way.

They have had a strong finish to the season, thanks to an injection of new talent, but without massively compromising on their style of play. Things have improved dramatically in recent months. They allowed the second lowest points per game at 74.8 this season – partly because of their excellent defence, but also due to their unwillingness to rush on offence. Coach Atiba Lyons ran his team at a slow pace earlier in the season. That’s not to say they didn’t have a style. Braun Sheffield Sharks started the season with tough losses, and epic wins – including two against the London Lions. The Riders are usually ready for anything but what version of the B Braun Sheffield Sharks will turn up? Baby Sharks? Or Daddy Sharks?Īndy, Darryl and Kevin set up a band in the US version of The Office, and one of their songs questioned “which me am I gonna be today?”

Jackson mackenzie whole again