CEBL Autopsy Report: Edmonton Stingers
Once the crown jewel of the CEBL, what's happened to the Edmonton Stingers?
Record: 14-8 (5th) Team MVP: Nick Hornsby
Cause of Death: Lack of Star Power
Once considered the premiere team in the CEBL, the Edmonton Stingers came into the season looking to restore their past glory. Having failed to break the .500 mark in the two seasons since 3-time MVP and CEBL G.O.A.T Xavier Moon graduated to the NBA, his former teammate and now Stingers’ head coach Jordan Baker was determined to get his team over the hump.
The team brought back a number of players who have helped form the core of the roster of the past few years in Brody Clarke, Nick Hornsby, Adika Peter-McNeilly and Elijah Miller. They surrounded them with some new weapons in an attempt to kickstart the offense in G-League standout Davion Warren, former Golden State Warrior Jacob Evans III, former Saskatchewan Rattler Mike Nuga, and Ben Krikke, fresh off an impressive NCAA career. While the roster featured a number of new faces, it still relied heavily on big, athletic wings and defense, which have been staples of the Stingers throughout their history.
Perhaps the biggest question coming into the season for Edmonton was how Baker would look behind the bench. Last season – his first as head coach – he was criticized for being slow to make adjustments and his team was notorious for struggling in Target Time. Any doubts about whether Baker was the right guy for the job were quickly put to bed, as the team started the season on a 4-0 run, which included opening the season against the rival Calgary Surge and putting an absolute stomping on them in front of their CEBL-record capacity crowd. Armed with an improved roster and a familiarity with his players who were willing to buy into the system, Baker showed he and his staff could hang with the best coaching units in the league.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Stingers, however. When pitted against two of the elite teams in the league – the Vancouver Bandits and Niagara River Lions – in the following games, the Stingers hit a rough patch, dropping both. While they fought admirably, it started to become clear that despite how well-rounded and deep this Edmonton team was – often taking advantage of the CEBL’s new expanded line-up rule that allowed them to deploy 12-man lineups – they lacked a true offensive superstar that could help push them over the top.
One of the Stingers biggest struggles was getting production from the guard positions. Evans III was a reliable two-way player but playing a few levels down from the NBA didn’t bump up his scoring totals like the team had hoped, averaging just 7.3 points per game. Miller is a heady playmaker but lacks the experience playing at a high level. Nuga is a drive-first scorer who can get hot in an instant – he averaged 11.4 points mostly coming off the bench – but struggles as a facilitator and shooter. Most of the playmaking for the team actually came from inside the paint, with Hornsby holding the rare distinction of leading the team in both rebounding (6.9 boards a game) and assists (4.7).
The team got some help at the position halfway through the season when Trey McGowens was added to the roster. After bouncing around the G League during the fall season, McGowens found a home in Edmonton and led the team in scoring, putting up 15.7 points a contest.
The schedule makers paid the Stingers no favours, giving them long stretches on inactivity followed by numerous games in a short time frame. Despite their schedule misfortune and offensive woes, the Stingers managed to stay near the top of the standings for the entire duration of the season even with the departure of Davion Warren late in the season, losing his 14.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
By finishing second in the conference, Edmonton earned a first-round bye in the playoffs, eventually playing hosts to the Calgary Surge after they defeated the Winnipeg Sea Bears. Unfortunately for the Stingers, despite a strong defensive showing, the offense once again flamed out and the Surge were able to get their revenge from the season opening embarrassment, winning 78-69.
I’ll be the first to admit I was completely wrong about the Stingers heading into the season. I thought they would struggle mightily from three-point range and the coaching issues would carry over from last year. I actually had them as the odd team out in the west. I quickly realized that the team had plenty of good shooters who have deferred to great shooters throughout their careers but are more than capable of making those shots when needed. And Baker matured well beyond his years behind the bench.
The Stingers are entering an interesting time in their team history. With the retirements of Brody Clarke and Adika Peter-McNeilly and Mathieu Kamba content to play for his hometown Calgary Surge, the last pieces remaining from the Championship era are now gone. While the production of those two players on the court can be replaced (with all due respect), it’s their leadership off the court that will be missed dearly. Baker and his staff will be tasked with building a new leadership core to carry the team into the future. Fortunately for them, they have players like Hornsby and Nuga who appear willing to step into that role going forward. Krikke appears to be another key piece for the team, as the Edmonton native impressed greatly in his rookie campaign but was limited in his minutes thanks to a logjam in the front court. With Clarke stepping aside, Krikke can play a much bigger role for the team as he develops.