Since returning from injury, Keddy Johnson hasn’t just been a key part of Bristol’s offence—he is the offence. No player in the league carries a bigger scoring burden for their team. Since his return, he has been Bristol’s top scorer in 73% of games—the highest rate in the league. No other team is as dependent on a single player to lead their scoring.
| Team | Player | % Top Scorer |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol Flyers | Keddy Johnson | 73% |
| Surrey 89ers | Mervin James | 67% |
| Caledonia Gladiators | Jared Wilson-Frame | 57% |
| Leicester Riders | Zach Jackson | 54% |
| London Lions | Aaryn Rai | 50% |
| Newcastle Eagles | Mike Okauru | 50% |
Bristol are 4-4 when Johnson is their top scorer and 2-1 when he isn’t, but those numbers don’t tell the full story. The Flyers don’t just prefer Johnson leading the offence—they need him to.
Newcastle’s Defensive Blueprint
That reliance was fully exposed in the Trophy Final, where Newcastle shut Johnson down and cruised to a 97-78 win. Their defensive plan had two key principles:
- Making Keddy Work for Every Touch – Newcastle pressured Johnson full-court, chased him through screens, and denied easy touches. Josh Ward-Hibbert handled this role for most of the game, with Christian James stepping in when he rested.
- Crowding the Paint, But Only for Keddy – When Johnson attacked inside, Newcastle collapsed on him, forcing the ball out of his hands. But when other Bristol players drove, his defender stayed tight, limiting his chances to get the ball back.
Johnson finished with an effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 25% on 10 shot attempts, well below his season average of 53.7% on 13.5 attempts. Newcastle didn’t just reduce his shot volume—they made every attempt harder and forced him out of rhythm.
Cheshire’s Passive Defence
Bristol’s reliance on Johnson is usually unavoidable, but in their recent game Cheshire’s defensive approach removed the need for him entirely. The Flyers opened the game with a 22-0 run, during which Johnson did not score. Cheshire finally got on the board with 4:26 left in the quarter, by which point the game was already slipping away.
Instead of forcing possessions through Johnson, Bristol took advantage of Cheshire’s defensive weaknesses.
- Attacking the Paint – With limited rim protection, Bristol ran the offence through Demond Robinson inside and created easy looks with well-timed cuts from Kendall Lewis.
- Turning Defence into Offence – Cheshire’s mistakes led to transition opportunities, and Bristol pushed the pace before they could recover.
- Punishing a Soft Perimeter – With no pressure on the ball, Jared Sherfield knocked down open threes, capitalising on the space Cheshire allowed.
Sherfield finished as Bristol’s top scorer with 29 points in a dominant 122-94 win. The game showed that Bristol can function without Johnson when the opposition provides no resistance. But can they do it against teams that make them work?
What Comes Next for Bristol?
Bristol’s reliance on Johnson is understandable—he’s a dynamic playmaker who can create his own shot. But if they want to be competitive, they need a more balanced attack. The Cheshire game showed a version of that, but it came against a defence that made no effort to disrupt them.
Bristol can thrive without Johnson when the defence allows it, but no team planning for them in a high-stakes game will be that passive. Newcastle showed what happens when Bristol’s first option is taken away. If the Flyers want to compete when it matters, they need a second option who can score under pressure.
Links
- Sunday Night Breakdown recap of the Trophy Final: https://youtu.be/0EHYx2vKDD4?si=ARtrcFl9FR_ThMQT
