Bristol have started the season with a different kind of rhythm. Three SLB games so far have produced four different leading scorers — Zach Anderson in the opener, Cameron Holden and Jonathan Brown tied as joint top scorers in game two, and Will Yoakum leading in game three. This is a roster built on balance, with an offence that moves as a unit rather than through one dominant figure.
It’s basketball as a collective. Not about who takes the most shots, but about how the whole fits together. The Flyers show what happens when every player looks to make his teammates better and buy into a shared identity.
The Reinvention Starts From Deep
Last season ended in disappointment, and the response was a major overhaul. Through the opening games Bristol are second-last in minutes from returning players — evidence of just how much this roster has been turned over.
Dave Forrester, an ex-Newcastle Eagles assistant coach and now co-host of Sunday Night Breakdown, put it bluntly:
“When you review a season you would always look to become something that you weren’t last year … Bristol could have built a whole new gym with the amount of bricks they threw up.”
A year ago the Flyers struggled from the perimeter, and now they have reinvented themselves as a three-point shooting team, taking nearly six more attempts per game than they did last season — the second-biggest increase in the league. Only Cheshire have shifted further.
| Team | 3PA Per Game Difference |
|---|---|
| Cheshire Phoenix | +7.4 |
| Bristol Flyers | +5.9 |
| Caledonia Gladiators | +3.2 |
| Sheffield Sharks | +2.6 |
| London Lions | +0.5 |
| Newcastle Eagles | -1.8 |
| Manchester Basketball | -2.0 |
| Surrey 89ers | -2.1 |
| Leicester Riders | -3.5 |
All stats in this article are from SLB games only, excluding Bristol’s ENBL fixture.
These are early-season numbers, but the shift is already striking. The shots won’t always fall, but the intent is unmistakable — this is a team built to play differently.
Sharing the Load
Last season Bristol leaned heavily on Keddy Johnson. When he scored, they had a chance; when he didn’t, they were exposed. This year the picture looks completely different.
Usage rate measures how much of a team’s offence runs through a player — the share of possessions that end with them shooting, drawing a foul, or turning it over. For Bristol, no one dominates possessions.
| Player | Usage Rate | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|
| Milos Dugalic | 25.3% | 40.4 |
| Marcus Delpeche | 25.0% | 29.3 |
| Darnell Brodie | 22.1% | 56.5 |
| Jonathan Brown | 20.5% | 54.5 |
| Joseph Anderson | 19.1% | 87.9 |
| Will Yoakum | 18.9% | 86.3 |
| Pasquale Landolfi | 18.7% | 15.0 |
| Owen McCormack | 17.8% | 65.2 |
| Cameron Holden | 17.5% | 76.9 |
| Zach Anderson | 17.1% | 88.1 |
That kind of distribution is rare in the SLB and, if it holds, will make the Flyers harder to prepare for — and harder to shut down.
Playmakers Everywhere
The balance isn’t only about scoring. Bristol have also recruited players who are comfortable creating for others. Their assist percentage — the share of baskets set up by a teammate — is among the league’s best, and it’s just as clear when you watch them play. The Flyers aren’t waiting for one player to make something happen. The pass is always there.
| Team | Assist % |
|---|---|
| Surrey 89ers | 72.7% |
| Leicester Riders | 66.7% |
| Bristol Flyers | 63.2% |
| London Lions | 61.5% |
| Sheffield Sharks | 59.0% |
| Caledonia Gladiators | 58.9% |
| Cheshire Phoenix | 57.9% |
| Newcastle Eagles | 56.1% |
| Manchester Basketball | 48.4% |
Just like their scoring spread, the assist numbers point to a team where responsibility is shared. Take one option away, and another steps in.
Five Moving as One
Bristol’s reinvention has been deliberate. A disappointing campaign forced change, and Andreas Kapoulas has built a team designed to play differently. They’re not the finished article yet, but already you can see a team leaning into spacing and unselfish play in a way that sets them apart.
In a sport that so often celebrates the hero, Bristol are embracing something wiser — that the game itself runs best when five players move as one.
