Tag: Manchester Basketball
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Can Zak Irvin Find His Fit Again?
Every team has a fifth option. The player defences are happy to leave alone, the one who is not meant to swing games. For Manchester, that role belonged to Zak Irvin — measured, selective and quietly essential. Before his injury at the start of November, Manchester asked a lot of him. Only Max Jones had
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Becoming the Manchester They Want to Be
Manchester Basketball began this summer with a plan that reached beyond domestic competition. Their intended entry into the Basketball Champions League was blocked when the British Basketball Federation refused to issue the required International Letter of Clearance — seemingly ending the chance to test themselves in Europe before it began. But they didn’t change course.
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A Ball in the Air
The opening night of the second season of the SLB was meant to be about the basketball. Six teams took the floor with refreshed rosters and a summer of preparation, eager to prove the league was more than an improvised debut. Instead, it arrived in the shadow of refereeing uncertainty and FIBA intervention. When the
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The Hard Part Starts Now
A new team, an old city, and a crowd that hasn’t quite arrived yet. That’s Manchester Basketball’s debut SLB season. After the Giants disappeared, a new club was rushed into being—launched just in time for the season, with a roster built on potential rather than fit, and a name that felt more like a placeholder
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Manchester Have Found Their Identity
When Manchester Basketball appointed Herman Mandole at the end of February, they weren’t just changing coaches—they were searching for clarity. Up to that point, they’d been a team of interesting parts without a clear idea of how to fit them together. Now, two months later, they’ve found something they lacked all season—an identity. This isn’t
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Can Manchester Build an Offensive Identity?
Manchester Basketball’s season in the SLB has been defined by an offence that makes life unnecessarily hard for itself. While their ability to capitalise on opponent turnovers is a genuine strength, it highlights a broader imbalance: they rely heavily on fast-break opportunities but struggle in the half-court. Coupled with poor free-throw generation and conversion, Manchester’s
