Hemel Storm return to league action this weekend, with a double-header at the StormDome seeing them face Worthing Thunder and Essex Rebels.
Last Sunday’s showpiece National Cup Final ended in defeat at the hands of the Reading Rockets; a disappointing afternoon by all accounts. They faced a spirited Rockets roster and couldn’t quite produce their best stuff on the biggest stage, but the loss will yield lessons and Storm will be hoping to learn from their mistakes and improve as the season rolls on and their pursuit of the league title continues.
First up on Saturday is the visit of Worthing Thunder. The side from the south coast have traditionally made for a tough test and have fought some fierce battles with the Storm over the years, but this campaign has been a struggle and they currently sit second from bottom in 12th.
Since going toe-to-toe with Storm in 2022/23, repeatedly losing out due to the overwhelming power of the undefeated squad featuring Aaryn Rai and Taylor Johnson, the Thunder have struggled to maintain their competitiveness and have slipped down the standings. Last season ended in an 11th-placed finish and it looks like a similar story of turmoil this time around.
However, they cannot be underestimated and they always tend to find an extra gear when they line up against the Storm. Zaire Taylor returned to the court last week, and the 38-year-old is bound to remain a threat despite sitting the majority of the campaign out.
After announcing his retirement at the end of the 2021/22 season, Taylor has gone on to make numerous more appearances for the club and is now into his 14th year as a player, having spent time in the BBL with London Lions where he forged himself as a renowned name within British basketball.
In a challenging campaign, with only two wins to their name, one man that’s not struggled has been Elijah Maynard. The former Reading Rocket leads their scoring with 24 points-per-game and has already proved his worth to the Storm, impressing as the Thunder pushed them all the way in the reverse fixture earlier this term.
Notably, former-Storm man and fan-favourite Bode Adeluola will return to the StormDome, where he’s sure to receive a fine reception, along with Johnathan Lashley.
They’ll have ambitions of crashing the Storm party and becoming the first team to defeat them in the league this season, so Storm will have to remain aware, focused and disciplined in order to do their job professionally and claim the win.
The second of the weekend’s assignments sees Essex Rebels head to Hemel on Sunday. Having already defeated Storm once this campaign, a 70-67 win in the KitKing Trophy at Essex University, they will hold hope of repeating the feat and causing an upset at the StormDome.
The Rebels are fighting for the playoff places, currently in seventh spot, and have picked up some impressive wins across the year so far. They lost out in a close one with Loughborough Riders last weekend and will be looking to get back to winning ways against Storm.
A well balanced roster lends itself to contributions from across the board, with American Connor Nelson their leading scorer. Luke Busumbru, a man with top-tier experience from his time at Surrey Scorchers and also a former Kestrel of Solent, facilitates their play and is a key man in making their offence tick.
Emmanuel Kanwei adds a strong physical presence, and the ex-Newcastle big will tussle with Darien Nelson-Henry under the basket in what could prove to be a fascinating and defining battle.
Daniel Johnson-Thompson prides himself on playing hard and will look to make himself a thorn in Storm’s side, disrupting their flow and coming up with important plays on the offensive end.
Storm will know they are a better side than what they showed back in September in defeat at Essex University and will be determined to give a fairer reflection of themselves on Sunday. Further, they’ll be reeling after the regret of missing out on silverware last weekend and will look to take out any lingering frustration on both the Thunder and the Rebels this time out.
A couple of convincing wins would be important for Storm to reinstate their credentials as title favourites and prove the National Cup defeat was a mere blip. They may even have eyes on continuing their 100% NBL Division One record further down the line and with trophies hard to come by in an increasingly competitive league, each and every game is vital.
Tickets for the double-header are available via the Fanbase app; get down to the StormDome and support the boys this weekend!
Written by Callum Humphrey