High IQ guard has killer instinct
It was an easy decision for Trae Bell-Haynes to come try out with the Niagara River Lions.
Brady Heslip, his teammate with Skyliners Frankfurt of the German Basketball Bundesliga, vouched for River Lions head coach/GM Victor Raso and the 23-year-old Toronto native liked the sounds of what Niagara was offering
“Obviously, when you can have 100 per cent access to a gym and guys around you who want to get better and want you to get better, you are going to go there.”
Raso, who is a good friend of Heslip’s, thought Bell-Haynes was going to get drafted by another team and when he wasn’t, the River Lions head coach/GM invited him to Niagara.
“He is everything you want in a point guard,’ Rao said. “His shot is developing and it will get there because his form is fine but he’s high IQ, has great balance, speed and quickness, he’s a good decision maker and he has a good feel for the game.”
Bell-Haynes arrived in Niagara six days before the official training camp opened and he’s enjoying the entire experience.
“Every day is intense and, since we started the actual practices,everyone is getting after it.”
Evidence of that intensity was the bandage the 6-foot-2 point guard was sporting on his chin Wednesday, thanks to an errant elbow.
“Guys have something to prove and no one has a guaranteed spot yet so obviously you have to show how competitive you are and show how hard of a worker you are,” he said. “The level this has been at is insane and I don’t know if there are a lot of places like this.”
Bell-Haynes has already been to a lot of places in his short pro career.
After graduating from Vermont in the spring of 2018, the two-time America East Player of the Year, played in the summer league with the Milwaukee Bucks before heading to Germany to play with Skyliners Frankfurt of the German Basketball Bundesliga. Seven months into the season, he injured his ankle and he returned home where he hooked up with the Wisconsin Herd, Miwaukee’s team in the NBA G League. He played eight games with the Herd, averaging 18.8 minutes, 5.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
He has simple goal for his time in Niagara.
“I want to play, help Niagara win the first CEBL championship and personally continue to grow as a player because I am still young and I have a long career ahead of me.”
He is not sure where his next pro stop will be.
“I am trying to focus on the now and what’s right in front of me,” he said. “I want to enjoy every step of this process and take it all in.”
He has long-term goals in mind, but they are not for public consumption.
“I feel some things are better done in silence,” he said. “I don’t want to look too cocky or pretentious on social media.
Raso feels Bell-Haynes has a high ceiling because of the mind he has.
“That is a very intelligent well-spoken kid and you can tell he has been brought up the right way.
“He has this look in his eye when the game starts,” Raso said. “He is not just a nice kid, he wants to kill people.”
The River Lions played an exhibition game in Guelph Thursday and will have another one Sunday at Niagara College and then Rao will chose the nine pros who will join U SPORTS player Tyler Brown on Niagara’s roster to open the season.
“I’ve got some tough decision to make and every day the gap narrows,” Raso said. “We had seven guys the other day and now we have three guys for that final spot.
“We will see what happens.”
