Niagara’s stopper
TJ Lall has made a big impact on the fortunes of the Niagara River Lions this season.
“I’ve been telling everyone TJ is our breakout player. He is having his best year as a pro with the River Lions. He started a little bit slow but he is our jack-of-all-trades,” River Lions head coach/GM Victor Raso said. “He covers the best player on the other team, he has been shooting the hell out of the ball, sometimes we use him as a post matchup and sometimes we use him as a ball screen. He literally does everything for us and he is locked into the game plan”
Raso thinks Lall won’t get the recognition he deserves for defensive player of the year but feels he is starting to creep into the conversation for the All-Canadian team.
“He should be on it.”
The 27-year-old Cambridge native appreciates Raso’s comments.
“He must think that I am playing well. I know what I am capable of and he knows what I am capable of and he has confidence in me.”
Lall averaged 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 rebounds per game coming off the bench last season with Niagara. This year as a starter, he is averaging 11.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
The 6-foot-6 forward has delivered exactly what Raso expected from the four-time national champion with the Carleton Ravens and Ontario University Athletics West player of the year award and First Team All-Canadian with the Brock Badgers.
“TJ just hasn’t had a situation to start, be the defensive stopper and be a guy who plays a lot of minutes all the time. I felt like he should have done that last year but I had him coming off the bench,” he said. “This off-season, I told him we were going to him. I thought he was the guy,” he said. “I know he has serious drive in him to achieve at the highest level and push the envelope as a pro basketball and I wanted him to feel the confidence from me in giving him that opportunity.”
Raso’s words were music in Lall’s ears.
“I was excited to have a bigger role and have more opportunity than last year. I was ready to go.”
He has made the most of his opportunities.
“I am more on the ball defensively and more involved.”
The former Guelph Nighthawks isn’t getting too caught up in Raso’s campaign for him to be defensive player of the year.
“I try to do my best stopping the other team’s best player but we play team defence and it is not just one guy. We have great team defence and if I am not playing well one game, someone else will guard them or someone else will help.”
Lall played his first pro season in Japan and this past year was a member of the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball League where he averaged 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
He believes he is making steady progress as a pro.
“Experience and confidence are the two biggest things and I am a way better shooter now than when I first started playing pro. I am confident to shoot it when I get open.”
Lall knows he is far from a finished product on the court.
“I have to keep working on all my skills, getting more involved on the offence and being a better playmaker,” he said. “It will be little things like that and working on my all-around game.”
He loves playing in the Canadian Elite Basketball League with the River Lions.
“It is a good group of guys and there is a family atmosphere here. I had a good time last year and we were playing well but we want to finish the job we didn’t finish last year.”
Niagara is at Scarborough Tuesday before hosting Montreal Thursday at 7 p.m.
Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information.
