No Kassius, no worries for River Lions
One of the Niagara River Lions’ best players has become a cheerleader and practice player.
Fresh off a stint with the Charlotte Hornets’ NBA Summer League team, Kassius Robertson has decided not to play any more Canadian Elite Basketball League games this season. The former Missouri Star has signed with Fortitudo Bologna in the Italian first division (Lega Basket Serie A) and doesn’t want to risk getting hurt.
“He actually wanted to play, but he decided with his agent and his support staff not to,” River Lions head coach/GM Victor Raso said Saturday, after Niagara edged visiting Fraser Valley 80-71. “For him to want to stay here makes me so happy because I know we are building something special.”
Not playing for Niagara is tough for the 25-year-old Toronto native.
“I really wanted to be out there tonight, but I am here cheering them on and trying to give them tips as much as I can. And obviously I am going to still challenge them in practice.
The 6-foot-3 guard even fetched the ball for his teammates near the end of halftime Saturday so they could attempt more practice shots.
Robertson feels Niagara is the perfect locale to sharpen his skills.
“That’s why I have been here all summer,” he said. “It’s a real good environment to work on my game.”
In the NBA summer league, the former Missouri star averaged 5.3 points, 1.0 rebounds and 16 minutes of playing time.
“It was awesome,” he said. “I learned that I had to keep up with the athleticism. Size-wise, I have to gain a few pounds but other than that it’s just playing the pick and roll a little bit better and learning to play point guard better.”
He didn’t feel overmatched in the league.
“For sure I can play with those guys.”
Raso agrees it’s a big loss for Niagara but is thrilled Robertson is going to stay the rest of the season and practice with the River Lions.
“That is exactly what we are trying to create.” he said. “We are trying to create an environment where guys like Kassius want to be here because they understand it is the best place for development in the entire country.
“There’s no other place in the country where you are going to get like-minded pros who want to work this hard, who want to live together and devote their summers to becoming better basketball players.”
Niagara’s strength and most depth during the season was at the guard position so other guards will be able to fill the void.
Robertson’s spot on the roster was filled by 32-year-old Toronto native Ryan Wright, a 6-foot-9 forward.
“Hopefully when he gets integrated into our system and when we learn to play with him, it will help some of our size problems,” Raso said. “Every once in awhile we get beat on the boards a little bit and Ryan gives us another option.”
Niagara sat in first place in the six-team league heading into Saturday’s game while Fraser Valley came in tied for last with Guelph with a 4-10 mark. Fraser Valley had won four of its last five games and sat two games back of Saskatchewan for the final playoff spot. Saskatchewan is riding a five-game losing streak.
“That is a really good basketball team,” Raso said. “They were fighting for their lives and they didn’t have their starting point guard tonight but they were tough.
“They are a very good defensive team.”
Niagara was sparked by the defence of Sam Muldrow, who had eight blocks in the game and should have had a few more if not for a few calls that went against him.
“Sam has been fantastic the last five games for us,” Raso said. “He has been awesome, he’s moving well and he looks great. We are playing through him on offence and getting him a lot more involved.”
First-place Niagara pushed its record to 12-3 and Raso likes where his team is at with five games left in the regular season.
“We are trending up,” he said. “We have been together the entire year and we’ve had our ups and downs. We are a high-level basketball team and we can make adjustments because of the relationships we have and because we have been through this before.
“We knew our advantage early in the year was going to be our chemistry.”
STATS PACK
River Lions 80 Bandits 71
BPSN Star of the game: Niagara’s Sam Muldrow with eight points, eight blocked shots, four rebounds and a plus-28 plus/minus rating.
For the Niagara River Lions: Guillaume Payen-Boucard 20; Trae Bell-Haynes and Nem Mitrovic 14; Dorian Pinson 11.
For the Fraser Valley Bandits: Jelan Kendrick 17; Tyrrel Tate and Levon Kendall 12.
Game stats: Field goal percentage: Niagara 44, Fraser Valley 32. Free throws: Niagara 6-10, Fraser Valley 13-19. Rebounds: Niagara 46, Fraser Valley 53. Turnovers: Niagara 12, Fraser Valley 17.
Up next: The River Lions host the Edmonton Stingers next Friday at 8 p.m.
