Essex to stand by homegrown plan

Essex Pirates head coach Tim Lewis has pledged to stick by his British-first policy next season, even if the BBL newcomers remain in the bottom two.

With two months of the campaign remaining, the Southend-based outfit have won more plaudits than games but have produced enough regular flourishes to suggest Lewis' dream of building a nursery for UK talent could paid long-term dividends.

Pablo Rodrigo and Randy George remain the sum total of Essex's imported guns and although new faces may be sought in the summer, there are no plans to rip up their blueprint.

“I don’t think we need to change anything,” Lewis confirmed. “We need to find more leadership, in terms of guys who can take on the game at crucial times for us and allow other guys to do the things they do really well.

“I don’t intend to make a huge change. We still want to give opportunities to the younger guys. Jamell Anderson’s just coming back from another heart scare so we’re taking him slowly. And Colin Sing has shown he can cope with this league, as have the rest.”

The Pirates have been propelled by the impressive play of guard Taner Adu, who could be the subject of interest from elsewhere. However Lewis believes the rookie still has room to improve, if the right personnel are placed around him.

“We’re not really playing him where we should be playing him,” he added. “He’s a two-guard rather than a point. He can score. That’s his strength. Having a point who could let him go loose would help him more.

“He’s a classic guy who has played in EBL1 but no-one has taken a risk on him before. And there are other kids out there who can do it.”

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