Robinson next in for Nix as Doumbe departs
Cheshire Phoenix head coach John Lavery has made a third change to his line-up in an attempt to climb the BBL Championship ladder, with the introduction of 29-year-old power forward Gerald Robinson.
The addition comes after the decision to release French forward Masse Doumbe, as Lavery looks to improve Phoenix’s inside game.
Robinson is no stranger to the BBL after having played for Plymouth Raiders, after a previous spell playing in Spain, back in 2009.
Since his time with the Raiders, the 6ft 9in University of Tennessee at Martin graduate has kitted up in Greece, Germany and Iceland.
“He is a big unit and he will make himself felt around the league,” said Lavery of his new recruit. “We have needed a tough inside man for a while and such a player has proved elusive.
“But Gerald knows what to expect in this league and he is an uncompromising forward. I wouldn’t fancy guarding him that’s for certain.”
It has been a difficult start to the BBL season for Lavery and his Phoenix side having lost out late in the first round of the BBL Cup last weekend to Durham Wildcats, they have only managed one win so far in the BBL Championship over local rivals Manchester Giants.
Speaking about the recent changes to his roster, Lavery has been keen to stress that it has not been down to the quality of the player, but the difficulty in adjusting into a particular side.
“It is often difficult to judge how players will adapt to the BBL and how they will work together,” Coach Lavery said. “It often happens that players can perform really well in some leagues and teams but then move and something doesn’t quite click. It doesn’t make them a bad player.
“By the same token sometimes players find themselves struggling along and then they find the right team and they blossom. It is not an exact science but I feel like we are a lot closer now to the right blend than we ever have been since I returned.”
It is expected that Robinson will make his Phoenix debut this Sunday when they take on winless side Surrey United at the Northgate Arena, tip-off 5:30pm.
