The statistics show that the Oilers bench, comprising of locally based players, has struggled to get going and offer the necessary support off the bench.
Like commentator Usher Komugisha said during City Oilers’ 96-68 collapse against Guinea’s SLAC on Wednesday, fans back home could not take in what they were seeing throughout the game.
“Fans in Kampala can’t recognize what they are seeing right now,” Komugisha, a Basketball Africa League commentator from Uganda, said as the Uganda champions huffed and puffed before succumbing to a third straight defeat.
The loss left the Ugandan champions on the verge of elimination, with the next two games now must-wins to revive any chances of progressing to the playoffs in Kigali, Rwanda.
Fans in Kampala and a few in Cairo have since taken to social media to call out players and coaches for their lacklustre display to start the tournament.
17:53 - 02.05.2023
BAL City Oilers staring Basketball Africa League elimination in the face after battering by SLAC
James Okello’s two free throws were the only bench points registered by the team.
The loss to Petro de Luanda was somewhat expected, given the gulf in class between the Angolan side and Oilers, while the 72-70 defeat at the hands of Al Ahly drew positives ahead of the SLAC game.
But Oilers were unrecognizable and lay down for a 28-point walloping that annoyed fans and those associated with Ugandan basketball.
Bakshi Asuman Khan, one of the few Oilers fans in Cairo, Tweeted: “Petition to have to start 5 of City Oilers in the next game to be only locally based players in the next #theBAL game.”
Calls for head coach Mandy Juruni to hand the locally-based players more playing time have dominated the talk since the team started its BAL action.
James Justice Jr., the team’s most consistent scorer has been criticized by many for playing iso ball and not involving his teammates more.
The starting five that has Justice Jr., Falando Jones, Germaine Roebuck Jr., Ngor Barnaba and Titus Lual has had to do most of the scoring in the first three games.
Roebuck Jr. poured in 28 points against Al Ahly while Justice Jr. had a game-high 30 in the loss to SLAC.
The statistics show that the Oilers bench, comprising of locally based players, has struggled to get going and offer the necessary support off the bench.
In the three games played thus far, the bench has contributed 23 points.
Only James Okello managed to get two points in the loss to SLAC, as the rest went scoreless.
While the social media coaches call for changes in the team, Juruni will be hoping to get the best out of everyone in the last two games of the tournament.
Failure to win both games against Ferroviario da Beira and Cape Town Tigers will automatically rule Oilers out of the playoffs slated for May 21-28 in Kigali, Rwanda.
19:43 - 02.05.2023
BAL We just didn’t compete, says City Oilers head coach Mandy Juruni after another Basketball Africa League defeat
The second unit contributed just two points off the bench in one of the worst performances by the eight-time National Basketball League champions.
The top four teams at the end of the Nile Conference action will join the four from the Sahara Group for the playoffs in Kigali.
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