YORKTON - The Saskatchewan Rattlers were on the sidelines looking on as the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs got underway Aug. 4.
It was the season the Rattlers were supposed to rebound from missing the post season and make a run for a second crown – they won the title in the CEBL’s inaugural season.
But the Rattlers didn’t show much bite early in the season, and by the first week of July changes were made.
The Rattlers relieved Dean Demopoulos of his duties as the team’s head coach. Assistant coach Tanner Massey, who joined the Rattlers in 2022, as lead assistant to Demopoulos, was named head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season.
In his time with the Rattlers – he coached the 2022 season as well -- Demopoulos had a record of 16-18.
Demopoulos led Saskatchewan to a play-in game in the 2022 CEBL postseason thanks to a league-fifth regular season record (11-9). The team then went on to secure a quarterfinal berth after beating two-time CEBL champion Edmonton Stingers at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, SK. The Rattlers also held a league-best home record, 8-2, in 2022.
But the team digressed in 2023 even after the coaching change finishing 8-12, dead last in the five-team Western Conference.
So why?
Massey, who made his CEBL debut in 2021 serving as assistant coach of the Fraser Valley Bandits (now Vancouver Bandits), said there is not an easy answer.
“I think a lot goes into that,” he said, adding it’s not something where you can pinpoint one reason the team faltered, but they did struggle all season.
“I wish we would have finished better,” he said, adding even in their last game against Calgary they held control of their own destiny, needing a win, but the Surge scored a three-pointer to win the game that had been tied until that final basket.
“Now we keep moving forward,” offered Massey.
So how was it to come in mid-season knowing he needed to get wins?
“The players were very open to me and my style of coaching,” said Massey, adding that openness helped the transition be rather painless.
And down the stretch the Massey-led Rattlers did show some late season life, going a modest 4-4 including a 4-2 run over a six-games in 11 days stretch.
And there was hope in the final game with the Surge.
“We just didn’t get it done,” said Massey, adding “we had a lot of ground to make up.”
There were of course some bright spots along the way, starting with the play of guard Justin Wright-Foreman who averaged a league-leading 29.2 points per game.
“He was the leader of our team,” said Massey, adding given the circumstances “a lot of teams would have folded,” but Wright-Foreman kept the team on-point.
And what he did scoring wise was huge.
“Defences were strategizing how to stop him every game,” offered Massey, adding his star guard still excelled.
Ultimately, Massey said Wright-Foreman was as good as it gets.
“He’s the best player in the history of the league,” enthused his coach.
As for the league the CEBL just keeps gaining momentum, offered the Rattler coach.
“The CEBL does a great job in promoting the product, in promoting the players,” said Massey, adding there has been great growth in only five years, which included a season in a COVID bubble.
“To see where it is now is just fantastic.”
As it stands Massey wants to be part of the league and the Rattlers in 2024.
“I do hope I’m back. It would be a blessing,” he said, adding he would look forward to “a start from the ground up with a training camp. That would be great.”
