Atiba Lyons explains decision to cut Jalen DeLoach and whether Sheffield Sharks will replace him
Jalen DeLoach was cut from Sheffield Sharks’ roster because the club cannot afford to stand still in its attempts to transform their season.
That is the reasoning given by head coach Atiba Lyons, who had nothing but praise for the way the 23-year-old American had handled his first six months as a professional in Sheffield.
But team comes first, and after losing four of their five games since the turn of the year, something had to give and it was the 6ft 9in forward from Savannah, Georgia, who averaged 18.2 minutes per game, 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Lyons explained: “It’s one of those where you’re just trying to find something to get the team going a bit, so you change things up, you’re trying to make the right decision for performance and for chemistry.
“It was very difficult, there’s no finger of blame pointed, no behavioural problem, no attitude issues, it was just something needed to change. We had some good success with Jalen, he had some great games for us, but at the end of the day it’s a long season and you’re always trying to find ways to improve the team.
“I don’t know if this is going to do it, but we have to be aggressive.”
From the outside, Sheffield have looked more loaded with talent than they have for many a season but that brings problems with trying to juggle those needs and get players working as a team. Taking one player off the roster will give Lyons the chance now to find that chemistry and cohesion.
“We’re just going to see what things look like, we’re not in a rush to make a change,” he said. “I hope it gives guys a chance to get a little more confidence and that the style of play can get a little more settled.
“Unless someone falls that could be a very impactful piece I’m not going to go out there and sign the first thing that I see. We’ve got talent, we just need consistency.
“We’re still in the mix in two competitions, hopefully we can stay in that top four, that’s our focus now. But we’re running out of time to get it right, so we’ve got to get aggressive.”