Devearl Ramsey and Jalon Pipkins dovetailing nicely for free-scoring Sheffield Sharks

For years, Lyons’ teams have been built on stingy defence but have only sporadically backed that up with high-powered offence.

This season, however, with a roster similar to last year’s and in line with their arrival in their brand new Canon Medical Arena, they have been putting teams to the sword on a regular basis.

In amassing six wins and just one defeat on their home court they are averaging 87 points per game.

In five of those seven games they have had five players hitting double figures in points.

“We’re a very deep side, we have a lot of talented scorers,” explained Lyons.

“We’ve worked on playing a little faster, opening the court to give more guys opportunities and they’re making the most of those opportunities.”

Sharks are looking particularly strong at the guard position, with the axis of Devearl Ramsey and Jalon Pipkins - both in their first full season with the club - dove-tailing nicely. “Devearl has definitely grown from last season, making better decisions and being better with the ball late in games,” said Lyons.

“And Jalon is just out there electric, energetic, giving you highlight plays but also playing really strong defence and making some tough shots, he’s doing a really good job.”

Rodney Glasgow Jnr’s return from an Achilles tendon tear into the line-up for last week’s win over the Bristol Flyers in which the experienced captain top-scored with 17 points, has added to the firepower and the headache for Lyons.

“He made a splash, he really hit the floor running,” said Lyons, who was also able to give Marcus Delpeche his first minutes of the season after a foot injury sustained in the summer.

That means Lyons is juggling a 12-man roster when much of the last few seasons he has operated with 10 players. For now he is happy to roll with it. “It’s tough sometimes to know where we’re going to go in games because there’s so much talent there, but at the same time we have seemed to find good rhythm in games and everyone has played major parts in wins, so it works for us.”

Now the challenge is to take that home form on the road, where they have won just three of eight games.

On Saturday night they visit Bristol Flyers. “Road wins are hard to come by in this league, every team is playing good basketball. Bristol are tough on their home court.”