Rodney Glasgow Jnr gives insight into leadership sacrifices after Sheffield Sharks' "most complete" performance
Captain Rodney Glasgow Jnr has revealed he is happy to come off the bench and provide Sheffield Sharks with a spark on both ends of the court if that is what his role within the team demands.
The 32-year-old from Brooklyn finds himself as one of a number of guards on Atiba Lyons’ 11-man roster and despite being the leader and second longest-serving player behind Jordan Ratinho, has got used to more younger players coming in and playing prominent roles.
But just because he is not in the starting five it does not diminish the impact Glasgow can have.
Like Sunday for instance, when - with the Sharks down early at home to Leicester Riders - Glasgow came in and scored a wide-open three that kickstarted a comeback that altered the momentum of the game in their favour.
“I saw how the first quarter was going, we came out flat,” acknowledged Glasgow after Sharks made it three wins from five at the start of the Super League Basketball regular-season campaign.
“Being a leader I wanted to come in and set the tone and tell the guys we must make sure we pay attention to the details and get the ball moving, because in that first quarter the ball had been a bit stagnant.
“I just wanted us to be aggressive on both ends but also that we share the ball.
“When you come off the bench you’ve got to make sure you’re an asset and you’re a spark, that’s what I was trying to do.”
Given the competitive nature of the roster, Glasgow and other players coming into the game would perhaps be forgiven for thinking they have to immediately pour in the points to make an impact.
But the experienced Glasgow refutes that.
“For me it’s not about that. When I come in it’s more that I’m aggressive both ways; now that can mean making a basket, but it can also mean making a play for my team-mates,” added Glasgow.
“When I come in I’m either at point guard or shooting guard, but either way, it’s more that you’ve got to make the right reads, make the right plays and I feel that when that happens I’ll get the opportunity to score.
“If you come in with a mindset of I’ve got to score 10 points then you’re not really focusing on the task at hand which is coming in and doing your role.
“It all comes down to making winning plays and making the right plays.”
Sharks certainly did that more often than not in a performance Glasgow hailed as their most “complete” of the season so far.
“We were able to hold them to 61 points defensively and then offensively it looked more balanced in all areas,” he explained.