NEWCASTLE Eagles player-coach Fab Flournoy made his on-court return last weekend but has warned fans not to expect him to hit his usual high standards.
The New Yorker had been out of action these past six weeks with pneumonia but returned on the playing side of things in last week’s double-header against Cheshire Jets and Plymouth Raiders, which saw the Eagles win both to strengthen their quest for the BBL title.
Some sharp-shooting from Charles Smith, Trey Moore and Reggie Jackson helped Newcastle edge out both opponents in two very keenly contested affairs, and it looks likely the trio will play a key role in hopefully outscoring Mersey Tigers in Liverpool tonight.
However, Flournoy was only able to play a handful of minutes in both games and says it could be six months up to a year before the Eagles faithful will see him back at his very best.
He said: “It is still a bit of a struggle. It is a calculated risk and I’m only playing a handful of minutes at a time. I have to listen to my body when it comes to deciding what I can and cannot do.
“It is going to take a period of adjustment, but 10 minutes is all I can do. It could take six months to a year for me to get back to my previous level before my illness.
“The competitor in me wants to my body to push myself even further but I know that if I do that, it could be my downfall. I am able to do weight-training but cardio work is still an issue. Training is much easier in that I have a good hour warming up before we go into a court situation.
“But when it comes to an actual game, I’m on the bench for 15 minutes before I come on and when I do, my body would have to go up from zero to 100 straightaway. That’s difficult because in order to sustain defensive play for long periods, you need lots of energy.”
Flournoy also admits he has had to time his appearances so not to disrupt the flow of his team.
He added: “The guys have been playing without me for the past few weeks and have got themselves into a settled rhythm so I have to be careful not to disrupt that.
“Basically my role right now is to come on in order to give the guys a rest or help out if we run into foul trouble.”
It goes without saying that tonight’s clash at Mersey Tigers is as big as they come and while a victory would aid Newcastle’s quest for title glory, Flournoy is insisting that a win this evening would not be the be all and end all of the campaign.
He continued: “We won’t be doing anything different in preparation for Mersey than we would for any other game.
“With the teams in this league we know that any game you let slip could be your downfall. We’re not worried about Mersey, but are more concerned with what we’re doing.
“This game will help decide the league title in due course but if we win, we’re not going to be champions there and then. It will help us but we still have to play them again before the season is out, as well as some other tough games.
“We’ve had two close battles with Cheshire and Plymouth last week. It puts a strain on the coach, but it does help to know that we can pull off victories like that out of tough circumstances.”
