2021 BBL play-offs preview: Kieron Achara breaks down the final eight

With May Madness upon us, former Glasgow Rocks forward and Team GB international Kieron Achara examines the final eight teams set to lock horns in the BBL play-offs over the next month.

The Leicester Riders enter the postseason as league champions after clinching the title for the fifth time in their history with victory over the Cheshire Phoenix in the penultimate week of the campaign.

Behind them the second-placed London Lions are riding a 12-game winning run after hitting a hot streak on the back of their BBL Trophy triumph, while the third-placed Plymouth Raiders were evidently unfazed by their defeat in that final as they arrive in the playoffs having won 13 of their last 14.

As seven-time league champions and six-time play-off champions, the Newcastle Eagles remain an ever-present threat; beneath them sit four teams in the Sheffield Sharks, Worcester Wolves, Cheshire Phoenix and Bristol Flyers waiting to strike at a stage of the season when form is forgotten.

"Is it a clean slate for teams? Definitely. But I always say there are two minds. You have the mindset that 'wow, you're just happy to make the playoffs' and then you have the winning mentality that 'okay, we've come this far, now let's go on and complete the job because what's the difference between going home a week earlier and going home a week late?'. I'm hoping most players have that second mindset and it's about 'clean slate, we're here now, let's go show why we're here and what we're capable of'."

Achara's guide to the final eight teams...

1. Leicester Riders

Who are the Riders?

Achara: "The Leicester Riders are probably the most consistent team in the BBL over the last few years, they're always there competing for championships. The identity of Leicester Riders has always been their defense, they're a really strong defensive unit and this year they're right there again. But what they have this year, with past teams it's always been a very collective team and a lot of players doing a lot of things, this year they've got that collective unit but they've also got a superstar in their team in Geno Crandall at point guard. Geno has really kind of shone, he takes a great leadership role.

"At the same time they've got the supporting case of Conner Washington, who is another great guard. They've got a defensive stopper in Jamell Anderson. They've got some great big men in Darien Nelson-Henry and Ali Fraser. There are so many positions where they do well.

"For me it's the coach, Robert Paternostro, he has the players well drilled and buying into that system which is a real achievement in itself because when you have so many talented players on your team, to get them to buy into this team ethos that is not just about you but about the team, he's done a great job with that. They missed out on the BBL Cup, they got knocked out of the BBL Trophy so winning the league was a massive thing, but the playoffs are going to be their main focus and they'll be making sure they regroup to take care of business."

Key man

"Geno (Crandall) is quite an interesting player because he's not just a great offensive player, he's also a really good defensive player. He's a superstar but his mindset is very much 'what can he do to help the team win?' and sometimes that is scoring, sometimes that is passing the ball.

"He brings a lot of flair, he's a real fun player to watch, but his basketball IQ is on another level. He's a really intelligent player so he is starting to see things on the floor that maybe some other people wouldn't see. He essentially makes his team-mates' jobs a lot easier. He's a unique player because of his IQ, his talent and his athleticism. I call him a 'unicorn' because he's got a bit of everything."

2. London Lions

Who are the Lions?

Achara: "London on paper by far, and it's a landslide, are just too deep. Playing London when London are playing at their best, I don't think any team in this league can compete with them. They're that strong. They have it all, they have scoring, they have size. Justin Robinson, two-time MVP, can actually take a backseat this year because of the amount of talent in their team. They're a really scary team. But again, they have been an inconsistent team. They had a whole new bunch of guys come into the team, they've been through COVID, had injuries and there have been a lot of ups and downs.

"I think the one negative that went against them is their team is assembled for Europe so a lot of the players had that mindset of playing in European competition. They never really got that opportunity and that must be hard for a professional player who has come into a league like the BBL and their mindset is mainly on Europe and it hasn't really happened.

They've been resilient enough to bounce back from that and get a re-focus and the Trophy was the thing for them, they experienced that success there and they want it all. They came up short in the league because of the poor start to the season they have but their momentum right now. I don't think any team would want to be facing the London Lions at this moment in time.

Key man:

"DeAndre Liggins for me has been the standout. Just his ability to change the game both defensively and offensively. From an elite defensive perspective, I've never seen anybody in the BBL as skilled as him defensively. I think his ability to change the game defensively as well as score and distribute for other players is a real pleasure to have in our league. To me, he is the main man but I've seen games that DeAndre hasn't played this season and Dirk Williams goes for 40+ points and steps up wherever he needs to, so they have so much talent. I always say, with the inconsistencies they've had, you don't know what London team is going to show up. You would think in the playoffs, if they have the mindset they had in that Trophy final, they will be unstoppable."

3. Plymouth Raiders

Who are the Raiders?

Achara: "Paul James... what is it, over 1000 games in charge? It's unbelievable to see. He's a very experienced coach, knows the league in and out. But what he was always really good at in my opinion was recruiting big strong, physical presences and he has done it again. He's got a really strong, physical team. The one thing again that I say about Plymouth is they are definitely built for the playoffs because of that physicality. They are the best defensive team in the league.

"They do change the game, they are a very hard team to score against, physical, strong, in your face constantly and that's what has given them that direction into the playoffs as one of the top teams. Probably the most in-form team over the last couple of months.

"For me, the biggest change was Rickey McGill. He has really stepped up his game and was playing at an MVP level for the last couple of months which completely changed the direction of their team. They were always competing defensively but when they added that scoring prowess as well they were really great to watch.

Key man:

"I actually believe Ashley Hamilton is the key man in that team. From a Plymouth scoring perspective, there are only a few options. With everything else they have a lot of strength in depth and size defensively. To actually be able to create their own shot and score, McGill and Hamilton need to be playing at their best."

4. Newcastle Eagles

Who are the Eagles?

Achara: "Newcastle are such an interesting team and they've had such an interesting season. They won the BBL Cup and they were playing some really good basketball. Then Justin Gordon got injured - I think he missed like six or seven games - and they started losing quick. That's the scary thing about the BBL, one injury when you're playing one or two times a week can completely change the dynamic and essentially put you out of winning the league.

"I don't think Newcastle fully recovered from that, they've been very, very inconsistent but then they got that big win against Leicester in the last couple of weeks of the season which showed what they are capable of. But at the same time, they're playing a team like the Glasgow Rocks very close when these are games they should be winning. I have been quite disappointed with Newcastle, but they're a team you can never count out because they just know how to win.

Key man:

"Rahmon Fletcher is their floor general and does it all, scores at a high rate. But I've really been impressed with Cortez Edwards and (Justin) Gordon, I think they've been standout players. But it's so hard, they're so deep. Evan Maxwell plays a massive role, Darius Defoe is a veteran player who comes in as a defensive stopper, he really changes the rhythm of games and did a real good job against the Leicester Riders. They have a lot of talent as well, but they've just been so inconsistent. Rahmon Fletcher is their guy, he's the guy."

5. Sheffield Sharks

Who are the Sharks?

Achara: "Very much like Newcastle, they've been very inconsistent. Jeremy Hemsley was a great addition, he brought a whole new dimension of scoring to their team and he's been playing some really good basketball. But their other imports have really stepped up as well. I just feel that they are a team that could definitely go onto this next round. They are another physical team, they have that mixture between veteran players and younger players where the veterans lead them in the right direction having been there before. I think they can be a really scary team to play against.

"The Newcastle fans are going to come for my head for this one, but I just feel that Sheffield match up well with Newcastle.

Key man:

"I think Hemlsey is that player. He's a very hard player to stop. I think he's very capable of scoring in an array of ways as well. But their inside presence as well, they've got Bennett Koch in there, my guy Mike Tuck who brings his veteran abilities to the team and he knows how to win as well. They've got a lot of talent.

"I still feel that a guy like an Antwon Lillard is another guy who can really turn the game on and if he's shooting the ball well Sheffield are also a different team. At times I feel teams tend to clog the paint and neutralise that and if Sheffield are not shooting the ball great they've struggled. I think if Sheffield are shooting the ball well they pip this one (against Newcastle)."

6. Worcester Wolves

Who are the Wolves?

Achara: "With Worcester, it's like they've had two completely separate seasons. They never had their import players for the first half of the season and then they made a couple of changes and brought their import players in. Coach Matt Newby will say it, they were probably like four or five weeks behind everybody else. So they had a really good spell, they were getting a lot of wins and pushing up the table to secure their playoff berth, but at the same time they've had some inconsistencies with that. And again that comes back to injuries plaguing them.

"I love to watch Worcester play. I think Newby does a really good job at scouting other teams and makes every game competitive. I've watched them lose to Leicester on a last-second shot and then win two days later on a last-second shot - so they can compete with the best. I'm really excited to see Worcester and how they tackle the playoffs. Right now I don't know from an injury perspective how (Brandon) Anderson is doing. But losing Mike Parks Jr is a big loss for Worcester, so I just do not know what to expect from them.

Key man:

"Jordan Williams has been stepping up when things are asked of him. Lamarr Kimble, I've seen that when he's had success the team has had success. But again I think for me it's going back to their basics. Maarten Bouwknechtis is a complete game-changer and is willing to hit big shots at the end of games in clutch time. Williams really going to work, being the physical player he is, matches up well with their opponents, too. I expect Worcester's big three to step up."

7. Cheshire Phoenix

Who are the Phoenix?

Achara: "I really love to watch Cheshire play. Kahron Ross and Mike McCall in the backcourt, they're a little bit undersized for your traditional backcourt in some leagues, but they're amazing. The way they control the tempo of the game, it's fun to watch.

I think Cheshire are another one that is like a dark horse in a sense, because Ross had been carrying an injury and when he was out they just didn't look the same team. But he has slowly crept back into form and with that comes a whole different dimension.

"You've got Jimbo Lull and Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Kyle Carey who came into the squad who has actually been a pleasure to watch because he's been injured as well. They're another scary team to be playing against. London do not have an easy ride in that whatsoever.

Key man:

"It's a funny mix. Because at the start of the season, when Kahron Ross, Mike McCall and Jimbo Lull were on the court together, they were a completely different team. They were really good in terms of competing with the best. When one of those players subbed out it was a different look.

But now they've added Matthew Bryan-Amaning, they've got Kyle Carey playing at a high level and then the veterans in Jalen Hayes, who is a great contributor, and Disraeli Lufadeju who is a great defender. They do have a mix, but you would have to say Ross is that driving force. When he is playing at the top of his game, they're very hard to beat.

8. Bristol Flyers

Who are the Flyers?

Achara: "On paper, the Flyers have so much talent. Their backcourt, they've got Teddy Okereafor now at point guard, a GB veteran player who has come up the ranks and again is a really smart player who controls the court. They have some great firepower, Eric Lockett has been a great standout because he's very well-suited to the BBL in the sense that he's quite a strong, powerful, aggressive player and he causes a lot of mismatches for people because of his strength and his size.

"They've got Ben Mockford, a GB player I know very well, he can shoot the ball really well. So looking on paper, they've got a really strong unit and strong big men - Marcus Delpeche and Daniel Edozie do a really great job there. But they've not been getting the results they wanted.

"I think they've been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. Watching them at times I've struggled to find an identity. If you look at their team, they've battled injuries and brought Josh Wilcher back into the mix at point guard as well, they've had COVID breakdowns and everything else. So I'm sure they've seen it as a fresh start right now. And they're a very scary team to play against because you know what they're capable of, they just haven't shown it yet.

Key man:

"I always like to look at the floor general and Teddy Okereafor is that. But for me it's not really they have a key. They have so many pieces that can go off on any given night. I think that's a gift and a curse, because when you don't do it consistently it can get difficult to get into a rhythm.

But at the same time, they're very hard to scout because you just don't know what to expect. For me, it really is that collective unit and it's finding that ability to turn the defense into fast offense because they've got a lot of great athletes that can get out on the break and cause chaos."

Follow the WBBL and BBL play-offs on Sky Sports, right through to both finals which take place on Sunday May 16.