When the Winnipeg Sea Bears signed Terry Roberts, I was fairly sure what they were going to get from him. On the surface he is a pass-first point guard that defends really well and is also willing to rebound. What I wasn’t prepared for, and I am sure many other Sea Bears fans weren’t either, is how high the level of play they were going to get out of Roberts. Along with his high level playmaking, we have seen him have some big and important scoring performances as well. Through the first 10 games of the summer, he has arguably been Winnipeg’s most consistent player. His current averages sit as follows: 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists, on 42% from the field, and 32% from three. After another fantastic performance on the road against the league best Vancouver Bandits, it’s time to dive deep into Roberts’ games and see what makes him such an impactful player.

Playmaking

Roberts’ best trait as a player is his old school, pass-first mindset, being more of a willing passer than anything. While on the surface he does lead the entire CEBL in total assists, it’s not just the counting stats that are impressive. I will admit that his behind the back pass to Kyler Filewich against the Saskatchewan Rattlers was very cool, but once more it’s not the flashy plays that are what makes him so good. His ability to find open passing lanes, read how defenders are playing him and the roller in the pick and roll, while also just being inherently unselfish is what makes him so great. I will talk more about it when I go over his offensive performances, but while he doesn’t mind taking shots, he never feels like he has to force early looks. What also helps his playmaking ability, is the fact that he is such a slippery ball-handler. He can carve out lanes, splitting double teams and even being able to just dribble out of trouble to find open teammates. I knew that we were going to get a pass-first guard out of Roberts, but I was not expecting this level of play and creativity.

Defensive Prowess

While we knew that Roberts was going to bring a high-level passing ability, the other skill we knew he was going to bring was his defensive talent. Averaging two steals a game is no small feat (having only 2 games without a single steal), but it again isn’t just the counting stats that show Roberts’ impact. For the most part, he has whoever may be the tougher guard matchup on the opposing team. He does a great job denying his check the ball, and if the ball does get there, then he tries to force the ball away from the paint. His athleticism is more than enough to stay in front of ball-handlers, whether that be just to keep up or cut them off to re-route them to non-dangerous areas. There have been very limited moments where I thought that Roberts got truly beat defending, which in such a talented league like the CEBL, is very impressive. The playmaking and defence have been as advertised, arguably even better. But even those parts elevated aren’t the most impressive.

Added Offence

What’s surprised everyone is the fact that, while he is an athletic, pass-first guard who defends really well, Roberts has not been shy scoring either. In fact, it’s been the most impressive piece of his game that has tied it all together. It’s been more evident since the arrival of Jalen Harris, but even before that we’ve seen Roberts take over games with his aggressive attacks to the hoop. His first looks will always be to pass much of the time, but he does a great job of picking his spots on when to be more aggressive. We’ve seen it in pick and rolls, but more specifically on close-outs. His slippery ball-handling ability also bleeds into his finishing. Much more about finesse around the basket, rather than straight power. It does allow him to create different angles off the backboard square, giving him more opportunities to finish around defenders instead of through them. Couple that with the fact he is a 85%+ free throw shooter means that he is going to get his buckets. On a team where he’s most likely the fourth or fifth option on most nights, he already has two games of 20+ points, and only three of single digits. Getting double digits in 70% of your games from a guard who loves to pass the ball is a major plus. That means he isn’t a one trick pony on offence. Don’t let me forget either that he also isn’t a complete liability shooting the ball. It isn’t his biggest strength, but we have seen him get hot at times from beyond.

A very much welcomed surprise has been the play of Terry Roberts. While Harris and Simi Shittu will get the bulk of the spotlight, along with Tevian Jones, the efforts and performances of Roberts should not go unnoticed. He is the do-it-all point guard that fits so many different roles, especially depending on the game. You want 10 assists? He’ll find others for open looks. Want a guard to attack the glass hard? He’ll get you rebounds. Other offensive options on the floor are struggling? Roberts will go get you 15-20. It is pretty remarkable at the output he has had through just 10 games and I will continue to argue that Winnipeg will need him to keep up this high level of play if they want to be hoisting the CEBL championship in late August.