January 18, 2021 – Winter Park, Fla. –
It’s no secret that in 2021, basketball, along with other sports, looks very different than last year. The Winter Park Storm of the Florida Basketball Association (FBA) are no exception.
As the FBA Winter League kicks off on Feb. 21st, 2021, the Storm are ready to play all-out. The Storm are a new franchise as of 2019, however, because of COVID-19 the team was unable to participate in regular season play last year. This year however, they are not the newest franchise as the FBA has added three new teams across Florida: the Gainesville Mighty Oaks, the Clermont Crocs, and the Brevard Bobcats. This puts a lot of emphasis on the Winter League this year since the games allow coach Berry Mestel and owner Ernest Jones to see how players work together, present their skills, and evaluate the talent that the team brings. The Storm have many returning players who have a lot to prove and plan on participating in the Winter League.
Players like Dominic Douglas and Braylen Pickens, who’s returning from injury, will be exciting to watch as they are team leaders who’ve had a lot of success with the franchise. The Storm’s main scorer Renford Forbes Jr. is also expected to be showcasing his talents in the Winter League. Last season he scored a combined 97 points for the team. As these players take the court, the Storm will present a competitive roster. Although many players are returning, Aaron Taylor is one player that Jones said will be missed as Taylor has opted out of the season.
Ernest Jones said the biggest challenge for the team and the league will continue to be COVID-19. Like many other leagues they are doing their best to adhere to CDC guidelines with health and safety as a priority, but a potential infection will pose many challenges. Despite these challenges the team is optimistic and motivated going into this upcoming season. After going 1-11 in the Storm’s inaugural season, the team is eager to show improvement. Jones said, “it left a bad taste in their mouth and there’s a lot more at stake to play for this year”, with the team hoping to be one of four teams in the playoffs. The first step to playoffs is finalizing their roster through trial and error through the Winter League.
The Winter League is important for the Storm because it’s designed to simulate an actual season with real gameplay. This allows every team to test different lineups, tryout varying players, and to practice with real-game scenarios. The Winter League allows freedom for the team to experiment with no consequences to their playoff opportunity. The Winter League is beneficial to Coach Mestel and owner Jones, as well as the players as it will help prepare the team as much as possible before the regular season play so that the Storm can have a successful regular season.
The Winter Park Storm have been working hard in their extended off season and are prepared to showcase it on the court. Their players have been improving their skills and are excited to be back to play on Feb. 21st, 2021.
