July 15, 2021 – Enid, OK –
And then there were four. As the TBL season winds down, the postseason heats up. There are just four teams remaining, looking to bring home the illustrious title. One of the most intriguing matchups of the season is the conference finals matchup between the Enid Outlaws and the San Diego Guardians. The Outlaws come into this series having swept their first-round matchup and then defeating the Houston Push two games to one. The Guardians earned a bye in the first series and then went on to sweep the California Sea Kings. Each team won their respective conference, with the Guardians winning the west with a 13-7 record and the Outlaws winning the central with a 22-2 record.
One of the key factors of this upcoming series is that the Outlaws bring in both the MVP of the league and the Coach of the Year. Ed Corporal came into the Outlaws franchise this season with high hopes and high expectations and he lived up to both of them. He led the Outlaws to the best record in the league at 22-2 (tied with the Houston Push) and won the central conference. One of the key reasons for coach Corporal and the Outlaws success this season has been from Chance Comanche. Comanche had a dominant season, leading the league in points per game at 27.7 and finishing second in rebounds per game at 12.6, all on 69% shooting from the field. The San Diego Guardians had a different approach than their opponent, they spread the offensive load and had nine players average 10 or more points per game, led by Nigel Jones who averaged 25.6 points per game with 7 boards per game as well.
This series is sure to be a great one as both teams have similar identities, pound the paint and crash the boards. Both teams ranked in the top five for rebounds per game with the Outlaws coming in second with 48.1 per game and the Guardians in fifth with 44.8. The slight advantage for the Outlaws comes on the offensive side of the ball as they also ranked second in the league in three-point percentage at 40.7% on 26 attempts per game. The Outlaws shoot a better percentage from inside the arc, outside the arc, and at the free throw line which shows their efficiency is a huge advantage over the Guardians. Both teams rank very similar when it comes to defensive numbers and rankings, along with every other major statistical category apart from assists which the Outlaws led the league in.
This is set up to be an extremely close, and hard-fought series. I believe the slight advantage goes to the Outlaws due to their star power with Chance Comanche and with Ed Corporal at the helm, they look to use their experience and strong regular season to advance to the finals. However, don’t count out the Guardians as their numbers almost mirror those of the Outlaws and they could shock some people with their strong, determined play this week. If the Guardians can contain Comanche and crash the glass, they have a solid chance of taking down the Outlaws. On the other hand, if the Outlaws can play the game they’ve played all year, they’re a favorite to win the series and advance to the finals.
