One more loss will end the postseason hopes for the Springfield Armor.
Armor forward Carleton Scott is one of just three players from the preseason roster still with the team.
The Armor close their home schedule Wednesday night against East Division-leading Canton at the MassMutual Center, which will be the last chance for fans to see the team this season, and many of the players maybe forever.
At 17-27, the Armor are eliminated from contention with their next loss or a win by Sioux Falls, Fort Wayne or Erie. Springfield closes the season with a five-game road trip consisting of two games in Erie, Pa., followed by three games in Texas.
“Coach said (the playoffs) were a long shot but I’ll take that over no shot,” Armor forward Carleton Scott said Tuesday after the team finished practicing at the YMCA. “We’ll see how everything pans out.”
This has not been the season the Armor had expected after having such great success a year ago in coach Bob MacKinnon’s first season and in the inaugural season of the hybrid affiliation with the Brooklyn Nets.
Springfield had its best season as a franchise last year, winning a record number of games, winning the division and going to the playoffs.
The Armor struggled with success this year despite having perhaps a more talented overall team than the one that won 29 games a year ago.
Last year Springfield had several players called up to the NBA, but received just assignment player in Jordan Williams. For the most part it had a stable roster.
That has not been the case this season despite having no players called up to the NBA. The moves have been many and Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor have spent a great deal of time in Springfield on loan from the Nets.
“We had a lot of turnover this year, it felt like it was every couple of weeks,” said Scott, one of only three players left from the preseason roster. “You’ve got to learn on the fly and develop chemistry quickly. Coach says we don’t have the time for it, we’ve got to go with what we have.”
Despite the long-shot odds on the playoffs, MacKinnon said the Armor will be focused on beating the Charge, then hitting the road to finish strong.
“Every game in this league counts no matter if you’re in the playoffs or not,” MacKinnon said. “That’s why this league is unlike any other league. Every second you’re on the court counts.”
A lot of that has to do with the players looking for a call-up to the NBA, but it also has to do with pride in themselves and giving their best effort, especially for the last time at home.
“I appreciate the fans sticking with us all year and last Saturday we had our best attendance all year,” MacKinnon said. “It’s a pleasure to coach when you have loyal fans.”