The Sheffield Sharks got their 2026/27 season underway with a convincing 98-76 win at home against the Caledonia Gladiators, with a number of promising signs for the season ahead.

With this in mind, here are five super-early predictions for this year’s iteration of head coach Atiba Lyons’ Sheffield Sharks.

1. This team will be one of the highest scorers in the SLB

Offensively, the Sharks had it all against Caledonia.

They were scoring from all areas of the court, had a high volume of three-pointers, and showed off some ridiculous athleticism and chemistry.

From fast breaks to crafty playmaking, it felt like they had an infinite number of methods to get the next bucket.

Combine that with an experienced offensive unit, and they will be scoring well into the post-season.

2. Opposing teams will have to rely on the three-ball to get a result

The Sharks have quite the big-man rotation in Fahro Alihodzic, Mike Ocherobia and Donovan Clay, making scoring in the paint difficult for opposing teams.

However, Caledonia found a reliable method beyond the arc, going 14 for 30 from 3-point range, attempting and scoring more from range than the Sharks.

Combine Sheffield’s willingness to let teams shoot from range with a sharpshooter like the Cheshire Phoenix’s Skylar White, and they may find themselves in trouble.

3. Fastbreaks will be their sneaky skill

The Sharks generated nine steals as a team against Caledonia, and a number of them led to fastbreak buckets.

Building around a very athletic team and Lyons’ smart defensive scheming, scoring on the break can be their secret weapon when shots aren’t falling.

4.  Fahro Alihodzic will be the glue that holds them together

Veteran big man Fahro Alihodzic joined the Sharks midway through last season and provided consistency and leadership for the rest of their games.

This year he’s clearly become a talisman and leader for this young team, and that presence will be even more important as shown in his performance against Caledonia.

While he only had six points and five rebounds, Sheffield outscored the Gladiators by 30 when he was on the court, and he showed his experience and IQ every time he had the ball.

5. Adrian Delph is the dream replacement for Prentiss Nixon

Prentiss Nixon was the Sharks’ talisman for three seasons, meaning he left a big gap this summer when he joined UD Oliveirense in Portugal.

Now, Sheffield will be looking to new signing Adrian Delph to take his place, who was named Guard of the Year and Finals MVP for the 2025/26 Luxembourg LBBL season.

He had 10 attempts from range against Caledonia, and if he continues that volume with 70% true shooting, he’ll quickly endear himself to the Sharks faithful.