Sharks have lost 10 of their last 11 in the league - a slide alleviated by two wins in the BBL Trophy - during which time a move among their rivals to a faster pace of play has caught them on the hop.

Head coach Atiba Lyons has responded by releasing big forwards like Javion Ogunyemi and Tyrn Flowers and bringing in smaller men like guard Jalen Pipkins, who debuted in the defeat to Manchester Giants last Sunday.

Ahead of a home game with Surrey Scorchers on Friday night, captain Rodney Glasgow admitted the move towards more of a ‘small-ball’ line-up was a work in progress."We’ve had to change the dynamic so we can play faster, because the league is getting faster,” the 5ft 11in guard told The Yorkshire Post.

Dominant small man - Sheffield Sharks captain Rodney Glasgow Jnr (Picture: Adam Bates)

"We’re getting used to playing a lot more small-ball line-ups where there’s a lot of guards and maybe one big, so once we get the continuity and chemistry I think we’ll be all right.

"You can see the way the league is going, if we’re playing a fast-paced team and we don’t have the personnel for it, we’re not going to match-up well against them.

"We were getting out-run and out-scored by teams, so you have to adapt and adjust. It might be late in the season but it’s the right move.

“We’re still able to hang our hat on defence. Atiba did a good job of recruiting defensive-minded guys. It’s now about everybody buying into it and adjusting to it.

Rodney Glasgow Jnr in action for Sheffield Sharks (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)

"It’s late in the season but these changes had to be made, and going forward this will be how our team will look. That’s the way the league is going, there’s much better talent so you’ve got to make sure you’ve got the right personnel to guard that talent.”

Big men remain crucial, though, with Bennett Koch and Marcus Delpeche in particular important to the Sharks at both ends of the court.

"We need the bigs, we always do," says Glasgow.

"Bennett is the most skilled ‘big’ in the league and Marcus is one of the most aggressive in the league, he can change the dynamic of the game with his physicality.”

Pipkins, the 24-year-old from Texas who most recently played in Finland, made a strong impression on his debut last week and has benefitted from a full week of practice heading into the weekend’s double-header.

"Jalen gives us the boost we need, he’s a hard worker, talented player,” says Glasgow. “He fits into our club and into the city of Sheffield. Sheffield is a hard-working, blue collar city, and Jalen is a hard worker.

"I really like how he’s progressing this week in practice.”

On paper, bottom-placed Surrey at home is one of the easier match-ups of the season, but Glasgow is letting none of his team-mates think like that.

"Surrey’s record doesn’t reflect how good they really are,” says the 30-year-old of the two-win club.

"I actually think they’re having a much better year than they had last year so we can’t take them for granted.

"Even from the last game there were a lot of positives which I’m happy to see, so we just have to play our game, stick to our principles and execute better.

“We’re a young group with new players coming in but I like where we’re going.”

Sheffield Sharks transition into small-ball line-up to keep pace with BBL evolution, says Rodney Glasgow Jnr