The DJ Vasiljevic-inspired Adelaide 36ers saw off a furious second-half fightback by the Sydney Kings on Friday night to score an entertaining 10-point victory and make it three wins in a row.
Playing in an at-times heated contest against his old side, Vasiljevic shot a game-high 26 points to stretch the Sixers’ winning run at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre to seven games.
The Kings started brightly but were hampered by injuries, with Jaylen Adams unable to take part in the second half and Xavier Cooks hampered throughout.
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Despite those setbacks, Sydney was still well in the contest late until Montrezl Harrell iced the game in his trademark style, the fan favourite taking flight to stuff home an athletic two-handed jam with a minute left on the clock.
Harrell was quiet early but instrumental down the stretch, finishing with 18 points and 14 rebounds, with Kendric Davis and Isaac Humphries also double-digit scorers.
Sydney coach Brian Goorjian had to reach deep into his bench, but was unable to find a winning combination, import Cam Oliver with a team-high 16 points.
DJ GETS HOT
Adelaide ranked near the top of the league in most offensive statistics after four games, but was last in defensive rating heading into the clash with the high-scoring Kings, so a shootout was always on the cards and that’s exactly how proceedings kicked off.
Most of the action was from long range in the opening minutes, with the Sixers the league’s top-ranked three-point percentage shooting team, with both teams averaging just over 11 triples made per match.
The visitors blasted out of the blocks with an 8-0 run and were 3-from-3 from outside the arc in the early going, with the 36ers missing their first two three-point attempts in a disjointed start.
But as Vasiljevic got hot, the Kings went cold, going 0-from-5 from three-point range, with the home side charging to a four-point lead at the first break on the back of 12 points to DJ.
Former MVP leads Kings to road win | 01:11
MEDICAL ROOM
Sydney star Adams went to the bench in the second quarter with a lower back complaint and couldn’t make it back onto the court in a major blow to the visitors.
Cooks was also subdued with just six points in the first half, with some suggestion the star skipper was battling illness.
The Kings didn’t have a double-digit scorer at the main break, Keli Leaupepe with a team-high eight points.
With Davis and Humphries warming to the task, Adelaide went on 21-9 run to lead by as much as 16 before settling for 12-point halftime lead.
But with their backs against the wall, the Kings defied the odds to fight back, Cameron Oliver stepping up with nine points in the third quarter as the visitors went on a 13-3 run to slash the margin to just six points heading into the final term.
NBL champion Damon Lowery will be writing for Fox Sports Australia during this season — here’s his recap of Round 1!
A reminder, I write as I see it. My opinions are strictly business and never personal. The Hooyah is a Navy Seal war cry reserved for those who achieve greatness or accomplish a mission to the best of their ability. The Harden Up is for those who could have done a little better. Let’s get it.
Adelaide 36ers (defeated by Sydney)
HOOYAH: Lat Mayen: You dropped 23 points (87%) in just 27 minutes – and only missed two shots. I loved watching you go about your business.
HARDEN UP: Isaac Humphries, you were all out of sorts. 18 minutes of playing time for just two points and one rebound? Aww hell naw! We can’t have this “Big Ice”. I know your teammates have a knack of forgetting about you, but you gotta let em know. If I were you, I’d refuse to set another pick 23 feet away from the basket until I get the god damn ball in the post a few times. But in saying that, there are no victims here; there were a lot of missed shots and you’re 6ft 11” so go and get those boards!
Brisbane Bullets (defeated by New Zealand)
HOOYAH: To Keandre Cook: 25 points on debut as a lone hand on a dirty night.
HARDEN UP: Coach Justin Schueller labelled the entire performance “pathetic” and I ain’t gonna disagree. The Bullets need a lot more from everyone, but especially Tyrell Harrison and James Batemon. Batemon, you had three turnovers which ain’t horrible but when it matches your points production, it’s just asking for a Harden Up.
Cairns Taipans (defeated by Illawarra)
HOOYAH: Tanner Groves, from Spokane Washington, 19 points and 7 rebounds is a great first outing in the NBL.
HARDEN UP: At 6ft 10”, you need to be pulling in more than a solitary rebound in 24 minutes. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Sam Wardenburg. I know you play outside and have deadly range when you get going, but you also gotta clean the glass too.
Cotton catches fire at Hoopsfest | 00:49
Illawarra Hawks (defeated Cairns)
HOOYAH: Everyone loves a payday, and we all got richer having watched you, Darius “Pay” Days go to work. 20 points, 12 rebounds in 29 minutes and only made one triple. Hell yeah!
HARDEN UP: Whoever designed those uniforms. In my opinion, the uniform should reflect how potent a team is. The tomato red with two white stripes around the waist that looked like a belt, gave me Santa Claus vibes and Christmas is three months away! Where was the fierce Hawks’ logo? Do better!
Melbourne United (defeated Tasmania)
HOOYAH: Shea Illi and Matthew Dellavedova, you combined for 35 points, 11 assists and only 2 turnovers; what a combo! I’m calling you a two-headed monster: “ILLA-DOVA”.
HARDEN UP: I don’t like the M part of your new logo, it looks like you clean ripped it off the City of Melbourne and drew it with a crayon. That’s all I got.
New Zealand (Defeated Brisbane)
HOOYAH: The human blur and the Vice-President of the ‘Lil Big Man society, Parker Jackson Cartwright. You helped yourself to an easy 22 points and 11 assists despite five or six 7-footers wandering around out there.
HARDEN UP: Jonah Bolden: you need to show us why you were in the NBA and 7 points and 6 rebounds simply ain’t enough for a player with your talent. You’re 6ft 11” dude! Gonna need you to act like it big fella.
Perth Wildcats (defeated South East Melbourne)
HOOYAH: Batman and Robin, Han Solo and Chewbacca, choc chip cookies and milk – you get where I’m going with this – they’re all formidable combinations and now we have another in Bryce Cotton and Keanu Pinder. Bryce, you hit 8 triples on your way to 26 points. Keanu, your game-high of 29 was outstanding and included 4 threes. I wish all the other teams luck if you two keep this up all season.
*Honourable mention to macaroni and cheese
HARDEN UP: I got nothing after a great all-round performance.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 20: Bryce Cotton of the Wildcats puts a shot up against Angus Glover.Source: Getty Images
Tasmania JackJumpers (defeated by Melbourne)
HOOYAH: There’s no “quit” in these poisonous ants so credit for putting up a spirited fight.
HARDEN UP: Coach Scott Roth: For being dramatic in the lead-up to the game saying “my worst fears” came true regarding injuries. Then post-game, even though you said travel and injuries were no excuse for losing, you went on to say travel and injuries were an issue because you’d had no rest between games. Sure it’s been three weeks, but let’s speak to New Zealand about being away from their families during Covid for two seasons. Let’s check in with Melbourne and Perth that travel for four and six weeks respectively over December and January when the tennis is on. How about this, Scott: trade jobs with me! You can take my 9-to-5 desk job and let me travel the world coaching basketball. And next time you’re being interviewed, show some respect to the person tasked with doing their job. This sort of whingeing doesn’t sit well in the wannabe navy seal community.
South East Melbourne Phoenix (defeated by Perth)
HOOYAH: Jordy “the bounty” Hunter: you were everywhere and had 19 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes, plus only 2 fouls. Coach Mike Kelly will get a Harden Up soon if he only plays you 20 minutes on Thursday night.
HARDEN UP: Nathan Sobey: in your first game with your new team, you lost your cool. We know you’re a passionate guy and you play with your heart on your sleeve, but you gotta have more composure. If the other teams know to rattle your cage, all they have to do is get a little physical, then guess what they’re all gonna do?
Sydney Kings (defeated Adelaide)
HOOYAH: Jaylen Adams: Man, you’re soooo good, you can do anything you want out on the floor and you know it. 25 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists with ZERO turnovers shows you’re a former MVP of this League, and probably a future one.
HARDEN UP: Picking up fouls 90 feet from the basket is a bad habit. Bul Kuol, I know you’re a Pitbull, but you can’t help your team when you’re sitting on the bench. To your credit you didn’t foul-out but you kill any chance of gaining momentum.
THE NBL
HOOYAH: HoopsFest was a great event and brought the world of basketball together and gave the sport its much deserved “moment”. Well done to all involved and to the Western Australia Premier Roger Cook for vowing to bring it back again next year.
HARDEN UP: To the ref who blew the whistle on Montrezl Harrell for “engaging” with the fans and hyping them up, you’re lucky you took that warning back. We want to see players’ personalities and the last thing we need is a whole bunch of boring robots out there showing no emotion because they keep getting T’d up.
Bonus HOOYAH: Jo Healy, our courtside reporter extraordinaire. The way you handled yourself during Scott Roth’s disrespectful interview was admirable. Some would have crumbled in the moment, but you remained poised and stayed professional the whole way through. Next time, just get up and walk out. You didn’t deserve that for trying to do your job.
Triple NBL champion and Perth Wildcats guard Corey Webster has issued an apology after posting an offensive social media comment about the LGBTQI+ Rainbow Pride flag.
Webster on Sunday night responded to an X post that featured the rainbow flag with the question: “What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see this flag?”
In a comment that was uploaded on Sunday night then deleted, Webster wrote back: “Mental illness.”
Despite deleting the post, a screenshot of Webster’s comment quickly circulated online, drawing community outrage. He later posted ‘PROTECT THE CHILDREN’ before locking his X account.
Corey Webster of the Wildcats shoots during the 2023 NBL Blitz. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images for NBLSource: Getty Images
The Wildcats launched an investigation on Monday before releasing a statement, with Webster conceding his comments were insensitive.
“While it certainly wasn’t my intent, I understand the hurt my comments have caused and I am sincerely sorry for this,” Webster said in a Wildcats statement.
“It wasn’t how I intended my comments to be perceived and I will take a break from social media and use that time to better educate myself on the impact comments such as this can make on individuals I may have offended.”
Richard Simkiss — the chief executive of SEN Teams, who own the Wildcats — said Webster’s comments didn’t reflect the club’s values
“We are really disappointed in these comments and have made this clear to Corey,” Simkiss said.
“They don’t reflect our values, and we have committed to working with Corey to help educate him about the harm such comments can bring.
“As a community driven club, we stand for inclusiveness and have strongly supported the NBL’s Pride Round. We look forward to promoting this initiative again in the upcoming season.
“Our values are clear – we want to bring people together in a positive way and we understand our responsibility as leaders in the community to live these values both on and off the court.”
Germany win first ever World Cup title! | 01:19
The NBL last season the celebrated its inaugural Champion Pride Round — and will do so again this season.
NBL chief executive David Stevenson labelled the comments “insensitive and harmful”
“The league is disappointed with his comments,” Stevenson said.
“We want the NBL to be a safe and inclusive environment at all times and encourage the greater inclusion and wellbeing of LGBTQ players, members and fans.”
“The community is critical in supporting inclusion and diversity in our society and we all must work together to encourage everyone to be themselves.
“There will always be challenges when stances and beliefs conflict with one another, but as an organisation we are committed to working together and supporting one another, with respect at all times.”
Webster on Sunday came off the bench in the Wildcats’ 102-95 win over Cairns at Gold Coast Convention Centre, scoring 12 points from just over 23 minutes of court time.
One of New Zealand’s best ever basketballers, Webster scored 2664 points from 236 games with the Breakers and was part of three championships before joining the Wildcats in June last year.
The 34-year-old played six games in the NBA Summer League for the Dallas Mavericks in 2018 and has represented New Zealand on the international stage, while he’s also played professionally in Egypt, Serbia, Italy, Greece, Israel and China.
More than half of the league had veteran point guard Jason Cadee in their planning during free agency.
But, as the likes of Sydney, Illawarra, Melbourne United, Perth and New Zealand showed varying levels of interest, it became clear from very early on a return to Adelaide, where he spent two seasons from 2012-14, “just made a lot of sense”.
On the outer in Brisbane after maintaining his professionalism while enduring a turbulent 18 months under three different coaches, the 31-year-old said the 36ers’ vision — and aggressive recruiting — were decisive factors in his agreement on a two-year deal.
“Honestly, it was the respect they gave me and the way they went about it through (coach) CJ (Bruton) and their CEO Nic (Barbato) and owner Grant (Kelley), the way they treated the process, they were really adamant that they wanted me and they were aggressive in it,” Cadee told News Corp.
“The one constant through it all was Adelaide. The vision for what they’re trying to do, I respect it and I feel like I can help.
“I think they’re putting themselves in a really good position for success and I want to be a part of it.
“It just made a lot of sense for me and where I’m at and what I’m trying to do.”
Jason Cadee in action against the 36ers.Source: Getty ImagesAn emotional Cadee after a win for Adelaide.Source: News Corp Australia
SIXERS GOT A GOOD ONE
The 36ers were smart to target Cadee on the back of a tough season on the court where the team struggled to find the right chemistry and missed the playoffs. The no-fuss Sydney-born guard prides himself on three things: shooting, making teammates better — and being a good bloke.
He’s elite at all three.
Of current players to average at least five three-point attempts in the past 10 seasons, he is eighth at 35.6 per cent.
His game is predicated on unselfishness, often to his detriment, but he learnt the trait playing with winners like Adam Gibson, Mark Worthington and Anthony Petrie.
“I’ve never been one who cares about starting or coming off the bench,” he said.
“I know that what I’ll bring to Adelaide is I’ll make people better, I’ve always made an effort to do that and I feel like that’s one reason why people like playing alongside me.”
You won’t find many teammates who would be at odds with Cadee’s self assessment. He might be one of the most under-appreciated Aussie point guards we’ve ever had, having missed just three games over the past decade and sporting career averages of 9.3 points and 3.1 assists across 367 contests.
Jason Cadee at Adelaide Airport in 2014.Source: News Corp AustraliaJason Cadee playing for Australia in a FIBA World Cup qualifier.Source: AAP
BALL IS LIFE
The son of former Australian Boomers player and coach Robbie Cadee and Opals Olympian and Basketball NSW hall-of-famer Debbie Cadee, the court has been the one constant in Jason’s life.
He has a new appreciation of his upbringing after watching his own children Louis, 3, and Scarlett, 1, develop love for the sport.
“My young fella loves it, he’s only three, but understands what’s going on, wants to go to the basketball and thinks when the game’s finished it’s his time to get on the court, so it’s pretty cool,” Cadee said.
“I guess it’s life, full circle, for me, considering what I was able to do as a kid with my dad being CEO of the West Sydney Razorbacks.
“I always say to people through basketball I feel like I had the greatest upbringing, so, when I see how much Louis enjoys being around it already at the age of three, it does make me think about what it was like for me as a kid.”
Fiance Jasmine Hooper is Cadee’s strongest support — and critic.
She knows what it’s like to play pro ball, having represented the old Logan franchise in the WNBL, so she’s happy to give Cadee advice after games.
“She makes my life so much easier because she understands how it all works, the landscape, the commitment,” he said.
“Sometimes it makes it more challenging because she’ll come home and tell me exactly what I did wrong, but it’s also nice to have someone to pull you back into line or tell you certain things that others might not, because she knows what she’s talking about.
“She often tells me that I don’t shoot the ball enough, so I should probably listen to her.”
As far as his legendary parents, Robbie thinks it’s amusing when people call him “Jason’s dad”, given the senior Cadee’s list of accomplishments in the sport.
“When you’re younger you don’t really understand the mark they left until you get older and the amount of people who come up and speak to you about your mum and dad and the amount of respect they have,” he said.
“Over the last 10-12 years that’s started to change in terms of I may be more well known in some parts than mum and dad, which dad laughs at.
“I always said I was so proud to be their child and I guess some people shy away from their family name if it’s got an expectation attached to it, but I never felt that. I just felt that their expectation was that I was a good person and I carried it on that way.”
A NEW PASSION
You might see the odd tweet from Cadee about another sport — thoroughbred racing — and wonder what it’s all about.
Cadee, in his time in Brisbane, has developed a passion for the nags after striking up a friendship with top Queensland trainer Tony Gollan.
“I think a few people have started to notice I’m pretty into horse racing,” he said.
“I’ve owned a few myself and I went to trackwork to see a horse work and, three hours later, I’m sitting there talking to Tony about basketball, sport, everything,” he said.
“I formed a friendship with him and I sometimes just go and tag along with him like his little apprentice while he does his thing, straps horses, puts them on the track and talks to owners.
“It’s become something I really enjoy, just going to the races and sitting and relaxing and watching.
“Dad and I are going to get a few horses with Tony over the next couple of years.
“I’ve owned one that’s won a listed race, but no group race winners yet, so that’s the goal.”
LIFE AFTER BALL
Cadee knows he’s closer to the end than the beginning of his on-court career, but he hasn’t really decided on what he’ll put his time into once he hangs up the sneakers.
Chances are, though, it’ll be in basketball, many believing he would make a good coach.
“I’m not silly, I know it’s coming to the back end of my career, but I’m only 31, I’m healthy and I still feel very much able to contribute, so that’s what I’m worried about at the moment,” he said.
“As I get older and I see more heads turning towards me and wanting my opinion, I feel like I could definitely step into the coaching space.
“I’ve been around some good coaches. I moved to Brisbane because of Andrej Lemanis, so I watched how he operated.
“I feel like I’m a good people person and I can see, as far as basketball goes, how much that translates into how to coach and how to talk to people when you want to deliver a message.”
What an NBL23 season we‘ve just had. The finals are still to come over the next month but the regular season came down to the very last second to determine which six teams would take part in the post-season action.
Aron Baynes returning to basketball through the Brisbane Bullets and the Adelaide 36ers shocking the NBA‘s Phoenix Suns saw the NBL in the headlines before the season even started, and put those teams in the spotlight.
Watch every game live of the 2022/23 NBL Season on ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Wildcats nick NBL finals spot late | 00:30
While their seasons never went to plan, the race for the top six positions proved fascinating with the Perth Wildcats needing to beat the Sydney Kings by 11 points in the last game of the regular season, and winning by 12 to finish sixth and knock out Melbourne United.
It was a fitting way to end an NBL season that delivered so much from the inaugural Christmas Day game, to record crowds around the country and outstanding play from everyone from Xavier Cooks to Mitch Creek to Bryce Cotton to Keanu Pinder to Milton Doyle to Antonius Cleveland and countless others.
Before the finals begin this Thursday night with play-in games featuring the Cairns Taipans at home to the Tasmania JackJumpers, and the South East Melbourne Phoenix hosting the Perth Wildcats, let‘s look at how each team performed in NBL23.
SYDNEY KINGS (19-9, First)
The defending champions had to replace all three imports for their title defence, but they‘ve done a terrific job and have been the standout team all season to claim the regular season championship and now are sitting back to find out their semi-final opponents.
What worked: Replacing championship winning import trio Jarrell Martin, Ian Clark and Jaylen Adams wasn‘t an easy task, but they did it well. Tim Soares has proven a more than handy centre, Justin Simon has been tremendous in that three spot at both ends and then Derrick Walton Jr has been more than adequate as point guard replacing MVP Adams. Xavier Cooks has gone to another level to be a strong chance to be league MVP but more than anything it’s how deep the Kings go. Jaylin Galloway, Shaun Bruce, Angus Glover, Jordan Hunter and Kouat Noi come off the bench and they lose nothing. They play at the fast pace in the league, the second best offensive rating, third best defensive rating and rightfully are the regular season champions and title favourites.
What didn‘t: Their free-throw percentage of 72 per cent is only third worst in the league, but it remains the potential to be their undoing in clutch moments when they get their second most times out of any team. If that’s your biggest concern, though, you are in pretty good shape. There has been patches of the season where turnovers have been an issue and so have fourth quarters, but at 19-9, that’s nit-picking.
Xavier Cooks of the Kings shoots a free throw during the round 18 NBL match between Perth Wildcats and Sydney Kings at RAC Arena.Source: Getty Images
The outlook: The immediate focus is freshening up and getting ready to host Game 1 of the semi finals on Wednesday February 15, and to make a run at back-to-back championships. They should be at full health too with Xavier Cooks and Derrick Walton Jr having plenty of time before that first semi-final game. They are going to be mighty tough to stop and it might only be themselves that can be their undoing if their free-throw and turnover woes rear their heads when it matters most. But if they play anywhere near their best, they are clearly the best team in the competition.
Potential award winners: Xavier Cooks is the favourite to win the MVP award while Chase Buford is right in the hunt for Coach of the Year. It was a shock to many that Justin Simon wasn’t nominated to be Best Defensive Player while point guard Derrick Walton Jr should be named in one of the All-NBL teams.
Final Grade: A. Whether it‘s an A+ or not will be determined over the next month and if they win the championship or not, because that’s the bar this team has set. But they haven’t put a foot wrong to claim top spot as defending champs despite swapping over three imports.
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS (18-10, Second)
After a horror two years thanks to COVID, the New Zealand Breakers didn’t have it easy again this season but what they have done is come together as a cohesive unit, built everything on defence and developed a tremendous spirit and culture, and now have earned an automatic semi-final berth.
What worked: Building back the chemistry and culture that was such a key part to the Breakers winning four NBL championships in five years between 2011-15. Coach Mody Maor deserves enormous credit in achieving that and by bringing in players that fit the character and mindset he wanted to be team first, defensively oriented players. They have had plenty thrown at them, but with the leadership of their coach and the players fully buying in, they‘ve overcome it all. They got the imports right to start with. Dererk Pardon is the ideal modern day big, Jarrell Brantley is a brilliant all-round four man and then Barry Brown Jr gives that potent scoring punch. Add in Will McDowell-White and Izayah Le’afa to the backcourt, the youth of Rayan Rupert and experience of Tom Abercrombie, and then strong roles played by Rob Loe, Cam Gliddon and Tom Vodanovich, and everyone’s played their role to a tee. They are the best defensively rated team in the league and that’s what they’ve based everything on, being physical and intense defensively, and then efficient offensively.
NZ Breakers lock in second spot in NBL | 00:57
What didn’t: Being healthy. It took until their 19th game of the season to have a full roster available. Tom Abercrombie suffered a freak eye injury in pre-season and from there, Barry Brown Jr, Will McDowell-White, Rayan Rupert and Rob Loe have all been sidelined for multiple games. They also had to deal with some horror travel schedule, a three-week COVID enforced break and even the recent Auckland floods, but nothing has denied them because of the spirit and culture in the group they’ve built.
The outlook: Finishing second was every bit as important in terms of what an achievement it was for where they‘ve come from, but also because it gave them almost two weeks to freshen up and get healthy for their semi-final series against either the Cairns Taipans or Tasmania JackJumpers. They will know who they play after Thursday night’s game in Cairns and then can get ready for that Game 1 on Sunday February 12 at Spark Arena. Barry Brown Jr will have time to get over his hand injury and they should be at full strength for just the seventh game all season long.
Potential award winners: Barry Brown Jr appears just about a lock to be named Best Sixth Man by putting up 19.5 points a game. Dererk Pardon is a good chance to take out the Damian Martin Trophy as Best Defensive Player while Mody Maor is a shot at Coach of the Year. Point guard Will McDowell-White is in the mix for Most Improved Player and Brown, Pardon and forward Jarrell Brantley are all good chances to find places in the All-NBL teams.
Final Grade: A+. Coming off two years of hell, nothing has come easy for them this season either. They‘ve had some horror travel schedules, rarely been at full strength, dealt with a three-week COVID break and still have finished second to be straight into the semi finals.
CAIRNS TAIPANS (18-10, Third)
Coach Adam Forde wanted to put his stamp on the group in his second season in charge and get a team to suit the style he wanted to play. He did that and got full buy in from the group, and the end result is they finished third, only narrowly missed second and will be giving this championship a real shake.
What worked: Dealing with adversity. Tahjere McCall missed five games early in the season. Keanu Pinder missed nine of the last 11 games and Sam Waardenburg missed three games too but even without key players they played tremendously with others stepping up. That‘s especially been the case without Pinder where they’ve won eight of nine games without him. What has worked started in the off-season. Coach Adam Forde knew how he wanted to play but needed to recruit players to suit that style. The Taipans backed him in to do that and he’s found the perfect pieces. DJ Hogg and Shannon Scott have been the cool and composed imports who deliver no matter the situation while Pinder’s gone to another and formed a potent front court with Waardenburg. Bul Kuol has had a terrific second season at both ends, McCall has been a tremendous leader with the energy and hustle he brings, and then Ben Ayre and Majok Deng have played key roles. As a result, they play at the second highest pace, shoot the most three-pointers and do it at 32.5 per cent and have the second best defensive rating.
Melbourne lose out in epic final NBL day | 03:09
What didn‘t: Surprisingly playing at full strength didn’t work too well for them. They found their groove early in the season and then blending Tahjere McCall back in didn’t immediately click. And then after winning six straight without Keanu Pinder, they lost both games with him before he got hurt again. That’s more than likely just a curiosity though rather than an issue. In the end, losing three of four games before Friday night’s breakthrough win in Perth is what cost them second spot and an automatic place in the semi finals.
The outlook: They gave themselves a chance to finish second with a stirring win on Friday night in Perth despite the absence of Keanu Pinder and Tahjere McCall. They could have used the extra time and automatically qualifying for the semi finals, but it wasn’t to be. Now they have a short turnaround from playing in Perth on Friday, spending all Saturday travelling, having to go to the NBL awards in Melbourne on Tuesday, coming home to practice on Wednesday and then hosting the Tasmania JackJumpers on Thursday night. Winning that will see them straight into the semi finals or else they have to back up to play either South East Melbourne or Perth on Sunday. Pinder won‘t be back unless they reach the Grand Final but McCall should be right to play Tasmania this Thursday.
Potential award winners: Keanu Pinder slipped from MVP contention with his two late season injuries but he remains the raging favourite to go back-to-back in the Most Improved Player award. Sam Waardenburg was also locked in as Rookie of the Year before that was scrapped in favour of the Next Generation Award, which he is a chance to win. Both DJ Hogg and Bul Kuol had cases for Best Defensive Player nominations while Adam Forde would be a more than deserving Coach of the Year winner. Hogg and Pinder should find spots on All-NBL teams.
Final Grade: A+. What a performance it‘s been to go from second last to third and to have done it by putting together a playing group perfectly suited to how coach Adam Forde wanted to play.
TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS (16-12, Fourth)
Nobody gave them a chance in their inaugural season and they shocked everyone by reaching the Grand Final. Even fewer people gave them a chance of backing it up in NBL23, but they have again finished fourth and played with tremendous heart and spirit, are coached outstandingly by Scott Roth and you wouldn’t write them off from going all the way over the next month.
What worked: It surprised many when the JackJumpers didn’t bring back Josh Adams after his playoff heroics last season, but his replacement Milton Doyle has been nothing short of brilliant. Then there‘s the continued growth of Jack McVeigh who has become an inspirational presence. Will Magnay had a rough first season and-a-half with the JackJumpers, but his back end of this season has been encouraging too and the growth of Sean Macdonald has seen him emerge has one of the more effective Australian guards in the league even though he’ll still be a development player in NBL24. More than anything it’s the spirit they have once again played with and heart they’ve shown. Not everything’s gone to plan this season, but they have bounced back strongly on each occasion. Their defensive rating is just fourth best in the league but they conceded the second least points a game at 81.7 and their offence has more potency.
Jackjumpers thrash Hawks in Wollongong | 01:12
What didn‘t: Captain Clint Steindl’s season has never quite got going after he missed the first 10 games while injury has also limited the impact of fellow key players Matt Kenyon and Sam McDaniel. Consistency has also been a bit of a problem with the JackJumpers never winning more than three games straight or losing more than the three in-a-row they started with, but they did close out winning eight of the last 12 to finish fourth. They also struggled more at home than you would expect given the incredible atmosphere they play in front of, going 7-7 between Hobart and Launceston. They are another team who only played six games all season with a full squad available and they will be missing Josh Magette likely for the entire finals series.
The outlook: The JackJumpers locked away fourth spot in Wollongong on Saturday, but it came at a cost. It looks unlikely now that point guard Josh Magette will play again this season with a facial injury while there‘s an injury cloud over captain Clint Steindl ahead of Thursday’s play-in match up with the Cairns Taipans. Rashard Kelly will return and both teams will have their injury woes and a win in that game to go straight into the semi finals and avoid a cut-throat match up on Sunday with either the Phoenix or Wildcats will be crucial.
Potential award winners: Scott Roth can consider himself unlucky to not be nominated to go back-to-back in Coach of the Year awards. Development player Sean Macdonald has been nominated for the Most Improved Player award and Rashard Kelly is in the running for Best Sixth Man. Milton Doyle wouldn’t have been far off an MVP nomination and will be in one of the All-NBL teams.
Final Grade: A. They might not have the same defensive grunt as they did last year, but they are a bit more offensively dangerous and in many ways this has been a better achievement this season to be fourth than it was last year.
SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX (15-13, Fifth)
At full strength, this South East Melbourne Phoenix team has looked a championship calibre unit. The problem is, they have rarely had everyone available and time will tell if that happens in the finals, but they‘ve at least made it and that’s the first box ticked for this team that is not short on talent.
What worked: Mitch Creek and Alan Williams up front proved to be quite the impressive one-two punch for the Phoenix. Creek had the best and most consistent season of his 316-game career to be in the MVP hunt while Williams became a powerful presence once he figured things out, averaging 16.6 points and 9.6 rebounds. Gary Browne when healthy became the ideal point guard for this team too and had the team running smoothly when at his best. They made it a focus to be an inside focused team and that helped them be terrific rebounding the basketball, being the strongest rebounding team in the league with 38.6 boards a game and 12.3 at the offensive end. Combined with the third fewest turnovers in the league and that helped them win the possession battle most nights, and give themselves a chance. They showed good heart throughout the season too. They had personnel issues the whole way, but rebounded from an early three-game losing run and late five-game losing streak to go on winning runs on both occasion to end up deservedly in the finals.
What didn‘t: Being at full strength has been their biggest problem. They started the season missing imports Gary Browne and Trey Kell III along with Ryan Broekhoff. Then the signing of Zhou Qi never paid off, he only ended up playing nine games and never returned after heading back to China for family reasons. He had the potential to be a real difference maker with his size and like to offset the powerful presence Alan Williams provided. They did struggle shooting from the outside going at just 32.3 per cent from three to be only ahead of the Illawarra Hawks while they did struggle at times to contain their opponents, giving up 89.7 points a game and having the fourth worst defensive rating.
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The outlook: They had a horribly nervous wait over the past week to find out if they would reach the finals or not, but things worked out as well as could have been expected by ending up in fifth spot to get to host the Perth Wildcats this Thursday night. They will be fresh having had the week off so whether or not they come off well after a break or not will remain to be seen, but their bodies should be healthier at least. Ryan Broekhoff is an outside chance to return to face the Wildcats while they‘ll be at full strength aside from that if you don’t factor in the continued absence of Zhou Qi. Their outlook is good because of how well they match up with Perth. They have a significant advantage on the Wildcats up front and should they win on Thursday, they’ll like their chances against the loser of the Taipans-JackJumpers match up with both those teams battling physically right now.
Potential award winners: Mitch Creek is one of three nominees in the MVP award and he would be a deserving winner after the best and most consistent season of his career. He should be named to the All-First NBL Team too but it might be slim pickings for the Phoenix at the awards night outside of that. Alan Williams deserves consideration in an All-NBL Team though.
Final Grade: B. They had to deal with plenty throughout the season and to steady the ship late to win three of their last four games before the nervous wait and now earn a home final is a good effort.
PERTH WILDCATS (15-13, Sixth)
What a ride it was for John Rillie in his first season as a coach in the NBL. The pressure was on for the Perth Wildcats to return to the finals after the streak ended last year, and they‘ve ended up doing that albeit only secured on the very last second of the regular season. However, now that they are there they have enough firepower to do some damage.
What worked: It might not have been John Rillie‘s plan when he took over, but this Wildcats team became quite the offensive threat. They averaged 92.1 points a season to be ranked second with the highest offensive rating across the league. They shot the fourth most three-pointers a game and did it well with a second best percentage of 36.6 as a team. You can’t ignore the brilliance of Bryce Cotton this season, leading the league in minutes played and points scored. He didn’t always get enough help, but Brady Manek continued to grow as a scoring threat as the season went on and Corey Webster proved his ideal sidekick once put in the starting group. Luke Travers also showed terrific three-point shooting improvement the longer the season went.
What didn‘t: Rebounding and defence proved their two glaring weaknesses as the season went on. They finished with the least number of rebounds of any team across the league with just 33.5 per game with the worst defensive rebounding rating, and second worst at the offensive end. Then there’s the defence, they just couldn’t stop teams scoring and at times looked decidedly disinterested at the defensive end. They conceded 91.7 points a game while having the worst defensive rating across the league. The longer the season went, the shorter coach John Rillie’s rotation became and that became horrible news for veterans Mitch Norton, Todd Blanchfield and Majok Majok who all saw their playing time almost shrink to zero with the trio all having the least productive and fewest minutes on court in their NBL careers (aside from Majok’s lone season in New Zealand).
Wildcats nick NBL finals spot late | 00:30
The outlook: Returning to the finals was the first goal of this season after the playoff streak ended a year ago and they‘ve done that – albeit just. Now that they’ve made it, they will like their chances of making the most of it considering they have the best player in the competition with Bryce Cotton, and the offensive weapons of Brady Manek, Corey Webster, Tai Webster, TaShawn Thomas and the emerging Luke Travers. The Phoenix loom as a horror match up for them because of how dominant they were inside against them last time, but if their front court can stand up, they are a chance to get through on Thursday and then throw everything at the JackJumpers or Taipans to earn a crack at the Sydney Kings in the semi finals.
Potential award winners: Bryce Cotton is every chance to win a fourth MVP award after being the league‘s leading scorer with 23.5 points a game to go with 4.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds. Luke Travers is in the running for the Next Generation Award too and Brady Manek can consider himself unlucky to not have been nominated for that. Cotton is just about a lock for the All-First NBL Team too but it might be a quiet awards night for the ’Cats outside of him.
Final Grade: C. They made finals so that‘s an improvement, but only by the slimmest possible margin. They never got going defensively or rebounding wise, but pure talent has got them into the top six.
MELBOURNE UNITED (15-13, Seventh)
What a rollercoaster ride this season was. At 5-10 they looked dead and buried, but they went 10-3 the rest of the way and it was one solitary basket that cost them a spot in the finals. They overcame plenty to become a standout team in the back end of the season so can take heart from that.
What worked: The way they finished the season deserves a lot of credit because at 5-10 things could have capitulated. However, coach Dean Vickerman released the shackles on the team from there and encouraged them to play at a faster pace with more offensive freedom. Finishing 10-3 over the last 13 games suggests they are just about the best team across the league across the second half of the season, but they left themselves too much to do. The backcourt combination to close the season of Chris Goulding, Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Rayjon Tucker was exciting and just about unstoppable when the shackles were taken off. Marcus Lee‘s inclusion proved tremendous as well even if he didn’t get a lot of time with Isaac Humphries to show what a centre combination they could be. David Okwera’s emergence shows what a bright future he has and what they did over the last 13 games will leave them frustrated they missed out on finals – by two measly points.
What didn‘t: Things began to go wrong in the off-season when they lost Matthew Dellavedova and Jack White unexpectedly to the NBA. Then on the eve of the season, Next Star Ariel Hukporti ruptured his achilles and couldn’t be replaced due to not taking up a roster spot, so they would have been three of their five starters. There was plenty of faith put into Shea Ili to be the point guard without Dellavedova but on-going concussion issues limited his impact and he only played 14 games while Dave Barlow also missed the last five games through concussion. Jordan Caroline didn’t work out early in the season particularly as someone to step up to replace Hukporti, but Marcus Lee proved ideal. Had they had their team together for the full season, they will be left wondering what could have been had they managed to sneak into the top six. Ultimately blowing that eight-point lead with 45 seconds to go in Perth is what cost them above everything else.
Melbourne United star Chris Goulding.Source: Getty Images
The outlook: There will be a lot of dissection over what went wrong this season because Melbourne just isn‘t used to missing out on taking part in finals, but a lot of this can be put down to bad luck. Moving forward, they could do worse than bringing back the import trio of Rayjon Tucker, Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Marcus Lee. They showed great heart and chemistry in the run home. Lee and Isaac Humphries up front for a whole season would be dominant, and another season of Tucker, Rathan-Mayes and Chris Goulding in the back court will be tough. The health of Shea Ili will be a big factor. If he looks able to play a full season, he can be locked in as the starting point guard. Otherwise they’ll need to go hunt a new playmaker. They’ll also need to find some added help up front and to bring in a strong power forward either as a marquee local or an import. Basically their two needs are in what they lost – Jack White and Matthew Dellavedova. They should feel good about hitting back strongly though.
Potential award winners: If Rayjon Tucker had started the season playing the way he finished, then he would be right in contention for both the MVP award and a spot on the All-First NBL team. If Xavier Rathan-Mayes had also played as well in the middle patches as he did at the start and finish, then ditto. If Shea Ili played more than 14 games, he would be a legitimate Best Defensive Player option too. Unfortunately for United, their season was basically split in two and as a result they might not be up on stage too often.
Final Grade: C. Their first half of the season was rough and being 5-10 left them in a hole they couldn‘t quite get out of. But going 10-3 the rest of the way is to be commended.
ADELAIDE 36ERS (13-15, Eighth)
The great disappointments of NBL23. They put together an exciting roster, shocked the world by beating the Phoenix Suns and then in the NBL season proper, just never clicked, never got going and the result is a fifth consecutive season out of the finals.
What worked: For everything this team promised when they beat the Phoenix Suns in the pre-season and with the roster put together, it‘s really hard to say too much at all worked given a team with such aspirations finished at 13-15. Perhaps the greatest positive was the remarkable home support they received, continually setting new records at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Antonius Cleveland lived up to his billing too, improving on what he did last season at the Illawarra Hawks. He played with great heart and defensive intensity, and his offensive game rose so he can hold his head high. Another positive was Anthony Drmic. In his second stint at the Sixers, he could very well have had the best season of his 199-game NBL career. But really, it’s not a season where they will feel much worked or went to plan at all.
What didn‘t: Bringing together so many potential stars always has the issue of developing the right chemistry, and figuring out how to play as a cohesive unit. Let’s be honest, that never happened with this Adelaide team. A lot of that early was blamed on Craig Randall but it never really improved after he left. While winning against the Phoenix Suns was a historic event, having to miss the first two weeks of the season as a result and the sideshow that created might have also done more harm than good. More than anything, though, what hurt them was an apparent lack of interest and effort defensively. With Mitch McCarron, Sunday Dech and Antonius Cleveland, this should have been a good defensive team. They finished as the third worst defensive team in the league. Coach CJ Bruton also wasn’t fully able to put his imprint on having a team play to his identity.
Adelaide 36ers keep finals hopes alive | 00:59
The outlook: Five straight years out of the playoffs and patience is wearing thin in Adelaide. The city couldn’t be more behind the team breaking attendance records game after game, but they deserve a winning team now. Robert Franks and Antonius Cleveland are locked in to return and so are Sunday Dech, Mitch McCarron, Kyrin Galloway and Nick Marshall. The writing is on the wall that Daniel Johnson‘s time in Adelaide is up and it would be unlikely for Kai Sotto and probably Ian Clark to return. Anthony Drmic was terrific and should be welcomed back. CJ Bruton has talked about wanting his team to more play to the identity of their coach next season so he’ll be recruiting to fit what he wants, but ideally a strong and powerful big man presence and then a quality point guard would be high on the agenda because they are well covered in the two, three and four spots. Without doubt it’s a make a break season in NBL24 not only for Bruton as coach, but the whole organisation.
Potential award winners: Antonius Cleveland holds the best hopes of anyone from Adelaide to grab the limelight on Tuesday night. He is nominated for the Best Defensive Player and is every chance to make it consecutive Damian Martin Trophy wins. He should also find a place in an All-NBL Team. Kai Sotto would have to be the runaway favourite to win the Fans MVP too on the back of having all of the Philippines voting for him again.
Final Grade: D. So much was expected of them but at no point did they come together as a cohesive team. They showed flashes, but equal flashes of disunity. Make or break time now in NBL24.
BRISBANE BULLETS (8-20, Ninth)
There was such excitement around them coming into NBL23. Many had them as championship fancies, but the season never got off the ground. They had three coaches in three weeks, import changes and for a while lacked competitiveness, but they at least finished off on a more positive note.
What worked: It‘s hard to say too much worked well but things really threatened to spiral out of hand with a record 49-point loss to Sydney, but they at least played with some pride and heart the rest of the season. They won three of four games directly out of that game to their credit. Bringing in Tyler Johnson proved to work well once he figured out the league and DJ Mitchell’s emergence was a definite highlight. Greg Vanderjagt’s performance as coach is something that must be commended too and he showed that he has a future as a head coach in the league either remaining with the Bullets or elsewhere. The home crowd support was also tremendous from the Brisbane locals despite the struggles of the team topped off by a sold out 5253 in their final game on Saturday against the New Zealand Breakers.
What didn‘t: The off-court turmoil in the first half of the season just got out of hand. James Duncan was unceremoniously dumped as coach just hours before the team flew out to New Zealand, with him replaced by GM Sam Mackinnon rather than one of the assistants. Then just as the team was flying to Cairns, Mackinnon was replaced by Greg Vanderjagt, it’s just unfathomable how it was all handled. Releasing Devondrick Walker was also baffling when it took them so long to bring in Andrew White III meaning they played eight games with Tyler Johnson their lone import. And as good as it was to see Aron Baynes back playing basketball, at no point did they ever fully get the most out of what he could have provided both through him not getting enough touches in the right spots and his frustrations with the officiating.
Aron Baynes.Source: Getty Images
The outlook: This is the biggest unknown out of every team. Firstly they need to decide on their coach. Do they back in Greg Vanderjagt to continue in the role after the players appeared to respond to him, do they appoint a quality local like Pero Cameron or Anthony Petrie, or look completely out of the box. That is going to be the biggest question and will determine where they go with their player personnel. Nathan Sobey and Aron Baynes are locked in contractually, but there‘s a lot to go under the bridge before Baynes is guaranteed back. That leaves them with three import spots to fill and they need to find a genuine point guard but the other two spots largely depend on Baynes. Should he not return, they’d need an import centre but if not, they could go for a three/four man as import and potentially try to lure Tyler Johnson back. They have great potential with DJ Mitchell, Tyrell Harrison, Tanner Krebs, Gorjok Gak and Kody Stattman as the core of locals to build around while it’ll largely be up to Jason Cadee if he wants to remain at the Bullets or not.
Potential award winners: It will be a quiet night for the Bullets at the Gazey‘s. Tyler Johnson has been nominated as Best Sixth Man and he deserves serious consideration for that award, but that might be about it in terms of anyone from Brisbane being recognised. DJ Mitchell made his point on Saturday night that he deserved a look in for the Next Generation Award too after putting up 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting tremendously in his first NBL season, but he wasn’t nominated.
Final Grade: D. This threatened to get out of hand with that record loss to Sydney on the back of the three head coaches in a matter of weeks and import changes. They finished the season better, though, to give some positivity.
ILLAWARRA HAWKS (3-25, 10th)
They might have finished with the worst record in franchise history, but that should be put in perspective of the fact they had a rookie coach, lost four imports to season-ending injuries and did a lot of good in the second half of the season building for the future.
What worked: They had every excuse in the world to think it was all too much for them, but the great positive is how hard they fought especially through the second half of the season. Sure, the wins didn’t come, but they gave themselves countless chances and made themselves hard to beat and provided hope for the future with that competitive spirit, and blooding fresh talent. Tyler Harvey was the almost complete defensive focus of opposition teams but he still put up 18.9 points a game including 10 straight late 20-point performances while Sam Froling had to do a lot of the heavy lifting, and strong so they provided impressive leadership as co-captains. Emerging guards Lachie Dent and Davo Hickey showed good signs while the return of Dan Grida from a horror injury run was encouraging and Deng Deng had his best career season with increased opportunities up front.
What didn‘t: The tone was set in the very first game of the season when Justin Robinson went down with a season-ending knee injury. He was ultimately replaced by Peyton Siva who only played 11 games before his own shoulder injury. George King didn’t pan out and left injured after nine games too and Michael Frazier II proved a tremendous replacement, but he broke his arm after playing eight matches. Losing four imports in one season to long-term injuries is unheard of. While they were competitive for the most part, they did struggle to close out games and execute late which is why they lost 14 games by 10 points or fewer. Ultimately they just didn’t have enough help for Tyler Harvey in the backcourt or Sam Froling up front with too much left to rest on their shoulders.
The outlook: It might seem strange to say after a team just went 3-25, but the outlook looks relatively bright. Tyler Harvey and Justin Robinson are locked in to be the import back court they were hoping to have this season before Robinson got hurt in the very first game. Having another quality playmaker alongside Harvey will only make him more dangerous. Sam Froling will only be better after the role he was put in this season and the minutes put into Lachie Dent and Davo Hickey should pay off. Michael Frazier II deserves the chance to come back but that likely depends on if they can find a quality local big man to be their marquee. If not that role would need to be filled by an import because Froling and Deng Deng need more help up front. Having Harvey, Robinson and Froling as the centre pieces, the potential of Frazier, a marquee big and then solid role players like Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Deng, Dent, Hickey and Alex Mudronja should ensure their competitiveness provided they get a better run with luck.
Potential award winners: It wouldn’t shock to see Tyler Harvey sneak in for a spot on the All-Second NBL Team after the way he battled through the season and averaged 18.9 points including 10 straight 20-plus point games. Sam Froling has to be favourite for the Next Generation Award having put up 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds so the co-captains could be recognised on Tuesday night in Melbourne.
Final Grade:C-. Sure, 3-25 looks horrible. But deeper investigation and losing four imports along the way, blooding plenty of young talent and the way they battled in the second half of the season deserves to be acknowledged.
