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.”
It’s been a big week in the NBL even with the Championship Series still a week out from starting with plenty of coaching moves, player movement and then an out of favour Perth Wildcats star reminding what he can do for the Australian Boomers.
Todd Blanchfield lit it up for the Boomers on Thursday night sending a reminder that the out of favour Wildcats veteran still has plenty to offer, but there’s a lot more going on this week as the build up to the Championship Series grows.
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Nick Kay has been captaining the Boomers in Melbourne and while he would like to return to the Wildcats one day, it appears no time soon while another Australian player, Nathan Sobey is liking the changes that are being made at the Brisbane Bullets.
The South East Melbourne Phoenix are on the look out for a new coach with Simon Mitchell standing down after four years and then the preparations continue for the Championship Series.
That begins next Friday between the Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers.
MITCHELL STANDS DOWN, WHO WILL BE SECOND PHOENIX COACH?
Expect the South East Melbourne Phoenix to leave no stone unturned in their search for a coach to take them over a hump that Simon Mitchell went so close to doing in a four-year tenure that he deserves to be proud of.
The Phoenix have been in the NBL for four seasons but only ever had the one head coach and it’s hard to imagine a better man for the job up to this point than Mitchell.
Circumstances have conspired again him, but in all four seasons the Phoenix have been a more than competitive outfit. They started their debut season on fire before injuries ripped their team apart in the back end of the campaign.
Then in the second season, they were tantalisingly close to a championship. They started Game 3 of the semi finals against Melbourne United in blistering fashion.
They couldn’t quite complete the job and if they did, they could well be champions given what was awaiting was a Bryce Cotton-less Perth Wildcats in the Grand Final Series.
Now if you look at the last two seasons and the Phoenix have had tremendous rosters, but both have been again marred by injuries and were never given the proper chance to reach their potential just through circumstances conspiring against them.
As NBL23 unfolded, you could clearly see the exhaustion written all over Mitchell’s face every time he fronted the media post-match. After losses, he was understandably frustrated but after wins, he found himself unable to enjoy them like he deserved.
Simon Mitchell has left his post with the Phoenix. Picture: Phoenix MediaSource: Supplied
Throw in the fact that Gary Browne, Trey Kell III and Ryan Broekhoff continued to be in and out through injury, and then all of the drama surrounding Zhou Qi’s availability or lack of it, and there was a lot weighing Mitchell down.
Still, they reached the finals and it was only a 41-point fourth quarter outburst led by Cotton that saw the Wildcats eliminate them.
However, Mitchell was just exhausted. He knew he needed a break from being a head coach and that made it an easy decision to step down after four seasons.
“It probably goes stems back to last off-season when I had to replace my assistant coaches and it was just a real tight squeeze of getting everything in, getting the team together and we had a lot of injuries in pre-season,” Mitchell said.
“We weren’t able to get the majority of our team on the floor throughout the pre-season, and then going into the season missing a number of blokes as well. I guess the frustrations sort of started to rear their head with just how it was going.
“We’d always set year four as the one when we’d really put an assault on being a contender, we really thought it would be the year for it all to come together.
“I think it’s just the frustrations of some of the hurdles we faced just started to creep in, and had me thinking about alternatives to coaching on.
“Once it got to the end of the season, once you start having those thoughts it’s probably time to hand over the reins and let someone with some fresh ideas and renewed energy to freshen up the place.
“Hopefully next year the club can pull itself back together and put the roster on the floor that can contend again.”
The Phoenix are on the hunt for a new coach. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
It’s now going to be fascinating which direction the Phoenix go in appointing their second ever head coach.
Trevor Gleeson and Brian Goorjian will be right at the top of that list. They might have been unrealistic for the Brisbane Bullets to chase, but the Phoenix might have a legitimate chance to make an offer they can’t refuse.
Sam Mackinnon has an amazing history at South East Melbourne going back to his playing days, his coaching fire was stoked this season at the Bullets and he might be a serious option. So might be the man who replaced him, Greg Vanderjagt.
Former Phoenix assistant Judd Flavell is another who has the potential to be a successful NBL head coach and across the league, current assistants Kevin Lisch, Rhys Carter, Jacob Chance and Mike Kelly would be worth considering.
You could also take a look into seeing if former coaches Aaron Fearne or Shawn Dennis would consider a return to the league, and possibly even Andrej Lemanis.
Adam Caporn, Anthony Petrie and Pero Cameron are other names that could come into calculations or they could go totally left-field and try to pluck an American. Either way, it’s going to be a decision to make or break where the Phoenix go in the immediate future.
Brian Goorjian is expected to be on the Phoenix’s shortlist for coaching candidates. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
CHANGE GALORE CONTINUING AT THE BULLETS
The Brisbane Bullets are going to be a decidedly new-look outfit off the court in NBL24 with Sam Mackinnon, Peter Crawford and Pero Cameron having now all departed while Darryl McDonald is confirmed to join Justin Schueller’s new coaching staff.
It was an NBL season that promised so much at the Bullets that ended up becoming their most tumultuous one since returning to the league back in 2016.
Despite the presence of Olympians Nathan Sobey and Aron Baynes, the NBA experienced Tyler Johnson and a good mix of youth and experience with Jason Cadee, DJ Mitchell, Harry Froling, Tanner Krebs, Tyrell Harrison, Gorjok Gak and eventually Andrew White III, it never clicked.
Having three coaches in as many weeks at one point didn’t help either with James Duncan sacked to be replaced by GM Sam Mackinnon before eventually Greg Vanderjagt took over for the last 14 matches.
Things have been just as eventual now in the weeks after the season with Melbourne United assistant Justin Schueller named the new head coach while assistants Peter Crawford and Pero Cameron have moved on.
So has GM of basketball Mackinnon. In the three games he took over as coach, he openly talked about how much of a fire it lit under him to coach in the NBL. However, he was given an ultimatum to either be a coach or GM, he decided to remain in his full-time that now he no longer has.
Sam Mackinnon has left the Bullets. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The Bullets have now already announced an addition to Schueller’s coaching staff with former 486-game NBL legend Darryl McDonald joining him after both worked together as assistants with United.
The good news for the Bullets already looking to NBL24 is that Olympians Sobey and Baynes are contracted and locked in.
That gives Schueller plenty to build around as he embarks on life as an NBL head coach for the first time.
Sobey is currently in Melbourne playing in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers for the Boomers. He was last week named Bullets MVP for the season and is looking forward to putting NBL23 behind him, and is excited for what lies ahead.
“It was a frustrating year for sure. We had bigger expectation with the group we had put together, but sometimes that doesn’t work out and things didn’t go our way in a few areas. We’ll learn from it and we’ll be better moving forward,” Sobey said on SEN.
“I think Justin’s going to be great for the group. I think he brings a connection from Australian junior programs and then also having success with Melbourne United as well. I think he’s going to be great to have on board and to get us on the right direction.”
Bullets star Nathan Sobey is looking forward to putting the nightmare season behind him. (Photo by Emily Barker/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
BUFORD FOCUSED ON GROWTH WITH KINGS OVER NBA FUTURE
You look at the success Chase Buford has already had in the G-League and NBL as a young coach and clearly he has an NBA future in a coaching capacity, but right now he’s just focused on continuing to get better and to try to go back-to-back with the Sydney Kings.
Buford arrived at the Kings at the start of the 2021/22 NBL season having already led the Wisconsin Herd to top spot in the G-League before COVID meant that 2019/20 season was never able to be finished.
Before that, he had already worked in the NBA in various roles with the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and then with the Milwaukee Bucks while coaching the Herd.
On top of that, his father is the hugely respected and successful GM of the San Antonio Spurs, RC Buford, so it is only a natural that Buford would have a potentially long coaching career in the NBA when he chooses to pursue that.
However, at just 34 years of age he knows time is on his side and so is the need to continue to grow and develop all the time.
Buford already took the Kings to last season’s NBL championship and now has taken them to top spot this season and into the Championship Series once more starting next Friday in a best-of-five series against the New Zealand Breakers.
That doesn’t mean it’s always been a smooth ride. Buford’s passion can sometimes spill over while riding the sideline and he’s already been suspended by the NBL as a result, has attended anger management and is trying to curtail some of his more over the top reactions.
That didn’t quite work when he was ejected late in Game 2 of the semi-final series against the Cairns Taipans in Far North Queensland.
Kings coach Chase Buford isn’t thinking about a future in the NBA just yet. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
When Kouat Noi was called for a flop despite contact with DJ Hogg leaving him with a bloody nose, Buford couldn’t curtail his frustrations and was sent to the locker room early.
The fact the NBL later admitted the decision on Noi to be called for a flop was incorrect means that you can understand Buford’s anger. It’s still a part of his coaching he has been trying to rein in and he might need to continue to do that before returning to the NBA system.
However, having two championships as a head coaching while still a 34-year-old will make Buford hot property on the coaching market globally if it happens once this NBL season is over in the coming weeks.
Right now, though, Buford isn’t focused on his future and is trying to improve as a coach and person all the time, and is just worried about winning another championship for the Kings.
“I think it was just the point that our guy was sitting there with a bloodied nose and we’d got our fifth flop warning in two games,” Buford said.
“That was a frustrating trend for our team but I’ve got to handle myself better in a lot of moments. I’m growing as a person and a coach, but I think standing up for my guys and being a passionate competitor isn’t something I’m going to lose anytime soon.
“At the end of the day, you want to play or coach at the highest level so eventually I think I’d like to get back to the NBA. But right now I’m loving being a head coach, loving living in Sydney and have a great bunch of guys and staff that I get to work with every day. I’m just fired up for the finals and I’m just focused on that at the moment.”
Buford is hoping to lead the Kings to consecutive NBL titles. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
UNEXPECTED TITLE CHANCE FOR BREAKERS CAPTAIN
There’s precious little Tom Abercrombie still has to accomplish in the NBL and while he already his four championships to his credit at the New Zealand Breakers, a fifth could well be the most meaningful because he never expected to get another opportunity.
Abercrombie is already an all-time New Zealand basketball and Breakers great no matter what else he accomplishes in his career.
In fact, he could be the greatest Breaker of all-time already and his coach Mody Maor put it best talking about having someone who is already a Hall of Famer leading his group.
Abercrombie is a four-time NBL championship winner and was the Grand Final MVP in one of those triumphs where the Breakers won four of five titles in the league between 2011-15.
It has largely been tough going since for the Breakers with their last Grand Final appearance in 2016 and last finals appearance in 2018 up until what they’ve been able to accomplish so far in NBL23.
Abercrombie has played all 394 of his NBL games with the Breakers and won the four championships along the way including being Grand Final MVP and twice he has been named the club MVP.
He is also the all-time leader at the Breakers not only in games played but also points scored, wins played in, field goals, three-pointers and free-throws made and attempted, and blocked shots.
Breakers star Tom Abercrombie is hoping to win his fifth NBL title. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
It’s quite the career that he’s put together but the Breakers captain had accepted that another run at a fifth championship was unlikely given the way things have gone for his club in recent years.
An ownership change took time to settle and to get the right culture and pieces in place, and then COVID impacted the Breakers like no other club with them virtually based out of Australia for the last two years.
Coming into this season, the Breakers had not won a final in the NBL since 2016 and not played in one since 2018 so with a new coach at the helm and a vastly new-look playing group, it was going to be a tall order.
However, everything has come together brilliantly starting with coach Maor to imports Jarrell Brantley, Dererk Pardon and Barry Brown Jr, and with the captaincy, leadership, experience and brilliant defence of Abercrombie.
He admits that he thought it might never be possible to have another chance at a championship with the Breakers, but now will be making most of the opportunity in the Championship Series starting next Friday in Sydney against the Kings.
Abercrombie has played a key role in the Breakers’ title push this season. (Photo by Masanori Udagawa/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“The game has changed a lot in seven years and this is as good a team as we’ve ever had, but it means nothing going into the finals,” Abercrombie said.
“It’s a battle in itself once you get into a finals series and I haven’t been in a best-of-five series before either. That’s going to be a different animal. You’ve already got tactical battles and back-and-forths in a best-of-three, but I’m sure in a best-of-five that gets taken to another level.
“I think as it was before, the backbone of this team and our identity and culture is a really strong point. It’s something that’s carried us through the tough times this year and I’m just very excited to be back on that stage to get a chance to represent this club in a finals series again.
“That’s a really cool moment to come full circle and after the last couple of years, I honesty never thought I’d be back in this position so you don’t take it for granted. I’m going to enjoy this moment and go out to have fun.”
Howard among 12 ejections in wild brawl! | 01:31
BOOMERS CAPTAIN UNLIKELY FOR RETURN SOON TO NBL
Nick Kay is already a member of the Perth Wildcats’ 40th anniversary team how significant was his impact in two seasons, but despite currently captaining the Australian Boomers, he’s unlikely to be lured back from Japan any time soon.
Kay’s stocks have only continued to rise after the last of his two seasons with the Wildcats where he won championships with him currently plying his trade in Japan as part of his league-leading Shimane Susanoo Magic team.
He was also part of the historic Boomers team that won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games and is currently captaining the Australian team in their last two FIBA World Cup qualifying match ups this week in Melbourne.
Kay led the Boomers to an emphatic 83-51 win over Bahrain on Thursday night with 13 points and five rebounds ahead of another clash at the State Basketball Centre against Kazakhstan on Sunday.
The 30-year-old appears a lock to again be part of the Boomers team as well for the World Cup to be held later this year across Japan, Philippines and Indonesia starting late August, but there continues to be a focus on his return to the NBL.
Starting as the Rookie of the Year at the Townsville Crocodiles before joining the Illawarra Hawks and then having two championship winning seasons at the Wildcats, Kay was a standout power forward across his first 158 games in the NBL.
Don’t expect Nick Kay to come back to the NBL any time soon. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
However, he has both found a home he enjoys in Japan over the last three years and is playing some outstanding basketball on a title contending team. Throw in the fact he’s making more money in Japan than he likely could in the NBL and it’s not going to be easy to lure him home.
Working in the favour of the Wildcats, though, is the fact that Kay and his partner now call Perth home, are getting ready to welcome their first child and being together in Western Australia will soon be something they can’t keep living without.
That means that a return to the Wildcats before his career is over appears a near certainty, but unfortunately for coach John Rillie and the Red Army, it doesn’t appear it’s a possibility for NBL24.
“I am hoping to get back at some point, I don’t know when that will be but WA is home now so it will be great to be able to get back and play for those Wildcats at some point again,” Kay told SEN.
“I tried to watch every game I could this season. Obviously I’ve got a lot of friends who still play for them with Norto (Mitch Norton) and Wags (Jesse Wagstaff) so it’s great watching them.
“Obviously it wasn’t the most successful season they’ve had but I’m keen to see how they bounce back next year. They’ve got a lot of talent out there so I’m keen to see how it all progresses over this next season.”
The New Zealand Breakers have drawn first blood on the Tasmania JackJumpers in the NBL semi finals with the Sydney Kings and Cairns Taipans to begin hostilities, after the Perth Wildcats and South East Melbourne bundled out in the opening week of the NBL23 finals.
The NBL finals began back on Thursday night and that spelled the end for the Phoenix with a loss to the Wildcats before it was then Perth eliminated on Sunday with a loss to the Taipans.
We are now down to the final four teams with those who finished in the top four positions ending up in the semi finals with the New Zealand Breakers up against the Tasmania JackJumpers, and the Sydney Kings to play the Cairns Taipans.
Going back to Thursday night and in the Play-In Qualifier at John Cain Arena, the Perth Wildcats delivered the best quarter of any team this season led by triple MVP Bryce Cotton to beat the South East Melbourne Phoenix 106-99.
Next up was in Far North Queensland and the Tasmania JackJumpers booked in their place in the semi finals by beating the Cairns Taipans 87-79.
That led into Sunday and first up was the Play-In Game and despite the absence of Tahjere McCall and Keanu Pinder, the Cairns Taipans were too good for the Perth Wildcats led by DJ Hogg and Bul Kuol in the 91-78 victory.
Then in Auckland the semi finals got underway and the New Zealand Breakers were too deep and too good for the Tasmania JackJumpers to take the one-nil series lead, winning 88-68.
The other semi-final series will get underway at Qudos Bank Arena this Wednesday night with the Sydney Kings hosting the Cairns Taipans in Game 1.
Game 2 between the Breakers and JackJumpers will be at Hobart’s MyState Bank Arena on Thursday before the second match between Sydney and Cairns back in Far North Queensland on Friday.
Both deciding Game 3’s, if required, will be played on Sunday afternoon.
There’s been plenty else happening around the league including the Brisbane Bullets naming their new coach so let’s get stuck into it.
Catch up on the NBL Talking Points.Source: FOX SPORTS
MVP COOKS: NO QUESTION KINGS ARE BEST TEAM IN IT
Fresh off claiming the league’s MVP award on the back of being last season’s Grand Final MVP, Sydney Kings superstar Xavier Cooks has labelled his team as clearly the best in the NBL ahead of their semi-final match up with the Cairns Taipans.
Last Tuesday night ahead of the NBL finals, the NBL23 awards night was held and it was Sydney forward Cooks who took out the top gong as the Andrew Gaze Trophy winner as the MVP of the league.
Given that was voted on by his rival and coaches and captains, it’s hard to argue with the decision even if there’s been great debate since over whether it should have been Perth Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton taking it out for a fourth time in his 200-game NBL career.
Nonetheless, Cooks was a more than deserving winner having been the best player on the best team in the league.
On the back of leading the Kings to the championship last season as the captain and Grand Final MVP, he has taken his game up another level so far in NBL23 and the MVP award should only help him in his quest to get an opportunity in the NBA.
However, all his focus right now is on trying to help the Kings win back-to-back championships with that quest starting with Game 1 of the semi finals against the Cairns Taipans at Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday night.
The Kings finished as the regular season champions to automatically book a spot in the semi finals while the Taipans had to win their way through the hard way even after finishing third.
The Taipans lost their Seeding Qualifier to the Tasmania JackJumpers before beating the Perth Wildcats in the Play-In Game on Sunday to now set up their clash in the best-of-three series with the Kings with a spot in the Grand Final on the line.
For Cooks, he simply feels the Kings are the best team in the competition and he expects them to now prove it.
“It doesn’t really matter who we face,” Cooks said.
“We’re the Sydney Kings, we’re the best team in this league and we’re going to go show it. It’s important for us to have a good week preparation and we’re not really focused on scouts right now, we’re focusing on us and getting better with our habits.”
Xavier Cooks wins NBL MVP | 00:45
TAIPANS COULD VERY WELL BE BETTER WITH LESS TALENT
It seems quite the baffling thing to say, but with less pure talent on the court all season long, the Cairns Taipans have appeared to play better as a unit and that again was the case in Sunday’s Play-In Game victory against the Perth Wildcats.
Things appeared to be conspiring against the Taipans after Thursday night’s Seeding Qualifier defeat at home to the Tasmania JackJumpers.
Already without superstar big man Keanu Pinder, star guard Tahjere McCall injured a shoulder ruling him out of Sunday’s elimination Play-In Game against the Perth Wildcats.
However, a look back through the season gave an indication of what was to come and that’s that some of the Taipans’ best performances have come when they have had less talent out on the floor.
When McCall missed five games earlier in the season, the Taipans were able to win three of them including against their semi-final opponents Sydney.
The positive for the Snakes in those five games was the chance for DJ Hogg and Bul Kuol to step up further. Hogg averaged 19.4 points and 4.8 rebounds with Kuol putting up 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Then later in the season, Pinder injured an ankle and missed six games. The Taipans won all of those and then after he returned for two matches which they lost, he suffered a fractured orbital socket has been sidelined since.
The Taipans won eight of the nine games to close the regular season that he missed, and in those Hogg averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists while Kuol produced 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
The best example of the way especially Hogg and Kuol can thrive to be game winners for the Taipans was in their last game of the regular season in Perth. With both McCall and Pinder missing, Hogg and Kuol led the charge in what could have been the Snakes’ best win of the season.
It gave them a chance to still finish second and snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Wildcats with Hogg scoring 14 points and hitting some huge shots while Kuol was superb with 15 points and nine rebounds.
That’s why coach Adam Forde still had confidence in his group even without McCall and Pinder going into Sunday’s Play-In Game against the Wildcats.
The whole team stepped up but it was again Hogg and Kuol who proved the stars to guide the Taipans into the semi finals against the Sydney Kings with Game 1 to start on Wednesday night at Qudos Bank Arena.
Hogg set a new finals franchise record for the Taipans by scoring 32 points on the back of shooting 11/19 from the field and 5/12 from three-point range to go with nine rebounds, four assists and two statement blocks on Perth’s Bryce Cotton.
Then there was Kuol who set the tone for Cairns at both ends of the floor to finish with 23 points, eight rebounds seven assists on 9/14 shooting while spending all but one minute of the game on the floor.
It’s unlikely Hogg and Kuol would have been able to play such a significant role had McCall and Pinder been out on the floor. That’s not really a complaint, it’s just the reality of having to work together as a team with so many capable players.
However, Forde, who was named Coach of the Year last week, never doubted his team even without two such important pieces and wasn’t surprised Kuol stepped up to such a degree.
“Two players go down and two players step up even more with Bul and DJ,” Forde said.
“I’ve always considered Bul that type of guy for me and we caught on early on when he got his opportunity what he’s capable of.
“His progression as an athlete and a basketball player has continued to grow. It’s almost like he’s discovering his ability that people can’t necessarily stay in front of him when he wants to put the ball on the floor.
“Then you have his outside threat and he’s a strong guard so again, I’m not surprised in a sense that it’s the player we got and I’m ecstatic that he’s progressing quicker than even what I anticipated. He probably expected it.”
Forde also was anything but surprised with what Hogg delivered because all season long he has shown that the bigger the moment, the more likely he is to deliver.
“The crazy thing is I look at him going 11/19 and I want another 10 shots from him,” Forde added.
“He was 5/11 against Tassie and he’s been extremely effective all season and it’s been my biggest fault not getting him more looks.
“We caught on just in time I reckon and if he does that, which he’s capable of, we’re not asking guys to play outside their roles. We just ask them to do their job.
“These guys just have to do what they’ve been doing their entire careers and that’s what DJ has been doing. He is capable of this every single night, it’s not like he dropped 50 and didn’t miss. He shot 41 per cent from three and that’s been his career. He played to his standard.”
Melbourne lose out in epic final NBL day | 03:09
NO PRIDE IN FINISHING FIFTH FOR WILDCATS COACH
This was supposed to be the season of redemption for the Perth Wildcats with new coach John Rillie taking over the helm. While there were good signs highlighted by opening the finals beating the South East Melbourne Phoenix, the man in charge is taking no satisfaction.
After a remarkable run of reaching 35 straight finals series in the NBL, the streak ended in 2022 for the Wildcats and it was always going to bring about change.
That included a new coach with Rillie arriving to replace Scott Morrison giving the ‘Cats three coaches in three seasons as he began his head coaching career on the back of doing an apprenticeship in the college system, and after his own 481-game playing career.
That included his 10 three-point shooting effort in a quarter-final win for the Townsville Crocodiles over the Wildcats. That ultimately ushered in the next era of success for Perth with the arrival of Rob Beveridge, Damian Martin, Jesse Wagstaff and the rest is history.
So Rillie knew what he was walking into taking over as Wildcats coach as the man charged with earning redemption after that finals streak ended. Ultimately he did get them back to finals, but not into the semi finals with Sunday’s elimination at the hands of the Cairns Taipans.
It turned out to be quite the rollercoaster season for the Wildcats and their two games last week in the finals summed it all up perfectly.
The Wildcats finished the regular season in sixth position just sneaking into the finals and then found themselves 13 points down to start the fourth quarter on Thursday night on the road to the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
However, the ‘Cats had been a potent offensive team all season and Bryce Cotton led the charge after shooting 3/29 between the last game of the regular season against Sydney and the first half on Thursday.
He inspired Perth to a 41-point fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix and book in a place in the Play-In Game in Cairns on Sunday against a wounded Taipans team who just lost to the Tasmania JackJumpers, and were missing Tahjere McCall and Keanu Pinder.
It was also a building the Wildcats had scored two dominant wins in during the season, but the rollercoaster ride took another downward turn on Sunday and they produced a decidedly lacklustre performance.
That was a surprise given their season was on the line but a lot of the problems that plagued Perth all season became a concern. Cotton did all he could with 19 points and 10 assists, which was a good performance given the intense focus the Taipans put into denying him the chance to shoot and score.
What the ‘Cats needed was others to step up and it just didn’t happen enough to give them a chance to reach the semi finals. Corey Webster shot just 5/14 for 14 points, Luke Travers struggled for five points on 2/7 and Brady Manek went 5/14 for 13 points.
Tai Webster didn’t play at all having been touted as the final piece of the puzzle when he arrived late in the piece and then veterans Todd Blanchfield and Majok Majok continued to ride the bench as players Rillie clearly lost faith in.
Despite Cairns missing two of their stars, Perth gave up 91 points and 51 per cent field goal shooting to the Taipans. No matter how dynamic their offence at times was in NBL23, ultimately their poor defence was their downfall.
The season was a learning curve in a lot of ways for Rillie in his first season in charge, but he didn’t arrive looking to have a feeling out period.
He came to win and that’s why he will go away feeling this was a disappointing season even if they did play finals again.
“It’s very disappointing. You’re at the time of the year you want to keep playing and we weren’t the best team out there so that’s very disappointing,” Rillie said.
“When you finish sixth and you don’t win a championship, yes there’s some moments to be happy about and to be proud, like the way we battled and got to the situation we did. But I didn’t take this job to finish sixth and lose out in a Play-In Game so no, I’m not proud of our season.
“What let us down the most was our consistency. Our highs and lows, the crevices were too deep. You look at a team like Cairns and they were very consistent with their performance throughout the regular season. That’s why they put themselves in a position to host home games in the playoffs.
“Our consistency has to raise to give ourselves the best chance on the ladder come the end of the season next year.”
Wildcats nick NBL finals spot late | 00:30
MITCHELL UNSURE OF FUTURE WITH PHOENIX
Fresh off their season coming to an end wasn’t the time for clear thinking on his future, but the only man to coach the South East Melbourne Phoenix so far in the NBL, Simon Mitchell, isn’t sure if he wants to put his hand up to remain in charge moving forward.
Across their first four seasons in the NBL now, the Phoenix have done a good job of putting together competitive rosters and putting themselves in the finals hunt.
While their first season ended up with a rough 9-19 record, it started promisingly enough before the wheels fell off in the second part of the campaign.
Then in NBL21, they were a genuine championship threat and were ever so close to reaching a Grand Final with a hot start to Game 3 of their semi-final battle with Melbourne United before being overrun.
With Melbourne going on to win that championship over a Perth Wildcats team missing Bryce Cotton, it is the ultimate case of what might have been and Mitchell could have quite easily have become a championship winning coach.
Again NBL22 promised so much for the Phoenix and they did show signs of what they were capable of, but ultimately they just couldn’t stay healthy enough to make a run and narrowly missed the playoffs with a 15-13 record.
Then coming into NBL23, there was again high expectations on what South East Melbourne could accomplish. When at full strength, they could well have been the best team in the competition too.
Alan Williams and Mitch Creek were virtually unstoppable up front, Gary Browne and Trey Kell III were solid imports in the back court, and at their best, Ryan Broekhoff and Kyle Adnam could step up with Reuben Te Rangi, Owen Foxwell, Dane Pineau and Junior Madut solid role players.
The recruitment of Zhou Qi never quite panned out, though, and that was only the tip of the problems they had. It was all down to health and with Browne, Kell and Broekhoff all missing significant stretches, they could never quite build momentum.
That’s why they only finished the regular season fifth at 15-13 and ultimately their season ended in disappointment with Thursday night’s Play-In Qualifier loss at home to the Perth Wildcats.
Again it was so close to being a success with South East Melbourne leading by 13 to start the fourth quarter, but they were outscored 41 points to 21 the rest of the way to lose and have their season ended prematurely.
It was a South East Melbourne team talented enough to win the championship, but they now aren’t part of the semi finals and coach Mitchell was understandably an exhausted man by the time Thursday night’s game ended.
It wasn’t the time for him to make any grand statements on whether he wanted to, or didn’t want to, continue to be the only coach in the Phoenix’s history and lead them into a fifth season.
But perhaps tellingly, he didn’t commit to wanting to continue in the job. While his passion to remain might spark up in the coming days or weeks, right now, he isn’t sure if he even wants to continue in the job.
“I haven’t even thought about it. It’s one of those things where we’ll let the dust settle and in time we’ll sit down and have a discussion, and review the season forensically,” Mitchell said.
“We’ll work out if I’m the best man for the job and if so, we’ll move forward maybe. Do I want to do it again? I’ll discover that over the next coming weeks as we review the season and then it’s up to if the club wants me back.
“There’s a few machinations there and a few things to ponder over, but I haven’t really thought about it at this point.”
BULLETS GO LOCAL WITH THEIR MAN TO TAKE THEM FORWARD
There was talk the Brisbane Bullets wanted an American coach, but they’ve turned local and to Melbourne United assistant Justin Schueller as the man to try and lead them forward after quite the tumultuous NBL23 campaign.
The Bullets now have a fourth coach in the past couple of months but after a season full of turmoil and a disappointing performance on court, the new man in charge is excited for what the future holds.
For all the same reasons why the NBL23 promised so much for the Bullets is why Schueller now arrives feeling confident the future is bright and that’s largely because they have two Olympians, Nathan Sobey and Aron Baynes, to build around.
Having a star guard and big man who are both locals is a perfect starting place for the build of any roster leaving the door open for three imports to fit around them, and for a strong group of local players.
The greatest understatement of NBL23 would be to say the Bullets were a disappointment. With Sobey and Baynes as the cornerstones, and with Tyler Johnson, Jason Cadee, Harry Froling, Tanner Krebs and Tyrell Harrison around them, there were no signs of how poor the season would pan out.
The signs were there early though. They were never able to fully use Baynes’ strengths and he was playing catch up coming back from his long lay-off while it also took Sobey and Johnson time to get back into a groove after almost 12 months without playing too.
Then along the way, there was the departure of Devondrick Walker as import to eventually be replaced by Andrew White III, and the injuries mounted with Cadee, Krebs, Froling, Harrison and Kody Stattmann sidelined for significant periods.
However, above everything on the court, things were in even more upheaval off the court with the direction of the club difficult to understand. James Duncan was sacked as coach after nine games.
Sam Mackinnon took over for the next three and then on the flight to Cairns, Greg Vanderjagt was appointed for the rest of the season without even being told first.
Despite all that, there were positives. DJ Mitchell showed he could be a quality forward in the league, Gorjok Gak showed a glimpse into his potential and Sobey, Baynes and Johnson got better the longer the season went.
Perhaps the great positive was the support from the Brisbane locals. The crowds at Nissan Arena were outstanding for a team performing so poorly and now Schueller’s job is to give them some reward for their support.
He has no doubt the Bullets are ready to fire and he is confident he’s the man to get the best out of them as he becomes the next man to earn a head coaching role having worked under Dean Vickerman at Melbourne United.
“I think it’s a sleeping giant, the program,” Schueller said on SEN.
“The roster has been hampered by injuries in the past couple of seasons which is never ideal, but the two key pillars in Baynesy and Sobes as a key starting point means the point guard is the next most important piece.
“That’s where our search will start and there’s high level talent on the squad already with high level culture guys. We know they just need a bit better direction and things can go in the direction that we want.
“It’s obviously been a program that’s had some ups and downs this season but the opportunity to work with two Olympians on the roster and be able to move this club in the forward direction was definitely an exciting prospect to me. I just can’t wait to get started and getting things going in the direction that we want to go.”
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.
