Sports Buzz

Tag: Mody Maor

  • NBL Talking Points: Kings hero goes down in folklore as ‘incredible’ 18yo makes statement before NBA Draft

    NBL Talking Points: Kings hero goes down in folklore as ‘incredible’ 18yo makes statement before NBA Draft

    The NBL championship has now been decided with the Sydney Kings going back-to-back in front of another record crowd on Wednesday night with Angus Glover earning hero status while the focus turns to NBL Free Agency including rising New Zealand Breakers star Will McDowell-White.

    The record attendances continued to be set at Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the NBL Championship Series with 18,124 turning out to see the Kings overpower the Breakers in the last five minutes to score the 77-69 victory.

    With five minutes remaining in the game, the Breakers were seven points up and had all the momentum. However, the Kings would go on a 14-0 run from there started off in inspirational fashion by Angus Glover to end up securing the championship.

    Fans RAGE at controversial call in Final | 00:42

    It means Sydney is back-to-back NBL champions after a series where the most ever people attended a Championship Series with 67,475 turning out across the five games in both Sydney and Auckland.

    There’s plenty to dissect including that heroic performance from Glover along with Derrick Walton Jr winning the Larry Sengstock Medal as Championship Series MVP while the stocks continued to rise of McDowell-White, Rayan Rupert heads to the NBA and Free Agency talk is heating up.

    GLOVER CEMENTS HIMSELF AS A SYDNEY KINGS HERO

    As if coming back from three knee reconstructions wasn’t already enough, but Angus Glover could barely stand when he returned to the floor with the NBL championship on the line midway through the fourth quarter in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

    When Glover became an NBL champion with the Kings last season having made the move from his hometown club, the Illawarra Hawks, it was a terrific story with him playing a pivotal role having overcome three ACL reconstructions.

    He will now go down in folklore for what he did to help the Kings to back-to-back NBL championships and that was significant even before what he did on Wednesday night.

    Across the first four games of the series, Glover had averaged 10.8 points while shooting 8/13 from three-point territory before early in Game 5, his series appeared over when he took a heavy knock that did some damage to his ribs.

    Angus Glover drinks from a shoe. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    He’s probably not too worried about now whether they end up being bruised or something more significant, but he was in pain the rest of the night and even sitting on the bench attempting to breathe was a challenge for him.

    It would have been more than acceptable for him to tell his coach that he couldn’t go back out there. Instead, Glover put his hand up to Chase Buford that he wanted back in with the Kings staring down the barrel of a seven-point deficit with five minutes remaining.

    What Glover did from there will go down forever in the annals of NBL history. He couldn’t even stand up straight and was hunched over out on the court, and it didn’t appear he’d be able to contribute.

    Instead, he turned match winner. After Glover was forced to take a desperation double clutch three-pointer in the corner that hit the side of the backboard. He grabbed the offensive rebound and somehow, rose up to throw down the two-handed dunk.

    Next possession and he dropped his 10th three-pointer of the series and those five points were the start of Sydney scoring 14 straight that ended up seeing them secure the NBL23 championship.

    It was a remarkable performance from Glover when he had no right to be even out on the court given the physical condition he was in.

    Angus Glover has been rewarded for his determination. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    He is now a two-time NBL champion which is a terrific reward for everything he’s been through.

    “He’s super tough,” coach Buford said.

    “Glove has been great for us all year and I told him that he has probably been the biggest victim of our depth this year because we’ve had a like for like replacement at every position.

    “Last year just through injuries he found his way to get 20 minutes a night covering all the spots but this year playing as DJ’s backup, it didn’t always materialise as much as it probably should have for him.

    “He’s earned more minutes than he’s gotten this year but you could see this series was one where maybe he could give us a little bit in different ways. I found a lot of trust in him going into the game and he paid it back in tenfold.”

    BREAKERS WANT MCDOWELL-WHITE TO KEEP GROWING WITH THEM

    New Zealand Breakers point guard Will McDowell-White is going to have a lot to weigh up when deciding his future after the best season of his professional career, but his coach Mody Maor is desperate to keep him where he is.

    Should the Breakers have closed the deal on winning the NBL championship on Wednesday night in Sydney, McDowell-White would have had a strong claim at winning the Championship Series MVP with his power forward teammate Jarrell Brantley his strongest competitor.

    That is a highlight of just how far McDowell-White has come over the past three years since he joined the Breakers on his return to the NBL after stints in Germany and the NBA’s G-League after originally being a development player for the Kings.

    Will McDowell-White is going to have a lot to weigh up when deciding his future. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Throughout the five games of the Championship Series, McDowell-White averaged 13.6 points, 5.0 assists and 6.4 rebounds while shooting at 52 per cent from the field.

    That is up on his season numbers of 10.8 points, 5.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds with McDowell-White reaching the potential that many always saw him as a rising teenager coming through the ranks in Brisbane.

    Now that McDowell-White’s contract is up at the Breakers after his terrific growth the last three seasons, rival NBL clubs will be hunting his services while an NBA stint isn’t out of the question and clubs in Europe and Japan will also be sniffing him out.

    That means that the 24-year-old has a big decision to make on his future, but after Wednesday night’s Game 5 loss, Breakers coach Mody Maor reflected on his three-year journey with McDowell-White and is desperate for it to continue.

    “It’s been like a father watching his kid. It’s not about this series for me and Will, it goes three years back where he couldn’t make a shot that wasn’t a layup,” Maor said.

    “We spent a whole Covid off-season shooting five, six hours a day and both of us got tendonitis in the shoulder, me from being old and fat and rebounding, and him from shooting a lot.

    “That was kind of our first step and then it was adding his ability to finish in between with the floater. That was year two and then this season, it was about taking a step forward as an individual taking responsibility for the team.

    “We saw him take another step forward and now step four is consistency. I’m really looking forward to us taking this step forward together as well where he impacts the game all the time, and every game.

    “This is a normal progression for a young player and the next step is doing it every game. I’m very excited to take that next step together.”

    NBL commissioner slams Kings coach | 01:05

    USUALLY HUMBLE WALTON EARNS RIGHT TO BE ARROGANT

    He might have replaced last season’s MVP at the Sydney Kings this season, but Derrick Walton Jr never doubted he was up to that task and the fact he’s now the Championship Series MVP suggests he has reason to let down his humble nature for now.

    While the Kings did have to wrap up last season’s championship without Jaylen Adams in the final two games of the Grand Final Series against the Tasmania JackJumpers, up to that point he proved himself the standout player in the league and was the MVP.

    That left a significant hole for the Kings to fill for NBL23 when he didn’t return. His direct replacement Walton Jr had to come up big as the point guard if Sydney were going to have a crack at back-to-back championships.

    He had a hot start to the season showing what he was capable of and in between, there were times that he was happy to take a backseat and just play his role as distributor and set up his talented and deep team.

    Derrick Walton Jr. celebrates winning during game five. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Still, Walton had a good enough season to be named to the All-First NBL Team before he went down injured late in Game 1 of the Championship Series against the New Zealand Breakers, and then was limited to less than five minutes in Game 2.

    However, over the last three games Walton came up huge averaging 17.0 points, 6.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds a game. In Game 5 when it mattered most, he delivered 21 points, six assists and three rebounds.

    That ended up seeing him play a pivotal role in Sydney winning the championship and he ended up winning the Larry Sengstock Medal as the Championship Series MVP.

    While his teammate Justin Simon has a strong case to make that he could be slightly unlucky to not have the award given how consistent he was over the five games including being harshly done by to not be Best Defensive Player, you can’t deny Walton’s impact on Sydney’s championship triumph.

    Andrew Gaze presents Derrick Walton Jr. as the NBL Championship Series MVP. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Replacing Adams would have been a significant challenge for most this season at the Kings, but Walton has always had confidence in his ability and never doubted what he was capable of.

    “I try to take the humble route but I think I can now be a little bit arrogant. I feel like I’ve always been one of the best, if not, the best player,” Walton Jr said.

    “That’s just the type of confidence that I carry and I don’t think I need to be more boastful about it, I just need to carry it and do what the team needs. Whenever the moment is there, I don’t have a problem putting my shoes on, tying them up and taking it. I don’t really shy away from it at all.”

    BEST ‘WINNING’ NEXT STAR NOW FOCUSES ON NBA FUTURE

    Rayan Rupert might not have had the impact on the Championship Series he was hoping with the New Zealand Breakers, but his coach has labelled him the best Next Star in NBL history in terms of the impact he’s had on his team winning.

    When you consider that the list of previous Next Stars even at the Breakers includes RJ Hampton and Ousmane Dieng, and more broadly across the league includes LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey, and that’s a significant statement but one you also can’t argue with.

    Rayan Rupert of the Breakers warms up. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Through no fault of theirs Hampton and Dieng at the Breakers along with Ball at the Illawarra Hawks and Giddey at the Adelaide 36ers didn’t come close in their NBL stints before entering the NBA of competing for a championship.

    The 18-year-old Frenchman arrived at the Breakers for this season thought of as a borderline first round NBA draft pick later this year, but as his NBL performances continued, he is now expected to knock on the door of being a top 10 selection.

    With a 7’3 wingspan combined with his quick hands on defence, ability to shoot the ball, create off the dribble and finish at the rim, and to play as a guard despite standing 6’7, Rupert has only continued to improve throughout NBL23.

    Perhaps most impressively was the work he continued to put in while missing eight games with broken arm. He came back in better physical shape and having continued to develop his game, and proved a valuable contributor to New Zealand reaching the championship series.

    Even though Rupert wasn’t able to impact the Championship Series, his coach Mody Maor knows how important he was in the Breakers being there. He has no doubt he’s going to have an immediate impact in the NBA once he gets drafted in the coming months.

    “He’s an incredible talent and competitor. He had a really tough series and didn’t find his footing so much, but we’re not in the Grand Finals without Rayan,” Maor said.

    “I’ve been around a few Next Stars and I’ve been in the league basically since the Next Star program started, and there’s never been a Next Star who has impacted winning as much as Rayan. It doesn’t even come close.

    “This kid was a focal point for a lot of the things that we did and the thing that a lot of people kind of miss because he came back well, he missed that rookie jump. All of the Next Stars that we’ve had, somewhere in the middle of the season they made a real leap like Giddey, LaMelo etc.

    “They’re great players in their own right but Rayan missed that and was out for eight. But he kept working, improved his left hand, improved physically and it’s been a privilege coaching him. Whoever drafts him is going to be so happy.”

    Breakers bounce back to ensure decider | 02:18

    CURIOUS FUTURE FOR KEY WILDCATS TRIO

    While the focus has been on the Sydney Kings and the New Zealand Breakers in the Championship Series, the other eight NBL clubs have been focused on the future and it remains up in the air where Perth Wildcats trio Luke Travers, Todd Blanchfield and Mitch Norton will be in NBL24.

    It’s been an unusual past two seasons for the Wildcats without being in the mix for the NBL championship and you can guarantee the league’s most successful club with 10 titles will be doing all they can to put themselves back in the hunt for NBL24.

    Triple MVP Bryce Cotton along with Tai and Corey Webster are already guaranteed to be part of that under coach John Rillie, but where the future lies for Blanchfield, Norton and Travers remains up in the air.

    Norton and Blanchfield fell out of the rotation for Rillie the longer this past NBL season went and that appears unlikely to charge with the roles that Cotton and the Webster brothers are going to continue to play.

    Luke Travers’ future in the NBL is up in the air. (Photo by Kelly Barnes/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Both remain under contract to the Wildcats, but negotiations are on-going between both players, their management and the club to determine if it might indeed be in the best interests of everyone for them to part ways.

    Blanchfield is a 373-game NBL veteran who showed what he’s still capable of by scoring 51 points in the two games straight after the season for the Australian Boomers.

    He has plenty left to give as a shooter and scorer, but it doesn’t look like he would earn many extra minutes in Perth if that’s where he stays.

    However, with two years left on his deal it’s going to take some manoeuvring and flexibility from both parties if he’s to end up playing somewhere that he can have a significant role whether in the NBL or overseas.

    Norton is an even more curious case. He was again vice-captain this past season and as a 314-game, two-time championship winning point guard, he did still at times show what he was capable of for the Wildcats.

    There were, though, other times where he would scarcely find any court time at all and that could very well not change should he remain with the ‘Cats. At 29 years of age, he might want to find a home to play big minutes if the Wildcats would be willing to let him out of his deal.

    Kings in control after downing Breakers | 01:40

    Then the case of 21-year-old NBA draftee Travers is even more fascinating. His problem isn’t whether or not there will be a role at the Wildcats for him should he remain next season because there’s no doubt he’s a wanted player.

    His decision, though, needs to factor in what is in the best interests of his development and what will give him the best chance to end up getting called up into the NBA by the Cleveland Cavaliers who hold his rights.

    For Travers to become an NBA player, he needs to prove he is a player who can be his team’s primary playmaker, he needs to run a team’s offence and needs to show he can create and shoot off the dribble.

    He has already proven what he can do as an athlete. He can jump, dunk, rebound and block shots. His three-point shooting has also significantly improved, but the growth he needs to make likely won’t happen at Perth, or in the NBL.

    His best chance at becoming the NBA player he wants to be appears to be to go to the G-League and Wildcats legend Damian Martin agrees.

    “While I think other players should explore European and Asian options, I think he (Travers) should be going to the G-League because the style of play is better suited to him,” Martin said on SEN.

    “There’s more spacing, he can get off the dribble as a 6’8 point guard and that will appeal to a lot of NBA clubs if he can go out there and average about 20 points and eight assists, and just show the athleticism that we’ve seen snippets of this year.

    “He just doesn’t have the ball in his hands enough because, rightfully so, Bryce and the Webster boys do. I don’t think he will be back but I know the Wildcats will do whatever it takes obviously.”

    Source link

  • Ugly ref saga is ‘all wrong’; Snubbed star who ‘changed Finals series’; NBL Talking Pts

    Ugly ref saga is ‘all wrong’; Snubbed star who ‘changed Finals series’; NBL Talking Pts

    Almost 50,000 people have already attended the NBL Championship Series leading into the deciding Game 5 on Wednesday night with the New Zealand Breakers owner hoping his team and the Kings are allowed to duke it out without the outside noise becoming a factor.

    The swings have been wild throughout the opening four games of the NBL23 Championship Series and the way the games have been officiated have been different on each night, leading to frustrations growing on both sides of the Tasman.

    The Breakers were frustrated in Game 3 especially in front of an NBL record crowd of 18,049 at Qudos Bank Arena on Friday night where almost half their team were battling foul trouble.

    That changed significantly in Game 4 in front of a New Zealand record crowd of 9728 at Spark Arena where the Breakers beat the Kings 80-70 to force the deciding Game 5 this Wednesday night at Qudos Bank Arena.

    Watch Game 5 of the NBL23 Championship Series between Sydney Kings v New Zealand Breakers LIVE and FREE on ESPN on Kayo Freebies. Begins Wednesday 7:30PM AEDT March 15. Join now and start streaming instantly >

    Kings coach Chase Buford let his feelings known post-match, Breakers owner Matt Walsh has labelled that as tactical and gamesmanship since.

    Despite all that, once it gets on the court on Wednesday it’s going to be quite the spectacle with the championship on the line.

    With 49,351 fans already having attended the opening four games of a tantalising Championship Series including the biggest ever NBL crowd and highest ever attendance in New Zealand, let’s hope the basketball is allowed to do the talking now on Wednesday.

    Williams tips Breakers to cause GF upset | 03:23

    KINGS COACH FUMES OVER REFEREEING INCONSISTENCIES

    Sydney Kings coach Chase Buford was pushed to breaking point during and after Sunday’s Championship Series Game 4 loss, and made his feelings clear about the difference in officiating in the win for the New Zealand Breakers and why he felt it happened.

    The Kings had all the momentum in the Championship Series after bouncing back from losing Game 1 at home to win the next two both in Auckland and Sydney, including a 23-point win in front of a record crowd of 18,049 at home on Friday night.

    However, Game 4 went anything but to plan and as far as Buford was concerned, the trend for the game was set back on Friday with how the Breakers felt they had been officiated out of that game.

    MORE NEWS

    Rising Aussie’s ‘right on the money’ play; shock as contender in ‘real mess’: NBA Wrap

    ‘Heartbroken’: NBA veteran, college basketball legend dead at 55

    Whether they had a good point to make or not, once Breakers owner Matt Walsh made his thoughts public on the officiating, Buford knew that it had a chance to change the way Game 4 was called in Auckland.

    According to him, that’s exactly what happened and you can understand his point. The Breakers ended up taking 26 free-throws to 14 for the game, but perhaps more significant was the calls not made on New Zealand that allowed them to control the physicality and tempo of the contest.

    After the game in Auckland, Buford let his feelings known about how the game was called and how unsurprised he was after a tweet from Walsh after Friday, saying “Maybe they’ll just foul our entire team out.”

    “After Matt Walsh’s tweet, I knew exactly how tonight was going to get called and it was called exactly how I planned it to be,” Buford said.

    “They were allowed to get away with the stuff they weren’t allowed to in the last few games. There was no freedom of movement and at one point it was 11 to two the foul count in the second half. We were playing five on eight out there, it was clear. That’s my opinion.

    “We knew we were going to get hosed and we just said that we needed to weather the storm and stick together. I don’t think we did a great job of that to be fair, but we just have to handle it better.”

    ‘I’M GOOD’: Coach storms out of presser after fuming at refs in NBL Finals drama

    Chase Buford has been less than pleased with the refs.Source: Getty Images

    Breakers owner Walsh saw straight through Buford’s claims though.

    “I think the talk coming into Game 5 is all wrong if they are talking me and Chase Buford, and the officials after such an amazing season,” Walsh told NBL Today.

    “I also think that Chase knows what he’s doing and he is doing what he thinks is best for his team and I respect that. I respect Chase as a coach, he’s a very good coach and earlier this year he said we play like the All Blacks and then for three quarters they got called for three fouls, and we got called for 25.

    “That’s tactical and that’s part of it, that’s gamesmanship. I don’t begrudge Sydney or Chase at all, but both teams have worked so hard and let’s let the players duke it out on the court.

    “I don’t take it personal and I just look at it that Chase is very tactical, he knows what he’s doing and he came in with the intent of leaving everyone saying ‘Oh did Sydney get screwed and maybe in Game 5 the refs will go the other way’.

    “That’s part of it and it’s calculating but I’m envious of what Sydney do and I hope we’re the two teams that other clubs look at being run the right way. I have absolutely no hard feelings.”

    Breakers bounce back to ensure decider | 02:18

    BREAKERS COACH WANTS NONE OF IT

    New Zealand Breakers coach Mody Maor has had enough of the talk of the refereeing influencing games.

    It started earlier in the season with Sydney Kings coach Chase Buford saying playing the Breakers was like playing the All Blacks and Maor bit his tongue back then.

    After Sunday’s Game 4 victory he was sick of it being a topic and put to bed any talk of the influence the officials are having on this Championship Series.

    “So I’ve heard this and I’ve heard what happened, and this happened here in the beginning of the season too,” Maor said.

    “Honestly it doesn’t even bother me, the reaction and everybody is doing the best that they can. I sat here after three games in the series and I didn’t say one peep about the referees because they are doing the best that they can.

    “All of the other noise, man, it belongs somewhere else. I for sure didn’t get any help from anybody to win this game.”

    While Maor didn’t want to get caught up talking about the officiating, he also didn’t want to buy into the feud with the Kings and was full of respect when talking about his rival coach and his Sydney team heading into Wednesday’s Game 5.

    “Chase Buford is a fantastic coach and his team plays fantastic basketball. His team plays very physical basketball, do not pain this as we play physical and they don’t,” Maor added.

    “They play extremely physical and we love it. This is what we want in the playoffs so all the noise to try and get a whistle for the next game, I’m not taking part of this.”

    Kings in control after downing Breakers | 01:40

    BRAVE MVP FAR FROM 100 PER CENT FOR KINGS

    This season’s NBL MVP Xavier Cooks could be excused for putting his future first and getting himself healthy to join the NBA’s Washington Wizards, but he is battling well short of 100 per cent to help the Sydney Kings in this Championship Series.

    It’s been quite the month for Cooks. He was named the league’s MVP for the first on the back of the best season of his career and then had a frustrating semi-final series against the Cairns Taipans where he hurt an ankle in Game 2, but still played valiantly in Game 3 to help his team prevail.

    He was then right to go 12 days later to open the Championship Series against the New Zealand Breakers, but was left banged up after that Game 1 loss at home and hasn’t been the same since.

    Cooks only managed to play nine minutes before being put on ice in the Game 2 win in Auckland, and while he did manage 29 minutes in the Game 3 win at home, he wasn’t quite his usual self with 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists.

    Then in the Game 4 loss on Sunday at Spark Arena, he had three fouls in the first half and managed to play just under 25 minutes for 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.

    He is clearly not close to full health and his coach Chase Buford admitted as much after Sunday’s loss that forced the series to a deciding Game 5 on Wednesday night at Qudos Bank Arena.

    However, considering Cooks has now signed the first NBA contract of his career for the rest of this season and all of next at the Washington Wizards, the fact he is putting his body on the line for the Kings is hugely admirable.

    It would be the easy option for Cooks to put his career and health first to get himself ready to arrive at the Wizards later this week in tip top shape, but as the captain of the Kings he is putting his team first and coach Buford is anything but surprised.

    “He’s not close (to 100 per cent),” Buford said.

    “He’s extremely brave and unselfish, and he’s a great teammate, a warrior and competitor. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe what he’s doing right now.”

    Xavier Cooks of the Kings has been outstanding.Source: Getty Images

    BRANTLEY/SIMON LOOM AS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES’ MVP

    Whoever has the biggest impact on helping their team win Game 5 and the NBL championship will deserve serious consideration as the MVP, but right now Justin Simon of the Sydney Kings or Jarrell Brantley of the New Zealand Breakers will take some beating.

    It has been a fascinating opening four games of the NBL Championship Series not only with the drama over the officiating, the record setting crowds and the tense basketball action, but also with the players on either side who have, and haven’t stepped up.

    There’s no shortage of big names on either side and coming into the series, if the Kings were to win you might have thought Xavier Cooks, Derrick Walton Jr, DJ Vasiljevic and Tim Soares might have been leading the charge.

    Similar at the Breakers, if you had to suggest who their biggest key was going to be you might have called out anyone from Will McDowell-White to Barry Brown Jr to Dererk Pardon or even Next Star Rayan Rupert who will be drafted to the NBA in a few months’ time.

    However, coming into the deciding Game 5 at Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday night, you would have to suggest it’s Simon from the Kings and Brantley from the Breakers as the leading MVP candidates.

    Obviously how Game 5 pans out will have a big factor in ultimately who is named Championship Series MVP, but what Brantley has done in all four games for the Breakers has been significant.

    His importance was even illustrated in the 23-point loss in Game 3 where he fouled out with nine minutes remaining after 10 points and four rebounds, and the Breakers hopes of winning went along with him.

    Across the series, Brantley is averaging 17.3 points and 5.5 rebounds a game while shooting 46 per cent from the field, 42 per cent from beyond the arc and 90 per cent at the foul line.

    Not only that but he’s clearly had the better of his marquee power forward match up with reigning MVP Cooks although that’s a little unfair considering the physical battles Cooks is dealing with.

    Either way Brantley has been a huge factor in why the Breakers have forced the series into Game 5 and should they win the championship, he would have to be odds on to be named MVP.

    “When Jarrell Brantley is aggressive, we’re good,” said Breakers coach Mody Maor.

    “In Game 3, it was a two-point game before Jarrell fouled out and when he fouled out, our offence stopped clicking and that led to our defence to stop clicking.

    “Jarrell was aggressive in his spots, played exactly the way I want him to play and we need his interior presence, and to be on the attack. He’s been that kind of guy for us all year.”

    Kouat Noi of the Kings and Justin Simon.Source: Getty Images

    On the Kings side of things, Simon has been outstanding with his energy, hustle and defence all series. He has stepped up offensively significantly and has shown exactly why Sydney was so keen to add him to their championship defence.

    It remains the most baffling aspect of this NBL season that he wasn’t even nominated for the Best Defensive Player award when even the man the trophy is named after, Damian Martin, feels he is the standout defender in the league.

    Simon has only continued to prove himself the best defender in the NBL throughout the finals series. That has continued throughout this Championship Series whether spending time guarding Brown Jr, McDowell-White or anyone else from the Kings.

    His Game 2 performance was perhaps one of the best ever showings from a defensively minded star in NBL Grand Final history and he has continued right throughout all four games.

    Simon’s numbers of 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.5 assists a game on 20/34 shooting at 59 per cent only partly explain his impact, but it would take something significant from one of his teammates to stop him being named MVP should the Kings become champions.

    “He has just come out and changed the series the last couple of games,” Kings coach Buford said after Friday’s win.

    “His defence on McDowell-White, Brown and whoever he’s matched up against, he’s causing havoc through steals. He’s scoring, had six assists in one game and six steals in another.

    “It’s just such a bonus to have someone who not only changes the game defensively, but is really buying into his role and understanding how he can impact this game and series for us on the other end. He’s doing a great job.”

    It was a dire season for Aron Baynes and his Bullets.Source: Getty Images

    OFF-COURT TURMOIL CONTINUES WITH THE BULLETS

    Trying to make sense of what is happening at the Brisbane Bullets is the biggest challenge in the world of the NBL world right with chief executive Peter McLennan the latest to depart.

    On the back of a season where the Bullets came in with such high expectations with a pair of Olympians Aron Baynes and Nathan Sobey leading a talented squad, they ended up finishing second last, having three coaches in three weeks at one stage, and the turmoil has continued.

    While the Bullets have since appointed rookie coach Justin Schueller as the man to lead them forward, subsequently general manager of basketball Sam Mackinnon had his position retrenched, assistant coaches Peter Crawford and Pero Cameron weren’t renewed, and now they are without a chief executive.

    McLennan along with managing owner Jason Levien have been the men behind much of the decisions made by the Bullets in a baffling few months under an ownership group that includes current and former NBA players led by Kevin Martin.

    To make sense of the direction they are trying to head is difficult right now. They have a rookie coach but no longer have a head of basketball, are without a chief executive and the ownership group headed up by Levien has a lot of work to do.

    While the Bullets haven’t figured out things on the court in recent seasons, they have done plenty right off the court in terms of connecting with the Brisbane community.

    That was highlighted in their impressive home crowds at Nissan Arena this season but much of that work deserves to be credited to the now departed chief executive.

    It’s on the Bullets management to ensure that momentum isn’t lost, but the biggest concern is attracting quality players.

    Nathan Sobey is one of just four Brisbane players under contract for next year.Source: Getty Images

    Brisbane only has Baynes, Sobey, Tyrell Harrison and DJ Mitchell under contract for next season and any potential free agents and imports would need some convincing right now that it’s worth their confidence in the Bullets that if they sign on, they won’t be wasting a season of their career looking towards #NBL24.

    Trying to make sense of what’s happening at the Bullets is something former Illawarra Hawks and Sydney Kings forward Cody Ellis is struggling with.

    “There seems to be no rhyme or reason to what they’re doing right now,” Ellis said on Hoops Heaven’s Basketball Hustle podcast.

    “They are probably really a club in need of some direction and it’s been very odd so far seeing what’s going on there. They’ve got a lot of work to do because they’ve only got a few players signed and it’s going to be a massive next few months for them.”

    Source link

  • Brave Kings overcome mid-game injuries, huge road trip to level NBL grand final series

    Brave Kings overcome mid-game injuries, huge road trip to level NBL grand final series

    Don’t rule out the defending champion Sydney Kings just yet.

    The Kings kept their NBL title defence alive on Sunday with a remarkably brave 81-74 Game 2 victory over the New Zealand Breakers.

    Sydney defied the odds to level the series at 1-all despite losing stars Xavier Cooks (ankle) and Derrick Walton Jr (quad) to injuries at halftime.

    Watch the NBL23 Championship Series between Sydney Kings v New Zealand Breakers LIVE and FREE on ESPN on Kayo Freebies. Join now and start streaming instantly >

    Walton Jr lasted less than five minutes while Cooks only played nine minutes as he continued to battle after copping knocks in Game 1.

    Sydney could’ve struggled missing its stars, but Kouat Noi and Justin Simon put on a show for the Kings.

    Noi came off the bench to drop 20 points while he added four rebounds.

    Simon was simply sensational for Sydney at both ends of the floor.

    Justin Simon of the Kings (L) marked by Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers (R) during game two of the NBL Grand Final series between New Zealand Breakers and Sydney Kings at Spark Arena, on March 05, 2023, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    The defensive beast amassed six steals with his Inspector Gadget-like arms – one steal short of equalling a NBL grand final series record.

    Simon also added 12 points and nine rebounds in one of the finest championship performances.

    Kings’ sharpshooter Dejan Vasiljevic also responded in style following his mixed Game 1 performance.

    Vasiljevic finished with 16 points, including four of six from three.

    He also had four rebounds and two assists.

    Vasiljevic’s shooting display also helped him bury his hoodoo against New Zealand.

    The man nicknamed ‘DJ’ averages double-digit scoring against every team in the NBL this season – except the Breakers. His 8.7ppg comes on just 32 per cent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent from deep.

    Thankfully for the Kings, Vasiljevic found his offensive groove to bury the Breakers on Sunday.

    Guard Angus Glover also starred, dropping 12 points off the bench to set up a blockbuster Game 3 at Qudos Bank Arena on Friday night from 7.30pm (AEDT).

    Sydney’s Game 2 triumph is extra-important given no team has ever come back from a 2-0 series deficit to win the championship.

    Will McDowell-White of the Breakers (L) during game two of the NBL Grand Final series between New Zealand Breakers and Sydney Kings at Spark Arena, on March 05, 2023, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    The Kings still have to defy history to claim back-to-back championships.

    The past 14 NBL teams to emerge victorious in game one of the NBL grand final have gone on to win the series — and 25 of the past 26 titles.

    In fact, only four teams in league history have managed to turn the tables after dropping game one.

    It was a sloppy start to the game from both teams.

    The first bucket – via Kings’ sharpshooter Vasiljevic – didn’t drop until almost four minutes into the contest.

    Sydney soon settled – and ramped up its defensive pressure compared to Friday’s opening game loss.

    The Kings also knocked down triples via Vasiljevic and Noi, to take a commanding 21-9 lead into quarter-time.

    Sydney’s fortunes shifted in the second as New Zealand went on an 11-0 run to open the quarter.

    The Kings steadied, though, to go to the halftime break with a 34-30 advantage.

    Simon took over for Sydney in the third quarter with a defensive masterclass. He made multiple steals for buckets to help the Kings extend their lead to 10 points midway through the third.

    Sydney’s surge prompted a frustrated New Zealand coach Mody Maor to blow up at his Breakers players during a timeout.

    “What is this softness,” Maor fired.

    “You think it is going to be easy. C’mon – work.”

    Fortunately, the New Zealanders listened to their coach to surge home in the fourth quarter with a barrage of buckets.

    The Breakers got within seven points in the fourth, but the Kings held on to claim one of the most courageous grand final wins in NBL history.

    LIKE

    SIMON SAYS AND THE UNSUNG HEROES

    With stars Xavier Cooks and Derrick Walton Jr hampered by injury, Sydney import Justin Simon stole the show in game two. After leading the Kings with 18 points, six rebounds and three blocks in game one, Simon refused to lose game two with a remarkable six steals – five of those coming after halftime – to go with 12 points and nine boards. Simon is well known as a defensive game changer, but offensive output has been vital for the Kings through the first two games. Ditto Jordy Hunter, who had 15 after halftime in game one and then Kouat Noi, who poured in a team-high 20 points in game two. If Cooks and Walton miss time, it’s efforts like these that will still give the Kings a chance.

    WILLIAM MCMONEY-WHITE

    If you were wondering why New Zealand orchestrator William McDowell-White is the hottest name in NBL free agency, watch game one from start to finish. You’ll see a masterpiece of point guard play that dissected the reigning champs. McDowell-White produced a near-triple-double — 19 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists — but it was his decision-making and assurance with the ball that set him apart. In game two in Auckland, he struggled as Sydney took hold of the contest.

    McDowell-White was restricted to seven points, three rebounds and four assists in the loss to the Kings.

    The 24-year-old was worth north of $500k a year before this series, and he’ll still be able to write his own cheque. A JackJumpers’ fan tweeted Crosscourt he’d look good in Ant green and Brisbane, Perth and South East Melbourne are among his suitors — and even Phoenix import Alan Williams is on the recruiting trail. “*S.E. Melbourne, we gotta make sure we specify,” Williams replied to a fan’s call for McDowell-White to land in Melbourne next season. Let the chase begin.

    DISLIKE

    INJURY CURSE

    Twelve days between the last game of the semi final and the first game of the grand final for the FIBA break meant both teams had players sucking in the big ones in game one. The pickle juice was out for a number of players as cramps set in. Dererk Pardon was hampered for the Breakers and Derrick Walton for the Kings. Walton, particularly, looked seriously sore and didn’t come back on after he went down in the fourth quarter. Of game one. League MVP Xavier Cooks joined him on the injured list when he tweaked an ankle. Both Kings travelled to NZ and tried to go in game two, but neither made it past halftime as they were shutdown. You hope neither are seriously injured, because it would rob the series of two of its biggest stars. Incredible fight from the Kings to go to Auckland and win in front of a packed Spark Arena crowd, with neither having a huge impact.

    KINGS FANS GET CHANCE TO MAKE AMENDS

    Bravo to the more than 13,000 fans who packed Qudos Bank Arena for game one on Thursday night. Thumbs down if you were among the troop of Kings fans who marched out on their team early. It wasn’t as if they were getting hammered by 30. NBL commentator Jack Heverin and the GOAT Andrew Gaze noticed the “exodus” of Sydney fans with over a minute to go in the clash and the Kings down nine. It’s probably game over, but stranger things have happened in basketball. We get there was a bit of rain around and some pop singer was playing over the road but, if this happens again in game three, be a sport and stick around until the final buzzer. Win or lose, grand final games are a rare privilege.

    The Kings are expecting an even bigger crowd for Game 3 on Friday – in fact they’ve already outsold the Game 1 crowd – so we’re tipping the fans won’t be leaving early again next week.

    Source link

  • Preview of NBL23 Championship Series and the match-up that could decide title

    Preview of NBL23 Championship Series and the match-up that could decide title

    It has been 12 days since they qualified for the NBL Championship Series and now on Friday night (7.30pm AEDT) the Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers begin what looms as a fascinating best-of-five battle for the NBL23 title.

    The near two-week break from the end of the semi-final series to the Championship Series was a little unfortunate albeit unavoidable thanks to the last FIBA window ahead of this year’s World Cup but now the wait is over, and it’s set to be a tremendous contest.

    Watch the NBL23 Championship Series between Sydney Kings v New Zealand Breakers LIVE and FREE on ESPN on Kayo Freebies. Series begins March 3. Join now and start streaming instantly >

    Kings and Breakers to decide NBL champs | 02:08

    The Kings and Breakers have been the best two teams all season in the NBL, they finished the regular season in first and second place, and then booked in their spots for the Championship Series by winning their respective semi-final Game 3’s on their home floors two Sundays ago.

    It is now all set up to be quite the tantalising Championship Series match up with Game 1 on Friday night at Qudos Bank Arena. Game 2 is already sold out on Sunday at Auckland’s Spark Arena.

    Game 3 will be in Sydney next Friday, Game 4 in Auckland the following Sunday and if required, the deciding Game 5 will be in Sydney on Wednesday March 15.

    WHO THE TEAMS ARE

    The Sydney Kings are the reigning NBL champions and they backed it up by claiming the regular season championship this season to come into the Championship Series as the favourites to make it back-to-back titles.

    While the Kings are the reigning champions, they had significant turnover from last season and it all started with the departure of their three imports. That included reigning MVP Jaylen Adams along with NBL and NBA champion Ian Clark, and standout big man Jarrell Martin.

    Coming in and the Kings must be commended for finding a new point guard in Derrick Walton Jr who was named to the All-First Team. Justin Simon has been the standout NBL defender this season and a bundle of energy at both ends with Tim Soares holding his own in the centre position.

    You then have Kings captain Xavier Cooks who has gone to another level this season to be named the league’s MVP while they are the deepest team in the competition with DJ Vasiljevic, Jordan Hunter, Jaylin Galloway, Kouat Noi, Shaun Bruce and Angus Glover all key contributors.

    The Kings are coached by American Chase Buford who is attempting to win a second championship in his two seasons coaching in the NBL while the Kings are looking for a fifth title overall to go with their triumphs in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2022.

    It’s been quite the ride for the New Zealand Breakers since they were the benchmark franchise of the competition between 2011 and 2016. In that period they not only won four of the five NBL championships but were also highly successful off the court.

    However, since then they have had a change in ownership and management, and that hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Throw in the last two years where they were ravaged and homeless thanks to COVID, and it was very much a start again process coming into NBL23.

    That began with a new coach with assistant Mody Maor taking over from Dan Shamir and it was almost a complete overhaul of the playing roster with only Tom Abercrombie, Will McDowell-White and Rob Loe back.

    The Breakers have got all their decisions right and that begins with coach Maor who ended up being runner-up in Coach of the Year voting.

    Nailing their import signings has been crucial for the Breakers with Dererk Pardon making the All-Second Team as the centre, Jarrell Brantley a standout power forward and Barry Brown Jr as the leading scorer across the two teams in the Championship Series.

    It’s been all about building a team defensively minded and putting culture first, which is where bringing back Kiwis Tom Vodanovich and Izayah Le’afa was important along with adding veteran Cam Gliddon and then topping it off with exciting 18-year-old French Next Star Rayan Rupert.

    With Will McDowell-White running the ship and turning himself into the standout point guard he’s always promised to be, and it’s quite the impressive Breakers outfit who are now in their first Championship Series since 2016, and attempting to win a first title since 2015, and fifth overall.

    HOW THEY GOT HERE

    The Sydney Kings wrapped up the regular season championship a couple of weeks out from the end of the season itself and proved themselves the standout team in the competition on the back of winning last season’s championship.

    The Kings finished a game clear in first place on the back of a 19-9 record which saw them winning 10 of 14 matches at Qudos Bank Arena, and winning nine of the 14 on the road including a seven-game winning streak before losing four of the last six matches of the regular season.

    That earned the Kings the right to sit back to wait to find out who they would meet in the semi finals which eventually was the Cairns Taipans. Sydney prevailed in Game 1 at home 95-87 but it was a different story in Game 2 in Cairns with the Taipans winning 93-82.

    Kings coach Chase Buford was ejected, centre Tim Soares ended up fined for a late shoulder charge and MVP Xavier Cooks hurt his ankle. However, Sydney bounced back in Game 3 with their depth and freshness shining in the 79-64 home win to book in their Championship Series berth.

    The New Zealand Breakers hadn’t take part in an NBL finals series since 2018 but it quickly emerged they would be a force to be reckoned with in NBL23. They ended up locking away second position on the back of winning the last five matches of the regular season.

    Interestingly, New Zealand won just seven of the 14 matches at home throughout the season but were superb throughout Australia winning 11 of 14 road games.

    That meant the Breakers were waiting to take on the Tasmania JackJumpers in the semi finals after they defeated the Cairns Taipans to get there.

    New Zealand dominated Game 1 at Spark Arena 88-68 to put the pressure back on the JackJumpers, but Tasmania was terrific at MyState Bank Arena winning 89-78 to force a Game 3.

    The Breakers proved too strong in that decider on their home floor to win 92-77 with Barry Brown Jr the star putting up his highest score of the season with 32 points.

    Coach ejected after dodgy flop call | 01:45

    WHAT THE KEY MATCH-UPS ARE

    Tim Soares v Dererk Pardon – Both import centres are new to the league this season and have had a considerable impact. Soares has been a solid performer for the Kings teaming up with Xavier Cooks up front and being a sound defender, solid rebounder and a good offensive threat with a nice outside shot. Then you have Pardon at the Breakers and he deserves to be called the best genuine centre in the NBL. He does the things of a traditional centre by rebounding at both ends, finishing around the rim, setting heavy screens and being a shot blocking presence. He offers plenty more than that too and his ability to set the tone physically will be key to this series and what impact Soares can have to quell his influence will be pivotal.

    Xavier Cooks v Jarrell Brantley – This power forward match up above all others could very well determine the NBL championship. Cooks is the MVP of the league on the back of captaining Sydney to last season’s championship and being Grand Final MVP. Brantley is in his first season at the Breakers but has been superb. He can play with physicality, with athleticism and is a terrific defensive presence and a great all-round offensive threat with moves around the basket and shooting ability. They are similar physical presences too so it’s going to be a truly fascinating match up and the numbers back that up. Cooks averages 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists on 58.9 per cent field goal shooting with Brantley putting up 16.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 46.8 per cent shooting.

    Justin Simon v Tom Abercrombie – Neither man is going to jump off the page and score a lot of points or put up huge numbers that grab the headlines, and nor will they match up on one another too much. But that doesn’t mean their role isn’t going to be pivotal on who ends up winning the series. Both can contribute offensively, but it’s at the defensive end where their true importance lies and who they get sent to for the majority of time is going to be equally curious. Simon is a previous Best Defensive Player and perhaps should have been this season. He delivered the best individual defensive performance of the season in Game 3 against Cairns on DJ Hogg and now it looks likely his coach Chase Buford will send him to try and quell the influence of New Zealand’s hot scorer Barry Brown Jr. Abercrombie is the Breakers captain and already an all-time great leading his franchise in most categories including games played and points scored. He remains a standout defender and he likely will be set to try and make life difficult for Kings point guard Derrick Walton Jr. Who is most successful in their defensive job will be critical in who ends up getting a ring.

    Watch the NBL23 Championship Series between Sydney Kings v New Zealand Breakers LIVE and FREE on ESPN on Kayo Freebies. Series begins March 3. Join now and start streaming instantly >

    DJ Vasiljevic v Barry Brown Jr – Again these two might not spend too much time on one another with the Kings likely to use Justin Simon on Brown Jr and Rayan Rupert could spend significant time on Vasiljevic. But either way they are the go-to shooters and scorers for their respective team. When the Kings need a big time basket and someone to dig them out of a hole, it’s the outside shooting of Vasiljevic they look to. And he’s a proven big time performer. Then there’s Brown and this Breakers team is built for their defence but it’s him who is their true offensive weapon highlighted by 32 points in Game 3 against Tasmania. Vasiljevic has had an up and down season but is averaging 14.0 points on 41.2 per cent shooting and 36.9 from downtown, but he did have 42 points and 10 threes against the Phoenix. Brown is averaging 19.7 points on shooting 46.8 per cent overall and 35.7 from three-point range. Who can get hot throughout the series will have a big say in the final result.

    Derrick Walton Jr v Will McDowell-White – Well what a battle of two high-class point guards we are going to have. Both are terrific playmakers and floor generals for their team, both are tremendous at setting up their team and finding shots for their teammates, and both can score themselves when needed. After all, Walton Jr did put up 45 points against the South East Melbourne Phoenix and McDowell-White has a season-high of 29 against Cairns. Walton has been tremendous replacing MVP Jaylen Adams as Sydney’s point guard. He was named to the All-First Team averaging 16.5 points and 6.3 assists a game on 47.3 per cent field goal shooting and 36.4 per cent from deep. McDowell-White has had the best season of his NBL career reaching the promise he’s always had averaging 10.3 points, 6.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds on shooting 40.6 per cent overall and 29.1 per cent from long-range.

    Jordan Hunter/Kouat Noi/Jaylin Galloway/Angus Glover/Shaun Bruce v Rob Loe/Tom Vodanovich/Cam Gliddon/Rayan Rupert/Izayah Le’afa – A big reason why these two teams are in the Championship Series is because of their depth and the fact they don’t lose anything going into their bench, and indeed receive a punch. The Kings have Jordan Hunter to back up Tim Soares while Kouat Noi and Jaylin Galloway are versatile enough to give a chop out in either forward spots and then there’s the experience and quality of Angus Glover an Shaun Bruce in the guard spots. The Breakers bench is strong too and technically Rayan Rupert will be a starter, but Barry Brown Jr will play more minutes in that two spot. Rupert will still be important with his length and impact he can have defensively. Rob Loe will be important backing up Dererk Pardon while Tom Vodanovich and Cam Gliddon offer hardness and experience, and then Izayah Le’afa is another weapon they have as a guard who can score, run the offence and defend.

    FINAL WORDS FROM THE CAPTAINS

    Sydney Kings captain and reigning league MVP and last season’s Grand Final MVP Xavier Cooks might be feeling nervous coming into the Championship Series, but at the same time is confident of getting those three wins.

    “Not many players get the chance to go for a championship so to have the chance to go back-to-back is pretty special, but right now it’s about this team and trying to get over the line,” Cooks said.

    “I feel like we’ve had pressure on us all season long. Since the season started, we’ve had a target on our back being the reigning champs and everyone’s tried to come at us. We’ve stood our ground so far.

    “Personally I am just as nervous compared with last year, but I feel more prepared. I know what it takes to get over the line and I know how much effort it takes to get over the line. Hopefully I can try and convey that for the new guys coming in, but I am kinda nervous.

    “I am very nervous and I throw up before most games and I’m a nervous wreck, but that’s what basketball is about and it all comes down to this. It’s three more wins and you win a championship.”

    Xavier Cooks of the Kings and Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers pose with the NBL Championship trophy.Source: Getty Images

    Breakers captain and four-time NBL champion and 2011 Grand Final MVP Tom Abercrombie never thought he’d be back in this position to compete for another championship, but is excited for the opportunity ahead.

    “It feels like it’s been an eternity waiting these last couple of weeks but we’re pumped to get Game 1 underway and get this series started,” Abercrombie said.

    “Obviously Game 1 is really important and you want to come out and set the tone for the series, and play the right way. We’re under no illusions about the challenge in front of us against the best team all season long, and the defending champs. We’ll have to bring our absolute best to beat them.

    “The time for reflection will come but you do think back a little bit on what we’ve been through the last couple of years and all the adversity.

    “It’s wonderful to be back in this position and to be playing with a team and a group of people who are about the right things, and gone about things the right way. It’s awesome that we’ve been rewarded for our hard work with a chance to go for another championship.

    “Everyone has a little bit of a chip on their shoulder with something to prove and that’s made us a very tough, and resilient group.”

    Source link

  • Twist in snubbed star’s future after Boomers stunner; MVP slams ‘keyboard warriors’ — Talking Pts

    Twist in snubbed star’s future after Boomers stunner; MVP slams ‘keyboard warriors’ — Talking Pts

    Todd Blanchfield once again lit it up for the Australian Boomers, making his immediate NBL future all the more fascinating despite being contracted to the Perth Wildcats, and now that the FIBA World Cup qualifying is done, attention turns to the NBL23 Championship Series.

    Following the NBL’s Play-In Tournament and then semi-final series, the timing was somewhat unfortunate for a FIBA window to present with the last of the World Cup qualifying matches to be played.

    Watch the NBL23 Championship Series between Sydney Kings v New Zealand Breakers LIVE and FREE on ESPN on Kayo Freebies. Series begins March 3. Join now and start streaming instantly >

    Next stop WC! Boomers thrash Kazakhstan | 00:37

    However, it did offer the chance for plenty of NBL talent to represent their countries and that included two more big wins in Melbourne for the Boomers but the New Zealand Tall Blacks were loaded with talent too — and so was the South Sudan team who made history amidst a bit of controversy.

    There’s plenty happening across the NBL too with the Brisbane Bullets loading up their coaching staff under Justin Schueller and having now re-signed DJ Mitchell while the South East Melbourne Phoenix are searching for their new coach following Simon Mitchell standing down.

    With the eight teams out of the championship race, they have all turned their attention to NBL24 but for the Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers, they begin their best-of-five series over the NBL23 crown this Friday night at Qudos Bank Arena.

    COOKS IGNORING ANY OUTSIDE DISTRACTIONS

    Whether it’s outside noise trying to bring down the Sydney Kings as a team or talking down his own MVP credentials or NBA aspirations, captain Xavier Cooks is having none of it leading into the Championship Series starting Friday night.

    There’s no mistaking that the Kings do carry themselves with a swagger that starts with their ownership and carries through to their coach and playing group, but they can also back up that self-confidence.

    That has also seen them put a target on their backs which does stem right back to the Grand Final series of last season where they embraced the roles of villains against the fairytale story of the Tasmania JackJumpers on the way to winning that championship.

    This season again they have been happy to embrace the fact that they feel people might not like them and you can’t argue with the success they’ve had finishing the season in top spot and then overcoming the Cairns Taipans in three games of the semi finals to reach the Championship Series.

    Along the way, Cooks has turned himself from a championship winning captain and Grand Final MVP last season to now being the MVP of this regular season in the NBL and to be knocking on the door of an NBA opportunity.

    Xavier Cooks.Source: Getty Images

    Cooks has also been happy to express his thoughts through the media and talk up how good he thinks the Kings are and how unstoppable he feels they are, and isn’t afraid to stir up some emotions whether it’s from people on social media or in opposition buildings he plays in.

    Cooks embraces that and takes anything those ‘keyboard warriors’ especially have to say like a grain of salt as he prepares to lead the Kings into battle in the Championship Series against the Breakers beginning Friday night at Qudos Bank Arena.

    Cooks’ focus is on a fascinating power forward battle between himself and Jarrell Brantley in the series ahead, but when talking about how the Kings appear to be the team everyone loves to hate, he embraces that.

    “A lot of those people are just people out west bored at home and tweeting stuff,” Cooks said.

    “Either you love the Kings or you hate the Kings, it’s creating a buzz in Sydney and that is what it is about.

    “I care when we go into an arena, and we get booed. That kind of fuels me up and gives me energy, but the Instagram and Twitter I don’t care about.”

    BREAKERS PROVIDE PLATFORM FOR FUTURE NBA STAR TO SHINE

    The New Zealand Breakers have quickly become the masters of the NBL’s Next Stars program and as a result of their foresight, 18-year-old French excitement machine Rayan Rupert has the chance to show his wares in the Championship Series.

    While the immediate focus for the Breakers is on trying to win the franchise’s fifth NBL championship over the next two weeks, in the bigger picture making themselves a destination club for future NBA players is something they continue to excel out.

    It’s been slim pickings in terms of success for the Breakers in recent years. After winning four NBL championships in five seasons between 2011-15, they hadn’t won a finals game of any sort since 2016 or played in one since 2018 up until this year.

    However, even during those lean years, the Breakers have embraced their role of being a destination to produce future NBA stars and you only need to look at RJ Hampton, Ousmane Dieng and Hugo Besson as examples of players to get drafted on the back of the development there.

    That’s why French teenager Rupert chose to go to the Breakers this season. He had all the options in the world at his feet about what to do this season to get himself ready for the 2023 NBA Draft.

    HS commentators LOSE IT over wild finish | 01:09

    He could have spent a year in college in the United States, he could have joined up with a G-League team or becoming part of the Ignite program, or stayed in France or play anywhere throughout Europe.

    However, having seen the success of Besson and Dieng last season at the Breakers and how much they developed to end up being drafted to the NBL despite the situation the team was in meant that it became an easy decision.

    It’s paid off and even if Rupert’s numbers aren’t jumping off the page with 6.5 points and 2.3 rebounds a game across the season, the improvement he’s shown physically and with his game since joining New Zealand has been stark.

    He is now a much better all-round player, is someone who can impact the game with or without the ball in his hands, and at both ends of the floor, and is a starter on a team now attempting to win the championship.

    Perhaps even more impressively is the fact that he continued to improve both as a player and physically even when he was sidelined with a broken arm.

    He now looks every bit a player ready for the NBA and could go close to being a top 10 draft pick in a few months’ time, but right now his coach Mody Maor couldn’t be more impressed.

    “Man, is he good. He’s not scared of the moment and is playing with complete freedom and aggressiveness on both sides of the floor,” Maor said.

    “I felt he wreaked havoc in that series against the JackJumpers for us for a few moments on ball guards and was really disruptive.

    “I think everybody likes to pinpoint the stuff that he does on defence because it’s really clear to see when you have this 6’7 gazelle running around and pressing the ball, and doing amazing things.

    “But he is one of our best north-south kind of players, he is aggressive and gets to the rim, he finishes and can make a read and pass. He is fantastic.”

    BLANCHFIELD’S FUTURE FASCINATING AFTER BOOMERS EXPLOSION

    Todd Blanchfield scored 51 points across two games for the Australian Boomers after taking the last 18 matches of NBL23 to do that with the Perth Wildcats and while still contracted, a former ‘Cats great believes he should look to move on.

    Blanchfield has had a strong 373-game career in the NBL but never has he found himself in a situation like in NBL23 where he was largely relegated to the role of a cheerleader at the Wildcats as he fell out of the rotation of coach John Rillie.

    At just 31 and with a sound body, and no signs of his game slowing down, Blanchfield appears to have plenty left in the tank and remains contracted to the Wildcats for a further two seasons.

    Despite that, it might very well be in the best interests of all involved to look to find a way out of that contract and for Blanchfield to find a new home.

    The Wildcats don’t appear to have a role for him. Michael Harris played ahead of him this season as a development player and looks likely to be upgraded to a roster spot. With Bryce Cotton, Tai Webster and Corey Webster there playing similar roles, it’s unlikely things will change in NBL24.

    It all comes down ultimately to what Blanchfield wants. If he goes to the Wildcats and says he would rather move on, it would be unlikely they would stand in his way because really, it frees up some good money for them and a roster spot.

    Todd Blanchfield of Australia, Daniel Grida of Australia, Mason Peatling of Australia and Rhys Vague of Australia look on during the national anthem during the FIBA World Cup Qualification match between Australia Boomers and Kazakhstan.Source: Getty Images

    Blanchfield could very well want to remain in the Wildcats and want to earn some minutes. It’s a big gamble to take because if things pan out similarly, he would have wasted two seasons of a career that should be seeing him spend much more time on the court.

    It might very well be that the Wildcats only allow Blanchfield to leave if he doesn’t play in the NBL, but he would be a natural to follow the likes of Angus Brant, Nick Kay and Rhys Vague to Japan should he want to.

    Ultimately it’s all going to play out in the coming weeks, but what Blanchfield did prove during the FIBA window for the Boomers is what he’s still capable of.

    Across the last 17 games of the season, he scored a total of 30 points and didn’t score at all in the last six matches the Wildcats played in including the two finals.

    But across the two games for the Boomers, he scored 51 points while shooting a combined 18/28 from the field and 11/19 from three-point land.

    That included 31 points on 7/12 three-point shooting against Kazakhstan on Sunday which is the best individual performance from a Boomers player since what Patty Mills did in the bronze medal match in Tokyo.

    Six-time Wildcats champion Damian Martin feels it would be in the best interests of Blanchfield to look to continue his career elsewhere.

    “I don’t think he’s past it, he can still put points on the board so if he wants to stay, there’s a contract they will honour but he would like the challenge,” Martin said on SEN WA.

    “He is competitive and even though he got leapfrogged in the pecking order during the season even by Michael Harris who John Rillie went with. I’m sure other clubs will be making that phone call to the Wildcats, it won’t be the call going out.

    “It will be the calls that are coming in asking what you are doing with Todd because you didn’t play him many minutes, we could use him and can we put to his management team and then let Todd make the decision once he knows what the Wildcats and another team are happy with.

    “But he won’t be going out there saying he wants out, but he will have to look at it if something is presented. When it comes to Todd, with Michael Harris seeming to be more in favour with JR, it makes it even harder for him to get out there next season in that position.”

    TALL BLACKS DEPTH HIGHLIGHTING STRENGTH OF NZ BASKETBALL

    The Australian Boomers aren’t the only nation gearing up for a strong FIBA World Cup campaign with the New Zealand Tall Blacks looking set to launch an assault on a best ever result with their deepest contingent of players coming together.

    Not only are the New Zealand Breakers back competing for the NBL championship this season as they prepare for the Championship Series against the Sydney Kings starting with Game 1 on Friday night, but the overall state of New Zealand basketball is strong.

    Just starting with that Breakers team and there’s Izayah Le’afa, Tom Abercrombie, Tom Vodanovich, Rob Loe, Sam Timmins, Daniel Fotu and Alex McNaught as homegrown talents all important members of the squad three games away from the franchise’s fifth NBL championship.

    Then you look at the Tall Blacks squad who have qualified for the World Cup to be played in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines starting in late August and it highlights just how strong of a position New Zealand basketball is in right now.

    The squad that won their last two qualifying matches against Saudi Arabia and Lebanon didn’t feature any Breakers players but still consisted of NBL players Sam Waardenburg, Reuben Te Rangi, Tohi Smith-Milner, Hyrum Harris and Tyrell Harrison.

    Along with them were former NBL players Jordan Ngatai, Taylor Britt, Ethan Rusbatch and Jordan Hunt with Isaac Fotu leading the charge including 23 points and seven rebounds on 10/12 in Monday night’s 106-91 win against Lebanon.

    That squad, like the Boomers team, might very well feature precious few players who will be there for the Tall Blacks during the World Cup with coach Pero Cameron to have some tough calls to make on who makes that final 12.

    That Tall Blacks World Cup squad will likely feature NBA centre Steven Adams with Finn Delany and Yanni Wetzell to be cornerstones up front along with Tom Abercrombie, Corey and Tai Webster, and if healthy, Shea Ili to settle into the back court along with rising star Flynn Cameron.

    Trying to replicate the heroics of a fourth place finish from 2002 is a lofty goal, but this Tall Blacks team is well placed for a World Cup assault and that’s why a veteran of the national team like Jordan

    Ngatai is so excited whether he makes the final 12 or not.

    “What you love about it is having those competition for spots and I know for myself, I’ve got a lot to do to try and get in that 12 but I love that challenge,” Ngatai said.

    “It’s awesome that I get to compete against these but then hopefully get to be their teammates as well. I think this is probably the first time in a long time where New Zealand basketball has had a great depth chart in basically every position.

    “Especially guys who have been in the States and then making a good enough impression during the Aussie NBL. Like Sam had a great Aussie NBL and deserved everything, and he’s done great to bring that to the Tall Blacks has been great.”

    NBL’S SOUTH SUDANESE CONTINGENT CRUCIAL IN MAKING HISTORY

    South Sudanese players are becoming key players on plenty of NBL teams at the moment and they have translated that into a passion to represent their nation and lead them to the FIBA World Cup even if their fans weren’t allowed to cheer them on in Egypt.

    Just this past season and all you have to do is look at the players in the NBL from a South Sudanese background and you get an idea of how proud a basketball nation it is, and why the players have become so passionate to represent it on the international stage.

    South Sudan has qualified for the World Cup starting in late August across Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines having dominated the African Qualifying stages with the world’s youngest nation preparing now for their first major tournament.

    You wouldn’t rule out the possibility of them being able to have a genuine impact at the World Cup either.

    You just look at the NBL talent they have to choose from and it’s a terrific starting point. Just this past season, and Sundy Dech, Lual Diing, Deng Acouth, Bul Kuol, Majok Deng, Deng Deng, Josh Duach, Makuach Maluach, Majok Majok, Junior Madut, Kouat Noi and Jackson Makoi were part of the league.

    That will only be a starting point for the team that South Sudan will take into a historic World Cup campaign but for a nation that barely existed a decade ago, it continues to face some unexpected hurdles.

    The African qualifying stage concluded over the last week in Egypt, but that presented a whole new set of challenges.

    All South Sudan had to do to secure their World Cup spot was to win one of their three matches, which they did first up beating Senegal 83-75, but it was a result that created history that was soured by what happened outside the stadium.

    A strong contingent of South Sudanese supporters had travelled to Egypt to support their team, but upon arrival were informed they were not to be permitted inside the stadiums to watch their team play, and ultimately make history.

    Officially security reasons were used by Egyptian officials for not allowing either the South Sudanese or Senegal supporters into the building, but either way it took away from a once in a lifetime occasion for the players to celebrate making history with their supporters.

    South Sudan might be a new nation but has a rich history with basketball and Luol Deng is a significant part of that.

    Boomers beat Bahrain in run to world cup | 01:01

    He was a genuine NBA star especially for a decade at the Chicago Bulls during a career that spanned 964 appearances and saw him earn two All-Star selections.

    He is now president of South Sudanese basketball and was interim coach in Egypt for the team. While proud of what his team accomplished, his anger over the supporters not being allowed in boiled over.

    “This is going out to FIBA, this is going out to the Egyptian Federation. Whatever’s been going on this week, I hope everything is being recorded how teams are being treated and everything’s been programmed,” Deng said

    “That’s an incredible story not only for FIBA but for African basketball. Our fans are travelling from states, travelling from countries, flying in. Nobody brings in more fans than South Sudan right now.

    “For our fans to show up at the stadium, there was no notice. We were never told that there would be no fans allowed in the game. We were told fans were allowed to come.

    “FIBA should be ashamed, the Egyptian Federation should be ashamed. Whatever is going on here, it needs to stop. Basketball doesn’t need this. This is a great story and we’ve been robbed today from celebrating with our fans who came all the way out here.

    “That’s the biggest disappointment that I have. We make history and our fans are now allowed on the day of making it. They didn’t announce it yesterday or last week, they announced it today. FIBA needs to look at that.”

    Source link

  • Boomers boss linked with new gig; Brisbane keen to put ‘frustrating’ season to bed: NBL Talking Pts

    Boomers boss linked with new gig; Brisbane keen to put ‘frustrating’ season to bed: NBL Talking Pts

    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.

    Watch the NBL23 Championship Series between Sydney Kings v New Zealand Breakers LIVE and FREE on ESPN on Kayo Freebies. Series begins March 3. Join now and start streaming instantly >

    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.

    Kings and Breakers to decide NBL champs | 02:08

    MORE COVERAGE

    Talking Pts: NBL GF underdog’s amazing rise after years on the road; delay to hand champs edge

    Champs book NBL Grand Final series with NZ but strange Sydney crowd act clouds triumph

    NBL admits crucial call was ‘incorrect’ after coach ejected in chaotic semi-final

    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.”

    Source link

  • NBL GF underdog’s amazing rise after years on the road; delay to hand champs edge — Talking Pts

    NBL GF underdog’s amazing rise after years on the road; delay to hand champs edge — Talking Pts

    The two best teams are left standing in the NBL with the Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers to face off in the Championship Series but they had to battle hard to overcome the brave Cairns Taipans and Tasmania JackJumpers.

    The NBL Championship Series is now set between the Kings and Breakers, but it could have easily been different with the Taipans and JackJumpers forcing both semi-final series to three games.

    The Breakers dominated the JackJumpers in Game 1 at home 88-68 last Sunday but Tasmania hit back impressively in Hobart on Thursday to win 89-78 in Game 2 to force the decider back in Auckland on Sunday.

    Watch every game of the NBL23 Playoffs LIVE and FREE on ESPN on Kayo Freebies. Join now and start streaming instantly >

    New Zealand proved too much led by the season-high 32 points from Barry Brown Jr to win 92-77 and book in their place in a first Championship Series since 2016.

    It then turned out quite the spiteful and heated series between the Kings and Taipans including Sydney coach Chase Buford ejected in Game 2, and he and centre Tim Soares fined for incidents in that game on Friday.

    Sydney did beat Cairns at home 95-87 in Game 1 on Wednesday but the Snakes hit back to win 93-82 in that Game 2 setting up a decider on Sunday. The Kings prevailed 79-64 on a standout defensive performance led by Jusin Simon.

    The Kings and Breakers will now meet in a best-of-five Championship Series beginning Friday March 3 at Qudos Bank Arena.

    The delayed start is due to the FIBA window this week which sees the Australian Boomers play Bahrain on Thursday and Kazakhstan on Sunday, both in Melbourne.

    It’s Breakers vs Kings in the NBL Grand Final.Source: FOX SPORTS

    PLANNING PAYS OFF FOR BREAKERS COACH TO LIVE DREAM

    When New Zealand Breakers coach Mody Maor put together his plans of building his team for NBL23, he had a clear vision both in terms of play and culture he wanted to create. It’s fair to say it’s worked and now there’s nothing he’s looking forward to more than battling the Sydney Kings.

    It was quite the mission that Maor embarked upon at the end of last season. He replaced the man he’s worked under around the world, Dan Shamir, and took over a team and club just exhausted after the last two years thanks to COVID and that needed an overhaul.

    Maor’s focus firstly was on working out the culture his team wanted to possess, the characters he wanted involved and how they wanted to conduct themselves. Secondly was the style of play to be based on intense, physical defence for 40 minutes and then efficient offence.

    On both fronts, Maor and the Breakers organisation have hit the spot perfectly to have now reached the Championship Series for the first time since 2016 as they attempt to win a fifth championship when things get underway against the Sydney Kings on Friday March 3.

    To start with, the Breakers nailed their imports. Dererk Pardon could be the best genuine big in the league at both ends of the floor and Jarrell Brantley is quite the all-round talent as a power forward as well.

    Then there’s Barry Brown Jr who provides that lethal scoring punch highlighted by his 32 points in a match-winning display in Game 3 of the semi-final series against the Tasmania JackJumpers at Spark Arena on Sunday.

    Bringing New Zealanders home with Izayah Le’afa and Tom Vodanovich was important too as was retaining local veterans Tom Abercrombie and Rob Loe, and adding yet another future NBA first round draft pick Rayan Rupert.

    Add in the experience of Cam Gliddon, the continued growth into one of the best point guards in the league of Will McDowell-White and the Breakers have not only been an outstanding team, but also one that plays with great heart and character.

    That clearly starts with their coach and the energy Maor displays is infectious, but his pure love of the game of basketball shines through too. That rubs off on his players and that’s why even when he’s demanding more of them, there is a genuine love there.

    Maor now can’t wait to take on the regular season champion Kings in the Championship Series starting next Friday and is proud of what he’s helped to build.

    “There is nothing in the world I am looking forward to more,” Maor said.

    “They’re the defending champs, best team in the league and this is what finals is supposed to be. You get to play against the best to see what you’ve got and we’re looking forward to it.

    “You don’t drag in what happened before into what’s happening now. The beautiful thing about basketball is that every season is a new book, not even a new chapter and we knew exactly what kind of people we wanted in the building. That’s where it starts.

    “The second thing we knew was how we wanted to play and we brought in people that fit what we wanted to do on defence and who we wanted to be as an organisation and as a team. Those were the first steps and the main ones.”

    Coach ejected after dodgy flop call | 01:45

    POST-GAME ACT SHOWS WHY JACKJUMPERS HAVE CONNECTED

    The Tasmania JackJumpers have won the hearts and minds of the community of the Apple Isle and what captain Clint Steindl did to try and brighten up a young fan in Auckland highlights just how genuine that connection is.

    Even if you just look at what the JackJumpers have accomplished on the court in their first two seasons in the NBL and reaching one Grand Final, and being within one game of reaching a second is quite the feat.

    It’s a better start in the NBL for any expansion franchise in the history of the league and they gave themselves a real shot of back to back Grand Final appearances with a stirring win in Hobart on Thursday night in Game 2 against the New Zealand Breakers.

    While winning Game 3 on the road like they did a year ago against Melbourne United in the semi finals might have eluded them with the Breakers winning on Sunday, it shouldn’t take away from what the JackJumpers have done.

    When Scott Roth arrived as coach, the club didn’t exist, the fight for the hearts and minds of the Tasmanian community was up for grabs and there was no such thing as a JackJumpers brand.

    Not only have the JackJumpers been successful on the court after two seasons, but what they’ve done within the community of Tasmania is even more remarkable.

    Suddenly so many youngsters in the state is dreaming of playing for the JackJumpers and are wearing the green proudly every day, and feel like they have a sporting team on a national stage that is truly theirs.

    That has taken a lot of work. The entire JackJumpers organisation has put in enormous time and effort to connect with the community and it’s paid off.

    The connection the state of Tasmania has with their team is unlike anything else in the NBL and it just happens to be a bonus that the team itself has battled above their weight and given them plenty to be proud of on the court.

    It’s that connection with the community that has a young fan like Henry travel with his family to Auckland for Sunday’s Game 3 and why he was so devastated his team couldn’t quite get over the line afterwards.

    When captain Clint Steindl saw that, he put aside all of his own emotions having just had his season ended and put Henry first. That’s why not only have the JackJumpers won the hearts of so many, but why Steindl himself has been the ideal first captain.

    “We did the handshake line and were walking off the floor, and the little fella was in tears,” Steindl said.

    “So I just had a chat to him and kind of walked off but saw my shoes and took them off, went back and gave them to him. He was still in tears but I just told him to keep his head up.

    “He travelled all the way out to see us get a win and unfortunately it didn’t happen so it was just something I thought I could do try and put a smile on his face.

    “As much as I tried, he still had the tears but maybe he can put them up in his bedroom or something and it will give him something to aspire to. That’s what we’re trying to do in Tassie and I just tried to help the little fella out.”

    Xavier Cooks wins NBL MVP | 00:45

    DELAYED START TO BENEFIT KINGS AND COOKS

    The league’s MVP Xavier Cooks battled through an ankle injury to help his team into the NBL Championship Series but now the 12 days before Game 1 against the New Zealand Breakers will be of great benefit to him and the Sydney Kings.

    The Kings came into this season as the defending champions and while they did have expectations by many of being favourites to go back-to-back, it shouldn’t be undersold their achievements to now be back in the Championship Series.

    Sydney lost all three imports from that title winning team with the departures of Jarrell Martin, Ian Clark and league MVP Jaylen Adams. To replace them was never going to be easy but they’ve done tremendously with the additions of Tim Soares, Justin Simon and Derrick Walton Jr.

    However, the key to any success the Kings have had this season has gone with their captain Cooks. Fresh off becoming a championship winning captain and Grand Final MVP last season, he has gone to another level in NBL23.

    Despite any arguments over the merits of Bryce Cotton winning a fourth MVP award, it’s hard to deny Cooks was a deserved winner and after all he was the best player on the best team in the league.

    Cooks showed his MVP credentials with a spectacular performance in Game 1 of the semi finals against the Cairns Taipans where he produced 27 points and 14 rebounds in a match-winning performance.

    He rolled his ankle early in the second half of Game 2 in Cairns on Friday night and didn’t return. There were questions over whether he would play in Sunday’s decider or indeed what impact he could have.

    Clearly he was not close to 100 per cent, but he shook off the pain to still deliver 11 points and 11 rebounds in his team’s eventual 79-64 victory over the Snakes to book a spot in a second consecutive Championship Series.

    The Kings will now host Game 1 against the New Zealand Breakers on Friday March 3 at Qudos Bank Arena and this is where the near two-week break thanks to the FIBA window before the Grand Final starting will benefit Cooks and the Kings.

    “Going back to the other night and they told me if I really needed him that he could play, but I just felt like in the moment he wasn’t very good in that game anyway, and it didn’t feel like we were having much of a chance to win it,” coach Chase Buford said.

    “It just seemed smarter to shut him down and give him every chance for this game. I know he was hurting and he battled like hell to play in the game and to play as well as he did.

    “He had 11 rebounds and I just can’t thank him enough, and couldn’t be prouder of him. He’s just a warrior and hopefully this extended layoff will give him time to get healthy.”

    TAIPANS DEFY THE ODDS TO GET EVER SO CLOSE

    Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde always knew he’d feel up against it trying to battle the bigger clubs and whether it was the change in officiating in Game 3, his team’s injury woes or a rough finals schedule, one thing never changed and that was the pride he had in his group.

    The Taipans did end their season frustrated on Sunday after losing Game 3 of the semi finals to the Sydney Kings, but they deserve to be proud of everything they overcame to get so close to the Championship Series.

    Even just in the semi-final series against the Kings, the Taipans started it having already played two Play-In Games just to reach it having lost to the Tasmania JackJumpers and then defeated the Perth Wildcats.

    Then they started the series against the Kings missing superstar forward Keanu Pinder and energetic guard Tahjere McCall. Then while McCall returned for the last two games of the series, they lost their cool-headed and efficient point guard Shannon Scott with a hamstring injury.

    The Taipans did win Game 2 on their home court on Friday night to force a deciding game back in Sydney on Sunday, but coach Forde always knew his team would be up against it with the dramatic way that game in Cairns unfolded.

    With the Kings unhappy with the way the game was officiated which ended up with coach Chase Buford ejected late in the game after disputing a flop call against Kouat Noi that the NBL later revealed as the wrong decision, there was a chance Sunday’s game would be called differently.

    As a result, the Taipans high pressure defence was getting called tight right throughout the game on Sunday and at one point the Kings had attempted 22 free-throws to just 11 from the Snakes.

    That was just one source of frustration for Forde post-match.

    The other was that with his team fighting so hard even without key players and with a shorter rotation with really only Sam Waardenburg, DJ Hogg, Lat Mayen, Ben Ayre, McCall, Bul Kuol and Jonah Antonio playing significant minutes, that they just ran out of gas.

    With the Kings having had nine days from the end of the regular season to the start of the semi finals, the Taipans had to play the games against the JackJumpers and Wildcats in that time.

    So by Sunday, the Taipans had played five games from the previous Thursday and it clearly took its toll.

    Despite the reflections on all of that, Forde was rightfully named Coach of the Year and he deserves to be proud of how competitive a team he oversaw all season long despite what they had to battle through.

    “A lot of that is skewed because they 17 foul shots in the first half so that’s bang for your buck if you’ve ever seen it,” Forde said.

    “We knew what it would be like going in because this is history repeating itself and they did it last year, and got the benefit of it. We talked about it before the game about the changes that will take place after fines had been paid and everything else.

    “So you flag it but that still doesn’t mean you let them off the hook when you see it coming, you’re just prepared for it. It is what it is, it’s a business right and about what’s more entertaining.

    “That’s the reality and we know what we’re battling with and we don’t shy away or pretend we’re something we’re not. We know we’re a community owned club who will have to find the diamonds in the rough and play our style, and not always get the benefit of things.”

    UNFINISHED BUSINESS JUST ONE FACTOR IN PINDER’S DECISION

    Keanu Pinder will have a sour taste in his mouth this entire off-season having not made it back on the court during the NBL finals and that could factor in his decision in wanting to return with the Cairns Taipans, but it’s just one consideration.

    What a three-year ride already it’s been in the NBL for Pinder. He started off in Adelaide as a big man seen as being supremely talented with great athleticism for his size and a decent outside shot.

    Well, things never clicked and then coach Conner Henry struggled to find a role for him and to have confidence in him to be able to go out and do what was asked of him.

    It’s fair to say it was a mutually agreed decision from both Pinder and the 36ers to part company at end of that 2020/21 season.

    That’s when Adam Forde came calling to Pinder fresh off being appointed coach of the Taipans. The two had already previously worked together in underage state programs in Western Australia so that connection was there.

    Forde was then prepared to back in Pinder to play a key role on his team and really, build around him with him being a focal point while giving him the confidence that he could be a genuine star in the league.

    The rest is history. Pinder has gone back-to-back in winning Most Improved Player awards turning himself into a quality player last season, and then one of the very best players in the NBL this season.

    Had he not missed nine of the last 11 games of the season through injury, he would have been genuinely a candidate for the All-First Team and in the MVP discussion, that’s how good he was.

    Pinder returned for two games from an ankle injury but against the South East Melbourne Phoenix on January 25 copped a stray elbow from Dane Pineau and hasn’t been able to play since.

    He suffered a fractured orbital socket and was bed ridden unable to let any light into his eye for some time, but this past weekend he was hounding coach Forde to let him play against the Kings.

    Common sense prevailed and Pinder wasn’t allowed back on the court, but had the Taipans reached the Championship Series and with almost two weeks until they are to start, he would have been right to go.

    That’s why he was so frustrated to have missed the chance to try and help Cairns win a championship this season, but now offers will come thick and fast for him.

    His two-year deal with the Snakes is over and given any club in the league could legitimately build around him, there’ll be no shortage of offers coming his way. On top of that, big money European and Asian clubs would love to secure his services too.

    It’s going to be the biggest off-season of Pinder’s career because this could very well be the biggest contract he ever signs and it could be life changing.

    So he has a lot to weigh up. There’s that love and appreciation he has for coach Forde and the Taipans for helping him reach his potential. There’s also the unfinished business to try and help them win that first NBL championship.

    Pinder has to weigh that up against also doing what’s best for his future both in terms of basketball and life. Right now, he will get over the frustration of missing out on getting back on the court then will focus on his big decision.

    “Honestly not being out there hurt more than I thought it would because I was very close to coming back,” Pinder said.

    “I felt like if we had won this game I would have been able to come back to play the Grand Final so I was really looking forward to that, and I was ready for that.

    “I wanted to play the last game honestly but they didn’t let me obviously so it’s all good. I’m very upset about it and I’m just going to deal with it in my own time I’ll be alright.

    “Something you will always think about is where you feel most comfortable and play your best basketball,” Pinder added.

    “I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m not playing my best basketball and stuck in a pigeon hole as just another piece of the puzzle.

    “I would rather be in a place where I can be the man and play the best basketball I can so I can reach my goals in life. So obviously it’s going to play a factor in the decision and we’ll see how things go.”

    Source link