NBL Round 4 : More Upsets To Come?

Already in Round 4 of NBL action we have seen the Wildcats beat the Tigers by 4 in Melbourne and the Taipans show up as rude visitors in New Zealand, winning by 11 at the North Shore Events Centre. Both of these, whilst not Earth-shattering, were upset victories for the visiting teams. Are there more upsets to come in Round 4?

Tonight the Wildcats try to follow up on their victory with a visit to the Wollongong Hawks. Kavossy Franklin has not been his usual self for the Hawks in the last couple of games and they will need for him to fire up if they are to beat one of the top form teams in the competition. However the Wildcats certainly have been relying on the streaky outside shots of both Darnell Hinson and Peter Crawford of late and will need their inside men to contribute to ensure the win.

A Stern Prediction: Wildcats by 8

The Gold Coast Blaze are visited tonight by the Sydney Spirit, as two of the lower rung teams of the league battle it out. Shane Heal is hopeful of leading his team to a first win of the season and pull them out of the situation of being the only team to be winless. Former Houston Rocket Juaquin Hawkins will be playing through the pain and that inspiration, along with a rabid home crowd, should be enough to pull the Blaze through to a deserved first win.

A Stern Prediction: Blaze by 5

Tomorrow night the Melbourne Tigers will host the dangerous Adelaide 36ers, who welcome the questionable fitness of Adam Ballinger and Aaron Bruce into the squad for the match. Adelaide have already shown that they are a team to be feared with numerous options all over the court, however the cornered Tigers will be looking to make up to their loss to the Wildcats and should please their home fans with a W.

A Stern Prediction: Tigers by 8

The extremely busy Wildcats will be in Sydney to take on the Spirit tomorrow night as well. This could be a rare 2008-09 opportunity for the Spirit to snare a prized scalp, with the Wildcats playing their third game in four days and possibly showing the signs of travelling across the wide Nullarbor. The Spirit have the weapons on a good night (Derrick Low, Matt Knight, Liam Rush, Dave Gruber) to shock some teams and this may be just that night.

A Stern Prediction: Spirit by 3




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Today's NBL Video Warnings : 9 October, 2008

Townsville Crocs News



Gaze TV Episode 4



Brief highlight: Isiah Victor dunk versus the Tigers






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NBL Round 3 : Blowout Round

So far Round 3 of National Basketball League action has been all about the art of the blowout. The round started with the Wildcats showing some 13 point home hospitality. The Breakers then welcomed the 36ers to the land of the long white cloud with a 38 point drubbing. The Dragons then paid a visit to the Hammer with a 17 point win.

Then last night the Tigers made much easier work of the Taipans than most would have expected, knocking them off by 24 points.

Tomorrow the Dragons visit the Hawks. The home team from the 'Gong will be looking for a stronger performance from Kavossy Franklin than they got in Perth a couple of days ago. One thing about the Hawks is they know how to fight. I would not be surprised to see an upset win from them here. Look for Glen Saville to defend his home court and Cam Tragardh to step it up. NBL official preview.

A Stern Prediction: Hawks by 5

The Crocs welcome the Wildcats to the not-so-welcoming Swamp. Look out for a JR explosion, backed up by the still recovering Rosell Ellis (the Love Doctor). The Cats are looking strong lately, as are the Crocs, so this should be a great match. Check out John Rillie's preview of the match, including some milestones that will be reached. NBL official preview.

A Stern Prediction: Crocs by 3

Other Aussie basketball news

* Memories from Gonzaga of Axel Dench and John Rillie.

* Kristi Harrower is trying to get back to play for the Bendigo Spirit.

* More hoops news from World Hoops Blog.



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Perth Wildcats CEO continues Heal-bashing via Facebook

Well, as has been mentioned around the NBL traps lately, all publicity is good publicity, right? The biggest news in Australian basketball circles of the last week has been the Wildcats v Blaze post-game press conference that saw Brendan Joyce explode at reporter Ross Lewis of the The West Australian, demanding he be thrown out of "the presser" for his treatment of new Gold Coast recruit, Shane Heal.

Whilst The Hammer seemed unfazed by all of the attention (he normally thrives on all of this stuff), his coach came out to bat for him, which ended up in a visit to Chuck Harmison's office by Brendan Joyce. Joyce was exonerated of any wrongdoing and given a warning by Harmison. However, it seems that Perth Wildcats CEO Nick Marvin is not happy with the war of words ending there.

According to an anonymous tipster, Marvin's Facebook profile currently reads "Nick Marvin to those who were at the presser: the hammer has always been a tool you know!" with a humourous play on words directed in Heal's direction. Clearly he was not happy with the result of the press-conference scuffle. These are clearly not the professional, measured words that would be expected of a team CEO, who would require his players to act with a certain level of class. In fact, I don't know why the Wildcats are even getting involved in all of this, given that they clearly have bigger fish to fry, like winning games. The Cats are in a position to do very well this season if they keep their heads screwed on tightly.

Meanwhile, Adelaide journo Boti Nagy, is not happy with the result of the of the whole situation either, claiming in a round-about way that there may have been a conflict of interest, or bias involved with Harmison being the investigator of Joyce's conduct, given their history:

"PATHETIC. The NBL's interim chief executive Chuck Harmison let his league down - and not for the first time - in his handling of the "Brendan Joyce press conference" affair.

You'll recall Joyce lost his mind at Perth journalist Ross Lewis for having the pound ! #@&%* audacity to raise questions over Gold Coast signing a 38-year-old Shane Heal.

Joyce wanted Lewis out of the presser but was told that wasn't happening by Wildcat CEO Nick Marvin. He had a further crack at Lewis after the interviews, the sum total of which led to another stellar investigation by Harmless-one.

No, he didn't contact Lewis at all before giving Joyce a caution, then reacted badly when some in the media brought up their former Wollongong CEO-coach connection. Hey, no-one even mentioned their playing days together at Nunawading. (Well, not until now.)

Considering Chris Anstey was fined $2000 for a gesture at the crowd, Joyce's a caution is laughable. All he achieved was curtailing coverage of the NBL in the west.

Well done to all concerned."

Nagy also made it clear on a recent HoopsTV interview and in his column that he wants to stick up for freedom of journalistic licence in the league, as the NBL needs all the reporting it can get. Obviously Joyce felt that his player came under undue scrutiny and didn't appreciate it and no doubt he crossed a line, but whether he was within his rights is a matter of personal opinion.

Back at the ranch, Heal managed to score 19 points, including 5 three pointers in his team's 17 point loss to the South Dragons. Mark Worthington did most of the damage for Heal's old team, with 20 points.

Photo Credit: Ian Munro
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NBL : Round 3 tips off with Hawks at Wildcats

Round 3 of NBL action tips off with the Wollongong Hawks visiting the inhospitable Challenge Stadium to take on the Perth Wildcats.

The Hawks have had plenty of rest after not playing in Round 2, whilst the Wildcats are coming off a 14 point win over the Gold Coast Blaze at the same venue. The Hawks will have to see a strong performance from homecoming boy Glen Saville if they don't want to fall to the same fate as the Blaze. Boosted by the addition of Dusty Rychart in the frontcourt this season, along with Sav, the Hawks will not be the easybeats that they were last season. Still, a formidable Wildcats team awaits them.

Stacked with talent across the board, notwithstanding the injury to captain Paul Rogers, the Wildcats will be tough to defeat. Darnell Hinson leads a steady charge of big men, along with the exterior firepower of Peter Crawford.

A Stern Prediction: Wildcats by 9

Other NBL Notes

As discussed here a couple of days ago, Tony Ronaldson has been a big part of the New Zealand Breakers so far this season, despite being 20 seasons into his career. His teammates recognise that contribution.

Highlights which John Rillie has watched too many times by now, of the Crocs v Sixers:

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Continuing with your usual scheduled programming

Well, I didn't exactly promise that I'd Be Back, but I am. There has been a little hiatus here at ...a stern warning, as I didn't have Homicide's portable modem to keep my basketball links chugging along whilst I was on the road in France. But, it's all systems go now... so I hope you're on your toes, as there will be more than the usual content coming your way.

Let's start out with a review of Round 2 of NBL action.

The 36ers and the Spirit played each other twice, once in Adelaide (with the Sixers coming away with a 10 point win) and once in Canberra (as the Spirit obviously won't struggle enough this season without giving away home games) where the Spirit managed to pull out a 7 point win behind some strong play from Derrick Low and the big man Julian Khazzouh.

The NZ Breakers showed that the Melbourne Tigers are definitely beatable, with a 9 point win on the other side of the ditch (I was actually a little upset with myself for not predicting that one). An all-round scoring performance from the Breakers' starters was the catalyst for the win, with CJ Bruton, Oscar Forman and The Bear all putting up 23 points each, relegating Kirk Penney to fourth fiddle with 20 points. Tony "The Bear" Ronaldson has been the story so far in my opinion for this team. He seems to have fit into his role perfectly and has been dishing out assists like a 16 year old McDonalds worker dishes out french fries. Could this be a renaissance season for the biggest butt in Aussie basketball?

True to John Rillie's word, the Townsville Crocs came back with a vengeance to knock off the South Dragons on their own turf, by 2. Whilst JR's shooting form is not back just yet, he did some dirty work to pull in 7 rebounds, leaving Homicide Williams to put up 22 points and Brad Williamson to chip in 16 in what was a fairly low scoring match. Rosell Ellis and Russell Hinder both had quiet scoring nights inside as well. Mark Worthington put up a very healthy 20-14 line for the Dragons, but Joe Ingles' 2/13 night wasn't of much support.

On Saturday the Crocs continued their winning ways at home, as they took out the Cairns Taipans by 4. JR's head games may have paid off, as the Snakes allowed the Crocs to get back in the contest with a 30-13 fourth quarter behind a Corey Williams explosion of 16 points in that term (31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists overall). Hinder came to the party with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Stephen Black (28 points) and Martin Cattalini (18 & 15) toiled admirably for the visitors, but there was no stopping a determined Homicide in the end, as he shot 10/16 from the field and 11/14 at the line.

The Perth Wildcats hosted the Gold Coast Blaze and the expected result, a 94-80 Cats win, came to pass. As NBL.com.au reported, "The Blaze shot just 35 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range and that was never going to be enough against a Wildcats team that nailed 12-from-23 from long distance and 50 percent from the field." The Hammer put up 28 to lead the Blaze charge, but they clearly would like Luke Whitehead to be back in uniform and will hope to see improvement from James Harvey as he continues to regain form after his ankle injury. The Wildcats had a solid performance across the board with six players in double figures, as Darnell Hinson set the table nicely with 11 assists.

So, how did the Stern Predictions for Round 2 hold up?

In short, not as well as I would have hoped. 3-3 was the record for the round, bringing the total so far to 7-6. Perhaps that sort of record is good enough to get you into the Eastern Conference NBA playoffs, but it's not good enough for ...a stern warning, so Round 3 needs improvement!

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NBL : Round 2 : Busy Dragons to take on Crocs

Round One of NBL action is over and the South Dragons have been busy little ballers. The only team to play three games in the first week of the season, Brian Goorjian's troops managed to come out with two wins -- both of them against the reloaded Perth Wildcats, who are smarting after the loss of captain Paul Rogers for more weeks than first thought.

Goorjian even managed to rack up his 700th career win at Challenge Stadium, after rallying his troops from a season-opening loss to the Cairns Taipans up north. Swingman Joe Ingles appears to have returned strongly from his Olympic campaign and new additions Mark Worthington, Adam Gibson and Mika Vukona have been absorbed into the side well. Imports Cortez Groves and Tremmell Darden look like they have an easy squad to work with where they won't have to shoulder the full load every night.

John Rillie's Townsville Crocodiles have recovered from their tough loss to the Adelaide 36ers and are ready to take on the Dragons in Melbourne on Thursday. The 36ers are stacked (like many teams this season) and may surprise many observers in 2008/09 (including the Stern Predictions made this preseason on this site), so the Crocs' loss to them should not be a major disappointment. It must be remembered that Townsville is in an adjustment process after a few injuries rocked their preseason preparation, along with the addition of key piece Russell Hinder and almost-addition of Rosell Ellis. In short, the Crocs are a team to be feared -- there won't be many nights this season where JR let's the opposition off that lightly.

Meanwhile Wednesday night sees the 36ers host the Sydney Spirit. This match could be a complete demolition job by the boys from South Australia if they play the same way they did versus Townsville. With Brett Maher knocking them down from all over, Aaron Bruce running the point, Mark Tyndale doing his best Julius Hodge impression and Luke Schenscher and Adam Ballinger filling up the paint, it will be tough for the Spirit to walk away with anything better than a 10 point loss. The Spirit will however get a chance for revenge if they do fall to the Sixers, with a return gig on Saturday, albeit in Canberra at the AIS, as they try to spread the NBL love back in the nation's capital.

In one of many very entertaining games this round, the New Zealand Breakers will host the Melbourne Tigers at the NSEC. This will be a very good test for the Tigers to see how strong their title credentials are. NZ are over-brimming with offensive talent, particularly from the perimeter, as CJ Bruton and Kirk Penney absolutely destroy teams on three balls. Rick Rickert will be a handful for Chris Anstey inside. But the real measure of the Breakers will be their interior D, as there isn't much going on inside apart from Rickert. Anstey, Rod Grizzard and Sam Mackinnon may well test that aspect of the NZers.

Friday night sees Shane Heal lead his Blaze boys over to Perth, where both teams try to rack up win number one for the season, as both squads find themselves at 0-2. It will be a struggle for the Blaze, as the Wildcats certainly know how to throw a party in WA and have the firepower to scare any team in this league. Meanwhile James Harvey is returning from injury and Luke Whitehead is still somewhat of a question mark.

Home cooking is always sweet. That is what the Crocs will be serving up on Saturday as they welcome the Cairns Taipans to the Swamp. Don't expect any niceties from JR, Homicide and the crew as they take on the 2-0 Taipans. Cattalini, Black and co have been firing well so far, but they will need to have rested well in their week-long break for this QLD matchup.

Round 2 Matchups and Stern Predictions

36ers v Spirit : 36ers by 11

Breakers v Tigers : Tigers by 3

Dragons v Crocodiles : Dragons by 2

Wildcats v Blaze : Wildcats by 13

Spirit v 36ers : 36ers by 1

Crocodiles v Taipans : Crocs by 6

Review of Round 1 Stern Predictions

Here are the results of Round 1, with my predicted winner with the margin in brackets, followed by the actual result in bold:

Taipans v Dragons (1) : Taipans by 6

Spirit v Tigers (12) : Tigers by 10

Dragons (4) v Wildcats : Dragons by 16

Breakers (10) v Hawks : Breakers by 21

36ers v Crocs (3) : 36ers by 27

Blaze v Taipans (11) : Taipans by 10

Wildcats (4) v Dragons : Dragons by 4

Tigers v Blaze* : Tigers by 16

Hawks v Spirit* : Hawks by 12

* No Stern Predictions were made for these games

Total Record to date: 4-3

Not doing as well as might be hoped so far -- I'm sternly warning myself as you read this!

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NBL : Round 1 return of Wildcats v Dragons

Round One of NBL action is almost at an end, with tomorrow's re-match of the Perth Wildcats and South Dragons being the finale to the round. The Wildcats will be looking to avenge their 16 point loss to the Dragons of three days ago, as Brian Goorjian's troops visit Challenge Stadium. The Wildcats are certainly missing the presence of injured centre Paul Rogers, but coach Connor Henry will have to pull them together to get the win. The Cats will be looking for a better second half performance from star Shawn Redhage this time around and behind the Boomer forward, along with Darnell Hinson and Alex Loughton, they should come out victorious. NBL official match preview here.

A Stern Prediction: Wildcats by 4.

Other games from Round One

There were no Stern Predictions made for the following games, due to time restraints, but today saw the following results:

Tigers 92 def. Blaze 76
Hawks 111 def. Spirit 99

JR was somewhat disappointed with the Townsville Crocs' loss to Adelaide the night before, in what sounds like was just an off night -- they happen to even the best of us sometimes, John.

Tomorrow we'll recap how my Stern Predictions have fared at the end of Round One.







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Will there be Homicide in Adelaide tonight?

John Rillie's Townsville Crocs have made the journey to Adelaide tonight to take on the revamped 36ers. Adelaide is sporting new recruits Luke Schenscher, Aaron Bruce, Mark Tyndale along with the old face of Brett Maher, the consistency of Adam Ballinger and the return of Jacob Holmes. Can they combine all of this into a winning team immediately? There is no better backcourt than that of the Crocs -- Rillie and Homicide Williams will be looking to turn the City of Churches into a cemetary, with the help of Rosell Ellis inside and the refreshed Russell Hinder. Adelaide are ALWAYS tough at home, but JR would kill me if I didn't give this one to the tight-knit boys from up north. NBL official match preview here.

A Stern Prediction: Crocodiles by 3

The Cairns Taipans make the trip down to take on the Gold Coast Blaze tonight also. Cairns are looking strong after a first-up victory over the South Dragons and despite the addition of Shane "the Hammer" Heal, the Blaze are suffering too many injuries with James Harvey and Luke Whitehead having ankle niggles. So expect the Taipans to get away with a decent win on the Gold Coast, as the Blaze warm up for the rest of the season. NBL official match preview here.

A Stern Prediction: Taipans by 11






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NBL : Dragons to be tested by Wildcats

17 Sept: Tonight the South Dragons host the Perth Wildcats, in what will be one of their biggest tests of the season. Brian Goorjian is calling this a do-or-die encounter for the Dragons in what is only their second game of this very young season. The Dragons lost a tough encounter in Cairns in the opening game of 2008/09 and though much is expected of this team, few would call this a desperate game to win. Perth will certainly push the Dragons, however the likely unavailability of captain Paul Rogers and the home court advantage should put the Dragons over the top. NBL official match preview here.

A Stern Prediction: Dragons by 4.

18 Sept: The Wollongong Hawks travel to New Zealand to take on the Breakers. Behind the addition of CJ Bruton, the Kiwi mob are looking to take on all comers this season and don't expect to find any challenge too great. Always a tough proposition to visiting teams, the New Zealand crowd will be itching to see the new-season version of this team in action. Meanwhile, Eric Cooks has been preaching defence to his charges during the off-season and hopes to restructure this team, which is led by the scoring punch of Kavossy Franklin. Unfortunate news came for the Hawks in that Steel City golden boy Glen Saville has a broken finger, however he will play through the pain. The Hawks still will not have enough to top the home squad.

A Stern Prediction: Breakers by 10.

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NBL 2008/09 Season Previews : Part 3

Here is Part 3 of the ...a stern warning NBL 2008/09 Season Preview. This was to be the final part in the series, however in a frustrating turn of events, the blogger software decided to delete half of the Spirit and the entire Townsville Crocs and Wollongong Hawks posts before publishing. So the final two teams will come tomorrow! Frustrating actually isn't a strong enough word...

SOUTH DRAGONS

The Dragons have burst from the flames of last season's disappointment to clean the slate for a new and exciting beginning behind the signings of all-time great coach Brian Goorjian, Boomers star Mark Worthington and a host of other pieces. After a 5-25 finish to 2007-08, the Dragons will be looking for a complete turnaround of fortunes with the new team put together this season. There is no reason that this team should not be pushing for a title claim.

GUARDS

Cortez Groves has spent enough time in the league to know the lie of the land. A solid scorer who enjoys gambling on defence, Goorjian will be looking to transform him into the player he was in Wollongong, rather than the one he was in the Dragons' season to forget. If he can return to his 22ppg 5apg 3rpg form, the fans have an exciting backcourt to rely upon this season.

Joe Ingles is still in South Dragons colours, which makes for a happy ball club. Whilst there has been talk that the super-versatile 6'9" swingman could be Europe-bound this season, there has been nothing concrete on that front as yet and it appears that he will play in the NBL this season before making his big shot at the NBA in 2009. His size allows him to do almost anything he wants on the court and he demonstrated during the Olympics that he is not afraid of playing in big games or taking on quality opponents, despite his slight frame. The coaching of Goorjian will only continue to develop his game to the level required for that next step.

Adam Gibson was one of the most prized youngsters to become available during this off-season. Viewed as a future Boomer, he has improved in all of his three seasons with the Brisbane Bullets until the team's collapse meant that he needed a new home. A good ball distributor, last season he averaged 11.5ppg, 4.0apg and shot well from all over the court.

Nathan Herbert and Rhys Carter were two of the best-performed players in pre-season games this year. The two youngsters shot the lights out for the Dragons whilst two of their teammates were playing on Boomers duty and their imports were not in town. They are unlikely to get the same sort of chance to shine with the full compliment of talent on board, but Goorjian-led teams always get the green light to shoot the three, which should suit these two just fine.

FORWARDS

Tremmell Darden comes into this league as a relative unknown. However the 6'5" swingman will no doubt be moulded into the Goorjian defensive mould, or else he wouldn't be in town in the first place. He is known as a strong athlete, with a good ability to penetrate. In short, a very similar player to teammate Cortez Groves. He will likely spend most of his time at small forward, whilst also playing off guard at times.

Mark Worthington has proven himself to be one of the premier players in this league and he will only improve this season after a solid Boomers campaign in Beijing. This guy does not back down at either end of the court (just ask Shawn Redhage) and will be many teams' nightmare this season. Capable of putting up 20+ points on a nightly basis, whilst also shutting down opposing forwards of all sizes, he'll likely be required to start at power forward.

Mika Vukona is the type of glue player that Brian Goorjian loves and was no doubt targeted by Goorj early in the recruitment process. He's not a big time scorer but will pull down double figure rebounds in a short number of minutes and plays solid defence. He is the perfect player to bring off the bench for energy down the stretch.

CENTRE

Nick Horvath is looking for a reawakening. Another player that appears to have been trapped in a South Dragons "Heal era" induced lull, he started his NBL career as an extremely dominant big man. Already in the pre-season and first up game against the Taipans he has proven that he is back on track for regular 20-10 nights and the Dragons will expect no less of him if they want to meet the lofty title expectations of their fans.

Matt Burston is as good as they get in terms of backup centres in this league. His early career in Perth promised much and it has only been injuries which have held him back from being a serious shot at the Boomers squad. The tutelage of the Boomers coach will definitely help his cause though. Look for a very strong resurgence from Burston this season.

A STERN PREDICTION

End of regular season prediction: 3rd

There is a recurring theme in the above analysis, Brian Goorjian. The arrival of the most highly regarded coach in Australian basketball history has set expectations high for this squad immediately. Goorjian's winning mentality and track record have made for his "homecoming" being the revival of Melbourne's basketball cross-town rivalry. The fact that be attracted Worthington, Gibson and Vukona into the fold helps as well. It is not often that a team that finished last is expected to challenge for the title, but I can't see them falling behind more teams than Perth and Melbourne this season.


SYDNEY SPIRIT

The name West Sydney Razorbacks may no longer exist, but the reputation as a hustling, never-say-die team that coach Rod Beveridge established last season will still be there. At least, it better be if the Spirit hope to avoid a wooden spoon finish in 2009. "Bevo" has put together a solid squad of youngsters that rely on defence and team work to win games. The two new imports this season will have their work cut out for them to save this team from the bottom of the heap.

GUARDS

Derrick Low has already stated in the media that he enjoys playing for an underdog, as he did in college, and the Hawaiian may get the chance to surprise some teams. Low seems to be the type of player who was born to lead a team from the front. He has a great outside shot which he put down in bunches during the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and he'll have to bring that to step into the ample shoes of the departed Darnell Hinson. The Spirit could have done a lot worse than bringing in this guy to lead the team.

Jason Smith was a publicity signing, if nothing else. After the finalisation of the Sydney Kings collapse and the Razorbacks' decision to become the Spirit, the approaching of Smith was the best marketing ploy the team could make to try and bring the basketball fans of Sydney together. Unfortunately for the team the Boomers defensive stalwart will be injured for the first half of the season, but his leadership from the bench will be a boost in the meantime. When healthy, there is no better defender at the two position and his outside shot is a constant threat.

Damian Martin's injury ten games into last season killed the momentum of this team, proving how valuable the terrier is to this club. His defensive intensity gnaws at opposing offences from baseline to baseline and he forms the core of Beveridge's plans to take teams by surprise. He is not much of an offensive threat, but knows how to get on the boards and is the type of player who will help out a team by his very presence.

Drew Williamson was a solid addition to the club from Townsville and will likely get a chance to show off his outside shot whilst Smith is still out injured.

FORWARDS

Matthew Knight is the standout of this team and had a spectacular rookie campaign, averaging close to a double-double. He will definitely follow that up with improvement this season as he tries to stamp his authority as the commander of the boards.

David Gruber is not the most heralded import signing that this league has seen, but he is a solid blue collar worker in the paint who will use his undersized frame to get on the boards and put in his share of dunks, as he has shown in his time in the SEABL.

Liam Rush at the three position is a player on the verge of making the Boomers and just needs to take an extra step in his development to become that player that teams key on defensively. An athletic player who can get to the basket, his outside shot has become reliable enough and he helps out on defence -- a must on this team.

Graeme Dann has been described by many as one of the most frustrating players in the league due to his outstanding potential and talent which he never seems to capitalise on. His big body and ball handling ability allow him to play anything from point guard to small forward and he shows flashes of brilliance intermittently but has not shown the consistency to be a regular contributor in this league.

Clint Reed can fill up the hole, however he will not get the minutes he needs to do that on this squad.

CENTRE

Julian Khazzouh is a young centre with a scoring touch inside, who probably doesn't rebound as much as he should. However with the presence of Knight and Gruber down low, he can afford to do his thing on offence and at the other end is a good enough shot blocker to cause some problems.

Tony Rampton has proven himself in many seasons of Australian and New Zealand basketball as a quality rebounder and interior scorer. He is the perfect big body to have coming off the bench.

A STERN PREDICTION

End of regular season prediction: 9th

This team lacks a quality scorer and thus, despite the defensive and teamwork principles that Bevo preaches, it will be hard for them to move out of the lower estuaries of the ladder. They will cause their share of upsets over the course of the season, but will not be the winning team that Sydney requires for the fans to get involved.



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NBL : It's Game Time!

The NBL season is here

A firey matchup is likely ensue tomorrow (13th Sept) as the NBL tips off with the Cairns Taipans v South Dragons. I'll keep a log of my predictions here on the site, so that I can be named and shamed when they are shown as awfully wrong as the season progresses. NBL official match preview here.

A Stern Prediction: Dragons by 3 on the road.

On Sunday, 14th Sept, the Sydney Spirit are visited by the Melbourne Tigers. Whilst this does not have the same punch as Sydney v Melbourne used to, it would be great to see a large crowd at the game. NBL official match preview here.

A Stern Prediction: Tigers by 12 on the road.

Other bits and pieces

Check out the first entertaining instalment in John Rillie's podcasting adventures.

Part 1 and Part 2 of the ...a stern warning NBL season previews are there for the criticising. The final part will be up tomorrow.

Do you remember British Knights shoes?

Shawn Kemp is in Italy now and he likes the sea.

New Dragon Adam Gibson is shamed by WHB's fashion police.

Hey kids, do you like Facebook and Luke Martin? Well then join the group to get the NBL to let him back into the league.

Should Coach K be leading an NBA team?

Keep up with the latest on NBA 2K9 here.

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NBL 2008/09 Season Previews : Part 2

With the start of the NBL season only a day away, here is Part 2 of ...a stern warning's Season Preview series. If you missed Part 1, you can find it here.


MELBOURNE TIGERS

Once again, the Tigers are regarded as the top ticket in the league this season. After the controversial signing of Ebi Ere from under the nose of cross-town rivals the Dragons, the plucking of Singapore Slingers import Rod Grizzard and the homecoming of former NBL MVP, Sam Mackinnon, few can argue that the Tigers go into this season as heavy favourites. They will also be marked men.

GUARDS

Outside of Darryl MacDonald’s reign in Tiger-town, the team has long been content without a pure point guard on the roster (remember Messrs Gaze and Copeland?) and it has not caused them any great difficulties. Coach Al Westover will be hoping that this is the case again this season, as Nathan Crosswell off the bench is the only player who could be regarded as a genuine NBL point guard.

Ebi Ere certainly knows no peer when it comes to explosive performances on Australian professional basketball courts. His scoring parlays have become legendary, dating back to his heroic Finals performances with the Sydney Kings. The Tigers were very happy to have snared his services as there are few in the league that can stop the swingman when he gets going – penetrating or bombing away from the outside. Ere is not known as a particularly strong player in other aspects of the game, but perhaps this is purely because his scoring ability outshines all other nuances so much.

David Barlow, fresh off an acclaimed Boomers campaign in Beijing, will likely be assigned much of the point guard duties. This is something that many outsiders question, as he has not been known as a great ball-handler or decision maker in the past and is best suited to being set up for the spot-up perimeter shot. However the reality is that the Tigers will bring the ball up court through a number of means, including the use of Ere. Barlow is one of the most promising stars of the competition. The “Prototype” has a strong NBA-type body and extremely efficient shooting percentages from all ranges. If not for the dearth of talent on this roster, you would think he’s set for a breakout season.

Daryl Corletto has long hung in the back drops for the Tigers as a sharpshooter, looking for his opportunity to grab the starting two-guard slot. He will have to wait at least another year to be given a starring role on this squad.

FORWARDS

Rod Grizzard is as versatile as they come. In Singapore he was forced to take on a scoring load in a losing program and the move to the Tigers will no doubt show other qualities in his game. The Tigers plan to use him at the small forward position and he will shoot a lot more from the perimeter than he did with the Slingers. He contributes on the boards, passes well and is a great defender – more than an adequate replacement for Dave Thomas.

Sam Mackinnon is coming off an injury-riddled season which also forced him to miss the Olympics. Reports are that he is slowly regaining his old touch and the Tigers will be hoping to see some of the 2006-07 MVP Slammin’ Sam, rather than last year’s beaten down version. Mackinnon has always given me the impression that he is much happier being an extra cog than the star of the team and he certainly will have that opportunity here in Melbourne. The superstar role player, for want of a better term, is one of the best individual defenders that Australia has seen and can guard everything from point guards to centres. His athleticism is still impressive, despite his numerous injuries over the years and his jump shot is much more reliable than it was in his early years.

Stephen Hoare, perennial sixth man of the year candidate, gives Westover an unspectacularly solid option off the bench to cover for either Grizzard or Mackinnon. An extremely efficient player who is not afraid to hustle, many teams would like to have his no-nonsense 10 and 5 game on board.

Tommy Greer has shown plenty of promise as he has been mentored by the various Tigers greats in recent years and he continues to bring his youthful exuberance off the bench this season.

CENTRE

It’s not often that a team can boast the league’s two previous MVPs, as well as a solid runner up to the crown, but that is what the Tigers have with Chris Anstey being joined by Mackinnon and Ere. Since returning from his European and NBA years, Anstey has been near unstoppable in the NBL. His propensity to sit on the perimeter has often been criticised, but the reality remains that he is a deadly three point shooter, whilst still providing a solid presence in the key on the other end of the court. After some strong moments in Beijing, he shows no sign of slowing down and could well take more than one trophy home at the end of 2008-09.

Daniel Johnson, formerly of Pepperdine, came home to Australia citing homesickness and the Tigers gladly took his services on as a backup to Anstey. He may struggle if forced to play major minutes early on (where injury or foul trouble strikes) but by the end of the season may well be a valuable contributor off the bench.

A STERN PREDICTION

End of regular season prediction: 1st.

This Tigers team is absolutely and undeniably stacked. The only question mark will come in their ability to handle the ball under pressure, given their lack of a pure point guard. Outside of that, they can shoot the lights out from one through to five, can defend virtually anything thrown at them and will likely boast the tallest team in the league. Anything less than a title will be a disappointment, but there are a couple of teams out there that have very solid claims to de-throwning the defending champs.


NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS

It seems like so long ago that the Breakers signed CJ Bruton, under much scrutiny. That of course was before the collapse of Bruton’s former teams the Brisbane Bullets and Sydney Kings. The Breakers have quietly been building upon last season’s strong squad and look to make push into the upper echelons of the NBL for the first time. They seem to have almost all of the right tools to take them there.

GUARDS

CJ Bruton has yet to reach the downward spiral of his career. The son of Cal Bruton has done a lot in his time, since that first big half-court shot for the Wildcats started his career off in fine form. In terms of running a club, Bruton is the class act that everyone else has to follow in this league. He proved this again with a solid showing at the Olympics last month. Once CJ gets on a hot streak from the perimeter, he is a game changer. His ball distribution is excellent and this will no doubt free up his gun-happy teammates from long range.

Kirk Penney has shown that his years in the NBA were not undeserved. The Tall Black has great size and range. His ability to put points on the board will only be improved this season with the arrival of Bruton to take pressure off him. Last season he averaged 24.2ppg (2nd in the league) and knocked down 3.6 treys per contest (1st in the league) and the number of open threes he gets this season will only increase.

Phill Jones, with two L’s, formed the other half of New Zealand’s long-bombing tandem last season. The 34-year old shooting guard has had some huge performances internationally for the Tall Blacks in the past and appears to still have petrol in the tank to keep it up for the Breakers this year.

Paul Henare has often been doubted as the point guard to lead the Breakers. A solid defender who lacks in the shooting department,. with Bruton on board Henare will not be forced to do more than provide relief off the bench.

FORWARDS

Oscar Forman’s game continues to blossom. A lanky shooter from deep, he has the height to cause problems for opposing defences and will help out on the boards as well, from the small forward position. The Breakers will hope that his emergence continues this season.

Tony “the Bear” Ronaldson is still getting around. His rear end has boxed out for many a rebound and he is still the master of the three after trailing on the break. The perfect veteran presence for a team that wants to win – the only concern being that he may not be able to hold his own on the boards any more as he used to and the Breakers may lack in this department at the four spot.

Dillon Boucher returns home to NZ from the Brisbane Bullets. A hard nosed defender in the mould of former Sydney King, Tim Morrissey, he has gotten under many skins in the NBL. His hustle approach brings a change of pace to Forman’s long range, finesse game.

CENTRE

Rick Rickert could argue himself to be the most dominant force under the basket in the league right now. His 6’11” frame was sidelined for all bar 13 games last season by injury (with fellow former NBAer Derrick Alston filling in admirably) but he managed 17.8ppg and 10.7rpg when active. He will certainly be the focus down low for the Breakers as there is currently no other force of note in the low block.

Tim Behrendorff has a big body which has yet to prove its usefulness at the top level. His size provides temporary insurance should Rickert miss any time.

A STERN PREDICTION

End of regular season prediction: 6th

The Breakers are talking much bigger things than sixth place at the moment, however they will struggle mightily on the boards this season, unless they pull another import out of the bag within the points cap to help Rickert down low. The loss of Mika Vukona to the Dragons may prove costly in this respect. On the bright side, the Breakers will shoot the lights out every night with Bruton, Penney, Jones and Forman treating opposing baskets like a shooting gallery. Making the six is a realistic aim for this squad and one that they would not want to fall short of.


PERTH WILDCATS

The Tigers may have the most stacked starting lineup in the league, but no team goes deeper than the Wildcats from top to bottom. There realistically is not enough playing time to get all of these players on the court and a slow early-season start for captain Paul Rogers through knee problems may prove a blessing in disguise to get other new front court players time to gel with the team in the early going. New coach Connor Henry is an unknown quantity, but has dipped his foot into the NBA waters and certainly has the vote of confidence of his players. The Wildcats are looking for nothing less than a title this season and they will come awfully close to getting one if they don’t.

GUARDS

Darnell Hinson was an MVP forerunner in the first half of season 2007-08, before slumping slightly with the fortunes of the Razorbacks. He comes to a team where he will not be relied upon for as much scoring, but will act as more of a distributor. He may prove to be the best backcourt player in Wildcats colours since Ricky Grace. The Mike Tyson lookalike is tough as nails and is the type of player that exudes playoff confidence – perfect for a team like this. His statistics across the board last season were very impressive and he will pair nicely on defence in the backcourt with fellow ball-thief, Peter Crawford.

Crawford has proven to be a team leader and consistent contributor since his move across from Queensland. His athleticism has been complemented in recent times by a sweet three point shot and he consistently helps out on the boards and forces his share of turnovers. Unfortunately he has been prone to turnovers himself, but with the ball in Hinson’s hands he should be free to operate without any undue pressure.

On many other teams, Brad Robbins would be a starter, but given the state of the league today he will have to be happy with a backup role with the Wildcats. The youngster is a quality defender and will look to snare minutes where possible.

Adam Caporn once had a promising career ahead of him and looked like a future NBL starting point guard in his time with the Wollongong Hawks. However injuries and lack of opportunity have set him back and he will struggle to get consistent minutes on this team.

FORWARDS

Stephen Weigh is the favourite for rookie of the year after a successful USA college run. He is known as a solid, athletic defender and can swing between the two and three positions. The Wildcats were lucky for him to fall into their laps after the demise of the Bullets.

Shawn Redhage will be fresh as a daisy at the start of this season after Brian Goorjian did not trouble him much in the Olympics, playing the perennial MVP candidate sparingly. Redhage (22.9ppg, 8.0rpg, 3.3apg) can do it all, scoring on an array of options under the basket and from mid-range. He is the unquestioned best player on the Wildcats, though he will be pushed for that title by Hinson and this next man.

Alex Loughton is one of the fastest rising stars in the league. If not for the presence of a mountain named Jawai last season, he would have taken out Rookie of the Year honours with his 14.5ppg and 7.0rpg. No doubt he will improve on those numbers this year as he continues to prove a future leader of this team.

Isiah Victor proved the perfect complementary import with the Sydney Kings last season. He was happy to toil in the background in limited minutes, deferring to the Aussie stars of the team and when he was called upon come playoff time, he was ready. His role with the Wildcats will likely be quite similar. With the number of stars in this Perth frontcourt, minutes are limited but Victor will bring his double-double ability every night, regardless of time on the court.

The most recent signing to this team, Ben Knight completes the embarrassment of riches under the basket for the Cats. Knight is the ultimate success story. A guy from the Western Suburbs of Sydney, he has fought through a tough upbringing and a journeyman career to be one of the most respected forwards in the league. He rebounds like a mad man and can hit the mid-range jumper. I bet he’s happy to be back finally on Aussie soil again too.

CENTRE

Captain Paul Rogers will possibly miss game one due to knee problems, which have beset him in recent years, however his mind will be set on being available down the stretch to take this team all the way. His size and experience gives the Wildcats the ability to match up with any opponent down low, whether they want to go big or go fast with Loughton. Rogers (12.2ppg, 9.2rpg, 1.2bpg), a former league MVP, may be taking more of a back seat to other teammates these days, but make no mistake that he will dominate in the paint when he is needed in the same mould as a Mark Bradtke or John Dorge of yesteryear.

A STERN PREDICTION

End of regular season prediction: 2nd.

Many are proclaiming this season as a two horse race between the two Melbourne teams, but I’m inclined to think that with the lineup that Perth has and the time that Rogers-Redhage-Crawford have had to mould as a core, they will be the ones pushing the Tigers for the championship trophy. The sheer depth of the Cats mean that a not even a mild earthquake could disrupt their season and they are filled with quality players that appear to be happy to operate as a team. The real wildcard in all of this is how coach Henry leads this group. With the talent he has at his disposal, it’s almost make or break for him in only his first season at the reigns.







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The Gaze TV NBL Show : Round 1

Here's a preview on round 1 of the NBL championship, with the Gaze Factor himself. Obviously this is very Melbourne-centric, but gives an insight into the adjustment of the Tigers' three key new signings. A couple of initial impressions on this video:

1. That is an impressively big microphone that Drewey is holding; and

2. Has Gaze grown or has Mark Bradtke shrunk?





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NBL 2008/09 Season Previews : Part 1

Today ...a stern warning brings you Part 1 of our National Basketball League Season Previews for 2008/09. This season sees one of the greater concentrations of talent in NBL history, due to the removal of three teams from the competition. With that shift in talent comes a lot of uncertainty, making it perhaps the most exciting championship to be decided in league history.

ADELAIDE 36ERS

Adelaide should be one of the most improved teams in the league this year. Despite the loss of star import Julius Hodge (whose NBA ambitions had to be submitted to), the Sixers have done well to recruit a stacked roster. Arguably the two biggest Australian signings were snared by Adelaide in the off-season, in former Baylor point guard Aaron Bruce and former NBA centre Luke Schenscher. They certainly had no problems last season in putting points on the board, unfortunately they allowed their opponents to do the same and they will hope to address that this year with the big red-head inside to intimidate.

Despite the key signings bringing excitement to the City of Churches, the fact remains that the two are untested at NBL level and existing teammates Brett Maher, Adam Ballinger and co do not know what to expect from this season.

GUARDS

Combo guard Brett Maher is an Adelaide institution. The sharp-shooter has seen a lot of success and more recently failure, punctuated by injury and off-court pains, in Sixers colours. As he nears the end of his storied career, he is lucky to have some support in the backcourt.

Aaron Bruce has proven at the collegiate level that he can run a team. He can score the ball and distribute well. Well enough indeed that he has had serious interest from NBA clubs in the lead up to this past NBA draft. He is a near certainty to be in Boomers colours for much of his career and Adelaide will hope to keep him around for as long as possible.

Brad Davidson was a solid performer for a struggling Adelaide side last season. His 13.3ppg, 4.5apg and 3.3rpg ensured a steady presence in the backcourt, whilst Maher missed much of the season. The Queenslander and former Townsville Finalist comes into this season with niggling injuries, so may start slowly.

Promising youngster Ryan Kersten will provide additional support at the point, along with Erik Burdon.

FORWARDS

Mark Tyndale is largely unknown in Australia, but comes to Adelaide with an impressive NCAA resume. He seems to the type of player that can do a bit of everything and will be called upon to play the two and three spots for the Sixers, covering the role left by Julius Hodge.

Adam Ballinger has been one of the most underrated and quietly spectacular performers in the NBL for some time now, originally with the Titans, then the Hawks and now with the Sixers. Balls does a bit of everything, from rebounding and shot-blocking to drilling three point bombs. All of this with deadly efficiency. He forms a solid base for the Adelaide front-line to rely upon.

Similarly, Jacob Holmes’ presence on the bench gives the Sixers an all-round weapon. Holmes returned to Adelaide, along with coach Scott Ninnis, from the South Dragons. Holmes is an undersized, yet excellent rebounder and can score inside and out. Not many teams can boast a player of his skill off the bench.

CENTRE

Big Bird, Luke Schenscher, is a 7’1” pillar to be reckoned with in the key. His size combined with skill is near to unprecedented at NBL level and he certainly will provide the Sixers with a second layer of defence, despite his apparent lack of foot-speed. He can score steadily inside on simple shots and will grab his fair share of rebounds, complementing Ballinger well.

David Cooper is somewhat the opposite of Schensch inside. An undersized energy player, he will block shots like crazy when on court and relies on his agility and hustle to help the team out, making him a fan favourite wherever he goes.

A STERN PREDICTION

End of regular season prediction: 7th

Despite great strides in the off-season, the ten team competition means that every squad is stacked, so the Sixers have merely kept with the status quo of the league. Add that to the fact that a new coach and new key components to the roster will take some getting used to, and the Sixers will struggle to crack the top six.

CAIRNS TAIPANS

Once again the Taipans have built an impressive roster going into this season. They seem to be loaded with stars at every position and the loss of Nathan Jawai to the NBA has been nicely covered by the addition of do-it-all Canadian Dave Thomas and former King, Ian Crosswhite. However, as with last season, much will come down to the health of Stephen Black, Martin Cattalini and Darnell Mee.

GUARDS

Stephen Black is as good as they come in the NBL right now as a backcourt shooter. The fact that he has been unavailable for Boomers duties in recent times is nothing but a shame. He has encountered his fair share (or an unfair share) of injuries and once again this will be a concern for the ‘Pans going into 2008-09. Not many around the league can produce the quality of his 17 and 5 game, but can he keep it on the court? He played 31 games last season. Will he replicate or beat that? That is the question.

Darnell Mee is another example of a player who has shown so much skill and class in his time, yet currently struggles to be there for tip-off time. Mee is the type of player who can control both ends of the court and has the size to give nightmares to opposing backcourts. His naturalisation was a boon for the Boomers which soon after turned into disappointment as he appeared not to have the same gas in the tank as he used to. If the supporting cast is on target, then he can be a great piece to complement the rest of this squad.

Gary Boodnikoff will swing between the two and the three positions and provides an excellent touch from the outside, coupled with good size. After an extremely promising 2005-06 season, he never seems to have recovered from a 2006 injury which has seen his remarkable shooting percentages plummet. The Taipans will be hoping that he is back to this old form (15ppg, 5rpg, 51% FG) and can lead the charge where Mee and Black miss time.

Kerry Williams and Scott Cook are two promising guards whose numbers will be called if injury strikes the aforementioned stars.

FORWARDS

Martin Cattalini is a perennial MVP candidate who missed half of last season with an achilles injury and will be preparing to come back firing in 2008-09. 2006-07 saw what Catt is capable of, with a 24 and 7 season making him a near unstoppable target for opposing defences. Look for him to return resoundingly this season as he tries to bring the Taipans back to prominence.

Dave Thomas is one of the most respected players in the NBL and has proven that he will fit into any squad in his time with both Canberra and Melbourne. As one of the league’s premier defenders, his arrival in Cairns was met with much fanfare. More than anyone, Thomas’ tempo-setting play may determine the fate of the team this season.

Larry Abney, “the Birdman” will man both the power forward and centre spot this season. His high-flying play is not as impressive as it was when he first entered the league with Townsville, but he certainly is capable of putting up a double-double every night and setting the crowd alight with some impressive jams. The arrival of a big man inside may mean that Abney can ply his trade more efficiently at the four position.

Aaron Grabau is a Taipans institution. Having his number retired this week, the athletic swingman will fill in admirably off the bench and play his trademark defence and put down the dunks afforded to him. The type of player that every team needs.

CENTRE

Ian Crosswhite proved himself to be a surprisingly versatile big man in his time with the Sydney Kings. As someone who is a legitimate 6’11”, yet can pass the ball out of the high post and can even occasionally knock down an outside jumper, Cairns did well to secure him from the Kings fallout. Abney will likely start at centre, but Crossy will no doubt play a large number of minutes, particularly against teams with solid centres like New Zealand and Perth.

Matt Smith has been a success story in his short in and out of the squad and provides energy when called upon at the end of the bench. When given the opportunity he performs.

A STERN PREDICTION

End of regular season prediction: 4th

Much of this team’s showing depends on injuries and the potential continued decline of Darnell Mee. Fourth would appear that the best that this team can hope for, but realistically they could fall anywhere from 3rd through to 6th. They certainly play all of the right cards in terms of having shooters, solid defenders and low post scorers – they just need to put it all together this season or risk another disappointment.


GOLD COAST BLAZE

The Blaze are potentially the hardest team to predict in this championship. They have an aged superstar at the point, backed up by a totally unproven youngster. Their go-to player at shooting guard is injured as the season commences. They have a quality import who has guarded Michael Jordan in the NBA who is returning from a stroke. Their other import is an undersized power forward who arrived halfway through last season and a series of retreads and journeymen manning the rest of their front court arsenal. Their new coach, Brendan Joyce has had a mixture of championship success and bottom-of-the-barrel failure and will try to mould this into a team that overachieves.

GUARDS

Shane Heal is no doubt the most well known name still in Australian basketball. He can shoot the ball with alarming range and brings cockiness to any squad he joins. However his recent adventures with the South Dragons have been panned by many as a failure and the results certainly indicated as much. Playing under friend Joyce may mould his game into a strong veteran presence and take away the stress of captain-coaching that he had in Victoria. There will be plenty of people looking to see the Hammer fail on the Gold Coast and the blonde bomber will do everything in his power to prove them wrong.

James Harvey is one of the best flat-out scorers in the league. His career has been one that has constantly just fallen short of greatness, most recently culminating in his omission from the Beijing Boomers squad which disappointed him immensely. He will be looking to prove Brian Goorjian wrong on that front, but will first need to recover from an ankle injury which has sidelined him for the pre-season and threatens to do so for some weeks to come. When he is healthy in the backcourt with Heal, defenders better look out on that perimeter.

Daniel Joyce has had a tonne of criticism lumped on his slight shoulders in his short time in the league. Labelled as turnover prone and a poor shooter, many claim he has only had minutes in his previous time in Wollongong due to nepotism. Many forget that he is only 20 years of age and still has plenty of room for growth. The situation with the Blaze will give him ample room for that development as he is the sole backup plan should Heal missed extended time, which is not unlikely at his age. Joyce is in a sink or swim situation and his father will give him every opportunity to swim.

Tyson Demos is an as yet unproven commodity at the two guard who may get a chance to show his athleticism with Harvey’s potential absence.

FORWARD

A large amount of shock ensued in the Gold Coast community when Juaquin Hawkins last year went down with a stroke. The team confirmed that they wanted him back and he is ready to go for the new season. A powerful top-notch defender at the 2/3, he will likely get the toughest assignments on that end of the court. His offensive contributions are not on par with those traditionally expected of an import, but with the backcourt that the Blaze have, he won’t be touching the ball all that much anyway.

Luke Whitehead is as unassuming as they come at the power forward position. Standing barely over 6’6”, he still managed to grab close to 10 rebounds per game last season, after arriving late to cover for Hawkins subsequent to his health scare. Statistically he has not impressed greatly in other categories, but the Blaze must like what they see as they have asked him to start afresh in 2008. Like Harvey, he opens the season with a potential setback through an ankle injury.

Pero Cameron continues to be a force, 120kg of force. The former World 1st Team member is 34 years old, but his game does not rely on athleticism, rather an unwieldy combination of finesse and brute force. Known for his ability to shoot the three and then power layups underneath, his body mass makes him one of the harder players to control. The big Kiwi’s contributions both on and off the court will be valuable to the Blaze.

Casey Frank is an impact player. A crowd favourite for his spectacularly surprising dunks in traffic, he has been somewhat inconsistent at times. The Blaze hope to get more of the massive games that he has already shown in this pre-season. Perhaps this is the season where he becomes a consistent force in this league.

Scott McGregor has seen a few NBL teams in the period between his Baby Boomer Under-23 Gold Medal and now. His Finals experience and all-round ability on the court are vital in leading this team. Whilst he may not be the leading scorer on a nightly basis, he certainly will be one of the most vocal in the locker room and will cover where gaps arise on the court.

CENTRE

Ben Melmeth, Mr Expansion Team, has played for almost every new team that has come into this league in recent times. From Hunter, to New Zealand, to Singapore to the Gold Coast he’s certainly seen his fair share of startup clubs. A soft touch in the paint along with a solid body to box out with makes him the stereotypical mobile centre. He lacks the size and shot blocking ability of some of the games behemoths and that is where the Blaze will struggle at times. They could do a lot worse than having Melmeth in the middle though.

Greg Vanderjagt, recently described by former teammate John Rillie as having hands like feet, will get his chances to play with the Blaze. His big body makes him an ever-tantalizing proposition to develop, however he has yet to reach anything more than backup status.

A STERN PREDICTION

End of regular season prediction: 8th

As must be clear by now, much of this team’s fortunes will hinge on the injury status of Harvey and Whitehead and the ability for Heal to lead this team, without grabbing too much of the spotlight for himself. They have a solid stable of big men, none of which is particularly dominant and I’m sure they wish they could trade one of those forwards for a solid veteran guard to backup Heal and Harvey. Eighth may even be a stretch for this squad, with the wooden spoon a not unlikely possibility.

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NBL News : Aaron Bruce, Sydney Spirit, Jason Castro

The Sydney Spirit naming saga continues. According to the Bendigo Advertiser, Bendigo Spirit chairman Jock Clark has unleashed a stinging attack on Basketball Australia for its handling of the Sydney Spirit name controversy.

The National Basketball League was expected to rule on whether Sydney could keep the Spirit name at a board meeting on Thursday night.

However, the NBL board has deferred its ruling - asking Basketball Australia and NBL chief executive Scott Derwin to provide further information before the final decision is made.

A fired up Clark said Bendigo had been shown no respect by Basketball Australia.

“We gave birth to the Spirit name, we came up with it . . . what has Sydney done to deserve it,’’ Clark said.

Aaron Bruce has become the second major recruiting coup of the off-season for the Adelaide 36ers, after the earlier addition of former NBA centre Luke Schenscher. Bruce should have a fine NBL career, provided he doesn't get lured overseas again after having a crack at making an NBA squad this past month. His father revealled that Bruce was offered contracts in Italy and Germany for similar money to that which the Sixers signed him for. Perth and New Zealand were also trying to gain his signature. Now the 36ers just have to secure a second import and it appears that Julius Hodge will no longer be that man:

Adelaide coach Scott Ninnis said he was surprised by reports Hodge had committed to the Tigers but confident Adelaide would make strong signings to finalise it's roster.

"It was quite interesting to read that because we've received a verbal commitment as well," Ninnis said.

"I looked at that (Herald Sun article) with some interest but from our point of view we haven't been sitting back on our hands waiting for Julius Hodge to decide whether he's going to come back or not.”

Jason Castro isn't so attracted to the Singapore Slingers since they pulled out of the NBL and is trying to make his way back to the Phillipines and make his first stint in the PBA, after being PBL MVP three times. His agent is looking at a 50% buyout.

Point guard Shane McDonald is still excited about his prospects with the Slingers this season. It appears that they may still play some NBL teams in the near future.

"It is pretty exciting," McDonald said. "The club has made offers to the top teams in China, Korea, the Philippines and also Australia. A couple of teams are very interested in playing.

"So we might still play a couple of NBL sides this year."

McDonald said he had been left in a much better position than players from former NBL clubs Sydney and Brisbane, who dropped out of the league after last season.

"We are in a much different situation," McDonald said. "Those guys were left with nothing while we have had our contracts guaranteed and are still training together.

"I have a contract for the next eight months so I will be able to keep playing professional basketball."

The Slingers finished bottom of the NBL ladder last season but signed a number of promising players.

"We would have given the NBL a real shake this season," McDonald said. "We have a great group here and have been looking great.

"I am sad I won't be coming back to Australia as much this season but we have a great group here.

"The club wants to start a new Asian league next year so these matches could be the start of that."

Slingers stay closer to home

As was reported yesterday, the Slingers will no longer take part in 2008/09 NBL season. A representive of the Slingers made it clear in this comment that all player contracts will be honoured and in fact the Singaporean government has not withdrawn its support of the franchise.

Rather, the move for Singapore comes as a result of the increased travel costs associated with the NBL competition since the departure of the Sydney Kings and Brisbane Bullets. Presumably, this refers to the fact that the amended schedule would require more flights to cities which are not as economically feasible as flying to Sydney or Brisbane (two major hubs in Australia).

The Slingers have released this press release stating that the team will be playing in an Asian Professional League, which they presumably are in talks to construct, along with teams from Korea, Philippines, Japan and China.

“We had every intention to play our third season in the NBL and had recruited a team to be very competitive and more relevant to Singapore, with three players of Asian heritage on the roster”, said Slingers Managing Director Bob Turner.

“In spite of the team’s financial readiness to participate, the recent withdrawal of two keyteams from the NBL has had a negative impact on our business model and led to anunanticipated increase in travel costs. When the NBL could not accede to our request to help defray the exorbitant and rising travel costs, the board of the Slingers took the painful but necessary decision to leave the NBL and pursue the possibility of playing in a professional league in Asia instead”.

NBL news : Singapore Slingers next on the chopping block?

Recognition goes to JR, On Fire for first alerting a stern warning to this news.

It appears that the Singapore Slingers may be the next casualty of this NBL off-season. After having lost the Sydney Kings and Brisbane Bullets already, due to financial difficulties, the Slingers may also be unlikely to start the 2008-09 NBL season.

According to rumours circulating on OzHoopsBoards, "it seems that the Singapore Slingers will not compete this season. The NBL is down to ten teams. With the league review rumoured to force the Slingers out in 09/10, the Singapore government may have pulled the pin early."

The Slingers were heavily funded by the Singapore government and as such appeared to be one of the stronger financially backed teams in the league. Unfortunately, with that backing walking out the door, the Slingers immediately become an unviable entity.

There is much talk of the NBL moving to Australian soccer's A-League format, with a reduction in teams to concentrate on one team in each major geographical centre. There is a suggestion that this would not have involved a team from South East Asia under the current review being undertaken.

I should note in all this, that this is only a rumour at this stage with no confirmation from either the league, nor the team. I can only hope that it is not indeed true and that something happens to change this.

Singapore were going to be an interesting team to watch this season. They have heavily recruited in the off-season and brought in a cosmopolitan mix of players to better draw the fans in. Imports Darius Rice and Eric Sandrin looked to be exciting additions who have both dabbed into the NBA. Jason Castro from the Phillipines brought a totally different element of fan base to the team and would have played well alongside new acquisition Darren Ng from Adelaide. Ben Knight, captain of the Slingers, must be the most disappointed. He has been with the team since their inception into the league and will struggle to fit his player points into another team's cap before the season starts.

Most of the Australian-born players will likely have real difficulties in getting an NBL job this season without some points cap concessions.

UPDATE: from John Rillie, "What I'm hearing though is all player contracts will be honoured and the club is trying to play 15 exhibition games in Singapore in the upcoming months. I'm not sure what playing exhibition games will do for a franchise without a league but I do not know the Singapore market at all.This concept is interesting but knowing Bob Turner he must have something in the pipeline. Maybe the Slingers will join an Asian league? Would the Chinese CBA look at a team from Singapore?"

I wonder if they could try to get a run in the American CBA. Didn't a Chinese team do that a year or two back?