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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Has our sport really become that boring?

This evening I stumbled across a random blog entry, on a random blog, from a random blogger. He was your average Joe, not a basketball fanaticist lunatic like the rest of us that read and write what you see on ...a stern warning.

This man attended an NBA game and seemed stunned by the level of pageantry and spectacle that goes on at a basketball match, outside of the sport itself.

Here's what It Blows My Mind! had to say:

Last week I went to a variety show in Atlanta and in the middle of the dancing and singing a basketball game broke out. I was chaperoning a busload of teenage hormones on a field trip in Atlanta. One activity was an evening at a National Basketball Association game. It was hard to think of the evening as a sporting event.

The warm-up before the game included dribbling, shooting and running. In addition several players were prone on the court and having their legs bent back over their head, twisted and messaged. It was apparently a chiropractic demonstration for the couple of hundred in attendance in case they should injure themselves exiting the game.

A game did begin, but only after an introduction of players that was accompanied by dancing searchlights, raucous music and flames belching out of a rafter-mounted cannon as each player was introduced. The heat from the flames melted my ice cream cone.

Part way through the game, one team called a timeout and the floor was flooded by a dozen mini skirted young ladies who danced and sang to some hip hop tune. I assumed it was modern music, as I could not understand a word. When they dashed off the court, the floor was quickly mopped by another group of scantily dressed nubile young girlies.

The huge scoreboard TV screen continually distracted the audience from the basketball game with contests, quizzes and mini biographies of the dancing girls we had seen earlier. During other breaks in the action (on the court) the screen encouraged the audience to dance and kiss their companions and play a game like the Price is Right. I was just getting into the swing of things when the damn game started again.

During half time we watched a five-minute game played between two teams of eight year olds, which was far more entertaining than the actual game. The grand finale was the Flying Hawk, a man dressed in a hawk’s costume, who raced down the court, jumped on a trampoline, did a summersault and slam-dunked a ball into a basket. He received the largest ovation of the night.

I don’t know who won the NBA game but nobody seemed to care. We had had our fill of pretty girls, fireworks, dancing, singing, gymnastics, explosions, and an endless menu of drinks, hot dogs and cotton candy. And I won’t even begin to describe the antics on view the next night at a National Hockey League game.

Oh, what has become of professional sport? When did it
become a circus sideshow? It blows my mind!

This all got me thinking. Why is it that basketball has always found itself dedicated to a sideshow performance at every game? Does basketball not warrant the same level of respect as other sports? Do we as basketball fans not value our sport in the same way as other sports fans? Or perhaps, did the invention of possibly the most famous basketball team ever, the Harlem Globetrotters, forever assign basketball as a sport of sugar-puff entertainment to the masses?

What do you think? Am I being too sensitive as a basketball fan and defending my sport -- do other sports suffer similar degradation in their half-time entertainment? Set me straight.

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Today's Warnings : 16 September, 2008

These are the true doldrums of the year for North American basketball fans. Proceedings are under way in Australia's NBL, but the NBA Summer League is over, training camp has not yet started and the Olympics feel like they were months and months ago. Despite all this, the blogosphere is still keeping you entertained. Check out Today's Warnings:

• You want some kicks with bling? Well what is more money than Monopoly? Carolyn at And One dedicated this post to me, as she knew I would love these shoes. You might have to mortgage a couple of your hotels to pay for them though, I'm guessing.
• There has been a lot of speculation flying around Australian basketball circles about the possibility of the Melbourne Tigers (amongst others) exceeding the salary cap. John Rillie has had enough and wants everyone to get on with it and play. As a player, he makes a very good point, that if you start thinking these types of thoughts at this stage, you might as well give away the season.
• Remember the Lil Penny Hardaway ads? They were fantastic. I still don't really understand what Tyra Banks is doing in this one, it's kind of creepy and strange in a way -- or maybe it's just me. Once again, fantastic work by NESW Sports, bringing us the goods from the world of youtubery.
• You may have been following the ...a stern warning NBL Season Previews (which were cut short today by the wonders of technology inhibiting inspiration). Glockers has also been previewing the recently commenced NBL season over at his site.
• Ballerblogger takes us back in the time machine to the 2001 NBA All-Star Game.
  
• You want world basketball links? Here you go.
• The Hoop Doctors diagnose the fate of Lamar Odom.

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OKC Thunder : Can you do better?

There has been a lot of criticism out there of the new Oklahoma City Thunder logo. We've seen everything from detailed critiques to hilarious cartoons about the saga.

Good friend of this blog, Jeff Wong (formerly of Hoops Addict and The Score) came up with a very good question: CAN YOU DO BETTER?

What we're asking here today is, if you can do a better job of designing a logo for the Thunder, then please step up to the plate. There is a veritable treasure trove of great designers out there in the world of NBA fans -- we've seen them time and time again.

So if you have the skills, please post a link to your re-design of the OKC Thunder logo in the comments here, or email them to me at mookie (at) asternwarning.com and we will post all of them here. Submissions will be taken up until September 20th.

Who knows... when the time comes to revamp the OKC Thunder logo again, perhaps Clay Bennett will come knocking at your door, with a cup of Starbucks in hand...

Actually, scrap that bit about the Starbucks, that's just taking it too far.

-- Mookie










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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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Injuries-R-Us : Blazers now looking at Livingston

Not content with the injuries that have befallen the team already in the past year, the Blazers are currently looking at cover-your-eyes-horrifically-injured Shaun Livingston this week.

After enduring a season without prized lottery pick Greg Oden, the Blazers saw injuries to stars LaMarcus Aldridge, followed by Brandon Roy requiring surgery this Summer, Channing Frye having bone spurs removed from his ankle and this week's news that Raef "Contract" LaFrentz will miss most of this season with shoulder surgery.

On the back of all of that injury misery, Blazers fans were surprised to hear that the team has this week been working out point guard Livingston as a potential fit for their 15th roster spot. The Blazers have already invited former Oregon forward Luke Jackson, popular Summer League centre Steven Hill and Jamaal Tatum to camp to compete for the final roster spot, but Livingston offers something none of the others do -- the chance to steal a player that was once viewed as one of the brightest young stars in the league.

Livingston was injured in February 2007 in one of the most vomit-inducing incidents in recent NBA history. The video of the fast break injury is featured below, however those with weak stomaches should avoid viewing -- Livingson himself has never watched the footage, nor does he plan to. Standing 6'7", he makes for a unique option at point guard and showed much promise in his time with the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the injury. Kevin Pritchard maintains that the Blazers are only taking a look at Livingson and refuses to comment on the progress that he has shown.

In other Blazers medical news, Travis Outlaw has been quarantined from the practice facility after contracting a golden staph infection. The Blazers can only hope that the doctors need not be called upon again in the near future, as they have encountered problem after problem.

On the bright side of things, the current situation gives newly acquired Ike Diogu a chance to contribute at power forward as well as the glut of swingmen including Rudy Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless and Martell Webster.

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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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Today's Warnings : 12 September, 2008 -- The Sequel!

There's so much out there at the moment, particularly from the Australian perspective of things, with the NBL season almost upon us, so I had to post some more Warnings today than usual. Also look out later for Part 2 of ...a stern warning's NBL Season Previews.

• Brendan Joyce wants a higher salary cap in the NBL.
• Patty Mills is back to the grind in at St Mary's after his fine Olympics performance.
• They're looking to do big things in New Zealand. Wait til the Breakers read our prediction on their success this season!
• CJ Bruton, NEW New Zealand Breaker.
• Andrej Lemanis on this season's NBL: "It's going to be a tough league," he said.
  "One of the things that's very evident is how deep everybody runs now.
  "Everyone has a really good starting five and they come off the bench and you think, oh, they've still got that guy and, gee, he's pretty good."
• NESW Sports has the list of the nicest bloggers out there. Oh shucks. But Ethan, I think you may have left yourself off that list.
• Torey Thomas wait is on.
  
  
  
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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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