Crosscourt special: The burning questions facing every NBL team in the run home
Talent-laden Adelaide has teased what it is capable of but lapses like the record-breaking New Year’s Eve choke remind the 36ers are still a work in progress.
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With less than five weeks until the end of the NBL23 regular season, for some teams, things are getting desperate, while for others, it’s all about staying healthy and finding form at the right time.
Michael Randall and Matt Logue answer each team’s burning question in the run home.
Is Adelaide contender or pretender?
Just when you thought the real Adelaide had finally stood up, the 36ers produced a record-equalling New Year’s Eve disintegration to put paid to a four-game winning streak and remind everyone of their early-season problems. Off-court, business is booming. On-court, they’re mixing the sublime with the subpar. Up 18 against the Taipans in the last quarter, the Sixers looked thoroughly disinterested and were tipped back out of the top six. If they want to make noise in the finals, lapses like this simply must not happen. Loads of talent, but do they have the desire to find the chemistry to put it together as the season gets busy?
Is the turmoil over in Brisbane?
Look, probably not. They’ve signed a new import, got some cattle back on the court, appointed Greg Vanderjagt as coach for the run home and knocked over Perth to snap a five-game losing streak. But, despite assurances from chief executive Peter McLennan, questions remain over the long-term viability of Sam Mackinnon’s role as general manager, who will be the coach next season and beyond and whether the club can convince Aron Baynes it has turned a corner and keep him in Bullets’ colours next season.
Do we have to admit Fordey was right and just about everyone else was wrong?
Combative Taipans coach Adam Forde took umbrage when most basketball pundits wrote off his team in the pre-season. They didn’t have much to go on, though: the Taipans finished second last in NBL22 and came into NBL23 with a revamped roster. After a bright start to the season, a few cracks were beginning to appear with back-to-back losses and injury to Keanu Pinder. But a record-equalling comeback on New Year’s Eve against Adelaide without their MVP candidate showed there’s plenty of fight in the backs-against-the-wall Taipans. Think they’ll slip out of the top six? Not on Fordey’s watch — provided Pinder can get back to his best.
Have Hawk heads got anything to look forward to?
After back-to-back semi-final appearances, it’s a shame the Hawks have become the league’s whipping boys, but they really only have themselves to blame. A low-ball offer to Defensive Player of the Year Antonius Cleveland, the departure of master coach Brian Goorjian and a boardroom blue between owners has hurt the club — and the fans are staying away. Hawk heads have been urged to get behind their team but they need to see something back. Rookie coach Jacob Jackomas might actually be their shining light. A ripping bloke who has the respect of his peers, including United coach Dean Vickerman, Jackomas has endured a baptism of fire but handled himself with professionalism. Late-import signing Michael Frazier has been a bright spot and young Boomer Sam Froling continues to improve, but another year of watching Tyler Harvey score 19 points on 20 shots might be too much to bear.
Is it all over in NBL23 for Melbourne United?
The short answer is yes — but only because they got healthy and figured it out too late. With two games each against contenders New Zealand and Adelaide, as well as the feisty JackJumpers and revitalised Bullets, it’s a tough ask to stay perfect. On the flip side, with the entire roster finally bedding down role clarity after injuries took a heavy toll before Christmas, no one really wants their smoke in the run home. Dean Vickerman has spent five years at United being hunted by the opposition — now they’re the hunted, he’s embracing the underdog tag.
Is Mody Maor coach of the year?
Yes. New Zealand has faced more challenges than any other team over the past two seasons, but some of the basketball they produced in that time was garbage. Not this year. Maor made a concerted effort to take the Breakers back to their Kiwi roots, signed a trio of imports who are arguably the best in the league and has meshed together a group that has a genuine love for each other. The Breakers continue to battle the Kings for top spot and they’re the second-best defensive team in the league. Offence wins games, defence wins titles.
Are the Wildcats Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde?
It changes by the game but, regardless of whether the Wildcats make the top six, they can’t win the title. Only bottom-placed Illawarra has a poorer defensive rating and, for some reason, this team is allergic to rebounding — two pretty important aspects in the heightened pressure of playoff basketball. Bryce Cotton is still incredible, but Brady Manek is 206cm and has played three games where he’s failed to grab a single board — at that height, you’d think it’s harder not get one. Kiwi guard Tai Webster is reportedly on the radar. He’s a great scorer, but fixes neither their rebounding, nor defensive issues.
Did Simon Mitchell smash a mirror?
Seriously, the Phoenix might want to move their home base down the road to South Eastern Private Hospital with the injuries and illnesses they’ve had to deal with over the past two seasons. It’s hard to find a player that hasn’t missed time with one ailment or another this season, except maybe Mitch Creek — whose foot is knackered. After Alan Williams went down with an ankle injury, coach Simon Mitchell wondered “How many ladders can I walk under”. Lack of availability has dogged this team and yet, somehow, it’s still in the top four. Zhou Qi’s departure is a blow but the reality is they were winning games with the Chinese tower yet to hit his straps. Still, along with NZ, arguably Sydney’s biggest challenger — if they can pull a full squad together.
Can anyone stop the Kings going back-to-back?
Probably not. It’s absurd, but the Kings are top of the table and the best team in the NBL, yet they might not be as good as last season. That championship team was loaded with elite individual talent, while this incarnation boasts more depth. Don’t get us wrong, this team is still elite with Xavier Cooks’ improvement and the skill of floor general Derrick Walton Jr, but it gets the job done by committee, with the likes of defensive beasts Tim Soares and Justin Simon and the contributions of Kouat Noi, Jordy Hunter, Shaun Bruce, Angus Glover and emerging athlete Jaylin Galloway. When Dejan Vasiljevic emerges from his shooting slump, look out, NBL.
Can the Jackies’ fairytale continue into a second season?
After 14 rounds last season, the JackJumpers sat sixth and did not re-enter the top four until the final day of NBL22, then played off in the grand final series. This year after their round 14 victory against South East Melbourne the JackJumpers sit one position above in fifth place. And remember, the top six makes it this season. It’s much the same as last year for the Jackies, they’ve nailed their imports, have local talent that is up for the fight every night and it’s all pulled together by one of the best coaches in the business in Scott Roth. Every week, one pundit or another says they’re going to eventually fall out of contention, but the Jackies continue to prove the doubters wrong.
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Originally published as Crosscourt special: The burning questions facing every NBL team in the run home
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