NBL 2021-22: Perth Wildcats coach Scott Morrison gets all clear to enter country
Scott Morrison - the new Perth Wildcats basketball coach - had called on his namesake to help him enter Australia. Now the door has been swung open.
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New Perth Wildcats coach Scott Morrison will arrive in Australia on Friday after being cleared to enter the country.
There were concerns he could miss the start of the NBL season due to international border restrictions.
The Perth Wildcats had been worried that they might have been forced to kick off the NBL season without their head coach.
Morrison had been so frustrated that he tagged in his namesake — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison — on Twitter in his attempt to enter Perth before the NBL season starts in less than six weeks.
Morrison cheekily referenced Finding Nemo character, Crush The Turtle, as his best way into Australia given the border is closed to internationals.
The Wildcats new coach and former Boston Celtics NBA assistant has been conducting sessions with the players via Zoom from his home on Prince Edward Island.
This is about our best chance of getting to Australia right now.
— Scott Morrison (@scott_morrison) October 22, 2021
Anyone have contact info for Crush the turtle? #EasternAustralianCurrent#Nemo#LetUsInPlease
â¦@ScottMorrisonMPâ© pic.twitter.com/yq871orBA4
Morrison is now likely to be available for the NBL pre-season Blitz, which starts on November 14.
Wildcats assistant coach Mike Kelly had been on call to take on the head coaching job if Morrison had been not in the country.
It’s hardly been the ideal preparation as Perth aims for a 36th consecutive post-season appearance.
Why the NBA has been left ‘feeling Giddey’ by Aussie star
Josh Giddey’s reputation as Australian basketball’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ is continuing to grow.
Giddey produced the best offensive game of his rookie NBA season thus far, even though it wasn’t enough to stop the Philadelphia 76ers without Ben Simmons.
The Melbourne-born guard continued his impressive start to his maiden campaign with 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and four steals in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s gutsy 115-103 loss to the 76ers.
Giddey had 11 first-half points while he produced a pretty floater over 76ers big man Joel Embiid.
He also got knocked down hard by Embiid while attempting a layup in the fourth quarter, but he responded in style with a steal on the All-Star centre before scoring a corner three.
Giddey is quickly becoming a fan favourite in Oklahoma City with his impressive all-round game, smarts, vision, and toughness.
Fight down the stretch.@joshgiddey | #ThunderUppic.twitter.com/1lCIRAmQo0
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 25, 2021
One Thunder fan held sign saying:’ ‘Josh, you make me Giddey’ while commentator Michael Cage was in raptures about the 19-year-old Aussie.
“He (Giddey) has been sensational,” Cage said.
“You can see why the Thunder are very excited about him, his potential is off the charts right now. He does so many things well for such a young player, and the maturity he has in his game.”
Giddey will look to continue his hot start to the NBA season on Wednesday when Oklahoma City travel to Golden State to take on Steph Curry and his Warriors.
Fellow Aussie Matisse Thybulle had three points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal for Philadelphia.
.@Patty_Mills does tend to go down under pic.twitter.com/X262API8DW
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 24, 2021
In other news, Patty Mills’ perfect start to the season from range came to end when he shot just one of six from three in Brooklyn’s 111-95 loss to Charlotte.
Mills finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists as the Nets couldn’t handle the Hornets led by former NBL rookie of the year LaMelo Ball.
Ball had 18 points, five rebounds and five assists while forward Miles Bridges stole the show with a game-high 32 points.
‘Scumbags from Illawarra’: Kings owner’s stinging sledge
The pre-season NBL versus NBA games are set to return next season in a major boost for the Australian game.
And, in a testament to the NBL’s continual rise, the NBA instigated the concept’s revival, post the coronavirus pandemic.
The pre-season games against the world’s best teams and players have been a significant success since the first clashes in 2017.
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While an NBL team is yet to beat an NBA counterpart, the Aussies have gained international respect by pushing their more fancied opponents to the brink.
In 2017, Melbourne United famously lost by just one point to a star-studded Oklahoma City Thunder side featuring Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.
The NBL versus NBA games haven’t been played since the 2019-2020 season due to Covid, but NBL chief executive Jeremy Loeliger confirmed the concept would return.
“Based on conversations since the outbreak of Covid-19, we have every aspiration and expectation NBL teams will participate in the NBA pre-season once international travel resumes and the timing of our respective seasons normalise,” Loeliger said.
“Certainly, our understanding is the NBAxNBL pre-season games, to date, have been perceived as mutually beneficial and have been fundamental in continuing to foster relationships between NBA and NBL clubs, which is extremely healthy for our league and our sport.”
Goorjian and Baynes to connect
Australian coach Brian Goorjian will talk to injured centre Aron Baynes after he received a message from the Boomers big man.
Goorjian hadn’t heard from Baynes since he injured his neck during Australia’s Tokyo Olympic campaign.
The veteran big has been ruled out for the entire NBA season after hurting his neck when he slipped on a wet patch in the dressing sheds during the Boomers’ group stage game against Italy.
He was hospitalised for the rest of the Boomers’ Olympic campaign and was stretchered off the plane upon his return to Australia.
Goorjian revealed he received a message from Baynes soon after a report he hadn’t heard from the Boomers’ veteran, despite multiple texts.
“Right after that interview (came out) I got a message from Aron saying, this is my new number, and it would be great to chat,” Goorjian said.
“I’ll give him a call.”
Baynes’ agent Daniel Moldovan said the former NBA champion is hopeful of making a return to the court next season.
In August, The Athletic’s Shams Charania initially reported Baynes had severe nerve damage in his neck, an injury more significant than initially diagnosed.
The nine-year NBA veteran last played with Toronto Raptors in 2020-21 prior to the Olympics, before he was waived by the franchise just days before the conclusion of the Boomers’ Tokyo campaign.
Kings stir Hawks with ‘idiots’ call
Sydney Kings chairman Paul Smith has ensured this season’s clashes against arch rivals Illawarra will be captivating affairs with a stinging sledge aimed at the Hawks.
“We‘ve got 14 home games starting on December 5 and then on 11th December we’re up against our arch rivals, the scumbags from Illawarra,” Smith fired on TAB Radio.
“We’re ready to take them on.
“I grew up down that area and I’ve called Chase Buford and I said ‘leave nothing in the tank, mate. No secrets, I want everything thrown at those idiots.”
Exum deserves better
Houston waived Boomers star Dante Exum just one month after signing a three-year non-guaranteed deal.
Exum produced a brilliant Tokyo Olympic campaign for the Boomers and was deserving of another chance to prove his worth on the world’s best stage, but the Rockets wanted to go in another direction.
Hopefully the Aussie guard can pick up a veteran contract in the NBA – otherwise could we see him temporarily in the NBL with the South East Melbourne Phoenix?
Webster gets vaccinated
After departing the New Zealand Breakers by mutual consent in September because of his refusal to take the Covid vaccination, guard Tai Webster has changed his stance.
I’m told Webster has signed to play in Israel and opted to get vaccinated.
It backs up talk that Tai’s exit from the Breakers was to do with his frustration about the club releasing his brother Corey.
Push to have team spends published
Vic Law’s move from Brisbane to competition heavyweights Perth has prompted Bullets guard Jason Cadee to call for the league to announce individual team spends.
Cadee respects Law’s decision to join the Wildcats but, for fairness and transparency, he would like to see the amount each team spends under the league’s soft cap be made public.
“If I was to guess, Vic would be on way more with the Wildcats than what he was on with us,” Cadee said.
“That is how it works. If you look across leagues worldwide, especially in Europe.
“I know when I was in Greece the difference in salary cap between the top two teams and the rest was millions of dollars.
“But it is different here in that the fans expect their club to win.
“I honestly think there would be no harm if total team spends were announced.
“I don’t really care for player salaries, but it would be interesting to see the team spends, especially with so much flexibility around the cap.”
LIKE: Patty Mills and Josh Giddey are separated by 14 years, but together they form what is so brilliant about the present and future of Australian basketball. Mills has become a national treasure following his decorated NBA and international career, which shows no sign of slowing down as he continues to break records with the Brooklyn Nets. Giddey has impressed in his opening two games for the Oklahoma City Thunder, including a Thunder and Australian record 10 rebounds on debut.
DISLIKE: Ben Simmons is a brilliant player, but the way he has handled his trade standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers has been disappointing. From experience Simmons is always engaging and respectful in interviews, but he needs to make the most of a terrible trade situation at the 76ers for his own benefit. Turning up to training and giving his all would be a good start.
SHOOSH: Which high-profile NBL player didn’t want to have the Covid vaccination before changing his mind to put his family first. It’s fair to say the bosses at NBL HQ all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Originally published as NBL 2021-22: Perth Wildcats coach Scott Morrison gets all clear to enter country
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