NBL basketball news 2022: Latest happenings from around the league ahead of NBL23
Ariel Hukporti’s season-ending Achilles injury has rocked Melbourne United, putting it in a unique situation. The club has sought clarity from the NBL as it mulls a potential replacement.
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Melbourne United has asked the NBL for permission to chase another Next Star after Ariel Hukporti’s season-ending Achilles rupture.
United faces the unique situation of losing its starting centre, who is not part of the 11-man roster, owing to his status as a Next Star.
Any move for a big man to replace Hukporti, who suffered the injury Wednesday during a pre-season game against Perth, would force United to cut a player from its main roster unless the NBL ticks off another Next Star.
“We’ve challenged the league just asking ‘can you replace a Next Star with a Next Star?’,” coach Dean Vickerman told News Corp.
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“It’s not something that’s been done before, not really knowing the market out there. Would there be a candidate of a similar skillset to Ariel that would be available?”
Vickerman said the club would look internally to cover the loss of the uber-athletic 20-year-old, with new big man Isaac Humphries now more vital and the likes of import Jordan Caroline, veteran David Barlow, injured big Mason Peatling and talented young tower David Okwera all in line to provide cover until United decides its way forward.
EMOTION BOILS OVER
An emotional Hukporti was in tears on the sidelines as the reality of his injury set in.
He was consoled on the bench by United’s father figure Barlow, who, in a touching moment, put a reassuring arm around the German-Togolese youngster.
“He’s so young, he’s an emotional kid and he was really upset in that moment,” Barlow said.
“I’ve had two ACL reconstructions and spent over a year out with a different Achilles injury and I just wanted to let him know that he’s going to be all right.
“It’s going to be hard now but once he starts getting back, it will feel like a blip in his long career.
“I just wanted him to know we’re all here for him.”
HE CAN STILL MAKE IT NEXT YEAR
Before the injury, Hukporti planned to spend the season at United, before declaring for the 2023 NBA draft.
Vickerman believes the defensive giant is still a live chance of having his name called by an NBA team next year — without playing a minute in NBL23.
“I believe he can certainly get back to a point where he can be ready around that time where NBA teams invite candidates to workouts,” Vickerman said.
“His body is still going to be in great shape and he might even be stronger.”
Barlow says United is well-placed to aid Hukporti’s recovery, with former teammate Jack White returning from his own Achilles rupture in just eight-months, before balling out and finding an NBA home in Denver.
“There’s a blueprint for Ariel to follow to say ‘look at Whitey, he’s in the NBA now, that’s where I want to get, if he can do it, I can do it’,” Barlow said.
United’s revamped line-up, with new imports Rayjon Tucker, Jordan Caroline and Xavier Rathan-Mayes, struggled early in pre-season, but hit its straps in the last two Blitz games and will take winning form into Sunday’s season-opener against New Zealand.
Phoenix finally get good news in unprecedented injury crisis
—Michael Randall
South East Melbourne’s worst fears on injured import Gary Browne have been allayed, the Puerto Rican international avoiding serious damage to his knee.
The Phoenix are tackling an injury crisis that has hit four of their starting players by signing American swingman Malcolm Bernard as a short-term replacement for compatriot Trey Kell, who is battling a rib injury.
Browne, last Wednesday, went down clutching his left knee early in the first quarter of the Phoenix’s NBL Blitz loss to Sydney.
The incident looked innocuous as the 185cm floor general moved his feet to stay in the path of Kings recruit Kuot Noi near half court. He fell backward in a collision with Noi and exited the game.
There were initial fears of serious damage to Browne’s medial ligament but scans over the weekend showed a grade one strain, meaning he could be back on court as soon as round 2 against Cairns.
It is a boost for the Phoenix, who would have faced the prospect of hunting for a replacement import if Browne was to miss significant time.
Bernard, 28, joins South East Melbourne after a stint in NBL1 with the Bendigo Braves, where the 196cm swingman averaged 18 points per game, the Phoenix hoping he can help cover the absence of Kell and injured Aussie Ryan Broekhoff.
COPING WITH AN INJURY CRISIS
Phoenix will still open the NBL season on Sunday undermanned, with Browne, Ryan Broekhoff and Trey Kell all missing and Mitch Creek still under a cloud after he missed the entire pre-season with a foot injury.
Phoenix did not win a game in pre-season and it has left some fans frustrated by their team’s slow start.
But club boss Tommy Greer has preached patience as the club negotiates its unprecedented injury crisis.
Greer said the Phoenix would embrace the “underdog” tag in the new season and “get creative” with line-ups and tactics.
“We are severely depleted — I’ve never heard of a team having four starters out,” Greer said.
“But we live and breath the underdog spirit and we will go out there and give it a crack.
“We’re going to have to lock down, outhustle, out effort, hit the glass and beat teams in a different manner. We’re going to have to get funky with it out there and get through these first few rounds as best we can.”
MEMBERS LIFT AS ‘NIX START AGAIN
He said the Phoenix had already surpassed last year’s membership total and, after two Covid-ravaged seasons, he felt NBL23 was something akin to a reboot of the club’s second campaign.
“We’re heading into what really feels like our second season,” Greer said.
“We had average crowds near 5000 in year one, then two years of Covid, so we’re really excited about getting fans back in the building.
“We’ve never kicked off the NBL season before, it’s exciting.”
The Phoenix have signed Kiwi Tohi Smith-Milner as a nominated replacement player and are in talks to fill their final local roster spot, which they hope will be done before Saturday’s meeting with the JackJumpers.
United rocked by cruel injury to NBA prospect
—Michael Randall
Just a day after revealing his excitement at returning to Melbourne United, NBA prospect Ariel Hukporti has suffered a devastating Achilles rupture and will miss the entirety of NBL23.
The 20-year-old, who has attracted plenty of big-league interest, fell to the court during United’s Wednesday night NBL Blitz victory over Perth in Darwin, initially appearing bewildered as he looked around to see if someone had made contact with him.
The reaction was a telltale sign, with no player close to him when the injury happened.
The game was stopped and several United players closed ranks around the German-Togolese centre as medicos checked his condition.
He was helped from the court and later returned on crutches, veteran teammate David Barlow consoling him on the bench.
It is a huge blow for United, who will now hope former NBA big man Isaac Humphries has left his injury-riddled history in the rear view. Coach Dean Vickerman could also look to undersized heavyweight Jordan Caroline to man the middle and thrust the lean but very talented David Okwera into more minutes at centre.
Hukporti arrived from Germany a raw, unmoulded 19-year-old who knew no one and had plenty to learn. It was tough on him early but, fast forward a year, and he’d transformed physically, as a player and person.
On Tuesday, the 213 giant told News Corp the United “community” and his love of Melbourne and the Australian people made easy the decision to postpone his NBA dream in favour of another season as an NBL Next Star.
Hukporti had been buoyed by positive feedback from NBA scouts, particularly on his elite defence, and planned, this season, to showcase his ability from the three-point line.
“They (NBA scouts) like me, they like what I do, they say defensively I’m great,” he said.
“I’ma start shooting threes this season, (coach) Dean (Vickerman) be seeing me working on it and he be like ‘A, shoot it, you’re open, let it fly’.”
But Hukporti now faces a hard road back, one already trod by former teammate Jack White.
White wrecked his Achilles in April 2021 but made a triumphant return last campaign which caught the eye of NBA club Denver.
White, who has already reached out to Hukporti from the US, has credited United trainers with his swift recovery, leaving the big man in good hands as he embarks on the physical and mental journey of rehabilitation from one of basketball’s most accursed injuries.
‘I’m the best’: United star responds to NBL import rankings
—Matt Logue
Melbourne United import guard Rayjon Tucker has responded to being ranked fifth in News Corp’s import power rankings, boldly declaring: “I’m the best import – no other new NBL import checks off as many boxes.”
Tucker has spent the past three seasons splitting his time between the NBA, where he has played 39 games for the Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and most recently the Milwaukee Bucks, and the G-League.
The 24-year-old was surprised to see his name at No.5 on the import power rankings behind Alan Williams (Phoenix), Jarrell Brantley (Breakers), Tyler Johnson (Bullets) and Derrick Walton Jr (Sydney Kings).
Tucker was so shocked with the rankings that he felt compelled to reach out and push his case as the NBL’s premier new import.
“It’s no disrespect to anyone else that is above me, but I don’t feel like there is a new import better than me,” Tucker said.
“It’s just me being a competitor.
“I’m here and ready to prove that I’m the NBL’s No.1 new import.”
Tucker certainly doesn’t lack confidence.
He credits his strong self-belief to his extensive resume, athleticism, and on-court ability.
“It’s just the things that I’ve done and my accolades within both the NBA and the G League,” he said.
“I also don’t think there is a player ahead of me that check off all the boxes like I do.
“That is from an offensive and defensive standpoint. I feel like I’m an all-round player whereas as the other four guys ahead of me don’t tick all the boxes athletically and passing wise.
“Some players may shoot better than me, but they all don’t check off every single box like my games does.
“I can also be a rim protector, if need be, I can guard one through four, so my versatility in all aspects makes me, in my opinion, better than the rest.”
A King being tipped to lead the league in assists, a former Miami Heat record-breaker who played alongside the legendary Dwyane Wade and countless big game NBA and European experience.
— Matt Logue (@mattlogue7) September 16, 2022
We rank the @NBL's top 10 imports. ðŸ€ðŸ‘‡https://t.co/htrKhYUwW9
Tucker showcased his skills in Melbourne United’s opening pre-season Blitz game against the Illawarra Hawks on Sunday.
United lost the match, but Tucker finished with a game-high 20 points, four rebounds and three assists.
He looked comfortable steering Melbourne around the court with his razor-sharp vision and pinpoint passing.
There are concerns around United, though, who looked sluggish in a 12-point loss against Illawarra.
United were missing stars Chris Goulding (illness) and Shea Ili (concussion), and it was only a trial, but the franchise will face challenges following the departures of stars Jo Lual-Acuil Jr (Europe), Matthew Dellavedova (Sacramento) and Jack White (Denver).
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Tucker refuses to overreact to Melbourne’s pre-season form to date, which also includes two losses to the Brisbane Bullets.
He believes United remain well placed to achieve high success in NBL23 on the back of coach Dean Vickerman.
“He holds us to a standard of excellence,” he said.
“I also hold myself to a standard of excellence, so Dean and I get along really well in that aspect.
“I know what he wants from me, on and off the court, so that is where we gel.
“We have a plan and a relationship where we can both be honest and blunt with each other.
“That helps us move in the right direction.”
United play the Perth Wildcats in their second NBL Blitz game on Wednesday from 8pm (AEST).
‘F***ing grinds my gears’: Bitter Melbourne rivalry
—Michael Randall
Calling South East Melbourne the little brother or “little cousin” of Melbourne United is fighting words for fiery Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell.
A new documentary lifts the lid on the NBL’s biggest rivalry, which hit fever pitch during the first Throwdown of last season, thanks to Mitch Creek’s ferocious dunk on Matthew Dellavedova — and Mason Peatling’s resultant shoulder charge on the Phoenix star.
“I don’t like the reference to us as the little cousin, it f**king grinds my gears,” Mitchell said in the documentary NBL22: Next Level.
“I want to fight now. It’s insulting to us.
“We’re our own people, we’re not related to them.”
Mitchell and United coach Dean Vickerman have a long history — they played against each other and coached together — so it’s an interesting dynamic when the pair sits down to chat.
“We’re trying to stand in their way, we’re trying to not let them be the other Melbourne team that won a championship,” Vickerman says.
They’re cordial — even if Mitchell admits he has no love for United.
“I don’t know if it’s animosity, it might be, from our perspective, a bit of jealousy — they’ve got what we want,” he said.
“They’re in our way. I think there’s a genuine dislike from our end.
“They may not respect us enough to dislike us, right now, but I hope it happens soon.”
United has two NBL banners to its name, the most recent of which came through the Phoenix in 2021 in a hard-fought three-game semi final stoush which featured plenty of back and forth, including Creek’s infamous “see you in game three” directed at Peatling.
🗣🗣🗣 pic.twitter.com/8VIl0hU1Sq
— South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) June 13, 2021
“All the talk of ‘we’ll see you in game three’, like, ‘you will, you did’,” United captain Chris Goulding said.
“We beat them (in NBL21), so we’re the champions, so there’s kind of like what’s the pecking order of the league?
“Well, the people who won the year before, that’s how it is.”
***All six episodes of the documentary will air on Sunday, September 18, from 8pm AEST on ESPN and Kayo Sports.
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