Crosscourt: All the latest news and views out of Round 17 of the 2023-24 NBL season
The potential for a Japanese team to join the NBL in the coming years has become a reality after a new international partnership was signed. Follow all your basketball news in Crosscourt.
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The potential for a Japanese team to join the NBL in the coming years has become a reality after a partnership was struck with the Japan Professional Basketball League (B League).
Both parties have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding, which will involve the two leagues work more closely to promote the growth of the sport and their respective competitions.
The organisations have agreed to explore the feasibility of Japanese BLG teams competing in NBL pre-season events from 2024, as well as youth club teams from Japan taking part in competitions in Australia.
NBL teams could travel to Japan to compete in the BLG pre-season as part of the deal.
The MoU includes mention of the NBL and B League partnering to explore the viability of a team from Japan joining the Australian league, a move into Asia that has long been touted by NBL owner Larry Kestelman.
NBL chief executive David Stevenson sees enormous potential in expansion into Japan.
“One of the more exciting possibilities (is) the potential of a Japanese team one day joining the NBL,” Stevenson said.
“While there remains a lot to work through yet in that regard, we are enthused by the possibilities of what may eventuate.”
The agreement with the Japanese league includes the involvement of BLG referees and officials in the NBL pre-season.
Kestelman believes the partnership with Japan will enhance Australia as a respected pathway to the NBA.
“I am very supportive of a vision where teams from Asia play in the NBL, with the support of FIBA and Basketball Australia,” Kestelman said.
“The exciting partnership between the NBL and BLG will help grow basketball in both regions, while also providing greater opportunities for players from those regions to take the well-established NBL to NBA pathway.
“The NBL has proven to be one of the best avenues to the NBA, and growing the league internationally will expose more players to that pathway.”
STORM AMID LATEST BAYNES FURORE
Where do you start with the Aron Baynes’ moving screen that has reverberated around the league?
The Brisbane big man left Melbourne United and coach Dean Vickerman “pissed off” when he dipped his massive rig into import Ian Clark, who had to be helped from the floor.
The physical play created a variety of reactions on social media — including from the NBL’s official account, which posed the question “Should Baynes have something to answer for after his screen on Clark?”
It left Baynes’ agent Daniel Moldovan claiming the league had a “vendetta” against the former Boomer.
“At least we have finally dispersed with the thinly veiled vendetta against Aron from inside the NBL offices. I should probably expect a 3 game ban for not properly disposing of his Gatorade bottle... or something,” Moldovan wrote on Twitter.
Compounding the issue, the referees swallowed the whistle on the play, a point Sydney veteran Shaun Bruce made in a reply to the league on Twitter.
“Do the officials (have something to answer for the non-call)? Unfortunate my guy @IanClark was on the end of this. But dragging@aronbaynes through the mud again isn’t it. This is bogus @NBL,” Bruce wrote.
Do the officials?
— Shaun Bruce (@shaunbruce7) January 27, 2024
Unfortunate my guy @IanClark was on the end of this. But dragging @aronbaynes through the mud again isn’t it.
This is bogus @NBL
While there’s no doubt it should have been a foul but a ban would seem unduly harsh, given the precedent it would set — Baynes isn’t the only big boy in the league who regularly straddles the line of legality when setting screens — but there is a duty of care among the big fellas to ensure their actions don’t injure other players.
Both the league and Moldovan later deleted their respective tweets.
Former Bullet Harry Froling backed Bruce on Baynes:
If the NBL Referee’s did their job would have been foul shots, & possession back and no one would say a word. Don’t drag Baynesy, for a screen that all bigs set, me included, I’ve stuck the hip & elbow out before. Don’t blame ref incompetence on Baynesy. Bogus as hell. 👎ðŸ¼
— Harry Froling (@HarryFroling) January 27, 2024
Baynes has been well-below his best in NBL24, which has involved a string of incidents dating back to a pre-season hit on Clark that Vickerman was quick to point out in his post-game press conference.
“He’s (Clark) feeling angry, he’s been hit by Baynesy in the pre-season … I thought the way the screen was made, there was some extra contact from Baynesy and, as a group, we were a little pissed off about it,” Vickerman said.
“We like to move on pretty quickly but, yeah, we’ll remember it.”
Baynes was banned for five games after a blow up against Cairns where he tussled with Taipan Lat Mayen, lost his mind at the refs and then had words with and shoved coach Adam Forde at halftime.
In round 16, He had another stoush with Mayen. And he was also on the receiving end of a blow from South East Melbourne guard Gary Browne — who had taken issue with a physical screen from Baynes.
Understandably frustrated that, at 37, he’s been banished to the bench, averaging just 13 minutes per game, Baynes needs to find comfort in a legacy that makes him one of Australian basketball’s greats as he faces the reality of the twilight of his career.
Despite the heavy defeat, Brisbane remains a chance to finish in the top four, which would set up a juicy first-round rematch with top-placed United, given Vickerman’s comments.
UNDER-FIRE KINGS COACH SAFE — FOR NOW
What a difference three days can make in basketball.
The listless Sydney Kings could not have played worse on Thursday night when they fell to a bottom-placed South East Melbourne, missing six of their main roster players.
Fast-forward 60-odd hours and a completely different Kings’ squad toppled ladder leaders Melbourne United.
Coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah, who has been under pressure to find consistent effort and performance from his squad, is expected to remain in the role for the final three rounds of NBL24 and finals — if they make it — before Kings officials weigh up his future.
Crosscourt recently revealed after a horror loss to Adelaide earlier in the season the Kings did mull a change, but ultimately stuck with the former G League mentor, who is contracted through the end of next season.
Abdelfattah insists his team is playing for him but, after the biggest upset in recent NBL history against a bottom-placed South East Melbourne side missing six main-roster players equating to 55.1 points per game, the effort and engagement suggests there are big cracks.
Crosscourt understands his relationship with multiple players has been strained, but the men in purple and gold did him a favour on Sunday, producing a four-quarter effort in snuffing out Melbourne United to jump back into the top-four.
The Kings’ defence, top three in the league through the past two championship seasons, is third-worst in NBL24, conceding 117.5 points per 100 possessions, before the United win.
The defensive effort, desire, communication and execution was woeful against the Phoenix, who managed 100 points for the first time since December 12, despite leaning on four development players.
The review was likely brutal, given the number of instances throughout the game where players either didn’t do what they were supposed to, didn’t do it properly or just flat out didn’t try. The pick n roll defence was woeful, they didn’t carry a hand on close outs and the Phoenix feasted from deep.
It’s not as if they’re not capable. They have rim protection in Jordi Hunter, athleticism across the board and high-IQ defenders in Glover and Jaylin Galloway, and, while Galloway missed, Makuach Maluach stepped up in his absence to hold United to 86 points, after they’d conceded at least 104 in each of their previous two outings.
It will be fascinating to see if the United result can spark a run home that the Kings could potentially ride to what would be, at this point, an unlikely three-peat.
Owen Foxwell from DEEP 🎯
— NBL (@NBL) January 25, 2024
Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo 📺 pic.twitter.com/d8cNYm5bJ8
DANIELS JUNIOR ON THE NBL’S NEXT STARS RADAR
Older brother Dyson Daniels considered the NBL, but opted to join G League Ignite as his NBA pathway to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The NBL would love to secure another Australian Next Star to follow the likes of Rocco Zikarsky and Alex Toohey — and believe Dash perfectly fits the mould.
Daniels, still just 16, is rated among the finest young guards in Australia.
The 190cm talent has excelled for his country, state and club as a junior, often playing against rivals two years his senior.
Daniels will line-up with an NBA Global Academy squad at next week’s U20 National Championships, which will feature the likes of highly-rated potential Next Stars Jacob Furphy, Luke Fennell and Roman Siulepa.
NBA SCOUTS MISS SARR’S BREAKOUT
NBA scouts from Philadelphia, Washington and New Orleans were in Australia on Saturday night to catch some of the Next Star talent on show in the NBL.
But they might have picked the wrong game.
As French phenom Alex Sarr produced a career-high 18 points and sent away five shots in a performance that will go a ways to sealing his NBA No.1 draft pick status, The Sixers, Wizards and Pelicans were in Adelaide to see Cairns’ Next Star Bobi Klintman ride the pine after making his return from concussion and just 1.54 of 36ers draft hopeful Trentyn Flowers in junk time.
Of course, Sarr’s abilities are well-known as the nominal No.1 pick, but it was still spellbinding to see the 216cm teen’s game-changing size, athleticism and prowess on both ends of the floor in person.
Sarr’s defensive understanding and ability is already next level — he is never out of a possession, as Phoenix guard Ben Ayre found out on multiple occasions.
“I didn’t even really see him sometimes, he just came out of nowhere,” Ayre said, following the game.
“I’ve got to shoot a floater rather than try to get a lay-up ... he’s 7’1”, No.1 draft pick playing against me.
“He’s got great length and he’s a trouble down there.”
Alex Sarr is one of a kind … my goodness 😱
— NBL Next Stars (@NBLNextStars) January 27, 2024
Watch the NBL ⤵ï¸
🇦🇺 ESPN via Kayo
🇳🇿 Sky Sport
🇺🇸 ESPN3 + ESPN App pic.twitter.com/MHOB563IuG
Sarr returned from a hip injury in Round 17 and Rillie was impressed by his young charge as he navigates his way to the NBA draft.
“He’s doing a great job, the performance tonight is only going to help ... someone with his physique, his ability, if he shows that he can impact the game at both ends then I’m sure he’ll get his dream (of being the No.1 pick),” Rillie said.
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Originally published as Crosscourt: All the latest news and views out of Round 17 of the 2023-24 NBL season
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