Crosscourt: Likes and dislikes from round 11 of the 2024-25 NBL season
Some pundits earmarked the Sydney Kings as NBL title favourites before a ball had been bounced. They’ve looked a long way off at times. Here’s why coach Brian Goorjian believes everything’s about to change. LIKES AND DISLIKES
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Former NBL MVP Jaylen Adams is “over the hump” with his troublesome back and it spells danger for the rest of the competition.
That’s the resounding message from Sydney Kings coach Brian Goorjian, who heaped praise on a dogged Adams for defying the flu to drop a masterful double-double against New Zealand on Saturday.
The American guard was bed-ridden for the majority of the week and could only fit in one 60 minute training session prior to scoring 20 points and adding 10 assists in 26 minutes off the bench in a win over the Breakers.
Adams has been hampered by back pain for most of NBL25, but Goorjian says the injury is no longer an issue and now it’s all about regaining match fitness.
“The back for Jaylen I don’t really acknowledge,” Goorjian told Crosscourt.
“The problem with this whole process is you’re playing against Delly and (Shae) Ili and everyone is getting after him (Jaylen) physically.
“It’s getting him healthy and getting him into shape. It’s the conditioning side of this and it was exposed in the second game of the double against Melbourne in the last round.
“It has been difficult to get the claws into him and get him on the training track so far this season, but we’re on the right track.”
Fellow King import Cam Oliver also battled the flu this week, but he put illness aside to produce a physically imposing performance against New Zealand.
Oliver also came off the bench to drop 12 points and add seven rebounds in 22 minutes.
Goorjian believes the American big man has turned the corner after having his lack of energy questioned.
“He (Cam) has been practising well,” he said.
“There have been some standards set and it has been a work in progress.
“I feel like he is getting in shape and he has taken some big steps over the past two weeks.”
Sydney will become a genuine championship contender if Oliver and Adams can consistently produce big performances.
The Kings have moved into third position following Saturday’s win over New Zealand and can go on a run with a friendly draw in the coming weeks.
Sydney face winnable games against Brisbane (H) and the Breakers (A) before a massive Christmas Day clash versus arch rivals Illawarra at home.
This period could place the Kings in a strong position to finish in the top three.
DISLIKES
WILDCATS NEED DOOLITTLE TO CONTEND
The Perth Wildcats desperately need Kristian Doolittle on the floor to be serious championship contenders this season. Doolittle, who has averaged 12.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists, went down in the first couple of minutes of Friday’s loss to Illawarra with a groin injury.
The Wildcats missed his presence at both ends of the floor, but especially defensively as they leaked 121 points in the double-digit defeat.
Doolittle has the second best plus-minus on the team – the Wildcats have been 35 points better with the versatile import on the floor leading into Sunday’s clash with Adelaide. Perth’s defence was exposed against the high-flying Hawks, with the men from Wollongong piling on a whopping 66 points in the second half. The Wildcats have tried to make games a shoot out but they’re conceding a league-worst 95.7 points per game and must find a way to improve their defence to compete against the likes of Melbourne United, Illawarra and Sydney.
🚨 TEAM UPDATE 🚨
— Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) December 7, 2024
Kristian Doolittle (groin) has been ruled out of tomorrow’s road game at Adelaide (1:30pm on @10BoldAU). He will be replaced on the roster with NRP Todd Withers. pic.twitter.com/JxMCCCpleP
TAIPANS ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE
You can’t help but admire the fight of the Cairns Taipans but the reality is, at 3-12, their season is all but over. The men from North Queensland have lost 11 straight games to sit comfortably in last position on the ladder.
Cairns’ coach Adam Forde waxed lyrical on the mental challenges his squad faced, post Saturday night’s loss to South East Melbourne.
“It’s nothing to do with talent, fitness, injuries. Straight mental game now and we have to overcome our own mental hurdles. Just play, just relax, take those shots and also don’t ride every possession as if it’s the game-determining outcome. All right? Guys are feeling it. You start to doubt things within yourself. There’s a billion people in China that don’t know what the NBL is. We live in this little bubble where, for the most part, they’re (players) probably sitting there on social media – the five dudes who run a podcast. Who cares? We’ve just got to take it a little less seriously, but I don’t have a masters in psychology. I reckon by the end of the season I’ll be close to it.”
Armstrong getting CRAFTY with it 😮â€ðŸ’¨
— Cairns Taipans (@CairnsTaipans) December 7, 2024
📲 @cairnstaipans | 📺 @espnpic.twitter.com/gerJgXyfpC
BROKEN BREAKERS
It’s not a coincidence that, in the four games since New Zealand shipped out tough reserve centre Freddie Gillespie and replaced him with 229cm former NBA giant Tacko Fall, the Breakers have lost each one – by the horror average of 22.75 points.
After overcoming an arduous trip to the US for NBLxNBA games, the Breakers found themselves top-of-the-table for stretches thanks to a 7-3 start.
But since, they’ve lost at ‘home’ to Melbourne United – who were without star Chris Goulding and elite talents Ian Clark and Marcus Lee – by a staggering 27 points, and were annihilated by Illawarra by 38.
Gillespie was one of just four Breakers with a positive plus-minus and led the NBL in blocked shots (1.8) when he was marched out for Tacko, while his size, mobility and aggression was a key plank of their strong start.
It’s not Fall’s fault – he was looking for a new home to restart his career after a struggle with injury. But one prominent NBL figure believes the Breakers are making decisions that aren’t necessarily conducive to winning games of basketball.
LIKES
BRYCE MOVE NOT SO COTTON CRAZY?
To be honest, we probably all should have seen it coming, given Bryce Cotton is in the last year of his contract and, at 32, the price is just going up. Hot off his 59-point stunner last Sunday week, Crosscourt reported the Perth superstar could command somewhere in the realm of $2.5 million per season in China, should he decide to maximise his earning power as he enters the back end of his storied basketball career.
He responded with another massive weekend, pouring in 40 points on Friday in a loss to Illawarra before backing up with another 49 in Sunday’s victory over Adelaide. that’s 49.3 points per game across that stretch. Bryce is undoubtedly one of the hottest free agents in the NBL in years and, while he confirmed to Crosscourt last month Perth had broached the idea of an extension, he’s put that off until the end of the season.
The charismatic guard has begun to open up more to media over the past 18 months, with a regular spot on free-to-air TV in Perth, along with more NBL commitments, including podcasts and ESPN shows.
The home of basketball media lays in Melbourne, where the NBL operates out of NEP Studios. Melbourne United is understood to be a heavy suitor for Cotton’s services but, what about South East Melbourne? If Cotton wanted to further his media career, could the Phoenix swoop with a godfather offer? They’d certainly have the bag, with the likes of Derrick Walton Jr off contract.
PRESSURE OFF DAYS AS HAWKS RIDE HORSE
With Darius Days struggling to impact, Illawarra coach Justin Tatum’s decision to switch the energetic import forward to the bench for veteran workhorse Mason Peatling has been a masterstroke. Peatling had been used sparingly in the first 11 games of the season but has stepped into the starting role bringing his trademark unselfishness, toughness, IQ and willingness to do the things that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet that has helped the Hawks go 2-1 since his promotion – the loss a three-point heartbreaker on the second leg of a back-to-back against a fresh South East Melbourne.
During that stretch the 27-year-old former Melbourne United NBL championship forward has had his best scoring (14) and rebounding (9) outputs as a Hawk. Prior to the switch, Days had put together a stretch of five of six games in single digits, but has turned it up against second units in the three since, with 11, 18 and then 15 points and 11 rebounds against Perth — his first double-double in two months. The Hawks’ defence remains a work in progress but they are clearly the team most likely behind Melbourne United with one of the deepest and most explosive offensive rosters in the NBL.
BULLETS PRA-THER MORE BUCKETS FROM CASEY
Casey Prather’s proving his recent vintage play is no flash in the pan, franking his 31-point scorcher against Perth with a massive weekend that featured 33 points on Adelaide and 27 on Melbourne United in a pair of victories that made it three wins in their past four starts.
The three-time NBL champion’s health has been a big issue but, at age 33, his elite form is yielding 24.8 points per game over his last five and giving cause for optimism in Brisbane.
The Bullets celebrated Heritage Round by welcoming new minority owner George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin to Boondall, honouring the 40th anniversary of their historic 1985 championship, by beating the 36ers in front of the likes of club legends Leroy Loggins and Cal Bruton. They then snapped a 1300-day, 12-game losing streak against United, former assistant Justin Schueller marking his first win over his ex-club as coach of the Bullets.
PHOENIX’S HERITAGE ROUND MAGIC
Speaking of Heritage Round, South East Melbourne Phoenix went full noise with their homage to the old Magic. In front of a small but loyal crowd at John Cain Arena, the nostalgia was high, with the likes of Magic legends Chris Anstey, Andrew Parkinson and Jason Smith reminiscing in the stands.
Big man Jordi Hunter sported an Anstey throwback jersey in the warm up and – as if responding to coach Josh King’s urging to stop being so nice – threw down a soul-crushing dunk on the head of Cairns Taipan Kyrin Galloway to record his 1000th NBL point.
The old stagers were heard to remark the Phoenix played a little like the Magic back in the day, jumping out to a big lead, getting reeled in and then coming home with a wet sail.
A night for the 1990s kids to look back on the halcyon days when there was no social media but the Michael Jordan phenomena fuelled a rabid interest in the sport in Australia.
Originally published as Crosscourt: Likes and dislikes from round 11 of the 2024-25 NBL season
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