Logue Down basketball column: All the news, insights and whispers from another big week
Imagine being one of the tallest men in Australian basketball crammed into a hotel room for two weeks of quarantine — 216cm Phoenix recruit Zhou Qi is just glad it’s over.
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South East Melbourne Phoenix Chinese recruit Zhou Qi is finally out of hotel quartentine, declaring he is ready to unleash his 7-foot-1 frame with one eye on a return to the NBA.
Zhou was greeted by a small contingent of enthusiastic Melbourne Chinese fans as he left his hotel on Sunday night.
The 25-year-old former Houston Rockets big man is locked in on the NBL, but he still aspires to play in the NBA where he played 22 games off the bench for the Rockets between 2017 and 2019.
“I’m focused on having a good season here in the NBL, if that leads to interest from the NBA, I will embrace that,” Zhou said.
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Zhou expressed his gratitude to be finished quarantine given the struggle to stay in a confined room as a tall man.
He is particularly looking forward to putting on a show in front of Melbourne’s Chinese supporters.
“I’m excited about playing in front of Chinese fans and was happy to come to a city with such a strong Chinese community,” he said.
“I can’t wait to get to training and meet the team and get started on the season.
“I’m also excited to be out of hotel quarantine, it’s hard to do when you’re 7 foot 1.”
Phoenix fans will get their first glimpse of Zhou in action when the NBL pre-season Blitz tips off from November 13.
Meanwhile, Zhou and fellow Chinese NBL recruit - 226cm centre Chuanxing Liu or “Big Liu” — are already attracting big headlines back home.
The Brisbane Bullets unveiled Liu - the tallest player in league history — last week.
Liu made Bullets legend and assistant general manager Sam Mackinnon look short even though he stands at 6’6.
At the South East Melbourne Phoenix, Chinese import Zhou Qi is also making an impact, although being seven-foot one and not being able to speak English is already providing its challenges.
The Phoenix had to organise a bigger bed with extensions for his quarantine stint to fit his giant frame.
The Chinese international star also won’t be allowed to sit in the exit rows on a plane during away trips because of the language barrier.
That will make life pretty difficult for a seven-foot five basketballer to squeeze into the usually tight and restrictive aeroplane seats.
Phoenix forward Mitch Creek recently named Zhou as his favourite player on the club’s website.
Zhou is so popular in his homeland that Creek’s selection was picked up on the nightly news in China.
Phoenix chief executive Tommy Greer expects the Chinese megastar to make a big impact in the NBL.
“We are confident he will fit in well — he looks like a fun guy,” Greer said.
NBA INTEREST IN NBL CONTINUES
Discussions are currently underway with a host of big-name NBA players to join a long list of stars who are already part of NBL ownership groups.
I’ve been told several NBL clubs are engaging in genuine conversations with superstar NBA players about investing in the ever-growing Australian league.
The NBL is already full of current and former NBA players involved in ownership, including John Wall, Khris Middleton, Victor Oladipo and Australia’s own Dante Exum with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
JOYCE ROCKED BY EARTHQUAKE
Former Opals coach and Boomers assistant Brendan Joyce was left feeling terrified when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake shook his hotel in Taiwan last week.
Joyce is currently in hotel quarantine in Taiwan as he prepares to coach a local T1 men’s team, the Kaohsiung Aquas.
He was conducting a zoom meeting with his fellow coaches when his building started shaking.
“It was scary,” Joyce said.
“I was on a zoom meeting with a few other coaches. I said, ‘did you feel that?’
“I think it is an earthquake and it just kept getting worse. The whole building kept shaking.
“We had one in Melbourne before I left that was 5.8 and my house shook but that this one was unbelievable.”
Joyce was head hunted to coach in Taiwan after the club contacted a number of NBA teams asking for an Australian coach.
“It was too good of an opportunity to knock back,” he said.
McCARRON’S HIGH PRAISE
Star Adelaide recruit Mitch McCarron has only been at the club for a few months, but he is already impressing.
36ers general manager of basketball Jeff Van Groningen has compared McCarron to the club’s six-time championship-winning coach CJ Bruton.
“The impact Mitch has from a leadership standout takes me back to the impact CJ had on Brisbane as a player,” Van Groningen said.
“Like CJ was for that Bullets team in the mid-2000s, Mitch is that coach on the floor and someone who has an undisputed knowledge of the game.
“He also has the confidence of his peers, even though he is understated and not a big talker.
“Mitch has had a businesslike impact. You can see the impact, but it is hard to define. It’s this immediate credibility.”
COOKS’ NBA AMBITION
Sydney Kings swingman and rising Boomer Xavier Cooks hasn’t given up on his NBA dream despite an injury-interrupted start to his NBL career.
Cooks spent three months on the sidelines last season with an ankle injury.
“I’m determined because I feel like I haven’t been able to show my full ability in the NBL,” said Cooks, who went undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft and has had Summer League stints with Golden State and Phoenix.
“This is my third season, so it is frustrating that I haven’t been able to get to my full potential for the past two years.
“But I’m just excited to show people what I’m capable of. I have a lot more in my bag that no one has seen.
“If I can follow my potential then hopefully, I can follow JT (ex-King Jae’Sean Tate) and all those boys to the NBA.”
UNITED’S AYTON CLONE
Melbourne United’s highly rated German NBL Next Star Ariel Hukporti is already attracting NBA comparisons — and the comparisons are coming from the big man himself.
Hukporti — a 19-year-old seven-foot centre — likens his game to Phoenix Suns star Deandre Ayton.
United coach Dean Vickerman understands the Ayton comparisons having seen the 2022 NBA draft prospect strut his stuff at training.
“I like (the Deandre Ayton comparison) for him,” Vickerman said.
“(Ariel‘s own comparison). “He’s been able to catch lobs that no one else has been able to. His length and reach are exceptional. Ayton is in unbelievable shape, and we’d like to see Ariel build on his fitness level.
“He can be anything, we love the talent level, we love the cheekiness and the liveliness he brings, he’s fun to have around the group.
“Ariel is big and powerful; he’s got great mobility on the perimeter that allows him to take people off the dribble at seven feet.”
LIKE
Hats off to the legendary David Andersen following one of the greatest careers from an Australian basketballer.
Andersen announced his retirement on Wednesday morning following 23 decorated seasons playing across the globe.
He won a remarkable 22 titles in six different countries — a remarkable feat that will probably never be replicated.
Thankfully, Andersen won’t be lost to the game after he picked up a job with the NBL in a new Player Liaison and Special Projects role.
DISLIKE
What is it with American basketball commentators disrespecting overseas leagues with ignorant and belittling comments?
ESPN commentator and former NFL wide-receiver Keyshawn Johnson produced a shocker when talking about LaMelo Ball’s experience prior to joining the NBA.
“This is the first time in his career that he has really played real organised basketball,” Johnson said.
“Not high school stuff really quick or overseas stuff real quick, and he only played a stint overseas and a handful of games.”
Last time we checked, the NBL has been a real organised professional league since 1979.
The Australian league has also produced countless stars and has become a legitimate breeding ground for the NBA.
😂😂😂 When are these US “basketball analysts†gonna realise that most overseas leagues are way better than College 🤦â€â™‚ï¸ Overseas ≠Organised Basketball, but College = Organised Basketball. Yeh alright…#NBL22#NBApic.twitter.com/1RrAEZDtBF
— NBL News (@NBL_News) October 27, 2021
SHOOSH
The NBL’s official ball — Spalding — were forced to recall a bad batch of balls that were out of shape.
A number of NBL players expressed their concerns about the ball, even bringing their own ball to training.
Thankfully, the issue has been resolved with Spalding ordering in new balls ahead of the 2021-22 NBL season.
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