Crosscourt: Michael Randall’s likes and dislikes from the inaugural NBL HoopsFest in Perth, Round 1, 2024
There was a ‘pathetic’ performance from Brisbane, an equally bad showing from Cairns, and Perth’s John Rillie starting the mind games early with fierce rivals the Sydney Kings. Hoops Fest was a hit, and Mick Randall has all the highs and lows inside.
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Michael Randall was there. Here are his likes and dislikes from an event that looks here to stay.
DISLIKES
BULLETS’ PATHETIC BEATDOWN
Coach Justin Schueller labelled it “pathetic” and that might be underselling it. After what felt like such a positive build up with an undefeated pre-season, the emergence of big man Tyrell Harrison into a potential star of the game, the opportunity ahead of giant teen Next Star Rocco Zikarsky and anticipation for a pair of new imports and a healthy Casey Prather, the Bullets could not have started the new season more poorly, managing a meagre 34 points in their first half of basketball for NBL25 — against a Breakers team missing its suspended import centre and widely tipped to languish at the bottom of the ladder. Harrison was completely outplayed, and import point guard James Batemon was deplorable, annihilated by opposite number Parker Jackson-Cartwright. It’s early doors but Batemon, through pre-season and game one, is yet to convince he’s a significant upgrade on the wily but ineffective Shannon Scott — something Schueller and company would have been hoping for when they inked him this off-season. Debut or not, three points on 1-5 shooting and 0-4 from deep with three turnovers isn’t acceptable. Batemon would have been front of mind when Schueller said “I think people that have come into the league needed to understand the level that this league is at.” Perhaps a little weight of expectation hit Harrison, but he took just four shots — one less than his five turnovers — and was dominated by opposite number Sam Menenga (22 points, 7 boards). Down 26, at least the Bullets showed a little fight as the Breakers put the cue in the rack a touch early, fighting back to a flattering 87-91 defeat. “I think this is the kick in the arse we needed, to be honest. There’s another level we’ve got to go now and it’s the reminder that we needed, early on, because we do need to hit the ground running.”
KELLY OUT-FOXWELLED
As the Perth Wildcats piled on the points in the third quarter of their 106-98 win over South East Melbourne, many were left wondering ‘where’s Foxy?’. The young defensive dynamo who grew in confidence during a red-hot NBL1 season and looked to have assumed the role of primary back up in the pre-season was unsighted until the 6.21 mark of the last quarter. It was supposed to be junk time with the Phoenix down 17, but Foxwell immediately changed the complexion of the game, sitting down and guarding on defence and showing an aggressive polish at the other end to spark a 23-14 run home and pull his team within eight at the final buzzer. When star import Derrick Walton Jr took rest, Kelly leant into the defensively-challenged Nathan Sobey at the one and took too long to move on from his star’s dirty night (5 TOs, 4 fouls, including a tech, in 30 minutes). Foxwell piled on 10 points in his six-minute stint including a pair of threes and his pesky defensive pressure was stifling to a Wildcats team that limped over the line. “Sobey’s going to play some one and so is Owen Foxwell ... I thought it might come a little earlier for Foxy, in the end it came late and he was great in those minutes, so he’s definitely going to play some. I feel really good about having Derrick, Sobes, Foxy, Ben Ayre, all with the ability to carry the ball, so they’ll all get opportunities there.” Kelly can probably feel a bit stiff — the Phoenix drew the shortest straw of an extra game in Perth against the Wildcats, thanks to Hoops Fest, with RAC Arena supposed to be a ‘neutral’ venue. He didn’t have much to say on it but, when asked about the Wildcats getting an extra home game, Cairns coach Adam Forde was blunt: “As long as I don’t have to play them”.
SNAKES STINK IT UP
I want to feel positive for Cairns — and I think both Rob Edwards and Tanner Groves can be elite NBL players — but, if Taran Armstrong isn’t back real soon, they’re in big trouble. Poor Adam Forde must feel like he’s walked under a ladder losing Armstrong to a calf injury, back up Jackson Makoi to his own bad behaviour and veteran point guard Kyle Adnam to a knee injury. Forde was keeping it upbeat following his side’s loss to Illawarra under trying circumstances, identifying shot selection, effort, rebounding and defence as areas for improvement. “I can’t fault the guys’ effort, We looked good in stretches and maybe the problem was we misinterpreted good offence that resulted in a missed shot as a bad possession. These are things that are fixable. We’ve got to come back together as a group and identify where it went wrong and fix it.” There’s some hope Adnam could be back for the Taipans home clash with Adelaide on Saturday night but the Snakes were in the wars as they were blown off the court by the Hawks. Big men Groves and Sam Waardenburg both appeared to suffer injuries during the 102-75 shellacking. If the Taipans lose any more players, Fordey might have to suit up as player-coach.
OW, MY EARS
I often hear people complain about the noise inside Melbourne’s John Cain Arena — it ain’t quiet, my littlies take earmuffs — but I can safely say it doesn’t hold a candle to RAC Arena, especially during Thursday night’s grand final rematch between Melbourne United and Tasmania. The music was loud, the announcer louder and I’m pretty sure I left with an incurable case of tinnitus from my first visit there. With a bigger crowd for the Phoenix-Wildcats game, it felt like the music was dropped a decibel or two, with the more authentic noise coming out of the rafters from the dominant Red Army. Yes, I am an old man yelling at a cloud — but I’m not the only one. Hey, at least the giant, million-dollar boom box installed at the end of the court produced a stunning spectacle.
LIKES
SMASH HIT HOOPS FEST TO STAY WEST — BUT FOR HOW LONG?
Expect Hoops Fest to be back in WA next year, with the potential for a longer term deal to keep the event in Perth for the near future. WA Premier Roger Cook showered the event in praise during the broadcast and, while it’s understood nothing is locked away, both the NBL and State Government are in talks to extend its stay out west. “This is an amazing event for WA, this is a big deal, we are so happy with the way this has worked out for the first year, we want to bring it back. Hoops Fest 2025, let’s do it.” The mash of NBL, WNBL, U18 clubs and Basketball Without Borders, with the colour of Sneakerland, national and international celebs and surrounding events has been hailed a success by all involved. Don’t expect a 50-year MCG-AFL-style mega deal, though. It’s understood other states have been watching proceedings closely and the NBL will also conduct a full review to take stock of what worked and what didn’t before it moves ahead with anything significant.
RILLIE EARLY KINGS MIND GAMES
It didn’t take Perth coach John Rillie long to begin the mind games with arch rival Sydney. Asked post-game about the challenge title favourite Sydney poses next Friday, a little mischievous smile broke across Rillie’s face. “Next Friday night we play a team, they have two owners that have NBA championships (Andrew Bogut and Luc Longley), they’ve got a general manager of basketball (Chris Pongrass) that just puts rosters together, they’ve got a coach (Brian Goorjian) that they call the GOAT. I haven’t even talked about their roster so I’ve already told our assistant coaches, ‘let’s figure out how to win the jump ball so we can say we’ve won something that night’.” That last comment drew a wry smile from superstar Bryce Cotton, who played a straight bat when asked about the significance of the Sydney clash: “just another game”. Crosscourt can guarantee it won’t be just another game. Expect fireworks from two franchises with no love lost over the journey.
STREAK ALIVE FOR SELFLESS GOULDING
Eyebrows were raised when Melbourne United released its starting line-up prior to Friday night’s grand final rematch with Tasmania and Chris Goulding’s name was missing. The United talisman was sent home early from the Blitz with illness and went into the game underdone, hence coach Dean Vickerman’s decision to ease him in. The master coach was pleased with the example his star set to the rest of the squad. “He obviously came in under the weather, being sick. We highlighted it with our group that this year there’s going to be different groups that start and, (hopefully) everyone’s willing to sacrifice like he did today, to say, ‘yep, I’m a little bit under the weather, someone else can go and start for me’. Hopefully if he does it there’s an acceptance from our group that anyone’s willing to take a few minutes on the bench and not start.” It was a bit of a dirty night for the veteran superstar: he first tweaked an ankle when a sprawling Reuben Te Rangi careened into his leg, then later copped a knock in a rebounding contest with Anthony Drmic, leaving the court a little dazed. Cleared of any concussion, Goulding made it back onto the floor and, with 50 seconds left in the game, splashed the dagger three that sealed a little revenge over the champions. It was his only trey on the night, keeping alive a streak of 66 straight games with at least one make from deep, dating back to April 2022. The last time he failed to make a three in a game he appeared in? You guessed it, against the JackJumpers on April 4, 2022. The 35-year-old remains one of the most potent offensive weapons in the NBL, but, as he approaches game No.450, he deserves a little more rest to keep him fit and firing for the business end of the season. Back up Tanner Krebs looks ready to assume more responsibility and give Goulding a chop out for longer periods this season.
THE JET AND THE REST
The NBL managed to attract plenty of star power to Perth for Hoops Fest, from tennis star Nick Kyrgios, to former West Coast Eagle Nic Naitanui and plenty of others in between. NBA great Carmelo Anthony hit, of all places, the Victorian suburb of Cranbourne for his Ball 360 camp, before a couple of speaking events and plenty of time floating around Perth. It was Kenny ‘the Jet’ Smith who stole the show, though. Most Aussie NBA fans will know him as the dude with Shaq, Chuck and Ernie on Inside the NBA, but those of a more seasoned vintage will recall a guy who played alongside Hakeem Olajuwon in a pair of NBA titles. Kenny was everywhere, from the launch, to hitting up club practice sessions to Basketball Without Borders to the Fan Zone to the games. The NBL got its pound of flesh out of their North American Next Stars Ambassador and he delivered in spades. Among a plethora of great stories about his career, his TV mates and myriad other interesting topics, Smith waxed lyrical on why Michael Jordan is better than LeBron James, saying Jordan was the GOAT because he matched his athleticism with being the most skilled player ever, while LeBron relied more on his physical gifts than a refined skillset. I managed a little chat with him regarding Hakeem, Robert Horry, Sam Cassell and the rest of his Houston championship teammates: “I could not see Hakeem for a year, two years, and if I walk in it’s like we saw each other a day ago. A conversation could pick up from the last time that we talked. It’s innate. It’s not that it’s familiar, it’s that it literally will pick up from the last conversation and continue from there. You have a connection with guys that you win championships with, Horry, Cassell and (Vernon) Maxwell, it’s a never-ending conversation.”
WE’RE DOWN WITH PJC
All roads to beating New Zealand will run through Parker Jackson-Cartwright this season, with teams set to focus heavily on ball denial and a healthy dose of double-teams to curb his explosive scoring and next level facilitation. Easier said than done. The Bullets tried everything to stop the explosive point guard but none of it worked. The American got wherever he wanted, zipping and dipping all over the hardwood on his way to 20 points and 11 assists, drawing foul after foul with his heat on the rim and gravity on the perimeter. Jackson-Cartwright has fallen in love with the NBL and was desperate to get back and we should feel privileged to watch a talent as gifted as he, week in, week out.
HUNTER-KILLER KEY TO PHOENIX RISE
Amid all the high profile talent South East Melbourne recruited in the off-season, it’s pretty clear Jordi Hunter is the Phoenix’s most important player. Bereft of a true back up centre, the towering Hunter is the captain and defensive anchor — and his team looked a little lost whenever he left the floor against Perth. And that was very early, as he picked up two fouls in the first 3.20 of the game and had to be protected. Hunter has an awareness of his importance, but knows he has to find balance: “It’s probably not the best mindset for me to be out there and protecting fouls straight away and I don’t intend to play that way, but you always have to be cognisant. I’ll keep doing my best, I want to be out there as much as possible but there are also guys who will get out there and help me if I’m not ready.” That better not be too often because the Phoenix desperately need their man in the middle on the floor.
BATTLE THAT AIN’T A BATTLE
Relegated to a pile of ‘did not play - coach’s decision’ amid sporadic minutes last season, rising young Aussie star Ben Henshall was understandably frustrated in Perth. But, if game one is anything to go by, the 20-year-old looks like he’ll have a big say in how far the Wildcats go this season. Henshall looked to be in a three-way battle with swole recruit Elijah Pepper and scoring machine Michael Harris, but his 20 minutes against South East Melbourne to Pepper’s 6 and Harris’ 4 indicate he is the one coach John Rillie will trust early. Henshall, who has carried a knock on his defensive ability, was as solid as a rock, making good decisions, carrying a hand on close outs and forcing attackers into tough shots, while providing one of his better NBL performances at the offensive end with 10 points and 7 assists. Superstar guard Bryce Cotton wasn’t buying into the individual battles between teammates for playing time. “I don’t really look at it as people competing against each other for playing time. “We’re all just trying to get better while trying to set the tone because, if you look at it that way, that individualism can creep in. So we’re all just trying to hoop and get better for (the) Wildcats.”
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Originally published as Crosscourt: Michael Randall’s likes and dislikes from the inaugural NBL HoopsFest in Perth, Round 1, 2024
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