SuperCoach NBL experts reveal their trade plans for Round 7
It’s Wildcats time. With five doubles in a row, our experts are keen to sink their claws into some Perth players, but who is the biggest target? And who makes way?
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After some disappointing hits in Round 6, our experts are eager to sink their teeth into the Perth Wildcasts, who begin a run of five doubles on the trot this week. But with Bryce Cotton’s fitness still up in the air, who is the biggest trade target?
JAYMZ CLEMETS
OUT: Lachlan Olbrich, Keli Leaupepe
IN: Keanu Pinder, Sean Bairstow
This week I got a Thomas the Tank Engine train stuck in my beard thanks to a wayward toddler, and it felt like an apt metaphor for my SuperCoach season so far: wheels spinning but going nowhere, and causing immense physical AND metaphysical pain.
IS Keanu Pinder the answer to getting my season … wait for the train pun … back on track?
Maybe!
With Perth missing Bryce Cotton, about to go on a run of five straight doubles and Pinder priced at only 304K, this is likely the best opportunity coaches will have to get him into their teams on the cheap, and his role as a Wildcats go-to should help his points-scoring floor.
It comes with plenty of risk, however, as we’ve seen the good (40 points vs. SEM! 47 points last week vs. the Kings!) and the bad (a Halloween-worthy scary -6 back in round 2 vs. Sydney and a 12 in round 5 vs. New Zealand).
But the Wildcats string of double-game weeks are too good to ignore, and with Olbrich’s Illawarra Hawks on a run of singles and Leaupepe having made plenty of coin and only having this week’s double before a couple of single-game weeks, they’re the two that bite the dust.
I’m hesitant on Keli due to the questions marks surrounding Cam Oliver in Sydney, and would rather move on from Sam ‘Spud’ Mennenga after last week’s 16-point disaster, but Leaupepe gives me an extra 25K to play with to downgrade to a cheap bench player with a low BE like Sean Bairstow who got plenty of minutes for injury-hit NZ last week.
To be fair though, considering how my SuperCoach season has gone, it wouldn’t be a giant surprise if my week ends up with another train in my beard, but also on fire, while I lay on my back screaming like Keanu in ‘Point Break’ having unloaded the clip of SC trades into the sky.
MATT HICKEY
OUT: Keli Leaupepe, Sam Waardenburg, Rob Edwards
IN: Jack White, Izan Almansa, Keanu Pinder
Once again using another early (ish) boost to lock in on cash generation and bringing in doubles. Rob Edwards and Sam Waardenburg make their way out after the Taipans big run of doubles, meanwhile SuperCoach hero Keli Leaupepe has done brilliantly but has peaked cash wise and poor performances as a team could result in rotation changes for the Kings. I’m a week late to Jack White, but can’t risk missing out on another big double week score, and the Perth duo of Keanu Pinder and Izan Almansa are obvious picks with five doubles coming up for the Wildcats.
JAMIE HUGHES (Usage Rate podcast)
OUT: Rob Loe/Tyler Robertson
IN: Keanu Pinder/Alex Higgins-Titsha
The boost is tempting … Both of the Robs have served their purpose in their time as a part of the casHUGHES, however they have forced my hand this week. After knocking out 24 and 25 in Round 4 and 5, I had some hope that I could hold the formerly retired Kiwi Lowe through to the end of Round 8. Unfortunately, his two scores of nine in Round 6 made his cash trend in the wrong direction, dropping $15.6K. This has left him with a Break Even of 55. His two best scores of the season are only 52. There’s no way he doesn’t continue to drop.
Jaylen Adams still in doubt doesn’t fill my boots with confidence that T-Rob can reach his Break Even of 27.
He plays the JackJumpers who we know like to limit the possessions and then Melbourne United which will be anything but fun for him as they are the hardest team for guards to score against. Trading him will allow me to keep 3 boosts up my sleeve.
As for Keanu Pinder, 10 games in 5 weeks with the number one option on ice = no-brainer. His last season as the number one option, Pinder averaged 33.3 as a Taipan and I have no doubts after his performance last week (47 points) and the way he attacked the rim that he can be that again. I do worry slightly of an injury due to the reckless abandon which makes him so good.
Alex Higgins-Titsha is: My ‘I don’t want to use a boost and do Loe/TRob/Adnam to Pinder/Makoi/someone under $112K’. I just don’t think it’s worth it. Especially with the cash generation that Hickey and Harrell will continue to make for at least the next week or two. Priced at $58k with a Break Even of -21. If he steps on the court, cha ching! Not the best move for points this week, but hoping I will see the reward for patience over the coming weeks.
CHLOE WILLIAMS
OUT: Sam Waardenburg, Rob Edwards, Angus Glover
IN: Jack White, Milton Doyle, Ben Henshall
When I first ditched White for Magnay when United’s doubles ended, I promised myself to bring him back last week. I didn’t do that, and now regret it, so I’m chasing points and grabbing him now for their next two doubles. I’m bringing in Doyle because he’s still a borderline POD, and my team is getting a little too similar to … other people’s.
Glover goes out for Henshall – it’s a little bit of an unnecessary boost so I may reverse it, but I wasn’t impressed by Glover and don’t want to hold the dead weight when Henshall has five doubles incoming.
TIM MICHELL
OUT: Rob Edwards (get out), Kyle Adnam, and Keli Leaupepe
IN: Keanu Pinder, Elijah Pepper, and Ben Henshall
I have had many bad experiences as a SuperCoach but watching Rob Edwards get the ball ripped away from him by Rob Loe, then fouling out with two points, is close to the worst. Thank goodness he avoided going into the negatives because I just scraped in for the trades I want to make this week. Perth’s draw is opening up and with Bryce Cotton still sidelined, I’m keen to milk some money out of the fill-in guards Henshall and Pepper. These trades mean I will have to bench Pinder this week as I already have Xavier Cooks, Jack White and Matt Hurt. But it’s a long-term play to grab him while he’s still affordable after a monster game against the Kings. This is my last boost – but no guts, no glory?
PATCH
OUT: Sam Waardenburg, Angus Glover
IN: Matt Mooney, Majok Deng
After aborting a decision to trade in Matt Mooney last week, a move which cost me [REDACTED] amount of points, I’m rectifying my wrong this week and bringing him in alongside (checks notes) Majok Deng?? Righto. So no Wildcats? No? Okay. Idiot.
My thinking here is that I need a guard as badly as a man lost in the desert needs water, and the one Wildcasts one who I want currently has several broken ribs and a breakeven of three million. So I’m going for one who is in-form and about to make some cash, and then nabbing the best forward I can on the bench with the money left over – Majok Deng (although just going for Izam Almansa is a possibility). I can bring in Doolittle or Pinder, but they’re not getting on-court ahead of Cooks, White or Hurt, and it’d mean putting Ben Henshall on court. After doing that with Tyler Robertson last week and being left behind, I don’t want a rookie on-field again, even if his scoring is boosted with Bryce Cotton out.
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