Crosscourt: Latest NBL likes and dislikes out of round 12 of the 2024-25 NBL season

Illawarra has called for consistency about the use of in-game audio after copping an official warning from the NBL due to coach Justin Tatum ditching his microphone. LIKES AND DISLIKES

Illawarra has received an official warning from the NBL after coach Justin Tatum ditched his live microphone and refused requests to reattach it during last Friday night’s epic take-down of Melbourne United.

The top-of-the-table Hawks smacked United on their home deck in a fiery contest where both coaches copped technical fouls, Tatum responding to his second quarter sanction by taking off his mic and returning without it after halftime.

Under NBL rules, coaches must wear the mic during broadcasts, which bring a unique element to the league’s in-game broadcast — but can also land anyone caught live on air in hot water.

The league has warned Illawarra under threat of fine Tatum must wear the microphone at all times during games.

Hawks chief executive Stu Taggart confirmed the club had received the league’s warning.

“We understand the NBL’s position on coaches wearing microphones,” Taggart said.

“For the Hawks, consistency around the use of coaches’ audio across the league is important. There are inevitably situations in games where things are going to be emotional.

Justin Tatum removes his live mic during the clash with Melbourne United. Picture: ESPN

“For all teams, it’s about working with the NBL and its media partners to find the right balance between providing unique insights into the game by virtue of the coaches being so close to the court, players and officials, whilst avoiding putting live audio or vision to air that doesn’t best represent the characters in our game that can lead to a breakdown in trust.

“We will keep working together to get that balance right.

“We’ll continue to work with JT and all our coaches and players around how we best respond in game-day environments but we’re comfortable with the relationships we have developed with the NBL’s media partners and we’re continuing to work hard on and off the court to get the best results we can.”

The simmering frustrations that, earlier this season, landed Tatum a $3000 fine for calling referees “incompetent”, boiled over last Friday night.

Crosscourt has been told Tatum delivered a spray to the referees as he left the court at the main break.

Tatum, who said post-game “I don’t even know why I got a tech”, had reason to be aggrieved, former United guard Pete Hooley said.

Hooley said an offensive foul call on Trey Kell for an elbow to United guard Matthew Dellavedova’s head moments before the import guard was flattened by a hard, but legal, screen from Jack White would have fuelled Tatum’s annoyance.

“I think he’s got a case,” Hooley said on the NBL broadcast.

“Nothing in that from Jack White but the frustration came from Trey Kell because I don’t think that needs to be called down the other end.”

Illawarra declined to comment when contacted by Crosscourt.

Tatum has turned Illawarra into one of NBL25’s great stories, piloting the Hawks to a 10-5 record. He’s had a running battle with the referees this season, which came to a head against United in October.

Illawarra coach Justin Tatum during Friday night’s heated clash with Melbourne United. Picture: Getty Images

Owing to that fiery evening in the ‘Gong and the top-two stakes, there was significant scrutiny on both teams heading into Friday’s top-two clash, with Tatum keen to shift the focus of him and onto his team’s performances.

It didn’t quite work – but he’s unlikely to care, given his charges played through it and produced a dominance of United rarely seen inside their own arena in a 106-93 win, during which opposing coach Dean Vickerman was also hit with a technical foul.

Live mics have been a hot topic among coaches, with several expressing dismay at being forced to wear them under league mandate.

Sydney coach Brian Goorjian is no fan, nor is Perth’s John Rillie.

But it’s a concept unique to the NBL which gives fans and broadcasters a rare peak into the inner sanctum of a coach and team in the heat of battle, adding to the league’s growing appeal.

On Saturday night in Cairns, the Adam Forde’s mic picked up a fascinating exchange between the Taipans’ coach and referee Ruben Woolcock.

Forde used his coach’s challenge after a miscommunication between ref and scorebench incorrectly tagged Tanner Groves with his fifth foul, disqualifying the big man from the rest of the game.

Forde knew guard Rob Edwards had committed the initial foul, so challenged the call in the hope of keeping Groves in the game.

After much back and forth between ref and coach, the error was corrected and Forde’s challenge was returned.

“That’s the first unsuccessful successful (coach’s challenge),” a smiling Forde was heard to say in a light-hearted moment with referee Woolcock.

DISLIKES

BREAKERS IN FREE-FALL SINCE TACKO’S ARRIVAL

New Zealand’s Tacko Fall is the NBL’s tallest-ever player standing at a whopping 7’6”, but the former NBA star is a liability defending the three ball.

NBL teams are scheming to target the ex-NBA man in defence and it’s a key reason why the Breakers have lost six games in a row, all by double-digits.

This was on show in Saturday’s loss to Adelaide, with the 36ers exploiting the former Boston Celtic backup centre’s inability to guard the perimeter.

The Breakers have struggled since Tacko Fall’s arrival. Picture: Getty Images

Lumbering Fall isn’t mobile enough to close out or chase speedy guards on the perimeter and it opened the door for the likes of Kendric Davis to have a field day.

Davis went to town on New Zealand, dropping a game-high 36 points, including five of nine from beyond the arc.

The Breakers were sitting in second position heading into the FIBA break but, in the space of just three weeks they have dropped to second last.

The astonishing free fall has left New Zealand’s season on life support when it promised so much.

The Breakers’ remarkable slide has coincided with Fall’s arrival and the departure of Freddie Gillespie, who had become a vital cog in the team’s bench unit.

BREAKING BAD

New Zealand’s last six games, all losses:

Illawarra 38

Perth 11

Melbourne 27

Sydney 15

Tasmania 24

Adelaide 17

Average losing margin: 22

ALL EYES ON BIG CHANGE IN TASSIE

There’s an intrigue around how the weekend’s big roster change in Tasmania will unfold.

Maligned guard Craig Sword, played sparingly owing to a roster imbalance in the Apple Isle, was axed in favour of 34-year-old American Ian Hummer.

It seemed obvious Sword would get the cut as the JackJumpers scoured the world for a replacement for superstar Grand Final MVP Jack McVeigh, who is sticking it out in the NBA.

But, with the return of Sean Macdonald, the Jackies are on a five-game tear and right back in the playoff hunt — things are clicking.

Tasmania has cut import Craig Sword. Picture: Getty Images

Without McVeigh, though Sword was surplus to the Jackies’ needs.

The club now hopes 34-year-old Hummer — who, earlier this year, made his international debut for Azerbaijan in a FIBA World Cup qualifier — will bring better balance.

Some are touting the former Princeton standout as a ‘replacement’ for McVeigh but he’s not quite like for like — Hummer is far from the shooter the Paris Olympian is.

McVeigh was one of the premier floor spreaders in the NBL last season, leading the Jackies to the title shooting 40 per cent on 66 made threes — sixth in the league.

The 201cm four-man made 13/52 threes in 60 Japanese B.League games, suiting up for with Osaka Evessa alongside former Melbourne United import centre Shawn Long and current Illawarra sharpshooter Hyunjung Lee.

TAIPANS CAN’T AFFORD FALL ASLEEP

Hammered by injury, the last-placed Cairns Taipans can ill afford to fall asleep in second halfs after starting games strongly.

Saturday’s loss to Perth was case-in-point after the Taipans failed to capitalise on a hot first half.

Cairns jumped out of the gates in the opening quarter against the Wildcats, piling on 28 points to open up a six-point lead.

Star Taipans guard Taran Armstrong had 18 points to help the North Queenslanders go to the long break leading 57-54.

Taran Armstrong played out of his skin in the first half for Cairns against Perth. Picture: Getty Images

Just when the Orange Army looked like snapping their 11-game losing streak without star forward Sam Waardenburg, they laid an egg in the second half as Bryce Cotton went nuclear.

The Taipans conceded 74 points in the second half, while their offence dried up with just 35 in a 128-92 demolition.

The starters were literally left on an island by the undermanned bench – no player outside of the first five able to contribute a single point to the cause.

LIKES

CAN REUNITED BRASH BROTHERS FUEL SIXERS REVIVAL?

The NBL’s best one-two scoring punch – American duo Kendric Davis and Montrezl Harrell – hold the keys to saving the Adelaide 36ers’ season.

Combining on Saturday for the first time since each was banned for their role in last month’s ugly fan clash against Melbourne United, the pair put on a show.

Davis dominated New Zealand with his potent shooting, dropping 36 points and adding five rebounds and nine assists.

Harrell was equally influential, finishing with a double-double (21 points and 10 rebounds) while dishing out five assists in a powerful 32-minute stint.

The best scoring duo in NBL25 is back tonight 🔥

Download the FREE NBL app for stats and live scores 📲 pic.twitter.com/9TTKu8i2qT

— NBL (@NBL) December 14, 2024

Title-winning big man Jarell Martin also gave cause for optimism with his best performance in an Adelaide jersey, his 16 points something to build on for a team that needs more contributors, especially with Dejan Vasiljevic facing a long stint on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Get the former NBA man at full speed, bring back Vasiljevic and fellow hamstrung veteran Sunday Dech, and the Sixers will be one of the toughest asks in the league down the stretch.

The big win over the Breakers snapped a four-game losing streak for the Sixers, ahead of their first return to Melbourne — this one against South East Melbourne — to be played under the stars with John Cain Arena’s roof to be opened.

COTTON IN GOAT CONVERSATION: GAZE

Bryce Cotton is destined to finish his career as one of the greatest NBL players, regardless of his remarkable record-breaking scoring run.

That’s the opinion of Andrew Gaze – the man Cotton has joined in the record books following his fourth straight game scoring 40 points or more in a game. It was 59 points earlier this month and the latest scoring outburst came against Cairns on Saturday.

Gaze was the last player to drop 40 plus points in four straight games back in 1991.

The man widely regarded as the NBL’s best ever player believes Cotton will be remembered as an all-time great in the same vein as legends like Leroy Loggins.

Bryce Cotton is on another level 🤯✨

Cotton becomes the first player in 33 years to score 40 points or more in four consecutive games. https://t.co/L6sdfN7PUipic.twitter.com/wIKig9eMCr

— NBL (@NBL) December 14, 2024

As for who is the greatest player of all-time, Gaze is happy to leave it open for healthy, subjective debate.

“It’s very difficult to compare eras and players, but what we can do is appreciate the time we have,” Gaze said about Cotton, who only had four points at quarter-time against Cairns before going on to finish with 44.

“It’s relatively fleeting, so we’ve just got to enjoy it and support it.

“Bryce is box-office and you’d be crazy if you didn’t want to go and watch a Perth Wildcats game because of what he is doing.

“What Bryce has done recently are wow moments, but he has had wow moments for a long time now.

“His form is great, but to me it doesn’t change my view on his greatness because he was great anyway.

“It highlights what he has been able to do over a long period of time, which we sit back and admire and appreciate.”

Bryce Cotton goes to the basket during the round 12 NBL match between Cairns Taipans and Perth Wildcats at Cairns Convention Centre. Photo: Emily Barker/Getty Images.

NBL officials must do everything in their power to retain Cotton, especially with the broadcast rights up for grabs at the end of the season.

The Perth guard is the competition’s biggest name and it’s fair to say the NBL wouldn’t attract the same broadcast dollars if he wasn’t in the league.

COTTON’S INSANE SCORING RUN

New Zealand 59

Illawarra 40

Adelaide 49

Cairns 44

192 points in the past 4 games at 48ppg

FG- 64/99 @ 64.65%

3FG- 21/38 @ 55.2%

FT- 43/46 @ 93.5%

Originally published as Crosscourt: Latest NBL likes and dislikes out of round 12 of the 2024-25 NBL season