NBL26 fixture: The good, bad and ugly for every team examined
From Dash Daniels’ debut to a blockbuster reunion, we examine the NBL26 games you can’t afford to miss. Plus, which teams have the toughest road schedules and what are the biggest scheduling blunders?
The NBL schedule is out for another year — and as always there’s going to be winners and losers.
Experts Michael Randall and Matt Logue examine who will be happiest with the NBL26 fixture and who’s in for a tough campaign.
ADELAIDE
Most anticipated games: Kinetic Kendric — Import Kendric Davis returns with Sydney for the first time on October 11 and, after what has become a bitter, very public split, this one has the makings of an all-timer in Adelaide. The Monsta Show — Any game involving Montrezl Harrell is must-watch. The fiery former NBA Sixth Man of the Year has lit a fire under the NBL.
Travel: No road doubles until round 13 in NSW, most brutal stretch is four games in eight days from January 23-31, road trip to NZ, Sydney then Brisbane before a home date with SEM.
Potential Sunday FTA games: 10
Happy: Four of the first five games at home, four of five at home over the Festive period, including Christmas Eve against the Taipans and a relatively manageable travel schedule. All big ticks for a team gunning for a top-four finish for the first time in nearly a decade.
Sad: Nothing to be sad about for the NBL’s high-priced box office darling — unless, of course, it all unravels.
BRISBANE
Most anticipated games: Banno’s back — The Bullets first home game on October 4 doubles as the return of ex-Bullet Josh Bannan, who fled for Tasmania in the off-season, adding extra spice to the clash. State rivals — Four massive Sunshine Stoushes against Cairns Taipans will also light up the NBL26 calendar, as will a New Year’s Day game against Perth Wildcats.
Travel: Three consecutive away games in New Zealand, Cairns and Adelaide and then two more to Illawarra and Perth sandwich that JackJumpers game in Brisbane in a monumentally challenging start for a team that finished outside the top-six last season.
Potential Sunday FTA games: 4
Happy: More weekend home games than last season, including seven of 14 played during school holiday periods. Four of five games at home in a 13-day stretch through Christmas and New Year will spread some Christmas cheer.
Sad: Away, away, away, home, away, away. Once new coach Stu Lash has something close to a full roster, his side will be out of the oven and straight into the fire to tip off the season.
CAIRNS
Most anticipated games: Defend the North — Four Sunshine Stoushes against the Brisbane Bullets remain the traditional flagship fixtures for the Taipans. Kiwi crushers — the tale of the two Tall Blacks, Sam Waardenburg and Sam Mennenga, who switched teams a couple of years ago always seems to have some extra sting. Cairns’ Waardenburg and NZ’s Mennenga will do battle again on November 22.
Travel: The Taipans are used to travel battles given their location in North Queensland. Their biggest challenge will come in February when they take on the Wildcats in Perth on a Friday before backing up on the Sunday against the Bullets in Brisbane.
Potential Sunday FTA games: 6
Happy: With six of their first nine at home and two trips to John Cain Arena, where they have found recent success, the Taipans have been given a chance to set up their season after the horror of last campaign …
Sad: … having said that, they just need a roster to play in those games, with only five current contracted players and no new signings yet after finishing on the bottom means they are coming from a long, long way back, particularly given some teams have already completed their rosters.
ILLAWARRA
Most anticipated games: Hang the banner — The Hawks will immortalise just their second NBL title prior to their home opener against Tasmania on September 27. Repeating the dose? — all eyes will be on WIN Entertainment Centre on November 5 when Illawarra welcomes Melbourne United back to the scene of their NBL grand final pain. Can the Hawks inflict more pain? Christmas with the Kings — The Hawks had Sydney’s number last season, so this one should be a piece of cake … right?
Travel: It isn’t too bad for the Hawks with their toughest travel coming early on with two trips to Perth in six games.
Potential Sunday FTA games: 4
Happy: Six home games on a Saturday will guarantee big crowds back at the WEC and who doesn’t want to enter the new season with the championship trophy?
Sad: The defending champions have only four Sunday games, limiting their potential prime time free-to-air exposure, despite their standing at the top of the NBL. Two late away games against Melbourne United and Tasmania is tough but, if they play like they did last season, it won’t matter.
MELBOURNE UNITED
Most anticipated games: Dashing debut — Next Star Dash Daniels, teen brother of Boomer and newly-crowned NBA Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels, is set to make his home debut on Sunday, September 21. Boomer revenge — Melbourne United wasn’t shattered when Matthew Dellavedova left for Sydney, so you can bet he’ll be fired up to show them what they’re missing out on in his return to John Cain Arena on November 3. Home GF rematch — United fans will have waited nearly nine months to release their angst at last year’s grand final defeat when champions Illawarra finally visit in November for the first time since game four last March.
Travel: Only eight interstate/international trips prior to Christmas, before the Australian Open takes over JCA. Six of eight trips follow in the month.
Potential Sunday FTA games: 10
Happy: Sixteen games at John Cain Arena, 18 in Victoria and a little AO relief for the first time in years thanks to two Ignite Cup games, likely in regional Victoria.
Sad: Delly’s return to Melbourne on a Monday night? Say it ain’t so, NBL.
NEW ZEALAND
Most anticipated games: Kiwi Kings — Let’s face it, there’s no one left from the Breakers’ NBL23 grand final heartbreak but there remains an edge to games between NZ and Sydney. The Kings hit New Zealand on December 3.
Travel: The only team based in another country, whinging about travel is for Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, right?
Potential Sunday FTA games: 7
Happy: Five of their first seven games at home and two of their shortest trips to Sydney and Melbourne for the two road trips in between provides the Breakers with a huge opportunity to set up their season under new ownership.
Sad: Four games in 13 days from November 9-22 is compounded by road trips to Sydney, Brisbane then Perth — all within six days. Sheesh.
PERTH
Most anticipated games: ‘Lying King’ out for Wildcat blood — Perth legend Bryce Cotton faces his former club in his old stomping ground after some nasty stuff from WA media for the first time on December 7.
Travel: Airtime comes with the territory when you play over in Perth and the Wildcats are always leaders in frequent flyer points.
Potential Sunday FTA games: 11
Happy: One of the big winners for Sunday hoops with five more prime time slot games, something owner Mark Arena advocated for last season. Having Hoops Fest at home is handy and, with seven of the last nine at home and only two trips to NSW, if the Wildcats are thereabouts at Hoops Fest, you can just about guarantee a finals finish.
Sad: Will only get to watch Bryce destroy them once at RAC Arena this season. To be fair, everyone else but Wildcats fans will be sad about that one.
SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE
Most anticipated games: Which bird will soar? — Outside of the cross-town Throwdowns, there’s a real feeling of dislike building between Illawarra and South East Melbourne. The Hawks vanquished the Phoenix on their way to the grand final last season, embarrassing them by 30 in the semi final decider. What will South East Melbourne have in store on October 18?
Travel: Don’t play a road double until round 15 but then it gets ugly. Rough second half of the season for the Phoenix punctuated by a stretch of six games in 18 days with seven flights across 16,000kms the first at Hoops Fest in Perth on January 18.
Potential Sunday FTA games: 5
Happy: Four games at their spiritual suburban Melbourne home are guaranteed sellouts and give fans in the Heartland what they want, while the Sunday, December 7, home Throwdown against United is a guaranteed sellout.
Sad: The Hoops Fest horror, beginning with Bryce Cotton against Adelaide in Perth, is the stuff of nightmares and then they have to close the season with clashes against the Wildcats, 36ers, Sydney and Tassie.
SYDNEY
Most anticipated games: Trez v King Kendric — Adelaide made a habit out of stomping the Kings last season but, with Kendric Davis switching allegiances, will Sydney be able to flip the table on Montrezl Harrell when the Sixers hit the Harbour City on December 17? Hawk for Christmas dinner? — The state rivals have a clear Christmas Day runway this season when the champion Hawks face the Kings, who will hope to halt the small-town club’s recent dominance.
Travel: In a horror five-game stretch in late November-early December, the Kings travel to Tasmania, New Zealand, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide for away games. Brian Goorjian’s men also face the tough task of playing the Wildcats in Perth on a Friday before backing up on the Sunday in Melbourne to face United, in a similar task to one that left the master coach frustrated last season.
Potential Sunday FTA games: 13
Happy: 13 Sunday games — the most of any team in the NBL — gives Sydney the title of FTA Kings.
Sad: The battle of backing up, especially on the dreaded Friday night-Sunday afternoon schedule. The Kings would prefer more rest.
TASMANIA
Most anticipated games: Champ’s homecoming — Milton Doyle left Tasmania as arguably the franchise’s greatest player and returns in a Melbourne United jersey, in the first game of the season on September 18, no less.
Travel: Six of seven away games after the home opener but no road doubles and only one of those is a back-to-back home-away round.
Potential Sunday FTA games: 4
Happy: Four of the Jackies’ last six games are at their home fortress, which bodes well for a team looking to bounce back into the playoffs, particularly if it needs wins down the stretch.
Sad: One home game before over a month without basketball in Tasmania is cruel for Jackies fans and four games in eight days over Christmas is ultra cruel for the players and high performance team.
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