Crosscourt: Latest NBL news and whispers ahead of round 5 of the 2024-25 season
NBL rivalries could ignite with the league set to put clubs on the spot to nominate which team they think they can smash — and fans will share in the cash. That, and an update on the All-Stars game’s return, in CROSSCOURT.
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NBL teams and fans stand to share in $150,000 in prize money as part of a bold new initiative set to add sting to games throughout January.
As part of ‘The Shootout” concept, Crosscourt can reveal each team will nominate one away game during the first month of 2025 in which they believe they will score the highest number of points.
At the completion of the 10 nominated shootout games, the NBL club which has scored the highest total points in their nominated contest wins the challenge and $50,000 to split 50 per cent between the club and players.
One lucky fan who enters The Shootout will take home $100,000 if they can successfully nominate the winning club and the highest score.
It’s understood no one club can be nominated more than twice as the home team — clubs must rank all teams they play in away games in January in order of preference and the league will use a random draw to decide who gets top billing.
It is hoped the initiative will inject more life into a stretch of the season dominated by the Australian Open, encourage more offensive creativity and fuel rivalries in the league.
Clubs are largely supportive of league efforts to bring more attention to the second half of the season.
Illawarra chief executive Stu Taggart told Crosscourt the Hawks had provided feedback to NBL on the initiative and awaited the league’s final position.
Expect any team nominated to bring its best but it’s not as simple as just picking the worst team in the league.
In form Adelaide, which had won three games on the trot before the weekend’s loss to Melbourne, is conceding the most points per game at 95.2. But they play a high-paced gamestyle, which has allowed them to score the second-most points per game at 92.3. More possessions equals more opportunities to score.
Melbourne United is the best defensive team in the league, holding teams to just 82 points per contest - but no team can choose them, given they don’t play a home game in the month of January, due to the Australian Open monopolising John Cain Arena and its surrounds.
So clubs and fans will have to do their research and put their thinking caps on - or just pull a name out of a hat and hope for the best.
NBL ALL-STAR GAME SET FOR 2025 RETURN
The NBL’s All-Star game looks set to return for the first time in over a decade next season in a bid to attract more eyeballs to the booming competition.
CEO David Stevenson has confirmed the league is deep in discussions with the Australian Basketball Players’ Association to include an All-Star concept in the NBL25 schedule.
The makeup of the All-Star weekend, including the main game and other events, are yet to be determined by the NBL but the league is looking at the November FIBA window to run the event.
Crosscourt understands the league will ramp up All-Star discussions with clubs, players and sponsors in the coming weeks.
The main All-Star game has taken on various formats, including North v South, Australia v US stars and Aussies versus the World.
It’s understood a locals v imports format is popular among the current players and clubs.
The league could also follow the NBA and pick two captains who would then use a draft to select their respective teams.
The revised All-Star weekend could feature the return of the three-point competition and skills challenge, while there is a push for the WNBL to be involved to make it a celebration of hoops.
Melbourne United star Jack White said he’d welcome the opportunity to play in an All-Star game.
He believes an NBA-style draft with two captains picking teams would make the contest interesting. It’s understood the NBL is looking at the captain format to create more interest in the All-Star game.
Sydney Kings big man Cam Oliver is another player keen to see the NBL re-introduce the All-Star game.
“It would bring a lot more competitive spirit between the players,” Oliver said.“Everyone will want to be a part of the game and it would be awesome. The NBL gets so much attention now and I think the All-Star game would bring in even more fans.”
AGE JUST A NUMBER FOR EVERGREEN CG450
Fresh off another 13 points in 21 minutes in his 450th game that took him into the top 25 scorers in NBL history, Chris Goulding says age is just a number and retirement isn’t on his radar any time soon.
Goulding, 35, can bristle when asked about retirement and it’s for good reason — he was a top-three MVP candidate last NBL campaign and remains one of the most dangerous players in the NBL.
“I’m a realist, eventually, I will retire, but I think if you look at how I played last year, if I was 23, 26, 28, 31, 32, there would not even be a conversation around it,” Goulding told Crosscourt.
“I understand that’s what comes with age but I also understand and I look to America and Europe a lot about ‘can guys do the job?’. If the answer’s ‘yes, they can’, well, why does it matter how old they are?
“I can still play at a high level, whether that is night-to-night, whether it’s ‘hey, we need you to do something different’, whether it’s ‘hey. someone else needs some more time’, I’m at the mercy of what is best for the team and I’m genuinely 100 per cent invested in that.
“Sometimes, what is best for the team is me going out there being aggressive and scoring the ball.”
Goulding revealed he battled through a bout of Covid earlier in the season, which necessitated he came of the bench and said the guard/wing weaponry at his team’s disposal — Matthew Dellavedova, Shea Ili, Ian Clark, Flynn Cameron, Tanner Krebs — meant United could both cover absences and deploy match-up based starting fives.
That’s important because Delly missed time recently with the birth of his daughter and Kiwi guard Ili’s significant other is due in November during the FIBA break.
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Originally published as Crosscourt: Latest NBL news and whispers ahead of round 5 of the 2024-25 season
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