Basketball news 2023: NBL to undertake equipment audit at every venue after Cairns shot clock farce
The NBL will conduct an equipment audit at every venue in the country after the shot clock debacle in Cairns which caused a 51-minute halftime delay.
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In the wake of the shot clock debacle in Cairns, the NBL will conduct a detailed audit of equipment at every one of its venues across the country in a bid to avoid a similar situation to the 51-minute halftime delay that marred the Taipans’ recent clash with Sydney.
And, as revealed by Code Sports, the league will look to strengthen its rules around when a game should be abandoned, allowing for discretion and including a humidity measure alongside its current temperature limit.
It’s understood a piece of equipment relating to the electrical system at Cairns Convention Centre had malfunctioned after a loss of power during the December 7 game, leading to the failure of multiple operating systems, including the shot clock and air conditioning.
A system reset failed to fix the issue with the shot clock.
Play eventually resumed - thanks to the agreeance of both teams - without a working shot clock or air conditioning.
The league’s heat threshold is 36C - it only reached 23C inside the venue but the air was stifling, hence the recommendation to set a new humidity limit.
Venues are set to be better prepared in cases of power failure, with the NBL’s minimum standards to be reviewed. Equipment manufacturer LED Signs will also be contacted in a bid to ensure staff who are operating systems at the venue are trained to deal with similar issues, should they arise.
“This was an unfortunate incident that delayed the game for an unacceptable amount of time,” the NBL’s Sean Gottliebsen said.
“The fault has been isolated to a piece of equipment that has now been replaced by the venue.
CREEK ROCKETS BACK INTO BOOMERS MIX, GOORJIAN READY TO ROCCO
—Matt Logue and Michael Randall
Mitch Creek is back in the Australian Boomers frame for the Paris Olympics, as coach Brian Goorjian looks to unleash the NBL’s finest rising stars in February’s FIBA window, including 7’3” teen Rocco Zikarsky.
Creek hasn’t played for the Boomers since the 2019 World Cup, but the South East Melbourne Phoenix forward is in the mix to be named in Australia’s squad for two Asia Cup qualifiers alongside a trio of emerging young guns.
The Phoenix veteran has produced career-best numbers in the NBL over the past two seasons, finishing third in the league’s MVP voting last campaign, and there is now a push within Basketball Australia to give the 31-year-old a chance to relaunch his international career.
Crosscourt can also reveal the Boomers are set to name rising stars Zikarsky, Alex Toohey and Jaylin Galloway for February’s Asia Cup qualifying games against Korea and Indonesia.
Goorjian has stated his desire to plan for the future by blooding the next generation, conscious of the impact caused by the simultaneous departures of legends Andrew Gaze, Luc Longley, Andrew Vlahov and Mark Bradtke, post-Sydney Olympics.
The mass exodus of veterans left the Boomers in a vulnerable position without a succession plan, resulting in a failure to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, due to a shock loss to New Zealand.
The veteran mentor is currently touring America, visiting Australia’s NBA stars, including Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddey.
In preparation for Paris, Goorjian is having tough conversations with the likes of Mills about what about his role at next year’s Olympics, given this season he has only played four games for the Atlanta Hawks — and averaged just eight minutes.
Brisbane’s Next Star Zikarsky is billed as the future of Australia’s big man ranks.
The talented teen has excelled for his country in the juniors.
Zikarsky averaged 13.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.1 blocks for Australia at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup, showcasing his dominance on both ends of the floor. He led the tournament in blocks, finished fifth in scoring and sixth in rebounding. He also had a strong showing at the 2022 FIBA U16 Asia Cup, where he was named a member of the All-Tournament Team.
Zikarsky is yet to make his Boomers debut – but after being named in Australia’s squad for World Cup qualifiers this year – he has been exposed to the culture and is ready for his chance.
Australian officials are also high on Galloway – who has starred for the Sydney Kings this season – averaging 12.3 points on 55 per cent shooting from the field.
Coach Goorjian rates the 20-year-old’s athleticism and ability to get to the rim – qualities that will hold him in good stead to represent his country in the future.
Fellow King and projected long-term Boomer Toohey is also set to be named in Australia’s squad for the two Asia Cup qualifiers.
The Boomers will be without Aussie NBA stars and NBL-based veterans like Chris Goulding and Matthew Dellavedova, so they’ll get creative and rely on the likes of Creek, Sam Froling, Dejan Vasiljevic and Keanu Pinder to step up.
Vasiljevic has a vital chance to push his claims for next year’s Paris Olympics in the two Asia Cup qualifying games and he’ll be keen to play after pulling out of World Cup qualifying games at the start of the year to focus on Sydney’s quest for consecutive NBL championships.
It remains to be seen if NBL clubs competing in the finals will prevent players from representing Australia, given February’s FIBA window is roughly a week before the Play-In tournament starts.
Australia plays Korea in Bendigo on February 22, followed by Indonesia in Jakarta on February 25.
TATUM WANTS FULL-TIME NBL JOB
Justin Tatum has signalled his desire to remain head coach of the Illawarra Hawks beyond the end of the season after reigniting the struggling foundation club’s NBL24 campaign in an interim role.
Tatum — the father of Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum — joined the Hawks in February as the club’s North American scout and special adviser to basketball operations.
His world was unexpectedly turned upside down in mid-November when Illawarra sacked coach Jacob Jackomas, prompting the club to elevate him as interim coach.
Tatum has taken the opportunity and excelled, winning three of his four games in charge, and says he’d love to stay in the role long-term.
“If that comes about – and there is an opportunity to stay on as head coach – yes I’m 100 per cent interested,” Tatum said.
“Being a head coach out here in the NBL is definitely a passion of mine and I’d definitely consider it.
“For now, I’m taking it one day at a time and working out how I can get this team to the playoffs and see how successful we can become.
“I also want to explore the chance to get on the end of an NBA bench one day, if I can get enough experience to sit there and learn.
“But I want to become a head coach in the NBL, which would be a great opportunity for me.”
CAIRNS RALLIES AMID HORROR FLOODS AS WOUNDED PHOENIX FLY IN
Ahead of its visit to Cairns, South East Melbourne’s injury crisis has deepened but it pales in comparison to the devastation record rainfall from ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper has caused in far north Queensland.
Some areas were pelted with more than 1600mm of rain, inundating large areas of land, destroying property and cutting off towns, the Taipans flying to Brisbane to ensure they could prepare, despite doubts whether Friday night’s game would go ahead.
Taipans assistant Kerry Williams — a Cairns local with deep community ties — said he and the players were still processing the devastation amid news some of his extended family had been impacted.
“Being a Cairns local and growing up here, seeing that water come through and seeing the place flooded was scary,” Williams told Crosscourt.
“Friends of family were evacuated from some of their homes and there are still some places we can’t get to and we won’t know (how bad the destruction is) until it goes down.”
Williams felt anguish for those affected — especially in Indigenous communities, where some were forced to evacuate. But he also said the natural disaster had shown how close-knit the Cairns community was.
“We got home on Tuesday night and all the community is out and supporting, people are cooking meals for some of the families who don’t have anything at the moment,” Williams said.
“Some of the schoolboys that I grew up with were out on their boats picking people up from trees and roofs of houses to get them out of the danger, and then there’s people on dry land waiting in cars to pick them up to take them to shelter.
“The community support here has been unbelievable, it just brought a joy to my heart, watching our community get behind each other.”
The Taipans are still hunting consistency, having last Thursday hammered top-of-the-table Melbourne United in Melbourne before following that up with an uncompetitive 29-point loss to ninth-placed New Zealand.
“It’s frustrating — you want to be trending one way and not going up and down,” he said.
The Phoenix will fly to Cairns Airport — which, earlier this week, was under water after over 300mm of rain fell in a 24-hour period — to take on the Taipans without superstar Mitch Creek in uniform.
Creek will miss at least the next two games with bone bruising and an oedema on his left medial. Now back-up big man Gorjok Gak appears in doubt after he limped into the Phoenix practice facility Wednesday and failed to train.
Star centre Alan Williams didn’t practice on Wednesday, spending time icing his right knee, guard Ben Ayre tweaked an already sore right ankle.
In more positive news for the Phoenix, luckless forward Craig Moller, on Wednesday, was back at their State Basketball Centre home for the first time since he had surgery to repair the patellar tendon he ruptured in the December 2 clash with New Zealand.
Sporting a full-length brace on his right leg, the 29-year-old was a welcome addition to the sidelines at practice, revealing doctors told him he faced four months on the sideline.
The club will also be without teenage development player Austin Rapp, who is headed to the US for a fortnight, to explore potential college opportunities, with visits to Aussie hoops factory St Mary’s and Hawaii, where brother Ryan Rapp is a junior, scheduled. The sharpshooting 206cm teenager confirmed he would represent Victoria at next month’s U20 National Championships.
*The Taipans have given out free tickets to Friday evening’s clash with the Phoenix to both the Red Cross and SES and will do same for other disaster relief organisations helping with the situation in Cairns.
IS KING AUSTRALIA’S NEXT NBA STAR?
Uber athletic Sydney Kings forward Jaylin Galloway has been flooded with NBA interest – and it’s only a matter of time before he finds himself in the world’s best league.
NBL Next Stars boss Liam Santamaria said NBA clubs were “intrigued” by Galloway and believes the 20-year-old could land in the big league as soon as this season.
“I think he’ll probably be the next NBL player in the NBA,” Santamaria said about Galloway, who has emerged as arguably Sydney’s best player behind gun guard Jaylen Adams.
“Next Stars like Sarr will be drafted in June, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Galloway get an opportunity over there toward the end of the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
“Teams are intrigued by him, so I could see him potentially getting a 10-day contract or two, following the NBL season.”
NBL ROUND 12
(All games live on ESPN and Kayo)
Friday, December 22:
New Zealand Breakers v Sydney Kings at Spark Arena from 5.30pm (AEDT)
Cairns Taipans v South East Melbourne Phoenix at Cairns Convention Centre from 7.30pm (AEDT)
Saturday, December 23:
Illawarra Hawks v Tasmania JackJumpers at WIN Entertainment Centre from 5.30pm (AEDT)
Melbourne United v Perth Wildcats at John Cain Arena from 8pm (AEDT)
Sunday, December 24:
Adelaide 36ers v Brisbane Bullets at Adelaide Entertainment Centre from 2pm (AEDT)
Monday, December 25:
Tasmania JackJumpers v South East Melbourne Phoenix at MyState Bank Arena from 5.30pm (AEDT)
Sydney Kings v Illawarra Hawks at Qudos Bank Arena from 7.30pm (AEDT)
Tuesday, December 26:
Cairns Taipans v Perth Wildcats at Cairns Convention Centre from 7.30pm (AEDT)
Wednesday, December 27:
Brisbane Bullets v New Zealand Breakers at Nissan Arena from 7.30pm (AEDT)
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Originally published as Basketball news 2023: NBL to undertake equipment audit at every venue after Cairns shot clock farce
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