Crosscourt: Likes and dislikes from NBL round 17
Despite being contracted until the end of 2027, Adelaide 36ers coach Mike Wells is under pressure amid ongoing concerns about his relationship with one of his stars. That and more in Crosscourt.
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Adelaide 36ers could release head coach Mike Wells at the end of the NBL season amid ongoing concerns about his strained relationship with star guard Kendric Davis.
Multiple sources have confirmed to Crosscourt that Wells, on a year-to-year contract until the end of 2027, is under increased pressure to remain in the role.
It’s understood Wells and the club agreed on the year-to-year arrangement at his insistence, giving the American an out in case he and his family did not take to life in Australia.
It comes as Adelaide continued the fight to save its season, backing up from Friday’s 110-103 loss to Perth with a morale-boosting smashing of Cairns on Sunday.
The Sixers must win their remaining games — and hope for other results to go their way — to reach the top six.
Regardless, Wells faces a battle to stay in the top job amid a season distrupted by player-related issues
Just this week the American mentor had a heated verbal confrontation in the dressing room with Davis after the Illawarra loss.
He was forced to apologise after going at 36ers centre Isaac Humphries in the locker room for “throwing him under the bus” when the big man told media on December 28 “no one knows their role”.
If the 36ers part ways with Wells, he will be the seventh coaching change for the club since 2008.
Former Sixers player and championship-winning coach Phil Smyth believes it’s unfair to just blame the man with the clipboard.
Smyth would also like the spotlight to come onto the players if Wells does go.
“The responsibility of the coach is to get the team improving and the talent playing as well as they can,” Smyth said.
“If he has interference in this role that will never occur on a consistent basis.
“The organisation is a team if the wrong people with egos are in that team only part success follows.
“It’s not just the coach that brings success or failure.”
HAWKS SLEDGE THEIR WAY TO THE TOP
The NBL title will go through Illawarra after the Hawks blew out Melbourne United in front of their passionate fans, who didn’t waste the opportunity to sledge United star Chris Goulding.
The Hawks cemented their NBL25 championship favouritism with a 22-point demolition of United, but the scenes in the stands were also of interest.
A group of 30 diehard Hawks supporters donned specially designed Goulding T-shirts which poked fun at the Melbourne sharpshooter’s alleged flopping antics.
Love your work Hawkheads. Signed by all the Hawks players and I loved the wags asking Larry to sign it 🤣🤣🤣 He politely declined ... NUMBER ONE BABY! #NBL25pic.twitter.com/2HRjIQWZLC
— Julian O'Brien (@Julian_OBrien) January 18, 2025
The black shirts read: “We’re just happy Chris Goulding didn’t get hurt flopping in front of us” – a post-game quote from Illawarra coach Justin Tatum after the controversial round 6 clash between the two teams when Goulding took some contact from Will Hickey but dramatically fell to the floor as he appeared to tweak his left ankle in the process.
Three months on, the Illawarra faithful were in a mood to remind Goulding that he is public enemy No. 1 in the ‘Gong’.
Multiple fans made up signs for the game, including ‘Flop Count: 43’ and ‘The award for best actor and stuntman goes to CG43’.
Crosscourt has been told all the Illawarra players signed the ‘Flop Count: 43’ sign post-game.
How it started vs how it’s going 😂😂!! #nbl25pic.twitter.com/gurlrAFOxQ
— Hawks and Depressendon fan (@Tksed_1) January 18, 2025
NBL boss Larry Kestelman, who was in attendance, was also asked to sign the poster but he politely declined.
The Hawks also made a statement on the court, with four players scoring in double figures in a domination of United.
Star signing Trey Kell continued his outstanding form – dropping a game-high 23 points to take home the player of the game honours.
UNDERRATE PHOENIX AT YOUR PERIL
If all roads to the NBL title go through Illawarra, then the team most likely to challenge them in South East Melbourne can no longer fly under the radar.
After an 0-5 start, the Phoenix parted with coach Mike Kelly and were staring down the barrel of another wasted season, given almost no chance to turn thing’s around.
Enter Josh King.
Under King, the club has flipped the script in the best way possible, the rejuvenated players putting the blowtorch on opponents and shooting up the NBL ladder, now on the precipice of a top-four finish.
It took the Phoenix 10 tries in NBL25 to reach 100 points in a game but, after Saturday’s 102-89 win over New Zealand, they’ve now reeled off triple figures in nine straight games – and 10 of the last 11, in the one outlier, they scored 99.
The Phoenix are 9-2 in those games and have beaten the ladder leaders twice in that stretch.
Hard to keep a lid on it but that’s exactly what re-signed guard Owen Foxwell says they’re leaning into in the Heartland.
“We’re loving flying under the radar, nobody rating us, we’re using that to fire us,” Foxwell told Crosscourt.
“But I think everybody’s starting to work it out now.
“We’re going to be a problem for a lot of teams.
TAIPANS OVERHAUL?
Cairns Taipans face a franchise-defining post-season, with eight key players off-contract and uncertainty around head coach Adam Forde.
Stars like Taran Armstrong and Rob Edwards have helped the last-placed Taipans show signs of life in recent weeks, but the duo is no certainty to remain at the club.
Armstrong is attracting significant NBA interest for a potential two-way deal, while the likes of Edwards has overseas options.
As reported by Crosscourt, Cairns coach Forde is also attracting interest from abroad due to his proven man management as a development mentor. Should he move on, local favourite Kerry Williams has a two-decade association with the Taipans, has paid his dues as an assistant since 2022, and would be a popular pick among the Orange Army.
The Taipans find themselves in a position where, save for contracted development player Kody Stattman, they could return a completely new roster, with Dillon Stith, Kyrin Galloway, Kyle Adnam and Alex Higgins-Titsha (DP) all understood to have options in their contracts.
If Cairns can somehow retain the bulk of its squad, the club showed on Friday night against Brisbane it as the talent to climb up the ladder.
Off-contracts stars Armstrong (19 points, six rebounds and four assists) and Edwards (35 points) put on a show.
Fellow free agent Tanner Groves was a standout, dropping 17 points and adding eight rebounds.
Former United, Phoenix and Kings guard Adnam could be a key veteran for Cairns moving forward.
Adnam dominated the Bullets with 14 points, including four of five from three (80 per cent) while adding six assists.
OFF-CONTRACT TAIPANS: Taran Armstrong, Akoldah Gak, Jonah Antonio, Rob Edwards, Tanner Groves, Jackson Makoi, Sam Waardenburg, Pedro Bradshaw
WILDCATS WINNING BUT BIGGEST TEST AWAITS
Perth Wildcats have surged into second position, but has their favourable run in recent weeks masked their true championship credentials?
Since round 10, the Wildcats have beaten teams lower on the ladder, including Adelaide (three times), Brisbane (twice) and New Zealand (twice).
This run has helped Perth climb up the ladder, but it could be deceiving given their form against the NBL’s top teams.
The Wildcats have lost to Illawarra twice (121-111 and 120-88) while they also got beaten by Melbourne United back in round eight (106-97).
Perth has the chance to prove the doubters wrong and cement their position on the ladder when they host fellow contenders United on Wednesday night.
It won’t easy for the Wildcats, especially with Melbourne coming off a blowout loss to Illawarra.
If Perth can find a way to beat United it will say a lot about the title aspirations.
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