JackJumpers boss weighs in on Roth’s future in Tasmania
The team’s boss has commented on speculation that their coach and two sharp-shooters have been targeted by cashed-up international clubs as their contracts expire. WHAT’S NEXT >>
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JACKJUMPERS boss Simon Brookhouse has a message for anyone who thinks super coach Scott Roth will leave Tasmania’s green machine after their amazing debut season in the NBL - he’s not going anywhere.
But the race is now on to sign three-point sharp-shooters Josh Adams and Josh Magette, whose contracts expired the second the buzzer sounded to announce the Sydney Kings 97-88 winners of grand final game three in Sydney on Wednesday night and the new NBL champion.
On the eve of the match, speculation emerged that Roth was being targeted by cashed-up clubs from overseas, particularly one in Japan.
Brookhouse who, along with NBL boss Larry Kestelman, identified Roth as the man to coach the JJs, said the American was here to stay.
“Scott’s got another year on his contract with us and there’s a third year option for the club,” Brookhouse said.
“I have no doubt there would be plenty of people out there who would be interested in Scotty, he’s a great coach.
“But as it stands, he’s contracted to the JackJumpers and he’s here again next year and we are already planning for next year.
“We will sit down with Scott now the season is over and work out what we are going to do moving forward and hopefully we’ll entice him to stay longer than his current contract.”
The JackJumpers squad will remain intact until their end-of-season dinner in Hobart next weekend with exit interviews leading up to it next week.
“The two Joshes and MiKyle McIntosh, the three imports, were all on one-year contracts and part of the review will be to work out what we will do moving forward,” Brookhouse said.
“The two Joshes have been fantastic and MiKyle has been very good too, in the last third of the year he has really stood up when it counted.
“We will go through the post-season review, see which areas we have gaps in and what we need to improve for next season.”
Roth was signed as coach from a “great raft of applicants”.
“Scott just stood out. He’d been all round the world, he’d done a start-up in the G-League and had been in Australia with Perth Wildcats, who have got a great history,” Brookhouse said.
“It was a great choice and it has obviously worked out for us.”
’What a fairytale’: JackJumpers incredible first season comes to an end
The JackJumpers Championship dreams and their debut season may be over but what a wild and remarkable ride it was.
After a heartbreaking 97-88 loss to the Sydney Kings in game three of the NBL Grand Final series on Wednesday night the JackJumpers incredible fairytale season came to a close without their ultimate goal but with one of the most successful debut seasons in Australian sporting history beside their name.
In front of a record NBL Grand Final crowd of 16,149 at Qudos Bank Arena the JackJumpers pushed the ultra-talented Kings to the absolute brink in the do-or-die clash but ultimately fell short by nine points to watch on in despair as the Kings celebrated their first NBL title since 2005 to the delight of their deafening home fans.
Despite starting duo Jack McVeigh and Fabijan Krslovic ruled out with illness just an hour before tip off- the shorthanded Jackies put in a remarkably gutsy game three performance to give the boisterous section of passionate Tasmanians fan in attendance plenty to cheer about while striking fear into the eyes of the monster Sydney crowd for much of the night.
Showing the determined, never-say-die attitude they’ve become known for, the JackJumpers led at all three changes in a highly spirited performance to give Tasmanians a glimmer of hope of they could continue their amazing underdog season for at least one more game.
But with the nervous and passionate home crowd behind them the Kings put in a huge final term to eventually overrun the persistent Jackies and finally put an end to their seemingly invincible debut season.
Star guard Josh Adams capped off his fantastic debut NBL season with 27 points in another starring performance for the JackJumpers but in the end it wasn’t enough as the incredible depth of the Kings proved too much as Xavier Cooks, Jarell Martin, and Ian Clark all scored over 20 points to lead them to Championship victory.
While the monster win brought the Kings their fourth NBL Championship it also brought to a close one of the most remarkable debut seasons in Australian sporting history.
Captain Clint Steindl said he couldn’t be more proud of the team.
“At some stages we thought we weren’t going to reap the rewards of this season but this group of guys said to hell with it, lets give it a real shake and I couldn’t be more proud of the group,” he said.
“This is a tough one, knowing how far we’ve been able to come and fall short at the final hurdle.
“We be back next season ready to go, and we’re going to give it another real shake.”
NBL boss Larry Kestelman said the team’s journey this season was an absolute fairy-tale.
“What can I say about the JackJumpers, what a story, what a fairy-tale. All fairy-tales come to an end but this is just the beginning for them,” said NBL boss Larry Kestelman.
“We look forward to a lot more to come from you, enjoy this year, starting up with your first year in the league and to come all this way and put up such a fight, we could not be more proud.”
In their inaugural season the JackJumpers defied all outside expectations to captivate Tasmania and ultimately the nation as they wrote themselves into the pages of history as the first brand new expansion team in NBL history to not only make the NBL playoffs but the NBL Grand Final series.
In a fairytale inaugural season the Jackies bounced back from a 2-6 start to win 15 of their last 20 games to leapfrog the Perth Wildcats into the once most unlikely of finals appearances and eventually catch the eye of sports fans Australia over.
And while it didn’t end with a Championship, it sure was a hell of a ride.
’Unlucky’: JackJumpers’ game-changers sidelined for final
THE JackJumpers have been dealt a cruel blow only hours before their do-or-die NBL grand final match against Sydney Kings in Sydney tonight.
Forwards Fabijan Krslovic and game-changer Jack McVeigh will not be available for the game at Qudos Bank Arena and are isolating away from the rest of the group.
The pair have tested negative to COVID-19 and will continue to test over the coming days.
“Unfortunately, a few of the guys are unwell with a flu-like illness and won’t be able to take the court tonight. It’s incredibly unlucky timing for Fab and Jack” CEO Simon Brookhouse.
“We’re all obviously very disappointed for them, but we know that the rest of the group will give everything they have to cover their absence and execute the game plan”.
Confidence remains high amongst the group with Jock Perry returning to the team as an injury replacement player.
“The depth in our squad has been tested all year, and this is just another challenge for them. They’ll respond and play for each other as they always do, that’s the character of each and every guy on this team” Brookhouse said.
The JackJumpers have been sticking to additional health and safety protocols for the duration of the 2021/22 Hungry Jack’s NBL season.
Do or Die: JackJumpers’ last shot at NBL victory
RULE the paint, bring intensity and go to town on the rebounds - that’s how one of Tasmania’s best basketball coaches says the JackJumpers can land their must-win third game of the NBL grand final series against the Sydney Kings in Sydney on Wednesday night.
Hobart Chargers premiership coach and NBL commentator Anthony Stewart has watched every game of the JackJumpers’ inaugural season and although he picked the Sydney Kings months ago as this season’s likely champion, he can see hope for the hugely-popular JJs.
Stewart says the Jacks’ best weapon will be their intensity, which has been a trademark of the green machine since their opening game in December.
“They’ve brought that intensity all season,” Stewart said.
“In games where they’ve had their backs to the wall, they’ve tapped into that and come up trumps.”
Rebounding is one of the JackJumpers’ strongest traits. Despite losing game one they led rebounds 39-37 but had only 35-41 against the Kings in game two.
“It’s well-known that if they win the rebound count that goes a long way toward them winning games,” Stewart said.
“If they can compete and win the boards that will go a long way this time.”
Stewart believes the JackJumpers have a mountain to climb against what he says is the NBL’s most potent team.
“They can’t do much more,” he said.
“It went down to the wire on Sunday and the bottom line is Sydney is a very good team.
“I tipped them half-way through the year, and even when we beat them at home and it was one of [NBL MVP] Jaylen Adams’ first games for them, but as soon as I saw their team I thought that’s the championship right there.
“So it’s not going to be easy for the JackJumpers. They probably needed to squeeze that one out on Sunday.
“Can they do more? Luck could go their way a bit more but the reality is we’ve got to hope Sydney plays worse.”
The Kings will be spurred by a packed house at Qudos Bank Arena.
“Hobart has about 5000 and the atmosphere is unbelievable, but there will be 15,000 in that stadium and they only need one more win to get it done,” Stewart said.
“Hopefully, Sydney relaxes a bit knowing they’ve got three more games up their sleeve and we have to play extremely well on the road to get it done.”
JackJumpers captain slams online troll for outrageous post
HE was the man who sank the hearts of Tasmanians basketball fans in the dying seconds of NBL grand final game two in Hobart on Sunday but on the eve of game three the JackJumpers have come out in defense of controversial Kings guard Dejan Vasiljevic.
Ahead of the trip to Sydney for their do-or-die match against the Kings on Wednesday night, JackJumpers captain Clint Steindl said it was unacceptable to target the basketball star with death threats.
“It’s pretty simple - it’s not needed in basketball or any other sport or even in the workplace,” Steindl said.
“It’s as simple as that. There’s no beating around the bush, we don’t need it so don’t bloody do it.”
Vasiljevic hit a decisive three-pointer late in the game and celebrated by turning to the packed house at MyState Bank Arena and goading the home crowd.
Vasiljevic admitted he “probably took it a little too far with the taunting at the end” but a death threat on social media - which could have come from anywhere in the world - was beyond the pale, said JackJumpers coach Scott Roth.
“It’s inexcusable in sports,” Roth said.
“We’re here to entertain, and these are young guys playing the hearts out.
“This kid [Vasiljevic] has had a hell of a two-game series and kudos to him.
“He made a big shot and I loved the celebration. I thought it was great for the game. He’s a passionate kid who’s been playing his ass off and I love it.
“We have to do better against him but the death threat part of it in just unacceptable in any place and anywhere.
“Where ever it has come from, it’s unacceptable. We definitely want to make sure the culture we build here is all of Tasmania representing this club correctly and fans respecting those guidelines we are trying to build.
“Hopefully the league will handle it. I feel bad for ‘DJ’ cause I love watching him play, he’s had a fantastic series and good on him, but the threat was completely unnecessary.”
Roth would be get involved in questions about the $375 fine issued to Kings coach Chase Buford for kicking a hole in a JackJumpers’ courtside electronic sign during an angry outburst and whether he should have been ejected from the game.
“That’s not in my wheelhouse, that’s an NBL thing and I let the Sydney Kings handle their own business. I worry about the JackJumpers,” Roth said.
“Our guys are in a good place. We had the day off [Monday] and got some rest. We will go into the game and continue to fight, eliminate a few mistakes here and there, and we’ll see what happens.”
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