2010 NBL Season & Offseason discussion

[Gozu]

The NBL's preseason comp the Top End Challenge started tonight in Alice Springs with the Wildcats beating the 36ers in a tight one 92-90.

[Gozu]

In today's Top End Challenge results in Darwin, Melbourne def the 36ers, Cairns def Wollongong, New Zealand def Townsville and Sydney def Gold Coast.

Also in other news the Blaze have released import Bennett Davison and signed Mark Worthington as his replacement and the 36ers have signed Mitch Creek as a replacement for the injured Nathan Herbert.

[RoosterMarty]

This Mitch Creek guy can dunk the ball. This is when he was only 16 (he is 18 now): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3LfOUdO ... r_embedded

[Gozu]

Top End Challenge results today were Townsville def Sydney, Gold Coast def Cairns, Wollongong def New Zealand and Perth def Melbourne.

[Gozu]

The Top End Challenge concluded tonight with Perth beating Cairns in the final. In the other results New Zealand def Wollongong, Sydney def Gold Coast, Melbourne def Townsville and the 36ers def the Darwin Airport Resort All-Stars.

[Gozu]

The Breakers beat the Blaze in a pre-season game last night and the Taipans have signed Ronald Dorsey as their second import to replace the sacked Arizona Reid.

[Gozu]

The Tigers are currently on a second preseason tour of China and last night had a comfortable win over Xianjiang Guanghui. The Tigers are now through to the final of the tournament with the second game being played tonight.

[CK]

Tip off in seven days, really looking forward to this year's competition. Suspect Adelaide will struggle to avoid bottom three, however.

[Gozu]

CK, I agree it's going to be another excellent season amped up by the FTA deal with Ten/One and more games on TV too.

Also agree the 36ers will struggle again this season and will probably be a chance for back-to-back wooden spoons.

[CK]

CK, I agree it's going to be another excellent season amped up by the FTA deal with Ten/One and more games on TV too.

Also agree the 36ers will struggle again this season and will probably be a chance for back-to-back wooden spoons.

The free to air deal is the most significant move in NBL for 15 years. This really gives it a great chance of opening it back up to those fans that drifted away in the mid 90's. Being able to get home on a Thursday afternoon to see a New Zealand home game (which will not be televised in Maori this year), or a Friday night in for a 36ers away game will be fantastic

[Gozu]

The free to air deal is the most significant move in NBL for 15 years. This really gives it a great chance of opening it back up to those fans that drifted away in the mid 90's. Being able to get home on a Thursday afternoon to see a New Zealand home game (which will not be televised in Maori this year), or a Friday night in for a 36ers away game will be fantastic

Indeed it is, with the NBL being on Fox for the last decade or so many people had forgotten about it. The NBL released the TV schedule for the season about a week ago and from memory the 36ers have about 14 TV games this season. I think the Kings have 20 games on TV, the Breakers around 20 games (but as you're aware that is due to all their home games being televised in NZ and One like Fox will just be taking the feed of it but now via Sky TV), shame about the Crocs though only getting like 4 TV games for the season.

[CK]

The more I look at the rosters, and analyse where the clubs are at, the more I see Cairns jumping out as real smokys - something I never thought I'd say. Phill Jones, Avide Ubaka are BIG offensive ins for a team that usually struggles to break 75 points a game. Alex Loughton also has the potential to rack up big numbers on the night. A team that has quietly assembled a pretty fair lineup.

[Gozu]

Cairns have improved no doubt, Ubaka is a good pick up and wouldn't have come cheaply, Loughton is a very solid signing, they've got Dusty too and don't know much about the new import.

As of right now I think Perth, Gold Coast & New Zealand look like the three standout teams.

[Gozu]

Actually I take that back Gold Coast just lost to Cairns in a preseason game by nearly 40 points!