2014/15 NBL Season + Off-season news/Boomers

[Happy Endings]

Just seen the ladder on Fox.

Couple of questions for the experts.
Is it top 4,5 or 6
Are we any chance of making it
Realistically could we get within a bulls roar of NZ or Perth???

It's Top 4 mate, unfortunately very unlikely the 36ers will make the playoffs. We need to beat Melb in Melb tomorrow night and beat them by 30+ points which would even the season series with them at 2-2 and give us the points differential if we finished the season with equal records. Then from there we would need to get to level pegging with them (36ers 6th at 7-11 and Melb 4th at 10-8) and hope the Kings fall away too as they're currently 5th at 7-10. I think the Kings currently lead the season series against us 2-0, so we would need to win both of our remaining games against the Kings and cover the points split if we both get ahead of Melb and finish with identical W/L records.

Still 10 games to go in the regular season for us but things seem to be creeping away from us, especially if we don't have a huge win over Melb tomorrow night.

Eve if we made it to the playoffs I would expect either NZ or Perth to beat us 2-0, we've beaten the Breakers once this season but I doubt they would drop one to us in a best of 3 series. I don't think we match up that well with Perth (which is a shame as they're certainly not as dominant this season as they were last season when we lost to them in the Grand Final series) and would expect them to beat us 2-0.

Thanks for the update. Haven't seen much on a TV anymore. With the popularity of NBA I'm surprised the NBL isn't on TV more or on Foxtel

[Gozu]

Thanks for the update. Haven't seen much on a TV anymore. With the popularity of NBA I'm surprised the NBL isn't on TV more or on Foxtel

No worries, the NBL has the two games on Ten/One each weekend (I post which games each Thurs night for anyone that might be interested) plus every game is on nbl.tv online but the 5-year contract with Ten expires at the end of this season and they've been roundly criticised for their lack of marketing and just general apathetic coverage and most NBL fans are hoping they sign with another network for next season.

In an ideal world the NBL wants every game broadcasted and live whether that happens or not is a different thing. Supposedly channel 7 are interested because they need content as they're looking to make their 7mate channel a sports only channel and Fox Sports have also been mentioned as they could probably meet the every game broadcasted & live aspect as they have plenty of channels and lost the Big Bash cricket to Ten (Ten's interest in the NBL went out the window once they got the rights to the BBL, understandably).

One thing the NBL has never managed to do well is capitalise on how popular the NBA is in Australia. We all view the NBL as inferior (which of course it is compared to the NBA, just like every other league in the world) but the standard of the NBL has arguably never been greater, we're losing players to the NBA regularly now and getting talent like a Josh Childress (who IMO is still easily NBA standard) and NBA teams are farming out 2nd round draft picks to teams here now like Miami did with James Ennis in Perth last season, Toronto with DeAndre Daniels in Perth again this season and Philly with Jordan McRae at Melb this season too.

Nothing speaks higher of the calibre of the NBL currently than NBA teams essentially loaning us players they previously would've sent to the best leagues in Europe like in Spain, Greece and Italy. Throw in the fact NBA merchandise & League Pass subscriptions sell like hot cakes in Australia so the NBL should really make sure it gets this next TV contract right.

[Gozu]

Round 14 results:

New Zealand 98 (Jackson 18, Abercrombie 16, Webster 15, Vukona 13, Wesley 11, Ibekwe 10) def Wollongong 91 (OT) (Ervin 21, Martin 21, Carson 17, Coenraad 14)

Townsville 98 (Conklin 19, Blanchfield 18, Norton 15, Steindl 13, Gladness 11, Vanderjagt 10) def Sydney 89 (Madgen 18, Childress 16, Cadee 12, Ellis 12, Garlepp 11, Joyce 11)

Cairns 91 (Craig 19, Tragardh 18, Wilbekin 15, Loughton 12) def Perth 76 (Daniels 17, Jervis 17, Beal 13, Wagstaff 13)

Adelaide 91 (Motum 22, Wilson 22, Creek 17, Petrie 15) def Melbourne 89 (McRae 16, Barlow 14, Patton 13, Kickert 12, Dennis 10)

New Zealand 86 (Vukona 17, Webster 15, Carter 13, Ibekwe 11, Wesley 11, Abercrombie 10) def Wollongong 84 (Ervin 25, Coenraad 19, Carson 11)

Cairns 78 (Burston 16, Gliddon 14, Wilbekin 12) def Townsville 73 (Conklin 22, Markovic 20, Steindl 10)

[wristwatcher]

Round 14 results:

New Zealand 98 (Jackson 18, Abercrombie 16, Webster 15, Vukona 13, Wesley 11, Ibekwe 10) def Wollongong 91 (OT) (Ervin 21, Martin 21, Carson 17, Coenraad 14)

Townsville 98 (Conklin 19, Blanchfield 18, Norton 15, Steindl 13, Gladness 11, Vanderjagt 10) def Sydney 89 (Madgen 18, Childress 16, Cadee 12, Ellis 12, Garlepp 11, Joyce 11)

Cairns 91 (Craig 19, Tragardh 18, Wilbekin 15, Loughton 12) def Perth 76 (Daniels 17, Jervis 17, Beal 13, Wagstaff 13)

Adelaide 91 (Motum 22, Wilson 22, Creek 17, Petrie 15) def Melbourne 89 (McRae 16, Barlow 14, Patton 13, Kickert 12, Dennis 10)

New Zealand 86 (Vukona 17, Webster 15, Carter 13, Ibekwe 11, Wesley 11, Abercrombie 10) def Wollongong 84 (Ervin 25, Coenraad 19, Carson 11)

Cairns 78 (Burston 16, Gliddon 14, Wilbekin 12) def Townsville 73 (Conklin 22, Markovic 20, Steindl 10)

So season still alive then. Big result for us.

Huge weekend for us next weekend. If we win at home and knock off Perth away whilst Melb lose to NZ and Perth as they should the gap is none. Seems simple enough

[Johno6]

Don't know how accurate this is but heard a whisper Cal Bruton to be named Hawks coach soon for rest of season......

[Gozu]

So season still alive then. Big result for us.

Huge weekend for us next weekend. If we win at home and knock off Perth away whilst Melb lose to NZ and Perth as they should the gap is none. Seems simple enough

Yep still alive although we needed to win by something like 32 or more to win the season series against Melb so to make it we need to finish with a better record than them now. So with 9 games to go even though we're 2 games behind them we're effectively 3 games behind.

There was talk that supposedly the 36ers boss told the group during the week if we won this game against Melb he would sign a replacement for BJ Anthony and the contenders were meant to be Daequon Montreal (the import we released to sign Brock Motum) and kiwi Richie Edwards (who was an injury replacement earlier in the season for Mitch Creek and has remained in Adelaide).

Agree big weekend for us and probably even bigger weekend for Melb hopefully NZ and Perth go on with it.

[Gozu]

Don't know how accurate this is but heard a whisper Cal Bruton to be named Hawks coach soon for rest of season......

Gee that would be pretty big if true would mean Gordie McLeod is thinking of stepping down. I know he hasn't been happy with some of the roster moves the Hawks new owner has made this season. I actually wondered why Cal Bruton was in the crowd at yesterday's home game against the Breakers. Former Hawks championship coach Brendan Joyce was in the crowd too but he still lives in Wollongong.

[Gozu]

Pretty good signing announced today by the Sydney Kings signing former 36ers import and now naturalised Kiwi Nick Horvath for 4-6 weeks as an injury replacement for Angus Brandt. Horvath hasn't played in the NBL since the 2008/09 season but still tears it up in the NZ league.

Also the NBL have announced Graeme Ward has been appointed the independent Chairman of the NBL Board.

[Gozu]

NBL games coming up on TV this weekend:

Friday night: Adelaide @ Perth at 9:30pm (One)

Sunday afternoon: Wollongong @ Adelaide at 2pm (Ten)

[Gozu]

What an awesome game that was, best game I've seen all season!

36ers won 106-102 in front of more than 13,000 Wildcats fans at Perth Arena

Brock Motum was huge 31 points and 13 boards with the game sealing steal and breakaway slam so pumped I almost fell off my couch. That atmosphere and quality of game was like a GF game.

Also today Perth announced they've signed NBL journeyman Luke Martin as an injury replacement for Earnest Ross who tore his Achilles in last Friday night's game against Cairns. Martin has been playing in the NZ league.

[RustyCage]

Great win!

[RustyCage]

Heritage uniform the 36ers will be wearing soon

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1421418034.485473.jpg (82.21 KiB) Viewed 499 times

[Brodlach]

That game was Jamarvellous!

[wristwatcher]

Brilliant win, part one of the five part plan to make finals has been successfully negotiated

[BoundaryRider84]

Got there. ....... but only just

[RustyCage]

That last foul was very harsh. Wilson just ran into him, the guy was standing still

[Gozu]

The guys looked a bit buggered from the big game on Friday night and the Hawks to their credit never give up and keep fighting.

A win is a win made even more enjoyable with NZ also beating Melb today. We're just half a game behind Melb now 10-10 vs 10-11.

And with the 36ers to announce a big signing this week as replacement for BJ Anthony. Daniel Johnson was released by his team in Poland overnight

[Brodlach]

Melbourne play Perth on Wednesday

[RB]

Saw today's game. Thought that Wilson played fairly well; he seemed to slip through a lot of traffic today. Probably a game for the shorter guys. Agree that the Sixers looked a little tired in the final q.

The streak continues...

[Gozu]

Round 15 results:

Sydney 89 (Childress 23, Madgen 22, Perry 14, Garlepp 13) def Townsville 81 (Conklin 19, Blanchfield 17, Gladness 14, Markovic 10)

Adelaide 106 (Motum 31, Wilson 19, Petrie 15, Gibson 11, Creek 10) def Perth 102 (Daniels 24, Wagstaff 23, Redhage 19, Jervis 14, Beal 13)

Cairns 80 (Burston 21, Wilbekin 18, Gliddon 14) def Sydney 76 (Ellis 18, Childress 16, Garlepp 14, Madgen 11)

New Zealand 88 (Webster 17, Jackson 16, Ibekwe 15, Abercrombie 14) def Melbourne 75 (Dennis 18, Kickert 15)

Adelaide 83 (Wilson 27, Motum 17, Creek 12) def Wollongong 78 (Ervin 15, Carson 14, Hill 12, Davidson 10, Forman 10)

Melbourne 86 (McRae 27, Kickert 15, Dennis 14, Worthington 11) def Perth 78 (Daniels 23, Redhage 17, Beal 14, Wagstaff 10)