Basketball On The Internet.

SEASON 2026-27 is underway for the NBL and Brad Rosen saw plenty in Round 1 for us to thrash out at this week's Brad&Boti podcast. Of course we didn't forget the women either, wrapping the WNBL's preseason series in Townsville and offering some interesting breaking news re our Opals captain.

No, we don't mean Ezi Magbegor on this occasion but Sami Whitcomb, who withdrew from the Opals' World Cup campaign in Berlin and from the upcoming WNBL season to manage continuing knee soreness.

Well guess what?

She's since wracked up a couple of games for Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA!

Odd? You bet. But no more odd than trying to draw some kind of projected conclusions from the WNBL's Townsville Tip Off preseason series.

With a raft of WNBA and Opals players absent, teams barely resembled their final line-ups for the season tip off next month. Congratulations are due for Geelong Venom and Maddi Rocci but beyond that, we learnt very little of a positive, usable nature.

Instead we jump over to the classic NBL season-opener between Melbourne and Adelaide where the 36ers beat adversity and the odds to down United in a thriller.

Yes, Bryce Cotton left no doubt he won't be surrendering his MVP crown anytime soon, nor without a fight, and new Melbourne import Cole Anthony also left a huge first impression. As also expected, the returning Joe Ingles had a lot to say.

Over in the west, Dash Daniels announced his arrival with a stellar performance for South East as the Phoenix steamrolled Perth. Tanner Krebs, Jordy Hunter, Skylar Mays all showed positive signs, the Wildcats struggling without a bona fide playmaker.

Dylan Windler and Anthony Dell'Orso also had forgettable nights. So did the refs down in Hobart where their interpretation of the new "disruptive foul" left a lot to be desired as Tasmania cashed in and beat the Phoenix.

Brad and I share our Top 6 predictions, he's got a Rosen Rattler and I trade my Nagy Nasty for a Nagy Nicey before we select Round 2's winners.

You can hear all this and more right now by simply clicking on this LINK, or go to your usual podcast sources.