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CAIRNS in the NBL and Adelaide in the WNBL are two clubs showing worrying signs as 2012-13 unfolds.

The Taipans are 3-5 but not playing with anything like the assurity of 2010-11's grand finalist or 2011-12's narrow playoff absentee.

Their three victories have been over winless Townsville (twice) and Sydney, but that was before the Kings realised they might be OK this season.

The Taipans scored 92, 88 and 84 in their three wins and their only strong losing score was the 81 they posted in a four-point loss at Adelaide.

Otherwise they average 60 points in their losses. So much for fears Aaron Fearne's slightly revamped team would sacrifice his trademark D to be an offensive juggernaut this year with the additions of Tragardh, Edwards, Steindl and Gliddon. Sixty would only be good enough to consistently beat, um, Cairns.

They scored seven in the last quarter against the Hawks last week.

Mull that for a moment. Wollongong is such a devastatingly ruthless defensive team? I love the Hawks and Hawks basketball, but ruthless defenders they are not.

Undoubtedly the loss of Ian Crosswhite was huge to this Taipans organisation and probably far bigger than most realised. Crossy is big, smart and does what he does very well - defending low post threats, making good decisions with the ball and content to pick up the scoring crumbs, so long as his team is successful.

Can't see who is doing that right now for the Taipans and there appear to be, what we delicately might call, a few heads up their own assets.

Yes, it is still early days, but losing mindsets are as easy to turn into habits as winning mindsets. Haven't seen much to suggest a strong winning mentality is pervading the far-north just now.

LOSING their opener at home, then peeling off six straight wins - many on the road and always without being at full strength - it might then seem disingenuous to say Adelaide is showing poor signs in its WNBL assault.

But wow were they evident against Dandenong, when a team equally rich with talent but playing agenda-free just left Lightning gasping it its wake.

Suzy Batkovic, my favorite player, spent half the game complaining to the officials - they were abysmal, it must be said - but her focus is not that of the star who dominated all the way to the MVP award last season.

Laura Hodges looks as if she left every ounce of confidence on a bench in London somewhere and, injured ankle notwithstanding, is having about as much impact as she was allowed to have at the Olympics.

Jenni Screen's focus is wayward at best. Her foul discipline and inability to consistently knock down the mid-range jumpshot speak more to her mindset than her skill set.

All three may be experiencing post-Games blues but as semi-pros, that cannot be acceptable.

Angela Marino's decision-making with the ball, especially on the break, is just awful. If there's a wrong pass to make, a bad time to give it, or a bad shot to jack, that seems to be what she will do. For a dual-Olympian, she is making the decisions of a rookie.

Adelaide faces Bendigo this week, a team with clearly everyone on the same page. Adversity drew the best from Adelaide early, but I'm not sure everyone is even in the same book now.

AROUND the NBL, my weekly adelaidenow.com.au column is up at http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/around-the-nbl-melbournes-big-move-for-second-team/story-fndekpx4-1226521571666 if you want more insights and insults.

 

NBL Rankings

This Wk ... Prev

8 (8) CROCS - Showed nothing against Breakers but Lurch answers the call.

7 (7) TAIPANS - Time for talk is over. Running low on options and must turn corner.

6 (5) TIGERS - Lost their way under pressure in very disappointing performance.

5 (6) KINGS - Getting on with the job and playing up to potential.

4 (4) WILDCATS - In a slump and must rekindle their swagger. 

3 (3) 36ERS - Buried Tigers loss and now on a roll. Who needs a bye?

2 (2) HAWKS - Still getting it done and travelling mostly smoothly.

1 (1) BREAKERS - Big test now on road to a hurting Wildcats outfit.

 

WNBL Rankings

This Wk ... Prev

9 (9) WAVES - Can't see any additions to 'W' column on road to Melbourne.

8 (8) THUNDER - Beat Sydney on road so why not at home?

7 (6) FLAMES - No love lost on northern tour where 1-1 best hope for Sydney.

6 (7) FIRE - New import, new attitude, new result?

5 (5) BOOMERS - Road trip revived season and Waves won't makes, um, waves.

4 (2) LIGHTNING - Ugly against Rangers and unlikely against Bendigo.

3 (3) CAPITALS - Counting down the days until LJ plays and still going OK.

2 (4) SPIRIT - Slapped the disbelievers last week, now for Lightning at home.

1 (1) RANGERS - So strong in so many areas. West Coast will need Dean Cox.

 

THIS WEEK'S TIPS

HOW big is tonight's game for Perth? The Wildcats beat New Zealand by 21 in the season-opener in Auckland and the Breakers would love to return the favor and humiliate the protagonists in this burgeoning rivalry in front of a massive crowd at Perth Arena.

But I am tipping this is the game, and this is the rival, who re-focus the Wildcats to make them 1-1 in their new venue.

Sydney is the surprise (or Cairns, Townsville and Melbourne are the under-achievers) and full credit must go to coach Shane Heal and his emerging superstar Ben Madgen. Unquestionably Cairns is the disappointment of the season so far, expectations higher for the Taipans than might have been with Townsville, especially after the PSST. But Jamar Wilson is having the sophomore blues, Alex Loughton is redefining his career this season as a non-impact player and Cairns' transition from a defensive team to an offensive outfit has been uncomfortable, to say the least. That said, with their season on the line, Cairns must win this.

"You rang?" Those were the words which greeted Townsville when they contacted Luke Nevill in the USA and make no mistake, he will make a big difference. When he arrives. But that won't be this weekend. How Perth goes - it has a fun history against the Crocs, remember Kevin Lisch's game winners, Corey Williams' antics? - will largely be influenced by how it goes tonight. If the Wildcats win in Perth, I expect a 2-0 weekend from them.

When this went out, the decision on Melbourne import Seth Scott wasn't in yet. Apparently the tribunal was having trouble finding "other", the Kings player he allegedly struck. If he does not play Sunday, Wollongong will win. If he DOES play, Wollongong will win.

THERE is no love lost between the Fire and the Flames - one WNBL program about development, the other about recruitment. In Townsville and with its season on the brink, Townsville should prevail.

Bulleen will smack West Coast around at the Veneto Club, then treat them to a free game of bocce out the back.

Bendigo will be thrilled to get Adelaide in a slump and will take the appropriate action, adding to the Lightning's woes.

Dandenong will lay out a wonderful post-game buffet for West Coast, just to show their hospitality after treating the visitors like doormats for the preceding two hours.

Logan beat Sydney in Sydney so why should they not win in Logan, with the Flames on leg two of a two-game trip? It would make Kristen Veal's 301st game way more memorable than her 300th.

A MUG, a coffee cup and a teacup walk into a bar. The barman looks up from where he is cleaning glasses, stares at them and says: "What is this? Some kind of joke?"