Basketball On The Internet.

WORDS words words. It's only words but haven't they been all the rage this past week-and-a-bit?

First, the now almost infamous Rob Beveridge column regarding overt physicality in the NBL and its potential ramifications for ball players such as Kevin Lisch.

Divorcing, for a moment, that it was The Sensei speaking, pretty much everything he said mirrored the feelings of many in basketball and, assuredly, purists of the game who long have despised the path the sport has been led down in Australia.

If Bevo is, to an extent also guilty of walking that path, that doesn't necessarily invalidate the viewpoint. The NBL is a cut-throat league and it's stomp or be stomped on. That doesn't mean stomping is ideal though, does it?

In the wake of the remarks, Perth belts Melbourne by 20 and there is some post-game press conference controversy and NOT spurred by Tigers coach Chris Anstey, who was fined - and paid - $1,000 for his previous slip-of-the-tongue when Melbourne last visited Perth.

This time Tigers import point guard Jonny Flynn speaks of playing "five against eight" and Chris simply says he will seek further officiating clarifications from the relevant NBL heavies.

All done?

Nope. Wildcats assistant Shawn Dennis had his moment on Perth radio this week, and he sure didn't waste it.

"These guys are full of it with their complaining about the referees and it really is getting tiring," he said on 91.3 Sport FM.

"If they don’t like being full-court pressured, go and get another job.

"We’ve just had enough because all we do is play clean, hard basketball.

"We won’t back down for anybody and we’re going to come after you for 40 minutes.

"Jonny Flynn is an NBA guy who came out here and thought he would just dominate the league and get his own way.

"What he failed to realise was that he’s coming up against a world-class defender in Damian Martin."

Fed up with widespread accusations of Perth's physicality, Dennis was on the front foot saying TV footage from a Tigers' time-out showed Anstey instructing his men to bump Lisch as he came off screens, while he also accused Melbourne centre Matt Burston of overly focusing on the surgery-repaired taped shoulder of Wildcats' centre Matt Knight.

"Everyone talks about our physicality and I think there’s a lot of confusion about full-court defensive pressure and being physical," Dennis said.

"We heard on audio from Chris Anstey in the time-out, the message was passed onto us that basically he said 'when Kevin Lisch comes off that screen you nail your shoulder right through that so-and-so’s chest'.

"Well, I’ve never heard Rob Beveridge say that and I think people get very confused with full-court pressure.

"We’re the best full-court pressure defensive team and that's what underpins our success."

Holy quote-fest Batman! Definitely think Shawn had heard enough.

The way it stands, with Perth second and Melbourne third, if that should be the case at the end of the regular season, expect one hell of an emotion-charged semi final series.

And THAT said, and not to sound too disingenuous, may I just say having Brad Robbins, Shawn Redhage and Jesse Wagstaff around for a spot of herbal tea, lamingtons and a spot of baby-muffin-knitting this week.

MORE words and no, I wasn't amid the chorus calling for some Mitch Creek sanction when the injured young 36ers tyro let his emotions get the better of his judgment while administering the club's Facebook page with live updates from Adelaide's road game against Wollongong.

When the siren went on a memorable 91-90 Adelaide overtime win, Creek posted:  "WE WON BITCHES................ WHAT A FINISH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im always doing this site..........!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOO Can you tell im excited???"

The post was removed very smartly and followed by an apology from Creek for letting the moment get the better of him. Case closed.

Like a lot of people, frankly I was happy to again see a strong emotional connection to the win, Creek's passion the type which rarely was evident on-court while the 36ers had their season-sabotaging run of 13 losses in 14 games.

Inappropriate? Sure.

Enough said already? Even surer.


PERTH captain Shawn Redhage dropped in two quality performances to claim his first Player of the Week accolade this season as the Wildcats again won home-and-away in round 20.

Redders had 17 points and six boards in a mere 20 minutes as Perth rolled over the Tigers 78-58, then 23 points as the Wildcats mauled Sydney 97-71.

"I just want to add my two cents to what Bevo said last week and say I sincerely believe the NBL is getting rougher by the day and I just don't know what we can do about the increasing degree of thuggery being allowed, especially off the ball," Redhage most assuredly did not say.

(But after the run of comments lately, if he had, it would not have been a huge surprise.)

In fairness - a quality I am trialling for the rest of February - Redders' PotW nod came from a very good field for a change.

Anthony Petrie (26 points, 8 boards), with the three-ball which forced overtime for Adelaide at the Sandpit and then set up the 91-90 victory, had a very strong case for weekly honors.

In the same game, Wollongong swingman Tiimm Coenraaaad had a career-high 28 points, including 4-of-5 threes.

In Cairns, towering Taipans talent Alex Loughton had 24 points and inspired the home side's comeback 78-75 win over Townsville after it trailed by 14 at halftime.


PERTH stalwart Andrew Vlahov says he would be "shuddering in his boots" and "absolutely terrified" to play in the NBL today, such is its latent physicality.

OK. It wasn't really Andrew Vlahov who said that.

It was a friend of mine, Andrew Scanlan. I get confused sometimes, like when I read columns by coaches of the game's most physical teams making, albeit valid points regarding the way our elite basketball has devolved in recent times to wrestling.

If the referees DID clean the game up - as they should - which clubs would be most affected?

Anyway, here come the rankings and remember, this is based on form at present, not ladder positions. No changes at the top but Adelaide was the big mover.

NBL Rankings

This Wk ... Prev

8 (6) CROCODILES - Up 14 at half and losing to Cairns ... hardly the stuff of finals.

7 (8) TAIPANS - Down 14 at half and win but now host Perth, the current #1 team.

6 (5) KINGS - Finally came apart to Perth and injuries make it tough against Crocs.

5 (4) HAWKS - Had it in the bag and let the 36ers off the hook, making Tigers game huge.

4 (7) 36ERS - Two-win roll and into NZ feeling good. Best of the pack at present.

3 (3) TIGERS - Took it on the chin in Perth and should pluck Hawks.

2 (2) BREAKERS - Had a bye to get used to missing Will Hudson and will be tested.

1 (1) WILDCATS - Just doing business and have Breakers in sight of their jaws.


THIS WEEK'S TIPS

NEW Zealand can expect a looser, happier Adelaide opponent, the 36ers having a "feelgood" finish to their season after last-shot wins in Cairns and Wollongong. They hit Auckland minus Luke Schenscher but have played better without him, while the Breakers must show what they can do without Will Hudson. This will be closer than ladder positions imply but the home team should get over the line.

They are singing songs around the campfires in Cairns country after the Loughton-led lychee lynchin of the Crocs last week. Confidence is high in Cairns from its dramatic win-from-behind over Townsville but Perth is the league leader in punching holes into opposition joy. They do it here and the Taipans will again be back at the drawing board.

No word out of league HQ as to how talks between Melbourne coach Chris Anstey and NBL Fine-Master Chuck Harmison and Referees Apologist Peter Carey went this week after the Tigers felt hard-done-by in Perth by "outside influences". But when all is said and done, hosting Wollongong is the important item on this week's agenda, Melbourne with a 2-1 season-series lead and +7 points. It means the Hawks must win by 8 or more to clinch the series, though, right now, they would be happy just to take the win and get some breathing space. Homecourt could just be the difference.

Sydney had been playing well without winning so last round trialled playing poorly without winning and did it successfully. Townsville is not Perth though - cannot recall too many Wildcats teams losing from 14 in front at the half - but will be fired up. Worse for the Kings, now James Harvey has been ruled out with a wrist injury, Sydney already minus Corin Henry with a season-ending wrist injury. (Lot of wrist injuries in Sydney, which is somewhat of a surprise, most of the rest of Australia believing Sydneysiders have extra well-developed wrists.) Form centre Ian Crosswhite also is only rated at 50-50 to suit, which opens the keyway up for Luke Nevill and a Crocodiles upset.


AN EAGLE wearing a beanie, a hawk in a top hat and two crows wearing sombreros 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 a joke?"