Basketball On The Internet.

BATGIRL and That Guy may have been fairly clear cut favorites to grab the WNBL's Player and Coach awards for December but the NBL accolades too are due and much better hidden.

Player and Coach of the Month voting for the NBL should throw up some interesting choices.

In the WNBL, Suzy Batkovic had two PotW wins in December, the dual-MVP averaging a league-leading 25.8ppg and 13.8rpg over the month.

Guy Molloy - living his dream after always wanting to coach the Boomers ... oh, hang on a second, I might have misinterpreted that - led his Melbourne Boomers to two significant road wins, the success in Adelaide closing the top-four door on the Lightning.

Congratulations to both worthy recipients.

But their NBL equivalents?

Bloody tough. Sure, Perth dropped one on NYE but Trevor Gleeson and his men haven't done too much else wrong. And before jumping on the Aaron Fearne bandwagon for orchestrating that Cairns upset, his preceding game was a 24-point loss in Adelaide. Although that was after a 20-point win over Adelaide.

Hmm. No wonder I like the Taipans in this week's rankings, having taken out the top two teams at least once this month.

Melbourne under Chris Anstey has marched surreptiously forward too in December, making him a worthy candidate. And there's no overlooking Joey Wright.

As for the Player of December?

James Ennis, Chris Goulding, Rotnei Clarke, Jason Cadee, Sam Young, Mark Worthington, Jamar Wilson...

It's a tough one.

RELIABLY informed Adrian Preposterous, er, Adrian Proszenko, the "chief rugby league writer" for Fairfax Media, who recently magnanimously dubbed Kings' import Sam Young as "the best basketballer to step foot on to an Australian court" agrees with the ABC's Darren Boyd that Phil Brown is one of the greatest coaches in Australian history.

Brown's backroom work bringing the Beatles to Australia helped put the country on the map.



NBL Rankings

This Wk - Prev

8 (7) CROCODILES - Close, but no cigar. A loss to Melbourne now would make life difficult.

7 (5) KINGS - Talent is there but so is the weakness which NZ exploited, as will Cairns.

6 (4) HAWKS - Went down scrapping but catch Perth at a good time. An upset?

5 (8) BREAKERS - Leapfrogged back into contention but now comes a bigger test.

4 (6) TAIPANS - Yes, that win was big but a road split this weekend would consolidate.

3 (3) TIGERS - Double-overtime win was a gem and must build positive self-belief.

2 (2) 36ERS - Won without Gary Ervin and from a tough position. Looking the real deal.

1 (1) WILDCATS - Well, no-one expected Perth to never lose again. But Hawks will be revealing.


WNBL Rankings

This Wk - Prev

9 (9) WAVES – Early this week, wnbl.com.au had West Coast with 6 points to start with. Guess that’s its first quarter total.

8 (6) CAPITALS – Tough round coming up and likely to put the kiss of death on post-season dreams.

7 (8) THUNDER – Can ride the Waves in true New Year’s holiday fashion.

6 (7) LIGHTNING – If they could play four quarters as well as they play their best each week, they’d be #1.

5 (5) FLAMES – Too late to bring in any new stars, fifth should be the Flames’ final resting place.

4 (4) BOOMERS - Rachel Jarry is back and healthy so expect Melbourne to consolidate from here.

3 (3) FIRE – Floating along nicely and not out of the double-chance equation at all.

2 (2) RANGERS – Should take care of business in Adelaide and maintain their lead over the Fire.

1 (1) SPIRIT – Might be vulnerable this weekend but truly not many chinks in the armor.



THIS WEEK'S TIPS

CAIRNS will be flying high after inflicting Perth's biggest loss this season and catch Sydney at a time when the Kings are really still trying to re-establish their identity. Cody Ellis should suit and the young man can play. But right now will he help the rotation or just add another challenge for coach Shane Heal? The Taipans are travelling better but Cam Tragardh's absence (ankle) makes this tight.

TWIN wins over Wollongong is nothing to scoff at, Melbourne on a winning roll and likely to handle the Crocs' best death roll in Townsville. Still likely to be down import Josh Pace, Townsville will have trouble containing Chris Goulding and the Tigers' many offensive options.

THERE is some doubt Matt Knight - killing it in Cairns before suffering a head injury - will suit in Wollongong, putting much onus back on Perth's "mature age" recruit Tom Jervis. Not sure what to make of the Hawks just now after following a two-game sweep of Sydney with back-to-back Melbourne losses. Perth at its best wins easily but on a hunch, maybe Wollongong is ripe to pull another routine shock.

LOSING twice in Auckland to Adelaide in tight fixtures - Gary Ervin's late steal and layup decided the last clash and he is doubtful to suit (knee) - makes New Zealand a real chance to reverse the trend in Adelaide. But the 36ers are rolling along well too, making it a coin toss. Maybe the 36ers' homecourt gives it the slightest of edges.

CAIRNS will have its work cut out to take the Tigers in Melbourne, despite the recent resurgence of Jamar Wilson. Both teams have games elsewhere to start the round so travel will not disadvantage either. But Trigger could be relied on to light up against his former team. Without him, Cairns will battle to shut down Melbourne.

CANBERRA has been so ready to dole out a WNBL upset that starting 2014 with the biggest scalp would set up the Caps’ year. But receiving a Kris Kringle (Secret Santa?) voucher to “Reclaim one win from Bendigo” isn’t worth the paper it wasn’t written on so expect the Spirit to prevail.

NOT sure why wnbl.com.au has the Logan-West Coast game with an 8-6 starting scoreline instead of 0-0 but maybe it’s what the Thunder requested in their stockings from Santa. Assuming the game does start at 0-0, I’m guessing that will be as close as the Waves get.

ADELAIDE hasn’t fared as well as it should have in WNBL-NBL double-headers with the 36ers this season and despite the growing fan support by the last quarter, there hasn’t been a lot to get excited about. Will that change with Dandenong? I very much doubt it.

SYDNEY sees itself as the “best of the rest” – actually, it has a way higher opinion of itself but mine is a more realistic assessment – and will view Canberra as a team it has already handled and should do so again. Catching the Caps having to travel after they’ve played won’t do Sydney any harm either. The season schedule – done in Sydney?

MELBOURNE has had the longest break, boasts the Coach of the Month for December in Guy Molloy and regains London Olympian and WNBA Championship winner Rachel Jarry for the trip to Bendigo. The Boomers did give Bendigo a late fright last time and with the Spirit already playing in Canberra, they will be vulnerable. Yeah, I’m plumping for the upset but without $$ conviction.


DEAR jf;ldsfa/kvsmmklnn,
Please lknvfdmv.xvn.
Sincerely,
Stevie Wonder