Basketball On The Internet.

WOW. I didn't think having a crack at Andrew Gaze's commentary would illicit such a strong response.

As the old jungle saying goes, For those Who came in Late: in my online column today, I had a crack at Andrew for perpetuating the type of commentary started by Steve Carfino, where personality and opinion pass for analysis and research.

It was specific to two instances in Sunday's Townsville-Perth broadcast on TEN ... and I since have been besieged for "attacking an icon".

Say what?

I know Andrew reasonably well and am pretty sure he would take the criticism on board and either dismiss it as the rambling of a lunatic he knows, or maybe think there might be something in it.

As it was, he thought he was hard done by on the topic of Jacob Holmes because he spoke with him pre-game and there was no indication Jake would not play.

I slouch corrected.

But when it DID become apparent he was not suiting, a brisk walk during a break by either Drewey or Steve (they didn't have a courtside guy in Townsville), or a quick text message to Crocs CEO Ian Smythe from the commentary booth, is all it would have taken to ascertain the information and onpass it to viewers nationwide.

Sorry but I believe that IS the responsibility of a quality broadcast. Hell knows on ESPN during the WNBA Final, we were told 27 times (yes, I counted) that Katie Douglas was missing from the Indiana Fever team after turning her ankle in the Eastern Conference decider. (But more of that later).  

Anyway, while Drewey thought the whack for Jake was harsh, he still didn't react as hysterically as some of his fans. Trust this. I am a huge fan of the Great Man but I don't think personal feelings should ever stifle debate or that the PC Police should rule our lives.

(It's in here if you want to see what I said: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/low-scoring-nbl-games-a-turn-off/story-fndekpx4-1226498056376 )

THE main topic of the column though was not about commentary but concerns regarding the low-scoring trend becoming a turn-off for non-basketball fans.

That has led to speculation the reintroduction of the 48-minute game might be a cure-all.

According to NBL figures, since the league went back to 40 minutes three years ago, there has been an attendance growth in each season.

Plus 40-minute games suit the two-hour TV packages.

I don't believe the length of games is the cause for concern on this one.

SPEAKING of entertaining games, how good was Sydney's 85-82 win over Melbourne as a spectacle?

It was a gem and it was no surprise to see Kings' import Corin Henry win the Player of the Week award.

But is there some kind of NBL-WNBL conspiracy going on?

In Round One, the NBL names a centre (Matt Knight) as its PotW and the WNBL goes in the opposite direction and selects a pocket rocket (Kristi Harrower).

So this week the NBL goes with a pocket-rocket (Henry) and the WNBL goes for a centre (Gabrielle Richards).

KING Henry sizzled after halftime with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting, his lightning quick play igniting his team and the passion at the Kingdome.

Great stuff. But I keep reading about how critics have panned Corin, though I have yet to see any such stories anywhere. If it has been from the anonymous keyboard warriors then, OK. 

But I pretty much doubt anyone who has seen the 180cm stick of dynamite play would doubt his NBL bona fides.

GABRIELLE Richards has shown Bendigo is not a one-woman band with a 15-point, 11-rebound double in the win over Bulleen and the Boomers' Hollie Florance, Emma McDonald and Elyse Penaluna frontcourt.

Richards backed that up with a 19-point, 11-board effort against Dandenong's Canadian Olympic centre Krista Phillips, drawing favorable comparisons with former great Maryanne Defrancesco.

Hasn't Bendigo got off to a flyer? And now the Spirit get to add Connecticut Sun WNBA forward Kelsey Griffin to the line-up!

HERE they are, this week's rankings after Round 2.

NBL Rankings

This Wk ... Prev

8 ... 6 TAIPANS - Don't expect them to be here long but 58 points? Seriously? Now for the road!

7 ... 5 CROCS - They won't be here long either but the fade-out against Perth was severe. 

6 ... 7 TIGERS - Move up a spot after a tough road loss but still lacking Balls.

5 ... 8 KINGS - The big risers can challenge the four by beating Cairns.

4 ... 2 36ERS - Dropped two spots after last quarter disappearing act in NZ.

3 ... 4 BREAKERS - Looked the goods against Adelaide and now host Townsville.

2 ... 3 HAWKS - Won on the road and held Cairns below 20 points in every period.

1 ... 1 WILDCATS - Too physical and imposing for Crocs, now for Melbourne.

WNBL Rankings

9 ... 7 FLAMES - Bicker, moan, complain, bitch, mutter - and that's just parking the bus.

8 ... 9 WAVES - A home win but what a road trip to Bendigo and Dandenong now.

7 ... 8 THUNDER - Caught Caps on the hop and now have Lightning at home.

6 ... 3 CAPITALS - Dropped three spots after road losses to Townsville, Logan and no LJ.

5 ... 4 BOOMERS - Had a shot to win and now it's a tough double road test.

4 ... 6 FIRE - Solid win over Canberra but Adelaide is the acid test.

3 ... 5 LIGHTNING - More impressive but have Hodges out for sunshine swing.

2 ... 1 RANGERS - Now at full strength, expect them to surf past the Waves.

1 ... 2 SPIRIT - Could not possibly have done more so far. The benchmark to date.

WHAT'S up with the WNBL ladder?

It has Bendigo on top with a 4-0 record (100%) and with a points percentage of 108.

Townsville is next on 2-0 (100%) but with a superior points percentage of 111.

The league rules are that if you have the same winning percentage (as they clearly do), then points percentage determines the higher placing, not who has played more games.

From there the table reads West Coast next on 1-1 (50%) and 100.68% on points, Dandenong 1-1 and 102%, Adelaide 1-1 with 118% and Logan 1-1 with 104.88% - in that random order!

Sydney is sitting in 8th spot with 0% wins and 80% on points, with Bulleen last on 0% and 90% on points!

Yes. Inexplicably wrong and when you ask the WNBL for an explanation, you get: "Yes we know. It's a software issue."

Really? Still?

After all this time the software still has not been upgraded or altered so that the official website of the league actually displays an accurate representation of its championship table?

Could the league look any more shambollick?

Just so you know - and AAP had it correct in its weekend dispatches - the table ACTUALLY should be as follows:

1 Townsville 2-0 100%, 111.02%

2 Bendigo 4-0 100%, 108.24

3 Adelaide 1-1 50%, 118.05%

4 Logan 1-1 50%, 104.88%

5 Dandenong 1-1 50%, 102.07%

6 West Coast 1-1 50%, 100.68%

7 Canberra 1-2 33%, 96.62%

8 Bulleen 0-2 0%, 90.00%

9 Sydney 0-3 0%, 80.25%

Should stuff like this really be so hard?

SPEAKING women and how good have the WNBA playoffs been so far?

Minnesota tied the best-of-five series 1-1 today but it now shifts to Indiana for the next two games.

Had the pleasure of talking with Erin Phillips after the Fever beat Connecticut to win the Eastern Conference Finals and could not resist asking if she had grown. She does appear to be taller.

"It's the long socks," she assured me.

ENJOYED the Fever's late time-out as they wrapped Game 1 against the Lynx.

Indiana coach Lin Dunn remarked: "Stay off the officials. They've got their panties in a wad."

Haven't enjoyed a huddle that much since the Russian men's coach benched a couple of guys during the Olympics for talking during his time-out.

YES, those of us watching know Katie Douglas was missing from Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

Mentioning it 27 times was overkill.

That would never happen in Australia...

BEFORE I leave the WNBA, it would be remiss not to mention Lauren Jackson became the youngest player to reach 6,000 career points before her Seattle Storm were eliminated from the playoffs.

Jackson scored her 6,000th career point for the Seattle Storm during their win over the San Antonio Silver Stars, making her just the fourth to crack ther milestone.

She joined Katie Smith, Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie but is the youngest by nearly four years and required 32 fewer games to get there.

THE Hudson Maher Foundation's annual golf day is coming up next month at McCracken Country Club.

A team of three is $420 and includes bbq, on-course drinks and baguette, golf and dinner.

Get onto it!

THIS WEEK'S TIPS

NBL - New Zealand to beat Townsville, Cairns to upset Sydney, Adelaide to end its long drought against Cairns, Perth to make it more uncomfortable for Melbourne and Wollongong to welcome Gary Ervin back by beating Townsville.

WNBL - Bulleen to get Sydney, Logan to surprise Adelaide, Bulleen to catch Canberra, Bendigo and Dandenong to both beat West Coast, and Adelaide to turn around and upset Townsville. But hey, while I'm doing OK with the NBL, my women's tips have been total rubbish - a bridge troll would be more reliable - so don't put your pot of gold on any of those.

A DYSLEXIC walks into a bra...