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Rankings #20 ... and usual suspects
TweetWAS just chatting with a few of my journo colleagues at The Advertiser here in Adelaide and saddened to hear their perceptions of the NBL haven’t changed greatly, the Wildcats-36ers’ aftermath a case-in-point.
“Can you imagine what would have happened in the AFL if a club CEO tweeted a photograph from an incident minutes after it occurred when it was obvious the league would be investigating it?” one asked me.
“Picture Eddie McGuire tweeting a pic from a post-match melee between, say, Collingwood and Carlton, allegedly incriminating a Carlton player or coach?
“What do you think would happen to him?”
While I was trying to reply to that one, I copped: “And how is it a coach gets charged for an incident three days later and after he already has coached again?
“It is absolute amateur hour.”
I was about to make a point but was hit with: “And then, a few days after that, another participant in the incident is belatedly charged.
“And you wonder why no-one outside the NBL takes it very seriously?”
Well, no, not when reminded of the fact it is a league almost embarrassed to discipline itself, in case any stakeholder/director/GM gets upset and decides to take their ball and quit.
“If that was the NBA, it would have been sorted out overnight, the various people involved would have been fined in 24 hours and life would move on, instead of having it roll along like this for a week,” I was summarily informed.
“Actually, if it was the NBA, they probably would have reprimanded James, Joey and Adam, told them to ‘play nice’ and focus would have been on heritage round.”
Suitably assailed and unable to defend the indefensible, I shuffled back to my desk, glad I hadn’t mentioned that Perth’s lovable second assistant coach Adam Tatalovich was unlikely to even have his charges of misconduct and bringing the game into disrepute heard now before next week.
No-one would believe that.
THE magic number this season in the NBL is 14.
A 14-14 win-loss record may be enough for the post-season but it is unlikely.
And to chalk up loss #14 ahead of win #14 means you are more-than-likely dead in the playoff waters because your margin for error just evaporated.
CONGRATULATIONS to Basketball Australia for this year managing to only have five players in the WNBL All Star Five, as opposed to six in 2011-12.
Already, getting the votes in early so they can be counted and re-counted is making obvious sense.
CONGRATULATIONS too to Gabe Richards, finishing the WNBL regular season with 22 points (8-of-12 FG) and 13 rebounds in under 22 minutes against Logan on Saturday, the Spirit winning 97-68 and the Bendigo centre named Player of the Week.
Not taking anything away from Gabe but knew there was no way Abby Bishop would win it, given the lunacy of already naming All Star Fives and the constant embarrassment of Abby’s run of great games.
RELIABLY informed Adrian Preposterous, er, Adrian Proszenko, the "chief rugby league writer" for Fairfax Media, who 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.
Apparently Brown was a leading figure in introducing decimal conversion to Australia.
Online
WNBL Finals fans needing a preview fix, check out some of this work from Megan Hustwaite at:
RANKINGS
AFTER last week’s continued run of unpredictability, the NBL rankings are still shaking, reputations not worth a whole lot in this home stretch to the playoffs.
As for the WNBL, well I dug out my preseason predictions and matched them up against the teams’ final ladder positions as the last look at rankings ahead of their postseason.
NBL Rankings
This Wk - Prev
8 (8) TAIPANS – With loss #14 chalked up, Cairns’ margin for error is gone – a shame when it’s beaten the top teams.
7 (4) CROCODILES – A heavy tumble and now pitted against Sydney, the only team Townsville has not beaten.
6 (6) TIGERS – Well, that lay-off was a waste of time, wasn’t it? More questions now than answers.
5 (1) KINGS – Another crash when the door was open, this Qld trip will sort the season out for Sydney.
4 (7) BREAKERS – Ended Cairns’ season and now need at least a split to stay in the hunt after this round.
3 (3) 36ERS – Crashed, then crushed in the same round, need to consolidate now and NZ is ripe for that.
2 (5) HAWKS – Have the best current win streak and can keep the roll going at home to NZ.
1 (2) WILDCATS – Yes. That was a statement last week. Perth is back where it is most comfortable.
WNBL Positions
Final – My Preseason Prediction
9 (9) WAVES – One I got right but really a no-brainer. Were just so much less than expected.
8 (6) THUNDER – Not making excuses but when I picked them for sixth, Ruth Riley was part of the mix.
7 (4) CAPITALS – Usually two teams surprise each year, one which pops and one which flops.
6 (8) FLAMES – Did so much better than expected. Time to extend KD’s contract.
5 (5) LIGHTNING – Finished as expected though always had Dandenong’s measure, which is a shock.
4 (7) BOOMERS – See “Capitals”. Had Melbourne and Canberra around the wrong way.
3 (2) FIRE – Close to where I picked them … and the playoffs haven’t started yet.
2 (3) RANGERS – Around where expected … and the playoffs haven’t finished yet.
1 (1) SPIRIT – Another no-brainer in my opinion though they dominated more than expected.
THIS WEEK'S TIPS
THIS is SO big for both teams in the race for a finals berth and while Wollongong is the league’s form team right now, it also does have a habit of dropping games it is expected to win. That’s why you can pick them to beat NZ with some confidence, because most would expect the Breakers to win. Believe it or not, there is some logic in that.
SYDNEY pulled off a four-point win the last time it was in Cairns and with the Taipans’ (post-)season now shot, the trick is guessing whether the Taipans will pack it in or go hell-for-leather. The Kings have a lot to play for after last round’s reversal but Cairns has pride to salvage. Kings. Just.
MELBOURNE’s last trip to Perth resulted in a heart-stopping win on Mark Worthington’s last-second triple but that wasn’t the last time these teams met. The Wildcats subsequently doled out a 24-point pistol-whipping at Hisense which the Tigers followed up with a 17-point loss to second-placed Adelaide. It’s the Tigers under the microscope now and it doesn’t look good.
LIKE its Queensland counterpart Cairns, Townsville has hit that magical 14 losses mark but only has 7 wins to go with it. What is frustrating most for Crocs fans is their team has beaten reigning champ NZ twice, top three Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne, then also Wollongong and Cairns so it is surely in the race. Sadly, no. It hasn’t beaten Sydney and this will be its last chance.
NZ Breakers have lost three times to Adelaide and desperately need to pick up this roadie to keep the heat on the top four race. With so much going on behind-the-scenes, there is every chance the 36ers will be distracted although they didn’t seem to be when they took the Tigers in Melbourne. The Sixers, but in a very entertaining contest.
AT home, at ease and with less needed from Suzy Batkovic, Townsville will start a heavy favourite to eliminate Melbourne in the WNBL’s KO semi. The Boomers again will have to dig deep and no doubt will. But it will no longer be enough, a brave season ending here.
DANDENONG’s chances of having the Grand Final at home hinge on doing what they have yet to do in the past nine outings against Bendigo and that is beating the Spirit. Every match-up brings that inevitability closer but the likelihood is the Rangers will play again next week.
DEAR Nick Marvin
Can you please tweet us any pictures you have from the grassy knoll,
Sincerely
JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theorists Society
