Basketball On The Internet.

A COACH sacked, a star back, talk of closer links to the NBA - it's been a busy week for Australian basketball, to say the least.

Adelaide Lightning terminating Peter Buckle's contract yesterday with the team sitting at 4-4 and in the four, albeit tenuously, was surprising for its timing.

Plus many of the issues which dogged the program appeared to have been dealt with and, in talking with senior players, most everyone did appear to be on the same page.

Maybe it was the wrong book.

Adelaide can be a tough town, as Marty Clarke never found out, and Bucks has paid the price as the club looks for prolonged success.

Richard Dickel has a tough job ahead, of that there is no doubt.

(Mentioning Marty Clarke, it was good to see him on the St Mary's College bench in an ESPN game this week. He looked comfortable and his departure from the NBL appears to be a win-win for him and the 36ers.)

 

OUT in the wild west, Matt Knight is back from off-season ankle surgery and ready to make Perth better.

Like that's something anyone anywhere else in Australia wants to read!

Whether the transition is smooth or bumpy for a team already sailing very steadily, makes no long term difference. Getting a quality player back is always a good thing.

 

CAUGHT up with new NBL CEO Fraser Neill this week - he was taking some time off from driving a V8 Supercar there Steve - and while we didn't get into the meat-and-potatoes of an NBA game in Oz, he did talk of growing our league's connection to The Show.

It makes sense, obviously, and while we glossed over an NBA preseason fixture being staged Down Under, it did rate an enthusiastic mention.

It didn't make my final cut of the story for News Corp, available here at http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/new-nbl-chief-sees-a-future-tied-with-the-nba-more-clubs-and-a-bigger-tv-presence/story-fnii09gt-1226759052406 because there already was plenty of ground to plough.

But once the NBL can sit down with the NBA as a consolidated force in its own right, expect that to be an agenda item.

 

AUSTRALIAN basketball champion Kristi Harrower last week was honored with WNBL life membership and it appears sufficient prompting has reminded BA it overlooked the now-retired Sam Woosnam.

A former Lightning championship captain in 2008 and a triple-championship winner (Adelaide 1998, Adelaide 2008, Dandenong 2012), Sammy will be presented with her WNBL life membership at tomorrow's Dandenong-Logan game at Stud Road.

Congratulations Sam.

Congrats too to Canberra Caps guard Nat Hurst, identified by the WNBL as its Player of the Week after 31 and 19-point road games against Dandenong and Bendigo respectively. Not to mention 10 and six assists. Oops. I went ahead and did it anyway.

 

 

NBL Rankings

This Wk - Prev

8 (8) HAWKS - Truly gutsy effort in Melbourne with a few missed calls. But Perth? Can't see it.

7 (7) BREAKERS - Situation is starting to get a little desperate now with pressure mounting.

6 (5) TAIPANS - Another tough road double from which a split would have to be minimum.

5 (6) CROCODILES - PC is back and making their move. Win in Sydney now = instant credibility.

4 (2) TIGERS - Unlucky in Adelaide and escaped Hawks clutches. Walker now under cloud.

3 (4) KINGS - Ogilvy, Madgen, Carmouche - just going about their business and getting it done.

2 (3) 36ERS - Eking out the wins and a second success in Auckland would confirm status.

1 (1) WILDCATS - Week's rest. Knight back. At home. Then Hawks. Too easy.

 

WNBL Rankings

This Wk - Prev

9 (9) WAVES - Back to looking for at least a competitive half, which can't be good.

8 (6) THUNDER - The forecast is for sunshine and a win-drought this round.

7 (8) FLAMES - Took WC to the toilet in Alice as expected. Dandy tougher to wipe.

6 (4) LIGHTNING - Awful in Melbourne and now a week of upheaval. Slippage likely.

5 (7) CAPITALS - Have been slowly impressing and can get Melbourne if fully focused.

4 (5) FIRE - Back to playing Townsville basketball and can sweep this road trip.

3 (2) RANGERS - Oops. How the mighty have fallen! Expect the slide to end this round.

2 (3) BOOMERS - Showed tenacity last round and back to their best. Caps a big game.

1 (1) SPIRIT - Getting back to where they want to be and should bury Logan.

 

 

THIS WEEK'S TIPS

LOSING at Sydney and on a bit of a skid is hardly good form for Cairns to take into Perth Arena, especially with Matt Knight back for the Wildcats. Long night for the Taipans.

WILL the desperation of their situation lift the Breakers or add to their woes? Daryl Corletto's whinge about the officiating is not the sign of a player in a team feeling good. Adelaide.

IF Townsville can beat the Kings in Sydney, it will come back into serious calculations. Sydney is for real, as Cairns found out, and Ogilvy-Conklin will be fun. But Sydney looks further ahead.

THE game of the round is in Melbourne where the Tigers, supremely lucky to escape Wollongong last week, now face a desperate Cairns and, most likely, without Lucas Walker. *Toin coss. (*Hungarian for "coin toss".) Melbourne. Just.

GORDIE McLeod pulled a terrific effort out of his Hawks on the road and has done it before against Perth. But with Knight now a game along, it is tough to see the Wildcat machine stalling.

IT doesn't take much to lose your air of invincibility but that's what's happened to Dandenong. At home again against Logan, expect the Rangers to reassert themselves.

HOW will the midweek sacking of Lightning coach Peter Buckle impact on Adelaide against Townsville? Usually teams that were unhappy look great next time out, teams that were OK play confused. Suzy and Co back in town doesn't augur well. Lightning in an upset?

HAVING broken through against the challenge that is West Coast and also noting Canberra's upset over Dandenong, Sydney will like its chances at home. Ah, but the Rangers like crushing dreams.

GAME of the WNBL round also is in Melbourne where the red-hot Boomers host the warming-up Caps. So much hinges on the form of Canberra's bigs and this one does have "potential upset" written all over it.

IF Bendigo skips out to a bigger lead than 9-0, Logan has strategically-placed roof-sitters with hoses and buckets of water ready to step in and force another cancellation. Spirit will stay dry and win.

GOOD news finally for Last Post with Natalie Burton finally back in the line-up. Bad news for Worst Host, she will be facing Suzy. Townsville is getting on a roll and the Waves won't stop that. 

DEAR Fox News,
So far, no news about foxes.
Sincerely,
Unimpressed