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ROUND ABOUT: NBL4/WNBL5
TweetRUSSELL "Rusty" Hinder yesterday announced he will join Aaron Grabau's uniform in retirement at the end of this NBL season, making the urgency for Townsville to win an NBL crown even more pressing.
Of course Grabau's uniform was retired about five years ago - some would say at about the same time Rusty's offensive game retired - but I would never be so brutal.
Especially not to one of our few actual remaining characters now that Simon Kerle has retired.
(Has he though? Or can we expect an Allen Iverson-style revelation from Kerley sometime soon?)
Hinder played for West Sydney Razorbacks, Hunter Pirates and also was at Sydney Kings when that marquee club briefly folded.
"I thought I was Adam Gibson with the 'kiss of death' there for a while," Hinder didn't say today.
But it would have been greatly satisfying and rewarding for him to be one of the people behind saving the Crocodiles when Townsville too looked as if it might join his list of defunct playing destinations.
"I’m just so proud of this city. They need a basketball team and this town got it up and running," Hinder DID say.
"Townsville just wouldn’t take no for an answer.
"I just want this club to be in the best possible shape when I leave. If that is on top of the podium then even better."
ADELAIDE 36ers showed their class as an organisation on Sunday by honoring the memory of the late Ken Richardson at their NBL home game against Sydney Kings.
The Sixers wore black arm bands in Cairns and Melbourne after Ken's recent death but went a step further at Adelaide Arena.
The club held a minute's silence in memory of the NBL's inaugural MVP in 1979 while the big screens at the venue showed action footage of him with his beloved West Adelaide Bearcats.
In 1982, Ken playing-coached West to SA's first NBL title and in 1985 the club joined the composite club which was the Adelaide 36ers.
In truth, the 36ers had no club obligation to Ken but recognised that his invaluable contribution to the game in Adelaide and Australia transcended that, honoring his role and legacy.
Members of his 1982 NBL Champion and an honor guard of West Adelaide juniors also were on hand to say a formal SA farewell to the great man.
Well done to the 36ers organisation and GM Dean Parker.
FURTHER to yesterday's suggestion of a biennial NBL Winter Superleague (see http://www.botinagy.com/blog/nbl-winter-superleague-why-not/ if you missed it) I have been reminded Kirk Penney would be another player who would come into reckoning for the New Zealand team.
Kevin Lisch back for Perth/WA. Cedric Jackson guesting at NZ.
Food for thought.
Basketball On The Internet’s Player of the Week
SEAL the Deal Beal again did plenty to warrant BOTI's PotW honors as Perth routed Wollongong, as did Chris Goulding with a career high 34 in Melbourne's road win over Cairns.
But this week's gong goes to Sydney Kings import Charles Carmouche for his efforts in the club's 1-1 road split.
Charles was in Charge with 33 points in the win over Townsville and 27 in a foul-hindered loss to Adelaide.
He averaged 30.0ppg over the weekend at 48 per cent, hit 9-of-19 threes (also 48 per cent), with 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals.
PotW Winners
Rd 1 Daniel Johnson
Rd 2 Shawn Redhage
Rd 3 Chris Goulding
Rd 4 Charles Carmouche
THE WNBL has revealed its Player for the Month of October to be Dandenong transfer Alice Kunek.
Super K looked good at the Spring Shield and has carried that form into the season-proper, delivering 20.8ppg (#2 in league) at 57 per cent, a league-high 60 per cent from beyond the land of plenty and 90 per cent from the stripe, currently third best, in the Rangers' 5-0 month.
Coach of the Month is Melbourne's Guy Molloy who had his Boomers at or near the table top throughout October, a tremendous effort with a young team many picked for modest success in 2013-14.
Reviews
Breakers V 36ers (M)
FIGHT! Fight! Fight!
Well, actually there wasn't one but you could have fooled the refs - and did - the crew tossing out Mika Vukona and BJ Anthony for disagreeing over Auckland's finest tattoo parlor.
Reuben Te Rangi showed his wares but Gary Ervin and Anthony Petrie were big down the stretch for Adelaide to end its drought against the Breakers after 15 straight losses 96-93.
Rangers V Spirit (W)
THE battle for the summit saw the reigning champion Spirit reassert themselves as the team to beat in Kristi Harrower's 300th game, Dandenong downed 63-51.
Gabe Richards had 11 rebounds and 15 points, Kelsey Griffin had 14 points and 9 boards and Kristi a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.
Crocodiles V Kings (M)
BRAD Hill dropped in a teardrop and there were more Crocodile tears for Townsville as Sydney escaped with an 88-86 win at The Swamp.
Charles Carmouche had two triples to tie up the game and hit 5-of-10 for the game. His 33-point haul was the highest score by any Sydney Kings import since Ebi Ere had 37 against New Zealand in January, 2004.
Thunder V Flames (W)
EXPECTED Sydney to rise for this occasion but instead Emma Langford, Sarah Graham and Laurie Koehn led Logan to an 83-74 home win.
The Thunder lost the first period 18-20, then won the other three quarters despite Ro Cox's best efforts for the Flames, a 24-point, 9-rebound double.
Wildcats V Hawks (M)
HAD a feeling this was going to be a season-defining weekend for Wollongong as it bounced out on Perth Arena for both clubs's 1,001st NBL game. Just not quite like this, Perth waltzing 87-47.
Led by Jermaine Beal's five threes in the first quarter, Perth scored 16 triples meaning its 48 points just from outside the arc beat Wollongong's 47-point total, its lowest since 1979.
Damian Martin hit 4-of-4 threes in his perfect 6-of-6 shooting night. That Damo sure can shoot.
Waves V Boomers (W)
HOW can Boomers - male kangaroos - be participating in a WNBL game? Don't ask me the tough questions. Maybe dropping Bulleen was enough of a change for one year.
For Melbourne, its 74-52 win over West Coast was just a jolly 'oliday for Chelsea, Ms Poppens with 23 points and seven boards, Rebecca Allen pairing 8 rebounds with 19 points.
Capitals V Rangers (W)
THE Rangers may have triumphed, eventually winning 92-86, but Canberra won a lot of admirers for its tenacious efforts to rise above losing Abby Bishop (ankle) early, then Alex Bunton to five fouls in the third quarter.
Nicole Hunt, Nat Hurst and Jess Bibby hit big shots and Carley Mijovic fired up but ultimately the Capitals crashed against the weight of Dandenong numbers.
Taipans V Tigers (M)
WITH Chris Goulding going off for a career-high 34 points and Mark Worthington also blazing a trail with a 13-point, 12-rebound double, Melbourne struck gold 86-74 in Cairns.
The Tigers led by as many as 18 after Goulding went on a rampage leaving Cairns back at "rethink central" and a few others now agreeing Melbourne is legit and well in this thang.
Fire V Flames (W)
SUZY Batkovic continues to have her shooting woes but Townsville was happy to take her 17-point, 12-rebound double in a 76-66 win over Sydney which was not as tight as it seems.
A 23-13 first quarter followed by a 15-11 second had Townsville in the box seat, Kayla Standish helping herself to 18 points at 60 per cent and seven rebounds.
Hawks V Breakers (M)
WITH Oscar Forman nursing a bruised hand, then taking a poke in the eye, and Larry Davidson rolling his ankle early, New Zealand could not have asked for an easier road back to the W column.
That said, Rotnei Clarke went off for 36 points ensuring the Breakers still had to fight to get their 97-89 win at WIN. By the way, the last five times a Wollongong player has scored at least 35 points in a home game, the Hawks have lost. Go figure.
Lightning V Waves (W)
THIS started ugly with Adelaide on a 26-4 first quarter tear and Laura Hodges scoring 13 points en route to 26 in an overwhelming 93-41 massacre.
The Waves looked thin and despite some second quarter resistance, dropped the third 6-26 making this a nightmare for them, vindication for Adelaide. West Coast is just in damage control now.
36ers V Kings (M)
MITCH Creek had close to the block of the year when he volleyballed a shot by Kevin White against the backboard as the 36ers' bench led a recovery to set up the 97-84 win.
AJ Ogilvy was a key presence - can anyone box out? - and Charles Carmouche did well throughout. But Adelaide just wore the Kings away, Gary Ervin leading the assault.
NOTE to Steve Carfino. The Kings' import is Jesse Sanders, not Jason Sanders. That is all.
(Actually, Steve's latest faux pas reminds me when I bumped into then-Channel 10 caller Lyn Parnell before a Brisbane game in Adelaide. The Bullets' import was Audie Matthews. I said to Lyn: "Now don't go calling him Audie Murphy." Lyn called him Audie Murphy - an American World War II hero who later became an actor - pretty much all night. Oops.)
BEEF of the WEEK
AS impressed as many of us were with NBL Referees Manager Mal Cooper jumping onto the front foot to declare the unsportsmanlike foul fiasco in Auckland as just that - the refs got it wrong - it was great to see the crew get a similar incident right in Adelaide on Sunday.
But it is still disconcerting to see good referees continuing to struggle with the stricter interpretations.
Sixers import Jarrid Frye copped a foul after just 13 seconds against Sydney as he went around AJ Ogilvy. There was incidental contact but I am fairly certain it fell within the parameters of what IS incidental and irrelevant.
No, I'm not suggesting the start of looking the other way as we head back down the slippery slope because it no longer suits, but a foul within 13 seconds?
Yes, we could call this progress considering during the Blitz referee Toni Caldwell managed to slap Anthony Petrie with a foul after just two seconds, making 13 a positive eternity.
But we're now going into the season's second week of its second month and maybe it is time to expect a little better.
BIGGEST WINNERS/LOSERS
WINNING in Auckland over the reigning champs, then successfully defending home turf against a buoyant Sydney, sees Adelaide move into second spot to be this week's big winner.
TOWNSVILLE losing at home again and losing Mirko Djeric to injury to boot made it a prime candidate but the biggest loser of the round was Wollongong. Perth's 40-point win was its biggest over the Hawks in 92 meetings, then Wollongong fell at home to NZ and now additionally has a cloud over Larry Davidson (ankle) hurt in that match.
BENDIGO was the WNBL's big winner, making it seven wins on the trot over Dandenong and beating the league-leader in its own backyard. That's a win-win.
AGAIN it was a toss up between West Coast and Sydney for the biggest loser but considering the manpower (womanpower?) the Waves have lost, the Flames get the nod after dropping to Logan and Townsville to make any playoff plans almost redundant. Let's face it. Worst Coast sure didn't entertain any of those.
Online
PS
Sydney Kings coach Shane Heal is on the record saying of import Jesse Sanders: “I think Jesse rebounds and defends like Damian Martin.” Did he maybe mean Damian Sandow?
