Now that the NBL season is less than a month away, I realised that I am totally psyched about it. So here is not one, not two but a whopping twenty reasons why this season is going to rock.
1 – Patrick Mills. The biggest story of the off season, will he be able to back up his hype with a dynamite performance?
2 – Andrew Bogut’s status. Until the NBA’s lockout is resolved there will always be people asking if Bogut will come and play down under.
3 – Sydney Kings’ crowd. Last season was a disaster but this time they have a killer line-up and should make some noise. Watch for the Sydney crowd to jump on the bandwagon and fill up the stadium as the Kings win.
4 – Who will fill in for Kirk Penney? Penney is a huge hole to fill and there needs to a Breaker that can lead from the front. Thomas Abercrombie is the best bet but is he too young to be given the crown?
5 – Julian Khazzouh’s encore. The King of Kings was simply unstoppable and has been hard at work in the off season training to be an even better player. In a league that has a shortage of quality big men look for Khazzouh to have a monster year.
6 – The new batch of imports. Every year new imports come in and try and turn a team around and this season’s group is a doozy. Guys like Jerai Grant and Will Hudson look great while many other foreigners will help out their team’s fortune.
7 – The first import to be released. Sure the imports are fresh and shiny but when a team starts losing it’s usually those guys who bear the brunt. At only 168cm my bet is on Adelaide’s Chris Warren to be the first to pack his bags.
8 – Andrew Gaze’s enthusiasm. Whenever Drewy is on the air it’s like heaven to my ears. It was unfortunate that the FIBA basketball was on at either the dead of the night or when I was working because I love me some Andrew Gaze zeal.
9 – ONE HD’s telecast. I really hope that their coverage of the Australia/New Zealand series is not an indication for the rest of the season. Last year was fantastic with multiple games a week but now that they have shifted to other types of programs will basketball be placed on the backburner?
10 – The crop of young blood. Guys like Mitch Creek, Anatoly Bose, Jason Cadee, Chris Goulding, Thomas Abercrombie, Ben Madgen and Lucas Walker hold the league in their hands. What a bright future we have to have such an outstanding bunch of young guys who will hopefully pave the way for others to play basketball.
11 – The gathering of elder statesmen. On the other side of the fence there is CJ Bruton, Adam Ballinger, James Harvey, Peter Crawford, Glen Saville and Dusty Rychart who will use their skills and experience to offset that they have lost a step or two (just don’t tell them I said that).
12 – Talk of a second Melbourne team and a Brisbane team. Although four Queensland teams may be pushing it having a club based in Brisbane is what most diehard fans would want to see. What I want to see is another Melbourne team after my beloved South Dragons left the competition on top.
13 – The Q Clash. I said it in another post but this rivalry has all the makings of a legendary battle. Great teams, city resentment and a rabid fan base makes for an incredible story.
14 – iinet Dream Team. Last season was a blast and I will definitely be making a league this season. Very addictive trying to get your team *just* right.
15 – NBL App. It may be $1.19 (on the Android Marketplace) and not the best at the moment but if the developers can create a functioning app that brings box scores and news to my phone in an easy to read and concise manner it will never leave my HTC.
16 – Sport other than Cricket and Soccer. To me Soccer is in my top three of all time boring sports, to go along with Baseball and Gridiron. Other than Cricket there really aren’t many other choices to get a fix of a great sporting competition. Basketball brings excitement and wonder that other sports just can’t match.
17 – Getting to see guys I used to play with/against. Back when I was in high school I used to play in the U/18 competition in Melbourne for Diamond Valley. Ben Allen was my teammate and Brad Robbins and Daniel Dillon were my opponents. Sure they have forgotten me but I still get excited when I see them have a good game.
18 – The Wollongong Hawks. They are the good guys of the NBL, the underdog. A regional town with a blue collar roster they will do anything to prove to the outside world that they belong in this league. And I say yes you do Wollongong but it is great to see you with that chip on your shoulder.
19 – The mascots. It could just be the kid in me talking but its great watching the team’s mascots run around and make fools of themselves. You may scoff but when Tiger Man and Tiger Cub come your around don’t be surprised if you are trying to shake their hand and get a photo taken with them.
20 – Finally, after six months without college basketball, four month without the NBA and an unbearable year without the NBL we get to see some basketball action!
Are you excited? Because I’M PUMPED!
What are your reasons to be excited for the upcoming NBL season?
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