1. Perth – 11-5 (.688) ER – 95.6
Top 3 – Kevin Lisch (16.8), Matthew Knight (14.8), Damian Martin (13.0)
Dabster Awards – 1
Zike Awards – 2
The depth. Perth has been the poster boy for the adage ‘quantity over quality’. That’s not to say that their quality is poor. It is more to say that they have envious depth, shown by the Wildcats only having one Dabster Award winner while having the highest ER team total. Coupled with their tremendous home court advantage the Wildcats are the hot favourites to bring the championship back to Australia.
2. New Zealand – 11-5 (.688) ER – 91.6
Top 3 – Cedric Jackson (16.4), Gary Wilkinson (14.4), Mika Vukona (13.5)
Dabster Awards – 2
Zike Awards – 2
The talent. The other team breaking away from the pack the Breakers have talent in spades. Jackson has been a revelation in Kirk Penney’s empty seat while the progression of Thomas Abercrombie has been stellar. Add to the mix the veterans of Gary Wilkinson, Mika Vukona and Daryl Corletto and this team is looking good for back to back titles which hasn’t been done since Sydney’s three-peat from 2002-2005.
3. Gold Coast – 6-7 (.462) ER – 88.5
Top 3 – Mark Worthington (15.8), Adam Gibson (14.9), Will Hudson (11.7)
Dabster Awards – 2
Zike Awards – 1
The enigma. Sometimes the Blaze lives up to their moniker and sets the court on fire. Other times they can’t hit the broad side of a barn from two feet away. If they want to make it into the playoffs (currently two games out of fourth place) they need to get their act together and gel as a unit. Look for more spectacular play from Adam Gibson on the run home.
4. Sydney – 8-9 (.471) ER – 87.1
Top 3 – Julian Khazzouh (21.6), Jerai Grant (17.8), Anatoly Bose (12.6)
Dabster Awards – 3
Zike Awards – 0
The underachievers. This team has overflowing talent but no net to catch it. The team is undisciplined and unruly and are nearly .500 on sheer talent alone. If this group can knuckle down and really play together like basketball is more important than money and the Sydney lifestyle then look for other teams to start sweating. I bet no other team wants to face a focused Sydney outfit in the first round of the playoffs.
5. Adelaide – 5-10 (.333) ER – 86.8
Top 3 – Diamon Simpson (19.1), Daniel Johnson (18.5), Chris Warren (11.3)
Dabster Awards – 5
Zike Awards – 1
The statistician’s dream. The Sixers are sitting second last on the ladder yet if it was up to statistics then they would be up with the best. No matter what the numbers say, the big man combination of Simpson and Johnson is the best in the league and need to continue to fire for them to stay competitive. Stephen Weigh and Chris Warren have been decent but need to play up a few notches for the team to cause some upsets. Teams like this one are perfect examples that statistics are not the be all and end all of basketball. Instead of only looking at box scores (like I sometimes do) watch some games to get a real feel for the game.
6. Townsville – 7-6 (.539) ER – 82.3
Top 3 – Jacob Holmes (17.8), Peter Crawford (15.2), Elvin Mims (12.2)
Dabster Awards – 1
Zike Awards - 2
The reliable. The Crocs are sitting third on the ladder and for good reason. With a season average of 82.3, eight of their thirteen games have been less than ten points either side of that number. Jacob Holmes, Peter Crawford and Elvin Mims have been steady but what they really need is for Eddie Gill to work out his game before he steps on the court. On such a consistent team like Townsville, inconsistent Gill has been all over the shop.
7. Melbourne – 9-8 (.529) ER – 81.4
Top 3 – Cameron Tragardh (18.6), Patrick Mills (14.9), Ayinde Ubaka (10.2)
Dabster Awards – 4
Zike Awards – 0
The take it slow. Melbourne have been in the bottom end of the ER totals for many weeks but the good news for Tiger fans is that the other team is usually down there as well. With the departure of Patrick Mills, Ron Dorsey and Daniel Dillon have lifted their game. However, the heart and soul of this team has to be their captain Cam Tragardh who has proved me wrong time and time again. Where he goes, so does the team.
8. Cairns – 8-7 (.533) ER – 72.4
Top 3 – Jamar Wilson (15.9), Ian Crosswhite (14.8), Dusty Rychart (13.5)
Dabster Awards – 0
Zike Awards – 2
The stats don’t matter. If the playoffs were to start today then the Taipans would be in the post season, yet their numbers indicate that they would be in the bottom half of the league. By a fair margin as well. Causes? Injuries for one, with inconsistency another factor in the equation. They shoot poorly but the reason they are winning is because of their ‘grind out’ tactics. Jamar Wilson is also a reason why they are winning, with his quick speed and never back down attitude as well as Ian Crosswhite spreading the floor. They need more from Brad Hill and Alex Loughton now Dusty Rychart is out for the season.
9. Wollongong – 3-11 (.214) ER – 71.4
Top 3 – Tim Coenraad (10.0), Glen Saville (9.8), Larry Davidson (9.8)
Dabster Awards – 0
Zike Awards – 2
The finished. The Hawks have been dreadful this season and by the looks of it their misery will only continue. The exit of MVP Gary Ervin has left a massive hole in their squad as Joevan Catron and Showron Glover not getting close to his level. Both Larry Davidson and Glen Saville have lost a step while young guard Rhys Martin is too inconsistent to be counted on to be a saviour every game. They need to grind out this season and then take a good, long look at how their roster is assembled. Then go out and get the best point guard money can buy because they really need a vocal leader out there that will lead from the front.
No comments:
Post a Comment