With the season over and the awards gala just last night, it’s a good time to sit and think back to the season that was. Great performances by teams and individuals, historic games both good and bad and a very tight finish to not only the playoff race but the dreaded wooden spoon made this season one to remember.
Due to this round having no real impact on the standings, most teams ran a full side on the floor, giving rarely used players an extended chance to see what NBL action is all about. That means that the final Dabster Award winner is in fact four winners and there were two debutants that played their first game of the season.
Dabster Award
Round Twenty Five Dabster Award Winner
Diamon Simpson, Adelaide 36ers – 2 games, 14.5 points (9/16 FG, 0/0 3P, 11/15 FT), 11.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.0 steals and 2.5 turnovers. ER – 21
Simpsons’s first game was phenomenal, going for 20 points and 16 rebounds in their four point loss to Cairns. However, his second game in Wollongong he was swallowed up by the enormity of the Mat Campbell send off. So how about we all forget that second game and bask in his power big man performance.
Aaron Grabau, Cairns Taipans – 13 points (4/6 FG, 3/4 3P, 2/2 FT), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, 2 turnovers. ER – 21
In a game where he didn’t shine in any one category, rather he did it all. Getting a number in all of the major statistical categories, Grabau showed that a player doesn’t have to score 40 points to get noticed. He also gave the Taipans their first Dabster Award making sure that all the teams in the league had at least one winner during the year.
Lucas Walker, Melbourne Tigers – 12 points (4/6 FG, 1/1 3P, 3/4 FT), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 4 turnovers. ER – 21
When Cameron Tragardh only scores 4 points it’s usually up to someone else to pick up the slack for Melbourne. That man was Lucas Walker, the painfully underused Tiger who showed what he could do in their one point loss to playoff bound Perth.
Anatoly Bose, Sydney Kings – 21 points (8/16 FG, 3/8 3P, 2/3 FT), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 turnovers. ER – 21
Going down to Wollongong in a disappointing game for every player on the Kings team, Bose was the only outstanding player. Sure he tried too much to bring the Kings back but he was the only one who actually tried in Sydney’s last game of the season.
Honourable mentions
None.
With so many players with two games and a lot of the teams resting their starters are probably the factors in having no other players of the score of 20.
Previous Dabster Award Winners
Round One – Kevin Lisch (Perth)
Round Two – Will Hudson (Gold Coast) and Alex Pledger (New Zealand)
Round Three – Julian Khazzouh (Sydney)
Round Four – Stephen Weigh (Adelaide) and Daniel Johnson (Adelaide)
Round Five – Gary Wilkinson (New Zealand)
Round Six – Cameron Tragardh (Melbourne)
Round Seven – Diamon Simpson (Adelaide)
Round Eight – Cameron Tragardh (Melbourne)
Round Nine – Diamon Simpson (Adelaide)
Round Ten – Julian Khazzouh (Sydney)
Round Eleven – Diamon Simpson (Adelaide) and Adam Gibson (Gold Coast)
Round Twelve – Eddie Gill (Townsville)
Round Thirteen – Liam Rush (Melbourne)
Round Fourteen – Jerai Grant (Sydney)
Round Fifteen – Jesse Wagstaff (Perth)
Round Sixteen – Mark Worthington (Gold Coast)
Round Seventeen – Daniel Johnson (Adelaide)
Round Eighteen – Mark Worthington (Gold Coast)
Round Nineteen – Oscar Forman (Wollongong)
Round Twenty – Jesse Wagstaff (Perth)
Round Twenty One – Gary Wilkinson (New Zealand)
Round Twenty Two – Adris Deleon (Gold Coast)
Round Twenty Three – Larry Davidson (Wollongong)
Round Twenty Four – Julian Khazzouh (Sydney)
Menga Award
Julian Khazzouh – 16.4 points (45.6% FG, 8.0% 3P, 68% FT), 10.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.1 blocks and 2.4 turnovers. ER – 19.9
Fifth in points, first in rebounds and first in blocks Kazoo was a statistical superstar. The best big man in the league he was Sydney’s one and only focus for most of the season. When he played well he was unstoppable but he did have a tendency to fall back to his only average mid to long range jump shot, show by his 2/25 three point shooting. With another season under his belt and a whole training session with Anatoly Bose and Jerai Grant, look for the Kings to finally shed their underachiever tag and make some noise in this league.
Congratulations to Julian Khazzouh for winning the first ever Menga Award for the best player in the league.
My opinion of the league’s MVP would be Cedric Jackson, the best player on the best team and was a revelation when the Breakers lost Kirk Penney. Unfortunately he was only ranked fourth in the official MVP candidates, being beaten by Kevin Lisch, Jamar Wilson and Julian Khazzouh. Hopefully he sticks around for another season so he can put all the people who didn’t vote for him to shame.
All NBL First Team
C – Julian Khazzouh, Sydney Kings (19.9)
F – Diamon Simpson, Adelaide 36ers (17.9)
F – Jerai Grant, Sydney Kings (16.3)
G – Cedric Jackson, New Zealand Breakers (16.6)
G – Kevin Lisch, Perth Wildcats (15.5)
All NBL Second Team
C – Daniel Johnson, Adelaide 36ers (16.7)
F – Gary Wilkinson, New Zealand Breakers (15.8)
F – Mark Worthington, Gold Coast Blaze (15.6)
G – Adris Deleon, Gold Coast Blaze (14.5)
G – Jamar Wilson, Cairns Taipans (14.5)
All NBL Third Team
C – Cameron Tragardh, Melbourne Tigers (14.6)
F – Jacob Holmes, Townsville Crocodiles (14.3)
F – Thomas Abercrombie, New Zealand Breakers (13.9)
G – Anatoly Bose, Sydney Kings (14.1)
G – Adam Gibson, Gold Coast Blaze (13.7)
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