Round Six Player of the Month

Sorry for the lateness of this post, I have been busy doing other things, getting married and going on a Hawaiian honeymoon being on the top of that list.  This blog isn’t about my personal life so let’s get to some NBL action.

This round was one of highs and lows.  The Melbourne Tigers had a massive outing in highly touted recruit Jonny Flynn’s debut while Sydney gave Wollongong their first loss of the season and Cedric Jackson was electric in New Zealand’s two wins.  On the other hand Townsville still haven’t won a game in eight tries and in their loss to the Breakers Cairns scored a team total of 25 efficiency points.  That’s right, 25 total points for 11 players, or 2.2 points on average and.  Ouch.

Dabster Award

Round Six Dabster Award Winner

Chris Goulding, Melbourne Tigers – 30:11 minutes, 24 points (9/12 FG, 3/6 3P, 3/3 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover.  ER – 27

Having an excellent point guard in Jonny Flynn can do wonders for slashers like Goulding who got his shots in open positions.  Cut import Kevin Braswell was known to be a shoot first point guard which didn’t give as many opportunities for the rest of the team but now with a PG who knows how to get people shots the rest of the team is reaping the rewards.  Goulding has always had the talent to be a top flight scorer in the league and now he has been given the green light look for more games of this calibre.

Honourable mentions

Cedric Jackson, New Zealand Breakers – 2 games, 17.0 points, 11.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals.   ER – 24.5

Seth Scott, Melbourne Tigers – 18 points, 10 rebounds.  ER – 24

Matthew Knight, Perth Wildcats – 21 points, 8 rebounds.  ER – 21

Rhys Martin, Wollongong Hawks – 15 points, 9 rebounds.  ER – 21

If it wasn’t for Goulding’s massive shooting night Jackson would be a shoo-in for this award and I’m betting that he will get the NBL’s player of the week award.  Two wins and averaging over eleven assists a game while playing excellent defence.  Scott also benefitted from Flynn’s play while Knight and Martin were lone shining lights for their losing teams.

Previous Dabster Award Winners

Round One – Stephen Weigh (Adelaide) and Matthew Knight (Perth)

Round Two – Alex Pledger (New Zealand) and Corin Henry (Sydney)

Round Three – Mika Vukona (New Zealand)

Round Four – Adris Deleon (Wollongong)

Round Five – Cedric Jackson (New Zealand)

Menga Award

Round Six Menga Leader Board

1.       Seth Scott, Melbourne Tigers – 20.0

2.       Cedric Jackson, New Zealand Breakers – 19.6

3.       Ben Madgen, Sydney Kings – 17.0

4.       Cameron Tragardh, Cairns Taipans – 16.1

5.       Matthew Knight, Perth Wildcats – 15.8

6.       Stephen Weigh, Adelaide 36ers – 15.5

7.       Adam Ballinger, Melbourne Tigers – 15.3

8.       Daniel Johnson, Adelaide 36ers – 14.0

9.       Adris Deleon, Wollongong Hawks – 13.5

10.   Larry Davidson, Wollongong Hawks – 13.0

A down year so far on last season, at this stage last season all of the top ten players were averaging over 15 ER points.  However, four of the top ten last season are now out of the league and most of the rest are playing below their previous production.  Good news is that there are only three imports in the league so take that whichever way you want, are the imports not as good as before or are the locals playing better?  I think it might be a bit of both.

Zike Award

Round Six Zike Award Winner

The Cairns Taipans – 54 points (18/67 FG, 3/19 3P, 15/21 FT), 28 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 14 turnovers.  ER – 25.

I was going to give Clint Steindl (-4) the Zike Award but I think the whole team deserves it.  They shot 27% from the field and their ER points look like a phone number – 1,4,-2,7,0,3,1,-4,10,5,0.  Cameron Tragardh was the only player in double digits and that was only the minimum.  Things don’t get any better for the Taipans as they play the upstart Hawks next season in Wollongong but they would have to get more than 25 points, right?

NBL Dream Team selections

It’s that time of year again when would be fantasy kings kick off their season, pouring over every game and every depth chart like they were running the club.  With the NBL Dream Team opening up, it’s time to put your fantasy money where your mouth is for another year.  If anyone is interested I have a public league open so anyone can join, the code is 460678.

Here are my picks for good value as well as players you might want to steer clear of for various reasons.

Forwards

Good value

Matthew Knight, Perth Wildcats ($130,300) – He can also put selected as a C but having him here will open up money for a top notch five.  Knight is the only player on their roster that can give the Wildcats substantial minutes at centre so he will see plenty of court time.  If he goes down with injury he has enough value to get someone of similar status.

Shawn Redhage, Perth Wildcats ($127,900) – Redhage may have had a poor last season which is why his price is lower than usual but he looks ready to go this campaign.  He has his fire back and going by the games in the pre-season tournament he will again be a force in the league.

Oscar Forman, Wollongong Hawks ($126,100) – The lanky perimeter shooter caught fire at the end of last season and a lot of Wollongong supporters will be hoping it continues into this one.  He can fill up the bucket with very good efficiency even with his outside shooter which makes his Dream Team score look much better than it should be.  With Adris DeLeon and Lance Hurdle kicking him the ball Forman should be in for a massive season.

Not so good value

Will Hudson, New Zealand Breakers ($121,200) – A standout for the Gold Coast Blaze last season he jumps to a team filled to the brim with talent.  Coming off the bench behind Mika Vukona and Alex Pledger will see his minutes reduced making his output less than someone of his status.  His price is a bit too much to warrant starting him on a Dream Team.

Curtis Withers, Townsville Crocodiles ($116,700) – He may have all the talent in the world but having a 203cm guy who will be playing a fair portion of his minutes at centre is not someone I want on my team.  Withers is a high risk, high reward kind of player so if you want to take the leap I won’t judge you, but don’t come crying to me when he gets out-rebounded by taller opponents.

Dillon Boucher, New Zealand Breakers ($68,200) – Boucher is someone every team wants and every team doesn’t want to play against.  He does all the dirty work: takes charges, gets into opponents heads and is just a nuisance to the other team.  Unfortunately for Dream Teamers none of what he does great shows up on the scoresheet so his DT scores are usually low.

Centres

Good value

Alex Pledger, New Zealand Breakers ($114,100) – The biggest man in the league is also one of the best bargains.  He will be starting for the Breakers which will give him ample minutes to produce and his growth as a player will continue into this season.  At only $114,100 he is a great, cheap starting player so you can splurge on others in your team.

Ben Allen, Townsville Crocodiles ($43,500) – When someone who is valued at forty three and a half thousand puts up 13 points and 14 rebounds in a game he is sure to be a bargain.  Sure it was only in the pre-season tournament but his form continued back into the off-season playing for Ipswich.  I hope he can continue his form because he is on my Dream Team.

Daniel Johnson, Adelaide 36ers ($180,200) – He may be super expensive and he doesn’t do enough on the defensive end but he puts up points in a hurry and he grabs rebounds.  With Luke Schenscher helping him out I’m sure DJ will again be up the top of the efficiency ratings.

Not so good value

Cameron Tragardh, Cairns Taipans ($151,200) – With a new team and a new coach Trigger is going to have some trouble adjusting to a squad that he isn’t the top dog.  This Taipans team is all about defence and Tragardh wasn’t the best defender at Melbourne.  He won’t get as many touches either which puts the $151,200 price tag out of most people’s budgets.

Luke Schenscher, Adelaide 36ers ($126,300) – On paper he should be at the top of the list but he just doesn’t do enough with the skills and height he has been given.  Maybe Johnson can bring out the best in the Big Red.

Pero Vasiljevic, Adelaide 36ers ($72,500) – Similar to Will Hudson’s situation he is placed behind two good front court players and won’t get enough playing time to produce.  Even worse for Pero is that he is no way near as good as Hudson so even when he gets minutes he won’t give the numbers as Hudson would.  Steer clear.

Guards

Good value

 Adris Deleon, Wollongong Hawks ($157,900) – 2Hard2Guard may have started poorly with the Blaze last season but when he get it together he was fantastic.  Wollongong will be looking to Deleon to lead from the front which means he will have the ball in his hands a lot.  Not as expensive as he should be so snatch him up quickly before the price rise.

Jason Cadee, Adelaide 36ers ($62,500) – Even though he won’t be starting for the 36ers I can picture that the team will be running with Cadee at PG and Adam Gibson at SG for a good portion of games which will give Cadee an excellent opportunity to put up some nice numbers.

Jamar Wilson, Cairns Taipans ($151,000) – He may have some more help this season but Wilson definitely still has the green light to take this team and carry it to the finish line.  I can see Deleon and Wilson being quite similar so Wilson is a better buy, being $6,900 cheaper.

Not so good value

Kerry Williams, Cairns Taipans ($43,500) – Williams is probably the league’s biggest enigma.  He shows some flashes of potential but really isn’t much of anything.  He may be one of the cheapest around but don’t look for him to be a bargain, he won’t make you happy.

Cedric Jackson, New Zealand Breakers ($191,300) – It may be hypocritical to place the best player in the league in the ‘don’t buy’ category but look at his price!  That is just too steep a price to pay, even if he doesn’t produce at MVP levels.

Corin Henry, Sydney Kings ($116,700) – It is only early as the season hasn’t started yet but the pre-season games he has been in he has stunk it up.  Having a short PG that doesn’t pass much and is a chucker is not someone you want on a Dream Team.  It may be a adjustment time for him and he may turn the corner but right now do not buy.

So they are my picks for bargains and don’t buy players so if you think you can beat me join my league and we can have some fun.  Only two weeks until the season starts!

Post Season Review - Gold Coast

The Season

The Blaze started slowly, going 1-3 in the first five rounds but had some quality wins to get them to 6-5 by round 12.  After that they powered through the rest of the season with an 11-6 stretch to grab hold of the third seed.  That meant they would face off against the second seed Perth in the semi finals and were able to steal the second game by two points even though they shot a woeful 36% from the field.  Shooting 29 free throws will get most teams out of trouble though.  They fell in the third game to lost the series 2-1.

What went right?

They had some bonafide stars on this team and after the initial gelling period this team was in the elite tier of teams.  Mark Worthington and Adris Deleon were handed second team All-NBL positions from this blog while in the official awards Worthington was named to the First Team, Deleon on the Third Team with Adam Gibson wedged in-between on the Second Team.  They shared the honours with Perth and New Zealand with having three players on the All-NBL teams.  Will Hudson was also decent, picking up the Dabster Award for round two.

What went wrong?

Not much, it was just unfortunate that Perth and New Zealand were in a league of their own.  The team had everything you could want from a squad – an elite point guard (Gibson), a dazzling import (Deleon), a savvy veteran (Worthington), good role playing big men (Hudson and Anthony Petrie) and some guys who could give some spark (Chris Goulding and Stephen Hoare).  Unfortunately this team was kind of inconsistent, shown by their poor shooting percentages.  Only one player shot above 50% from the field (Hudson) while their three best players were all below 42%.  That just doesn’t cut it and shows the glaring weakness of a jump shooting team.  They didn’t rebound particularly well either with Worthington and Hudson being the only two Gold Coast players to average six rebounds or more.

Most Valuable Player

This team has some stars but none more than Mark Worthington.  Sure he shot 41.9% from the field and has been known to exaggerate contact to get bailed out by the refs but he is a top notch player.  His First Team All-NBL team selection probably tells it all but he won two Dabster Awards this season and averaged 15.6 ER points, more than eventual league MVP Kevin Lisch.

Targets

They have already lost James Harvey and Tom Garlepp to Sydney and Jason Cadee to Adelaide as this team has been put under voluntary administration which is never a good sign.  Unfortunately there is a chance that this team won’t be around next season but we will get to that when it happens.  As of right now they have Gibson, Petrie, Goulding and Worthington under contract and would be wise to re-sign Deleon as soon as possible.  He was great for the team and with another pre-season under his belt I’m sure the team will be better for it.  For the other import I won’t be surprised if Hudson comes back but if he is lured somewhere else another big man would be imperative.   If Deleon was not to come back getting a definite shooting guard would be the way to go as Gibson would be given the complete reigns to run the show at point guard.

Losing Harvey and Garlepp isn’t a big deal as Harvey needed a change of scenery if he is to get back to his dominant self while Garlepp hasn’t shown me anything to say that he will be a quality rotation player.  Cadee is a little disappointing as I believe that he could be a fantastic player in this league so hopefully he gets plenty of court time in Adelaide.  They are right on the edge so if they can get some good role players to compliment the big three it will be a big step in the right direction.

Next Season

If the team comes back next season (and I have confidence that they will) this team will again be in the hunt for the third spot but I don’t think they will be up with Perth and New Zealand in the guaranteed championship contender level.

Grade

A-

Award Season part One

Some people might say that the trinity of Award Season is the Grammy’s, the Oscar’s and the NBL Awards.  OK, no-one says that but the NBL awards are important and give recognition to players who excelled in the competition.  I am going to split my awards into two categories – the first is from the official NBL award finalist list which was released this week while next week is going to be my own award winners, finished off with the awarding of the historical Menga Award for the best player in the league.

Coach of the Year – Lindsay Gaze Trophy
Nominees - Rob Beveridge (Perth), Aaron Fearne (Cairns), Andrej Lemanis (New Zealand), Paul Woolpert (Townsville), Joey Wright (Gold Coast)

Who should win, but won’t – Rob Beveridge.
The Perth Wildcats have been outstanding this season and a lot of that kudos should be given to the coach.  In my opinion the deepest team in the league it has taken a wise head to keep all that talent in check and make sure they all mesh together.

And the award goes to – Andrej Lemanis.
Not only has his team taken out the minor premiership, Lemanis has this team at his beck and call.  He handled the Corey Webster fiasco very well, showing that the team will not stand for poor performance off the court.  Much of the Breakers’ success is directly related to Lemanis and his coaching crew.

Rookie of the Year
Everard Bartlett (Adelaide), Anatoly Bose (Sydney), Chris Cedar (Townsville), Greg Hire (Perth), Patty Mills (Melbourne)

Why is he on the ballot again? – Patrick Mills.
9 games, 18.6 points, 5.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.1 blocks per game.  ER – 14.9
This is a tough one as technically Mills is an Australian and had not played a game before donning the Tigers jersey.  But c’mon, someone who has NBA experience should not be counted as a rookie.  Taking a step back and looking at the two frontrunners I don’t think Mills would have won anyway.

And the award goes to – Anatoly Bose
24 games, 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.  ER – 13.8
My pick for ‘the next big thing’, Bose has not disappointed.  He has had his ups and downs on the season as nearly all rookies do but his goods vastly outweighed his bads and was the odds on favourite for this award.

Best Sixth Man
CJ Bruton (New Zealand), Aaron Grabau (Cairns), Alex Pledger (NZ), Liam Rush (Melbourne), Jesse Wagstaff (Perth)

Any other year he would have won – Liam Rush
26 games, 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.  ER – 8.2
The winner of the round 13 Dabster Award, Rush has been a godsend off the Tigers bench.  Backing up three positions, he has given the starters a breather while playing hard and not letting the opposition get away, which all bench players should strive for.  With all the turmoil surrounding Melbourne he was a shining light.

And the award goes to – Jesse Wagstaff
27 games, 11.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.  ER – 10.6
Winner of two Dabster Awards in rounds 15 and 20, the mop top was superb this season.  In a team which such talented depth Wagstaff may have receded back and let the more refined players take over but he held his own and was looked upon at the end of games to bring home the victory for the Wildcats.   

Defensive Player of the Year
Ian Crosswhite (Cairns), Adam Gibson (Gold Coast), Jerai Grant (Sydney), Damian Martin (Perth), Mika Vukona (NZ)

Always a bridesmaid – Mika Vukona
26 games, 9.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.  ER – 12.3
Looking at him you would wonder why he plays PF and C on any team, let alone a team as good as the Breakers.  At about half time when he has nullified the opposition’s best big man, grabbed seven rebounds and held the opposing team to much less than their usual output you know why.  He plays with strength and tenacity that should not be seen in a player of his size, but the main reason why he is in this conversation is that he is so damn clever in the way he plays the game.  Not the ‘flop and get the umpire’s whistle’ clever but he knows where to go and what to do at any time on the court, especially at the defensive end.

And the award goes to – Damian Martin
19 games, 7.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.  ER – 13.4
After a slow start to the season with a big injury break Martin came back with a bang.  Not only on the offensive end where he was a candidate for a triple double every time he stepped onto the court, but on the other end where he would badger opposing guards until they didn’t want the ball in their hands.  That is the sign of an elite defender and this award will look good matched up with last season’s trophy.

Most Improved
Jacob Holmes (Townsville), Daniel Johnson (Adelaide), Alex Pledger (New Zealand), Cameron Tragardh (Melbourne), Jesse Wagstaff (Perth)

Was very unlucky not to win – Jacob Holmes
27 games, 10.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocks per game.  ER – 14.8
From relative obscurity to a top tier player, Holmes was a walking double double machine this season.  They way he dominated the glass while using his silky smooth jump-shot was a wonder return to form from the Adelaide/South Dragon player who showed flashes but didn’t make them stick.  He would probably have won this if not for his late season fade which saw him be totally removed from games when his team needed him the most.

And the award goes to – Daniel Johnson
26 games, 16.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.  ER – 17.0
What a transformation this guy has undergone.  From a bench player behind Chris Anstey at Melbourne to a game changer in Adelaide, Johnson is now in the top three best centres and arguably top 5-6 player in the whole league.  The way he used his size to grabs rebounds while having a deadly jump-shot (sounds very similar to Holmes) has elevated his game to new heights.  His play with Diamon Simpson has been astounding and hopefully the American can come back next season so they can have a full pre-season training camp together to create the best big man tandem in the league.

Well, there you have my take on the ‘official’ finalists of the awards, but tune in next time for my awards as well as the unveiling of the coveted Menga Award.