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?

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.

Round Twenty Four Player of the Week

The final four is set which made this round a very tense one.  Cairns losing to Sydney was a heart-breaker for the guys up north but when the Kings are on their game they are very hard to play.  Too bad that hardly ever happens.  Perth and New Zealand continued their form at the top of the table with easy wins while Melbourne’s season continues to sink, losing to lowly Wollongong.

I will be attending the Sydney/Wollongong game and the Wollongong/Adelaide game this coming weekend.  Finally I will be able to see a live game instead of relying of One HD’s terribly late broadcasts and it will be enjoyable to see Mat Campbell’s send off in Wollongong.

Dabster Award

Round Twenty Four Dabster Award Winner

Julian Khazzouh, Sydney Kings – 17 points (7/12 FG, 3/5 FT), 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 2 turnovers.  ER – 26

This is a textbook case of a dominant big man.  Taking on the playoff hopeful Cairns Taipans, Khazzouh (and co) turned it on.  Not only did the Captain score a double double he also dished out five assists, showing he great court vision.  He had a bit of a low patch after coming back from the States but it seems like his funk is over, just in time for the last round of the season that doesn’t mean anything.  Good to see him back to his old form.

Honourable mentions

Jerai Grant (Sydney) – 21 points, 9 rebounds.  ER - 24

Diamon Simpson (Adelaide) – 21 points, 11 rebounds.  ER - 23

Thomas Abercrombie (New Zealand) – 24 points, 5 rebounds.  ER – 22

Jamar Wilson (Cairns) – 27 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists.  ER - 22

Gary Wilkinson (New Zealand) – 20 points, 5 rebounds.  ER - 21

Cedric Jackson (New Zealand) – 9 points, 12 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals.  ER – 21

Anatoly Bose (Sydney) – 18 points, 11 rebounds.  ER - 21

Kevin Lisch (Perth) – 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists.  ER - 20

Big games for the big names at New Zealand and Sydney while Jamar Wilson was a lone hand in the Taipans’ loss.  Perth’s depth is crazy deep with six players scoring 10 or more.

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)

Menga Award

Round Twenty Four Menga Leader Board

1.       (1)  Julian Khazzouh, Sydney Kings – 20.1

2.       (2)  Diamon Simpson, Adelaide 36ers – 17.7

3.       (3)  Daniel Johnson, Adelaide 36ers – 17.0

4.       (4)  Cedric Jackson, New Zealand Breakers – 16.9

5.       (5)  Jerai Grant, Sydney Kings – 16.7

6.       (8)  Gary Wilkinson, New Zealand Breakers – 15.8

7.       (9)  Kevin Lisch, Perth Wildcats – 15.7

8.       (6)  Mark Worthington, Gold Coast Blaze – 15.7

9.       (7)  Cameron Tragardh, Melbourne Tigers – 15.1

10.   (10)  Jacob Holmes, Townsville Crocodiles – 14.8

Tough stretch for Jacob Holmes, totally a massive 11 points in his last three starts putting him below 15 since I don’t know when.  Hopefully with the Crocs in the playoffs they can rely on some more input from the rising star.

Zike Award

Round Twenty Four Zike Award Winner

Rhys Martin, Wollongong Hawks – 20:17 minutes, 0 points (0/5 FG, 0/2 3P, 0/0 FT), 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers.  ER: -2

For a player who started out so well and was looking the next big point guard Martin has regressed something shocking in the latter half of this season, culminating in his first Zike Award.  He did have four assists which is decent for a starting point guard but going scoreless for the game is not going to make any new friends.  With Mat Campbell’s final game this weekend look for all the Hawks players to bring their all for the Club Champion.

Round Twenty Three Player of the Week

With only a few weeks left in the season and still playoff place to be had, this round was great.  Even though the final scores of all the games were a bit lop sided there were some excellent individual performances.  And hey, Adelaide hung around against league leaders New Zealand.

Dabster Award

Round Twenty Three Dabster Award Winner

Larry Davidson, Wollongong Hawks – 24 points (10/12 FG, 3/3 3P, 1/1 FT), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers.  ER – 30

Where did this game come from?  Sure Julian Khazzouh wasn’t playing which freed the Hawks up but this was out of the blue.  Davidson turned back the clock with a dazzling shooting performance, hitting all but two of his shots.  The team may not be in the playoff race any more but they sure can play spoiler for the rest of the league.

Honourable mentions

Luke Schenscher (Townsville) – 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds.  ER - 28

Diamon Simpson (Adelaide) – 19 points, 11 rebounds.  ER - 28

Jerai Grant (Sydney) – 20 points, 8 rebounds.  ER – 27

Gary Wilkinson (New Zealand) – 21 points, 6 rebounds.  ER - 25

Daniel Johnson (Adelaide) – 21 points, 9 rebounds.  ER - 25

Luke Martin (Sydney) – 17 points, 6 assists.  ER – 24

Damian Martin (Perth) – 11 points, 9 rebounds.  ER – 21

Very good round for individual performances, as Schenscher, Simpson and Grant were all unlucky that they had their outings this week as they would have taken home the Dabster Award two weeks ago.  As all the playoff teams are gearing up for the post season, look for them to really put the foot down and get some confidence in the next two weeks.

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)

Menga Award

Round Twenty Three Menga Leader Board

1.       (1)  Julian Khazzouh, Sydney Kings – 19.9

2.       (2)  Diamon Simpson, Adelaide 36ers – 17.5

3.       (4)  Daniel Johnson, Adelaide 36ers – 17.1

4.       (3)  Cedric Jackson, New Zealand Breakers – 16.7

5.       (6)  Jerai Grant, Sydney Kings – 16.4

6.       (5)  Mark Worthington, Gold Coast Blaze – 15.9

7.       (8)  Cameron Tragardh, Melbourne Tigers – 15.6

8.       (NR)  Gary Wilkinson, New Zealand Breakers – 15.6

9.       (9)  Kevin Lisch, Perth Wildcats – 15.5

10.   (7)  Jacob Holmes, Townsville Crocodiles – 15.3

Adris Deleon’s stay in the top ten was as brief as can be, only one week with Wilkinson replacing him.  It’s worth noting that only one player in the top five is from a top four team, showing that elite teams have great depth and the poorer squads only rely on a few bodies.

Zike Award

Round Twenty Three Zike Award Winner

Brad Hill, Cairns Taipans – 19:35 minutes, 6 points (3/9 FG, 0/2 3P, 0/4 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 5 turnovers.  ER: -2

I could put the entire Cairns team (again) as they stunk it up against Perth, only accumulating a measly 39 ER while getting outscored ER wise by nearly 70 but Hill is the scapegoat.  I was on the Hill bandwagon when he shot out of the gate at the start of the season but has disappointed me for the last time.  Not only did he shoot poorly and turn the ball over an unforgivable number, but he missed all of his four free throws.  C’mon!  They are free!  It’s in the name for crying out loud.  Consider me jumping off the Brad Hill bandwagon and he will need to do a hell of a lot to get me back onto it.